My daughter called me cheap today. I THINK she was joking beneath those hooded eyes . . .

It got me thinking about how I spend money. I’m definitely a Dr. Jekyl/Ms Hyde with the bucks. On the one hand, I’m “green” because I save this or reuse that (ten years ago that was called cheap) and if I don’t need it, I’m not going to pine away for it. usually But at other times, especially vacations, it’s like I’m in a different monetary zone.

What do you think? When no one’s being conned out of their money, when is it “being cheap”?

Uhm… yes.

But I barely have any money so maybe thats why XD

I think being cheap is just based around different value systems. Perhaps you spend more freely when it comes to holidays because you value what the vacation time gives you, or represents. Other people are ‘cheap’ about holidays because they don't care as much about spending time away or enjoy things that are generally inexpensive.

I'm cheap when it comes to food, I'm quite happy to use grocery store generics and non-organic stuff and, I dunno, caged hen eggs. I see that sort of thing as incremental money saving and I've never really bought into the ‘you need more expensive ingredients to make great food’, I'm happy with my cooking as it is. If the nicer stuff is cheaper I will buy it instead. I eat healthy, but I eat cheap.

Yet with my pets' food, I am not cheap. I pay more to get them food I know is nutritional and higher quality (in the dog's case especially, fresh meat). Because I know I am responsible for their health and well being, I want them to live long lives and avoid the diseases that come from eating a poor diet. (In a sense, there is an element of cheapness there too: nicer food is cheaper than vet bills and/or a shorter life.)

on 5 dollar Fridays at the corner store.

I prefer to save my money when it comes to movies and games. Some food items I'll go cheap on (like instant noodles), others I'm willing to spend more money on (mostly because with some foods, you get the quality you paid for). My art supplies and my geckos are not things I'll go cheap on.

Good quality art supplies make a HUGE difference in how the final product looks. As for my geckos, I want them to be healthy and happy both because I love them and because…well…you know how much it costs to take a dog or a cat to the vet? Cat and dog medicine is completely standard fare for vets. Reptiles are a specialty and require extra training to treat effectively (the fact that they take longer to get over an illness drives up the price like you wouldn't believe thanks to follow-up visits). There also isn't a vet trained for that sort of thing in this city, so I REALLY want to keep my little girls in good health.

Geckos? Damn things live in my air ducts and wake me up in the morning 30 minutes before I'm supposed to wake up – I HATE THAT!!

I never knew those tiny things could chirp so loudly. Like crickets.

I don't bother them, though. Cuz they never bother me (except the chirping), and I guess they eat insects.

I'm cheap with everything except when a hobby has me in its thrall.

Sometimes I am, sometimes not. I too will spend, spend, spend while on holiday.
I spend what it takes on art and computers… I pay more for the food my cat prefers… for the sorts of food I like to eat; only some of that is expensive and I don't eat much anyway. When I'm out I'll gladly pay and pay for my companions, but not as much for myself.

With clothes, brand means less than nothing to me. Style, quality and materials are all. If I can find them just as good second hand or on E-bay I see no problem with that.

And I'd always rather repair something (of it was good to start with) than throw it away and get a new one.

I like to be cheap when cheap = better. F'rinstance, an old fashioned razor blade is much cheaper than a ten bladed ergonomically styled swivel headed self lubricating disposable razor with go faster stripes. It also shaves better.

I don't like to be cheap when cheap = worse. F'rinstance, a cheap shaving brush works better than no brush at all, but if you want a really good shave, it's worth paying more for pure dead badger.

My cheapness is usually directly related to my current level of wealth. I'm more willing to spend when I have the money in the bank, but I'll rarely ever buy anything I don't have enough pay to buy two of them in my accounts.

The only times where I'm not at all cheap of note is at the pub. I was raised that when you invite a lady to the bar, even as friends, you're generally required to buy her first drink as an act of politeness. Similarly, if someone I know is having a shitty week, I'll pay for their drink. At the same time though, my friends and I never get more than one or two drinks a piece when we go to a bar because we rarely have the money or time to be getting trashed. Most of the time, as soon as we're done with our drinks and chatting a bit, we take off to get back to work because we have no money. I was raised with some old school ideas.

I'm a lot like lba. I never get something big (even cars) if I don't have its full purchase price in the bank. I'm always cheap when it comes to buying things for myself. No need for name brand clothes, food, furniture, accessories, blah blah blah. On occasion I'll find myself a shiny gadget/toy/computer part I really like and budget for it. For some reason I'm very liberal in my spending on others though. Gifts, pitching in for food, charity, etc.

lol. When people call me cheap I'm like “Hey, it's my hard earned money!”. I know it sounds bad but I work hard for the little money I get. The only thing Im cheap on is video games. I'd rather buy a $60 game on ebay for $20 and wait 2 weeks. I like buying things Used, I mean, at least I know it works that way. I'm never cheap on food though because cheap food leaves a bad taste in my mouth lol.

imshard
On occasion I'll find myself a shiny gadget/toy/computer part I really like and budget for it.

That's interesting, I'm pretty much the same way. Do you also spend time reading the reviews/comments for each brand of the part you're looking for, or even search across multiple retailers? That would sum it up for me.

I guess games are always the same for me - can't put my money down unless I know I'll be putting at least 10 hours into it (and enjoy it).

I agree on the food point though. Store brand…I avoid it when I can.

I'm with lba too in that when I buy something expensive I like to have enough cash left in the bank in my normal spending account to buy at least two of them. (and not touch the big savings)

For gadgets I do the shopping around and looking at reviews thing as well, but I'm pretty sure most people do that.
A big part of that isn't the expense though, rather it's because I don't like throwing away stuff that I've paid the money for if it turns out to be quickly superseded by something else that takes my fancy and I want to replace it, so I make sure I'll be VERY happy with what I get! The expense doesn't matter so much, if it's something I really want I just don't really care how much it is… but once I have it I feel a moral obligation to keep it.

-On the subject of generic “store brand” labelled food products, it varies. Obviously for some things the quality will be almost exactly the same as any other brand: Dried fruit, salt, sugar, UHT milk etc. but for processed foods there ARE big differences so it's best to stick to name brands for anything more complicated, like bread for example.

I'm always “cheap” in the sense that I save all the money I can and only spend it when appropriate (like buying gas or spending tuition). Generally I mark that money as a “loss” and won't spend much for fun until I recover what I spent. So say I have 3k in the bank, spent 2k on school. I won't start buying games or anything until I'm at least 2k back up.

The reason I do this is because of the time I wound up in the hospital. I needed money to fall back on and it sent me in the hole by several grand. I got a job doing debt collections that paid more than I knew what to do with, so eventually I just started to save and ration out my money. So I guess I'm a cheap bastard, but heaven forbid something happens at least I have a security net. vOv

Its only really cheap of you when given the right context. If you take someone on a date, for example, don't drag them to the dollar movies. Spend some cash and have a fun time. But if its about owning a bunch of cool junk or laying down sixty bucks for a new video game, its not really cheap to step back and say “this might not be the best way to spend my money.”

I've become anti-cheap, now that I have a decent job and no family yet.

It's sort of a reaction to the way I was raised. My Dad is really cheap. He'll buy ten crappy used items before he'll buy one good, functional new one. As a result, I grew up having only cheap, unreliable crap… from cars to computers to household items. We always paid for it later on when the car broke down or the computer stopped working.

So now, when I'm at the store buying power tools I first think, “Which one would my dad buy?” Then when I find it I buy the next-higher-up item in quality. One of the biggest lessons I learned from cheap parents is that you get what you pay for.

Aw, now I am imagining Hawk owning lots of power tools, it's adorable.

I'm sorry, I know guys don't like being associated with that word. Power tools are kinda like the guy version of barbie dolls though. “Check out these attachments!”

:-) There is something about power tools. I've had to do my homework and grill store clerks when buying what my husband likes best: power tools. And I kinda follow what Hawk does: don't go for the “bargain” model, but up one or two.

I also resonate to “It's sort of a reaction to the way I was raised”, but that in itself could introduce a whole new thread.

Okay, so no one brought it up, but here's a sub-topic: re-gifting. Yes, I confess, I've done it. It has to be never-used, brand-new, and in no way trace-able to the original giver. And it's not for a birthday or holiday gift, more along the lines of a cheer-up, but I still imagine this one pansy pin making its way around the world.

ayesinback
Okay, so no one brought it up, but here's a sub-topic: re-gifting. Yes, I confess, I've done it. It has to be never-used, brand-new, and in no way trace-able to the original giver. And it's not for a birthday or holiday gift, more along the lines of a cheer-up, but I still imagine this one pansy pin making its way around the world.

I've re-gifted that pin at least twice. Did you get the weirdly shaped candle yet nobody would ever light yet?

Everything's fair game when you're a university student. But being cheap when buying things for other people is a no no.

I don't like to be cheap when cheap = worse. F'rinstance, a cheap shaving brush works better than no brush at all, but if you want a really good shave, it's worth paying more for pure dead badger.

I don't understand the concept of shaving brush. Your hand doesn't work?

On the subject of shaving… why do ppl shave with the grain? I find I only get a decent shave if I shave against the grain, easier and less painful (as in no pain), too.

The only times where I'm not at all cheap of note is at the pub.

I see pubs as the ultimate waste of time/money. Why pay so much for beer when you can just buy better brands for cheaper at the supermarket? You wanna hang with friends with beer, just invite each other to homes. Chances are your TV at home is bigger than the one at the pub, too. And you can change the channel. And there's no background noise that makes it impossible to hear each other talk.

For gadgets I do the shopping around and looking at reviews thing as well, but I'm pretty sure most people do that.

That's not a matter of being cheap. It's just that tech salesmen are the same as car salesmen. If you don't do every ounce of research before you walk into that store, they F–K you over they F–K ya, and you walk out of that store with 2 new bleeding assholes.

(Still fuming over how I got F–Ked over with the PS3 bundle.)

Power tools are kinda like the guy version of barbie dolls though. “Check out these attachments!”

Power tools… If some task requires power tools to do, it's probably just better for me to hire a service professional to do it.

I know handy guys are sexy to women or something, but LOL it's like I'm supposed to do this manual labor… without getting paid? I wouldn't do it even if I'm getting paid. Just outsource it and support your neighborhood's economy, heh.

lefarce
Its only really cheap of you when given the right context. If you take someone on a date, for example, don't drag them to the dollar movies. Spend some cash and have a fun time. But if its about owning a bunch of cool junk or laying down sixty bucks for a new video game, its not really cheap to step back and say “this might not be the best way to spend my money.”

YUP.
Oz endorsed :)

mlai

ozoneocean
For gadgets I do the shopping around and looking at reviews thing as well, but I'm pretty sure most people do that.

That's not a matter of being cheap. It's just that tech salesmen are the same as car salesmen. If you don't do every ounce of research before you walk into that store, they F–K you over they F–K ya, and you walk out of that store with 2 new bleeding assholes

True. Most sales people with a big inventory of expensive stuff like that want to make the biggest profit they can: by selling the hardest to sell crap with the biggest margin. So if the goods are outdated or soon to be outdated, or have something shit about them that turns people off then they'll push it at you just to get rid of it.

mlai
Power tools… If some task requires power tools to do, it's probably just better for me to hire a service professional to do it..

I love doing home handy stuff! I can make a lot of things without too much trouble, fix almost anything, build things from scratch., Whatever. It's quite fun.

For doing work around the house, you don't need professional tools- Those are meant to be used intensively day after day and still run fine. For home type work you're better off with those mid priced tools, they'll do the job you need, do it well and last a good long time, as long as you don't run them into the ground. Cheap tools will of course break.

I'm kinda like Lba, where it depends on my “cash flow”. Except my cash flow is always the same. so what happens is, i'll see something shiny, and i'll stop going out. I'll only go out to other friends houses, and mostly i'll sit on my bum and post rude comments on places like drunk duck. (horrible website by the way)
then after a couple months i have a huge back log of cash that's just burning to leave the bank. so it does. rather quickly. i rinse and repeat.

I'm currently working on that tho.

i always do my research tho. i go to third party tech sites, and read the reviews. if i do go to the actual site, i ignore the companies reviews, and read only consumer ones, mostly the low ratings, because they have found the biggest problems.

with food, i've swapped over to walmart brand everything, and it's saving us at least
$40 a trip. so i'm pretty cheap with my food.

Im illegally downloa-…

I mean “Freely and legally acquiring” software as we speak.

I'm totally frugal when it comes to food. I buy ground turkey instead of beef because it is half the price. I buy tons of frozen veggies instead of the expensive fresh stuff.

Also clothing. I never bought into brand names. Even when I have money, unless I'm actually getting dressed up for an event. Otherwise it's jeans from walmart and t-shirts I've had since highschool.

Dates I hate spending a lot of money on too, but I think it's more cause I have stomach problems so dinner and a movie isn't that practical. I'd rather get take out and rent a movie and eat at home.

I'm much more willing to splurge on things that last a while. New flooring for our house. Computer games. Shoes (but that could be cause I'm a girl…)

mlai

The only times where I'm not at all cheap of note is at the pub.

I see pubs as the ultimate waste of time/money. Why pay so much for beer when you can just buy better brands for cheaper at the supermarket? You wanna hang with friends with beer, just invite each other to homes. Chances are your TV at home is bigger than the one at the pub, too. And you can change the channel. And there's no background noise that makes it impossible to hear each other talk.

It's about being social. When you spend 12 hours + in a cubicle-like studio, head down, working on whatever you have that week, you want to spend as much time with as many people as you can in a short period. We all have very limited time, meaning we gather in a large group to get to see each other as much as we can in that time and for the most part that's not possible at home. Most of us live with 1 other room mate or on our own in small studio apartments that aren't at all meant to host parties. So, we go to the pub down the street from work and sit down to relax. It's not a waste of time to sit back, have two beers, and actually talk to someone face to face for the first time in the 14 hours you've been awake. Illustration is not a social field. You work alone, talk to your clients via email or telephone and for most of us that's why we have studio space away from home, so that we can actually get a little social interaction. I'd figure that most people on DD should know that. The extra $1.50 for that bottle of Mothership beer is what we spend on being able to see other human beings. On top of that, some of us don't even own a TV ( When you make 15-25 grand a year it's not a priority. ) and you're going to the wrong bar if it's too loud to hear the person next to you.


As for power tools, I buy the best because I've learned growing up that's the smart thing to do. I still own many of my great-grandfather's old woodworking tools because they were the best of the best at the time and he bought them to last him his entire life since they were his bread and butter. They were kept and passed down to me through my dad. My airbrush was my dad's and it's 40 years old, and it still sprays better than a lot of the newer, cheaper models. In the long run, it's just cheaper to buy good tools and learn to do the work myself. I can't afford to buy new furniture, so I learned to build my own. Now I get exactly what I want, and so long as I'm smart about it, I get it for a fraction of the price.

mlai
I don't understand the concept of shaving brush. Your hand doesn't work?

My hand is not covered with fine quality bristles which are soft yet flexible and retain their shape. Thus, my hand is not capable of softening and raising stubble to promote a smoother and closer shave.

mlai
On the subject of shaving… why do ppl shave with the grain? I find I only get a decent shave if I shave against the grain, easier and less painful (as in no pain), too.

If you'd used a decent brush first, you'd get a decent shave without going against the grain and would thus not be punishing your skin and risking shaving rash and ingrowing hairs.

Come on man, I shouldn't be having to teach you how to shave at your age!

A few months ago one of my cats barfed on my desk chair. I threw it out. A couple days later I found a chair marked “FREE” in the back alley. I took him home and wiped it down. Not long afterwards the back almost completely broke off(it had been duct taped up when I found it).

I'm still using it.

I am the proverbial skinflint. My wife hates it. I'll wait for special effects laden movies to come to the cheap theaters and comedies to come to television, games to move to the reduced/greatest hits rack (I'm still waiting for the PS3 and 360 to get cheaper before I buy one of either).

I buy the store brands when grocery shopping(which helps the stores because they make more money off store brands than name brands). I shop around for gas and then when I put it in my car I don't accelerate fast.

I eat off value menus and often only get water to drink with my food at the occasional restaurant with an actual waitress. I buy used cars and never with a payment.

I buy my clothes at the Salvation Army store because I drive a semi full of stamped auto parts from a supplier to Ford stamping twice a day and any time there's a tractor-trailer, there's grit grime and grease involved.

If I can't afford it, I don't buy it. I don't live beyond my means. That doesn't mean I have any kind of savings though, because while I do these things, my wife nickle and dimes me to death.

I don't have money so I don't buy things.

Although I don't know if that's being cheap.

I Am The 1337 Master
I don't have money so I don't buy things.

Although I don't know if that's being cheap.

That's called being poor. Being cheap is when you have money but don't spend it.