5 comments about How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt and Live Prosperously*: *(Based on the Proven Principles and Techniques of Debtors Anonymous).

1. This is the best guide to managing money and debt I've read.
   A few days after reading the book, I have a whole new grasp of how to get out of debt and stay out. Though I am not in serious debt, the whole money management advice is enlightening. This book should be required reading for all and should be given out in high schools.



2. This book is GREAT!! I personally LOVE the way it is written..with the wording as a "recovery program" would have...Reminding yourself everyday of certain things. Along with that, the principles make sense, and as the author says - they have worked for many others. I read a few of the "bad" reviews, and it seems those people have others who they follow for their advice. That's fine, but this book and this author work for me, and i enjoy the way it's written and the steps and beliefs. It's not an expensive book, so i say if you have debt problems, or spending problems, pick this book up and read it!



3. While I thought this book was fantastic for those who have a problem with deprivation, debt, or compulsive spending and is a great introduction to Debtors Anonymous, I think several of the ideas at its foundation are no longer applicable.
   
   Mundis stresses that not paying your bills for 30 days or not making the minimum payment on your bills doesn't really matter if you no longer intend to debt. Who cares if you ruin your credit score if you don't use credit anymore, right? Maybe that was the case in the 1970s, but now credit scores are used for almost everything. Your credit score will affect your life even if you never borrow another dime.
   
   Your credit record is pulled when you rent an apartment, sign up for utilities (electric, water, etc.), apply for an insurance policy, apply for a checking or savings account, or even apply for a job. True, you can still rent from a landlord who does not check credit and includes utilities with the rent. You may be able to find a job at a place that doesn't check credit. You may be able to pay a large deposit to get an apartment or utilities with poor credit. But more likely, you'll end up in an overpriced slum, severely limit your job prospects, and lose 30% of your paycheck because you have to cash it at a checking cashing store rather than your bank.
   
   I would be interested to see what sort of modifications, if any, would be included in the program given the fact that credit truly affects nearly every aspect of life now - not just the ability to debt.



4. I haven't yet read this book but plan on buying it based on the fact that it has better reviews than the one by Kevin Trudeau whose informercial I just finished watching and also just finished reading reviews on his book. I noticed that in the infomercial he says you can eliminate your debt so you can get a credit card or loan which to me makes it sound like he's working for the people who conspire to keep America's most needy and desperate, as well as sometimes ignorant people in debt. Why the heck would you get a credit card or loan right after getting out of debt? That's just going to get you right back in the same situation you started out in!
   I originally wasn't going to watch the infomercial but I am so desperate to help my mother who is drowning in debt despite having paid off her credit cards twice before. I am also looking for some help myself because I have some debt myself and it's only going to get worse once I have to start paying off my student loans. I try to get as much financial aid in grants as possible since those don't need to be repaid but they don't come close to covering my education expenses. I have always wondered why it is that someone who wants to attend college and better themselves and therefore reduce the likelyhood that they will need to be on Food Stamps or a program like that are punished in the form of actually having to PAY to do better for themselves? Why isn't college free like all other education that comes before it?! But that's the good ol' United States for ya I guess.
   Anyhow, I'll update my review once I order the book and see how much it helps.



5. This book was one of the worst purchases I have ever made through Amazon. All of the other reviews sounded really good, so I thought I would try it out. Like most people, I have some credit card debt. However, I am managing it fine. I thought that this book might have a few extra insights that would be useful. I was sooo soooo sooo wrong. What a waste of time and money. The pointers are miserably basic. The authors spends a HUGE portion of the book telling you to "visualize" being out of debt. He also talks about how karma will help you get out of debt, and oh, by the way, you should have a savings account!!!! Oh, and you should sell all your valuables too, that will bring in extra cash. Oh, and how about an extra job on the side? That will help too!! Oh my gosh! Why didn't I think of that?? Give me a break. This book is not helpful, insightful, or even entertaining. A great deal of it is spent on random stories of how "so and so had this much debt, but now she's debt free!" Ummm, ok, great. This book might have helped some people....although I have no idea how. Don't waste your time or money, unless you want to spend a few hours with an author that talks to you like you're in grade school learning how to manage your allowance money.

5 comments about Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis.

1. Could this book be any more timely? Are you wondering how we landed in our current economic predicament? Are you reeling from your last 401(k) statement? This book, written and released prior to the complete meltdown of the equity and credit markets that unfolded in September 2008 ( and continue to), will help explain what led us here, and while the author does indicate his inclination to believe the worst was over (we now know he was wrong), he is also quite prescient as he points to certain steps (by both private and public entities) that must be taken to alleviate the current pain and get us out of this mess, and to address underlying systemic factors to prevent its recurrence. His recommendations look remarkably similar to the actual action plans unfolding in Congress and the Treasury Dept in October/November 2008.
   
   But here is the magic of this book, the author very clearly explains the direct and indirect connections between the inability of a homeowner in Anytown, USA to make his/her mortgage payments, and the subsequent meltdown of the mortgage market, and the resulting impact on the credit markets. Mark Zandi explains the intricate, overlapping role of all of the players here, the homebuyer, the banks, the mortgage brokers, the flippers and speculators, and the creative (i.e., greedy) investment bankers, but he spreads the blame around.
   
   The best thing about this book is that the reader does not need to have a degree in economics to understand the basics of a very complicated industry and how its sophisticated (nontransparent) security manufacturing "creativity" led to a global recession. If you want to understand how big investment banks (Lehman, Bear Stearns) and several other financial institutions (Washington Mutual, Wachovia, etc.) could fail in such spectacular fashion, this book gives you the foundation. On the other hand, there is enough intelligent discussion and cogent explanation here to keep the more sophisticated reader engaged and walking away with a greater understanding of the beginning of the events in the sub-prime mortgage market that continue to unfold across the economy.
   
   I would expect that the author is probably already at work on another chapter addressing market events in the fall of 2008, the government takeover of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, TARP and the bailout in general. Stay tuned for an updated edition.



2. This is a well written, very clear description of the house of cards that goes by the name of mortgage backed securities. As pretty much everyone now knows, it is the collapse of this market that precipitated the current stock market collapse. In this book, the author leads you by the hand and describes how the entire mess was created, specifically how the credit-worthiness of the borrower became disconnected from the market valuation of securities derived from that borrowing.
   
   To anyone who has watched recent financial events unfold and asked "how did this happen?" this book is VERY highly recommended.
   
   That said, I am more reserved with my praise if you are the type of person already familiar with things like derivatives and "liar loans," and who regularly reads, e.g. The Wall Street Journal. I am in that category, and while I still found this book interesting, I found myself more often saying "yes, obviously" than "wow, I didn't know that until now."
   
   One other shortcoming of this book is that it really doesn't offer much meat to gnaw on with respect to 'how do we get ourselves out of the current mess?' That's not surprising, really as this book was written before the current melt down (although the timing of the release could not have been better) and because the answer to that question is one to which a consensus answer has not appeared even among the world's brightest and more learned minds.
   
   Nonetheless, I would VERY strongly recommend this book to financial neophytes and those who simply weren't paying that much attention to the mortgage mess as it was unfolding.



3. This book is quite the eye opener !
   
   It almost holds your hand--as it takes you step by step thru the maze of our current financial problems.
   
   Perfectly laying out for the readers easy understanding--it shows you the whys..the hows...and some of the whos --that enabeled and/or caused the meltdown in stocks..bonds..sub prime loans and others types of loans and gaurantees as well.
   
   I chose this book because I want to better understand what is really happening to our country right now and more importantly WHY !!!!!!!! This book has explained it to me clearly --in languge that I can understand --and most likely a high schooler...maybe even a smart Jr. High Schooler can understand. For this reason --I give this book a high mark.
   
   If your looking to get a deeper understanding of whats going on in todays financial world...get this book !! You will not be disappointed !! .....and you will understand everything once you've read it through !!



4. Written so even someone as financially ignorant as myself gets a perspective on what happened in the global market. Talks about the incentives that led to the subprime crisis, the unregulated markets that allowed the derivatives trading that amplified the problem. Very timely and intriguing read.



5. This was a cogent explanation of the various factors that went into the ongoing subprime debacle. It struck a midpoint between a facile explication of the causes and more rigorous analytics for the quant-jocks.
   I would have prefered more detail... but then again, I'm a bit of a quant jock.

5 comments about The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness.

1. This book is a wonderful book. I read it and purchased another for my son and son-in-law. Anyone who wants success in everyday communication with people in general or in business needs to read this, and live it.



2. I received this book quickly, read it quickly and was blessed by it quickly. I believe this book has been one of the best reads I've had in a while.



3. I have gained a lot of insight for daily living and dealing with people in business and relationships thru the book The Richest Man Who Ever Lived. This is not a religious book of do's and don'ts, it is a back to basic how-to book that should be curriculum in high schools throughout the world. If we all actually lived the advice given via Steven K Scott from the Book of Proverbs, life would be more enjoyable. The author gives 'before and after' examples of his own mistakes and the difference which came from living life with King Solomon as his role model. I am intending to have my 4 sons (17, 18, 20,21 yrs) read the book and then commit to a family study/discussion time. I firmly believe the principles will be of great value to them at the beginning of their careers and relationships. Thank you Mr. Scott!



4. The book was inspiring and informative. The words of the book inspire and challenge you to develop goals and set tasks for victory in every area of you life.



5. The book is very good. The part about how
   to handle criticism is superb. My college
   age son read it and bought his best friend
   a copy as a gift for graduation. They are both
   ambitious young men who are eager to succeed.
   Now, they are equipped to do just that!

5 comments about The Little Book That Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits).

1. As someone who is not in the real savy in business and has little to no financial advisory background- this book is right up your alley if you just don't understand the complexity of the stock market but are still interested in investing.
   
   My brother is a financial analyst for a fortune 500 company and could not get me to understand the stock market and mutual funds etc- for the life of him! He read this book and then forced me to read it as well. I am glad I did because it was easy to follow and made me excited about investing my money into avenues that will provide much higher yields that 5 to 8% a year.
   
   The author wrote this book for his middle school children to help them understand investing in the adult world so to speak- Well he did a phenomenal job and published it for the rest of us-
   
   A good pick for beginner investors or people who would like to invest their money in stocks and funds with little background in the field. This would also be a good "starter" book for someone who wants to get into the stock market.



2. Very insightful, and excellently written. Despite the name this is not another shallow book, full of cliches and nothings. In a really entertaining fashion Greenblatt explains in very simple easy to understand illustrations, what stocks are, how they are traded and the basic principles of the stock market and market fluctuations. He then builds on these principles to teach the fundementals of wealth building that most successful investors utilize. Alot of basic principles that somehow a lot of smart investors forget. Great reading for the experienced, and novice alike! This book should really be required reading in high school and/or college.



3. I read every chapter of this book while at Borders except the last one, so I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of the "Magic Formula" website that seems to generate so much controversy. I can, however, clarify a glaring misconception in what Goldblatt wrote in his book.
   
   Contrary to what many of the reviewers wrote (especially the negative reviewers), Goldblatt was not insisting that people focus only on Return on Assets and P/E ratio. Goldblatt was also not insisting on a definition of "capital" (within his concept of "return on capital")that leads to an over-emphasis on services over manufacturing. He illustrated perfectly his two pieces of investment data in the following ways:
   
   First, Return on Capital can be best interpreted as a return on invested capital. If it costs $1 million to build a retail store and that store, within a year, generates $2 million, then the ROC is 100%.
   
   Second, his other measure is really a profit-yield per share. You get this measure by taking the amount of profit generated by a firm, dividing it by the number of shares outstanding, and then dividing that by the share price times 100. So, if a company has a $1 million profit and it's selling a million shares for $10 a share, then the profit-yield per share is 10%.
   
   These two concepts seem to form the core of value investing in that they discipline a person to invest in the market as if they were buying a business or a partnership share in the business. The relevant question in any such investment is always "how much will my partnership share make?"
   All other factors are just risk management.
   
   The trick is finding data to generate these statistics. I don't know how well Goldblatt's website does that.



4. This brief text is a good read for the novice investor who wants to learn more about equity valuation. Basically, it distills the drivers of stock values into two components: return on assets and earnings yield. Buy stocks with strong numbers in both of these categories and, over time, you will outperform the market. Only problem with this approach is that stock values are based on expectations of FUTURE performance. Stocks often have high earnings yields today because professional stock pickers expect their finances to degrade in the future. Forecasting future performance is what is most important. The author fails to stress this concept.
   
   For the novice investor, the author is able to explain some of the more fundamental concepts of equity valuation in a straightforward manner. Yet, this text would be only one of a several books someone should read before trading individual stocks instead of purchasing mutual funds.



5. Great info with a humorous touch and a link to data to use in applying what you learn. I am not going to apply it until a more normal market comes along though.

5 comments about Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom.

1. If you are looking for trading recipies, this is NOT the book for you. This books describes the trading process in an open approach, whithout selling speaches, trading formulas or magical enchaments. It describes the importance of risk management of your trades, and the pshycology and biases that are part of every system. Though general, the offered information serves both from what someone would call academic understanding, and the practical side of trading. The book is not academic though, as you will not see tons of equations, proofs, or algorithms.
   I think it is a must for everone that does not want to jump into trading someone elses formulas, but to understand the mechanics and the psycology of trading. It contains references to other books that will help you understand the trade reciepies.
   So if you want to understand what you are doing, or at least what you are supposed to do and the biases associated to your decisions, buy the book. If you want to trade like a maniatic daredevil who is told what to do by following nonsense schemes, you dont need this book.
   No wonder why some readers were dissapointed. My impression, its the readers fault not to aim to higher goals while buying and reading a trading book.



2. I think this book is over-rated. You can find better information in other books. For example, Alexander Elder's "Trading for a Living: Psychology, Trading Tactics, Money Management," and William O'Neil's "How To Make Money In Stocks: A Winning System in Good Times or Bad, 3rd Edition." Both books are good and easy to read.



3. Essential reading for any budding trader from any planet.
   Find out why trading is exactly 100% psychological.
   If you harbour any other point of view, read this, you must.
   
   Cheers, Yoda.



4. The authors tried to cover many aspect of trading, from technical, fundamental, psychology,... he comes with a lot of information that bring nothing to your trading. He explain very simple thing in a complicate manner, sometime not easy to understand. I think he doesn't know much about trading and all his writing is from the conversation with others (limited) trader. If you are looking to learn about trading and want start to trade it is not a recommendation, you may try to read what Alexander Elder wrote for example. Anyhow, you don't need to buy them, you can download for free the E-Book using P2P such emule...



5. An extremely fun and exciting read when it comes to books on trading. This book more than met my expectations. It will guide you to define your expectations and goals for trading in a very simple, clear and concise manner. This book should be required reading for any and all traders, beginners or advanced alike. It is perfectly outlined with simple steps and guidelines and then summarized at the end of each chapter. Should be read by all so called "trading gurus" as well.

5 comments about Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week!.

1. For the first time, i feel like i have the tools to start looking at stocks, individually. I am already well invested in work retirement plans with mutual funds, and am, of course, unhappy wiht the results of the past 8 years. But, with these tools, my son and I are venturing into investing on our own as well. THanks Phil for demystifying the process.



2. I just finished reading this book.
   Everybody who does not have time to read and understand Warren Buffet's methodly for investing should read this once.
   I would call this as 101 in investing.
   I have several years of experience in trading.
   When I started reading this I marked the interesting lines/para.
   Finally I found out I had marked almost the whole book.
   He could have been a very good teacher.
   I am thinking of buying several books to give as gift to some of my friends and relatives.
   
   One little criticism in general:
   Either this book or random walk on wall street finally conclude saying trade. That is what most of us are doing. The biggest differnce is that; This book says that pick a fundamentaly great stock then trade it until .... you find out.
   
   How to pick a great stock? Buy and read it you will be happy you did it.
   
   Very good value per dollar.
   
   Thanks Phil Town.
   Rasappa Palaniappan.



3. I don't recommend this book at all. I have read many books on investing recently, and they all agreed on one point - don't invest in a company just because you like the product. Town's advice is the opposite - make a list of things you like, and choose companies that are involved in those things. He also is against Dollar-Cost-Averaging, which every other book I have read tells you of the value of that.
   
   He tells you that he took $1000 and turned that into $1,000,000 in only 5 years. But he doesn't explain how. That raises a red flag for me. He also promises you that you will do better than the best fund managers out there, and promises that you will beat the market. Statistically, only a very small amount of professionals beat the market. It is a absurd to presume that you would be able to out perform all the people who do this for a living (and most of the other books I've read specifically warn against such promises).
   
   He offers calculators on his website to figure out the value of a company. Personally I found them difficult to use (poor design).
   
   There seems to be a lot of overlap between this book and Pat Dorsey's The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing. I would recommend that you read that book instead. Dorsey explains the concepts so much better than Town does, and you can easily import the calculations into excel for ease of use later.
   
   All in all, there's some good advice in the book, but he's put in a lot of lofty assumptions and exaggerations to advertise his book. Even the title is misleading. The title comes from one page in the book where he tells you that once you've done your initial research (hours and hours), then you might be able to get by on spending a quick 15 minutes a week keeping up on your stocks. But the title comes off as in the book is going to teach you how to invest by spending only 15 minutes a week.



4. The best book I have read on investing. I was able to develop a stock screener in MSN Money. If you have an online brokerage account and have access to Reuter's you quickly access 10 year growth rates (as prescribed in his book) without doing any calculation. A formual for picking the soundest investments.



5. I watched Phil Town speak at a motivational seminar several years ago. His rags to riches story is what compelled me to start investing. Though I didn't follow his advice at first... I rolled my old 401k over to a self directed IRA.. I made and lost money doing my own thing.
   
   I just recently bought his book and it's changed my view, and my account balance for the better. This book has a "investing for dummies" sense about it. It holds your hand thru the process. It's very straight forward and easy to understand and so far effective.
   
   I honestly believe if you follow these tried and true methods for valuing companies, and if you are disciplined enough to play within the rules, you can and will beat the market. This is not a get rich quick scheme and requires patience, but if you can keep a disciplined approach and do your homework you will eventually be rich. It may not be fast or edgy like day trading, but remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? How many "Hare"(Day Traders) are on the forbes richest people list? Warren Buffet and Phil Town share this same kind of tortoise approach.
   
   So in the words of Phil "Now go play".

5 comments about Home Buying For Dummies, 3rd edition.

1. it is a must read if you are a first time home buyer. I knew what to ask, what to expect. I am not money savvy, but the morgage section is simple enough that I feel that helped me getting the best deal possible.



2. If you've never bought a home before, buy this book. It gives you a good overview of many areas of the homebuying process. If the thought of purchasing your first home is a bit daunting, educate yourself. This doesn't give you every single detail that you need to know, but it will help you ask informed questions and lead you on your way.



3. I recently ordered several mortgage books as learning and reference tools as I embark on my new career as a loan officer. I have not read any of the books from cover to cover, but they are serving me well for the purpose intended. The book arrived in a timely manner and in the condition described.



4. Full of interesting things about home buying. I wish that in some parts it would have gone more in depth. But in the end I felt like I learned a lot from this book.



5. A guide to home buying in the classic "for Dummies" format. This book covers the basics and the not-so-basics of residential home buying and provides a step-by-step guide to purchasing your own house. Among other topics, the book provides valuable advise regarding how to get started, how to select an agent, how to shop for a mortgage and so forth. Better yet, it does so in an understandable, but not oversimplified manner. Starting from absolute scratch, I personally found the book invaluable in purchasing my first home. Home Buying for Dummies is certainly not the final word in real estate, but it provides sufficient and highly usable information for the first-time home buyer. Read it before you meet with a buyer's agent and you can't help but get off to a great start.

5 comments about Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment.

1. Swensen provides a excellent analysis of different asset classes and the roles they play (or fail to play) in diversifying portfolios. For example, he clarifies the different diversifying roles of conventional Treasury bonds and TIPS, and explains why corporate, municipal and foreign bonds cannot be substituted. He also demonstrates the advantages of periodic portfolio rebalancing for the disciplined investor.
   
   In what almost amounts to a book within a book, Swensen forcefully chronicles the failure of the mutual fund industry and its regulators to serve the interests of individual investors. This discussion is a must-read for anyone concerned about the implications of the shift towards investor managed defined contribution pension plans as the primary vehicle for retirement savings.
   
   Swensen has not written a practical how-to guide to personal investing or asset allocation; rather, he argues for an approach to personal investing built around core principles. Intellectually-oriented investors will be well served by this book as preparation for developing a personalized investment program.



2. Let's face it, I'm a 30 something Stay At Home Mother with two kids, a husband, a mortgage and a dog.
   
   I heard the book referenced on NPR and thought it would be a worthwhile read. Now I'm asking better questions.
   
   Mostly though I found it frighting.
   
   If you'll excuse me I'm going to resume my ostrich pose.



3. This book outlines very fundamental concepts, and explains investment vehicles in detail, although it's not necessary to read all of it to 'get it'. Swensen's discussion of not only appropriate risk and diversification techniques, but the emotional discipline and practices that it takes to be successful over spans of years are extremely insightful and practical. The introduction, chapter 1, and chapter 3 are worth the price alone.



4. I really like this book. It lays out the argument for a diversified portfolio in a way that I have not seen in other similar books. He analyzes each asset class and explains its plusses and minuses. He arrives at the conventional diversified portfolio, but with some unconventional flourishes - for example, no corporate bonds. But the real strength of this book is that the reader will come away with a strong understanding of why each asset class is important to have in a diversified portfolio.
   
   The second half of the book is a diatribe against the mutual fund industry. I found it eye opening.
   
   The book is not technical, but it does assume a certain level of familiarity with the jargon of the investment world. I wouldn't recommend it for a complete beginner, but rather for someone who wants to go a little deeper beyond the usual discussion of asset allocation.



5. David Swensen has done a magnificant service to the individual investor by writing this book. He explains all of the undisclosed charges that are hidden within actively managed mutual funds and gives two examples of not-for-profit mutual fund families who are investor friendly. One happens to be The Vanguard Group with its index funds that he recommends because of their low fees. David Swensen's reputation as a premier money manager is due to his excellent record at Yale managing their endowment for over twenty years with an average return of better than 16 percent. After reading this book you will not want to trust your money to another for-profit mutual fund company but instead invest in index funds or ETFs for the next 20-30 years. As for ETFs, he also explains how most have drifted off course through the years and no longer deliver good value. He suggests sticking with the core ETF's and he explains which ones those are along with their expenses.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who values his or her money and wants to retain the most of it when investing it in the "MARKET".

5 comments about The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing.

1. This book gives excellent advice primarily about mutual fund investing and retiring. It is basically a primer on retirement planning and leans heavily toward Vanguard funds. It is easy to read and has lots of common sense advice and examples proving the authors' suggestions.
   
   I would suggest it to anyone needing a basic primer on retirement plan investing.



2. I received the 3 copies of this book I ordered in a very timely manner. These are for the 3 children we have, who we feel will learn from reading the book or if they have questions can quickly look them up. Good for reference.



3. This is absolutely wonderful. Bogle goes through everything to do with mutual funds and index investing. He points out that its a no-brainer to invest in an index fund if you don't actively invest yourself. One of the best books on stock investing i have ever read.



4. There is nothing like a Bear Market to get you to question a lot of things about the wonderful world of investing. Having said that, this book which focuses on the ideas of John Bogle is just the ticket to set you straight on a number of critically important investment concerns. Asset allocation, the importance of having the lowest costs, how the mutual fund businss really works, it's all here and it all makes perfect sense. I wish now that I had heard more of the wisdom that this man has been passing along for so many years while inventing index funds at Vanguard Investments. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to invest with greater confidence and success for the long term. It may well change the way you think about the world of Wall Street and investing. It did for me.



5. This book establishes a set of basic principles for investing and, to a lesser degree, personal finance. The authors propose the principles, explain them, illustrate them and show you how to apply them.
   
   The book glances on non-investment personal finance topics including adopting a net worth mindset, emergency funds, estate planning, and insurance. The insurance chapter was very valuable and exposed several fallacious rationalizations people apply to insurance purchase decisions.
   
   The meat of the book is investing. Investing is covered in great detail, including in-depth descriptions of various investments, how they work, and how (or if) you should use them. The coverage of the effect of taxes on your investments is detailed and invaluable. The costs of investing are examined, and when you know where to look, you may find some nasty surprises in your current investments, especially your 401k plan!
   
   The entire book is highly opinionated, and I found that refreshing. The authors know what they're talking about, have a good idea of what the average person saving for retirement needs to do, and never fail to call it the way they see it. The writing style is fact-based advice, with humorous sayings sprinkled about, and is best described as "grandfatherly."
   
   The chapter on behavioral economics was an eye-opener. I thought that I was smart enough not to fall for any of those traps. I smugly read through the first half of them, then recognized myself in "Paralysis by Analysis." Oh my. That gave me some food for thought, and a new outlook.
   
   I did find the chapter on Asset Allocation to be lacking in practical advice. It only glanced on how to make an asset allocation for yourself, and didn't address the difficulties of balancing an asset allocation over multiple tax-advantaged accounts that have contribution limits and withdrawal penalties. (But there's a list of recommended reading in the back, and maybe one of those books will have more information on this topic.)
   
   Having just finished the book, I'm going back through it and making a list of information I need and actions to take. I finally have a direction to go in, and not just more conflicting details!

5 comments about The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

1. This book has SO much information on how to save money. I don't think I could ever apply all the tips, but the ones I have applied have really helped! I like to open the book and find one tip to do for the week rather than trying to apply everything at once. You can save money with a bit of time and creativity.



2. I've had the original series since they came out, and I still go back to these books for information. Not only does she give advice, she shows how she came up with it and how to modify it to your life.
   
   I use her recipes all the time (have the granola one memorized, we use it so much). It's worth having this just for the recipes. These books are how I was able to stay home with my kids, even though I made twice what my husband did.
   
   Although I gave this five stars, there are a few things you might want to know (if it matters). The index in the originals was not that great. I don't know if they've improved that in this combination or not. Since the books were set up from a magazine, there are many very short articles, so it doesn't read like a book. But I found it very entertaining. Even though the pricing is from the 80's in many cases, you can make up your own price lists using her principles.
   
   If you like being told what to do, this probably isn't the book for you. If you like having the information to figure it out yourself to suit your life, you'll love these.
   
   I've read about twenty 'save money' books and this series is the best.



3. This book is a collection of articles from Amy's 1990-96 newsletter by the same name. It is written in short, easy to read sections with a sense of humor. A lot of great suggestions to save money - not at all preachy! You decide how far you want to go to save money and how hard you want work at it. Amy's point is it's your money and it's your decision how to make it work for you. Whether you want a farmhouse in Maine with six kids or a Lexus in your garage - why spend money on things that aren't fulfilling to you?
   I think a lot of the negative reviews of this book have more to do with guilt over their unwillingness to put in the effort required than any advice in the book. I haven't heard of a child yet who turned into a sociopath because he/she didn't get a $200 pair of sneakers, $100 jeans and a happy meal everyday. Haven't heard of one that died from being made to try a vegetable either. I have seen too many children, who after following their parents examples of excess, have no idea of how to live within their means. If you're serious about getting your life and your spending under control there's no better guide to doing it than this book and Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover.



4. Overall I enjoyed this book as a comedy piece. It seemed on every page there was something my husband and I could giggle at. There were a few good money-saving ideas in here, but some of it was downright ridiculous.
   
   This might be a good book for you if you are absolutely desperate to find new ways to save a penny or two here and there, and don't mind looking tacky in the process.
   
   In her defense, the author warns herself that some of these suggestions are unsanitary if not downright dangerous. Re-using styrofoam containers from raw meat comes to mind, as well as the whole section on dumpster diving. In short, you have to read through a lot of junk to get to any helpful advice. (Hopefully most parents would opt to go on welfare before digging through other people's trash for food!)
   
   As we are looking for a new house I had hoped to find some good advice on that but her advice is dangerous; old houses can have anything from lead paint to asbestos to gas leaks or lead in the pipes and so on. Some things are simply not worth the savings.
   
   Many of the other ideas were very outdated and no longer true. For example nowadays with the rising price of cheese, a homemade pizza will run you at least $8.50. Several of her other tricks I calculated myself and did not come up with any savings. So on most things you will have to do your own math if you want to know the true cost with today's prices.
   
   The only other complaint I have with this book is that it's very unorganized. It's not broken down by subject at all, just short newsletters on various topics which I found irritating.
   
   I reccomend you check this book out at the library before buying. You might find some gems amongst the muck, and you WILL at least have a good laugh. But if you want to buy a more useful book on this subject, I reccomend Miserly Moms as it is much better (and smaller!!).



5. This book is for all of us who get pleasure from saving money. It is for people who get more of a thrill out of walking out of a grocery store having saved $30 on their food bill than they do when the spend $100 on a new pair of expensive shoes. If you prefer the smell of retiring early from a job you dislike to new car smell, you have found your book. While this book is a little extreme with homemade Halloween costumes for kids and going through piles of your neighbors curb side throw outs to repair and use. It has excellent ideas on cooking at home to save money, and a great philosophy on how to stop relying on convenient foods, convenient stores, and conveniently spending all your money on things that add no value to your life. Whether it is buying 10 pairs of the exact same color and type of sock so when one wears out or is lost you lose one and not a pair, or putting a gallon jug of water in your toilet to save a gallon of water on every flush, this book is packed with ideas that will save you the cost of the book itself very quickly. Stock up on items you use frequently when they are on sale, take your time when buying a car or house so you get the best deal possible, negotiate big ticket items. The bottom line is spend money on what is most important to you, a nice house, quality time with your children, or early retirement and stay away from single serve pudding cups, lunch-ables, restaurants, fast food, and grocery items not on sale. Escape the consumer spending trap and the corporate rat race all at one time through spending smart to live more free.