The Scots have a perfect term for it... MINGY. It's somewhere between frugal and stingy. <G>

I agree with sharon b. Each word describes a situation in life. I like to shop Savers and Goodwill. When started on my fabric quest, bought bedskirts that were 100% cotton.. MY the yardage just for a little work taking them apart. And they were/are nice patterns. Just recently p/u queen bedskirt, 100% cotton and base 100% muslin for 2.95. It was Indian cotton(from India) and that's very good. Took all apart and now have foundations, backings or whatever and pretty fabric for quilts too.

No. I'm impulsive, obsessive, and needy. But I do like a sale.

I'm such a strange mix... I think it's bad when my husband spends money on a magazine or a bag of candy at the gas station, but I have 3 or 4 different quilting magazine subscriptions. I'll go through sale ads for the grocery stores, use coupons, drive an hour to go to Save-a-Lot to save $20, then spend $40 going out to eat that night! I'll use scraps to piece a quilt, buy my batting with a coupon at JoAnns, then spend $50 on gorgeous extra wide fabric for the backs of my scrappy quilts. I'll only buy ice cream at the grocery store when it's on sale, but think nothing of stopping to get an ice cream cone at 5 times the cost. I'll scrimp and save for months so I can splurge going on vacation. Go figure!

I'm a selfish spender. I am very picky who gets my money. The givens like basic bills, I don't have much of a say but when it comes to my shopping I am in control. I look at value instead of prices. Value can be the look of being thrilled in my DGD's eyes for a much wanted present to the hand woven reed basket at Goodwill for $1 vs the same size cheap made in china basket for .25.

DH and I are both retired and living on a fixed income so we're the first 3, cheap to me means soddy materials that don't hold up or a stingy person unwilling to share with others. Almost all of my quilting fabric was bought on sale, with a Joann's coupon or in Lancaster shops although I have at times splurged on a 'special' quilt. That is my basic way of living, be careful how you spend your $'s and time but every once in awhile you need a treat = something that adds quality to your or your familys life and/or mental state. May in Jersey

PS. Just saw that a Goodwill store will be opening in my area, going to check it out regularly for fabric and other items.

I like to think of myself as frugal, or economical, but cheap has bad connotations.

I watch my money out of long habit, even when I don't strictly have to. I figure that money I don't spend now, I'll have later when I need it.

Having said that, some things it is best to buy quality - shoes, for me, are something I splurge on, but I haven't bought a brand new pair of jeans in probably three or four years. I buy secondhand, and people give me hand-me downs (surprisingly often in like-new condition). And a lot of time, quality secondhand clothing in good shape is cheaper than clothes from Wal-Mart that fall apart after a few washes.

What do you think? The more I save, the more I have to spend. At any time during the pay period I am all of the above. But I have tons of experience after years of "just getting by".

Frugal. I have to be by nature of income. When I had tons of money (ah there was a time) I was extravagent. No other way to put it. I spent without thinking. Like a pair of shoes at nordstroms? $200 each? buy one in each color.. now I always check the veggies that are discounted, the thrift store for "new" shirts shoes etc.. its ok too. I realized how bad I was before when I shop now. No necessity for that excess. Of note: My friend wrote and said she makes homemade dog food. I asked what she used. She boils chicken etc. Ok I said how much is that chicken? She says they are $4.50 average at the store. I almost flopped over. Chickens at my store are $12-14 PER CHICKEN. So maybe necessity is based on where you live too?