Frugal Living

The immensely popular blogger behind Little House Living provides a timeless and “heartwarming guide to modern homesteading” (BookPage) that will inspire you to live your life simply and frugally—perfect for fans of The Pioneer Woman and The Hands-On Home. Shortly after getting married, Merissa Alink and her husband found themselves with nothing in their pantry but a package of spaghetti and some breadcrumbs. Their life had seemingly hit rock bottom, and it was only after a touching act of charity that they were able to get back on their feet again. Inspired by this gesture of kindness as well as the beloved Little House on the Prairie books, Merissa was determined to live an entirely made-from-scratch life, and as a result, she rescued her household budget—saving thousands of dollars a year. Now, she reveals the powerful and moving lessons she’s learned after years of homesteading, homemaking, and cooking from scratch. Filled with charm, practical advice, and gorgeous full-color photographs, Merissa shares everything from tips on budgeting to natural, easy-to-make recipes for taco seasoning mix, sunscreen, lemon poppy hand scrub, furniture polish, and much more. Inviting and charming, Little House Living is the epitome of heartland warmth and prairie inspiration.

Poorcraft is the essential comic book guide to practical urban and suburban frugality! Whether you're new to independent living, a recent college graduate or just downshifting to a simpler lifestyle, Poorcraft can help you with everything from finding a home to finding a hobby, dinner to debt relief, education to entertainment. It's time to cut your expenses! Or just make sure they never pile up.

Break the spending habit and free yourself from financial fear—save money, plan ahead, pay off your mortgage, retire early! These days, more and more people are struggling to survive as their expenses go up, but their incomes do not. Making ends meet and achieving big goals like being debt-free, traveling, or putting your kids through college without loans is even more challenging. Whether you need to get your finances under control, or you want to achieve some big goals, the strategies to reach them are the same. In The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living, you will find hundreds of fresh ideas for living a life full of joy without spending a lot of money. Learn how to: Redefine necessities Set financial goals Make delicious food on a dime Teach your kids to handle money Save money with a Smartphone And so much more! This book will change the way you look at money—not having it, spending it, and saving it—to show you how frugality can make your life fulfilling and stress-free.

Feel like you’re trying to dig out from under a mountain of debt without a shovel? Tired of working your tail off just to break even? Is the high cost of living taking all the joy out of life? Unless you’re one of the top two percent of wealthiest Americans, all of the above should sound painfully familiar. While they’re trying to decide between the ski lodge in Telluride and the Tuscan villa, for the rest of us, it’s an endless litany of corporate lay-offs, stagnant wages, crushing credit card debt, skyrocketing medical costs, exorbitant utility bills, the high cost of higher education.... And they call this “the good life.” Is there a better way to live? Can you get what you need and what you want without killing yourself to get it? “Absolutely,” says frugal-living guru Deborah Taylor-Hough, and in Frugal Living For Dummies, she shows you how. In this warmhearted guide to living the good life on less, Deborah shows you how to live within your means and enjoy doing it. Among other things, she shows you how to: Eat like a king on a peasant’s budget Take the sting out of gift-giving Dress well on a shoestring Save big bucks on family expenses Slash household expenses Save on medical expenses Involve the whole family in saving money Save more for the things you want From basement to attic, cradle to grave, Frugal Living For Dummies covers all areas of life with common sense advice and guidance on: Working with your partner to achieve financial goals Going to the grocery without being taken to the cleaners Quick and thrifty cooking techniques Providing kids the basics on a tight budget Putting kids through school without going broke Looking good and feeling good on a tight budget Frugal holiday fun year round Saving money around the house and driveway Finding quality in pre-owned merchandise Packed with tried-and-true techniques for cutting costs and stopping the insanity, Frugal Living For Dummies is the ultimate financial survival guide for the rest of us.

Bestselling author and national columnist Marjorie Harris offers a timely and entertaining guide to living the thrifty life. Here are solid tips on how to haggle, how to find fashion deals, maintaining home and hearth on a budget, and money-saving ideas on gardening, travel, and entertainment. Thrifty is full of savvy advice drawn from harris's own experiences, and those of frugal friends such as literary legend Margaret Atwood, actor R. H. Thompson, and travel writer Sylvia Fraser. Written in her witty and engaging trademark style, Harris gives us an essential guide to living a quality life on less.

Who knew frugality could be so much fun? Australians are amongst the wealthiest people on the planet, but for some reason we don't like to think or talk about money. Once upon a time, thrift and frugality were celebrated as virtues - not anymore. When did 'frugal' become such a dirty word? It's time to reclaim it! When you respect and understand money, it almost magically transforms itself into something that grows exponentially. In The Joyful Frugalista, Money Magazine's Serina Bird shares myriad practical tips for saving money in small ways every day for a better, brighter future. Discover inside: *Ideas and resources for saving on everything from energy bills to weddings, clothing and eating out *Clever ways to cut down your waste *Tips for embracing the joy of minimalism *Ways to wring every drop of pleasure from the money you have *Challenges to help you live life better, including how to feed your family well on $50 per week. The Joyful Frugalista is the essential handbook to living frugally, mindfully and with real joy on any budget.

How happy would you be if you had all the money in the world? The universal lament about money is that there is never enough. We spend endless hours obsessing over our budgets and investments, trying to figure out ways to stretch every dollar. We try to follow the advice of money gurus and financial planners, then kick ourselves whenever we spend too much or save too little. For all of the stress and effort we put into every choice, why are most of us unhappy about our finances? According to Laura Vanderkam, the key is to change your perspective. Instead of looking at money as a scarce resource, consider it a tool that you can use creatively to build a better life for yourself and the people you care about. For instance, the average couple spends $5,000 on engagement and wedding rings, making these pricey purchases largely because everyone else does. But what if you decided to spend $300 on rings and apply the rest to future date nights, weekend getaways, and thinking-of-you bouquets over the next ten years? In he long run, what would bring more joy to your marriage? Likewise, will owning a home with a pristine lawn and a two-car garage—the American Dream—really make you more satisfied? Or are you saving up for this investment just because financial planners tell you it’s worth it? Vanderkam shows how each of us can figure out better ways to use what we have to build the lives we want. Drawing on the latest happiness research as well as the stories of dozens of real people, Vanderkam offers a contrarian approach that forces us to examine our own beliefs, goals, and values. Among her advice: Laugh at the Joneses: It’s human nature to compare yourself to those around you, but you can create lifestyle hat rings you personal satisfaction without copying your neighbors. Give yourself the best weekend ever: Studies show that experiences often bring more pleasure than material goods. With a little planning and creativity, you can give yourself a memorable getaway without leaving town or going broke. Embrace the selfish joy of giving: Giving back not only helps you build karma, it also helps you build a community—which is much more fulfilling than a tax deduction. All the Money in the World is a practical and inspiring guide that shows how money can buy happiness—if we spend it wisely.

As the credit crunch becomes a recession and rising energy prices take their toll on our finances, many of us have little choice but to cut back our spending. But life is for living, so why should budgeting mean a miserable existence? Instead, discover the pleasures of saving by becoming a frugal shopper, cutting energy and transport bills, growing vegetables and eating wild food. The Frugal Life is a tried and tested way of life, covering a huge range of topics, from growing and cooking and entertaining friends and children to enjoying Christmas without debt. It will also show you how to set a budget, cope with redundancy and cultivate a frugal nest egg for the future. This book is ideal for everyone, from the struggling student and first jobber, to families and pensioners getting used to a smaller budget - in fact anyone trying to live life for less.