The Bottom Line
"Thrifty" is packed with tips and suggestions for bringing a frugal, but gracious style to day to day living. Gardening is only one aspect covered in the book, but the author speaks from first hand experience and offers some great ideas for having a garden that looks like the best money can buy, without the price tag.
Pros
- Practical, not preachy.
Tips for everything from controlling impulse shopping to replacing lawns.
- Once you read the gardening chapter, your interest will be piqued to read on.
Cons
- The cover looks dated and off-putting.
Why do people recommend flat-edged spades for digging?
Description
- Paperback (232 pages)
- Published 2010, by House of Anansi Press
- Suggested Retail: $15.95
Guide Review - Thrifty: Living the Frugal Life with Style
Author Marjorie Harris has pulled together a collection of thrifty tips that won't leave you feeling deprived. She calls it a "richly frugal life". Gardening is just one chapter in the book, which also covers home, entertaining, traveling and fashion.
Harris writes from her own experience, trying to create a garden on the $400.00 paycheck she received for writing about creating a garden. She also includes advice received from gardening friends. It's amazing how much thrifty practices boil down to common sense. Things like
- Knowing your site and what will be happy there.
- Use hardy plants in containers and plant them in the ground at the end of the season.
- Keep a shovel and pots in your trunk, in case you are offered free divisions.
- Never ever plant variegated goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) 'Variegatum'
If you are trying to downsize or simplify your life, "Thrifty" has great tips for planning before you plunge and making more of your garden, from less.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
