Are You Frugal?

Liberty said:
Lets put it this way StarSong... think if you take a whiff of both of them and then taste them, you'll be able to tell the difference. Only buy the French when they don't have any "Kerrygold". Still formulate food part time for some clients, so let me put it this way...wouldn't use it to make those special "butter" cookies or to slather on top of your priceless homemade bread.
Click to expand...
I buy regular unsalted butter and only use it for cookies. (My own diet ranges between 95% - 99% plant based, depending on the season.) Given that I go through over 20 lbs of butter for giveaway cookies during the holidays, I'm not spending nearly 3X the amount for Irish or French butter. My friends' palates aren't quite that sophisticated anyway. To be honest, they're just thrilled to see their packages of Christmas cookies arrive in the mail. :p

I appreciate the information though and will store it in the back of my brain for future reference.
 

StarSong said:
I buy regular unsalted butter and only use it for cookies. (My own diet ranges between 95% - 99% plant based, depending on the season.) Given that I go through over 20 lbs of butter for giveaway cookies during the holidays, I'm not spending nearly 3X the amount for Irish or French butter. My friends' palates aren't quite that sophisticated anyway. To be honest, they're just thrilled to see their packages of Christmas cookies arrive in the mail. :p

I appreciate the information though and will store it in the back of my brain for future reference.
Click to expand...
Most of the "across the pond" butters are grass fed, unlike American butters. Here what you are saying about the "giveaways" at Christmas. Agree on that - save your bucks for something with more "bang" for the buck.
 
I wish I could change some things from the past and save that money instead of spending it. Didn't get into debt though with credit cards. I'll say yes at this time of my life. I don't need much. I'm not into a bunch of clothes. I don't need any more jewelry. I can eat cheap if I have to.
 

OneEyedDiva said:
If so, are you frugal because you want to be or have to be? I'm frugal because I want to be and finding bargains is fun. In what ways are you frugal?
Click to expand...
Frugal yes I want value for what I buy. This week Smith's grocery has bone in choice N Y Strip roasts on sale for $3.99 a lb. Usually 8 to 12 lbs. a roast. What I like about Smith's is I can take that roast back to the butcher shop & have it cut down into strip steaks. Always nice to have steak ready to BBQ if the kids pop in
 
Victor said:
what is the difference between frugal, thrifty and cheap. Is frugal a nice word for cheap?
Click to expand...
Frugal: Knowing how to make things last, being economical, wise, and resourceful.

Thrifty: Watching ones every step pertaining to spending, buying, and having.

Cheap: Crying when one has to part with a nickel. Refusing to replace things that need replacing, because the expense may alter ones net worth, regardless of how miniscule the amount may be.
 
Last edited:
I try hard to be. I clip coupons, shop sales, etc. I just like havng money left at the end of the month. My frugality allowed me to be able to pay my full insurance co-pay last week ($500) when I had to have body work done on my car ( I'd had a close encounter with one of those cement barriers in a parking lot) without dipping into savings, or using credit card.
 
As I have read here, coupons can require you to buy something you really don't want to take advantage of the coupon.... that isn't saving.... that is spending. Instead of buying Tide Pods, I buy the largest box of oxydol I can find, I think that is 80 in a bag... I use two a year. Even cheaper and probably better, make your own laundry soap. I used to think I had to have Tide, but I don't any more. I just have to have clean clothes. I don't buy fabric softener, I use a large bag of loose wool instead. Dries your clothes with one-third less power.

One item I MUST have.... Cascade.... nothing but. I buy economical food, or I grow my own... don't waste any food. What I don't eat within three days goes into the freezer or becomes dog food. I cook almost all my meals from scratch, can everything in site.

I don't shop Walmart.... they sell cheap China products that aren't worth what you pay for them... or cheap clothes.

For several years, I worked at Christmas somewhere that would sell toys just to get the 10% employee discount.

I mystery shop for a lot of what I need.... Today, I visited three Casey stores. I only got paid $9 for shopping each store... but I got a $5 reimbursement. Picked up two 15-packs of Diet Coke and 1 24-pack of water. These items will be reimbursed to me.

Being creative is not "cheap"... it is being sensible.
 
@Ellen Marie You are right about the coupons. I use them, but rarely for items I would not normally buy. I have brand loyalty to a few things, so it is a bonus if I score a coupon. I often will use one for something that I use, but am not totally loyal to a specific brand. Used wisely, coupons can be a plus
 
Not quite as frugal as I used to be. About two months back I stopped putting the almost empty & hard to squeeze toothpaste tube under a board & driving my car over the board to squeeze those last few drops out.

Maybe I really am frugal because I just figured out that starting the car & running it uses more gas than those last few drops of toothpaste are worth :)
 
Wilberforce said:
I agree it is a misunderstood word. Frugal doesn't mean cheap it means to be careful and spend wisely. Penny pinching isn't frugal either , it is also cheap, especially when it causes hardship like the post about the burgers..Cheap is when you take a jam jar that you have just used the last of , add water swish it around and serve it as fruit juice!! I knew a family who had their toilet tissue rationed, Dad gave them a roll which had to last a fixed period of time , if you ran out there was no more till the next time, that is not frugal it is mean.

Glad to see someone appreciates their heirloom tomatoes, I am a seed saver, tomatoes, squash and beans particularly. so always lots of tomato choices here. I too donate my surplus . I do miss my acreage though as space is so limited now.
I hate to buy seeds, it seems so unnecessary with all the seed swapping that goes on. I couldn't in a 100 years grow all that I have but it is a bit addictive. I wonder if there is a tomato with a name that suggests frugality.I will have to check that one LOL


I am yearning for that crab again now, I should not have chatted about it.
Click to expand...
I am frugal by nature. I was raised that way. I have a very good retirement, not rich, not poor. I will admit it I ever had a chance to buy that crab, I would do it with no hesitation, just for the experience!
 
My father grew up during the Great Depression so he was beyond frugal for good reason. He later became successful and would buy us nice things, but he would always research them to death before buying so he made sure they were the absolute best quality and would last forever. Although we would end up with the best, it would take years to get there.

Since we often choose a road very different than our parents, I was anything but frugal in my 40's. I spent every dime I made on new cars, clothes, home furnishings, etc. It was only in my 50's that I realized I needed to start saving. This was after my father passed away and I realized I needed to become the responsible one. I socked every penny I could into my 401k. I'm so glad I did.

I do consider myself frugal these days. I've owned the same car for almost 6 years. We've been in the same house for 16 years. I've slowed down my driving to conserve gas. I look at the points I've earned at various grocery stores and redeem them at their gas stations. I put everything I can on my credit card to earn cash back.

So, essentially I've come full circle and have become my Dad.
 
dseag2 said:
My father grew up during the Great Depression so he was beyond frugal for good reason. He later became successful and would buy us nice things, but he would always research them to death before buying so he made sure they were the absolute best quality and would last forever. Although we would end up with the best, it would take years to get there.

Since we often choose a road very different than our parents, I was anything but frugal in my 40's. I spent every dime I made on new cars, clothes, home furnishings, etc. It was only in my 50's that I realized I needed to start saving. This was after my father passed away and I realized I needed to become the responsible one. I socked every penny I could into my 401k. I'm so glad I did.

I do consider myself frugal these days. I've owned the same car for almost 6 years. We've been in the same house for 16 years. I've slowed down my driving to conserve gas. I look at the points I've earned at various grocery stores and redeem them at their gas stations. I put everything I can on my credit card to earn cash back.

So, essentially I've come full circle and have become my Dad.
Click to expand...
Never was a big spender. I ran the budget in married life. I had do things in a certain way. Make sure everything was paid on time. Saved a certain amount for retirement. Made sure my son could pursue things he wanted to do. Last but not least had some leeway built in for the hubby. For some strange reason he always wanted to have a couple hundred in his wallet. LOL.

In the same home we bought twenty nine years ago. Drive a 14 yr old car that only has 40M miles. Son was sent to college without student loans. I watch every penny I spend but I don't go without anything I need. I never met anyone named Jones so I don't worry about what they do. LOL
 
I greatly respect being disciplined with money.

In this house, we have eaten way too much ramen and mac n' cheese to save money.

Pretty sure that is a bad financial idea, because if we trash our health, our increased medical bills are going to be far more than what we would have saved by just eating junk.
 
JonSR77 said:
I greatly respect being disciplined with money.

In this house, we have eaten way too much ramen and mac n' cheese to save money.

Pretty sure that is a bad financial idea, because if we trash our health, our increased medical bills are going to be far more than what we would have saved by just eating junk.
Click to expand...
Your sodium consumption must've been astronomical ! :LOL: So I'm hoping ya'll gave up that diet.

@Ellen Marie My late DIL was a whiz when it came to coupons. She even taught a couple of classes on how to use them. She wound up giving expensive attendance gifts which I'm sure either made her break even (if not operating at a loss) with what she collected in fees from we attendees. She once walked out of the supermarket spending $75 on $300 worth of groceries (yes...all stuff she used). Another time, she paid nothing...absolutely nothing for a cart full of groceries!
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Your sodium consumption must've been astronomical ! :LOL: So I'm hoping ya'll gave up that diet.

@Ellen Marie My late DIL was a whiz when it came to coupons. She even taught a couple of classes on how to use them. She wound up giving expensive attendance gifts which I'm sure either made her break even (if not operating at a loss) with what she collected in fees from we attendees. She once walked out of the supermarket spending $75 on $300 worth of groceries (yes...all stuff she used). Another time, she paid nothing...absolutely nothing for a cart full of groceries!
Click to expand...

Well, yes. But we still eat a lot of canned food and frozen food. The money is just not there to do otherwise. I try to keep fresh fruit and salad fixings here...but generally, our diet would be a lot healthier if we weren't living paycheck to paycheck.
 
Have always been a wise shopper......price check, sales.
Saving, yes.
If there was something i really wanted, i waited, sometimes got a good deal, sometimes, didn't, so i didn't get it.
I make sure there is always money to keep up repairs and maintenance on my house......have been thinking a lot about the cost of maintenance of my place being just me here.....I really don't need this big house, or this huge yard.
I try to shop wisely on groceries, but it seems sometimes expensive for just one.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top