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My mother always says, "Don't be penny wise and pound foolish."
Words to live by.
Woman is frugal but enjoys the best things in life.
Basically boils down to reusing things (which is better for the environment), using things up or until they die (again, also better for the environment), and not buying stupid crap.
That's the quote I was also thinking of ('penny wise and pound foolish'). An example that comes to mind is folks who are very frugal when it comes to spending the money they actually have in their pocket or bank account, ... but, foolish when it comes to using credit cards for extravagant 'splurge/impulse purchases' of things they can't otherwise afford. Similarly, there are often a lot of expensive, newer cars ... parked in-front of low-income housing.
Just an aside before I write a longer post. DH has some family members who fall into the 'stupid' category (no offense to them) when it comes to being 'cheap'.
They are building a house in the North East and getting natural gas connected for cooking in the kitchen and a built in BBQ on the patio. I asked them if they were also getting Gas Heat and a Gas Water Heater. They said no. I asked why not.
They said they realized that gas heat and gas water heaters are cheaper to operate- but they're "so much more expensive" to buy and install in the first place.
It's not like they're building this house to rent out or resell- they're building it as their 'forever' home. In my opinion, just looking at the immediate bottom dollar rather than potential savings down the track, is taking frugality into the realms of stupidity!
Just an aside before I write a longer post. DH has some family members who fall into the 'stupid' category (no offense to them) when it comes to being 'cheap'.
They are building a house in the North East and getting natural gas connected for cooking in the kitchen and a built in BBQ on the patio. I asked them if they were also getting Gas Heat and a Gas Water Heater. They said no. I asked why not.
They said they realized that gas heat and gas water heaters are cheaper to operate- but they're "so much more expensive" to buy and install in the first place.
It's not like they're building this house to rent out or resell- they're building it as their 'forever' home. In my opinion, just looking at the immediate bottom dollar rather than potential savings down the track, is taking frugality into the realms of stupidity!
When I built my home I got Gas everything. Now I regret it because I put up an acre of solar panels. I will most certainly change the water heater to electric when the time comes. I keep going back and forth on the furnace.
That's the quote I was also thinking of ('penny wise and pound foolish'). An example that comes to mind is folks who are very frugal when it comes to spending the money they actually have in their pocket or bank account, ... but, foolish when it comes to using credit cards for extravagant 'splurge/impulse purchases' of things they can't otherwise afford. Similarly, there are often a lot of expensive, newer cars ... parked in-front of low-income housing.
Yes. Or not spending money on something that winds up costing you more in the long run.
Which is why I think FOOD is not a place to try to cut costs. It will cost you a hell of a lot more in the long run when your health suffers.
When you try to cut costs on something and it ends up costing you a lot more (in money or time) in the long run...
I tend to be pound wise, penny foolish.. I may be able to scrape by a little more by being penny wise but I'd rather put the extra free time to better productive use.
Another example was when she needed extra help cleaning out a rental house she owns. It's 2.5 hours away from where we live. She had my oldest son helping her but the mess was huge, taking way too long. I suggested she put an ad on Craigslist for someone who was out of work to come help and pay them a flat rate (it was mainly bagging up trash and sweeping, no special skills needed) and she insisted she couldn't afford that. Instead, she wanted me to come down for a weekend, with my spouse and the other 2 kids, and said she'd pay for our expenses (gas both ways in our van, plus food for the weekend). Would have cost her way more than hiring someone for a full day or work and lead to way too many distractions and would have resulted in less work done in the long run anyway. Stupid, in trying to be frugal.
Dude, I agree with your mom. You could have had a family weekend together, grandmom was doing the cooking and seeing her grandkids. Leave your wife at home and give her a free weekend, so she's happy. You and your oldest son together would get the job done in a day.
Why would you want a stranger from CL working with your mother?
And I wouldn't charge my mother for gas to visit her. Home cooking would be enough...
Yes. Or not spending money on something that winds up costing you more in the long run.
Which is why I think FOOD is not a place to try to cut costs. It will cost you a hell of a lot more in the long run when your health suffers.
I have said this many times Stan4. I eat the best quality food that I can afford. I'd rep you but the system said I have to spread the love around.
When I built my home I got Gas everything. Now I regret it because I put up an acre of solar panels. I will most certainly change the water heater to electric when the time comes. I keep going back and forth on the furnace.
No system is 100 percent infallible. If you put in an electric furnace, I'd sure have a back up either using gas or wood.
................
Which is why I think FOOD is not a place to try to cut costs. It will cost you a hell of a lot more in the long run when your health suffers.
I only agree halfway with this. My family eats extremely well. Not only healthy but gourmet. We like our good food. We had duck and avocado tacos last night.
However, food is a very good area to cut costs. We eat wonderful food and I doubt that I spend any more on groceries than the folks who eat cheap junk. Shop sales, buy in bulk, know which stores have the best price, don't overeat, and home cook.
Slightly off on a tangent, my dogs eat the very best available. It costs a lot more than Old Roy from WallyWorld, but I figure I save it all back by never having any vet bills.
No system is 100 percent infallible. If you put in an electric furnace, I'd sure have a back up either using gas or wood.
20yrsinBranson
A natural gas furnace still requires electricity to operate. We have fireplaces should the power go out.
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