# the thin line between frugality and downright cheap



## Ollyward (Oct 18, 2017)

(i dont know if this is allowed or not, but i saw a post earlier that made me think about the distinction between frugality and being unnecessarily cheap)

my mom tells me that i am cheap and not frugal. so i saw this article and i wanted to share with you the idea i learned. hopefully it will make all of us think if what we are doing is being frugal or something else.

https://www.thriftyfun.com/When-Are-You-Being-Too-Frugal.html

The definition of frugal is "Prudence in Avoiding Waste". We all should be wise and thrifty, and reuse or recycle where possible, but here are some indicators when you just might be going too far to be frugal and are simply being cheap or possibly hoarding:

You compromise your health by not seeking medical attention for something you know in your heart really should be checked out by a professional.
You compromise your safety by eating food that you know is iffy because it could be spoiled. - guilty
You reuse plastic water bottles, to-go food containers, plastic silverware, or even non-food plastic containers that are not recyclable Food Grade #2, #4 or #5. These plastics can leach bad chemicals into your food and beverages. - very guilty
You deny yourself even the tiniest of treats that would be good for you emotionally, like an occasional cup of coffee or meal out. You even deny yourself something as simple as a small bottle of your favorite bubble bath or lotion.
You hoard items, because you got a good deal on them, but know in the back of your mind that you'll probably never really have a use for them. - guilty

You save just about everything when you know you realistically probably will never use or need them, instead of giving them to someone who could use them or recycle them.
You deny yourself basic necessities. I've known a couple of people who had nothing more than a bed and had to stand up to eat or sit on the floor, when they really could afford to at least purchase a couple of second hand chairs and a small table.
On the reverse side of denying yourself the basics, you grab up every piece of free anything; from clothing, boxes, and knick-knacks to furniture, simply because it was free. It's piled everywhere 'just in case you can use it in the future', even when you know there is no real use to you. Your home has become a storage unit. - guilty
You spend too much time trying to save money, instead of finding ways to supplement your income with extra earnings.
You spend more on gasoline driving around trying to save a few cents on a sale or use a coupon before it expires, than you save.


You take extras at stores or restaurants (like sanitary hand wipes, paper towels, napkins, or condiments) to save some money, when in reality doing so is stealing and is ultimately costing others for those items. - guilty
You buy items that are cheap that you know really won't last long to save some money, when you could buy the better quality item for just a few dollars more that might have lasted a lifetime. Remember the definition of 'frugal'? - very guilty
And, as silly as it might sound, you feel there's no such thing as being too frugal!


----------



## STech (Jun 7, 2016)

I do none of the above, and my wife still calls me cheap.

The one thing I'm possibly guilty of, is that I spend more than average time, researching the day lights out of bigger purchases. I enjoy paying more, for a much higher quality item that'll last. It'll take me weeks to decide on a tool for my garage, and it took me 3 or 4 months to decide on a new furnace. I don't know if this behavior is considered cheap, frugal, or a little obsessive, but I enjoy learning the details, and it has served me well financially.


----------



## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Many of my habits were established when they were necessary. Now that we have the flexibity, the old habits linger. I still shop for low priced gas!

The Internet has made researching purchases easy, so I do it.


----------



## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

I do a few of those things to some extent, but I'm getting better at avoiding the worst ones.



> You save just about everything...
> You take extras at stores or restaurants...
> You hoard items...
> You buy items that are cheap that you know really won't last long to save some money...


When I was young, my parents would save the plastic margarine containers. They would also save the extra napkins/ketchup packets from the rare times we ate at fast food places.

I think a lot of these habits come from growing up with not much money. I endured frequent lectures from my father about how hard it was just to pay the mortgage and put food on the table. There was seldom any money left over for anything extra. There was no money for buying the "better version". If it wasn't cheap, we'd go without.



> You spend too much time trying to save money, instead of finding ways to supplement your income with extra earnings.


I am pretty guilty of this. It's simply a lot easier to save money than it is to find additional income streams. Although I tried being a landlord, I realized it wasn't for me. I sell stuff on eBay once in a blue moon, when the profit margin is worth the effort.



> On the reverse side of denying yourself the basics, you grab up every piece of free anything; from clothing, boxes, and knick-knacks to furniture, simply because it was free. It's piled everywhere 'just in case you can use it in the future', even when you know there is no real use to you. Your home has become a storage unit.


Gah... I have a friend like this. Visiting his place is scary. He picks up stuff on the side of the road and he has multiples of everything. How many power drills or CPU towers (running Windows XP) does one person need?


----------



## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

I knew a guy who used to say "My wife is saving me into the poor house". She would buy something only because it was on sale, and be happy because she'd "saved" money. Problem was, they rarely needed, or could even use the things she bought.

I myself was guilty of the food thing; eating something because I felt bad about throwing away perfectly good food. My wife would come home from shopping with something new to try; nothing bad or unhealthy - things like Quinoa Granola Bars and the like. I really didn't like it all that much, but would eat it so as not to waste it. Next shopping day, there it was again. I would even say "I really don't like this stuff, don't buy it anymore". That would work for a while, then one day there it was again, and I would eat it. 

Now, I have cured myself, and won't even touch it if I've told the wife not to buy it. Maybe after throwing out enough unopened boxes of expired food, she might finally get the message. Hasn't worked yet though. :dispirited:


----------



## cablex (Nov 6, 2017)

Frugal - save on not buying things you dont need
Cheap - being a cheapskate on things you need


----------



## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Ollyward said:


> On the reverse side of denying yourself the basics, you grab up every piece of free anything; from clothing, boxes, and knick-knacks to furniture, simply because it was free. It's piled everywhere 'just in case you can use it in the future', even when you know there is no real use to you. Your home has become a storage unit. -


Yes, I do shop for components to possible future projects at the curb, at the free pile at the transfer station, and when helping at e-waste collection events.

Said finds get tucked into the single car garage carefully, because we actually park a car in said garage. Or placed beside the path behind the front gate beside the garage that leads to the back yard, if the items are ok out in the elements, or tarped.

I keep stuff like this for at most three years. 
If I have not used it in three years there is a slim chance the project is going to ever happen.

Then once an item is branded to go, if low value, I shift it to the curb on a Sunday, and a lot goes that way.
Some items get broken down and sold at the scrap yard.

The last big clean out went to an auction house and I came home with a few hundred bucks.


----------



## newfoundlander61 (Feb 6, 2011)

This reminds me of a show that was on TV a couple of years back about extreme money savers and doing crazy things not to spend money.


----------



## CalgaryPotato (Mar 7, 2015)

cablex said:


> Frugal - save on not buying things you dont need
> Cheap - being a cheapskate on things you need


That is good, but even then "need" is a strong word. There isn't much that we truly need.

I mean you really only need, food, shelter, clothing and a few other things, but I think you could still be cheap if you have those things.


----------



## Earl (Apr 5, 2016)

> You compromise your health by not seeking medical attention for something you know in your heart really should be checked out by a professional.


Not relevant to Canada since medical help here is free.


----------



## twa2w (Mar 5, 2016)

Earl said:


> Not relevant to Canada since medical help here is free.


Only partially true.
Dental is not free and can severely affect your health. Even so far as some people being too cheap to replace their toothbrush on a semi regular basis.

Also drugs are not free, so even if diagnosed, if you are too cheap to buy the cure or treatment...,


----------



## mrbizi (Dec 19, 2009)

I've found you can tell the difference between a frugal and a cheap person when it comes to how generous they are towards other people. Frugal people may be always looking for ways to economize but are generous when it comes to helping other people (financial or otherwise). Cheap people tend to be plain ol selfish people who never give consideration to other people.


----------



## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

*Saving money*

I'll just make a few points about how to save money.



Ollyward said:


> (i dont know if this is allowed or not, but i saw a post earlier that made me think about the distinction between frugality and being unnecessarily cheap)
> You compromise your safety by eating food that you know is iffy because it could be spoiled. - guilty
> You reuse plastic water bottles, to-go food containers, plastic silverware, or even non-food plastic containers that are not recyclable Food Grade #2, #4 or #5. These plastics can leach bad chemicals into your food and beverages. - very guilty


Assume your time is worth a moderate wage, assume a bout of illness costing your 4 hours (either calling in sick, or losing time at home)
The cost of getting sick is over $50, spending $50 to save $10 is a very bad way to save money.



> You hoard items, because you got a good deal on them, but know in the back of your mind that you'll probably never really have a use for them.
> You save just about everything when you know you realistically probably will never use or need them, instead of giving them to someone who could use them or recycle them.
> You deny yourself basic necessities. I've known a couple of people who had nothing more than a bed and had to stand up to eat or sit on the floor, when they really could afford to at least purchase a couple of second hand chairs and a small table.
> On the reverse side of denying yourself the basics, you grab up every piece of free anything; from clothing, boxes, and knick-knacks to furniture, simply because it was free. It's piled everywhere 'just in case you can use it in the future', even when you know there is no real use to you. Your home has become a storage unit. -


It takes time to manage all that stuff, you buy storage containers.
Then take the price of your house/apartment, and divide by floor space.
I determined 1sq ft of floor space is about $100, assuming I stack I put 1 cubic foot at a cost of $20.
Not including containers, time and clutter all that "stuff" is costing me a lot of money (and I don't have a storage unit anymore)
Get rid of it and replace it later, you're unlikely to find it when you need it anyway.

The amount of stuff I've double/triple purchased because I can't find it is astounding.



Put a dollar value on your time and energy and stop spending and you'll see how much time you're wasting.
I include the travel cost in kijiji prices or other items I buy, no more driving an hour to save $10.
I'll pay to buy online and have it shipped right to my door.
I paid for a faster internet connection (5 minute Youtube upload instead of 1/2hour or more, huge time savings)

You only have so much time, spend it wisely, and don't trade it for pennies.


----------

