The price of silver keeps rising. What's a southern girl to do if her pattern will never be completed? Go to eBay, of course. Sterling looks better with age, like you've had it for a while and you know how to use it. But the prices on eBay aren't really any better than anywhere else... unless you aren't afraid of monograms.

I hate spending money on things I rarely use, hate burning through the disposable instead of investing in the reusable, and hate finding space for party decorations and supplies in my small apartment closets. And yet...I love hosting parties that are well-equipped and nicely decorated. How to host large gatherings without breaking the bank or having to keep lots of party supplies crammed under my bed? Enter the communal party supply collection, or as one  of my friends dubbed it, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Party Supplies.

It was 'polenta party' time at Faith's house last week, and she served it with a delicious dish of beef braised in red wine. My mouth is watering already. So, the big question we pondered was, what wine or rather what wines to serve alongside this robust, meaty, yet creamy dish. Here are some thoughts on how to choose wines to go with this meal, and some specific budget picks.

Lately I've been looking to add more healthy seafood to my diet without breaking the bank, and while canned fish will never have the allure of a fresh filet, today's good-quality canned salmon is not the fishy, bone-studded mush you may be picturing. The boneless and skinless fish — once flaked and mixed with brown rice, cilantro, shallots and lime juice — cooks up into crisp-edged cakes that make an easy and satisfying weeknight meal, especially when topped with a dollop of Sriracha-spiked mayonnaise.

How long will chicken stay fresh in the refrigerator? How long can you keep grapes on the countertop? Is it okay to freeze cucumbers? There is a certain amount of common sense when determining if a given food is past its prime (and you can always try a smell test) but for general guidelines and planning purposes this infographic from Visual.ly is incredibly handy. Check out the full graph below with shelf life guides to over 30 uncut, unopened, and uncooked fruits, veggies, meats, condiments and other typical fridge foods:

Q: Are there any phone apps that will help me keep track of prices and sizes so that I can be a better comparison shopper at the grocery store? I frequent three different grocers in my town (and Costco every few months), and such an app would be very handy.

Sent by Jena

A few years ago, I wrote about one of my favorite tools in the kitchen: my Martha Stewart 5.5-quart enameled dutch oven. Some thought I was drawing a comparison between this $60 pot and the $275 version from Le Creuset and, not surprisingly, found the Martha Stewart version lacking. I found it kind of funny, because it seemed to me there was an elephant in the room, the one that often lurks around conversations about cooking equipment: Sometimes people can't afford the best, so they buy the best they can afford. And there's nothing wrong with that.

We rarely use milk at our house, and whenever we do buy it for a recipe, half the bottle inevitably goes to waste. That is, until we realized we could freeze it for later! If you're like us, or if you find milk on sale and want to stock up while it's at a good price, here are some tips for freezing it. More

When my husband and I bought our first home, I couldn't wait to stock the kitchen with things I loved, vowing to gradually get rid of low quality tools and gadgets carelessly obtained in college that we continued to use. One of my first purchases was a beautiful, heavy set of brushed stainless steel measuring spoons. More

No one intends to waste food, but things happen — an overenthusiastic shopping spree at the farmers' market, an unexpected string of meals eaten out instead of at home, a container of mystery leftovers lurking in the back of the fridge. Fortunately, a lot of food waste can be prevented by integrating little habits into your cooking routine. Not only will you save food, but you'll save money, too.