About Mary Hunt

Mary Hunt

Mary Hunt

With many years of successful entrepreneurial experience under her belt, Mary Hunt felt ready to take public her credo, “Bringing dignity to the art of living below your means.” As creator and editor of Debt-Proof Living (formerly Cheapskate Monthly), a monthly newsletter that premiered in January 1992 to overwhelming success, Mary has combined her expertise in business with a message that over-spenders and those burdened with debt seem ready to hear.

Debt-Proof Living continues to expand its consumer influence and subscriber base, most notably through its electronic family of subscribers via its website, www.debtproofliving.com. The website attracts more than 8 million hits a month and features Mary’s constant themes of financial responsibility, empowerment and hope.

In the fall of 2005, Mary joined the editorial team at Woman’s Day magazine (20 million readers), as WD’s money guru and contributing editor. Her column, Your Money, first appeared in the January 2006 issue and can be found in every issue of the magazine.

2006 also saw Mary’s national platform expand as she stepped into the role of AOL’s newest Money Coach. As a member of AOL’s self-help coaching staff of experts, Mary teaches AOL’s audience of more than 112 million unique users how to use their resources wisely and manage their households responsibly. Mary’s online video workshops, book excerpts and extensive coaching are free and available at www.coaches.com.

Mary also can be seen every weekday in hundreds of newspapers across the country in her Everyday Cheapskate  column. Distriubted by Creators Syndicate, Mary’s column features household tips, money-saving strategies, reader questions and recipes. Debuting in January 2003, Everyday Cheapskate has been embraced by consumers unsure about the economy and looking to tighten their financial belts.

In October 2007, DPL Press Inc. will release Mary's 17th book, Debt-Proof the Holidays. With the 2005 release of Live Your Life For Half The Price (DPL Press) and the re-release of her 1999 bestseller, Debt-Proof Living (DPL Press), Mary continues her role to educate and equip consumers.

Prior to devoting herself full time to her writing and speaking projects, Mary co-founded the highly regarded and very profitable industrial real estate brokerage and property management firm, Hunt Industrial Properties.

Mary is a longtime resident of Southern California, first as a student and graduate of The Master’s College in Los Angeles and, along with her husband, as a resident in Orange County for the past 35 years.

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5 Reasons to Give Kids an Allowance Aug 13, 2026

At the foundation of your children's financial intelligence should be this undeniable truth: It is not the amount of money you have but what you do with it that matters. This is true for a child managing a $5-a-week allowance or a corporate executive... Read More

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My Life as a Frog Aug 12, 2026

I have been told if you attempt to pop a frog into a pot of boiling water, he'll jump out every time. But if you put the little fellow into a pot of cold water, set it on a low flame, and warm it slowly, he'll sit back, relax and let you cook him to... Read More

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Reader Discovers It's Difficult to Pay the Balance to the Penny Aug 11, 2026

Dear Cheapskate: This is petty perhaps, but how does one ever completely pay off a credit card account? We paid off a credit card recently (Hallelujah!) by sending a check for the exact amount of the balance due taken from the monthly statement. The ... Read More

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How to Keep Ants Away Once You've Treated the Ant Hill Aug 10, 2026

You've finally done it. After weeks of watching tiny armies march across the patio, tunnel through the lawn, or pop up between steppingstones, you located the ant hill and treated it. Victory at last. Or so you thought. A few days later, there they a... Read More