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Tightwad Gazette remembered

30th January 2017 by shoestringjane@outlook.com 14 Comments

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Recently reader Sam commented that my blog reminded her of the old Tightwad Gazette from the 90’s. She said it was a compliment and I definitely took it as one because I love that book. It is an absolute classic. When I first came across it about ten years ago I consumed it from cover to cover, and have read it several times since. I often take a look through if I need some frugal inspiration. The Tightwad Gazette is a worthy addition to my Frugal Bookshelf.

Frugal inspiration

It is a fantastically inspiring text totally packed with money saving ideas and great drawings throughout. The author, Amy Dacyczyn, was a graphic designer who had always wanted to live in a historic New England farmhouse and have lots of children. She didn’t want to go out to work and leave her kids with a nanny to pay for her dream and set about proving she didn’t need to.

Amy decided that by saving money on every single thing she purchased, by making things last and by only buying what she really needed, her family didn’t need two incomes. She became a ‘student of thrift’, buying clothes from yard sales, carefully costing food purchases to work out the cheapest way to eat healthily, learning to make and repair rather than buying new, and planning ahead and saving for big purchases rather than buying them on credit.

A game changer

She shared what she had learned in a newsletter, and the first edition of the Tightwad Gazette book was born. As well as her own sensible advice, it contains correspondence and moneysaving tips from the readers of the newsletters. It is aimed at an American audience and somewhat dated in places (how to make typewriter ribbons last longer by spraying them with hairspray 😄). However, it is still a fantastic course for those who want to find ideas and inspiration to help them save money. It is a real game changer and I really recommend it. Mine is well thumbed and rather dog eared now so it really was worth every penny.

I wish Amy would come out of retirement and write her own blog. We need her common sense approach to life more than ever!

I have signed up to the Amazon affiliates scheme so if you choose to click through and buy this book on my recommendation I will earn a small commission.

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Filed Under: FRUGAL LIFESTYLE Tagged With: My Frugal Bookshelf

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Comments

  1. Sue Cuthbert says

    30th January 2017 at 09:04

    I have a copy and also love to re read, another book that also helped me was “Swimming with Piranha makes you hungry” by Colin Turner.

    Reply
    • shoestringjane@outlook.com says

      30th January 2017 at 09:05

      I don’t know that book. What’s it about?

      Reply
  2. Sam says

    30th January 2017 at 11:44

    I have all three Tightwad Gazette volumes, particularly as my oldest two were the ages of her youngest twins, so the advice on thrift as kids got older was useful. I recently came across online followup from her daughters. All doing well and now understand and used their mom’s wisdom, even the one most resistant as a teen.

    Reply
    • shoestringjane@outlook.com says

      30th January 2017 at 11:53

      That is great to know

      Reply
  3. ilona says

    30th January 2017 at 14:04

    Yes, I have that book, I studied it from cover to cover when I cut down my working hours. It helped me immensely.

    Reply
  4. Margaret Powling says

    30th January 2017 at 16:35

    How lovely that one book can have been – and continues to be – so beneficial to so many! I’d not heard of it, but there were other similar penny-pinching Newsletters and desktop-printed magazines in the 1970s although I cannot remember any of their names now, the aim of which was to help people to save money.

    Reply
  5. Eloise says

    30th January 2017 at 19:07

    Just bought an old copy from eBay. Under £4 with postage. Thanks for the recommendation. If you and Ilona think it is worth having, then I’ll bet it is!

    Reply
    • shoestringjane@outlook.com says

      30th January 2017 at 19:15

      I can’t believe anyone would sell their copy! It will be £4 well spent

      Reply
    • ilona says

      30th January 2017 at 20:48

      I would not let my copy go, it’s very useful for reference, and to remind myself of why I am a Tightwad.

      Reply
  6. Annie says

    30th January 2017 at 20:53

    I allways enjoyed the newsletters, I wish I had kept them. The first two books were better than the third, I thought. That is the one I have, I should read it again, I need all the help I can get, even after all these years, smile.

    I might just look up the first two, it would be good to get a whole set!
    I read the other blog as well, she did present it well!

    Reply
  7. gill says

    31st January 2017 at 13:37

    I had a subscription to the newsletters and looked forward each month to them dropping on the mat, I read them from cover to cover and filed them away for safekeeping.

    Reply
    • shoestringjane@outlook.com says

      31st January 2017 at 13:41

      So jealous of those of you who got the original newsletters. I didn’t discover it until it was in book form

      Reply
    • margaret poole says

      31st January 2017 at 23:40

      I still have the original newsletters, too. Used to look forward to receiving them every month and wish Amy was still writing.

      Reply
      • Rozy says

        3rd February 2017 at 21:11

        Me too!

        Reply

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About Me

Would you like to take control of your finances, pay off your debts and save for the future? At Shoestring Cottage we aim to show you that you can live a good and happy life on less than you think, you can get off the consumer treadmill and you can live more simply and healthily and not feel deprived.
We are also moving toward a less wasteful, more sustainable lifestyle and believe frugality and sustainability go hand in hand. Read More…

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