People Are Sharing Examples Of Where Frugality Is Taken Too Far, And Things That Are Actually Worth The Money (30 Answers)

Typically, being frugal is a great thing. We live in a world where large corporations and the media are often pressuring us to believe that we need to buy more, more, more and that we’re out of touch if we don’t have the latest and greatest technology. I am all for shopping second hand, buying that produce that’s marked down because it has to be eaten within the next few days and taking public transit instead of driving yourself to be a bit easier on your wallet and the environment. But as with everything else in life, it is possible to go too far when being frugal.

If you’re putting yourself or others at risk, perhaps by eating food out of the garbage or by refusing to get that mysterious sound your car is making checked out, you might have fallen a little too far down the rabbit hole of frugality. Sometimes, it is worth it to just purchase something nice up front, such as a pair of leather shoes or a high quality chef’s knife, to ensure that it will last for years to come. Being frugal is not always about spending as little as possible. You also have to make wise decisions about where it is worth it to spend money, and you shouldn’t be making yourself (and everyone else around you) miserable by choosing to shower only once a week.

When people are passionate about something, they often feel the desire to go as hard as they possibly can in regards to that passion. We see this when people watch a documentary and decide to go vegan cold turkey (cold tofurkey?) overnight or when individuals decide they must live a zero-waste lifestyle and attempt to immediately stop consuming. Typically, making drastic lifestyle changes such as these overnight will lead to burn out. Often, the person is unprepared for what they’re getting themself into and they put way too much pressure on themselves to be a perfect *insert whatever label they desire*.

When they inevitably cannot keep up with the new rules they have placed on themself, the person will likely abandon the venture altogether. The same thing can happen with frugality. A person may choose to start showering once a week, eating food out of dumpsters, refusing to turn on the lights in their home, and spending hours clipping coupons each week. But this will drastically lower their quality of life, and eventually, they will return to their old habits. When it would have been much more frugal, in the long run, to adopt reasonable habits and choose attainable goals that will allow them to keep up their pace of saving money.   

I have to admit, there are some things on this list that I myself am guilty of, such as washing sandwich bags and reusing them. But that has never hurt my quality of life. What would negatively impact me would be buying the cheapest winter coat possible and suffering through the snow and freezing temperatures just to save a little money. Or worse, buying a “cheap” coat and then hating it so much that I end up spending much more in the long run when I have to invest in another coat. It is important to know where it is worth it to spend and where it’s worth it to save. Some things, such as a winter coat, are worth investing in to ensure they last. Putting off going to the doctor or dentist to avoid paying a bill is also not likely to be worth it. If you wait until you’re forced to go to the emergency room when your health problems inevitably escalate, you will likely be suffering physically and financially a lot more than you would have had you made a routine appointment months prior.

According to Tim Jordan, the man behind Atypical Finance, “There should be no deprivation when it comes to being frugal.” He explains that the true meaning of being frugal is about being intentional with your money. Frugal people don’t throw their money away on impulsive purchases that they will later regret or waste it on things they don’t need. But it does not mean that you should make yourself miserable pinching pennies and denying yourself and loved ones an occasional evening out, a car that has a working heater or showers that take longer than 2 minutes. “Determining what you value is the very essence of being frugal,” Tim writes on his blog. “You have to know yourself and what you do and do not like. It is the conscious decision to not spend money on certain things (what you don’t value) so you can spend money on other things (what you do value).”

If you haven’t already learned from your own experiences or from the responses you’ve read on this list, there are plenty of ways being too frugal can come back to bite you. Financial expert Jim Garnet, also known as “Ask Mr. G” spoke to NBC News about the dangers of being too stingy, and one of the first things he warns people not to do is ignore insurance. It may seem costly up front, but it will certainly be worth it when a rainy day comes around. “One accident, one major illness, one fire, or one death can literally send us to the bankruptcy court if we are not insured adequately,” Garnet notes. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to insurance. 

One thing that can take up the bulk of many of our budgets is food. But it’s another thing that we should be wary of becoming too cheap about. Cathi Brese Doebler, author of Ditch The Joneses, Discover Your Family, told NBC News, “If you spend less money on food, but the food is unhealthy, you can impact your health over time. This can lead to long-term health problems and more visits to the doctor," says Brese Doebler. "Many healthy foods can also be affordable foods." A lot of being frugal comes down to thinking about the future as well, not simply opting for the cheapest choice at that moment. It’s much easier to keep your body healthy than to try to fix or eliminate issues later down the line.