18 ways to beat inflation

Putting a homemade meal on the table five to seven nights a week the way your mother did may seem daunting.

In the new age of the Food Network and Williams-Sonoma, lots of moms and dads know how to whip up a mean saffron risotto for a Sunday night but never got the knack for the day-to-day basics.

To bone up on your home ec, check out Mitchell Davis' "Kitchen Sense" and Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything," which are loaded with recipes for quick and simple meals.

If you plan entrées with overlapping ingredients and buy everything for the week at once, you can not only save money but, often, put a dinner together in the time it would take to pick up takeout.

Potential savings: $50 a month

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