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Here is another case of great purchase that turned out a lot better.
Twenty years ago, my wife worked for an off-price retailer. She found five Entienne Aigner dress shirts in my size for $4 a piece. Of course, she bought all of them for me as it was a great deal.
I wore those shirts frequently for the next two years. My job kept me on the road constantly at a single location. It was easier for me to leave the shirts at the hotel for cleaning rather than carrying them home every weekend.
One Monday, I show back up at the hotel and they lost the shirts, I had to go out and buy four replacements wheich I found at $20 a piece. The hotel paid for the shirts and the manager was surprised how little she had to pay.
I thought it was pretty good deal. Four new shirts for nothing to replace four shirts that were to be retired soon.
"Purchase" and "Frugal" don't really belong in the same sentence in my mind.
Part of being frugal, for me anyway, is making do with what one has, making things last as long as possible and trading/bartering or getting things for "free" whenever possible.
I would say you're partially right. Your second sentence is correct. Frugal is using items carefully, making them last. However, to pretend that frugal is never spending money is wrong. That's just being cheap!
Frugality means when you do spend money, you shop around for deals, taking into account quality as well as price. Getting a dress shirt that lasts 3 months and looks bad for $1 is not frugal. Shopping thrift stores to find a nice, tailored dress shirt that will give you 3-4 years of use for $5 is frugal. Trading three hours of labor for an item that is $10 in a store is not frugal, but hugely undervalues your time (I hope).
Frugal and purchase definitely fit together. Frugal and sprees, on the other hand, do not.
I work at a retirement community for very wealthy individuals. Sometimes that is serendipitous. I was needing a couple of temporary dog pens until I get my fencing and yard facilities complete. These things cost 100.00 or more when new. I regularly check the "throw out" pile behind the dumpster, and there were 2 perfectly usable ones there. . . just cleared it with my boss and they cost me nothing. the price was right.
I work at a retirement community for very wealthy individuals. Sometimes that is serendipitous. I was needing a couple of temporary dog pens until I get my fencing and yard facilities complete. These things cost 100.00 or more when new. I regularly check the "throw out" pile behind the dumpster, and there were 2 perfectly usable ones there. . . just cleared it with my boss and they cost me nothing. the price was right.
If you work in a retirement community, you can often find the items that you are looking for if you let people know what you are looking for.
One of the local kids was looking for a tent for a camp-out. I directed him to a retired scoutmaster who was looking for an excuse to get rid of some equipment in his garage.
Soemtimes, people are looking to sell while others will just give you what you are looking for. Usually, we have been able to barter. A lot of old people have projects that they want done but no longer have the strength to do it. OTOH, teenagers have the strong back but not a lot of money. A lot of good things can happen when you mix the two.
If you work in a retirement community, you can often find the items that you are looking for if you let people know what you are looking for.
One of the local kids was looking for a tent for a camp-out. I directed him to a retired scoutmaster who was looking for an excuse to get rid of some equipment in his garage.
Soemtimes, people are looking to sell while others will just give you what you are looking for. Usually, we have been able to barter. A lot of old people have projects that they want done but no longer have the strength to do it. OTOH, teenagers have the strong back but not a lot of money. A lot of good things can happen when you mix the two.
The community in which I work is so exclusive and high end that we are forbidden to either buy or sell anything, to or from residents, we are forbidden to take trash items without express permission, (we used to be forbidden to take them at all) we are forbidden to accept gifts from residents, etc. This is not like a regular community. . . not by a long shot!
I would say you're partially right. Your second sentence is correct. Frugal is using items carefully, making them last. However, to pretend that frugal is never spending money is wrong. That's just being cheap!
I understand we all have to buy things from time to time. I just said that the title of the thread made me laugh. Note emoticon>>>
"Brag About the Best Deal You Ever Found" or some such wording would make more sense to my twisted little brain. It's a semantics thing, that's all.
My home.Saved money like a lunatic once i learned that a big mortgage to have a tax writeoff is boo spit.Bought wreck with good bones for 63,000 cash with 20g personal loan.Ate once a day for a month right after.2 slices,5 garlic knots.Had a $100 bucks and paychecks each week.Did gutting every night after work,while i paid the loan off.Eventually i used free credit.60 day interest free.Normal rent payment went into material.My blood,sweat and no tears turned 63g into 250g in 4 years.Then a rental apt.,and not paying rent or mortgage.2 homes now.If you don't sacrifice early you will pay the rest of your life.Image is nothing,financial reality is everything.
I remember when i was laughed at for using a dumpster piece of plexiglass to seal up a rear window opening.I was getting ready to put an extension on that side in the spring.I buy a coffee every day for the guy who laughed the hardest.He's 69 can't rub 2 knickels together.I will be retired in 2 years at 51.I can't wait to retire,use my time,credit and money to make more a year than i do today.
My home.Saved money like a lunatic once i learned that a big mortgage to have a tax writeoff is boo spit.Bought wreck with good bones for 63,000 cash with 20g personal loan.Ate once a day for a month right after.2 slices,5 garlic knots.Had a $100 bucks and paychecks each week.Did gutting every night after work,while i paid the loan off.Eventually i used free credit.60 day interest free.Normal rent payment went into material.My blood,sweat and no tears turned 63g into 250g in 4 years.Then a rental apt.,and not paying rent or mortgage.2 homes now.If you don't sacrifice early you will pay the rest of your life.Image is nothing,financial reality is everything.
I remember when i was laughed at for using a dumpster piece of plexiglass to seal up a rear window opening.I was getting ready to put an extension on that side in the spring.I buy a coffee every day for the guy who laughed the hardest.He's 69 can't rub 2 knickels together.I will be retired in 2 years at 51.I can't wait to retire,use my time,credit and money to make more a year than i do today.
Way to go, Pinefarm! You get it. So many Americans still remain focused on image and the appearance of success that sacrificing and making do to achieve a goal (financial stability) is out of the question. I wonder how many folks really changed their family philosophy after the financial meltdown of 2008 and 2009? I read somewhere that the overwhelming majority of kids grow up to follow the same financial philosophies taught to them by their parents. I love success stories like yours. You are a genuine example of what it means to be a true American.....you worked hard to keep increasing your wealth without crying about how someone else didn't give you what you needed.
I met a Russian cab driver yesterday with a similar story. He works 16 hours a day to provide for his mom and dad back in Russia and his wife and baby. He doesn't buy any fish. He lives in Florida and goes out to catch is fish, which is his primary meat. I was sooooooooooooo impressed with this man (29). He works extremely hard but he has goals to own and rent more property and to expand his business holdings. He says that he regrets not having more time with his young son right now (an infant) but that he is working now so that he will have more time, and resources, for his son later. THIS IS THE AMERICAN DREAM!!!!!!! These stories remind me of how much I still may take for granted and that opportunity still abounds, even in this economy. God bless America for being one nation where ANYONE can still scramble, make a living and have a great life.
Spent $525 on my front two tires instead of original asking of $650. I found them cheaper online, and even though the tired were out of stock the company matched price.
Good going, bassholic. We picked up a BIG bolt in one of DH expensive truck tires. Last week I went to my tire guy and he had a slightly used one with more tread left on it than our other 3 tires.....$40!!!! That tire would have been over $200. He said he rarely gets anything that good in but sometimes it happens. Never hurts to ask!!!
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I understand we all have to buy things from time to time. I just said that the title of the thread made me laugh. Note emoticon>>>
