Maybe, at times like these, we should all have a free copy of this book! (How I Lived a Year on Just a Pound a Day - Kath Kelly)

Member Name: k81979

Product:	How I Lived a Year on Just a Pound a Day - Kath Kelly
Date:	14/02/09 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Full of good ideas, big and small, easy to read

Disadvantages: Some may be put off by the more extreme methods used

Now I love money saving. And I love reading. I had been waiting for ages to earn an Amazon voucher from survey sites to buy this book (see? no spending!) until my lovely husband bought it for me for my birthday. I read it in a day, keen to see how I could change my spending habits to save up some more cash. Then I read it again a week later.

And ... the book didn't disappoint. From the start, I should say that if you read it and not expect some extreme methods, then you're going to be a bit unhappy. To live on a pound a day does not require just giving up going out one evening a week, or cutting back on choccie bars. Kath Kelly's complete change of lifestyle shows that, whilst it is possible, you need to be committed and imaginative!

Ms Kelly started her 'experiment' after a conversation with friends, who said that she couldn't do it - what a challenge! In order to save up for a decent wedding present for her brother, she decided to live on one pound per day. Any savings she made one day could be carried through to the next, but she wasn't to exceed £365 for the year. Rent was paid for at the beginning of the year, and since she rented a single room in a shared house, her rent also covered bills and so on.

The book is set out in a diary format, so that you can see her progress throughout the year. Her methods are explained simply, and without being patronising. Some of them are pretty hard to believe, although I don't doubt that they worked for her - for example, I was amazed at how far she could hitchhike in a relatively short amount of time, especially on her trip to France.

I think that, in order to get the most out of this book, the reader needs to expect to pick and choose from the ways she did it. Some of the things I could see myself putting into practice are:

*buying from the reduced section of the supermarket (though I need to get better at turning up there at a reasonable time, not always well stocked at our local!)
*using the library for books, and possibly the internet
*walking more instead of using my car

Some of the more extreme things are:
*hitchhiking - wow, I could never do this!
*getting rid of the TV - no licence, no extra electricity
*rummaging through shops bins to get free food (though to be fair, Ms Kelly does not actually do this, she just mentions that there are groups of people who do)

The book also has a big section at the back with lots of useful links and website addresses, so that people can follow up on bits that interest them.

I would reccommend a read of this wholeheartedly, it is easy to read, and full of good ideas that may well help you bring down your spending a little. It's the sort of thing that you can dip into for ideas on something particular, or hey, if you feel like going the whole hog ... ! Any book that leaves me with a warm glow and a feeling of 'I can do this! (well, parts of this)' must be worth a look.

Summary: A great read and plenty of ideas to think about if you are interested in saving a little bit extra.