One of my favorite things of being a money blogger is getting great books to review. I always manage to learn something and having to review the book forces me to read about financial stuff, which honestly I find boring a good part of the time.
I read Phil Villarreal’s book in stolen moments these last few weeks, out of pleasure and not out of obligation (this review is already a couple months late). It was a busy time and the one to three page chapters were perfect for a quick fix.
Phil reminds me of John who I consider one of my very best friends. Like Phil, John used to work in newspapers and has this snarky sense of humor that comes from intelligence and self deprication (rather than stupidity and making fun of others). Phil is the exact kind of guy you want to be friends with, and also the kind of guy you can learn a thing or two from.
A few of my favorites:
Mooching off a potluck (or if you feel guilty doing that, offering to bring paper plates). I personally hate potlucks for multiple reasons so I love the idea of not being obligated to make a ginormous dish that people may or may not eat. (Nothing like getting stuck with a huge plate of lasagna and, being a single girl, having to eat it for lunch and dinner the rest of the week if no one at the potluck eats it!)
Taking a girl to a womens’ sporting event as a date. Makes you seem like a sensitive or perhaps creative dude when really it’s just that sports tickets to women’s games are way cheaper than their male counterparts.
Pretend you’re with the press and people will probably believe you and let you go through. Now I actually worked for a newspaper and I can tell you in the events I covered in the two years I was there, not once was my employment questioned. I just told them I was with the paper and they let me right in. This probably works even better if you have a nice looking camera (or even just a nice looking camera bag). It’s all about really projecting like you are with the press…as my friend Jessica would say (usually in relation to fashion and trying to get away with wearing something ridiculous), “Make people believe it!”
Get a pay-per-view movie free when you tell the front desk the next morning that it quit halfway through. See, I love having insider tips like this from people who have worked at certain kinds of jobs.
This book is a New York Times bestseller, so I don’t need to tell you it’s good. Plenty of other people can too. But if you know someone who could stand to save some money and enjoys reading things in a style similar to Bill Bryson or David Barry, please give them this book. But at the very least, get a copy for yourself. You will have a good time, and learn a useful trick or two!
Here are some other reviews if you’d like another perspective:
(This guy rocks at getting reviews, he should be a book promoter!)