Description

Can life really be fun and frugal? The answer is yes. You don’t have to stop enjoying yourself to reduce your outgoings. This wise, witty and warm guide shows you loads of simple, fun and pain-free ways to make your money go further – without taking the pleasure out of life.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. You have to want to do it
2. Get your kicks somewhere else
3. Know your budget
4. Remember the glass is half full
5. Save time
6. Get organised
7. See it as a challenge
8. Make bargain-hunting a hobby
9. Know when a bargain is not a bargain
10. Hoard your savings
11. Try an alternative savings scheme
12. Look for cheap thrills
13. Give yourself a cooling off period
14. Imagine yourself without it
15. Put it away before you get it
16. Ringfence funds
17. Use big money
18. Say never never to the never never
19. Think green
20. Sell things
21. Be a barterer
22. Get online
23. Don’t window shop
24. Carry cash
25. Don’t play with pretend money
26. Freeze your assets
27. Do your weekly shop online
28. Never shop for food on an empty stomach
29. Shop in a hurry
30. Cut out coupons
31. Milk your loyalty
32. Make the most of supermarkets
33. Shop for quality, not quantity
34. Shop for quality, not for price
35. Calculate the price per wear
36. Decide what it’s worth
37. Be mail order savvy
38. Check out the benefit of brands
39. Ask yourself if you need it
40. Always try to buy in bulk
41. Try smaller companies for size
42. Get into the haggling habit
43. Never pay the asking price
44. Buy with selling in mind
45. Net yourself a bargain
46. Shop twice
47. Join mailing lists
48. Buy at auction
49. Get competitive
50. Know when to sell… and when to buy
51. Support your local farmer
52. Stick to tap water
53. Change your habits
54. Buy less food
55. Buy cheaper food
56. Be a sneaky cheapskate
57. Cook for yourself
58. Use your leftovers
59. Use your freezer
60. Cook less food
61. Eat on the cheap
62. Become a vegetarian
63. Grow your own
64. Free food
65. Stay in
66. Go out later
67. Hold a swap shop
68. Bargain competition
69. Set up a babysitting circle
70. Meet for lunch
71. Share and share alike
72. Swap your house
73. Book late
74. Holiday at home
75. Work to live
76. Avoid currency traps
77. Get the kids involved
78. Think hard about insurance
79. Check your statement
80. Look for the best deals
81. Switch off
82. Don’t heat what you don’t use
83. Turn it down
84. Save water
85. Save petrol
86. Practise phone economics
87. Do your own
88. DIY
89. Make presents
90. Get the kids to make presents
91. Agree a budget
92. Have a family draw
93. Use cheap wrapping paper
94. Trim your Christmas
95. Shop in the January sales
96. Try a student
97. Recycle your kids’ clothes
98. Get hitched on a budget
99. Have a budget baby
100. Don’t give up

Back Cover

Most of us know that we spend more than we should. But we struggle to actually do anything about it, mainly because the idea of spending less means missing out or depriving ourselves… doesn’t it?

Not according to Richard Templar. 

He knows that, if you’re clever about it, your life can be just as good and cost you less.

With his usual mix of wit, wisdom and straight talking, Templar delivers cunning ideas on how to spend less, without taking any of the fun out of life. In fact, he’d argue that your life is going to get a whole lot better when you know how to stop wasting money. You'll be able to stop worrying about what might be lurking in your next bank statement and just get on with enjoying life.

Author

Richard Templar is the author of the international bestselling Rules books. Over 2 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules. The complete list of titles is as follows: Rules of Life, Rules of Work, Rules of Management, Rules of Wealth, Rules of Parenting, Rules of Love and the latest bestseller, The Rules to Break.

Reader Review(s)

"Richard Templar writes with wit and wisdom to encourage us to think and behave differently and develop the mindset that frugal is fun."

Choice Magazine, July 2009

"With clever foresight and strategic planning Templar suggests myraid ways in which you can spend substantially less and still enjoy the same standards of living as a canny bargain-hunter…there are suggestions to suit every personality and every budget."

The Good Book Guide, January 2010