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The Difference Between Being Cheap and Being Frugal

March 23, 2016 | Leave a Comment

There's a big difference between being cheap and being frugal. Here are three areas that makes this differentiation pretty clear!The other day two of my patients were arguing in my room while I was treating their daughter. The parents were arguing about their upcoming house purchase and what they needed to finish up before closing. The conversation quickly turned from excitement to a full-blown argument about how cheap the wife was. The husband wanted to buy all new furniture for one of their rooms while she wanted to use what they had for a while longer. Her argument was that she wasn’t cheap, but rather frugal, and had the family’s best interest in mind.

This differentiation is one that many people confuse. Though they may seem like similar terms, they’re actually quite different in their meaning. To help clarify the issue here are a few instances concerning being cheap and being frugal.

Dining Out

A cheap person may eat out frequently but elect to never tip. If you can’t afford to properly tip when dining out, don’t bother going, it’s cheap to not tip service.

A frugal person may elect to not eat out at all, or much more infrequently, as they would rather spend their money elsewhere. When they do make the decision to eat out they pay for everything, proper sized tip and all.

Product Selection

If a cheap person needs a new mattress for example, they will go out and buy the first cheap mattress they find, the deciding factor being the dollar amount. Even if this mattress falls apart in a few months they see nothing beyond initial dollars spent.

A frugal person will elect to not buy the mattress until they have saved up a dollar amount that will allow them to buy a quality product that will last them years. While they are saving for their upcoming purchase, they may elect to forgo other activities they don’t feel are as important as buying the mattress they need.

* This was the argument the wife in my office was trying to make. She didn’t want to buy the cheap couch her husband wanted but wanted to wait until the new year and buy a better quality one even if it meant moving into a brand new house with ‘crappy old furniture’.

Socializing

When it comes to socializing with friends and family, a cheap person may elect to go to events where they know (or assume) someone else will pick up the tab, or avoid going out, ever, because they don’t want to spend the money. This eventually leads to alienation from friends and family.

Someone who is frugal will go out but will likely be pickier about when and where they go but they won’t avoid socializing all together. They will also likely come up with alternative social ideas like taking turns hosting a nice dinner in, rather than spending money at a restaurant.

Frugality is a way of life. It can be very advantageous when used wisely and lead to many more opportunities in your life. Being cheap however usually ends up in wasted money and missed experiences. Only one of these ways of life knows the true value of a dollar earned.

Catherine
Catherine

Catherine is a first time momma to a rambunctious toddler. When she isn’t soaking up all that motherhood has to offer, you can find her blogging over at Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey out of debt. You can also follow her on Twitter.

plungedindebt.com

Filed Under: Money and Finances Tagged With: Cheap, Frugal, Saving Money

How to Regulate the Amount You Spend on Your Kids…Because Kids Ain’t Cheap

July 20, 2013 | Leave a Comment

regulate kids spendingWe all know, kids ain’t cheap.  When you stare into your little bundle of joy’s face for the first time, you likely only feel amazement and awe.  You watch your child grow and develop and meet major milestones.  You delight in his first smile, laugh, and coo.

But then, you start noticing the expenses.  The diapers.  The formula.  The childcare.

It’s a good thing your baby’s so cute because he’s starting to cost you –big time.

Sound familiar?

First time parents are often shocked at how much an infant costs.  Guess what, folks–it doesn’t get any cheaper as they get older.  If you want to still be able to save money for your own retirement, make sure you regulate how much you spend on your kids!  The sooner you get a good plan together on how much you spend, the easier it will be later on when they are teenagers and asking for their own money to spend!

 

1. Remember, You Come First

Save for your own future first.  Sure, you want to give Junior everything, but save for your own retirement first.  You’re not being selfish.  Trust me, when Junior is 25, he’ll be glad he doesn’t need to help support mom and dad.  Plus, your kid can get student loans and other help to pay for expenses, but you can’t get a loan to fund your retirement.

 

2. An Emergency Fund is Essential

Keep a rainy day fund.  In addition to retirement savings, make sure to keep a rainy day fund.  You might want to look online for the best fixed rate bonds for some of the money that you’re setting aside for long-term goals.  For an emergency fund, you’ll want to have the money easily accessible.

 

3. Budget for the Big Stuff

Decide how much you’ll pay for major events.  While Junior’s still in diapers, long before he needs thousands of dollars for college, decide how much you’ll pay.  Maybe you want to pick up the whole tab for college.  Great.  You’ll need to plan accordingly.  Maybe you don’t want to pay anything; in that case you’ll need to let Junior know early so he can make his own college plans in high school, including how to pay.

 

4. Teach Your Child About Money

Teach your child to be financially independent.  The best way to regulate the amount of money you spend on your child is to teach him to be good with his money.  When he’s a teen or young adult, have him open a bank account.  Places like http://www.bmsavings.co.uk have some fantastic savings options.

With a little discipline and financially sound decisions, you can avoid bankruptcy while raising your child AND teach him how to be financially independent as he grows up.

How else can you regulate the amount you spend on your kids?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Money and Finances Tagged With: Cheap, Good Plan, The Amount, Your Kids

Watching Movies on the Cheap

December 1, 2010 | 2 Comments

Netflix is one way to watch movies cheapHere are a few strategies for watching movies more cheaply at home. Since I have two children, I have developed these strategies out of necessity rather than choice, including one called “how to avoid late fees.” This one hatched out of an incident when my then three-year-old daughter cried hysterically every time I tried to return Dora’s Halloween, resulting in $21.00 in fees. And it wasn’t even Halloween! Goodbye local movie store…hello Netflix!

Netflix

The beauty of Netflix is that you can keep movies at home for as long as you want. This is especially helpful if your kids get particularly attached to a particular movie and want to watch it daily until they achieve total burn-out. If you or your child simply cannot part with a movie title, you can also decide to buy the movie for $14.00 ($20.00 for Blu-ray). Depending on if it was a new release or not, this can actually be cheaper than buying the DVD new at the store. Netflix also allows for the occasional “lost in the mail” excuse, so if your DVD never arrives back to their receiving address, you will not be charged.

Plans range from $8.99 (one title out-at-a-time) to 4 out-at-a-time ($23.99). We currently have the cheapest option, but this works out great, because it also comes with the option of watching unlimited numbers of movies and television shows instantly on our PC’s. My husband picks out his choice (usually a new release) to come by mail, while the kids get to watch what they want on the laptop. Not bad for $8.99 (and no more late fees).  A new option with Netflix is instant streaming to your Wii console, which we happen to have.  If you have your Wii set up to wireless internet, you can watch Netflix selections on your television screen. Of course, you will need to make sure you have a strong internet connection through spectrum internet plans or a similar provider in your area, to ensure you can stream all your favorite movies. Gotta love technology!

Blockbuster

Most Blockbuster locations offer a membership plan that comes with one free rental per month and it is free to sign up. If you can be diligent about returning your items, this movie rental chain can be a great choice. I was also able to purchase an Indiana Jones game for Wii from Blockbuster for $14.99, after my son refused to relinquish it (do you see a pattern emerging here?). Blockbuster also sends us coupons periodically for more free movie and game rentals. Thanks, guys! Blockbuster now offers a movie delivery option as well, but it is a little more expensive than Netflix and wait times are longer, in my area, anyway, for sending and receiving movies.

Redbox Rentals

Redbox rentals are available at many grocery store chains and discount stores and are only a buck (plus tax) per night. Even if it takes you a few days to actually watch the movie, it is still cheaper than most movie rental stores. It can be tricky to find certain new releases if they are in high demand, but there is a “reserve online” option where you can put a movie title on-hold until you can get there to pick it up. If you sign up for their email newsletter, you also get a code delivered to your inbox each month for a free movie.

Movie/TV Websites

If you like watching television episodes and some older movies, there are a few great websites out there where you can watch for free:

  • Hulu
  • Fancast
  • You Tube (I am not sure of the legal issues involved here, but this can be a valuable resource for hard-to-find movies and television shows).

If it is a recently-aired television show that you seek (and you do not want to pay for DVR or TiVo), then remember to check the network’s website, as you can usually find episodes of popular shows that you might have missed. I am also hearing a lot about Roku lately, but do not know much about it.  If you have an opinion one way or the other, I’d love to hear from you!

What is your favorite way of getting movies for low cost?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Family Time, Money and Finances Tagged With: Blockbuster, Cheap, DVD's, Fancast, Hulu, Movies, Netflix, Redbox, Youtube

Fun and Inexpensive Outings with the Kids

November 4, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Enjoying the outdoors is a great free family activity

Found on Pixabay

Fun and inexpensive outings with the kids are not hard to find if you know where to look. With the prices of pretty much everything on the rise an outing can become very expensive if we are not careful. Of course doing new things with the kids that will not break the bank can be just as fun.

Using your imagination and being creative can find a lot of fun. Many times at the end of the most inexpensive outings the family will have spent quality time together and probably learned a few new things along the way.

Enjoy the Outdoors

Enjoying the outdoors is one of the things that many families enjoy and the wonders that can be found by a child’s eyes are endless. Nature walks can be a very rewarding outing. Enjoying the trails with the family and actually getting away from the rush of everyday life can be relaxing. Watching the little ones marvel at things they find along the trail can sometimes make us adults see things like they are new again. A child picking up a leaves and actually studying it is amazing. As adults we are often so busy that we miss a lot.

Visit the Library

The local library is also a great place to bring our children. Many libraries hold classes for the kids that are free of charge. Although the class may be once a week and only last an hour it is worth it. If your child is older the class is done without the parent. Again, it may only be an hour but an hour of free time at the library can be worth it for Mom and Dad!

To the Beach!

For those families that live near beaches but do not want to pay the parking or costs to enter the best time to go is at dusk. The beach is nearly empty and there is no charge to get in. Pack sandwiches and snacks and you are ready for a beach almost all to yourself.

Bus Station

Little boys (and some girls) love buses and trucks or pretty much any type of transportation for that matter. Imagine the little ones face when you roll into a bus station and go to see the buses. Pure delight, cost free.

Build Something Fun

Anyone have a builder on his or her hands? Many of the home improvement stores have free classes for the tikes and for the parents too (hate to have Dad feel left out). The classes may be held mainly on the weekends but again the cost can’t be beat.

Quality time with our families does not have to be expensive. The things that cost the least can be the best and smiles are flowing freely. How we spend our time with our children is not how much money we spend to have fun with them. Childhood memories are not made of how much money parents spent occupying us. Childhood memories consist of loving moments that were spent together knowing we were and are cherished.

What free and cheap family activities do you do with your family?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Family Time, Stuff to Do Tagged With: Activities, Beach, Build, Bus Station, Cheap, Library, Nature Walks, Outdoors, outings

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Basic Principles Of Good Parenting

Here some basic principles for good parenting:

  1. What You Do Matters: Your kids are watching you. So, be purposeful about what you want to accomplish.
  2. You Can’t be Too Loving: Don’t replace love with material possessions, lowered expectations or leniency.
  3. Be Involved Your Kids Life: Arrange your priorities to focus on what your kid’s needs. Be there mentally and physically.
  4. Adapt Your Parenting: Children grow quickly, so keep pace with your child’s development.
  5. Establish and Set Rules: The rules you set for children will establish the rules they set for themselves later.  Avoid harsh discipline and be consistent.
  6. Explain Your Decisions: What is obvious to you may not be evident to your child. They don’t have the experience you do.
  7. Be Respectful To Your Child: How you treat your child is how they will treat others.  Be polite, respectful and make an effort to pay attention.
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