Gross inconsistencies concerning money (our thoughts and behaviors)

[HawkeyeNFO]

Gasoline. People will drive 5 miles out of the way to save $.05 per gallon, then wait in a long line to get it.

 

[pacergal]

We are frugal, but not cheap. There is a difference, in my opinion.

Yes, we save unused napkins and plastic ware, but it gets used later, not saved in drawers.
We reuse plastic grocery bags for the next shopping or for garbage cans in the car.
I use coupons, but never buy things we don't need just because its on sale or I have coupon.
Numerous other examples, but you all probably do the same thing

 

[Timeisprecious]

I have no problem with day to day frugality in the face of big spending pointed at something meaningful.

If you save money where you can, you can then spend money where you want.

+1. This has pretty much been my spending philosophy throughout my young FIRE. I started this thread as a way to "survey" how far out of the FIRE norm I was. Given what I'm seeing so far, seems like my ways of thinking concerning saving, spending and "conserving" are consistent with those of many others - PARTICULARLY concerning fast food napkins!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I like to think of watching the day to day expenses simply as optimizing. Like why pay $4 for an eggplant when I can get them for 50 cents. Over thousands of expenses in a year, big and small, for us that kind of optimizing really added up to shaving tens of thousands off the annual run rate and brought our portfolio WR rate to zero, at least on the regular, ongoing expenses. So that leaves the portfolio money free for all the nice to haves, like remodeling the house and being generous with our adult kids.

 

[flyingaway]

Save unused napkins, save trees. Why is that not a good thing? I reuse the grocery bags as trash bags, so we rarely buy trash bags.

 

[athena53]

Save unused napkins, save trees. Why is that not a good thing? I reuse the grocery bags as trash bags, so we rarely buy trash bags.

"Frugal" and "Green" are frequently the same behaviors.

Another silly but typical example: a few weeks ago my cart at Costco contained a couple of free sample dishwasher detergent pods left there by a previous shopper. I took them home and used them.

 

[NW-Bound]

We are frugal, but not cheap. There is a difference, in my opinion...

+1

Many years ago, I read Andrew Tobias's essay on the difference between frugal and cheap.

Basically, frugal is how you treat yourself. Cheap is how you treat others.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Years ago I helped clean out the house of a great uncle who lived through the Depression and had passed away. We found stacks upon stacks of bread wrappers, paper grocery bags (the only kind that existed then), old newspapers, and the like. My great aunt worked as a maid at a hotel and we found several bushel baskets full of tiny soaps that had been used once. For that generation, hard-learned lessons in frugality were never forgotten.

But, I save the extra restaurant napkins for the glove compartment and DW saves the condiment packages from takeout. We use the free plastic grocery bags as trash can liners and recycle the rest (the best bags come from the liquor store since they're extra-heavy). This despite the fact that our accounts recently passed another round-number milestone and we're up nearly 100% since FIRE.

 

[Badger]

If I were worth $100MM dollars, I still would not throw away perfectly good, usable items like fast food napkins, grocery bags, leftover (fresh) food, etc. I would find a way to use those items or I would recycle them. I try to avoid careless waste in all aspects of life. Anything with some useful value left in it, I generally feel a strong urge to try to keep it out of a landfill. Slightly OT, but it appalls me to see people just toss out (or allow to be tossed out) large quantities of perfectly edible, leftover food from a meal.

+1


Cheers!

 

[Koolau]

Wasting perfectly good items - no matter the value - is a "moral" issue to me (personally - not speaking for others nor being critical of those who disagree). One way we'll address issues such as climate change is to use things wisely and efficiently. Again, it's just MY thing and I would never criticize those who see it differently as YMMV.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I totally agree Koolau!

 

[NW-Bound]

"Waste not, want not" - Proverb from 1772

"Willful waste makes woeful want" - Proverb from 1576

 

[Sue J]

Someone here keeps saving fortune cookies in the corner of the cupboard. They never get stale, right?

About the paper products - napkins, paper towels, etc. Remember the pandemic supply issues last year? You bet I'm saving unused napkins "just in case."

And add me to the list of people taking excess computer printouts and ripping them into 4ths or 8ths for quick notepaper! I've been doing this for years even though we print very little anymore.

 

[gcgang]

I just can’t throw away a bottle of soap, shampoo, etc., without getting a couple more uses adding a little hot water to the “empty” bottle.

Another thing that almost annoys myself, we got a solar system a year ago. I find myself checking the generation, output, storage and putting my Tesla on the charger only when there’s bright sun and the battery is well charged.

Meanwhile, my portfolio often fluctuates a larger amount in a week than I made in a year when I worked.

I find myself thinking, why am I thinking about this stuff? I’ve got enough to not have to sweat this. Relax. Enjoy. But old habits die hard.

 

[Lucie]

When I first met my son-in-law during parents' college weekend, I saw him grab a stack of napkins and stuff him in his backpack to use later in his dorm room. I told my daughter "he's a keeper!"

 

[Dtail]

Sometimes save take out order napkins. Don't really think about it too much either way.
Will still pick up quarters/dimes.

 

[Jim59]

When out on a cycle, midway I’ll stop for a roll and a soup. Always take the plastic spoon home. Not for my cutlery set, more to avoid throwing away a single use plastic item.

 

[Andre1969]

What is the fascination, anyway, with keeping old newspapers? I've heard that one come up from time to time. I used to keep a small stack of them, when I had snakes and ferrets (NOT in the same cage! ) I'd shred them for the ferrets, lay them flat for the snakes. But, my last ferret died around 2008, and the last snake died of old age in 2019.

Newspapers are also handy for starting a fire, but I get enough junk mail, that it more than does the trick.

I could see keeping a specific newspaper if it's from a day that something truly newsworthy happened, like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, 9/11 tragedy, etc. Or, if there was something important to you, specifically in that paper. But every blessed one? I just don't get it.

 

[jazz4cash]

It seems we generally agree on the extra napkins, but I feel wasteful tossing those plastic takeout containers. They are made so well and some are are even stamped dishwasher and microwave safe. They are nearly as good as the Rubbermaid and Tupperware containers we buy. I usually use them a few times before recycling cause otherwise they would really pile up. We’ve done takeout for several family dinners this year due to COVID and the abundance of take containers is notable. Then I have to rinse them or run them in the dishwasher before recycling so they don’t stink which uses water.

 

[mountainox]

We wash and reuse the Glad zip bags.

When Lean Cuisine meals first came to the market years ago they came with very nice/sturdy plates. We still have four of the plates that are over 35 years old.

I've drilled holes in pennies when I needed a specific size washer. It was cheaper than Home Depot washers.

I make no apologies for my depression-era parents. Waste was kin to SIN in their eyes. I learned from the best!

 

[mpeirce]

Does anyone else press the sliver of a bar of soap on to the new bar?

 

[Koolau]

It seems we generally agree on the extra napkins, but I feel wasteful tossing those plastic takeout containers. They are made so well and some are are even stamped dishwasher and microwave safe. They are nearly as good as the Rubbermaid and Tupperware containers we buy. I usually use them a few times before recycling cause otherwise they would really pile up. We’ve done takeout for several family dinners this year due to COVID and the abundance of take containers is notable. Then I have to rinse them or run them in the dishwasher before recycling so they don’t stink which uses water.

DW has whole "sets" of these take-out containers. At "carry-ins" (Christmas, TG, etc. get togethers) she is the life of the party as she always brings a supply for everyone to make "take home" meals without using wax paper or foil, etc. which the host may not have. DW could have been a Boy Scout as her motto is, well, you know. Fortunately, we hit the same restaurants quite often, so the containers "nest" nicely and don't take up inordinate amounts of space. YMMV

 

[pacergal]

Does anyone else press the sliver of a bar of soap on to the new bar?

Yep,
or have a small mesh bag to collect multiple slivers and continue to use.
same thing with last bits of soap/shampoo/etc. Add small amount of water to the bottle and use until gone.
All LBYM ideas and those from grandparents/parents. "waste not, want not" was common growing up

 

[haloFIRE]

Well said

Waste is waste, whether I can afford it or not. I save my napkins from, say, Five Guys, in my car. I almost always find a use for them somewhere down the line, whether it is cleaning my hands after gardening or blowing my nose. I feel good that I have gotten some use from them before they hit the landfill.

+1. They have utility, so I keep them. Nice to save a few cents, but save them more for the fact that they are good.

I get your point though - hard to get over old habits.

 

[NW-Bound]

No soap bar for me. Liquid soap is less messy, and more economical to boot.