Synopses & Reviews
It used to be that “stuff” made you cool. That is so twentieth century. Jeff Yeager, the man dubbed The Ultimate Cheapskate by Matt Lauer on
Today, offers a completely fresh take on personal finance, teaching us how to enjoy life more by spending
less. He will show you how to buy less stuff, retire young, and live financially free, while you make a positive difference in peoples lives and save the planet along the way.
The Ultimate Cheapskates Road Map to True Riches lays out the practices and principles that have made cheap the new cool.
Live within your means at thirty and stay there. The Ultimate Cheapskate was living well on what he earned at thirty, so when he made more money, he saved every penny. Now he is “selfishly” employed, doing work he loves and helping others.
Do for yourself what you could have others do for you. Cheapskates are die-hard do-it-yourselfers. Its all about having the right tools, and The Ultimate Cheapskate will get you started.
Pinch the dollars and the pennies will pinch themselves. Its not the $3 cup of coffee; its the big-ticket decisions that determine whether youll be financially free. So buy a house, not a castle.
The Ultimate Cheapskates Road Map to True Riches promises a quality of life you cannot buy, a sense of satisfaction you cannot fake, and an appreciation for others and for the planet that gives life value. Open your road map and prepare to discover the true joys of financial freedom.
Synopsis
< p=""> Dubbed & #8220; The Ultimate Cheapskate& #8221; by Matt Lauer on < i=""> Today, <> Jeff Yeager transcends the earnestness of the simplicity gurus with a humorous, Dave Barry-like twist and explains how if you& #8217; re looking for something more in life, you can find it in something less. Yeager, who has always lived happily spending $40,000 a year or less, shares his financial philosophy and the practices and principles that allowed him to retire at forty-six: < br=""> < br=""> & #183; Live within your means at thirty and stay there. When Yeager made more money, he saved every penny and now he does what he wants to do when he wants to do it. < br=""> < br=""> & #183; Fiscal fasting: Try to go for a week without spending < i=""> any <> money. You& #8217; ll soon see just how much you have in your cupboards.< br=""> < br=""> & #183; Forget the & #8220; latte factor& #8221; It& #8217; s not the $5.00 cup of coffee that makes a difference; it& #8217; s big-ticket decisions. For instance, buy a house, not a castle.< br=""> < br=""> Quirky and unfailingly practical, Yeager will make you question our more-is-better culture, show you how to make the world a greener and better place, and help you discover the true joys of financial freedom.<>
About the Author
JEFF YEAGER has run nonprofit agencies, and is now a writer and the creator of the Web site ultimatecheapskate.com. He lives happily and frugally with his wife, Denise, in Accokeek, Maryland.
Author Q&A
Q: What twist of fate helped you become a cheapskate?A: I think you're referring to the bizarre story I tell in the book about how I first ended up on the Today Show, which branded me the "Ultimate Cheapskate" and launched my writing career, all as a result of losing a "Penny Pincher Contest" sponsored by finance columnist Michelle Singletary. Now keep in mind that Singletary was offering a $50 top prize so I was plenty psychedand I'm still plenty miffed that she shafted me on the cashola, but she did tell the Today Show that I was at least the funniest cheapskate in America. And, of course, long before I became a frugal celebrity, the miser gene has run in my family. I'm the latest in a long line of tight-knit tightwads. The Yeager family crest even bears the inscription Spartica Homo Erectus, Latin for "Cheapskate Who Stands Erect."
Q: What does your wife think of being married to one of the cheapest men in America?
A: With all due respect, I'm deeply offended by your question. I'm the Cheapest Man in America, not one of several equals. Matt Lauer even said so! If you don't believe him, then, fine, just ask my pooooor wife, Denise. She should know. After all, we've been married twenty-four years, or, as Denise says, "Nearly three and half wonderful years." Not all at once, mind you. In all seriousness, Denise is a good sport to put up with me and my out-of-control frugal libido. That's why I dedicated my book to her, even though she hasn't read it yet. Yep, I'm still waiting for her to cough up the $12.95, just like everyone else. Sorry honey, you gotta buy a ticket to see the show, even if it's dedicated to you.
Q: So what does it really mean to be a "cheapskate"?
A: All kidding asideand as you may have guessed by now there's a lot of it in my bookmy real message is that we spend and consume too much. The fact is that our current consumer culture in the U.S. and some other developed countries is both unsustainable to the Earth and, frankly, unfair to all the other people on the planet. Wow, I know, that's a serious, even painful message to hear, and that's why I wanted to deliver it with a laugh track. But ultimately the cheapskate philosophy behind what I'm saying is an optimistic, uplifting one. You see, not only is spending and consuming so muchas we currently dounsustainable and unfair, but in the end it's also unsatisfying and unnecessary for leading a full, happy life. My book is about two things: how to find the best value in things, and, more importantly, how to value the best things in life, which often come without a price tag. Its true message is that you can have it all, but only if you're willing to not pay the price.
Q. Can you be a cheapskate and still be fashion–forward?
A: Funny you ask, because I've noticed that being cheapspending and consuming wisely, for maximum life enjoymentis becoming the new cool (or would that be the new black?). You can't embrace the green movement, as so many Americans are rushing to do today, without also accepting that it probably means you need to consume less in your own life. The good news is that being more of a cheapskate, as I define it, isn't about sacrificeit's really about choices. It's about setting out to amass a quality of life, instead of just a quantity of stuff. It's about the fact that you may very well already have everything you really need or truly want in life, if you'll just slow down along the Road to Riches to realize it.