The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget! Reviews

The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget!

With The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking, it’s possible and even convenient to create an inviting space for living and entertaining on a budget. From unique decor ideas to growing strawberries on your fire escape, Kate Payne shares fun, low-cost (and often free!) creative solutions that will make anyone feel more accomplished in minutes. Inside this savvy motivational guide filled to the brim with small-scale creative home projects, Kate’s tongue-in-cheek tone will keep you tuned in to her muc

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3 Responses to "The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget! Reviews"

Nancy Gulden says:

June 24, 2011 at 10:59 am

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

A Practical and Creative How To, May 6, 2011

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Nancy Gulden –

This review is from: The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget! (Paperback)

The title, The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget–says it all. Kate Payne has put together a book that will help you be creative and learn how to take care of your home…without spending a fortune!

Payne writes in a conversational tone–easy breezy–and fun. The book is filled with useful tips on everything from fixing things to cooking to crafts.

The book is arranged into three sections–a room to room guide, then a section on cleaning house, clothes and the essential tools–and how to use them–that you need. (Think about it–if you can’t do simple fix-its, you can’t be self-sufficient, right?) Finally, the third section is a cooking primer and guide to entertaining.

Payne loves to shop at thrift stores, flea markets and on Craigslist..and she explains how you can find stuff you need and love. The book is loaded with creative, practical and inexpensive tips. For example, she explains how to find something pretty to hold everyday utensils on the counter in the kitchen–saves drawer space and is more convenient to grab when cooking.

Another great example of a tip is to buy cases of mason jars–cheap–instead of plastic ones for kitchen essentials like grains, beans and so on.

She even offers ideas on objects that have a dual purpose–a fancy bottle of olive oil and become a soap dispenser, for example.

I like that Payne is NOT about collecting stuff/clutter but about buying only what you love and need. To that end, she encourages the reader to donate to the same thrift stores that you are buying from!

This book is great for those just starting out and for people who have just never figured out the basics on how to run a home. Or even for those who are afraid to cook…In other words, lots of people would benefit from the book…MEN included!

I would also like to recommend another book that is also filled with practical and creative tips and will help make your home beautiful…Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet.

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JasmineLG says:

June 24, 2011 at 11:20 am

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Hip Tricks for Thoughtful Modern Living, May 31, 2011

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JasmineLG –

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This review is from: The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget! (Paperback)

What a great book! It made me think about my space and how I can improve it, make it more inviting and livable while working with what I have. This is not a book that will tell you to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff, but use what you have and look at them with fresh eyes. Tons of helpful hints and hip tricks to being less product-dependent. Makes a great gift for anyone with a space to claim.

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E. Hanhan says:

June 24, 2011 at 12:03 pm

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

The MacGyver of Homemaking, May 31, 2011

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E. Hanhan (Brooklyn, NY) –

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This review is from: The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget! (Paperback)

The hip girl behind Hip Girl’s Guide gives you easy solutions to pesky problems throughout your kitchen, home & garden. Particularly perfect for the young and single or slightly older and coupled, this book is a really good reference for new home owners and renters. She gives you great little tips and tricks to make your life easier. A simplified introduction to canning, how-to’s on freezing, cleaning hacks, and modern entertaining etiquette are just a handful of the topics in this book.

Even if you don’t consider yourself Betty Homemaker, Kate’s laid back approach to living is something we should all incorporate in our life. Don’t freak out if something isn’t perfect, you can make it work. I definitely recommend having this book on hand for those little questions that pop into your head. “How can I make this dang bottle of dish soap last longer?” “Isn’t there something I can do with my leftover condiment jars after they’re empty?” It can help you save money and make do with more, helping you feel like a proper, independent adult.

Simply put, Kate Payne is the MacGyver of Homemaking.

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