Silly Frugality?

[foxfirev5]

It would make me silly frugal. I hate airplane rides. I'm 6-2 and my knees are on the seat back in front of me.

First class from now on. Turns something I hated into a mere meh.

Don't need to save dough, don't travel much.

Agreed. We don't fly every week, so a few extra bucks for first class makes it bearable.

 

[Danmar]

I can honestly say that I don’t do anything “silly frugal”. I just spent 5 minutes trying to think of things I do that might be described as “frugal”. Couldn’t think of any that would qualify here. I guess in the end it’s all relative.

 

[Major Tom]

I can honestly say that I don’t do anything “silly frugal”.

Interestingly enough, I don't think I do either. The interesting part is that we are at different ends of the income scale. My income is about the same as what a kid working in a record store would make. In fact, if that kid was working full time in a record store around here, he/she would have a slightly bigger income than me, due to the relatively high minimum wage here.

In truth, there are probably a few things I do that would be considered "silly frugal", but they are so much a lifestyle habit that I don't give them a second thought, and they don't feel like a hardship.

 

[NW-Bound]

Frugal, just not "silly".
Nothing wrong with frugal.

I do not waste "stuff" same as many of the earlier posters. But at what point does it become "silly"?

Here's an example. I was going to make boeuf bourguignon (beef burgundy) for an upcoming dinner with my neighbors. This dish calls for pearl onion, which is $2.50/lb instead of regular onion which usually costs $0.33/lb.

My wife objected to me buying this, saying that the onions taste the same and there's no reason to spend more. I said that while it was OK for me to scrimp when cooking for ourselves, when inviting guests I wanted to do things right.

Just yesterday, she came home triumphantly after an errand and told me she had a gift for me. She found frozen pearl onion at Trader Joe's for $1.70/lb, and bought me a package.

Ah, good thing I had not bought it yet.

 

[mpeirce]

78? How do you stay awake?

Reminds me of my HS Chemistry teacher who also happened to drive part-time for a charter bus company. (he drove the bus for some of our ski club trips)

He told us he would always raise the temperature of the bus soon after it started a trip. People would drift off to sleep - or at least settle down. Approaching the destination he'd always cool things down and they'd wake up.

 

[Music Lover]

I can honestly say that I don’t do anything “silly frugal”. I just spent 5 minutes trying to think of things I do that might be described as “frugal”. Couldn’t think of any that would qualify here. I guess in the end it’s all relative.

Silly frugal to me is when you sacrifice comfort, convenience, or time to save a few pennies, or a few dollars...like keeping the house too cold in winter so you have to wear a sweater all day. Or going a half hour out of your way to save $2.

Things like adding water to get the last bit of shampoo isn't silly...it's just not being wasteful. I'd probably still do that even if I had a 10 figure nest egg.

 

[Major Tom]

Things like adding water to get the last bit of shampoo isn't silly...it's just not being wasteful. I'd probably still do that even if I had a 10 figure nest egg.

I do that, but it doesn't feel "silly frugal" because it's so easy to do, and doesn't negatively impact my life in any way. There is no inconvenience involved. I barely notice I'm doing it.

 

[Meadbh]

Silly frugal to me is when you sacrifice comfort, convenience, or time to save a few pennies, or a few dollars...like keeping the house too cold in winter so you have to wear a sweater all day. Or going a half hour out of your way to save $2.

Things like adding water to get the last bit of shampoo isn't silly...it's just not being wasteful. I'd probably still do that even if I had a 10 figure nest egg.

I have a confession to make. I noticed it was a bit cool this winter so I just added a sweater in the house, put my big Norwegian duvet on the bed, and got on with my life. Then we had a really cold spell around Christmas. When visiting my neighbours, I had to peel off layers of clothing. I finally realized that something was wrong with my heating system. 16 degrees C (60.8 degrees F) was a little too bracing! The repair technician said the valves had been blocked for some time. It took 36 hours for my suite to come up to 23 degrees C (73 degrees F).

 

[Winemaker]

We made pizza last week, and thanks to you guys we're going to make it again this week:

No meat, generally gives us four meals.

I only see one meal; and no wine!

 

[Nemo2]

I only see one meal; and no wine!

It's possibly larger than the pic indicates.......(we gave up wine, but in the summer, a beer that's been sitting in the freezer for ~ 10 minutes sometimes goes down well).

 

[Amethyst]

I'm afraid I disagree. Pearl onions are milder than regular onions, and their shape imparts a different taste and texture than a regular onion would do, even if you chopped that onion into pearl-onion-sized pieces.

Without pearl onions, you still will have a tasty dish, but it will not be classic boeuf bourguignon.

I

My wife objected to me buying this, saying that the onions taste the same and there's no reason to spend more.

.

 

[limeyx]

About a year ago, i started saving the perfume catalog inserts in our newspaper - usually found before Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Almost always, they are from Dillards department store.

I peel back the adhesive and rub the perfumed strip on wrists, etc. as I would if I actually were using a bottle of perfume. Each insert has about twenty fragrances. I try to do this in secret because DH makes fun of me for it.

You are the only folks, besides DH, who know this about me.

I would totally do this but I am still using my bottle of cologne that I bought in 1999 (that I complained bitterly to the salesperson was way overpriced at ~$70)

 

[Amethyst]

Wow, that must be a long-lived fragrance. I usually find the scent turns a bit sour after a few years, let alone almost 20. And yes, perfumes are overpriced. That's why they are sold as "luxury" goods, LOL .... kind of like overpriced wines.

I would totally do this but I am still using my bottle of cologne that I bought in 1999 (that I complained bitterly to the salesperson was way overpriced at ~$70)

 

[Clone]

I knew a silly frugal guy that I used to work with. One day in the middle of winter, there was a raging blizzard outside. This guy took off for lunch, and drove across town to a tire shop- because they had free pancakes for lunch that day!


edit: And now, for some reason, I am hungry for pancakes...

 

[RobbieB]

There is no overpriced anything in a free market, people will buy what they want.

 

[tmm99]

I have a confession to make. I noticed it was a bit cool this winter so I just added a sweater in the house, put my big Norwegian duvet on the bed, and got on with my life. Then we had a really cold spell around Christmas. When visiting my neighbours, I had to peel off layers of clothing. I finally realized that something was wrong with my heating system. 16 degrees C (60.8 degrees F) was a little too bracing! The repair technician said the valves had been blocked for some time. It took 36 hours for my suite to come up to 23 degrees C (73 degrees F).

Too funny! My nose gets cold when it's below 65 degrees. That's my gauge.


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[Sunset]

There is no overpriced anything in a free market, people will buy what they want.

Nice theory.
Sometimes it is hard to find a free market, and people have to buy certain things, means there is opportunity to squeeze people.

 

[Danmar]

Things like adding water to get the last bit of shampoo isn't silly...it's just not being wasteful. I'd probably still do that even if I had a 10 figure nest egg.

Ok that’s one I do. Never even considered it being frugal and that’s certainly not why I do it. Just makes good sense?

 

[tmm99]

Ok that’s one I do. Never even considered it being frugal and that’s certainly not why I do it. Just makes good sense?

Yes I think this just makes good sense. Plus it's either that or I would have to go get a new bottle while being wet!


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[Danmar]

Yes I think this just makes good sense. Plus it's either that or I would have to go get a new bottle while being wet!


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Exactly.

 

[NW-Bound]

I'm afraid I disagree. Pearl onions are milder than regular onions, and their shape imparts a different taste and texture than a regular onion would do, even if you chopped that onion into pearl-onion-sized pieces.

Without pearl onions, you still will have a tasty dish, but it will not be classic boeuf bourguignon.

I was thinking about presentation, and the pearl onions look more appealing than cut-up pieces of the larger onions, as my palate and taste bud are not the finest.

But when I do this dish, will also put in some of the smaller white onions that I have on hand that are the size of a plum, then taste them against the pearl onions to see the difference.

 

[tmm99]

I was thinking about presentation, and the pearl onions look more appealing than cut-up pieces of the larger onions, as my palate and taste bud are not the finest.



But when I do this dish, will also put in some of the smaller white onions that I have on hand that are the size of a plum, then taste them against the pearl onions to see the difference.

I agree. I think they are more about presentation than anything. I followed a recipe exactly one time and bought pearl onions (I think it was some kind of red wine stew with herbs) and I didn't detect any taste difference. That was the last time I bought the pearl onions.

 

[6miths]

It is said that, 'Common sense' is not all that common. And manufacturers are making it harder to get the lids off shampoo bottles to get the water into them. I know that my 80+ year old mother certainly couldn't get the non-screw lid off the generic Head & Shoulders bottle.

On the frugal side, yesterday I repaired said mother's 1972 Maytag dishwasher with a weather stripping gasket from home depot. It had been leaking when run and of course impossible to get the appropriate gasket. Fired it up and it worked fine. Also allowed mom and I to reminisce about old times in the kitchens the dishwasher has lived in. It is a 'portable' model.

 

[NW-Bound]

Ah, just remember something. It will take a bit more work to try both pearl onions and the larger ones in the same pot. The smaller onions cannot be added at the same time, as they will turn to mush. In fact, overcooking the larger ones is also a no-no.

A meticulous cook would have some sacrificial veggies in early to impart the flavor, then they are left behind. The veggies that are served in the stew are prepared separately, then added later.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Thought of this post the other day. Saw a Chap-Stix on the ground. Thought about dialing out about 1/4 inch and slicing it off and pocketing it. I didn't.