Tightwad Gazette

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Tightwad Gazette

Here's a novel thought - just use less. And honestly, most people with long hair use a lot less products than people with short hair. In fact, one of the reasons I have long hair is that with long hair, I don't have to use hair spray or gel or whatever. My hair is heavy enough to behave itself. With short hair, it looks like crap unless I spend hours messing with it.

I still didn't see it in her book. I'm to the last issues portion. Can someone point me to where it is?

I didn't find reference to short hair the Tightwad Gazette, I checked the index and did a quick scan of the articles on hair.

I have two pictures of Amy somewhere, that where taken at the time she was writing her newsletters. If you go to page 5 'Frugal Zealot' there is a drawing of her there. Her hair was medium to shoulder length in the pictures too!

I hope this helps.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Tightwad Gazette

I read it when I was a young teen, I may have misinterpreted. maybe she thought short hair for guys? Maybe she ment no fuss cuts? Dunno, goes to show what you write isn't as important as what people read!

I will have to check the library for the book. I might read it a bit different as a married mother than well essentially a child!

[cercis]

Re: Tightwad Gazette

There is one sentence in there about a boy and his mother. Basically it says she didn't want him to have a ponytail so his hair had to be cut. But nothing about women. I scanned the index too.

[moanymoany]

I first read about the TWG on frugal site called 'Money Saving Old Style' on a UK website devoted to saving money. The reaction to a similar question as the first post was similar to the reaction on here.

One contributor whose opinion and view I respect said she had got a great deal of inspiration from it and said it was well worth reading.

I could not borrow a copy as it was not in the library system, so I bit the bullet and bought it. I got the first two volumes and they were very cheap second hand from Amazon. Interestingly, they came from US libraries.

I love the books and reread them regularly. I do not use them as a manual and maybe much of the advice is easy to find on other websites, though I haven't done so. However the books are well written and amusing. As other posters here have said, her view is if you do not throw money away you will be able to afford the things you want. For Amy it was a large family and a special house, for me it is to retire comfortably and for others it is to be a stay at home mum. Everyone has their own reason for wanting to save money.

Many of the tips and ideas do not - at first glance - seem relevant to me living here in the UK nearly 20 years down the line. However, a little thought often gave me ideas of how I could use the principle here in England. If you have no thrift shops or garage sales why not look at the essence of what Amy is saying. Used saves you money so find out where second hand items are sold where you live. Are they advertised in local papers, shop windows. Ask your friends and other people you know where you can buy what you are looking for. Word of mouth is something Amy recommends.

Not everything rings a bell with me but then that is only natural. I love her books and they have shown me that it is possible to live well and save shedloads of money.

Lecture over, I'll get my coat................

[Gailete]

I think the essence of all good frugal books is if they inspire you to get creative in saving money. I have found that things I did 20 years ago to be frugal don't work well for me any more as age and health factors have creeped in. I used to go grocery shopping at 4 stores and double coupon at them, etc. and saved greatly. Now I usually shop at one store, rarely have a coupon as I don't get the paper any more and don't have the energy to shop all over. I have to find my savings in other ways.

TWG is interesting reading, but not necessary to the frugal life. I wonder what she is up to now. I remember reading an article about her that in one spot they mentioned that her daughter was wearing shoes that someone had given to her. Later on in the article she is quoted as saying that she expects her kids to earn their own way for college(?),etc as she never had anything given to her why should she give things to her children. I was kind of bother by that idea when it was obvious that things were being given to them, and I hoped it was just a misquote. Especially later as when she closed out her newsletter and it was revealed just how much they had in savings--lots! Doesn't mean that they have to give it to their children, but their kids did help with the frugal lifestyle.

Gail

[Duchesse]

I bought this book a few years ago and I still give it RAVE reviews. You have to have an open mind to understand this book.

There are definitely some suggestions that might turn off a few people.

My sister would



But there are alot of gems for the frugal and the spendthrift if you use your head.You don't have to do everything she suggests only what you comfortably can.

I considered myself a frugal person before I read the Complete Tightwad Gazette and I cannot begin to tell you all of the ideas and benefits I've received and learned from Amy. Here are just a few.

The recipes, her philosophy(choices), losing weight, eating healthy, cooking with cast Iron to avoid iron deficiencies, stop smoking, saving on dryer sheets, use less, coupons, freebies, price book, gardening, inexpensive cleaning and laundry solutions, preserving staples (flour, rice, etc.) ordering cheaper checks, cutting back on sugar, soft drinks, cooking more home cooked meals and being generally more aware of my money. She also encourage me to assess my needs and wants. As a result I can be happy keeping up with just me.

To with the Joneses.

I with Joe Dominguez and Amy Dacyzyn YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE.

I recommend this book to everyone that I know is trying to save. If you can't save with this book. Forget it.

[Gailete]

I enjoyed Your money or your life as well. Again a book that makes you think about what is neccessary. I have seen so many times on this and other frugal boards people almost hopelessly (there is always hope) in debt clinging to things like cable TV because they 'NEED' it. Nobody NEEDS cable TV. They only want it and if it was a choice of a roof over my head or food on the table I can really slash stuff. One of the things we slashed was cable TV over 3 years ago. We don't miss it and I really don't miss that monthly bill. We have other things to spend that money on or not spend it on (save).

Your Money Or Your Life encourages people to be brutally honest with themselves. I was still working the first time I read that book and I did all sorts of calculations to see what I could cut out just to have one more day at home a month. I am home everyday now due to disablity and if I had it to do over again, I would have worked so much harder to get off the go to work every day merry-go-round and be home to establish my own home business when I really had the health and energy to run it. I have seen what I can accomplish on a very part time basis and would have liked to see what I could have done working full time from home.