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When I was a young married man, I wanted to be home with my kids. I found "The Tightwad Gazette"- which was, at the time, a periodical, but now you can find it compiled as a book. Try to get it on interlibrary loan. The author has some good ideas about how to budget. A neat one is the pricebook. It is a fun little project. You get a looseleaf notebook, and you have a page for each food you eat. Then, when you buy that food, you write down the place, date, price PER POUND (or ounce or whatever), whether it was on sale.

You start to realize that store x has, say, rice cheapest, store y beef, store z onions. Then, you shop at store x, say once a month and buy one months worth. While you are at store x, you check out the flyers and stock up on any loss leader items your family can use (they are usually below market value) You can flip through your price book and flyers to write your shopping list, and strategize before you go (best with little ones not to think on the fly). Food co-ops are a good resource, farmers markets etc.

The author also suggests gardening, and of course, getting some basic cooking skills. "The Better Homes and Gardens" red and white check cook book taught me lots to get me started on basic cooking. I see this book often at used book stores. We mostly eat meat, broth, vegs, fruits, sauces, and nuts now; and those aren't really hard. Of course "Nourishing Traditions" is also a wonderful cookbook.

I also really like the easy coconut seafood soup recipe in "Eat Fat, Loose Fat", and make that about once a week, sometimes with meat instead of fish if I don't have fish. I just really like the taste of the broth, very Thai!