What do you think of when?

[jmarie]

What do you think of when you hear the word frugal.
As compared to tight wad or spend thrift. DH and I were having this discussion and he absolutely doesn't think that he is frugal, in fact, got a little insulted when I told him I thought he was frugal. I meant it as a compliment as we were comparing the various spending habits of a couple of friends of his, to him.

Just interested in other opinions .
Joyce

[lindrusso]

FWIW - I don't think of stingy or cheap when I hear the word frugal. I think of someone who is careful with his/her money, not miserly. For me, there is a difference. I think you can be thrifty and spend wisely without being Ebenezer Scrooge. :)

[615bride]

I agree. IMO, frugal does not have the negative connotation that other similar words have. I wouldn't mind being called frugal whereas it might sting to be called cheap or stingy.

[jmarie]

Thank you! You said what I was having a hard time finding the right words to say!!!!! DH is very careful with his money. He is absolutely sure when he wants something and there are usually no regrets. We have one friend who decides he wants something and then goes and buys the first one of them he sees and then finds problems or isn't satisified with it and always loses money in the re-selling of the item. And the thing is that he never learns from his mistakes. The other friend is miserly, suspicious of everyone and always worried someone is going to find out his business, to the the point of being paranoid.

I think DH thought I was calling him miserly, is why he took offense.

[Aubergine]

a third agreement. "frugal," to me, has no negative connotations; on the contrary, it implies someone who is cautious and careful with money, as in "The Frugal Gourmet." kinda like the opposite of "spendthrift."

to me, frugal does not mean miserly, tight-wad, stingy, cheap, etc. etc. etc. heck, it doesn't even mean penurious, which is a $50 word for watching every penny.

it reminds me of the old Aesop's fable about the ant and the grasshopper; the ant was wise and saved food for the winter; the grasshopper played all summer and had nothing to fall back on come winter.

[sharris315]

I am frugal. That doesn't mean I deprive myself of anything. It simply means I am aware of what I spend and don't waste my money. I still "treat" myself to splurges as I choose--I am just in CONTROL of what I spend. I don't miss anything! ;)


In short, being called "frugal" is not a bad thing...

Shar

[Clover]

To me, frugal means careful with money, not wasteful, so it's a good thing. However, I think it's often used as a euphemism for stingy when people don't want to come right out and say that, so I can see that your DH might take it the wrong way.

[sneezles]

I think of frugal as being "penny wise" but I also think that someone who is frugal will buy cheap in most cases (ie store brand instead of name brand) which is not necessarily a bad thing just a nature of the being, IMHO!

And for the record I am a spend thrift and not afraid to admit it! :p

[Canice]

To me, frugal means careful with money, not wasteful, so it's a good thing. However, I think it's often used as a euphemism for stingy when people don't want to come right out and say that, so I can see that your DH might take it the wrong way.

My thoughts exactly! I think the difference lies in whether you say the word in italics or not :p .
I have a friend who graduated from cheap to frugal, and going out with her is a totally different experience now; frugal, I respect - cheap is just plain obnoxious.

[Jewel]

I've had this discussion with my father since I was a little girl. He's fairly comfortable now in his retirement, but when I was young it was paycheck to paycheck like most families. I used to call him "cheap" and his response was "I'm not cheap...I'm thrifty". :rolleyes: He would sometimes sub the word 'frugal' for 'thrifty'. In his opinion, cheap means not letting lose of your money unless you absolutely have to. Thrifty and frugal mean you don't necessarily buy less, you just look for the absolute best deal when you do buy. We finally came up with "Frugal people think before they buy, Cheap people rarely buy......" ;)

[Aubergine]

jewel, i like that, b/c thrifty, in my mind, is what frugal means. money-conscious. making do, making use of, waiting until money is saved before purchasing a big-ticket item. getting the best price, yes, but on a quality item that, in the long run, will far outlast "cheap" purchases, like some of the things i have bought over the past 25 years that are still going strong.

[LakeMartinGal]

Just a little story I heard once about a Scotsman, noted for being thrifty/frugal. His son had needed glasses, and when the wife took the boy shopping, she was admonished to take the boy's glasses off when he wasn't looking at anything! ;)

A cheap person would not have purchased the glasses at all, or bought some second-hand, prescription notwithstanding... :rolleyes:

[wallycat]

To me, frugal means you want bang for your buck.
If you find, say, a bottle of wine that is worthy and deserving of $50.00, you will buy it; if you can find a bottle of wine that captures the taste, value, and need for $6.00, you will get that instead.
In other words, you don't skimp or cheat yourself of things overall, you just want to make sure that the amount you are spending is worth (for you) the item purchased.

[Aubergine]

lakemartin, the Scots are notoriously frugal, lol. they give new meaning to the word.

[ellielk]

Frugal: Practicing or marked by economy, as in the expenditure of money or the use of material resources

Miser: One who lives very meagerly in order to hoard money.

So, someone who is frugal is careful with their money while someone who is miserly doesn't spend so they can hoard what they have.

[BarbaraL]

I've had this discussion with my father since I was a little girl. He's fairly comfortable now in his retirement, but when I was young it was paycheck to paycheck like most families. I used to call him "cheap" and his response was "I'm not cheap...I'm thrifty". :rolleyes: He would sometimes sub the word 'frugal' for 'thrifty'. In his opinion, cheap means not letting lose of your money unless you absolutely have to. Thrifty and frugal mean you don't necessarily buy less, you just look for the absolute best deal when you do buy. We finally came up with "Frugal people think before they buy, Cheap people rarely buy......" ;)

I like this! I have no problem with the term frugal, but maybe thrifty is even better. My parents, who lived through the Depression, were very careful with their money. Growing up, we didn't get some of the expensive, faddish toys that alot of other kids got - naturally we felt somewhat deprived. I was stunned to hear we were considered the "rich" branch of the family - by relatives who had gorgeous clothes, jewelry, furniture, etc but not a penny in the bank. Now, I'm the same way. I don't deny myself things I really want, but am careful what I buy, especially "impulse" buys. Sometimes I walk away, and go back later, and find I really don't want the item that much anyway. I also prefer to have a few quality items than alot of junk. By the way, I have Scottish ancestry . . .

[GingerPow]

Another great thread Joyce!

My grandfather was not only of Scottish descent, but he and my grandmother clearly remembered what it took to survive the depression. They shopped the supermarket sales, and clipped coupons.
Last night's dinner leftovers is today's lunch.
Shopping was a necessity, not entertainment. If they needed something, they waited until they had the money for it. They were not the "instant gratification" generation.

I picked up many tips from them. If I need something I check T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Target and the sales rack or shelf of the stores first. I do shop the supermarket sales. I'm not as frugal as my grandparents, but I just detest wasting money, so I do what I can.

One of the best books I have ever read was "The Millionare Next Door." It makes BarbaraL's point: the people we see with expensive cars, jewelry, clothes, etc. may not have a penny in the bank. It's all bought on credit, these people are usually over extended and their future salary is already spent.

The people who live simply, drive the same car for 10 years, don't wear fancy clothes or flashy jewelry often have quite a bit of cash and investments!

I agree with Canice's point - frugal is fine, very smart in fact. Cheap IS obnoxious. Ugh!

My best friend has said (about herself) for years, "I'm so cheap, I squeak." She is actually not cheap at all, but I would say frugal.

[erinlovesmarc]

I agree with Wallycat...I take Frugal to mean that one is trying to get the most bang for their buck...

I'm extremely frugal...I always take it as a compliment when people say that I am frugal...I especially got called frugal during the planning of our wedding...I found bargains on everything...hey...every penny counts! :D

[Aubergine]

i kid you not, i awoke in the middle of the night from a dream about this, and the thought, "waste not, want not" sprang to mind, at 3 a.m.

are we all children of parents who lived through the Depression, and/or Scots?