Book Review: Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family: Includes So Many Innovative Strategies You Won't Have to Cut Coupons

I just finished reading  Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family: Includes So Many Innovative Strategies You Won't Have to Cut Coupons bye Steve  Annette Economides (that is really there name.  And they have a website called America's Cheapest Family.  They have been featured on morning news programs, 20/20, and even the Dr. Phil Show.

This book was hard for me to get into, maybe because it talked about planning and lists and menus and all things I hate doing a rebel against.  But I forced myself past it and honestly learned a ton of great facts.  This book starts and ends with ideas on how to not only save money but your time as well.  This family focuses on family as well and this book is much more than just saving money at the store.  While I don't know about shopping only once a month (I shop twice now) they had other great ideas.

This book is a great read even if you already know how to save money at your grocery store or coupon.  Don't let the title fool you they talk about coupons and it turns out the husband worked with companies that made coupons and helped design them.  They also talk about the food traps that stores set up for you with sales that are not really sales.  Now we all probably know one season couponer that can tell you that a sale isn't that great like the 10 for 10 1 qt Gatorade when not on sale I can find them as low as .69 each.  

They talk of figuring out the cost per unit and buying going our of code meat.  Now I admit this is something I am not sure I am willing to do but I just met my local butcher and I love there meat in there freezer packs and it avg 1.85 a pound.  They also talked about how to save money on lunch meat with buying chubs and asking the deli to slice it.  The same with cheese as well.  These are all ideas I didn't think about before and will be trying at my local store.

Really this book has to many items and tips to list there was only one thing that bothered me and it was very little in the start of the book they talk about the great deals they find at a dented can store, and then later in the book talk about avoiding these items at the store for fear there is something wrong with them.  I know it's a little thing but it stuck out to me big time.

One thing that I really loved was all the charts and lists and stuff they shared and the family stories it made it easy to relate to them when you learned about them and there family.  They have a great few on family dinners and sharing stories and everything.   I loved the idea of some of the games that they played as well.

I would say this book is worth a trip to the library of even buying a copy to keep as there is so much in there you really want to start with one step at a time.  Other wise I think it would over whelm you and this is what they suggest as well.  I got my copy from the library but I think I will have to keep my out for a used or really cheap copy of it.  

This book also has lots and lots of links and other books they suggest you read to help you out on your journey to saving money and feeding your family healthy.  That brings me to a great point of the book it's about only buying what you need not what is free or on sale it's about how to get those healthy items cheaply that there are not normally coupons out there for.  I would call it a simple living book.  I would also say this would make a great book for well anyone.  I really suggest this book it might be hard for some to get into especially if you think you know all you need to know but please give it a chance and understand you take the ideas and make them work for you.  You don't have to it the way they do.

6 Years ago.....

I was pregnant with my second and getting ready for my husband to leave for a month of training when I had a horrible dream.  I will never forget it.  I dreamed that my grandfather had died at home and it having something to do with his chest.  Now to be honest I don't remember if I knew he was sick at the time or if we found out shortly after.  It was very close together.  I also remember in my dream he died at 3:16 that dream stuck with me for a long time I couldn't shake it like other dreams.

Well either just before or after this dream my grandfather was admitted to the hospital and they had a few ideas from TB (huge worry because I had been near him and gave him kisses and was pregnant) ro lung cancer.  Well after a week (felt longer to me) it was lung cancer I was shaken and taken back.  Everyone I had known that had cancer up to that point in my life had died to be fair there were not many but enough.  I was scared I was going to lose someone I loved someone who had been in my life a part of it for as far back as I could remember.

I remember he wasn't given to much time and that it was quite advanced and they started Chemo.  Man that stuff not sure i could do it.  I remember visits where he would sleep all day and I would beg and ask him to just have a sip of a drink for me, or bite of something to eat.  I never pressed as hard as I wanted to maybe I should have maybe it would have helped.  I don't know if it would have.

Then the day came when I woke up to my dad calling me.  I knew it must have been about grandpa as the time difference was great and it was early for him.  We had lost him at home early in the morning I don't remember time but I know it was close to the time of my dream.  I remember the feeling I had when my dad told me.  My heart sank, while my grandfather and I were not close he was a part of my family and someone I loved someone I miss.  I wonder would the family and the memories be the same with out him.

I remember after getting off the phone with my dad I called Jon, I was a wreck already he knew when he answered what was wrong and got time off to come home and hold me. He held me while a bawled like a baby, it was a dirty messy snotty cry, yet here is my solder husband holding me gentle but firm and understanding of my grief.  My selfish grief.  During that cry I never thought of the pain he was feeling reliving the loss of many people in his life or the lose of my grandfather had on him.  It wasn't until months later I learned of the bond he felt with my grandfather the comfort he had in talking shop with him that was now gone.

He lost someone he trusted to talk to someone he could sit in a room say five things and they had a talk.  That is how he explained it to me.  Grief made me selfish.  But he understood and I am thankful for that.

And her it is 6 years later and I have since had my baby, and we named him Frederick after the lose of my grandfather I felt the need to name him after my dad who was named after my grandfather it was important he came from a line of strong men.  My husband agree it was a family name on his side to.

I was talking just the other night with my husband about my grandfather and it's a shock to me it's been so long it feels like it's only been a few years. Like three max to me.  This pain was brought back up when I lost my grandmother(mother side) earlier this year and this Sunday I found out my other grandfather (mom's side) is in the hospital for heart problems and I am sure I will get that call again all to soon and loose someone else.  I grieved for my grandmother it was different than my grandfather maybe because I really didn't know her she was a woman that sent cards and letters and gifts that I met twice that I can remember and my grandfather was in many memories.

He was at my wedding and introduced as my family, he was at every family dinner and when Aunt Lori was there she has to sit next to her dad.  Or how he was one of the few if not only people that would eat oyster stuffing.  He smile I still see it.I miss him.  I know he wasn't always the man I remember and I know he wasn't always the easiest to get to know but I loved him, I miss the good bye kisses on the scruffy check.  I miss his silly games.

One last story, I will never forget the story of my dad finding a plastic dove at the fire hall where we had the reception after the service.  I remember sitting there hearing dad and my grandma talk just knowing it was what they thought.  See sadly my dad who was so very close to my grandpa wasn't able to be at his bed side to say good bye he did over the phone I am told but we all know it's not the same.  Anyways I believe it was my grandpa's way of saying see JR I made I am fine, let you ma know.  And later that night he did he gave her that dove after asking about one of there fav songs to dance to "Wings of a Dove" if I remember right.  I remember the tears and everything.  It was a touching moment that I am glad I was a part of.

I was also a part of a moment in which grandpa moved the dove around the kitchen and watching my grandmother say I will fix his ass and glue it down hahaha I will never forget that.

I don't know why I wrote this crazy mess or even hit publish but I felt a need to I miss him a great deal and sad he won't meet three of my children but I do believe he is watching over them and even sometimes playing cars with them.  I am not even sure I remember everything right but it is how I remember those events. I just felt the need to share them.

So hug those that you love and remember we are never promised tomorrow. Let them know you love them.

One day....

One day my family will have a farm with a great big old farm house.  On this farm we will raise as much of our own food as we can.  And we are going to grow Christmas trees, and have a whole christmas theme to make it fun for the whole family.  I really can't wait for this we have been researching everything and making sure we know what we want.  I have recently started dream folders for our home and gardens.  

I can't wait until my days are filling with gardening and canning and making cheese and all kinds of goodies.  Homemade butter and bread.  Everything.  I want to only need to go to the store once every month or so for things we need.  And I want to enjoy this old time life and some of the new found enjoyable tech that is out there.  Just not have our lives move around it.  

I also want to have a ton of animals on this farm and chickens I want lots and lots of chickens maybe even a few turkeys.  I want a barn that smells of horses, leather and hay!  And I will have it I tell you.  It's going to be our heaven.  

We can't forget our fruit trees and maybe even nuts as well,  I can't wait to grow all of our herbs and spices and vegetables.  I can't wait to live this simple life.  The best of all I can't wait for family dinners and sitting at the table enjoying a good chat with those that I love and making memories to have a life time.

Once day i will have this all and more.  But for now I am going to learn all that I can so that when my dream comes true I am ready for it. And this summer I am learning canning and many other things.

Old fashion summer fun ideas

My son and I were talking and he was saying how he hoped he wouldn't be bored this summer.  That there never seemed to be anything to do.  I found this sad and thought wow, I haven't been showing him the fun he can have.  So I am making a list of fun and free or nearly free summer things to do and well things that I know he will love.

1. Go hiking, we have a few places to go in the area and it's just fun and good for you.  Don't forget water and sun block.
2. We are already gardening together and I think I will teach him more about that and what to do once the food is grown.
3. Fly kites, I posted this before but this is something my children just love and it's pretty cheap if you go to a big box store.
4. Catch fire flies I think all the kids will enjoy this.  
5. Play
6. mudpies
7. Go to the park
8. good old fashion water fights. who doesn't love these
9. I have signed them up for free bowling.
10. I have also got them going on reading programs I am waiting to see what another store does for them.  I think reading is super important for children.
11. build forts and play dress up...a trip to the thrift store for items.
12. bird watching, he seems to want to do this.
13. Make paper air planes
14. Give him a box
15. puppets
16. and much more as I think of it.

Coming up with things to do during the summer it's hard and many of these are fun and things I have done there are other things we might do like fishing and I will teach him took and just great fun.  I hope to get an old fashion ice cream maker this summer as well.

Only thing is not look forward to is summer school at home.

Couponing and the simple life And Clutter

I am finding it hard to mesh couponing and simple living together.  It seems to me couponing has turned into getting as much as you can for free or cheap and to get more even when you don't need it.  Simple living to me is making do with what you have reusing stuff as needed.  Like an old soup can panted and turned into a flower pot with fresh cut flowers in it.  Simple living to me is about using what you have and getting what you need and even getting a few wants but not making your life about wanting.

My Mother's Day!

My mothers day was great.  We had a ham dinner that yes I cooked but I wanted to.  Dh would have cooked if I didn't.  But he cooked yesterday so I was fine.  And we had home made bread I find every time I make it, it get easier.

I also got to cuddle with the baby and take nap.  And I started a new book last night and today Cut your Grocery Bill in half with America's cheapest family.  Not sure how I like it I am thrown off by the writing saying in 1982 35,000 was near poverty.  From what I have read so far I do most of what they seem to talk about but hey I am open minded I will read to the end and maybe learn another trick or two.

And today was sunday which means coupons in the papers.  Jon went and got them for me bright and early and I am glad it was easy this week last week it was crazy that coupon show has made some monsters I don't even try to get the free deals anymore because some people think they need all 100 that's in the store.  I still save big time with them though and about 40% is my average for some couponers that's not great but for me it is.

Other than the coupons the book and watching a movie it's a low key day but a great one none the less.  Hope your mother's day was great as well.

Mark those calendars free math program coming in June.

Are you a home school mom?  Do you like free things to try out for your children?  Well then mark those calendars for a free math program coming in June.  

Funnfix.com is launching a new math program in June and they are offering it free for a limited time.

They did this with there Reading program earlier this year and we really enjoyed the program.  For more information please visit there site here.