Browsing Category: "Book reviews"
Frugal book review - America’s Cheapest Family - Steve and Annette Economides
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This week I have been using my evening time to catch up on some reading. You see, a while back, I had taken the book “America’s Cheapest Family” out from the local library, but had never had a chance to get into it. Now it’s coming time to return the book, so I figured I better crack that baby open before doing so. Here are my opinions:
The first thing I noticed is, Steve and Annette have a writing style that is very easy to read and keep reading. Also, the book is clear and well layed out, flowing very nicely from point to point. I had a hard time putting it down once I (finally) started reading.
Their family, “The Economides” are living the frugal life, even with children in tow. It’s really neat the ways they incorporate frugality into their lives, and even offer views from the perspectives of their five children. Now, some of the ideas presented are a tad extreme (they suggest doing with out a computer, gasp!), but they also recognize that there are different levels of thrifty behavior, and that everyone needs to find a personal comfort level with frugality.
The chapter on budgeting is especially strong, so if you need help in that department, or are new to a frugal lifestyle, definitely look that over.
Whether you will enjoy this book or not probably depends on why you enjoy frugal books in the first place. I like frugal books because I find them inspiring, and I’m interested to see how others fit frugal practices into their daily lives. If you’ve read a lot of frugal books or are a cheapskate from way back, you’re probably not going to learn a ton of new things, but if you enjoy frugal books for the same reasons I do, you’ll still enjoy this one.
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If you like this then please subscribe to the Frugal Book Review - The Complete Tightwad Gazette - Amy Dacyczyn
There are varying degrees of frugality out there, and author Amy Dacyczyn is certainly on the more extreme end of the scale. Her spirit of frugality will inspire readers to try some new money-saving ideas, and also think twice about how they do things already.
One aspect of the Tightwad Gazette that I particularly enjoy, is the personal and at times even witty tone it is written in. For a book about saving money and doing things the cheap way, the Tightwad Gazette has a definite entertaining quality, which will keep readers coming back to it.
Now, let’s not forget the recipes! (I personally recommend all to try her Cuban Bread recipe). Amy Dacycyzn firmly believes in cooking from scratch, and doing so cheaply to boot. While those of us with busy schedules often find this a daunting task, myself included, it’s in our society’s best interest to realize that refraining from buying prepackged foods filled with artificial ingredients not only saves money, but benefits our health.
Though perhaps not intended at the time, a great deal of Amy’s tips are good for the earth as well as our wallets - such as reusing plastic baggies instead of throwing them out, or using cloth diapers for your baby. These ideas save money and help the environment, which is a theme close to my heart.
This book gets my thumbs up. Find it at your local library, or buy your own copy here.
