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(More customer reviews)I bought this after reading all the glowing reviews, and while perhaps they are somewhat warranted, I was still a bit disappointed. The not-so-glowing reviews failed to address WHY they felt disappointed so I'll do so here.
First off before I get to it, understand that it IS a good book and is worth the buy because you will find some ideas to shave a few dollars off of your grocery bill. Just know that the average family will very likely never get the cost down to the promised $75 a week. Some can, most probably cannot and here is why:
* She tells you that she saves on produce because she has a vegetable garden and an orchard (pg 46, 47). If you have a house and a lot of time this is great, but nothing none of us have not thought of before. If you live in an apartment without a community garden, then you're sunk altogether. She is careful to not say that you SHOULD do this, but this IS part of the $75/wk plan.
* Along that same notion, she cans her items too. If I had a garden, I would probably can also. However she did say that you could stock up on in-season items and can those. Just remember to do the math yourself because you may find that the "sale price" coupled with the cost of jars, etc. is no cheaper than buying a can. You really only save well here if you have a garden.
* She frequently talks about freezing food and mentions a deep freezer often enough to make you feel that this isn't going to work for you. Granted, she DOES offer tips on freezing for those with space limitations, but to get the full benefit that she describes, a deep freeze is essential. The first example off the top of my head is sales on milk. You can't buy several gallons with only a standard-sized freezer and still keep food in there. That's just one example, another is buying ground beef on sale, she buys 30 pounds of it and there is no way that will fit in a standard-sized freezer.
* She promises you that you don't have to be a slave in the kitchen by not taking shortcuts (not using canned soups, etc.), but remember that all of that does add time. I'm not one to complain because I prefer to do mine the old way anyway, it's just that she has a lot of kids who can help her. We don't! I cannot assign one child to chop onions, one to separate, peel and mince garlic and so forth. In fact, with teens most of mine aren't even home until after dinner is done. Having multiple kids does reap benefits, having only a few can be a hindrance.
* She pretty much feeds her family 3 oz servings of meat (pg 24), or less, per meal. While this is definitely the healthy way, it is also less practical for some. This would mean an average 2-lb (precooked) meat loaf - as mentioned below - would feed 10 to 12 people in her house, but it would NOT in my house. Just keep that in mind as a tip.
* A lot of her tips are good, but nothing I've not thought of before. Are we really in an age where we don't think about how to save money? Do we have to rely on books to tell us what is common sense? That sounds terribly cynical, I know, but it appears to be true. Granted, there ARE some good tips in there of things I've not yet thought of, but those are fewer than the number that I already did know.
* She recommends going to 4 or 5 different stores to shop for sale prices. Again, most of us have probably thought about this but it is entirely unrealistic for working moms. SAHMs could do this, but not working moms.
So now that I've complained enough, let me tell you what I do love about it to prove why I said it was worth the buy. There are some great tips, tricks and recipes. Some examples are:
* If for no other reason, the recipes are fantastic (so far). Granted, I've not tried them all but her meatloaf (as just one example) is just amazing. It tastes just like my Mother's recipe that I've (for whatever odd reason) never been able to duplicate. I swear she was leaving something out! ;)
* None of the recipes call for cream of *insert type here* soup. They're all adapted to do it yourself without you even realizing it. That alone was mentioned in a review (over on a money saving blog I frequent), which made me buy the book. I am in the process of replacing all my recipes with this very thing. Excellent notion.
* She has an innovative idea for making oatmeal; use a rice cooker, if you have one of course. It inspired me to Google "rice cooker recipes" and to my surprise, there is a whole world of those out there. Very cool!
* She lays out her shopping rules and the max she will spend on certain items. I love this idea and I myself have never done that. I've always bought when on sale, but I never had a rule that I will NOT buy something unless it is less than X number of dollars.
* She does offer tips on everything from baby food to even toilet paper. Just remember that a lot of this is probably stuff you've heard before. Not all of course, but most. Still, if you learn only a few things, then it's worth the cost of the book.
She does have some excellent advice. I just feel the need to once again stress that you have to understand you will very likely not feed your family for $75 a week as promised on the cover. You'll cut costs, surely, but not get it that low unless you start/use a garden, a deep freeze and can your own food.
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Family Feasts for $75 a Week: A Penny-wise Mom Shares Her Recipe for Cutting Hundreds from Your Monthly Food BillWhat would you do with an extra $100 each month?Let 's face it. Staying within a budget these days is a hard act to stick with, especially if you have a family of four or more. When juggling a busy schedule dedicated to school, work, and family activities, convenience has a tendency to overrule thriftiness-and we all know convenience comes at a cost. But if you can master your spending in just one area-your food bill-you will greatly expand your spending options for other, more rewarding areas of your life. What would you do with more free time in your day?You 've heard the saying " time is money, " and time well spent can save you big bucks. Learning how to compile grocery lists, compose weekly menu plans, and shop less will not only save money at the register, it will also save you time in the store and in the kitchen. Come to the table prepared to enjoy the feast as you build time-saving skills that will serve you and your family for a lifetime to come.What would you do with more fun-filled family opportunities?Saving time and money will not only make you feel good about yourself, it will also give you the greatest spending opportunity of all-more family fun. Whether planning for a special getaway, staycation, or simply a weekly family night, your family is your best investment. With all the time and money you 'll save, you 'll be able to refocus your energies where they matter most-with the ones you love.Whether you 're overhauling your entire budget or just trying to save a little here and there, making a dent in your grocery bill may seem challenging in today 's market. A typical supermarket trip can easily cost a minimum of $100, and if you 're feeding an average family or larger, that number can soar even higher.What 's a mom on a budget to do?Family Feasts for $75 a Week to the rescue! Written by blogger mom and penny-pincher extraordinaire Mary Ostyn, who prepares three meals a day for her family of 12 for $800 to $900 a month, this book is stuffed to the gills with Mary's expert, in-the-trenches tips on savvy food shopping, plus 200 delicious recipes for homecooked meals that make the most of economical ingredients. Selected by Good Morning America as one of the best cookbooks of 2009, Family Feasts for $75 a Week offers real-world advice teaches real-world families how to save in more ways than one.
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