Stealing is NOT being frugal! -Rant

**frugal.lass** · 02-23-2009, 06:10 PM

I was at work today and was chatting with one of the other flight attendants. She mentioned that she is sometimes embarrassed by her apartment because she was so "frugal". I told her that my friends also constantly tease me about the things I do (using the example of cutting up old shirts to use as cleaning rags). She paused a bit when I used my example but I didn't think much of it. At the end of the flight, she laughed while she was getting ready to put her work shoes back into her suitcase and said "You're about to see some serious frugality here." In her suitcase she had a box of kleenex, some new rolls of toilet paper (both taken from the airplane lav's) as well as some chocolate bars/chips taken from the stock that we sell onboard.

I'm pretty sure my eyes bugged out of my head because she laughed nervously and zipped her bag back up. I wanted to snap that THAT was not an example of frugality. No wonder there are misconceptions about frugalites being cheap or doing anything (whether moral or not) to save a buck!!! And it doesn't make a difference if I report her or not, we're unionized employees and our union goes to unethical lengths to make sure nobody gets fired, whether or not they deserve to remain employed.

I will be completely honest when I say that I DO sometimes take things "off the plane" but I take stuff like the remainder of my disposable cutlery pack (if I only use the napkin and plastic fork, I'll take the knife and spoon home to use when packing lunches) or the leftover cut fruit from my meal tray. Technically, those are both considered theft by our airline but I just feel so wasteful throwing that stuff out. I would never take lav supplies, bottles of wine or juice...that stuff belongs to the company and even though they don't track where it goes, it's not mine to take. I was just frustrated, here we were having a conversation about how nobody understands "being frugal" and she clearly doesn't understand "being frugal" herself.

**boysnberries** · 02-23-2009, 06:13 PM

Yeah, that's not being frugal, that's being unethical. Shame on her.

**MommyBliss** · 02-23-2009, 06:39 PM

How very sad for her.

**Dancing Lotus** · 02-23-2009, 06:52 PM

wow! that's just sad.

**heartofmine** · 02-23-2009, 06:57 PM

Stealing plain and simple when doing stuff like that.

Wow! I had a sil that use to do similar things though. She died last year and you would be surprised the things we found that she had taken from resteraunts and other places.

**Marie78** · 02-23-2009, 06:58 PM

Wow, that is terrible

! I think people are stealing snacks at work from the snack box without paying. I know times are tough, but that's not a moral way to save a buck.

**butterflygreen** · 02-23-2009, 07:07 PM

That is so bad I would of been so upset.

**MyMelody** · 02-23-2009, 07:15 PM

Sounds like she was trying to justify her thieving by giving it a nicer name. I wonder what she's choosing to spend her money on instead.

**Debbie-cat** · 02-23-2009, 07:16 PM

Wow, she has some nerve! She is not being frugal at all! She is stealing. Plain and simple.

**Michelle68** · 02-23-2009, 07:28 PM

Frugality? I don't think so! As MyMelody posted, I think she's just trying to justify stealing things by calling it frugality. Pretty sad.

**Gibs** · 02-23-2009, 07:56 PM

Thats really sad!!

**Katybird** · 02-23-2009, 08:11 PM

Frugal behavior is never criminal behavior. She deserves to be reported. She is the kind of person that increases the costs of items to the consumers.

**Starlight9803** · 02-23-2009, 08:19 PM

That's just plain sad.

**madhen** · 02-23-2009, 09:32 PM

I wonder if, because she brought the topic up initially, you could talk to her about it? I know it is tough when it is someone you have to work with, but it almost sounds like she was reaching out for some advice, with bringing up the subject, then showing you what she took.

I don't deliberately steal, but I always seem to end up with dozens of cheap pens from my office at home. Of course, I go out and buy my own pens to USE at work, so I guess it evens out!