I got the complete Tightwad Gazette from the library and was quite disappointed in it. A lot of things were quite "out dated" I thought. For example, we all know how crazy groceries have become. Here in Denver, it makes no sense to buy powdered milk because it equals the same price (and quantity) as 2 gallons of 2% milk. (buying milk from Costco, that is. Costco doesn't sell Powdered milk so I am going by Kroger pricing) A lot of things that she does with items, I would never do because I don't see how it saves money and I visualize more clutter build up. I did get a few things from it (recipes for cleaners, food, etc...) which will be helpful, but overall I didn't feel it was all that great. Am I the only one that feels this way...or did I just miss a few things in my "speed reading"?

Some things are definitely "dated" in the book (the internet was just getting big, for one example!).

In a few places in the books, Amy mentions using the newsletters/books as an inspiration rather than a "cookbook". In one article (the create-a-muffin one), she points out that everyone may not have access to free pumpkins and blueberries like she does, but to take advantage of what you *do* have that is free/cheap.

Also, specifically as far as the powdered milk, somewhere in there she addresses the fluctuating price of "fluid" milk versus powdered, and how it may not always be cheapest to buy powdered.

So...I do AND don't agree, LOL. I'm currently re-reading it and come across tips that simply are NOT relevant today (does anyone use their landlines for long distance anymore? There's a lengthy article about long-distance carriers and how they practically pay you to switch to them.......now, not so much!). But I also used the create-a-loaf article to make some awesome bread today...since it's less a recipe than a guide to creating your own bread with what you have, I'm able to really tinker with what I like and don't like MORE than with a recipe.

Lisa :)

I wasn't very thrilled with them either.

I felt that I got much more practical advice on how to reduce my day to day cost of living here at the village.

I think the real value of the TWG is the change of mind and attitude towards the normal way of doing things. Not so much a "recipe" for frugal living, as everyone's circumstances are different.

much of what she says is still able to be used today. The price book... know your prices. How to calculate the actual costs of things. Its more then meets the eye.

Take much of what she says with also a big picture in mind... re-using an evelope??? well, otherwise, it helps waste a tree, and or clutters land fills... and saves you what... 1-3 cents? well, you have to have one penny before you can have two...

small thoughtful changes are what she was also after. As well as a few major what I would have concidered no way in heck changes that she did/does. We live in a society of bigger is better, newer is better, keep up with the jones. She wants one to be aware of thier suroundings and use it to thier advantage.

will I bother to save and wash and reuse baggies? No. Not gonna happen. for one, I dont get baggies. I have rubbermaid containers, and for those instences where I worry I might not get it back, I save butter containers that I concider more disposable. But I must say, I read the baggie thing years ago... I bet I have saved well over 50.00-100.00 now by not buying the baggies at all anymore.

I have to agree with Sunshine.
The TWG is all about being "bitten by the frugal bug".

Amy doesnt even follow many of those tips herself. She shares them all though.

The book is to get you motivated about beating grocers at their own game, or challenging yourself.

If you could have seen interviews with her on the Old Phil Donahue show that might have helped.

Amy saw a show on Tightads. Everyone was laughing at the families.... Amy took notes!!!

I wasn't very thrilled with them either.

I felt that I got much more practical advice on how to reduce my day to day cost of living here at the village.

I think this is a great example of how the internet has changed our world so drastically. When the TWG was in newsletter and book form, there was no internet to speak of. Tightwads had no real "community", outside of hearing about someone like Amy D. through Parade magazine or the Phil Donahue show then subscribing to her newsletters.

Today, we can put a couple of searchwords in Google and get waaay more information, AND ask questions, in seconds!

I think the real value of the TWG is the change of mind and attitude towards the normal way of doing things. Not so much a "recipe" for frugal living, as everyone's circumstances are different.

This is what I got out of it. It's like a college course on philosophy. The point is not to agree with the philosophers, but to know how to think a certain way.

I agree with Sunshine!!

:D

Yes, I agree with sunshine, too. It is *all* about changing one's perception of spending and consumerism. Many of the specifics *are* out of date, but the philosophy itself, is timeless. Between TWG and flylady, I have a totally different attitude about spending, buying stuff, and clutter. And it has improved our quality of life tremendously, and is helping us get control of our finances and future. Try rereading the TWG, with an eye toward the philosophy, rather than the specifics Amy presents. It's about making do with what we have, distinguishing what we *want* from what we *need* (they are NOT synonymous), planning, and prioritizing. Most people go through life day-to-day, without a plan, and without thinking about the long-term consequences of their spending and consumerism--both for their wallets AND the environment. I think for me, the TWG really opened my eyes to the power of planning ahead and being conscious of the impact even small choices can have. Good luck in your journey to frugality! :wave:

Outdated? Maybe a tad but you have to realize that the last book in the series was written well over 10 years ago so some things are not going to be quite accurate for our time today.

There is something about Amy Dacyzyn and her writing that comforts me and makes me enjoy being frugal. Maybe it's her down-to-earth style, or the fact that she is a real homebody, just like I am.

As with all books, I take what I can use and forget the rest. I just received Mary Hunt's Tiptionary 2 as a gift. I enjoy some of her tips, and I'll try them, while many I just ignore. But her writing and her style just don't grab me the way Amy's stuff did. I wish she would come out of retirement and write a new gazette for the 21st Century :paw:

I definitely see what you mean about some of those tips contributing to clutter--I thought the same thing when I read them.

I'm not that crazy about them, either. A lot of the tips were too drastic for me.

I liked the thought processes that she went through. Isn't that what frugality is about? Weighing what is important and what is not important, and spending your hard earned money on what is important in your life.

I loved the way she broked down things to show what the real value was. It was things like that that I got out of it, I can adapt it to my own life. I didn't get out of the book that this is the only way to do stuff, but got that if you want to figure these things out for yourself, here are ways to break down the real costs and weigh for yourself if it is worth your time or money to do this or that.

Some things worked for her (bulk buying and scratch cooking, for example) while other things did not (coupon clipping for things she wouldn't buy anyways). But it's not the case for everyone. She weighed her decisions on her own life, and showed you how to weigh decisions in your own life.

Least, that's what I got out of it. :)

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by sunshine http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?p=821936#post821936)
I think the real value of the TWG is the change of mind and attitude towards the normal way of doing things. Not so much a "recipe" for frugal living, as everyone's circumstances are different.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

This is what I got out of it. It's like a college course on philosophy. The point is not to agree with the philosophers, but to know how to think a certain way.

:yeah: What they said. Good analogy. ;)

I'm on board with Sunshine too. These books inspired me to live within my means, and hey were some pretty low means when I first started reading them. I got these books at a library sale 12 years ago, and they honestly kept us fed and dressed. We were DIRT poor at the time and didn't always have food on the table.

Amy and these books changed my life by changing my attitude. I would not be where I am today if I had not changed my way of thinking about things.

Any time I need a burst of frugal motivation, I pick up one of the three TWGs and let it fall open. Pretty much any page I read reinforces the lifestyle I have embraced.

I am sorry that you did not get much out of these books - they remain my favorite books of all-times.

It's like a college course on philosophy. The point is not to agree with the philosophers, but to know how to think a certain way.

:yeah: Good explanation.

Any time I need a burst of frugal motivation, I pick up one of the three TWGs and let it fall open. Pretty much any page I read reinforces the lifestyle I have embraced.

I am sorry that you did not get much out of these books - they remain my favorite books of all-times.


:yeah: Sums up how I feel exactly!

(does anyone use their landlines for long distance anymore?)

Yes we do but have unlimited long distance thru th ephone company.
I only have a trac-phone and I only buy 60 units every 2 months or so.

I agree with acidcookie. Most of the value to me is the philosophy - use less, make do with what you have, try and fix things that are broken, and how to analyze the costs behind things. I spend more time talking about the articles that are philosophically related than the actual "tip" articles.

I will admit that I use some of her recipes. The universal muffin recipe and the quiche recipe I use often. Some of her others are terrible (IMHO - the tomato soup one was!), but I like the ones that give a general guideline and let you use what you have on hand. And the oven baked french fries recipe is good too.

I love AMy!!! She is very much a huge factor in us changing our lives. I've had the Complete Tightwad Gazette for 7 or 8 years, when it came out, I guess. I do know at some point in the book she did state she no longer used powdered milk as it was costing the same or more than regular milk.

There are many things i've walked away with. We make our own pizza, I use their dough ALL the time. Dh co-workers are convinced I've pulled the wool over his eyes, that I'm buying it. I've had pizza parties for the kids, fed 16kids for under $8.

The actual tips, well, not necessarily current, but the whole idea surely is. Looking at what the economy in the USA is like, Canada is sure to follow in the next year or 2. So it is very relevant.

FV is definitely more current. The difference though is this is a community, interactive, offers support. But if I"m down in the dumps, I really don't want to log on to anywhere, but I can pull up my TWG and make a cup of tea, and get inspired to push forward once again.

I agree it is a philosophy of frugal living. Most of the things were sent in, and Amy in fairness shared it with her readers. There have been some great ideas. Ipersonally don't see the point in some, such as using panty hose to store potatoes in, when My family buys them 50lbs at a time! ROFL, wouldn't that be a sight? For for a couple, or a single, that would work, because they'd only use a couple at a time, so a 5 lb bag could last forever. My 50lbs is a once a month purchase, No time to go bad.

I do envy her house, the big farm house with huge attic! I'd love to have an attic that we could hang clothes in. I'd love to have several acres for the kids to roam, for us to tinker, but at the same time, we have busy lives with lots of sports to the extra driving overrides that freedom right now. Once the kids move out..lol. I want my acreage, with a workshop for me.

the comment on relating to Amy being a homebody. That is so true. I never saw it before, but I am a homebody too, perhaps that is what I saw in her, with her larger than average family. that is us, only 4 kiddos, but still larger than average.

So I can't/won't use all of her tips, I subscribe to her train of thought! My house will hopefully be paid off before I"m 40(5 years away), that'll be the same time as MIL and FIL, and about 30 years ahead of SIL and BIL, and my own brother doesn't even have a home to call his own, just a rental. So as tight and hard as things can be.... we're doing very well. We are not keeping up with the Joneses. Nor would I want to. I learned that from Amy.

I bought her book when I was fretting what food would go on the table. We ate sparingly, or I did. My dh and kids always came first. But after I got Amy's book, I learned ALOT. It was never fancy fare, but always nutritious and super cheap. But we got through the hardest times of our lives.

I'm like most of you, I owe Amy and have told her so.

At first her newsletters were like a letter from a friend. I would run to the mailbox and run inside and DEVOUR them :D

I was a new mommy with a tiny baby and knew I could do well in life if I tried REALLY hard.

I also wonder when people say they dont like the book.
Did they read it from the first page?
To me those first pages are the heart and soul.

The heart and soul are also her little wisdoms here and there.
Its not so much about the tips.

She made me think, taught me how to think outside the box.

Frankly I also love how she splurged on antique furniture.
It showed shes not living in a squalor to rack up $$$ LOL.

Please know if someone doesn't like the books, thats ok too!!
I have posted that I have given away MANNNNYYYYof these books as wedding gifts. To my knowledge none were ever used, read, and possibly sold LOL...

I'm like most of you, I owe Amy and have told her so.

At first her newsletters were like a letter from a friend. I would run to the mailbox and run inside and DEVOUR them :D

I was a new mommy with a tiny baby and knew I could do well in life if I tried REALLY hard.

I also wonder when people say they dont like the book.
Did they read it from the first page?
To me those first pages are the heart and soul.

The heart and soul are also her little wisdoms here and there.
Its not so much about the tips.

She made me think, taught me how to think outside the box.

Frankly I also love how she splurged on antique furniture.
It showed shes not living in a squalor to rack up $$$ LOL.

Please know if someone doesn't like the books, thats ok too!!
I have posted that I have given away MANNNNYYYYof these books as wedding gifts. To my knowledge none were ever used, read, and possibly sold LOL...

This sums up how I feel about her as well. I found her newsletter at a time in my life when we were in some desperate times. It gave me a lot of hope.

I got the complete TWG when I was pregnant. I loved the ideas in the book and it helped me to be more creative.

I remember stumbling across her news letter and thinking "Wow, I'm not the only one.". Like some of you said, it's more the mind set and looking at things creatively than it is about actual tips.

I remember stumbling across her news letter and thinking "Wow, I'm not the only one.". Like some of you said, it's more the mind set and looking at things creatively than it is about actual tips.

That is the way I feel about FV! And, let's face it, 10 years from now some of the tips we're sharing will be outdated also. ANYTHING in print risks being considered so at some point in the future.

I actually DO wash and re-use baggies (the zip kind) depending on what was in them. There are some things that I want to have less air than they would have in a Rubbermaid-type container. Incidentally, I tend to re-use yogurt containers as well as those for sour cream and cottage cheese rather than buying name brand ones like rubbermaid, but I don't haul mine around so they get used rather gently.