"If people are used to buying skinless boneless chicken a family a four can save up to $600 a year by buying whole chickens," said Rogers.
Then use those leftovers in another meal -- then make soup or stock. Do that, she says, you can save another $250 a year. Putting meatless meals in your weekly lineup also helps.
"If you cut out meat from your diet twice a week you save up to $400 a year just by doing that," said Rogers.
At Rogers house paper napkins and towels are forbidden.
"I haven't had paper towels in my house for five years or paper napkins," said Rogers.
Wash full laundry loads so there's no energy waste from using cloth.
Even her son gets involved, by making a "waste free lunch," saving around $250 a year and up to 90 pounds of trash.
"And then he becomes really part of the solution, he becomes empowered," said Rogers.
Cookbook author and chef Jeanie Kelley also walks the talk. She has herb and vegetable gardens, raises poultry, even composts. Her suggestion for urban dwellers is to get growing.
"Especially here in Southern California it's so easy. You can just do it in a container if you don't have the space in your yard, you just need some good soil," said Kelley.
And Kelley says Swiss chard, tomatoes and arugula are plants that grow easily.
Actually the sun can save you energy if you dry a few loads outside occasionally. It comes to $30 a year if you do this twice a week, which isn't a financial boon, but its enough to run a refrigerator for an entire year.
It is a snap to put up and take down, line drying also extends the life of clothes and linens as well.
"If we go back to the basics and we look at how our parents and our grandparents were doing it, they had it right, it's back to basic home economics, going back to simplicity," said Rogers.
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