Tightwad Wednesday - The Intro

Posted on September 12, 2007 by Melissa
Filed Under Tightwad Wednesdays

I have been reading The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn for a while now. This fun read is a large newsletter-like compilation of thrifty tips and tricks. It has been recommended on countless frugality websites and personal finance blogs as the “end-all be-all” guide to living on the cheap. I decided to check it out in the hopes of learning more about the “tightwad” lifestyle.

No matter what your thrift skill level is you will likely find a lot of really good advice in this book. Most of the money saving ideas are pretty universal and can be easily utilized by families to help cut back on spending.

However, some of the ideas in this book (although interesting and very creative) are not for everyone. I must admit that some of the tips are beyond my comfort zone, at least for right now.

Naturally, I have preconceived notions about what I consider to be reasonable and extreme ways to save money. I’d call myself “moderately frugal”. But I’m willing to give these ideas a shot. Maybe I’ll find it’s easier than I think to be a “tightwad” and that my initial reluctance was unfounded. I think it will be an interesting challenge either way.

I will test out two tips from The Tightwad Gazette each week. I’ll explain what I did to incorporate the specific tip into my life and I’ll evaluate if it is worth my time/effort/money to continue doing it. I’ll aim for one food related idea (there are lots of cheap recipes) and one general tip each week.

I have decided to kick off this series by testing out the following (admittedly beginner) ideas: