A fine line between frugal and cheap

I am cheap!! But I laughed at the food descriptions. Yes, I will make odd cheap!! things for myself, but never for a guest. lol. I do bring the extra condiment packs home, but don't bother putting them in bottles or jars. I have an empty coffee can I put them in. When we are eating at home, we'll often use these first, and save the bottles for when no packs are there. I don't always want catsup on my fries, for example, and my mom likes hers plain, so we have those, and extra sugar and powdered creamer cause she drinks her coffee black, things like that. I have a thing about paper, too, lol. I use the backs of junk mail to do printing that's a draft or not to be saved for long. I use the envelopes in it for lists and notes to family left in house, to keep my grocey coupons in. I keep an envelope of fast food coupons in my car. I am proud to be a cheapie.. I strive to make my money go as far as possible, so that I can spend it on the things I really want.

we are frugal but not cheap. we are having a hard time financially and trying to pay our bills on time so we do what we can to save money. speaking of ketchup, a friend of mine had another friend that would buy ketchup but would go to these fast food places and bring home the packets. not only that but one day, he invited people over for dinner and made baked ziti. guess what he used for the cheese? not mozzarella but kraft yellow cheese slices? wtf? what a cheap o lol.

I think we're frugal. We are careful with our money, and don't waste it on unnecessary things, but if we need something, then we spend the money required to get it. If we can get it on sale, then that's better, but we'll still get the things we need.

All I can think of is how many trips do you have to make to Burger King to get enough packets to fill a bottle? LOL THere is a fine line between frugal and cheap. I consider myself "budget conscious". I buy in bulk, make meals that I can use the leftovers for other meals, etc...I am the free sample goddess. I have a drawer full of samples, toothpaste, shampoo, etc...never used them, now I'm wondering what my fascination is with htem.

I have never filled a ketchup bottle with the packets before,but I do save them and make my daughter use them. I try very hard to be as frugal as possible. I try to keep our grocery budget to less than 40.00 a week. That includes paper products. WE are really struggling to get out of debt and make ends meet. Right now we dont even have heat in our house,except for a kerosene heater. So no hot water either. We no longer eat out and I never throw away leftovers. Tonight I made soup from the turkey carcass that we had over the weekend.

Hi there!!I am not good example!!I Try to buy the Best and I never look at the prices!!Sometimes I think that I have no filling about money!!For whole my life I have no problems with money,if I need more my father is here!!Some of my friends like to spare some money and for example never bring a single bottle of drink when we have our parties or they ask for a spare food in restaurants!One of my friends use her daughter student card and eat in self-service restaurant for students!!My sister in low never have a coffee to prepare for you in her home!!She never buy present for friends and family!!Every Day she came to see me at same time-dinner time!!Regards Silvana

I do not have ketchup bottles in my house as I won't eat it but occasionally my granddaughter eats over and so I do keep a few packets on hand, the same goes for sugar, I do not use sugar so I also keep a few packets for those that do. If I am cheap then I am but I consider it to be frugal

I think cheap is filling your ketchup with packets from the fast food places....and stiffing waitress....and taking home someone's leftovers....and taking ten free samples from the sample lady at the grocery store. Being frugal is watching you money for no waste. Not making a *ss of yourself.

I can't say that I've ever refilled a ketchup bottle (or mustard or mayo, etc) with packets from a fast food place, but I do tend to hang onto packets from fast food places to make things stretch. Not just the basic condiments like ketchup, mustard and mayo, either. If I get a packet of salad dressing and come home, I'll save it and use a little of what I have. There's also malt vinegar and tartar sauce from Long John Silvers, hot sauce from Taco Bell, butter and honey from KFC... It makes things last a little longer to use packets instead of the bottle occasionally. So I do that. And if I run out I usually have a little "back up" to last a few days.