Frugal or Cheap?
Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. Ours’ was blessed and we had a wonderful day together. Of course, my inner frugalista is still shuddering because I spent more than I wanted to, but I did shop smart for things that my family had to have on the table to make their Thanksgiving feel just right. I hope that all of you had an equally blessed Thanksgiving day.
So, it’s on to Hanukkah and Christmas. I’ve already posted a bit about my frugal Christmas gift ideas. When you are shopping, remember that frugal and cheap aren’t the same thing. Frugal brings to mind positive connotation of someone who avoids excess and waste. Cheap incites a negative vibe and is often synonymous with a lack of quality. Don’t buy cheap gifts for your friends and family. In fact, I would so far as to suggest that you not buy gifts at all if you do not have the money to buy or the time to make quality gifts. Quality is not always expensive, however.
You probably already know if you are a smart, frugal person or simply cheap. If you are not sure, however, ask yourself these questions: What do I feel in my heart about spending money on other people? Am I motivated by fear to hold on to money tightly? Do I feel shame for spending money on things that are “wants” instead of needs? Does my thriftiness negatively affect my family?
Spending money is not a bad thing. It is a necessary thing. Being wasteful or buying to excess or spending money on items that are not worth their cost is not smart. The frugal person knows there is a time to spend and a time to save and they do both with a level head.
December 14th, 2007 at 11:45 am
My problem is definitely keeping track of everything I buy so that I don’t end up with 100 “good deals” per person.