Being too frugal?

Discussion in 'Money Management & Banking' started by Simon Hampel, 28th Sep, 2016.

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  1. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Founder Staff Member

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    When does it stop being "frugal" and start just being "cheap"?

    from Massive Debt to Mogul - Rethinking Frugal – When is it Too Extreme?

    via Lifehacker - What You Do With The Money You Save Is As Important As How Much You Save
     
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  2. trinity168

    trinity168 Well-Known Member

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    I think there is a balance between being too frugal and being cheap. I don't mind the occassional dinner out with hubby, but we don't spend more than $100 on a dinner out.

    I use group buying (groupon/scoopon) to try out new restaurants. I hate the cheaper ones or eat all you can, because at the restaurant I feel like you get treated differently and food is normally not good quality at eat-all-you-can.

    I spend for food, doesn't mean I eat the michelin rate restuarants. I don't shop too much for clothes. One thing I don't like, can't explain why, is paying for parking.
     
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  3. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    Home brew, a frugal person's dream. Save lots of money, no excise duty and get good at it like my wife it's better than even the best of the bought stuff.

    Ah with advice like this they should offer me a knighthood:).
     
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  4. trinity168

    trinity168 Well-Known Member

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    I've started fermenting kefir, a probiotic drink. Not quite home brew but, it's a start. :cool:
     
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  5. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    Apart from the home brew my wife does her own preserving as well. She even won first and second prise in the jam and sauce categories at the local show much to her surprise given she's never done this sort of thing before. Missed out on the chutney / relishes award. Grow our own veggies, herbs, fruit. chooks for eggs. Makes cheese, now growing mushrooms. Make our own yoghurt. Dry / freeze / can surplus. Wine / cider next on the agenda. Also sourdough bread is a goal as well. Others things too numerous to mention.

    Trouble is some of this costs more to do than buy (although probably not if you compare it to organic produce). But it's a hobby, nearly everything is organic and the quality is amazing. And we grow heaps of things (heirloom varieties etc) that you just can't buy! Very different life for her since leaving an ASX Top 20 executive corporate role at 51 to retire.

    Retirement isn't about doing nothing but continuing to live a productive life even if the productive element is what goes into our stomach:).
     
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  6. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    Meant to add you've got it the wrong way round. Best start with the home brew first;). Kefir is for hippies like my niece who is into it in a big way:eek:. Her and her partner are quite poor. Home brew on the other hand is a sign of affluence guaranteed to lead to a richer life:D.
     
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  7. trinity168

    trinity168 Well-Known Member

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    I am jealous of the home garden and organc produce @austing . I prefer to buy organic produce so yeah, it can get pricey. Again, I don't mind paying for good quality product that goes into my tummy.

    About home brew, I've got asian liver so don't really drink much alcohol :( Although am sure hubby would be happy if I started making home brew for him! :D
     
  8. twisted strategies

    twisted strategies Well-Known Member

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    dear old mum starting making home made ginger beer ..... after an IRA supporter friend got really interested ... mum decided to try for another hobby ..

    unbeknown to me a different rellie took up the hobby

    cleaning up that estate i discovered the 40 ( plus ) year old ginger ????

    15% alcohol NO PROBLEMS almost needed a whip and a chair to keep it in the bottle after opening .

    that had some attitude , even for a single malt drinker (me )

    almost had to rename msyelf Hans



    but it certainly put in a silver lining to wading through a 100 year-old family collection

    ( in hindsight i probably couldn't have done it sober )
     
  9. 158

    158 Well-Known Member

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    Saving is finite, earning income is infinite.

    Being frugal, cheap or tight is false economy.

    pinkboy
     
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  10. Hodor

    Hodor Well-Known Member

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    Spending is infinite if you allow it to be.

    If I want something I buy it. Living within your means is the trick IMO.
     
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  11. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    Have you tried making SAKE:D? Would that be any better given its origin?

    Yes my wife does the brewing. She doesn't drink all that much but loves the art of making it. So I have the unenviable task of having to drink it:cool:.

    When I worked in IT in Canberra many years ago I knew a number of asian women (programmers) who were good friends. When I drank alcohol they would tell me you only have one body and should look after it. I would say I am, alcohol's a fantastic preservative:).

    They were a wonderful bunch loving nothing more than a to have fun and a good giggle even though some of them had gone through some horrors overseas before coming here as boat people etc. On the odd occasion when they did have a little bit of alcohol it was hilarious. Lots of giggling, laughter, fun albeit even the ever talkative me had to struggle to get a word in:eek:. Some of the happier times of my working life.

    I'm not Asian but Asian food is my favorite. Hence why we grow our own Vietnamese mint, other mints, coriander, Thai / holy / other basils, ginger, turmeric, garlic, spring onions, limes, peanuts, kafirr lime tree (leaves), dragon fruit, mushrooms, kang Kong, pak chop, bok choy (and other Asian leafy greens), chili, capsicum, Asian cucumber varieties, lemon grass, mangoes, snake beans, wombok, snow / snap peas etc etc ... . All organic! And that's only a tiny part of our productive gardens.

    Anyone feeling hungry:D?
     
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  12. twisted strategies

    twisted strategies Well-Known Member

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    pinkboy ,

    as a former workaholic .... income is NOT infinite ( unless you have an awesome investment plan )

    your body WILL stop you earning money , eventually .

    find that awesome investment plan , and you have a chance , good luck .
     
  13. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    And yes add to that we also make our own alcoholic ginger beer. Way better than all of the mostly artificial concoctions you get at the liquor barns. The real fermented stuff is the only way to enjoy it. Reminds me, must have one of those later.
     
  14. twisted strategies

    twisted strategies Well-Known Member

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    HINT !!!!

    buy a solid cast iron ( enamaled ) bathtub ( and only store it near SOLID brick walls, veneer doesn't always cope ) and thick soled shoes are a great idea as well .
     
  15. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    Of course if you're into frugal this is where the frugalist of the frugal hang out:

    Mr. Money Mustache

    And there's this wonderful (sensible) lady who lives just down the range from us. One of the most popular bloggers in Australia:

    Down to Earth
     
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  16. twisted strategies

    twisted strategies Well-Known Member

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    i should teach her trapping ( to keep govenments and councils out ..... or permentantly in )

    looks like a nice set-up ... watch some damn official try to meddle with it
     
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  17. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    Oh oh, and meant to add. More on the topic of Asian food savings. If you think you need expensive cuts of meat to create that melt in your mouth texture one experiences in great stir fries you don't. The Asian restaurants generally don't. The cuts of meat are often very cheap. I'll let you in on an ancient Chinese secret and I'm not even Chinese:). Just add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) to the rice wine, soy sauce, cornflour (and perhaps sesame oil) when marinating the meat. It breaks down the fibrous tissue in the meat so that it melts in your mouth.

    So there's another savings tip. At this rate I'll be expecting a second knighthood. Or better still I wonder if they could make me an honoury member of the Asian community:D.

    Then again after telling the world of this acient secret they might have a price on my head:eek:.
     
  18. twisted strategies

    twisted strategies Well-Known Member

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    bicarbonate of soda ,was removed from many cooking techniques n Australia , after 'experts' considered in destroyed some nutrients in the food .

    you might have to check what the cueent school of thought is

    last i was talking about this, the concept there was nutrients in food caused some shock
     
  19. trinity168

    trinity168 Well-Known Member

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    I get grass fed beef and it is ... just the best. ( and expensive ... whoa ) :)
     
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  20. Bran

    Bran Well-Known Member

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    I tried kombuscha (or whatever) in Byron last week. It wasn't all too unpleasant.
     
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