We all want to be more efficient, to save time, spend wisely, and be healthier, right? Former investigative reporter Mark Di Vincenzo is making a career out of helping people do all that by guiding his readers to make better choices.

BUY SHOES ON WEDNESDAY AND TWEET AT 4:00 is Di Vicenzo's third book compiling consumer research and insider tips on the best times to do all kinds of things, from getting your teeth cleaned to traveling the world.

It's an easy book to read. Each chapter focuses on a different area, like work, home, or pet care, and tips are presented in a bite-sized Q&A format that allows you to peruse a handful of recommendations any time you have a few minutes to kill. I kept my copy in the car and flipped pages while my husband and I ran errands on the weekends. When I saw something interesting, like a better time to take his medication or a website that helps you find the most economical phone service for your lifestyle, I could share it with him right then.

Admittedly, some of the tips are fairly common knowledge and just plain common sense. Of course the best time to buy an annual calendar is just after the first of the year, when gift-giving season is over and most people have already gotten one. Some of the questions aren't phrased in the usual way. Like who would ask "When is the best time to dunk your cell phone in a pot of dry rice?" The answer is when you've gotten it very wet and want to help it dry out -- good advice, but a bit of a stretch to make it fit the book's theme.

Some really savvy shoppers may not need this book at all, but I think most people will find at least a handful of suggestions they can use. I kept a pen handy while reading and put a big star in the margin by the ideas most interesting to me. I marked 14 items. That's a buck each, based on the cover price of the book, and some of them -- like the one on what time of year to shop for flat-panel TVs -- could save me a lot more than that.

BUY SHOES ON WEDNESDAY AND TWEET AT 4:00It would be great for young people developing their bargain hunting skills, older folks who want to make the most of a limited income, and smart shoppers who want to verify that they know everything and maybe learn a thing or two they don't. BUY SHOES ON WEDNESDAY AND TWEET AT 4:00 makes a nice gift, too.