Please tell me a little about your books?
Both of my books focus on maximizing your resources. A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family talks about stretching money and finding space for a big brood while balancing the needs of children, your spouse, and yourself. Family Feasts for $75 a Week helps families get a handle on their food spending, which frees up money to spend in more rewarding areas of your life.

What makes your books unique?
Practicality. My books are full of real life stories and solutions. Pick any chapter of either book and chances are you'll learn something that will simplify your life, no matter the size of your family.

What are some of your favorite family recipes?
Chicken Fajitas
Spaghetti Carbonara
West African Peanut Chicken

What are your best tips from the book Family Feasts for $75 a Week?
As much as possible, buy ingredients at their lowest price, and then buy enough to last awhile. Keep that pantry stocked with basics. Shop less often to decrease impulse buying. Even waiting an extra day or two will mean fewer trips to the store in a month. Don't be intimidated by cooking–if you can read, you can cook. Really. The more you practice, the easier it gets, and the more comfortable you'll get with tweaking recipes to make them more affordable, or to use ingredients you have on hand.

What are your favorite small splurges?
A soak in the tub with a glass of wine late at night after the kids have all gone to bed and an occasional dinner out with my husband, just the two of us.

What are your favorite large splurges?
One week every year we rent a house overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It's a quick walk to the beach. There's a full kitchen, 4 bedrooms, a Jacuzzi, a game room. Now that's a vacation. Over the years we've also been privileged to be able to take various ones of our kids to the Olympics, to Ethiopia, and to South Korea.

Do you buy in bulk?
You bet. Bulk buying is one of my best money–saving strategies because it saves me trips to the store. But always check unit prices. The other day I bought five 5–lb sacks of sugar instead of one big bag, because the small bags were cheapest per ounce.

What are your best tips from the book A SANE WOMAN'S GUIDE TO RAISING A LARGE FAMILY?
No one can do everything perfectly. An example from my life: I don't sort laundry by color, and I don't use the dry cleaner. Easy–care clothing works for our life, so that is one area where I've chosen to simplify. On the other hand, we vacuum our living room every single day, because I feel more pulled together when the living room looks neat. Pick your own priorities, and don't be afraid to delegate – – or skip – what's less important to you. And don't feel guilty about what you don't do. Remember, your sanity is just as important as anyone else's.

What were your favorite foods growing up?
‘Aunt Edie’ pancakes, which are crepes with powdered sugar and butter and Three Cheese Lasagna. Both are favorites with my own family today too.

Can you eat out on a budget?
The simplest way is to eat out less. Skipping even one restaurant meal per week can easily save a hundred bucks in a month. Another great way to save is to buy restaurant gift certificates at http://restaurant.com. $25 gift certificates cost $10. Catch a special promotion–they happen from time to time–and you may be able to score a $25 gift certificate for $2. Read the fine print –usually you'll have to spend at least $10 more than the value of your gift certificate. But you're still likely to pay much less than average.