Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

[lillyb]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I need to re-read it again. Been over 6 months since I read it last. Love the book! Told teen daughter she'd have to first read it cover to cover before she moved out on her own. Think it should be read in the highschools! *thumbsup*

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

A good article to read this time is ‘Thrift Shop Thoughts’ Vol 1 p189 (CTG)
Amy’s is saying that there are ‘There are four basic sources of used clothes.’
a. Someone give them to you.
b. Garage sales
c. Thrift Shops
d. Consignment shops
Then goes on to tell about nine other thoughts on this topic.

I have another one for you to think about. Only shopping where cluster groups of thrift shops in the same areas are, to get maximum benefit of your driving there with the high cost of gas these days.

I will put this idea as a new thread.

[boomeyers]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

Not to be blasphemas, but I always regarded this book as my "Frugal Bible". I loved Amy and I wish she had not completely dropped out of sight. It must have felt weird talking about frugality when she made so much money from teaching about it!
I still have every copy of my newsletters, I received them for about 3 years and I read through them from time to time, but it is easier to read through the books.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

A good article to read this time is ‘Cutting the Cost of Baking’ Vol 1 p203 (CTG)

TG quote ~ ‘As general rule of home baked food costs ¼ to 1/3 of the store- bought price. ……..The cost of home baking can be further minimized using strategies.’

Here the costs of cakes or muffins are so high that you can now make home-baked equivalents for the price of two cakes or muffins. As for an 8-slices mud cake that is popular as a birthday cake here. The price is around $8 for the supermarket version or $25 for fancy Cheesecake Shop version or more. A slice of cake at a coffee shops now is around $5 before you buy the coffee.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

A good article to read this time is ‘A Recipe Breakdown’ Vol 1 p211 (CTG)
TG quote ~ ‘Learn to interpret an existing recipes to make it less expensive.’
Amy’s has taking an expensive recipe if you were to use all the right ingredients, has made example of what she has charge here to make it more frugal! This can be done with most recipes by substituting ingredients where you can for much lower costing ones. These ideas can be found in many a cookbook or on the Internet.

Referring to recipe on page 212. ‘Seafood Casserole’
List of ingredients ~ 6 serving
Original list…. .................................................. .......... Modified frugal list
4 to 5oz pasta… .................................................. ... cheapest pasta + 2oz pasta
½ cup white wine or milk…. ..................................... milk only
1/2cup mayonnaise or salad dressing …. .................. Make your own or cheapest generic
1 cup (4oz) American cheese shredded….................. Buy in bulk on sale & shred your own.
1 10 ¾ oz can condensed cream of celery…................ cream of whatever soup.
½ tsp dill .................................................. .............. use what you have got.
6 to 8oz canned seafood, drained ........................... cheapest can fish available Amy’s its Tuna
(tuna, salmon, crab, or shrimp) & Mackerel here.
Topping - one of these
soft bread crumbs, crushed corn chips, ..................... your own breadcrumbs out of stale bread.
chow mein noodles or sliced almonds

Amy’s has a recipe for cream of whatever soup on the page 212 but there are many more recipes and versions on the Internet.

[boefixepa]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I'm having a ball right now trying out different muffin recipes....granted it's the guys at work eating them more than me, but oh well...I'm still in the learning process and I know their good by how fast they disappear. This week it was bannana muffins and Chocolate chip muffins. I'm now on to oatmeal rasin, which will be a bit more of an experiment as I will have to 'wing it' with the recipe.

So far the $50 a month challange is going great! I haven't been to the store in over two weeks! I might hit it on my first month, but more by using what I have on hand. So there will need to be tweaking involved.

I found my chest freezer for $100!!! My grandpa is selling his. It's not too old and looks good from what I can remember....been a year or so since I've seen it. I'm suppose to pick it up tonight. Dealing with my grandpa can be dicey....so here's hoping it works out alright and that it fits in the space I have in my garage!!

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

boefixepa

How is your chest freezer, have you got yet?

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

A good article to read this time is ‘Baggie Basics’ Vol 1 p48 (CTG)

Yes, I do wash my thick plastic ziploc bags, as we no longer can buy them here!

And on the subject of ‘Baggie Dryer’ Vol 1 p 62 (CTG)

This is a great idea, the first time I read this one. I just went got 2 wire coat hangers and my pliers and went to work, in less than 5 minutes. I had them made and I am still using them today! Just follow the picture as guide.

[boefixepa]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

YES!! I found a freezer. It's a little older probably 5-7 year, but it's huge and was only 100 dollars 26.2 cubic feet. The enrgy saver thingy says $62.00 a year in electricty so add a little for price increase since that was make and I figure $80 a year to run it. The new ones I was pricing where smaller 12-14 cubic feet and where 300-400 dollars so I think I did alright. Everytime I walk out into the garage I cringe to hear it running, but oh well. I went and bough 20 bags of ice and put them in bottom to help...twenty bags of ice and the thing isn't even 1/4 full!! I plan to fill it, but it's going to take a little time.

PS I wash the larger plastic bags, like the gallon sized ones. I don't worry about the sandwhich sized ones. They are just to thin and just not worth the time and hasle for me. I bought a four box pack at sams years ago and still have over 3 1/2 boxes left, so I trash those.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

YES!! I found a freezer. It's a little older probably 5-7 year, but it's huge and was only 100 dollars 26.2 cubic feet. The enrgy saver thingy says $62.00 a year in electricty so add a little for price increase since that was make and I figure $80 a year to run it. The new ones I was pricing where smaller 12-14 cubic feet and where 300-400 dollars so I think I did alright. Everytime I walk out into the garage I cringe to hear it running, but oh well.

I went and bough 20 bags of ice and put them in bottom to help...twenty bags of ice and the thing isn't even 1/4 full!! I plan to fill it, but it's going to take a little time.

Here is a tip ~ Collect gallon plastic bottles with good lids then fill only 3/4 full, put them into your freezer and take out one each time, as you fill your freezer with food.

As for your power bill just add $100 to it, then learn to cut back on power then pocket the savings at the end of the year.

[boefixepa]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I don't buy anything that comes in bottles, that's why I broke down I got the ice. I have my emergency water in 5 gallon water containers, but the idea of lifting them frozen out of the bottom of the freezer.........made me opt for the ice. I couldn't find any containers I thought would work well.......now I need food.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I don't buy anything that comes in bottles, that's why I broke down I got the ice. I have my emergency water in 5 gallon water containers, but the idea of lifting them frozen out of the bottom of the freezer.........made me opt for the ice. I couldn't find any containers I thought would work well.......now I need food.

It’s only that bottles are more frugal if you can get them for FREE.
I use old fruit juice bottles even smaller ones (1, 2 or 3 litres sizes)
Large plastic soft drink bottles will work too!
Ask around maybe one of your family, friends, coworkers or neighbors will have some.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

A good article to read this time is ‘How to Avoid Feeling Deprived’ Vol 1 p232 (CTG)

TG Quote- ‘ The feeling of deprivation will undermine any effort to pursue long-term disciplines…. To over come the feeling deprivation consider the following three points. (In brief.)
First, recognize that you are engaging in the discipline of choice. You decide to give up something so that you can have something else. …Second, as you cut back, give up expenses in order of the ones that provide the least value for the dollars spent…Third, do not compare your economic situation to those of others.

Think about these questions. “Is the glass half empty or half full?” & Which one do you think is deprivation?

My story - So that I could buy my house, I had to give up my one & only luxury that was very expensive at the time. Ballet & Opera season tickets to some very very famous companies! Today, I only remember one act that of the Prima Ballerina dancing on clutches in a Comedy Skit at a Christmas show. Only because I never laugh so much that night. Now looking back, I don’t feel deprived at all.

[boefixepa]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I really liked those articles too....they are tagged on my 're-read often' list. I noticed that once she hired that writer guy to help she started doing articles like that and I really like them. I'm finding the thing that is hardest for me is the time. I work all day long and I have four hours in the evening and weekends to do everything else. That includes attention to the 'pack' and those three like attention and I like giving it to them, cleaning the house, keeping up the yards (grrr I really need to do the yards), all the cooking, all the shopping, all the 'bargin' hunting ect...

I just get tired. I'd rather pay a few dollars more sometimes so I can sit on my butt and listen to Dr. Phil chew some idiots *** off about what a jerk he is before I watch the news for twenty minutes to catch the weather, and then go to bed. That after I woke up went to work (7:30-5:30 including driving), did the shopping on the way home, came home, cleaned the kitchen, reoraganized the kitchen storage area, detailed the stove top, recaulked the joint between the countertop and the wall because I couldn't get it clean enough for my liking, pulled some hair off the dogs, picked up dog hair tumbleweeds in my house, water and feed the pot garden, and pulled some dinner from the frezzer.

Not that I'm giving up by any means, but somedays I just don't do as well as others. I say thing because I spent $$ at Wal-mart that maybe I could have done better on going second hand, but it was only $20 and I really just didn't care. A hand mixer for cooking on the stovetop, is just that, I didn't want to run all over town hoping a second had store had one working with both a wisk and beater attachments there too. I guess I could have waited longer...but really.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I think feeling I 'deserve' somet6hing costs me more than any other bad habit!

But thanks Boe for reminding me how wonderful my DH is....