can we be too thrifty

jakes-mum

I was 52% thrifty on the test, but I learnt at my mothers knee. I still remember the day my dad went to the fridge and started rummaging in the fridge for ages before finally pulling out a yogurt and inspecting it carefully. My mother asked him what the frig he was doing and he said 'I must have been a really good boy this year, as its missing its yellow sticker!'

I couldnt bring myself to haggle in a charity shop, I do follow the SA with the reducing gun, I dont drink so the whole pub thing was a moot point but if I did I wouldnt duck my round, and I will leave a tip if the waitress goes above and beyond the standard of service I expect, but i'll also send a really stinking complaint letter if the service is below my expectations.

I love a bargain and if I hadnt been as thrifty as I have been this year our christmas wouldnt have been so good present wise. The thing that annoys my husband is when we walk through shops and I say 'oh I want a kindle' he points one out and I exclaim loudly 'what do I want to buy one for?? Its on my wish list of wins this year!!' he finds that embarassing and also that I have no problem telling sales assistants that I can buy what they are trying to sell me cheaper on the internet or in this other store.

Gingernutty

:eek: I scored 72%!

This Chrimbo, I gave one SIL a collection of free gifts that came with toiletry and make up purchases thoughout the year and one brother got two pairs of gloves I picked up off the street. I washed them first. He's a builder, he can use them for work.

Today, after I got home from visiting family over Chrimbo, I retrieved a household bin that's been blowing around my street for a few days, cleaned it up and have now got a very nice laundry bin.

I wouldn't haggle in a charity shop, I always pay my way in restaurants and pubs and don't skimp on tips either. That's just mean.

lilac_lady

Maybe the OP's OH is fed up listening to her about thriftyness. It can become an obsession so being discreet is a better way IMO.

I got 23% in the thrifty test. I'm pleased it wasn't higher as some of the questions were suited to scrooges!

*max*

I think the moral of the story is that it is great to be thrifty as long as what you are doing isn't at the expense of other people ('s money or feelings). Saving money by using vouchers, giving people home-made presents, shopping in the reduced section....all this is great and I do it! However, saving money by making others pay more or annoying them (following the person doing the yellow stickers!) is being mean and stingy. I would rather not go the restaurant or the pub (and have done) than force others to pay for me!

ali-t

jw1096 wrote: »

I got 12%!!! And I thought I was quite savvy.....

Me too! I thought the questions were more about being stingy. For me thrifty doesn't involve ripping off your friends by not buying rounds or not leaving tips for great service, it is about getting the best value you can get without leaving others at a disadvantage.

meritaten

My OH was seriously embarrassed by me in Halfords. He had asked me to look up 'Fault Code Readers' for the car on t'internet and hadnt realised that I had discovered
a - what they were for
b - what they could do
c - how much they should cost according to the various functions they had
so we went into Halfords and OH asked for the Fault Code Readers (as they seem to have hidden them)
The SA finally found the single example
Me - Thats the ONLY one you have?
SA - Yes
Me - ok - does it just read the code or does it display the fault?
SA - er um er I dunno
Me - Well its a £135 - I would hope it not only reads the code but displays the fault and deletes it when its fixed - does it do that?
SA (going bright red) not sure, I will go find out.
Me picking up the pack - reading the back.........S**t love - dont buy this - all it does is read the code! not worth the money.
SA comes back
SA - Yes it does all you say
Me - No it doesnt! read the back of the pack! I can get one on internet which does all I asked for and its only £35!
Husband has slunk away by now and is sitting in the car!
SA - I would get that one then madam!
Me - (bluddy hate being called madam by SAs) I certainly will - and by the way, the Trades Descriptions Act would be interested in your interpretation of 'It does all you ask for' - cos thats a blatant lie!

chanie

I do think discretion is the key to being thrifty and I would hate to be thrifty at the expense of others. For example, I think it Is plain wrong not to buy a round at the pub (if you are buying rounds). If I don't want to buy drinks for others, then I will 'opt out' of doing rounds and just get my own drinks.

My OH knows I enjoy getting bargains (and in fact has started to hunt out his own bargains). However, I am discreet in what I tell people outside of close friends and family because it is a fine line between being thrity and being tight. THe money I save goes towards paying off debts/holidays/savings etc. However, I do think it is important to still enjoy life - so for example, I tried Lidl's own brand Weetabix (cheaper than Weetabix) but I didn't like them, so I haven't bought them again. Likewise, if the house is cold, I'll try and put on a jumper rather than turning the heating on, but it its too cold, I'm not going to freeze just to save a few pennies.

MarilynMonroe_2

jetplane wrote: »

This may be in the wrong forum but its here because my husband has said that my thriftiness is embarrassing sometimes :eek:. A couple of times during the run up to xmas I have mentioned the price of something or uttered the immortal words 'I could have got it cheaper' He has decided that I am becoming obsessed and that my quest to check out the price of stuff actually makes him feel uncomfortable sometimes.

I like to read the tips on here and have to admit that sometimes I think OMG that is sooo tight I just cant believe its true and I would never do that. But I do love to look for bargains and get a nice feeling when I have made a saving on christmas gifts or my food shopping or anything really .

We don't have debt and save up for events, holidays, etc. Ironically my husand avoids debt so you would think he would revel in my thriftiness. But it seems not, himself and my daughter laughed hard while shouting at me to come and watch a programme on TV about a coupon man who saved hundreds more than I ever could.:rotfl:

So how thrifty is too thrifty, should I become a closet thrift, should I just be more discreet. How do you be thrifty without becoming an obsessed scrooge type character open to ridicule?

This made me laugh cos my ex got sick of me telling him he could have got dd's present for less than half the price a few weeks ago , or got a similar one now for cheaper... he kept telling me but this one is loads better blah blah blah, how it doesnt matter it is back to original price ...but now he's complaining he's skint broke so he should have listened to me all along.
I think men shouldnt moan about our thriftiness and embrace it themselves!!

MarilynMonroe_2

52% tight for me, I am ok with that, could improve though to be super tight!

Callie22

I haven't done the test but I am known for always finding a voucher or money off code for everything. My OH did moan at me the other day that when I go to the loo, he wouldn't be surprised if I had a voucher for that too