Tightwad in the Mid-Eighties

The years 1984 and 1985 mark the period in my life when I was at my absolute cheapest. I actually owned two cars, both needing repairs, but didn’t want to spend the required money. I resolved this situation by getting rid of both cars and instead riding around on a cheap, used bicycle. In April 1984, I began penny-pinching as well as (literally) penny-counting. In my little studio apartment, I refused to run my air-conditioner wall unit, even in the middle of a severe heat wave (nighttime lows in the mid-80’s (Fahrenheit)). In the winter, I didn’t run the heat. I would take pains to buy shelf-food in order to be able to keep my refrigerator turned off. I never used hot water when washing (even when showering during the coldest of winter) and cut my own hair. Although I would regularly visit coffee/doughnut shops to sit and study in, coffee was relatively cheap back then. Still, I kept a record of every expenditure, again down to the penny.

Now I know that this may sound rather extreme, but keep in mind that I was single and had a relatively low-paying job at the time. Still, I managed to save thousands of dollars and incur zero debt, simply by being very careful with my money. Since then, with marriage and my family (two children), my life has become considerably more complex (and I wouldn’t have had it any other way), and with that naturally arose the need to invest money into the lives of the dearly beloved members of my family. I could have successfully pulled this off financially by still being austere with myself while demonstrating a discerning generosity for my wife and children. And I could have continued tracking our money very closely as well. But I’m afraid that I let the change in my relationships change my attitude toward my personal finances. Still, I know what I am capable of, and it is much more than most other people (and myself in recent years). So, with some reasonable modifications (such as attending to car repairs), I am resolving to return to the spirit I had in the mid 1980s when I made a priority of caring for my finances. Good luck to me!