"Alan and I love a good cheese plate," said Decatur resident Lisa Cronic. She and husband Alan figure cheese plates offer better value for the money when they're dining out these days. "We also love to share."

Alan's job allows the family of four to keep most of their dining-out habits intact — he is area vice president of sales for Resmed, a medical device manufacturer. But Lisa still looks for breaks wherever she can.

Meridith Ford/AJC (ENLARGE)

Lisa Cronic

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"We're very blessed," says Lisa Cronic, "but everyone needs to conserve."

Her kids — Terryl, 10, and Asa, 6 — love Matador Mexican Cantina, a favorite spot for cheap Mexican in Oakhurst, a popular Decatur neighborhood. "It's not expensive, but we still feel special there," she says. Cronic, who doesn't work outside the home, finds ways to do creative, inexpensive things, such as take the kids to the Starlight Six Drive-In instead of a regular movie. "It saves lots on tickets," she says, "and it's tons of fun."

But the No. 1 way she saves is by riding her bike — almost everywhere. "Decatur is already set up for this in so many ways, so we can walk or bike lots of places. ... When I do use the car, I find myself combining lots of errands into one to conserve gas."