# Frugal or Cheap, which one are you?



## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

http://www.moneyville.ca/blog/post/1150774--frugal-or-cheap-which-one-are-you

Me. Frugal. I don't know how many of use would admit to being cheap anyways.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Neither.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Neither - I like to think of myself as *responsible* with my money. I do enjoy life, live below my means, have money for my needs as well as savings for rainy day and retirement.


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## K-133 (Apr 30, 2010)

the-royal-mail said:


> Neither - I like to think of myself as *responsible* with my money. I do enjoy life, live below my means, have money for my needs as well as savings for rainy day and retirement.


+1


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## SW20 MR2 (Dec 18, 2010)

I'm both. I typically like to shop around and do lots of research before I buy anything that is not disposable. However, I like to buy quality stuff in most cases for anything that is not disposable (eg. electronics). I will cheap out on a lot of stuff that I'm indifferent on (eg. kitchen utensils at the dollar store, cheaper hotel rooms as long as they're not disgusting). I don't do a lot of stuff due to not wanting to spend money (eg. eating out), but I will spend money on stuff I love (eg. I play golf once a week in the summer).


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## Barwelle (Feb 23, 2011)

Definitely frugal.

I'm tight with my money, but I'll pay more for a quality product. I spent more on a used Civic because of its reputation for lasting forever, whereas I could have gotten similar cars cheaper. I've bought cheap winter gloves for snowboarding for the last few years, but I am now on the hunt for some good leather ones even if they are more expensive. The last pair were already tearing apart after three days' use. And jackets... bought a $400 Arcteryx jacket a couple years ago, and it was worth every penny. And I'll spend extra for shoes that have good soles and cushioning in them, not the cheaper ones that have just a flat rubber sole.

Plus, I research everything I will spend over $100 on. Too much research, an ex-girlfriend told me! 



SW20 MR2 said:


> I will cheap out on a lot of stuff that I'm indifferent on (eg. kitchen utensils at the dollar store, cheaper hotel rooms as long as they're not disgusting).


Ditto for hotel rooms and stuff I'm indifferent on. But I don't put utensils under the indifferent category. Since they are used for a long time, and are used/seen every day, I don't mind paying a bit extra to get a decent set. I'm also leery about buying cheap plastic bowls and containers, as you never know what kind of chemicals (BPA anyone?) those cheap plastics are leeching into your food. I prefer wooden cooking utensils and pyrex bowls and containers. And I don't like to use coated frying pans and such once the coating starts chipping off.


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## Young&Ambitious (Aug 11, 2010)

I like to think I'm a minamalist. If I don't need it it's just going to take up space and when I go to move (which is inevitable as I'm in a 500sq ft condo and want kids/more pets one day) it just adds to the effort. 

I don't mind spending more for a quality item or something I really want, but I definitely bargain hunt. So I guess I'm a frugal minamalist


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## hboy43 (May 10, 2009)

Hi:

Not sure what I am any more. My definitions are: frugal, I do without; cheap, find a way to get someone else to pay. Is that about right? In my youth I was both at times, perhaps even simultaneously.

I wander around in dirty jeans with holes in the pockets most of the time. I have never purchased a new TV for myself ever. Our main TV is 19 inches or so (with green spot due to a kid putting a magnet against the screen) purchased used for $25 from friends leaving the country, and an upgrade on the predecessor 13 incher. I detest spending money in restaurants, but my wife has won this one. We only recently started paying for satellite TV and high speed internet. Almost everything we buy is used if I can't find a freebie somewhere.

We also have about $15000 of bicycles and tricycles. We have a pretty nice pool table. I bought a new tractor 4 years ago. Last car was new. Crap I am getting soft!

I guess I know what I value and I try to make the expenditures match up. 

I buy new bicycles and tricycles because I have to in order to get one that fits me. As I have about 100,000 to 200,000 lifetime km I think a proper fit in a bicycle is worth every penny. Plus all the cars I didn't buy and their running costs exceeds the value of the bicycles by about an order of magnitude.

On the other hand, crummy programming on TV is still crummy programming regardless of whether it is viewed through the green dot of the incumbent, or on a 52 inch new model. I can't think of something I would less like to own than a big TV except for perhaps a swimming pool.

Frugal, cheap, or some other label, who knows? Whatever I am it has allowed me to say FO to working for a living at a young age. I'd say that is worth a few missed electronic toys etc.

hboy43


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## doctrine (Sep 30, 2011)

Cheap. Buy something poor quality, be disappointed, don't buy anything again.


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

I'm cheap and frugal.  Thanks for linking the article.


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## Zeeshan Hamid (Feb 28, 2012)

Neither.

I was forced to be cheap throughout highschool because I had to save up for university. Then throughout university I lived like a rat because I had to pay for the university. Then it was time to reap the benefits. 

My very simple saving plan leaves me with 70% of my aftertax income as spending money. If I don't enjoy it then why the heck am I working so hard to earn it?


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

As far as her definitions go, neither, and as an aside, her writing is uniformly terrible. It's filler and nothing more.


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## Spidey (May 11, 2009)

To me, the article makes a lot of since. I definitely try to be frugal but not cheap. 

Cheap can actually cost more in the long run, either directly through money or indirectly through lower satisfaction level. The shoe example in the article is a good one. 

For anything that I will use for 10 years to a lifetime - I find it is worth getting reasonably high quality for the best possible price. Cheap stuff will eventually cost in comfort, reliability and visual appeal. For example a good dining room table made of solid hardwood and well-crafted (ours is Amish-made) will last a lifetime, the craftsmanship will be visually satisfying and the amortized cost over a particle-board veneer set will likely be minimal. My parents for example, would have bought and replaced such a cheap set perhaps 6 or 7 times over their lifetimes. We bought a good set once and eventually one of our kids will inherit it. Which cost less? 

Additionally, we only rarely go out to meals and usually find restaurants that offer good value. However, we have no trouble picking up the tab for friends occasionally, particularly if they've recently been through a trying period.

Basically the idea is to get the maximum enjoyment per dollar spent, not to never spend a dollar.


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

Spidey said:


> For example a good dining room table made of solid hardwood and well-crafted (ours is Amish-made) will last a lifetime, the craftsmanship will be visually satisfying and the amortized cost over a particle-board veneer set will likely be minimal. My parents for example, would have bought and replaced such a cheap set perhaps 6 or 7 times over their lifetimes. We bought a good set once and eventually one of our kids will inherit it. Which cost less? .


Out of curiousity since I am in the market for furnitures, do you know where to get good pricing on Amish, or similar made solid wood, good quality furnitures?


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## Spidey (May 11, 2009)

Homerhomer said:


> Out of curiousity since I am in the market for furnitures, do you know where to get good pricing on Amish, or similar made solid wood, good quality furnitures?


I'm not sure where you are located, but we got our dining room table and chairs from a merchant who is located at the Carp flee market (just outside Ottawa). His merchandise is new, well crafted and he can match stains to existing furniture.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

I'm not frugal since I bought a new motor home for 275k but am cheap since I often use a Walmart or trucks stop to overnite.


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

I'm neither, I'm simply aware of how I spend my money.

I buy >$100 running shoes because my body is worth the investment.
I'd borrow a movie from the library, rather than pay to rent, or download illegally.


It seems like the author defined cheap as antisocial **** in the name of "saving" money.


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## Ethan (Aug 8, 2010)

In my mind, I'm frugal. In my girlfriends mind, I'm cheap.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Wife and I are definitely frugal. But when it is time to spend money, and sometimes this just can't be avoided, we buy top of the line quality.

Saving 70% of our monthly income now. We are a financial freight train that can't be stopped!


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## Spidey (May 11, 2009)

I just read a good definition of frugal and cheap:

Cheap people care about cost.

Frugal people care about value.


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