Years ago my oldest child was involved in Odyssey of the Mind.  His team met at another homeschooler's house, and I hung out in their living room.  It was a veritable treasure trove because I discovered both The Well-Trained Mind and The Tightwad Gazette while browsing through their books! (And yes, if you invite me over, I will look through your books...I can't help it.  Brownies are always appreciated too!)

I took The Complete Tightwad Gazette out of the library so many times I finally told my husband I wanted it for my birthday.  I tend to reread it in the summer.  So last year I took some notes on the general principles that Amy applies. In no particular order, I now share them with you:

1. There are three ways to save money.  They are 1) buy it cheaper, 2) make it last longer, 3) use it less.  For example, when I buy coffee, I could always buy it on sale (1), reuse the grounds (2), or decide to drink coffee every other day instead of every day (3).

2. Keep track of what you are spending.

3. Keep your pantry stocked at the lowest possible prices.  Bulk buy.

4. Don't spend a lot on disposable things.  Spend your money on investment purchases.

5. Seek the minimum level in everything.  Do you really need a whole glass of milk, or will a half do?  Would one tablespoon of dishwasher detergent work just as well as two?

6. Learn new skills.

7. Consider the hourly wage an activity "earns" you.  If something takes 15 minutes and saves $5, your hourly wage is $20.  That is something worth doing.  If something takes an hour and saves you $1, well, then, it better be something you really enjoy doing!

8. Finally, how to do it all when you are very busy: Keep up with dishes and laundry and use containers to hold messes.

Everytime I pick up this book, I see something new.  Recently I looked up a recipe and found one for a Rice-a-Roni substitute.  I had never used that product before so I paid no attention, but I have since found a recipe that my daughters really like that uses it.  Now I can make it more cheaply!  It's really a book worth having, and Amy's clever writing style is funny too.  Just don't make the mistake I did and feel inadequate and guilty for years because you can't do everything the way Amy does it!