When a 31 year old mother of three children came to me complaining about how much money she spends on food, I announced that next week's lesson would focus on stretching the food dollar.

During that lesson I taught how 10% of the grocery bill may be junk food. Plus, when children are taken along on shopping trips, the grocery bill could be boosted another 20%. I suggested the buddy system - ask a friend to watch the children while she goes shopping. I also suggested the use of coupons for foods she normally buys, looking for sales, cutting back on junk foods, reducing the serving size of meats, and prepare and serve a meatless meal at least once a week.

Each week I would ask the homemaker how she was doing and had she made any progress in reducing her food costs. She stated that she was trying to use the information I had shared and trying my ideas and recipes. By the end of the series, the young woman claimed that she was saving 10%-15% off her grocery bill each week.