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Easy Frugal Cookbook: 100 Satisfying Recipes That Won't Break the Bank

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Eat well for less—100 delicious, affordable recipes the whole family will love

It’s easier than you think to make hearty meals that are tasty, budget-friendly, and nutritious. Discover an easy cookbook that shows you how, with 100 inexpensive family recipes that use basic ingredients, and can be made in just a few steps.

This easy cookbook will help you whip up satisfying dishes like Crispy Coconut Drumsticks or Open-Face Turkey Sandwiches for everyone in the house for just $5. All it takes is the right recipe, a few tricks, and a little planning to make the most of your food budget.

Discover how versatile and flavorful cheap eating can be with an easy cookbook that

Budget tricks—Recipes are sorted by estimated cost of ingredients, from $5 to $15 dollars per batch, and include tips to lower the cost of ingredients even further.Shop smart—This easy cookbook includes tips about shopping efficiently and optimizing ingredients and leftovers.Menu plan—A sample meal plan and shopping list will help simplify meal prep and save you money and time.

Bring the whole family to the table with an easy cookbook that makes weeknight dinners easy and affordable.

255 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2020

109 people are currently reading
30 people want to read

About the author

Sarah Walker Caron

12 books11 followers

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5 stars
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7 (16%)
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9 (21%)
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Tara.
1,227 reviews
July 30, 2020
I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I'm looking forward to getting a copy of this as I live by myself and get sick of leftovers quickly. Nice recipes and easy to use.
Profile Image for Annie.
4,710 reviews84 followers
July 11, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Easy Frugal Cookbook: 100 Satisfying Recipes That Won't Break the Bank is a new cookbook and recipe collection by Sarah Walker Caron. Released 7th July 2020 by Callisto on their Rockridge Press imprint, it's 180 pages (for the print copy) and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

The book has a straightforward and easy-to-follow format. Following an introductory chapter on food budgeting and cooking well and cost-effectively, the author covers the other necessary tools, supplies, and ingredients (with some very astute observations on making the most of your cooking time and keeping food fresh to minimize waste and costs). The following chapters include the recipes, arranged thematically by type: breakfast, soups & salads, sandwiches & wraps, vegetarian & vegan mains, poultry & seafood, beef & pork, sides & snacks, desserts, and recipes for condiments sauces & dressings. The nutritional info provided is arranged with most major info given (calories, fats, carbohydrates, sodium, sugar, fiber). Almost none of the recipes are photographed, but the ones which are, are photographed well and clearly. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. The lack of photography subtracts a bit (but not much) from the overall experience for me personally. (I like pictures, but realize and accept that they raise the production costs a lot on a book project).

The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard only. Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. Special classifications for each recipe (30 minutes or less, 5 ingredient, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, etc) are included in a header bar. Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. The book also includes a short author bio and a metric conversion chart, but lacks any index or a general ingredients index. The recipes are tasty and easily prepared, most requiring few ingredients and little prep time.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Profile Image for Sharon Tyler.
2,815 reviews40 followers
July 23, 2020
Easy Frugal Cookbook: 100 Satisfying Recipes That Won't Break the Bank by Sarah Walker Caron aims to give readers the ability to make hearty meals that are tasty, budget-friendly, and nutritious. Recipes include dishes like Crispy Coconut Drumsticks or Open-Face Turkey Sandwiches for everyone in the house for just $5. All it takes is the right recipe, a few tricks, and a little planning to make the most of your food budget. The cookbook offers budget tricks and tips to lower the cost of ingredients even further.

Easy Frugal Cookbook is a book that offered something very much needed, ideas for keeping your family fed for less money than you might expect. The recipes are easy to follow, practical, and include ingredients that are common and generally easy to get. I did find it to be very simple, and as someone that grew up in a very frugal home as a child and still of the same mentality, a little condescending. However, that could just be because of my mindset when reading and the fact that very little of the book was new to me. I think this book would be most helpful for readers that are just getting started in their adult lives, or those that have never really thought about cooking or a budget before. Some of the recipes gave me ideas, but for me including recipes like scrambled eggs, sandwiches, and wraps was a bit basic- although I know there people that need instruction for the things I no longer need to think about.

Easy Frugal Cookbook is a cookbook for those just starting out cooking and thinking about budgeting. This might be a good gift to those striking out as lone adults for the first time or adding members to their household and needing to readjust the budget.
Profile Image for Johanna Sawyer.
3,473 reviews41 followers
July 17, 2020
Excellent frugal tip book! Easy and fun filled recipes with budget friendly tips! Author has a endeavor to help people eat well while living with a frugal budget. In these COVID times a frugal book may help people save money needed for other things.

What did I like? Frugal doesn’t mean you have to live off ramen since COVID seems to have depleted the stores of the large amounts it usually has. Some people may just be looking to cut costs since the times are uncertain and food has shown signs of scarcity. This author does a decent job of showing you where to cut costs, and how to make some delicious recipes without breaking the bank.

Would I recommend or buy? I loved some of the budget tricks even though I’m not living on a budget but I should be. Grocery store costs have soared given the pandemic and scarcity of certain foods. Every penny counts. If your looking for a food book and tips on a budget then this is a good go to book. I enjoyed it.

I received a copy to read and offer an opinion. I enjoyed the book!
Profile Image for Penmouse.
417 reviews7 followers
July 17, 2020
The Easy Frugal Cookbook by Sarah Waker Caron is a well-written easy-to-read cookbook written by a journalist and a mother who needed to feed her family while living on a budget. Caron's book is an excellent cookbook as her recipes include symbols that show the recipe cost ($ or $$ for example) and include recipe nutritional information. Caron includes food storage information, healthy eating tips, and recommended kitchen tools to have to promote budget cooking.

Some of the recipes you'll find include:

Roasted Potatoes and Pepper with Scrambled Egg
Chicken Tortellini Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Barbecue Roast Beef Wraps
Sheet Pan Garlic Salmon with Roasted Snap Peas
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Red Onion and Grapes
Country-Fried Steak and Onions
Garlic-Sesame Green Beans
Easy Chocolate-Coconut Pudding
Easy Marinara Sauce

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.
Profile Image for Poppy Marlowe.
564 reviews21 followers
June 17, 2020
Callisto Media/Rockridge Press was kind enough to send my sister a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to read and review it as well - I read as fast as she does, no surprise. #twister

I hate wasting money in the kitchen as food is so expensive these days (and the 2hour line up to get into the grocery store is so trying when it is this hot out...). The recipes were appealing and none had to many instructions/steps to make the dish or ingredients that cost too much money. A great book for a wedding shower gift - wrap it up in tea towels to make it doubly fun.
Profile Image for Kelly Faysash.
77 reviews4 followers
July 11, 2020
If you are anything like the typical American family, it is easy to see grocery costs breeze past $1,000 per month. The Easy Frugal Cookbook aims to help home cooks save time and money while also delivering tasty recipes. I am really impressed with the approachability of this book--good recipes, easy ingredients, and labeled for those with dietary restrictions. I've bookmarked several recipes to try in the near future--many of which I already have everything I need to make. Kudos to Sarah for an excellent new cookbook for my shelf!
Profile Image for Mary.
1,837 reviews15 followers
July 16, 2020
A wonderful cookbook that brings back comfort food! It’s pretty basic yet most will find it very convenient that these recipes are all in one book. Loads of great advice that will serve those new to cooking and on a tight budget, who don’t have extra cash (or room) to purchase kitchen gadgets. Also great for most seniors who have to live more frugally now that they’ve retired. Appreciate the calorie count, fiber, etc. which helps when planning meals for those with diet restrictions.
Received a free copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Profile Image for Trina.
183 reviews24 followers
October 2, 2020
OMG - the recipes in this cookbook are amazingly good and super easy to follow. The helpful budget tricks at the end of each recipe are a huge bonus. It seems like our grocery bill is consistently getting higher each month so to be able to still eat satisfying meals and save money is a definite win. Plus, there is such a nice variety of meals to keep from getting decision fatigue over what's for dinner. Just flip open the book and it's that easy. Thanks to Callisto Publishers & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Cozy Book Spot.
447 reviews7 followers
July 14, 2020
Great cookbook with some nice and easy to make recipes. I love that these recipes are all budget friendly (from $5 to $15). The ingredients are easy to get, the cooking time is mostly about 30 min (there are some slow cook recipes that takes up to 4h though). The budget trick tips are awesome! I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
Profile Image for Katie.
731 reviews3 followers
July 15, 2020
"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
This cookbook fulfilled it's title, providing both easy and frugal recipes. It also had good pointers on substitutions and purchasing tips. I even managed to find a few recipes to try with my ultra picky eaters, and this is truly a feat.
262 reviews2 followers
December 11, 2024
This cookbook stays true to its title. The recipes are easy and frugal. The author includes extra budget tips with every recipe that can help readers save even more. Each recipe also includes macro nutritional information which helps with planning a balanced diet. Overall organization of the content is perfect for easy reference.
127 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2020
This book will be a lifesaver for many busy cooks on a budget, or those who have better things to do than waste time and money. Ms. Caron makes many helpful suggestions and offers tasty, simple meal-time solutions. I can't wait to try her Crispy Coconut Drumsticks.
51 reviews2 followers
July 26, 2020
The Easy Frugal Cookbook is a great cookbook for anyone on a budget. It is broken down into numerous chapters such as slashing the grocery bill, breakfast, soups and salads, sandwiches and wraps, vegetarian and vegan, poultry and seafood, beef and pork, sides and snacks, desserts, and condiments, sauces, and dressings.

I absolutely loved the condiments, sauces, and dressings section as I feel this is often overlooked in other cookbooks, but I can be essential in making your dish a success. The book also contains money symbols that will tell you how much it costs to make the recipe. Living in New Jersey, I know things tend to be a bit more expensive, but it still served as an excellent guide to which meals will be cheaper. Each recipe has a budget trick which is super helpful for substituting items you might have on hand.

Overall I loved this cookbook. I wish there were more pictures of the recipes as I tend to be a visual eater, but helpful to anyone who might be worried about money and needing it to stretch along with anyone looking for a new cheap recipe to try. (Because who wants to buy expensive ingredients to find out you hate the meal)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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