When rising gas prices put a cramp in one viewer's budget last summer, she and her husband decided to stretch their checkbook by cooking at home and spending less on family dinners. "I started using coupons and paying more attention to the sale items at the grocery store," says Erin, a mother of two. "One night I made a dish for my family that cost $3.85 ... and I wondered if I could actually make each meal each for $5 or less, and so I set out to do that." Since then, she's created 200 affordable recipes, including Bacon and Egg Quesadillas and Cranberry Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes, started her own "$5 Dinners" blog, and cut her grocery bill in half. While she enjoys the savings, she's also thrilled to see her two young boys learning such positive eating habits. "We are eating much healthier these days," Erin says. "It's great!"

How does she do it? Here are Erin's basic guidelines:

• Make a weekly meal plan based on coupons and sale items for your family's favorite foods.

• Buy meat on sale and freeze the unused portions.

• Use cash at the grocery store so there's no temptation to overspend.

• Multiply the savings from coupons by picking up one newspaper for each family member.

"I spend about 30 minutes each week to do this," Erin notes, "But to save $50 to $80 a week? That's worth my 30 minutes."

Related Links

5 Dollar Dinners.com