Personal Finance Books

Awesome guy, this Greg Mortenson. Thank you for representing America in such a positive, decent way. I read this for a book club. Must say it wasn't the easiest read for me. I think it would be great for the publisher to print a version without the foreign words so that distracted readers like myself might be able to focus better and read the book faster. I gave the book to my boyfriend and he is presently enjoying the book. I respect people who take the high road, and that is what Greg does. I do hope his wife and children are not too affected by his departures and that Greg remains safe in his endeavors.

The book three cups of tea, is a story of monumental dedication and superhuman efforts to build schools for people who had no hope of education. An inspiring story for any age.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. In retrospect, it is difficult to imagine the difference a single person can make. Dr. Greg Mortenson is building schools in the most hostile situations and is the real hero for America and people world wide.
This book is a must read because it truly gives a glimpse of the world we are mostly unaware of.
Greg fought against all adversaries - fatwa, kidnapping and being caught between a free for all shootout. These are extraordinary situations and require extraordinary character to work under those circumstances.
Some readers complained that the book went back and forth between US and Pakistan quite often and the reading is not clean. I disagree. The book is very well written and the back & forth is not much different from hos own life. He is living in two parallel worlds, working under bullets half a world away away from his family to make a difference.

His is the right way to fight evil - through education. I wish there were more like him.

I think the least we can do is read the book and educate ourselves about the real problems and real solutions to the current menace (terrorism, poverty, depravity) around the world.

Third cup of tea is a gesture in certain cultures to accept another person as part of the extended family.

This is such a great book that I do not want to (and cannot) write a feedback about the book and will only encourage you to read it.

Of all the people I have had the pleasure to meet or read about, Greg Mortenson is the most heroic by far. This book is an incredible read but not near as incredible as what this man has done and continues to do. He's fighting terror and violence at its source by actually not fighting. Not threatening or pushing or forcing. Instead by listening, learning and then acting out of sincere compassion and understanding, not a hidden agenda. And thats why he is so credible. His risks are greater then I can imagine but he's sketched out a path to peace that seems far more effective then any governmental intervention. This story proves that even today incredible changes are possible just by starting with a sincere caring for other people. There's hope for us yet!

I had no idea what the book was about, I bought it during an unexpected stay somewhere.

The journey I have been taken on by the tale this book tells is so important, true, beautiful, and moving.

This book has changed my life. The power one person has to create change sometimes is easy to forget.

Now that the book is over, I have lost a friend. But, I have gained valuable insight in the fight one visonary hero and the team of supporters (from all around the world) has made and will continue to make.

This is an important read.

This book introduces the basic concepts of the stock market, explaining in some detail the different ratios and methods for analyzing stock (PE, Beta, projected sales, etc.). Some of the concepts are pretty basic and things that I would consider common sense (but from experience, common sense is anything but common).

Kelly introduces some key investors that are worth noting, with particular focus on Warren Buffet.

He does a good job of noting that following research and good products doesn't always put you on top. Following some of the biggest investors, reading the signs, and listening to brokers will not always give you the best return. He provides numerous contradictions to everything he attempts to teach. The end conclusion that I have taken from this book, is the stock market is a gamble, but if you read the signs properly and remove emotion from the game, you should come out on top _most_ of the time and expect a 10-17% return on your investments.

I would suggest more reading into politics and economics to compliment the teachings of this book. Overall I'm happy with my purchase and a little bit wiser. But I'm still not confident enough to hit the market yet, primarily because it's crashing to the ground.

This book exemplifies the ideas that support a healthy investment regimen. The author makes clear examples of the investment ideas and shows how to implement them in the real world. Many of the concepts I found in this book were similar to lessons on [...] website. Where this book leaves off in explanation, the site continued. So far, using the two together has been quite beneficial. I recommend the book...and the site too!

If you want a bit of everything about stock market, this book is for you. If you are a beginner and want a more concise guide on how to evaluate a company and make your stock purchases, I would recommend any of Peter Lynch's books over this one. I'm a beginner. So I disagree with a lot of reviewers claiming that you would pick this book up as your starting point. It's no fun to read. That's one big turn off for me..

I bought this book after all the positive comments from other readers. Now that I have finished reading it, I can honestly say that it has been a great purchase.
It's a good first step to get involve with the stock market. Even though it would appear to be a book directed to amateurs, it can help professional traders to avoid some "amateur" mistakes.
This book definetly doesn't have all the answers, but it can provide the necessary fuel to begin studying the stock market, and eventually become a stock trader.

This should be the first book you read if you want to invest in stocks. It's excellent. You can add to your library later, but this book gives a strong and clear overview of how everything works, strategic approaches, mistakes to avoid, and other books and sites for further education. And the autor is easy to read and funny. Buy!

I think all women should read this book and share it with others (family and children). Not only does Mr. Bach discuss how saving a little here and there can help with retirement, but he also gives women inspiration to live out (and especially to finance) their dreams. A wonderful book.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to become wealthy and this book details how easy it can be. If you're looking for glitz and glamour and "get rich quick" this isn't it. There's no such thing as an overnight success. Read David's book and get going on the road to wealth.

Love all his books - bought this, gave it someone and had to buy it again. It all depends what level you are on. Not too much non-common sense, but good for women to read.

I bought this book because I heard so many positive things about it. I am in my 50's, five years ago I went from having the wonderful life that all women dream of. I had the beautiful home in the suburbs, 2 beautiful children, friends, you name it I had it. Then I lost it all in the blink of an eye. I had relied on my husband to handle all the finances I couldn't tell you the balance in the check book. All I knew was he made the money and I spent it. Thank the Lord I was a RN, but I hadn't worked in quite a few years. I am not going to go into detail what happened but when I said I had nothing but the clothes on my back I mean just that. I have been working two jobs for the past five years making good money but I have NOTHING to show for it. By reading Suze book I was able to identify myself, it is so easy to understand that someone like myself with NO understanding of finance can take her suggestions and work them into my present life. It is going to take discipline on my part and learning to say NO to my children is going to be the hardest. But, I need to take care of myself. This book was just what I needed to read. I highlighted areas, I keep going back and re-reading certain sections. I keep it next to my bed. Buying this book was one of the best things I have done for myself.

Smart Women Finish Rich is a bit different from other financial books I've read. I have to admit I was surprised with how well David Bach addressed both the emotional and intellectual relationship women have with money. His grandmother taught him well.

I am going to say that Smart Women Finish Rich is more for a financial beginner than a woman with financial savvy. It's a well thought out system of gaining and keeping control of your financial self-sufficiency. Bach has filled this book with definitions, resources, quizzes, systems, exercises and tables. I was impressed and give it a must read if you're serious about becoming more financially organized.

David Bach addresses both the heart and the head in Smart Women Finish Rich. He used the lessons he learned from his grandmother, and his mother, as inspiration. After growing up with two such powerful role models, he was surprised by the number of financially uniformed women. Many of the women who came to him for financial advice, had no clue about building financial security.

Smart Women Finish Rich is easy to understand. I read it and "got it." This is a "how to" book that involves a commitment on your part to read, work and put the assignments and lessons into daily practice. Bach has carefully given us valuable financial keys, now it's up to us to follow through.

What you'll get out of this book is going to depend on what you're willing to put into it. It's a book that has the potential to give you a great foundation for financial self-sufficiency.

Here are some of the areas I found particularly useful:

1.The first exercise, "Financial Knowledge Quiz" is a great practical place to start. I found it to be thoughtful and quite an eye-opener. I learned about how well (and sometimes not so well) I understood the role money played in my life.

2. David Bach is adamant about pinpointing the reason money is important to you. To find this out, you'll need to examine your money values and ask yourself if your financial behavior matches those values. He provides a simple but thoughtful exercise called the "Values Ladder."

3. Smart Women Finish Rich is a great blend of exercises, systems, quizzes and practical "real world" information. For example, the "Finish Rich File Folder System" is a simple, easy-to-follow and yet an organizational time saver.

I definitely give Smart Women Finish Rich five stars! If you're ready and serious about getting your financial house and monetary priorities in order, this is the book for you!

This is a great book. I found it very easy to read. Mary speaks from personal experience and it's like have a close friend right there with you in the trenches. We've begun to implement her plan and I can already see a difference in our monthly expenses. It's not an instant fix, but then we didn't get in this financial hole in a day either. Steady progress without any steps backwards, that's our goal.

Thanks Mary for taking the time to share what you've learned with the rest of us. You're making a difference one family at a time!!!

Fantastic book! If everyone in the country read it and did what Mary recommends, this country would not be in the situation it is!

After reading this book and implementing Mary's plan, my husband and I were able to organize our credit and shorten our payments from 15 years down to 5! We are two years into it, and only have three more to go before we are debt free. I cannot express how great this book is. Mary addresses how to live without using credit, how to pay off the credit you do have, and how to make sure you don't need to fall back on credit in the future. She suggests in the book to use her website to plan your payments on current debt. It costs $20 to enroll, and I would highly reccomend it. It allows you to plug all your debt into the worksheet, and it tells you which bills to pay first, second, etc to get the debt payed off the fastest. Well worth the $20!

Everyone should read this book and follow her steps. This is a great way to get out of debt.

I first checked this out of the Library but after the third time decieded I needed my own copy. Positive and not degrading like some of the other budget cash only spokes persons.

I rate it 2 because it is not my cup of tea. I do find the idea of positive thinking can be applied to what I am doing although really that is the only idea in the book. There are many examples of miraculous things that happenned, but I dont know whether it is described as it happens or whether it is described as the author wants the reader to see to prove his point. Things just happen too easily without describing there are hard work involve to achieve what you want to achieve. I wonder if I can have the most positive thought about being famous yet stay at home and do nothing about it and still can fulfilled my dream?

This book does more for you because it requires some input on your part. Involving your personal information which enables you to acknowledge some blocks and helps you make the changes you need in order for your dreams and desires to be manifested. I highly recommend this for anyone who feels like they are in a rut and need to get out or anyone who needs some help in reaching for the stars with a definite purpose.

I love this book. Joe Vitale is a wonderful author and has a way of speaking in his writing that is direct and gives you some ideas of different approaches to this topic. I recommend this book highly.

The only reason I give this book one star is because everything in it is also in Vitale's other book The Attractor Factor. Attractor is an expanded and much better version that I rated 5 stars and which I highly recommend.

This is a very slim volume. If you are looking for a complex program to change your life, with many exercises and ideas, this is not for you.

Strangely, however, the short text did have a powerful effect on how I viewed my world after I read it. Joe's list of things to do is pretty short (list what you don't want, list what you do want, and then a few more steps, equally as simple.) What did happen is that I decided to restructure my thinking, considering every thought as to whether it was positive or negative. I also decided to fill up an envelope on my desk with "thank-you notes" to God, thanking him for all the positive things happening every day. (Not particularly something in this book, but based on Joe's ideas.) Each day, I jotted down an thank-you whenever something good happened. Then I popped it into an envelope I'm keeping on my desk. A week later, the envelope was full to bursting. Some seemingly negative things happened but I decided to treat them like opportunities, keeping a cheerful frame of mind while dealing with the issues. If nothing else, I felt good during the process.

Maybe this is all about how you view the glass; a half-glass full of refreshing water, or a half-empty glass heading to a full-fledged drought. For whatever reason, despite the fact this is a very short book, it can get you to thinking. Maybe that's it's power.

LIfe is full of choices, the authors objective is not to make you rich, it is simply to make you a better investor/trader. Almost all investing is speculation, it's just measured in time. The book is based on a realistic philosophy that has come from decades of experience. The choice you must make is what type of quality of life you want? The author has communicated through the pages that the only one who cares about your money is you. Only .2% of market participants account for 90% of profits, this book eludes to why that is. In reality, protection of your principle is the most important aspect of any trade or investment. The fact that 90% of the shares are owned by 10% of the population should shed light on the traditional market pyramid structure. Certain mutualfunds have performed quite well over the last 30 years, they serve three principles, provide for retirement, a better return than a bank account and keep up with inflation. What mutual funds you are in depends on the time and effort you put into your financial awareness. No one knows what will be the best investment or trade over the next 30 years, but applied knowledge is power. Whether or not you make money is not dependent on what book you read, it is the information you have and what you do with that information at a specific time. YOU ARE THE RISK MR INVESTOR/TRADER/SPECULATOR, YOU ARE EITHER AN ASSET TO YOURSELF OR A LIABILITY. GOOD LUCK, YOUR GOING TO NEED IT WITH THESE POLITICIANS ON BOTH SIDES.

This books has some rather simple points. However, don't mistake simple with low value. these points are extremely valuable. In fact by folowing his advice I was able to avoid losses while the market was heading for a downturn. And when the market begins to come back I'll be ingreat position to make outstanding gains in the future. Mr. Thomas also has a newletter the is quite insightful and allows you to see what he's thinking every few days about the market. I highly recommend this book and his newsletter.

If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It, revised and updated

Hello everyone. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend anyone that has money in stocks, mutual funds, options, or anything really to BUY THIS BOOK. I am not an investing expert. I did study Finance at the University of Texas at Austin - McCombs School of Business. I got a 3.9GPA, I guess that gives me SOME credibility in the subject matter (in the sense that im not a musician or whatever). Just to keep the record straight, grades aren't everything and definitely do not mean you should trust someone, but I digress. Regardless, this is the best investing book i have ever read.

The concepts are really simple but extremely important and so so obviously self evident once you know them and understand them. As i said, i studied finance but during my college career i did not ever come across better investing advice than this. Not ever. In college you are taught about the fundamentals, about theory, about what should happen, about where prices SHOULD go, about what the VALUATION of something should be FUNDAMENTALLY speaking. This is supposed to be used to make investing decisions. This is advice in THEORY sounds correct. In practice, it is not.

Although its easy to tend to think that the market should align with fundamental valuations (even though fundamental valuations themselves vary widely), the market really does what it wants, there are too many variables. Market pricing in the LONG term (years) should follow the direction that fundamental analysis indicates, but in the short term (months) and medium term (quarters, half years) it is impossible to predict market behavior with fundamental analysis in a realiable way. TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING, of WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING (during say the last week, the last 2 weeks, last month, last 2 months, last quarter, last 6 months, last year, etc) IS WHAT MATTERS, PERIOD, NOT WHAT IN THEORY IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, theoretically/fundamentally.

Do not focus on what should happen (whatever your very advanced, superior, educated prediction might be)FOCUS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING. Just ride price movements, and have a strict risk management strategy. Meaning cut losses, never allow them to accumulate, dont wait too long, just get out. Just follow the advice given in the books title. Last but not least, the book has some good humor and is written in a straightforward manner. Easy read. Great book. Thank you very much for your advice. The book will give you the basic tools to make the most money you can, as fast as you can, with the most safety. Greetings from Lima, Peru. Salud!

This book has revolutionized my thinking about investing. Read it and you'll never "buy and hold" again. (How I wish I had read it back in 2000!) Al's technical analysis is easy to understand. In today's extremely volatile market, you have to know, more than anything else, "WHEN TO GET OUT!" Cutting losses is the key to long-term market success, and this book will show you how to do just that. There are times when being "100% invested" is a formula for disaster. "Cash" is a position! This book will teach you how to "read" the market; you don't have to guess about where the market is heading. The market tells you, and all you have to do is follow! Buy this book, and you'll sleep better at night.

Very poorly organized and edited book (self published?). The author thanks his brother in law, a "great fisherman", for editing it. LOL, enough said. It is very opinionated and uses very simple strategies such as moving averages, for trading mutual funds. Even this revised edition from 2003 doesn't cover ETFs. It is a good, basic, introduction to momentum trading. Unfortunately, you will probably get whipsawed out of most positions, lose a little money, and generate a lot of commission expenses. The authors claim to fame, indeed the only records supplied in the book, is a profit of 40% in 1998. As I remember, anyone who just sat their money in a good growth, aggressive growth or small growth company fund in 1998 would have made 40% anyway without trading at all.
The only reason I am not rating this book one or two stars is that you can get a free e mail subscription to the authors newsletter. It too is very disorganized, but at least it shows you real time, real prices, what positions the author is taking. That's more than most pay services offer.
I think Mr. Thomas means well. I suspect he is a nice man. But his strategies don't seem to work too well anymore. Anything can work when back tested, that means nothing in the future except that it probably won't work anymore.
From the newsletter, I can see that Mr. Thomas is right about 40% of the time, and loses small amounts of money the other 60%. He is hoping that the profits from the 40% exceed the loses from the 60%. Sometimes they do, but add commissions and they probably won't.
One thing that really opened my eyes is that Mr. Thomas is in fact, Mr. Market. He can be very bullish Monday, somewhat bullish Tuesday, neutral Wed., slightly bearish Thursday, and a growling bear Friday. The next week he might start out bearish and end up bullish!
At least half the book is Mr. Thomas raving on and on about brokers. Half the newsletter is him raving about Barrack Obama. He is a crank, but an entertaining one.
Worth a read, but be careful and better papertrade what he says! Buyer beware!

I gave this book to both of my kids before they went to college.
My son first said that he wouldn't read it but when his roommates started getting into credit card problems they turned to this clever guide to see how he could make it through college without falling into the ubiquitous debt trap.

His fraternity brothers graduated with thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Two of them even had to move back into their parents' homes because they couldn't afford aparatments on their small starting salaries since their credit card payments far exceeded their salaries.

My son got a great job after college using advice he also found in this broad ranging book. Granted hia job didn't pay much in the beginning but without credit card debt he was able to get an apartment that he could afford and buy a used car with cash he had saved. A year later he has enough left over from his paycheck to put into a 401(k) plan. He's happy and able to support himself and his mother and I are proud that we have raised such a financially responsible son.

Our daughter chose to go directly to grad school. Learning from her brother's experiences she also followed the advice in this savvy book and just said NO to credit cards until her senior year of college. She uses the cards but pays them off each month.

While most of our friends don't like to discuss the financial problems that their kids have gotten into a lot of our neighbors' growns kids have shared their credit card problems with our kids. Some are even using the book to help them get out from under their college credit card debt.

That just scratches the surface of the useful advice in this book. All college kids and teenagers should be required to read this book before they've dug themselves into debt.

I highly recommend it.

Most of reviewers who gave 5* have only one review on their pages. At least it looks suspicious, at most like fake promotion.

This is one of the worst books written on finance. Nancy lloyd has a lot of fluff in this book and its only marketing. Iam glad my friend lent me this book and I didnt have to pay money for this POS. Compared to the peter Lynch and Graham book, this one is surely aimed for preschool toddlers.

If you have been trying to make money in the markets or even just getting started by paying off debts then you -- like most of us -- have probably bought many books that purported to help you manage your finances and create wealth.

Like most of us those other books probably did not work for you --even if they were recommended by TV celebrities who know nothing about finances but can't resist recommending books for other motives.

If those other inferior books did work as they were purported to then why would you still be looking for a book with usable answers?

This book, Simple Money Solutions, is a stunning exception.
The advice is accurate. It includes an array of advice because money advice is not one size fits all. And the advice never becomes obsolete. It does stand the test of time!

In fact those other books that claim to have THE One and Only answer is almost guaranteed to be nothing but a book built on unproven gimmicks or trendy tricks that do NOT work and that certainly won't work over the long haul.

This book and its author, Nancy Lloyd, have taken a different and sound approach to money matters. She presents the issues we're all struggling with out in a clear and concise way and then lays out the options, including financial products, services and strategies to implement various plans.

My neighbor and I both read this book but based on our individual situations we chose different financial strategies that fit our unique lives.

I have now thrown my other financial advice books out (I wouldn't even give them away for fear that some unsuspecting reader would follow those other books' feeble and inaccurate advice).

But I have been punked by other books for the last time.

Simple Money Solutions is a KEEPER!!

Our book club had a secret a few years ago. In addition to loving to read good books with strong narratives, it turned out that all of our 18 members also had huge amounts of credit card debt. Some of us had about $5,000 in debt, most of us hovered between $20,000 and 35,000 and two of us actually had over $50,000 in unwanted debt. Things were getting desperate.

When we finally fessed up to this secret problem we started looking for good money management-debt reduction books but while many claimed to do it most left us with more debt than we started with. Eithher their advice was too convoluted, or too simplistic or in some cases not legal.

Several of us had even been to debt consolidators and other debt eliminators but many of them took our money and fled without ever paying our bills.

Then we saw Nancy Lloyd on Good Morning America and decided to give this book a shot. Ding, ding, ding. It was a winner.
She explained in plain talk how to get real about our debt. We learned how to negotiate with our creditor -- even exactly what to say to get them to lower our interest, forgive some debt and get some negative marks taken off of our credit reports.

Nancy also showed us some simple ways to, as she put it "free up cash each month" so that we could finally make more than the minimum payments.

What can I say except that after several years all but two of us are DEBT FREE. The other two women can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Our book club has now become an investment club and Nancy's great advice on starting and growing a portfolio are paying off even in this sideways stock market.

We now have Peace of Mind at last and no longer fear answering the phone because the creditors are no longer calling!!!

I've been looking for someone to SHOW me how they achieved success, still am. When you are born on the "wrong side" of the track and are ambitious, it can be tough to find anyone successful who can help you, teach, take you by the hand.

Although I'm still looking for a mentor, I've found one in Pindar as I can relate to Joe.

If like me you THIRST for true success and don't know where to begin, then "there's someone I'd like you to meet".

This book is well worth reading for some valuable insights into what really matters in business. But can the authors actually hear theselves when it comes to portrayals of women in this book? Women "make the best coffee," they serve men as happy assistants, they cry themselves to sleep, they start preschool programs that become big companies, etc. The funniest part was in a two-career couple where they've both had a long day at the office, so SHE cooks dinner!

I'm trying to take the lessons without worrying about the rest (it's a charming book with an important story to tell), but as a woman the female portrayals completely grated on me. Note to authors Bob Burg and John David Mann: Margaret Thatcher, Angela Ahrendts, Benazir Bhutto, Elizabeth Dole, Christine Todd Whitman, Melinda French Gates, Indra Nooyi, Christiane Amanpour, Amy Woods Brinkley, Ursula Burns, Arianna Huffington, DREW GILPIN FAUST, Ambassador Susan Schwab, Meg Whitman, and Susan Arnold. Not a coffee-fetcher in the bunch, and I'll bet they don't cry themselves to sleep, either. :-)

This small book opened my eyes to several success paradigms of life. The five laws of stratospheric success described in the book are:

The law of value
The law of compensation
The law of influence
The law of authenticity
The law of reciprocity

The character ethic that Stephen Covey talks about in his book "7 habits of highly effective people" is illustrated at its best in this book!

All these are principles that need to be followed in every aspect of our lives to live a truly successful life.

A fabulous book! Well worth the investment and the time it takes to read it!

I read the manuscript for this beautiful little book a few years ago, before it was published. Bob Burg wanted my opinions and input (he knows I'm not a business person.) I read the entire book immediately. This isn't the norm for me, as I am usually reading several books at a time and tend to skim over what doesn't seem to relate to me. I emailed Bob right back and told him that I loved it and hoped he would be able to get this book published and out to the public - like yesterday.

Once again, Bob has used his gift of keeping it simple and finding a way to make his theories relate to ANYONE - not just sales/business people. There is a spiritual core to this book that will improve the life of anyone who follows the 5 principles in the book, far beyond financial gain. Just read it. Then share it.

I recently gave a copy of this book to a prominent businessman in my community. He read it in flight, and decided to give copies out to the 15 people he is mentoring. It has started becoming quite the buzz in the area, and people I'd never have expected to know of it are now giving copies out to others. I look forward to seeing the community learn the new ways to establish business - not self-focused - but how to give much more in value to others.

I bought three of these books as gifts for three retiring teachers -- they are so funny. An ABC book of odd outcomes for students. Love them.

This book has made me cry with laughter. I work with kids and THEY think it's funny.

The Gashleycrumb Tinies is macabre yet hilarious. It's about children meeting untimely absurd demise but with a sense of dark humor. it needs to be taken the way it is meant. It really is quite clever with the wording and causes of death It is done by alphabetical names. examples are S in for Susan who perished of fits, L is for Leo who swallowed some tacks and N is for Neville who died of ennui(boredome). See very clever. By the way I am a 38 year old mother of two and find this hilarious. My kids don't really get it though. Oh well I geuss their sense of humor is not as developed as mine:)

Hahahha I actually read this online because its so short... if you want to take a break from the stress of life for 10 minutes its great fun. The illustrations are very well done and the rhymes are genuis! i think my favorite kid is Basil who was assaulted by bears.. \hahhahhahha... that makes me burst into laughter again! seriously, if you like macabre hilarity, take a few minutes off and ENJOY THIS BOOK! (There is no graphic or adult images but the ideas would be very frightening for young children. I say 11+ because theres a girl with an axe in her head and some blood thats cartoonish but gross.)

This book is great! No matter how many people tell you how horribly sick it is. Read this book.They only say that because they dont have a sense of humor. So any way read this book! Its both sickining,funny, and tasteful.

I must admit I was a bit sceptical when I first purchased this book. Couponing seemed an unlikely way to save any substantial amount of money. Boy was I wrong! This book has truly impacted our finances for the better. I am a new stay at home mother and this book really does work! I cannot believe how much money we save (or how much I wasted before). It does take time and effort to really make it work, but the savings are phenomenal. I now feel like I am contributing to our family's financial well being while staying home with our child as well. Who could ask for more! I strongly recommend this book!

When you're facing financial difficulty, the last thing you should be doing is buying consumer products like books, right? Except maybe this one and one by Mary Hunt on managing money. I remember my mom cutting coupons but I never exactly studied the science of it. Ellie Kay breaks it all down for you. you get taught about ways to save money I had no idea existed. It's a quick, easy read that you can gain skills from and immediately apply. It is the kind of lesson where you can use the tools you gain slowly then apply on a larger scale after you master some steps. It is definitely worth owning, reviewing, and referring to. I actually was directed to this book by another of Ellie's books I received upon becoming engaged--The New Bride Guide. That was a surprisingly refreshing, honest, and useful book--and believe me I read dozens of them! That one was not cliche either. Anyways, definitely pick up Shop,Save,and Share. It is worth your money and time--I promise whether you plan on cutting brand buying out of your habits or not. The beauty of learning the actual science is that you can apply it to your lifestyle at a level of stringency that is comfortable for you and your family.

I am so thankful to find such a Treaure! Ellie Kay has really done a work in educating the beginner to the novice shopper on saving and sharing!
My first jaw dropping moment was when I went to Wallie World and my total was $111.09 and after my coupons my total was $46.97! WOW.... I felt like doing the running man right there at the checkout! The cashier looked at me and said, "I want to go shopping w/you!" It was a really GREAT moment! I would've saved even more money if I had went to Meijer where they double coupons up to .50. But at the time Wal-Mart was my comfort zone. Even though Wal-Mart redeems your coupons at face value, Shop, Save, and Share teaches you to use your coupons in conjunction. For example, I had 3 coupons for Huggies: two $5 OFF coupons for diapers [got these by simply calling Kimberly-Clark and telling them what I thought of their product, Ellie teaches you this too] and 1 coupon for free wipes with the purchase of 2 packages. I never thought to do this.
Another thing I incorporated from this book was to call every manufacturing company and gave them feedback on their product, I received so many coupons, coupon booklets [all at higher price value and longer expiration dates - if any], put on their mailing list and received samples - just by calling! My shopping time has been cut in half, because she also teaches you to make your grocery/shopping list in aisle order of your store. My family has also incorporated giving to local charities, neighbors, and our local church on items that I receive free w/my coupons and items that only cost me a few pennies. For example Dog treats were on sale for $2, I had a coupon for $1 that doubled to me getting them FREE! I gave them to my neighbor and it blessed them and me too!
Although, I am a much better saver now, I still refer back to the book.
Thank you Ellie so much for all the help! You've helped me save money, spend more time w/my fam - instead of in the store and to simply bless others!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who does the bulk of their grocery shopping. Using many of the principles in Ellie's book I was able to purchase $91.82 worth of groceries and toiletries for only $28.73!! Many of the items purchased were not necessarily things that my family uses but because I was able to get many of them free I felt good knowing that I would be able to help our local food pantry.
And not only does this book help you save money but the stories are inspiring, and Ellie's own personal stories are hilarious.

This book is AWESOME. Since I read it I've been giving "coupon seminars" from my office. My coworkers are amazed by ability to cut my grocery bill by two-thirds.

I also found a distant cousin who is stationed at an air base in Germany and plan on sending my coupons to his family soon.

Ellie Kay has inspired me to save and serve.