I have been thinking about why people are frugal or why they become frugal. I find it an interesting topic because many people equate being frugal with being miserly. But, from my own experience and the other frugal people’s experience that I know, that is not the case.
Why are we frugal? I think that, in most cases, it is because we need to be in order to make our paychecks pay for the necessities, and some wants, in our lives. That certainly fits me and most others that I know.
The second type of person is frugal because they have a goal they are working towards. The goal can be to have a stay-at-home parent in the house, save for children’s college or retirement or whatever their personal goals are. Many people are in this category and the good frugal habits they cultivate often stay with them throughout their lives.
The third type of person that is frugal are people that are born frugal. They are the kids who have so much cash in their piggy bank that their parents borrow from them when they are short on cash. Sometimes these people grow up with frugal parents or sometimes they just seem to come out of the womb being frugal. Who knows where they got it? I have a brother-in-law and his wife who were both frugal from when they were young. (Family legend has it that when he was little, you could ask Tommy to do anything for a quarter and he would.) He and his wife have worked hard, saved money for their children’s education, their retirement and carry no credit card debt.
The fourth type of frugalite is the one that everyone knows. They are the stereotypically frugal person. They are the one that gives other frugalites a very bad name. They are the miser. They often were born frugal but carried it too far. Or perhaps, they had a heart wrenching life experience (such as homelessness when they were a child) and it created a miserly mindset. They are the ones that are cheap, always trying to get the most for their buck but at someone else’s expense.
Why are you frugal? Has the new economy driven you to frugality? What changes did you make?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I don't feel as though I fall directly into those categories. You left out "practical outsider". I have always had to look at my resources and make choices about how I was going to spend my time and or money to my advantage, from the time I was a high school student and had to pay for some of my own things. I could buy pants for $3 used AND still get a CD with my birthday money. Or I could get a pile of books at the Library sale for $2 of hard earned babysitting money, and still go out to a movie or eat out with my friends or family. And I was raised to not feel deprived, "We are not poor, we just don't have money" my mom used to say, pragmatically. We did have a home, food, clothing, love and our own resourcefulness. Or perhaps I fall a bit into that first and second category. I don't have to be frugal. But I do WANT cable and internet service. And I alway WANT nice things. So I buy used things, or make my own and apply the savings toward some of the extras.... Or the bigger necessities, like car repairs, etc.
ReplyDelete