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People Are Sharing Examples Of Where Frugality Is Taken Too Far, And Things That Are Actually Worth The Money (30 Answers)
Especially during these times of extreme inflation, we’re all looking to save a few bucks anywhere we can. Whether that means clipping coupons, waiting to make purchases until what we need goes on sale or simply opting to buy less brand-name products, we can all find a few places to cut back. But there is a difference between being frugal and making purchases or decisions that won't actually help you out in the long run. A great deal can be exciting to find, but only if the product will last just as long or longer than the same thing at full price!
Reddit users have been sharing some situations where it is not worth it to be cheap, so we’ve gathered some of their most spot-on answers down below. From purchasing items that keep you and your loved ones safe to splurging on well-made products that will prevent you from having health problems in the future, be sure to upvote the replies mentioning things you agree never to skimp on. Feel free to let us know in the comments what else you refuse to be too frugal about, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article noting even more “false frugalities” that aren’t worth it in the long run, you can find that right here.
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Your kids. You had them now f*****g support them you cheap prick.
Anything where being frugal could impact negatively on your health. I'd rather throw the smelly chicken away than eat it and get sick.
Yup! I've thrown away food when we barely had any rather than risk someone getting ill. Brother had salmonella at 5 and almost died. Just not worth it
This is one of the many reasons I love having cats. Try it on my cats first, they're sense of smell is amazing & they are fussy, so if they won't eat I know it's bad.
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If you are not plannimg to use any meat within 2 days of purchase, then freeze it as soon as you buy it. Wasteful - agreed don't cause an illness, but a bit of forward thinking and you wouold't be in that dilemma. Very much a false economy - buying when you won't eat it within date.
Agreed. Over half of the food I receive from my local food pantry is either expired or spoiled. The other half that is still edible are desserts. Making $15/hr may sound sustainable and great for shareholders but it's not even close to a living wage.
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I try very hard to eat all the food we buy before it goes bad. If I don't think we're eating meat right away it goes into the freezer. Bread is trickier. We've gotten bread and within a few days it's moldy. I'm sure the grocery stores are just changing the packaged on dates.
I make all my own bread, and for some reason, it lasts LONGER than any store bought bread. I've also taken to cutting the loaves in half before bagging and freezing half, just to make sure it doesn't go to waste.
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Plan better, and don't waste food. People are starving, I bet they would have used the meat at a organized time.
We write the day before expiration on the fridge for meat. If we get get close to the date and dont have a plan for it, we throw it in the crock pot with something to make it tasty and use it for lunches. Did it last night and made chicken taco stuff. Just got tired of forgetting and throwing out $10 every week 😞
See if you can return it to the store. Bought chicken one day and tried to use it the next but it smelled terrible. Took it back to the store and got a refund.
We downsized our refrigerator and cupboard space to make sure we don't have feel going way past it use by date and spoiling. So we eat fresher food, more taste, less waste
I live by myself and I don't have a car, so it's easier for me to buy groceries just for the week. Easier to plan, lighter to carry home, faster to prepare for. Sometimes if expire date is close, I cook it anyways (chicken, turkey, fish - just season it and throw it in the oven). If I still do not eat it, for whatever reason (usually, my parents invite for dinner), I'll use the meat/fish and make patties (eggs, flour, cheese, lots of herbs) or some kind of "sheppards' pie". Anything that's served warm is wonderful! Usually on Saturday I have a leftovers fritatta, or Rice with Everything (Arroz com Todos) or Croquettes of Stuff (Croquetes de Cenas).
With food poisoning you throw up everything in your intestines, not just the suspect food. So it's more food/nutrients to skip the suspect stuff, so you can keep the rest.
This is a must... i am frugal not stupid. I mean why spend on not so good stuff and then pay for the hospital bill
Anything that separates you from the ground. IE) Tires, bed, shoes etc
Typically, being frugal is a great thing. We live in a world where large corporations and the media are often pressuring us to believe that we need to buy more, more, more and that we’re out of touch if we don’t have the latest and greatest technology. I am all for shopping second hand, buying that produce that’s marked down because it has to be eaten within the next few days and taking public transit instead of driving yourself to be a bit easier on your wallet and the environment. But as with everything else in life, it is possible to go too far when being frugal.
If you’re putting yourself or others at risk, perhaps by eating food out of the garbage or by refusing to get that mysterious sound your car is making checked out, you might have fallen a little too far down the rabbit hole of frugality. Sometimes, it is worth it to just purchase something nice up front, such as a pair of leather shoes or a high quality chef’s knife, to ensure that it will last for years to come. Being frugal is not always about spending as little as possible. You also have to make wise decisions about where it is worth it to spend money, and you shouldn’t be making yourself (and everyone else around you) miserable by choosing to shower only once a week.
Shoes. Good shoes are important.
Shoes,coats/jackets,jeans these things I find worth spending for.
A bed. Investing in good bedding will make you less susceptible to getting back pains
Tattoos. I'd rather overpay for a perfect tattoo than have a bad one for the rest of my life
THIS. the sheer amount of dumbass tattoos i’ve seen here.. god. if it’s something that permanent, *make sure it is worth it*
When people are passionate about something, they often feel the desire to go as hard as they possibly can in regards to that passion. We see this when people watch a documentary and decide to go vegan cold turkey (cold tofurkey?) overnight or when individuals decide they must live a zero-waste lifestyle and attempt to immediately stop consuming. Typically, making drastic lifestyle changes such as these overnight will lead to burn out. Often, the person is unprepared for what they’re getting themself into and they put way too much pressure on themselves to be a perfect *insert whatever label they desire*.
When they inevitably cannot keep up with the new rules they have placed on themself, the person will likely abandon the venture altogether. The same thing can happen with frugality. A person may choose to start showering once a week, eating food out of dumpsters, refusing to turn on the lights in their home, and spending hours clipping coupons each week. But this will drastically lower their quality of life, and eventually, they will return to their old habits. When it would have been much more frugal, in the long run, to adopt reasonable habits and choose attainable goals that will allow them to keep up their pace of saving money.
My wife likes to buy things on sale and tout how much money she saved.
"I got this purse for 50% off! I saved $50!"
"No, you spent $50."
She also likes to shop at Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory; basically anywhere the price tag says "compare to $xx.xx" on it.
So this rug costs $89. It says "compare to $139!" on the price tag. OK, yes, $89 is less than $139. Problem is, I have no idea where that $139 number came from.
So true. If you were not planning to buy a product (such as a purse, rug, etc.) then you are spending money you weren't planning to. It doesn't matter how much of a sale it is, you just wasted money. Unless you leave it packed up to replace your current purse or rug when it wears out. I do this when I find something I like and it happens to be on sale - like a wallet, shoes, etc. If it is on sale I will buy it and keep it stored until I need it to replace. But no more than one extra.
Dental care.
Nothing worse than having a tooth f*****g *shatter* because the cheap dentist you went to years ago did the silver fillings (this was mid-2000's, what the hell?) completely improperly. One of them had a small space under it that just let infection go to town regardless of brushing. Had to get a root canal there. Then having to go and get all the fillings he did redone... Cost way more and was way more painful in the long run.
Go to a well-rated dentist, regardless of cost.
Yes, *if* you can, do. I really wish the US wasn't so behind other countries on things like this. Many dental procedures are considered "cosmetic" and not covered, never mind that it can impact your health. I've gone to Mexico for dental work and saved enough money that I could afford to stay there and vacation for a while
Car maintenance. Small things like oil changes and getting your tires rotated and aligned saves wear and tear and fuel costs. Plus, it's nice to know that couple-few thousand pound hunk of metal you're piloting at 75 MPH down the road is taken care of.
I have to admit, there are some things on this list that I myself am guilty of, such as washing sandwich bags and reusing them. But that has never hurt my quality of life. What would negatively impact me would be buying the cheapest winter coat possible and suffering through the snow and freezing temperatures just to save a little money. Or worse, buying a “cheap” coat and then hating it so much that I end up spending much more in the long run when I have to invest in another coat. It is important to know where it is worth it to spend and where it’s worth it to save. Some things, such as a winter coat, are worth investing in to ensure they last. Putting off going to the doctor or dentist to avoid paying a bill is also not likely to be worth it. If you wait until you’re forced to go to the emergency room when your health problems inevitably escalate, you will likely be suffering physically and financially a lot more than you would have had you made a routine appointment months prior.
Anything going into your body - oral medication, contact lens etc.
Recently read an article about a guy that wore cheap contact lens he bought from a gas station for a year and is now blind in one eye.
If it's going into your body (or in your eye!) spend the extra $$ for your health
Read so many stories about lenses that always had my mind set on glasses.
Toilet paper. Cheap TP just feels like sandpaper.
Also invest under $50 and buy a bidet. If you are handy they are easy to install, if not it's not that big a lift to pay a handyman to do it. It pays itself off in TP costs pretty quickly and if there is another shortage, you don't have to worry as much. Plus you are just so much cleaner.
People that drive across town to save a couple cents off a gallon of milk [don't actually save money]
According to Tim Jordan, the man behind Atypical Finance, “There should be no deprivation when it comes to being frugal.” He explains that the true meaning of being frugal is about being intentional with your money. Frugal people don’t throw their money away on impulsive purchases that they will later regret or waste it on things they don’t need. But it does not mean that you should make yourself miserable pinching pennies and denying yourself and loved ones an occasional evening out, a car that has a working heater or showers that take longer than 2 minutes. “Determining what you value is the very essence of being frugal,” Tim writes on his blog. “You have to know yourself and what you do and do not like. It is the conscious decision to not spend money on certain things (what you don’t value) so you can spend money on other things (what you do value).”
Pillows. I bought a good pillow and I've never slept better.
For me, food. And I don't mean going out to eat. I do cook myself, but when I buy meat or fish I usually go to a store I trust and spend a few extra bucks on it.
I'd rather have a smaller excellent cut of meat than a cheaper average (or poor) cut. In the end, you'll enjoy it more and it's better for you.
If you haven’t already learned from your own experiences or from the responses you’ve read on this list, there are plenty of ways being too frugal can come back to bite you. Financial expert Jim Garnet, also known as “Ask Mr. G” spoke to NBC News about the dangers of being too stingy, and one of the first things he warns people not to do is ignore insurance. It may seem costly up front, but it will certainly be worth it when a rainy day comes around. “One accident, one major illness, one fire, or one death can literally send us to the bankruptcy court if we are not insured adequately,” Garnet notes. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to insurance.
Frugal doesn't mean cheap. Getting a $300 pair of shoes that lasts you >5 years is frugal. Getting $50 ones that will fall apart after a few months not so much. Ditto with getting good roof shingles, etc.
That being said don't be frugal on vacation or when you're having a blast. That's not to say blow all your money in a night, but don't miss out on the time of your life because there might be a bargain around the corner.
This is why being poor is expensive, I don't have that kind of money to spend in the first place (not complaining, I'm happy with my income, I value different things but some people don't realise that when you're poor you barely have enough to buy cheap shoes, never mind good quality ones)
Contractors to fix something in your home.
Just because someone comes in a few thousand under everyone else quotes you with doesn't mean their work is equally as good
Check average prices, ask for references, check with the BBB. Quality work is worth paying for
Car seat. You don't have to get an expensive one, but if you buy it second hand, you don't know if it was ever in an accident.
Yesterday my son, his pregnant girlfriend and their 14 month old son were in a bad hit & run accident. Car was totaled but they are OK. Grandson was in his NEW car seat.car hit his side, but he was spared injuries because his car seat saved him! I thank God we bought it 2 months ago! Best $$$ I ever spent
One thing that can take up the bulk of many of our budgets is food. But it’s another thing that we should be wary of becoming too cheap about. Cathi Brese Doebler, author of Ditch The Joneses, Discover Your Family, told NBC News, “If you spend less money on food, but the food is unhealthy, you can impact your health over time. This can lead to long-term health problems and more visits to the doctor," says Brese Doebler. "Many healthy foods can also be affordable foods." A lot of being frugal comes down to thinking about the future as well, not simply opting for the cheapest choice at that moment. It’s much easier to keep your body healthy than to try to fix or eliminate issues later down the line.
I knew a guy who bought lottery tickets because if he ever won, "it'd be the smartest investment he could've ever made".
How can you be right and so stupid at the same time?
Winter boots and coats. Don't go too expensive but you really don't want something falling apart in the middle of winter
*Roofing shingles.*
If you're replacing your home's roof, roofing shingles come in all quality grades for duration (10-year, 20-year, 30-year, lifetime, etc.)
Since most of the cost is in the labor, prep and clean-up, it pays to buy the better quality, long-lasting shingles so you don't have to do the job again. Plus, it's a selling point when you put the house on the market to have a superior, long-lasting roof.
Don't underestimate the value of an excellent roofing product AND installation, especially when it comes to resale!
We hope this list is inspiring you to be a bit more frugal if you can, but not too frugal. Don’t let your desire to save money negatively impact your life or your health, and know when it’s worth it to splurge to save yourself time, energy and even money in the future. Keep upvoting the responses mentioning things you’re willing to spend money on as well, and feel free to share any other “false frugalities” you refuse to get on board with in the comments. Then if you’d like to check out Bored Panda’s last article on this same topic, you can find that right here.
It doesn't pay to cheap out on cooking knives. It's amazing how much more you enjoy cooking when cutting ingredients isn't an infuriating process. You can get by with cheaper pots and pans but buying at least one decent chef knife makes a huge difference.
I should say knives are less of a thing to be really cheap about than frugal. You can get some great knives for $25-50. I'm not getting snobby about needing a $500 Japanese steel knife hand forged in a volcano, you just need to find ones that work for you. And pans are more important to the quality of your food but I find many of my friends and family don't consider a knife as important as the cookware. As others have pointed out a [bad] knife can still be made sharp but I still think it's well worth spending a little money for a knife that will last and make cooking less frustrating.
Not gonna lie. I love my $200 hand forged Japanese Santoku knife. I also have a hand forged Japanese pairing knife that is lovely
Clothes. I'm not saying spend more than you can afford, but I think it's worth it to spend a little more up front on the things you wear a lot (for me, it's khaki pants and button down shirts), and have basics that last, rather than getting the cheaper stuff and have it c**p out quickly. You wind up spending more in the long run when you buy cheap clothes.
I always buy really expensive underwear and make up for it by buying really cheap bags of socks. And before you get all excited, I'm a dude and we're talking boxer briefs. Good underwear is one of those things that can make a difference in how comfortable you are all day long.
The majority of people who coupon [end up spending more]. You're buying items that you probably didn't need, won't use, only because they're cheaper with a coupon.
Meh I'd like to see the statistic behind this. My opinion is anecdotal but everyone I know that uses coupons actually uses it for things that they need or they know they're going to use. I don't see someone, who's looking to save money, waste it by getting something they're not going to use.
Computer power supplies.
Eh. Not so much. Absolutely, don't cheap out and get the questionable no-name model, but those top of the line branded models are really no better than any other model that has the same performance rating. Most of the time you are only paying extra for the paint job or the cable options, not the power performance or reliability.
A suit.
Granted, you don't have to go spend a couple thousand dollars (though you can, and you'll notice the difference), but don't go buy one off the rack at Macy's. Spend the $600-700 to get a perfectly tailored suit. You will feel so GD confident walking around in that thing, it is absolutely ridiculous.
And beyond that, I tend to spend the money necessary to get a high quality item, if 2 cheaper alternatives are more expensive than one quality one. The idea here being that, if I'm going to have to replace this item because I bought cheap, I'm better off buying one I won't have to replace.
Things like: clothes racks, umbrellas, kitchen utensils/pans/knives, tools for the house, electronics.
Buying the off the rack suit and getting it altered probably still works out cheaper.
Musical instruments. Especially if you are a beginner! Good quality helps you play better.
Bad advice. You want something that won't warp and sound like c**p, but you don't need to buy a grand piano to start learning. Buy an Epiphone before you invest in a Les Paul. A quality acoustic guitar will be around $150. You will hear the difference if you buy a $1000 guitar, but you will still suck at playing it for a few years.
When you start sharing toothbrushes, it doesn't even save money, they just wear out twice as fast!
Bed Sheets. Get the soft stretchy kind. MUCH nicer to sleep on than a hard smooth fabric.
The last sheet set I bought were 100% Egyptian cotton 300 thread count. We are no longer sleeping in the other sets we have. I just keep washing these over and over and my husband puts them back on the bed. OMG, you never want to get out of there!
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I think it's important to think about where your priorities are. If you rarely and do not like to cook, it is nonsense to spend a lot of money on good kitchen utensils. Anyone who loves fashion and likes to keep reinventing themselves in terms of fashion doesn't need tailor-made clothing for eternity. If you like to chill on the couch and go jogging once a year, you don't need expensive running shoes. If you want to test whether you enjoy playing the guitar, it is best to start with a cheap model. Unless you're a DIY enthusiast, even the most expensive tool won't change that.
Nice username (first girlfriend's name was Katja ... und Katzen lieb ich sowieso mehr als jede andere Lebensform ... weilse lieb sind ... die Aktuelle allerdings heißt Gina, hübsches Biestchen, die ...), ... anyway, a TOO cheap guitar may be hard enough to play to discourage people. A well set-up, used middle class model would be my way to go, rather than buying a similarly priced new one of the lower end of the spectrum. But, that gotta be clear - we NEVER could get such good instruments for that little money like it is today.
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No one mentioned razors. The ones with the cartridges are a crazy waste of money. Sure you get a new one for $20 or so, but the refills kill you. Get a good safety razor (can be done for $40), but the blades are way cheaper.
Anything that keeps you dry, warm, comfortable or safe, pay as much as you can justify. When the situation demands it you’ll be better prepared if you are dry or if you have had a decent nights sleep. When wild camping we were taught to keep our sleeping kit and some socks bone dry., after a tough day in inclement weather a dry bed and warm socks can revitalise you. The same applies across your whole life, better housing, better pillow, better bedding, you are just better equipped if you are not battling against cold or water. The minimum is a dry bed wherever you are.
Param Pants. Although considered for nighttime use, it's gonna be a short night, or a morning with a lot of laundry. But they're cheap. After all, Molicare, costing like a third more, have a better ratio between price and performance. Also, however reliable these are, none are good enough to never fail - one of those undersheets, should be in place. Even if you not actually wet your bed, but have, say, a cat - ever tried to rid a mattress of cat vomit? Won't work. Buy a new one and be prepared ... cats vomit in places you didn't even know you have!
Not everyone can afford to do the buy the up front expensive saves some money in the long term. Like number 16, the $300 boots. Not everyone can afford or justify spending a big amount on 1 single item. Number 22: cooking knives. Not everyone is fussed about cooking knives, or really want to spend money to buy some special set of knives. Number 16: toilet paper. That little bit of money that gets saved by buying some cheap paper can be used for something that might be needed else were.
Bed Sheets. Get the soft stretchy kind. MUCH nicer to sleep on than a hard smooth fabric.
The last sheet set I bought were 100% Egyptian cotton 300 thread count. We are no longer sleeping in the other sets we have. I just keep washing these over and over and my husband puts them back on the bed. OMG, you never want to get out of there!
Load More Replies... I think it's important to think about where your priorities are. If you rarely and do not like to cook, it is nonsense to spend a lot of money on good kitchen utensils. Anyone who loves fashion and likes to keep reinventing themselves in terms of fashion doesn't need tailor-made clothing for eternity. If you like to chill on the couch and go jogging once a year, you don't need expensive running shoes. If you want to test whether you enjoy playing the guitar, it is best to start with a cheap model. Unless you're a DIY enthusiast, even the most expensive tool won't change that.
Nice username (first girlfriend's name was Katja ... und Katzen lieb ich sowieso mehr als jede andere Lebensform ... weilse lieb sind ... die Aktuelle allerdings heißt Gina, hübsches Biestchen, die ...), ... anyway, a TOO cheap guitar may be hard enough to play to discourage people. A well set-up, used middle class model would be my way to go, rather than buying a similarly priced new one of the lower end of the spectrum. But, that gotta be clear - we NEVER could get such good instruments for that little money like it is today.
Load More Replies... No one mentioned razors. The ones with the cartridges are a crazy waste of money. Sure you get a new one for $20 or so, but the refills kill you. Get a good safety razor (can be done for $40), but the blades are way cheaper.
Anything that keeps you dry, warm, comfortable or safe, pay as much as you can justify. When the situation demands it you’ll be better prepared if you are dry or if you have had a decent nights sleep. When wild camping we were taught to keep our sleeping kit and some socks bone dry., after a tough day in inclement weather a dry bed and warm socks can revitalise you. The same applies across your whole life, better housing, better pillow, better bedding, you are just better equipped if you are not battling against cold or water. The minimum is a dry bed wherever you are.
Param Pants. Although considered for nighttime use, it's gonna be a short night, or a morning with a lot of laundry. But they're cheap. After all, Molicare, costing like a third more, have a better ratio between price and performance. Also, however reliable these are, none are good enough to never fail - one of those undersheets, should be in place. Even if you not actually wet your bed, but have, say, a cat - ever tried to rid a mattress of cat vomit? Won't work. Buy a new one and be prepared ... cats vomit in places you didn't even know you have!
Not everyone can afford to do the buy the up front expensive saves some money in the long term. Like number 16, the $300 boots. Not everyone can afford or justify spending a big amount on 1 single item. Number 22: cooking knives. Not everyone is fussed about cooking knives, or really want to spend money to buy some special set of knives. Number 16: toilet paper. That little bit of money that gets saved by buying some cheap paper can be used for something that might be needed else were.
