I'm sorry that I can't be very helpful here - I use autocad, which is both very expensive and pretty unfriendly to the user (it's really taken me years to get more than proficient at it). I'm not sure what others use - maybe photoshop and paint and stuff like that. I use gimp, which is a free "photoshop-like" type program to edit stuff but I'm not sure how good it is as a drawing tool. I know a lot of people use google sketchup but I'm not sure if that's good for your purposes either.

Amex has always charged more than the other cc companies. Others have already pointed out that those mall cc purchases really hit small businesses hard. We have customers that are kind enough to be aware of that and write checks or use their debit card, or even, believe it or not, pay in cash. A lot of you have mentioned Costco. I've never shopped at one because they're just not convenient to me, but I used to shop at Sam's. I quit doing that years ago because they had an annual fee, and I didn't feel like I was saving enough to make up for that annual fee. Most of what I got at Sams I could buy as a loss leader at a regular grocery store. I've also not found coupons to be very useful, because they're rarely for real food, just processed food. After seeing several stories on the news, and listening to co-workers, I broke down and bought a Sunday paper several weeks ago for the coupons. Boy, was I disappointed. I spent $2.00 on the paper, and maybe found that much worth in coupons that I might use, (which I have to admit I've forgotten about), and then I had all this mess of paper to deal with. What a waste of time that was. Sally

Some thoughts... Cooking for yourself can be boring and almost painful. Ideally get a roommate (or gf or other) who loves to cook or for whom you'd like to cook, if that's an option. Cooking for one can be expensive, but sometimes better than eating same boring fast food too. I enjoy a good sandwich to this day. Some deli meat, decent bread or bun or even some whack-a-tube biscuits. Flame type grills are banned in a lot of apartment/dorm situations. An electric grill might be allowed. Foreman type are appliances and seldom not allowed. I've never had a Foreman type but see a lot of people talk about putting a couple wet paper towels in the unit when you're done and let it steam the gunk off while you eat, then wipe it down. And, I know from experience, just because stuff is dirty doesn't mean it won't get used! Especially by college kids, bachelors or the like! :) An electric frypan is a versatile appliance. Cook, bake, steam and more. Easy to clean up. Is there an issue with roomies helping themselves to the food if he puts up a "stock"? That could be an issue. Much depends on what he likes so I can't really help with recipes, more trying to give ideas. I also know if you don't like to cook, are busy, don't like to eat out, don't feel well or whatever reason you might not eat well, especially if eating isn't a priority with you. The last couple weeks, I've averaged eating every 2-3 days. Doesn't hurt me to miss a meal but a college kid needs nutrition too. So there's a concern I'm sure. One organizing idea is some meal planning help. Sit down and do a menu for a couple weeks, helps with using the stuff too. For example: Sunday: Pot roast, potatoes, veg of choice Monday: Roast beef sandwiches Tuesday: Soup/Salad Wed: Store bought roasted Chicken, instant Mashed potatoes, salad Thurs: Leftover chicken etc One thing I thought of is country style ribs or baby backs for that matter. Braised are simple and good eating. Lots of meat and little waste, well no waste on CS. Deli slaw or make his own from a bag of slaw mix and a bottle of poppy seed dressing with a little extra seasoning. Suggestions on organizing and things like that might mean more than just some recipes, but a few recipes he likes, even if adapted from canned, deli or the like could help. Tater tot hotdish is easy enough. Quick chili. Chunky soup in a can ain't all that bad either folks. Yes, it's not gourmet fare but then again it beats a a McSlider anyday. Quesadillas are easy and you can do a variety of things. I like a "pizadilla". Tortillas, pepperoni, cut up brown & serve sausage, pizza sauce and cheese. I usually do a double decker. Into the electric frypan, do one side, flip, then add the next layer, then flip once more. Good eats and quick. There's always toast and peanut butter. Peanut butter and celery sticks. Crackers, cheese and summer sausage. Brown & serve sausage & eggs with some toast and maybe some Simply Potatoes or fry some canned sliced potatoes. Hash brown casserole? Toss in some meat. Hamburger/macaroni hotdish is easy and tasty. You can do a good garlic bread and top it with some pepperoni and cheese. None of these are overly time consuming but sometimes if you just don't feel like it, you won't do it. Hope you're getting some ideas and hope he doesn't starve to death! :)

Hi, Someone told me about "myrecipes.com so I emailed to ask if the entered recipes could be kept private. Here is their reply: "If you enter personal recipes in your account, you can mark them Public or Private. Also, your account is password protected. So recipes you save from our site--and your own personal recipes--cannot be touched by anyone else. Thank you for using MyRecipes.com" Have any of you tried this site? One requirement is that if my computer crashes I won't lose everything (Yes that happened about 15 years ago and I still have nightmares) Thank you for all the suggestions. I am in my 70's and can work a computer ok, but cannot make it dance and jump, so I want to keep it simple. Monica