GIVEAWAY: win a copy of SHOO, Jimmy Choo!

Miss Thrifty19 June 6, 2010

shoo jimmy choo

“SHOO, Jimmy Choo! is your ticket to becoming a rich girl once and for all!”

SHOO, Jimmy Choo!: The Modern Girl’s Guide to Spending Less and Saving More, is the thinking shoe-lover’s guide to financial security. Author Catey Hill, the money editor for the New York Daily News online, is out to help you evaluate why you spend, tweak your spending habits, get you out of debt and create a savings and retirement plan that allows you to splurge sometimes.

The publisher kindly dispatched copies from the Big Apple – and I have a copy of SHOO, Jimmy Choo! to give away to one lucky Miss Thrifty reader. Details on how to enter, plus an extract from the book, are after the jump…

Extract from SHOO, Jimmy Choo!:

an introduction to savvy money management (and why you need to start, like, now)


You don’t have the pocketbook of Ivanka Trump. Not even the pocketbook of good ol’ K-Fed. In fact, you’re not even close. That’s right, you’re nearly B-R-O-K-E. Scraping the bottom of your purse for quarters, eating Ramen noodles right before payday B-R-O-K-E. Or, more likely, you’re buying hot new patent-leather flats, getting fabulous biscotti highlights, all on an overextended credit card (and no savings to speak of) B-R-O-K-E. And it makes you wonder. . . How did a cute, employed girl like yourself end up having to hock her skinny jeans on eBay just to pay the rent?

Or maybe you’re not quite B-R-O-K-E, but you don’t have much in your retirement fund, you don’t really understand investing, or you don’t have a solid plan for your financial future. (And ladies, a solid plan does not include waiting to save money until you make more money, marrying Barron Trump, or winning the Mega Millions.)

Well, girls, I’ve got you figured out. And more than that, I’ve got the solution to your financial woes. Whether you’re plugging away at a $25,000-a-year job, or living beyond your means despite a $100,000 salary, I can set you on the path to financial security.

Yeah, yeah, you’ve heard that promise before. What makes me different?

Well, I was just like you—slaving away at a job that didn’t pay me enough, buying shoes I couldn’t afford on my credit card, and with no savings to speak of (other than the $20 emergency bill I stashed in the lining of my purse in case my hot date turned psycho). Then I got a job at Forbes, and it scared the crap out of me. I realized that unless I set my finances straight, I was never going to wrangle myself out of my not-so-glamorous financial situation, let alone ever get to stop working (and believe me, if you met my former boss, you’d understand why this scared the crap out of me). So I tweaked my spending habits, learned how to save and plan for my future, and now I’m on the path to becoming a pretty wealthy woman. But don’t worry, I still have a great wardrobe and plenty of shoes. . . .

This book tells you how I did it—in three simple steps (plus tons of tips on how to get the best free and inexpensive goodies, because, ladies, I know you need your mani-pedis and highlights). It gives you tips gleaned from hours spent with certified financial planners, economists, and financial writers and editors, as well as reams of research. You will find all of the must-know pointers that I’ve collected from months and months of work at Forbes, and from my current job as the money editor for the New York Daily News online. I’ve also included real-life success and horror stories from women like you, who have battled their financial demons and (mostly) survived intact to tell about it.

Ladies, if you have credit card debt, save less than 13 percent of your income every month, have no in-case-of-emergency fund, or are certain that you’ll marry rich and then fix your finances, you can’t afford not to read this book. And here’s the kicker: I won’t make you give up your passion for pedicures, your love of lingerie, your hankering for handbags, or whatever else you can’t live without buying. You may have to buy fewer of these items, but I’ll show you how to have it all. If I, a shopaholic who can’t pass a day at work without scouring eBay for the latest Prada bag, who absolutely refuses to wash her hair with any shampoo other than Kérastase, and who can’t stand the sight of her butt in anything other than Paige jeans, was able to become financially secure, so can you.

To win a copy of SHOO, Jimmy Choo!: simply leave a comment below, with a thrifty shoe tip. It could be the name of a shoe shop or brand that provides excellent value for money, a nugget of advice on buying shoes that will last (both time and fashion), or a short, sweet tip on caring for shoes…

The competition is open to readers around the world – I will post anywhere! – and the closing date for entries is Saturday 12 June, 2010. The winner will be picked at random, using an online number generator. I’ll round up the best shoe tips in a future post, so if you have your own website and you would like a link, remember to include the URL with your comment.

Ladies (and gentlemen): your shoe tips, please!

[SHOO, Jimmy Choo! on Amazon]

UPDATE: This competition is now closed.

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19 Responses to “GIVEAWAY: win a copy of SHOO, Jimmy Choo!

Sue Splatt says:

Your insights on spending are so true – I only wish some of my colleagues (they know who they are!) would read over my shoulder and pick up a few home truths! Because nobody really needs 50 pairs of shoes to feel okay about themselves……..having said that, if you do happen to have 50 pairs, it’s important to look after them. Get them re-heeled the week before they need it, not the week after! Rub conditioning cream into the leather so they don’t dry out and split. And never, ever buy shoes that don’t fit!!!! If you can’t run for the bus in them when you’re late for work, they’re not going to make it through the rest of the day without you feeling the pain somewhere!

June 7, 2010 at 4:30 am

Diana says:

If you have hard, tight boots (and if can bear this), try wearing them for half an hour at a time in front of the TV whilst wearing damp socks

June 7, 2010 at 2:51 pm

Elizabeth Burton says:

Sounds like the perfect book for me!

Here’s my tip (something an old-fashioned cobbler once told me!)

Never wear the same pair of shoes 2 days running. They need time to breath and recover in order to last longer. If you can, invest in some proper shoe trees to help them keep their shape. Cedarwood are best as the oil is naturally anti-bacterial and odour killing. Insert your shoe trees when your shoes are not in use, and make sure you rotate which ones you wear. That way they will last you for years and years.

June 7, 2010 at 10:33 pm

Annel Perez says:

I am a total flip-flop girl, but when I’m out for a night in the town I love wearing a cute pair of heels! I make sure to lather my feet with shea butter lotion before bed so I keep my feet nice and soft! *crossing my fingers I win the book* 🙂

June 8, 2010 at 8:53 pm

I highly recommend DEICHMANN-SHOES for value for money shoes. I am not a big spender on fashionable footwear but when I do buy them I like to feel I have got a pair that will last and for a good price.

Thanks for offering this fab competition.
.-= Victoria – Do Away With Debt´s last blog ..5 Tips For Dealing With Debt =-.

June 10, 2010 at 12:48 pm

Caroline says:

Use a shoe horn when putting on flats and courts as this will prevent you from breaking down the backs.

June 10, 2010 at 9:53 pm

Em says:

My thrifty shoe tip.. stuff your favourite boots/pointy shoes/precious closed-toes with newspaper to keep their shape when you’re not wearing them. It actually works, especially for boots, and keeps them pretty for longer.
ps. I adore your blog – I wish you would update more often! 🙂

June 11, 2010 at 1:55 am

Teresa says:

A tip for shoes…hmmm. How about giving them a polish (if appropriate) once in a while. Nobody seems to do that any more!
.-= Teresa´s last blog ..Stitchy Stuff! =-.

June 11, 2010 at 9:31 am

Susie says:

If you have stains on your Ugg boots get some Fuller’s Earth (available from most chemists, it’s a clay powder that doesn’t contain water, so won’t damage your boots and it’s gfreat at soaking up oil from leather). Rub into the stain, leave overnight and brush off in the morning.

June 11, 2010 at 10:41 am

Caroline says:

My thrifty shoe tip is: buy a pair of Feet Fairies or similar: these are flat shoes which roll up and come with their own little pouch. After a hard night on the town when your feet are killing you, you simply swap your high heels for the flat shoes, and unfold the pouch into a bag big enough to hold your stilettos. Feet Fairies cost about £20 and there are other cheaper brands out there… why is spending money on these a thrifty tip? Because in these, you can walk home comfortably, and don’t need to spend money on a taxi!!

June 11, 2010 at 5:30 pm

Jenna says:

I’ve used a black sharpie to cover a small scuff on my black boots. I beats having to buy a new pair and no one has ever noticed!

June 11, 2010 at 6:39 pm

Helen says:

If new shoes rub apply vaseline to soften them up! x

June 12, 2010 at 12:03 am

missthrifty says:

Wow – there are some great tips here! Thanks to all.

@Em: Thanks for your comment – I updated the blog every day this week. Hope that is enough for you. 😉

June 12, 2010 at 1:42 pm

Michelle says:

Always, always wait for shoes to go on sale. Nordstroms has really good shoes for the price but the always go on sale eventually. Paying full price is just crazy. Watch online and create a wish list, monitor this often. I’ve been able to pick up really great shoes 40-50% off doing this.

June 12, 2010 at 11:21 pm

Em says:

Ahaha miss thrifty – I noticed! I was very relieved to see so many posts. I wish you would post sixty times a day, haha. Thank you! x

June 14, 2010 at 1:29 am

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