Frugality vs. Conviction and Preference

[Mary]

How often does being frugal win out over other things, such as your convictions and/or preferences? Are you at a place in your life where you can afford to maybe be a bit less frugal in order to purchase items or patronize stores you prefer rather than whatever is cheapest?

[Mary]

I was thinking about this when I went to Walgreen's today. It only just opened a couple of months ago and this was the first time I'd been in. I really like Walgreen's; I just had been busy with other stuff and then was out of town for a while.

Anyway, there is not a whole lot of selection in this town for places to shop. Basically I'm stuck going to Walmart and I really, really loathe Walmart. While I was browsing in Walgreen's I decided that I am going to start shopping there for as much as I can, even if I end up paying slightly more (shouldn't be too much more, though, if I shop the sales).

I obviously won't be getting many groceries there, though I will keep my eyes open for sales on the snack-y type foods they carry, but I plan to go there from now on for any toiletry items, diapers, makeup and medical supplies. I'd honestly rather pay a few dollars more for a cart full of stuff and keep as much of my $ away from Walmart as I can. I also buy quite a bit each week at the small grocery nearer to my house. I pay a bit more for stuff there but it does save me some gas and time, plus it supports local business.

Anyway, a couple years ago I wouldn't have done this because we were so strapped for cash I tried to save as much as I could. Now, though, we've gotten to a point where I feel I can loosen up a bit and shop more based on my convictions than on who is the absolute cheapest. So, for me, the only time frugality wins out is if it's absolutely necessary. If I'm pinching pennies I will bite the bullet and shop somewhere I dislike to make my money go further but if things are a bit more comfortable for us then I will pay more attention to things other than the price.

[Kristen]

Well, not really. I mean, I try really hard to buy from places that I respect and want to support, and I try to buy locally and such, but it doesn't always happen.

For instance, I really love the way Whole Foods operates. I especially like the way they treat their employees. But, there is NO way in the world that I can afford to shop there for most things...there are only a few things in the store that I can buy and stay within budget.

Sometimes, I can manage to buy responsibly and also save money(like with the milk that I buy from the farm in Annapolis), which makes me really happy. But, sometimes it doesn't, and I just live with it for now.

I figure it like this...if I spend more than I can afford now, we will go into debt and we will be even less able to patronize places we'd like to patronize. If we keep being careful, maybe someday we will be in a place where we can be a little more choosy about where we shop.

[Jbird]

I guess it depends what it is. I'm really at a place in my life where being frugal matters, but there are some things I just won't by an off-brand of (certain cosmetics, peanut butter, toilet paper, Aveda Confixor hair gel, Diet Coke). I do try to buy more when it's cheaper, though. I'm also limited by where I live - there aren't many choices of where to buy - not even a local Sam's or Costco. I try to shop "anywhere but Wal-Mart", like Mary said, but sometimes I have no choice.

[Beka]

For me it depends on the item, only having limited resources i do find some items (like school shoes, clothing) I'd rather spend slightly more than the absolute cheapest I could find to ensure better value for money, I still don't over spend on things though. A good example would be I just decluttered and streamlined everyones wardrobe, I rebought lokis clothes entirely- I preferred to buy 4 good, reasonable priced outfits than 8 or 10 of the absolute cheapest i could have found, they're still grocery store bought outfits but though, but they aren't the budget ranges they offer.

So in theory I could be frugaller (is that even a word?) with his clothes, i could have halved the price probably or bought twice as much but they'd end up looking tatty quickly and one thing i will not abide if my children looking poor, we might be low income and i don't expect them to look designer or height of fashion but i refuse to have them look scruffy.

Things that I prefer to buy good brands of I wait out until they are BOGOF, like right now Chase is at a stage where she doesn't like to stand out having "cheap" foods in her packed lunch for school- so i buy mini-pringles when they are $2 for 10 rather than $4 for ten and I keep those specifically for in her lunchbox for school, I am proud to teach my kids how to manage a budget and I am not ashamed we're not flash for cash but I also remember what it's like to be 10 years old and be the kid when everyone else has X, Y or Z in their lunch box.

I guess my main conviction frugality Vs. preference would be fresh food, I know it would often be cheaper to buy frozen, processed foods but I would still rather spend more to cook from scratch and have a good array of fruit, salad etc in my home. I justify it not only by health benefits but by ensuring it doesn't go to waste, if i make a salad to go with lunch what is left gets boxed up for with supper, I buy fruit throughout the week so there's a constant supply of it not a big glut bought on grocery day which goes off before it's all eaten. With 4 kids though fruit vanishes pretty quick (we probably get through around 80-100 pieces of fresh fruit a week in this house) I can't bring myself to compromise that spending for snackfoods that would probably keep better and might be cheaper.