Do most of your friends share your frugal attitudes?
By SaraCate
@SaraCate (184)
Canada
August 24, 2007 1:26pm CST
Do they have similar financial resources?
Economic research shows that (for most) as long as we're earning more than most people around us, we'll be reasonably content - even if our salary is $25,000/year. However, if many of your friends or colleagues are making $150,000 or $200,000 a year - or living like it - even a $100,000/year salary won't be satisfying!
Do you see this phenomenon in your own life? How about the lives of those around you?
My family is fairly non-consumerist, but we still have places to grow. However, we've also gotten to a place where we look at U.S. economic stats (savings in the last decade has been something like -0.4% in the past decade) and think that's "weirder" than some of the stuff we do!
What's everyone think?? :)
2 people like this
7 responses
@wonderful1 (2075)
• China
8 Sep 07
i'm not a frugal girl, but now i have to save money.
i have a friend who is very frugal. she buy only those necessaries and she will buy those with low price. she had never buy things with famous brands, because they are often more expensive than usual ones. i think she has a good habit, but when i know that she just buy food in low price, then i persuade her not to buy those cheap food. most of them access to the last valid date. i dont' think we should buy some products withfamous brands, but i should pay more attention to the quality.
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
3 Sep 07
As a retired person I am kind of forced to lead a frugal life. Some of my friends are even more frugal, others have a much larger income even in retirement and can indulge themselves. The frugal friends compare notes on where they found good deals and sometimes we even compete to get the best prices on produce and other items. It makes for good conversation and a few laughs.
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
25 Aug 07
I think I'm having a hard time with this, because right now, we make less than some of my friends, and we also have a lot of debt. It feels like they can always do stuff that I can't do, and that I might never catch up.
@Geminigirl (1909)
• United States
25 Aug 07
I have some friends that share my frugal attitudes, and some that do not. I find that I like to talk about being frugal with those who are interested or those who ask. Otherwise, I don't really volunteer the information. I like being secretly frugal, though, it is fun.
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
3 Sep 07
I think the majority of my friends definitely share my frugal/money saving ideals. I mean, we're all college students, and we all come from pretty much the same earning background, so saving money is always nice. I mean we buy stuff, but we try to shop around and what not so we get the best price possible for what we are searching for.
@gwendovere (1279)
• United States
27 Aug 07
Yes. I don't have a whole lot of friends, but most of them work with me, and have similar attitudes, and live frugally as I do. We enjoy going thrift shopping, and going out to eat or to movies but often use coupons to do so. It's fun to be with other like-minded people!
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
24 Aug 07
no, we seem to be the only frugal people that we know (maybe other than my parents)...most people we know are caught up in the 'keep up with the jones' idea even if they would never admit it...
we are quite poor and have to cut costs everywhere but i prefer to live like that anyways...why do you need more stuff?
