Living Cheaply with Style

By Ernest Callenbach

Live Better, Spend Less

Being frugal, one has abundance.

Laozi

Authored by long-time Briar Chick Callenbach, Living Cheaply with Style was first published in 1972 as Living Poor with Style. As the nuanced difference between poverty and frugality clarified itself in our public discourse, Chick evolved the title to reflect that.

Living Cheaply includes how to practice frugality in eating, getting around, dwelling, furnishing, clothing, staying fit, raising children, fun and games, dying, and more.

The aim of Living Cheaply is to equip you to live a better life—more relaxed, more confident, more resilient, more loving, more mindful, more satisfying, more genuinely stylish with less money.

The first step is to focus on what’s really important in life—a life that’s abundant in what matters.

By “living cheaply” we keep cash in its proper (subordinate) place—living economically, ingeniously, creatively, and with what we might call spiritual efficiency or even elegance.

Table of Contents

  1. Overcome Money Phobia
  2. Establish Credit
  3. Borrow Cautiously
  4. Maximize Buying Power
  5. Be a Savvy Shopper
  6. Rework Shopping Habits
  7. Plan Beffore Shopping
  8. Cheap Classy Drinks
  9. Save on Household Goods
  10. Buy Fewer Appliance
  11. Gather Food
  12. Make Food
  13. Grow Food
  14. Grow Decorative Plants
  15. Raise Live Food
  16. Get Around Car Free
  17. Car Buying for Less
  18. Reduce Car Ownership Costs
  19. Travel Cheaply
  20. Find Cheap Lodging
  21. Own Your Dwelling
  22. Make Furniture
  23. Cheap and Classy Home Improvements
  24. Lower Heating Costs
  25. Cool off Cheaply
  26. Reduce Utility Use
  27. Fix it Yourself
  28. Fix Plumbing for Pennies
  29. Raise Children Cheaply with Love
  30. Dress with Style Cheaply
  31. Get Information Fast and Free
  32. Write Away for Stuff
  33. Find Free Fun
  34. Save on Legal Fees
  35. Use the Green Triangle