Are You Frugal?

I think I'm "frugal" because my parents grew up during the Great Depression and, in a way, I sort of "inherited" it. They saved things most people would throw away. Always looking for a bargain (even in good financial times), I was once jokingly told that I was cheap.

I said "I'm not cheap, .... I'm frugal"
 
There was a time when I had to be frugal .. otherwise, I wouldn't have made it from paycheck to paycheck.

Being a stay-at-home-Mom, I had to budget. We did without annual vacations, but it wasn't a hardship. We also helped out my sister who was widowed young with 2 small children.

I still price-check, and don't purchase items frivolously (for myself). However, I am not the same with buying for others.
 
@moviequeen1 and @Kayelle It's too bad you are not taking advantage of cash back rewards and sign up bonuses. People who don't wish to hold a balance on credit cards are perfect candidates for reaping these rewards as long as they pay off the balances in full each month. In 2019 I got back $635 and this year so far, $1,232 in bonus and cash back rewards. I'm expecting at least $58 more by year's end.
 
win231 said:
I am frugal - within certain limits.
When I'm paying people to do work in my house - like plumbers, etc. I never bargain; I pay whatever they ask, especially if the work is physical, like major plumbing. I think it's insulting to bargain someone down for their labor.
I may shop around for a few estimates for major home repairs, but once I decide on someone, I don't bargain.

I do price shop extensively when buying things.
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Ditto on your entire post, and especially agree with the portion I bolded.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
@moviequeen1 and @Kayelle It's too bad you are not taking advantage of cash back rewards and sign up bonuses. People who don't wish to hold a balance on credit cards are perfect candidates for reaping these rewards as long as they pay off the balances in full each month. In 2019 I got back $635 and this year so far, $1,232 in bonus and cash back rewards. I'm expecting at least $58 more by year's end.
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Hey, Diva...where do you get the "bonus" back from - what cards I mean?
Love the Amazon 5% - it really adds up, and other cards normal discounts, too.
 
This brought back a memory from years ago. Hubby and I were shopping and I saw a dress I liked . He said "Just buy it." I said that I didn't need it and he said "That's what I mean about you,you're cheap". I said "If I wasn't cheap you wouldn't be able to buy a $400.00 suit. " Times were tough then and I felt it was more important for him to get what he needed. After that he never called me cheap again.
 
Liberty said:
Hey, Diva...where do you get the "bonus" back from - what cards I mean?
Love the Amazon 5% - it really adds up, and other cards normal discounts, too.
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Liberty, I have several cards, some of which I only signed up for because of their cash back policies and/or bonuses. I have Chase Freedom and Discover, both of which have quarterly 5% cash back categories. I'm not crazy about American Express (my motto for them...don't leave home without another card) but they offered $150 bonus and have a constant 3% cash back at grocery stores. I have the Citi Double Cashback card which gives 2% back. I had gotten the Chase Freedom Unlimited card because they were offering $150 bonus plus 15 months 0% APR at a time when I thought I'd be paying for some renovation materials. I have the Amazon Prime card but recently got the Prime Store Card because they offered $60 bonus plus an additional $10 and 2% on purchases when re-loading the card with $100, which, of course, winds up being a better deal than their 5%.
 
Guess we'd have to define the word "frugal". What would be frugal to one person might be a lifestyle staple to another. Hub says I'm tighter than the bark on the north side of a cherry tree and "we'll never live long enough to spend all our money so why do you care"...lol.

The older I get the more I really detest getting ripped off. For instance, told our electric provider they better sharpen the pencil or I was going elsewhere -better give me the "new customer" rate.

They gave me such a deal on a 30 month contract rate, but then called them back last month and said I didn't see any difference during the high use season: the rep told me to call back in Oct. as they did specials then. So, called back and they cut it some more.

Now I've got such a deal I should cover my own ears so even I shouldn't hear it.Wondering when I would get to the very very very lowest rate...lol.
Think of all the households that just pay the monthly bill without trying to get a better rate from their providers.
 
Liberty said:
Guess we'd have to define the word "frugal". What would be frugal to one person might be a lifestyle staple to another. Hub says I'm tighter than the bark on the north side of a cherry tree and "we'll never live long enough to spend all our money so why do you care"...lol.

The older I get the more I really detest getting ripped off. For instance, told our electric provider they better sharpen the pencil or I was going elsewhere -better give me the "new customer" rate.

They gave me such a deal on a 30 month contract rate, but then called them back last month and said I didn't see any difference during the high use season: the rep told me to call back in Oct. as they did specials then. So, called back and they cut it some more.

Now I've got such a deal I should cover my own ears so even I shouldn't hear it.Wondering when I would get to the very very very lowest rate...lol.
Think of all the households that just pay the monthly bill without trying to get a better rate from their providers.
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Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! LOL 🤑 Good for you Liberty!
 
Liberty said:
Guess we'd have to define the word "frugal". What would be frugal to one person might be a lifestyle staple to another. Hub says I'm tighter than the bark on the north side of a cherry tree and "we'll never live long enough to spend all our money so why do you care"...lol.

The older I get the more I really detest getting ripped off. For instance, told our electric provider they better sharpen the pencil or I was going elsewhere -better give me the "new customer" rate.

They gave me such a deal on a 30 month contract rate, but then called them back last month and said I didn't see any difference during the high use season: the rep told me to call back in Oct. as they did specials then. So, called back and they cut it some more.

Now I've got such a deal I should cover my own ears so even I shouldn't hear it.Wondering when I would get to the very very very lowest rate...lol.
Think of all the households that just pay the monthly bill without trying to get a better rate from their providers.
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You may be in Texas but you sure sound like a NY-er.
 
When I was a single parent, I had to be very careful with my limited income. That is a habit I can’t really break. DH reminds me to buy what I want, I just want it to be on sale.

I must admit being thrifty disappeared during the first couple of months of Covid. I was in the store and out as fast as possible, no fussing about prices.
 
My parents were Depression era kids - I'd wager that's true for most on this forum. They weren't foolish with their money, but lived well and never skimped on good food.

During my adult life I've had periods of greater and lesser financial resources. I knew how to pull in my horns during difficult times and to enjoy without being wasteful during better times.
 
I have never been good with money and tend to have extravagant tastes. It's under much better control now because I live on a fixed income and don't need or want as much as time goes by.

After going through a very rough financial period many years ago I learned that I can get by on very little, and that possessions and objects are not substitutes for having what really matters.
 
Its a difficult question for me to answer, but I would say that I'm cheap, frugal and quality dependent. I will fix and repair always before purchasing a new replacement. I can't justify purchasing a 50K pickup when the restored antique pickup trucks that I have and use will do the job just as well, it my opinion they are more attractive and with only a third of the maintenance costs. As some know, I love to restore historic properties, and I will not buy a 12' long board that has sometimes 4 finger joints ( the splicing of shorter boards together to make it longer) than buying a true one piece board. Nor will I pay $60.00 for a piece of oak moulding when I can buy the boards in the rough, machine and fabricate the boards myself to match the original for a fraction of that cost. I know it's a bit of a complicated answer but the best I can do honestly.
 
Gaer said:
The price of butter in my local grocery goes from $1.99 a lb. to $5.49 per lb. during the year. I just caught it at $1.99 a lb, and bought $20.00 worth to last all year.
Food prices are soaring, so I get what's on sale now.
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Gosh, the price of butter today.

I buy nothing but real butter, and I buy a European brand with no added colouring or salt. Have for years, and while I pay a good amount more for it, the quality and taste makes it well worth it.
 
Devi said:
What brand would that be, @Aunt Marg? I'd love to know.
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Here the butter I buy.

Now Dairyland is Canadian, so my bet is it's not available in the States, however, there are a number of other European style butters out there, and I encourage you to try one.

Speaking for myself, I like the idea of no artificial colours or salt.

Butter Flavors and Nutrition Facts | Dairyland
 


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