All In Good Time

For many years, I have been reading Deal Seeking Mom. It was one of the original blogs that I read even before I started blogging myself. So, I was excited to have the opportunity to review her new book All In Good Time, which she co-wrote with Mandi Ehman of LifeYourWay.net.

The book is full of practical advice and many common sense tips. I really like that they start the book off by saying that you shouldn't feel like you need to do everything in the book. It's about finding what works for you and doing. It's about saving $1 or 15 minutes here and there, in order to maximize your time and money.

The book is broken down into what they call "rooms". Within each room, they tackle the most common purchases and tasks and share their tips for saving time and money. The last chapter is about Holiday and Event planning and includes everything from birthdays to weddings. The back of the book is a great appendix that features Homemade Cleaning Supplies, Common Kitchen Substitutes, Pantry Inventory, Freezer Storage Tips, Cooking Temperatures, Seasonal Produce, Necessities for Your..., DeepCleaning Checklists - including what/how to declutter, how to/what to clean, and maintenance of the space once you have it decluttered and cleaned, Internet Resources and Recommended Reading.

I really like that it is full of common sense advice. One example of this is their advice to clean out the refrigerator each week before you grocery shop. Makes so much sense. How many times have you come home from the grocery, only to find out that the sour cream, or the peppers, that you were going to use for dinner are no longer good. Not only that, but it certainly is easier to wipe down half empty shelves than it is to clean a freshly stocked refrigerator.

Many of the tips and tricks that they share are things that I have heard before, but now, they are captured in one easy to reference resource. The organization of the book makes it easy to find the recommendations that they provide on how to save time and money. I love that they recognize that not every method will work for everyone. First, they state in their introduction and then they follow through in the book. As an example, in their section on coupons, they present several ways to organize and maintain coupons including the binder method, the coupon box, and the insert method.

The one thing that I wish this book had was an index.  I find that a quick alphabetical listing makes for a great way to find what you are looking for.  Thankfully, they do include a list of subjects under each 'room' in the Contents section which is in alphabetical order (as is the chapter), so it is a little easier than just 'guessing'.

Whether you choose to read it cover to cover or simply thumb through when you are looking for some tips, this book is a great resource.

You can learn more about the book by checking out the Q&A with the authors from the USA Today. You can also check out the book's website. The book is available to purchase online or in your local bookstore.

No compensation was received for this post. A complimentary review copy was provided by the Publisher. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.