In December 2007, Stephanie O'Dea made a New Year's Resolution to use her slow cooker every single day for an entire year.And she wrote about it - complete with all of the successes and failures in her blog A Year of Slow Cooking.  Now O'Dea has taken her experience and written a fabulous new cookbook called Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking.And for those of you who love your slow cooker,  this book will not disappoint.   There are more than … [Read more...]

As a person who is trying to make the most of my hard-earned dollars, I'm always open to learning about new ways to make money. But when I first started reading Put More Cash in Your Pocket: Turn What You Know into Dough by Loral Langemeier, I was a little put off.  Langemeier believes that scrimping and saving is the "opposite of what you need to do to breathe easier." Her attitude is not to cut back, but to make more money so that you can have what you want.  I was put off by her strong … [Read more...]

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure Phil Villarreal is the guy stealing all of the great peelies off products in the stores. I'm also pretty sure he might be the guy who signs up for freebies using 20 different e-mail addresses. No, I don't have proof.  Not unless you count his new book Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel: 100 Dirty Little Money-Grubbing Secrets. Villarreal, who is a reporter for the Arizona Daily Star and a contributing editor at one of my favorite blogs, … [Read more...]

I've always felt that by using the word "cheapskate" in the title of my blog, that maybe, in some small way, it will lessen the stigma that comes with being a frugal person.It's like Lauren Weber read my mind.  She has recently published a book called "In Cheap We Trust: The Story of a Misunderstood American Virtue."In her book, Weber takes readers through a delightful journey of the history of frugality in the United States, as she tries to erase the stereotype of cheapness.  I was … [Read more...]

When I was first asked to review If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay: How  to Know if Your Child's Injury or Illness Is Really an Emergency by Lara Zibners, MD, I kind of chuckled to myself.I mean, I'm the mom of three boys.  Life is loud and full of cuts and scraps and bangs and bumps.  What do I need this book for? I mean... I think I have developed some serious Mom instincts. But after reading this book, I realized it is a book every mother should … [Read more...]

When Wise Bread recently posted it was looking for people to review it's new book "10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget," I jumped at the chance. I've been a big fan of Wise Bread for years. Their writers have challenged me and inspired me in my quest to live a frugal life. Their new book did not disappoint! One of the things that impressed me right away is that this book is in full color. The book's design is a joy to read because it's broken up into convenient bite-size sections … [Read more...]