In the three decades since Debt-Proof Living (formerly known as Cheapskate Monthly Newsletter) began, I’ve racked up more than 1.4 million air miles on book tours, speaking gigs, and TV and radio appearances. It’s been a blast, and I’ve mostly loved every minute of it.
The year was 1998. I was in San Francisco, getting ready to appear on a local TV show. The producer had asked me to bring some props to demonstrate the tips I'd been sharing in my monthly newsletter. So I checked into one of those fancy historic downtown hotels and headed to a discount warehouse to pick up the biggest sizes of baking soda, white vinegar, and several other needed items that I could find. I figured hauling those on a plane would be a nightmare, so it made sense to buy them locally.
