Coming home stories: what some moms say about their decision -- The eleven miserly guidelines -- Guideline 1: don't confuse frugality with depriving yourself -- Guideline 2: remove little wasters of your money -- Guideline 3: keep track of food prices -- Guideline 4: don't buy everything at the same store -- Guideline 5: buy in bulk whenever possible -- Guideline 6: make your own whenever possible -- Guideline 7: eliminate convenience foods -- Guideline 8: cut back on meats -- Guideline 9: waste nothing -- Guideline 10: institute a soup and bread (or baked potato) night -- Guideline 11: cook several meals at once and freeze them -- Special needs -- Some great recipes -- Be wary of warehouse clubs -- Stretch the season -- Dinner on meeting night -- Birthdays, holidays and special occasions -- Baby care -- The cost of working -- Clothing -- Help for the working mom -- The husband -- Ten ways to get your kids to save -- Miscellaneous tips: photo developing, gas, milk, bread machines, coffee, decorating and furniture, hair care, cosmetics, credit cards, vacations, tools and appliances, paint and varnish, legal advice, check charges and bank fees, long distance phone carriers, seasonal savings chart -- Medical expenses -- Utilities -- Crafts for kids -- Safer and cheaper -- An easy $10,000 -- Appendix a: menu plans -- Appendix b: substitutions, equivalency tables, metric conversions -- Appendix c: additional resources.