Book: Don't Waste Money, Spend It! By Lisa Wysocki
Cost: $12.95
This book is about mindful spending. Unlike many other frugal living advisers, the author unabashedly shares her entertaining mistakes. Some examples: She once left a bathroom heater on all summer and ran up a high utility bill. She also re-gifted a book for a child's birthday party forgetting that there was an inscription on the flyleaf.
I love her homemaking philosophy which helped me to relax about my furniture and possessions. She states that "chips and cracks are fine" at her house. It's part of her style. A comfortable home is not a museum.
With a conversational tone, she dispenses inspiring advice. She recommends buying quality clothing and then wearing it out rather than having an excessive amount of cheap clothes that will only last a season or two. Unlike her, I cannot afford Prada shoes. The Nine West brand she mentions as a cheap comparison are actually my "Prada". However, this is part of what I find so riveting about the book. She's apparently affluent, yet in so many areas she is quite shrewd and resourceful about where her money is going.
I read this book again and again. It's like visiting with a friend who is bubbling over with stories and lessons learned from experience. I may not buy into all of the tips, some aren't right for me, but that's OK. Even those tips are thought provoking and help me to figure out what is right for me and why.
By SusannL from St. Cloud, FL
