The Complete Tightwad Gazette
by Amy Dacyczyn
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Book Reviews of The Complete Tightwad Gazette
Book Review: Want to Be A Millionaire? The Small Change Adds Up
Summary: 4 Stars
Surprise! You don't have to go on a quiz show or live before the TV cameras with a bunch of strangers to come into big money. Amy Dacyczyn, the self-proclaimed Frugal Zealot, shows you how to do it yourself: save a little here, a little there. Make frugality your lifestyle. Track prices and purchases. Those pennies add up to big bucks.The author's money-saving tips were originally brought out during recessionary times, but don't turn up your nose. Even in a good economy, saving is important. And it will become even more so if inflation returns. So get in the habit now!
What you don't spend, you can invest. Dacyczyn, whose name is pronounced "decision," demonstrates that the little decisions we make every day make a big difference over time. And they affect the overall bottom line.
Her -- and her saavy readers' -- advice to drivers and car owners is worth its weight in gold in the Summer of 2000's high gas price economy. Ditto, her lecture about not charging full speed ahead with your credit cards. Those items alone will more than pay for your book purchase.
I like the book's spirit. Being a tightwad, the Frugal Zealot says, is FUN! You'll be proud of your ingenuity. Bargain hunt, barter and buy on sale or secondhand. Above all, watch what you spend. And eat.
You don't have to skip the celebrations to cut costs. The Frugal Zealot is an experienced mom; she shows how to make your kid the most original Halloween costumes ever and put on fabulous birthday parties using discarded items. Her description of tightwad weddings make them sound more delightful than the big -- and no doubt overpriced -- storybook weddings touted in most magazines.
Stay out of the malls and shop the garage sales -- you'll save a fortune and have a wonderful "yard sailing" adventure every Saturday. You can make the outdated clothes fashionable again with a few scissor snips, and collect Leggos and Lincoln logs for your kids for pennies on the dollar.
Even if you don't want to dumpster dive, water down your shampoo or cut your own hair, there are plenty of clever tips to inspire you. She gives dozens of painless ways to save $100. Drink tap water, not soda pop; find free entertainment; use clotheslines, not clothes dryers; don't buy Tupperware when you can save and use butter tubs; and brush your teeth, you'll save a wad at the dentist.
Environmentally concerned readers will delight in tips how to use and reuse everything from razor blades to building materials.
Big ticket items are covered, too: everything from travel to home ownership to unsubscribing from the idea that Christmas is all about spending money.
What to do with all that loot you save? Invest in the stock market, save for your kids' educations or your own retirement -- and realize the American Dream. Make this book your money Bible and you'll become debt- and worry free.
Book Review: Who knew frugality could be so much fun?
Summary: 5 Stars
I first got this book from the library when my first child was only a couple weeks old. I had quit my job to be home with the baby. My husband's job as a private music instructor certainly wasn't going to cover our expenses unless we made some changes. So, during those first weeks of sleepless nights, and hour long breastfeeding experiences, I sat with the Tightwad Gazette in one hand and the baby in the other, many times laughing myself silly as I read. I kept that library copy as long as I was able (3 weeks, because it was recalled due to requests), and immediately put in my request for it a second time. Finally I just bought my own copy (used, as a true tightwad), and honestly, it has been one of the best investments I've ever made. This book is so much fun that I still pick it up for recreational reading. Beyond being fun, it is chock full of original and creative ideas on how to make those pennies s t r e t c h. I'm happy to say that my daughter is now 15 months old, and we are still living our chosen "alternative lifestyle". My husband does what he loves teaching music out of our home, and I do what I love, be a mom. Using ideas from the Gazette as a springboard, I can save our family so much money that it would cost us if I would go back to working the schedule I did before our baby was born (I do work two part mornings weekly while my husband cares for baby). We have even been able to put some aside into savings, and to give generously to charities. This book has literally changed my life.
In answer to those who say this book is over the edge, yes it is. Some of us like that. Dumpster diving is great fun. The nitty-gritty approach to counting costs WORKS. But beware...this book and the tightwad lifestyle is addictive. It becomes a way of life, and you can never go back.
For those who say it is outdated...let's be honest here. A book that is reprints of newsletters from 1990-1996 is bound to have some outdated ideas. BUT...if you are a critical thinker, you can take those ideas and apply them in new ways that are current. There are plenty of timeless articles to help you rethink the way you live to well outweigh the outdated ones.
For those who think the book is disorganized...it is. My one complaint about the book is that the index isn't quite as complete as it should be, and sometimes I can't find an article that I want to reread. On the flip side, the very style of the book encouraging perusal, which often leads to uncovering more ideas that you can fit into your life.
By way of comparison, I recently borrowed "Miserly Moms" at the library, thinking maybe there would be new ideas I could apply. If you have read the T.G. don't even bother with M.M. There is nothing there that you won't find in T.G, and it isn't a quarter as much fun.
Book Review: One of my favorite books of all time!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a moderate spendthrift on my way to becoming a tightwad and I love this book! We all need to rethink our purchasing habits and ditch our consumer-driven lifestyles and this book has inspired me to do just that.
Even though this was written in the nineties, the ideas are still relevant today. Yes, some of the ideas might be a little extreme for some people, but it will depend on where you are on your journey to becoming more frugal.
This book is for anyone trying to create a simpler more frugal lifestyle not just those starting out. I read this book many years ago as a young adult and recently read it again. In the past few weeks, I have cut my food bill by hundreds of dollars! I am eating out less, spending less time at the grocery, planning ahead, cooking from scratch and spending more time with my family. It has also reminded me to consume less rather than buying more junk that needs to be recycled. You might think that I have more time than you. I work full-time, I am in the process of finishing my master's, have a husband and child, and volunteer in my community.
Amy suggests buying clothes secondhand. Some people think you are hurting your children by doing this. I am not sure these people have gone to thrift stores in recent years. I buy my child clothes from thrift stores, yard sales and from retail stores. She always looks really great and her clothes are generally the more expensive name brands purchased at a tiny fraction of the cost. Her secondhand clothes actually look nicer and are in better shape than some of her newer clothes that fall apart! I also dress mostly in secondhand clothing. I am a college administrator and have to dress professionally every day. Over 75% of my clothes come from thrift stores and I am complemented all the time on how I look (and often by fashion forward college students). In fact, most of the women in my office and many of the college students I work with now buy clothes at thrift stores.
Most importantly, this book reminds you that spending time with your family and doing what is best for them is more important than spending money on them. I have always thrown amazing parties for my child, but have always made the birthday cake and decorations like Amy does. My child has never suffered and I am usually answering parents questions on how to plan parties on a budget. However, I have never been able to do it for as cheaply as $25 or less. I am working on it. My point is that this is a great book with tons of ideas that you can try or not try. It has certainly helped me change my outlook on my spending habits and the time spent with my family.
P.S. My bank account is currently a lot fatter than it was a couple of months ago.
Book Review: Bottom Line -- It Works! I am living proof.
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read the Tightwad Gazette series in about 1995, at a time when I was living hand to mouth in a small and noisy apartment, was overwhelmed with my own foolishly-racked-up credit card debt, was afraid to go to the dentist because I could not afford one more bill.
I had seen Amy Dacyczyn on Donahue, and while many audience members looked down their noses at her cleverly thrifty ways, I knew I had to get her books. The fact that she and her husband were able to save $49,000.00 within seven years while living on a modest income and starting their family of six children said they knew something I didn't.
I came from a fugal household; there is no reason I should not have had better control over my financial life, but I lacked practical tools, and I was very ashamed of having put myself in the predicament I was in. Immediately, when I picked up the Tightwad Gazette and started reading, I felt a sense of encouragement and support rather than condemnation. Amy writes in a very practical and down-to-earth manner, with good doses of humor and personal anecdotes that are easy to relate to. I truly believe that her goal in doing this was to honestly help people rather than try to make another buck herself as many other "thrifty" publications seem to do.
Her ideas are practical and easy to apply and easy to live with on a daily basis. There was no sense of deprivation as I worked to apply her prinicples and dig myself out from under because she opens a whole new world of creative adventure for the reader. Thrift becomes fun, and the results pile up quickly. As she puts it, the efforts you make increase into a snowball effect, an avalanche of good results and peace of mind as opposed to worry and frustration.
I am living proof that her concepts work. Within three short years, I went from being in about 12,000.00 of high-interest credit card debt, having no savings, having no extra money to pay for things like a dental filling, and constantly worried about money, to having my credit cards paid off, buying a home of my own, having money in the bank, and having all my needs met comfortably. I did not have to get a second job, did not have to scrounge and scrape and feel deprived. The process of applying Amy's priciples and turning things around for myself gave me a huge sense of accomplishment and self-respect. I will always feel grateful to Amy for honestly sharing what works and genuinely wanting to help people like me drop the anchor of worry and stress over money and enjoy a new feeling of freedom, peace of mind, and control over their lives.
Book Review: How and why to save
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is not just a book of tips but a book of methods. For every purchase you're thinking of, get used to thinking of other ways to satisfy the need. For example: renting, buying used, borrowing, making something, buying something different that does the same thing. That's where the tips come in--if you're stumped for ideas, Amy isn't. I like that she's so completely wacko (ahem, open-minded) that you never know what she'll come up with! You may not like all the ideas or even any of the ideas on a given topic. But they show you how to think of ideas. And since you're the expert on what you care and don't care about, you are in the position to come up with the perfect ideas for you.This book is not preaching that everyone should be a tightwad. It is preaching that you shouldn't spend money on things you don't want. If you save money in some areas, you can be a spendthrift in the areas that are important to you. If you want a fancy car, maybe you can save money on your house. The book is just a million different ideas, and everyone will find some they like.
I was already good at saving money--I bought a house in 1995 with an income just under $20,000. But this book inspired me to do the research to see which grocery store was cheapest. I found thrift stores that make me WANT to shop for clothes and fancy bread. My shower curtains last much longer now. Most importantly, being creative in meeting your needs and wants can often lead to better solutions than what you can find in stores. The author really does have the funnest parties!
And in case you're wondering what your friends will think, they don't even necessarily have to know. No one knows where you got your clothes. Bring your leftovers for lunch, and your co-workers will be jealous. Your friends may invite you to the theatre. When it's your turn, recommend the free outdoor plays and a picnic dinner. Your recommendations can be just as fun without being so expensive.
My favorite part is where she explains that she had not been TOO frugal, even though it might appear that way to some people. Her explanation is very convincing. (Even though I never want to be that frugal myself.)
I still keep forgetting to think about every purchase--every time I pick up this book it puts my mind back in the right place. And I can never remember all the hints. While reading these reviews, for example, I realized I had forgotten about making guitar picks out of credit cards. I just switched to a new and uglier credit card, and now I'm pleased that I have a good use for my pretty card.