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Favorite Frugal Books

2K views 12 replies 13 participants last post by  sunflowers*8890 
#1 ·
As far as I'm concerned, our beloved Amy Dacyczyn's "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" is the frugal living Bible. What are some of your other favorite frugal living/money saving books?
 
#2 ·
I have a book I like that is sort of "accidentally" frugal: Green Housekeeping. Based on the title you can guess it teaches you ways to make your own cleaners and use natural methods of cleaning (like cleaning a wool coat in snow!). It's not all frugal, but there are a lot of good tips.
 
#3 · (Edited)
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#5 ·
The Classics:

Tightwad Gazette

How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt and Live Prosperously

Personal Finance for Dummies

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (not technically a book about frugality but how can you stop over-spending if you don't know what you want out of life?)

The Millionaire Next Door

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

The Richest Man in Babylon

The Wealthy Barber

Think and Grow Rich

... but there are still so many I haven't read.
 
#6 ·
Believe it or not, one of the books (or series actually) that has always helped me want to do things frugally is the Little House Series. How much more frugal can you get than hunting or raising your own beef or pork, slaughtering it and then using each part of it down to the bladder to make a ball for the kids to play with? Or learning a skill you actually hate (Laura hates button holes) so you can do it as fast as possible to get it out of the way? Or how to make due with what you have (crows eating the corn so they shoot the crows and make pie)? It doesn't teach exactly how to do things but it got me interested, and coming from a farm family, I could understand some of it. So I am slowly teaching myself skills that help.
 
#11 ·
The Little House series is a real inspiration to me, as well. Dd and I watch the dvd's as well and it just gets me thinking to how I could more frugally and simply be living.
 
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#9 ·
Miserly Moms by Jenni McCoy and her cookbook (can't recall the name).
 
#10 ·
The Total Tightwad Gazette started it for me. ALthough it's outdated, I can see it as a classic.

Dave Ramsey and all he has to say.

Miserly Moms and
Miserly Meals
Fannie Farmer Cookbook (shows you how to cook a great meal that will be eaten.. and honesly, as long as it's eaten in full - isn't that frugal? Waste not, want not)

A few others, but I can't think right now.
 
#13 ·
Interesting that Little House inspires so many people! I've always been inspired by the struggles of the Depression era, so last year I treated myself to "Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression" by Janet Van Amber Paske. I bought volumes 1,2 & 3, and I love them! They are filled with short stories about daily life in the 1930s, when almost everyone was living in poverty. Very inspirational for anyone wanting to pursue a frugal, simplistic lifestyle. Some of the recipes are drastically impoverished, but they certainly are a good learning tool for how to improvise and make do with less! This was the lifestyle of my grandparents.... not so long ago!
 
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