[.ca] The Complete Cheapskate: How to Get Out of Debt,Stay ... (ISBN 0312316046)

Moneysaving Tip #1: Don't Buy This Book:
I cannot believe this book exists. First of all, she spends a good half of the book with this weird, overkill, convoluted little accounting system where basically you hide your own money from yourself but later get to find it again. Frankly, anybody who can't get a grip on their cash flow and spend within their means is NEVER going to be able to do the bookeeping needed to apply this "system". So half the book is a waste of money right there. The rest of the book is just this littany of Betty homemaker moneysaving tips, most of which are either already obvious to even a dilettante moneysaver or you could probably find by Googling for a couple hours on the subject matter of your choice. It is also bespeckled with patronizing little pieces of advice that are just-plain off-topic. For instance: stay out of the fast lane when you're driving because it's dangerous. So like I said, your 1st step toward a cheapskate lifestyle involves not buying this book. There. I just saved you $10. :)

Best of all Mary's Debt control/Budget books.:
This book contains most of her best stuff in one place. Three things stand out: 1.- Snowball debt reduction which is the best debt reduction plan going. 2.- Her concept of dealing with irregular income (windfalls, bonuses etc) and irregular expenses (dental bills, vet visits, tires for the car etc). She explains how to set up a separate account called the freedom fund for these things. 3.- An excellent set of tips and hints on saving money. These are the more practical variety, not the save your dryer lint variety. That said, sometimes the way she explains the freedom fund can be a bit confusing. Start by using Bonnie McCullough's Household budget Planner for a clear overview of where the money is going, and a good reminder of the different places you need to plan for such as vet bills, dentist bills and other non monthly expenses. I find the ready to use forms in Bonnies book a real head start for setting up a budget. But for really getting a handle on managing the irregular expenses, grab a highlighter pen and really study what Mary says about the freedom account. And definitely if you are in debt and it's out of control, read the snowball debt reduction advice.

Mary Hunt's the Complete Cheapskate : How to Get Out of Debt:
I found out about this book through a friend of mine. Five years ago, she was in debt, driving a 9 yr old car, and having some problems with finances. Last year, after paying off her new car with cash, she purchased a condo. I asked how she changed so dramatically. She told me about this book. Last year, I sent this book to my sister who was 20K in debt. She was worrying about her finances every time we talked. Within a week of reading this book, her whole attitude changed and her worry was gone. She started the system in the book. Today, her debt is reduced to 14K and she is very confident in eliminating her debt in the near future. The results I have witnessed have been phenomenal! I have always been a saver but have always wanted to help my sister who was troubled with her finances. I tried to help her but the only result was more frustration. Sending this book to my sister was the best thing I have done for her. And I won't hesitate to send it to anyone else in my life that needs this type of help.

Ingenious way of approaching common-sense money management.:
Simply put: this book changed my life. I couldn't put it down once I started it. I have since begun my money makeover and things are looking better than they have in years. The book is a Godsend for those like me who found money disappearing every month. She uses common sense techniques, but the key is the way that they all work together. Also, don't discount this book if you're not a religious person. Even though she emphasizes God and tithing, you can give your money to ANY charitable organization and still follow her program. This book is not perfect, and although my complaints are minor, I do have a few. 1. My main complaint was that she ignores past-due debt when doing the money makeover. I had MANY past due bills and they just didn't fit into the makeover anywhere. My solution was to postpone opening my Freedom account for 3 months, and use that money to pay off as many past due accounts as I could. I also started my savings & giving at a lower percentage at first. It will work, just be VERY careful not to let total outgoing money exceed total income. Open your Freedom account as soon as possible, it is wonderful and essential to keeping on track. 2. She recommends dealing with cash. I found that dealing with cash was one of the reasons my money kept disappearing. I am electing to deal with as LITTLE cash as possible, so it's much easier for me to keep track of where I'm spending my money. Even with complaints, I still rate this book 5 stars because of the radical positive impact it had on my finances when I followed her program. I highly recommend it.

A Bit Disappointing:
I guess if you are really unable to handle your money, this book may help you. But most of the stuff is plain common sense you'll figure out in ten minutes if you just sit at a table with a pen and a paper and start counting your income and outcome and think about how should you use your money. There are three aspects about this book that I'll consider: 1. The advice on how to get out of debt is adequate. But it is not as sound and clear as that in Your Money Or Your Life. Hey, you can even get similar results by just reading The Richest Man In Babylon and doing everything it suggests and you won't be let too far behind. What I found disappointing was that this book is only well applicable by an american. It is not impossible to transfer the advice to other countries, but you'll have to rethink most of the math and tables yourself. 2. The end has some advice on how to live cheaper than in the past. There are some good tips here, but about half of it is just plain common sense like "buy in bulk and freeze it", "strecth your juices", "buy a used car", "shop second hand if possible", "if you need desperate money, sell something"... 3. I believe in God and all, but c'mon I didn't buy this book to read a lecture on God and charity. There is _way_ too much stuff about faith, religion, worshiping god, "giving the tenth", the Bible and such stuff. It is also not that good stuff. The same stuff is better told in The Power Of Your Subconscious by Murphy.