Amy Dacyszyn knows her stuff!

Amy Dacyczyn is the author of the Tightwad Gazette.  Below she describes why she became a 'compulsive tightwad.'

"The change occurred when I got married and began to pursue my dream. I had always wanted large family and a rural pre-1900 New England farmhouse. 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."

"To fine-tune our spending I became a student of thrift. I routinely calculated such things as the cost of drying a load of laundry, or the cost savings in cloth diapers, or the cost difference of making food from scratch versus buying convenience foods."

Her plan and diligence worked.

Her dream was realized. Their family of eight moved into that farmhouse in 1989.

Amy's 10 Painless ways to save $100 this year.

1. Purchase 10 articles of clothing at thrift shops and yard sales this year instead of paying department store prices.
2. Hang four loads of laundry per week instead of using your dryer.
3. Once a month make a pizza from scratch instead of having one delivered.
4. Write a good letter instead of making a monthly long distance phone call.
5. Reduce your soda consumption by four cans per week
6. Bake one batch of bread (two loaves) per week.
7. Save $50 each on two children's birthday parties by making homemade decorations, cake, wrapping paper, and one present.
8. Reduce your smoking by three cigarettes per day.
9. Reduce your whole milk consumption by two gallons per week, substituting dry milk in cooking, homemade cocoa mix, and in half-and-half for drinking.
10. Pack four inexpensive school lunches per week.
    
    

___________

While the kids eat lunch at  home...Matthew and Patrick Sr. take sack lunches to work.

I suppose I can drink less Diet Dr. Pepper...suffer...suffer...

I don't think anyone in our house wants to drink dry milk...but perhaps I will make my own cocoa mix in the fall!

I have a very easy homemade pizza crust to share...stay tuned :o)



Here is a fine example of a garage sale outfit for my little Katie Gracie. 
Good as new...Gymboree...Total Cost $3.00.

Encourage one another,
Donna