Cooking at home is one of the simplest ways to save money on food. Aside from the immediate savings of dinner, you can stretch your dollar even further by having the leftovers for lunch the next day. When it makes so much sense to be cooking at home it is a wonder that more people including me don't always do it!

I know other than not having enough time; our biggest excuse for eating out was that our current pots, pans and utensils made it a pain to cook most of the meals we like. I was always envious of how easy my mom and my mother in law could make cooking look with the right utensils and miscellaneous kitchen ware, but no more!

After dealing with cookware that our needs had outgrown and discouraged us from trying out new meals my wife and I decided to get a new set that would be better suited for the kind of cooking we gravitated to after getting married. Seeing as the whole point of purchasing new cookware was to save money we didn't want to spend a fortune getting what we needed. With this in mind we went looking for a good deal and found a 10 piece set of Calphalon non stick cookware for only $50 at a nearby outlet mall.

I know it seems like a bad idea to buy new cookware when the old pots and pans could get the job done but after spending the money on our new set of cookware and using it for lunch today I can definitely say it was money well spent. The new set of pots and pans made cooking even something simple like grilled cheese fun. I'm already excited about finding new recipes at allrecipes.com that will make use of our cool new cookware!

While we're busy planting and primping in the garden, we shouldn't forget that houseplants need love too. If your ivy is in need of a new home, check out the selection of pots at the dollar store. Whether you're looking for plain or fancy, large or small, clay or plastic, a buck is all you pay for each. The latest addition to the mix is the small ceramic pot with an attached saucer pictured here. I liked this one with the raised pattern around the rim, but there are lots of other styles and colors, too. I thought them very attractive but knew I'd never plant anything in something that small. I would, however use it for a votice candle holder or anchor some floating flowers in a bed of stones for display on an end table.

And don't forget to check out the different sizes of plastic planters for use outdoors.

Marlene Alexander is a freelance writer and dollar store diva. She writes about decorating with items from the dollar store on her website www.dollarstorestyle.com.