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Title: The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift As a Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn ISBN: 0-375-75225-0 Publisher: Villard Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (127 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: This is one of my all time favorite books!
Comment: This book has had a huge, positive influence on my life. I read this book right before I quit my job to stay home and Amy Dacyczyn helped convince me I could do it. But if you are contemplating reading this book, be warned: it is highly addictive and potentially life-changing.
I was already fairly frugal before I read The Tightwad Gazette. My husband and I used cloth diapers, shopped at thrift shops, bought secondhand and had only one car. Many of these actions came from our concern to live lightly on the earth, but had the side-benefit of saving us money. But when I read this book, Amy made me see how wasteful I was being in other parts of my life--throwing money away needlessly by spending too much on groceries, overinsuring my car, and overlooking the wealth of things that can be purchased very cheaply at yard sales. After I read this book, I immediately chopped about $100 a month off of my grocery bill, and IT WAS EASY! And I spent less time running back and forth to the grocery store and more time at home enjoying my family. I was so smitten with this book, that in the first few months after I read it, my husband got really sick of hearing about it. And he was a tightwad, too!
For the last few years, I've been able to use some of Amy's recommendations for saving money, but I really had only scratched the surface in what I could accomplish. I was able to stay home and we were doing okay financially, but just okay--not great. Then earlier this year my husband and I got a wake-up call. Throughout our marriage, we had always managed to save money, even if only $100 a month. Our wake-up call came when we realized that for the first time in our marriage, not only were we not saving money anymore, but our hard-earned savings were slowly being depleted. Consequently, my husband was feeling a lot of pressure to work harder and harder, spending more time away from home and making our family life more strained.
Re-enter the Tightwad Gazette. When I realized that we were losing money, I went into TOTAL frugality mode. First, I used Amy's suggestion to list everything we were spending, then I went over our spending with a fine-tooth comb and looked for places I could cut (fewer long distance calls, cutting back further on groceries, etc.). When I looked at the numbers, I estimated that we could be saving $500 a month. And we live near the federal poverty line! And we pay for our own benefits! Then I reread Amy's book (for about the 4th time), and this time I TOOK NOTES! When I was done, not only did I feel empowered, but I had 4 pages of ideas for new money-saving ideas to try--everything from new recipes to energy-saving strategies. I also realized some mistakes I had been making that Amy discusses at length. First, I had failed to realize that desparate circumstances call for desparate action. Second, I had been justifying a certain amount of wasteful spending on the basis of how hard we worked and how much we deserved it. Third, I had failed to set clear financial goals. Amy talks about the need to set goals repeatedly, and she is right. My new goal was to save $3000 by the end of the year. With this new goal in front of me, I felt completely motivated to start saving money.
To make a long story short, in the 2 months since I have become (in Amy's words) a "Black-belt Tightwad," my family has saved approximately $900, with no dramatic difference in our lifestyle. And lest you think that the lifestyle that Amy promotes is one of drudgery and deprivation, think again. As Amy will tell you in these pages over and over, the life of a tightwad can be full and complete. My kids wear designer clothes (albeit second-hand). My home is filled with nice stuff (most of it bought at yard sales or 'treasure-picked' from the curb). My family eats healthfully--lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, many of them organic, with delicious home-baked goodies thrown in. And we even go out to eat from time to time (although not as often as we once did). Most people who would see my family on the street or visit us in our home would be shocked if they knew how well we do with so little income. Plus I have the added benefit of sleeping more soundly at night, not worrying that we will run out of money.
This book is for non-tightwads, too. I've recommended it to some friends who are spendthrifts, and even they have loved it. So if you are at all interested in saving money or living a simpler, saner life, by all means read this book. But make your first truly tightwad move and don't buy it--go to the library first and read a copy. Amy even recommends that you do this. Then, if it is worth it, you can go ahead and buy it.
Rating: 5
Summary: A treasure chest of information
Comment: I have read lots of books on frugality since "The Tightwad Gazette" books first came out. Almost all of the books I've read have been helpful. Amy D's is one of the best. Some of her ideas are a little different, and not all apply to me. What I liked about her book is the HUGE wealth of tips and new ideas offered. She writes in a witty style, her illustrations are delightful and helpful. I liked the way Amy explains an idea or new concept rather than just coughing up a bunch of "new" tips. I enjoyed her articles on Christmas. (She is right on about the fulfillment curve.) She has some nice craft ideas, I have made blue jean potholders for years now. The Dacyczyns are goal oriented, and I realized after reading her work that I needed to become more goal oriented. Amy's articles on grocery shopping, cooking and menu planning are wonderful. And I disagree heartily with the mean spirited reviewer who called homemade soup dog food. My family has been eating "dog food" for years. I even won a prize for my soup in a contest this fall! No kidding. Making soup from leftovers is an well-known skill. (Millions of families will be making turkey soup this weekend.)
One things I must mention, (because it changed my life) is that my headaches have been cut way back since implementing some of Amy's ideas. I attribute this in part to Mrs Dacyczyn. I am allergic to certain products/preservatives in foods. And by making my own cleaners, foods etc. I reduce my exposure. No more MSG headaches for me! I have found my interest in cutting back economically is leading me to being more environmentally friendly as well. Kudos to Amy Dacyczyn for sticking to her values.
Rating: 3
Summary: Good, but irritating
Comment: While I enjoy and have used much of the information in this book, my big gripe is that the index is done terribly. It seems like they just copied the indexes from the three books instead of re-doing them, so nothing is listed under the proper page number. It makes trying to find anything a nightmare.
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Title: The Cheapskate Monthly Money Makeover by Mary Hunt ISBN: 0312954115 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 01 March, 1995 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Tightwad Gazette III: Promoting Thrift As a Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn ISBN: 0679777660 Publisher: Villard Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 1997 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
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Title: Frugal Living for Dummies by Deborah Taylor-Hough, Deborah Taylor-Hough ISBN: 0764554034 Publisher: For Dummies Pub. Date: 16 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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Title: Miserly Moms: Living on One Income in a Two-Income Economy by Jonni McCoy ISBN: 0764226126 Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Pub. Date: 01 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $11.99 |
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Title: Miserly Meals: Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75 Cents Per Serving by Jonni McCoy ISBN: 0764226134 Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Pub. Date: 01 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
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