Monday, August 17, 2009

Book Review and Giveaway: 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget

Note: This giveaway is now closed.
10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget was written by the 20 different writers of Wise Bread (a community of bloggers that gives readers advice on how to manage and spend their money). I would like to thank Linsey Knerl (one of the authors) who kindly gave me this book to review and generously reserve a copy for my giveaway (she will directly send the book to the winner).


As a Christian, I desire to use my time, talents, and treasure (God's money) wisely. Therefore, living simply and frugally (yet joyfully) is the way to go for me and my family. This book is a great reference for anyone who strives for a frugal living. It includes tips, ideas, and advice on the following topics: food & drink, travel, health & beauty, fun & entertainment, shopping & bargain hunting, green living, education & self-improvement, financial planning & budgeting, credit cards & debt, investing your money, housing & home improvement, and career & money-making ideas. In addition, at the end of the book you will find the list of "142 Resources that will Save You Cash."

I cannot endorse everything in this book because I have not read everything yet. I skipped some sections that don't apply to my life, my family, or my personal interests at this time. I also do not approve some things mentioned in the book such as a white lie suggested in the regifting section (lying is sin and not acceptable to me) and one of 7 beauty secrets that cost almost nothing is have safe _ _ _ (you know what) which insinuates practicing this activity outside marriage and promiscuity (both are totally unBiblical). Overall, this book is a valuable resource that will help you make wise decisions (you need to use your discernment to glean from the book and only choose what's good, wise, and applicable), make your tight budget stretch, and become more creatively frugal :). I especially enjoyed reading the sections written by Linsey Knerl. She has lots of excellent practical ideas and she is a homeschool mom like me (I'm glad she included "10 Ways to Homeschool for Less" in this book).

Giveaway: You have a chance to win a copy of this cool book. To enter, please leave a comment here sharing your best tip/advice that has saved you either the most time or the most money. If you post about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook, you will receive an extra entry for each (please remember to leave a separate comment with a link to your post). The deadline is August 30th at midnight (Pacific time). I will choose the winner randomly and announce it the next day.

30 comments:

Unknown said...

I have been able to save the most money by using coupons. Coupons have changed our lives. I never knew I could get so much stuff for free and for up to 95% off every time I shop.

Please visit my blog for more money saving tips and coupons.
http://www.honoringtheking.blogspot.com

The Thrifty Divas said...

I am able to save money by planning meals based on weekly ads and using coupons when shopping. I also stick to my weekly budget of $65 (for a family of 4!). It's not always easy and we do without somethings that my kids want (mostly junk food) but we survive. My husband just lost his job so things have been even more tight as we both search for jobs.

I would love to win your book! Thanks for providing such a great blog!

Susantm said...

My favorite way to save time and money is to make up menus two weeks at a time. I can plan meals based upon what is on sale, make sure I get all the necessary ingredients, and make better use of coupons this way. It keeps us from eating out much, because the meals are planned ahead. And it saves time, because I know what to fix each day for dinner and don't have to spend time rummaging through the freezer and cupboards to see what we have the stuff for. I started doing this when I was homeschooling and continue, even though my boys are grown and moved out, because it makes my life simpler.

Susan

Jamie W. said...

Combining coupons with sales and stocking up on items we use regularly saves me a bunch. Also, we buy our meat in bulk (from local farmers) which saves us a lot in comparison to buying at the grocery store, plus it's generally leaner and better tasting.

Would love to read this book- thanks for the chance to win!

Carrie said...

I do the coupon shopping which has been a HUGE saver for us, but since that has been mentioned, I will share another.

Homemade laundry detergent! I never thought I could do it because I am not one who likes making things "more difficult" to save money. Anyway... I tried it and it works great and this will save us SO much money since I have enough laundry detergent to last us a year for just $12!

Here is my post about it and thanks for the giveaway!

http://thinkeditup.blogspot.com/2009/07/laundry-soap-101.html

The Davis Family said...

We just had a garage sale! We made a little money, but you know what - not having to resort through that mess over and over as we reorganize it over and over will save us lots of time!

Country Living said...

I just found your blog through the Above Rubies Yahoo group and I am enjoying it!
To save money I bake all of our bakeable items, sew clothing, make all of our cleaners including laundry detergent, and we shop at thrift stores!
Brandi

MarilynBr said...

I have saved a great deal of money by buying generic prescription drugs at Walmart. At $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a three month supply, it is less than many people with insurance pay for their co-pays.

Darcy Carmichael said...

I save time and money by using Norwex cleaning products. Since discovering Norwex a year ago, I have saved over $100 and have cut my cleaning time in half! I am also using less chemicals which is a lot healthier for my family.

Rebecca Joy said...

I have saved a lot of money by praying before I shop... praying that I will be a good steward of what the Lord has provided and that I will not be wasteful or greedy in spending. With careful prayer and thought I find that I leave with only the necessities and don't have that guilty feeling later for overspending.
Rebecca
barryjoyfulmom@gmail.com

Leah Courtney said...

We saved money by cutting out all our cable and just using an antenna for tv. We also priced it and cut our landline and went to totally cell phones to save money.

The book looks very interesting.

Lissa said...

The biggest moneysaver has to be in the electrical department. We went through the house and unplugged everything (except refrigerator & stove). It was hard at first but you do not realize how many thing you don't go back to plug in...or only use once per month or so!

Our electric bill has dropped from $350 per month to $150-$180 per month.

That is the most we have ever been able to cut back on all at one time!

Give it a try! You really have to discipline yourself to do it!

Lissa

savingyourcents (at) gmail (dot) com

Klasse Woods Natural Farm said...

I've saved literally hundreds of dollars since learning to do our family's hair cuts. Every 2 months x8. This also saves time & gas money to get to what would have been that many appointments.

nGogo said...

I save money by not buying. I no longer shop just for fun. I now shop for only what I need and have a place for. I no longer buy stuff just because it's on sale...or a good buy. I buy in bulk when appropriate and try to hit the sales. I use coupons and check prices with the sales papers.

CasualCrafter said...

We have been cable-free for 4 years now, but still have our internet! We cannot take advantage of all the "bundled savings" offers because we do not have cable or long distance phone calls, so my tip is a time-saver.

We have removed the main computers out of our main living area (except the one the children use), so us adults can only really go on after the children are in bed ... allows us to focus on what is important during the day!

I love the internet, and find it a very valuable resource, but also find it easy to spend time on things that aren't realy worth-while.

JLaine said...

Hi! First time here.. came here through WFW and I'm glad I did.:)

We usually save money by comparing and choosing the cheapest products we could get..We usually by the in house store brands which could save us about 40% off the regular brands. And that's indeed great saving!

Thanks for hosting this giveaway..I'll post this on my blog soon.

Lalaine's World
From Asia and Beyond
Day to Day Miracles
Trying to be Fit
Not a Shopaholic

JLaine said...

hi again!..I already posted about this giveaway here:

http://www.notashopaholic.com/2009/08/20/10001-ways-to-live-large-on-a-small-budget-giveaway/

~LKB said...

One thing that has saved me lots of money over the years is hitting the grocery store or farmer's market's near closing time. My local grocery store will mark down the meats that are expiring the next day to buy one get one free so I can stock up on meats for half price. At farmer's markets, if you visit half an hour to an hour before they close, the sellers will cut their prices dramatically so they don't have to take the produce home with them. I once got 8 quarts of strawberries for $15 - less than $2/quart. I made that into homemade jam and froze whole berries so we have yummy treats for months to come! If you are looking for something specific, this won't work but if you are able to make small changes in your menu plan here and there, this is a great way to save money.

~LKB said...

I posted this in my FB status but not sure how to send you proof since you have to be a friend to view it. If you want to friend me my name is Debbie Cook St. John and my email is sahvahn@yahoo.com there. I would have posted about this in my blog, but I don't think I have any readers... LOL

Jblanton said...

I always use coupons- my friend runs a paper route and saves me the coupons in the sunday paper so I have multiple coupons I wait until my grocery stores in the area have BOGOF and use the coupons- alot of times I get products free or really cheap

Karilyn said...

Hi! There are a couple of different ways that I save the most money. First of all I really, really scour the ads of Sundays Newspaper. I also clip coupons from the paper and print them from on-line. I also love couponclippers.com I have ordered coupons from there many times. She ships quickly and I have never been disappointed!

The other thing that I have been doing for almost a year now is I make my own laundry soap. It is easy and costs cents for each 2 1/2 gallons of laundry soap that I use. Here is my easy recipe:
Liquid Detergent:
1 bar soap (Ivory is generally the cheapest-anything will do)
2/3 cup washing Soda (NOT baking soda-in the laundry aisle)
2/3 cup borax (also in the laundry aisle)
1/8 cup sea salt (optional)

Grate soap in a saucepan with 3 cups water and heat on medium low,stirring occasionally, until it is melted. Add the soda, salt, and borax and stir until dissolved.
Pour 1 quart of hot water into a bucket. Add the dissolved soap and stir. Add 3 quarts of water and stir again. It will gel up after 24 hours.

RR said...

Drink water. It's good for you, it tastes great, and it's inexpensive (if you get it from your tap).

lmkirb said...

We plant a garden every spring are throughout the summer and fall I can and freeze vegetables so we will have them throughout the winter months. I also freeze berries as we pick them and will be making applesauce soon that we will use until next apple season. I plan all our meals around what is found on sale, and I use our stockpile as best I can. Coupons are used at every shopping trip, and my goal is to always pay half of what the total is. Most times I succeed. I feel my job as the primary shopper is to pay as little as I can but to still be able to provide healthy meals for my family. I'm always up to the challenge!!
Thanks for the chance at the great giveaway!!

Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom said...

The best tip I've ever gotten is probably just, be strategic. When you're aware of where your money is going, and start to plan ahead and use coupons/sales/investments/common sense to your advantage, you can come out way ahead.

Thanks for the fun giveaway!

Young in TX said...

sharing your best tip/advice that has saved you either the most time or the most money? Don't shop when you are hungry - EVER!!!

mommagragg said...

I have been frugal in saving the most money by making my own laundry soap. It costs me approximately $.01 a load to wash clothes. LOVE it!!

DawnS said...

Two things - menu planning, which is something that I never did before and has saved us an incredible about of expense and also using Mystic Wonders Laundry system so that I no longer buy laundry soap or fabric softener.

Thanks for the chance!

jenny said...

I save money by making my own washing powder and when I cook, I only cook what we will eat on that day.

Jennifer C. Valerie said...

I save money in lots of ways. Buying certain items in bulk, planning my menus, unplugging unused appliances at night, don't subscribe to cable and others.

Urban Homestead South Africa said...

Hi there,

I save money and time by cooking from scratch. Everything from pasta to cookies. I decided if I can do it myself I will not buy it...this includes fruit juice as well.

It is so good to know that the food that I serve my family is organic and whole...this also saves on doctors bills.

You have a lovely blog, well done.

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