On Being Frugal

[helwen]

Got a link to this site in the Frugal Living email today... 5 Frugal Living Myths

Talks about five of the common myths about frugal living, and includes links to more info.

One of the myths this person mentions is that Frugal = Secondhand. Which of course isn't necessarily true. The author mentions that what people choose to get secondhand is up to the individual. I'd like add that depending on what you're looking for, secondhand may be the only way the item exists (as in, they don't make them anymore). On the higher end of things, many of us buy used vehicles, for instance.

Another of the myths is that Frugal = Cheap. But sometimes you may end up spending more on an item because you want something high quality that will last virtually forever. Spending more upfront may save more costs down the line.

The blog post on Frugality myths is part of a series on financial myths.

Comments

[bunnyjadwiga.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm going to share this with my family.

[kass-rants.livejournal.com]

Amen! Quality costs, but it also pays. =) We talked about this a few months ago on my LJ, didn't we? I really believe in this.

[flouncytrouncy.livejournal.com]

One of my neighbors thought I was insane when she found out how much I paid for my stand mixer. But hey, I like to make bread and cookies, and I need a heavy-duty motor to stand up to that. It's not like I make instant pudding once a month.

The funny thing is, she literally burns through 2 or 3 mixers a year. When she finds them for less than $19, she'll buy 2, because she knows she's going to burn them out. That's about $40 a year. Now, my mixer was bought in 1992, and it's still going strong. And $40 a year times 15 years is $600, and I didn't pay nearly that much for my pro-quality mixer. So now, who's wasting their money?

There's a reason that the 'penny wise/pound foolish' saying is hundreds of years old. It's true.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Wow, she doesn't learn quickly, eh? Has she figured out yet that you still have the same mixer? We don't have a fancy one, but we don't use it very often.

On the other hand, I just bought a very high quality grain mill, which I expect to be the only one we'll need. And a repair kit, in the unlikely event it needs something replaced. I can mix by hand but grinding grain is _not_ something I want to do in a mortar and pestle! (or the grain equivalent).