Verse 14: "She brings her food from afar."

Proverbs 31:14 "She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from afar."

At first blush, this passage seems counter-intuitive; isn't it best to support one's local economy and buy from local farmers as much as possible? Or even grow as much as you can yourself? Why yes! Absolutely!
The way I see this passage is to focus on the fact that they are merchant's ships. Basic business savvy says "Buy low, sell high." This means one ought to seek out the best deals in the most cost-effective fashion available to them. How this applies to the good wife is many-fold. The obvious example is economic grocery shopping. There are 2 stores that I shop at every week to get the best prices. If I had more time and fewer kids to tote around with me, there are at least 2 more locations I would frequent.
Basically, I feel the message of this passage is about doing the "footwork" involved in finding the best quality for the lowest price. This means an end to impulse buying (*gasp*!), searching garage sales, freecycle, Craig's list, eBay and the like; holding off for a sale or 1 day special, and so forth, either in an actual store or online. Do your research; is this actually a good deal compared to the regular price for a comparable item? Yes, 5% off is a discount, but if you go to another store is it 15% off there? Can you find it at 50+% off at a second-hand store? How about 90% off at a garage sale or on clearance? Can you make it yourself for less? Do you even really need it in the first place?

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."