How come fast-food restaurants super-size your hamburgers but not your salad? How come bags of chips keep getting bigger and bigger? The economy packs of food will save you money but not calories. How do you lose weight on a budget? Here are some suggestions from iVillagers:

The Most Creative

Here's how I'm trying to save money for a deck and how I'm trying to lose some weight by cutting down on eating out every day for lunch. I usually spend about $5 a day on eating out for lunch. I have two jars at home. One is labeled "New Deck" and the other is labeled "Big Butt." Every time I eat out, I get a receipt and throw it into the Big Butt jar. When I bring my own lunch, I throw the $5 I didn't spend on fast food into the New Deck jar. When I see all the receipts in the Big Butt jar, not only do I feel bad about all the money I wasted that could've gone to my new deck, but also I can visually see all money I spend on junk food that should've been healthy, affordable food bought from the grocery store. And I feel worse about my overall appearance because I am, essentially contributing to my butt. --Sarah

More Ideas

Bring lunch. A delicious homemade salad will save calories and dollars. If you are used to spending as little as $5 a day, you can save over $1,500 a year (based on a five-day week). You can buy a new wardrobe with that money. --Diet & Fitness newsletter