BE THRIFTY is not about being cheap-it's about being smart and self-sufficient. Drawing on the work of experts in every field, it shows how to cut your food bills, cut your credit card debt-cut your own hair. Financial writers explain how to create a budget, and the thriftiest ways to invest in the market (thrifty people are savers, and savers need to make their money work hard). Professional chefs give step-by-step advice for shopping for the cheapest, tastiest ingredients-and offer recipes that put those ingredients to good use, from homemade Chinese take-out to the frugal barbecue. There are also tips on creating a home spa; why beeswax candles burn the longest; the twenty best bottles of wine for under GBP5.0 0 tips for building a budget music collection, including how to buy from a flea market with confidence; how to sell your home without a realtor; the adjustable-wrench guide to home plumbing repair; how to make your own fresh mozzarella for less than half the cost of an Italian deli's brand; the basics of negotiating a killer rate on a car; keeping your clothes looking great without a trip to the dry cleaner; unspooling old sweaters and repurposing the wool; the stuff you should buy in bulk and the stuff you shouldn't; how to outfit a nursery; and much, much, much more. Thrift-the word derives from thrive. Be Thrifty-it's how to thrive, and feel good and virtuous about it, too.