FREE Download: Suze Orman Book

Looking for a little free reading?

Heather at Freebies4Mom is reporting that you can download a FREE copy of Suze Orman's Women and Money.

While I haven't read this particular book, I have read many others written by her. (I highly recommend The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke, by the way). Most of her books are inspiring, quick reads.

Download your free copy of Suze Orman's Women and Money book before 8/7c the evening of Friday, June 27, otherwise, you'll be headed to the library if you want to read it for free.

Free e-book on Debt Reduction

One of my favorite blogs, No Credit Needed, is giving away a free e-book. The No Credit Needed Debt Reduction Guide is an 8-page tutorial on how to chip away at your debts and live a better life. It's an easy-to-read guide that will help you decide which debts to attack and how to reward your victories - big and small.

The e-book is a great introduction to eliminating your debt, and No Credit Needed is a great resource - complete with podcasts and its own network to inspire you on your path to financial freedom.

Review: Dining on a Dime Cook Book

I don't know if I can even call this a review, because I can't be impartial. I LOVE this book.

"Dining on a Dime Cook Book" by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper teaches you how to eat better and spend less. Their book explains how to shop smarter and cook simpler meals.

The 478-page book is loaded with frugal recipes for feeding your family. It also includes recipes for homemade cleaners, health and beauty items (like lip balm), kids activities (like tub crayons), and gift ideas.

What I love the most about Dining on a Dime, is that there are loads of money and time saving tips at the beginning of each chapter. These authors are real people with real families, and they understand that people don't have a lot of time.

I was afraid when I bought this book, it would be a rehash of a lot of the tips on frugal cooking that I've read and recipes on 70 ways to make beans. But that wasn't the case at all. The book inspired me to try a few new things - such as cutting back on the amount of meat in my recipes. I typically buy family packs of 6 pounds of ground beef. I then re-package them and freeze them in individual one-pound packages. If I packaged them by 3/4 of a pound instead of 1 pound, I could get two extra meals out of a family pack of ground beef. Over the course of a year, that could save a lot of money. It would also be good for my family's health.

The recipes are yummy: Hawaiian Chicken Wings, Stacked Enchiladas, French Onion Soup, and more. Many of the recipes include additional tips, such has adding a tablespoon of sugar to a recipe that is too spicy for your taste.

I highly recommend this book and think it would make a great gift for a new bride or even an accomplished frugalite. The recipes are simple and inexpensive to make and the information is extremely useful.

Review: Retire Happy: What You Can Do NOW to Guarantee a Great Retirement

I must admit that as a thirty-something person, I haven't read a lot of retirement books. I've read my share of news and magazine articles on the subject, and I've read books on investing, but not on retirement.

I recently read "Retire Happy: What You Can Do NOW to Guarantee a Great Retirement" by Richard Stim and Ralph Warner. This was a much different book than I expected. I was expecting a ho-hum book outlining how to save for retirement and maximize my investments.

Instead Retire Happy takes a very practical, holistic approach to preparing for retirement.

The book talks about the importance of staying healthy both mentally and physically. It gives a lot of ideas on how to strengthen your family ties and interpersonal relations. The book also outlines the importance of developing lifelong interests and activities and eliminating your debts.

Retire Happy was a quick enjoyable read, although a bit simplistic at times. The book definitely makes for a good starting point for those wanting to plan ahead for their golden years.

Review: Everyday Cheapskate's Greatest Tips

It seems like everyone has a tip for saving money these days... including yours truly. Fortunately with the cost of every day items like milk and eggs increasing 10 to 20 percent over last year, people seem to be looking for those tips.

I picked up the book "Everyday Cheapskate's Greatest Tips: 500 Simple Strategies for Smart Living" by Mary Hunt from the bargain section of Barnes and Noble. I used the free gift card I earned from MyPoints.

I'm a big Mary Hunt fan, so I was looking forward to this book. I was a bit dismayed to learn within the introduction, that the book technically isn't written by her. It's really a compilation of readers' tips to her syndicated Everyday Cheapskate newspaper column.

That little bit was enough to turn me off. I mean, I thought I was getting Mary Hunt, not Mary Hunt's readers! But then I started to read it the book.

It's a quick read - divided into easy-to-reference, alphabetized sections such as Automobiles, Babies and Kids, Grocery Shopping , and Travel.

The tips are simple and easy to follow, such as how to make your own dishwasher rinse agent or how to remove fruit stains from clothing.

There weren't a lot of "A-ha!" moments as I read this book, but I still found a few good tips. I will say that the book is a bit tamer and more accessible to the average saver than some of the extreme money saving strategies of "Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn.

The book is worth reading, but I would try to find it at your local library rather than purchasing it. If you can't spare the time for that, you can also subscribe to daily Everyday Cheapskate e-mails for FREE without ever having to leave the house.

Review: You're Broke Because You Want to Be

I recently read the book "You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead" by Larry Winget.

Winget, who calls himself "The pitbull of personal development" has written a few other books and you may have seen him on the A & E show "Big Spender."

Winget does not mince words. He does not sugar coat anything. And if you appreciate that kind of person, this book may just be the kick in the pants you need.

Winget is all about personal responsibility (my kind of guy!). In an early chapter of the book, he writes, "Stop being a victim! No one else is to blame for your situation. Broke didn't sneak up on you in the night. A stack of unpaid bills didn't show up while you weren't looking. You didn't suddenly get behind. You chose to spend your money the way you did."

He also writes, "You want to be broke because you are. If you wanted to stop being broke, you would have done something about it already." He highlights all of the excuses people use for why they are in the financial mess they are in and blows holes in them.

His book is intended to be a workbook of sorts. He encourages you to do a budget, examine your goals and values (i.e. give up the cigarettes if you really want to help save for your kids education), and respect money (Winget picks up every coin he finds on the sidewalk).

I'm at a point in my life, where I don't really need to read this book. Still, I appreciated his directness and his ideas about people's relationship to money. And the book comes with free downloads of several e-books and mp3s.

If you're looking for someone to kick your butt for making a mess of your finances, this book is for you.

And if you are truly broke, make sure to check it out from the library or borrow it from a friend!

My thoughts on "The Total Money Makeover"

I had never heard of financial guru Dave Ramsey until late last year when I caught his show on Fox Business. I have since fallen in love with the show. I enjoy his common sense approach to taking personal responsibility for your finances. For Christmas, my sweet hubby got me his bestselling book, "The Total Money Makeover."

I liked the book... but for me, it wasn't anything really new. First of all, if you pay any attention to what he says on his TV and radio show, you have pretty much read the book. Secondly, by the time I got this book, I was already well on my way through his "Baby Steps" to financial prosperity. I think if you are burdened with lots of debt, feeling helpless, and not knowing where to turn, Dave Ramsey's book really could change your life. But my life-changing moment came years ago when I heard someone else talking about getting out of debt on a local radio show.

Still, there are a few really positive things I will take from this book. The first is the idea that you and your spouse/significant other MUST be a team. In order for you to achieve your goals, you must both be on the same page... there is no "my" money and "his" money... It's "our" money.

The second thing I really connected with from this book is Dave Ramsey's mantra: "Live like no one else so later you live like no one else." This is the phrase that drives me. I know that sometimes our friends and family don't get why we don't buy things if we don't have the money. But I know that we have our reasons.... we want to have a comfortable future. Money can't buy happiness.... but it can certainly provide a bit of security.

Libraries are a Cheapskate's best friend

If you're looking to save money on entertainment, look no further than your local library. I live equal distance between two awesome libraries, and because of that, I have saved a lot of money.

When you think about libraries, most people think about books. I check out all kinds of books from my library - how-to, personal finance, fiction, cooking, children's books - you name it. Any time I hear about a book that sounds interesting, I always check my library first. Most libraries in the country have inter-library loan systems, so if they don't have the book you want, they can get it. Not only am I saving money by not buying books, but sometimes I learn things from them that allow me to save more money. I've read a lot of books about frugal living at my library. I've also done a lot of product research (via Consumer Reports) utilizing the library.

The library also helps keep the clutter under control at my house. I don't need to have shelves and shelves of books in my house when I know I can check them out anytime I want at the library.

The library also has videos, DVD's, CD's, and magazines. Every couple of months, I spend an hour at the library looking at all the magazines. I don't have to pay to subscribe to them, and I don't have to deal with the clutter they leave behind (and those stupid subscription cards!). My library also just started offering downloadable books in MP3 format, so you can listen to books in your MP3 player.

Our local libraries also have great programming. There are book clubs, interesting speakers, and stimulating children's programs. It's also a great place to access the internet if you don't have access at home.

For those of you who stick close to home in the country, there is a bookmobile that comes nearby, and our community has a "Mail-A-Book" program where the library sends you books (no postage charges!) to read.

The library is one of the most useful tools in a frugal person's toolbox. Check it out!