Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less

It all starts with a penny. An indispensable omnibus for graduates sharing their first apartment, young families stretching a dollar, retirees, students, frugalistas (the fashionably frugal), career-changers, and anyone who wants to cut back and needs ideas for how to get started, Be Thrifty offers positive solutions for every facet of our lives, covering food, health, finances, entertainment, education, travel, clothing, pets, and those often costly special occasions from a big family Thanksgiving to getting married.

Be Thrifty is not about being cheap-it's about being smart and self-sufficient. Drawing on the work of experts in every field, it shows how to cut your food bills, cut your credit card debt-cut your own hair. Financial writers explain how to create a budget, and the thriftiest ways to invest in the market (thrifty people are savers, and savers need to make their money work hard). Professional chefs give step-by-step advice for shopping for the cheapest, tastiest ingredients-and offer recipes that put those ingredients to good use, from homemade Chinese take-out to the frugal barbecue. There are also tips on creating a home spa; why beeswax candles burn the longest; the twenty best bottles of wine for under $10; tips for building a budget music collection, including how to buy from a flea market with confidence; how to sell your home without a realtor; the adjustable-wrench guide to home plumbing repair; how to make your own fresh mozzarella for less than half the cost of an Italian deli's brand; the basics of negotiating a killer rate on a car; keeping your clothes looking great without a trip to the dry cleaner; unspooling old sweaters and repurposing the wool; the stuff you should buy in bulk and the stuff you shouldn't; how to outfit a nursery; and much, much, much more.

Thrift — the word derives from thrive. Be Thrifty — it's how to thrive, and feel good and virtuous about it, too.

Be Thrifty is not about being cheap; it's about being smart and self-sufficient. Drawing on the work of experts in every field, it shows how to cut food bills, credit card debt, and even cut hair to save money.

This indispensable guide starts with a penny and shows how to thrive--which is what the word 'thrifty' in fact means. Thrift is not simply about saving money. Thrift is practical, and thrift is smart. It"s about good sense, about being independent and self-reliant. And Be Thrifty is exactly what"s needed to get there, bringing together expert advice, shared wisdom, hundreds of innovative ideas, step-by-step directions, and more.

Pia Catton is a journalist and the coauthor of The Comfort Diner Cookbook. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Califia Suntree, a former magazine editor and cookbook editor, runs the food blog Spooningmag.com. She lives in Los Angeles.

The Big Picture: The what, why & how

Chapter 1: Home, sweet (thrifty) home

Clean it, fix it, love it (drive it)

Chapter 2: Animal, vegetable, budget

The well-tended garden & well-loved pet

Chapter 3: Food & the thrifty cook

Making the most of every morsel

Chapter 4: The family that saves together

The rules, the scoop & some good old-fashioned fun

Chapter 5: Taking care of you

Mind, body, spirit, wallet

Chapter 6: Living the life of leisure

Gatherings, getaways & gifts

Chapter 7: Thrift & your wallet

All systems go

Contributors & Sources

Acknowledgements

Index