I read this book thinking it would have the answers for the people I try to help and provide advice to. The jacket and cover reviews would lead one to assume that this book is workable and doable. The author tells you to evaluate what caused your financial problem, as if you had no idea. Then she tells you to set aside $10 each day to pay down debt, as if you don't know that is $300 per month. Then she tells you to refinance your mortgage or get an equity line of credit, call your credit card companies and ask for a lower interest rate, have a garage sale, and so on. All suggestions any person who desires to get out of debt can learn with a basic search of "get out of debt" on any reasonable internet search engine. Very basic information that most people know.

Cancel the cable, pack a lunch, learn to do your own nails, skip the morning bagels and take the bus to work, blah, blah, blah. Chatzky's advice is identical to every single financial guru out there who has preached to the American middle class over the past two decades. Pay It Down is loaded with all the standard financial advice clichés and has the appeal of a warmed-over latte (oh yeah, you're supposed to skip those, too). The only relief this book provides is comedic, and that's when the author comes off sounding like the Queen of England dispensing advice on having a successful garage sale. The painfully dated suggestions within just don't address the problems of REAL American families who are already struggling to balance their checkbooks and make time for husbands and/or kids. When it comes down to the real bottom line, an extra hour spent commuting on the bus or time with loved ones, I choose my family. Furthermore, if you MUST read this book, don't buy it. Take the author's advice on page 137, USE THE LIBRARY. I did.

Find an extra ten dollars a day, apply it to your credit card debt, DON'T CHARGE ANY MORE on those cards and in 3 years you'll have paid off a huge chunk of debt....maybe even all of it.
That is the basic info in this book and it simply isn't reason enough to buy it. Like dieters who lost 10 or 20 pounds and then gain it back, those who are in debt are likely to fall back into debt again - unless they change their way of thinking bigtime.
That is why credit card companies love those customers who are paying 10, 12, even 17 percent interest. They might pay it down but odds are they'll also rack up the debt again. Plenty of credit card companies even INCREASE the credit limit for these folks. Why not? From their point of view, it may be quite profitable.
Finally, there is another problem that ISN'T addressed by this book - and that is the belief that there is an extra $10.00 a day to be found in the average budget. Truth is, some people are paying for the necessities of life with credit cards - food, home, medical bills. For them, not only is there no extra money to be found, there is not a single area in the bduget that can be cut. An extra job, better health insurance or some other type of solution might help them but until that comes along they aren't likely to shuck the credit card habit. And they certainly shouldn't spend their hard earned money on this book.
For the average person, buying this book won't hurt a thing...but it won't solve your problems, either, unless you are willing to take a good hard look at your spending patterns and make some PERMANENT changes - stop charging, get an extra job, don't buy a thing that isn't necessary. For those willing to examine every purchase in the light of a new, more spartan outlook, change is possible. But will this book be the only guide you need? Don't think so. Meeting with a good financial counselor on a regular basis (think of this person as " a personal trainer " for your financial life)could bring about more longterm results.

I have to agree with the very first poster. There wasn't anything here particularly insightful to me. If I had an extra $10 a day I wouldn't be in debt. I've already done the suggestions on cutting back years ago so this wasn't helpful. I found Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover much more helful and doable.

Jean Chatsky's book Pay It Down! From Debt to Wealth on $10 a Day offers some comprehensive solutions to common financial issues many of us face. Chatsky suggests that many consumers fall into bad habits and need to discipline themselves. Some suggestions that are practical include brown bag lunches to work,minimizing cell phone use, consolidating credit card usage whenever possible, and purchasing food that you are going to consume immediately. Furthermore, there is some good insight on credit ratings and how one should request credit reports to avoid common mistakes. Example if you have a common name of someone who has credit issues, you could be a victim of someone else's irresponsible behavior.

This book is written in an easy to read quick manner where even someone of below average intelligence can get the essence of Chatsky's purpose. This book is merely 215 pages of valuable information that can be re-read for emphasis. A worthwhile purchase or at least a rental for someone who needs to gain some financial responsibility.