Product Description

At last--the long-awaited complete compendium
of tightwad tips for fabulous frugal living!

In a newsletter published from May 1990 to December 1996 as well as in three enormously successful books, Amy Dacyczyn established herself as the expert of economy. Now The Complete Tightwad Gazette brings together all of her best ideas and thriftiest thinking into one volume, along with new articles never published before in book format. Dacyczyn describes this collection as "the book I wish I'd had when I began my adult life." Packed with humor, creativity, and insight, The Complete Tightwad Gazette includes hundreds of tips and topics, such as:

¸   Travel for tightwads   ¸   How to transform old blue jeans into potholders and quilts   ¸   Ten painless ways to save $100 this year   ¸   Picture-framing for pennies   ¸   A comparison of painting versus re-siding your house   ¸   Halloween costumes from scrounged materials   ¸   Thrifty window treatments   ¸   Ways to dry up dry-cleaning costs   ¸   Inexpensive gifts   ¸   Creative fundraisers for kids   ¸   Slashing your electric bill   ¸   Frugal fix-its   ¸   Cutting the cost of college   ¸   Moving for less   ¸    Saving on groceries   ¸   Gift-wrapping for tightwads   ¸   Furniture-fusion fundamentals   ¸   Cheap breakfast cereals   ¸   Avoiding credit card debt   ¸   Using items you were about to throw away (milk jugs, plastic meat trays, and more!)   ¸   Recipes galore, from penny-pinching pizza to toaster pastries   ¸   And much much more . . .

Three books in one--a $38.97 value for only $19.99!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2211 in Books
• Published on: 1998-12-15
• Released on: 1998-12-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 976 pages

Amazon.com Review
Though tightwad seems like a derogatory term, author Amy Dacyczyn wants to assure you that it's okay to be a penny-pincher. This self-styled "Frugal Zealot" wrote and published The Tightwad Gazette for over six years to spread the frugal gospel. Each issue contained tips from her personal experience and from her many readers. The wealth of information contained in all these issues has been compiled into one volume for the first time. You'll find literally thousands of ideas for saving money, from the simple or practical to the difficult or bizarre. On the simple, practical side, Dacyczyn advises would-be tightwads to keep track of price trends at several stores in a "price book" and to buy in bulk when prices are low. Other, stranger offerings include tips for turning margarine-tub lids into playing-card holders, old credit cards into guitar picks, and six-pack rings into a hammock or volleyball net. More helpful are inexpensive recipes for making homemade versions of pricey, well-known products and ingenious ways to fix broken or damaged items. The book's disorganization encourages browsing, but the detailed index will point you to the exact page for specific items. Dacyczyn's occasional "thriftier than thou" tone is balanced by the friendly support for frugality that infuses every page. She even reminds her readers that it's okay to "sweat the small stuff"--because this small stuff is the essence of frugality. --C.B. Delaney

From the Inside Flap
At last--the long-awaited complete compendium
of tightwad tips for fabulous frugal living!

In a newsletter published from May 1990 to December 1996 as well as in three enormously successful books, Amy Dacyczyn established herself as the expert of economy. Now The Complete Tightwad Gazette brings together all of her best ideas and thriftiest thinking into one volume, along with new articles never published before in book format. Dacyczyn describes this collection as "the book I wish I'd had when I began my adult life." Packed with humor, creativity, and insight, The Complete Tightwad Gazette includes hundreds of tips and topics, such as:

¸   Travel for tightwads   ¸   How to transform old blue jeans into potholders and quilts   ¸   Ten painless ways to save $100 this year   ¸   Picture-framing for pennies   ¸   A comparison of painting versus re-siding your house   ¸   Halloween costumes from scrounged materials   ¸   Thrifty window treatments   ¸   Ways to dry up dry-cleaning costs   ¸   Inexpensive gifts   ¸   Creative fundraisers for kids   ¸   Slashing your electric bill   ¸   Frugal fix-its   ¸   Cutting the cost of college   ¸   Moving for less   ¸    Saving on groceries   ¸   Gift-wrapping for tightwads   ¸   Furniture-fusion fundamentals   ¸   Cheap breakfast cereals   ¸   Avoiding credit card debt   ¸   Using items you were about to throw away (milk jugs, plastic meat trays, and more!)   ¸   Recipes galore, from penny-pinching pizza to toaster pastries   ¸   And much much more . . .

Three books in one--a $38.97 value for only $19.99!

Customer Reviews

THE money-saving idea series
I've had the original series since they came out, and I still go back to these books for information. Not only does she give advice, she shows how she came up with it and how to modify it to your life.

I use her recipes all the time (have the granola one memorized, we use it so much). It's worth having this just for the recipes. These books are how I was able to stay home with my kids, even though I made twice what my husband did.

Although I gave this five stars, there are a few things you might want to know (if it matters). The index in the originals was not that great. I don't know if they've improved that in this combination or not. Since the books were set up from a magazine, there are many very short articles, so it doesn't read like a book. But I found it very entertaining. Even though the pricing is from the 80's in many cases, you can make up your own price lists using her principles.

If you like being told what to do, this probably isn't the book for you. If you like having the information to figure it out yourself to suit your life, you'll love these.

I've read about twenty 'save money' books and this series is the best.

best money saving book ever!!
This book has SO much information on how to save money. I don't think I could ever apply all the tips, but the ones I have applied have really helped! I like to open the book and find one tip to do for the week rather than trying to apply everything at once. You can save money with a bit of time and creativity.

Love This Book!
Brilliant ideas that anyone can use to save money. More than just a how-to, it teaches a whole new mentality, and a creative viewpoint that spills over into every area of life. Once bit by the Tightwad bug, you will never go back to wasting your money. Amy Daczyczyn also has a wonderfully whimsical sense of humor that makes me wish she lived next door. Good reading.