I remember going out to eat once or twice a year as a child. It was a luxury. We went out at Christmas time and maybe one or two other special occasions during the year. In just a few decades, it’s become more commonplace for children to eat out at fine dining establishments. While there is nothing wrong with taking children out for a night on the town, the tough economy has caused more families to opt for cooking at home to trim the fat from their family food budgets.

However, cooking at home can be costly too if you’re not careful about the ingredients you put in your recipes. I’ve discovered a few great websites that have helped me to spend less on food (and eat healthier, too). Check them out and tell us all what you think.

1. www.greatdepressioncooking.com. This website features video recipes by Clara Cannucciari, a 90-something-year-old grandmother who shows viewers what she used to make during the Depression Era. I saw her cooking up great recipes on a morning show a few months ago and was mesmerized. It’s like cooking in the kitchen with my own grandmother. Her ideas are great and her no-nonsense approach is even more impressive.

2. www.abcnews.go.com/gma/recipes. This week “Good Morning America” launched a webpage dedicated to 1,000 recipes they’ve featured on their show, from famous chefs such as Emeril and Rachel Ray to their anchors’ family recipes. They’ve logged recipes for every kind of foodie including penny-pinching and crock pot creations to gourmet meals and restaurant-style desserts.

3. www.safelygatheredin2.blogspot.com. Cooking from your pantry saves you cash and can also save your day if you aren’t able to make it to the store. This blog allows you to search recipes by food items that you may already have in your pantry and gives you tips for preparing your pantry for an emergency. All of the recipes on this blog feature many great pictures to help you along as you test out new recipes in your own home kitchen.

Question: What websites do you use to get recipes from?