I was inspired to live a financially streamlined lifestyle by the Tightwad Gazette newsletters in the early 90’s. That time frame was the beginning of my life as a single parent, and even though I considered myself a frugal person, I was always on the lookout for additional help in adjusting to my reduced circumstances. Divorce comes with a huge set of problems, many of them financial. I remember a friend of mine making the comment “when you get divorced, you trade one set of problems for another.” Meaning that the emotional/marital issues subside, but they are often replaced by financial issues.
Enter the Tightwad Gazette. I read an article in the Sunday Parade magazine of my local newspaper about a housewife in Maine (Amy Dacyczyn) who was writing a “thrift” newsletter, and immediately sent off a $10 check for a yearly subscription. It was, in all honesty, one of the best investments I ever made. For the next six years I became part of the Dacyczyn (pronounced ‘decision’) family and their on-going saga with frugality, simplicity, and ethical consumption.
Every month, a newsletter would arrive in the mail and I would pour over Amy’s research and suggestions. Not all of them were pertinent to my life and/or the age of my kids. But most of the information was thought provoking. Even though you might not be able to utilize the content of any given article, you could appreciate the logic behind it. When you are trying to reduce debt or expenses, you have to embrace that change in your lifestyle, not fight it kicking and screaming. Your mindset about spending changes from deprivation to one that helps you shun consumerism and challenges you to find creative ways to acquire the things you need or want as inexpensively as possible.
Amy stopped writing the newsletter in 1996, leaving legions of fans bereft. She felt that she had covered just about every topic conceivable and didn’t want to start repeating herself. She went out at the top of her game, which I admired considering the public was clamoring for more of her work. But what is even more amazing is how much her advice still resonates today. Amy’s newsletters were turned into books, so now a second generation of “frugal zealots” can embrace her philosophy of thrift by reading a hard copy of those original newsletters. I find myself picking up her book when I need a financial “grounding;” a gentle reminder of not getting caught up in consumerism and being more careful with my money.
I recently conducted an internet search of Amy’s name to see if there was any ‘new’ news of her and her family. Apparently, many of her fans still feel as connected to her as I do; my google search showed that others have also been looking for information as well to ascertain how the Dacyczyn family has fared over the last 17 years. Do they continue to be frugal, even though they are financially comfortable? Have the children grown up to be frugal adults?
I found some interviews that were dated around the beginning of the recession (2008); most reporters wanted to talk to her about the downturn in our economy and how people today might adjust to a loss of income, retirements, and/or investments. Amy reinforced the message she has emphasized since the beginning: people need to live below their means. The economy is always changing, and people should assume that their lives can, and will, change at any given point in time. Besides the financial aspects of that advice, what I found heartwarming was (1) her commitment to still living a simple, clean life that is not bound by “stuff,” and (2) that her children look back on their childhood as warm and comforting, not one of deprivation. They may not make all the same choices their parents made 20 years ago, but they are committed to living a frugal lifestyle and managing their income thoughtfully as they begin families and careers.
If you would like to read a book that will literally change your philosophy of consumption and spending, the Tightwad Gazette is the book for you. And hopefully you will check it out of the library for free or buy it used at a bookstore or garage sale. Amy would be proud of you!
Written by:
Donna Green, BS, MA
Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences
Ohio State University Extension
Reviewed by: Linnette Goard, Field Specialist, Food Safety, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension.
Sources:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/an-interview-with-amy-dacyczyn-the-author-of-the-tightwad-gazette/
http://www.mlive.com/businessreview/annarbor/index.ssf/2009/03/div_classphotoright_smallpaula.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/27/AR2005052700821.html
