http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576751996/qid=1071499362/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-0798133-5140104
It looks at the need to spend past our means as an illness.
Personally, I have 1 active credit card and I zero the balance every month.
The only other debt I have is the new house and that original 30 year at 7%
is now down to 20 at 5% and on track to be paid off in 11 years.
But you've reminded me that my christmas present to myself is to up my
retirement contribution.
-Kevin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Erika L Walker-Arnold" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 5:11 AM
Subject: Exploring Frugality
> In light of some of the recent job layoffs and personal pitfalls we've
> been commiserating about, I wanted to share a book I recently borrowed
> from Adam Churvis' wife ...
>
> The Tightwad Gazette.
>
> It's gotten me up at 4:00 am this morning, because I was tossing and
> turning at the number of ideas the book was giving me. (Adam, can you
> please tell Lisa I might be another month or two with this book?! :D)
>
> If you've never heard of it, there's this lady named Amy that decided a
> long time ago to manage her budding family on her husband's $30,000
> salary alone. Now BEFORE you scoff, I suggest you find a used copy of
> this book or go take it out at the library. It will have you feeling
> guilty in a matter of hours.
>
> Now I can be thrifty when I want to be, and over the past several years
> (after being in a relationship where the ex was not into saving AT ALL)
> I have become very uncomfortable when there is not at least 3 months of
> bills in the bank. And don't even talk to me about credit cards. Between
> the two of us (Phil and I) we have 5. That is it. No more. No less. I
> keep mine at $0 and use for small purchases, then pay it back off (all
> online) We use his for the larger purchases and pay off as quickly as we
> can (take advantage of the no interest 30 day period!)
>
> When I was living on the farm, I was well used to recycling things and
> using them for other purposes, and I try to do that today because those
> tricks have followed me over the years ... But I've been more than
> guilty of impuls behavior and buying, though I always try to root out
> the best deal. And there's some areas of my life I will not compromise.
> (New computer equipment, decent vehicle, good shoes.) But in reading
> this book, there's so many SMALL areas of our life that I bet a lot of
> us could improve our financial situations with very little effort.
>
> For instance, (and this may sound silly, but priorities are priorities),
> one thing we've done, is made sure we have plenty of entertainment right
> here at home. When we first moved to GA, we knew we'd be holed up
> working non-stop for many, many months. Well, all work and no play makes
> Jack and Jill dull people. So we bought a really cheap pool table, a
> dart board on sale, a clearance Basketball hoop and a cheap
> indoor/outdoor area rug and turned half our garage into an entertainment
> area. We buy discount liter bottles of my favorite liquor (remember,
> priorities are priorities and everyone priorities are definitely not
> mine :D) and now, instead of spending oodles and oodles of money going
> out to the pool hall or our local haunt, we can turn up the boom box,
> play darts or pool and I can have my cocktails at a mere fraction of the
> price. I cannot begin to tell you the hundreds of dollars doing this has
> saved. Especially between 3 people! (we've had a friend staying with us
> for the past three months)
>
> Yes, nothing beats sitting at a smokey bar and having a long leisurely
> cocktail whilst chatting to the bartender. This is one of my favorite
> things to do to unwind. Favorite non-physical activities. Lest you think
> I'm lush. There's tons of other ACTIVE activities I like to do and
> enjoy, and there's the reason for the basketball hoop. Cheap, active,
> cardiovascular activity.
>
> So, I'm an amatuer in training for the frugality title, but I know, and
> I'm confident, that continuing this field of study will get us just that
> much closer to owning our lake house that we are looking for next year,
> with money to spare. And it's a really, really good feeling.
>
> I think that a decent look at this book will have you thinking the same
> way.
>
> Just please understand, her methods are not for everyone, and there's
> LOTS of little things I'd never do that she does, but the other stuff I
> can take advantage of, will be saving Phil and I tons of cash.
>
>
> Cheers,
> Erika
>
>
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