While a lot of us would agree that frugality is good, and a lot of people need to be frugal during periods of economic risk, there are still good reasons to spend a little bit more than you absolutely have to.
I’m talking about utility. What is the value of the item that you purchase? What is it going to contribute to your lifestyle?
Here are some examples to consider:
Purchase Alternatives
| Tuna | No Name: Save two or three cents per can. Pungent odor. | Brand: Costs a few extra cents. Normal odor. |
| Table | Skip It: No workspace. Continue to use coffee table. Inconvenient. | Buy It: Convenient workspace. Extends budget. |
| Tires | All Season: Save money on winter tires. Less traction. Mediocre on snow. Risk. | Snow Tires: Significant expense. Great on snow and ice. Safety. |
| Booze | Abstain: Save money. Deal with life au naturel. | Drink Responsibly: Costs money. Relaxing. Promote enjoyable conversations. |
| Vitamins | Skip It: Eat healty food. Save money. Miss potential benefits. | Buy It: Additional nutrients and antioxidants. Potential health benefits. |
If you can’t unclench the wallet (thought I was going to say something else?) and appreciate some added utility from time to time then maybe you are letting frugality get the best of you. I know my frugal nature was born of hard times, but when those times pass you have to take the foot off the brakes and start to think about utility, value for money and even enjoyment of life. I’ve seen this problem in myself and I’ve seen it in some of the visitors to my blog.
I’m not advocating wastefulness, but at the same time we aren’t here on the planet to spend as little as absolutely possible during our stay. Nobody is going to give you a prize at the end for being too cheap to enjoy life.
