NST September 2023: Turtle Tightwaddery with a sprinkle of Alchemy

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NST September 2023: Turtle Tightwaddery with a sprinkle of Alchemy

At the start of the year, I ‘resolved’ to fully read my copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette. Ages ago, I read about 1/3 of it, but I’d not marked any pages or made any notes from it. So my resolution also involved lots of those small coloured post-its and a 2B pencil to underline, circle, and generally scribble on the pages. It took me until a few weeks ago to do anything about it. Ah yes, apple_muncher, the procrastinator extraordinaire! What I’ve put together for this month takes from what I have (re)read so far of Amy Dacyzyn’s masterpiece (I’m currently on page 120 of 927!) Plus a few of my own thoughts.

‘Tightwad’ is a word that is only used in a negative way, but I wholeheartedly object to this! Tightwads are by nature unconventional. They push the normal limits to make things last longer. They reuse things in unusual ways. They experiment constantly to find new, cheaper ways to do almost everything. (adapted from the ‘Word of caution’ at the start of the book)

Doesn’t that sound like us turtles?

Tightwads (turtles) are a small elite group. But while few in number, they come in endless varieties. There are borderline tightwads and spartan tightwads and all shades in between.

There are budding tightwads who think, “How am I expected to bake bread, make wrapping paper, braid rugs and shop at fourteen different food shops?” Relax – take on one or two ideas and when you have mastered them, add a couple more.

There are old-hand tightwads (turtles) who may learn only one of two new ideas each month.

The size of your dream, the size of your income, and the length of time allowed to meet your goal(s) will determine the degree of thrift tightwaddery you will resort to.

 

T Turtle power! You are not alone. We are all in this together and we ride the ups and downs on the rollercoaster of life. Come on here daily and share your day with us – the good, the bad and the ugly.

I Impulsiveness – the strategy to employ here is foresight. We all know that a certain day happens on December 25th. Or when people’s birthdays are.  Or when our shoes need replacing. Or insurance is due to run out. Or the tank needs filling up. By knowing this and anticipating our needs as far in advance as possible, we can plan ahead and look for bargains or things on sale instead of reaching for the first thing to hand. But for those occasions where the need comes due, we apply inventiveness or improvisation. If short of 2 sleeping bags for next weekend’s camping trip, can you borrow while you still seek out the ones you really need at the price you want.

G Girth. What is your girth? Your girth often reflects your indulgences, where your wants override your needs. Apart from the literal meaning, what is your financial girth like? Is it taut yet flexible; or simply a wobbly jelly mould. Garden. September is a month of harvesting and starting to think about ‘putting the garden to bed’ for the winter (how much needs doing depends on how far north you live!) Yet there is still much you can do outside. So, plan your approach of pruning, cutting back, digging up, enjoying time outside…

H Habits – have a look at what you habitually do. Celebrate your good habits. And cast a critical eye over the others. Do you need to tweak any? Remove any? Introduce any? Don’t try to remedy them all at once – just pick one or two to work on this month.

T Time. How do you spend your time? Once you are past the essential uses of your time, what do you do with what you have left? With the optional uses. How do you relax? Do you lose time on mindless activities? Take time to do things slowly. To read. To ponder. To plot and plan. To meditate. To move. To create. Maybe stop multitasking all the time and do one thing at a time.

W Write it down. Every little spend. And look back an analyse where it all went at the end of the month. Write down your financial goals and a date for completion – whether paying off debt or increasing savings or saving up for a specific thing. Then break it down into more manageable chunks, each with their own deadline.

A Alchemy + alchemists: Alchemy is the medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy that focused on the attempt to change less valuable metals into gold, to find a universal cure for disease, and to discover a means of prolonging life indefinitely. An Alchemist is someone who transforms things for the better. If any of us discover the parts of alchemy that show how to turn aluminium into gold, please share with the group immediately! But we can all be alchemists, making things better for ourselves and others.

D Design your ideal life: if money, time and commitments were no object, how would you like your life to look? Be as wild as you like. Then plan 3 steps to take towards it this month. Sprinkle a hefty dose of alchemy dust on your situation.

D Donate some of your time/money to helping causes you support.

E Eat your veggies. Each month has different veg + fruit in season. Seasonal produce tastes better and is cheaper. Can you get hold of Liddle’s Fruit + veg boxes for £1.50?

R Run with it. Literally and figuratively. Literally, get yourself moving more – try a series of stretches in the morning, get outside, lift a few weights. Figuratively, accept your life and the cards you have been dealt, but at the same time, look to change the things you can to make your life/house/job better for you.

Y Yesterday has been and gone. Tomorrow is a potential bright new future. Today is where we live. Tightwaddery with a splash of alchemy can make your days sparkle.

 

Non-negotiables:

·        Set your budget for the month ahead – check the calendar for birthdays, appointments, commitments.

·        12-15 NSDs. You can keep an NSD for medical, travel and reduced item spends. If you have to spend an unexpected amount of time in hospital and need to buy food, that won’t lose you an NSD either. If you only purchase items from a charity shop, that will also keep your NSD.

·        Pop on here every day and tell us at least 3 things you are grateful for.

·        Have lots of fun.

 

Who is with me?

apple_muncher

Reserved for Turtle Tightwad Alchemists

1 apple_muncher

2 Toni'sfriend

3 Beanielou

4 grandmanerd

5 DawnW

6 lcc86

7 thriftylass

8 f0xh0les

9 Esmeralda2662

10 craftingmad

11 Swayingseaweed

12 abundant1972

13 DrCarrie

18 Thrifty_Taylor

Toni'sfriend

I'm off on a much needed holiday for most of September but it's being planned as relaxing, recharging our batteries which are at an all tine low just now. So can you add me in to keep me on track. xxx

beanielou

I am in @apple_muncher.
Thank you for our shiny new thread 

grandmanerd

me please apple

DawnW

Yes please Apple - I LOVE the Tightwad Gazette, and have read my copy several times!

f0xh0les

I am unaware of The Tightwad Gazette but would love to join you all. 

lcc86

Me please 

thriftylass

Me please too,. Should not be a spendy month this year (cancelled our anniversary trip to our wedding venue hotel this year to be able to do the kids rooms up). So, looking fwd to sticking to this challenge.

Esmeralda2662

Hi @apple_muncher, please can i join you and the other Turtles for September's Tightwaderry challenge? Thank you!

DawnW

f0xh0les said:

I am unaware of The Tightwad Gazette but would love to join you all. 

It is very American, but great fun, and loads of tips