I have always leaned on the side of conservatism when it comes to money but it wasn't until I received a book entitled, The Complete Tightwad Gazette, by Amy Dacyczyn that I was launched into a full blown obsession with the wonderful world of penny pinching. As I have said in a previous post, my husband and I have begun our relationship while working in ministry and as far as I know we will continue in that lifestyle. God has really blessed us with a fulfilling, meaningful life. No really, I mean that. But from a monetary standpoint our particular path in life is rather ... tight. So, the question is how do I fulfill God's calling in my life and provide for my children? The answer; Amy Dacyczen. She is a woman who realized that the only way she can obtain the quintessential dream home, large family and rich life that she wanted she needed to reject the philosophy that the income needs to increase to make these things become a reality. Rather, she suggests that the spending must decrease to gain financial liberty and a well-rounded life. This is a simple truth, but isn't it rather a novel one? In a culture of debt and living outside of our means, the people have amassed so much debt with so little to show for it that we are drowning in our own greed. The book itself is a compilation of years of newsletters created by Dacyczn and chocked full of amazingly simple ways to decrease spending. But the premise of the book is waist not want not, every penny counts and a general rejection of over-consumption. The book is comprised of Amy's own nuggets of wisdom as well as reader contributions with suggestions on how to decrease spending. Now really, you need to take it with a grain of salt and use a filter when you read this book because everyone is different and all that. For example, the washing my freezer bags and aluminum foil is a big money saver that I gleaned from the book but I am not going to use Crisco as lip gloss. Helpful tips on how to avoid the flashy displays of overpriced food that grocery stores put in front of the aisles has really motivated me to speed past the siren's call of prepackaged food that looks like a deal but really is just a marketing ploy BUT I am probably never going to substitute dry milk powder for the real thing.
So there you have it, one long unedited paragraph on one way to jump start your way into a more independent life. Free from regretful impulse buys, free from too much stuff you really don't need, free from debt that ties you down, free to do the things you really want to do with your life. This book is an awesome resource, an encyclopedia chocked full of wonderfully simple concepts that have made such a huge difference in my life.
