Subject: Propose new group: alt.living.tightwad

From: [email-masked] (Brian Keith Pine (Piner))
Date: 8 Mar 1995 03:57:48 GMT

I am proposing that a new group be created for discussing everything about
frugal living.  It would be in the spirit of the Tightwad Gazette
and other frugally-minded books and newsletters.  This spirit is not just
clipping coupons and buying a solid, used car. It involves carefully examining
every aspect of your life, in a quest to minimize costs, yet enjoy life and
build up your savings for emergencies, retirement, and large purchases 
(house/car).  It would include discussion on buying used items at garage 
sales and thrift shops, buying in bulk, minimizing your food bill, reusing 
things for other purposes, and even scrounging up perfectly good, discarded 
items and materials.

Because this suggestion for a newsgroup is inspired by the Tightwad Gazette
book I read, I propose:

   alt.living.tightwad

An alternate would be alt.living.frugal if it was strongly preferred by 
interested people.

I am new to getting newsgroups created, so any assistance in getting this 
group up and running would be of great help.  Also, if this group would 
interest you, please post a response saying so.  I will eventually create 
a WWW page dedicated to frugal living, especially if this group develops 
a lot of interest.

Thanks

-Brian

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan Grobe)
Date: 8 Mar 1995 08:58:12 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Brian Keith Pine (Piner)) writes:
>frugal living.  

Proposed alt.groups are discussed in alt.config. 
The name is poor, since it starts a new hierarchy (it is desirable to
related groups be in hierarchies with related groups--they are easier to
find).
Perhaps alt.consumers.frugal ?  There already is an alt.consumers.free-stuff.

To create an alt group:

A proposal is discussed in alt.config. After the discussion is finished
(and there is general support) a newgroup message to create the group must
be sent out. You can: 1. Ask the news administrator at your site to do
this (he/she can be usually be reached by mailing to the address news
or usenet; if not mail to the technical support people at the site) or
2. Post a request in alt.config that someone newgroup the group (someone
will if the discussion has been positive about the proposal).

See the guide "So You Want to Create an Alt Newsgroup" posted every
14 days to alt.config, alt.answers, news.answers.  You can get a copy of 
it on the World Wide Web at:

http://www.pop.psu.edu/~barr/alt-creation-guide.html

or

ftp://rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/alt.config/So_You_Want_to_Create_an_Alt_Newsgroup

You can also get a copy by sending e-mail to "[email-masked]"
with the line "get file alt-creation-guide" in the body of the
message.  (The Subject is ignored)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jonathan Grobe  [email-masked]

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From: Penny Ward <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 11:54:17 -0500

On 8 Mar 1995, Brian Keith Pine wrote:

> frugal living.  It would be in the spirit of the Tightwad Gazette (etc.)

While you're waiting for the newsgroup to be formed, please be aware that 
there's a listserv list, Maxlife, with basically the same charter.

To subscribe, send a message to:  [email-masked]
The message should say:  sub maxlife Yourfirstname Yourlastname

FYI.  Please write to me if you have questions about the Maxlife list.

Penny Ward
[email-masked]

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From: Steve Zerbe <[email-masked]>
Date: 9 Mar 1995 00:48:44 GMT

>  if this group would 
> interest you, please post a response saying so.  

I would be interested and support a group like this -- would it
include recycling tips also?

Julie Zerbe

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From: [email-masked] (Brian Keith Pine (Piner))
Date: 8 Mar 1995 10:02:08 GMT

Jonathan Grobe ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Brian Keith Pine (Piner)) writes:
: >
: >I am proposing that a new group be created for discussing everything about
: >frugal living.  

: Proposed alt.groups are discussed in alt.config. 
: The name is poor, since it starts a new hierarchy (it is desirable to
: related groups be in hierarchies with related groups--they are easier to
: find).
: Perhaps alt.consumers.frugal ?  There already is an alt.consumers.free-stuff.

Note: Follow-up has been changed to alt.config, instead of news.config and
news.groups.

Well, there is also already a misc.consumers.  I considered
misc.consumers.frugal, but being frugal is really an overal lifestyle, hence
the choice alt.LIVING.frugal.  When I think of "consumers" I think of
going out and purchasing new products at a store, whereas being frugal would
include aquiring lots of used products at garage sales and the like.  It
would also include things like bulk-buying of raw, natural foods, which
doesn't fit the overall feel of misc.consumers, nor does it fit with
the food/cooking groups since they are concerned with cooking and eating,
not saving money on the food bill.  Hence the need for a group where the
overall focus is saving money.

Since an off-shoot of being frugal is minimizing your "consumerism",
the group names alt.consumers.frugal or misc.consumers.frugal still
does not sound appropriate.

Yes, I know it is best to base it on an existing hierarchy, but none
seemed to fit.  How about a new suggestion of:

  alt.frugal

This would be cleaner and simpler. 

I am still interested if anyone else would be interested in a group
like this.

BTW, thanks for the info on starting new groups.

-Brian

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From: [email-masked] (Daniel Hartung)
Date: 8 Mar 1995 13:51:21 -0600

>This would be cleaner and simpler. 

*sigh* and all 10,000 groups would be "cleaner and simpler" were they, too, 
named this way.  But you couldn't find anything.

I think you're unnecessarily distancing yourself from misc.consumers: 
I'm sure a LOT of people there believe in saving money, reducing waste, 
viewing advertising skeptically, and the like.  Being a consumer <>
being a "consumerist".  ;-)  In that regard, misc.consumers.frugal
is a natural extension.

-- 
 Daniel A. Hartung             |  Support the new Arts/Humanities hierarchy!
 [email-masked]              |  
 [email-masked]    |  Look for the "humanities.misc" CFV
 http://www.mcs.net/~dhartung/ |  in news.announce.newgroups

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From: [email-masked] (Linda Campbell)
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 07:59:24

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Brian Keith Pine (Piner)) writes:
>From: [email-masked] (Brian Keith Pine (Piner))
>Subject: Propose new group: alt.living.tightwad
>Date: 8 Mar 1995 03:57:48 GMT

>-Brian

Yes, I would frequently scan a group on cheap (excuse me, frugal) living.  I 
like the idea of keeping it on the news net.  I have access to the web but I 
find it cumbersome and slow to get information from.  The news net is so fast 
and accessible, a little like rhe Readers Digest.  I can read it a little at a 
time between short stints of working and archive what suites me for later.

My husband and I do a little suburban farming.  We trade veggies and fruits 
that we grow for others we don't have.  We can our home grown food, fish 
whenever we can and re-use everything from bread wrappers to egg cartons.  
What we can't use we save for someone who can.  I'm not sure if we are really 
tightwads (I mean frugal) we just hate to see anything go to waste.  It's a 
way of life.  If others would post some of their strange lifestyles I'm sure I 
could think of a few that we have adopted.  By the way, those bread wrappers 
can be woven into really sturdy throw rugs.

I'll keep looking here.  If you start up the alt.living. frugal group post it 
here so I can subscribe.

Makes cents to me.

Linda Campbell
Suffolk, Virginia

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From: [email-masked] (Sherry Bailey)
Date: 8 Mar 1995 20:58:29 GMT

Well, whatever you call it, I think it would be interesting, especially the
eventual FAQ's.

I myself am about to move out, separating from my husband, eventually to be
divorced.  I need to establish a new home on a shoestring. I'll be leaving
most of the furniture and stuff with my husband, and he will be helping me
finance a new place (we are parting friends) but we MUST keep costs to a
minimum. So I am EXTREMELY interested in GOOD clean used furniture, mail order
electronics, storage concepts, and bargains of other kinds.  (I'm getting a
dog for the first time in years, too, so good resources for pet products are
of interest.)

I'm finding some of what I need in relevant newsgroups, but much of it is just
not out there or is only of occasional interest elsewhere and not easy to
find. A Frugal newsgroup sounds great to me!

Hey, the more you save, the more you have for other things!

Sherry

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From: [email-masked] (Andrew Laurence)
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 18:02:06 GMT

>overall focus is saving money.

I don't agree. "Consumer" is simply the opposite of "producer." When I go to
work, I am (hopefully) producing something (like satisfied clients!). When I
need to buy something to satisfy a personal need or desire, I am consuming,
and I am therefore a consumer. Whether the thing I consume is expensive and
wasteful, or cheap and thrifty, I'm still consuming, so misc.consumers.
frugal would be an appropriate newsgroup name in my opinion.

>does not sound appropriate.

But you're still concerned with consuming, rather than producing or doing
neither (like when you're asleep).
-- 
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From: [email-masked] (Andrew Laurence)
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 18:02:35 GMT

[email-masked] (Joann M. Hnat) writes:

>Brian Keith Pine (Piner) ([email-masked]) wrote:

>: I am proposing that a new group be created for discussing everything about
>: frugal living.  It would be in the spirit of the Tightwad Gazette
>: and other frugally-minded books and newsletters.
>___________________________

>I'm interested, Brian!  Let me know where the discussion is going to be, 
>and I'll put in my $.02 worth.

If you were really frugal, you'd put that $0.02 toward your next mortgage
payment. :-)

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From: [email-masked] (Joann M. Hnat)
Date: 8 Mar 1995 15:28:42 -0500

.. Joann