When you don't need to be frugal anymore...

**peanut** · 01-26-2009, 02:04 PM

An article in TWG II I believe (or III)...saw it at DD#1's last night and read it to DH. It was like water off a duck's back. I think he thought I was insulting him. Can anyone find it for me? I wanted to re-read it and can't find it now!

Jean

**IntlMom** · 01-26-2009, 02:20 PM

I'm not 100% sure what you are looking for. I flipped thru my well loved book and this is what jumped out at me:
TWG2, the last article in the book, page 574 in TWG complete is called "wealth,poverty, and frugality"....might be what you are looking for.
Also, on page 483 of TWG (#2) is an article called "the frugal balance"

The second one poses a question "Can you be too frugal?" Which Amy gives a very long winded yes-and-no answer.

Let me know if neither on of these are it....I've got my book open next to me.

**Greebo** · 01-26-2009, 02:51 PM

When you don't need to be frugal anymore...

Um...that'd be when you're dead.

**peanut** · 01-26-2009, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Greebo

When you don't need to be frugal anymore...

Um...that'd be when you're dead.

LOL! The point of the article, if I recall rightly, was how to prioritize expenses when you didn't have to be frugal to survive.

Jean

**peanut** · 01-26-2009, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by IntlMom

I'm not 100% sure what you are looking for. I flipped thru my well loved book and this is what jumped out at me:
TWG2, the last article in the book, page 574 in TWG complete is called "wealth,poverty, and frugality"....might be what you are looking for.
Also, on page 483 of TWG (#2) is an article called "the frugal balance"

The second one poses a question "Can you be too frugal?" Which Amy gives a very long winded yes-and-no answer.

Let me know if neither on of these are it....I've got my book open next to me.

Noo...neither of those are it...it had point form ways to spend money wisely...one of them was about being an environmentally conscious consumer...

Jean

**SixxOfDiamonds** · 01-27-2009, 09:57 AM

Oh Peanut, I recall that! Give me a second to flip through and I'll let you know!

**SixxOfDiamonds** · 01-27-2009, 10:28 AM

Alrighty, I believe that I found it. On page 295 of The Complete Tightwad Gazette, titled "When You Don't Need To Be A Tightwad"

"It happens. There will probably come a time when you don't need to be a tightwad anymore. The scenario is most frequently played out by a couple who, after decades of pinching pennies, one day finds that the mortgage is paid off, all the kids have completed college, and they've saved a sufficient amount for retirement.

It happens because tightwadery really does work. But tightwads can be confused as to how to let go of a lifestyle that has brought order and control to their lives and that they have come to enjoy.

The problem is that pressure to spend more increases from all sides. Friends urge you to "lighten up" and buy a sexy car to replace your sensible econobox. Kids' (or grandkids') requests for Sugar Zapper ceral can no longer be squelched with the statement, "We can't afford it." And you start to doubt yourself. You wonder, Does having more money really mean we have to waste it?

The answer is to understand that the tightwad life is not only about spending less... it's about your values, and that should not stop if you have a billion dollars. Having more money simply means you can pursue your values in a larger and even more satisfying way.

Note: before abandoning tightwaddery, be sure you have touched all the economic bases. You need sufficient insurance, savings for current emergencies and for all future goals, and no debt whatsoever.

So if you've thought of all that, and still think you don't need to be a tightwad anymore, consider the following: these ideas reflect our values; they may reflect yours, too.

1. Spend in ways that are environmentally sound Even billionaires need to wash out their Ziploc bags (or at least hire somebody to do it for them). Having surplus income does not grant you the right to be wasteful with the planet's limited resources.
Some environmentally sound ways to spend money include making long-distance phone calls, hiring a contractor to paint your house, or going out to dinner.
2. If you live in an economically depressed area, buy locally, even if it costs a little more. For example, have a local craftsperson braid a rug for you rather than ordering one from a big mail-order house. This way, you know your money is going where it is needed.

[...]

Think back to your original objective. In our case, we wanted three things - a large family, a large rural home, and time to enjoy our children and home. Our objective was not to amass the largest bank account possible.

I spend extra income in ways that enhance my original objective of achieving a quality family life. In the summer of 1991 we hired a company to put a new roof on our house. It would have been cheaper to do it ourselves, but it also would have taken an entire summer to accomplish given our current time limitations. So, for us, hiring roofers seemed consistent because it enabled us to spend more free time with our children.

Saving money is the means to an end... not the end itself."

Sorry if there are any typos in it. It's still a bit early for me, and I hope that's the one! If it is, I can type up the rest for you. It doesn't take too long.

**peanut** · 01-27-2009, 12:19 PM

that's it! Thanks! I'll look myself and read...no need to retype. I've been scouring my book the last 24 hours looking for that article...grrr...Now I've got it. Thanks again...

Jean

**Thevail** · 02-17-2009, 07:58 PM

That's a really cool viewpoint! I think I get so "into" saving money as a sort of game that I sometimes forget that it's for a reason.

**butterflygreen** · 02-17-2009, 08:03 PM

I am going to have to get this book and read it. It sounds like a good read.

**forHISglory** · 02-17-2009, 11:41 PM

I understand that viewpoint. We've been savers all our lives to bring us to this point of retirement. And now that we are here, we are still working part time and still saving. But we are also enjoying our retirement.

We hired someone last summer to paint our house. It is 3 stories high, plus a walk out basement on one side. We've always painted it ourselves, but this time we didn't. We are getting a little older, and hiking up and down the ladders is getting harder. Also we no longer own ladders and scaffolding. So we would have had to rent it, and because we are slow, the rental fee would have been huge. Finally, the painter could buy the paint at discount, which lowered the price. It made more sense for us to hire it done.

We also saved like crazy to be able to fly to CA for my niece's wedding last summer. We could have said NO, we aren't coming, but we just went ahead and did it.

Likewise, we also took a vacation cruising on the Delta Queen. Again, we saved and saved for that trip, and then savored every moment.

On the other hand, we aren't spending crazily. Our frugalness is still there and it's a good thing, considering the economy. But we are a little more likely to cautiously spend now than we were in our working years.