Budget Books

After reading this book cover to cover I found very few things that helped me (a self proclaimed tightwad).

The book had a few good "comics" but I could have waited for the Sunday funnies. The recipes are terrible. A few tips for cleaning and sprucing up the house, a few forms, i.e. budget, shopping list, menu planning, last will and testament, but nothing much else. The 5 big tips that can change your finacial life are not new to the seasoned tightwad but could possibly help the newbie. This book is a waste of time and money for the seasoned tightwad.

If you're looking to save money for a special occasion or just looking to cut back on your overall expenses, this is a great book for you. In this no-nonsense book by identical twin sisters you will learn how to reduce or eliminate bills and manage and organize your homes. This "common cents" knowledge will revolutionize the way people look at money; for instance nearly everything can be recycled: Make a coffee table from an old window, door or board. Add bricks or flowerpots for legs. Cut a slit in the shape of an X in an empty prescription bottle for a traveling toothbrush holder. Use soda-pop can tabs for picture hangers. Glue to the back of picture frame with just the top of the clip showing so as to nail easily to the wall. A candle placed in a cheese or vegetable grater looks fabulous at night. Tie the top with a red ribbon to make it even more festive. The tighwad twins also timesaving forms, quick-and-easy recipes for no-fuss, cheap meals, and lists of organizations that give away freebies. A lot of the hints & tips in this book really are common sense once you actually think about them. However, if you're like me and already live a simplified life you many not find this book as helpful as it would be to a newbie but there's still some useful tips to be had.

I enjoyed this book from the twins even more than any of the others. I have already started using the bigger life-changing ones and I look forward to next month when I will see the differerence in my finances when my house makes me money while I sleep. It is funnier than the others and I loved the success stories. They were my motivation to get busy. I look forward to seeing the twins on television as I have in the past. As the twins say: this book is not for everyone, just for people who really need to save some big money and have a small income. Double advice from them which is good for us out here in the real world. I love these girls!

I enjoyed the book. I did wonder about some tips though. The crockpot meal ideas were for ingredients like canned soup and canned chicken that are already cooked. I wondered why such ingredients would need to be heated all day in a crockpot. To save opening cans and waiting for the food to heat at the end of the day, perhaps?

I also don't think dividing a house in order to take on a renter would be feasible for many people. There is the privacy issue, and any decent renovation to create a separate apartment would involve more than most women with "little time and no dime" could manage. Becoming a landlord isn't without complications such as necessary repairs and problem renters.

I also wondered about the business in a box. I think most women would be embarrassed to buy cheap potpouri at the dollar store, put it into baggies tied with ribbons and handmade tags and re-sell it at a vastly inflated price. Yes, people may feel sorry for someone who says they are doing this to help with family expenses. They may assume you have no money for food. This business is one step short of shaking a donation can on street corners. If a family member needs life-saving surgery I can understand doing it, but otherwise, no thanks!

However, I enjoyed the tips and the spunky attitude- the authors are experts at making the best of what they have and apparently know what it is like to have very little. As with any tip book, you choose the tips that are right for you.

I thought that this book out of all the ones I've purchased in the past years...had given me the best ideas on how to save money. I'm an older person but I wished I would have had this book 15 years ago....however, I believe that this book has something for everyone.

This book was just what I needed. It is easy to read, with user friendly exercises and if you follow most of the advice, you can start really saving some money. If you are serious about trying to figure out how to start a budget and save some money without too much pain, paperwork, or time, this is a great book! My husband and I would recommend it to any couple who are trying to figure out where their money is going.

And as far as one of the reviews I read on this site about the book telling you to borrow from relatives - they didn't read this book and are totally confused on exactly what they read because nowhere do the authors give you that advice. This is a real gem. Read it now and get started on being financially healthy.

A must read for any family who wants to be money conscious! Lisa & Craig Feeley offer several ways to "Spendright". From the kinds of credit cards you should have, saving at the grocery store, to common sense things taught to them by their parents, like using everything to the last drop! Lisa Feeley is an eminent financial person who will show you several ways to save money on vacations,cars,food and financial items. Spendright is written in a simple easy to read style. The book gets anyone who reads it, to hopefully think in terms of saving money. We highly reccomend it for any family. If you want to save money and budget wisely, this book is well worth the $17.95! We have used some of the ideas in the book and plan to continue in 2004.

Lisa & Mike

I recieved this book as a gift from a friend of mine (which would apparently be the SpendRight Way because I didn't pay for it myself), however, I cannot seem to fathom the content of it. I assumed that it was a comical book until I read a little further into it. It was then I realized that the author was seriously giving this advice! Aside from blatent grammatical errors, the advice was terrible. The author adivised people to "borrow money from friends and relatives because you don't have to pay them back". I doubt that advice is healthy for any human relationship. Furthermore, the first review of the book was either written by someone who hadn't read it at all or by the author herself, because I cannot imagine this book receiving a good review if anyone actually took their advice. I certainly wouldn't if I wanted to have friends or family who communicated with me afterward. It was a poorly written book both grammatically and in the means of advice, because I would never take the things this book says seriously due to the poor advice within it. There is a difference between using your money wisely and taking advantage of other people for your own benefit. This book shows you how to take advantage of other people to your own benefit, as opposed to making your money the honest way.
It would be the SpendRight way to never spend your money on this book at all!

Like the previous reviewer Amy, I did the same thing as she did.

In other words, I fell in love with some of the photos, and bought this book . It did not cost much so I was not thoroughly disappointed. But had I spent more, I would have been a bit more disappointed.

I normally love the BETTER HOMES books. As all the BETTER HOMES books go, they are normally filled with great photos---as this one is also. However, the title is misleading because there were not enough "budget ideas" for the reader.

Don`t take me wrong, the photos are great, but the ideas themselves are not applicable to a person trying to decorate on a "budget".

I have to admit I bought this book because of the pictures, and not because it supposedly would show me how to create style on a budget. Good thing.

The pluses: The pictures are beautiful, they give you a wide variety of tips that don't require a lot of sewing or a class in woodshop, and the color combinations are inspirational.

Bonus: the section titled "decorator's toolkit" and the section titled "furniture arranging on paper." The former lists handy tools and how to store them, instructions on creating a "style file," and how to arrange furniture. The latter gives you instructions and cutouts for arranging elements of a room on paper.

The minuses: It does not have a very wide range of style of decorating. I think they designed the style to appeal to the broadest range of people, kind of modern country. Also, I'm not so sure you can create this style on a small budget. I like the way they categorize chapters by where you can buy the combinations in the pictures (i.e. there is a chapter called "superstore stand-ins" and one called "secondhand savy"), but they do not list where you could actually find the pieces in the pictures. I guess you are just suppose to know to go to Target.

I would reccommend this book to people just starting to explore interior decoration, but I would not recommend this book to people on a strict budget, which is the group this book is supposedly targeting.

As a general interior design book it gets 4 stars, but as a book to help you budget I give it 1 star.

I saw this book in Barnes and Noble while looking through lots of books. There was something that caught my eye, so I ordered it on Amazon. By the time I got the book, I could not remember what caught my eye, but I still like the book...maybe it was the clock on the cover. The book was divided into chapters that include Paint and Save, Superstore Stand-ins, Secondhand Savvy, Pennywise Details, Decor by the Yard and more.

There are many beautiful ideas in this book and the photographs are jam-packed in this book. There are also lots of helpful general tips. Unlike the other reviewers, I did not think that the projects were costly, but the decor they used WITH the projects could be budget-busters! For example, in the Paint and Save chapter, I think the purpose is to show different paint colors and techniques, but what you see is the ENTIRE beautiful room that is decorated with some awesome, probably pricey furniture. The Getting Started chapter has a gorgeous settee/chaise (pg 13), which of course is not part of the projects. There is a blurb about "buy the best you can afford" and I guess this is one of those items. LOL.

If you are looking to work within a bidget, then this book just might take you beyond your limit. At least, I should say, on some of the projects. But then it is hard to find a good book that will help you with good, practical ideas that will also give fine style advice. They do have some wonderful ideas, color palates and helpful tools to crate the looks. I think BHG books sometimes are a little overdone, but most are pleasing. Give the book a try if you are looking for new ideas. This will definitely help.

This book is an outstanding tool to use for establishing and following a reasonable wedding budget. By using the checklists and service provider question sheets, we were able to uncover the "hidden costs" charged by many providers and were in a much better position to negotiate favorable arrangements. We saved at least $2,000 - $3,000 by following the recommendations in this valuable planning guide!

The book consisted of mainly stories of other weddings. Only one story showed how they budgeted and that couple went over budget. The budget wedding cost over $10,000. Ginger-ale is cheaper than that. The wooksheets in the book look useful but you can find similar charts in other better resources. Don't waste your money.

As a Professional Bridal Consultant I am always on the look out for helpful resources to add to my library to use assisting brides plan their own weddings. This book presents some good ideas � the questions to ask service providers is definitely beneficial since each bride, whether or not on a strict budget, needs to be an informed shopper. The tips offered in the later chapters are useful as they give each bride many cost saving ideas which she can choose from. Although these tips can often be found in other sources (bridal magazines, planners, web sites) it is nice (and time saving) to have them all in one place.

There is no one way to have a ceremony and reception as the "Sample Weddings" section explained, however only one included the budget used, and it was over budget. Also, paying [their estimated expense] for dinner is NOT budget minded. It may have been helpful to know where Rachel and Mark's reception was taking place, since weddings (and budgets) vary from places like New York or Los Angeles to the Midwest.

I must disagree with the statement on page 7 which states, "people seldom use wedding consultants unless they are having a larger, more expensive wedding." Many of my brides had small guest lists and low budgets... I would think that the brides with less money to spend would want the assistance of a professional to ensure that their hard earned dollars are spent wisely.

I bought this book to help me with a school project but all I have to say is: If you want a book that pertains to a specific piece of software which was not represented in the description, then go for it!

Seriously, this does not help you plan a film budget, all this book covers is the list of accounts (it describes the items that would be expensed under these accounts) that a certain piece of software used to help budget a production has, I can't remember the name of the product, but trust me, this book isn't worth it!

Written by film, video, and television production manager and producer Robert J. Koster, The Budget Book For Film And Television is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to create and fine-tune film and television budgets. Based upon the widely popular budgeting software packages "Movie Magic" and "EP Budgeting", The Budget Book For Film And Television uses screenshots and explicit instructions, as well as general warnings and discussions of sudden expenses, pitfalls, easy-to-miss items that can make or break a budget, and much more. A superb guide to figuring out costs for a large-scale production in a methodical, accurate manner.

This is a great book written by a UPM with decades of experience. It goes line by line through film/video budgets and teaches you how to accurately budget your own film. It also includes a useful Movie Magic budgeting tutorial. This book is definitely worth it and will spare you a lot of grief!

The book may appeal to someone with cheap tastes but for me to many of the examples were cluttered and to 'cute'. Or maybe I was simply looking for a book that had more style, or a book that would be more California or NYC friendly.

The initial photographs on each new chapter pages whet my appetite and made me assume that what would follow would be more of the same, but alas I would turn the page and be met with more cheap style ideas, if one can even use the word style. The books cover suggests a book that has style and a zen mode, but is far from either for me. The majority of rooms in the photographs in the book are more cluttered and cute.

I was looking for a book with inspirational pictures of rooms that would be accessible, clever and plenty of fodder for thought. THIS book has at least two pictures of dirty old shoes plopped on dirty tile or stacked onto an utilitarian steel rack as an example of "style." Style to whom? I don't want to decorate with shoes.

I have found books on decorating to be either stuck on some weird aesthetic -- like this book's fascination with putting everyday items on display in dirty or messy surroundings -- or to be too focused on architectural detail instead of the decorating itself. The reality is that my house is of new construction and looks frighteningly like other people's houses and it is almost devoid of the type of architectural detail lauded in such books. What am I supposed to do? Tear down a wall? That's not decorating to me, that's construction.

Sometimes these books can redeem themselves by offering interesting commentary that can spark good ideas, but, not in this case.

Do not waste your money unless you are interested in decorating with your worn out sneakers.

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This is the Place

It is my belief that this book would be most useful for those decorating a first apartment, a loft, a very small house, or a second home but certainly this book will spark anyone's imagination.

The authors offer ideas won't bust a budget for fabrics, window treatments, storage, flooring and other materials for the home. They include suggestions for finding treasures in unlikely places and making do with inexpensive materials from places like Pottery Barn, Pier One Imports and flea markets. Resources such as these are included, and picture credits are given.

All in all, Style on a Budget will not disappoint.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards.Her second book, Harkening, has won three.)

Its a nice small book, the type is easy enough to read and the paperback isn't an issue if you aren't afraid to bend the book. It has all the chords showing finger positions at the top of each song. Most are quite simple and you rarely have to turn a page. The review about chords at the back is totally innaccurate.

There are 2 Christmas books in this series...this one and "Christmas Carols", which might be the one you are looking for.

I looked forward to being able to play some Christmas music on the guitar. I expected to get the guitar chords with these songs. There are 4 pages with 120 chords at the back of the book, but no chords with the songs themselves, which all seem to require chords that are not in this book. The publisher recommends another of their publicataions "for a more complete guide to chords."
The size of the print on these small pages is also very difficult to work with.

I ordered this book because it boasted a wide variety of songs, had the melody line for piano, and also has the chords for guitar. My only complaint is that there are some really obscure chords -- the instrumentation is more for piano than it is for guitar. However, I think the collection of songs (classics and modern) outweighs the obscurity of the chords.

Oh, there is 1 other minor gripe. The book is a small paperback and is therefore hard to keep open to any particular page. C'est la vie.

Perfect find. We need all the help we can get to save money and make easy meals in this busy world.

I never write in reviews but this is the worst cookbook I've ever bought. We probably have 40 or 50.

There are only 101 recipes and 7 of them are for either rabbit or venison. I don't know anyone who cooks either. The index in the back is listed in page order. I'm not making this up. Usually you turn to the back and look up beef or chicken or whatever and it shows you the recipes for that ingredient. When you look at the index here it gives the name of the recipe on the first page and then the 2nd page.

Don't buy this! I'd give it a zero if I could.

I saw this cookbook and knew it was for me. I start my meal before I go to work and it can cook all day while I am gone. When I come home the dinner is done and not allot of dishes after we eat to clean up.

I was very disappointed in this book. I love decorating books for home decorating projects. There is not one thing in this book I would use to decorate. They show a lot of painting with stencils and other projects that I would never put in my house. Im glad I bought this used.

This is a really excellent do-it-yourself decorating book. Here are some of the projects I found appealing:

1. A faux china hutch for a bare kitchen wall. Using moldings from the lumber yard, paint and wallpaper, you can create a hutch-like decoration for the wall and put decorative plates or platters on it, held by plate rails. The wallpaper gives the effect of depth.

2. Curtains with a sheer top and panel below. Solves the problem of how to curtain a window with a set of window panes above (like a transom.)

3. A swag made with Roman Shade tape to gather it. The designer employs two fabrics and some piping to give the swag some detail and interest.

4. A quilt rack on the wall, using a curtain rod and two finials.

5. A headboard made of two Euro square pillows and two flanged shams, hanging on a section of curtain rod capped with finials.

6. Chair covers with ties, to cover straight-backed chairs or folding chairs.

There are a lot more ideas in here, for inside and even the garden. All are do-able with a sewing machine and average sewing skill, and average carpentry skills like nailing, cutting, painting. If you have no table saw to rip 1x6 poplar to 1x4, you can always have the lumberyard do this and other cuts for you.

A very excellent book with lots and lots of useful ideas. Highly recommended.

I love books that offer decorating ideas for those on a budget. Even if I don't follow the projects and suggestions exactly, I usually use them as a springboard for other ideas. Many of the projects and ideas in this book I will definitely try. Great resource.

I have worked in a lot of projects, large and small, but all the ones I personally managed were small and run by the S.O.P.M Methodology (Seat-of-the-Pants). When I signed up for a community-college P.M. class, all they wanted to talk about was "soft skills", team bonding, Kum-Bah-Yah stuff. Necessary, but not the nuts-and-bolts. I got my money back - I wanted meat-and-potatoes Project Managment. To me, this book has a good overview of basics with common sense, then some good specific techniques with more detail. Plus, it goes cradle-to-grave. I have not finished, and I have not run the exercises yet. Maybe I'll come back and add a different rating after that. I wouldn't buy it to learn Microsoft Project software.

This book has project management examples for use with MS Project 4.0 included. The macros don't work in the current version of MS Project. The macros are written in Visual Basic and I was able to debug through them, so I could at least install the material.

The book was not well written, the narrators came across too stuffy. There is good material here, but I am having a hard time forcing myself past the middle of the book.

I enjoyed the AMA Handbook of Project Management much better.

Well developed description of high-level procedures necessary to the process of "planning to plan." CD includes exercises that can be used with MS Project 4.0, but the book is not tied to any particular program and is definitely not a software manual