Tightwad Gazette Tour | Winter, from Book One
After I shared my last Tightwad Gazette post, a lot of you said you'd love for this to be a continuing series. Your wish is my command, so here we are for round two!
We're running through the Winter section of the first book, which in my edition starts on page 78.
Let's go!
(It is a little funny to be reading all these winter tips while my heat index is at 102º F, but never fear. We will get to the spring and summer sections of this book while it's still hot in the northern hemisphere. 😉 )
Home Decor for Tightwads
Amy wrote a feature about decorating a home on a budget, and I smiled because her first point was also my first point when I wrote about ways to make your home more beautiful for $0.
And that tips is: keep it clean!
A tidy, clean space is always going to feel nicer than a dirty, cluttered space, and that is true no matter how much money you have to spend on your home.
Classic: The Time and Money Chart
This is one of those TG articles that I still remember reading!
In it, Amy points out that the hourly "savings wage" for doing a frugal activity is not the sole consideration when we make a "Should I bother with this?" decision.
For instance, there might be other values that come into play as well (a frugal practice might also be eco-friendly, or might support a small business/charity.)
And enjoyment also factors in. If you have fun doing a particular frugal activity, that immediately vaults it higher up the priority list, even if the savings wage is not super impressive.
And the inverse is true as well; if you really, really loathe a money-saving activity, that should de-prioritize that one a little.
So there's:
- actual savings
- other values
- enjoyment
A few examples I thought of: eBay purchasing definitely saves me money (actual savings). But I also value the idea of buying secondhand for environmental reasons (other values) and enjoy the process of poking around on there to see if I can find what I need (enjoyment).
Conversely, line-drying laundry is cheaper than using a dryer. And it also is easier on the environment, which I value. But I hated the process when I tried it, so I decided it was not worth the negligible electric savings*.
(*Which I did calculate in a detailed fashion, and at the time, it was saving me less than $100 a year. Not worth it to me!)
Amy on dating
This is another article that felt entirely new to me, probably because I was already married by the time I read The Tightwad Gazette.
But given my change in circumstances (!), I was curious to see what she would say.
Amy is obviously approaching this from a financial angle, and it sounds like she and her husband are super compatible, with rare fights. She says,
I have always believed that teamwork has been our greatest economic asset. We do not need to expend energy "working on our marriage", whatever that means. As a result, we have maximum energy to devote to our common goals.
Lemme just say, if I get married again, I would really love to have the privilege of saying something like, "working on our marriage, whatever that means." That was, uhhhhh, not my experience.
A few nuggets:
Amy says that if you want to attract a tightwad, put out "frugal date baits" (such as giving a plant instead of flowers, making some homemade chocolates, or cooking a meal for the other person).
When you've found a tightwad, they will "twinkle with delight" at these types of things, while a spendthrift will be confused or offended.
The other person's reaction is helpful data for your should-I-keep-dating-this-person decision!
Also, this is really good:
When you are dating, don't worry about making a good impression. Make an accurate impression. Spend in a way that is consistent with your income and values. In doing so, you increase your chances of attracting someone with whom you are most compatible.
I think that applies not just to finances but to any aspect of dating. There is literally no point in pretending to be someone you are not; even if you snag someone that way, you will have to:
A) keep up an exhausting charade into perpetuity
or
B) deliver a crushing disappointment to the other person when you reveal your real self
Better to be exactly who you are, and the other person can just take it or leave it. 🙂
Did powdered milk used to be cheaper?
This winter section has a feature on homemade hot cocoa, which features powdered milk, of course. And many tightwad recipes from the past sing the praises of powdered milk for its affordability.
I will say that back when I first became an adult, powdered milk was readily available at the stores I shopped at, and it was affordable.
But in the last 25 years, it seems to me that it has become both harder to find and more expensive.
Like, this Great Value package makes 5 gallons, and it costs almost $20. That is not exactly a screaming deal.
Has this been your experience as well?
Times Have Changed
A reader writes that his drugstore is always raising prices, so he suggests checking boxes at the back of the shelf because they might not have gotten marked up yet.
I was temporarily confused when I started reading his tip (wouldn't they all scan the same price?) and then I remembered that ohhhhh, this was long enough ago that it was more common for items to have little price stickers on them! Ha.
(His tip finishes by saying "This works best in older stores that don't use a laser reader." 😉 )
Cold medicines might be a waste of money
I had no memory of reading this feature, in which Amy points out that most cold medicines are at best, ineffective. This was surprisingly prescient of her, given that the FDA just recently told us that phenylephrine, a decongestant in cold medicine does...nothing. 😉
And the same is apparently true for most other types of cough medicines. Most improvements we feel when we take them are merely the placebo effect, except for some nasal sprays and analgesics.
That tracks because in my experience, just about the only thing that actually helps is some ibuprofen to reduce body aches.
Amy also suggests rest, patience (a cold will take as long as it takes), a hot drink, and a good diet; I can't argue with those ideas.
Something I'm gonna try: blue jean potholders
I know I have a pair of old jeans in my rag bag that would work for this project, so I think I'm gonna try it, just for fun!
Something I'm not gonna try: homemade pancake syrup
Zoe and I do eat French toast, pancakes, and waffles regularly but...we are much more likely to top ours with whipped cream and fruit than with syrup.
I have no idea how the cost compares, but homemade whipped cream is actually less sugary than syrup. And while it does contain lots of fat, so does butter, which most people include when they use syrup.
So I am team whipped cream all the way, thank you very much.
Something I'm also not gonna try: tin angel ornament
I'm pretty prone to accidentally cutting myself from just daily life activities, so to me, this little Christmas craft looks like a pile of finger cuts waiting to happen.
(Look! Here's an actual photo of one of the ornaments.)
___________________
Did you read along with me? I'd love to hear what stood out to you in this section!
And of course, you can give me opinions on what I shared here, even if you haven't read the book.
P.S. For your future reading plans: I'll do a recap of the Spring section of book one in two weeks, on July 10th. You can access the book online for free right here.
Kristen, this brought back memories, my mom was frugal, raising us 4 kids. She would make powdered milk and mix it with real milk. She tried to convince us it tasted the same. It did not, but we ate whatever she fed us, back then we weren't really asked what we wanted to eat. Because I really hated the taste, I have no idea what it costs around here! ha.
I really like the comparison chart, charts help me make decisions! I feel better now about not hanging my laundry. I do love to garden though, and I get lettuce. 🙂
Right now I'm fighting a cough I've had for two months. Nothing has worked, so I'm trying to rest and eat well, like Amy said.
@MommaJo, My mom did the same in the 70s. It must have been a popular tip. I guess the four of us kids drank a lot of milk, and my mother often made pudding for dessert.
I have noticed that powdered milk when up in price--one of my favorite things to give the food pantry is powdered whole milk, which isn't easy to find now (most powdered milk is skim).
Regarding hot chocolate--we kids grew up making it ourselves on the stovetop (Mom didn't get a microwave until well into the 80s). Milk, cocoa powder, tiny bit of salt, little bit of sugar, stir till hot.
@MommaJo, I once went to the doctor for a cough which had lingered for two months. It was negatively impacting my life and I wanted help. After briefly listening to my symptoms and complaints, she told me that she, too, had a cough and hers had lasted for three months! She basically said it would go away when it was ready to and handed me a prescription for cough medicine. I was livid. I brought it home and shredded it!
It really irritated me that not only did she poo-poo my concerns, she felt the need to one-up me on the length of her cough and then try to pacify me with a prescription. I no longer see a doctor for coughs and she is no longer my doctor. All that to say, good luck with yours, it will go away sometime! 😉
@MommaJo, Remind me to tell you about the "hot dog stew" my mother put on the table for dinner. Once. Only once...
@MommaJo, I do hang things up in the laundry room. But I have never used an outdoor clothes line. I am concerned about pollen, bird poop, and fabric fading,
@Bee, pollen is a huge factor in outdoor clothes hanging for me, too. Spring and Fall allergies are hard for me-getting worse it seems each year-and I'm reluctant to bring more pollen inside, especially on sheets and pillowcases.
@MommaJo, my youngest had an allergy cough that had been around for months. We saw the pediatrician for his annual and the dr said, let’s talk about this cough. He is now using albuterol as needed for the cough. It is definitely helping.
@Bobi,
Seriously, nope to that doctor. Glad you found a different health care provider.
@Bobi, too many patients are of the mindset a prescription from an office visit is mandatory. Which has acerbated the antibiotic resiliency we've seen. An antibiotic for a virus is waste - time, money, resources - and potentially detrimental to long term health. We tried one antibiotic that was a step-up from Amoxocillin (which by the way was cheaper for my cat than my kid) and a decongestant one time then said time for tubes in the ears. Which did the trick but insurance company pretty much forced us into the aforementioned step as inserting tubes in ears became, yep you guessed it, solution for any and all ear infections.
@JDinNM, that sounds like a fun story! Or maybe not... 😉
@Erika JS, yes, where I live the pollen is really thick, especially the pine pollen! Things don't feel clean. But I do have fond memories when I lived north of here, and hanging my little baby clothes, and just looking at how tiny they were. That's about the only time I enjoyed hanging laundry!
@JDinNM, oh my gosh - you brought back memories of a hot dog casserole my mother made on the regular. It was an awful combination of hot dogs, green beans and a white sauce with maybe some buttered crumbs on top. It was dreadful.
Another tastier frugal meal was creamed anything (tuna, chopped up boiled eggs, ham, chipped beef) on toast.
@Rose, that kind of hot Cocoa is better too, as it's simple ingredients, not extra junk.
@Selena, any reputable pediatric ENT would require a child to have more than 3 bacterial ear infections within one calendar year before even considering tube placement. I suspect sone do not follow this recommendation..
@MommaJo, being one of 10 children, my mom also mixed powdered milk with regular and tried to pass it off as the real thing. It was disgusting!
@MommaJo, My grandmother was a great believer in bourbon poured over a tablespoon of sugar for a cough. I’m seventy years old and still feel a mental shudder over the taste. Consequently, I’ve never been able to drink hard liquor. Yuck!
Funny story. I did resort to asking my daughter to buy bourbon once on her way home from college. She would have been over 21 I texted her. Her response was , “Is this MY mom?” Guess it must have gotten rid of my cough but can’t remember for sure!
She was probably of the school of thought that said if something burns, that means it's working. lol
I love the idea of making an accurate impression rather than trying to make a "good" impression. I think this has value in the area of making friends as well as in dating. To me this was more of a life's wisdom tip than a frugal tip, but still certainly of value!
I also like the concept of weighing enjoyment into the equation of money-saving activities.
@Karen L, and everyone,
One of my (divorced) friends advised me to never say yes to a marriage proposal until you've gone with the fellow for at least a year. Her theory is that people can't keep up the pretense of being wonderful, charming, generous, etc., if they're not really that way, for such a long time; after a few months, you'll see the "real" him. She said had she followed her own advice, she would've found out that her husband was only acting like Prince Charming, and that the person behind the "mask" was a real meanie.
I guess that's pretty much what Amy D. is advising. Pretty smart, if you ask me!
IIRC, one of the letters in one of her TG books was from a gal who rescued a ceiling fan from an alley and asked her boyfriend to help her put it up in her apartment; the gal said he was so impressed with her tightwaddery that he proposed to her on the spot!
@Fru-gal Lisa, that reminds me of dating advice I read in a life guide book for teenagers, where the author argued you couldn't know a guy until you'd dated him 'for all four seasons'. I imagine this is true for all genders! I still have the book but hadn't thought about that particular piece of advice in years.
@Karen L, My father used to do two things that he believed would make sure his daughters married good men. First, he would read aloud at dinner any news articles on men who killed or maimed their wives, and always ended with, "If they hit you one day, they will kill you on another." I think he overdid it a bit on that one because I went to a baseball game with a guy once and when he suddenly lifted his hand to wave to someone, I flinched.
The second was he gave us a list of things to look for in a man. There were literally a dozen, including if he is mean to or says mean things about old or retarded people (this was when that was the term used), then he will someday be mean to you when you are sick or vulnerable. (I once went on a date with a guy, to a bar. He laughed and shoved an elderly very drunk man out of the way. I called a cab and went home and never saw him again. I was so proud of myself because this was a really good looking guy I had daydreamed about dating!) Another rule was listen if he ever makes fun of your dreams; he should be asking you what he can do to help you achieve your dreams. Look for a man who works all day but when he comes home he works on things at his house that need attending to; if he comes home and sits down to drink or watch television, he is lazy. My father was married five times by the end, but none of his children are divorced and I am convinced it was because of these rules. He had rules for the boys, too, about how to spot good wife material.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I totally agree, but add living with a person also or gone on vacation (over night) for at least week or two. I had never lived with a guy until we were engaged & bought house together. Being with someone day in & out shows you exactly what you're getting.
@Regina, There is very funny but I think accurate advice from comedian Bill Murray about relationships. He crashed a bachelor party and told the group the best thing to do was to take the partner-to-be on a trip around the world, and if you're still in love when you get back to JFK, get married at the airport.
I think so much goes in to traveling-- stress, excitement, boredom, anticipation, decision-making, budgeting, meeting new situations-- that his advice is sound.
The only dating advice I ever got (from anyone) was from my grandfather: order the most expensive Scotch on the menu and if the man flinches, dump him. I said, age 17, "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, Pop Pop."
@Karen L, the main advice I remember about choosing a husband was to pay attention to how the guy treats his mother. The advice was excellent. I broke up with a boyfriend because he was disrespectful to his mom and married a man who adored his mom and treated her well.
@Lindsey, as always, your father sounds as if he was a very wise man (with the possible exception of his own wife choices). I agree with several commenters on previous posts that there's a book about him to be written.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, and conversely, how his mother treats you - aka are you taking her "baby", her child. My MIL raised my husband well, he's a far better catch than his four sibling (male and female).
@Lindsey, FIVE TIMES? I bet there is a whole story there.
@Selena, I think she did resent me. Oh well, we got through it.
@Anne,
One of my sisters is Wife #6 to her husband of 25+ years. Having said that, he married one of his previous wives twice. He's not an easy man to live with (in my opinion), but they've had a happy marriage through good times and bad.
I once worked in a shop where we put all the prices on products with stickers! And that wasn't very long ago, relatively speaking! Someone could have got a deal with Amy's tip 😉
@Sophie in Denmark,
Some stores, such as the one I work in, still use price stickers instead of scanning bar codes. Amy's tip will still work in our store: if someone comes up with an item that has the older, cheaper price on it, we will honor it. Sadly, we cannot change prices in order to ring up all the identical products with the cheaper price; if something has a higher price sticker on it, that's what I have to punch in on the cash register.
However, as I explain to my customers, the stores that use bar code scanners will raise all the prices at once: they just go upstairs and punch a button in the computer and change (usually raise) the prices of all the items with that same bar code number.
This is one reason to patronize Mom and Pop stores: a lot of them have not installed the expensive new technology and if you use Amy's tip, you might find some bargains.
@Sophie in Denmark, I remember reaching in the back of the shelf to see if there were any lower prices! Long time ago.
Re: the powdered milk, I recall Amy herself saying in a later issue of the Gazette (it's probably in Book 3 of the three-book set) that the cost of powdered milk had gone up to such an extent that it no longer represented a savings over liquid milk. So she was responsive to changing conditions, even during the Gazette's run.
I made whipped cream on my vacation and had forgotten to pack vanilla, so I used a little bit of maple syrup instead and it was really delicious.
I have also found that powdered milk has gone up in price and down in availability. I remember using it for hot chocolate mix when we moved to our current town almost 10 years ago - Aldi sold it at the time. And I remember the shopping trip where I couldn't find it and an employee told me that they no longer sold it.
Also, I have some extra cream right now and a LOT of strawberries, so I think I'll make strawberries with whipped cream for a fun dessert tonight! Thanks for the idea!
I've gotten some good deals at Hobby Lobby by buying the item at the previous price - since they still do not scan their items.
I like her point about “frugal date bait.” My BIL recently told me that his wife was the first woman he dated who was appreciative rather than confused when he offered to make her dinner.
For people who do enjoy syrup on pancakes, the syrup recipe is good and far less expensive than actual maple syrup. We call that “Depression syrup” in our house bc I first saw a similar recipe in a Great Depression cookbook somewhere. All the ingredients are optional, so if you can’t make the syrup, just thank the Good Lord for the pancakes.
We made that syrup recipe or something similar when there was no Log cabin syrup available. We never had real maple syrup growing up.
@Jean C, We also used her recipe for pancake syrup and had no problem with it. My family never had real maple syrup either.
My husband's grandmother used to make fake maple syrup with brown sugar and maple extract (I think) when he was a kid, which I always found interesting, given that they lived in Sugar Maple Central. There were at least five giant old trees on the property--like, right on the lawn--that we tapped when we lived there to make syrup. We could do it for pretty much free by burning free pallets to run the evaporator that was given to us, but it does take a lot of time. That was one of those things at the intersectionality of those three things to consider about a frugal activity: it did save money; it was something we really enjoyed; and it was something we did with our kids outdoors when they were little after a long winter indoors, so it supported our valuing time with our family outdoors doing active things.
Of course, it also got me hooked on real maple syrup, which I now buy in bulk from Vermont so we always have it, so I guess it wasn't frugal in the end. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, once I moved to Central NY and got a taste of real, local maple syrup, there's been no going back to substitutes for me. And I like the rich, dark kind that usually gets a lower grade.
@A. Marie, Yes, I buy the dark kind too. So much more flavor, almost like caramel.
@A. Marie, I grew up with homemade syrup, but we'll never go back. We love the real and dark stuff too. We just picked up 10 gallons at the dairy/maple farm where we buy it for waaaay cheaper than anywhere else. It is a drive of more than an hour, but we always make it into a field trip day. This year we combined the trip with a fun thrift store and going out to see a family movie.
@A. Marie,
We only had maple syrup growing up. My grandmother had it shipped from Vermont to Florida. When it would arrive, my mother would make a spoon bread for breakfast. I remember looking forward to that. Corn syrup substitutes play havoc with one’s glycemic index even in children.
@Jody S, wow, ten gallons. Large family?
@kristin @ going country, We only buy real maple syrup, but from local family that does it with local sap in their syrup barn. Of course I buy in bulk--8 (1) gallons @ $50 gallon. Our local area Maple Syrup Festival sells same price or $35 half gallon (available in glass containers).
It lasts forever & is very shelf stable.
I noticed that Sam's club & Costco have gotten on board with gallons of specialty/flavored real maple syrups (limited time).
@Anne, I think Jody S. has seven children! (Maybe six, I forget exactly) Anyway, it is quite impressive.
@Bee,
Respectfully, glycemic index is a complicated thing.....it can change for a certain food if it's eaten with other foods, if the food is in a different consistency (such as, minced vs whole, if it's a solid food), etc. It's not the end-all and be-all that some health professionals make it out to be. On the other hand, eating a lot of added sugar in your diet is not a very healthful idea no matter what (I'm not talking about naturally occurring sugar in fruit, milk, some veggies, etc).
@kristin @ going country, I am an unabashed real maple syrup snob. I’m not picky, but I refuse to use anything else!
This series is such a walk down memory lane for me. I'm typing this as a look at a baggie hanging to dry in my kitchen. I have calculated the hourly rate of so many tasks in the last 30 years, thanks to Amy. I came to frugality through environmentalism, but I became vocally frugal because of Amy. There is no shame in my frugal game!
Awww, the frugal dating article is one of my favorites! I first read that piece of Amy's a few years before I met my now-husband (this was back in the late 1990s). He was very much an "accurate impression" kinda guy. We didn't go on many actual dates back then -- and still don't. He was upfront that he just liked to spend time with people, doing simple things together like watching TV or working on projects. Since I'm a homebody by nature, this clicked with me.
What sealed the deal on our financial compatibility was a grocery shopping trip we did a few months into our relationship (titillating, right??). Not only did he compare prices on grape jelly to figure out which one was the least expensive, he stocked up on a dozen+ cans of orange juice concentrate because it was on sale at a good price. I was SO impressed!
Amy D. published a reader letter from a woman whose husband proposed after he found out she'd trash-picked her ceiling fan. I didn't propose in the middle of the grocery store, but that was my trash-picked-ceiling-fan moment. 🙂
Next month is the 25th anniversary of our first date. We've been married for 23 years.
@Jenzer, it's nice to hear someone say that they celebrate the anniversary of the first date. My late DH and I, in fact, used to make a bigger deal out of the anniversary of our first date than we did our actual wedding anniversary.
@A. Marie, We do the same thing!
@A. Marie, Our first date was three or four years before we were married, so can't even remember what time of year it was. It took me some time to convince this divorced man to try wedded bliss again. But we just passed our 40th anniversary and he's pretty happy he gave in.
@A. Marie, my daughter got married exactly 5 years from the date they had their first date. The joke was twofold 1) they didn’t rush in to anything and 2) they only had to remember one single date (not two)”
That angel looks dangerous, but I think a reasonable facsimile could be made using heavy cardstock. I like the article on 'seeking the minimum level' which has been discussed here and is really important if you "need" to be frugal. My favorite tip is the pasta cooking tip for covering the pan and turning off the heat; not sure how frugal it is, but for those of us who tend to routinely boil it all over the stove, I've found this to work well. 😉 As for me, I'm not making Breadcrumb cookies.
I plan to do none of those things and the tin can lid angel looks like a tin can lid. Also, I will only eat 100% maple syrup or melted jelly, etc. Fake syrup, no thanks.
My ex and I always genuinely enjoyed one another's company and didn't need to work on our marriage until one day about 25 years after we met, when we did. Out of nowhere. No one ever believes me but--that's why it was so traumatic.
When I have sinus pain (from a cold or anything else), guaifenesin is a lifesaver. The gunk drips from my sinuses and relieves the pressure.
@Rose, Not sure why no one would believe you. If you are honest and well-intentioned, you expect others to be and can be blind-sided when they are not.
@Lindsey, Because it's axiomatic in our culture that divorces don't happen in happy marriages and that both sides are equally guilty in divorce. No matter what the man did, the wife must have done something wrong too. Good ol sexism for the win!
@Rose, I believe you. This happened to my sister-in-law, but she was only married to my brother-in-law for 11 years. She thought everything was fine and they were making plans to buy a house.
One day he told her that he just didn’t have any feelings for her anymore, stopped paying their rent, got a room somewhere, and left her and their kids.
@Rose,
I 100% believe you. I had it happen to me with a boyfriend (the last long term relationship I had before a 3 year gap of being alone, and then meeting my now-husband). It was extremely traumatic. That was the first time I sought out therapy, which made a world of difference for me.
Oh, gosh no on the ornament...sharp metal edges do not sound friendly on a Christmas tree. I haven't purchased powdered milk for anything in a long time, but I do like to keep evaporated milk handy, since its shelf stable and tastes the same as regular ole milk in recipes. I don't drink a lot of milk, so I couldn't begin to tell you if that's frugal, though pouring sour milk down the drain would be...
The dating advice is funny to me - things have changed since I dated 42 years ago and I'm not sure how "frugal date bates" would apply to my life now! Lastly, the potholders - my mom always made those with old jeans. I still have a couple I use. They hold up surprisingly well.
One of the tips in Elaine St James' book "Simplify Your Life" is to just take aspirin for a cold. She was stuck in a hotel with a nasty cold, apparently, and couldn't get to the drugstore and just took aspirin and her cold cleared up in the same number of days it would when she took cold meds. She determined that the cold meds were unneccessary. I haven't used or bought cold meds in a long time; we just use Tylenol and ibuprofen, and then only to relieve fevers for sleeping. DH's mom got hooked on codeine-based cough meds back in the day, so we're extra cautious there. We've found eliminating refined sugar from the diet when sick really helps.
When in high school and college I worked in a Woolworth's, and I have vivid memories of pricing things with a sticker gun! And I had to be really careful putting the prices into the cash register; my first day I rang up a very nice lady's five small items as totaling $1,250! She said very kindly, "Oh, honey, I don't think that's right..."
I remember using powdered milk for years to make yogurt and in baking because it was very inexpensive and available everywhere. I gave up the practice as it became more expensive and hard to find.
I starting making her syrup recipe in 1995 and still make it today (but we omit the maple and butter flavoring as neither of us cares for it), along with a very easy recipe of hers for whole wheat pancakes with no oil or eggs.
Thanks for continuing this. It's fun and and an eye-opener.
@MaryH, Living in extremely rural Alaska where the only grocery store was a mom-and-pop type shop about the size of a regular living room, and the shelves could go bare if bad weather prevented the supply planes from coming in, we always kept two things in stock: powdered milk and pilot bread. Both lasted forever. I still like pilot bread. Not so much powdered milk.
@Lindsey, Sailor Boy brand of pilot bread only! The rest are imitations.
@Lindsey, I'm not familiar with pilot bread!
@MaryH,
I’d love to see that pancake recipe. Thank you.
@Lindsey,
I grew up with this as a staple in our groceries but I haven’t seen it for awhile. My Mom used to top it with thin slices of goat milk cheese.
I do have powdered milk but because it's shelf stable rather than cost effective. We stocked up on some when the pandemic started because we could use it for cooking and stretch regular milk for drinking to go longer between trips to the store. I know some people freeze liquid milk, but at the time we were in an apartment with only the little fridge freezer.
@Carla G, I also keep it on hand for cooking when we're out of fresh milk.
My parents would sometimes buy longlife milk, which is more common than powdered milk where I grew up. Has anyone else tried that? We took some on vacation last year.
@Sophie in Denmark, I am not sure what that is. Is it canned or boxed?
@Bee, Boxed. Parmalat et al.
@Bee, yep, boxed. Not sure if you can get it canned.
@Sophie in Denmark,
Awww… aseptic packaging. Yes, I keep this milk in my pantry. It is part of my hurricane supply kit. Every year, I make sure I have milk and cold brewed coffee on hand. I figure with those two things I can survive all but the worst storms, and I have survived many. This milk is rather expensive where I live, but it does come in handy.
On the denim potholders...just make sure they're 100% (which most jeans today are not). If they have anything else they could melt or burn you.
@Marlena, this is a good point. A lot of ladies' jeans have some spandex in them these days.
@Marlena, that is a good point. I hadn’t even thought of that. I use my jean scraps for quilts. I mix in flannel and jean patches. They make great picnic or beach quilts.
My grandmother always had powdered milk on hand when I visited as a child. She called it magic milk. It is difficult to find now. My son did some long distance hiking. He hiked both the AT and the PCT. I handled his re-supply. He requested powdered milk, and it took me a long time to find it.
As I reread The Tightwad Gazette, I am struck by how wise Amy D was/is. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in her articles. I see these more now as an “older” person than I did in my 20s.
I enjoyed the Christmas article on the fulfillment curve. I think that this applies to so many things in life. Spending more money does not necessarily bring about greater fulfillment. Finding the optimum point where you are happy with your purchases and have spent the least amount of money can be tricky.
I am not sure how Amy kept a clean house with 6 children. Perhaps it is a lifestyle thing. Since I raised my 3 kiddos near the coast in Florida, there was always sand on the floor and wet bathing suits in the bathroom. Unlike homes in the North, our houses do not have mud rooms, basements, useable attics, or outbuildings. My mantra became clean enough to be healthy, messy enough to be happy. I wanted my house to be beautiful, but I was also realistic.
The only thing that I really disagreed with Amy D on was food. In general, I find many of Amy D’s meals carb heavy. However, carbs used to be considered healthy by many. Even in the 90s my meals tended to consist of protein, salad, veggies and just one carbohydrate. I wonder what changes she has made to her diet - and other things — over the years.
@Bee, When we were vacationing in Florida I was amazed at how much sand came inside! And this was even after we would rinse and dry our feet off outside before coming in from the beach...
In the 90s, most people were concerned about fat, rather than carbs. I remember my dad and mom eating a lot of Snackwell's cookies, because they were "low in fat" and therefore "not as bad for you." And the giant tub of margarine, because butter had saturated fats!
@Bee, I so wish we could get a long article from Amy about her life and decisions.
Also, re the fulfillment curve. Truer words were never spoken.
@Anne, @Bee, et al., Amy has given a number of interviews since she shut down the Gazette (Googling her name brings up several of these), but as far as I know, she has published nothing else. I too wish she would.
@Bee, I love that “clean enough to be healthy, messy enough to be happy”. What great advise. I also would love a clean home but with five kids and homeschooling and living near a beach and playing outside most days, it is a losing battle. I’m not sure how dirt and sticks and leaves attach themselves to my kids and make it inside so often.
I’ve been having an issue commenting. There’s a lag in typing and the page ends up reloading, and deleting my text, before I can post it. Does anyone else have this problem?
The first time I read this book was right after I started reading The Frugal Girl. It must have been mentioned in a post. At the time, we needed to get our spending as close to zero as possible and I had a 1 year old. It’s interesting reading it again in a different stage of life with older kids. It feels weird to have outgrown so many of the little kid items I had bookmarked.
The article that seems ever relevant to me is the fulfillment curve. It’s especially obvious at Christmastime with small children, but also applies to life in general. You get to a point where more doesn’t add to your life, it just becomes more. I think this also directly connects to the idea of Seeking the Minimum level.
@JenRR,
I sometimes have problems on this blogs and other. It’s usually when I am posting from my phone and a video pops up. I’ve tried to block these video in my settings, but no luck.
@Bee, That’s probably it. I use an iPad, but there are some websites that are so bad with their ads they lock up my browser. Thankfully, I only occasionally have issues on this blog. The past few days have been problematic, though.
@JenRR, me too. I have lost fairly lengthy comments before they post. Happens here and on NonConsumer Advocate (the only places I post). You are not alone.
My goodness, I am so sorry that this is happening! If it does again, could you send me a screenshot of what you see? I'd love to be able to have the tech guys look at it.
My grandmother lived with us when I was growing up. We never had "real" syrup; Grandma always made it as described above. Haven't thought about that in years.
@Beverly, I used that recipe for years when my kids were growing up. I liked it better than the store-bought with artificial colors & preservatives. I love butter & syrup on breakfast food!!
I loved this idea when you first decided to do it, and it's going to be as fun as I thought.
For those who've never before read the Tightwad Gazette or know much about Amy, I thought I'd mention that she illustrated all her books herself.
I used to sometimes stretch fresh milk with powdered milk and water, but powdered milk is rare these days, and as noted, not cheap. Even back then, one had to calculate the unit price of a quart of fresh vs. a quart of reconstituted powder, because powdered milk was based on the price for milk when it was dehydrated, while fresh milk was the current price, and those prices fluctuated up and down. I now keep powdered milk on the shelf for emergency milk only. I keep powdered buttermilk, too, because so often I need such a small amount of it at a time.
I grew up with homemade syrup made with maple extract, but I use only real maple syrup now.
I used to make things out of bread, but I used a recipe that was white bread and white glue, maybe a little glycerin, I don't remember exactly, which was kneaded into a smooth "clay." It was a popular craft for a while. I made tiny Christmas ornaments on long wires so they could be inserted into greenery, then painted and clear coated them, back when I was a teen. I still have them today, and they are still in excellent shape.
What stands out to me most is the thing Kristen noted and that I remember reading there - be your frugal self with people. Before I started reading the Gazette, I felt embarrassed to be frugal around others. Now, especially with the loyal Frugal Girl community at my back, while I don't get pushy with it, I am very confident and unembarrassed about my frugal choices. Also, as Amy pointed out, "frugal" doesn't equal "stingy."
@JD, I'm glad you mentioned her artistic abilities. I always thought her illustrations were very good. I believe she was a graphic artist before she started her family.
@Bobi, you're right about her graphic art career. A few of the later Gazette articles refer to her time as a singleton graphic artist in Boston before she met Jim. (I also recall that she took her artistic abilities so un-seriously when she was young that she skipped school the day of the awards ceremony, never dreaming she'd win the art prize!)
@JD, I've never been embarrassed by my frugality, it actually is so natural to me that I don't think of it being upsetting to anyone else. Even today I go out of my way (like a mission) to help others with frugal information. One person said to me " Thank you, you are so thoughtful helping with so much (frugal) information that has really helped." Share the knowledge is all we can do. 🙂
Going to make the syrup!!!!
My kids do like syrup. I buy pure maple for myself. But they like the stuff I prefer not to buy.
I will make and report back!
…..
I hope you re-marry a 50+ debt-free MD or PT or NNP Or nurse anesthetist so you can enjoy a wealthy and debt-free life! Sorta frugal might be good enough in a second marriage? Maybe it’s your turn to be spoiled in love and dollars????
Picking a spouse for love after 50 is not the same as choosing love and child-raising compatibility at 20. ????
Hot in my mind as I discuss marriage with my teens.
@April, I found relationship advice in a (rather sappy and old) Harlequin Romance long ago. I wish I had understood it when I was a teen.
The advice was to not focus on how you felt about the other person, but how you felt when you were with the other person.
I was incoherent and awkward when I was with my teen crushes, longing to be someone else who was popular and composed and attractive. Very much not authentic me!
@Heidi Louise,
Yes, that does sound like good advice. I will share it with my kids!
Hm, I've actually been on the lookout for powdered whole milk. I make tea throughout the day at work, but it's kind of a pain to keep track of refrigerated milk (I have to buy a costly mini-carton so that I don't take up too much space, and then people take some anyway, etc.) Thanks for reminding me!
Here in Canada, powdered skim milk is inexpensive and widely available, selling for about 4$/lb (in USD.) Walmart and most discount grocers carry it. Powdered whole milk is hard to find and is a staggering 4 times more expensive--but this is still cheaper (a LOT cheaper) than buying fresh whole milk.
Leaving a mug, a jam jar of sugar, a jam jar of powdered whole milk, and a jam jar of tea bags on my desk will save me lots of money at Tim Hortons! 🙂
@Meira@meirathebear, have you considered using a refillable container for your milk at work? Something just with your name (no label/identifiable product info) that you can refill at home to bring with you or put in lunch cooler/box (if you take one).
@Regina, it's a good idea, but I'm stumped on finding a small container that is really and truly leak proof (because milk in a backpack is terrible,) but that I can easily and neatly pour out of.
@Meira @ meirathebear, If you wanted to try it, we like to reuse Kevita kombucha bottles - they're brown, so what's inside is a mystery; don't take up much room in an office fridge; and haven't leaked when stuffed in backpacks (crossing fingers now)
@Meira@meirathebear, I found powdered whole milk at my Walmart, to my surprise. It was even the store brand, and was thus much cheaper than other brands. But it might not be stocked everywhere.
@Meira@meirathebear, Where I live in the U.S., I've never seen powdered whole milk for sale except the product Nido, which is marketed for children 1 year and up. It's fortified with some vitamins, promoted as a product for kids' health, which kinda makes it a premium price too. But if you save that much $ over your takeout drinks, might be worth considering! (They stock it near the baby formula I believe, but I haven't looked in a while!)
Side note - when I used to work for the WIC program, a young child came in and had gained SO much weight, quickly. After some conversation, I discovered that his mom thought Nido should be mixed into the whole milk that WIC provided, AND he was getting way more milk servings per day than was balanced for his age. I bet that was some super delicious milk lol, but whoa. Double strength!
Just a note on cold remedies. Get true pseudoephedrine, have to purchase from pharmacy & show ID but it actually works. Only kind of cough syrup that really is effective is prescription (not the gel pills they try to give you). All the cold aisle has is expensive things that don't work, in my opinion.
@Jennifer G,
pseudoephedrine is an effective decongestant, but should only be taken under the direction of a physician. It is the active ingredient in Sudafed and there is a reason you must ask for it. It can be dangerous to those with high blood pressure and thyroid disease. It also can cause tachycardia. It is also misused often to make meth.
@Bee, you're absolutely right about the pseudoephedrine. I learned the hard way about the high BP and tachycardia effects when I had that bad case of bronchitis back in April. (I narrowly avoided having my PCP send me to a cardiologist.)
@Jennifer G, I used to be a pharmaceutical representative 30 years ago and over the counter medicine was my products. I learned a lot about what works and doesn't. Back then the products had different ingredients in them that worked but slowly the FDA made the companies take those ingredients out and put less ineffective ingredients in.
@karen, 40 years ago
Hm, my previous comment did not post. Trying again. I remember reading the bit about cold medicines, and oddly enough Elaine St James mentions it as well in her book, about how she was stuck in a hotel with nothing but aspirin with a bad cold, and her cold lasted as long as it did when she'd use cold medicines...so she simplified her medicine cabinet. We generally just use Tylenol and ibuprofen for fevers, and occasionally guaifenesin if mucus is really bad.
I knew my DH was the one for me when he saw me reading the Tightwad Gazette, specifically the part about giving home haircuts, and said, "Oh my gosh! I'd love it if you'd cut my hair, I hate going to the barber!" I've been giving him haircuts for 26 years now.
@Karen A., I never try to bring down fevers unless they're dangerously high. Fever is your body's way of trying to burn out the virus or bacteria, and it's my belief that stymying that does keep the illness around longer.
Feel free to ignore this; I have a lot of beliefs modern medicine doesn't agree with!
Not to be the “well actually” person but….what I’ve been taught in nursing school is actually that the main purpose of a fever is to speed up metabolic processes, which helps the immune system work faster.
Kristen, that's what I meant, but I put it badly. I'm having brain fog issues this week and am not thinking very clearly and sometimes forgetting words. Stress is taking a real toll on me.
@Rose, We are quite sparing with the Tylenol, and as Kristen points out, the fever makes the immune system works better, so that's the goal. At the same time, if the ill person can't sleep due to the fever, IMO it's okay to give something to help them get a good night's rest. During the day we leave the fever alone, as long as it's not scary high.
I still buy powdered milk because two of the three of us are lactose-intolerant and some recipes do not work with plant-based milks or I might be cooking for a group where someone has a nut allergy. Also, powdered milk is so processed that it does not bother us in small amounts in recipes.
I made the pancake syrup for many years and my family loved it. Now we don't eat as many foods requiring syrup and a bottle of store-bought lasts for ages.
Amy's recipes were of the stick to your ribs variety, but her family lived a very active rural lifestyle with lots of physical labor. Most people do not expend that many calories any more.
Her pizza cost breakdown still makes me smile, especially now that one pizza costs what two used to. I make two fabulous pizzas with using the bread machine to make the dough for about a 5th of the cost of one mediocre one from a chain pizza joint.
@Ruby, I always wondered what kind of cheese Amy used on her pizzas. I remember making my own pizza in the 80s, even before the Tightwad Gazette, and it was always more expensive than going to a local pizzeria. Mozzarella is expensive even if you make it yourself.
@Ruby, barber shop men's haircuts start at $15 while women's basic trim starts at $20+. Dog haircuts went from $20 to (cheapest) $35. That's a lot of savings!
@Regina, I cut my own hair for a number of years, but the arthritis in my hands makes it difficult now. Next month I qualify for the senior price at Great Clips -- yay!
I do still save a pile of money by clipper cutting my husband and son's hair, and keeping the dogs and our longhaired girl cat trimmed up.
@Rose, I think she used to buy blocks of cheese on sale and grate it herself. Mozzarella is cheaper that way, if less authentic, and lots of people will stretch it by throwing in some cheddar.
@Ruby, or brick
Personally, I loved Amy's write-ups about scaling down Christmas and also the one about gift-giving throughout the years; it used to be simple and plain, not the current (unaffordable) frenzy prompted by merchants.
Being the sole survivor of my family, I tend to get the holiday blues, so understanding the motives behind some customs is quite helpful. One way I cope with this is to not go all-out for Christmas too early. I just about had a hissy fit when a local radio station scrapped its usual format in favor of being "the Christmas station" in November -- not Thanksgiving, mind you, but around Veteran's Day on Nov. 11! That's almost as bad as the stores putting out their Christmas decorations before Halloween! Sheesh! (I still haven't reset the button on my car radio to once again receive that station!)
I also concentrate on the religious aspects of the season instead of Santa Claus. In the last few years, I joined an Episcopal church and one of the benefits IMO is that, unlike my previous congregations in other denominations, they don't overdo Christmas; in fact, they don't start celebrating the Advent season until fairly late.
I like to give "practical" gifts people will find useful, keeping everything very simple and sustainable. This is not just because of frugality, but I feel it also makes the season more meaningful.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I feel like making a gift for someone is sort of like praying for them. I spend time thinking about them before and during the making, like I would if I were the praying sort.
@Fru-gal Lisa, totally agree about Christmas. I have always been simple & mostly practical about gift giving. (When grandkids came along I was the diaper grandma for baby shower & through 2nd birthday--of course there were 5-6+ sets of grandparents & I don't compete financially.) Gifts today are either exspensive or totally junky cheap.
School has only been out for few weeks & currently have half off summer, back to school (only have supplies for 1 month) & almost no fourth of July anything. Seen pallet of Halloween being unloaded at Sam's club other day. 🙁
@Regina, Hey, today is the last day of school here on Long Island. For elementary students, anyway.
@Rose, one year while vacationing in upstate NY in late June, we were shocked to run into prom couples in parks & restaurants. Living below the Mason-Dixon Line, our proms happen in April or May and school is out shortly afterwards. Does NY have a longer school year or do y'all start later?
@Bobi, Never starts before Labor Day.
@Bobi, the last day of school here in Central NY was yesterday. From now till the Wednesday after Labor Day, I can take my early morning walks in complete peace. (Not that the kidlets ever give an elderly woman who's busy picking up deposit containers and talking to herself anything other than a wide berth, but I prefer complete peace.) 🙂
@Lindsey,
Oh, that's beautiful! I'm sure your gifts were/are treasured by the recipients since so much love and thought went into them.
@Regina,
When coworkers had babies, I usually got them a box of Pampers with a note that said "here's something the baby can use." I had no idea what the mom wanted or how her baby's nursery was being decorated, but I figured she couldn't have too many diapers. At one workplace, if a male coworker was about to become a father, we gave him a diaper shower; the thought was that his wife would get all the other stuff at her baby shower(s).
@Rose,
Ah! That's the difference. Our schools usually start in mid to late August.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I will never forget traveling to Sweden for work maybe 25 years ago. While there I visited a large department store called NK. I was shocked to find very little Christmas decor or merchandise. I finally found some Christmas decorations on the top floor, for sale, but hardly an extensive collection. It was explained to me that Christmas was celebrated mostly as a religious holiday with the emphasis on the Advent season. Meanwhile, back home Christmas consumerism had started before Halloween and Santa and other Christmas motifs could be found everywhere. That was enlightening and so practical.
We don’t do Christmas like we used to. Consumable or practical gifts are appreciated but not necessary. We take the opportunity to gift money so our kids or others can self select what they would find useful. I have gift wrap that never gets used.
@Bobi,
Here in SW Ohio, my son starts school in mid-August, and school ends usually near the end of May. He's been out of school for about a month.
WM used to have a line of different generic meds that were .88 and the only one they have now is a generic Zyrtec that works great. It's in a greens nd white box and usually on the bottom shelf of that section.
I'll vote please NO to the tin angel.
I have recently purchased at auction, a freeze dried machine that I run off of a solar generator. I have very good luck with freeze dried whole milk, half and half and heavy cream. I can buy them on clearance (usually $1 or less for a quart).
I barter smoked fish for maple syrup. I think I'm getting the better end of the deal. I grew up with depression syrup, though and didn't die (;oP)
I suffered from fungal pneumonia a couple of decades ago and my doc brought me some of her grandmother's hot and sour soup (plus the recipe) and it is a wonder for congestion (head and chest). Plus a good detox bath/soak for 20+ minutes. Magic.
About 10 yrs ago my hospital had a series of self-help classes (not mandatory, but free to us to take during lunch breaks). One was EFT tapping. I have found that when my head is congested, as I gently tap, the sinuses open up wide and let loose!
I love this community!!!
@Blue Gate Farmgirl, I read that twice as "frugal pneumonia" , as one does, and thought to myself, this is going to be a he** of a story.
@Blue Gate Farmgirl,
I'd love the soup recipe and the directions for EFT tapping. The only winter I wasn't congested was the year when we all had to wear face masks for Covid. I hate being all stopped up!
@Blue Gate Farmgirl, freeze-dried dairy?! Wow, fascinating and great idea! Like Kirsten, I love some heavy cream, or at least half and half. But Aldi sells it in quarts and I can only use about half of it before it goes bad. Now, to find a frugal freeze dryer....
Powdered milk! Gosh I SO remember this when I was growing up (1970s). It tasted NASTY if it was just mixed. It tasted SLIGHTLY BETTER if you mixed it up and chilled it for hours. It was SUPER FUN to make and my brother and I used to argue about who got to stir it.
@Martha,
My grandma lived alone and always made powdered milk. It tasted different but I liked it anyway. She'd have it super ice cold in her fridge.
Later, when I made it, I added just a dash of vanilla flavoring and this improved the flavor. ( Yes, I was influenced by the TG into using powdered milk.)
I remember reading that she set up a baking station, where all the measuring cups, basic ingridients and spatulas are in the same corner of her kitchen. I followed her advice and love my baking corner!!
I haven't been re-reading and it's been decades since I read these books, but I distinctly remember the cold medicine business! I think I stopped buying cold medicine after reading this.
Now however, I do use zinc supplements (zicam) and find that they do dramatically shorten my colds if I use them when I first start to feel sick. For me a cold lasts a few days to a week if I follow the protocol and 2-3 weeks if I don't. So I do keep those on hand.
Anyway, the reason I came to comment is it is absolutely my experience that powdered milk used to be cheap and widely available where I live. And is now difficult to find and expensive!
I haven't had a chance to dig out my copy of the Tightwad Gazette yet, as I am still in full-on finishing school mode. I'm pretty sure I have a copy on the shelf that I picked up at a thrift store for a dollar or so a few years back.
I grew up with homemade pancake syrup, although my mom followed a recipe from the More-With-Less Cookbook. More recently I have splurged on real, authentic maple syrup. As a single person, I justify that since it lasts longer for just me, vs. my immediate family's six people, it is worth it. However, it is very expensive, so recently I went back to making my own, and I find it is quite acceptable. The main problem I have is that it tends to crystalize in the container in the fridge if I leave it too long. Making sure it is cool before I put it into my glass jar in the fridge seems to help with this.
I seldom use powdered milk, except to have some on hand for emergencies. It is also a necessary ingredient for a home-made edible playdough recipe that I sometimes use for a science project in my class. It is relatively easy to find skim-milk powder here, but it is expensive. However, fresh milk is also very expensive ($4-6 per gallon Canadian $). I have finally given in to buying it at the higher priced smaller 1 L containers, because it was going bad on my so often. It's not frugal to buy more, only to have to throw it out! I know theoretically freezing is an option, but I only have a small freezer above my fridge, and it is usually packed!
@Lisa K,
Mary Hunt in her Cheapskate columns and books recommends salting your milk. You just put a few grains of salt in your milk carton or jug when you get it home, and then shake the container just a bit. You don't taste the salt at all. I do this and it keeps the milk from going bad. If I have one of those small salt packets from a fast food place, I just empty that into my gallon jug. Sounds weird but it really works! MH says the salt retards the growth of bacteria; the bacteria is what makes milk go sour.
@Fru-gal Lisa, i tired that once and hubby could taste the salt and he called the milk company to complain. while he was on the phone with them i told him what i had done.
Haha, that is so funny! How much did you put in?
I hate the smell of powdered milk but I always keep some on hand in case I am out of milk when I want make a recipe that requires milk, and for when we go camping. We use it for cold weather camping to make hot cocoa and oatmeal. I too find it not any cheaper than regular milk, if anything it is more expensive.
The price tip works even with laser scanners. Stores are obligated to sell you the thing at the price marked. If they've mismarked it, that's on them and they're stuck with it.
Because we live in Africa, I make homemade syrup. I just use sugar, water, maple flavoring and vanilla. Although, I would prefer whipped cream on my food! 🙂 my Tightwad Gazette book is back in the US, but I can't wait to look through it again!
My mom used to get the Tightwad Gazette newsletter. I was young then and never really read them. For a long time she saved them all, not sure if she still has them. She made several of those blue jean potholders. She still has them and uses them often. They must hold up well. Unless she made new and I just never realized, they’ve got to be at least 20 years old! I never knew where she got the idea from until reading this post. 🙂
Old school Benadryl is, hands down, the best decongestant when sick. It also helps a lot with cough that’s related to nasal drainage/ post nasal drip.
Even though it’s over the counter, it’s my top recommended medication when my toddler and older patients are sick with viral illnesses. That, Tylenol or ibuprofen, and old school honey on a spoon every hour or two really do the trick for symptom control. Benadryl does make you sleepy, so just a warning there!
I am actually confused about your whipped cream. What in the world… how american of you to add sugar and vanillla to it (this is not critique). Here in Sweden we just… whip the cream and then it’s ready to eat or top a cake with. Then we’ll add garnish, usually fruit and/ or berries but sometimes candy. I know my MIL use sugar in hers but the first time I saw that I had this exact same reaction
Read this book years ago. Look in clearance aisle at Dollar general or other store for lower priced items. Got 2 bottles fish oil for 1 cent each this way. Our family is retired so time to check few stores to save. But not all have time to do this.
Like Libby app and Book Bub for free books. Attend book clubs and volunteer events to socialize. Garden.
The savings from line drying isn't just from saving electricity. There's less wear on the clothes, and less risk of setting a missed stain. Personally, I hate folding clothes, so I hang everything I can to dry, and it leaves me very little to fold 🙂
The milk, that bugs me too, but I keep it around to avoid quick trips to the grocery store. Which saves me on impulse buys, gas, and my time 🙂
I heard, or maybe read?, years ago that a cold takes about nine days to run its course. The saying was something like, "A cold takes 3 days coming, three days staying, and 3 days going." Surprisingly, I have found this little gem to be pretty accurate (at least for me). Has anyone else ever heard this? I'd love to hear if others found it to be accurate also.
@Sfeather, The first place I ever heard that about the 9 days was on an episode of Mary Tyler Moore. It was my favorite episode, and I think it was Put on a Happy Face.
I was one of the first subscribers to Tightwad Gazette back in the early 90s before she was on Donahue and blew up. There is some kind of wise tale associated with powder milk that it was cheaper the milk. I got married in 1989 and it has never been true in 35 years. I love the smell of line dried sheets etc. It is not money saving as it caused my allergies to flare.
Always thought the marriage statement was odd. It is really easy to get caught up in life especially when the kids are young and easy to put your marriage on the back burner. It takes some work to make sure your marriage is on the front burner.
I have always been appreciative of the Tightwad Gazette. We were very young Marine Corps family and with the advice of the frugal community we were able to thrive on such a little income and do the things that were important to us like traveling.
Oh, that's so cool you were an original subscriber!
I was a subscriber to The Tightwad Gazette and have the books in 3 volumes. They're very worn now. We used to make the pancake syrup, but now usually buy the cheap stuff at Aldi. However, we always use her Chocolate Syrup recipe. It's far better than anything commercial.
The potholders: I haven't made the denim ones, but I did make a whole stack of ones from an old white bath towel; left the edges raw (because I don't care) and can bleach the dickens out of them.
Clean house: that was my favorite article out of all 3 books. She describes going to an elderly person's house and that it wasn't "decorated", just cheerful and clean. That reminded me so much of going to visit my husband's grandmother. She had married in 1903 and still was using the original set of Arts & Crafts furniture they'd bought. There was always a starched white tablecloth on the table, along with a very old casserole dish with oyster crackers in it. Even though she was in her 90s, the house was uncluttered and spotless. And not decorated.
One last thing, and I apologize for this being kind of a downer....but it's best not to ignore a cough for long. I did and it was lung cancer. Horrible surgery and I'm okay now, 10+ years later; even though I knew that was a symptom, I ignored it because I'm a non-smoker.