Showcase: You! week 5
I was busy giving birth so we skipped this feature for the last week or two, but I want to hear from you all! Here's the question of the week:
Is it ever possible to be too frugal? How about frugal enough? Have you ever been too frugal?
OK, so it's 3 questions. Pick one, or answer all 3. Do it here in the comments, or post on your blog then come back and leave a link. We want to know we're not alone in our frugality!
Want more like this post? Read on!
- Family Feasts for $75 a week: author interview and giveaway update: Comments are closed and a winner has been chosen. ...
- Family Feasts for $75 a Week: A winner and the interview! Thank you to everyone who participated by asking questions. We...
- We Have a Wedding A Week from Today!! This is a two-part post. I've written about some of...
- Quick! I need frugal/money related quotes I'm working on a fun little bit of script inspired...
- Baby Wipes, Shower Gift and Fun Giveaways Most of us have heard about how to make our...
12 Responses to “Showcase: You! week 5”
July 17th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I tend to be to frugal when grocery shopping – I’m just not willing to pay top dollar for fresh fruits and veggies that we really don’t want to eat anyway. That’s something that I’ll definitely have to strive to do better on when we have children. I don’t want them growing up likeing apple danishes for breakfast better than an actual apple!
My fiance is frugal to a fault – he sets the air at 80, and I have to threaten not to cook to get it down to 78. But he has two weaknesses – tobacco and me. He wastes close to $100 a month on dip. He wastes far more than that buying me gifts for Christmas, my birthday, and especially with our engagement. I get cashiers in the grocery store or the drug store commenting on how beautiful my ring is.
July 17th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Funny you should ask that,I guess it depends on people.I am frugal in grocery shopping,try to be good with heating,AC and water(live in North Carolina with a drought).Now in the 80’s when we were a two income couple with no kids we sadly were not that frugal!Had to learn the hard way.
I remeber reading the Tighwad Gazzette books and AMY D said that frugal was a way of life for her.She had the patience to redecorate shoes and find ways to reuse dryer lint.Sorry I buy brand new shoes for children and dryer lint is for the trash.SHe mad money for being frugal but I guess I won’t!
July 17th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I have a tendency to be too frugal a LOT. My husband, however, is a spendthrift and I think we balance each other out.
I pinch every penny with the grocery budget, but once in a while, husband dear declares we are eating out or buying a brisket to grill or going to have a beef roast (and he cooks it! LOL!). If it were up to me, we’d have lentils almost every night; up to him, and it’d be beef with a side of butter every night. But we balance.
I pinch the pennies on the clothes, and always shop the thrift stores (and I even think Goodwill is overpriced! LOL!). But once in a while, he will buy me something new and special, or one of the children something or other that he sees at the store. Once he came home from work with three bags of maternity clothes -desperately needed but I wouldn’t spend the money on them – for me. (Maybe he was tired of seeing me in HIS sweats and tee shirts!)
I think “practically” and he thinks “prettily” believe it or not, and together we are a perfect team.
I’m more likely to “make do” and he’s more likely to “do it right”.
And yes, I HAVE used duct tape on shoes! Now that is too frugal!
July 17th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I believe it is possible to be too frugal. I have found time and time again that jumping into a purchase by buying the cheapest available item is not always the most frugal investment. While some items appear to be cheaper in the initial purchase, their quality, or lack thereof often will cost you in higher energy costs, upkeep and repairs.
When considering the cost of an item it is important to always consider the cost of the item over it’s intended life cycle.
In being overly frugal at the cash register this has cost me lots of cash in the long run.
In an effort to be frugal we often jump into the the most frugal item at the till instead of doing it right and reasearching.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:50 am
BTW,
Congrats on the little one!
July 17th, 2008 at 10:45 am
My oldest son was very sensitive to sound as a baby. I considered buying a white-noise machine to help him tune out all the creaks and groans of our 100 year old house, but decided I should be frugal.
Bad mistake. A baby who doesn’t get enough sleep is a very hard-to-parent, cranky, unhappy baby, and thus I was stressed and sleep deprived more than necessary.
And no, a fan wouldn’t work in our situation.
I was too frugal. Sleep is not a luxury!
July 17th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Congratulations on the new babe!
I think it’s absolutely possible. My Grandma used to call it being “penny wise and pound foolish”– cutting corners on something now that will end up costing you in the future.
July 17th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Here are my thoughts on when I was too frugal (and I do think it is possible…but its very individual too!
http://crosbeans.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-frugal-is-too-frugal.html
July 17th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I decided to answer your first question by adding a list of the Top 5 true stories that might seem to be too frugal!
http://www.ourfrugallife.com/
July 18th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Yes, I think it is possible to be too frugal. It comes when you don’t share with others because you are holding what you have too tight. When we first moved to AL and had two house payments, I was trying to feed 7 of us on $300 a month (and that is if I had all other areas in budget) My daughter would bring home friends who wanted food. We were stretched to the max but when I was making spaghetti it would have 1/2 lb of meat and when they came I would add another jar of sauce to stretch it. We added beans and rice to tacos and other dishes. We ate nothing but stirfries or casseroles or meals where I just added a little meat. I see people that don’t enjoy life because they are always punching the numbers. Occasionally splurge when it is something that either makes you feel treated like a specialty coffee or an outing with the family like a movie or bowling or water park. We can’t live with no fun in our lives, but that doesn’t mean we have to live to have materialistic fun! I think it is too frugal to buy things of lesser quality because of price. Sometimes it is worth paying more for things that are going to last longer or have better features. It is all a balance in our lives of watching how we spend our money. How do you want to spend your money? If I can save on groceries, a little on electricity, a little on clothes and in other areas I can then have money to put towards things like supporting a missionary or a special trip or retirement.
July 20th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
frugalness is a way of life; I have always stocked up on toilet paper, etc; when on sale; why pay full price for it? all school supplies etc, get gotten at the cheapest possible prices, as they come out; staples, target, walmart,etc; however: many goes to the school for others to be passed out as need arises; (teachers buy a great deal to be sure their students are stocked folks); I try & get the addl 70% off lowest marked clothes at Fred Meyers; & have gotten similar at JC Penneys; paying $4 or so for grandsons jeans orig $48 & up; always buy out of season; BUT then you always have $ for ribeye steaks when on sale for $4.29;etc; it is wonderful to have steak dinners for $5 with the very best steaks to be found anywhere; so living well on less money out & still having $ to give to others in need; is fantastic; esp when on disability; SMILE! common sense isn’t so common anymore!
July 21st, 2008 at 8:09 am
I’m frugal on some things but not on other things – just depends on my mood. I wish I could be MORE frugal.
Leave a Comment