Money

Lisa Reid's "Raising Kids with Just a Little Cash" illustrates that is is not only possible to raise a family with a limited budget, but it is also the right thing to do. Her book is about reducing unecessary spending while spending more time with your family. Its reminds us to focus on the more important issues of life - that kids and family need your love and attention, not your money. Lisa's suggestions are not about doing without. There are hundreds of creative ways to have fun and to deal with everyday issues. My favorites are her ideas on free family entertainment and parties. She includes many references to money-saving resources. Lisa uses real life stories, hers as well as others, to show that you don't need two incomes to raise happy and healthy children. Her writing style is friendly, concise and easy to read. You will enjoy reading "Raising Kids with Just a Little Cash" and use it as a reference for years while your children grow. I recommend this book to anyone who is serious about raising their children with less money and more love.

In RAISING KIDS WITH JUST A LITTLE CASH, Lisa Reid quickly dispels the myth that it takes two incomes and a hectic lifestyle to raise children. In fact, by making the decision to live on one income so she could stay at home with the kids, the author discovered a richer, more abundant life for herself and her family. The book is peppered with inspirational, real-life testimonials of parents who have made a similar choice and found their lives to be fuller as a result. In a friendly, conversational style, Reid tells you how you can do it, too. All you need to do is make a commitment to live on one income and then hire yourself as your family's "money-saver". Reid gives detailed tips and instructions on ways to reduce the cost of just about everything involved in raising children. She discusses the economics of diapers and baby clothes in depth. Follow her strategies for obtaining second hand clothing and shoes and save up to 90% on the cost of outfitting your children and yourself. Occupy your children with activities instead of cartoons on Saturday mornings, and you will avoid unnecessary toy purchases spurred by advertising. Purchase inexpensive, basic toys such as Legos that make use of your child's imagination and creativity. Or make them yourself; plans and instructions are included. Entertain your children with free trips to the bakery, the train station, the airport, museums, the library, instead of the amusement park or arcade. Cut your food budget dramatically and eat better by following the tips and strategies outlined in the chapter on food. Throw memorable birthday parties by investing time and imagination instead of money. The author shows you how. Enjoy good health and travel for less by making use of the information in the chapters devoted to these subjects. You don't have to be a parent or a spendthrift to benefit from this book. My wife and I are frugal and our children are grown and out of the house. Yet, we found numerous tips that we have put to immediate and good use. One theme surfaces again and again throughout this book: thrift is not deprivation. Quite the opposite. A frugal lifestyle is liberating. It presents new choices and opportunities. These lead to a fuller, more satisfying life. Those who have followed the advice in this book all claim to be richer by every measure as a result of their employment of thrift. I heartily recommend this practical book to anyone who desires a simpler, more abundant life, both for themselves and their children. It comes with a money-back guarantee. What more could you ask for

Warwick has been raising by mail for years. This easy to read book offers charts, graphs, and systematic approaches to this successful, albeit investment-heavy, form of fund raising. This is an excellent book to get started or to review systems already in place.

I have seen him speak and then got this book. It is very entertaining but most of all it addresses the subject very methodically. Every reader will recognize the mediocre and unmoving writing that he is fixing and cleaning and transforming. If you are new to fund raising and need a primer on writing the annual letter (often the only fund raising small organizations do) look no further. The Expression "he wrote the book..." may just have been coined to describe this.

I used the basic approach he advocates and turned a dismal campaign around 180 degrees: from break even/loss to real money from a very tired (of the organization) list.

The Ballietts have a long history in financial planning. Anyone who reads "Resource Planning--The Internet, Money & You" is the beneficiary of their knowledge. In addition, the book is written in an easy-to-understand style. I not only recommend it to all my clients, I tell them they must read it.

THE BOOK IS WELL LAIDOUT WITH TWO PAGES PER TOPIC. EACH TWO PAGES LIST SUB TOPICS EACH OF WHICH CONTAIN DETAILS. THE FIRST PAGE HAS A KEY POINT COMMENT IN THE MARGIN
THE BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PROCRASTINATED DOING THINGS TO MAKE IT EASIER ON THEIR HEIRS. IT HAS DETAILED LISTS OF ITEMS TO DO & COLLECT IN ONE PLACE.
IT MAKES AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT A TRUST IS USEFUL EVEN IF ONES ESTATE IS UNDER ONE MILLION DOLLARS.IF THE ESTATE IS PROBATABLE A TRUST AVOIDS THE COST & DELAYS OF PROBATE.
FOR THOSE DESIRING MORE DETAILS ABOUT A SUBJECT THE BOOK IS PEPPERED WITH WEB SITE ADDRESSES & OTHER FOOTNOTES.
THE BOOK IS A GOOD ALL ROUND COMPENDIUM OF USEFUL LIFE ENHANCEMENTS

This compilation of life skills for better business and living teaches usable skills for living a busy, fulfilling life. From managing worries and handling stress to analyzing the things needed to succeed, Rich Without Money shows how to build strategic plans to meet goals.

Reading this book reminded me of the Citibank commercial a few years ago that said, "Get rich quick. Count your blessings." As the author so wisely and insightfully describes, we have become so overwhelmed by earning and spending that we fail to realize that we are already rich - with or without the material "stuff" of life. The life strategies described here are simple, yet powerful. And, written in such a way that is easy to understand and assimilate.

I came across Road To Debt Freedom at one of my friends home. After glancing through it for a while I decided to purchase the book a few days later. Being embarrassed about my credit card bills and overall financial picture I decided to take matters into my own hands. This book provided me with many chapters of useful information while being easy to read and understand. It's very rare for people these days take the time to say good job for something well done. Good Job!

Being in the debt management and credit counseling industry, we read a tremendous number of related books and articles. Every once in a while we come across an outstanding work of art that merits special attention. Road To Debt Freedom ranks at the upper echelon in this category!

The 144 page paperback covers virtually every aspect of managing, understanding and eliminating debt. Reading the book cover to cover, I was personally captivated with the style of writing and the handling of each subject matter. Also impressive was the authors' use of analogies which distinctively paints a vivid picture, especially in areas of finance which consumers often find confusing.

While this book is a MUST read for anyone burdened with debt, if so empowered, I would make it mandatory reading before anyone was granted credit. - Daniel Gelinas, The Center For Debt Management™

As Heather Martin-Zboray states in her review, this is a book well worth reading. Its suggestions are simple but radical for most Americans: let community groups sponsor sports and drama, and let the schools teach a core curriculum!

Shifting to longer class periods (the 90-minute block); starting high school at 9am rather than 7:30am (when most scientific studies reveal that adolescents should be asleep); removing disruptive loud speakers; extending the school day so that teachers can tutor students one-on-one on a daily basis; etc. are the core of Kralovec's suggestions.

Other than overcoming community aversion to these suggestions because "things always were done OUR way," there are no real roadblocks to the suggestions here. The question is this: Does America have the willpower to try to effect effective change which truly promotes learning?

In her new book, Schools That Do Too Much, Dr. Etta Kralovec advocates rethinking the amount of time and financial backing given to "school sports, DARE and extra-curricular activities", but not without rationale. She documents the toll taken upon academics from the seemingly endless stream of fundraising for one project or another. She notes that with each new societal challenge; AIDS, drugs, poverty, disrupted family units, we have expected our schools to assume responsibility for instruction on the issue, and to act as surrogate parents. Although there is undoubtedly a need for a larger community support network to support our youth, is that the role of the school? With each new program or curricula added to an already hectic week, some other piece of the day must give way. Inevitably, it is a core academic piece that is lost. With the recent increase in federally mandated standards, and a drive towards "learning results", it is especially difficult to accomplish. Kralovec acknowledges the value in special programs and extra-curricular activities, many of which grew out of progressive reform movements of the past aimed at making our communities more cohesive and nurturing places. However, in the face of nsufficient time and funding devoted to academic pursuits, she argues thatit is time to fundamentally revisit the purpose of school. We must alter the curriculum, the budget, and our own expectations to achieve success.

That the average student's day is chaotic and fragmented is more than just the "view" of Dr. Kralovec. As reported in her book, studies show that during the average high school day, a comparatively small percentage of the day is devoted to actual learning. Large chunks of precious time are squandered on moving between classes, settling into the new class, taking roll call, and the numerous and frequent interruptions from announcements,
bells, and other distractions. Furthermore, the time spent 'in class' is not always spent 'on learning'. Even the very nature of that time is examined. Research shows that the current model asks students to engage at hours when they are least able to do so, and then divides their day into ways which make it particularly difficult to focus. Perhaps from a sense of familiarity, perhaps from lack of a clear alternative, we continue to cling to this unproductive model. Kralovec offers an alternative.

Following an illustration of how to read and understand a school budget (so that parents and interested community members can see where the money is spent), Kralovec goes on to present concrete and well developed, if radical, solutions. These include doing away with homework as it is now (see her prior book The End of Homework), altering the length and structure of the school day, eliminating the bells and loudspeakers which fragment thought, respecting the time allotted to learning, and making the classroom 'sacred space'. She challenges schools and parents to revisit their long-held assumptions about what a school is, in an attempt to see what a school might be. I challenge you to read
her book, loan it to a teacher, pass it around your local school board, and start the dialogue.

Heather Martin-Zboray

I am a paralegal and this book gives a good, basic understanding of various state laws as well as requirements for finders. You can glean ideas from this book to start your own business, if you so desire.

The text takes you into the subject of unclaimed money in a very simple way. It shows you the origins of unclaimed money and some of the mechanics of how it is handled. You are given a general guide of how to go about tracking through this evident mess of uncorrelated data. He also tells you that some of the government agencies appear to rely on few citizens actually finding money, and most of the unclaimed money has actually been spent by states. There is also a overview of the business of returning money to owners,and earning a profit while doing it. The level is all introductory. Advanced techniques and logic are mentioned, but not extensively gone into. It is an easy, comfortable and easy to read and remember format.

....This book was a hand-me-down from my cousin. i started it at nine last night and finished it at 9:45 this morning.it was a really great book. I think that Kate and Freddy should've come to like eachother [like as in love]. Juanita should've stoped calling Kate Gormley. But hey they're just suggestions.Keep writing i want to read more of your books.

I cannot begin to describe the power this novel has. It has made me laugh and cry and continues to every time I read it. Shaking the Money Tree has been ignorantly dismissed as another cheap 100-something-page third grade novel with a catchy title. That's what I thought at first. Let me assure you - it is not. I read it for the first time in third grade and have read it over nearly every year after that. It sits proudly among my collection of Earnest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, and Charles Dickens. Why? Because it is a maserpiece. I give you the Newberry Medal, Ms. Mullaney! Just please read this. No matter what age you are, you will appreciate the honesty and and truth, the absolute and bitter truth of this novel. There's a psychological aura and sincerety that shines like white light from an unknown source far too sophisticated for children. It is not a book that could be appreciated by third graders - that's the reading level - but something with a message that encompasses a lifetime. I am honored that I have had the priviledge to find this book. Take my advice: don't dismiss Shaking The Money Tree.

This book is very comprehensive in presenting all the different ways one could get financing from traditional bank loans to more creative ones like seller refinancing (take a look at the table of contents). Two thirds of the book focuses covers the do's and don'ts of how to establish a good relationship with the bank, what the bank would like to see, and the proper way of working with the bank. It is very insightful and the author often throws in his own experiences/insights/observations as a bank officer as anecdotes for educating the reader. In the last third of the book, the author covers other ways to get financing for your business. This book is very easy to read, very concise and to the point as well as objective. This book is indispensible for those who want to become knowledgeable with all the different types of financing options.

There are very few books out there written by bankers telling a new business how to use their banking relationship to their advantage...this one does just that and more. I would put this on the suggested reading list of all small businesses.

What a great collection. Many of these lines are standards in conversation among myself and my sons, but Jim brings back long lost memories of films that I had not seen in years. My wife and I have rented a number of movies based on this book.

This is a great book for anyone who enjoys movies. It's light and fun and really does harvest some awesome dialogue from some awesome movies (but some I've never heard of). I also like how it's organized with categories like rants, insults, romance and my favorite "less than romantic."