As stock markets rocket and tumble, entire nations (plus Puerto Rico) threaten to go bust, that compendium of common sense, the Readers Digest, steps forward with a pair of handbooks designed to help everyday folks hang on to their heads—and their wallets. “Few of us are doing as well as we would like,” concedes the intro to The Quintessential Guide to Saving Money. The Quintessential Guide to Handling Emergencies also switches on the flashing yellow light with its reminder that we will “have to deal with a difficult or dangerous situation without professional help.”
Saving Money isn’t an investment guide, although it includes sound tips for the ordinary investor such as buy mutual funds, not stock. The book is filled with practical advice, some of it obvious (save at the pump by making sure your gas cap is screwed in tight) and some of it harkening back to things our ancestors knew (baking soda, water and vinegar are better and cheaper than store-bought cleaning solutions). Haggling is encouraged: when buying a sofa, ask the clerk if you can get a deal if you also purchase a chair. Occasionally, environmentalism intersects with saving money, as in the advice to skip the bottled water and stick with the tap.
Handling Emergencies collects many useful facts, listing everything you need for a well-stocked first aid kit and how to handle a power failure or a burst pipe. Some advice concerns things we already know, like keeping chemicals out of reach for children, and some are a little arcane. Five steps are offered in case of impalement.
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Both books are scheduled for publication in October.
