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Tips to save money and time -- just what we need at this time of year. Mary Hunt gives readers a whole book full of such tips in her new Tiptionary. She coined the word to stand for "a fabulously fun collection of short, to-the-point suggestions for how to do things cheaper, better, and faster."
Readers first met Hunt in the pages of The Financially Confident Woman, published in 1996, and six other books on money management topics. There she frankly told about her unrestricted spending habits during the early days of her marriage that led to being $100,000 in debt. After she made the firm decision to dig herself out of the financial mess and actually accomplished it, she used her hard-won knowledge to help others in similar straits.
One of the ongoing ways she offers aid is through her national subscription newsletter, the Cheapskate Monthly, which promotes debt-free living.
In Tiptionary, Hunt broadens her field of counsel and gives an array of simple hints divided into five categories: Family, Food, Home, Money and Finance, Travel and Auto. Some of the tips are for thoughtful gestures, e.g., leaving a neighborhood guide for the new owners of your house when you move. Others tips help with household jobs like cleaning tough toilet stains or removing crayon marks from painted walls.
The Family section reveals Hunt's strong motherly instincts with money tips related to kids and family life. Some are familiar, but some are real lifesavers.
The Money and Finance section is shorter than several others, but the tips are solid. They range from "Don't carry extra cash" to "Buying things on sale is a way to spend less but it has absolutely nothing to do with saving money." Hardnosed advice from one who knows.
The Travel and Auto section seems particularly geared to women car owners and travelers and includes a quick fix for corroded battery terminals and what to do with your house plants before leaving on vacation.
The simple table of contents and extensive index make the book a handy reference.
Mary Jane Harrison is a reviewer in Odessa, TX.
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