"Cheaper, Better, Faster" by Mary Hunt

When I first received this book I wasn't sure what to expect.  I've thumbed through several "tips" books and have found them to be less than helpful.  I was thoroughly expecting to be frustrated by this book.  I didn't think that the book was going to be that useful.  I have always had a difficult time sifting through the tips offered in these kinds of books as either the organization of the material is not useful or the information itself is mundane.  Imagine my surprise when I found myself actually learning a few things while going through Mary Hunt's book.  I even found myself enjoying her book.  I am definitely glad that I own a copy of it.  This is a great book to keep for some light reading.  It is definitely not something that I would just sit down and read from cover to cover.  I would keep a copy in the bathroom and thumb through a few pages at a time.  I promise that you will learn some things that you didn't know.  Here are some of the helpful tips that I learned while perusing it's pages over the last month:

ROAST - faster with the bone
A roast with the bone in will cook faster than a boneless roast.  The bone carries the heat to the inside of the roast, so it cooks more quickly. 

MAKEUP - blush color
to find the right shade of blush, check the color of your skin after exercising and try to match that color.  Blush should add a healthy glow, not introduce a foreign color.

MEDICAL FACILITIES - avoid Fridays
Friday is the most expensive day to check into the hospital.  Hospital labs usually close for the weekend, and you may waste 2 1/2 days and a lot of money just waiting for the labs to open on Monday.  If you must be admitted for surgery, insist that you go in the day of the surgery.  An early admittance will run up your bill and is usually for the convenience of the staff, not the patient.

REMEDIES - bee sting pain
To soothe bee stings, immediately wet the spot and cover with salt.

HICCUPS - getting rid of them
Eating a teaspoon of sugar gets rid of hiccups in a flash.

SHOWER DOORS - soap scum
Apply a dab of ordinary cooking oil to a damp sponge and use it to remove soap scum from your shower doors.  Rinse the doors well. Cooking oil will also prevent soap scum buildup.

BUGS AND SUCH - fruit flies
Set out a small dish of vinegar that contains a few drops of detergent to repel fruit flies.

GARAGE SALE - coffee
People will stay longer and be in a better mood if you serve coffee, and -who knows- you might even sell the coffeepot.

The above is just a sampling of the tidbits that I found useful.  You will most likely find other tips useful.  I was really surprised by how helpful this book really was.  I will certainly keep it around as a reference as it was pretty easy to navigate.  The book is divided into chapters and within those chapters the book is divided alphabetically by topic.  An index would have been helpful, however, it might have taken up too much space because of the number of tips and the variety of topics.

So, my summation.  I think it is worth it to actually purchase this book.  I found the tips to be worth the price of the book.  I give the book a solid 3.5 stars out of 5.

Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.