How to live it up with little dough

May 17, 2009 by Shannon

Live large, on a small budget. Who doesn’t want to do that these days?

10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget comes from the writers of Wise Bread — a personal finance blog that’s as much a daily addiction as my morning pot of coffee. This book is good looking, easy-to-read, and delicious-smelling (I have a thing about the scent of books). Most of all, it compiles the very best of what the Wise Bread site has to offer: smart, easily adoptable ways to streamline your life and finances.

And considering the fact that our household is paring down from two incomes to one, I am almost giddy about implementing some of the book’s concepts. It goes without saying that I’ve studied the budgeting chapter like a college student cramming for a final. But I’m especially jacked to try some of the simple ideas. The ones that have you saying to yourself, why didn’t I think of that? For example:

Freeze leftover coffee in ice cube trays. Then you just pop ‘n plop in a homemade iced coffee drink. Voila! A delicious beverage without the dilution of regular ice.
Zip ‘em up. All those thrashing zipper edges in the washer and dryer can take a real toll on your clothes. Zipping them is a smart way to save a little wear, especially if you’re like me and don’t discriminate much about the types of fabrics you wash together in one load.
Make your own scented hand sanitizer. All it takes is a combination of rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel and a little essential oil. The suggested ratio is outlined in the book.

And I tell you what — some of the article titles alone make me swoon with the money-saving possibilities:

12 Affordable Ingredients That Add Gourmet Flair to Any Meal (I’m no chef, but I can pretend. And I have a cute apron, which helps.)
7 Things to Do With Inexpensive Wine (Cheapo vino? Now you’re speaking my language!)
Frugality Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: 5 Ways to Spend Less and Love More (Awww….isn’t that the way we’re supposed to live?)

Now, I must say 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget contains a few ideas that are a leeeetle out there. One article on how to become rent or mortgage-free suggests finding yourself a Quonset hut or shipping container in which to hang your hat. Hmm.

But all in all, this book is a resource for anyone who cares even 10% about how and where they use their money. In fact, I dare you to flip to any page and not find one interesting and/or money saving tip. It’s that useful.

And just when I thought the book’s wellspring of ideas had run out, the authors proved me wrong. At the end there is a 13 page listing of online resources — websites on everything from coupons and coupon use, to online deals, to organization and efficiency. If you’ve ever Googled for “coupon,” you know what I mean. Wise Bread has sorted out the worthwhile sites from the worthless.

10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget just hit the market this week (the Wise Bread crew was generous enough to provide me with an advance copy) so if you want to pick up a copy from Amazon, just hover over the book titles in this post. It’s an excellent reference to have on hand, and will probably pay for itself many times over.