Never thought about this before! Never saw myself as a frugalista until DKs asked if we were poor. DH and I had no clue about money management when we married. Our role models were my DBs whose earnings poured out of their pockets yet they whined constantly and never had money to pay utilities until they were threatened with disconnect. Eldest DB advised me to borrow more than I needed to enjoy life. When I saw folks smoking cigarettes I saw it as standing around burning money.
We joined a service organization to help transition to a new city and were befriended by the more wealthy members. In order to attend conferences and go to events we were invited to we had to cut corners. It was a fun challenge to squeeze more out of each dollar spent.
We bought the least expensive home in our community and when I saw how my neighbors chose to spend $$$ I was even more driven towards a smaller footprint and better money management. Went to every financial management course I saw advertised and learned so much from questions asked by other participants.
I guess I am still in the closet as a frugal person. DH laughs at some of my penny pinching ways but appreciates our financial advantage.
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