With restaurant prices soaring everyday, people are searching for great family food on a budget. The easiest way to save money is to eat at home, but cooking can become boring with the same routine ingredients. We often fall into predictable meal plans just to save money, when in fact dinner can be fun for the whole family without breaking the bank! The key is in careful menu planning and letting everyone get involved in the kitchen.

To make the most of your grocery budget, begin by planning your week's meals. Pick a few themes that the whole family will enjoy and then the whole family will be running to the dinner table. Begin you week with a Mexican fiesta on Monday. Preparation doesn't get much easier than tacos and everyone can make their own meal to suit their taste preferences. You will need some taco shells, salsa, sour cream, ground beef or turkey (turkey is much cheaper and healthier), tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and tortilla chips. If your family is a fan of refried beans, pick up a can of those as well. When you brown your beef or turkey, plan ahead and brown two pounds, rather than one. Refrigerate half and save it for the next night. Chop up your tomatoes and shred your lettuce. Sit all of the ingredients out on the table and let everyone make their own taco. When dinner is over, save leftover lettuce, tomatoes and cheese in a bag for Tuesday.

On Tuesday night, enjoy an Italian night. Use your extra ground beef or turkey from Monday and make spaghetti. Heat up some garlic bread and add a salad with leftover lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. How easy is that... and dinner doesn't get any cheaper than spaghetti!

On Wednesday, have breakfast for dinner. Make sure everyone comes to dinner dressed in pajamas and have pancakes! Try making a variety of pancake toppings with fruit... think blueberries, strawberries, or bananas with chopped pecans. Add some protein to your meal with scrambled eggs or even omelets. Use any leftover cheese and salsa from taco night to spice up your omelets.

By the time Thursday rolls around, you family will be looking forward to spending dinner together so don't disappoint them. Thursday is fondue night! Cut up boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite size pieces and pan fry them. Prepare a huge tray with the cooked chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, small pieces of cut up toast, and even some small red potatoes (already boiled). Serve this healthy spread with a pot of melted cheese

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