Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less Book

I was worried that this book would be similar to many articles I've read over the years that get me all excited about finding new ways to save money only to tell me that I should stop buying Starbucks and brew my coffee at home (I'm not a coffee drinker) or I should brown bag my lunch (I'm a stay-at-home mom and we already did this before my husband started working from home).

While there were lots of things I'd heard before and that I already incorporate into my life, there were also a lot of great and useful tips I plan to try. I liked how the book was organized with essays and anecdotes by different people about how they employ different thrifty practices AND specific and practical ways to be thrifty, such as ways to run your freezer more efficiently, recipes for homemade cleaners or excellent food, home maintenance tips, and ideas for cost-saving gift giving. I found myself adding sticky notes to the pages that I want to come back and reference again.

I loved the authors' premise that being thrifty is not about being cheap. The word thrifty is related to the word THRIVE. I believe I was raised in and continue to run a thrifty household, therefore much of what I read really did just reiterate practices and philosophies that are second nature to me, but, as I said, there were some good practical tips. I would recommend this book to anyone who does feel like they need some good ways to bring down their spending or make their money stretch further but isn't sure where to begin or how they could do more. The areas covered are broad, so there is something for everyone.

The organization of the book made it easy to read in small portions. The topics are also clearly spelled out and so it was easy to skip over the portions that don't apply to me (alchol--I'm a teetotaler--and babies--my kids are all over age 10).