Am I Still Frugal?
Every frugal person I know has a certain pride about it: you don’t need to spend money the way other people do. For whatever reason, it’s something to feel proud of—like we’ve managed to sidestep some of the financial pitfalls that are out there. We’re better than that.
But a few things have happened recently that make me wonder if I can even be considered frugal anymore.
I’m getting married and when M and I were asked what we wanted as a “big” gift, I didn’t say “help for our down-payment fund.” Nope, it didn’t even occur to me. Instead, the first thing that went through my mind is the one item that distinguishes a frugal person from a person whose spending is out of control: a flat-screen TV.
Well, this past weekend my wish came true: M and I got a check for our TV with the blessing from the people giving us the money. I was thrilled. I still am—we’ll finally be able to watch our movies on a nice, big TV.
But now part of me feels a little guilty: do I really need a new TV? Of course not, but this is a present, right? So doesn’t that make it OK?
Last year I bought myself a Wii (after a lot of internal debate and a similar struggle—only that was all my money I spent, which made it harder). But this is much more money and a flat-screen is the quintessential non-essential purchase.
Part of me doesn’t feel frugal anymore. Am I a traitor? Have I lost my way? Am I hurting the cause? Without getting over dramatic, these two purchases aren’t making me feel any better. Is it OK to buy myself something I’ve saved for (like the Wii) and should I not feel guilty about a gift I really wanted that is given to me for my wedding? Am I overreacting here?
I don’t know. But I don’t like the feeling of walking into Best Buy and picking out a TV, knowing full well I would never spend my money on something like that. Meanwhile, my down-payment fund sits neglected in the continually dropping ING fund.
*Sigh*
April 8th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I think presents are one way people like to help the frugal have a few luxuries. If it wasn’t your money and if you’re still being frugal elsewhere, then I think you’re not a traitor.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Its good that you can hear the voice of honesty. You are not frugal with a new, big, flat-screen TV. Frugal would have meant buying used (they are available).
April 8th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I wrote about my big screen television purchase. It’s not as crazy as you might think. You can get a cheap couch from Craigslist, but people still want to spend $1000 or so for something nice. If you are going to use it for 10 years or so, I see no problem with that.
I would recommend creating a spreadsheet of all the bigger purchases you have and figure out the cost per year of each item. A hundred a year might seem significantly more frugal – especially if it means you go to the movies 3 or 4 fewer times while you own it (deciding to stay home and pick up something on DVD Play or Redbox).
April 8th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I think that your dilemma overlaps nicely with a post I just wrote, titled “Being Frugal Means You Can Spend When You Want To”
Different people define being frugal differently. Following the logic in Brendan’s comment, no one who buys a new flat screen can be frugal. I disagree. As I said in my post, “by being frugal most of the time, you create a situation where you can spend a little extra some of the time.” I understand the guilt that you feel. I feel it too when I spend, or desire to spend. That feeling doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your frugal ways, in fact that internal feedback shows that you’re still frugal at heart.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
You need to add money to get atleast 52 inches for your tv. Do not goto Walmart, goto Best Buy. Buy a quality tv. I would also buy a LCD over Plasma.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
I don’t consider you a “frugal” trader – but I do agree with the other comments that if you are going to follow through on the television I would get the absolutely best deal possible! Maybe even consider a used one.
By the way, how did the Wii work out? It’s just about the only thing our family really covets and I am constantly battling the inclination to just buy it and get it over with!
April 9th, 2008 at 5:09 am
Frugal: The Wii is a lot of fun, no doubt about it. M and I bought Guitar Hero and we play that together a lot. When people come over, that’s what they want to play and it can be a blast. Other than that I only have two games (Mario Galaxy and Madden 08) that I haven’t had a chance to play a lot (wedding planning). Is it worth it? For sure. Is it necessary to my happiness the way I thought before I bought it? Of course not.
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