Saturday Share: The Tightwad Gazette, Stretch Your Money

I unpacked some more boxes of books and came across one that brought back fond memories. The book is The Complete Tightwad Gazette, and here’s why I felt sentimental at lifting it from the box.

When Darling Hubby and I first married, we were broke. We both worked and literally had to budget every penny of our salaries.

One day in a magazine, maybe Organic Gardening, I saw an ad for a newsletter called The Tightwad Gazette.

The subscription was just a couple of bucks so I signed up and mailed a check. (Yes, back in the old days, we actually purchased things by mail order that way.)

The newsletter was written and published—literally typed at her home—by a woman named Amy Dacyzyn. In the couple of years that I subscribed, I managed to save even more money than I thought possible. 

I’d always been thrifty after having lived in the Far East and visited what many call third-wold countries. Seeing the poverty in those countries made conspicuous consumption repugnant to me. Ms. Dacyzyn’s tips taught me more ways than the obvious to stretch a dollar.

Now, many of the tips Ms. Dacyzyn offered were things I couldn’t do—she lived on a farm and had access to money-saving ideas that I didn’t have. Some things I wouldn’t do—I draw the line at certain things.

Moving On

Our fortunes improved through diligence and hard work. I became a writer myself, first freelance for periodicals and then in book-length fiction. 

One day several years ago I was in a big box bookstore and saw a book called The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyzyn. 

I was surprised and delighted that a publisher had brought the book to the masses. 

The book, a compilation of all of Amy Dacyzyn’s money-saving ideas, has much to teach us in today’s world where the dollar is shrinking.

I’ve never strayed far from my frugal attitude about money and purchasing “things” so I bought the book—feeling it was a way to support her and her philosophy.

I’m happy to say you can buy a paperback copy or Kindle copy of this book. If you’re interested in getting a copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette, I’d say get a printed copy. The book is 959 pages. You’ll want to highlight and bookmark a lot of items.

(The copy I bought was hardcover, but that is now out of print and a copy would cost you nearly $70.00.)

Takeaway Truth

Joan Reeves aka SlingWords: The Word Slinging Adventures of Joan Reeves