Search Results for: blog the complete tightwad gazette

“Budget Weddings” from the Tightwad Gazette

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The book The Tightwad Gazette, by Amy Dacyzyn, explains some helpful tips to cutting costs for a wedding. And hey, what a concept! Get married without spending a fortune and getting into big debt! It really can be done….Here are some of my favorite tips: * In good weather, have a wedding reception outside at someone’s home. Having a wedding reception outside also encourages some thrifty alternatives such as paper plates and plastic ware. * Check classified ads for women selling their wedding dresses, which have only been worn once (or perhaps not at all.) Bridal shops also will sell … Continue reading →

Great Clothing Tips from The Tightwad Gazette

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Here are some smart ways to save money on clothing or fabric, written by readers to The Tightwad Gazette: * I always buy my children’s clothes at the end of the season for the next year. I buy one size larger than they are now. Around Labor Day there are still some summer items not sold. Last year I bought $10 pajamas for $1 and $2. And $5 and $6 tops for 75 cents to $1. Later in the fall there are still odds and ends left and I got several shirts for 50 cents. I store clothes for next … Continue reading →

“Tightwad Valentines”

These ideas for cheap (and thoughtful) homemade valentines come from Amy Dacyczyn’s The Complete Tightwad Gazette. If you still are trying to think of something thoughtful for your special someone, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Just be creative! See if one of these ideas will inspire you:  If there is snow in your area, stomp out a special valentine in the yard.  Pick a bouquet of wild flowers or blossoms and put in a vase for your Valentine’s Day dinner. Where I live, trees are blooming and a few blossoming sticks in a vase … Continue reading →

The Money Saving Mom’s Budget

When it comes to frugal living, fresh inspiration is often hard to find. Oh sure, we do what we can, from attempting a budget to washing out baggies in order to save money. Often, the problem, though, is that we aren’t armed with a solid start to finish plan. Crystal Paine’s book, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget gives you that plan, and explains the importance behind each step. I haven’t seen anything this good since Amy Dacyczyn’s The Tightwad Gazette, a book on frugal living that has now pretty much obtained cult status. Paine’s book, however, is updated with more … Continue reading →

Is it Strange to be Frugal?

I did an interview this morning on Living without credit cards. It was on The Take Away, an early morning National Radio Show. Myself, a man in Los Angeles, and a financial expert Beth Kobliner were interviewed on life without credit cards and how we cope with them. During the radio interview and also during the pre-interview, I was introduced to the possibility that people look at the frugal, and especially those who live without credit cards as being a bit strange, and definitely off the mainstream. It never occurred to me that having good financial sense was odd. I … Continue reading →

Low Cost Recipes

Groceries are one of the biggest expenses in a typical family’s budget. You can easily spend $200 a week or more for a family of four. Finding ways to cut the grocery bill can make a big impact on your food bill. The first thing to do of course is to cut out a lot of the processed foods. But once that is done, how can you create meals for your family that are nutritious and low cost? One way to do this to to take advantage of the knowledge of others and then apply it to your own family. … Continue reading →

Introducing Frugal Laundry!

Laundry is one of those things that we just have to do in life. There is something about laundry that inspires me. Not, I’m not completely nuts, but I do actually enjoy doing the laundry. I just love clean clothes. There is also something about the feel of fresh clean clothes and linens, and the mindless organization of folding and ironing, that gives me time to think creatively. Some of that creative thinking, of course, tends to focus on how we can save money while doing the laundry. So, I was really excited when we added a new category called … Continue reading →

The Importance of Reading About Finances

It is important to understand what is happening to your money and why. It is important to continue to learn about money management, investing and budgeting. One way to do this is to read about finances on a regular basis. One easy way to do this is to read at least one book about finance a year. Another thing you can do is to subscribe to a magazine that explains the trends that affect your money, and investing strategies. I make it a point to read at least one new book about finances every year. This has really affected the … Continue reading →

A Glance Back at 2006

If you are looking for some of the greatest frugal recipes or the most brilliant money-saving tips, keep reading. It’s actually been a whole year since I started writing for families.com and as my last entry for 2007 I share my ten favorite blogs from the year. The Cash-Only Diet I love the idea of a cash-only diet! This is the most effective way that I have found to stick to a budget without having to meticulously record every purchase that you make. Coupon Codes This article explains a great resource for saving money on online purchases. If you don?t … Continue reading →

The ABC’s of Frugal Living: 26 Tips to Live a More Frugal Life

The ABC’s of Frugal Living – 26 Tips to Live a More Frugal Life The frugal living blog at families.com is chock full of great information to help you live a more frugal lifestyle. We all strive to save money and the bloggers in this category are here to help. A: Amazing Dates Have a date night for less! New Cheap Date Ideas A Cheap And Fun Date Idea It’s Date Night Date Night On a Budget B: Budgeting Make a plan and stick to it. Be sure you watch where your money goes each month and try to do … Continue reading →