With the prices of food and household items going up, it's essential to do all you can to cut costs while food shopping. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a large family, below are a few easy ways to fill your belly without emptying your wallet.

1. Make a list and stick to it. Go to the store with a list and a budget, and do not deviate!

2. Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry. If you're hungry, you're bound to buy more than you need.

3. Use coupons and bonus cards. Coupons are one of the most effective ways to cut costs — check out the circular coupons, or use Google to find coupons for your favorite brands. Also, register at the customer service counter for a free bonus card so that you can enjoy members-only prices.

4. Before you head to the check out, look at your cart. Do you really need every single thing?

5. Use brand substitutions. If another brand or the store brand is on sale, try it. You may find a new favorite, plus you'll save some money!

6. Only go down the aisles you need. Be purposeful with your shopping — don't tempt yourself by walking down unnecessary aisles.

7. When possible, go alone. If you can, don't take the kids. They will distract you from getting what you need, and ask for things that weren't on your list.

8. When it makes sense, buy in bulk/buy ahead. If an item you love is on sale, stock up. But, if it's perishable, be sure you only buy the amount that you can use before the expiration date.

Digital photography has all but eclipsed traditional film in recent years, and the technology has advanced to the level where you can do just about anything. But there are still a few things to keep in mind to make sure that your digital pictures are the best they can possibly be.

Check your white balance settings
Most digital cameras default to an automatic white balance, which can make images look a little cooler. By switching to the “cloudy” setting, warm colors will be enhanced, with reds and yellows more vibrant.

Take multiple pictures
The onboard memory of most modern digital cameras is big enough that you can shoot freely without worrying about running out of space. The more shots you take, the greater the chance that one will be good. Just make sure to empty your internal memory onto your computer or a hard drive in between photo sessions.

Keep it steady
One of the most common photography mistake is movement of the camera during shooting. It’s worth looking into a wrist brace to make holding your camera steady, but even if you don’t want to do that, try to use two hands to keep it stable.

Use the Rule of Thirds
By drawing invisible lines horizontally and vertically across your viewfinder to divide it into nine equal shapes, you get a great tool to compose your shots. Put important elements at one of the four intersecting points towards the middle.

Don’t be afraid to practice!
It doesn’t cost anything to take more digital pictures. A strange idea can sometimes translate into a really cool image

Movies have given us so much entertainment and education, but did you know the long and convoluted road they had to travel to get where they are today? Here are some interesting facts about the torrid history of motion pictures.

The earliest ancestor to what we consider modern film is the photography of Edweard Muybridge, who rigged a special array of cameras to take multiple still pictures of a galloping horse. The images were then developed and put into a rotating drum that, when spun, caused the illusion of motion.

The motion picture camera was invented in the 1880s. Early silent films shocked and amazed audiences, who had never experienced anything like it before. Producers like Georges Melies created incredible narratives with early special effects that still dazzle to this day.

A number of people experimented with adding sound to movies, but it wasn’t until the 1920s that a soundtrack was directly attached to the film itself, opening a whole new world to artists.

The introduction of digital technology in the 1990s has radically changed the way people produce and view film, with new 3D projection methods being the latest example. Who knows what the future will bring?