The Penny Pinchers Club [Large Print]

In Rocky River, Griff and Kat Griffiths have been fighting for a long time over her out of control spending habits. She thinks he is a penny pinching miser and he feels she is a spendthrift with no discipline. As their daughter leaves the nest for the first time to attend college, Kat is stunned to find Griff has a secret bank account and seems to be spending an exorbitant amount of time with his research assistant. Those two findings open up Kat's eyes that she nothing in her name, which means a sudden change in demeanor before filing for divorce. Kat joins the Rocky Rivers Penny Pinchers Club to learn how to save money whole also having a support group. She cancels cable television and stops drinking gourmet coffee. She begins scavenging dumpsters near the groceries to find thrown away food. Kat saves money, but apparently not her marriage. When a wealthy former lover reenters her life, Kat knows she must choose between an apparent failed marriage and a new start, but love is making her selection difficult. This entreating timely contemporary drama is an enjoyable often amusing but always poignant tale with a deep message subtly included. The fast-paced story line focuses on Kat who has spousal issues while obsessing to squeeze the penny starting with no more Starbucks; in fact she pulls a reaction formation so much so she gives Lincoln a headache with her squeezing. Fans will enjoy the newest penny pincher as she begins to understand more than just saving money; though in her forties and a mom, she begins to understand what matters; something many people never learn. Harriet Klausner

Strohmeyer brings her sense of humor and playful romance to bear on the current economic crisis in a hilarious novel that also offers up some tips for budding penny savers. Kat is a happily married interior decorator, or at least, thinks she is. In reality, she works for a woman who is a pretty dreadful boss, and suspects her husband is having an affair. In the meantime, her former love, who she ditched for her now-husband, Griff, is back in town, newly single, and very interested. Liam is also unbelievably wealthy, while Griff subsists on a professor's salary. To prove her frugality, Kat joins the titular group, a wacky assortment of once-wealthy or simply coupon-happy friends who promptly overhaul her finances. She goes from a Jersey spendaholic to a thrifty sleuth as she tries to hang on to her marriage. This fast, playful read is a laugh-out-loud delight, as well as being relevant to the reading recessionista. Kat's snooping, shopping and saving, combined with Strohmeyer's knack for the ridiculous side of married life, suspicion, and spending, equal a fun, frothy book that I highly recommend you check out of the library (Penny Pincher style) or, if you just can't wait, purchase and then pass along to a friend.

Kat Griffiths admits she's bad with money. She blames it on living in New Jersey, where shopping is the state pastime. While Kat and her husband Griff are not wealthy, Griff sacrifices to enable his wife to enjoy a few luxuries. For example, he drives a beater car so that she can drive a nice Lexus. Kat enjoys her job as an interior decorator, but she doesn't enjoy her boss, the nasty and condescending Chloe. She has long harbored a dream to somehow break away from Chloe and open her own designing business. But one thing that working for Chloe did for Kat, 20 years before, was to hook her up with Griff, thereby causing Kat to fall deeply in love and break off her near engagement to the wealthy, doting and handsome Liam. Although Kat infrequently and casually daydreams of the lifestyle she could be having with her ex, she is actually quite content and still very much in love with Griff --- until everything changes in her life, in the form of two condom wrappers discovered in Griff's pocket after he has taken a business trip to San Francisco with his young, lovely assistant, Bree. Kat is in total denial that the discovery means what it seems to mean, but then she happens upon discriminating emails between Griff and Bree, which lead her to the conclusion that her seemingly happy marriage is just a sham. Griff and Bree appear to have plans to wait until Kat and Griff's daughter, Laura, graduates from high school. Then Griff will divorce Kat. But Kat is determined to divorce him first, a goal that is intensified when she discovers he has a secret credit card, to which he charged a humongous bill at a ritzy restaurant. Meanwhile, Kat's housekeeper Libby finally persuades her to attend a meeting of The Penny Pinchers Club, a group that is dedicated to frugality. When Kat admits her problems to the penny pinchers, they gear up to help her. The first stop is Kat's home where they not only audit her house (exclaiming in disgust over her multiple televisions and other luxuries) but delve into her and Griff's finances, of which Kat has remained blissfully ignorant. She is aghast to discover she not only needs to somehow save money for her expensive divorce lawyer, but she and Griff have accumulated $37,000 in consumer debt. She determines to pay off their debt before divorcing her husband. Even as Kat scrimps and saves, finding a surprising satisfaction in her new frugality, she's puzzled to realize that her marriage seems even more rock-solid, loving and pleasing than ever. What is going on? Is Griff that much of an actor? Then who should drop into Kat's ever-more complicated life than Liam, who is on his way to his own divorce and appears to be determined to improve Kat's life and possibly become her next romantic partner. Although enjoyable from the beginning, thanks to Kat's sassy voice, the story really picks up when Kat decides to take her financial reins in her own hands. The often hilarious and energetic THE PENNY PINCHERS CLUB resembles a zany

When I read that Sarah Strohmeyer was writing " The Penny Pinchers Club, I let out a squeak! Ms. Strohmeyer has never failed to deliver a wonderful, heartwarming and hilarious story. She writes to you like a girlfriend would chat, over a chippy Barry White tune, while huddled in a coffee shop. Being one of the many feeling the effects of the recession, I was thrilled for some new ideas on pinching pennies. Ms. Strohmeyer certainly did her research! The advice was insightful, yet amusing and quirky. I know I will never dumpster dive! I found "Penny Pinchers" to be about much more than money-saving advice. It is awash with humor and thought provoking situations. It hit me to the core. Who hasn't spent more than they have on occasion? How many of us have found our soul mates or are even happy in marriage? How much do we know about those close to us? The main character, Kat, in due time, comes to realize what is REALLY important; what matters in life. She is encircled with wonderful friends that entertained me with their own stories. Kat's old love, Liam, resurfaces to potentially complicate life. Liam's earnest feelings toward Kat took my breathe away! I nodded while I read about cable bills, self-service gas stations, cutting out coffee shop coffee, and buying in bulk. But I was reminded, what we really need to know about life isn't always that obvious or simple-that digging deep for inner strength and committing to change is difficult; that the fight for what we want is so worth it. Please read the other reviews for the whole story line. I prefer to share how Ms. Strohmeyer made me feel while I read her story. She made me think about life's uncertainties and how stepping out of your comfort zone CAN be good. She made me laugh. She made me think about the meaning of trust, marriage, family, friends, and recognizing how we are human. So, make your tea and block out a good chunk time from your calendars to read Ms Strohmeyer's "The Penny Pinchers' Club". This will certainly make you laugh and think. I am not a writer nor do I play one on TV, but I know truer words were never written, "True love is proved not by what it does for us, but what is makes us do for those we love" Thanks Sarah!

What a book! It's just in time to make us laugh AND help us think of ways to save a little money. Well written and witty. Grab a bag of chips, a big glass of iced tea and get ready for an afternoon of non-stop, sizzling fun! A must read.