Another Book Report

I have a criminal past.

I stood before a judge about 9 1/2 years ago, when I was young and dumb. I'm embarrassed to tell you why, because it was definitely a Clueless Mama thing to do. Promise you'll still love me?!?! I promise that I'm not a repeat offender...

Here it is:

I left my toddler asleep in the car while I ran in an office supply store and made copies out of a book I was borrowing.

The book was entitled "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" -- and I thought I was following its principles by making copies instead of buying my own.

Well, I should have been arrested for MORE than child abandonment -- I should have also served time for copyright infringement!

For the record, I didn't actually serve time. I paid a fine and then, for personal penance, I bought the book.

It's so worth every penny to own! 

The author, Amy Dacyczyn has lived such a thrifty life, and has such a wealth of information to share! And she has fun sharing it -- her writing is witty and inviting.

Sometimes the subject of saving (not spending) can come across as depressing, and requiring rigorous self-discipline.

In Amy's book, which is actually a compilation of six years of newsletters, economizing is an adventure, pursuing creative, ingenious ways to combat how expensive life is. We feel like celebrating every time she helps us figure out how to pinch those pennies.

She is also primarily a mom! So it definitely feels like everything applies to my current profession. There are birthday party ideas! There are insights on how to grocery shop effectively and go garage sale-ing. She covers fixing up the house, from decor to repairs.

There are recipes, and even instructions on how to make up your own recipes! There are even ideas on how to diet for cheap.

Traveling often seems out of the question for those of us on a strict budget, but she even addresses this topic in a way that makes the world wide open!

She even teaches us how to save time, since, after all, time is money.

AND it made me decide to follow ALL the laws, even copyright ones, and buy this book!