Here's a fast, down and dirty guide that offers you sound advice and solid information for anything—and everything—you could possibly want to buy.

Smart shopping takes on a whole new meaning with Trade Secrets, an all-encompassing, fact-filled compendium on how to make the right buying decisions every time. From minute details about dozens of products to tips on dealing with merchants who hand you the inside skinny on how to get the most value for your money, including such topics as:

Doing Your Homework: home-equity loans, furniture, carpets, plumbing services

Wall Street Savvy: checking accounts, credit cards, mutual funds

Painting the Town Red: buying bubbly, choosing a cruise, renting a tux

It's the Little Things: magazine subscriptions, sunscreens, beds and beddings

Irreverent and entertaining, Trade Secrets is like having a trusted uncle in the business, who tells it exactly like it is.