Book Review – Effortless Savings
I just finished reading a copy of Effortless Savings by Richard Syrop
Book Review – Effortless Savings – Overview
Effortless Savings is a step-by-step guide that provides ideas on how to save money without sacrificing the things that you love.
The book is organized into 10 sections to save money:
- Telecom
- Insurance
- Home Energy
- Grocery Shopping
- Health and Beauty Products
- Clothing and Household Items
- Automotive Expenses
- Additional Shopping Strategies
- Restaurants and Entertainment
- Vacations and Travel Expenses
As you can see, this book really covers the gamut of areas one should consider when trying to save money. Let’s dig in to find out what I thought of the book…
Book Review – Effortless Savings – What I Didn’t Like
There is not much I could find wrong with this book. They are so many tips to keep straight that you’ll likely get overloaded if you don’t keep a list for yourself. The author actually suggests doing just this so that you can get the most out of the book. One upgrade I can think of would be to make an actual checklist that the reader can process through to ensure they wring out every little bit of savings they are able to find.
Another concept that may be helpful would be to cover how folks can actually create a game plan to save money. Identify the “quick hits” or “low hanging fruit”. Going through the exercise of listing all of your expenses and then ranking them from highest to lowest can really be a great exercise to help folks decide where to prioritize. I went through this type of thing and it really did help me focus.
Many of the money saving tips were common sense or not very earth shattering. But, there were several nuggets that I was able to take away from the book and work to implement. The average person can probably find dozens of new ideas to try.
Besides these critiques, there is not much else to find wrong with this book. It really is very good.
Book Review – Effortless Savings – What I Liked
The first thing that I loved about this book is how well it is organized. You can literally jump right to the section that you are interested in and focus there first. Each section stands on its own, so you do not have to read the whole thing front to back.
This book is also specific and to the point. There are dozens upon dozens of highly actionable ideas that are very “crisp” in their explanation. The entire book is less than 200 pages and makes for a very quick read.
80% of the idea in the book are not really all that ground breaking. They are tried and true money saving tips that anyone who frequents personal finance blogs is sure to have already run across. The other 20% are new and creative ideas that I just have not seen before. These are sure to save even the most seasoned veterans of personal finance and frugality some additional money each month. Very exciting stuff 🙂
I am sure everyone will have their own favorite sections after going through this book. My favorites were the chapters around home energy and restaurant/entertainment to be the most helpful for me. Our household is definitely leaving money on the table in these areas!
Book Review – Effortless Savings – Overall Rating
5/5 – This book is a great way to jump right into saving money if you are unsure where to start. I would highly recommend this book.
Book Review – Effortless Savings – Final Thoughts
If you think you are a frugal pro and there is no more money left for you to save, I challenge you to read Effortless Savings
Most readers on Amazon.com agree with me – this book has a 5/5 star rating for a reason. It is very good!
Nice review Derek! I like money savings books, especially for those people who don’t know how to save money or need a few more money saving ideas.
Grayson @ Debt Roundup recently posted…Using the New Moto G LTE on Cricket Wireless
Grayson,
Thanks! I have not really read a book dedicated solely to money saving before, but this one truly was excellent!
I think Effortless Savings is totally a good book to read! The first thing that I look at the book is how organize it is. You’re right, you don’t want to read the whole thing from front to back!
Clarisse @ Make Money Your Way recently posted…An Introduction into Technical Indicators
Clarisse,
Yes – it is a bit too much to keep track of in just one sitting. It’s far better to take notes on the ideas that will apply to you as you go through it. I wouldn’t try to bite off more than one chapter a day just so the ideas can soak for a bit…
Thanks for sharing, Derek. As frugal as we all think we are, there’s always room for improvement.
Addison @ Cashville Skyline recently posted…Are Music Festivals Only Catering To Rock’s One Percent?
Addison,
Exactly – I plan on changing my air filters on a more routine basis and vacuuming off my fridge coils. Both of these should help to conserve electricity.
First off great title, effortless savings and I appreciate the review. I notice many new books on personal finance, and before getting one I wonder how much redundant info will it contain. I’m interested and will read it, thanks.
EL @ Moneywatch101 recently posted…The Last Hundred Dollars
EL,
Sure – it really has many new ideas in it. I wasn’t expecting to be impressed, but I was pleasantly surprised 🙂