All of the techniques and recommendations are so nickel and dime, so small potatoes, that they seem practially inconsequential. I have no doubts that if you implement *all* of them, you’ll save yourself a lot of money. I also can’t help but feel that doing so would take a *huge* amount of time. An hour I spend washing out ziplock bags and flattening out tinfoil may save me a dollar, but that’s an hour that I can’t bill to a customer. You can bet I’ll earn a lot more than that dollar I would’ve saved.

I appreciate that these tips may be great for a mom who’s primary job is figuring out how to raise six kids and manage a household on a single salary, and I respect that, but I don’t have kids and my wife and I both have a full-time day job as well as both doing freelance consulting and web development on the side. We’d lose more money than we’d save if we spent our time working most of these tips.

I also returned the book to the library two days late. I’m sure that somewhere out there, Mrs. Dacyczyn is grinding her teeth over my wasted thirty cents. I’m okay with it, though. Those two days, I was finishing up a big project. I’ll never miss those dimes. :D

I agree that some of the ideas seem extreme, but there are a lot of useful ideas in this book!

I too have wondered what happened to Amy and her family, but since I wouldn’t want attention on a national level, I can understand why she has stayed out of the public eye.

There are quite a few articles, especially from readers, with specific tips. But the majority of the information is articles that explain a strategy and then give a detailed example of how to apply this strategy. That example may not be right for you, but the strategy can be applied in infinite ways, some of which might be just the perfect thing for you.

For example, she talks about investing in tools. The best tool for you may not be a tractor or whatever, but you may be able to imagine a tool that can save you money in the long run. For example, replacing some cooking tool that’s on the fritz may lead to your cooking at home more, or getting a good pair of running shoes may mean you no longer feel the need to belong to a gym.

And the example of her own life is quite compelling. The author was willing to spend less than most people do on food, clothing, and entertainment in order to spend more than most people on housing, children, and having only one parent working outside the home. Can you imagine a family with one income buying a large house in the country (with attached barn) and affording six kids? Inspiring!

I have almost completely different goals from her (and I don’t have any kids at all). I want to spend less than most people on transportation, housing, food and clothing so that I can spend more on traveling and so that I can retire young on a low-stress (thus relatively low-wage) job. I still get plenty out of her book. Partly that’s because many of her examples come from her readers, so you get plenty of other perspectives as well. And partly it’s because she focuses on techniques and strategies and how to adapt them to your wants.

She really did quit working on the newsletter because she felt she had nothing more to say. And in fact the third volume isn’t as good as the first two.

The main point of her book is that there are often many ways to do things, not just the one that first comes to mind. And if you want something that you think you can’t afford, maybe you’re wrong about that. Maybe it is possible to afford what you want merely by sacrificing some things you don’t care about.

What do I really want in a car? Reliable, affordable transportation. I am willing to give up good looks and status in my vehicle in order to be able to afford piles of other things instead, like trips to very interesting places. Everyone has some things they want more than others, and this book helps you remember that you have the power to make choices in your life. I like to re-read it periodically to inoculate myself against all the advertising messages that tell me I should have everything.

And not only that, sometimes it’s not sacrifice. Sometimes the cheaper way is the better way. She had the most fun parties and costumes imaginable. Her food is healthier than restaurant food, too, though more boring. It’s surprising how often you’ll try something just for a little while and realize that not only do you not mind it, but you prefer it, so even when you don’t have to be so frugal, you choose to.

And yes, this book has some extreme tips. I like that. It means no matter how good you are, you can probably find more ideas in here. It also makes the tips I’m using seem less odd! Also, her tips do not border on theft, so it’s not that kind of extreme. She explains, for example, why she washes out baggies–it’s easy for her, she has plenty of space, and the per hour savings for her time are substantial. I don’t go quite that far–I use those little plastic containers with lids (which are more expensive, but easier for me to wash because I seem to use them mostly for greasy things).

Note: this book is not about simplicity. Some of her ideas are more time-consuming or complicated than what people would normally do, partly because she has extra time in her ideal lifestyle. On the other hand, she is mostly doing only the time-consuming activities that she finds fun (or extremely financially rewarding)! Also, focusing on what’s important to you can make your life feel simpler because everything just makes more sense.

This is my favorite personal finance book of all time. I can’t guarantee you’ll like it, but if you like blogs and you like having options, I highly recommend checking this book out.

We comforted ourselves by thinking the book was worth the 17 Euro, because at least we would improve our English by reading it.

But now I found a tipp that will safe me lots of time and money: Buy a freezer.