Book Review
Tightwad Gazette

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Buy this book. Seldom do I recommend a book this highly. The penny pinching trend has been recognized by the publishing industry, and a lot of books have appeared in the last few years which basically say the same thing. This book, along with Tightwad II and II,I, is of a different breed. Amy Dacyczyn has turned tightwadding into an art form. If there is a way to do something more cheaply, she has probably found it. Not *all* of her ideas are for everyone (I, for one, am not into trash picking), but everyone will find valuable tricks that they're not likely to find elsewhere.

I recommend that readers begin with the first book and then read Tightwad II and III later. While the first book is about serious tightwadding, the latter books are even more so, and a beginning tightwadder might find II and III rather overwhelming. Purchasing the book is justified because there is no way to absorb all of the dense info in one reading, unless you took copious notes. Amy D.'s books are worth buying so that you can refer back to them for her detailed instructions.

The author's personal story is inspiring. Determined to be a stay-at-home parent, she turned over every stone to try to save money. Though she and her husband earned less than $30,000 per year, they saved $49,000 in less than seven years. And they purchased (debt-free) cars, furniture, and major appliances during those years. She then began her now-famous newsletter, and later came out with the books, to spread the message that *it can be done*! Six kids later, she and her husband have retired at a relatively young age with money set aside for college educations for all of the kids. Sure, the best-selling books didn't hurt, but they couldn't have done it without tightwadding.

If you want to get motivated and find ways to pinch those pennies hard, this book and the others in the series are practically an encyclopedia of tightwadding. Happy Reading!

Margaret A. is employed as a library information specialist in Illinois. She does freelance writing and penny pinching in her spare time.

"Tightwad Gazette" is available at Amazon

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