10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget (Paperback)

~ The Writers of Wise Bread (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The bloggers at the personal finance site wisebread.com offer thousands of ways to spend less while still enjoying life....Brightly illustrated and offering multiparagraph tips organized into topical sections, this guide...will give novices quick, simple answers. (Library Journal)

The bloggers at the personal finance site wisebread.com offer thousands of ways to spend less while still enjoying life....Brightly illustrated and offering multiparagraph tips organized into topical sections, this guide...will give novices quick, simple answers. (Library Journal)

Product Description

Tips for living the good life—in a bad economy—from WiseBread.com. Filled with savvy tips on how to live, eat, shop, and have fun on a small budget, 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget is a compilation of the juiciest tips from the #1 personal finance blog WiseBread.com, including:

• 9 Ways to See the World For Free
• 12 Ways to Live Rent or Mortgage Free
• 6 Steps to Eliminating Your Debt Painlessly
• 7 Ways to Score Free Food
• Bulk Buying 101
• 10 Killer Ways to Feel Like a Million Bucks
• 6 Horrible Financial Products to Avoid
• 7 Beauty Secrets that Cost Almost Nothing
• 50 Ways to Get the Most Out of Health Care
• 12 Fabulous Frugal Party Ideas

Too many frugal living books focus on the negative, throwing around words such as "sacrifice" and "responsibility" like there was a fire sale at the Boring Store. But the writers at Wise Bread believe the key to financial wellness isn't a ramen-eating, vacation-skipping, fun-depriving life. Far from it. The best way to ensure that readers will stick to a budget is to help them create a lifestyle that is as much fun as it is practical. 40 color.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing; Original edition (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160239704X
• ISBN-13: 978-1602397040
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,546 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff!, May 2, 2009

By	S. Nguyen (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I didn't expect much for $10 bucks but was floored by the extensive amount of information covered by this 350 page book. The tips are great in that most of them are easy to execute and applicable to everyone. You can pick up the book, browse through a few sections, and immediately apply the new wisdom in your life.

The sections on finance, travel, and entertainment are exceptional. Tips like how to get the best airfare, lower cell phone bills, reduce your mortgage, etc. can save you money right away. If you like books that get straight to the tips without long intros and boring personal anecdotes, this is the book for you.

I take away a star for the gaudy use of glossy paper for the book. For a book about frugality and being "savvy", wouldn't it be more fitting to print this on recycle paper? There's even a green living section in this book, ironically. Have to admit the colorful design kept my interest, but the tips themselves are good enough for that. No need for the fancy paper.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect gift for grads, May 8, 2009

By	S. Jeng - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

10,001 Ways is a gateway to frugality. What do I mean by that? It isn't a hardcore frugality book focusing on brown bagging lunch for your entire life. Instead, it is a kinder, gentler, introduction to the idea of living within your means. Some of the other finance books provide outrageous (and depressing) ideas so difficult to follow that you might give up immediately. All the tips here are fun and easy to follow.

If you've missed a couple of mortgage payments and creditors are knocking down your door, this book isn't for you. You need something a lot more drastic.

This book is perfect for young people just starting out in life. The fun and breezy writing is engaging, and the tips are offered without judgment or condescension. The cooking tips will be especially useful for college students living on their own for the first time.

I will be giving this book away as a graduation present for years to come. This is a gift that keeps on giving.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedia of Savings, May 12, 2009

By	M. Jean - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a giant encyclopedia of how to save money. It covers everything you want to know - like the best time to buy airfare, where to hide your money, and how to make organic homemade beauty supplies. It also covers some stuff I rather not know - like how to conserve toilet paper or how to score free food with flirting.

Overall the content is a bit disorganized. I guess that's comes with the territory when you have so many tips. This book is based on a fairly popular consumer blog called Wise Bread. I'm a fan of the blog's folksy approach to finance and enjoy getting to know each blogger's quirks and personal backgrounds. Sadly this edition of the book is mostly focused on tips and doesn't really go too much into each blogger's personal stories and why they are so frugal, which in my opinion is one of the best reasons to follow the blog.

Bottom line: Regular Wise Bread.com readers might be a bit disappointed since this book doesn't reveal additional personal stories of the Wise Bread bloggers. But if you are just looking for lots of great, fun tips to save money this is a great buy.