Being Called Overly Frugal Or Cheap Means You’re On The Right Track

Recently, I was told by a producer of a certain podcast that I was being overly frugal. This comment came after an interview covering my upcoming book, Buy This, Not That was done.

I had thanked her over e-mail, pointed out a spelling error in my name in the show notes, and also asked her to tell the host I had finally gotten a headset for potential future interviews. Here's what she wrote:

“Re mic: I totally get the frugality mindset but treat yourself to a Shure MV7 or ATR2020 and write it off against tax. You're a fab interviewee who deserves a better mic.”

Been Battling Frugality For A While

At first, I was slightly taken aback by the comment because I've been trying hard for the past couple of years to get out of the frugality mindset. I've admitted I suffered from frugality disease. So to be reminded that I may still be battling this affliction stung.

This year, at age 45, I've finally entered the decumulation phase of my life and have purposefully been spending more on things I care about, e.g. food, children's education, and nicer travel accommodations. It's been hard to spend more than usual, but I'm making progress. Heck, just the other day I ordered toro sushi instead of the usual salmon sushi!

Furthermore, I already have an external microphone for doing podcast interviews which I purchased a couple of months ago. It had been working great over multiple interviews until this podcast session. When we connected, the host said he heard an echo whenever he spoke. Therefore, he wanted me to put on a headset.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a headset that could plug into my laptop because I didn't have an adapter. I ended up not using my external microphone and doing the interview with my Apple earbuds plugged into my iPhone. As a result, the sound quality wasn't as good as it could have been.

I don't think I was being overly frugal. I'm just a newbie at doing podcast interviews and didn't have the ideal setup. I'm also technically challenged. Or, maybe I am actually cheap and just don't realize it!

Being Seen As Overly Frugal Or Cheap Is Stealth Wealth FAILURE

I've always said it's important to be as congruent as possible with how you view yourself and how others view you. Too big of a mismatch may cause problems in your social and business life. Suffering from the Dunning-Krueger Effect is bad.

I don't want to be seen as overly anything, let alone cheap. It makes me feel like I'm hoarding cash and not doing more to optimize my lifestyle. It also makes me feel like I'm doing a poor job taking care of my family and helping others.

At the same time, I don't want to be seen as someone who flaunts his wealth given I follow the Stealth Wealth principles. It is much better to be low-key so you can avoid judgement and be freer to do as you please. Feeling like you have to defend your ways is energy-wasting.

One of the principles of Stealth Wealth is to actually be rich but be viewed by the public as average. So if someone views you as overly frugal, then they are noticing a mismatch in your wealth and your spending habits. As a result, this is a failure by the Stealth Wealth practitioner!

My Ah-Hah Moment About Frugality

A black belt in Stealth Wealth would never be viewed as overly frugal or cheap because people would never be able to fully ascertain how much wealth the black belt has. The Stealth Wealth practitioner would be able to match their public perception and their spending habits.

Being called overly frugal is actually a sign of displaying too much wealth, less so about being cheap. Therefore, I need to tone down my financial figures publicly. It's just hard to do when you're being interviewed partly about your finances! Besides, there needs to be a minimal level of financial transparency for credibility's sake.

The Positive Of Being Seen As Overly Frugal Or Cheap

The other positive of being viewed as overly frugal or cheap is that it helps negate your splurges and other people's views of your splurges. The next time someone calls you extravagant or wasteful, you can simply point to the example when you were called overly frugal!

For example, I was hesitant to write about the surprising benefit of driving a luxury automobile. I didn't want to be judged for driving a Range Rover Sport. So in past articles, I would simply refer to my automobile as a Tata Motors SUV. Tata Motors in India owns Land Rover (Range Rover).

But I decided to be more transparent about driving an expensive automobile because I had experienced something I hadn't experienced before. It was somewhat of an epiphany.

I truly believed this surprise benefit would be new to many people considering purchasing a nicer car. Therefore, I decided to tell the story knowing full well I'd be getting some backlash.

Combatting The Negativity With Frugality

For the most part, the vast majority of comments were cordial. But of course, there were some prickly ones as well. Here's one of them,

“I LOL at “minority living in America.” You fail to mention that you belong to a group that makes on average much more money than the supposedly “privileged” whites. Dry your crocodile tears on your Range Rover seats LOL!”

I appreciate comments such as this one. It reflects purely how people feel. And you can't deny how people feel, only accept. All perspectives are welcome on Financial Samurai.

I responded to the commenter, “Glad I made you laugh! But I would never dare cry on my premium leather seats. Only in my Hermés handkerchief. And why would I cry for being a minority? It’s such a blessing and a privilege to be one as you’ve said.”

The next time someone judges me for driving an expensive car, I can now tell them about the one time a podcast producer inferred I was overly frugal for not wanting to spend money on an external mic that I already had. Whoo-hoo!

Everybody Has An Opinion About YOUR Money

Isn't it funny how everybody has an opinion about how you should spend your money? If you spend too much, they'll say you're being wasteful. If you spend too little, they'll say you're being cheap. It's as if people are unable to recognize different people have different values, circumstances, and financials.

As a result, if you want to live more freely, it's best to reveal as little as possible about your spending habits and tastes. If the topic of spending money comes up, read the room and side with those who are the most vocal. Just play along so as to not stand out.

Nobody who truly appreciates their time has time to argue with someone about how they should spend their own money. Only foolish people like me would even bother writing this post! But reflecting is something I really enjoy doing.

Just Want To Be Accepted At The End Of The Day

One of the greatest challenges we have in creating more harmony is being able to see another person's perspective. Unfortunately, we tend to talk past each other. We discredit another person's experiences. What a shame.

My post about driving a luxury automobile was really about feeling more accepted in society that can sometimes be quite cold. All any of us really want is to be welcomed for who we are. As a parent, this desire is only heightened for our children.

Living in a minority-majority city like San Francisco has made me feel welcome since I first arrived in 2001. However, this was the first time I felt even more welcome based on what I drove. Because before the Range Rover, I drove a Honda Fit for three years and purchased a 6-year-old old Discovery II I drove for twelve years.

Being Frugal Means You're On The Right Financial Track

I don't know of a single frugal person who is broke. Instead, the more frugal you are, the more likely you are to track your spending religiously, save aggressively, invest wisely, and spend only on things you value.

Therefore, if someone accuses you of being cheap or overly frugal, say “thank you”! This means you've got the defensive part of the financial independence equation down.

Now take their feedback and examine whether you truly are overly frugal or whether you're spending based on your values and make adjustments accordingly. Then make sure you go on the offensive and boost your income.

If you can combine being frugal with generating more income, financial independence will be an inevitability. Just don't forget to do a little revenge spending along the way!

Listen To The Podcast Interview

For those of you who wish to hear the podcast recording, check out my talk with Dan Andrews from The Tropical MBA! I've been following Dan ever since 2010 as he used to live the digital nomad lifestyle in Thailand, a lifestyle I dreamt of living before having kids. If you want to learn about digital entrepreneurship, subscribe to Dan's podcast.

Buy This Not That Book Best Seller On Amazon

I enjoyed this interview because Dan asked me questions about prestige, creation, and entrepreneurship – topics I hadn't been asked about before. Also a shoutout to the podcast producer, Jane, for editing and putting together the episode despite me bungling the headset issue. I'll do better next time!

If you enjoyed this episode and want to overcome your frugality, pick up a hard copy of Buy This, Not That: How To Spend Your Way To Wealth And Freedom. The book provides actionable tips to help you build wealth while also sharing entertaining stories along the way. I purposefully used the word “spend” in the subtitle to help readers focus on offense. At the end of the day, money is meant to be spent to live a better life!

Readers, have you been called overly frugal or cheap before? Or have people inferred that you are overly frugal or cheap? If so, how did it make you feel? And why do you think they felt this way about your spending habits? Any other strategies on how to minimize people judging you about money?

51 thoughts on “Being Called Overly Frugal Or Cheap Means You’re On The Right Track”

  1. There was a cooking show on PBS called ‘The Frugal Gourmet’, so for me Frugal has a positive association.
    I try to be mindful of purchasing items, I have plenty of stuff. Once I decided I need or really want something, I’m going to look for a sale, deal or discount.

  2. Hi Sam (or anyone interested in commenting),

    Wondering what your thoughts are on this.

    Our family of 4 is in the market for for a new vehicle, I’ve never personally (nor my wife) have ever indulged in a new car. We’ve driven 10-20 year old cars all our life (we are 34 years old).

    I know your rules on purchasing a car (1/10th of your annual salary) but I have my eye on a particular modern electric car that has absolutely turned me into a car guy (when I’ve never been one). Yes, you guessed it, a Tesla (Model Y, about 70k all in).

    My wife and I are at about 170k annual income and this would completely be out of proportion per your recommendations. I do feel we can get to about 200k/per year within the next year as I explore the job market (but I guess I need 700k annual income to be FS approved ;).

    My justifications for the purchase are any car I buy now will not compare (spend 20-30k to just be miserable looking at every tesla that drives by me and I fill up on gas haha), so might as well go big or go home. 2. The resell value of these vehicles have been insane, very little deprecation if any at all (though I’m aware this can change in the future) so I figure I can enjoy the car for a couple years and maybe sell it once the excitement goes away 3. Gas prices (I know this can also change, but the longer they stay high the more compelling the argument becomes). 4. We purchased our home 4 years ago (so have benefited from the appreciation on home values) and we refinanced at a great rate 2.5% a year ago (fixed) so why can’t I have a little fun along the way.

    It’s all funny to me because by nature I’m very frugal but I’ve been bitten by the Tesla bug (my entire family is shocked haha). There is a little FOMO going on with the their recent price increases. Without going into too much detailed I am saving for retirement (we all could save more), contributing to my kids college fund, and feel we could comfortably finance the vehicle, while always having the out of selling the vehicle if our priorities changed).

    I enjoyed reading your article on how things changed once you upgraded to a land rover. That in itself gets me curious of how people would see or treat me different (being a minority myself) I’ve always driven old cars and have never been ashamed. Excited to hear your thoughts on my dilemma.

    Alternatively, I’ve told my wife I could give myself a 10 day tesla rental allowance (to get that out of my system every year) which would cost about 1-1.5k and it’d be something our family can look forward too. You see, as I type this my frugal nature is coming out.

    Appreciate your thoughts,

    Mark

      1. Hi Stephanie,

        Used Tesla’s at this time sometimes sell for more than a new one due to the 9-12 month waiting period. Essentially, they have too much demand for their current production capability.

        For now, I think I’ll just sit tight, and plan out my next tesla rental. ;)

        Mark

  3. Yes. Been called cheap and Jew many times. I said “thank you!” Becomes I knew that they had no idea of the difference between being cheap and being frugal. And I also took pride in being associated with the frugal minded and educated.

    We’ve been retired since 41/43. We are currently 47. My wife drives a Porsche and I drive a Lexus. And we travel many times every year. All those haters can suck it. Lol.

  4. At the end of the day the people mocking you are poor. They’re jealous.

    Know why Asian Americans have the highest income and wealth?

    They work harder and work more, on average. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.

    I’m making the best life for myself, dont care what other people think

    1. Not sure if you’re allowed to say the “work harder” part out loud. Hard work and consistency are definitely two components for building wealth. But so is luck. Extraordinary wealth is mostly due to luck, which is why we’ve got to continue to give back if we’ve gotten really lucky. Spread the wealth!

      I’m definitely not ashamed of my current situation. I’m grateful to have been able to walk away in 2012 and celebrate my 10th year of fake retirement doing what I want. It’s been a blast and I really enjoy almost everybody’s perspectives.

  5. Ms. Conviviality

    I’m 42 and I’m tired of being overly frugal. Not too long ago, it occurred to me that my husband and I had only taken two vacations together that was exclusively just for the two of us even though we’ve been together for 12 years. We rarely said no to the family and friends trips we were invited to since we knew those were the memory making moments that life should be made up of so I can’t say that we haven’t had fun but it’s about time that we did something just for us.

    So, I’m taking my husband to Las Vegas next week for his birthday and we are going to have an epic time! This includes paying for our best friends and us to have the best seats in the house for a show and a $200/person dinner. In addition, we’re getting two-hours of pampering at the spa and renting a McLaren 570s Spider for half a day. Maybe these experiences will be the motivation we need to work even harder once we return home because we are kind of at the point where our assets will provide a comfortable life but not a lux one.

    1. Oh man, that sounds AWESOME! I totally want to rent a supercar for a couple hours every so often to get it out of the system.

      You guys are going to have so much fun. As a fellow 40+-year-old, we gotta live it up more!

  6. As the only one in my circle of friends in college paying my own way through working and loans, I was definitely an outlier as far as being cost-conscious (and this fact was pointed out often by some members of the group). My outlier status in this regard was only exacerbated when I was paying my way through law school and they were all in jobs post-college. As it turns out, frugality has suited me and been worth it in the long run. No regrets. And, as a added benefit, it brought me to this community. Thanks, Sam, for hosting this platform and your always great content.

  7. Being frugal can certainly mean you are on the right track to FI, to a point. You’re clearly doing well for yourself and progressing on “decumulation” and enjoying your money more. Always interested in learning about other philanthropic interests, look forward to reading more about yours! It’s a joy to be able to give to social causes that improve our planet and society. My neighbor’s grandmother, who lives on just SS each month in a paid off house, includes giving as part of her budget, which I found very admirable.

    Being cheap though is not a good thing, or on the right track. Not tipping, chipping in for a neighborhood block party, paying your fair share of a trip/dinner, not paying for gas when going in someone else’s car, choosing the cheapest yet environmentally detrimental product (hello dollar stores), the list goes on.

  8. I’m not sure you have much of a choice if you want to continue to be a blogger. I wouldn’t be nearly as interested in reading about you considering buying a new piece of real estate, for instance, if I couldn’t see how you fit it in with your overall net worth, income, etc. I really appreciate that. And I really appreciate your words of wisdom on saving and spending, cause I struggle with spending on “fun” stuff”

    I really don’t know what frugal means. It does just seem like a word that others use to express how they would spend your money. I think it is just in the eye of the beholder. For my friend who will get a 250k pension when he retires at 60, saving anything from his paycheck now (age 52) might be considered frugal? I will get no pension, so I have no choice but to make sure I save more than I make, which may make me seem frugal now. That is just common sense. How much to save of my income is simply based on my goals. Do I want to retire early and what lifestyle do I want?

    1. All good. There are actually plenty of bloggers who don’t reveal anything about their finances and do well actually. They also have staff writers and keep things pretty vanilla. Something to look forward to one day!

      Saving money after 62 with a 250K pension seems unnecessary. However, one never knows what other expenses there are in the future!

  9. This post instantly made me think of a certain family member. Everything we talk about somehow he will tie it to money (e.g., how much did that cost you, I spent this much got a great deal, that cost way too much, I think he’s making around $$$ per year). I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a spreadsheet of how much his friends and family make and estimates of their spending just cause he’s so damn nosy. It’s really exhausting, and in the end he says who cares how much they make etc. So he has no idea he’s being a hypocrite. I don’t know what you would call that type of person. Ok I’m done with my rant.

    Anyway, your subheading of everyone has an opinion of your money is 100% spot on. I have an old Honda civic (only 160k miles and I drive the heck out of it) and I said I’m thinking about upgrading and he was like YEAH you should, why haven’t you done it yet you’ve have it forever. It’s like some people have a problem if they think you may be saving and investing too well. SMH

    1. I think I may know the same nosy guy. This guy would needle me for details on what I spent on something, what my vacation home expenses were, etc. The questions were indirect at first, but the conversation became predictable. It was exhausting like you said, and I happen to think it’s nobody’s business unless there’s that kind of two-way rapport (there wasn’t). One day I screwed up when he stopped mid-question and said to let him know if he’s asking for too much information. I already had a few beers, and said “why stop now? You already asked what my monthly payment was!” Maybe I shouldn’t have laughed… nah I’m glad I did. He moped for a while, but we’re still friends. And he no longer needles me about finances.

  10. I think there are essentially two attitudes towards spending/frugality. The first is essentially arithmetic–you have X, and spend <=X according to your priorities, and anything you do spend has an opportunity cost. This is how we prefer to live. Buying one thing means you can't buy another.

    The second is about what you "deserve," whether it is a fancy mic (as she suggested) or the same car/home/clothes/vacations your neighbors/friends/colleagues have; in other words, about status.

    The commerical forces of sales and marketing obviously focus on the latter, and do their best to manipulate you into spending money on what they're selling. But in my experience, and in the experience of watching both my parents and my wife's parents thrust themselves into financial disaster chasing after the Joneses, the latter approach is a recipe for disaster. Disaster because it's never enough, and the goal posts for "enough" or what you "deserve" are always moving.

  11. “Being called overly frugal is actually a sign of displaying too much wealth, less so about being cheap.”

    Deep insight

  12. A few friends of mine calls me “cheap” in my face because I like eating out where I can get discounts, refuses to pay $50/day for parking, nor buy anything with designer labels. My favorite stores are Costco, Savers, and Ross’s.

    I told them “Yes, I am cheap – that’s why I CAN afford to buy a $100+K car, a $1M house, book a World Cruise, send my daughter to an IVY college, or go to Europe for a year – and pay in cash if I want!”

    I owe no one anything and if I can’t pay cash for it, I figure I neither really need it nor actually can afford it.

    That shuts them up pretty fast. They own Louie Vuitton bags, Hermes Scarves, Lexus SUVs, $30-$100K diamond rings, and have kids in private schools – but are stressing because their kids did not qualify for any college scholarship and need to get school loans. Their Lexus and houses are still mortgaged. They are relying on SSI and half their spouse’s pension to retire – their relationships are complicated and would love to divorce the bore one day. When COVID-19 lock down happened and work hours were cut – they nearly lost their minds.

    I just roll my eyes and LAUGH!

    A penny saved is a penny earned – Benjamin Franklin

    They can call me Cheap/Frugal all they want. I tell them to remember “The Ant and Grasshopper” parable. Rain always come – at some point in time.

  13. Great article Sam – I’m 28 and have been on this journey for the last 4 years. It’s definitely tough particularly when my parents who gave out to me for not saving enough are now giving out to me because I rent the spare room in my apartment despite being a lawyer!

    A suggestion for your website is to put up a catalogue of your podcast appearances. Loved your appearance on Bigger Pockets Money.

  14. I enjoyed the tropical MBA interview! Thanks for sharing. It’s true that if you’re happy with your financial, you wouldn’t keep telling people about your financial situation. Those who do are simply seeking attention.

  15. There’s a lot of interest/opinions in people spending your money – especially if you are childfree and have nieces/nephews. Apparently, if you don’t have kids, you don’t get a say over your own money as it apparently all belongs to your extended family members that have kids. This is obviously because they “need” it more than you /s. I find this attitude rather odd, to say the least. It’s also been a source of a lot of inheritance drama from what I’ve read.

    1. Interesting observation! We haven’t experienced this since we have our own kids to raise and we are the young best with kids in our family, even though we are not young ha.

      Best fund that 529 plan for your nieces and nephews!

      1. Hi Sam, come to the UK and you will experience that nobody cares about how you live, what you wear, or any other status symbols! It’s a great learning experience especially if you live in SF! Give it a go! It will be eye-opening! Cheers!

  16. Sam, here is my ‘blink’…

    You corrected her spelling. You asked her to pass along information (including your acquisition of a headset mic). Both point out her ‘status’ as inaccurate and subordinate. She is aware of you and your eight-figure net worth at age 45, so she can’t compete in ‘wealth’. But! She does know technical podcasting and equipment. So, she gave you a ‘headpat’ (“fab interviewee”) and, in addition to her judgment, gave you unrequested information that asserted her superior status in equipment knowledge. Expressing her assumption that your choice might be the result of ‘frugality mindset’ invites you to disagree and admit ignorance, agree with her assumption and informed (unrequested) advice, or ignore. This person is passive-aggressively inviting conflict, and you have nothing to gain by further engagement. But watching you brush off the haters and trolls, my guess is you already know all this.:-)

    “Seek wealth, not status.” – Naval

      1. Never saw it as competition at all. Think we’re on the same side. But interesting thoughts!

        I was given the heads up the episode was live and asked if I saw any errors. I did and anybody would have pointed out a spelling mistake of their name.

        I don’t mind conflict as it creates for fascinating discussion. Confusing my lack of a headset with a lack of a quality mic and then suggesting it’s because I’m too frugal to get one was interesting.

        It goes back to my main point of the post. Stop revealing your true wealth or income. Or ratchet it down to averages if it is above average.

        There is no upside to anybody knowing your above average wealth as people might make unflattering assumptions about you.

        It is was better to be perceived as below average and an underdog. Then people will root for you.

      1. Heard and enjoyed the podcast, the host is clearly one of your many fans. Your voice is distinctive and easy to listen to.

        You had told her that you had acquired a headset “for future interviews” and she assumed you had a ‘frugality mindset’ and then recommended you “treat yourself to a Shure MV7 or ATR2020 and write it off against tax.” As you say, her “confusing” was “interesting.” Looking forward to receiving and reading the book! NNTR

  17. This is awesome. Lol. Don’t feel bad. If you saw my truck, I’m absolutely certain you’d offer to buy me lunch. I can afford to pay cash for a brand new one. I just see no reason since it still runs great at nearly 300k miles.

  18. I’ve been called a tight bastard plenty of times by friends .. They usually don’t see the true picture of things that I am spending money on and I get quiet enjoyment knowing that I am richer and more financially secure than them all

    1. I wonder if you started treating your friends more whether they would still say that.

      Do you think them calling you a tight bastard comes from jealousy?

      For example, if you bought them drinks and dinner every time you guys got together, they couldn’t say that to you no more right?

      1. Your article about being frugal surprised me. I did not know people comment on one’s spending habits. That is strange to me.
        Sam I don’t care what you spend. I am living my own life.
        If some think you are cheap, I suggest you donate $10,000 to my fun account. I thank you in advance.

  19. I’ve definitely been called cheap before. Many, many times. I wear it as a badge of honor. I spend money on stuff that that matters to me. Everything else I’m looking for a deal sometimes to my detriment, sometimes not. It definitely worked for me.

    1. But don’t you think it comes from people realizing you have more money, not so much because you are cheap?

      Perhaps it’s unavoidable because you are the boss of the company, so it’s very hard to be stealth.

      1. Absolutely, my employees call it me being smart. My closet friends think I’m too frugal in most regards except food and airline flights. I’ll pay any amount for good food and I like to share. My secondary friends call me cheap. There more of the people who live for today and the hell with tomorrow. I think it bothers them that I’d rather buy a index fund than a jet ski.

        The reality is we’re comfortable. I have what I consider a very nice modest house. We own a couple 3 year old vehicles. My wife has very nice clothes. We get to go on a few nice vacations a year. We’re generous with the charities and organizations we support and that’s all we need.

        P.S. I still want to fly private someday:)

  20. I will overcome my frugality disease and buy several copies of your book! I have been reading Financial samurai for free for years and years now and building more wealth as a result. So supporting you with your book is the least I can do.

    Thanks!

    1. Appreciate it!

      One of the things enabling me to take things down later this year without guilt is because I don’t charge anything. I have given all I’ve been able to give since 2009 without burning out.

      Got to recharge!

  21. I haven’t been called cheap or frugal directly before. I’ve had someone imply it before but not in a really bad way. Any type of money related conversation can get hairy so I try to avoid having those types of discussions with people except for my closest friends. You must get a lot of tough comments though on the site from people who have no filter, who are taking their frustrations out on you, who are insensitive, or lack EQ. Those folks especially seem to come out of the woodwork on investment related topics. That’s gotta be so draining and annoying. So thanks for not letting them stop you from publishing all these years!

    1. People implying you are cheap is the same as calling you cheap.

      After a while, you develop a skin as a creator. The key is to not let things bum you out, but use your emotion to create even more.

      No emotion in the writer, no emotion in the reader.

  22. And from an INTJ type person viewpoint, it’s none of their business how I live and spend MY money –until I ask to borrow a $buck, car or a cup of sugar, stay out of my affairs.

    1. I hear you.

      I screwed up because I didn’t realize I needed a headset, and as a result, the quality of the audio was not as good for his podcast. It’s just pretty amazing that there are so many different podcast platforms with different requirements. I wonder when there will be consolidation to make things more consistent and simple.

      This experience is just a good reminder that experience is the best teacher.

      1. Money Ronin

        For years, I was grandfathered into Time Warner’s cheap Internet plan for $15/month. I couldn’t stream movies but it was good enough. They finally discontinued that offering but upgraded me to the next level for $25/month just before the pandemic. It was night and day and mostly worked for our newfound need to Zoom for our family of 4. I’m sure most people have faster Internet speeds and pay 3x what I pay. I’m admittedly cheap and willing to put up with low bandwidth every now and then. Phone calls are a perfectly viable alternative for me. At the same time, I probably understand more about bandwidth and internet speeds than most people. Sometimes paying more doesn’t really get you more.

        However if my livelihood depended on podcasting or YouTubing, I’d make sure I have all the right gear and tech. And if someone more experienced than me shared his or expertise, I’d certainly appreciate the advice.

        1. Ah, nothing better than spending up on fast internet! My dad was the same way for a long time until I forced him to get faster internet (partly b/c I was visiting haha). I think I paid for the upgrade.

  23. I chuckled, my husband grew up with limited means and a frugal, conservative Indian mindset. I’m Indian, but grew up outside India, with more means and an incredibly generous family. I used to call him cheap, until he explained the diff between cheap and frugal.

      1. Cheap to me would be:
        You go out for drink with your freind s everyone buy a around of drinks, except you..

        Frugal would be
        Your friends sugest going for drinks at 7pm.
        You would rather go at 5:30pm sense it’s happy hour and that ends at 7pm. And you know that you can have 3 drink until 7pm.. then it’s time to go home…

          1. I had a friend who would forget she ordered a fancy drink and only have brought enough cash to cover her meal. Left the rest of us on the hook to cover her drink and part of the tip. Not sure what to call it, but when that friendship faded…not much of a loss.

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