Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less [Hardcover]

Pia Catton (Compiler), Califia Suntree (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 2010

It all starts with a penny. An indispensable omnibus for graduates sharing their first apartment, young families stretching a dollar, retirees, students, frugalistas (the fashionably frugal), career-changers, and anyone who wants to cut back and needs ideas for how to get started, Be Thrifty offers positive solutions for every facet of our lives, covering food, health, finances, entertainment, education, travel, clothing, pets, and those often costly special occasions from a big family Thanksgiving to getting married.

Be Thrifty is not about being cheap—it's about being smart and self-sufficient. Drawing on the work of experts in every field, it shows how to cut your food bills, cut your credit card debt—cut your own hair. Financial writers explain how to create a budget, and the thriftiest ways to invest in the market (thrifty people are savers, and savers need to make their money work hard). Professional chefs give step-by-step advice for shopping for the cheapest, tastiest ingredients—and offer recipes that put those ingredients to good use, from homemade Chinese "take-out" to the frugal barbecue. There are also tips on creating a home spa; why beeswax candles burn the longest; the twenty best bottles of wine for under $10; tips for building a budget music collection, including how to buy from a flea market with confidence; how to sell your home without a realtor; the adjustable-wrench guide to home plumbing repair; how to make your own fresh mozzarella for less than half the cost of an Italian deli's brand; the basics of negotiating a killer rate on a car; keeping your clothes looking great without a trip to the dry cleaner; unspooling old sweaters and repurposing the wool; the stuff you should buy in bulk and the stuff you shouldn't; how to outfit a nursery; and much, much, much more.

Thrift—the word derives from thrive. Be Thrifty—it's how to thrive, and feel good and virtuous about it, too.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This indispensable guide starts with a penny and shows how to thrive—which is what the word “thrifty” in fact means. Thrift is not simply about saving money. Thrift is practical, and thrift is smart. It’s about good sense, about being independent and self-reliant. And Be Thrifty is exactly what’s needed to get there, bringing together expert advice, shared wisdom, hundreds of innovative ideas, step-by-step directions, and more.

About the Author

Pia Catton is a journalist and the coauthor of The Comfort Diner Cookbook. She lives in Washington, D.C.


Califia Suntree, a former magazine editor and cookbook editor, runs the food blog Spooningmag.com. She lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (May 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761156097
• ISBN-13: 978-0761156093
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Smart & useful Book, May 8, 2010

By 

Philip Daughtry (Topanga, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less (Hardcover)

A very handy and practical book Be Thrifty is chock full of useful information on a wide variety of ways to save time, money, be more self sufficient, live healthier and empower folks to husband a household, a family, our leisure,our garden, our pets, our diets and a host of other areas where we tend too often to waste rather than save.
In addition it is cleverly written and designed for quick access.
Current economics beg for compilations like this but even if things were hunky dory and Goldman Sachs was a church, Be Thrifty is a must for every library. I have already applied its basic common sense wisdom to my own household and garden as it informs the reader about easily available cost saving solutions with a view to ecological health and economy all with an insistent focus upon "a happier,greener,healthier life." ( e.g. I got rid of powdery mildew on my peach tree after following one of many tips provided by a hoard of unpretentious experts.)
Thrift does not mean "cheap", in fact the authors point out that the root meaning of the word is:" intelligent,of excellent quality." The thriftiest idea about this book is to buy and use it. I have already handed copies out as gifts. Responses have been enthusiastic as there seems to be a corner of every one's life that needs a useful prescription to make living, well... thriftier. Usually, for me, thinking up presents is like asking stones to dance, but this one is a no brainer and I am covered through Christmas of 2011.
Be Thrifty is like an old fashioned almanac on how to live smarter.( It even shows how to cut hair.)
I shuttle my copy between kitchen and greenhouse; it's growing fat and leafy with earmarks already.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Paying Retail for, July 31, 2010

By 

Chris in Goleta "ruralwannabe" (Central California Coast) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less (Hardcover)

This is the only book I've bought full price new at Retail. Since I'm naturally thrifty, I have learned a lot from parents who grew up through WWII and whose early childhoods were spent while the country was in the Great Depression. Most of that was in this book, and a whole lot more. I found it useful to actually read it, and once having done that, kept it as a reference for the steps and recipes suggested. So many time I feel that saving money is looked down upon, it was pleasant to read an entertaining book that champions this point of view and teaches it too. The book covers a lot but is not encyclopedic, just enough to add to a typical person's repertoire of DIY and cooking knowledge. Also a good discussion of why we should do this. Surprisingly it doesn't feel like it is preaching to the choir, but reinforcing good ideas and showing how to implement them. And not so big as to be intimidating.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrifty tips, recipes and general how-to information, August 28, 2010

By 

Caren H (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less (Hardcover)

Having just finished 'Be Thrifty', my first impression is that it would be a great book for a single mom trying to make ends meet. Many easy home fixes (leaky toilet) can be fixed and this book will tell you how to do many easy fixes so you can save money. Also sandwiched in were lots of thrifty recipes and green tips. In many cases, going green is thrifty!

I liked the conversational tone of the book and the variety of contributors from all walks of life. Though I'm generally a thrifty person to begin with, I did come away from the book learning a few things I didn't know or didn't know how to do.