Book Review - 2012 Family Guide to Groceries Under $250 a Month

2012 Family Guide to Groceries Under $250 a Month

by Melissa Burnell

Rating *** (3 stars)

This book is a much needed upgrade to a previously reviewed book. While there are many improvements to the book, there are also still some of the same pitfalls.

Price is still more important then quality. It is hard enough to find organic produce - let alone price comparing between stores. The book is also very negative against advertising and grocery management. Yes the grocery stores want more money - we know this every time we walk in to one - the book could educate without the 'big brother' attitude. 

There is a whole section on how quantity is getting smaller, prices are staying the same, and recipes are failing all around the world. Yes, it came across that apocalyptic. 

There are some good ideas about pre making mixes and other such items. The way that they are stored in the pictures does not give the sense that they will last all that long. The author already suggests vacuum sealing - Why would she not vacuum seal her mixes as well?

The book ends with a whole bunch of recipes that will never be made in our house. Feeding your family on $250 a month is not hard - for years I feed ours on less then $150 a month. The trick is also feeding them healthy - which this book does not really help with.

Book Review - Eating Organic on a Budget

Eating Organic on a Budget

by. Fanny Seto

 

Rating *** (3 stars)

Eating healthy is expensive. It is even more expensive when you first start to eat a certain way. For one you have no acceptable food in your house, for another you do not know the tips and tricks. This book is aimed at helping you learn those tips and tricks.

This book is not rocket science. It gives some budget ideas, most of which are pretty basic - but good reminders. There are quite a few links to sites offering organic coupons. In truth I have not checked out the sites yet to see if they are worth anything. I find clipping coupons to take too much time, and wastes more paper. 

There is some basic information on various stores, as well as sites to help determine when you can choose to not eat organic. The book goes beyond and offers ideas on how to grow your own food, even if you live in an apartment. It also suggests ways to get free food. 

A lot of the information in this book is basic. It is perfect if you have never bargain shopped before. It is also an interesting read if you are starting organic. Beyond that it may remind you of a few ways to trim your budget a bit. 

Book Review - How to Feed a Family of 4 or More for Less than $200 a Month

How to Feed a Family of 4 or More for Less then $200 a month

by. Melissa Burnell

Rating ** (2 stars)

It is pretty obvious that this book is a self published work. This in and of itself is not bad. The book is formatted pretty well. The title page is even decent. It is broken down into chapters. The writing is not bad. The book is short and to the point. 

The ideas that is presented is in no way universal. They do not even try to make it so. It is more of a this is how I can work it so you see it can be done. Part of this information I also received by visiting their website after reading the book - the book did not add up. 

One claim is to make everything from scratch. This is great. It is much healthier to make everything from scratch. I make a LOT of items from scratch. Not everything. I work 40 plus hours and have three kids - who throw a fit while I am cooking. Hopefully not everyone is in the same situation as me. Yet, the reality is making everything from scratch is very hard for most people. 

Do not eat out - duh! However, I would not even count that grocery money. Yep, I budget that separately. 

My favorite one is they do not include eggs in their budget. Why? They have some in their back yard. I wish. That would drastically cut our budget. They also use their own garden. Once again, I wish. These are not practical ideas for a lot of people. 

Do not get me wrong. I have grocery shopped for four people on less then $200 a month. It included a lot of processed junk. This book does not work for real high quality food.