Are you frugal?

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rayonline

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#143035 1-Apr-2014 18:29

Does this remotely ring similar to any of you guys ... I had this thought. As a introvert and as well part of a geek .. I get into a thought pattern and analyse things. I'm not a stingy bugger so I just go with the flow, split the whole table up to per person etc.

Like we as a group of guys went to a Monteith place for dinner on a Monday 2 for 1 special. To me it was your usual but nothing to scream about. I'm quite happy to eat at home, I don't need the social intereaction. Anyway the 2 for 1 was that they group the table up and give you the cheapest meals for free. So if 2 had steak and 2 had salads you don't pay for 1 steak and 1 salad but you pay for 2 steaks and get the 2 cheaper salads for free. But I guess in theory one could turn that around and have 2 people pay for the steakd together and get 1 free and the 2 pay for the salads together ... :D Also the wines, a glass basically covers the cost of the bottle for the proprietor. So I guess they are fully licnesed so you cannot BYO. I get into this thought process and think of it in terms of the store's supply chain. Everyone has to eat the food was alright, nothing to stream out about I guess some enjoy the social attributes.

And being a geek we see the latest stuff coming out, I enjoy them as a spectator and how I can try them out at the store but I seldom buy when I consider what I use basically is just web use, email, IM apps, GPS also if one has too many devices it can be harder to manage and each item gets less usage and the depreciation gets evern greater. The usability might be better but at the end of the day it gets the same basic job done. Like after 10yrs I bought a new dSLR last year it's only been used sparingly, I am still using my old dSLR for most regular things. Heck I still shoot film b/c it is more thoughtful and slower for the careful few shots I have in mind. Still achieves the same.

Granted that may change out of my control, am single. When I travel I just need a tidy B&B room or a modest hotel to sleep, but I do feel it's silly when the main strip is just full of tourist and local ripoff places and I am amongst it all.

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Mad Scientist
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#1016744 1-Apr-2014 19:01

Happy to spend $1000 on a gadget.

Don't want to pay $4 for coffee.

Is that frugal?

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mattwnz

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#1016746 1-Apr-2014 19:09

joker97: Happy to spend $1000 on a gadget.

Don't want to pay $4 for coffee.

Is that frugal?

It's smart. You can make your own coffee(for a fraction of the price), but you can't make your own gadget.

JimmyH

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#1016750 1-Apr-2014 19:16

joker97: Happy to spend $1000 on a gadget.

Don't want to pay $4 for coffee.

Is that frugal?

Frugal or not, it summarises me pretty well too

nickb800

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#1016753 1-Apr-2014 19:22

joker97: Happy to spend $1000 on a gadget.

Don't want to pay $4 for coffee.

Is that frugal?

[note that i'm defending this as it applies to me]

You will have shopped around to get the best price for the gadget. The gadget is an asset that will reward you with continued service. A coffee is a one-off consumable. The coffee costs that much because you are in a situation (away from home) where there isn't a cheap alternative

networkn

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#1016783 1-Apr-2014 20:06

I don't anyone would describe me as frugal nor cheap, but I do put weight on value. I would happily spend $1200 on a smartphone if that smartphone was normally valued at $1300 for example. I always buy quality unless it's of no consequence. I'd rather eat at a place I like the food at, and would rather pay for those people who can't afford it than eat somewhere where the food is below par.

tdgeek

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#1016799 1-Apr-2014 20:30

JimmyH:
joker97: Happy to spend $1000 on a gadget.

Don't want to pay $4 for coffee.

Is that frugal?

Frugal or not, it summarises me pretty well too

Me too.

Dunnersfella

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#1016801 1-Apr-2014 20:39

networkn: I don't anyone would describe me as frugal nor cheap, but I do put weight on value. I would happily spend $1200 on a smartphone if that smartphone was normally valued at $1300 for example. I always buy quality unless it's of no consequence. I'd rather eat at a place I like the food at, and would rather pay for those people who can't afford it than eat somewhere where the food is below par.

Same.
Geeks can be very, very frugal... but at the same time, others will be early adopters and pay top dollar to be first.

oxnsox

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#1016804 1-Apr-2014 20:53

Somewhere there's a line between cheap and frugal...
I'll pay what I need to for a decent coffee, and appreciate a nice meal in a nice place. With good company its not about price.

Frugal, for me, is about getting the most value (life/use) out of things.
Cheap is about doing things only on price

macuser

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#1016822 1-Apr-2014 21:37

I've stopped spending every dollar I have on gadgets, above and beyond a good but well priced laptop, phone and camera. I found that although I would tell myself its a good investment to feel good about buying it, it would remain flat for days in my bag (iPad, second laptop, second phone). I've found that since I've stopped buying gadgets all the time, my money lasts farrrrr longer

I've found that having more money in my bank account is a nice feeling, and being able to participate in activities is probably more rewarding than having two devices that can do the same job.

I shop frugally as I can, and tend to only go out to dinner if it's a grabone deal or an Asian BYO place. I tend to stay away from eateries are run by white people, a) because it's usually super ecpensive, and b)I could cook it at home

This enables me to spend money in other more beneficial places. I also ask for deals whenever I go to a retail shop...I would say 70% of the time they take $$ off immediately.

I'm used to comparison shopping with things like price spy, so that has made me super hard nosed about overpaying for anything.

vexxxboy

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#1016841 1-Apr-2014 22:10

i call myself Frugal , the wife though calls me a cheap bastard. A term of endearment i like to think.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

networkn

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#1016855 1-Apr-2014 22:25

macuser: I've stopped spending every dollar I have on gadgets, above and beyond a good but well priced laptop, phone and camera. I found that although I would tell myself its a good investment to feel good about buying it, it would remain flat for days in my bag (iPad, second laptop, second phone). I've found that since I've stopped buying gadgets all the time, my money lasts farrrrr longer

I've found that having more money in my bank account is a nice feeling, and being able to participate in activities is probably more rewarding than having two devices that can do the same job.

I shop frugally as I can, and tend to only go out to dinner if it's a grabone deal or an Asian BYO place. I tend to stay away from eateries are run by white people, a) because it's usually super ecpensive, and b)I could cook it at home

I'd really like to see you prepare food that compares to Sidart (though he is Asian), French Cafe, Clooney, or Merediths.

Geektastic

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#1016934 1-Apr-2014 23:36

If I have the money, I am far from frugal. I've always regarded it as a means to an end, not something to save up and stare at printed on bank statements.

I am more frugal here in NZ than I was in the UK because, frankly, buying luxury stuff is really quite hard here, not to mention expensive. Something I wanted to buy recently was US$140 in America and just over NZ$320 here! There's no excuse for that.

I remember when we were first living here and someone invited us to dinner. Out of politeness of course we asked if there was anything we could bring. Our host said "just bring a plate". We assumed that they had insufficient crockery, so arrived with plates, knives, forks, cups etc.

In the UK you would never normally (there are a couple of situations where it would be deemed appropriate) invite someone to dinner and expect them to bring food - perhaps some wine, or chocolates/flowers for the lady of the house, but certainly not their own food; so I presume this is an example of frugality here.

gzt

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#1016935 1-Apr-2014 23:42

Geektastic: I remember when we were first living here and someone invited us to dinner. Out of politeness of course we asked if there was anything we could bring. Our host said "just bring a plate". We assumed that they had insufficient crockery, so arrived with plates, knives, forks, cups etc.

In the UK you would never normally (there are a couple of situations where it would be deemed appropriate) invite someone to dinner and expect them to bring food - perhaps some wine, or chocolates/flowers for the lady of the house, but certainly not their own food; so I presume this is an example of frugality here.

I suspect it's an example of informality.

mattwnz

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#1016937 2-Apr-2014 00:01

gzt:
Geektastic: I remember when we were first living here and someone invited us to dinner. Out of politeness of course we asked if there was anything we could bring. Our host said "just bring a plate". We assumed that they had insufficient crockery, so arrived with plates, knives, forks, cups etc.

In the UK you would never normally (there are a couple of situations where it would be deemed appropriate) invite someone to dinner and expect them to bring food - perhaps some wine, or chocolates/flowers for the lady of the house, but certainly not their own food; so I presume this is an example of frugality here.

I suspect it's an example of informality.

Yeap, if it is a formal dinner, or with close friends, you don't normally bring a plate, just wine. But if it is more informal, such as a BBQ amoungst neighbours or work friends, then bringing a plate is more normal.

eracode

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#1016941 2-Apr-2014 02:45

tdgeek:
JimmyH:
joker97: Happy to spend $1000 on a gadget.

Don't want to pay $4 for coffee.

Is that frugal?

Frugal or not, it summarises me pretty well too

Me too.

Exactly me too. I also get a big kick out of repairing something to keep it going if I can, rather than rushing out to buy a new one. I have repaired all sorts over the years - mostly small things and simple repairs but it's the sense of self-satisfaction that I like - tinkering in the garage, finding a piece of metal or plastic that I saved thinking it might be useful one day, and using it. It's almost a test of ingenuity or lateral thinking - no. 8 wire approach. I am no engineer and have no electronic skills - work in a city office - but fairly practical with wood and metal and can do stuff that most of my mates would have no idea of how to start.

This is maybe related to frugality but I don't think it's stingy-ness. Recently our old PS3, which we use for playing blu-rays and watching Netflix, died and was obviously non-repairable. Went out and bought a new one. Same with small kitchen telly. Also upgraded iPad and Android phone year or so ago - not because they were broken but because I wanted to and could (subject to 'managerial consent'). But I very seldom buy coffee.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

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