Be CentsAble: How to Cut Your Household Budget in Half »

Chrissy Pate and Kristin McKee are former neighbors who launched their first "Be CentsAble" workshop in 2008. Pate lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and McKee in Phoenix, Arizona.

As seen on Good Morning America and successfully adopted by thousands of subscribers, this easy-to-use system helps slash every household budget

Now more than ever, people are desperate to save money without scrimping on every little purchase or sacrificing their lifestyle. Like most Americans, stay-at-home moms Chrissy Pate and Kristin McKee spent the lion's share of their budgets on what they assumed to be static costs such as groceries and utilities. But when using traditional couponing and cheapskate guides didn't help their budgets shrink by a dime, Pate and McKee decided to come up with their own way to save.

Within a few months, their household expenses dropped by more than half-from spending $800 each per month to less than $350! only a few years after developing their "be centsable" system, Pate and McKee have helped thousands of subscribers save money without spending hours finding and cutting coupons, or giving up "extras" like travel and entertainment. In this prescriptive guide, these authors show how anyone can save thousands of dollars on cleaning supplies, pet care, toys, travel, and most importantly, groceries-without giving up healthy foods, favorite products, or the occasional splurge.

Publishers Weekly

Former neighbors and stay-at-home moms, Pate and McKee offer a detailed look at slashing household expenses. The authors, asked by their husbands to cut their budgets in half, settled on savvy coupon use: “stacking” savings—purchasing goods already on sale with additional coupons. They present a plethora of information about coupons themselves, where to find them and how to use them properly in conjunction with sales on particular groceries. Nearly half of the book is devoted to grocery shopping, including tips on which stores to visit, and how to plan meals and “win at consumerism.” No topic is too small or pedestrian—there are instructions for making cheap household cleaners, finding affordable airfares and mattresses, and menu planning. The occasionally dry and serious content is enlivened by quick tip “action plans” at the conclusion of each chapter, breaking down the information into digestible portions. (Mar.)

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 Everything You Didn't Know About Coupons 1

2 Store Types, Store Incentive Programs, and How to Use Both Effectively 24

3 The Art of Stockpiling 44

4 Planning, Planning, Planning, and Planning to Plan 54

5 Shopping Tips and Tricks 75

6 Trimming the Excess from Your Food Budget 89

7 Cleaning Up Your Budget 103

8 Utilities 124

9 Budget Breakdowns and How to Avoid Them 140

10 Discovering the Art of Resale 153

11 Buying New at Rock Bottom 170

12 Family Entertainment 182

13 Travel 203

Conclusion 229

Index 235