I became a reuser first of aluminum foil, then of ziplock bags, and now, I publicly confess, I have become a reuser of vacuum cleaner bags. Saving money, rather than earning money, became the means to my goal. 'Nowadays, families cannot afford to raise more than two children.'Īs if the message could magically be shot back through the television tube, I raised my fist and shouted, 'It is not true, it can be done!' And so began my quest to prove that it could be done – that it was still possible to raise a large family and buy a house without two full-time incomes. 'Nowadays, it is impossible for a young couple to get into the housing market.' 'Nowadays, a family has to have two incomes to make ends meet.' It was during this time that I discovered daytime talk shows and first heard commonly held myths expounded by intelligent audience members. I set aside my career in graphic design to be a Mom. Our first child was born nine months (and fifteen minutes) after the ceremony. I had a crazy notion that I could have both without the two income/daycare frenzy that has become the norm for the modern American family. I had always wanted a large family and a rural pre-1900 New England farmhouse (with attached barn). I got married and began to pursue my dream. Before the saving fever gripped me, I had a very normal and healthy love for spending.

(I made one box last for two years.) And when I was first labeled 'The Frugal Zealot' even I had to smile.īut it was not always this way. One Christmas an aunt gave me two boxes of aluminum foil after learning that I reused the stuff. Even Depression-era relatives think that I am too thrifty. People who know me believe that I worry too much about money, that I don’t spend enough on myself, and that I don’t know how to have any fun. Frugality may be prompted by other priorities, but the end result is the same: a healthier planet, and a healthier bank account. She reminds us (by not saying a word about it) that environmental or humanitarian concern is not the only motivator for a less consumptive lifestyle. For instance, the first issue had a sidebar called '10 Painless Ways to Save $100 This Year,'as well as 'A Really Dull Article About Health Insurance' (that was actually very enlightening).Īmy Dacyczyn, editor and 'crack staff investigative reporter,' wrote about the genesis of her newsletter in the premiere cover story, which we reprint here.

We recently received our 'Free Premiere Issue' of one of the most refreshing newsletters we’ve seen in years – 'The Tightwad Gazette, Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle.' For only $12 a year – 'that’s $1 each if you split it with 11 tightwad friends' – you get 12 issues of info on creative ways to save money.

The tightwad gazette