The Complete Tightwad Gazette

By Antonio Vegas

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 for anyone looking to save money or get out of debt, 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 . .

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375752250
• ISBN13: 9780375752254
• Release Date: December 1998
• Publisher: Villard Books
• Length: 976 Pages
• Weight: 2.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 7.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Bottom Line -- It Works! I am living proof.

I first read the Tightwad Gazette series in about 1995, at a time when I was living hand to mouth in a small and noisy apartment, was overwhelmed with my own foolishly-racked-up credit card debt, was afraid to go to the dentist because I could not afford one more bill. I had seen Amy Dacyczyn on Donahue, and while many audience members looked down their noses at her cleverly thrifty ways, I knew I had to get her books...

Her children are lucky

I am disturbed by some of the reviews that cruelly state that Mrs. Dacyczyn's children are being shortchanged--one reviewer called her childrearing philosophy child neglect and borderline abuse.I think the Dacyczyn children are very blessed to be raised in a family where worldly values are put in perspective and the important things in life are stressed. My daughter and I are reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's books together,...

This is one of my all time favorite books!

This book has had a huge, positive influence on my life. I read this book right before I quit my job to stay home and Amy Dacyczyn helped convince me I could do it. But if you are contemplating reading this book, be warned: it is highly addictive and potentially life-changing.I was already fairly frugal before I read The Tightwad Gazette. My husband and I used cloth diapers, shopped at thrift shops, bought secondhand and...

For rich or poor, a full spectum of tips and philosophies

Admittedly, the author is the diva of frugality, taking tightwaddery to a high art I wouldn't care to achieve...but she also discusses how the way we spend our money should--but doesn't always--reflect our own priorities, values, and goals. The author makes it clear that the book contains a full spectrum of tips for saving money to accomodate a wide range of frugal styles, and that not every idea in the book is for every person...