I am so glad I don't have to work as hard as she does anymore, now that I'm older and have been pinching pennies for years. If you're a laid-off high-energy person, go for it. Or if you're a SAHM and the kids are at school. But I find I do just fine with 1) knowing what a good price per unit is on all the items we regularly use, 2) sticking to the list except for unexpected markdowns (like day-old), especially at Costco, 3) not being afraid of store brands, and 4) stocking up when there is a good sale on a healthy product.

Btw, she seems to assume water and other resources are free. I say that if you're going to rinse your own lettuce, or toast a handful of nuts in the oven, or shop all over town with gas at $4/gallon, watch out!

Also, use a toaster oven. About the only thing I cook in the big one is cookies when we're making a big batch. ( )

Stephanie Nelson, "The Coupon Mom," provides practical tips on how to save money at the grocery store. While many of the ideas are pretty obvious to anyone who has a little bit of time to spend thinking about these things, I did learn several couponing tips and techniques. The author has a friendly and approachable voice making this a very readable book. Couponing is bound to gain even more momentum with the upcoming TLC Extreme Couponing series and I think this book provides a solid foundation for those starting out. ( )