Frugal Families by Jonni McCoy starts off with a very strong and heartfelt emphasis on using frugality to enable you to stay at home with your children. The first chapters of this book reminded me very much of my own quest to become a stay at home mom. There is a lot of information here for the woman looking to do just that. From coming home to staying home, Jonni has provided many hints and tips on where to start, where to cut costs, and where to find more information.

The book has some great tips on taking frugal vacations, teaching your kids about money, and guidelines for purchasing and maintaining your computer. I did find myself skimming over the chapters on basic budgeting, credit cards, and insurance. These chapters provided good reviews of basic frugal strategies, many of which I already use in my home. I also found some interesting recipes in this book that I have not come across before, such as several new recipes for homemade pet foods, including "Kitty Salad", "Doggie Deluxe Hamburger" and "Vegetarian Delight" for cats and dogs. Now, if I just had a pet! The kids section also had a recipe for homemade face paint that I plan on testing out on my children - if I can catch them long enough to put some on them!

Frugal Families is the first frugality book that I have ever read that encourages readers to find more information online. I really liked that. The Internet is so new that most frugality books do not list Internet resources. Many online references simply didn't exist a few years ago. Jonni lists websites and discussion groups for stay-at-home-moms, work-at-home moms, and frugality.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who are newly frugal or are looking to stay at home with their children. Jonni gets you started and points you to the Internet, phone numbers, and addresses for more in-depth information. Experienced tightwads may find this book a good review of the basics, and may enjoy the many references listed.

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