There are many good books I’ve read over the years, but the way I define a truly great book is one that causes you to change something in your behavior. In other words, a great book, in my opinion, influences a person into action, and knowledge isn’t gained for the sake of triumph in Trivial Pursuit. I’m sure that there are other criteria that make a book great, but I’m partial to action. My personality demands it.

One of my favorite books is The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. This book has had a profound influence on my thinking over the years. I read the book early on in our marriage when my husband was a youth pastor, and we were living (well, I might add) on a small church youth pastor’s salary. During this time, we married and added two children to our family. I won’t post our salary here, but I will say that, according to the government, we were below poverty level and should’ve turned to them for aid.

I can’t write further without acknowledging the providence of God. Our shoes did not wear out, our appliances did not break, and our cars were in good repair. Like so many other things, we labor but God is the one who gives the increase. Now, the shoes in our house get outgrown before they wear out, the dishwasher still doesn’t work, and people make fun our cars. But we have the funds to repair and replace our things, and so, we see this as the providence of God too. And if we didn’t, we’d see this as Providence as well.

In the articles contained within The Tightwad, I found in them a voice that put into words what I’d thought in the back of my mind for a long time. In one article, Dacyczyn mentions briefly that she’d rather spend the weekend painting her barn than sunning on the beach, and I found myself identifying with her sentiment. There is something satisfying about working toward a tangible goal that produces something profitable. The reward of relaxation is not such a climax after wasting the day in frivolity. In contrast, lying down after a productive day of labor is sweet.

Agrarian or not, simple or not, we can all use our “talents” to make more “talents.” If you need ideas on how to do that, Dacyczyn’s book is a good start. You will be encouraged to think outside the box– if you can focus on her articles and refrain from getting caught up in all the small reader tips. They are just ideas to get you thinking.

Before this book, it had never occurred to me that you can make your own Rice-a-Roni and Windex for a quarter of the price. I thought everyone just buys that stuff at Wal-Mart. Or Target if you have a little extra dough.

I mention this book to say that the wheels have always been moving in this direction, to recommend it to young mothers trying to live on a budget, and to give background on where we’ve been before I tell about where we want to go.

In the next post, I’ll answer Holly’s question, “How and why does someone strive to increase their land holdings and wealth, while at the same time seek the simple, agrarian life?”