I have a little problem. I can not make a meal that costs more than $5. Even if I try. My brain will no longer allow it. It’s filled with prices on my favorite products. It races through recipes and numbers as I go through the grocery store, wondering ‘can I pull off that meal for less than $5? Is that price on those chicken breasts too high to swing a $5 meal?’ It’s unnatural, really. But, my pocketbook thanks me!
I am now on a mission to help you spend a whole lot less of your hard earned money on groceries, so you can use those dollars to pay off debt, save for a vacation, pay for something special, or whatever your financial goals or dream may be!
(And to answer your question – YES, it is getting much more challenging to make meals under $5 for my family. Between a bunch of teenagers and increasing food prices, I’m now aiming for $7-$8 meals for us. I can still make a ‘rice and beans meal’ for under $5!)
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I’m a child of God, wife of an adorable, supportive and godly husband and mom to 4 rambunctious little boys, ages 18, 17, 14 and 11 (pictured below from the Feeding Teenage Boys on a Budget cookbook cover)!
I grew up in San Antonio, TX, and went to college at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. A few short months after graduating from TCU, I found myself in the Dominican Republic as a missionary and middle/high school teacher, and school principal. I learned all I needed to know about meal planning and grocery shopping on a budget…all in a 3rd world country using a foreign currency!
After 6 years of ministry in the Dominican Republic, we moved back to the US several years ago when I was pregnant with our 2nd son. At first, I found life in the US overwhelming. Now that the reverse culture shock has worn off, I really enjoy the luxuries and comforts of home.
When I’m not couponing, grocery shopping or blogging, I enjoy date nights, training for and running half marathons, hanging out outside, reading and hanging out with girlfriends!
How $5 Dinners came to be…
Back in late summer 2008, I began couponing. Really couponing. It started paying off immediately! I love to cook and I love the challenge of coming up with a meal that costs under $5. A few weeks before I started the blog, I’d shared with my husband that “this meal was only $3.85, or tonight’s dinner cost about $5.” One night as I was cleaning up the dishes from dinner I thought of the phrase “$5 Dinners”. The website was born and we’ve added hundreds of recipes, cooking tutorials and more here on the site!
Since the website’s inception, we have added 2 more boys to the family, a furry boy and a pandemic puppy too. Over the years, it’s been such a privilege to write cookbooks, create meal plans, build web apps, and other resources to help making your life in the kitchen easier. From learning how to cook, perfecting meal plans, setting up freezer meals for your family, I want to help you spend less on groceries by cooking more at home and taking advantage of sales by making freezer meals (so you don’t have to pay full price for meats in between sales cycles.)
I’ve been honored to appear on countless media outlets, including The Today Show, Fox & Friends, Good Morning America, The View, Money Magazine, Woman’s Day, First for Women, and many others.
Disclaimer: The prices reflected in each recipe post are accurate for the time they were prepared. I buy EVERYTHING on sale and most non-produce/meat items with a coupon. Anyone who doesn’t believe this or questions the prices I post is welcome to come and audit my grocery receipts! I do realize that prices vary by region and that sales are not always the same in each region of the country. You might not be able to find the same deals or prices.
It’s an honor and privilege to share our meals with you each night! I hope you’re inspired to start making meals of your own that are not only frugal, but most importantly healthy!
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