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Clark Howard's Living Large in Lean Times: 250+ Ways to Buy Smarter, Spend Smarter, and Save Money
Clark Howard is a media powerhouse and penny-pincher extraordinaire who knows a thing or two about money. A lifelong entrepreneur who is now the hugely popular host of a talk radio program and television show and the bestselling author of several books, Clark consistently delivers expert financial advice to his wide and devoted fan base. Living Large in Lean Times is Clark's ultimate guide to saving money, covering everything from cell phones to student loans, coupon websites to mortgages, investing to electric bills, and beyond. In his candid and friendly next-door-neighbor manner, Clark shares the small, manageable steps everyone can follow to build a path towards independence and wealth. Chock-full of more than 250 invaluable tips, the book outlines how
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2011
140 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Clark Howard
8 books15 followersTalk radio host and consumer advocate
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 22, 2023
The Clark Howard Show used to air on a talk radio station I listened to on my way home from work late at night. The advice he gave was the same my dad gave me and my dad successfully retired a multimillionaire before the stock market crash. Still, Clark Howard had great advice for my day to day living as well as my investments and retirement. I was hooked.
In his new book, Living Large in Lean Times, Clark expands his penny pinching skills by providing more tech savvie sites and updated information on laws in layman's terms. His influence has pushed me to open a Roth IRA (post-tax dollars), never use a debit card, always use a credit card and pay it off every month, and I now have a list of websites to check as soon as I write this review.
On a personal note, I wish I had known about the Drop Dead Letter to creditors 5 years ago when my ailing father-in-law was in the middle stages of dementia. Although we learned very quickly to never allow collection companies to talk to him, they used all kinds of scare tactics on us to try to collect money owed. We offered a payment plan which they flatly denied then threatened law enforcement on us, yelling at us, swearing at us, and otherwise making a complete nuisance of themselves. Knowing it was not our debt to pay, we took it in stride but were unable to stop the harassing calls. Turns out, there was a way and we missed it.
The 250 plus ways to be a smarter consumer includes tips on cell phones, cable television, land lines, internet, travel, credit cards, car buying, insurance, outsmarting scammers, giving to charitable foundations (legitimate) and a slew of other tips that can be used every day.
I read the book cover to cover but this is not necessarily the way it must be read. It is a resource and can be opened to pertinent sections to answer pressing questions or read front to back or back to front with a notebook and pencil to take notes or highlighter to use like the nerdy educator like myself.
In his new book, Living Large in Lean Times, Clark expands his penny pinching skills by providing more tech savvie sites and updated information on laws in layman's terms. His influence has pushed me to open a Roth IRA (post-tax dollars), never use a debit card, always use a credit card and pay it off every month, and I now have a list of websites to check as soon as I write this review.
On a personal note, I wish I had known about the Drop Dead Letter to creditors 5 years ago when my ailing father-in-law was in the middle stages of dementia. Although we learned very quickly to never allow collection companies to talk to him, they used all kinds of scare tactics on us to try to collect money owed. We offered a payment plan which they flatly denied then threatened law enforcement on us, yelling at us, swearing at us, and otherwise making a complete nuisance of themselves. Knowing it was not our debt to pay, we took it in stride but were unable to stop the harassing calls. Turns out, there was a way and we missed it.
The 250 plus ways to be a smarter consumer includes tips on cell phones, cable television, land lines, internet, travel, credit cards, car buying, insurance, outsmarting scammers, giving to charitable foundations (legitimate) and a slew of other tips that can be used every day.
I read the book cover to cover but this is not necessarily the way it must be read. It is a resource and can be opened to pertinent sections to answer pressing questions or read front to back or back to front with a notebook and pencil to take notes or highlighter to use like the nerdy educator like myself.
March 16, 2023
Good but dated. Probably better to listen to Clark Howard podcasts.
March 7, 2016
I used to listen to the Clark Howard show on a local radio station, but then the station stopped carrying it. So now, after reading this book, I looked Clark Howard up and found out that his show just moved to a different station. I will have to remember that next week when it is on.
He is the king of frugal living, but he offers so much more like advice on finances which is the area I'm always the most interested in. He has an honest, no-nonsense approach to living below your means. While, I'm not a candidate for some of his ideas, I fully embrace others.
He is the king of frugal living, but he offers so much more like advice on finances which is the area I'm always the most interested in. He has an honest, no-nonsense approach to living below your means. While, I'm not a candidate for some of his ideas, I fully embrace others.
December 29, 2013
I have mixed feelings about frugal living books. I like to save money as much as anyone but have certain standards I refuse to budge on.
Clark Howard would have me send my kids to community college (is he kidding or what?) instead of a 4 year college to save money (totally ignoring the fact that students can take dozens of CLEP and DSST tests for $80 each and get 3-12 college credits that can be transferred in to most colleges and can help one get a fully accredited Excelsior College degree- www.excelsior.edu ), give up my brand name detergent, dishwasher pods, fabric softener, dryer sheets, etc, and cancel cable tv so to get an old rabbit ears tv and see only local channels.
Let's not lose our heads here, Clark. I don't consider sending a kid to a college just anyone can get in, giving up products that I know work well in exchange for weaker products that don't do the job as well, and give up my gazillion cable channels and free movies to go back to the 1960's and only have stupid reality shows and sitcoms to watch by only having local channels.
Actually, some of his ideas would harm the economy, cost jobs, and lead us into more of an economic slump. There is no way I would go to a scratch and dent store for appliances I need and want to spiff up the kitchen and be long lasting, for refurbished electronics that died in their infancy and had to be worked on, or cut my pills in half and use half a dose. I wouldn't buy meds at a dollar store either nor purchase panties, bras, hats, shoes, or men's underwear used under any circumstances. The stuff in Dollar stores tend to be cheap for a reason. I also can't quite bring myself to go shopping for food in dented cans that fell off a truck somewhere. He also suggests going twice as long without an oil change and avoiding the emergency room even when you need it.
He told a hair-raising story he was told by Patti D of Kansas, another cheapskate who loves his writing. Patti's daughter is in college and fell and hurt her foot badly. Now if I were her mother, I suggest she go to the emergency room. Not Patti. A true cheapskate, she kept telling her daughter to just suffer because "she'd be fine". Well, she was NOT fine. She kept calling mom, asking to go to an emergency room because she was in agony. This girl went from Friday to Monday until the clinic at school was open and found out her foot was BROKEN and here is Patti bragging about this as another cheap mom story. Apparently money is more important than her kid's suffering and was proud she saved an emergency room fee. The girl has a broken foot! What kind of sicko mother brags about not paying an ER fee by letting her daughter be in agony for days?
I am just not that kind of mother or cheapskate. While he does have some good ideas, they are all stuff we all already know and the other ideas are nothing I would want to do. You won't be living large if you do them. What's next- suggesting we all become homeless, eat at shelters, and pee in the bushes to cut out rent, food, and water bills?
Clark Howard would have me send my kids to community college (is he kidding or what?) instead of a 4 year college to save money (totally ignoring the fact that students can take dozens of CLEP and DSST tests for $80 each and get 3-12 college credits that can be transferred in to most colleges and can help one get a fully accredited Excelsior College degree- www.excelsior.edu ), give up my brand name detergent, dishwasher pods, fabric softener, dryer sheets, etc, and cancel cable tv so to get an old rabbit ears tv and see only local channels.
Let's not lose our heads here, Clark. I don't consider sending a kid to a college just anyone can get in, giving up products that I know work well in exchange for weaker products that don't do the job as well, and give up my gazillion cable channels and free movies to go back to the 1960's and only have stupid reality shows and sitcoms to watch by only having local channels.
Actually, some of his ideas would harm the economy, cost jobs, and lead us into more of an economic slump. There is no way I would go to a scratch and dent store for appliances I need and want to spiff up the kitchen and be long lasting, for refurbished electronics that died in their infancy and had to be worked on, or cut my pills in half and use half a dose. I wouldn't buy meds at a dollar store either nor purchase panties, bras, hats, shoes, or men's underwear used under any circumstances. The stuff in Dollar stores tend to be cheap for a reason. I also can't quite bring myself to go shopping for food in dented cans that fell off a truck somewhere. He also suggests going twice as long without an oil change and avoiding the emergency room even when you need it.
He told a hair-raising story he was told by Patti D of Kansas, another cheapskate who loves his writing. Patti's daughter is in college and fell and hurt her foot badly. Now if I were her mother, I suggest she go to the emergency room. Not Patti. A true cheapskate, she kept telling her daughter to just suffer because "she'd be fine". Well, she was NOT fine. She kept calling mom, asking to go to an emergency room because she was in agony. This girl went from Friday to Monday until the clinic at school was open and found out her foot was BROKEN and here is Patti bragging about this as another cheap mom story. Apparently money is more important than her kid's suffering and was proud she saved an emergency room fee. The girl has a broken foot! What kind of sicko mother brags about not paying an ER fee by letting her daughter be in agony for days?
I am just not that kind of mother or cheapskate. While he does have some good ideas, they are all stuff we all already know and the other ideas are nothing I would want to do. You won't be living large if you do them. What's next- suggesting we all become homeless, eat at shelters, and pee in the bushes to cut out rent, food, and water bills?
October 24, 2013
Mr. Clark always has some great suggestions for saving. At the very least he makes me think about where those pennies and dollars go. This one, already a few years old may have some outdated websites and technology changes but there's always something that will help my pocketbook. Borrowed it from the library, worth a look-see!
January 22, 2024
Clark Howard's Living Large in Lean Times
250+ Ways to Buy Smarter, Spend Smarter, and Save Money by Clark Howard with Mark Meltzer and Theo Thimou
+246-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Nonfiction, Personal Finance, Business, Consumer Education
Featuring: Thriftiness, Saving Money Tips, Cars, Computers and Internet, Consumer Issues, Education and Jobs, Health and Health Care, Homes and Real Estate, Insurance, Personal Finance, Telephones and Television, Travel, Important Websites, Clark's Graveyard-Defunct Sites & Companies, Index (not hyperlinked)
Rating as a movie: PG
Quotes: "There’s something brewing right now that I consider a national scandal. The cell phone companies are in cahoots with rip-off artists and they’re stealing your money, doing courtesy billing for third-party crooks who push a variety of text messaging services."
"15. Reduce your withholding. People will often come up to me around tax time and happily ask for advice on what to do with their giant refund. They treat it like it’s found money or some kind of windfall. But it’s not. I’d prefer that you get no refund at all. If you are getting one, it means that you’ve made an interest-free loan to the government and your money has been working for them—not you—all year long. Doesn’t Uncle Sam already get enough of your money? Why give him more? Many people try to justify their tax refunds by saying it forces them to save money. Nice try. While I agree that saving money is a valid concern, I believe there’s a better way to accomplish that goal. Let’s say you typically get a refund of $1,200 every year. Try reducing your withholding at work by $100 each month and have your bank or credit union automatically transfer that $100 into a savings account. You never see it, so you never miss it. But the end result is that you’ll build your savings and earn interest all year long. You can talk to your human resources department or a payroll specialist at work to reduce your withholding. I want you to be even-steven when it comes time to do your taxes—neither a borrower nor a lender (to the government) be."
"One word about what you put under that tree. If you’ve had a rough year financially, you shouldn’t let guilt drive you to buy loads of presents for your children. When I was growing up, most children would receive just one gift. The notion of giving piles and piles of gifts and toys is a very modern one."
"So what’s the solution? I have two for you actually. First, use electronic bill pay that you set up so you can shut it down anytime you want. That’s the distinction between e-bill pay and traditional ACH payments. The former you control, the latter is out of your control. Second, if you’re already finding your account being dinged every month without your permission, you can write your bank and tell it to stop unauthorized drafts. (You’ll want to be sure you’ve already canceled the account in writing with the offending business, of course.) The Federal Reserve has special rules governing preauthorized transfers."
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💵
My thoughts: 🔖Page 138 of 246 Renting - This book has a lot of good information and the format is great. Not surprisingly it has several tips that are no longer applicable or outdated.
There is a lot of good information here. I particularly was interested in the never give out your bank account information to pay bills. I always thought this advice was for debt collectors as a lot of utilities and banks offer a small discount in exchange for ACH payments. I also think I was double scammed when we bought my husband’s SUV, nearly 20 years ago, you live and you learn. I know they lied to us by saying we could only finance the vehicle with them and it wouldn't be there tomorrow, I now suspect they lied about our credit as well, maybe we didn't even need that down payment. Anyway, this book has enlightened me about several scams and bad practices by legitimate companies. Of course, I'd appreciate an updated version, but this is still pretty efficient, although the is some not the best information here too. The biggest issue with this book is the index is useless, it features a list of topics in alphabetical order but does not provide page numbers or a link to that part of the book, so, why is it here?
Recommend to others: Yes. It's good for informational purposes.
250+ Ways to Buy Smarter, Spend Smarter, and Save Money by Clark Howard with Mark Meltzer and Theo Thimou
+246-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Nonfiction, Personal Finance, Business, Consumer Education
Featuring: Thriftiness, Saving Money Tips, Cars, Computers and Internet, Consumer Issues, Education and Jobs, Health and Health Care, Homes and Real Estate, Insurance, Personal Finance, Telephones and Television, Travel, Important Websites, Clark's Graveyard-Defunct Sites & Companies, Index (not hyperlinked)
Rating as a movie: PG
Quotes: "There’s something brewing right now that I consider a national scandal. The cell phone companies are in cahoots with rip-off artists and they’re stealing your money, doing courtesy billing for third-party crooks who push a variety of text messaging services."
"15. Reduce your withholding. People will often come up to me around tax time and happily ask for advice on what to do with their giant refund. They treat it like it’s found money or some kind of windfall. But it’s not. I’d prefer that you get no refund at all. If you are getting one, it means that you’ve made an interest-free loan to the government and your money has been working for them—not you—all year long. Doesn’t Uncle Sam already get enough of your money? Why give him more? Many people try to justify their tax refunds by saying it forces them to save money. Nice try. While I agree that saving money is a valid concern, I believe there’s a better way to accomplish that goal. Let’s say you typically get a refund of $1,200 every year. Try reducing your withholding at work by $100 each month and have your bank or credit union automatically transfer that $100 into a savings account. You never see it, so you never miss it. But the end result is that you’ll build your savings and earn interest all year long. You can talk to your human resources department or a payroll specialist at work to reduce your withholding. I want you to be even-steven when it comes time to do your taxes—neither a borrower nor a lender (to the government) be."
"One word about what you put under that tree. If you’ve had a rough year financially, you shouldn’t let guilt drive you to buy loads of presents for your children. When I was growing up, most children would receive just one gift. The notion of giving piles and piles of gifts and toys is a very modern one."
"So what’s the solution? I have two for you actually. First, use electronic bill pay that you set up so you can shut it down anytime you want. That’s the distinction between e-bill pay and traditional ACH payments. The former you control, the latter is out of your control. Second, if you’re already finding your account being dinged every month without your permission, you can write your bank and tell it to stop unauthorized drafts. (You’ll want to be sure you’ve already canceled the account in writing with the offending business, of course.) The Federal Reserve has special rules governing preauthorized transfers."
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💵
My thoughts: 🔖Page 138 of 246 Renting - This book has a lot of good information and the format is great. Not surprisingly it has several tips that are no longer applicable or outdated.
There is a lot of good information here. I particularly was interested in the never give out your bank account information to pay bills. I always thought this advice was for debt collectors as a lot of utilities and banks offer a small discount in exchange for ACH payments. I also think I was double scammed when we bought my husband’s SUV, nearly 20 years ago, you live and you learn. I know they lied to us by saying we could only finance the vehicle with them and it wouldn't be there tomorrow, I now suspect they lied about our credit as well, maybe we didn't even need that down payment. Anyway, this book has enlightened me about several scams and bad practices by legitimate companies. Of course, I'd appreciate an updated version, but this is still pretty efficient, although the is some not the best information here too. The biggest issue with this book is the index is useless, it features a list of topics in alphabetical order but does not provide page numbers or a link to that part of the book, so, why is it here?
Recommend to others: Yes. It's good for informational purposes.
April 5, 2020
Even though some of the tips are a little bit outdated, the majority of them are still good to go. Here are some of my favorites:
• Avoid extended warranties.
• Switch to a cheap no-contract cell phone provider.
• Supplement your income with a legitimate work-at-home job.
• Buy private label groceries at the supermarket.
• Buy current technology—not state of the art
• Talk to customer retention at your ISP to get a better deal
• Get public domain books for free on e-reader devices
• Buy nonperishable groceries only once a month
• Buy seasonal clothes the day after the season begins
• Don’t buy gift cards
• Fix credit report errors or risk not getting a job
• Avoid business credit cards and use a personal card instead
• Don’t buy bottled water
• Shop for an apartment sixty days before your lease expires
• Buy appliances without relying on Energy Star labeling
• Buy long-term care insurance in your late fifties and early sixties
• Avoid single-issue insurance policies
• Buy level-term life insurance
• Buy ten times your annual income with term life
• Triage your finances
• Track your finances online with free budgeting tools
• Keep credit card accounts open if there’s no annual fee
• Find the best reward card for you
• Automatically send sensitive financial info to survivors
• Dollar cost average and diversify in your investment choices
• Don’t tap into your retirement account when you’re unemployed
• Dump your cable or satellite provider for cheaper high-tech options
• Fly the discount airlines—not the full-fare fleets
• Track fares online and get a refund if the price drops
• Purchase advance travel with a credit card
• Avoid extended warranties.
• Switch to a cheap no-contract cell phone provider.
• Supplement your income with a legitimate work-at-home job.
• Buy private label groceries at the supermarket.
• Buy current technology—not state of the art
• Talk to customer retention at your ISP to get a better deal
• Get public domain books for free on e-reader devices
• Buy nonperishable groceries only once a month
• Buy seasonal clothes the day after the season begins
• Don’t buy gift cards
• Fix credit report errors or risk not getting a job
• Avoid business credit cards and use a personal card instead
• Don’t buy bottled water
• Shop for an apartment sixty days before your lease expires
• Buy appliances without relying on Energy Star labeling
• Buy long-term care insurance in your late fifties and early sixties
• Avoid single-issue insurance policies
• Buy level-term life insurance
• Buy ten times your annual income with term life
• Triage your finances
• Track your finances online with free budgeting tools
• Keep credit card accounts open if there’s no annual fee
• Find the best reward card for you
• Automatically send sensitive financial info to survivors
• Dollar cost average and diversify in your investment choices
• Don’t tap into your retirement account when you’re unemployed
• Dump your cable or satellite provider for cheaper high-tech options
• Fly the discount airlines—not the full-fare fleets
• Track fares online and get a refund if the price drops
• Purchase advance travel with a credit card
July 2, 2015
I listened to this as an audiobook, which was a mistake because Clark Howard didn't read it! I'm amazed by this choice. Given that Clark is a beloved radio personality, how could anyone have thought someone other than Clark should read his book? Compounding my amazement was the choice of the narrator, who had one of these pompous narrator voices that did not fit with Clark's goofy, casual writing style that uses exclamations like "wow." Another problem is that a lot of the information/advice in the book is woefully out of date only four years after it was written, especially anything relating to technology, such as cell phones, computers, the internet, etc. This is the sort of information that needs to be updated every six months and is probably not worth putting in a traditional book. Finally, as much as I love Clark Howard, if you follow his advice, you are never "Living Large," so the book's title is very misleading. It would have been better to call it Living Lean and Large Times, if you ask me.
May 10, 2012
List price of this book is $18 US. Of course, I bet Mr. Howard would recommend that you pick up a gently-used copy for a lot less! Or borrow a copy from your local public library (as I did). Regardless, I think most people will feel like Clark Howard delivers at least $18 worth of tips to save money and sources of information for common activities and interests. Not every chapter will hold value for every reader, and I admit to just skimming chapters that didn't apply to my immediate interests.
Future readers should be aware that a lot of the specific content may have a short shelf life. Internet sites are referred to quite often, and as we all know, internet-specific information tends to become outdated quickly. FYI, this edition was published in 2011, and most of the information is still timely in May 2012.
Future readers should be aware that a lot of the specific content may have a short shelf life. Internet sites are referred to quite often, and as we all know, internet-specific information tends to become outdated quickly. FYI, this edition was published in 2011, and most of the information is still timely in May 2012.
July 30, 2013
I watch him on HLN and wanted to read the book. There are good suggestions for better deals and financial savings; but may be a little long and wordy for the average consumer. There were a couple of "important tips" and one was about the difference in credit cards - personal cards and business cards. Personal credit cards have limited liability for unauthorized charges, i.e. due to theft. Business cards do not - make sure you read the small print or rely on a very informed and experienced banker to explain your liability. There were a few real pearls amongst the trivial.
July 8, 2012
Neat book, but nothing too amazing. I don't know what I was hoping for, but I didn't find it in this book. I picked up one or two little tricks that had a "Life-Hack" characteristic, but more often I found my self skipping through things that anyone my age would already know as commonsense.
The things I did find useful were the type of things you would read on a decent blog that could have explained the same thing in one paragraph instead of three pages.
The things I did find useful were the type of things you would read on a decent blog that could have explained the same thing in one paragraph instead of three pages.
September 19, 2014
Advice aimed at Americans but a lot of it was relevant to me, living in the UK
October 4, 2022
Listened to this book: some very good practical tips that you can implement right away.
Merged review:
Listened to this book (again): dated; still good suggestions.
Merged review:
Listened to this book (again): dated; still good suggestions.
March 2, 2021
At this point, this book is so badly dated that it's mostly (but not completely) useless. When a book is talking about Google Voice as a just-released offering, it's time to move on.
December 24, 2021
Starting to become outdated
October 25, 2018
I have heard a lot about Clark Howard, though never listened to his show or read anything he's written. Thought I'd give it a try on audiobook. While he had some good tips that I added to my toolkit, overall, he is definitely old school. Many of his tips require some penny pinching efforts that I am not sure are worth the time. He quoted an example from one of his followers who said she didn't authorize her daughter to go to the ER when she thought she had a broken foot because of the exorbitant costs so she made her wait to get an appointment with here PCP! I think there is an important balance to strike between living life and being so frugal that money is all you can think about! I wouldn't say he's extreme but his style was definitely less relateable for me.
I listen to a podcast called Listen Money Matters by two millennial and while I don't always agree with all their recommendations either, I think my perspective on personal finances is more in line with their philosophies.
This book was also written in 2012 so it was entertaining to listen to some 'up and coming' money saving ideas like Airbnb (which he had to spell out on audio-book because it was so foreign). I think generally, podcasts might be a better way to go when it comes to seeking advice on personal finances so that the content can easily change with the times. Generally, a good time pass on my commute to work but for real applicable advice, it was just ok...
I listen to a podcast called Listen Money Matters by two millennial and while I don't always agree with all their recommendations either, I think my perspective on personal finances is more in line with their philosophies.
This book was also written in 2012 so it was entertaining to listen to some 'up and coming' money saving ideas like Airbnb (which he had to spell out on audio-book because it was so foreign). I think generally, podcasts might be a better way to go when it comes to seeking advice on personal finances so that the content can easily change with the times. Generally, a good time pass on my commute to work but for real applicable advice, it was just ok...
September 23, 2018
This book is a real treasure! It paid for itself on the first day I bought it. I met the author when I lived in Atlanta, and he is a truly nice person who seems to want to help us learn to get the best value for our money. This book has many practical ideas that you can use right away. His tip on shopping for clothing in season saved me around $25 on the day I got the book. He writes and speaks in a patient, clear style, and he is the butt of most of his jokes. He is respectful to people, and I like that. He has a way of simplifying money matters without dumbing it down that I really like.
June 6, 2019
Clark Howard's book is written in an easy-to-approach style, but the majority of the "tips" require so much time and effort to enact that I decided it isn't worth my time. Honestly, much of the book is just common sense. Howard offers a lot of his personal favorite websites to search for better deals, but he frequently states he is willing to accept a lower quality for a lower price. For me, the cost of an item is not the driving factor behind product selection. Howard is a really nice guy (I met him once), but this book just isn't practical for me.
February 27, 2020
Everyone who has ever lived understands the power of money. It can buy you a house, allow you to go on vacation, and even improve your quality of life. Clark Howard showcases how you can live a financially sustainable lifestyle without giving up anything you need and want. Most of the actionable tips are still relevant today though some are definitely outdated due to changes within the past decade. Stay relevant with the latest personal financial advice via books, podcasts, newsletters, news websites, blogs, and social networks!
April 23, 2019
Written, at this time, eight years ago there a number of things outdated in this book. That being said it still has a decent amount of good/ useful information and really makes you think about how we think and work with money.
Not a bad book, but if you’re trying to educate yourself on personal finance and making the most of your money there are newer and consequently more helpful books out there.
Not a bad book, but if you’re trying to educate yourself on personal finance and making the most of your money there are newer and consequently more helpful books out there.
October 16, 2025
This was a book that presented a number of opportunities that were available in 2011 and even though it is 2025, the concepts remain the same. It also shared a lot of financial concepts that can help someone begin to establish financial literacy. It would be great if an updated edition was written. Even if not, there is a website that the author has with updated info available.
I encourage others to read.
I encourage others to read.
December 28, 2019
This author’s website is very worth checking for a present-day consumer, and for that reason, I added a star to my initial rating. This 2011 book has some good advice, but the author’s decision to tailor his advice so specifically with apps and links make so much of this outdated just 8 years later.
October 30, 2021
Written just after the 2008 recession, there is much applicable in this post-pandemic world. However, some reviews and referrals are for programs and companies that no longer exist. I realize it is 10 years after it’s initial publication. I think I would still review areas before a major purchase and check applicability, however.
January 20, 2018
This book is fantastic for a novice but if you're experienced in the basics of finances, it's not worth the time. I really didn't get any new information from the usual.
Also keep in mind that the policies and companies that he refers to are from quite a few years back, so some no longer apply.
Also keep in mind that the policies and companies that he refers to are from quite a few years back, so some no longer apply.
September 28, 2020
Still good info
In book, ref to 2012, shows date, and several links are no longer valid, or service offered. So, watch out for this. However, still good info here. Well worth reading and utilizing.
In book, ref to 2012, shows date, and several links are no longer valid, or service offered. So, watch out for this. However, still good info here. Well worth reading and utilizing.
May 25, 2021
This is a pretty good book which lists suggestions of how to save money and get the best deals. Lots of websites and other places to check out. I skipped around only reading the parts that were relevant to me.
April 30, 2018
Good strategies on saving and budgeting. Interesting ideas.
August 14, 2018
There's never been a greater case for a book to use bullet points vs. long unwieldy paragraphs. Information is okay, though slightly outdated. Better personal finance books exist.
October 15, 2018
One word = bargain
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews