Today more than ever, people need help making ends meet. Inflation, rising gas prices and the war in Ukraine are taking a toll on all our wallets. C. Spike Trotman takes it upon herself to help those with financial constraints with this graphic novel full of money saving tips. Along with whimsically cartoony artist Diana Nock (The Intrepid Girlbot), Trotman presents a method called Poorcraft. But it's really an amalgamation of a bunch of economical philosophies and techniques.
My wife and I partook in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University seminar a few years back. Trotman's advice on how to pay for a car and to reduce debt using the 'snowball' effect of paying off the smaller dues first and then applying that money to the next larger bill, is something I learned from Ramsey.
In this book, Trotman uses the character of Penny and her faithful dog, Nickel to help their pal Mil out of a sticky financial situation. From finding affordable housing to the use of transportation, cutting corners on grocery, clothes and entertainment and how to navigate the tricky paradox that is called higher education, just about any lifetime situation is covered in this book.
Not everything in this book is practical for everyone. Penny's use of a bicycle along with a bus to get around everywhere isn't really feasible for somebody who lives in a rural area. But a bunch of the tips in this book are universally helpful.
Ryan Estrada, one of the reviewers on the back cover suggests that Poorcraft replace Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go! as the essential work to give high school graduates. I'd almost agree with this assessment. Only, I think rising Juniors should get this book in order to avoid the traps of for-profit universities, un-repayable student loans and how to utilize affordable community colleges in order to meet the core class standards. Some of my pupils seek me out with help looking at culinary schools and I think the resources listed in this book will assist with that.
I'm thinking of hanging on to this book as a resource for the high school culinary classes I teach. There's a lot of great tips for cooking on a budget without resorting to just ramen noodles! That's a major concern in my students- being able to cook for themselves after high school. Our unit on the cooking of authentic ramen was a big hit with my upperclassmen. My level 1 students can't wait to do it this coming school year!
C. Spike Trotman has two other books in the Poorcraft series. One is about travelling on a budget. But it's her budget cookbook that I'm looking to add to my collection of texts useful for teaching culinary. I learned a lot from this book and I think my student will too!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
Completing this review completes Task #29 (With Chapter Titles) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.
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