Anyone here not really frugal?

Melissa · #1 10/04/07, 07:11 AM

Are there areas in which you are not frual? Anyone here rich enough to not worry about saving money? Anyone just not interested in the whole frugality issue?

via media · #2 10/04/07, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melissa

Are there areas in which you are not frual? Anyone here rich enough to not worry about saving money? Anyone just not interested in the whole frugality issue?

My DH.

He says I worry about it and save enough for the both of us, so he doesn't feel compelled to look for ways to save money.

It's a good thing he's cute.

As for me, I'm probably in the middle. I am constantly looking for ways to save but I waste money by eating out. I especially love sushi. Mmmmm...

/VM

Ezrandi · #3 10/04/07, 07:27 AM

I am not overly frugal when it comes to the airconditioner.. I love my windows open, and keep them open as much as I can.. but when I need the air on.. its on.

My husband is worse then I am .. he'd just as soon have the air on 24/7 during the summer months.

But in all other aspects of my life, Food, clothing, etc, I cut costs and make things last as long as possible.

I wish I was rich enough not to worry.. I have a house in Cali that I'd like to get rid of.. its a weight around my neck...

Ezrandi · #4 10/04/07, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by via media

As for me, I'm probably in the middle. I am constantly looking for ways to save but I waste money by eating out. I especially love sushi. Mmmmm...

/VM

Ok.. you hit another flaw.. although we only eat out about once a month.. But I do love my Sushi!

I'm still looking for a great place in Ga.
I've found a good place, and an OH MY GOD NEVER AGAIN place...
But Im still looking for the great Sushi place.

#5 10/04/07, 07:37 AM

I do frugality when it makes sense to be frugal.

My time is sometimes worth more than my money and other times my money is worth more than my time.

It depends on the situation.

.....Alan.

madcreations · #6 10/04/07, 07:39 AM

I consider myself frugal, I buy on sale, I don't but unless it's needed, I shop for bargains, thrift stores, yard sales.... Who cares about color or design, I got this shirt from the 10 cent rack, it fits and isn't stained all up, who cares if it's puke orange color with lavender polka-dots!

The only thing that I will buy even at outrageous prices are bananas for the kids... before we had kids, unless bananas were cheap cheap or on the 'rotten food rack' (mark-down) I would never consider buying them, now if the kids ask for bananas I will get them only glancing at the price to see if I should get extra for me to eat or just enough for them

same with other fruit and veggies for them, I may try and redirect and say no pineapple or watermelon, lets get oranges, apples or kiwi instead but it's impossible for me to say no, you can't have broccoli! I can easily say no to chips and junk food

I do need to start growing more food but slowly adding more garden space.

We have to watch our pennies.

Why do you ask? are you rich? do you just spend money to say you have spent money?

**Terri** · #7 10/04/07, 07:40 AM

I am REALLY into instant gratification!

Fortunately I hate to shop, so I rarely see anything that I want! I will bend over backwards to avoid going to the store :baby04:

Melissa · #8 10/04/07, 07:44 AM

Oh I'm not rich. I am so frugal I make Amy Dacyzyn look like a spendthrift! I was just curious.

Pony · #9 10/04/07, 07:51 AM

Okay, True Confession time, eh?

Bless me, Melissa... I have sinned!

I am usually very frugal. I pinch a penny until Lincoln yelps! But there are times when I run the dryer just because I plain don't feel like going out to the line, or the line is full and I don't want to hang some thing inside.

And then there are the times when I will turn up the heat a couple notches in Winter (when I could put on a sweater or hat), or turn on the A/C for a few hours in the Summer.

Other than that, I'm really rather frugal. Nick and I are working on not eating out so much. We'd gotten into the habit of picking up carry-out at least once or twice a week, and that totally adds up!

Pony!

NativeGurl · #10 10/04/07, 07:56 AM

~I wish I was as frugal as I want to be. And I also wish I was well enough off not to have to worry about being frugal. I have been getting better at it, growing up in a family that buys buys buys, it is hard not to get sucked into that mind frame when I am around them. I can't really think about what I am overly frugal on right now. So if nothing comes to mind then I must not be that frugal

I am just learning I guess. Yeah that is right I am just learning........lol. I am hoping to become more frugal.
~Although I have been getting must of my son's clothing from Freecycle, there is a lady on there that gives away really nice clothes and as her son outgrows them my son fits them, so when I see she posts clothes I try to be the frist one to respond.

giometriks · #11 10/04/07, 07:57 AM

I'm a mixture of both. I'm frugal. I shop at thrift stores, utilize freecycle and sales. I make my own bread. I splurge on using my dryer. I only want decent toilet paper not the tree bark stuff. I run my dishwasher at least once a day. I do splurge on fruits and vegies because at this moment I'm trying to eat mostly raw. We eat out 4 or 5 times a month. When we shop it's an all day trip because we live 65 miles from the nearest city. We save up all of our purchases and get them once a week. I wish we could go every other week but I run out of fresh fruit and vegies. We usually eat out when we go shopping. Mexican food usually....yumm.

Cool topic!

Suzi

Jim S. · #12 10/04/07, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A.T. Hagan

I do frugality when it makes sense to be frugal.

My time is sometimes worth more than my money and other times my money is worth more than my time.

It depends on the situation.

.....Alan.

Yep. That second sentence sums it up perfectly, and it pays to know the difference. Case in point: I needed a flex pipe replaced on my little $500 police auction 1989 Stanza with 197,000 miles. I priced it at the parts store. $105 plus tax, then I'd have to take off the old one and put it on. I called the budget muffler shop. They could weld in a universal one while I waited for $89, tax included. Any guesses as to what I did?

DocM · #13 10/04/07, 08:03 AM

I'm rich enough not to worry about it, but cheap enough to do it anyway. I am constantly amazed at the judgmental comments and assumptions on these boards about people with money, how those who have a little must be morally deficient or something. Big deal if I have a big house, an SUV (to pull my livestock trailer), and a couple 3 or 4 other cars. Nobody here is paying my insurance bills, mortgage, or utility bills, and my tree hugger nature ensures I'm leaving a way smaller environmental footprint than a lot of "hillbillies".

chickenista · #14 10/04/07, 08:04 AM

Totally frugal..beyond the outer realm of frugality!
I only buy food and gas. We haven't eaten out just us..without visiting family footing the bill ad even then we balk and try to get them to eat here..in 4 years or so... there may be an exception, but it would be a small one.. so small I don't remember. I have grbbed a Subway on a rare occasion.
I need new shoes and jeans etc.. and may break down before Christmas and get some.. my toes stick out of my favorite sneakers..oh wait! Winter is coming. I can pull out my favorite boots.... I paid .99 in a thrift store for them ten years ago. They still have tread like the day they were made! Bass made them! I swanni I have never seen boots wear like these..just the back of the ankle is worn and cracked!
I try to concoct a way to do whatever needs done with baling wire and old nails and the junk wood pile...
But I used to eat out every night.. and in very nice restaurants too. On special occasion it was common to lay out $300 on a meal and a bottle of wine. I spent over $400 in a coffee store once..used to drink coffee that was $30 a lb. That was ---- good coffee! Jamaica Blue Mountain! Yum. And I was a cab driver that was living with another cab driver. No responsibilities.. no deep debt..no kids...I was an idiot. I could have saved and saved......and then I wouldn't be so uber frugal now.

Ramblin Wreck · #15 10/04/07, 08:09 AM

Why no, not at all. What have you heard? Is someone spreading rumors? Wait. You said frugal. I misread it as fungal. Never mind.

Jim S. · #16 10/04/07, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocM

Big deal if I have a big house, an SUV (to pull my livestock trailer), and a couple 3 or 4 other cars. Nobody here is paying my insurance bills, mortgage, or utility bills, and my tree hugger nature ensures I'm leaving a way smaller environmental footprint than a lot of "hillbillies".

I've found that most of my "rich" friends who have a lot of toys are really up to their eyeballs in debt. One job loss, and they would be underwater. I'll take living below my means, thanks.

Melissa · #17 10/04/07, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocM

I'm rich enough not to worry about it, but cheap enough to do it anyway. I am constantly amazed at the judgmental comments and assumptions on these boards about people with money, how those who have a little must be morally deficient or something. Big deal if I have a big house, an SUV (to pull my livestock trailer), and a couple 3 or 4 other cars. Nobody here is paying my insurance bills, mortgage, or utility bills, and my tree hugger nature ensures I'm leaving a way smaller environmental footprint than a lot of "hillbillies".

I always think that you have to be somewhat frugal to accumulate any money to begin with. I know people who earn huge salaries and spend it as fast as they get it. I also know people who earn very small amounts of money but use it wisely and actually have a net worth. As far as net worth, I am rich, but if you look at our yearly income, it is much below "poverty level." The only reason I have a net worth is because of frugal living. When I read about people here who are "rich" I want to learn from them, not judge them.

Shinsan · #18 10/04/07, 08:22 AM

I shop with a list restricted to the things we need, look for bargains, spend up a bit on bulk supplies to save further down the line, make my own as much as possible....what I save Chi spends on chocolate. (I'm trying to laugh about it.)

BAmaBubba · #19 10/04/07, 08:24 AM

~raising hand sheepishly~

There are many areas where I'm not frugal. I'm trying my best and have improved drastically over the past year but still have a LONG way to go. Of course, I *wish* I had the money not to worry about it but, alas, it wasn't meant to be

Tricky Grama · #20 10/04/07, 08:27 AM

I'm sometimes 'pennywise & pound foolish' like shopping for a gift-I try to get the most for my $$ & then end up spending far more than the gift on postage! (which could be a whole 'nother "rant thread"! Its gone waaaay to high!)
My daughter who used to spend $1000.00 on a suit calls me cheap. hmmmm.

Patty