Book Discussion? Tightwad Gazette

[takemetoo]

I loved reading the 3 volumes of TG, and from other's posts on here I know I'm not alone. Anyone want to just post some thoughts? Mine are:

I love my pricebook! I've not had a paper one for a few years now because after doing it for awhile I internalized the info, but I just moved to a new town, so I think I'll start keeping track on paper again based on my new supermarkets.

I loved the idea of reusing the coffee grounds for the next day's coffee (I'm a real tightwad ), but I could never get it to work: the coffee always came out too weak.

Along the same line: I tried to do the trick where you add milk to butter to make it last longer, but that didn't work out for me either. I even went out and bought milk to try it out (we drink soy), so it backfired - I spent money on that one! I did use the butter and milk though.



I have lots of thoughts, but I'm afraid to air all my dirty tightwad secrets by myself. Anyone want to join me?

 

[Pigeon]

I enjoyed reading it, too. I think you take what you want from those kinds of books and leave the stuff that's too extreme for your situation.

I do the price book and I buy staples in bulk when they are on sale. I've found that many things, like rice, veggies and spices are much less expensive at ethnic markets. I can work the trips in with other errands so I don't waste gas driving all over. We barter for certain things.

I like a lot of her ideas in that they are also good for the environment. I try to look for a way to reuse and recycle things around the house. I'll hang laundry outside in the warmer months, but cardboard towels in the winter from hanging them indoors are too much for me!

I sure wouldn't want to eat at her house on a regular basis though!

 

[MEM]

I sure wouldn't want to eat at her house on a regular basis though!

That is too funny! DH says her family must not have any tastebuds!

I enjoy re-reading her books just for the motivation they provide. I like her methods but not always the examples!

Has anyone here stayed "in touch" with Amy via her annual newsletter? I used to order it every year but lost her address. She would give her fans an overview of her year's activities and charge $1 for it.

 

[rmom50]

I did read her first book and thought it was great. It just gets you thinking if nothing else about what we waste as a society. I am really big on recycling items - as in.....I'll pick stuff up off the curb, bring it home, paint it up and use it! I gladly took hand me downs for my kids and if they couldn't use them, gave them to someone else who would. We all need to quit thinking things have to be brand new to impress others, or our kids won't have a healthy future. Reusing coffee grounds is a complete stretch for me tho

 

[pjlla]

I LOVE those books. I own all three and virtually have them memorized. Sure, there are some things that she does that I wouldn't probably do... but it certainly gives you food for thought! If nothing else it helps you to "think outside the box"! I routinely do some things now that I learned by reading her books 12+ years ago. For example, I try to NEVER pay more than .33/lb for pasta of any sort. When laundry detergent goes on sale (a really good sale that is), I buy a year's worth! Anyhow, I would post more, but I am at work and feeling a bit guilty!!

I will be interested to hear other folks opinions of these books.......P

 

[lovetheparks]

Never heard of these. Is that the actual title, Tightwad Gazette?

I'm far from a tightwad but am aspiring to be one

 

[disvac06]

I have also read those books. I checked them out at the library and bought one. I have tried different ideas in the book, like the homemade bubbles. and making my own bisquick. Most everyone in my family buys name brand clothes ect. I love this time of year to get my girls stuff at garage sales!

 

[runwad]

I liked the books too, got them from the libary and made copies of some of the pages (hows that for being a tightwad?) I especially liked the substituting of ingredients in cooking...ie how you can make baking powder if you don't have it, things of that nature. There were a lot of things I already practiced but a few new things I picked up along the way too.

 

[kfeuer]

I do like them, but I wish they were updated a bit. So much has changed since the advent of the Internet. Some of her advice is wrong at this point just because things have changed since it was written. One of the biggest examples is her opinion on coupons (that you don't really save much using them). Depending on where you live in the country and what kind of offers your supermarket has as to doubling, coupons can be a huge money-saver. Obviously you have to use them wisely (don't let them induce you to buy a product you don't normally use) but I save tons with coupons. What's funny is that I really hate clipping/filing/keeping track of coupons, and would love an excuse to stop, but I can't afford to.

I don't have the time or energy to do half the stuff her book recommends. She must be a really high energy person to do all the things she does and keep track of all those kids, although I guess the kids are pretty grown at this point. I didn't know she did an annual newsletter, anything interesting in there? I always wondered how things would work for them when her kids got to be teenagers. I also wondered if they would continue all the frugal activities or get out and think "I'm free, I'm free, I'll never make my own laundry detergent again!"

 

[challada]

I bought one of the books at a Goodwill store for 50 cents (now how cheap is THAT...buy frugal book at frugal price...LOL). I have read it, but find that I don't do most of the stuff she says to do (make my kids' gifts of pieces of wood???). A couple things I said, well, yes, I already do that.

Was fun reading and I should probably dust it off and look it over again.

 

[pearlieq]

I'm pretty meh on the books. There are some good tips, but there are is a lot of info that is outdated or just a little too extreme for me. Still, everyone can pick and choose what they want.

My biggest problem with it is that there didn't seem to be any logical sequence to the book! I had a hard time finding what I wanted and got very turned around while reading laundry tips mixed in with grocery tips mixed in with lawn tips.

I've perused it at the library and might keep doing so, but I probably wouldn't spend money buying it.

 

[takemetoo]

lovetheparks, Check your library for The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn, or The Tightwad Gazette Volume 1, 2 or 3. It's a compilation of a newsletter she published in the 90's.

I'm a coupon user too, kfeuer, but I DO use coupons to buy things I don't normally use. For example, we don't normally buy goldfish crackers, but if I have a coupon and they go on sale I'll stock up and we'll have a bit of variety in the snack department. I've gotten them at Job Lot for 77 cents each, which is roughly the same price per snack size of the granola bars I usually buy when they are on sale $2.00/box and I have a $1.00/2 coupon. Snack size being what I actually serve my little ones (I have 2 boys 5 and 3), not the recommended size on the box.

 

[babiesX2]

I loved the idea of reusing the coffee grounds for the next day's coffee (I'm a real tightwad ), but I could never get it to work: the coffee always came out too weak.

Hmmm. . . coffee is all that gets me through the day. I spend quite a bit on it. I would love to try this, but I'm not prepared to take the risk. I drink very strong coffee. No one has ever accused me of making colored water.

Dh is going to the library to return books this afternoon. I wrote down the info on this book. Hopefully, a copy will be there. I'm curious to check it out!

My biggest tightwad secret is Goodwill.

 

[MEM]

My biggest problem with it is that there didn't seem to be any logical sequence to the book! I had a hard time finding what I wanted and got very turned around while reading laundry tips mixed in with grocery tips mixed in with lawn tips.

You are correct, there really is no order to the book. I recall her writing somewhere that the publishers pretty much slapped together her newsletters to create the volumes. Since each newsletter had a little bit of everything in it, the books came out the same way. However, it forces the reader to read everything instead of searching for specific topics. That can be a good thing, afterall. The index is not much help either. I can remember (fondly) an article she wrote in her monthly newsletter about the Tightwad's Guide to Disneyworld and that article never made it to the books.

 

[kfeuer]

I'm a coupon user too, kfeuer, but I DO use coupons to buy things I don't normally use. For example, we don't normally buy goldfish crackers, but if I have a coupon and they go on sale I'll stock up and we'll have a bit of variety in the snack department. I've gotten them at Job Lot for 77 cents each, which is roughly the same price per snack size of the granola bars I usually buy when they are on sale $2.00/box and I have a $1.00/2 coupon. Snack size being what I actually serve my little ones (I have 2 boys 5 and 3), not the recommended size on the box.

I think that's a good use of coupons. I was more referring to the habit coupon newbies sometimes have of buying something just because they have a coupon. There's plenty of things I only buy when they're on sale and I have a coupon, but I don't consider that being a case of the coupon inducing me to buy something I don't need--it's just good stockpiling.

 

[crisi]

I read them and found them both disorganized and extreme. Most of the stuff I was willing to do, I already did. Many of the things just involved too much work for my life. I'm glad they are out there - I think realizing that you can do it her way is something people should learn - there may be a point where you need to be extreme.

 

[NancyIL]

I bought the first Tightwad Gazette book back in 1993, after reading an article about her in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine. I subsequently bought volumes 2 and 3 when they came out. Even though I don't follow many of her suggestions these days, I do agree with much of her philosophy.

I'd love an update. Since her oldest is ~ 23 and her twins are 15, I'd love to know how she handled the teenage years and paying for college! Although - I imagine she hasn't had much trouble paying for college, given the success of her books!

 

[disneymom3]

I always wondered how things would work for them when her kids got to be teenagers. I also wondered if they would continue all the frugal activities or get out and think "I'm free, I'm free, I'll never make my own laundry detergent again!"

Well I can tell you that I grew up with a mother who had grown up during the depression (and the Tightwad Gazette lady was waaaayyy more frugal than her ) and all of my sisters and I to a fault all refuse to #1 scrape the butter wrapper and #2 use our finger to clean out the egg shells.

 

[ticktock]

I had read these years ago, and just recently checked them out of the library. I too wish they would be updated. I really enjoyed reading them but many things are so out of date. I have to admit I have been a spendthrift and my dh is worse than me. I am really going to try to put some of her ideas into practice, if only so I can spend more on DISNEY!


Please if anyone has truely tightwad ideas, post them. You don't have to admit to them, say your neihbor does it . Every one has different things they are willing to compromise on. The one thing that really struck me from Amy's books was were she said to cut back on things until you really notice the differance. Where you just don't enjoy that meal, activity, etc. anymore because of the paring down.

For example, I make a pasta dish that has artichoke hearts and garlic stuffed mushrooms in a garlic herb butter sauce. Ds and I are gluten intolerant so the pasta which would usually cost 89cents for Muellers costs me 4.99 for rice pasta . With the garlic stuffed olives and artichoke hearts this meal costs me as much as a meal containing meat. I was thinking with all the garlic I put in the sauce do I really need that container of garlic stuffed olives for $4? I could buy the same amount of good quality unstuffed olives for about $1. If I make this every 2 weeks, I'm saving $6 a month. Not exactly a HUGE savings, but every little bit helps is what I got from the books.

 

[mjbaby]

For example, I make a pasta dish that has artichoke hearts and garlic stuffed mushrooms in a garlic herb butter sauce. Ds and I are gluten intolerant so the pasta which would usually cost 89cents for Muellers costs me 4.99 for rice pasta . With the garlic stuffed olives and artichoke hearts this meal costs me as much as a meal containing meat. I was thinking with all the garlic I put in the sauce do I really need that container of garlic stuffed olives for $4? I could buy the same amount of good quality unstuffed olives for about $1. If I make this every 2 weeks, I'm saving $6 a month. Not exactly a HUGE savings, but every little bit helps is what I got from the books.

O.K., totally off-topic, I know...but you've so got to post that recipe! I've eaten dinner and I'm totally wanting that pasta anyway!