Sunday 9 March 2008

I’m Thrifty But I’m Not a Cheapskate


I’ve noticed that a good few people tend to think that being thrifty means spending the least possible amount of money but that isn’t strictly true. What it means is getting the best value for your money.

For example, when our shopping arrived recently there were two large jars of powdered milk, half a dozen tins of mushroom soup, four bottles of shampoo and an organic fillet steak.

“I thought you were supposed to be saving money”, DD2 said, pointing to these things.

“Yes”, I replied, “I am indeed saving money. That’s why I bought them.”

The first three items were all on offer, either 25% off by buying two or they were on ‘buy one get one free’. By ordering more than we immediately needed, I was saving money because I know that these products will be used and all have long shelf lives. The steak is my treat. If you’ve read my post about meat production you’ll already know about that, but a fillet is a luxury I afford myself now and then and as I try to buy organic when I can, I chose the organic steak over the cheaper one. Of course, I could have bought an altogether cheaper cut but I know I wouldn’t get the same enjoyment from it so that just wouldn’t be good economy.

Sometimes you actually have to spend more to be thrifty, either because it will save you money in the long term through stockpiling or because you’ll be getting much better quality for your money.

Being frugal isn’t synonymous with being a cheapskate.

Sharon J

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7 comments:

Richard said...

Look at all that packaging in that picture!

Sharon J said...

I know. It isn't a picture of my shopping and I do try to avoid as much as possible but being reliant on online shopping makes it more difficult. Still I don't end up with that much though!

Unknown said...

Sharon, it's all about balance. Extremes of anything can be dangerous and unhealthy.Relax and enjoy life and the simple pleasures and luxuries the Lord provides from time to time.

God Bless You and thank you for including me on your blogroll!

Good luck with your classes:)

Sharon J said...

G Johnson. Balance is indeed very important. As they say, too much of a good thing is bad for anybody.

Nice to see you here :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sharon,

great to see someone doing their bit to be green.

Just one problem with encouraging people to take advantage of BOGOF offers - it's not the supermarkets but the already-strapped producers who pay for this: & they can ill-afford it.

Sharon J said...

Littleffarmdairy. Thanks for your comment and of course, you're right. There are certain products that I won't buy on BOGOF, meat & poultry products, dairy products, and few others. However, I'm pretty sure that the giants within the industry who manufacture products such as the major brand shampoos, cereals etc can afford it. Of course, we could trace the ingredients back to the producers too, as they're probably being ripped off by the manufacturers too, but nobody's perfect. What's important is that we all do what we can to improve things and we learn as we go along :)

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