Thrift Book [Hardcover]

India Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2008

Feeling poor because of recession? Feeling guilty because of global warming? Feeling like you'd quite like to tighten your belt, but aren't quite ready to embrace DIY macrame handbags? No need to panic. Put down the economy mince and buy this book instead - it's a blueprint for living beautifully while saving money and easing your conscience. India Knight (no slouch when it comes to extravagance) shows you how even a dedicated consumer and child of the more-is-more 1980s can mend her ways, embrace the New Thrift, and find her life - and bank balance - dramatically improved in the process.She will show you: how to make wonderful dinners with very little money; how to grow things; how to make jellies, chutneys and pickles and how to can vegetables and fruit; how to dress on a budget and still look fabulous - and what to do with your mum's old sewing machine; how to make the most of living in a community, from borrowing preserving pans (that's right, we're making jam) to starting a toy-swapping group; how to holiday in new and imaginative ways - with only the merest whisper of a carbon footprint; how to make your own fun, from crafts to making presents, from parties to affordable pampering; and, finally how to manage your money - because, frankly, it's about time we all got a grip. Above all, India Knight will show you that saving money and tightening your belt doesn't have to feel like a penance - it can be both fun and glamorous (and a great deal more satisfying than buying the latest It-bag). Try it - you have nothing to lose but your overdraft.

Editorial Reviews

Review

India Knight shows you how to say no to waste, save pots of money and look good while you are doing it Sunday Times A joyous read, The Thrift Book might be the only surefire investment out there Harper's Bazaar A blueprint for living well, however broke you are, with thrifty tips on looking fab, cooking, pampering and partying Cosmopolitan A triumphant treat and a useful and sensible manual Independent Brims with tips on how to live well on little cash The London Paper Endearing and informative -- Fay Weldon Observer Belt tightening at its most fun Closer --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

India Knight is the author of My Life on a Plate, Don't You Want Me, The Shops and Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet. She is a columnist for the Sunday Times and lives in London with her three children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Fig Tree (November 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905490372
• ISBN-13: 978-1905490370
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,000,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Could have been so much more, February 12, 2010

By 

Irezumi Muzan (Wales) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Thrift Book: Live Well and Spend Less (Kindle Edition)

I bought this for my Kindle after reading the very interesting sample. It contained anecdotes and tips that I thought would be useful as I embarked on a year of eco living (I've since largely given up on that one for many different reasons). After the first few chapters, though, this book really loses it. It turned into just a long list of web references (many of which are no longer valid, of course) with very little substance. The first chapter is the best. I can safely say you are missing out on nothing you could not find yourself with a quick google search if you skip the rest of the book.

Of all the Kindle books I have read so far, this is the absoulte worst for formatting. The text jumps all over the place with hefty secions relocated to later in the chapter and many words cut out. I do wish people who release books via the Kindle would ensure they were up to standard before taking our money.

3.0 out of 5 stars aimed at UK audience, February 16, 2010

By 

Margaret Weatherford (Alexandria, VA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Thrift Book: Live Well and Spend Less. India Knight (Paperback)

I loved India Knight's "The Shops" and visited several of the recommended shops on my next trip to London. This book is basically a budget-minded version of "The Shops" with a few tips repeated. It's enjoyable, but many of the recommendations are specific to the UK, and even just to London. The book isn't edited for the American audience and the recipes use metric measurements. Much of the generally applicable advice is basic common sense - buy used, garden, use the library, etc. The book goes into the most detail on Knight's personal interests in fashion, beauty, and crafts.

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and practical, September 20, 2009

By 

Ruth Duvall "Avid reader" (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Thrift Book: Live Well and Spend Less. India Knight (Paperback)

This book is very entertaining, funny, and practical. Knight lives in London, but most of her recommendations can be applied in the US. She has a great deal of joie de vivre, and doesn't lose her sense of humor as many American authors on the topic often do. Her explanation of finance and the economy are for the UK, but otherwise, it's a very useful book.