If your budget is so tight it squeaks, then you'll be happy to know there are some great books out there with new and different perspectives on saving money. I've also got a few tips that follow the book suggestions. And, of course, in our household, EBAY is a major factor in living within our budget.  What a help it has been!

  But first,  as you start on the road to financial security, consider these two main Steps:
 
   STEP ONE: Be open to a radical revision in your lifestyle or thinking.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you need to spend less than you make (and stop living off of charge cards) to start saving money. However, if it were that simple, fewer people would be in debt.  Some of the book suggestions below may have information you consider impractical for your life but you may find other information is more practical than you think.

               For Example:

Take this book: How to Survive without a Salary
How to Survive without a Salary
Contrary to its Title, the book does not really suggest that readers live without any income but is more accurately aimed at freelancers or self-employed people. Those with a predictable salary will also benefit from reading this book. since the author certainly knows how to make even the tightest budget tighter.

        I thought we were saving as much as we could before I read this one, but he got me to rethink our spending patterns and cut back even more. Unlike so many of these books, which is aimed at those who live in the country, are homesteaders, etc...nearly any reader could gain something from a look at this book. What I particularly like is the author's advice for thinking outside the box and researching the least expensive way to obtain necessary items. As an example, I thought we were doing pretty well to buy a brand new refrigerator with free delivery and no interest for a year (we had it paid off with no finance charges before the year was up and kept as much of our money in the bank as possible, earning interest, while we paid off the fridge. But we could have done even better by buying showroom models for even less money (even with delivery factored in) or by exploring other options. For our next purchase, we saved 50% more than we would have before reading this book. Other useful tips include making the most of auctions, knowing how to borrow wisely (and when borrowing is a no-no and cheap tips.
       Another Example? After reading this book, I kept my eyes open for alternatives and one day, while we were in the market for some shelving, I happened to notice a store sign that said: Display cases for sale. Talk to Manager. The result? Two large display cases, neutral color (grey) that became floor to ceiling bookcases. Cost? $10.00 each for a custom built, upscale look!


STEP TWO: Don't think you have to take an "all or nothing" approach. Even if you start moving in the right direction and cut back on your spending, you'll be that much more ahead. You will need to reach a point where your goals can be realized but sometimes that takes small steps to build your confidence first. Like any diet, a money diet can have a few setbacks along the way. Don't give up. With perseverence, consistency and the desire to succeed, you will!

            Now, some Book suggestions (extra money-saving tips follow these):

Jean Chatzky Make Money Not Excuses  - This is Chatzky's newest book (as of Oct 2006).  Not as radical as the first book I suggested, this one is aimed at consumers who need a simple, step by step plan for getting in control of their financial lives. Chatzky's skill is in breaking down basics such as retirement planning, getting rid of debt, building savings, investing and more into a few simple steps. Follow her guidelines and you will save money!

How to Live without a Car  -How to Live Well without Owning a Car
Wait a minute! Before you say, WHOA! No way! Let me go on record as saying we are a two-car family and don't plan on giving up our cars anytime soon.  However, this book has saved us a ton of auto-related expenses, anyway.  Just seeing the cold, hard dollar and cents statistics on paper (the author DID live without a car for four years plus - and saved over 40K) got me to think about the true costs of owning and driving a car, from auto insurance, the cost of the car, depreciation, gas and maintenance, etc....and taught me to make the most of each bit of driving we did, whether I carpooled, drove less often, walked more, etc. So take a look at this one, if only to jolt your assumptions a bit and rethink how far you'd be willing to go...to save money.
     

How to Live on Practically Nothing  - Again, you'll want to pick and choose from this book. The author lived on 12K a year and to do that it took some pretty extreme choices. While we didn't want or need to sacrifice quite as much to meet our goals, we did learn how to save on transportation, entertainment, health care and many other areas where we spent money mindlessly. I think the main advantage of this book is to raise reader consciousness when it comes to financial matters. In that regard, it works well.

                                      Some of my own MONEY SAVING TIPS:

First, no surprise here but....get in the habit of browsing Ebay regularly, even if you don't buy a thing. Find the Blogs that emphasize financial matters and saving money at : http:blogs.ebay.com. See the SEARCH form on the top left corner. Simply search by keywords or ASK other Bloggers where the Blogs on those topics are.  Network with other Ebayers, find out how to spot the good deals on Ebay, learn from the pros.  Ebay IS a community; learn to navigate it. Suggestions: Blogs, Community Chat boards,  etc.

1.  Make sure Ebay is a routine part of your comparison shopping.  Make it a habit!. Time and again,  after I've looked at my local ads, done my research, checked alternatives, I've  found that Ebay offers the best bargain and the quickest results - so much so, that now it is the FIRST place I look.
        Just make sure you always follow the basic steps: compare items, check feedback and read the item descriptions and return policies carefully.  I bought my son's first game system on Ebay and I sold another son's trombone here as well (and the buyer got an incredible deal - in fact, I wish I'd bought ours at that price originally! ).
      When you find items like brand new shirts that start at 99 cents and have low shipping, why spend the time, gas or money to go to the mall? :
            

2.  Browse Antiquarian books using keywords like money, finances, budget, home finance, home economics, budgeting, etc.  Depression-era cookbooks and some of the old methods can still work well today! If nothing else, books like the one below will leave you amazed at the power of inflaction, since the author suggests (as of 1927) that $200 a month was enough to live on and save plenty, too! So have a look at  similar books:
                                                                  


Finally, don't forget the power of RESELLING what you don't need on Ebay. For a minimum of time, you have buyers from all parts of the world who can stop in, 24 hours a day, to look at your items. Don't be afraid to list larger items as well but DO research shipping costs ahead of time. If you think your items aren't worth anything or won't get viewers, give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised -  consider this item I sold recently - and for $76.00! - and yes, I DO think the buyer got a deal! As of this writing, it is Halloween season....