Non frugal people calling themselves frugal and being uppity about it

**deadsmirk** · 03-18-2009, 08:10 AM

A little bit of a stupid mean people rant...

Today i read an article in a magazine quoting a reader who says that she was soooooooo frugal that the only cable she will pay for is basic. She felt so proud of herself and thought that she was better then the people around her. I kinda paused and started laughing.

This summer, i'm going to be taking care of my grandma in the middle of nowhere without a tv. Infact, i dont even turn my on, save for a few movies i get from the library.

I have a roommate that only eats things that go into a microwave. She boast how she saves so much money by not eating so she can afford microwave meals. This of course is while i sit at the kitchen table creating a meal plan for the month. {i figured out a cheap and basically healthy meal plan for 120.00 for two people}

Frozen microwave meals are generally unhealthy and not very good compared homemade meals.

She bent over to look at my menu, and made some sort of sound and said "bacon and eggs? Uggg, gross" and walked off.

The prat thinks shes better then me because i make everything, save everything and never, ever spend any extra money.

While i was helping a different roommate make a budget and teaching her the meaning of the word "cheap", {she just moved here from vietnam} the subject of how much money we each have came up. I was asked and i revealed my amount. The prat was shocked at how much money i had and said "i thought you were like a poor person or something"....

uggggg....

Ladies and gentleman, in case someone hasn't told you this lately or hasn't said it outright ever...

It takes intelligence to do what we all do. You are smart. We are all very smart.

In the worlds we all live in, we see what we do and hear of what others accomplish but sometimes never realize that frugal people are few and far between.

**thefrug** · 03-18-2009, 08:18 AM

yes. we are smart! and the smart shall inherit the earth!!!!

keep on keepin on mcduff!
I don't talk about my frugality to many. They just won't/ or don't get it. So, I'm not wasting my time, energy and breath.......I'll do it here!! LMAO

**MamaTreadler** · 03-18-2009, 08:18 AM

I know - doesn't it just drive you nuts? My husband was reading a news story recently and the title alluded to how frugal Americans are becoming now and was centered on this one family as an example. I just snorted and said yeah, I bet they quite eating out as much and now they feel soooo frugal. We read the story and I was right! I'm sorry, but I've got your frugal right here and that ain't it!!

**knotme** · 03-18-2009, 08:19 AM

You know, My DD had a roommate at college who who would go around all the time saying how poor she was, and bumming $ or food etc off her roommates, until my DD found out exactly how much $ she really had coming in. It was at least 3 times what my DD had. this girl would go out and buy brand new hot off the truck clothing etc, but would go around almost preying on the other girls in the appt, because she was broke. Well, hello, you spent all yours. That is why you are broke.
DD quickly learned to block out her"rants" about no money. Yes a lesson learned.

**Momto2Boyz** · 03-18-2009, 08:40 AM

I think everyone's idea of "frugal" is different. Some are "frugal extremists" (not a bad term...I'd probably be close to that category), these are the people who do without and make their own to save here and there, and usually have plenty to show for it, either sitting in the bank or by how much they have actually not spent. Then you have the "mid-grade frugalistas", that use coupons, make menu's, etc., but making HM detergent and homesteading just isn't their thing. Then you have the simple "penny pinchers" who save a bit here and there, but don't worry too much about planning it all out, but they still get excited about it when they hit a sale!

Just remember that people do different things to be frugal, and while many of us (who are in the first two categories) might look down on those simple penny pinchers, we have to remember that frugalism is a way of life that doesn't fit with everyone! People do what they are comfortable with and that is ok!

But seriously...who finds bacon and eggs gross??? Well, unless she is a vegan! I'd pull my plate up to your menu plan over her microwave meals any day!

**2ndGenGranola** · 03-18-2009, 08:41 AM

I laugh too at many of the newspaper articles I've seen. I cut one out of the paper Sunday and hung it on the fridge. Apparently I am some kind of extremist according to them -- I use hm clothes soap and vinegar in the rinse!!!

The meanest people I have ever encountered were some so called "friends" (I no longer associate with them). They got downright ugly. They came to me asking for help. They made 3x what we do/did and were sinking fast. If I am helping someone I ask them to start with a list of needs vs wants. More often than not there are way too many needs in the wants category and we work on that. It is shocking to see how many people are "married" to a product. You would think that I was asking them to kill their spouse rather than showing them hot to use white sauce instead of mushroom soup! Oh well. They can moan about their bills to someone else. I'm there for anyone who wants help but I'm not going to listen to a bunch of complaining and insults if you are not going to get up and help yourself.

**Greebo** · 03-18-2009, 08:50 AM

Baby steps. Just baby steps. Like a child with his first drawing, they're right to be proud of the first baby steps. What matters isn't that they aren't as good yet as they think they are, what matters is they're improving and striving. If they're making an effort, it merits praise.

**ladykemma2** · 03-18-2009, 08:58 AM

there are different flavors of frugal.

i consider myself frugal and a pretty good money manager since the "post divorce school of budgeting". i do what works for me.

my dear friend and i don't see eye to eye. i live as cheaply as i can and bank money in the contingency fund. she doesn't understand the contingency fund and wants me to go out and spend.

that said, i had the money this week to finally purchase the long planned for coach purse. does that make me not frugal? but i went without groceries this week and mended and redyed my clothing during spring break in order to do so.

**Spirit Deer** · 03-18-2009, 09:26 AM

We live on a lake and own a motor home.

We shop garage sales and make a lot of our own stuff so we can afford to live at the lake and own a motor home.

Does that make us not frugal? Are we 'uppity' because we consider ourselves frugal?

And is there any difference between being uppity while truly frugal and uppity for only thinking of oneself as frugal ?

**Persimmon Lace** · 03-18-2009, 09:41 AM

Nicely put Spirit Deer. Uppity is uppity no matter the life choices.

How many people on here would give up cable as a last resort, I know it seems to be the last thing to go. And your roomie probably was saving money by not eating out.

Everyone had to start somewhere, even those of us who have been doing it a long time. Some of us have it done it for years!

**redhead68** · 03-18-2009, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by deadsmirk

A little bit of a stupid mean people rant...

Today i read an article in a magazine quoting a reader who says that she was soooooooo frugal that the only cable she will pay for is basic. She felt so proud of herself and thought that she was better then the people around her. I kinda paused and started laughing.

This summer, i'm going to be taking care of my grandma in the middle of nowhere without a tv. Infact, i dont even turn my on, save for a few movies i get from the library.

I have a roommate that only eats things that go into a microwave. She boast how she saves so much money by not eating so she can afford microwave meals. This of course is while i sit at the kitchen table creating a meal plan for the month. {i figured out a cheap and basically healthy meal plan for 120.00 for two people}

Frozen microwave meals are generally unhealthy and not very good compared homemade meals.

She bent over to look at my menu, and made some sort of sound and said "bacon and eggs? Uggg, gross" and walked off.

The prat thinks shes better then me because i make everything, save everything and never, ever spend any extra money.

While i was helping a different roommate make a budget and teaching her the meaning of the word "cheap", {she just moved here from vietnam} the subject of how much money we each have came up. I was asked and i revealed my amount. The prat was shocked at how much money i had and said "i thought you were like a poor person or something"....

uggggg....

Ladies and gentleman, in case someone hasn't told you this lately or hasn't said it outright ever...

It takes intelligence to do what we all do. You are smart. We are all very smart.

In the worlds we all live in, we see what we do and hear of what others accomplish but sometimes never realize that frugal people are few and far between.

I didn't realize that frugality was a competitive sport.

**thesightofoneself** · 03-18-2009, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by redhead68

I didn't realize that frugality was a competitive sport.

...

**The Muse** · 03-18-2009, 09:49 AM

I don't understand the frugaler than thou mindset. If someone is making a change and feels good about it, big deal. Everyone started somewhere.

I live a generally frugal lifestyle well below my means, yet I wear over 8 carats of diamonds most days and I have a commuter car and a German sportscar. Does that make me unfrugal?

**2ndGenGranola** · 03-18-2009, 10:11 AM

I guess in my mind you are either frugal or you are not. There are varying levels I guess for beginners and more experienced. I just don't see these celebrities who are wearing a $$$ dress more than once (for a change) or the like as truly being a part of the frugal lifestyle.

I looked up the definition at yourdictionary.com...

FRUGAL
adjective

not wasteful; not spending freely or unnecessarily; thrifty; economical
not costly or luxurious; inexpensive or meager

**rsbs** · 03-18-2009, 10:12 AM

You know... I tend to think of frugality more along the lines of priorities...
And no one ever has the same priorities! Especially when I compare them to mine!

Seriously, I've stopped trying to counsel friends about frugality because I don't agree with them in many respects. I can't listen to someone moan about being broke when they have cable & high-speed internet & 3 phone lines that they demand are necessary. In my book, they are not - but I have a friend who says they are. I like my friend, so I shut up. She's not going to see my point of view - & if she wants to not eat for a week to afford it, who am I to tell her that she can't?
After all, I ate out of my freezer & scrimped for 3 months last summer to buy a motorcycle - that I know this friend thinks is unnecessary!