Have anyone of you read...

**Cecilia** · 06-19-2008, 02:43 PM

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping, by Judith Levine?
What did you think of it??

I recently read an article about a woman who was inspired by Judith Levine and saw the reading of her book as the start of her frugal life.

I'm thinking about buying the book. But I guess I trust your judgement a bit more than my own *lol*

**joyofsix** · 06-19-2008, 02:52 PM

I have! I got it at the library. I found it interesting, though she wasn't doing it for frugal reasons. It led me to no spend weeks, which are for frugal reasons but also to just make me think of doing things differently.

**One Frugal Mom** · 06-19-2008, 02:58 PM

I have not read her book, but I saw a story about her on tv.

I try and have "no spend" days, but a whole week is hard. LOL I do good to have a few days in a row of no spend. Maybe one day I can have a no spend week. :-)

**cissylu** · 06-19-2008, 04:32 PM

never heard of it ,but it sound`s interesting.

**earthymom** · 06-19-2008, 04:36 PM

I heard about it on some radio show. Sounds interesting. But it seems strange to buy a book about not buying anything. Why don't you check it out from the library for free?

**FrugalWitch** · 06-19-2008, 05:20 PM

I read it when it first came out. Honestly, I wasn't overly impressed. She was leading (what seemed to me) an over-the-top, all -designer all-the-time lifestyle. I'm supposed to be impressed that someone didn't buy any more Donna Karan 100% cashmere sweaters for (gasp!) a whole year?

I finished the book, but thought it was fairly pointless. JMHO.

(PS) Ditto the library, get it free

**champagnium** · 06-19-2008, 05:26 PM

WOW....I haven't read it...but I definitly should!!! I'd love to see how she had food!!

**frugalandsimple** · 06-19-2008, 05:33 PM

Sounds like an interesting book. I know I couldn't do it. Too much temptations around me to get me to buy something I want that isn't a need. I've gone a few days without spending anything, but never a whole week.

**Frugal Nurse** · 06-19-2008, 07:04 PM

Do not waste your precious time reading this book!
I read it-and it was utterly embarassing! From a frugal standpoint.

First - she chooses this option because she doesn't want to buy Christmas gifts!! She's inconvenienced to have to buy and buy and wrap and wrap and she just doesn't have time for that.... that.... that consumerism!

Bring on January 1st.

She has two homes. An apartment in NYC (tells you a lot right there) and a home in Vermont (true Vermontites HATE the unflux of the yorkshires)

Anyway.. soooo.. sure she starts out her dialogue 'okay'. But she really gets into too much politics.. spends an entire chapter on whether cell phone towers should be allowed or not... and she didn't want one on HER land... but couldn't understand why true Vermontites didn't want them on their land either. I mean after all ... there was soooo much land and who would even notice a tower on the mountain top anyway!

The little sneaky chica uses this as a time where she can have OTHERS pay for her meal, her coffee. She struggles with it.. for about TWO lines =2 minutes! and then agrees it's okay to let the person pay for her. WRONG!

What really got my goat!? Is during this time... she's arranges a mega addition on their Vt home.

are we spending? or not spending? and is this frugal? Is a huge'r house NECESSARY for a D.I.N.K.? (it stands for Double Income No Kids... calm down!) Nope.
She had some convoluted excuse why making this addition was helping the economy since she was hiring locals. Of which she was inconvenienced about again.

Yea... she just transferred her NEED to spend into the other house.

They drove the big gas guzzling Volvos back and forth. Her major attempt was to not buy designer stuff... (OH! you should have heard her and her 'must have my wool prada socks for skiing.. waaa waaaaa- I can't wear anything else!... waa waaaa.... stomp... stomp... kick.... kick.... . monologue)... Sickening! like a spoiled brat!

The year was up... she resumed her usual self. Maybe it never really left.

But no lessons learned.

And that's my review of the book.

Save your money. If you really feel compelled to read it... borrow from the library.

**Buckeye5** · 06-19-2008, 07:07 PM

She lives in NYC, and has been on Oprah a few times to talk about it, or idea of being frugal and not spending money isn't the same as me.

**Cricket1** · 06-19-2008, 07:31 PM

DON'T BUY IT!!! See if you can get it at the library. I borrowed it and, like Frugal Witch, thought that the woman wasn't based in reality. The things that she was making do without were luxuries and she wasn't really coming close to "roughing it". JMHO.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 06-19-2008, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by Frugal Nurse

Do not waste your precious time reading this book!
I read it-and it was utterly embarassing! From a frugal standpoint.

First - she chooses this option because she doesn't want to buy Christmas gifts!! She's inconvenienced to have to buy and buy and wrap and wrap and she just doesn't have time for that.... that.... that consumerism!

Bring on January 1st.

She has two homes. An apartment in NYC (tells you a lot right there) and a home in Vermont (true Vermontites HATE the unflux of the yorkshires)

Anyway.. soooo.. sure she starts out her dialogue 'okay'. But she really gets into too much politics.. spends an entire chapter on whether cell phone towers should be allowed or not... and she didn't want one on HER land... but couldn't understand why true Vermontites didn't want them on their land either. I mean after all ... there was soooo much land and who would even notice a tower on the mountain top anyway!

The little sneaky chica uses this as a time where she can have OTHERS pay for her meal, her coffee. She struggles with it.. for about TWO lines =2 minutes! and then agrees it's okay to let the person pay for her. WRONG!

What really got my goat!? Is during this time... she's arranges a mega addition on their Vt home.

are we spending? or not spending? and is this frugal? Is a huge'r house NECESSARY for a D.I.N.K.? (it stands for Double Income No Kids... calm down!) Nope.
She had some convoluted excuse why making this addition was helping the economy since she was hiring locals. Of which she was inconvenienced about again.

Yea... she just transferred her NEED to spend into the other house.

They drove the big gas guzzling Volvos back and forth. Her major attempt was to not buy designer stuff... (OH! you should have heard her and her 'must have my wool prada socks for skiing.. waaa waaaaa- I can't wear anything else!... waa waaaa.... stomp... stomp... kick.... kick.... . monologue)... Sickening! like a spoiled brat!

The year was up... she resumed her usual self. Maybe it never really left.

But no lessons learned.

And that's my review of the book.

Save your money. If you really feel compelled to read it... borrow from the library.

I second this. Checked it out at the library. No real frugal tips...and it's full of swear words (and if you're conservative you'll be offended by many other things in it).

Total thumbs down.

**Clutterbug Jen** · 06-20-2008, 08:33 AM

I'd never heard of this lady or book but based on most reviews, I wouldn't waste any $ buying it.

Jen

**One Frugal Mom** · 06-20-2008, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by Frugal Nurse

Do not waste your precious time reading this book!
I read it-and it was utterly embarassing! From a frugal standpoint.

First - she chooses this option because she doesn't want to buy Christmas gifts!! She's inconvenienced to have to buy and buy and wrap and wrap and she just doesn't have time for that.... that.... that consumerism!

Bring on January 1st.

She has two homes. An apartment in NYC (tells you a lot right there) and a home in Vermont (true Vermontites HATE the unflux of the yorkshires)

Anyway.. soooo.. sure she starts out her dialogue 'okay'. But she really gets into too much politics.. spends an entire chapter on whether cell phone towers should be allowed or not... and she didn't want one on HER land... but couldn't understand why true Vermontites didn't want them on their land either. I mean after all ... there was soooo much land and who would even notice a tower on the mountain top anyway!

The little sneaky chica uses this as a time where she can have OTHERS pay for her meal, her coffee. She struggles with it.. for about TWO lines =2 minutes! and then agrees it's okay to let the person pay for her. WRONG!

What really got my goat!? Is during this time... she's arranges a mega addition on their Vt home.

are we spending? or not spending? and is this frugal? Is a huge'r house NECESSARY for a D.I.N.K.? (it stands for Double Income No Kids... calm down!) Nope.
She had some convoluted excuse why making this addition was helping the economy since she was hiring locals. Of which she was inconvenienced about again.

Yea... she just transferred her NEED to spend into the other house.

They drove the big gas guzzling Volvos back and forth. Her major attempt was to not buy designer stuff... (OH! you should have heard her and her 'must have my wool prada socks for skiing.. waaa waaaaa- I can't wear anything else!... waa waaaa.... stomp... stomp... kick.... kick.... . monologue)... Sickening! like a spoiled brat!

The year was up... she resumed her usual self. Maybe it never really left.

But no lessons learned.

And that's my review of the book.

Save your money. If you really feel compelled to read it... borrow from the library.

Okay Frugal Nurse, stopping beating around the bush and tell us what you REALLY think!

I don't believe I will even check to see if my library has this....

**Grayce** · 06-20-2008, 02:34 PM

I read this book (got it from the library). It was not what I thought it would be at all. I thought I would see lots of tips and ideas to live more frugally but what I found was this lady lived a lifestyle that was completely foreign to me. She had 2 homes and before the year started she decided she could buy things for the addition to the house she was building. So she did buy stuff, a lot of stuff. It was an interesting peek at someone else's lifestyle but not really a book about being frugal.