Being frugal versus cheap
photo by maveric2003
Where do you draw the line between being frugal and cheap? You’ve gone overboard with frugality if it harms or takes advantage of someone else. But even that has gray areas for some, especially when people can be at different ends of the frugal spectrum, depending on whether they’re frugal by choice or necessity.
Here are a few examples of when you’ve crossed over to the cheap side of town.
TOILET-PAPER RATIONING: When you have toilet-paper rules, such as how many squares each family member is allowed to use. OK, we don’t want children winding paper boxing gloves around their hands. Flattening the roll is A-OK. Two-square rule? It’s time to loosen up a little. There are plenty of other areas to focus on. No one wants to feel they’re not even worthy of toilet paper.
FOOD: Cheaper foods are often less healthy. If you stop caring about what you’re eating, you’ve taken frugality too far. Using coupons, shopping sales or buying when in season are frugal strategies. Eating overprocessed foods isn’t considering long-term benefits.
LOW QUALITY: When you sacrifice quality and lasting value, you’re being cheap. One reader, Constance in New Jersey, shares: “Searching for the best price on quality items equals frugal. Buying ‘make-do,’ inferior items equals cheap. I try to be as thrifty as possible. When we notice that something is making one of us unhappy, we bump up that category/item’s spending, whether it’s clothes, food, toilet paper or whatever. Otherwise, we feel we’re being too cheap.”
IGNORING HEALTH OR SAFETY: Buying secondhand or reusing items is great, but you’re being foolishly cheap if you ignore your health, comfort and safety. Powdered and sugary drinks might be cheap, but water is a better option. Not checking safety recalls is risky, and ignoring your personal hygiene to save money is gross. Depriving yourself is one thing. Forcing deprivation on others is cheap. Another reader, Kim in Michigan, adds: “My line is the heating and air conditioner. My husband works outside all year long, so when it’s hot outside, he deserves to come home to a cool house and relax. In the winter, he deserves a warm house. My oldest daughter has a heart condition, and my youngest has asthma, so too hot or too cold affects them. During the day when I am alone, I keep the heat down very low and wear a sweater or use a throw blanket. But when the family comes home, temperature in the house is made comfortable.”
WIN, LOSE: Delaying gratification, cost comparisons and researching products to get the best bargain is smart and savvy shopping. But constantly looking to get something for nothing or taking more than your share is shameful and cheap. For example, choosing water with your meal or dining out for breakfast instead of dinner is frugal. Expecting your friends or family to pick up the bill, lying about your age or your child’s age to get a discount, or saying it’s your birthday when it’s not and not leaving a tip or undertipping is being cheap.
Posted by Sara Noel
on January 7 2010. Filed under Frugal & simple living.Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook
> Cheaper foods are often less healthy
This needs to be put in context. If you’re used to buying prepared convenience foods (frozen dinners, etc.), then buying fresh vegetables is both cheaper and more healthful. But giving up whole-grain bread for tasteless white bread is a mistake.
On food being healthy, I like the quote from somebody I can’t name: “I don’t want my food healthy, or even sick. I want it dead!”
1You’re right. I meant like takeout foods like dollar menu stuff and should have been more specific.
2Loved the topic of this entry, Sara Noel. And I’m glad you defined what you meant by cheap food being less healthful, because the cheapest foods—dried beans, rice, oats, etc.—are actually many times cheaper than fast food; they can provide six times the food and nutrients. I once figured out that, for what it cost to feed my family a McDonald’s meal, I could have fed twice the number of people had I cooked the same thing from scratch but with whole foods—and had $8 leftover.
Carol
3http://www.FrugalLivingPress.com
I have to agree, often food that are cheaper are often unhealthy. Like for instance, using a typical oil for frying is much cheaper than using an olive oil, but the former is unhealthy.
Being frugal is also compared when you want to recycle fashion or you want to wear an eco-friendly clothes. I am a green person but I would not wear something eco-friendly/reused/recycled clothes if it will make me a fashion victim. There is always a consideration of being frugal, and sacrificing your health is not an option.
4I do not consider it cheap to not tip. There are many people who work for the same wage per hour that do not receive tips for their good work.
I only tip if I feel the waiter/waitress has gone out of their way to make me comfortable, help with my children (crayons, crackers et.) and has a positive attitude.
I am really offended when restaurants impose a 15% gratuity onto my bill for a party of 8 or more (as we have 6 children) I do not eat at restuarants that do this.
5Most restaurants do not pay minimum wage to waitstaff because they are not required to (since they receive tips), so it is cheap to not tip. You are depriving someone of their fair wage. 15 % is the standard tip. You tip less than 15% if they don’t do well, but you leave something.
In Europe, waiters are often placed on a salary, so it is not as big a deal not to tip. But in the USA, it’s important.
6I agree with above. I am a full-time barteneder/waitstaff at a 4 star hotel in our town. We are paid more than other service industry. This means I make $3.25/hr when I am in the restaurant and $5/hr in the bar. I have a college degree and CHOOSE to do this job because I truly enjoy serving others. NOWHERE in the US pays waitstaff minimum wage. Minimum in Louisiana for waitstaff is $2.25/hr.
And we do not make the rules about auto gratuity being added to your bill. Most restaurants have a standard % added on to parties of 6 or more because waiters have to work harder to take care of a large table and by taking a large table, miss out on other tables (restaurants seat you in a specific section so that everyone ha the same # of people per shift). So If I get your family of 8, bust my butt to take care of yall and get no tip, I missed out on 4 couples who would have tipped me %20. There goes my house payment!
Please remember that everyone working in the service industry is not some high-school dropout lowlife. We are decent hard=working people who deserve to be treated as humans (not servants) and tipped well if we perform our duties to your liking. If you have a pleasant meal out, all of your beverages and food make it to your table, at least grant us the common courtesy of a %15 tip.
If you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to be eating out. Please, do NOT encourage others to tip less because it is “frugal”. There are many nights when we are not busy that I average FAR less than minimum wage.
7I waited tables for many years in NY. My hourly wage was $2.90. The average retail or supermarket job was paying $5-6 per hour. So servers don’t earn the same as other job before tips. Plus the taxes we owed on our tips were estimated based on our saleschecks, and then our income tax for both hourly wage and tip came from our paycheck. Some weeks my checks were less than $20. So not only is the tip part of what servers and their employers expect, they may pay tax on it whether you leave one or not. It’s really not an extra as many people think.
Great article
8To those of you who are complaining of not getting tips and getting paid so little money… You should be complaining to your employer for not paying you enough money to live on and not take it out on the customers. The employers are the ones who keep on taking advantage of you, not the customer. And tipping is not mandatory, it is given only for receiving good service and not something that should be expected. If you are not happy with the reality, then you should look for a decent paying job
Good luck!
9Well until that happens, all I’m saying is that if you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to be going out to eat.
PS- this IS a “decent” paying job. I clear almost 30K a year. But I work my butt off for it. I do it because I enjoy serving others. Please don’t look down on those who have CHOSEN the service industry. I’m not working at some crappy buffet, it’s a 5 star restaurant in a 4 diamond hotel. In many parts of Europe, being a server is a well respected position that takes years of training and people retire from. Just asking for the general public’s respect where it is deserved.
10I agree with akolb! I don’t currently work in the service industry but I put myself through college working in a food service job. General public can often times be hateful and mean. Seriously, there is no reason to take out your frustrations on strangers. These people are doing a job that is hard, both physically and mentally. I am proud to say that I am a solid 20% tipper and to be quite honest, I rarely have poor experiences with my servers. You get more flies with honey than vinegar! Cheers to all that work in the service industry, your hard work is appreciated!
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