Cheap Talk with the Frugal Friends: Over 600 Tips, Tricks, and Creative Ideas for Saving Money

by Angie Zalewski

A collection of the very best tips and tricks for stretching the family dollar from celebrity thrifters.

Genres: Reference

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2001

Reviews

[Brenda]

I put this here just so my friends could have a laugh. Many of the things in this book are smart and new, like a very simple applesauce recipe that I always use now. But some things, like scrubbing the bowl just a little harder using ajax to clean the toilet (to save 7 cents) is downright silly. It did help me get through a tough time though, and I made my own wet-wipes!

[D]

I learned nothing new. It was more of a motivator for me to do what I know will save me money.

[Sonya Zoller]

Fast read. Some interesting tips.

[Gemma]

Found this at a thrift store (how's that for being frugal?) but most if it is either stuff I'm not interested in (I don't care how cheap and nutritious beans are, I hate them!) or stuff I already know (don't charge stuff on your credit cards you can't afford--duh!!! No-name brands are the same stuff, but cheaper. Again, duh!) And while I like being frugal, I'm not averse to treating myself and my family either. I'm not going to never buy potato chips for the rest of my life, sorry. I'm not going to never buy watermelon because most of it goes in the compost. And no, I'm not going to start dumpster diving.

Some of the things also didn't seem like they'd save you a lot. For instance, making your own fruit roll-ups involves running your oven for over 10 hours. I can find 100% fruit leathers at the grocery store for 25c a piece when they are on sale, which I'll bet is cheaper than 10 hours of energy consumed by my oven.

I liked the recipe for home-made cream soup to use in casseroles. I'm definitely going to try that one. And making my own hash browns. But I didn't find there was much here that I haven't already heard.

Update: the homemade cream soup was terrible. I tried using it in a casserole, and it got lumpy and gluey on the bottom, even though I whisked it thoroughly with the liquid first to prevent lumps.

[Sandra]

This is a beginner's book for frugality.

The two writers have different skill areas for frugality; however the manner in which this was achieved was as if someone had divided a room with tape (this side is mine; you stay on your side), which I found less than helpful.

There was a selection of frugal recipes.

I marked two entries that had something of interest and donated it to charity.

[Chris]

Loved some of the recipes in this book. Great for stretching the budget a bit. Some of the other ideas were rehashed from other books I've read, but overall, I liked it a lot!