Reddit mentions of Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book, 10th Edition

If you have any interest at all in cooking, you are at a great age to start really developing that skill. In addition to being fun and tasty, home cooking is very cost efficient. With a good starter cookbook like this classic, you could offer to cook family dinner one night a week, perhaps on a night that your family used to go out to eat.

Also, please don't get too stressed about the family finances. It's awesome that you want to help out, and there are certainly things you can do, but if you find that you start feeling too stressed by this or as though you're taking on too much responsibility for a situation that your parents are responsible for dealing with, I encourage you to talk to a school counselor or other trusted adult. Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on things, just wanted to mention it though.

I don't know about five, but I know the first one that every cook should own (I think) is the red Better Homes and Garden's cookbook. The one that looks like a plaid picnic tablecloth? A perfect primer for EVERY cook.

Edited to say: THIS ONE - http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Binder-Edition/dp/0696000121/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1368817044&sr=8-3&keywords=better+homes+and+gardens+cookbook