The $1,000 Challenge : How One Family Slashed Its Budget Without Moving Under a Bridge or Living on Gov Ernment Cheese

"A funny, useful guide to saving $1,000 a month, based on the popular series in The Detroit News. With middle-class families more stretched than ever, nationally syndicated personal finance columnist Brian O'Connor decided to test his own advice about saving money. He began a ten-week experiment to cut his family's monthly expenses by $1,000-without sacrificing anything truly important. The result is a funny, savvy guide to budgeting in the real world, across ten different categories of spending. It can help families eliminate petty squabbling about money and feel better about where those hard-earned dollars are going"-- Read more... Abstract: "A funny, useful guide to saving $1,000 a month, based on the popular series in The Detroit News. With middle-class families more stretched than ever, nationally syndicated personal finance columnist Brian O'Connor decided to test his own advice about saving money. He began a ten-week experiment to cut his family's monthly expenses by $1,000-without sacrificing anything truly important. The result is a funny, savvy guide to budgeting in the real world, across ten different categories of spending. It can help families eliminate petty squabbling about money and feel better about where those hard-earned dollars are going" Are You Brave Enough for the $1,000 Challenge? Middle-class incomes are stretched more than ever. Feeling the strain himself, personal finance columnist Brian O’Connor decided to put his own family’s spending to the test. He began a ten-week experiment to see if his family could cut its monthly living expenses by $1,000—without sacrificing anything truly important. From groceries and transportation to entertainment and insurance, O’Connor ruthlessly tackled his family’s Top 10 spending categories with an eye on rooting out big savings. As he shares his family’s cost-cutting adventures, O’Connor offers helpful strategies for getting your own finances back on track. Whether he’s sharing secrets to shrinking your grocery tab or helping you scour bills for unnecessary fees, O’Connor tackles the frustrations and fears of controlling your own financial fate.