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This is one book that, quite frankly, I don’t want to give away. But hogging “Fix it, Make it, Grow it, Bake it: the DIY Guide to the Good Life,” by Billee Sharp would be cruel. (See how to win it below).
In 263 pages spread across seven chapters, Sharp tackles extreme thriftiness, shares a detox bath recipe, promotes bartering over buying, and that’s only half the book! I got sucked into her tipS for unsticking wood drawers, making sourdough starter, and constructing your own Christmas tree decorations.
Sharp’s directions are
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I asked you to share what wealth meant to you for a chance to win “The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in its Place” by New York Times best selling author and CSI: NY actor Hill Harper and the vast majority of readers agreed that wealth is not about living an opulent life. It’s about the richness you find in your faith, family and friends.
With this in mind, Harper wrote his non-traditional finance book that teaches readers how to take control of their money. After reading all your comments, I declared reader
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
New York Times best selling author and CSI: NY actor Hill Harper shares personal anecdotes in his latest book on the real meaning of being wealthy. “The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in its Place,” is not a traditional financial literacy book, but it will help you control your finances.
Harper guides his readers to reevaluate their take on money. Coming from a family full of doctors and having been diagnosed with cancer, Harper writes about money as if it were someone’s health in need of treatment plan:
Our society is addicted to debt, and, exacerbating that problem, we live in a culture that associates material objects — “bling” — with success. Those two factors have led us to overvalue money. So much so that in many ways we “chase paper” just as intently as
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I asked you to share how you’ve benefited from others’ generosity for a chance to win “Saving Savvy,” by Kelly Hancock of Faithful Provisions and many of you wrote wonderful stories of how others have blessed you.
I was particularly moved by reader Linsday‘s response and declared her the winner. She wrote:
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
A smart new book on saving money is really in line with what we do on BargainBabe.com. Below, you can win my review copy! Our blog friend Kelly Hancock of Faithful Provisions (we link to her Kroger grocery coupons every Wednesday) just published “Saving Savvy: Smart and Easy Ways to Cut Your Spending in Half and Raise Your Standard of Living…and Giving.” Long title, but a quick read.
In her book, Hancock shares how she took a leap of faith when she left her corporate job and started blogging. She writes that she hopes to encourage others to trust in God to see their needs fulfilled as her family’s have been meet. The book has a strong emphasis on giving back. Hancock writes:
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
From the 60 comments left on my book review of Clark Howard’s “Living Large in Lean Times,” it seems many of you know a lot about living large on budget. That’s great! The person I picked as the winner is enthusiastic and eager to learn more.
Without further ado, the winner of the book is
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
In “Living Large in Lean Times,” author, radio host, and penny pincher Clark Howard says he is frequently asked when the economy is going to come back. To win this book, see below. Clark’s response shocks a lot of people: five to ten years. So what’s a person to do in the meantime?
Learn to live large in lean times, says Howard. He writes:
I can’t predict when the nation will get healthy. But I can help you empower yourself so that you have your personal financial house in order. That way you can survive and ultimately prosper regardless of the country’s progress. You do it one step at a time, fixing your finances and then building the path to independence and ultimately, dare I say, wealth.
The 251-page book, on sale for the first time today, is divided into
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Reader Patricia is the winner of my review copy of The Real Cost of Living by Carmen Wong Ulrich. Patricia said she has a handle on her finances, but her adult children are not there quite yet. She wrote:
At 60, I’ve pretty much figured this stuff out. What kills me, though, is seeing my 4 adult kids (aged 30-40) frittering away money on Starbucks, eating out, etc. If I mention stuff like that to them, it goes in one ear and out the other. But, if I could say, “Hey, I won this book and I’m passing it on to you”. . . . .
Patricia, I am (more…)
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
The impact our behavior and motivations have on our financial decisions is the focus of The Real Cost of Living by Carmen Wong Ulrich. Ulrich, who has a degree in psychology and was the former host of CNBC’s On the Money, says she sees money differently because she was not trained in the profession:
Economics has finally recognized that we are not rational creatures; we’re not all about the accounting. Behavioral economics, the study of the neuropsychology behind how we behave with our money, has won Nobel Prizes. But it’s also about time – especially for those of us in personal finance – to realize that there is a lot more going on than money when it comes to making decisions about our money and our lives.
What spoke to me the most was the chapter on the real cost of bad habits. (more…)
I got so caught up last week with the “I BRAKE FOR BARGAINS” bumper sticker giveaway, that I forgot to pick a winner of Natalie McNeals’ The Frugalista Files. If you missed my book review, Natalie chronicles her desperate attempt to escape debt while still living a fabulous life. She keeps herself accountable by listing her total debt at the beginning of each month. Learning Natalie’s secrets to paying down her $21,000 of debt by about $500 a month are fun to read and very entertaining.
The winner is announced below. Honorable mentions go to Marcia, who shows (more…)
Full disclosure: I have never met author Natalie McNeal but I consider her a frugal blog friend.
When I received Natalie McNeal’s The Frugalista Files: How One Woman Got Out of Debt Without Giving Up the Fabulous Life
Lucky me, because there are so many funny and true moments in this book that I can share them and you’ll know how much this book deserves your $8.56 (on Amazon.com, anyway). Incidentally, I read the entire 179-page book on a flight from Providence, RI to Phoenix with time to spare. The Frugalista Files is fun.
On changing her life: “Being a spending slut is ruining my life. (more…)
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Reader Jane is the winner of my review copy of How to Shop for Free: Shopping Secrets for Smart Women Who Love to Get Something for Nothing. Jane said she would like to add this to her budget and savings library. She wrote:
This book looks like it contains a wealth of couponing and savings info. I would love to have it in my budget and savings library. I also think it would make a great gift for my college sophomore daughter!
Jane, I hope you enjoy reading the book. But most importantly, please pass this on to your daughter so she can also benefit from the tips. I know money can be tight when you are a college student, but college is a great time to learn to manage your income.
The first runner up is Jennifer Nicholas, who wants to use the book’s tips to score more items for the care packages she sends to deployed soldiers. The second runner up is Tiffani W., who is a Kathy Spencer fan and has become a coupon hound.
If you missed my review, author Kathy Spencer shows you how to get the best deals at popular stores like Rite Aid, CVS and Target. In her 237-page book she also shows you how to lower your cable bill, eat healthy on a budget and get discounts at the mall.
If you didnt win my review copy and would like to read the book, you can order it from Amazon for $10.58.
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Wanting to save money in this economy is a no-brainer, but being able to do it is another thing. Thats where author Kathy Spencer comes in. Her 237-page book How to Shop for Free: Shopping Secrets for Smart Women Who Love to Get Something for Nothing
Kathy is known for taking a $267.22 grocery bill down to one cent. The majority of her expenses are free and in this book she lets you in on her secret. She writes:
Ill tell you what Ive told them: Ive cracked the code. Legally, of course; I play by the rules. Ive simply created a strategic way to shop that maximizes promotions and sales to save thousands of dollars a year.
My favorite part of the book is when Kathy (more…)
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Reader Nanette is the winner of my review copy of Toss, Keep, Sell!: The Suddenly Frugal Guide to Cleaning Out the Clutter and Cashing In. Nanette made it her goal to declutter her home this year. She writes:
This might really help me. I had as a goal for 2010 to clean and declutter my home. It has been a (almost) yearlong project and I will need to continue into 2011. Not what I had envisioned!! I have made some progress but not enough. I seem to try to get everything done on week-ends and still have fun. Doesnt quite work out that way. I need a fresh idea! (more…)
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Leah Ingram shares tips to turn trash into cash in her 250-page book Toss, Keep, Sell!: The Suddenly Frugal Guide to Cleaning Out the Clutter and Cashing In, which was borne out of her blog, SuddenlyFrugal.com. You may be tempted to hire someone to clean up the mess, but why spend money when you can be making money? Ingram writes:
There’s no reason to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 an hour to hire a professional organizer to go through your closets — you can do that yourself. That’s where this book comes in. It will help frugal folks like you get your home in order and help you find ways to make money from things you no longer need or want.
In her book, Ingram shows you how to (more…)
