Frugal...have you always been? or are you a convert?

[Thrifty Ray]

I am a convert...although I never bought designer clothes...well, ok, I did buy a pair of Chamin de' fer (spelling?) jeans back in the 70s for $40...

My conversion started many years ago, when I bought my first Tighwad Gazette book....However, I was a walking contradiction for a long time...mentally wanting the frugal life, but living the spendthrift life...

I studied frugal lifestyles for years....and have been living one for just the past 16 months...

How about you?

[Broken Arrow]

I'm going to have to go with convert.

I've always had a minimalist attitude towards everything, but there was a time when I would spend money on toys without giving a second thought on saving for the future. Now, after experiencing what crushing debt feels like, I am the opposite and couldn't be happier.

[Ima saver]

Well, I was raised pretty poor and never had much when I first married, so i guess I have been frugal all my life. But I can see in some ways, like going out to eat, that I am not frugal. We have always used that as our form of entertainment. That and cars (my husband's love and hobby) are our two big expenses. I have learned a lot on this site about being frugal. I also have learned that it is ok to spend some money on things you really enjoy. (like eating out and cars!)

[Lori63]

As a kid I remember seeing my mom cry when the utilities were going to be shut off and trying to help her learn about coupons, etc. (didn't work). Then when I went to college my dad took my money (his name was on my acct.), so I had to work two jobs, go to school fulltime-pinched every penny. I guess I've always been frugal-must have been hard-wired that way from birth because I didn't learn it from my parents.

[Ima saver]

I think I did learn it from my mother. My father died when I was nine and I watched my mother struggle. She had never worked in her life (born in 1907) and made only about $25 a week. That is what we lived on. She never paid a bill late, we would go without food, but the bills would get paid. I have never paid a bill late either. One time the elec. bill came back because the stamp fell off. I drove all the way to the electric company cause I was so embarrassed to be late. (I even took the envelope to prove I was not a dead beat!!)

[cschin4]

I am a convert. I grew up in a small middle class type town. Our family had enough to pay the bills and make ends meet. And, we did take some occasional vacations, etc. My mom is the spender in the family and dad was the saver. When I first got out of college, I really didn't know how to handle or money and really didn't pay that much attention to it. Fortunately, I never got myself in debt and was always employed. As I got older and had kids, I realized that financial planning was important since it was no longer just me. Over time, I have adapted many of the suggestions on frugal message boards. And, I am to the point where I just can't stand alot of junk around me and don't even enjoy shopping anymore. And, I really enjoy conversing with all you folks.

[Roupey03]

I am still in the process of converting and this board is defintely a big help.

[Ima saver]

cschin, we really enjoy you too.

[shengmei]

I loved shopping. I still do. Nowadays it is a game of "me aginst the retailers"

[PrincessPerky]

I would say on a scale of 1-10 (10 being spendthrif) I never hit more than 7 (DINK days) but now I am creeping down to that 1 of super frugal.

Couldn't do it without this board!

[lillyb]

I was raised in a spendthrift family, didn't know any different. Even so, I've never really been one for keeping up with the Joneses. Guess you could say I've always been frugal at heart and just didn't know how to get there.

[kealina]

i've always been frugal, not because my parents are especially frugal (only sometimes) but because we didn't have a lot of money growing up and i knew that i wanted to have more security than i was raised with...
luckily we had some richer relatives so i could kind of see the goal... my aunt and uncle started with nothing when they came here as refugees (after the Vietnam war) and although i don't know how they started i do know they worked really hard to get where they are now which is very, very comfortable although i wouldn't classify them as uberRich i do know they've got quite a bit over a Million in assets to leave their two kids.... over the past 20 years in CA, they worked in real estate, had a pawn shop, and finally are now in the jewelry business....
also my grandma (tech my step-grandma but never called her that) has always been a good role model because even tho she inherited some money she's always been a believer in being frugal and working hard so you appreciate what you get. She's very smart and, to my eyes anyways, she's always had a good balance of being frugal and enjoying the money they worked for.... i could probably write a super long post about her...
let's just say i had several money role models and took a little something from each of them to mix with my own natural temperment....
lol... i was a smart little kid... i realized early in life that saving money gave me an advantage that my brother (big spendthrift) didn't have... if we both got $5 for the candy store he'd spend all $5 and i'd spent $2 and pocket the other $3...

[Thrifty Ray]

Originally Posted by kealina

if we both got $5 for the candy store he'd spend all $5 and i'd spent $2 and pocket the other $3...

lol- this brought back memories of my younger years with my brother....I would do the same, and then the next time he would borrow money from me and have to pay me back with interest!!!

chuckle...Id forgotten about that...I lost my brother 18 years ago---but I am sure he is still smiling at the memory as well!

[tgavin71]

Always been frugal. As a kid I loved watching the coins in my money jar get higher and higher. I hated spending money and still do. My sister and I are both better off now than our parents would ever hope to be. They are still assuming that the government is going to pay them the pension. Have told them time and time again, directly and indirectly, that they should be saving money instead of drinking, smoking and taking trips away but it falls on deaf ears. Luckily they own a house that they will be able to sell to pay for life's necessities as they get older.

[Ima saver]

Yes,I enjoyed putting money in my piggy bank and I had a savings acct. ever since I was a child. I use to be embarassed about depositing small sums in my savings, but now I know that tellers don't mind at all, they think is great if you are a kid!

[Cheetahwoman7]

I've been frugal since I was young. Of the four kids in my family, I was the only one who seemed to know how to save. I had my first bank account before I was 7.

Anyone remember those passbook banks (look like a small book/diary) that you would save your change in, then take to the bank for them to open and put whatever amount was in there into your savings account? I wish I still had mine. Loved hearing change jingle in there.

My older sister (by 5 years) would come borrow money from me because she just couldn't budget, even though she would get a larger allowance than me! She's still like that today and I still seem to be the only "bank" available to loan money to my family members and friends. One of these years I'm going to have to learn to say NO! I'd say I have over $16,000 out in loans that I know will never be paid back.

My mom was frugal, but that was because my dad was CHEAP! He would earn enough money to pay for things, but would give the bare minimum for my mom to budget feeding and clothing a family of six. If the money ran out before the end of the month, too bad. My mom went back to work as a waitress so she could earn money to help clothe us!!!

I remember a story that my mom told me. It happened when I was just a baby. My father hadn't bought any furniture for our house (at that time, 3 kids and 2 adults). He kept saying he would get some eventually, until then everyone had to sit on pillows on the floor. Well, my mom had an idea. She invited over a bunch of my DAD's friends for dinner and told them to bring a pillow! She said that my dad went out the next week and bought a houseful of furniture at one of the most expensive stores in our town. What blew her away is that he paid CASH for it all!!!!

[lrjohnson]

Thrifty Ray

My conversion started many years ago, when I bought my first Tighwad Gazette book....However, I was a walking contradiction for a long time...mentally wanting the frugal life, but living the spendthrift life...

It's almost creepy how that exctly matched my story!

Brought up spendthrift, and was unhappy with the uncertainty and angst it caused but couldn't articulate it. Day before payday, empty fridge, payday anything we wanted in the grocery store plus dinner out. My parents made pretty good money but it was all spent, spent, spent. It took me a bit to realize I had learned poor spending habits and that I was craving security above other items, and that I didn't like living paycheck to paycheck.

Being poor for a bit was a great gift; 1997, 1998, 1999- 30 hours a week at around $6.25, paying off debt at the same time. I was forced to enact strategies that were planted in my head when I subscribed-yup, really- to the Tightwad Gazette Newsletter in the early 90s.

Once my income went up, my spending went up but never caught up to my income.

[boomeyers]

I grew up with a very frugal mother, but since I was the youngest, I did'nt see the hardest years before Dad "made good". The critical mistake they made was "loaning" me money and never making me pay it back. They should have just given it to me or told me "no" until I had earned it myself. I had a very hard time with credit cards and still do!
I love getting a deal and garage sale-ing, couponing and I make my kids save up their money before they buy things. Hopefully this will help them when they are older.

[jodi]

I would never have called myself a spendthrift, but I definitely didn't jump on the frugal train right away either. I can't pinpoint an exact time that the change occurred - it was a gradual shift in priorities over time, from my early 20's until age 25 or so, where I pretty much leveled out where I am now - thrifty enough to save for what I need, loose enough with my money to enjoy life. It's a good place to be

[zakity]

I have pretty much always been pretty frugal. A portion of it was learned though.