Meet me in the middle – Frugal vs. cheap

When most people hear that I am an extreme couponer, they instantly make the judgement that I am cheap. Rude.

I am frugal – there’s a difference.

What is the difference?

The biggest difference is your intention. Is your intention to save the most money or is your intention to get the “most bang for your buck”, as the kids say?
There is a big difference in those two options – allow me to explain.

Story time!
It was time to purchase a new laptop. I had bought my old one when I was still in college, so it was close to ten years old. I had to retire the old girl – she had earned her rest. So I started on my search.

• Step 1 – Create a list of all the features I needed in a new laptop vs all the features I wanted but could live without.
• Step 2 – Research laptops that fit all the criteria and then pick which one I wanted.
• Step 3 – Read both positive and negative reviews on all platforms (Google, Amazon, Best Buy, manufacturer’s website) in order to learn what other folks experienced with this laptop.
• Step 4 – Most important step – wait for it to go on sale.

The laptop I settled on had a price tag of $850. I could have easily gotten a cheaper laptop but I wanted one that had more processing power, a larger screen, and a more robust frame (I’m not a gentle person). So I spent the extra money it would take to get me a laptop that would hopefully last another ten years.

My intention was clear – I didn’t want the cheapest laptop, I wanted the one that worked best for me and I was willing to pay the extra money to get it.

Extreme couponing is my passion

I was raised by a single mother who was raised by a man who grew up on a farm during The Great Depression – saving money is in my blood. My mom was a couponer and now I am too (the student has surpassed the teacher, but don’t tell her I said that).

I live this lifestyle because I am very good at it and I enjoy it. Seriously, my serotonin boost comes from how good of a deal I can get at the grocery store. Who needs drugs when there are spreadsheets and coupons?

Doesn’t everybody hate paying for things like toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo and body wash? Couponing allows me to save on the things I NEED so I can focus more on the things I WANT.

I am picky about certain items (i.e face wash) so I coupon to get exactly what I want for what most people would consider an amazing price.

I also use my powers for good by stocking my friends and local charities with necessities as well, I’m not greedy.

If you’re interested in learning more about the couponing lifestyle, visit my friends over at For The Mommas.

Disclaimer: I would never suggest somebody try to coupon unless it is absolutely necessary or you really enjoy math. It is a lot of time, patience, and coordination. As with any skill, the more you practice – the better you will become but please be mindful that it will take time to get there.

Pick your battles

Being frugal is about deciding what is most important to you. For me, experiences are the most important – whether that means experiencing a different part of the world in the form of travel or experiencing a new restaurant in my town. This is where I choose to spend my money.

I shop at thrift stores for most of my clothes, I stopped putting money into my house unless absolutely necessary, and I am conscious of my every day spending. Saving money on these aspects of my life allow me to spend more on the experiences I crave.

So what is important to you? Is it having a beautiful home that you can escape to every day? Is it traveling? Is it your children? Is it plants? Is it your hobbies? Is it your morning coffee?

Deciding what is most important to you is step one in your journey to being frugal. You find out very quickly what parts of life you can and cannot live without.

(In case you need a push, just do what I did – buy a truck right before gas hits $4 a gallon. You’ll really decide what’s important to you when you are spending $100 a fill up to get 13 miles per gallon)

Patience

If I had to give one piece of advice about being frugal – it would be patience.

Circling back to my laptop story, the original price tag was $850. Since it wasn’t an immediate need, I waited a few weeks and stalked the website until it went on sale for $650. The $200 that I saved will pay for two full tanks of gas in my truck, my Airbnb for the beach this summer, or half my airline ticket to Minnesota.

Companies want your money so they will generally put things on sale or offer a discount code at one point or another. Just be patient and check back once a week or once a month until there is a price you are willing to pay.

Lastly – I always Google “company discount code” whenever I’m purchasing something. Nine times out of ten – there is a code or coupon available.

If I’m being honest, saving money is the only thing I have patience for.

Change how you think about a single dollar

Try to retrain your brain from thinking “only”. For example, instead of saying “that’s only $10”, start thinking “but that’s $10”.

Another way I try to think about it is where else I could spend that same $10.

Ten dollars is:

1. Two gallons of gas (currently)
2. A tip for a meal
3. A breakfast treat
4. A few days of morning coffee

The little stuff always adds up.
How much does it take to waste $10,000 a year? Just $27.30 a day (dinner for one).
How much does it take to waste $5,000 a year? Just $13.70 a day (lunch for one).

Final pieces of advice

• Just because something is on sale does not mean it is an acceptable price.
• Shop small, support local. Jeff Bezos has enough money – the wife/father/neighbor/friend trying to pay for their kid’s summer camp could use the boost.
• Spend some time figuring out what you actually need versus what you’ve been conditioned to think you need. The results might surprise you

In Summary…

1. Do you want the cheapest product or the best product for the best price?
2. Extreme couponing is an option, but it’s not for everyone.
3. Decide what is important to you and eliminate or decrease the things that aren’t.
4. Patience.
5. Change how you think about the dollar.

Every single person has a different life than the person next to them. By making minor, conscious changes, you can have more money to spend on the pieces of our lives that we value most.