All-in-one Book of Tips!

When I've watched DIY shows and home organization shows on television, they always seem to be geared towards people that have a great deal of extra income that they can spend on materials to organize their homes with.  Every time I open up Better Homes and Gardens, I check how many children the families in the magazine have.  Usually, I find they have 0 or 1 child.  Once in a while, they'll feature a home where 2 children live.  But, again, the families typically live at an upper middle class income level.  But, I think the reality for many of us is that we can't afford to live that way--our homes don't look like the ones in the magazines and tv shows--especially if we've made choices and sacrificed a second income so that we can stay home with our kids.


When I requested this book for review, I was curious, but expected it to be pretty impractical.  Instead, I discovered that it is a wonderful book packed full of very practical tips.  Kathy Peel and her husband raised 3 boys who are now grown adults.  She says early on that she gleans tips and advice from all the women she has known in her life and come across.  I liked that.  (A few months ago I reviewed a book by a woman who wrote a book of advice for working moms though she hadn't been one when she wrote the book.)  Sometimes it seems that advice givers can come across as very prideful as if they have all the answers.  There is a blessing that comes from learning from one another!

In the book, Ms. Peel tackles seven areas of home management:  time and scheduling, home and property care, menus and meal planning, relationships with family and friends, finances, special events (including holidays and birthday parties), and taking care of yourself.

For the most part, her tips are practical and useful no matter what the income of your family is.  A few of them are only practical if you do have extra disposable income, but it's a relatively small number of things (ie. in the section about yourself, she mentions both getting a massage and a facial in a questionnaire).  Most of her tips are realistic and frugal.  For example, she mentions washing the area where ants are coming in with straight white vinegar.  She also lists cleaning tips that can be done overnight with regular household items like vinegar and baking soda.  A lot of books like this include tips that are very labor intensive and the time used outweighs the money saved.  This book, on the other hand, includes tips that are very doable and wise, in my humble opinion.

I know that I will be coming back to this book again and again.  She has organized lists of what to do to care for your home each season.  She also has lists about appliances--how long their life expectancy is and even advice on how to choose new ones.

The section I am usually most curious about is menus and meal planning.  Her tips are especially practical for moms who work outside their homes.  I agreed with most of her advice, though I don't do as much freezing and cooking ahead.  My family likes a lot of variety and I cook breakfast 5 mornings a week since my kids are not fans of cereal.  But, that's how it is with any book--you are the best judge of advice that will work for you and your family.  There is no one size fits all solution to organizing your home and life.  But, I love to read new ideas because they renew my hope that I can get on top of things or be successful tackling something I've  been struggling with.

Here's a sample of tips that really stuck with me from the book...
On Time Management...
"When you say yes to something, you're saying no to something else.  Don't let it be your family." p.3
On Cleaning...
"Use a wide, soft-bristled paintbrush to remove dust from blinds and pleats in a lamp shade." p.48
On Cooking...
"Boil a few slices of lemon in a pan of water for 20 minutes to clear the air of burned food odor." p.57
On Baking...
"When coating a baking pan with flour, use an empty spice jar (the kind with holes in the lid) to shake it neatly into the pan." p. 123
On Celebrating...
"Don't wait until you have enough money to plan the perfect party.  If something is worth celebrating, it's worth celebrating no matter how simple the event." p. 219
On Finances...
"Everything you have is a gift from God.... Managing money is not about the money.  It's about how you view money...The joy of a purchase made on credit usually doesn't outlast the payments."  p.195

This sample is just a smidgen of the great ideas I read in this book.  Kathy Peel truly has packed this book with lots of great advice.  It's perfect for someone starting out on their own, newlyweds, or people that love ideas about how to manage life better.  It's full of good reminders even if you are a pretty organized person.  I do highly recommend this book!

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.

Dave Ramsey

I have been curious about Dave Ramsey and his financial advice for a long time.  I have a very dear friend who has enjoyed the seminar her church put on with his materials.  So, when I got the chance to review this book, I was very excited to see what he had to say.

This book is called The Money Answer Book.  It is a collection of short answers to questions.  None of the answers are more than 2 pages.  And the pages are small.  It is only the size of maybe a 4 x 6 or a 5 x 7 picture.  This is the third book I've received from publishers that is being printed smaller than books used to be.  (I assume it is a cost cutting measure in the publishing world.)

But, back to the book's contents.  The questions are organized by topics such as real estate and mortgage, insurance, budgeting, etc.  The entire book can be read in less than an hour.

Here are some things I learned about Dave Ramsey's financial philosophy:
1) He advocates paying everything you can in cash.
2) No credit cards.
3) Pay off small debts first and then move on to bigger ones.
4) Buy used unless you're rich.
5) Get out of debt (except for your mortgage) and stay out of debt.

I pondered first the paying for things in cash idea.  I brought it to my husband to ask what he thought.  He brought up several points that I hadn't considered.  First, we use our credit cards to save us marital conflict.  He doesn't have to save all his receipts and hand them to me.  I look them up and write them down.  We pay off our credit card every month.  Second, he told me that it is far easier for him to whittle away a $20 bill than to use his credit card.  If he has a $20, he'll spend it and have no idea what it was spent on.  I shared this with a friend and she said the same is true of her.  So, for people that don't pay off their credit cards each month this can be a great idea--to pay in cash.  But, for some people using cash can be a greater source of temptation.   Third, at Target, Lowe's, Toys R Us, Home Depot and several other stores, the clerks can look up your returns using your credit card.  This is a great thing for people like me who have 3 kids and can't keep track of receipts very well.  It's also great because I can return something for my husband and he doesn't have to save the receipts for me. (Costco can also look up your purchases using your membership card.)

So, the cash idea won't work for us.  But, it has worked for a lot of my friends and I think it's a great idea.  It just isn't a one size fits all solution, though.

I did learn something that scared me in this book.  I discovered that credit card companies can pull your credit report without your permission and then they send you a prescreened/preapproved credit card application.  Thankfully, there is something you can do about it.  Call 888-567-8688 to put a 5 year ban on unsolicited credit inquiries.  To make it permanent, you have to write a letter.  When you make the call, it will associate your name and address with your phone number, so call from your primary home phone.  If it is not your name that comes up, spell your name and say it.  I had to spell my name and the phone picked it up perfectly.

Because this is just a Q&A book, the answers are very short and that works well for some of the questions, but for others, it is very inadequate.  The section on real estate and mortgages was extremely short.  I think this is an area that our culture struggles with immensely.  We hear and see everywhere that we should have huge homes--bigger than we can afford.  I wish there had been more discussion of the consequences of such actions.  I am glad, though, that he said an Arm is never wise--rather that choosing a fixed rate loan is the wise road.

This is a great gift book to help people get their feet wet and begin thinking about their finances.  It isn't a comprehensive financial guide.  Still, I have two people in mind already that I would like to give this book to.  I think Dave Ramsey has some great advice.  The thing I most agree with about his financial advice is something he states on page 1, "...be responsible to God and family, sacrifice the unnecessary to gain the necessary, get rid of debt, and build a financially peaceful future."

Please note that I was given a complimentary copy of this book for review.