Review
In their kitchen, there's no special equipment. There is no microwave. The double-wide oven was there when they moved in; they rarely use its full capacity. The most-appreciated appliance is their KitchenAid mixer with an often-used bread hook. They have a freezer that is used mainly for vegetables, and a pantry with shelves 5 feet high and four cabinet doors wide. So, when their mealtime math is done, what's the precise bottom line? Mary Jane checked her records of grocery trips, and in the last six weeks, she said, their weekly grocery bill averaged $45.91. Yes, they acknowledge, they could spend more on groceries, but why? They have long-term goals that include higher education for their children. They would ask "why?" of families who spend far more on groceries. Mary Jane and Jeff would advise them to do the mealtime math for themselves. --
Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, Wednesday February 18, 1998Mary Jane and Jeff Cardarelle-Hermans have five school-age children, and they never buy frozen pizzas. They don't buy cookies, either. "We stay away from processed food," said Jeff, a Luxemburg native who now lives in Glendale, Wisconsin with his wife, Mary Jane and their five adopted children. "You see," Jeff explains, "We have a pantry filled with ingredients for the recipes we use. Each week we make a list, and restock what we've used." It's easy Jeff says, because they always go by the book. In fact, they wrote it. Eating Economically Is Just Plain Smart: How We Feed Our Family of 7 For Less Than $50 Per Week is a compilation of Jeff and Mary Jane's money-saving tips along with pages of low-cost, healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. --
The Brown County Chronicle, Green Bay, Saturday/Sunday, February 21-22, 1998People usually look shocked when they find out the family spends only $50 a week on food. "We thought if we could get our recipes down on paper and explain how we do it, it would be good for people." There's actually as much value in the book's introduction and the chapter introductions as there is in individual recipes. The couple listed lots of tips that make sense: *Avoid coupons because they're often offered for items that are wildly overpriced in the first place. *Check the price per ounce. *Don't be duped by fancy, colorful packaging. *Calculate the amount of money you spend on homemade meals vs. eating out and be inspired to cook at home. Plus there's a valuable list of everything the family keeps on hand in the kitchen. --
Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, Thursday, May 14, 1998When Mary Jane and Jeff Cardarelle-Hermans decided to adopt five children, they didn't let the thought of mounting grocery bills deter them. Instead, the Glendale couple took on the challenge and found a way to feed their hungry crowd for less than $50 a week. They've been so successful in their efforts that they decided to share what they've learned in a book, "Eating Economically is Just Plain Smart." The 127-page, soft-cover book, which the couple published themselves, is a combination how-to and cookbook. Along with more than 100 recipes, it includes tips on grocery shopping, buying in bulk, nutrition, meat substitutes and brown-bagging meals. It was other peoples' constant amazement that convinced them to put their ideas down on paper and help others save money. --
The Journal Times, Racine, Monday, March 23, 1998
From the Author
FIVE EASY WAYS TO LOWER YOUR FOOD BILLS. 1. Cook from scratch. Cooking from scratch is almost always less expensive than buying prepackaged food items, and it doesn't mean you will be spending all your time in the kitchen. 2. Create your own low-cost meals. Learn to cook with low-cost ingredients. Find recipes that call for inexpensive ingredients. 3. Stop believing that coupons save you a great deal of money. Coupons can fool you into thinking you're saving money when in reality you are not because coupons are usually for overpriced prepackaged foods. 4. Comparison shop so that you know which stores provide the best buys. No one store will always be the best place to shop. By comparison shopping, you will have greater buying power. 5. Cut back on the number of sweets you feed your family. Sugar has no nutrients, just calories. When you eat foods high in sugar, you probably overeat to consume the nutrients you need.
