# Frugal or Tightwad ?



## jz1 (5 Aug 2005)

Hi All

I just read that book "Millionaire next door" so Im trying to save money anyway I can.
As I would like to have a nice nest egg, and not worry about money one day.
However I'm worried Im getting addicted to saving money !!
some extreme examples
-im trying to live off 10 euro a week for food
-I try and spend / buy nothing unless I need it
-paid off my credit card in one go (1000euro)
-almost stopped drinking (dont smoke)
I have lots more..

Does anyone have any good tips to I can save more money so I can invest it ??


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## Carpenter (5 Aug 2005)

What exactly are you eating for €10 a week? Cellulose?  You could try www.frugal.com


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## Gringo78 (5 Aug 2005)

Sell your car. If you don't have a car and pretty much walk or cycle every place STOP immediately. Try to bum lifts that way you won't burn so many calories and so won't have to eat so much and will find it easier to stick to the 10 euro a week on food. Tour the supermarkets each evening and get asmany free tasters as possible, this will also save on food. When phoning people on your mobile, just ring and hang up instead of texting. Dump the firends who don't call you back. Theres so many ways to save!!


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## dam099 (5 Aug 2005)

jz1 said:
			
		

> Hi All
> 
> I just read that book "Millionaire next door" so Im trying to save money anyway I can.
> As I would like to have a nice nest egg, and not worry about money one day.
> ...


 
I think some balance might be in order, of course it's great to have a nice nest egg but do you only want to be comfortable when you are old, what about enjoying life now? I'm not saying don't find ways to save, just do it within reason. Living of 10euro a week for food sounds like overkill to me. 

And in answer to your question, tightwad.


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## jz1 (5 Aug 2005)

Tesco has some great deals if you go at the right time
I bought a whole fresh duck for 85 cent, Chicken 50 cent (10 Legs)
Noodles are 13 cents, fish can be got for 50cents
I never pay more than 10cent for a loaf of bread... etc..
I know a few immigrant people and they are all at it - salting away loads of cash and shipping it back to China and the like

------
I really need my car though 
As I commute to work
But I can call my friends from work for free (even have conference calls)  unlimited internet use etc..
Free post service in work (I cant remember when I bought a stamp)
I used to bring in my household waste into work and put it in the bin in here
I dont pay waste charges!


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## Gringo78 (5 Aug 2005)

Taking toilet rolls from the staff toilets is generally allowed as well isn't it?


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## demoivre (5 Aug 2005)

> Tesco has some great deals if you go at the right time
> I bought a whole fresh duck for 85 cent, Chicken 50 cent (10 Legs)
> Noodles are 13 cents, fish can be got for 50cents
> I never pay more than 10cent for a loaf of bread... etc..
> I know a few immigrant people and they are all at it - salting away loads of cash and shipping it back to China and the like



Let me guess - you live in Paraguay and are converting from the guarani ?


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## Carpenter (5 Aug 2005)

The food you're buying must be well off!  I've never seen (nor would I want to eat) food that cheap...there's got to be something wrong with it, does it smell (bad)???  Dam099 is right, you've got to have some balance in your life man!  I like to economise where I can BUT I don't wan't to eat very cheap and/or rubbish food, good food (and a decent drop of wine now and then) is one of the most primary joys of life!  If I thought I'd have to subsist on low quality food i think I'd hang up the towel.


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## Gabriel (5 Aug 2005)

Haha...I like Gringos answers best.


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## CGorman (5 Aug 2005)

jz1 said:
			
		

> Hi All
> 
> I just read that book "Millionaire next door" so Im trying to save money anyway I can.



I have'nt read the "Millionaire Next Door", but I have read Thomas J. Stanley's excellent follow up book - "The Millionaire Mind". I'd recommend you read it too - its a bit more recent (2000 vs. 1998) and it really gets down and tells you why and how millionaires are well... so wealthy. It picks on the common traits of 1,371 surveyed millionaires - from their tendency to refurbish furniture than buy new to the fact that most of them only preformed "average" in school.


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## Molly (5 Aug 2005)

jeez, 


A chicken with 10 legs for 50 cent .....!!!!!


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## Gringo78 (5 Aug 2005)

Those chicken legs must be the ones that McDonalds have already refused to use. I myself would prefer to befriend one of the canteen staff at work and have an ol nose around the kitchen before they start chucking stuff out at the end of the day.


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## Carpenter (5 Aug 2005)

Reminds me of old the story about the Dub waiting to be served in the chipper. He orders a chicken snack box, while he's waiting a child runs in and says "Da can I have a chicken drumstick?".  Dad says; "Yah, now go an' wait in the bleedin' van".  A minute later another child runs in "Da can I have a leg too?".  Da says: "Yeah, now get back in de f**** van".  Seconds later a third urchin runs in "Da can I have one too?".  Da says: "Jaysus! It's not a bleeding spider I'm gettin', now get back in de f**** van!"


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## jz1 (5 Aug 2005)

I wouldnt go as far as taking the toilet rools in work home
(They are locked) ah no - really I wouldnt .. have to draw the line somewhere dont ya.
But its perfectly ok to do the biz in work and get paid for it ..

 Chicken with 10 legs 
ah you know what I mean.. 
(Pack of 10 legs only )

I had some already and I havnt gone blind or ended up in hospital yet
you just have to freeze them asap and use them when you need, chicken old or fresh has to be fully cooked anyway.

mm lets see... tonight I might have 50cent sausages with what ever I can find to go with it.

I do love food though, Steak, Lobster everything..It just makes me really look forward to going out to eat. On the occasion that I do eat out.

Sounds crazy but you get a buzz out of getting a great deal on food so cheap, and there is nothing wrong with it at all. 

Well Im off home now ,might pop into tesco and see if there are any bargains...


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## tomthumb (5 Aug 2005)

If you pop into our local supermarket about 10 minutes before closing, the staff there sometimes (depends on who is manager) give out free bread, rolls, pies, even chickens.  Otherwise the food ends up being dumped they told me!  Not telling you where it is tho, I want to keep those freebies coming this way!  Just check at your local (smallish) supermarket?


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## club92 (5 Aug 2005)

write a book called 'muppets next door' about how to sell books to fools promising them they will be rich shortly after reading it while you yourself make a fortune on the book sales


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## Sue Ellen (5 Aug 2005)

*Re: Definitely Tightwad ?*

"However I'm worried Im getting addicted to saving money !!"
"-im trying to live off 10 euro a week for food
-I try and spend / buy nothing unless I need it"

Life's too short to think this way. Keep your head above water but relax and enjoy life at the same time. Can't imagine there being much nutrition in €10 a week and don't forget its very costly if you get sick even if you have VHI etc.


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## Guest127 (6 Aug 2005)

are you a td living off subsidised canteen meals? or in the joy?
'barman is working away one morning when in comes a down and out and asks for a knife and fork. barman reluctantly gives them to him and out he goes. 10 minutes later in comes a 2nd down and out and asks for a spoon. barman says thats its a pub and not a restaurant but gives him the spoon anyway and away goes yer man. 10 minutes later in comes another down and outer and asks for a straw
barman loses it and asks what kind of establishement do they think it is anyway but again backs down and gives the straw. out of curiosity he asks the 3rd person why three people came in looking for knive & fork, spoon and now a straw. Down and outer replies ' somebody got sick outside  your pub last night but all the good bits are gone, that's why I need a straw'
wasn't you by any chance?


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## BlueSpud (8 Aug 2005)

Does nort sound like u have any hobbies and you are going to make this your prime one.  Life's too short mate, you will be a long time dead.


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## fobs (8 Aug 2005)

> I would like to have a nice nest egg, and not worry about money one day


 
I think people can become addited to saving for the future and not enjoy life while they are getting there. What is the magic age when you are suddenly going to allow yourself to enjoy life. By that time you will be so addited to saving money you will probably die with a million in the bank but have lived your life like scrouge!

I agree that everyone should save for their future but not to the detriment of their present! I would say 30 euro plus to be the minimum a single person could spend on food a week to have a balanced diet and that would be pushing it! Fresh fruit and vegetables are not THAT cheap. Ditto fish,meat,eggs etc....


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## Noor77 (8 Aug 2005)

Tightwad. Definitely!

You need to enjoy your life now. And you can still save as you do this. It seems that tightwadding has become a bit of an addiction for you - it's like you get an adrenalin rush each time you discover a "bargain". Be nice to yourself


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## Enaja (8 Aug 2005)

Total tightwad, Is there something in particular you are saving for? How long can you keep this type of living up for? I know I would go crazy after a week or die of malnutrition!!!!!!


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## Noor77 (8 Aug 2005)

The malnutrition thing could be quite serious - I can't imagine you would get much fruit or vegetables for €10 a week. I suppose you could just live off rice and spinach ...but where is the joy in that?! If you are really that desperate to save some money why don't you get a part time job to supplement your normal salary? That would be less painful


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## stobear (8 Aug 2005)

I have to admit I am a very frugal saver, I tend to put a fair chunk of my monthyl salary  into a savings account and have done so for years, I had paid off my previous mortgage only to move house and get a much bigger mortgage! D'oh. But after having spent time of out of work for 11 months I tend to see my mortgage as a real pain and take pleasure knocking lumps out of it with a view to be mortgage free within hopefully 4 or 5 years. But I think this attitude of mine has softened a lot, being a new daddy bear now has made me much happier and more in tune with the present and enjoying what life has to offer. As the song goes 'you search for money then you die'. Sorry to morbify (word?) this thread!!


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## Carpenter (8 Aug 2005)

Stobear is spot on!  When little bears come along the priorities of life and how you spend your money change somewhat!  You've got to have some fun, otherwise what's it all about Alfie?


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## jz1 (8 Aug 2005)

Thanks all for your replies on the subject, 
I have taken notice of all the advice 
I'll try to adopt a more easygoing attitude if I can, while trying to get the most out of things. 
This is a great site - wish I had stumbled on it alot sooner..!!


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## Betsy Og (9 Aug 2005)

the great idea of saving before spending should be promoted.

A bit of self-denial while saving and then some satisfaction when treating yourself. Cant forget the last bit though, else why be killing yourself working. Theres no pockets on a shroud, and your moral obligation to the next generation maybe shouldnt go beyond a good education and possibly a deposit on a house (I'd like to be able to do at least that for them (what dont yet exist!!!) as benfitted myself a bit).

What are the general thoughts about how much to provide for next generation???? Theory that overprividing is bad is floating about - no value on money etc. etc.


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## fobs (9 Aug 2005)

> possibly a deposit on a house


 
With the new 100% mortgages they can surely provide this themselves!!!!
I agree that children can get too much these days but am guilty as charged already on my 2 small ones of buying loads of stuff for them. Maybe its to compensate for working full-time? 

Everyone does need to save for their future and people should get into the habit of saving for things rather than always getting things on credit. THere is no need to be too frugal though and not enjoy life in the present.


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## Guest127 (10 Aug 2005)

somebody defined a miser as someone who made a bad companion but a great ancestor.
like most contributors I think you have to balance everything. your kids will spend what you save anyway... enjoy life now & save a bit to  enjoy  peace of mind.


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## WaterWater (11 Aug 2005)

I had a "friend" who used to ring me for two rings of the phone and then hang up. He knew I had a caller I.D. on my phone. I would ring him back and he would mutter that he must have got cut off or that there was something wrong with my phone. It was only later that I realised that he was effectively getting me to pay for the phone calls. I don't do it anymore and guess what the calls have stopped.....sad really.


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## Noor77 (12 Aug 2005)

I know a few people who do that too. I understand if someone is really broke though. But if they are doing it just to be a skinflint then it is very, very rude.


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## MOB (12 Aug 2005)

"What are the general thoughts about how much to provide for next generation????"

I find myself bouncing between two views on this.  

1.  My parents put me through college, but did not endow me with any significant capital over and above this; I am happy with my life, so perhaps I should just do roughly the same for my kids. 

2.  My father had a reasonably lucrative career.    I also went into a reasonably lucrative career.   If I had wanted to be an artist or an actor, I would now probably be struggling with poverty.  Fair enough - that would have been a choice.    But if I now had to struggle with relative poverty, I think I might feel bad about imposing this lifestyle choice on my children.   So if my children want to make these or similar lifestyle choices, it might perhaps be nice to be able to endow them with sufficient capital so that my grandchildren do not have their life choices limited, but instead have the same freedoms enjoyed by their parents and grandparents.

Maybe I worry too much.


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## Guest127 (13 Aug 2005)

worried about your grandchildren? says it all. your grandchildren will (DV) earn  more than you will ever earn. own  ( + owe )more than you will every own  (+  owe ) know more than you will every know. and wont worry too much about their grandpa.


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