Thrifty Living

Learn how to spend less, be kinder to the environment and go in the direction of your dreams! Back in 2011 I became a parent for the second time and wanted to quit my job and be a stay at home mum. We had just moved house and increased our mortgage, now had two children to look after and I preferred to buy costly eco-friendly and organic products. How was I going to be able cut my spending by enough money to quit my job and stick to my eco-friendly principles? The challenge was set and a year later I did quit my job to become a stay at home mum and blogger. I saved far more money than I ever could have imagined by being eco-friendly! In this book I share with you what I have learned over the years of saving money and the environment. There are lots of practical hints and tips, which overall will help you to: 1. Make the most of what you have2. Reduce your rubbish3. Save you money4. Unleash your creative side. Topics covered in the book include:1.Kitchen waste2.Stuff3.Sustainable fashion4.Cleaning5.Bathroom6.Entertainment7.Celebrations and special occasions8.Energy9.Getting fit10.Kids11.GardeningIf you think freeing up some cash could help improve your life, you care about the environment and you are ready to do things differently, then this is the book for you! Zoe Morrison is the author of award winning blog www.ecothriftyliving.com. She is regularly interviewed on BBC Radio and she has been featured in newspapers around the world.

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.

* Your ultimate guide to a cheaper, happier life, saving money everywhere from credit card bills to transport costs * Goes back to basics, with lots of advice on cleaning your home the old-fashioned way, growing your own vegetables and similar * A light-hearted approach that conceals plenty of practical tips and straightforward advice * You can either work through the book, or dip in and out at leisure Thrifty Living is a comprehensive but flexible guide to how to cut the costs of everyday living, how to save money, and even how to make a few extra pounds. It will allow you to make as many or as few changes as you want to cut back on spending, whether you just want to save a little money or whether you are on an impossibly tight budget. The structure and style of the book is equally flexible, allowing you to either work through step-by-step or to dip in and out of relevant sections when necessary. It covers all areas of spending, from banks and bills to shopping, and offers extra help for non-financial economies, including recycling, cooking and cleaning on a budget. With advice on cutting travel costs, and plenty of tips for cheap days out and sustainable, low-cost things to do, this is the ultimate guide to living a cheap but fulfilling life. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of thrifty living. FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

ABOUT THE BOOK So you want to live on less. Perhaps youd like to save for a downpayment on your first home or send your kids to private school. Maybe you have decided to quit your job to pursue a dream of starting your own small business. It could just be that you are seriously contemplating a simpler life, in which you drastically limit consumption and learn to rely on your own skills to survive. These days, you are not alone. The global recession has given rise to a growing number of frugalistas who are committed to getting the best deals on everything from toilet paper to funeral expenses. Websites like Fabulously Broke, Moolanomy, and Deal Seeking Mom prove that there is an approach for every thrift-seeking demographic. Thanks to hundreds of committed frugal bloggers, you can learn how to travel the world, decorate your home, entertain your children, and retire early, all for pennies on the dollar. The good news is that it has never been easier to learn how other people save their money. Unfortunately, this wealth of information can be intimidating for the novice thrift seeker, who doesnt know where to start or what specific advice to trust. How do you arrive at a plan that works for you? MEET THE AUTHOR Valerie Fulton is an award winning writer with experience in a wide variety of genres, from poetry to screenplays to academic and grant writing. A graduate of Colby College, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Virginia. She lives in Austin, Texas. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Know the difference between a good deal and a thrifty purchase. How many of us have purchased fruit or vegetables from the local warehouse store at a fantastic price, only to have much of that produce eventually spoil in the refrigerator? No matter how low the unit price is, if we are buying more than we can use, the reality is that we are paying the bulk price for a much smaller amount of food and would have been better off buying the same item at a higher per unit price at the grocery store. This principle applies to many things. We may enjoy building a bookshelf by hand, but if the materials cost more than a similar bookshelf advertised on Craigslist or available through your local freecycle, it is not a frugal activity; we have wasted both raw materials and our time. We may purchase a deeply discounted gym membership that goes unused, or a dress from the sales rack that goes unworn. True thrift involves not only knowing the market value of things, and learning how to obtain them for less; it involves the ability to buy only those items we will use, regardless of how hard it can be to resist a good sale or bargain price. CHAPTER OUTLINE Thrifty Living: Frugal Tips for Living on Less + Introduction + Approaching and Adapting a Frugal Lifestyle + Incorporating Thrifty Practices into Daily Life + When Thrift Ends Up Costing You + ...and much more

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.

Encourages thrift behaviors including planting a garden, cooking at home, cutting one's own hair, exercising with a gym membership, and avoiding or repaying credit card debt.

Written in Marjorie Harris's trademark witty, engaging, and accessible style, Thrifty is chock-full of simple and savvy tips drawn from her own richly thrifty experience, and those of renowned experts such as bestselling author Margaret Atwood, actor R. H. Thomson, travel writer Sylvia Fraser, and the Globe and Mail Style columnists. With solid tips on how to haggle, how to become a frugal fashionista, maintaining home and hearth on a budget, and practical advice on thrifty gardening, travel, and entertainment, Harris provides essential guidelines to living a quality life on less.

There are many benefits to frugal living and minimalism. The first is that it helps to keep people from getting deep into debt. Many consumers make the mistake of living well beyond their means. When a person takes on a large debt burden, they are not financially independent. This can hurt one's chances of maintaining a good credit score. Minimalism helps to ensure that people have the essentials that they need and that no matter what happens, people will be provided for.