[Saving in So Cal]

I agree about reselling the shoes. None of your children is old enough to need $300 shoes, even if they could reasonably be considered investment shoes. (I do know some people who are able to keep and wear shoes forever. They can get their cost per wear for designer shoes down to what I would pay for discount/clearance shoes. Still, I doubt a 13 year-old would fall into this category.)

When I was 13, I was able to and was required to cook dinner for my family. Even if you're afraid of your children working the oven, they should still be able to make salads, set the table, etc., which would save time.

My crockpot, casseroles, and an easy baked chicken recipe are the key to my being able to have dinner on the table at a reasonable hour. I spend about 5-10 minutes in the morning putting something in the crockpot, assembling a casserole, or breading chicken. When my husband gets home, he turns off the crockpot or puts the casserole or chicken in the oven. Sometimes he'll make rice or another side dish. Otherwise, I spend 5-10 minutes doing it when I home. Our meals have a basic formula: main dish, side, and either a salad or a vegetable. It's not very inventive, but we usually only eat dinner out once a week and that's by choice (date night). Our food bill is not as low as perhaps it could be, but we are able to stay within our budget pretty easily.