Westford Mom's 'The Dinner Daily' Helps You Plan Meals And Save Money

WESTFORD (CBS) - This time of year a lot of us are looking to save money and eat healthier. Laurin Mills of Westford says she has come up with a way to kill two birds with one stone.

It's called The Dinner Daily, and it's an idea that was born out of her own frustration of trying to get dinner on the table for her three kids while she was working in Boston as a CPA.

"Like so many working moms, it was a stress at the end of the day that never went away," she told WBZ-TV.

She tackled the problem like any good accountant.

"I just opened up Microsoft Excel. I grabbed the flier from my local grocery store and I said, 'We are going to eat well for an entire week and I am going to plan it around what's on special at my grocery store,'" she recalled.

Users simply register and select their local grocery store. Then they chose what kind of food they want to eat. The site comes up with five healthy dinner recipes based on what is on sale at their store. The Dinner Daily compiles a shopping list and even makes coupons available for many of the items you will need. The recipe database can even accommodate vegetarians, food allergies and even picky eaters.

As a corporate health coach, Julianne McLaughlin knows all about eating healthy, but she just couldn't get herself organized. She would often find herself running to the store three or four times a week, a bad idea for the wallet and the waistline.

"When you go to the supermarket without a list and you are picking up some cookies, some crackers some ice cream," she said.

McLaughlin joined The Dinner Daily a few years ago. She says the recipes have encouraged her family to try new things and helped her cut down on waste. She says she's also noticed big savings in her grocery bill.

"I would say well into the thousands of dollars that I have definitely saved," she said.