My “Frugal” versus “Cheap” Rant

March 21st, 2006

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Beauty in the UrnHas this happened to you? You are rolling along in your life, making good, frugal decisions, and all of a sudden WHAM! Someone tells you that you’re not frugal - your CHEAP! Maybe it was one of your kids who wanted something that cost more just because it has a certain insignia on it. Maybe it was your significant other who had their eye on some new “toy”. Maybe it was a friend who couldn’t understand why you said “no” to making an unplanned trip to go shopping.

I’m certainly no Webster’s dictionary, but I do have my own definitions of “frugal” and “cheap”. I feel there’s a difference between frugal and cheap. “Frugal” gets the job done right without wasting money. “Cheap” is having the money and still avoiding getting the job done.

Now, that’s not a bad way of looking at it, right?

I’m not sure when or why being frugal got such a bad rap. Yes, those of us devoted to it don’t see anything bad about it at all. But we do have those in our lives who just don’t get it. They think its too much work to be frugal, or that other people will think poorly (pun inteneded) of them if they’re frugal, or (my personal favorite) that they DESERVE to splurge on things for themselves.

I deserve to have a good night’s sleep not worrying about paying the bills. I deserve to be able to eat and live well. I deserve to have limited stress sources. I deserve all the things that being “frugal” helps me have - the tangible stuff and the intangibles. How about you?

Your Frugal Decorating Diva,

Nancy

Posted in Rants |

1 Comment to ‘My “Frugal” versus “Cheap” Rant’:

  1. martha pitts on 17 Mar 2007 at 8:47 am: 1

    Nancy

    I truly agree with you. My Aunt has a saying that one can carry more out the front door than the one coming in the back door. I don’t consider myself cheap, but I too deserve to be able to lay my head down on my pillow at night and not worry that someone will come and get my bed and pillow before the next night, because I can’t pay for it, because I choose to spend on other things so others don’t think I am “cheap”.

    I have been married 38 almost 39 years to the same man and he used to want every toy, car, truck he saw, but he finally grew up, so did my children. Have a bother in law that doesn’t own any furniture in their house, they rent everything! He is an EMT and she is a LPN, FIL was not saving and but my MIL is and always has money for anyone of her son’s or daughter in law’s that need it, but I have never ask but once, and that was when I had to quit work due to my health. She is not cheap, she is FRUGAL!

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