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Is Frugality a Dirty Word?
By Jay | January 9, 2008
So the first work week of the new year is well under way, and I have been keeping to my frugal plan. I am glad to say that I have not touched one penny of my bonus yet. It hasn’t been hard to avoid the temptation of new clothes or a dinner out: I’m feeling enthusiastic about living simply this year.
But I’m learning that it’s best to keep my frugal plans to myself at work. I let slip in a couple of conversations that I’m trying not to spend money and people looked at me like I’m crazy or something. I don’t know if it’s just a New York thing, or if this is pretty universal in the US, but at my office job my co-workers wouldn’t want to be known as frugal. They look down on frugality.
Especially when it comes to convenience. Yesterday I needed to withdraw money. There is an ATM in the lobby of my building, but if I use it I get charged a $2.00 fee by the bank that owns the ATM, AND a $1.50 fee by my bank. This means that if I take $100 out, I pay $3.50. This seems like a lot of money to me. I mentioned to someone that I was going to my bank to make a withdrawal and they looked at me like I was totally nuts. “Why don’t you just take it out from the ATM in the lobby?” This was from a woman who makes less than I do, and just spent $50,000 for her wedding. And how did she pay for it? She put it on her credit cards, as her parents have no money. What a way to start out a marriage — $50,000 of credit card debt.
Frugality is a dirty word in our culture now. Meanwhile, people dig themselves deeper and deeper into debt, all to project a certain image to their friends, family and co-workers.
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Topics: Frugality |
January 10th, 2008 at 12:39 am
I’m trying to do the same thing - actually walked out of a bookshop the other day without any books. Very proud of myself ;)
January 10th, 2008 at 2:13 am
i agree, people dont like being frugal. its as if they are admitting they are poor and/or cheap. However i believe extrem frugality is not good either
January 10th, 2008 at 4:12 am
oh my goodness.. some women really go nuts over their weddings. A woman my mother’s coworker knew did a cash out finance on her house and spent around 270000 on her wedding. she doesn’t have money at all. crazy people.
January 10th, 2008 at 10:19 am
I started laughing at your post - I think it is even worse in southern CA - people carry their debt with a badge of honor out here…
January 10th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
It’s not a matter of it being a dirty word, I think it is a lot of people who are either lazy, have no patience or don’t want to get out of their comfort zone
January 10th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I looked up frugal and it says sparing or economical with regard to money or food. I also looked up spare and its definition was “meager, nearly inadequate”. I think the “meager, nearly inadequate” is what gives frugal a negative connotation. Maybe there is a better term, that connotes smart spending or wise spending. Why throw away 3.5% of your money every time you get cash when there are so many opportunities to get cash for free. For example when you use your debit card at the grocery store and ask for cash back. What I mean by being a smart spender is spending less than you make, but not necessarily lowering it to the point of being nearly inadequate.
January 12th, 2008 at 4:33 am
[…] I’ve seen the dirty worded “frugality” posts a few places, but Midlife Beginnings gives it its due justice in this […]