Your Grocery Budget Toolbox Review and Giveaway!

Try not to hate me when I tell you my husband not only folds laundry, changes diapers, and does most of the dishes (and we don't have a dish washer) but he also handles most of the finances.  Yup I'm just your typical trophy wife.  You know how it is when you're a pastor's wife.  All the fame and fortune and such.  Despite my cushy life devoid of financial concerns I try not to spend too much at the grocery store.  I also try and feed my family as healthfully and organically as possible but I fail big time.  I switch from grocery store, to farmers markets, to Whole Foods and find myself in an endless cycle of trying to eat well and spend wisely but flopping majorly.
Enter in Anne Simpson from Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy the name alone should tell you it's right up my ally! Quick? Yes please! Easy?  Umm yeah!  Cheap?  You know it! and Healthy?  Woo hoo!  

 Anne wrote the ebook Your Grocery Budget Toolbox.  I have to admit I started reading it a little less than enthusiastically thinking, "Here we go, another person telling me that if I buy coupons off of ebay and stack them with the deals at 18 different stores across 3 states I can save money."  I'm so thrilled to tell you that this book is not that!!!  I read over the book in one sitting and then went back through it just taking notes.  There is so much to be gleaned from this book but I think the main thing I learned (thus far, I'm still going through it with a fine tooth comb!) are these words from Anne:  "It is more important to live within your means than to stress yourself out trying to make food stretch farther than it should, or digging into savings (or worse, going into debt) to cover the exorbitant cost of what you have been told is the “healthiest” food. Purchase as much healthy food as you can."


Wait!  What?  It's not an all or nothing deal?!?!?  Seriously I realize this should be really obvious but somehow it had never occurred to me that I could buy some organic meat each month but not every bite had to be organic if we couldn't afford it.  I can buy some raw milk or cheese but the rest can be "regular".  


This book is filled with excellent insights like that.  In addition are the challenges that Anne gives you throughout the book.  They are thought provoking and helpful.  It's like having a study guide within the book.    One of the things Anne challenges you to do is to write a meal plan.  I decided to go for it and write a month long meal plan for everything:  dinners, lunches, breakfasts, and snacks.  Actually I wrote out a 2 week plan with the idea of freezing things from the first two weeks to repeat the second two.  I have yet to shop for the items for this plan but I believe it will really save us money.  While the planning took a long time I think it will save a ton of time (and meal planning anxiety) in the next month.  


Another great thing is her examples.  Just when I would be thinking, "well that won't work for me because blah, blah blah, excuse, excuse."  She would show you a personal example and I would hang my head in shame.


This book was exactly what I needed.  Someone to hold my hand and say, "This is how you feed your family healthy without having to live in a cardboard box."  Let's face it, organic, grass-feed lamb chops just don't taste as good in a box.  


Good news!  If you want to feed your family more healthy but also save money you can get Anne's book, Your Grocery Budget Toolbox, by clicking here  use the code "shoe" for a 20% discount, or buy entering the give away below.  (If you just can't wait to buy the book you can still buy it now and if you win your money will be refunded!).

To enter the giveaway you must like Stories from the Shoe and Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy on Facebook.  If you already like them you can still enter just.  The other entries are optional and give you more chances to win!  Good Luck!!

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