1. Shop at the grocery store in the evenings to get the best deals. Stores often mark down meat and other items towards the end of the night.

2. Have a family meeting with your children and make a budget plan. Your children are more likely to understand the value of a dollar when they know how much your family is spending.

3. Take advantage of government stimulus incentives. If you are renting, tax incentives may make it cheaper for you to buy a home than renting.

4. Put off big purchases until the end of the month. Sales people are often more eager to make deals to reach quota at the end of the month.

5. Get health insurance. Insurance may be a big household expense but if any member of your family becomes critically injured or ill you may end up with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.