Food is the second highest expenditure in most people’s lives, yet they don’t pay attention to it. Pay yourself by using the information inside of 5 Meals for $5. This cook book is not only filled with delicious and plentiful recipes, it is filled with the information on how you can get the same prices and lower than the recipes listed!

You don’t need to change what you eat, just the way you shop! And you don’t need to rely on Spam or unhealthy meals to live in today’s debt ridden economy. It’s not all about coupons and Jaci will show you how!

If you think you might starve because of portion size, think again! If you’re single, freeze the leftovers and save or cut down the recipes and eat a fresh meal every day and using Jaci’s Buddy Shopping System.

5 Meals for $5 also has a weights and measures chart, free date night ideas, measure conversion tables, Jaci Rae’s “The Plan” on how to get out of debt and much more!

One recipe example:

Pot Roast
Cost per person $0.97
Total cost five people $4.87
2 lbs chuck roast ($1.92)
(my store just had a sale for $0.69 a lbs. A lot less than listed here!)
1 lb. potatoes, diced ($0.40)
4 carrots, chopped ($0.10)
1 onion, chopped ($0.30)
1 beef bouillon ($0.16)
1 garlic clove, minced ($0.01)
Salt and pepper to taste ($0.02)
Iceberg Lettuce and Cucumber Salad ($1.45) (recipe listed in book)
Basic Vinegar and Oil Salad Dressing ($0.42) (recipe listed in book)
1 lemon, sliced in 5 wedges ($0.09)

Saute chuck roast in a dash of oil until both sides all dark brown (about 2 minutes on each side on high). Combine all other ingredients into a large stew pot or crock-pot. Once meat is browned, put into pot with other veggies and spices and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until Meat is tender and fully cooked. Make salad and serve with chilled water and lemon wedge.

Click Here To Purchase

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(click the book to purchase)
In this guide to frugal living, Deborah shows you how to live within your means and enjoy doing it. Among other things, she shows you how to:

* Take the sting out of gift-giving
* Dress well on a budget
* Save on family expenses
* Slash household expenses
* Involve the whole family in saving money
* Save more for the things you want

Frugal Living for Dummiescovers all areas of life with common sense advice and guidance on:

* Working with your partner to achieve financial goals
* Going to the grocery without being taken to the cleaners
* Quick and thrifty cooking techniques
* Providing kids the basics on a tight budget
* Looking good and feeling good on a tight budget
* Frugal holiday fun year round
* Saving money around the house and driveway
* Finding quality in pre-owned merchandise

Packed with tried-and-true techniques for cutting costs, Frugal Living For Dummies is the ultimate financial survival guide for the rest of us.

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These days, brides are all about saving money, but you don’t have to scrimp on having a fabulous wedding! Check out this video for
cost saving ideas for your ceremony, reception and more. See how top designers are creating gowns to fit brides with all budgets and tips for saving money at your cocktail hour.

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Do you have a dent and bent store near you? I recently discovered one in my area and have become a regular customer. It’s owned by a really nice family that just bought it from the previous owner and they’re working hard to update and clean it up. Just like shopping at a flea market or garage sale, when I shop at dent and bent stores, I take my time and look over each product carefully before I purchase it.

Today I spent $20.98 and this is what I bought.
1) Boxed or bagged items
Two boxes of Muellers ziti: 50 cents each
Two 6 pack boxes of Act 2 microwave popcorn: $2 each but it was buy one, get one free, so $1 each
A 10 pack box of Disney Princess Fruit Snacks: $1
A box of Hersheys Mini Cookies: $1
Two 10 pack boxes of Capri Sun Fruit Drinks: $1.50 each
One 10 pack box of Carpri Sun 100% Fruit Juice: $1.50
One 8 pack box of Back To Nature cheddar crackers: $1
4 packages of Earth’s Best Organic cookies: 25 cents each

My tips for buying boxed or bagged items:
When the item is loose and not packaged seperately inside the box or bag (like pasta is) I don’t buy them if they were opened and taped closed and I’ll only buy boxes that have slight creases in them. When the food item is packaged seperately inside the box and not loose (like everything else on the list), I’ll allow for more damage to the outer box and will buy a box that was opened and resealed.

2) Canned items
One can of Chicken of the Sea Whole Baby Clams: $1
One can of Armour Vienna Sausages: 50 cents
Five cans of Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna Fish in water: 75 cents each

My tips for buying canned items:
I only buy cans that have very small or no dents at all. Out of the five cans of tuna, only one had a very small dent.

Here’s some information I found online about buying dented cans.

Department of Agriculture (was on a page for canned fruit but would pertain to all cans) When buying canned fruit, avoid cans that show signs of bulging or swelling at the ends, or of leakage. Small dents in a can usually will not harm the contents unless the dents have pierced the metal or loosened the can seam. Badly dented cans, however, should always be avoided.

Purdue University Extension
Bulging cans — Spoiled! Throw away!
Dented cans — Do not buy cans with dents on the side seam of the can or on the rim seams at the top or bottom of the can. Check carefully for leakage, especially around the seam. Throw leaky cans away.
Rusty cans — Check for leakage. The rust may have penetrated the can.

With some common sense, shopping in a dent and bent store can save money. I try to go by there once a week because they constantly get more things in and rotate their stock.

::note:: originally written in 2007

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