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What are you “cheap” for?

I'm a cheapskate for Everything

... except pianos, guitars, optics like Harald Schneider loupe, Nikon pro camera gear, Swarovski binoculars, Winsor Newton Series 7 watercolor brushes and paint, French Arches watercolor paper, nice diamonds, hand forged Japanese kitchen knives, Le Creuset & All Clad cookware, McDermott pool cue, sound reinforcement and audio recording gear.
 
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another everything, with far fewer exceptions.
I don't recall the last time I bought something for myself other than something I actually badly needed like new shorts I found on deep clearance.
Stuff just has not had any appeal to me lately.
 
Make-up, as I don't wear a lot, usual daily routine is just moisturiser and waterproof mascara.

All the make-ups are from brands that can be found in drug stores etc... Just can't justify spending lots of money on an eyeshadow compact compilation when I hardly use it.

The exceptions are the foundation/powder (I CBA with a separate foundation) which is from Bare Minerals, my scent which is Chanel No. 19, and the two serums for eyelashes and eyebrows.

I used to use a French brand for skincare (my mum used it and started me on face cream when I was about 11yo) and loose powder, however, when they pulled out of the big department store where I used to frequent in London, I switched to a brand specially designed for dry skin that is much cheaper some years ago, and it works well to date.

DK :))
 
Clothes for myself. Cheap as, but look a million dollars. I always wear nice things, but around 80% of them are second hand from eBay. For example, nothing makes me happier than scoring a T-shirt in perfect condition from Valentino for £30. I am currently wearing a beautiful fine knit thin cashmere T from Brora that I won for £26 :lol-2:

And yet I am sitting here in the kitchen on a feather filled sofa that was handmade to order & cost me £9,780. And I have another identical sofa in a different colour the lounge. Gotta be cheap somewhere!
 
Clothes and accessories could be considered as cheap, however, I have formal business and evening wear made for me as nothing fits off the peg.

The most I had spent on a handbag was about 120 GBP some years ago, bought in either France or Italy, broke the zip within a year, so never again.

I did have a pair of shoes made for me, however, I did not like the results as they did not feel anything special, unlike made to measure clothes, so never again.

I guess I enjoy fast food from time to time, however, I also enjoy the other extreme and have gourmet food at starred restaurants.

DK :))
 
This is a tough question because over the decades my philosophy has changed. I used to be more cautious with spending but even then always spent on things I felt were worth it. Like my first home. I scrimped and saved and bought my first home and paid off my 30 year mortgage within 3 years. I know many who would say that was foolish. But nope. Not for me. Peace of mind is priceless. I went without vacations and trips those three years to do so. And it was well worth it for me.

I never spent a lot on handbags, shoes, clothing so I guess you can say I was fugal with spending on these items. But they were never important to me. I always loved fashion and style and dressed smartly but I never had to spend a lot of money to do so.

As the years have flown by I find myself OK to spend on what I want and what I deem worth it. To me. Though in hindsight I haven't really changed my philosophy that much because even when I was younger I spent on what was important to me. Just what changed is what was important to me.

We spend lots of money on our cycling hobby. A lot more than I ever thought I would feel comfortable spending.
We spent a lot on our homes. Having two homes in two of the most expensive areas in the country and with sky high taxes/maintenance for both. But we get great joy from our homes.

We don't spend a lot on cars and in fact have only one car and have only had one car for many decades. We buy certified preowned. For us it is not worth spending on a new car and we get great value from certified pre owned and have never regretted it.

We have not gone out to eat since the pandemic and do not miss it. When we were younger we used to eat out three times a week and at expensive restaurants (Per Se, Le Bernardin, Bouley, Daniel. etc). But honestly after more than 15 years of that expensive activity it became less appealing and we started eating at home more years ago and didn't miss it at all. And since the pandemic we haven't eaten out once. LOL

We do all the cleaning and house maintenance ourselves now (except for major projects) whereas in the past we had a cleaning crew here and a cleaning person in New York. But since the pandemic we have not and I am happier about it. I hate having strangers in my house and I worry about the cats getting out and the stress it causes them. And yes we have saved a lot of money because the cleaning crew was pricey IMO. Each cleaning cost more than 300$ here. I do not miss it though my DH wants them back lol.

We haven't really bought any clothing or shoes (short of sneakers for working out and cycling shoes that is) in the past few years. So lots of money saved there. I spend a lot on exercise equipment because that is important to me. Just bought a new treadmill that was really pricey (I ran my previous one into the ground lol) but I love it and use it daily.

We have no limits on food spending and we buy organic and expensive food. We have not traveled for years and so spend no money on that. And we have no limit on spending for what we want. My DH is very generous (more so than I) and never ever says no to anything. But a puppy that is lol. And I have all the bling my heart desires but haven't bought anything significant for a while. My last bling purchase was my OEC diamond studs I think in 2021...I think. But if I saw something I want tomorrow that was pricey my DH would say get it.

My OEC collection

bubbalahmaryannandgingerinfrontyard.png


My heart yearns for nothing and that is not because of all the "things" we have. But it is because I am the luckiest person alive IMO because I have my DH by my side. He is the most wonderful person I know. Kind, generous, smart. loving, funny, compassionate and more. And he taught me a lot about money. In that money is not an end in itself. It is a tool to enhance one's life and insulate you from various forms of risk. It makes life easier.

Money cannot buy love and money cannot buy the beauty all around us. These are priceless.

Screen Shot 2023-08-18 at 7.05.48 AM.png


Money can and does make life easier and for that reason I am grateful we have all we need. One doesn't need to be rich to be satiated


“Money can buy things, but it can’t buy everything.”
"Money is only one form of wealth"
"Things you can't buy are more valuable than money"
 
I am a bargain hunter. I do not pay full price for anything if I can help it.
I don't want to bore you with the details of how I jump through hoops to save money on everyday items!

But I will spend a bit at the pawn shop for a sparkly!
 
Mreader said:
idk I'm kinda curious about the hoop jumping
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Haha! That would be coupons at the grocery store. Also, looking for discount displays of toiletries, baked goods, cleaning supplies, etc.
And thrift stores for jeans and shoes.
Dollar stores are good for weird stuff like paper muffin cup liners and liquid hand soap!
 
Hotels - I go for budget hotels in good and safe locations as I travel alone.

All I need is a clean room with en-suite facilities. Regardless of where I go, the first things I do when I enter the room after turning on the lights are to close the curtains and adjust the room temperature if required.

No need for a stunning view, gym, swimming pool etc.; however, a well-stocked cocktail bar would be nice.

I recce'd my trip to Japan in 2025 and USA in 2027, and planned to spend about 200 GBP maximum in city centre hotels.

It is against my travelling principles to spend lots of money on hotel rooms - I would rather spend the money on food and drink, and shopping!

DK :))
 
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dk168 said:
Hotels - I go for budget hotels in good and safe locations as I travel alone.

All I need is a clean room with en-suite facilities. Regardless of where I go, the first things I do when I enter the room after turning on the lights are to close the curtains and adjust the room temperature if required.

No need for a stunning view, gym, swimming pool etc.; however, a well-stocked cocktail bar would be nice.

I recce'd my trip to Japan in 2025 and USA in 2027, and planned to spend about 200 GBP maximum in city centre hotels.

It is against my travelling principles to spend lots of money on hotel rooms - I would rather spend the money on food and drink, and shopping!

DK :))
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I agree with this, we like to cruise and always book a least expensive interior room, we'd rather spend on experiences on the trip than the room.
 
HI:

While I love my Dyson vac's there is not a HIH I'd spend $$$$on their hairdryers, etc. I love plush Hotels and rooms. LOL. We were just in one! Money well spent.

cheers--Sharon
 
Coffee. I paid for a ring by giving up Starbucks for 6 months.

Now I drink coffee from a can, save some $ for bling, and also save 15 minutes out of the day.
 
Ally T said:
Clothes for myself. Cheap as, but look a million dollars. I always wear nice things, but around 80% of them are second hand from eBay. For example, nothing makes me happier than scoring a T-shirt in perfect condition from Valentino for £30. I am currently wearing a beautiful fine knit thin cashmere T from Brora that I won for £26 :lol-2:

And yet I am sitting here in the kitchen on a feather filled sofa that was handmade to order & cost me £9,780. And I have another identical sofa in a different colour the lounge. Gotta be cheap somewhere!
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Well, one needs to look good while sitting pretty!
 
I have gotten somewhat frugal with my wardrobe. I have only a couple years left and I can’t bring myself to buy any more work clothes. I now like to shop for my casual clothes at TJ and Marshalls. I’d rather spend more on purses, jewelry, shoes/boots, jackets :lol: I am of the opinion, that with the right styling, most inexpensive outfits can look trendy.
 
I’m cheap when it comes to beauty treatments. I color my own hair, get a $25 haircut 1-2x a year, drugstore makeup, self mani-pedi.

I also get clothes at discount clothing stores, never pay retail/Mall prices, but I think I always look put together and classy.
 
Slickk said:
I have gotten somewhat frugal with my wardrobe. I have only a couple years left and I can’t bring myself to buy any more work clothes. I now like to shop for my casual clothes at TJ and Marshalls. I’d rather spend more on purses, jewelry, shoes/boots, jackets :lol: I am of the opinion, that with the right styling, most inexpensive outfits can look trendy.
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Gonna piggyback off your comment.

Clothes are such a racket, and fast fashion is an actual problem I’m happy to stop contributing to.

(Warning: generalizing of generations forthcoming)

Elder millenials/younger Gen X remember going out to the clubs in work attire—we wore black pants, dressy tops, and we’d put a jacket or sweater over those tops to wear to the office. We couldn’t afford three sets of clothing—work appropriate, going out, and super casual—so we made everything transitional. Looking back at pics it’s like where were we going, work or the bars? You can only tell by the lighting.

I spent the better part of my twenties in retail management and then in buying into my thirties. I never ever ever have or will pay much for clothing. My BS is in fashion and I very much appreciate couture, etc., but I don’t run in circles that require that type of attire. I’m well-versed in garment construction and textiles, so I’m confident in choosing quality items I know will last for years. I buy the occasional trendy or splurgy piece but for the most part I’ve honed my wardrobe into natural fibers and neutrals. This summer I’ve lived in cotton gauze wide leg pants from GAP and double cloth cotton gauze button down tunics from Free People. The latter were pricey but the cost per wear far outweighs the initial investment. I started WFH in 2017 and have been able to drastically cut down on spending on clothes. Now I have a daughter who thankfully is in school uniforms for the next couple more years but I am not looking forward to high school wardrobe crises and drama. Lol

WRT undies, wow do I resent having to pay big bucks for nice bras. Spending so much on something I don’t get to see feels very wrong and I hate it. The bulk packages of undies are convenient, but I am a stickler for a perfect fitting panty and get mine à la carte from (of all places) Aerie. They frequently have 8 for $30 sales and I can get my exact size, cut, material online AND get some fun colors. A couple times a year I just get a bulk order of basics—black and a shade of “nude” that works with my skin tone.

Oh, feminine hygiene products. I bought generic tampons for YEARS. The pink tax is bullsh*t but at least now we have reusable options like menstrual cups.

Influencer culture has introduced a newer term for being cheap on things—“dupes” (short for duplicates) means a cheaper version of a more expensive branded product. The most common items I see are makeups, hair product, and clothing that has gone viral. I kind of prefer this term, it’s like the new version of “frugalista” from the 2000s.
 
I'm going to reiterate what a few others have said. I hate buying coffee at $5 and rarely do. I make a cup at home in the morning and make my own cold brew if I want something in the afternoon.

I hate spending a lot on hotel rooms but pre-Covid I travelled a lot so was always able to stay in very nice hotels on points. I still have tons of points and should be able to fly business and stay in nice hotels on points for a while.

I can't stand the idea of spending over $1000 on a phone so I buy the SE model for about $400. It does everything I need and I like the smaller size.

I never used to use coupons at the grocery store but now that there are digital coupons I clip them and buy my regular things only when I can take advantage of the coupon (unless I'm desperate for something).

I recently quit working so have no need for more nice clothes and shoes. I have plenty. Too many really. So if I buy anything, it's on sale and its lounge type stuff that I can wear outside and not look like I'm in pajamas.

I'm sure there's more.
 
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