Pig Tits and Parsley Sauce by Lyn Webster

Lyn Webster got herself in a financial pickle a few years ago and had to slash her spending considerably. She managed to do so really successfully and has given advice through newspaper columns, her website and talks around the country. Pig Tits and Parsley Sauce puts together all her tips in one place.

I’m liking

This book has some great ideas and is written in a gently challenging way. The chapters are really well set out and the “titbits” and quick summaries are great for flicking through to remind you what you were planning to do. There are recipes, both for food and cleaning/beauty products at the back for people to try. She has incorporated a lot of the questions and ideas from people she has met to create a really well thought out easy to read little book.
She started off just trying to cut back on her spending at the supermarket, but then looked into other ways to save money such as reducing waste.

Things that made me go hmmmm

While it was mostly non-judgmental, I did think a few of her biases crept in occasionally. Instead of stating as she does that alcohol should not be on a family shopping list or sold in supermarkets, I think she could have suggested people decide whether it is important enough for them to keep on their list.
I’m also not sure about some of her other claims – such as babies being self-cleaning. I don’t think I’ve ever met one of those!

The conclusion

I would recommend this book for anyone who needs to curb their spending a bit. Even if you don’t need to, you could still save a lot of money using some of the tips in this book. You probably won’t find every tip new or even to your taste, but there will definitely be enough to make it worth your while.