We are in serious times. There is no hiding from it. The supermarket bill keeps going up with each visit and the salaries for the most part, are remaining stagnant.We have some helpful hints to help you stretch the dollar.

Sunday Dinner Clubs

There are a few of these around so why not start your own? The way it works is that you get together your group of six to 10 (or more) closest friends. These are people whose homes you would normally go to for a meal without hesitation. Make a roster of whose turn it is to cook each week. The person who cooks is responsible for feeding the entire group including the children and any other member of the household.

Make it a lyming Sunday afternoon and plan to do up to three different entrées. The great news is that depending on the number in your group, you only have to cook dinner one Sunday in every six or 10 weeks!

Saturday Soup

Everyone loves some good Jamaican beef, red peas, gungo, mannish water or pumpkin soup on a Saturday. Why not get together every Saturday using the same method as above? Let the men play dominoes, watch the games or teach the children about life. Get out the board games, too. Take home the left-overs and make a meal of it another day.

Weekend Leftover Buffet

If you have lots of properly refrigerated left-overs in the house come Friday or Saturday, why not heat everything up and serve it buffet style with a fresh salad or drink on Friday evening when you don't feel like cooking or when the money can't stretch to buy fast food?

Or, why not cut up all the leftover meats and make a large pot of special fried rice?

It just takes a little imagination. If you have any ideas about saving dollars and cents on the food bill, email them to: Lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.