Book Review: Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel

Have you ever thought that you know all there is to know about saving money and being frugal? You probably clip coupons, buy your clothes from thrift stores, and reuse before you buy new. You may not take it to the next level, as the people do on Extreme Cheapskate, but you save a lot more than you spend. However, I can guarantee you can learn a thing or two from a stingy scoundrel like Phil Villareal.

Author of Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel: 100 Dirty Little Money-Grubbing Secrets, Villareal takes us into a new realm of saving money, one that may or may not cross your ethical lines. The book’s cover boasts an evil looking image of George Washington on the dollar, and promises to teach you how to save money on eating out, watching movies for free, and gaining easy swag. It’s not your average frugality book. In fact, it hilariously challenges everything you thought you know when it comes to cutting money corners.

The Obvious

Phil gives us some advice that we’ve probably all heard of at one point or another, otherwise known as common sense. Advice like “don’t become addicted to cigarettes, you moron” hits home for more people than you’d think. Do you know how expensive a pack of cigarettes are nowadays? Smoking is a very expensive habit, especially if you smoke a pack a day. Cutting that out can save you between $1,730.10 and $4,343.50, depending on what state you live in.

There’s also a tip on cutting your landline, something my husband and I decided to do when we moved in together. Since we both have cell phones, we figured we didn’t need a landline, when our family and friends had each of our numbers. That’s a simple cost to cut right there. One less bill to pay each month. Sounds easy enough, right?

The Cheap

There’s some tips in the book that will have you thinking “that’s pretty cheap” but chuckling all the same. Villareal suggests breaking up with your significant other just before birthdays and holidays in order to save money on gifts. It’s not a new concept, but it’s cheap all the same. Would you go that far to save money? A stingy scoundrel surely would!

Although money and friendship don’t usually mix, Phil highly suggests borrowing from friends before borrowing from the bank. Could your friendship possibly be in jeopardy if you don’t pay the money back? Of course. But it definitely won’t affect your credit like if you defaulted on a bank loan. Think that’s the worst of it? Things get better.

The Unethical

Are you above anything that helps you save money? What about taking supplies from your office’s supply closet? Would you dress up as a homeless person to get some free food? How about refusing to tip your waiters and waitresses? Phil is willing to avoid weddings, having children, and paying for dates in order to get by. Is it worth it to save a couple dollars? Of course it is!

If you don’t have a sense of humor, chances are you’ll be offended by the bluntness of this book. However, if you love a good laugh, and you’re willing to push the envelope a bit in order to save a couple bucks, this will be one of your favorite reads. Learn to mooch, scrape, and borrow with no intentions of giving back from the best of them. Want to save money on this book? Buy it, read it quickly, and return it. At least, that’s what Phil would do (just kidding).

Tagged as: book review, frugality, money management, personal finance