Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Cheap Vs. Frugal

So for years I have called Prince Charming "Cheap."  But I recently read an article called "Being Frugal vs. Being Cheap" at Live Renewed and started to wonder if maybe he's just frugal.

Example 1:
Cheap:  He would rather 1 ply toilet paper.
Frugal: He doesn't complain when I buy the good stuff.

Example 2:
Cheap:  He drives a vehicle that has no air conditioning and the windows don't roll down.
Frugal:  He drives my old van because he bought me a new new-to-me van so the kids and I could have A/C, automatic doors, and windows that roll down.

Example 3:
Cheap:  He never lets me buy any big purchase.
Frugal:  He shops around until he finds it cheaper (although sometimes he can't find one, and once he agrees to the purchase, the item/sale is gone!)

Example 4:
Cheap:  We bought a 5000 sq ft house 6 years ago, and have only finished remodeling 3 of the 4 bathrooms (actually one was a half bath and we only changed the floor and the commode).
Frugal:  We bought the house as an investment and have already increased the value by $60,000!

Example 5:
Cheap:  He always wants to know how much I have paid for things
Frugal:  He never complains or makes me return the purchases- he just likes to know that I looked at the price.  I used to be a pretty bad shopper and would spend $300-500 in a day, and not really even know what I bought.

I think, in the end, maybe he really is cheap, but he has taught me to be frugal, and since I am the one who does 99% of the shopping for the family, maybe, just maybe, his cheapness is a good thing!  We've never been able to do the classic budget cuts since those things usually weren't options to begin with- Prince Charming makes most of the repairs on our home (he's very handy), I don't get my hair colored (no grays yet!), we don't spend a lot on clothes- buying on sale and off season), we eat at home 6 nights a week, etc.

What are some things you do to cut your budget?


4 comments:

  1. I think this is a good exercise to use when feeling frustrated about money. My husband and I don't always see eye to eye about finances, but I have found that I can have some pretty bad spending habits. When we disagree, it's usually because I feel embarrassed that I do spend a lot of money, so it's easier to call him cheap. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter. :)

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  2. Plan my meals 2 weeks in advance and then paruse the weekly circulars. I only go to one store most of the time since Wal-Mart price matches on things that aren't labeled buy one get one or 10/$10. I can spend around $50 for 2 weeks worth of meals for our family of 3(4- my hubby eats enough for 2 but my 3MO only eats from me). The next week's shopping trip is usually only staples. I also make my own detergent and fabric softener etc. :)

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  3. @The PatesThanks for reminding me! I keep thinking I need to check the circulrs, but that is one habit I haven't started yet.

    Lisa!
    http://sunla-designs.blogspot.com

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  4. My husband is very handy too... saves a lot on car repairs. The past couple of months we have had some issues with each car. But thanks to him instead of a mechanic bill of $800+ we got out for parts & his time. About $250! What a deal!!??! Frugal or Cheap, either way we saved a bundle!!

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