A list of Personal Finance Books

This is a really cool list of personal finance books to add to your personal collection or for those of us who plan to get rich slowly. Get Rich Slowly is actually the attention grabbing title of this website. 

Personal Finance Books 2012

I read about this personal finance book list by Jeff Wuorio in an article in USA Weekend and thought I'd search online, locate the link, and share it with you.  It's all about reading and learning about personal finance in 2012.  

I am into frugal living so I would especially like to access this book  The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn.  Also, most of you probably heard of Geneen Roth's book on Women,  Food, and God; well, here is another book by her  on Mr. Wuorio's personal finance book list: Lost and Found: Unexpected Revelations About Food and Money.

Cheapskate Next Door

Frugality is the new black so this is a book I'd like to read, The Cheapskate Next Door : the Surprising Secrets of Americans living happily below their means, by Jeff Yeager. However, even a tightwad like me would never ever eat food off strangers' plates at a restaurant. This apparently is what one man interviewed by Yeager does.

Frugality

Frugality will become the new status symbol; I like that. Dilute the dishwashing liquid, cut the dryer sheets in half or quarters, and check out the business book titles in this article in Time magazine.

I bet Pia Catton and Califia Suntree, editors of Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less would like my Frugal Library Tips.

Also in the Times article are books by Richard Florida and John Robbins. Amazon readers gave Mr Florida's book, The Great Reset, an average of 4 1/2 stars and gave Mr Robbins' The New Good: Livng Better than Ever in an Age of Less, 5 stars.

Tips From a Frugal Librarian

I am compiling a list of frugal library tips to put on bookmarks and distribute to students. I intend to put some or all of these tips in Crossties and The Bay Leaf, a student newspaper and a library newsletter to which I contribute.

This list is likely to be helpful to Georgia academic library patrons. Galileo, which is mentioned on the list a few times, is a collection of databases for Georgia library patrons. Also, note that a list of frugal tips for public library users would probably be longer than this since it would include more diverse services such as free story telling events for children.

1) Borrow from the library; don’t overspend on novels, DVDs, magazines and newspapers.
2) Read Newspapers for free on Galileo databases.
3) Borrow books not available in your library (Interlibrary Loan, Gil Express).
4) Borrow Children’s books for storytelling at home.
5) Renew books online and return books on time; don’t incur library fines.
6) Trace your family tree for free on Galileo. Select Ancestry Library Edition Database.
7) Save paper; print more than 1 PowerPoint slide on a page.
· Go to File
· Print
· Properties
· Finishing tab
· Select a number under “Pages per sheet”, OK.
8) Remember to conserve on paper. Use paper wisely.
9) Use Computers for free. All computers have Microsoft Office Applications. Some have Sonic Digital Media software. (This applies to the specific library that I am targetting).
10) Scan pictures and documents for free at the library. (Print for a fee).
11) Create online flashcards at http://www.studystack.com/.
12) Get free research assistance. Ask a reference librarian.

Calculate the value of your library use.

Free Book on Wealth Management

Download another free book from Oprah.com! You just have to join the Oprah Club. This time it's Jean Chatzky's book The Difference. Hopefully there are money saving tips that will make a difference in our lives at this time. And if you're a fan of the Oprah magazine, watch out for the upcoming issue where she shares the cover with our trendsetting and smart First Lady, Michelle Obama. There is an extra special discount to the O magazine ... $18.00 for 12 issues.

25 Money Saving Tips

Yikes! It's almost December. Before you can say ohmigosh, it'll be January 2009. So, what are you doing to save money in these hard financial times? I found this very interesing blog about frugal living and it has an entry showing how various persons have found 25 different ways to save money. Ok, it's not a book but I believe the site is worth a visit.

Let's see, this is what I've been doing:

1. I make my own popcorn most times.
2. I save and reuse plastic shopping bags.
3. I turn off lights when I leave a room.
4. I unplug some electrical appliances when not in use - toaster, blender, cell phone charger.
5. I have a few florescent bulbs.
6. I wash clothes in cold water.
7. I use the ac sparingly and turn on the fan instead.
8. I didn't water the lawn this summer; it rained often.
9. I borrow books from the library instead of spending money on books. Also, I read the newspapers and magazines in the library.
10. I prepare most of my meals instead of eating out and I take leftovers for lunch at work.
11. I keep only 2 credit cards and pay them in full most months
12. I have basic cable - no HBO, no Showtime.
13. I have requested free stuff from heyitsfree.net.
14. I buy some things in bulk - toilet paper, toothpaste, soaps, deodorant.
15. In this cold weather I sometimes use safflower oil instead of body lotion.
16. I use white vinegar in my Downy dispenser instead of fabric softener.
17. I bought an expensive water filter but I no longer buy bottled water every week.


Ok. I could not list 25 but I have been making an effort. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Money Saving Tips

This is a really different post. I have been reading about money saving tips mostly from Woman's World and thought I'd share.

I have not tried this body scrub but you can try it and tell me all about it: 2 Tbs canned pumpkin mixed with 3/4 cup raw sugar. This is not for the face.

Body Oil: Sweet Almond oil or Safflower oil. I know some folks who use olive oil on their skin. Your skin will not absorb any unhealthy artificial ingredients. I have actually tried the Safflower oil. I got that tip from Realage.com.

Laundry: Skip the pemanent press cycle on your washing machine because it uses more water per load than regular.

Keep your towels soft and fluffy by adding white vinegar to the rinse water instead of fabric softener. I have been doing that.

Storage of vitamins: Keep them in the refreigerator so they will not deteriorate. The potency of the vitamins will last past their expiry date if they are not exposed to heat and humidity. I just started doing this.

Mopping Floors: Add a few drops of Tea Tree oil (about 20) to water and a squirt of soap. Tea Tree oil will kill bacteria. I like Renew Floor Cleaner which I bought at the Dollar Store. I also sprinkle drops of tea tree oil in the bath and the bathroom basin before cleaning.