Huge TVs make TV watching experiences for TV sports or nature shows much more vivid and enjoyable for folks who enjoy them. They’re also great for those with weaker eyes.
One illustration of the last was when one aunt/uncle’s old 27 inch TV broke down and they weren’t willing to spring for a new one at the time*, I used a spare old PC tower and TV-tuner card with their spare 19 inch monitor and connected it to their cable box. While they were fine with it at first, by the 6th month, they’ve had enough of watching the few shows they liked on such a small screen and opted to purchase a 42" LCD flatscreen on sale.
Derived mainly from extreme frugalness common among many immigrants and Americans from the WWII/Depression era generation.
I tend not to spend much on myself, I don’t buy expensive clothing (neither does my wife), we don’t take fancy vacations, with cars we buy them and run them into the ground, and the few nice things I have my wife bought for me (my ultimate ‘useless frill’ according to most people was the tube amplifier I have along with the nice bookshelf speakers I bought to use with it). We do ‘splurge’ with food, we tend to buy organic produce and grass fed beef and the like. On the other hand we have spent a fortune on our S with his dream of going into music, sacrificed a lot, to try and give him all the support we could.
Thank you. Your post is like a foreign language to me but I did get that it’s a free way to read more articles. I am going to ask one of my sons to set it up for me.
I don’t splurge on clothing for my children, either. My D’s bat mitzvah dress was given to me by a friend who worked in the garment district. She had had it made for her D’s bat mitzvah, which was to be a few months after my D’s. In the interim, her D developed breasts and mine did not so we got a gorgeous dress for free. For prom her junior year, I went to a thrift shop and for $25 bought a dress that looked like a Disney princess dress. It was a little long and I was going to pay to have it altered but D broke up with her senior bf. It went into the closet. Then, he invited her to go anyway. Back to the thrift shop for a not quite as nice $15 dress. The next year, she wore the princess dress to her own prom. In the interim, she had grown a couple of inches and with a pair of DSW heels ($170 marked down to $14), no alterations were needed. I can’t tell you how many compliments I got. People thought the dress was custom made. It probably was - just not for us. My second son went to prom in the tuxedo H wore when we married. S17 may wear the tux when it’s his turn this year.
I am even frugal at the doctor’s. I made H have both knees replaced in the same calendar year so that I didn’t have to pay a double deductible, etc.
“Make up and haircare products” I wear no makeup and have never dyed my hair so I have saved lots of money on those two things over the years! No fancy shampoos and go to Great Clips .
I pay extra (using miles) when we fly to a vacation destination so there will be only two of us next to each other without any irritating or sick people next to me. Although Mr. can be irritating at times… He can say the same thing about me.
I don’t wear makeup generally, just keep a set for fancy outings, and I get 2-3 haircuts a year, but… they are $65 haircuts, and my emergency makeup baggie is all Chanel, so does not mean cheap as used herein.
“makeup baggie is all Chanel” Wow, now I know I am really out of it in terms of makeup! I didn’t even know Chanel MADE makeup. I think of fashion, Chanel suits but didn’t know about the makeup. The only makeup I really ever dabbled in was a little Clinique blush now and again and sometimes a little eye shadow during college. Just haven’t been into it since then. So decades of no makeup expense!
Chanel makeup can be a few dollars more than other department brands, and comparable to many. Recently, I went to Nordstrums when I needed new foundation. Instead of reordering the brand I’ve been using for years, we tried out 6 brands. This was my first purchase of Chanel. I think Chanel mascara and lipstick are very well made. A lipstick lasts me a year, as well as foundation, so it is a little luxury.
Next time I’m in Nordstrom, I am going to make a point of checking out the makeup! Chanel fragrances I know about but it just didn’t register that they also have all these lotions and makeup stuff too. Good thing I had boys and not girls. I would not have been much help where makeup and fashion are concerned!
When I told someone at a conference I had a daughter majoring in electrical engineering who was involved in robotics competitions, he was like “well then you probably don’t have to deal with what I do with my daughter, her clothes and make up cost me a fortune” I laughed hysterically telling him that my daughters engineering school admissions essay was about the puns in high end Nail Polish and that she had recently spent two days debating whether to get balyage vs ombré highlights.
@Cheeringsection, it’s all about the leg room. If I’m flying on a long flight, I always upgrade to first class with miles. So I’m not paying much more, but I get the leg room and the ability to recline without bothering anyone behind me. My bad back thanks me for this.
The OP asks what things you are “uncharacteristically cheap” on. Sounds like there are some people for whom the “uncharacteristically” descriptor is inappropriate.
Most of my friends spring for the Southwest early bird check in without a thought. I am generally a spender, but can NOT bring myself to do this! It’s not an issue these past few years because I’m A List, but prior to that I would watch the world clock on my phone and be poised to check in right at the second I could to get the best boarding position.
@Nrdsb4 I think most people are more “cheap” about some things that others. @MomofWildChild , Funny, I do splurge for Southwest (which is what I like to fly if it is available where I’m going) early bird check in. That is more important to me than getting extra leg room or flying other than coach on an airline. We were not particularly cheap where our kids were concerned-they were involved with lots of activities that cost money, had nice clothes, etc. Like to provide nice food for people if we are cooking. H and I like an occasional craft beer and pay more for it , even though a can of PBR would do just fine! But some things, to me , just are not worth the extra money- expensive hair cut, luxury hotel, etc.
I finally thought of something that really fits the bill-I will not pay more than 15/bottle for wine. I can get a great Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand for $12/bottle (Matua or Starborough).
