Book Review

The Cheapskate Next Door by Jeff Yeager

The intention of this book is to give the reader secrets about living happily below your means. The author starts by giving the reader 16 attitudes that cheapskates have. Here are a few examples:

• cheapskates don't keep up with the Joneses
• cheapskates value time more than money
• cheapskates know and buy value in products
• cheapskates know the difference between needs and wants
• cheapskates avoid debt

The author then goes on giving some stories and examples of money saving cheapskate ideas in the rest of the book. Some of the ideas are simply bizarre like: not wearing underwear during the summer to saving ear wax to polish your car. No thanks.

Other ideas and examples are potentially dangerous and unhealthy like going through other peoples garbage to look for anything usable or eating from other people's leftover plates in restaurants to avoid purchasing appetizers.

Most of the tips though are already common knowledge:

• live at home for college
• go to a community college
• buy a used car and pay cash for it
• go to the library for books
• shop around for the best prices
• turn down your hot water heater
• wash clothes in cold water
• use public parks for entertainment

Overall, this book is absolutely worthless and is a waste of time. There was not one piece of good or new secret in this book. The book wasn't even a good read. This is one book you can safely skip.