Cheap Asses

[ihearyou2]

Let's call a spade a spade, under the veneer that the YM crowd makes for budgets and for investing in the future and having money for retirement, is the bottom line. The bottom line is thus, more important then anything else is your personality and the fact you're a cheap ass. In order to feel good about this choice you mask it under monetary restraint and good business practice. How many people admit they were born with a tight sphincter and that they really wish that they had the cojones to go on a shopping jag?

[RoadToRiches]

No me...

Look at my signature. I was far from cheap ass... quite opposite.

[Plain Old Petunia]

Not at all. Budgeting is about using your money in the ways that will bring you the most happiness/enjoyment/satisfaction, and skipping the rest so that you can afford those things.

I don't enjoy shopping, it bores the shit out of me.

[jkapp]

Miser is the word you want...miser!

But I buy stuff when I need it, and buy quality when I do. However, what I don't do is blow $4000 on a Hawaiian vacation that I can't afford because in some warped thinking I feel I "deserve" such a vacation.

[Sum Dum Gai]

That's probably somewhat true now, but my current cheapness (which is still pretty tame by YM standards as anyone who saw my budget thread knows) came from years of spending frivolously, not something I was born with. I still spend money on stuff that people here would turn their noses up at, I just save for retirement and pay the bills first. If there's enough left to blow on stupid stuff fine.

[Plain Old Petunia]

<< But I buy stuff when I need it, and buy quality when I do. However, what I don't do is blow $4000 on a Hawaiian vacation that I can't afford because in some warped thinking I feel I "deserve" such a vacation. >>

Lol, that is my next big expenditure.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I have bought a boatload of stupid.

Amateur! We've bought at least a cubic butt ton, which has to be more than a single boat load.

[Deleted]

My wife calls me cheap and you know what... I don't mind it anymore.

It allowed us to have over 21K in retirement as of now when this time last year we had zero.
In the processs of paying down our current debt and goal is to be debt free (credit card and car loan) by 2013.

But we do spend money on things we want to
- we have a Wii
- Getting a new apple laptop and ipad next year for my wife
- going to Vegas or Mexico this summer
- eat out way more than we should, cutting back now.

[ihearyou2]

All the people that say they hate shopping that is my point, its your nature to be cheap. I'm looking for people that love to shop but live the cheap ass lifestyle and feel fulfilled. They are few and far between, face it.

[Sum Dum Gai]

All the people that say they hate shopping that is my point, its your nature to be cheap. I'm looking for people that love to shop but live the cheap ass lifestyle and feel fulfilled. They are few and far between, face it.

At one point we spent over $12k a year just eating out. Our current lifestyle is SO much more fulfilling.

[resolution]

I am a cheap ass that hates to go shopping. I do love restaurants though and would love to spend a ton of money at them.

[illinicheme]

I like to shop insofar as I don't mind going to stores and can spend quite awhile strolling around a mall. I like looking at things. But I've got pretty strict requirements of what I have in mind most times. I'm certainly always paying attention to price, but half the time what keeps me from buying clothes or shoes or house knickknacks or whatever is that I can't find something that matches what I'm picturing in my head, so I don't buy anything instead.

[dancinmama]

Personally, I prefer the word "frugal". We don't deny ourselves anything that we want or need and think is worth the money. Since December 30th, we've purchased a large screen TV, two computers, and a tool chest/work bench for DH. I wouldn't call that cheap.

We tend not to piss our money away on a little something here and a little something there.

[Plain Old Petunia]

<< All the people that say they hate shopping that is my point, its your nature to be cheap. I'm looking for people that love to shop but live the cheap ass lifestyle and feel fulfilled. They are few and far between, face it. >>

I don't hate shopping because I would have to part with a dollar, I hate shopping because it is pointless. Go to this store look at this, go to that store look at that. Now lets go back to the first store again. What a waste of time! No thanks.

[brdsl]

Me: Hello. My name is brdsl, and I am a cheap ass.


Group: Hello, brdsl.

[dancinmama]

May 12, 2011 16:36:46 GMT -5 @illinicheme said:

I like to shop insofar as I don't mind going to stores and can spend quite awhile strolling around a mall. I like looking at things. But I've got pretty strict requirements of what I have in mind most times. I'm certainly always paying attention to price, but half the time what keeps me from buying clothes or shoes or house knickknacks or whatever is that I can't find something that matches what I'm picturing in my head, so I don't buy anything instead.

I am EXACTLY like that, except that I HATE to shop. When I DO need something for the house, however, I have in my mind what I am looking for and will not "settle" for something that's "just okay".

And I hate to shop sooooo much that when I decorated our current home almost (6) years ago, after much looking I FINALLY found the bedding that I wanted (comforter, skirt, pillow shams, accent pillows, etc.). Within a year, I found out that the line was going to be discontinued and was available at greatly reduced prices so I bought (3) of everything I needed - no extra accent pillows. We are on comforter #2 and I still absolutely love it.

[phil5185]

under the veneer that the YM crowd makes for budgets and for investing in the future and having money for retirement, is the bottom line. The bottom line is thus, more important then anything else is your personality and the fact you're a cheap ass

But there is an underlying choice that is more important - you can do both, ie, invest for the future and spend in the present.

Eg, I didn't become wealthy by saving pocket change in a jar, cutting coupons, washing baggies, avoiding Starbucks, and then stretching to put $15,000/yr under the pillow for 30 yrs ($450k). Instead I put $10,000/yr into 11%/yr issues for 30 yrs and let it grow into 7 figures. And that allowed us to enjoy spending everything else we earned - on motorcycles, campers, horses, stuff for our kids, college for our kids, family trips to Alaska, Canada, Europe, most states.

[dancinmama]

May 12, 2011 16:36:20 GMT -5 resolution said:

I am a cheap ass that hates to go shopping. I do love restaurants though and would love to spend a ton of money at them.

Me too. Dining out is an experience and I'll take that over "stuff" any day. Unfortunately we have very few decent restaurants in our town - a lot of Chili's / Applebee's type places, but not much in the way of fine dining.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

In many ways, I'm a Frugal Failure.

We have cable. We have a cell phone AND a landline. We eat out in restaurants. I shop at Whole Foods. We take vacations that don't involve camping. Heck, we've even been known to order overpriced room service. We pay to have a nice man come once a month to kill our spiders. The only reason we don't go to Starbucks is neither of us like coffee.

And I love shopping. ;D

[dancinmama]

May 12, 2011 16:45:45 GMT -5 phil5185 said:

under the veneer that the YM crowd makes for budgets and for investing in the future and having money for retirement, is the bottom line. The bottom line is thus, more important then anything else is your personality and the fact you're a cheap ass

But there is an underlying choice that is more important - you can do both, ie, invest for the future and spend in the present.

Eg, I didn't become wealthy by saving pocket change in a jar, cutting coupons, washing baggies, avoiding Starbucks, and then stretching to put $15,000/yr under the pillow for 30 yrs ($450k). Instead I put $10,000/yr into 11%/yr issues for 30 yrs and let it grow into 7 figures. And that allowed us to enjoy spending everything else we earned - on motorcycles, campers, horses, stuff for our kids, college for our kids, family trips to Alaska, Canada, Europe, most states.

Phil, we have invested in stocks and made a lot of money that way, but I have also saved megabucks by using coupons. Using a $1 coupon is like using a $1 bill - only better. Its face value is $1, but I don't have to pay any payroll taxes or income taxes to get it (making it worth even more); I just have to clip it and use it. Rinse and repeat for a lot of foods and for almost everything that your family uses on a daily basis (toiletries, paper products, OTC meds, cleaning products, etc.) x 25 years and it adds up. I have been what some might consider an "extreme couponer" for over 25 years. DH says that I have saved tens of thousands of dollars via the use of coupons. I have always run our household like a business and keeping overhead low has always been key.

[illinicheme]

May 12, 2011 17:01:55 GMT -5 dancinmama said:

I have been what some might consider an "extreme couponer" for over 25 years. DH says that I have saved tens of thousands of dollars via the use of coupons. I have always run our household like a business and keeping overhead low has always been key.

Every time I see the Extreme Couponing show on TLC, I wonder if any of the folks being profiled are posters on this board.

[dancinmama]

May 12, 2011 16:31:36 GMT -5 @daphne87 said:

I am a failure at being a YM'er.

I just upgrading DH and I to smart phones along with the accompanying data and texting plans. Big YM no no.

But at least I can afford it! (Although Suze Orman would probably not agree....)

Ya, but are you buying $1000 shoes? (I see your Chucks.) How about a $600 Movado watch? I think smart phones and data plans are pretty much small potatoes in comparison and much more practical - just don't go over on any restrictions that you might have on your usage.

ENJOY!!

[Plain Old Petunia]

<< And I love shopping. >>

I have some friends I will hook you up with.

[dancinmama]

May 12, 2011 17:06:12 GMT -5 @illinicheme said:

May 12, 2011 17:01:55 GMT -5 dancinmama said:

I have been what some might consider an "extreme couponer" for over 25 years. DH says that I have saved tens of thousands of dollars via the use of coupons. I have always run our household like a business and keeping overhead low has always been key.

Every time I see the Extreme Couponing show on TLC, I wonder if any of the folks being profiled are posters on this board.

I can guarantee that none of them are gals from the Grocery Challenge. We do something similar, but on a much smaller level.

I was couponing before there was an internet. I did get multiple inserts so that I could take advantage of a great buy that would make something free or close to it after sale and coupon. In order to know whether I had a coupon for an item and/or where to find it, I had to create my own coupon database using Microsoft Works.

[dancinmama]

May 12, 2011 16:52:51 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

In many ways, I'm a Frugal Failure.

We have cable. We have a cell phone AND a landline. We eat out in restaurants. I shop at Whole Foods. We take vacations that don't involve camping. Heck, we've even been known to order overpriced room service. We pay to have a nice man come once a month to kill our spiders. The only reason we don't go to Starbucks is neither of us like coffee.

And I love shopping. ;D

Oh how I wish I was married to someone who at least half way enjoyed shopping. Neither DH or I really like it. The great thing about today is that you can do A LOT of leg work on the internet especially for large ticket items. I do a lot of Lands End too so that helps.

[achelois]

Thank you for using "cojones" correctly, ihop.

So many use "cajones", which is something else altogether.


My sphincter tone is fine, thanks. I did just buy all new patio furniture if that counts as a shopping jag.

[Deleted]

On one level, I AM frugal. But I wasn't always. My ex and I had the CC debt to prove it. We sent our kids to private school, refied our house every five or six years, and so on.

But now I'm older, and I have all the "stuff." I don't need more stuff. I wish I had figured this out twenty years ago, but that's fine.

I do remember what it is like to be young and help the kids out in small ways. My daughter likes fiesta ware so I try to buy her some on those occasions. I bought my niece the $250 kitchenaid mixer she might never have otherwise.

[sil]

What an insult! I am NOT a cheap ass!

I'm a YMer because I don't want to work forever.

I am a lazy ass! ;D

[Cookies Galore]

I'm a tight wad with a yen for shoes and wine. I'm all mixed up in the brain.

[hurley1980]

I don't enjoy shopping because I hate the crowds of rude people that are usually at stores. I do most of my shopping online. Its so much easier to comparison shop that way. Grocery shopping, Target for supplies, and Home Depot are the only places I really go anymore. And Goodwill....its a guilty pleasure. The Goodwill by my house has the best treasures...I still can't figure out how they get all that cool shit!

When it comes to dining out and vacations though, different story. Like a previous poster, I've also been known to splurge on room service....and book the jacuzzi suite in the 5 star hotel, rather than stay in the motel 6 down the road. Vacations don't come often, so I'm gonna spend the extra dough and make the best of it goddamit! ;D