Comments on: Review of Phil Villarreal’s Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel

By: reader

reader — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:00:41 +0000

Sorry, but I just think it’s a funny book. Sure, some of the tips are doable but the manner in which it’s written is clearly tongue in cheek.

By: mbhunter

mbhunter — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:30:29 +0000

OK, that’s fine, too.

The bottom line is that there are far better reads than this book. It was a waste of my time to read this book, and I was offended in the process.

At one point in my life I would have thought this kind of stuff was funny, but I’ve grown up since then.

By: LB

LB — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:23:27 +0000

People who are interested in personal finance are also interested in personal finance humor.

By: mbhunter

mbhunter — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:01:11 +0000

OK, I missed that, even after looking on the back cover several times just to be sure that you didn’t classify it as a humor book.

Notwithstanding that, explain to me, then, why people who buy your book on Amazon also buy Wise Bread’s book (which I link to in the post) and Trent Hamm’s book (who writes at The Simple Dollar)? These are real frugal living books. Yet you’d like me to believe that yours isn’t a real frugal living book.

If your book isn’t meant to be taken seriously, then why are people buying it with books that are?

By: Phil Villarreal

Phil Villarreal — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:29:00 +0000

@mbhunter, check the upper left corner of the back of the book which labels it “humor.”

By: mbhunter

mbhunter — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:30:22 +0000

I’ll comment on the defense that the book was meant to be a humor book.

If it was indeed meant to be a humor book, then that message was unclear. The writing style is humorous — if more so to an “adultolescent” than to someone who’s outgrown lighting their gas — but that doesn’t imply that the book is a “humor book” whose content is not to be taken seriously. It just means that the writing style isn’t dry.

Like I said, some of the tips were good! But, if that’s the case, then why shouldn’t I assume that all of the tips were meant to be taken seriously? I don’t think it’s fair to expect readers to know when the tips are real and when they’re not.

This country is entering a state of decline, which includes a decline of morals. I’m not interested in recommending a book that I think is contributing to that decline.

By: Krystal

Krystal — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:37:29 +0000

Agreed with FB. His book wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. I thought it was hilarious!

By: FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:42:09 +0000

To be fair to Phil’s book, I think he meant it to be a tongue-in-cheek read.

It wasn’t meant to be serious At least, I didn’t think so.

I wouldn’t personally carry out any of the tips in there, except trying samples & picking pennies off the floor.

With that being said, I HAVE known people who have done a couple of those “tips”, so he isn’t so outrageously far off the mark on nailing super cheap people.

By: Ginger

Ginger — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:03:16 +0000

In Phil’s defense, the book is meant to be a joke, not a valid or serious source for frugal tips.

It’s only for entertainment purposes. I would hope that people don’t follow any of those tips!

By: Phil Villarreal

Phil Villarreal — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:39:06 +0000

It’s a humor book, folks. If it doesn’t make you laugh then it’s failed, but judging it on its practical merits is like saying Gallagher’s mallet is an ineffective way to prepare a watermelon.