Rating: 
Summary: Too extreme and too narrow
Review: Some of the suggestions in this book are good. Indeed it's funny how much of it my wife and I already implement. However, the scrimping is overdone. For example, my wife and I catered our own wedding and saved a bundle. However, we would never have dreamed of having a pot luck wedding!I prefer Andrew Tobias' approach, which is more balanced. He both scrimps and invests. With six kids you could argue that Amy is not doing the Earth any favors. No doubt it's hard to have six kids and any money left to save no matter how frugal you are. A healthy balance is sadly lacking here.
Rating: 
Summary: You can make do better than you think
Review: This combination of all three books is such a resource that every home should have one. When you run out of something you can usually find a homemade alternative in her books. Also if you need a substitution it is probably in there. Amy D. really know's how to make the most of her money and leave a person not feeling deprived. She is innovative and resourceful and each section of the book tells you exactly how. Some of the ideas are kind of out there but glean out the information that is most practical to you.
Rating:
Summary: A treasure chest of information
Review: I have read lots of books on frugality since "The Tightwad Gazette" books first came out. Almost all of the books I've read have been helpful. Amy D's is one of the best. Some of her ideas are a little different, and not all apply to me. What I liked about her book is the HUGE wealth of tips and new ideas offered. She writes in a witty style, her illustrations are delightful and helpful. I liked the way Amy explains an idea or new concept rather than just coughing up a bunch of "new" tips. I enjoyed her articles on Christmas. (She is right on about the fulfillment curve.) She has some nice craft ideas, I have made blue jean potholders for years now. The Dacyczyns are goal oriented, and I realized after reading her work that I needed to become more goal oriented. Amy's articles on grocery shopping, cooking and menu planning are wonderful. And I disagree heartily with the mean spirited reviewer who called homemade soup dog food. My family has been eating "dog food" for years. I even won a prize for my soup in a contest this fall! No kidding. Making soup from leftovers is an well-known skill. (Millions of families will be making turkey soup this weekend.) One things I must mention, (because it changed my life) is that my headaches have been cut way back since implementing some of Amy's ideas. I attribute this in part to Mrs Dacyczyn. I am allergic to certain products/preservatives in foods. And by making my own cleaners, foods etc. I reduce my exposure. No more MSG headaches for me! I have found my interest in cutting back economically is leading me to being more environmentally friendly as well. Kudos to Amy Dacyczyn for sticking to her values.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Changed My Life
Review: I can't believe it's been 7 years since I read this. I never understood how destructive it was to keep up with the Joneses. Actually, I wasn't even about that. Amy D. made me put things into perspective and made me realize that sometimes we just accept things the way they are and don't look for different ways to do things. Madison Avenue doesn't help. I am on my way to retiring at 45 and have noted no discomfort or scarifice by being frugal. This book was a springboard to frugality and peace of mind. THANKS AMY!
Rating:
Summary: Some readers JUST DON'T GET IT.....
Review: This book is one of my FAVORITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME. No kidding, no exaggeration. It has helped me to see the big picture of my relationship with money. It has helped me realize I AM in control of what I buy and what I spend. It has shown me that there is another way than living from paycheck to paycheck. Over the last 4 years, I have gone from being highly in debt to having a big, fat savings account. And the best thing is...it was so rewarding to get there! Still, some people JUST DON'T GET IT!! They joke that this would be a good gag gift, or whine that Amy D. is far to extreme with her ideas on how to save money. They look down their noses at this book while they rack up the debt. This book challanges you to look at your energy; see where it's going. It helps to show you that money is a tool, and although we all need it, there are many other productive ways we can utilize our energy that save money instead of waste it. This book hands you the tools to figure out how to save money for yourself. Get this book. It will change your life.
Rating:
Summary: Her children are lucky
Review: I am disturbed by some of the reviews that cruelly state that Mrs. Dacyczyn's children are being shortchanged--one reviewer called her childrearing philosophy child neglect and borderline abuse. I think the Dacyczyn children are very blessed to be raised in a family where worldly values are put in perspective and the important things in life are stressed. My daughter and I are reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's books together, and while reading the Tightwad books, I was struck at how many parallels there are between the beloved classic books and the Dacyczyn family's values. Children do not need fancy, expensive new clothes to develop properly. There is nothing wrong with used clothes, in the first place. Secondly, Mrs. Dacyczyn makes clear her clothing philosophy in a little article about how she spoke with all her children about what they wanted to wear on the first day of school. She spent a good deal of time planning this with them, and actually made a special item (a vest, I think) so they would feel special. She didn't have to throw money at them to show that she loved them. She spent time talking and listening. As far as the bath issue... hello, children do NOT need a bath every single day. Where did that myth come from, anyway? It does not jeapordize their health if they don't get scrubbed every night. Most of the people I know give their kids a bath "as-needed" during the week, and then on Saturday night so they're extra-clean for church on Sunday morning. Baths are more frequent in the summer, when they're outside getting dirty, and less in the winter (sometimes only once a week in our house) when they spend all their time inside, and I'd rather not send them to bed with wet hair. It's not so much a matter of frugality as it is common sense. And the reviewers who made snide remarks about nutrition... holy cow. These kids get organic, garden-fresh produce all summer, and home-canned and frozen produce (also organic, and no preservatives) the rest of the year. Their consumption of ready-made snacks (laden with fat, sugar and preservatives) is sensibly controlled. They get balanced meals from all the food groups (Mrs. Dacyczyn lists a week of her family's menus for us to look at). I would think that with all the problems that have come to light on child obesity this last decade, that people would understand that we need to pay attention to our children's nutrition. Keeping potato chips as a special treat (and telling the kids that, if they want something not on the family menu, they have to purchase it themselves) is not abusive. It is tender care and regard for a child's health. As far as showing love: her descriptions of the children's birthday parties are fantastic. The pirate ship birthday theme is wonderful, and her set-up in the yard of an actual ship play-area was awesome. How many parents take their kids to a party store, let them choose the newest popular cartoon character and get party hats, paper goods and "favors" in that theme (and then go buy a tasteless cake with vegetable shortening/powdered sugar frosting at the grocery store)? Is that more loving than what the Dacyczyn family does? And I would like to point out the snobbery of the reviewers who turn up their noses at dumpster diving. In this throw-away society, it is shocking what people toss in the trash. When my husband and I still lived in our apartment complex, he would watch the dumpster at the end of the month, when people were moving out. One girl threw away boxes of new clothes -tags still on!- and even a mason jar full to the top of coins. Too much trouble to take it to the bank, I suppose. I still wear her pajamas and shorts, use her hand-formed iron wok, and sharpen my knives on her very expensive sharpening stone. We also still use the lovely, unique folding wooden chairs our neighbors threw away. Someone bragged that her house is not full of other people's castoffs. I am willing to bet that a house full of cast-off antiques and high-quality yard sale finds is more interesting and beautiful than one furnished by walking into Wal-Mart (or even Pottery Barn) and simply running up a credit card. There are also too many sniffing comments about having six children. Since when is it anyone's business how many children a family has? Particularly since the Dacyczyn family isn't asking anyone for a handout. Large families are full of joy and love and they get too many unsolicited comments. I know someone with a large family who is often told in public by complete strangers, "I'm glad they aren't mine!" To which she threatens to one day respond, "They're glad they aren't yours, too." Mrs. Dacyczyn never says to her children, "You're not worth a new dress or a new book." She shows how much she loves them by giving them the important things of life. She is also preparing them for adulthood in the best way: showing them the difference between wants and needs. They will know that money is not what makes us happy, and that buying "things" is not as important as spending time with people. They will be well-adjusted, happy adults. It made me sad to read the mean reviews. If you want to say the book didn't help you save money, fine. But let's not make ourselves feel superior by making cruel comments about this family.
Rating: 
Summary: Great tips, poorly organized
Review: There are some great simple ways to save money in here. A lot of them I don't have the time for, but things like making your own household cleaners and the like can really add up to some savings. I really wish though this book was set up in a more organized fashion. Grouping hints into categories, i.e., automotive, furniture, cleaners, etc. and then putting in a table of contents would make this a much easier to use book.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the BEST resource for tightwads.
Review: She's done and calculated it all, and this book is a huge compendium of all the information Amy has acquired writing her newsletter and getting advice from readers through the years. Great leftover recipe ideas, energy savings calculations, and tons of random tips.
Rating:
Summary: Good book!
Review: I like this book, it has given me many useful ideas. I would get it from the library first before buying it, as the book is disorganized and some of her ideas are whacky in my opinion. The best way to read it is from cover-to-cover as there is no good index in it if you are searching for one thing. I would say I have implemented about 1/3 of her ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Everything you ever wanted to know about saving money
Review: This book tells you everything you need to know about saving money and living the thrifty lifestyle (except for investment strategies). The author even reports on her research of how much money it costs for different comparable things (such as beverages, drying laundry, etc.). There are so many things covered in this book, that one person would probably not use them all, but it is helpful to know about most of them. Even if you do not do some of the things regularly, you may wish to do them in a pinch. I have already been saving money on my grocery bills, using the strategies given in this book.
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