Are you frugal, or stingy?

[veronak]

I just read this article on MSN Money and was thinking who was frugal and who was stingy. I think I am a little of both

here is the link which gives the definition of both

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...lOrStingy.aspx

[getforfree]

I am little bit of both too. I try to save money. Sometimes I go for a cheaper item or a meal for myself to save money, So why would I deprive myself and my kids and then give the difference to some stranger? I am not stingy with my family and friends most of the time, but I don't like to give anything away. We do give to church, mostly my DH does.

I know some people give to charities to save on taxes. Ok, if you decide to give $100 to some charity, and you make $100 a day at your work, why not just take an extra day off and enjoy it with your family. The result --- you didn't make extra $100 (maybe $85 after tax and gas), but you still got the same effect, and worked an extra day less. Well, yea somebody else will get less something, but you will get more.

Sometimes I buy clothes with the intention to return it. Ok, I have to be somewhere and look good, but I don't want to spend $50 on the nice new outfit, I would "rent" it for free.

I try to be not stingy with my friends or family ,but I do make big companies take loss for my gain.

[Ima saver]

I am frugal , not stingy. I will order the cheapest thing on the menu to save money, but I will always tip 20-30% I would never buy clothes and then return them unless they did not fit. I do give to charities and I don't itemize, so I get no tax break.

[arg1211]

I would call myself frugal, but I know I can be stingy some times. My stinginess usually grows in direct response to the level of stupidity involved.

Let me explain.

If I have to shell out hard-earned money to fix a problem that couldn't be helped, I'm okay with it. For example, shelling out 50,000 SkyMiles to fly my boyfriend down to Miami for his uncle's funeral. That's fine. It couldn't be avoided, and his NOT going would have caused many problems in our relationship and the one he has with his family. It was just the right thing to do.

If I have to shell out hard-earned cash to fix a problem that could have been prevented with a little time, effort, and/or common sense, THAT'S when I become stingy. If the level of stupidity is low, such as the BF busting a tailight on is car to bits because he wasn't watching where he was backing up, then my stinginess is low. I'll be mildly annoyed at the expense, but I'll pay it.

If the level of stupidity is relatively high, such as having to pay for an ER visit for a broken arm caused by someone was trying to emulate a stunt off of Fear Factor, then I'm probably going to let them fend for themselves. (Except for the BF, because we sort of take care of each other regardless of the stupidity involved.)

Stupidity makes me stingy. Enough said.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I do not even known any stingy people. I have heard others accuse someone of stinginess when they did not getb what they wanted, but I think the accusers were unreasonable or covetous.

[rob62521]

Based on this article, I am frugal, not stingy. I treat others better than I treat myself or at least equally. I would never buy something, wear it, and then return it. I have returned clothes because they didn't fit, but not because I wanted to "rent" it. I wouldn't want to buy something that someone else wore for whatever reason and then returned it. How crude! I buy things for my students at school because they don't have things, not because I expect something in return. But, I often look for the best price of something and read Consumer Reports for information so I don't make huge errors.

[locolorenzo24]

I'm stingy with people that seem to expect things or money from me....
I'm frugal in that I can give presents to people, but I'm not getting a great present to a cousin I see once a year just cause they're getting married. Only reason to invite me is one more gift, eh?
I'm frugal in that I believe in shopping around, not buying something unless I really need it in some way, and giving(especially to work, I'm donating 300 bucks to a resident fund to help them do things this summer, and making sure no one knows it was me, by saying it was a gift from a person....)
Just me, I guess.

[Ima saver]

I think that is nice, loco. Isn't it funny when you only hear from people when they want a gift. I give presents all the time, and I do not expect (or want) one back. I have enought "stuff"

[cschin4]

Frugal is spending YOUR money on things you want and not spending it on things you don't want. Stingy is other people looking at how you spend YOUR money and deciding that because you don't want to spend YOUR money the way that they would, that is stingy!

[notmadeofmoney]

My husband and I are both frugal. We will shop around for the best prices on things we need. We save up for things we want and try to get the best possible price. I never buy things with the intention of returning them. We tithe because we believe it is the right thing to do, not because we want to save money on our taxes.

[lillyb]

Guess I'm frugal, not stingy. I would never force my frugalness on others. And if I can't go out to dinner with enough to leave a generous tip, then I wouldn't go.

[Elgin526]

I would consider myself frugal. Frugal is getting the most for your money and sometimes means paying slighty more for an item to ensure better quality. Stingy is getting the cheapest possible price, regardless of quality. Frugal is saving money for a purpose. Stingy is saving money for it's own sake. Frugal is denying yourself things for the benifit of others, stingy is denying others for your own benifit.

[cschin4]

stingy is denying others for your own benefit

I would disagree with that. It is not stingy to deny others for your own benefit.

[PrincessPerky]

I think in general I m stingy..in thought, but I tend to be frugal in action...I am just not a nice person....but I would like to be.

[cschin4]

We all deny others for our own benefit. I am not sure what that really means. If I work and bring home money, it is for me and my family. I may chose to donate some, but the main idea is to provide things for me and my family.

[lrjohnson]

Based on the article definitions, I'm frugal. Sweet.

[zakity]

I am frugal. I do force frugality on DH and the kids, does that count?

[Ima saver]

My husband says I am cheap, but I really don't think I am.

[Thrifty Ray]

Based on the article, I am usually frugal.

Stingy to me means: Hording for oneself at an unreasonable cost to others.

Every once in a while the stinginess comes out in me....example: I dont usually tip barista's on the rare occaision that I stop for a smoothie for my daughter...

But for the most part I feel I balance saving money and fairness to others pretty well.

[shengmei]

Originally Posted by Joan.of.the.Arch

I do not even known any stingy people. I have heard others accuse someone of stinginess when they did not getb what they wanted, but I think the accusers were unreasonable or covetous.

Yap. People accuse me of being stingy all the time because I am unwilling to share my 2-bedroom apartment for free because someone cannot afford rent.

Then they go shopping everyday.....GRRRR......