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First Aid for Your Budget a review of "Miserly Moms" (Jonni McCoy)

by Marla Saunders

If your budget is straining at its seams after the Christmas rush, you'll want to check out Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy. Subtitled Living on One Income in a Two Income Economy, the book is filled with practical advice on stretching your hard- earned dollars.

Jonni McCoy's financial theory is based on the principle of saving your money and spending your energy in the areas where you will receive the highest return for your effort. As a result, this wonderful book is full of ideas that anybody can use - both the ardently frugal and the casual dabbler.

Miserly Moms opens with McCoy's eleven "Miserly Guidelines," which set the tone for the rest of the book. These include such practical advice as: "Give up things that provide the least value" and "Institute a soup and bread night once a week." Even a brief look at these eleven guidelines will stimulate your mind to think of similar measures you can take in your own home without sacrificing your quality of life.

Miserly Moms' strongest point is the section filled with recipes. My family fell in love with her homemade, nonfat granola.

Nonfat Granola

5 cups quick oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup concentrated apple juice
1/2 cup dry milk
1/3 cup honey
2 T. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dried fruit*

* I used dried cranberries. Raisins are an obvious choice, as well. I also added slivered almonds - yum!)

Mix sugar, juice, dry milk and honey in saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Combine other dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Pour sugar mixture slowly over dry mixture and blend well. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes.

Another useful section of the book is called "Safer and Cheaper." Here the author lists homemade alternatives for cleaning solutions, gardening ingredients (need a recipe for snail bait?!) and even health remedies! Other sections help teach your children to save, compare the values of wholesale clubs and offer concrete tips and tricks for cutting your expenses.

To get a copy of Miserly Moms, visit miserlymoms.com.

Marla Saunders is the Editor of "Homelight - A Newsletter Dedicated to Success at Home from a Biblical Perspective".

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First Aid for Your Budget a review of "Miserly Moms" (Jonni McCoy)

by Marla Saunders

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