Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy

by Jonni McCoy

With gas and food prices soaring, there's more need than ever before for Jonni McCoy's Miserly Moms. Jonni shares the money-saving strategies that allowed her family to transition from two incomes to one. These practical, proven strategies, tips, and recipes will help anyone live frugally without feeling deprived. Real-life examples show how anyone can learn to live more carefully and reach their financial goals. Now in its fourth edition, Miserly Moms is packed with even more ways to reduce a family's expenses and expose hidden living costs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Money, Finance, Parenting, Self Help, Home Economics, Cookbooks

304 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few good tips, but mostly stuff I've seen before. I didn't love the tone or assumptions, either (a chapter called "Getting the Husband Involved"? Yikes)

[Lori Kincaid Rassati · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not impressed. If you've been trying to cut back for any length of time and/or are familiar with any of the *how to* tips that most folks suggest, then this book is just more of the same. And even though she tries to address working moms at some point, her whole concept is based on going from two incomes to one. I'm a working single parent already living on one income. I don't have time (nor do I really care) to save 15 cents by making my own muffin mix or save $1 by making my own playdoh or...I thought some of her cleaning tips/cleaner recipes were interesting, but again, I'm not breaking the bank buying bleach or Windex. Most of her recipes just sounded awful, and I couldn't imagine my children, who are not picky eaters, liking them.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a book where you can skip certain sections. I loved the recipes and some of the tips were useful... otherwise. Eh.

First, it stinks of privilege. Yes, she was able to make it work to live on one income, but this isn't the case for everyone. I understand she had to sacrifice for her family... but really? She made it sound like she had to climb Mt. Everest everyday. Not the case. Second, she lives in California and most of her tips are for life in warmer climates. What about us who live up north? I can't save $1,200 a year by setting my thermostat to 50 in the winter. That would result in me spending $1,200 to fix all the pipes in my house. Lastly, I knew going into this book that it was published in 2011... ten years ago. It is dated. But that was my fault to read a book that dated.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of these types of books offer advice that just isn’t practical- spending hours in the kitchen or driving from store to store bargain hunting, etc. While this book does offer that advice, it also offers alternatives for people who don’t necessarily have the time or ability to commit to those types of activities. Some of her advice is so simple, you could start applying it from day one. I appreciate the time, effort, and practicality of this book.

[Crystal ✬ Lost in Storyland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a mom, but there are some great budgeting tips in this book. They work whether you're married or single. I'm also looking forward to trying out some of the quick and easy recipes provided.

A good, quick read for fast information. Worth some rereads to reflect more deeply on the information provided (and to check on how you're doing after implementing the suggested practices).

[Ashley Holloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of the tips in this book can easily be found on the internet but it is encouraging for anyone who may question if it’s possible to live off one income. I didn’t put many things the author suggests into practice after reading it but I was inspired to find my own ways to save money after reading it

[Misty Farias · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 3 stars is solely for the homemade art supply and household cleaner recipes, which are brilliant and easy. The rest of the book is self-congratulatory and overly religious. Some of the suggestions are wildly out of date, even though this is an updated version.

[Dolly Bigelow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book is a bit dated, there is still plenty of good information to glean about frugal living and living on a single income. This is one book that stays on my shelf so I can reference it for fresh inspiration when I’m looking for some frugal living motivation!

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used several practical strategies from this book when money was tight about 10 years ago. I pulled it off the shelf to re-read today and to see if it was still relevant. While some parts are dated, there are still some useful tips for living on a budget.

[Harrisheather22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay back in 1991. However the updated version did not update for what has changed in the last 30 years.

[Freddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful financial advice on being frugal. After having a big life change, I found a lot of tips in this book to be helpful. It doesn't get 5 stars because it has too much Jesus in it.

[Jarah Anitalea Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 not as relevant on some stuff but the recipes and tips included are pretty universal in their usefulness.

[Susan Mcfate]

57:24 …who is miserly and orders people to be miserly. For anyone who turns away from it, God is transcendent, praiseworthy.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What this book is about:

Have you been thinking about becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom? Are you trying to cut costs and save money for your family? Maybe you would just like to learn to live frugally but comfortably? Then this book is for you!

Okay, so in my opinion this book is for anyone - moms, dads, singles... anyone who would be interested in some great tips on saving money and living healthier can benefit from Miserly Moms. I find it to be an invaluable resource that I'm sure moms will love as much as I do!

Why this book is different:

There is nothing theoretical in the way Miserly Moms is written. Author Jonni McCoy has lived and practiced this way of living - she is proof that it can work. And not only that, but she has testimonials from readers (this is a reprinting) sharing their success stories as well! I'm not surprised. Reading through this book, you'll note the ring of truth in her words - what she says makes total sense!

Refreshingly, Miserly Moms is neither boring nor a slow read. It's so easy to find what you're looking for and to pick and choose what tips you want to follow - I love it! And it's written with the goal of being a stay-at-home mom in mind. I found this extremely helpful (though I'm still working part time at home) and was very interested in reading Jonni's thoughts on working moms. Did you ever think about how money is spent by working moms? By the time you've paid for work clothes, convenience foods (at home and at work), gas going to and from work, daycare bills, and whatever else comes up (car expenses, etc), you're practically paying for the privelege of working! I don't know about you, but I'd rather be at home taking care of my kids... that's just an aside, of course. Something I noted. I know not all of us can stay home, but if you're wondering if it is possible to stay at home, survive, and save money - well, you'll see that it can be done.

Anyway, on with examples of what Miserly Moms is all about...

Topics covered in Miserly Moms:

* Budgeting
* Food-buying tips (don't buy everything at one store, etc)
* Frugal and healthy recipes
* Celebrating frugally
* Baby care (now that's not easy to save money on)
* The cost of working
* Getting the kids and husband involved in saving
* Saving on medical expenses
* Saving on Utility expenses
* Craft ideas (for less!)
* Cleaning (safer and cheaper)
* Even a FAQ area
* And much more!

This book is like the bible of money-saving ideas for moms. I highly recommend it and know I'll be gifting copies to my mom friends!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will not claim that I am the budget queen or that when I set goals I always obtain said goals; but as my girlfriends can attest I love learning how other ladies do things and like taking their ideas and then trying to apply them. That is probably why I loved this book so much. I found reading it was so enjoyable that I had a hard time putting it down, something that doesn't regularly happen to me when reading books like this. Normally it takes me forever to get into the book and every time I put it down it takes forever to get back into it, again. This read very much as if I was chatting with a girlfriend over coffee and learning tips n' tricks that she uses.

As for all these tips n' tricks I cannot say that I'll be applying them all but it definitely has opened my eyes to a few of them and made me realize that some of my fears were unfounded. She did a good job explaining multi-store shopping and how to do it simply or extreme. She has 11 Guidelines that she follows and you can pick and choose what you want to apply. Plus, as you read these tricks she sums it down where you aren't boggled down by math and percentages. I cannot repeat enough how enjoyable this book was to read.

I have already started to apply some of these money saving tricks and can tell a difference. I've always been a meal planner but this book is not only a great reference for other books but a great way to pick up some more money saving tips. Also, she includes recipes and does a fantastic job of breaking down pricing. Her breakdown on eating out to home cooking blew my mind. I knew it was a huge difference but how she compared has really changed my mind and made me very conscientious of spending.

[Bobbi Geosling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t finish the whole thing because I got the gist early on. Some good suggestions but some are a bit extreme or impractical for our family.

[Piaget91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an incredible information source on how to save money (by smart planning not cutting crazy coupons), cook basic things from scratch, and think about the cost of food differently.

I bought this book in case it had a good tip or two for meal planning/grocery shoppping, and have come away with great ideas for having pancake, soup, and biscuit mix cheap and on hand at all times, as well as real solutions for saving more at the grocery store (and I already spend very little and make most of our meals from scratch).

fabulous find!! if you have any interest in trying to save money by learning a bit and doing just a bit of planning and putting things together yourself - buy and read this book - it's great!!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have waffled between a three star or four star rating. This is a good little book, packed with some good guidelines, including some solid advice regarding some ways to be penny wise but pound foolish, so I'll give it the four. The reason I waffled is that I didn't actually learn much myself and I don't agree with her claim that a freezer is not a good budget saving tool. To be frank I find it amazing that people do not already use many of these basic money saving tactics, planning menus around sales, shopping around, knowing what a good price for things you buy all the time etc. But then again, menu planning and meals eaten together at the table seem to be fast becoming things of the past.

[Elizabeth Fryer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info for working and stay-at-home moms. I appreciated the info on the "cost of working", I never realized how much it cost me just to have a job, no wonder I never had any money back then. The recipes are pretty good too, the cinnamon rolls are to die for, except I added 1 cup Cool Whip to the frosting for a fluffier texture and creamy flavor. It definatly makes me realize that when I go back to work someday, I will need do a lot of meal planning and budgeting in order to save money so that I have money for the higher priorities on my list.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feeling about this book. I liked a lot of what the author's thinking porcess on most thinkgs for example using coupons/ getting it cheap or free on items that you don't use is not really a deal. Another example is cloth diapers vs dispoal diaper. She takes all the cost of cleaning the cloth diapers into consideration. There are some parts in the book I didn't think were updated like there is no metioning how to budget in home internet.I didn't like how everything goes back to 1991. That is over 20 years ago and things were a lot different then.

[mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would like to cut back my hours at work, so decided to check this book out for tips. It is a revised version of a much older book, and a lot of the resources cited are still from the early 90s or even before.

Same old, same old, really...
Make food from scratch.
Buy used.
Staycation instead of vacation.
Bargain shop
Coupon clip
etc etc etc

Some helpful recipes for make-your-own mixes and such, but otherwise, just so-so.

[Maggie Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of this information I already knew- like wash clothes in cold water, etc. But it has some good recipes and formulas for money saving meals, playdoh, cleaning agents, etc. Worth a skim but unless you can change the way you shop (like going to several stores and only once a month) hard to put into play all the tips. With two little kids, I can't linger that long in the aisles or split my list too much before the peanut gallery rebels!

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is about moms going home to stay with their children. It makes no reference to the economy and makes no bones about being an overtly christian and mom-staying-home-centric book, although the tips are applicable to anyone. It's full of tips that are not particularly useful to anyone who has ever read a book about being frugal, although she does mention that there are better deals buying off brands than there are clipping coupons. I gave it a one.

[pianogal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book are good - this is probably the best one of her's I've read. But she still gets SOOOOOO listy about everything. She's got some good stuff, but you have to dig through to find it. There are also sections in this book that are repeats from her other books, so you can skip those if you've already read them.

Not my favorite author. I feel like she has good frugal ideas, but she needs to make her writing a little more frugal as well.

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really informative. McCoy has a lot of great ideas on how to cut back. I plan on implementing a lot of them. I enjoyed her personal experiences, her insights into how important stay-at-home mothers are, and all the information (from healthy foods, to making your own crafts, to making your own homemade cleaning supplies) she provided. Definitely worth a read!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more practical books on living a thrifty lifestyle that I've read. I like that the author admits she loves luxuries and pays for them when she can. Most books take the stance that you can NEVER pay full-price for anything or buy anything just for the pure joy of it. Excited to try some of her hints and receipes.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be very helpful, and I plan on implementing many of her suggestions. I like that you don't necessarily have to do every single thing in the book to save money. I have to say, however, I was a little thrown by the pretty strong Christian message in the book, which I wasn't expecting. Overall, the book was helpful, which is what I was looking for.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turns out I AM the cheapest person alive. Can't think of one thing I learned here, although in general its good, thrifty advice. Guess I was just a wartime housewife in my past life, after all. She could have done less of the I'm a Christian, stay-at-home mom because I'm better than you vibe, though.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me some great tips on how to save money. It didn't leave me feeling like I have to give up everything. I especially like the suggestions on grocery shopping and making items at home. I hope to implement some of these ideas to save $$.

[Emelda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of this stuff you probably know if you'd ever read any frugal books/websites but it was a little better then I thought it would be, I learned a few new things. Plus, it had a ranch dressing recipe! Vegan, homemade ranch yay!