'Be Thrifty': Guide to Living With (and Consuming) Less

It makes sense that a book titled "Be Thrifty: How to Live Better With Less" is selling for an affordable $14.99 in paperback. Editors Pia Catton and Califia Suntree are business journalists who interviewed over 100 experts -- home improvement and real estate investment experts included -- about how to live well during recessionary times and not compromise while still on a budget.

And as the book cover suggests -- being thrifty doesn't mean living cheaply.