Cynthia Yates. Living Well on One Income . Harvest House. 2003.

Christians, along with the rest of the United States population, frequently believe they must have a two-income family to afford the things they desire. What is a single parent to do? What should a family with children do? Is it absolutely necessary to give in to the common practice of every adult in the household working?

Cynthia Yates' book is written for those of us who only have one income to maintain a household on. She presents ten principles for accomplishing this goal:

1. Adjust your attitude.
2. Live within your means.
3. Organize your world.
4. Learn prices and become a savvy consumer.
5. Rollup your sleeves.
6. Use things up.
7. Do not waste.
8. Use your creative genius.
9. Presentation is everything.;
10. In all things, honor God.
    [Page 23.]

The book is divided into eleven chapters, with chapter 1 introducing her definition of "frugal living". The remaining ten chapters address each of these 10 principles. Yates' helpful suggestions, hints, and stories explain each of the principles in detail. After reading, Living Well on One Income , you'll discover more ways to save money than you may have thought possible.

The book's format makes it both fun and easy to read. I particularly enjoyed scanning down her lists of ideas. Let's take a detailed look at just one chapter in this book. Chapter 9, entitled "Discovering Your Creative Genius" recommends learning to do household improvements yourself. She suggests getting well acquainted with the staff at your local big name home improvement store. These people are actually EXPECTED to give customers instructions and suggestions on using the items sold in these stores.

I got a good laugh out of the Yates' solution to putting down a new kitchen floor while keeping within their budget. Wives, take note that her husband cooperated with this project. I think you will enjoy this idea too:

We once chose to replace our kitchen floor. …
Off we drove to buy plywood, a metal yardstick for use as a straight edge, some persimmon-colored floor paint, and spar varnish. Joseph used a utility knife to score lines into the plywood, creating a "wood floor" design. We painted the plywood and varnished it with a protective coating, and the kitchen took a brand-new look. [Page 173-174.]

If you are a single parent with older children, you may find this a fun "family project" for your recreation room or child's bedroom floor. Your children will learn some "how to" skills while helping you save money.

The book concludes with a chapter explaining why being frugal is a way of being a good steward. The only weak spot I found in this chapter was not suggesting that tithing our income (yes, even for those with low incomes!) is another way of being frugal. By personal experience I can tell you that tithing my income means I find more sales and good bargains that I ever imagined. I'm only sorry I did not learn to obey this scriptural practice when my son was still at home. Fortunately, he is also convinced that tithing is the key to being blessed financially and endeavors to practice it even with unemployment income.

Recommendation

I urge you to purchase this book now. There are even some ideas for saving on holiday gifts that may come in handy right now. This isn't a book that will quickly grow dusty on your shelves. Consider purchasing it at your local Christian bookstore or at amazon.com.

Copyrighted by Diana Pederson, 2005-2009