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Family Feasts for $75 a Week
by
Mary Ostyn
What 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 ...more
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 ...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Oxmoor House
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I'm on a quest to conquer my grocery budget, so I checked this out from the library.
It's cute, clear, and straightforward. I really like how Ostyn gives a recap checklist at the end of each chapter to remind you of the action steps you can take to become more of a frugalista in the kitchen and grocery store.
I didn't really learn a whole lot of new information about how to cut costs, but if you're not into scouring the internet and message boards for these tips and tricks, th...more
It's cute, clear, and straightforward. I really like how Ostyn gives a recap checklist at the end of each chapter to remind you of the action steps you can take to become more of a frugalista in the kitchen and grocery store.
I didn't really learn a whole lot of new information about how to cut costs, but if you're not into scouring the internet and message boards for these tips and tricks, th...more
Checked this out from the library and liked it so much I am planning to buy a copy.
Excellent tips and tricks for stretching the grocery dollar, and - just as useful - cutting time in the kitchen. I expect to try several of her lunch ideas (possibly for dinner, though!) in the near future. I am also having fun making a price book.
There are no photos with the recipes, which usually is a deal-killer for me in a cookbook. But it's not really bothering me here: most of the recipes are ...more
Excellent tips and tricks for stretching the grocery dollar, and - just as useful - cutting time in the kitchen. I expect to try several of her lunch ideas (possibly for dinner, though!) in the near future. I am also having fun making a price book.
There are no photos with the recipes, which usually is a deal-killer for me in a cookbook. But it's not really bothering me here: most of the recipes are ...more
Filled with great tips on cutting shopping costs this is aimed at the grocery shopping public at large, but especially has some terrific applications for large families. She covers ways to cut costs while shopping, efficient tips for speeding along cooking at home instead of using prepared foods or eating out; and she shares lots of yummy recipes. She admits that people who are brand specific or food specific (eating organic or local) may not find as many tips or enjoy the recipes, but there are...more
This is a book that I actually think I'll buy at some point to have in my collection. This Idaho mom of 10 seems to have a pretty good system down for feeding her family on a limited amount of money each month. I must admit that much of her advice means more work in shopping around at various different stores and I'm not sure how feasible that is in NYC, but there were other things I thought I could implement. Also, we fed my family and the missionaries her Chicken Chimichangas and both missi...more
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When I requested this book, I thought it would just be a cookbook. While there are about 200 recipes, the first several chapters of the book are dedicated to frugal grocery shopping. Unlike the Coupon Mom, she doesn't rely on coupons, but careful meal planning (she has 10 kids!). She's also fairly into nutrition and not eating a lot of processed food, and discussed the organic issue a little.
I thought the tone of the book was very down-to-earth and her advice was sound. She didn'...more
I thought the tone of the book was very down-to-earth and her advice was sound. She didn'...more
I'm
going to cheat and give it 5 stars now, just because the book was so enjoyable. There are many tips to try, and she has checklists/points of action to help the reader make concrete changes.
An interesti thing is that MO does not advocate the use of coupons. I do not know how to do coupons effectively myself, but I'd be interested to hear from somebody who does.
I'll come back and revise/add to my review once I start saving on my grocery budget.
going to cheat and give it 5 stars now, just because the book was so enjoyable. There are many tips to try, and she has checklists/points of action to help the reader make concrete changes.
An interesti thing is that MO does not advocate the use of coupons. I do not know how to do coupons effectively myself, but I'd be interested to hear from somebody who does.
I'll come back and revise/add to my review once I start saving on my grocery budget.
i bought this book for the recipes, which have been great. i didn't realize that there was going to be so much commentary about saving money. i've really enjoyed it though. her point is basically to educate yourself on where you can get the best prices ... not over all, but on individual items. i think what i like best is just knowing that this woman really lives what she's preaching here. 10 kids, SAHM, husband makes $56000 a year. if she can do it ...
Great book - the tips and general savings information were great. I didn't give it more than 3 stars only because I already knew most of the information, although I did get a couple of new ideas. The recipes are what I love about the book. Very good recipes that will work well for my family. Many of them can be partially or wholly prepared ahead of time, which is awesome. Good breakfast and lunch ideas, which is what I struggle with most. Great book!
Surprisingly good. I was expecting a bunch of recipes for tatertot casserole and tuna surprise but there are actually recipes for dishes made with *real* ingredients and a good variety of them as well. I also found a lot of good tips for saving at the grocery store and stocking your pantry that didn't just rely on "go spend 7 hours a day clipping coupons and driving from store to store." This is one I am putting on my wish list.
I checked out this book from the library and had a hard time returning it. I decided to quit paying the late fees and order a copy for myself. There were some basic budget saving ideas, but also some I never thought of. Also, I can't wait to try some of the recipes. The author made it an enjoyable read. 5 stars for living up to what a book about budgeting without taking extreme measures should be.
I'm giving this 4* only because of her idea of making a change and putting that money toward a 'goal'. I told Jamie about that, casually mentioning that maybe we could go to Disney if he stopped eating out at work and if we cut back our family meals out. More than a month later, he hasn't eaten out once and neither have we as a family. I figure we saved about $200 in a month, not exactly a trip to Disney but certainly something.
The ideas themselves weren't very helpful to me. I...more
The ideas themselves weren't very helpful to me. I...more
I already do a LOT of what she advocates in this half instruction manual/half cookbook. But there are a few new nuggets that I took from it and will use. The recipes look good and are not all of the hamburger casserole variety as I feared. It appears to be a varied menu, without too many fru fru ingredients. I can't wait to try more of them.
This book had a lot of practical tips. And I have tried tons of the meal ideas and they are great. Now, I won't give up my trips to my favorite Thai spot. But, now I can make the soup for my whole family for what it cost for a kids noodle bowl. Even if you do two or three of the things that she suggest then you are going to save a ton. Just look at my latest 2 week shopping bill.
Lots of grain-based meals in this book, as might be expected, which makes it a little less helpful for me since I can't eat them. But overall a lot of good tips, and many of the stir-fries can be made grain-free. Her Spaghetti Carbonara has become one of the kids' favorite meals.
This book didn't have any tips on saving money that were new to me, but I'm sure it would for others. The recipes were not very creative (although they do include Korean and Ethiopian fare), but were good staple-type recipes. Would be a great resource to a young couple or family.
I bought this book after checking in out from the library. I think a lot of her tips are good, helpful and budget savings. But I bought the book for the recipes. REally good recipes... and a nice variety of recipes from other countries. I've gotten my money's worth already.
This book not only has recipes but many different strategies for cutting costs on your food expenses. Check out my blog cheapthoughtsbyjgrutzie.wordpress.com to see the tips that helped me cut $200 from my overindulgent food budget.
Several 'aha' moments here for me. and 'why didn't I think of that?' ideas too. some overall philosophy type things as well as practical application ideas.
ask me in a few months if I've seen a difference in our food budget? :)
ask me in a few months if I've seen a difference in our food budget? :)
I bookmarked a handful of recipes, all were simple and turned out good. The author's money saving advice - shop around - doesn't apply to those without a car to do so, and even so, I assume most people trying to save money have figured that out already. Also, lots of beans.
While absolutely NO ONE could ever top my own mother when it comes to feeding a crowd of kids on very little money, this book had some excellent ideas and tips. I also liked all of the recipes and have tried a few.
This book had some helpful hints, although a lot of them don't apply to me because I shop at the commissary. Some of the recipes look good, but unfortunately my family (meaning, husband) is picky. A couple ideas that helped me: when you cook dinner, cook double and put one half in the freezer for another day. Also, she precooks most of her meat and stores it in the freezer until she needs it for a meal.
This is the best budget cookbook I've ever purchased (and I've bought way too many). Great advice and tips, many that I've never thought of before. Easy and fun to read! Great recipes!
The author gives a lot of interesting ideas on saving money and time in preparing meals for your family. I like her recipes because she uses whole ingredients instead of pre-packaged soups and sauces. Not only is it cheaper, but it is healthier. Most of her recipes make large quantities, but like she suggests, you can freeze 1/2 for a quick meal later. :)
What attracted me to this book was the Ethiopian recipes, but it also has good ways to buy and store food economically, as well as useful food substitutions.
This mom of four and struggling meal planner found this book quite useful. If Mary Ostyn can raise 10 kids and still do as much as she does (and pretty successfully, I might add) I'm going to take her advice seriously. I'm sorry I have to take it back to the library- guess I just need to go get my own copy. You can read my full review here: http://ldswbr.blogspot.com/2010/01/famil...
Checked this out from the library, plan to order it from Amazon... practical tips and the recipes looked good.
Picked this up at Home Goods for $5.00 (sorry Mary Ostyn!) and am curious to see if there are some good strategies to streamline my family's menu.
Great ideas and recipes. I will definitely put these suggestions to good use when I'm able to invest in a freezer. Right now I don't have the space to utilize a separate freezer and my fridge is not big enough to store anything "extra". Good stuff though.
Great ideas and recipes. I will definitely put these suggestions to good use when I'm able to invest in a freezer. Right now I don't have the space to utilize a separate freezer and my fridge is not big enough to store anything "extra". Good stuff though.
She writes this for a family of 4-6 and she has some really good ideas about how to save money on groceries.
Julie
added it
Awesome book. Great ideas, great recipes. Almost worth it for the recipes alone.
This was an okay book. There were some good money-saving tips and recipes. I can definitely see how money can be saved if many of the tips were used together.
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