Amazon.com
In a wise and witty manner, brothers David and Tom Gardner, founders of the multimedia investment company The Motley Fool, impart their investment strategies to the adolescent masses with The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens. In eight teen-friendly sections, the brothers Gardner and writing partner Selena Maranjian demystify the stock market by describing and defining mutual funds, banking practices, IRAs, and drip investing. The authors also include numerous quotes from money-savvy adolescents who detail some of their rookie market moves in an attempt to help their peers steer clear of similar mistakes. Parents will approve of the strongly worded sections on credit card debt and the costly financial and physical tolls a smoking habit takes on both wallet and health. In fact, parents would do well to pick up this investment primer for their own edification, if they find the stock market a confusing and chaotic business. Loaded with worksheets, helpful Web sites on a variety of financial subjects, a concise glossary, and a comprehensive index, this is one investment guide that both generations can and will turn to again and again.
Traditionally, teens have been known for having a hard time seeing the proverbial Big Picture. But the Gardners respond admirably to this characteristic, by constantly emphasizing the fortune teens can make in the future by investing now and reminding them that investing money is the least labor-intensive way to make more of the desirable green stuff. A perfect gift for the burgeoning Warren Buffet in your life. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert
Book Description
From the personal-finance duo Fortune magazine called "funny, smart, cynical, opinionated" comes savvy financial advice for today's street-smart young investors.
The Motley Fool has made investing fun and easy for millions of people. Now, it custom designs its wit and wisdom for today's money-savvy teens.
The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens helps teens stand out from the ho-hum mutual-fund crowd, build a portfolio of stocks they can actually care about, and take advantage of the investor's best friend -- time -- to watch their profits multiply.
- Strike a blow for financial independence. The Fool shows you how to:
- Question authority when it comes to managing your money
- Save cash (for investing, for college...and, yes, even for having fun!)
- Dodge the spending and saving pitfalls that trap so many adults
- Get started investing -- online and off -- with just a few dollars
- Discover up-and-coming businesses that could become future blue chips
Warning: this is not your parents' money guide! From identifying companies that are both cool and profitable to building a portfolio that makes tracking investments exciting, The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens shows young investors the way to financial freedom.
Download Description
From the personal-finance duo Fortune magazine called "funny, smart, cynical, opinionated" comes savvy financial advice for today's street-smart young investors. The Motley Fool has made investing fun and easy for millions of people. Now, it custom designs its wit and wisdom for today's money-savvy teens. The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens helps teens stand out from the ho-hum mutual-fund crowd, build a portfolio of stocks they can actually care about, and take advantage of the investor's best friend - time - to watch their profits multiply. * Strike a blow for financial independence. The Fool shows you how to: * Question authority when it comes to managing your money * Save cash (for investing, for college...and, yes, even for having fun!) * Dodge the spending and saving pitfalls that trap so many adults * Get started investing - online and off - with just a few dollars * Discover up-and-coming businesses that could become future blue chips Warning: this is not your parents' money guide! From identifying companies that are both cool and profitable to building a portfolio that makes tracking investments exciting, The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens shows young investors the way to financial freedom.
Customer Reviews:
Good Book For All Ages.......2007-02-14
This book has reinforced what I have been preaching to my 17 year old for years......1) save and invest your money early, 2)live within your means as you get started in life (used vs new car), 3) attend the local university (keep student loans to minimum) and 4) practice a healthy lifestyle and you will soon learn that by the time you are 30 you will have more financial freedom and less debt than 90% of Americans.
I wish I had been taught the discipline for the first two items as it wasn't until age 40 that I reached financial freedom. Fortunately for him, he is a believer after reading this book. Maybe along the way he will guide others in the right direction.
The Best Way to Enjoy Finance & Economics.......2006-02-27
This books gives the true value of savings: a life worth dreamings about and investments we make for it to see it happen. This is a sweet and funny little book that makes money look exciting as a tool and token. I see this book as the clues to playing a cool video game. (More, like the hint book.) It's so casual that you think your reading Reader's Digest. You never feel confused! Math teacher's, parents, middle schoolers, high school students, college students, retirees: you'll love this book.
Yes, a good money book for teens, but the voice is annoying........2005-05-03
This book will basically focus on the way the stock market works and how to invest in it. It also tells you how much you can save in the future. It is the meat of the book when it comes to the stock market, but the book will also teach you the cost of bad habits such as smoking and the upsides of credit cards if used right. The book teaches you how to get your money's worth in the bank, teaching you everything from how they make money to what a cd is. The worst thing about this book that annoyed me so much, I took off a point, was that they try to write the book in a type of slang format. Going from saying the word dawg and writing rock lyrics about the book. This is very annoying, but the tips this book gives are just too valuble to detour you alway.
I recommend it to anyone of any age.
Great intro financial / investing book for **everyone**.......2005-02-08
I only skimmed this book (after all, I own almost all the other TMF books!), but I think this book is by far one of the best financial books for **any** new investor, regardless of age. While other books may have more content, this is one of the most approachable financial and investing books I've read. (Plus, its worksheets **force** you practice what you read!) Readable by adults, too!
This book is the beginning of your future.......2005-01-24
I am in college. I guess I got this information kind of late. I actually started my first job way later than other kids.
I think this book inspired me to save and invest in my future. I did not know a freaking thing about investing till this came along. The thing I found most suprising was that you don't need any knowlege of the stock market to come out ahead. They make it so simple...and its life changing. I recommend this book if you want to be able to survive comfortabley when your retired.
Start saving and investing now! buy the book.
Book Description
Retire Secure! tackles the number one fear facing most IRA and retirement plan owners: running out of money too soon. Lange, a nationally recognized IRA expert, offers specific and practical strategies to successfully navigate the three stages of retirement planning: accumulation, distribution, and estate planning.
Retire Secure! explains the tax advantages and long term wealth building strategies of selectively and strategically putting money into IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, Roth 401(k)s and the myriad other retirement plan options available to individuals working in the corporate world, the non-profit sector, as well as individual proprietors. The book proves that putting money into tax advantaged retirement plans beats “traditional saving” in the after-tax environment.
The book sheds new light on best practices for spending your IRA and retirement plan dollars and your traditional savings. Many readers will be surprised to discover that the order in which assets are spent is not a trivial consideration—it can make or break the bank.
It also outlines Lange’s exceptional estate plan–a plan that has been featured in the
Wall Street Journal and many other fine financial journals.
The book offers financial planning strategies and tactics in plain English that everyone can understand—and using humor and interesting characters in real life situations the book escapes the dreaded dry financial tome tone. For example, Chapter 1 offers a great mini case study that charts the financial destiny of Mr. Pay Taxes Later and Mr. Pay Taxes Now. Both start saving when they are age 30, but when Mr. Pay Taxes Now reaches age 90, he is broke, while Mr. Pay Taxes Later has $1,946,949 left. Chapter 8 is devoted to a complete case study of “Eddie’s and Emily’s” entire retirement decision making process.
The book is endorsed by more than 31 leading financial experts including
Charles Schwab, and
Roger G. Ibbotson, Yale Professor and perhaps the world’s foremost authority on asset allocation. As a bonus, readers who purchase this book can receive a free information-packed CD.
"
Retire Secure! is your playbook for winning the retirement game and beyond. It shows you how to capitalize on little known provisions of the tax law that will make your retirement savings last several lifetimes, leveraging your hard earned money into a family legacy. Best of all, you can rely on the advice here since it is written by one of the nation's leading retirement tax planning authorities.”
Ed Slott, Author Parlay Your IRA into a Family Fortune and
The Retirement Savings Time Bomb…and How to Defuse It
James Lange (Pittsburgh, PA) , an attorney and CPA, is a nationally known IRA, 401(k), and retirement plan distribution expert with over 27 years of experience. His recommendations have appeared 23 times in the
Wall Street Journal as well as the
New York Times,
Newsweek, Kiplinger’s, and many other prestigious financial publications.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book on financial planing and retirement.......2007-06-12
Bravo!
This book is a must read if you're planning to retire wealthy, or at least securely.
And...
Every college student should be required to study this book carefully if they want to avoid all the common mistakes and money pitfalls that 98% of us fall into. I wish I had read this when I was in college... I would be $100,000 wealthier.
- Dave
What everyone needs to read and understand to make the best retirement decisions.......2007-01-03
James Lang has had so much excellent advice for my husband and me that we purchased 7 copies for our adult children and are hopeful they will benefit from the knowledge in the books and cds.
Retire Secure-Solid Advice For All.......2006-10-21
Reading "Retire Secure" will not alone make you rich. However, if you read and follow Mr. Lange's advice, you will build wealth and then protect it to the fullest extent possible. The book outlines a very clear path to maximize savings using the most effective vehicle available to you. Then it goes on to provide a thorough roadmap to minimizing your tax consequences and maximizing your after tax returns. Finally the book provides several different strategies for passing along wealth to your heirs while once again factoring in the greedy hands of Uncle Sam. The author not only provides you with the theory, as many financial planners do, but backs up his recommendations with solid proofs and confirms them with amusing case studies. Overall this book is an excellent source for information on the use of retirement funds for wealth building and hopefully inheritance to pass on.
Good for Advisors and Investors.......2006-10-11
James Lange's Retire Secure, offers great techniques to help persons planning for retirement. He is on the right track - to postpone and minimize the impact of taxes - in order to maximize the retiree's money and extend the spendable income. This book makes a valuable contribution to the field of personal finance - for both the consumers and the professional advisors who serve them.
My Roadmap.......2006-09-19
I find James Lange's book to be excellant. When we want to go someplace we're not familiar with, who uses MapQuest? Why? It gives us the starting point and the ending point. This book gives so much valuable information. I'll be retiring in 10 to 11 years, so my interest is quite serious. I stumbled accross Mr. Lange's website and find that to also be a fine source of information. As a 'boomer' I'm amazed at what the internet has done for our culture i.e. sharing of information.
Loren McGilvrey
Book Description
This newly updated edition of Growing Money answers every question a budding investor might ask: How do you read stock pages? What's the difference between stocks and bonds? Why do stocks go up and down? How can I keep track of investments? Can kids invest?
There has never been a time when the world of finance has been so much a part of kids' daily lives. Today's kids want to know everything about money-especially how to make it grow. This completely updated guide explains savings accounts, bonds, stocks, and even mutual funds! Included are fun quizzes to reveal a young investor's risk tolerance, stories of success and failure, a behind-the-scenes look at the New York Stock Exchange, and best of all, an imaginary fund of dollars to invest, along with suggestions for selecting companies compatible with kids' values. New to this edition are chapters on financial responsibility, true-life tales of other kid investors, and step-by-step instructions of just how to buy stocks. Tell your parents-investing isn't only for grown-ups anymore!
Customer Reviews:
The kids love this book!.......2007-09-14
This is a great book to get kids interested and started in investing money. I would recommend it to all parents, grandparents, guardians, whatever! The kids seem to actually pay attention to what it is saying---I read it to/with them and it uses kid friendly language...KUDOS!
Growing Money Parent Review.......2007-07-09
We purchased this book to get our kids educated in saving money and investing. It's a very simple book for kids age 6-11. It's a classical book that can be used generation after generation.
Growing Money: A Complete Investing Guide for Kids.......2007-01-10
My son is 9 and has latched on to this book. He skips around to read different sections and really seems to be enjoying it. He is already saving to start his first bank account, so we will see where he can go from here. After glancing through it, this seems to be a well written and easy to understand book. Hopefully this will be a good influence on him!
Can't if you don't receive it. Growing Money.......2007-01-06
I ordered 2 copies for my grandchildren, Only one was received. Margaret
wish i had this when I was young.......2006-07-30
Clear, concise explanation of our financial systems. Great tool to introduce kids to having control over their resoures.
Book Description
Clark Howard answers all these questions and many more in Get Clark Smart. With practical tips and on-line resources, Howard helps readers to get rich by saving money in unexpected places and investing those savings creatively. Howard has a passion for saving money and a zealots enthusiasm for sharing everything hes learned. His strategies for getting rich by saving wisely will turn readers into financial wizards.
Download Description
What are the 3 secrets to building long-term wealth? Whatare the 5 things that no one thinks of before buying a home? ow can you save up to 40% on the car of your dreams?How can you get long distance telephone service for almost nothing? lark Howard answers all these questions and many more in Get Clark Smart. With practical tips and on-line resources, Howard helps readers to get rich by saving money in unexpected places and investing those savings creatively. Howard has a passion for saving money and a zealot's enthusiasm for sharing everything he's learned. His strategies for getting rich by saving wisely will turn readers into financial wizards.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book for those new to personal finance.......2007-02-16
This is a wonderful book for those new to personal finance and investing, or just looking to get a handle on their own financial situation. The author encourages frugality, but there is much more to his philosophy. My only ding is that this book is desperately in need of an updated edition. A lot has happened in terms of online technology and finance in the 5 or so years since this book was published (hence my 4 star rating). In the meantime, the author has a wonderful web site with helpful advice.
Very informative book.......2007-01-04
This is the first book that I have read by the intelligently frugal guru, so I can make no comparisons. For a novice like me, I found the book easy to read and understand. I recommend his practices for people who do and do not understand how to get the most value for their money.
Does he ever sleep? .......2006-10-05
Okay, the guy is smart when it comes to getting a discount and making intelligent purchases. He even saved me from making a costly mistake, making this book totally worth buying (rent a car BEFORE you commit to buying it!). But this guy is not the Mr. Joe Average Consumer he tries to portray himself as. He gives readers a whole lot of personal examples of how he saved money and if you add those stories up this guy must never sleep. He probably does more smart spending in one week that the rest of can do in an entire year. I couldn't help but feel bad for his family who he drags along on some of his economic adventures (dialogue I imagine coming from the backseat of the family car: "Daddy, can we PLEASE stop buying stuff and GO HOME." ~ "No honey, Daddy has another financial advice book to write.") Anyway, Clark is full of clever cash-saving ideas. As another reviewer put it, this is not a how to get rich book. It's about cutting costs -- and spending money is not the same as saving money.
Not for the truly broke.......2006-06-26
Yes, if I bought a $3 latte every day, and I cut that out, I could save more than $900 a year.
Guess what? I can't afford a $3 latte every day and the best way I have found that Clark could help me save money was if we had never bought his book.
Excellent retailer.......2005-07-02
The book arrived as describe and on time. I could ask for nothing more.
Book Description
At a time when kids have more debt and temptation than ever comes a completely revised and updated edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller on teaching children aged three to twenty about money
Money Doesn't Grow on Trees is the book that parents turn to when it comes to teaching their children about money. With 180,000 young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four declaring bankruptcy last year and college students graduating with an average of $28,000 in debt, Neale S. Godfrey is the definitive expert on the subject and her time-tested advice is more important than ever.
Money Doesn't Grow on Trees offers exercises and concrete examples on everything from responsible budgeting to understanding the difference between "want" and "need" for children of every age. This revised edition includes entirely new sections that discuss
- The power of the Internet
- The tactics of television advertisers
- The world of eBay
Godfrey's years of experience as a mother and a financial expert make Money Doesn't Grow on Trees a book no responsible parent can afford to pass up.
Customer Reviews:
I bought 12 copies and gave for gifts!.......2007-03-30
My husband originally bought this book, and then I read and re-read it. We have 2 sons, (10 & 12 yrs old). This book REALLY helped us to set up a program for spending and saving with our sons. I like the way is is simply laid out. I would highly recommend any parent who is interested in learning more and getting help on how to set-up the whole money thing to get this book...better earlier than later! Be patient, it does work...it just takes time and persisitence.
User-friendly and useful.......2007-02-09
We all spend a lot of time talking about how to instill proper financial values in our children. This book gives you step-by-step advice on how to make that "talk" reality. The sections on how to use the world as your financial classroom and how to instill your personal values through consumerism were perfect for our young children. Perhaps the best part of the book is that it is written in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand style. Anyone reading this book will be able to use and implement these ideas.
Good book for all parents........2001-07-31
If your a parent and having trouble teaching your children about economy then this is the book for you. It help me with my children very much. This book has many was to help you teach your children and may even teach you a thing or two. So if you need help then get this book.
Book Description
A how-to book of practical know-how for the some 25 million Americans who are self-employed -- about business deductions, easy recordkeeping, estimated taxes, pension plans -- everything an independent professional needs to know about the tax consequences of his or her business.
Customer Reviews:
Small Business Answers.......2007-09-05
"Self-Employed Tax Solutions" is an excellent self help start to treating your cottage industry as a business and working your way through the intricacies of filing federal taxes as a small business. Ms. Walker's explanations are clear and well illustrated.
We had no trouble understanding each point and applying the rules to our own small business situation. The only problem we found was her citing a court ruling, putting it in quotes, and not providing a bibliographic source.
Both the glossary and the index are adequate for the novice readers. The style was breezy and light, which made the reading easy.
A good place to start for an entry level "indie" who needs basic tax information. She has several "wish I'd thought of that" ideas for keeping records and saving time.
Nash Black, author of "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks and Pitfalls for Authors."
Self-employed Tax Solutions.......2007-06-13
Easy to understand. I am new to it all and learned quickly thanks to Junes pesentation of the material. Also will be a great reference manual come actual tax time!
Learn about taxes. Without pain........2007-03-30
I highly recommend this book! I am about to graduate design school and am starting up a sole proprietorship. I realized I know absolutely nothing about what I'm getting into tax-wise, so I picket this up on Amazon. An excellent buy! This book is incredibly easy to read and understandable, despite the fact that you would expect the subject matter to be painfully dry. It's not. The world of taxes isn't half as painful and boring as I expected it to be, thanks to this book.
Excellent Book.......2006-12-30
This is a very well written book that provides a lot of insights to self-employed people. Provides very good ideas on deductions and methods to legally cut the self-employed person's overall tax burden.
A Few Issues but Holding a Few Gems Too.......2006-12-24
I pretty much never comment about the font a book is done in, but let me start out my review by saying that this book had the oddest font choice I've seen. The letters were very thin, squarish, and actually hard to read against the white. It made me realize just how important something like font can be in a book.
So, on to the content. This book is written by a self-employed person, for self-employed people, to help them manage their records for taxes. She doesn't want you to DO your taxes - she wants you to hire someone, like her, to do them for you :). She just wants you to be informed about what is going on, and to perhaps help prod your tax person along if they're not very good.
In case you were thinking this book was a mere "nice to have", she says in her introduction that "Such complications [of not handling this properly] could prove fatal to your enterprise." I love it how books say "you must buy me or you will DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH!!!" A page later, she promises "If you use this method, you will never miss a tax deduction" which I sort of doubt :) So this book has already hit a few of my buttons in book reading - threatening certain doom if I don't get the book, promising the moon, and being hard to read :)
Much of the first part of the book focusses on whether you should go into business for yourself, what it means to be self employed, and whether you should be a DBA, Sole Proprietor, LLC, etc. Hopefully anybody looking for tax solutions has already gone through those stages and isn't looking for all their information on these important decisions in a few pages of a tax book.
But on to the meat. When you get into the realm of *taxes*, the book really does well. It explains the difference between personal gifts (tax deductible up to $25 per person per year), entertainment expenses, free giveaway items (pens etc), charity donations, and more, in very clear language.
The book goes into travel deductions, home office deductions, leasing and buying equipment. It gives a ton of examples. Some people might find them annoying - I admit that many of them are quite silly. Still, it's easy enough to skip over them if you're not into cutesy examples, but if they help you absorb a concept, they are there for you to read.
Like with any business book, there are a lot of very common sense things in here - but a few very key tips. The interesting thing is of course that depending on who reads it, they might find different things to be fascinating vs well known. Something that one person says "of course" to, someone else might say "That'll save me thousands!" So it's good that all bases are covered in here.
Well recommended as a book to at least get out from your local library, or to get and share around your network of business-owning friends. It's not a book that I need to sit on my library shelf, but it was worthwhile to read and glean a few important tidbits from. I'll now pass it along to other business owners to let them pick out their own gems.
Book Description
Mutual-fund superstar Peter Lynch and author John Rothchild explain the basic principles of investing and business in a primer for all listeners.
Many investors, including some with substantial portfolios, have only the sketchiest idea of how the stock market works. The reason, say Lynch and Rothchild, is that the basics of investing aren't taught in school. At a time when individuals have to make important decisions about saving for college and 401(k) retirement funds, this failure to provide a basic education in investing can have tragic consequences.
For those who know what to look for, investment opportunities are everywhere. The average high-school student is familiar with Nike, Reebok, McDonald's, the Gap, and the Body Shop. Nearly every teenager in America drinks Coke or Pepsi, but only a very few own shares in either company or even understand how to buy them. Every student studies American history, but few realize that our country was settled by European colonists financed by public companies in England and Holland -- and the basic principles behind public companies haven't changed in more than 300 years.
In Learn to Earn, Lynch and Rothchild explain in a style accessible to anyone how to read a stock table in the daily newspaper, how to understand a company's annual report, and why everyone should pay attention to the stock market. They explain not only how to invest, but also how to think like an investor.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing new here.......1998-09-28
Having listened to Peter Lynch's "One Up On Wall Street" and "Beating the Street," I found this tape to offer almost nothing new except improved narration from Peter Lynch. You're better off getting one of his earlier works.
Book Description
Most people are unaware that environmental problems such as climate change can be easily avoided, at a profit, through the intelligent application of appropriate technology. The Carbon Buster's Handbook describes how to achieve this goal in the residential field.
The first book in North America to provide a detailed carbon accounting of a family's carbon emissions and how to reduce them, it systematically analyzes energy costs and evaluates which measures yield the highest returns for the environment and the pocketbook. It provides answers to questions such as:
- Which measure is more effective: putting solar panels on your roof, or buying a hybrid car?
- Where do I need to invest first: in high-efficiency shower-heads, or solar tubes?
- Is a $500 fridge that uses 800 kWh of power per year a good buy?
The book allows individuals to quickly and accurately assess which products are a good deal and which aren't. It systematically analyzes residential carbon emissions and energy costs and prioritizes solutions based on highest carbon reductions and monetary returns, yielding results that are often surprising. The book enables readers to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions - far below the levels targeted under the Kyoto Protocol. At the same time, readers implementing the recommendations will save an average of US$15,000 in energy costs over the next five years.
Customer Reviews:
This little book lives up to its name!.......2007-05-12
The positivism inherent in the title (The Carbon-buster's Home Energy Handbook) carries through to the text and tables which are dramatically informative and easily understood. Mr. Stoyke has done our planet an enormous service by showing the rest of us how to be kinder to our unique home. This book should be read by every home-owner and potential car-buyer.
Exceptionally useful book if you want to save money and do right for the planet.......2007-03-04
This winter's storms made me realize how quickly global warming's impact is escalating. We need common solutions but we also need to do what's right as individuals. What's great about this book is that it walks us through the process and even allows us to save money in the process. Just a handful of the book's simple and almost costless suggestions will save me several hundred dollars a year. And it gives a great perspective on which of the larger investments to undertake, and how they pay back in both dollars and carbon savings. I've already recommended this book to a dozen friends and will be recommending it to more.
It's the best handbook I know for immediate practical steps that any of us can take to save energy.
(......)
Essential and Profitable Reading.......2007-02-16
Godo Stoyke is a true master of bringing carbon reduction strategies into the hands of the everyday person. Backed by rigorous research, each suggestion in the book is worthy of consideration and completely achievable. Most professionals within the "green" technology industry are aware that market appeal lies in the wallet; to this effect, Mr. Stoyke has infused the book with money-saving tips that provide significant returns. Such an appeal will lead to implementable steps at reducing one's carbon footprint whilst being rewarded economically for sound decision making.
Due to this implementable nature, the book will appeal greatly to a wide audience, from the environmentally-aware to the fiscally-conservative.
Checking up on Carbon Busters (the research organization which Mr. Stoyke is a partner in) it is clear that professional accuracy is well within their means. I take heart in this, due to the wide proliferation of relatively ballooned perspectives that plague the enviro-informational space.
Bush's energy bill should make this book required reading! How many tons of carbon reduction per person would that initiate?! Likely enough to pull tanks out of the Middle East.
To the author: Well done sir.
Joseph L. Hundert
President
Biowest Energy Inc.
Book Description
You can afford the Disney World vacation of your dreams--if you know how to save for it, save on the way to and from Orlando, and save while you're there. The Carlsons, parents of four young children, know from repeated, firsthand experience that you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to have a Walt Disney World vacation. They share their money-saving strategies for accumulating the necessary funds and then getting the most for the least on travel, tickets, food, resort hotels, and souvenirs for the kids.
Customer Reviews:
Disney doesn't HAVE to be a fortune.......2007-05-14
I had to respond to some of the nay-sayers that have reviewed this book. We go to Disney a few times a year, and it is by far one of the least vacations that we can take. This book hits the nail on the head!
You can DEFINITELY bring in a cooler with your food, and not only will it save you money, but is healthier and better tasting than the burger and fries that you will find at the park.
Staying in a rented house is not only less expensive, but infinitely more comfortable for a large group. Most people don't even realize that this is an option.
Going to Disney doesn't have to be an all-out spending fest! You can still give your kids the world without paying for it for months on end and spoiling them in the process. Set up limits on when/where to buy souvenirs, bring your own food, find budget accommodations. Once you get to the park it is the same magic for everyone, whether you've spend $1000 to get there or $5000.
"Disney on a Dime" Save your dime, and don't waste your time!.......2007-05-01
After thoroughly reading "Disney on a Dime: Money-Saving Secrets for Your Walt Disney World Vacation", all I can say is save your money and the time you would spend reading this book. Not only is there nothing earth shattering revealed in this book, there is easily better information available online for free. There are many Disney based web sites out there, and I'd venture to say that 99% or more offer better information than this book does.
The first myth of the book to dispell is bringing your own food to the park and storing it in a cooler in a locker. Not only does Disney not allow outside food, they surely do not allow a cooler! Apparently the author has never been through the outside security checkpoints or bag check that has been implemented since 9/11/01. Secondly, the author advocates stealing condiments, cups, and just about any foodservice item you can fit in your pocket/purse. While this can be done, it's absolutely ludicrous to think anyone WOULD do this. Is this really saving money, when everything you are taking is provided free of charge in the park? I think not. I can go on and on, but I think anyone with a brain gets the idea here.
In closing, I think the average person understands that a Disney vacation is by no means inexpensive. The published statistic is that the average family of four will save for seven years to take a 1 week Disney vacation. With many of the offers Disney has had the past few years (discounted 7 days vacation promotions, free dining plan, etc.) it is now even easier to take that vacation AND stay on Disney property. Do your homework online for free, and avoid this book at all costs. That'll be your fist step in saving for your Disney vacation. It's a shame that I actually had to give the book 1 star to write the review, as it's not even deserving of that.
It worked for me .......2007-03-27
I used this book and from what I've read it mentions stuff that I might not have or didn't think of. Disney is and will always be expensive. The title itself is not to be taken literally. We took our lunches in and not a word was said..I did this without a second thought. Believe me,they got plenty of money out of me when it was all said and done. So I feel no guilt about saving a few bucks for lunch. If you can save some money while at "The World" do it. This is a guide and an informative one at that. 263 days and counting!!
Disney on a Dime for a Miserable Time.......2006-12-14
You can't do Disney on a dime. And if you could, you'd have a miserable time. Most of the tips in this book are either ridiculous or downright hilarious. Did you really come to Disney to fill your pockets with free food and condiments from a topping bar? That's one of the tips for saving money at the park. Or how about bringing your own food into the park after driving there from your off-site motel room and telling the kids that they can't buy any souvenirs? What a vacation.
There are a few good tips in the book, but you probably know about them already or can easily find them for free on-line.
I'm a big fan of saving money at Disney. It is possible to save money there without ruining your vacation by cutting every corner. A good Disney vacation is expensive. All the penny jars (another tip from the book) in the world won't help with that. Do your own research and don't expect miracles. And don't be misled by authors whose next tip might involve panhandling outside Cinderella's Castle.
Not what I expected.......2006-08-25
This book was really basic in offering tips for budget conscious disney travellers. It didn't help me much. A lot of the information I already knew. I was looking for something more and I didn't find it here.
Product Description
How to conquer the fears that prevent parents from shifting from work to the home. You can switch from two incomes to one without sacrificing your standard of living.
Customer Reviews:
Great Gift Idea!.......2006-11-02
If you're looking for some good insights for yourself, this is a great, easy-to-read book. But, it's really great to give as a gift to a young bride or an expectant mom. Yes, some of the things the author discusses should be common sense, but let's face it, not everyone has common sense and many of us forget to use it sometimes! Ms. Walker gave me some great ideas and got me to re-think some of the things our family does. I am the envy of my whole family because of the deals I get on children's clothing, and until I read this book, I really wouldn't have seriously thought about rummage sales and consignment shops. Now, you can't pull me out of them. If you're looking for a quick, down-to-earth start on getting a handle on your budget, this is a helpful and fun book to start with. Thanks!
Long title...quick read for busy Moms.......2006-03-04
I like this book for it's practicality, simplicity and the fact that the author, whether intentional or not, made this an easy read that doesn't consume more of your time than necessary. Some of these suggestions are fairly common sense, others are eye-opening suggestions that could certainly make for practical use. Her writing style is not superior or overly-authoritative but more personal and conversational. Like reading a letter from a good friend who's "been there".
Excellent Ideas!.......2005-04-26
I am a mom of two little girls, and, like all other mothers, am always looking for ways to save money - but with precious little time to hunt for bargains. I thought that Christine Walker's book gave some easy, creative ways to cut costs on everyday items. As the author suggested, I have gone to my local grocery store and introduced myself to the store manager. He said he is happy to help point out bargains, and told me that he wished more people would take the time to seek him out!
Also, I went to a dollar store - never had been to one before - and it was a blast. There really are everyday items to be purchased for $1 - hairspray, shampoo, candles, etc.
This book is a quick read and a lot of fun. I highly recommend it.
If you have common sense you don't need this book.......2005-03-18
This slim book is filled with common-sense ideas on how to save money such as cut coupons, buy in bulk, eBay, rummage sales, etc. If you normally live a moderately frugal lifestyle, you won't find any new insights here. In fact, I can add a new one: #66: Don't waste $15.95 on this book.
Don't go without, get it for less!!!.......2005-02-15
The title of my review is the author's motto throughout the book. The book is short BUT full of helpful hints and information. Walker obviously knows what she is talking about, and knows what works and what doesn't when it comes to cutting back on spending. She is realistic, sometimes funny, and always to the point. By the way, despite the title, the book is in fact for anybody who would like to learn how to downsize without being a miser and still enjoying shopping!!! The Mystery Shopping suggestion is WONDERFUL. My husband has landed a LOT of assignments!
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