I always make a large pot of spaghetti sauce and freeze it in appropriately sized containers for our use. I prepare more than one meals worth of most foods- like chicken or pork chops and package the extras in single serving sized containers for my husband to take for his lunches at work, ensuring he has healthy lunches and doesn't have to buy any. It is also cheaper than most lunch meats when I can buy the larger family packs of meats on sale. He can take a container out of the freezer before going to work and have it thawed by the time he has his lunch.

I like to get a ham when it is on sale and have it deli sliced at the meat counter and package it in appropriately sized freezer bags for use when we need it. I get several bags out of one ham and it is cheaper than buying that much sandwich ham in individual packages. I have also found that the thinner slices results in using less when making a sandwich. I really like having the ham more shaved than sliced.

I do try to stock up on frozen vegetables when they are on sale, but I also will buy things like fresh bell peppers and onions on sale, chop them up and place them in a thin layer in freezer bags. I freeze them on a cookie sheet and when I need to add either in dishes I'm cooking, I can just break off an appropriate piece and add it to whatever I'm cooking. They taste good and still have the nutritional values and save so much time when I'm cooking something and don't have to do all the chopping. There are several vegetables you can do this with, including members of the squash family. Many web sites will tell you that you need to blanch them first, but I have found that is unnecessary most of the time. Blanching removes some nutrients and I prefer not to do it.

I do buy dry beans and make sure to sort them and soak them overnight. They are a great staple and cook quickly after being soaked. I can add a variety of items to them to have different flavors, they can be frozen and they provide great protein- one of the few meals my husband likes that doesn't include meat. They are not expensive and you can control the salt better than most canned beans that generally include salt in them.

In general, most homemade meals are cheaper and healthier than those prepared foods, especially if you try to use healthier oils and alternatives to things like flour on meats (Like fried chicken. We prefer baked with either panko or sometimes a crushed healthy cereal.) If you don't know how to cook, there are great sites on-line that show you how to do each step in a video or if the Internet isn't available, there are "cooking made simple" cookbooks out there. You can even find them at your local library. Don't attempt to cook extravagant meals if you don't have the experience and you can learn to turn out great home cooked meals. It can also be helpful to do mass cooking on weekends/days off and freeze them for use during the work week. I've known families who cooked together on the weekends to prepare a week or two worth of dinners. Even younger kids can learn to be helpful and it will give them a good foundation to cook for themselves when they leave home. My kids were taught to do chopping at a young age using ulu's, a knife Alaska Native women used and now manufactured by places like the Ulu Factory in Alaska. Ulu's are better than regular knives because the hand is above the blade and allows more power to be applied to the item being chopped and keeps fingers out of the way. (I have no stake in the company, I just love the knives. Google them.)

Good article. We usually plan a weekly menu that uses similar spices and ingredients and then cook four meals on a Sunday evening. Eat one and refrigerate or freeze the other three for the week ahead. Quite simple and you are rewarded throughout the week for one evening of work.

None of these hints are possible in my house - the house-mate wanders in around 4 pm announces that he wants so-and-so for dinner, then goes down to the store to get it - never mind that I have at things for at least 5 dinners in the fridge/freezer. He comes back with whatever he wants for dinner, along with beer, chips, and ice cream. I guess he thinks it's a restaurant in here . . . .

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I go to a produce mart. The items may not be as pretty as in the grocery store, but when you cook--who cares? I just purchased 1 1/2 weeks of produce fo $19. Also, don't be proud, go to Walmart for many items, they are significantly cheaper, especially for dry goods. Their store brand is good and alot cheaper. Do not allow yourself to purchase things at a nearby store that you know if more expensive, prepare a list. I keep an ongoing list on the countertop so that as things run low, everyone is to add it to the list so I can make one shopping trip. The less you go to the store, the less you succumb to impulsive buying.

You really have to adopt the philosophy that if the members of the family don't like it, then don't eat. Many people in our country have become 'spoiled' and think you should eat at home like you are in a restaurant, choosing according to your whim. Planning meals ahead of time saves money and allows you to prepare a nutritious meal.

I also keep things to cook quickly when the kids games run late or other things happen. Perogies, chicken breasts, hamburgers/hot dogs all cook quickly while not costing a fortune in take-out. Accompany it with a salad and you have a nutritious meal! It does not have to look like Food Network every night!

This article has many great ideas-a good recipe site is cooks.com and foodnetwork.com my husband does all the cooking and those sites help him soooo much-we buy produce thats on sale along with meats and everyone usually has a say so everyone eats thier food if not they eat raman noodles -everyone has a choice,may not like the choices but a choice none the less

I like to cook on Sundays, things I can use throughout the week. For instance a whole chicken cooked in the crockpot with veggies turns into stew for Sunday night, shredded bbq chicken sandwiches for Monday, and chicken soup to bring to work for the week. I try to use different seasonings each time so it does not all taste the same. I freeze any leftovers in one serving containers for lunches, or for my mother-in-law who cannot cook much for herself these days.

I too cook on the weekend for the following busy weekdays.

For fresh salad greens, however, I go to my backyard, NOT the grocery store. All types of clover are edible, as well as sorrel, lamb's quarters, purslane, to name a few. These "weeds" are my volunteer salad buffet.

I created for myself couple of excel programs to keep track of money or more importantly where it diappears. After couple of months you will be suprised, Helps a lot on deciding the budget. Usually home cooked meals are cheaper and healthier than takeouts or restaurant sit down meals + you know what is in your meal(Pink slime, excess fat and salt) comes first to mind.

If I don't have time to go crazy cooking after work, I'll buy a roasted chicken (or cook one the night before), cut off the pieces we'll eat that night and use the rest to start an easy chicken soup the following night. All you need is carrots, celery, onion, and garlic if you like it to start the soup, add low sodium chicken broth, noodles or rice and even a bag of fresh or frozen spinach and a can of beans. I've even made soup from all sorts of veggies I bought and didn't want to go to waste and added ground turkey meatballs I rolled myself. they take on the soups flavor so no need to go crazy with them, just roll up smallest balls and toss them in the soup to cook. Can also add same to spaghetti sauce.

When I've had leftover hamburgers in the frig, but not enough to serve my family, I've crumbled them into a pan, browned and thrown into a quick spaghetti sauce. Gives the sauce a little more taste and texture. And no waste!

If you buy an extra pack of any meat/pork/chix on sale you can freeze family size portions and defrost in frig overnight so that when you get home from work the next day it's all set to cook. I marinate chicken in ken's salad dressing to help it defrost.

If you make a pot of rice you can stretch it to 2 nights but stir frying it with chopped veggies and an egg the next night. I usually take leftovers for lunch the next day so don't mind if there is extra food from our dinners.

You'll be surprised at how good food will start to taste again when you make it a habit to cook at home! My 9-year old likes to cut veggies (supervised) and decide how to prepare some of them. Your kids will start to enjoy eating the food at home when they have some hand in preparing!

Oh, and BTW, to make life even easier, we grill in every season!