Do More, Spend Less Book Review

Do More, Spend Less: The New Secrets of Living the Good Life for Less by Brad Wilson was a new book through the library.  I put it on reserve and I was really far down on the list so it took awhile to make the top of the list but I finally got it.  I picked it up just as I was finishing my previous book so I got to start very quickly.  It was a fast read and I got through it fairly quickly.

The book is broken into a few different categories.  The first category is travel.  It talks about plane travel and how to get cheap and free flights.  It also talks about getting into the lounge and not having to wait in the terminal with all the other people which makes the flights a good time.  There are a lot of tricks and miles and promotions to use but it mostly went over my head because I think that I can count my flights on my hands in my whole life.  I tried to put together a list but my first flight wasn't until we moved from NY to MD when I was in the 10th grade.  I tried to remember all the other ones (with the help of my husband), we remembered around 20 plane trips including India, Mexico, Michigan, Massachusets, Colorado, New Jersey,  Flordia.  I don't know if I want to put in a lot of effort to get free flights because I am not really a world traveler but if you want to be, then this is a great book to help you learn how to do it in style.  Want a massage, driven to the plane in a Porsche or have your own personal assistant?  Guess what these are available in the executive lounges throughout the world!!!

The second section was talking about shopping and saving money.  This chapter is about using coupons and ordering online to avoid sales tax to save money.  The author has ordered clothes from Brook Brothers and DVDs mail order for just dollars each.  Although the author is against the couponing because of the time that it takes to organize and shop, it was still an interesting chapter.  I obviously don't agree since I totally think that my time is worth cutting and organizing my coupons since I save about $800 per month with my grocery shopping sales and household goods.  If you want some helpful (possibly a little sketchy) hints this chapter is the best one for you.

The last chapter is on personal finance and improving your credit score.  There are hints on how to become a member of a credit union, apply for multiple credit cards, and increase your credit score. There are some hints on getting to see the wholesale rate list from the mortgage broker and paying off debt on the statment date and not the due date to appear to have less debt.  I think that some of the hints are counter intuitive to many people who have been trying to pay off debt and increase credit but they are some interesting tips.

If any of this sounds interesting, please make sure that you pick this up at your local library or bookstore.  I found it worth reading but not necessarily worth adding to my personal library.  I hope that you pick up a few helpful hints (especially if you are a world traveler or want to be).  I know that it changed my view on a few different things and I hope that I can check out the authors website at bradsdeals.com to learn some more!!