Budget Books

When I was about five years old, my mother got tired of my complaining about the food she bought for our family. She told me that I would pick out the food for one week, and we would eat whatever I bought. We would use our normal grocery budget. Wow! Was I excited! The basket was soon filled with Cokes, candy, sugared cereal, cookies and potato chips. Naturally, there was no meat, fruit, or vegetables. I was asked if I was sure that's what I wanted. Yup! Well, it was heaven for about three days. Then, we started to run out of food. And I got tired of all of the junk food. My mother took pity on me and made some things out of staples at home. At the end of the week, she asked me if I wanted to to do the shopping for the next week. No way! I told her I would be glad to eat whatever she bought.

That experience is a mini-lesson of the sort that Dr. Whitcomb feels that each child should have beginning between ages 10 and 13, depending on the child. Dr. Whitcomb learned the benefits of making money mistakes for himself while he was a boarding student. He was given the money to pay all of his expenses. If he ran out, that was his tough luck! His parents before him had had the same lesson applied in the same way.

Most young people eventually start to have these experiences when they live away from home, whether for boarding school, college, or moving away to take a job in another area. Dr. Whitcomb points out that learning the lessons earlier and on a smaller scale is a good idea.

The book is built around the idea of establishing a budget for something your child needs to pay for, then giving the money to your child, and learning from the school of hard knocks. He has an elaborate set of contracts, ATM account rules, and tracking mechanisms for making this practical. He suggests picking out an approach that works for you and your child. The book has lots of good advice for how to handle the inevitable crash landings.

We did something similar to this with our children, and they soon learned to live on the funds they had . . . or to earn some more. They became ingenious at saving money, and finding better ways to earn it. One child, who had been profligate before it became that child's money, totally turned around. So I think the theory works.

I would advise starting earlier than he suggests here. Children can take on responsibility for buying family presents much younger than was described in the book. And you don't need an ATM account to do it. When the age is reached to buy one's own lunches, that's another opportunity to install this approach . . . with a fixed weekly allowance. Chores can be used to generate income for "extras" and that helps other lessons be learned.

I also suggest starting with investing younger than is indicated here. I started doing that when I was 12 and greatly benefited from that early exposure.

I think you will enjoy the book, although I don't think you will follow it exactly.

The best part for me was in the sections for helping children learn lessons from their experiences.

Where else would advance practice make a good difference? Be sure your child has that practice.

Assume that people can learn by doing better than any other way!

We instituted this plan with our daughter almost 2 years ago. The difference was dramatic and immediate. We had not originally allowed enough money to cover all of the expenses we were expecting her to cover. The monthly sessions were very emotional for those first couple of months when there just wasn't enough money. We went through the plan and looked at it together and readjusted her salary. Things became much more manageable and less stressful. I used this experience to explain to her that there are people who feel like that every month. That there just isn't enough money to pay for the things they have to pay for. I did NOT do it on purpose to give her that lesson.
She has made great strides in financial responsibility. She got a job when she was old enough. She bought a car, pays for her insurance, tag and car related as well as other expenses from her job. She donated over $500 last year to causes that she finds worthy. Has a long and short term savings accounts. Our next step is to work toward investments and teaching her to be responsible with credit before she leaves for college in just over a year. She was starting 10th grade when we started this. We were worried that we might not have enough time. It had taken years for her dad and I to get to the point where we finally "got it" financially speaking. She has come so far, so quickly it sometimes seems we've been doing it much longer than we have. I have read other books on this subject over the years, for some reason this one clicked and I knew it was something we could do. I think one of the best things about it is that it is not about being strict or perfect. It is about finding a balance that works and letting kids figure out how to make choices and live with those choices when those choices do not threaten their safety or security. I am thrilled with the progress we have made in our home with this program. I don't really worry about her future financially. I know things could still happen but at this point I feel certain that she won't make damaging financial mistakes because she didn't know any better.

What an awesome find! The best part is that there are several recipes for various mixes. Well worth having the book for that alone!

This is actually a really good cookbook! I wish the editors would update this version to modern times, because this has alot of potential of becoming a best seller in the cooking department. I love how they have the recipes for "seasoning mixes" that are more natural than the processed versions sold in little packages. This is a really nice hidden jewel because it has everything that modern day cooks make for dinner. I like the fact that it addresses those who maybe in a bind and need to cut back their grocery/eating bill each week with pretty inexpensive ingredients. Thus the name. I was planning on selling this book, but have decided once I looked it over again that this one stays with me! :)

This is a great book for anyone that wants to know how public finance actually works. After having studied economics for many years, it always gets to me when I hear stupid members of Congress or their political people say that spending is destroying the nation. First, if that were true, maybe they (Congress) should stop spending. Although the stats are a few years behind, it is the facts about the debt that are important.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to know about the national debt and its significance, or as you will find out in the book, its lack thereof.

The only point I disagree with is his argument of the insignificance of foreign debt. I feel this is still a major issue. Also, he tries to go into other aspects of government funding that are problematic, but I found it very difficult to understand.

Jane Midgley's WOMEN AND THE U.S. BUDGET is an important, significant and timely book, and it is assuredly not just for women. It presents direct and easy to comprehend information that serves as a tool in demystifying a process much in need of being demystified. If you are one of us, a woman or a man, who knows that there is something broken that needs fixing in our system and believes that individuals can fix things, then do not just add this book to your bookcase or to your coffee table. Read it. Use it. Become the P.I. (Private Investigator) Midgley urges you to become and make this book one of your essential tools for change.

I heard an interview with the author on KGNU and was so interested in what this book was about that I have decided to order it. I hope it is as good of a read as it was a radio show to listen to.

The thesis of "The Automatic Millionaire" is that you should automatically invest a small amount of your income every pay check. Over time this will make you rich. In fact the author claims that if you start early you can retire young as a millionaire. Hence the title. While this is no doubt true, I don't think many people will do it.

I was annoyed the authors repeated self promotion. He referencing his previous books and web site in almost every chapter, several times in some cases. If they were so useful, he should have just included them in this book. His enthusiastic tone gets to be annoying after awhile too. He does also list other useful sites and services.

The advice to save part of your income automatically via direct deposit, or automatic deductions sounds like good advice, and seems achievable. Much of the rest of his advice is old hat. His suggestions about paying off credit card debt were not very interesting.

In summary, short well written solid advice, but you know most of it already.

If you're just getting by, then don't even bother with this book. But if you do have some income to spare, its a great way to get your finances in order. There was just something really unrealistic about this book...especially for those of us starting over. Great book for teenagers and young college students who are just starting out.

At first I was a little intimidated to read a book about finances but David Bach explains everything in plain english. There are a lot of things that I already knew I should be doing with my money but David really motivates me and makes me feel like I could really do this. I am truly on my way to being a millionaire! Thanks David Bach!

Did you know that you don't need a big salary to become a millionaire, and that a carefully organized budget and intense willpower aren't even necessary? All it takes, says David Bach, is a simple one-step plan. Follow it to become an "automatic millionaire." Bach's save-your-pennies book is straightforward and sensible - though it predates the recent economic downturn. It comes complete with helpful tables and charts. He details how someone with an average income can eventually amass wealth through automatic savings. getAbstract finds it hard to argue with his basic, common-sense principles: Save steadily, avoid credit card debt, and so on. But Bach gives little weight to various real-life scenarios that can throw a money wrench into the most sensible savings plans. For example, what happens if you lose your job, get seriously ill or find that your home is depreciating? (In fact, he says U.S. houses double in value over five years. Alas, that's not the case in many places at the moment.) What about folks with erratic incomes who can't make automatic savings payments - the locus classicus of Bach's plan? What if 15% of your paycheck just doesn't add up to enough accrual? That's not to mention that Bach's instruction to invest at a 10% return, which is not an easy score to achieve these days. Do your own math. Despite his occasionally utopian tone, Bach does provide solid information on how to build wealth. You can only benefit from his concrete, logical suggestions on how to get rich, slowly.

This is all about automating your way to financial freedom guys. If you are looking where to start and not overwhelm yourself, this is the book for you! Wonderful read! If you're married definitely get the "Smart Couples Finish Rich". Best book for married couples that want control over their finances ever. These books are about real life and not some "guru" shoving mostly useless junk down your throat. Enjoy!

Having done business with two of the ,most infamous religious Tycoons in
the business I can vouch for the authenticity of this book. Straight to
the point with no punches pulled.

Author Kevin Phillips examines U.S. political and economic trends in this searing look at religion, energy, and government spending. Readers see that U.S. foreign policy is strongly, perhaps dangerously influenced by conservative Christians. We also see how the USA is spending itself into danger, and is doing far too little to end its risky dependence on foreign oil. Phillips offers several parallels between between the USA and Britain; for example comparing the questionable U.S. invasion of Iraq to British colonialism in the middle east after World War I. Readers also see how losing control of an energy source can cost a nation dearly - as Britain's power declined in the 20th Century when oil began replacing coal. Phillips writes with an alarmist tone, one that readers (and non-readers) should listen to.

Phillips proved his eye for future trends with EMERGING REPUBLICAN MAJORITY, his 1969 book correctly forecasting GOP dominance of the South and White House via rising conservatism and racial backlash. Phillips recently left the GOP in disgust at its right-wing Christian politics. Some find this book a bit stiff and alarmist, but it's an important, thought-provoking effort.

In the Republican years before Nixon resigned, I perused the editorials each Sunday in our Joplin Globe. Among the syndicated columnists, Jack Anderson & John Roche passed for liberal; Kevin Phillips & Max Rafferty (former superintendent of California Public Schools) were the conservatives. Between the latter, Phillips seemed the more reasoned.

Of late, Phillips, who worked like the dickens to get Nixon elected & who like so many of the old Goldwater guard deserted the Republican orthodoxy, has got a good deal of mileage out of shredding the bedding of the Family Bush. In "American Theocracy," Phillips summons up fearsome documentation for his thesis that the US of A is headed down a path previously trod by Spain, the Netherlands, & Great Britain: their governments paralyzed by indebtedness & mesmerized by evangelical zeal failed to replace their fading sources of energy & so collapsed under the weight their own inertia.

Because Phillips is not out to preach to the choir, he doesn't dawdle over pop topics like "renewable" energy sources or the isolationist-directed reducing dependence on foreign oil: it's too late for all that. Instead, he cites the instances of how we allowed our blind love of the "freedom of the road" to lead us to the brink of energy catastrophe: the 1956 "Hubbert peak," the prediction by Shell Oil geologist Marion Hubbert that oil extraction in CONUS would peak betw. 1965 & 1970; the rise of nationalized petroleum industries in Iraq, Libya, & Iran (& of late, Venezuela); & the especially scary notion that petroleum geology is an unpopular major among American college graduates, whereas it's an extremely desirable one in Africa, Latin America, etc.

His Goldwater-like disdain for the current influence of the evangelical Christian ideologists is painfully evident, but Phillips points out that war & politics in the U.S. have traditionally "borne a heavy imprint of church leadership & denominationalism." Like the despised liberals of 40+ years ago, the evangelically correct right wing of today has "taken the lead in promoting unworkable social-planning [the "panacea of abstinence" in sexual matters] abstractions."

Moreover, the US of A is not the first instance of a govt. in the throes of apocalyptic fibrillation: Phillips reminds us that 17th-cent. Netherlands & WWI-era Great Britain firmly believed that Biblical prophecy would stand them in good stead, even while their empires crumbled. Each time, they were sadly disappointed that God did not come to their rescue.

With regard to the "borrower-industrial" complex--the "financialization" of the union--, Phillips dabbles in some prophecy of his own when he writes, albeit pleonastically, that the "maintenance of the upward revaluation of homes may be the next frontier of risk socialization." We have reached that frontier today.

That a former republican strategist--a guy that wrote 40 years ago of the formerly Democratic South becoming a bastion of Republican values--has so little respect for the Republican Party of today is cause for some serious consideration; however, Democrats have done little but concede to Republican whims at every turn. False optimism about an endless supply of crude oil, gross mismanagement of our holy war in Iraq, & the withering of our manufacturing base should give one pause about how much longer the US of A can hang the "superpower" shingle on its swinging doors.

This is an important look at three staples of current Republican policy that Phillips finds threatening to the US's well-being: its dependence on foreign oil, the Religious Right, and soaring US debt. Phillips' main thesis, though hard to find, seems persuasive enough: ill-founded fundamentalist politics enables two key hazardous trends: 1) oil-driven foreign policy and 2) irresponsible financial policy, resulting in unprecedented private & national debt.

Phillips' strengths are his focus on realpolitik consequences of policy & his preponderance of disturbing facts, although to keep up, you will need some familiarity with history or other social sciences. His weaknesses are his repetition & length, questionable read of history, and lack of integration between the three main subjects, although each section is informative in its own right. Also, a handful of his points seem to rest on loose analogies, circumstantial evidence, or evidence without footnotes, making evaluation difficult, but overall, his analyses are plausible enough to warrant closer attention.

Then the remaining one-third is shot through with doubtful connections. The author commendably states clearly his three big topics right off the bat: 1. Oil is "done"; 2. Religion in America is poisoning us; 3. The US is drowning in debt. Topics #1 and #3 as stated in "American Theocracy" have been shown to be largely untrue by many, many sources, and #2 seems to conclude that Americans are bad because we let religion (fundamental kinds, anyway) drive us to all sorts of homicidal and larcenous behaviors. Southern Americans, anyway. Actually southern white Americans of English/Dutch/ sometimes Celtic/sometimes German/sometimes other ethnic origins. These awful prejudices unfortunately weave through the whole book.

The book in one sense is well-written, though. The line of arguments are clearly stated, and the facts and stories Kevin Phillips chooses to write about can sometimes be interesting and informative. As many reviewers noted, there are pounds of research cited and statistics listed. The problem is that he is extremely selective about which he presents. In the "oil" segment, for example, you will find almost no mention of experts who estimate the relatively long period of oil reserves worldwide (one actually makes a cameo appearance, and the reader is hereby challenged to find it!). Nor does he cite the fact that estimated reserves have always, always edged upwards. In the "religion" segment he makes a quite-wrong statement about Newt Gingrich's historical fiction series on the Civil War, meaning he could not have actually read the books. With this kind of selective reporting, one cannot sift the truth of his arguments. Then there is the ending: there isn't one. No summary, no conclusions, no points for action. After all that.

For the sake of backing up the title of this review, the badly-misleading part of the "debt" section in this book concerns the author's own - perhaps unwitting - argument against himself. He actually stated that the amount of total personal savings was greater than the total personal debt. Gracious, mendacious! If the statistics sound overwhelming in this section of the book, the reader is invited to skim over them, because they are hard to trust anyway.

In spite of these rather harsh judgments (and overly long review!), "American Theocracy" really is interesting. The prudent reader will discount the alternating condescension and panic, and just enjoy the discussion. If you are inclined to think as the author does, you will certainly like the debating points you could use. If you are inclined to dismiss the author's point of views, then don't - just read it. If you are wary of what a leftist-in-charge might do, then note the line of argument and hone your own.

Unfortunately, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" shows its age. While the story is, actually, quite good, the language is somewhat stilted and the book takes a while to really get going. I think many young readers will be puzzled by the vocabulary and will be bored. Eventually, the story picks up. However, I was bored in the 1950's and cannot imagine that today's youngsters will do much better. I think that the Walt Disney movie is a much better bet if you want to expose your child to a story that was a true classic. This is one of the few cases where a movie has an advantage over the written word.

It is really a shame that Amazon pushes so many editions together in the same group of reviews. This review is of the complete edition (not the bowdlerised children's version) and references the translation by Mendor T. Brunetti.

This was a reread for me. I read most of the Verne books when I was quite young, and lately wanted to revisit some of my favorites. When I was younger, I was very much (like Captain Aronnax) taken with the catalogue of undersea marvels that Captain Nemo and his Nautilus enabled us to visit. Reading it this time around, I was quite struck with the political picture of Captain Nemo. As a man from an unknown country who has lost everything at the hands of men, Nemo becomes what we would today call a terrorist. He funds freedom fighters. He takes his revenge on the men from the countries who hurt him and his. The portraits on his wall: John Brown, Kosciusko, Daniel O'Connell. I think that I'm going to add The Mysterious Island to my list. I had never read the sequel in the past, and I understand that it provides more background about the mysterious captain.

Readers who aren't familiar with this book are encouraged by this reviewer to rapidly amend this sad condition. I also have to say that I first read this when I was nine (the full version, not a children's edition) and I can't imagine what really needs to be cut to make it suitable for younger folks. I'd hand them the whole thing with a confident heart.

Having seen the movie a couple times this was the first time I read the book and was surprised to see a significant number of unexpected differences. Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is arguably the first technical thriller, launching a genre which has since grown wildly in popularity and includes most of Michael Chricton's work. It is a very imaginative book, the story of the mysterious Captain Nemo -haunted by an implied but never explained past - who has built for himself and his crew the submarine Nautilus to be free of the laws of man and to live successfully and sustainably on the bounty of the world's oceans, which he intrepidly explores in all its wonders. Inevitably he is chased by the main characters, Ned the Harpooner, Mr. Arronax the professor and Conseil his man-servant, in the frigate USS Abraham Lincoln. Unlike the movie the story is told entirely by Mr. Arronax and Ned is more a minor character, and a stolid Canadian as opposed to the boisterous and fun loving American in the movie. Also unlike the movie the Nautilus does not sink the Lincoln, but in a duel vents it with steam that throws our three main characters overboard whom are then rescued after the Lincoln, ignorant to the fact they are no longer onboard, retreats from the scene.

Thus begins a promising story of mystery and adventure, the possible drama of Captain Nemo being chased by worldly forces in his incredible Nautilus, the tension between the captives who are experiencing the amazing wonders of the ocean depths firsthand and their captor who cannot ever let them go without losing his own freedom, and the chance for exciting adventures. While all of these things are delivered in the book, they are done so very anachronistically (obviously), with the drama, tension and adventure being there - and being very creatively crafted - but also being very subdued and literally drowned in an ocean of Mr. Arronax describing the latin names of the sea life he sees outside the Nautilus's window. This captures the fascination of the age with Natural History versus today's focus on excitement and adventure in these types of novels. There are many times were the book gets very, very dry as the author rattles of names that you have no idea what they refer to, and even if you google them the only hits you will get are the passages in the book itself! Based on this, the fact that this translation cuts out some 20% of the book is probably not a bad thing.

Nonetheless there are some great moments of natural beauty and adventure. Jules Verne showed some incredible predictive power in describing the structural design, diving operations and maneuverability, and life support systems of a submarine, being basically spot on before anything beyond the Turtle of Revolutionary War heritage had ever been put to sea. The myriad undersea "terrains" the characters experience are particularly cool and fun. Relative to the movie the giant squid attack is underwhelming, but a much better scene that never made it to the film is one where after discovering the south pole (something Verne got wrong obviously) the Nautilus is caught in between two icebergs and must dig itself out before its air supply runs out. But there are some drawbacks too. There are some shockingly dark moments for a book aimed towards younger men from the 1860's which seem to imply they are leading somewhere and could have been great plot tension builders, but they are never fully fleshed out, and neither is the character they are supposed to be windows into, the reclusive, tortured yet brilliant Captain Nemo. The book ends quickly and inconclusively, feeling like a great set up for a story that ends as more travel log than character story or adventure yarn. Nonetheless the book is short and relatively easy to read despite it's older grammatical style which can sound very strange today.

The job the publisher did however is spotty. The cover design of the book is very well done, but the editing is poor with many glaring typos throughout the text.

All in all the movie is much better as a movie than a direct adaptation of the book would have been, with Ned Land turned into a main character that an American audience can connect with (unlike the highly intellectual and uninspiring Mr. Arronax as main character of the book or the turgid Canadian version of Ned Land), Captain Nemo is more explained as a character and pitted more against Mr. Arronax as two opposing sides of a moral coin, and the movie has a more solid story and conclusion. But the book has it's own advantages and overall is worth reading, especially for its historical significance.

I read this book many years ago and still have the book. This is a thought-provoking book, and I can honestly say that it's one of the best books that I have ever read in my whole life. There is much to be thought about in this book, and I intend to reread this book so I can appreciate it all over again. Truly, this book is one of these classics that must be preserved always, for the wonderful writing and lessons contained therein.

I loved this classic French novel by Jules Verne and found it to be very entertaining from start to finish! I was very surprised that I would enjoy this book as much as I did.... I figured "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", like many classic novels, would be boring, but Jules Verne is a marvelous storyteller. He imbues this novel with lots of intrigue and mystery as you wonder how the story will unfold... There is lots of adventure and interesting predicaments, and of course, many unforgettable characters one comes to care about during the course of the novel. Also if you like science fiction then this is the novel for you! Jules Verne seems to be ahead of his time in terms of technology and creates quite a wonderful piece of classic literature that has stood the test of time.

The attention to detail that Jules Verne used to capture the readers attention is marvelous... This book is written in the 1st person through the eyes of Assistant Professor Pierre Aronnax of the Paris Museum of Natural History. Professor Aronnax unfolds the story to the reader of this novel about several sightings of a mysterious object seen around the world by many different people.... Some believe it to be an island, others seem to think the object is a floating reef, a large whale or other large mammal and so on. It isn't until Professor Aronnax and his faithful Flemish assistant, Conseil, take part on an expedition aboard the Abraham Lincoln to seek out this unknown object once and for all. Eventually, it is discovered that this unknown object is a submarine named the Nautilus, on which Professor Aronnax, Conseil and Canadian harpooner, Ned Land, spend the remaining part of the novel sailing on the Nautilus through the various oceans of the world along with the crew of the Nautilus. What adventures they have while sailing on the Nautilus!! And the exquisite detail in which Jules Verne imparts is wonderful. One feels like they are truly reading the actually travel journal/diary of Professor Aronnax. Professor Aronnax writes from a scientific/natural history perspective as he is very much interested in the under water world of the worlds oceans.

The only draw back I had with this novel was that some of the descriptions were a bit overdone or a bit too much to take in (like classification of animal species or various nautical terms).... These descriptions aren't overwhelming or occur that frequently, I'd just find myself skimming through these parts rather quickly.

Laurie Ward has hit on a great idea here - redecorating with your own stuff. And she does give some great advice in this book about creating a conversation area situated around a focal point, and about how high to hang art. I have been "tweaking" my house ever since I read the book and for the most part her suggestions are very helpful. I also enjoyed the "before" and "after" photos of real peoples' homes. But a couple things bothered me about this book. The first two-thirds of the book are basically paraphrased repetitions of this idea: create a U-shaped conversation area around a focal point. By the fifth or sixth example, you're thinking "gee, I wonder what genius furniture arrangement she'll come up with this time...SURPRISE! U-shaped conversation area!" She gives only a little information on how to re-arrange a dining room, bedroom, bathroom, or ANY OTHER room in the house (and what about those of us with open floor plans? throw me a bone here!), and what few suggestions she does give seem to have been added as an afterthought. The other thing I did not like is a matter of taste more than anything else: I thought some of her advice was a bit old-school (and not in a good way), in particular her advice about how to arrange and group art and other decorative objects (i.e., "don't mix media"), but also her advice against using fridge magnets and patterned paper towels comes off as a bit snobby. However, overall I do recommend the book if you need some help rearranging your living room.

I give the book a 4 star rating. Would have been good if we had some colour photos and show some living rooms that do not have the fire place a the focal point of the room but some other feature. Also how do you decorate a room with steep dormer features, that create angles. I like Lauri's books though I have Home Therapy.

This is a good book for people who have no experience or formal training with decorating. I found the top 10 tips for avoiding design disaster to be helpful and easy to understand. The pictures in the book are very outdated, but made me feel like I might have a fighting chance with my own space.

I am a professional interior designer and I found this book great because it provides great information in a easy to read format. I read more than half the book in one evening. Some people have stated that even though they love the book they wished it was in color. I love the book in black and white because the emphasis really is on the placement and not so much the color. I find that when items are related in color it is easy for the eye to make the "connection" and ignore the real placement of the items. When the pictures are in black and white, it forces the eye to look at where and how the items are placed. This is a great book and I would recommend it to the novice, lay person, or professional designer/decorator looking to add an additional service that they can offer their clients. I give it two thumbs up!

...and yet I only give it 4 stars. Why? Because first of all, there is very little advice that applies beyond the living room, and that's a formal living area - not the family gathering and watching TV area. I would love to see a book of hers that will address other areas in the house.

Beyond that though, I love this book. I'm a down to earth person, always looking for a quick and cheap way to re-do things. This book taught me decorating principles that were easy to put into practice. I like the before and after pics, explanations and the occassional room layouts. After studying this book a few times, it took me less than an hour to re-arrange my living room. It's so much more inviting and comfortable now, that I don't want to leave it! As for color vs. black and white photos, of course I'd prefer color. But I can live with it, because the content is so helpful. I have the older version too that has a middle insert of color photos as well.

This book will be helpful if you already have a house of furniture or maybe suffer from TMS syndrome (too much stuff) and if you enjoy being creative with what you have. If not, then this book will probably frustrate you.

I really appreciate the ideas listed in this book, however cooking one day a month has been difficult to include into our lives. I thought the recipes were actually good tasting. The concept presented in this book is really clever. Recommend this book to everyone. However, keep in mind that the one day a month you cook will be labor intensive.

I bought this book years ago and while I would have liked to have had a wider variety of menus, I found this book very useful. We added our own personalized touch to several of these recipes. We also incorporated some of our own favorites such as hamburger and fries, or spaghetti into the menu plan. The shopping list can be a little tricky to navigate because we always opt to buy spaghetti sauce, not make it from scratch but we were able to adapt the shopping list to our own and if we forgot to pick something up from the store, we improvised. Mainly, this book got us to redefine our approach to grocery shopping. We had to retrain our shopping/cooking process but it was worth the effort. We cook for two weeks and because we add in our other favorite dishes, it really helps us out alot. Cooking day is an all day affair for us but it pays off because we don't order take out as much.

I ordered the book that is associated with this review. However, when the book arrived, it had a different cover and didn't have the same recipes as I'd anticipated. I had originally checked the book out from my local library prior to deciding on purchasing it. Although the format is the same, I am somewhat disappointed that I didn't receive what I'd actually ordered. I didn't send it back due to the book container other good recipes.

If you have any of the prior published versions, there is nothing new in this current one that justifies the purchase.

This is a very practical guide for big-batch cooking. I learned a lot of helpful techniques and the recipes were practical and intice my trying them. It gave lots of guides for shopping and organizing your cooking day.

I read this book for clues on how to become a stay at home mom. I purchased quite a few books and found this one to be most helpful. She not only tells you how to do it, she gives great examples of what she did that worked and what didn't work!

This book is a must have for any woman transitioning from "work outside the home" to "stay at home". It is chock full of wisdom and great ideas! This is no "wash & reuse your plastic baggies" kind of book. It has fantastic practical helps on everything from helping your grocery budget to making your own play-dough and non-toxic cleaning products. I have read and re-read this book many times.

I don't really think this book gives much depth on the art of living on less. I would recommend The Tightwad Gazette if you want to learn to live on one income and look for this one at the library, there is really very little advice that isn't obvious.

This is a fabulous book on this subject. It is now slightly dated but still a great book to spur ideas. I would recommend it!

I found this book used at the bookstore and traded some unwanted books to get it, and that was the best "purchase" I have made in a long time. Other reviewers who say that she does focus heavily on food are correct, but for me that was great, because I do spend a lot on food and it seemed like a good place to start.

She shares general tips as well about places that commonly eat up our money, so it is a good book to get started with because it is focused in one direction and also has a lot of springboards for other areas of your life where you can save. Her tips never seemed like they went too far or would make me feel deprived, in fact a lot of her tips are based around developing more awareness of where your money is going, and she has a lot of ideas that I found very helpful.

So this is a great book to get started with, especially a used copy (I have an older edition and am finding it helpful even though some of the prices are outdated), and then when you have squeezed the usefulness out of this book, go for the Tightwad Gazette next. The Tightwad Gazette is a bit overwhelming for beginners, so I do recommend this book first. I have gotten a lot out of it.