Have you noticed the cost of groceries absolutely skyrocketing?
As the cost of feeding our families well on a tight budget continues to climb ever higher, we need to reevaluate how we spend the money in our grocery budget. That’s where Joyful Momma’s Guide to Shopping & Cooking Frugally comes in.
If you’re like me, you’ve been frustrated by the rising prices of groceries, while the family income either remains the same or goes down. It seems like everyone is looking for ways to cut back on their grocery bill.
Let me help you learn how to save big money at the grocery store with some simple and easy-to-implement tips!
☑ Do you wonder how some people seem to save big money with coupons while coupons only seem to make you spend more? (See page 26)
☑ Do you always seem to go over budget when grocery shopping? (See page 40)
☑ Are menu planning and making a shopping list overwhelming you? (See page 18)
☑ Does your menu plan go out the window after husband and children snack on vital ingredients? (See page 23)
☑ Are you struggling with managing or losing weight while keeping with a super tight budget? (See page 80)
☑ Is the challenge of breaking free from using pre-packaged foods overwhelming you? (See page 57)
☑ Do you find yourself frustrated with the challenge of making your frugal meals flavorful and healthy? (See page 53)
☑ Is the time crunch keeping you from cooking from scratch, couponing, and planning? (See page 66)
☑ Do you struggle with feeling overwhelmed and depressed over the challenges the economy is bringing to your family? (See page 5)
All of these questions (and more) are answered in Joyful Momma’s Guide to Shopping & Cooking Frugally. I wrote most of this book based on real life questions I’ve gotten on Twitter, Facebook, and email about saving money at the grocery store, so it is geared towards answering real world questions.
At last, a book that pays for itself I’m something of a frugal shopping and cooking zealot, and I’m always looking for new ways to stretch my food dollar while still enjoying healthy and flavorful meals. Over the years I’ve seen quite a few books like this one, and frankly, I seldom find one that tells me anything I didn’t already know. This book, however, is well worth the price of admission.The author, Kimberly Eddy, has clearly “walked the walk,” managing to feed her large family over many years on far less than what most people spend. I’m talking FAR less, people. She shares all of her money-saving strategies with us, and while clearly not everyone will find it practical to buy grain in 50-lb. bags or beef by the side, it wouldn’t be stretching things to say that most folks (even city dwellers like me) will learn something of real value from this book.For example, I’ll never again buy those packaged frozen veggieburgers from the store, now that Kimberly has shown me how to make them at home for a fraction of the price. This one tip alone is going to save me a small fortune (sorry, Gardenburger people), which means the book will pay for itself over and over again… and isn’t that the point? A definite thumbs-up from this cheapskate.
A Bit Chirpy, but Helpful Yes, indeed, the author is a “person of faith.” One reviewer took exception to this, so I thought I’d get it out of the way first off.I don’t seek out books with a specifically Christian viewpoint, but I don’t avoid them, either, and I don’t get outraged when someone discusses their relationship with God. (It’s amazing, truly. I’ve seen reviews on other books where people seem to think that authors “tricked” them into reading about God. *gasp*)Anyway. I didn’t find the faith aspect to be a problem. It gave me a picture of the author’s personality and viewpoint and it certainly wasn’t proselytizing.I thought the book was pretty good. She makes some valid points about attitude, and I’ve experienced the same sort of mental attitude myself. Something along the lines of “I can’t afford ‘good’ food so I’m just going to cook whatever and they’ll just have to eat it.” Whether one uses faith to bolster one’s attitude or just believes that life is a LOT more pleasant that way doesn’t really matter.The discussions on planning meals, planning shopping trips, and couponing could, I think, be helpful to those who haven’t really thought along those lines.I can’t say that the information in the book was a huge revelation, but I did get some new recipes to try that looked interesting.Bottom line – if I knew someone who was interested in learning about being more frugal, it’s a book I’d be happy to pass along to get them started.