Penny Pinching

Lots of families are trying to be more frugal these days, and one way to save a lot of money is to stop eating out and buying fast foods. Cooking from scratch can be time consuming, but here's a way to make it work. Cook enough for several different big dinners at one time. Then divide each dish into several sections, each big enough for a family meal, and freeze the ones you don't intend to serve right away. Cooking enough for a week or so all at once and then heating some up each night won't require much more total time than going to restaurants or waiting for pizza deliveries, and rotating the dishes will keep them from becoming monotonous.

It might seem boring to stay home, but a picnic doesn't cost much and provides a change of scene. And reading a book out loud to the whole family, or playing board games together can be an inexpensive substitute for going to a movie and offers a change from watching TV or playing video games.