Am I the biggest fool for being frugal?

Goldiegirl

Dozey_crow wrote: »

I think the point is missed here. The op is not questioning her cousins spending choices as such.. More the realisation that her family are now expected to financially help them. Personally I think the cousins are presumptuous and rude and it's unjust and I would not be paying.

I fully agree that people should be able to spend their income and live their lives as they wish. However, having done so they should not then bleat about being hard done by and broke and expect others to bail them out. Even the most challenged can realize that money can only be spent once.

Opp they made life choices so did you. Stick with your ways and let then get on with it.

The cousins aren't exactly bleating about being hard done by and broke and expecting to be bailed out.

This is all about who pays for the funeral, and everybody is saying that don't have the money to pay.

When I say everybody, I'm including the OP as well.

It seems the cousins have spent their money on holidays and cars, but the OP has spent their life salting away every last penny and yet still says that they have no spare money.

The cousins are probably confused, because they know that the OP hardly spends any money, and can't understand why money can't be found from savings to pay for the funeral.

The cousins may even think it's time the OP put their hands in their pockets and finally spent some money.

I'm just saying there's two sides to every story.

If all the cousins paid a few hundred pounds each, there'd probably be enough to pay for a decent funeral.

If they can't come to an agreement about this, or there isn't enough money in the estate to pay, then they'll just have to ask the council to pay for a basic funeral.

It's sad, but death seems to bring out the worst in families.

purpleshoes_2

NICHOLAS wrote: »

I wouldn't know, my freezer has been switched off for 4 years. Not because i am trying to be frugal and save electricity

But because most of the stuff sold to put in freezers is cheap, crap, unhealthy food.

My fridge on the other hand is always bursting with fresh, healthy food.

While i appreciate it is good to be sensible with money, ones health should never be put into jepoardy to save a bit of money. As i said, you can't take it to the grave.

You can freeze fish and veg. Fruit as well. I dont eat cheap crap unhealthy food. I follow a Paleo diet, but it's still possible to eat healthily on a low income.

Btw, I don't have health problems relating to my diet, far from it.

purpleshoes_2

Goldiegirl wrote: »

The cousins aren't exactly bleating about being hard done by and broke and expecting to be bailed out.

This is all about who pays for the funeral, and everybody is saying that don't have the money to pay.

When I say everybody, I'm including the OP as well.

It seems the cousins have spent their money on holidays and cars, but the OP has spent their life salting away every last penny and yet still says that they have no spare money.

The cousins are probably confused, because they know that the OP hardly spends any money, and can't understand why money can't be found from savings to pay for the funeral.

The cousins may even think it's time the OP put their hands in their pockets and finally spent some money.

I'm just saying there's two sides to every story.

If all the cousins paid a few hundred pounds each, there'd probably be enough to pay for a decent funeral.

If they can't come to an agreement about this, or there isn't enough money in the estate to pay, then they'll just have to ask the council to pay for a basic funeral.

It's sad, but death seems to bring out the worst in families.

The SIL shouldn't be confused seeing as the OP has handed over a sum of money to pay for a share in the house.

Mojisola

Goldiegirl wrote: »

It seems the cousins have spent their money on holidays and cars, but the OP has spent their life salting away every last penny and yet still says that they have no spare money.

The cousins are probably confused, because they know that the OP hardly spends any money, and can't understand why money can't be found from savings to pay for the funeral.

The cousins may even think it's time the OP put their hands in their pockets and finally spent some money.

But the OP has spent their money - it's not sitting in the bank - it just hasn't been spent on the same things.

If all the cousins paid a few hundred pounds each, there'd probably be enough to pay for a decent funeral.

This is what I'd suggest to all the cousins. Find out the cost of a basic funeral and divide it between the number of cousins.

purpleshoes_2

NICHOLAS wrote: »

I wouldn't know, my freezer has been switched off for 4 years. Not because i am trying to be frugal and save electricity

But because most of the stuff sold to put in freezers is cheap, crap, unhealthy food.

My fridge on the other hand is always bursting with fresh, healthy food.

While i appreciate it is good to be sensible with money, ones health should never be put into jepoardy to save a bit of money. As i said, you can't take it to the grave.

I think you are missing the point that not everyone buys YS food to save a bit of money, some people are on low incomes and cant afford to pay £50 plus per week feeding themselves.

Of course there are cheap foods that are full of crap. But fruit and veg doesn't become rotten if you buy it the day its best before date is up. That's ridiculous. In years gone by people weren't dictated to by the supermarkets as to whether they should eat a tomato one day and not eat it the next.

I got around £15 worth of YS fruit the other night for £4. 250g raspberries for 32p down from £3. The fruit doesn't go from being healthy to being unhealthy just because it's supposed to be (according to the supermarkets) eaten by a certain date.

Its like saying if I had bought the same food on Sunday for £3 it would have been healthy and because I bought it on Tuesday night for 32p, it suddenly became unhealthy.

I rarely drink alcohol. I dont eat white processed carbs, I eat junk food very very occasionally (once a month if that). I dont eat meat but if someone bought YS meat on the day it was sold, they could freeze it for a few months. Food being bought on the best before date and frozen won't make the food unhealthy when its defrosted.

Its not always meanness that drives people to buy YS food, it can be a case of simply spending within your budget.

NICHOLAS_2

Dozey_crow wrote: »

It doesn't matter where the op shops for anything does it? Surely you can't mean that if you have a certain standard of living you should use 'appropriate' shops. Maybe they like the clothes in Primark. What if you love sainsburys own brand tea at 40p for 20 bags?? Would buying that still mean that the someone is a skin flint or does it depend on their wealth? Should people who own one property have Yorkshire or other branded tea, perhaps those with two properties should have organic and people with more that should order from Harrods or fortnum and mason.

:rotfl:

When i last briskly walked past a primark and glanced into it, there were more clothes on the floor than the hooks I don't think anyone should willingly buys primark clothes when loaded. They probably bobble after one wash. I guess it is a help for poor people but the op is loaded.

Designer clothes are certainly more fetching, you'd have to be deranged not to agree.

It seems that you have a very different idea of financial good sense to me and possibly the op anyway. There is no way I would so this and waste money on fees unnecessarily.

Each to their own I guess. As long as you are happy.

I got caught out on the fees, it wasn't intentional. The court gets that money anyway not the council so i still inconvenienced them.

New coucil tax year started 1st of april, i haven't paid mine yet but will in a week or so. :rotfl:

NICHOLAS_2

purpleshoes wrote: »

You can freeze fish and veg. Fruit as well. I dont eat cheap crap unhealthy food. I follow a Paleo diet, but it's still possible to eat healthily on a low income.

Btw, I don't have health problems relating to my diet, far from it.

Just researched what that meant, seems i'm on the same diet...:money:

I only really eat meat, real meat not processed stuff, veg, salad, quite partial to a nut.

Had a takeaway though last night, my salad was out of date by one day and i couldn't be bothered to leave my flat.

NICHOLAS_2

purpleshoes wrote: »

I think you are missing the point that not everyone buys YS food to save a bit of money, some people are on low incomes and cant afford to pay £50 plus per week feeding themselves.


Of course there are cheap foods that are full of crap. But fruit and veg doesn't become rotten if you buy it the day its best before date is up. That's ridiculous. In years gone by people weren't dictated to by the supermarkets as to whether they should eat a tomato one day and not eat it the next.

I got around £15 worth of YS fruit the other night for £4. 250g raspberries for 32p down from £3. The fruit doesn't go from being healthy to being unhealthy just because it's supposed to be (according to the supermarkets) eaten by a certain date.

Its like saying if I had bought the same food on Sunday for £3 it would have been healthy and because I bought it on Tuesday night for 32p, it suddenly became unhealthy.

I rarely drink alcohol. I dont eat white processed carbs, I eat junk food very very occasionally (once a month if that). I dont eat meat but if someone bought YS meat on the day it was sold, they could freeze it for a few months. Food being bought on the best before date and frozen won't make the food unhealthy when its defrosted.

Its not always meanness that drives people to buy YS food, it can be a case of simply spending within your budget.

I'm posh i only buy pre cut fruit in the containers

Most frugal foodies go to iceland and fill the freezer with a million micro meals for 10 pence.

You are probably in the minority

I think i eat a bit more junk food than you though, i don't like making meals at home to take out with me. I'm too lazy.

skintmum2012

Cant help but find some of the comments laughable on here.
purpleshoes could not have put it better myself. I do find it sad some people spend their whole lifes trying to keep up and be better then other people.
NICHOLAS sounds like your binning good food wish I lived closer to you lol.

purpleshoes_2

I used to earn around 3 times what I do now. I had good reason for changing career and I'm happier. To me it's a no brainer, if money is tight and you can get two bags of shopping for 3 quid as I have done in the past as opposed to 20 quid, then I'll do it. Loads of ys food can be frozen, folks can make soups, stews, curries, loads of things. Look at the number of people on here who use ys food in cooking regularly.

Same for clothes. I've never bought designer and I'm not a fan of clothing that's cheap and sold in supermarkets for ethical reasons. I'm pretty sure if someone saw me wearing a pair of jeans that retailed for 99p but were worth 50 quid new folk wouldn't be queuing up to say you got them second hand.

I don't throw food out. I don't waste it. I don't throw clothes out either, even stuff that's not fit for resale gets taken to charity for rag.

The issue is whether people are happy. If the op isn't happy because all the scrimping has made her miserable then it's time to let loose a bit.

But for people who do like a bargain if it's a case of spending what you can afford so you can spend money on other things, why not?

The money I've saved on cutting my food bill down will pay for other things. When I earned more I bet I did waste more food and spent too much. I don't now. Because when you can feed and clothe yourself cheaply are you really going to start spending five times as much just so you can say I bought these items new or 3 days before the best before date?

Fair play to you if you can but I can't and I'm more than happy with my choices.