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Shakespeare & Beyond

“The way to save wealth; showing how a man may live plentifully for two-pence a day”: A 17th-century guide to frugal living

A common New Year’s resolution is to save more money, and there are numerous personal-finance books and websites that offer step-by-step plans for spending less, whether out of present necessity or in the hope of reaching a future financial goal. Seeking tips and tricks to live more frugally is nothing new, of course. Thomas Tryon’s 17th-century self-help book “The way to save wealth; showing how a man may live plentifully for two-pence a day” is filled with practical advice to this end.

The title page serves almost as a table of contents, informing the reader that the book contains information about how to eat and drink inexpensively, make shoes and coals last long, save soap, cloth, and candles, and feed livestock at a low cost. The book also goes beyond what readers today might consider practical, as it includes instructions on how “to know anyone’s mind by signs,” how to interpret dreams, how to “cure wounds by sympathy,” and more.