The Thrift Book by India Knight - Book Review

by - Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Thesedays we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it'sdifficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we arelimited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families wecannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So eachWednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parentingguides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!
 
The Thrift Book promises to help us "Live well and spend less" and does this job rather well, despite that India Knight is a self-confessed "dedicated consumer and more-is-more child of the 1980's".


Well presented


It's beautifully presented, in hardback form with quirky illustrations in virtually every page and is one of those magical references where you can literally dip in at any page to find tips of worth in cutting down our budget.

My favourite section is that on "Beauty", where you can find sections explaing the best value products (and why they are so good); home-made beauty treatments (the Asprin mask? Inspired!), and "How to look expensive" which offers common sense yet wholly truthful tips on how to look great on the most meagre budget.

The section on "Community" was also quite inspiring and offers ideas for how to entertain oneself by choosing inexpensive interactions close-by. With chapters on Food (and how to grow your own) and a very down-to-earth explanation of the economy, it is overall an enlightening and entertaining read.


Too good to be true?


However, I must admit some reservations about India's "thrifty" advice. As a Northener (Yorkshire born and bred), I find many of the tips and locations mentioned are perhaps more appropriate for the London crowd. Also, this really is a book aimed at those who do have a nice little nest egg to cushion them through this current recession. At heart, I am a truly frugal mummy, and India's advice to "shop daily" or save up for (very) expensive designer clothes which are too pricey for 90% of the population are quite lost on me. I can't help thinking that certain sections were added to fill in gaps, rather than methods India has tried and tested herself, or at least sourced accurate advice about.

The cover price is rather expensive for the hardback version. At £14.99, this is hardly a thrifty price. You can buy The Thrift Book from Amazon at £7.49 for the Hardback version (£5.99 for the paperback) or try to source this from ReadItSwapIt (this is how I got my copy!) for the ultimate in frugality.

While aimed more at those who do have room for financial manouver (with many references particularly suitable for Londeners), I'm sure you'll find The Thrift Book an enjoyable book to read, which will undoubtedlyprovide you with some great tips for saving money in all areas of yourlife.

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