If you wrote a frugal book . . .

**Shell** · 09-18-2005, 10:08 PM

I don't know about you, but I have read several books on saving money and on frugality and I was wondering if you wrote a book on frugality what type of book would you write? What topics and ideas would you include?

I think one topic that would be important is to understand why we spend too much. Perhaps, if we learned to deal with WHY we like to buy we could tackle our many "shopping" bad habits.

I know I would want my book to have a lot of humor to make it more interesting.

Perhaps a good person would be an old grand-mother from the Great Depression to teach us all how to get by with what we already have. How to make our own gifts and mend our own clothes. I think someone like Grandma Walton would be a great teacher!

**Shell** · 09-18-2005, 10:12 PM

You ol' fool you!

**peanut** · 09-18-2005, 10:16 PM

I actually have such a book. I made one up for dd#1 and am making one up for dd#2. Keeping to true frugal form, I made the books from scratch, with leftover illustration board and fancy papers for covers on dd#2's. I used some old linen thread to sew the signatures together. And I mean old...it was my grandmother's! The signatures were just plain old 11 x 17" copy paper folded in half.

I call this my homemaker's journal.

For dd#1 the journal was covered with scrap fabric and vinyl with holes punched in it. Hers had 8 1/2 x 11" paper for pages.

I put all kinds of frugal information as I come across it into these books. I keep a copy for myself. I include frugal recipes, frugal tips for utilities, motivational quotes, biblical quotes on stewardship, etc. I include sample budgets, recipes to make cleaning products, my list of cleaning chores, aromatherapy recipes for illness and chronic conditions, etc.

**Shell** · 09-18-2005, 10:20 PM

That sounds like a GREAT book Peanut. How thoughtful of you to make it!

**graci42** · 09-19-2005, 12:08 AM

That is a wonderful idea! I think I'll have to do that for my kids. What a gift to give when they are ready to leave the nest!

Graci

**Michelle** · 09-19-2005, 07:54 AM

Originally posted by peanut
I actually have such a book. I made one up for dd#1 and am making one up for dd#2.

What a great idea!

**cheapgeek** · 09-19-2005, 09:14 AM

I need to make one for my mother.

If I was writing a book, I'd write it in the style of Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover". It would be a very harsh criticism of our culture. My tone would be blunt. I'd emphasize general attitudes initially, then go into specific tips and tricks.

**Michele Annette** · 09-19-2005, 10:56 AM

What a great idea Peanut!!!!

**Englishlady** · 09-19-2005, 11:06 AM

Being the bonkers old trout that I am, I would have to make it funny

..........but very user friendly

People want a quick and easy fix, so if you give them ideas they can use straight away, then that might just encourage them enough to stay the course and carry on............

I have often thought about doing a book, but most Brit's want what I have as a RESULT of being frugal, they just can't be bothered to DO what it TAKES to get there

Of course my fellow Brit FV chums are the exception

Meanwhile, I realised that my Laboratoire Karen-Yeah experiments are saving me not just money, but space too

and this is now starting to show as the number of products on the Toiletry shelf have reduced, but I have not suffered any ill effects from lack of designer brand goodies or indeed 29 types of body lotion

My lab work continues apace you just can't keep a good Guinea Pig down

**britbunny** · 09-19-2005, 12:20 PM

Originally posted by Englishlady
I have often thought about doing a book, but most Brits want what I have as a RESULT of being frugal, they just can't be bothered to DO what it TAKES to get there

You do know how to hit the nail on the head Karen.

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 09-19-2005, 05:24 PM

I have a cousin who still rents her house (not that this is bad) because she can't afford to buy one. She is always whining about how much others have that she and her DH and kids don't have.

On Christmas, my mom was telling her (in a nice way) that I make turkey soup from the carcass (she was deboning our grandma's turkey for her). Her reply? "I couldn't be bothered". Guess WHY she doesn't have a home of her own??? ATTITUDE!!! If she'd just change her attitude and get off her lazy butt (believe me, she originated the term "lazy"!) she could save enough $ for a down payment in a year or two. Cest la vie...some people just don't get it.

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 09-19-2005, 05:26 PM

FWIW, check out books published by Hoes of White Birches. They publish Good Old Days magazines and have great books about the old time art of thrift, etc. You can get these on eBay; don't pay full price for them!

**peanut** · 09-20-2005, 11:52 AM

"I have often thought about doing a book, but most Brit's want what I have as a RESULT of being frugal, they just can't be bothered to DO what it TAKES to get there "

This is so true even in Canada. I get accused of being cheap by relatives, and then they also accuse us of having lots of money. Well we don't. If we weren't "cheap", we'd have to move! It's all attitude.

So a frugal book should include a fair bit of attitude readjustment for people. I loved the Tightwad Gazette for this.

Amy D. also had one page which compared non-frugal costs of doing things to a half frugal and full frugal way of doing them. It was a real eye-opener to me. So I think including actual dollar comparisons is good.

I did this by figuring the cost to bake bread, buy it at the bakery thrift store and buy it at the grocery store. I wrote it all up in dd#1's Frugal Journal. Thanks for reminding me I need to add it to dd#2's Homemaker Journal.

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 09-20-2005, 07:48 PM

Dina, I was NOT trying to generalize about renters! Hey, I rented for several years too. I was just saying that she is always going on about how they can't "afford" a house when, in reality, they could if they'd just be frugal! She play the "poor, poor pitiful me" song on endless loop (YKMWIM?).

Some of the hardest working people I know are renters. There is not anything wrong with renting.

Dina, I am sorry you took my post this way. I put a note in parentheses "(not that this is bad)" so that I wouldn't offend anyone. Sorry you felt this way.

**peanut** · 09-23-2005, 02:04 PM

Ah...I think you must be referring to me. I'm not Dina. But I AM the only one who responded to your post.

No, I understood you fine. My post wasn't very clear I'm afraid. I was agreeing that attitude is a big factor in frugality. In how far someone will go and what decisions they make.

My relatives are spendthrifts and have oodles of money and are always 'poor'. I fail to see people going on international vacations yearly as poor. Especially when they travel 500 miles on a regular basis to shop! Their idea of 'poor' and mine are light years apart!

I chose to buy an old home with character and spend my time and money fixing it up as frugally as I can, rather than galavanting all over the world.

When they tell me I'm richer than they are, it's all I can do to keep my jaw off the floor and my mouth shut. I know for a fact we earn half of what the lowest earner amongst them does. they aren't shy about sharing their income levels!

In a way I am richer. I have a loving family who knows how to work together to make ends meet. We work as a team and we care for each other's wellbeing. To me that is worth far more than all the international trips and continental shopping!

Sorry if I confused you with my post.