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Book Reviews

Great Recession Survival Tips Found in the Tightwad Gazette

I recently told a friend of ours about this blog and she recommended that I read The Tightwad Gazette. I had never heard of it before so I decided to check it out. I have to say I am impressed! The author, Amy Dacyczyn, had this fabulous idea to ask others to contribute ideas on how they save money. So, in addition to her own articles, scattered throughout the book there are miniature articles written by various people throughout Canada and the United States offering tips on everything from home decorating to cheap breakfast cereals. There are also a lot of great recipes. If you would like to learn ways to become thriftier, I would highly recommend this book. Believe me, there are ideas in this book that you have never thought of! I can’t think of a better time than now to be reading a book like this. Surviving a recession can be tough, but with a little bit of research, you can find great ways to live frugally and keep afloat during the tough times.

Here are some neat tips introduced in the book to whet your appetite:

*Make your charcoal last longer by pouring water on the coals immediately after you are finished with them. By the time you are ready to barbecue again they will be thoroughly dry and you can reuse them.

*Make your own brown sugar by taking one cup of white sugar and mixing it with two tablespoons of molasses. It works well for baking and is cheaper than buying regular brown sugar.

*Use a dab of nail polish to stop runs in bathing suits.

*Have a “casserole shower” instead of a baby shower about 3 weeks before the baby is due. All of the guests bring a casserole that the mom-to-be will then put in the freezer until her baby is born. The new mom will be grateful for all the ready-made meals.

May 6, 2009

Book Reviews

Reader’s Digest Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things

While searching for interesting books to read about saving money, I came across Reader’s Digest Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things: 2,317 Ways to Save Money and Time in our local library’s database.It is fantastic!This book would make a great reference book. It is full of suggestions on how to use common household objects to do all sorts of things. For example it talks about the many uses of aluminum foil, cat litter, and even old coffee grounds, to name a few. Although it would take many lifetimes to try everything out that it suggests, it does offer some simple and affordable solutions that are very practical and useful.I highly recommend that you check out this book if you are interested in learning how to make the most of the common, everyday objects lying around your home.You can save a lot of money, be environmentally friendly, and have a lot of fun when you get creative with your stuff!

Here are some examples of suggestions you will find in this book:

*Use denture tablets to make your diamond ring or earrings sparkle again by dropping a denture tablet into a glass of water. Put in your ring or diamond earrings and let sit for a few minutes. Rinse them off and they will look like new!

*Use ice cube trays to organize your workbench. You can use them to store small screws, nuts, bolts, etc.

*Use a piece of well-chewed gum to fill a crack in a clay flowerpot or your pet’s food dish.

*If you run out of shaving gel, use olive oil. It will make it easier for the blade to glide over your skin and it acts as a natural moisturizer.

May 1, 2009

Book Reviews

How The Rich Dad Books Impacted Us

My husband and I began reading the Rich Dad Books by Robert Kiyosaki back in February of last year. After we started reading them we began to get excited and motivated. We realized that our lives don’t have to always be the way they are now – working full time for someone else, retirement at age 65, and a maximum of 2 to 3 weeks vacation every year. We realized that there really is a way to get out of the rat race and that we don’t have to be rich to begin the journey. So often we have heard the aggravating saying, “It takes money to make money”. Well, according to the Rich Dad books, that is not necessarily true. Instead of using our own money, we can learn how to use other people’s money (OPM) to make wise investments and to start viable businesses. I really like Robert Kiyosaki’s style of writing – he is easy to understand and he provides practical advice on how to manage money and to think like the rich. He is very encouraging and I admire his desire to help others achieve the kind of success that he has achieved.

Ever since we read those books our lifestyle has changed. We started to keep our eyes open for business opportunities – looking in newspapers, hearing about opportunities on the radio, etc. We attended a trade show where we were exposed to all kinds of investment/business opportunities and we went to an information session about investing in vending machines and another one on buying raw land. We continue to read books about investing and business to educate ourselves and keep us motivated. Through these experiences we are developing a new way of thinking – not limiting ourselves to remaining in the rat race for our entire lives. It is exciting to be able to look forward to the future and to believe that there are infinite opportunities out there.

If you are tired of being stuck in the rat race, I highly recommend that you read the Rich Dad books, starting with Rich Dad Poor Dad. I will write more on the individual Rich Dad books later, but thought I would start by sharing how this series has impacted us. We had always been fairly good with money – we knew how to save and we didn’t rack up consumer debt, however, we needed the encouragement and motivation to get started on our journey to get out of the rat race. I hope you enjoy the series as much as we did!

April 30, 2009

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