Are your friends frugal?

[esmeralda]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

I would have to say that most of my friends are rather frugal. We live in an area with a perpetually depressed economy so there is always the fear of being without a job. I find that I dont/cant hang with spendy people anymore. Just dont have enough of the right things in common anymore.

The friends I do have are frugal for a variety of reasons. Some have to be because they are earning less than $10/hour. Others are earning over $100K - two combined incomes - but are living on $30k/year so they can sock the rest of it away into retirement. They are getting close, but I'm not sure they will know what to do with themselves when they get to that point.

I'm doing it because I want to be financially independant. But I'm trying to remain sane in the process. The people I call my friends are of the same outlook.

[esmeralda]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

I have a p.s. to add.

Though the people I call my friends are generally all frugal, its something that we dont discuss openly. We will use a two for one coupon when we go to lunch or hit the sales for clothes at lunch, but we never discuss who's got a great interest rate or hot stocks or anything of that sort. That is why I check in here regularly.

[marjorie]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

This question hs been brought up at a great time for me. I'm going to visit a friend next month. She and her husband bought a new-to-them house last month. She saw it, she wanted it. The only way they had anything to put down on the house was because she sold her old house to her brother. His downpayment became her downpayment. They live outside of Chicago, and he makes $100k + annually. No house payment for years. I can't imagine! It will be a trying time for me... Most of my other friends are less spendthrift driven, but I couldn't call them frugal. Most I rarely see anymore because we have so little in common.

[zakity]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

Depends on the friend, several are and several aren't. Several who aren't, should be.

[robex]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

Most of my friends are frugal, but not as frugal as me...my best friend is more frugal than me and has helped me through some difficult times financially.
As for my friends who do spend more...I have more and sleep better at night because of it!

[becomingafinacialgrownup]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

I have a several that are very frugal but I have one that absolutely drives me insane!!! She is always belly aching about how poor they are and how they can't afford this or that. The next breath she is talking about spending 80 dollars on a perm and where they went out to eat this day the other day etc. and about the movies they went to that week.Her husband also has a very expensive hobby that *must* be manintained. They have to have the biggest cable package offered etc.New c;othes all the time.They both have good incomes and could do quite nicely.

I admit I have my weakness but this is just CRAZY!It's all about appearances. We rarely go to the movies,we wait for dvd. We live in handme downs,clearance rack and thrift store clothes and look quite nice.I'll quit ranting now!

[baselle]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

Most of my friends are rather frugal, but its hard to tell. We all tend to gravitate toward cheap thrills once in awhile. We've also had intermittent rounds of unemployment so we all treasure our emergency funds, etc.

Co workers are probably another matter, but at least everyone there has the good sense not to brag.

[BCompDude]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

My friends aren't really of the frugal mindset; however, when I ask not to go to the uber expensive rib place for a meal and go to say Denny's instead they don't mind, in fact they heartily agree and then tell me they really don't have the money for an expensive meal anyway. After all of the time we have spent together they still feel the need to try to impress me/other people when we are out! That is insane and I frankly don't understand it a bit.

I'm not certain that I would fit the frugal mindset either. I go out to eat semi-frequently with friends etc. when the opportunity presents itself. I buy very nice looking clothes (albeit at really good prices, usually half off mall prices). I buy the more expensive health car products such as Paul Mitchell (their Tea Tree shampoo is absolutely amazing!). I go out to see movies quite a bit. I buy quite a few cds (albeit at 5.99 a piece). I buy the best food for my kittens (Eukanuba) that consists of Chicken rather than corn or rice--likewise for their health care, the best

To the outside world I'm not certain I would appear frugal, often times people ask me how I "do it". But I save/invest over 60 percent of my income and have ZERO debt of any sort. Could I save more? Sure, but you can get too caught up saving a few dollars and depriving yourself of any reprive from your daily life. A dangerous situation indeed. Memories and enjoying the moment are equally important to me as my portfolio, even more so.

[Ima saver]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

My best friend is not frugal at all. She gets the $80 perms, buys presents all the time for other people and has not owned a house for about 30 years cause she can't afford it. She has gotten in trouble with money many times and only kept her head above water because of her church. Her husband had a heart attack and the church paid their rent, car payment, utility bills, food, everything, for months.
I have tried and tried to advise her and she won't save a dime when they do have good paying jobs. They will have to work until they die!

[pennywise]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

Dear Ima Saver:

These are the exact people who deserve not help. I am sick and tired of these mooches off society. Their ignorance should be felt in their bones (cold due to no home) and in their stomachs (no food). No one should help people like this. There are truly people out there that need help and have tried their best to do everything they can. They need help. Just like the heat people wanting us to donate our money so others can have a warm home while mine is 55 degrees. Forget, work for what you get. NO WORK NO HOME NO FOOD, period. Be aware charities are tax writeoffs for the people who start them. You work to provide their hobby. A charity head can make $200,000 per law and this does not limit the perks. Stop giving your hard earned money away, only a fool would do that when they know they have retirement or a possible illness/disability could happen to them

Sorry I am so rash, I am angry!

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

one of my friends is and my aunt & mil are. In a way I'm glad they are. Though on the other hand they are so cheap half the things they buy used should go in a donation bin. My aunt won't buy anything @ a rummage that's more than .25! But then tell me about a Pooh outfit she saw for my baby but it was .50! Now that's too darn cheap!!!

though one friend does try to pass herself as frugal by telling me a few months ago that my dh should of bought me a "beater" van like hers instead of a new one. But we prefer new-newer vehicles, our most unfrugal thing. Anyways she's the friend who needs to be more frugal by cancelling half the services they have. She's forever telling me they are going to sell their house (wich was pruchased from her parents in her bf's name probably cause she's a bad credit risk) and build a new one in a few years. How does one expect to do that when they are behind on their regular bills???? Whereas we are current or even ahead and can't do it. DUH DUH...

[Ima saver]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

Pennywise, i agree with you, the church should not have helped her out. Her husband has had about 50 jobs in the past 25 years, he gets let go all the time. She does not want to work, she wants to do volunteer work for the church.
Her phone bill used to run about $300 a month cause she talked long distance so much and you can't get off the phone with her. She and her husband both have cell phones, I don't. She is always getting her hair done, I don't.
I tried to talk her into saving even a small amoount of money every week, and she said that was not worth her time.
She let the church pay all her bills for close to a year. She has borrowed from everyone and of course taken food stamps, but wouldn't go and get a job.
She and her husband have finally taken jobs but if something happens, they have no savings to fall back on.

[flash]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

Friends are a mix. Family, agh, frugal for themselves, but somehow always expect DH and I to pay the restaurant bill or buy the great gifts they hint for. That's the hardest for me, I'm frugal with myself, but with others I am a softie.

[Ima saver]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

I am no good at telling people no. That is why my daughter hit us up for money for practically every month after she left the house. She never could pay her electric bill but she had an entire box of sweaters in her house. I am talking refrigertor box with just sweater for her!! Talk about wasting money.

[Lostsoul33]

Re: Are your friends frugal?

None of my friends are frugal. Some of them definetely should be as they are experiencing hard times. Their bank accounts are running into the negative constantly.
Nobody in my family is frugal and they've told me that I'm funny because I send away for freebies. I think they're convinced that I need the freebies. Not the case at all. I just don't want to pay for stuff that I can get for free.