Are you a TightWad or know someone that is???
By mzbubblie
@mzbubblie (3839)
United States
January 21, 2007 6:58am CST
A tightwad is a money pincher. I guess it has it advantages and disadvantages. But how can you save save save, but ONLY use money for ONLY things you need and never just anything you want or want to do...
I use to have a carpooler who always said she never had money, but she really did. SHe's married and they have no children. I use to ask her to go out with us sometimes, but always said she never had money. I use to tell her she had to live a little and she refused, she was so concerned for just spending only what she needed. Her truck broke down and she did everything possibly to fix her truck, but when they told her she had to buy another one. SHe freaked out. She was thinking about how much money she had to spend. Once she bought the truck she became a bigger tightwad then before. We would always order lunch on Fridays, but she stopped. Little things she did around the house she tried to make use of it, instead of going out and buying what she needed. Some of the things she started was shopping at yard sales and thrift stores before she went to a mall, She started making a pocker price book to keep track of grocery prices and will go to different stores if she had to to get the best price on items...
I mean the list could go on and on, but my thought I always try to tell her is nobody is promised tomorrow and to live a little, she is so bad she monitors her husband expenses and gives him allowances so he don't overspend. I know all this is a great thing, but when can you find true happiness when you just don't get out there and live alittle, does this makes one miserable? I mean I don't spend silly, but I do believe in having Me time and doing things sometimes within my budget of course. But can't this be a bit much pinching down to the cent.. Are you like this, or know someone who is? What are your thoughts?
2 people like this
24 responses
@babydolphin (536)
• Australia
22 Jan 07
Well I used to be a tight wad.. I keep on thinking to save my money and save save all the time.. (could it be something to do with my love for accounting?) anyways.. I would prefer not to eat.. not to go out.. not to do anything.. rather than having to spend my money.. I didnt even buy things that I need.. and saying that ohh I dont have the money for that.. I need to save.. and I always feel that my money is never enough.. even though I have many of them in my bank account. After a while.. I realize that this is no way to live.. what is the point of saving all of those money if I cant even enjoy it?
I think the people that are tight wad.. up to certain point it is still okay to save your money.. that means you are not throwing it out for something that is not really necessary.. but also if you take it to the extreme.. then you will always feel you never have enough of it.. although.. if you look down.. you can see many people who have less than you.. then you should be thankful of what you have instead of thinking it is not enough.. When you spend all your life counting the money.. then you forgot to live.. you forgot about all the people around you.. then .. what is the point of having a lot of money but no priviledge to spend it? no one to share it with? no time to enjoy it?
@ericahager2005 (12)
• United States
22 Jan 07
I agree about that -- its only money and you sometimes learn that lesson by not having it to spend, so you start appreciating the little splurges more. Hubby and I are both tightwads to a degree but we also give ourselves an allowance to spend as we see fit no questions asked. I usually wind up saving more than half of my allowance and let it build up for something big, whereas he spends it all every time.
@western_valleygirl (1363)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I am not a tightwad, and hope I never become one. Sometimes, I like to save up for the things that I really want, other times, I will just get it spur of the moment. But, that doesn't mean that I am not careful with my money, either. In general, I think that wasting, like crazy, will not get you anywhere, so, if you really don't need it, than it is not that necessary to get it. Usually, when my friends and I go out, I am the one to pay for things, because I like to be generous, however, it is nice to go out with friends, that you don't mind spending on, because they do the exact thing for you. There are some, that I have stopped spending on, because they have proven to be tightwads. There is a friend of ours, who is a real tightwad, and always gets the same (cheap) gift when he comes to visit, and he invites us to the cheap places. And he has tons of money, and tons of business interests (knock on wood, I don't like begruging anyone the things they have), but, we have made it a joke how cheap he is, and don't let it get to us.
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Yeah i agree with you..I believe life is too short to be such tight, at least live a little not saying spend crazy but it would be nice to buy things you want at least sometimes....thank you for responding...
@beautyoperater (1890)
• United States
22 Jan 07
Oh heavens no. I'm not like that. I just don't go and spend money I don't have but I have fun. You have to live your life and not be afraid of having a little fun.
My sister is a tightwad. She doesn't buy anything unless it's absoultly necessary. It's silly. We go out every weekend and have a blast. We don't spend alot but we still manage having fun dancing at the bar with our friends.
Sure there is stuff I would like to have but can't because I can't afford it but I would rather spend time with friends and family anyway.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
21 Jan 07
There is nothing wrong with being a wise spender and saver. However, this is a mindset...hanging on to every last penny or keeping track of every expense. This is the fear of losing money or not ever having enough.
This kind of thinking will only enforce the thought of losing it and becoming poverty stricken. This kind of thinking will bring on more of the same. It is called living in a state of lack.
When you change your thinking to that of having abundance, you give yourself a chance to break free of the "fear of being poor" mentality. Living a little and getting out of your box never hurts.
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I could've said it better myself, SO very very true...and thank you for responding...
@snow2007 (170)
• Canada
21 Jan 07
I am not tightwad. But i know someone who is my friend always stays home and when i ask him to go out he save no i have no money mean while he has but is saving it. I find it sad that he can't just waste a few dollars to have some fun or eat outside with friends.
@ericahager2005 (12)
• United States
22 Jan 07
I am frugal, by necessity I am generous when and where I can be but I also try to save for things I really want and shop around. I don't go out to eat much but I will always have friends over when I can.
@candygurl093 (201)
• United States
21 Jan 07
If you are in a financial situation it is ok to ba a tightwad but if you are rich and can't even spend an extra two cents on a can of green beans at the store then you got problems
@candygurl093 (201)
• United States
21 Jan 07
o and yes i may be a little bit because i don't really have tat much extra but not as bad as her
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
22 Jan 07
Right now I have to penny pinch, because we are in debt, but I can see how it can be kind of damaging to your life if you are like that all of the time.
And right now we do pinch down to the cent. In the future, we will probably always be cautious, because we will be scared of getting into this much debt again.
Our friends know, though, and avoid doing things to encourage us to spend money. When we get together for lunch, we often just all bring different things to share, so sometimes my friends buy stuff, but they understand that I can't.
I don't think I'm miserable, but it is a bit scary feeling like if an emergency occurred, we'd be in big trouble.
@anne_143god (5387)
• Philippines
22 Jan 07
I'am not that too tightwad but I really dont want to buy those things I dont need. Sometimes I do buy if I really like it but I dont need but it is rarely.
@00fear (3216)
• United States
22 Jan 07
i guess i am one. i dont like to spend that much because i only have a little bit of money, when i can get more (saying that im lazy). when i had to spend 2 times on something i had to pay for, for late charge, i freaked out when i calculated the money i was going to have left when i pay, $6.00. i really want to try and not be that tite and stuff, but i cant deal with it, they say ill always be tite no matter what now. i dont like to spend things when i reach to $400 or more. if only wasnt though. is it true, that i will be tite for the rest of my life now?
@pebbles_cubbie (3789)
• United States
22 Jan 07
i'm not really a money pincher or anything. i save when i have to and spend when i want to after the bills are paid. my sister who is 14 years old babysits and saves all of it. she has no bills to pay or anything and she doesnt spend it. my mom has actually had to borrow money from her once because her paycheck was late that day and needed gas. people that are money pinchers always say they have no money and they are rich. i know 2 people like this. both are my grandma's friends. they both are really wealthy and both say they have no money. the one guy's wallet is like 3 inches thick and barely closes. the other lady is always saying that's too much and i'm not paying that much for that. she took off everything on her phone bill and has basic everything.
@defeated (141)
• United States
22 Jan 07
Well I AM a tightwad I guess....just ask my 19 year old lol. But not to the extreme your friend is.
Granted I don't drive, so I don't have the expense of a car....couldn't afford one if I did though. I am one of America's working poor (NOT looking for sympathy btw) - I live paycheck to paycheck. I make enough to get by, but not a whole of extra money to just "blow" on nonsense except after I get my tax checks.
That being said, I guess my being a tightwad was born out of necessity - I raised my daughter on my own - if I didn't pinch pennies HARD, the little things (like food) wouldn't have gotten bought after I got the bills paid. It has gotten better over the years, but as they say, old habits die hard. I still pinch pennies....just not quite as hard.
Example....I keeps quarters in one jar (for laundry), and I have a "penny jug" - the pennies I think is just because my dad always has lol. Anywho - I also have my "secret stash" - a jug I put my nickels and dimes in. I also throw in the occasional $1 or $5 bill. It's a one liter pop bottle so it holds a fair amount.
When it gets full, I take it to a grocery store with a counting machine. On average, it holds between $100 - $150! Not to bad I'd say - takes (as a rule) about 6 months to fill it up.
And in case you're wondering what I use the money for.....last time I paid my electric and gas bill ahead, took my daughter out for a nice dinner and still had money in my pocket *winks*
To sum it up, I guess sometimes being a tightwad comes out of necessity - and ends up being a habit.
@specK113 (46)
• Australia
22 Jan 07
There's being a tightwad and then there's OCD. This woman has taken saving to a whole new level. I agree with saving your dollars, but this is mad. Fair enough if your saving for something important (eg house/car/holiday) but if you're just saving for a hobby - get a life! What's the point in being miserly, stressed and miserable to save a buck? Why work hard if you're never going to enjoy your reward? It's good to splurge once in a while, otherwise I wouldn't own a big screen TV....
@Tatsuya (1149)
• United States
22 Jan 07
I know of at least one that comes to mind. A friend of mine goes so far as to water down her dish soap. It baffles me so much to see them do this. I wouldn't water down my dish soap at all. They buy used clothes, used dishes, and the cheapest of most stuff out there. They do splurge on some things, like the internet and tv and stuff, but other than that they just buy cheap on everything else. If someone asks them for money, they don't want to hand it over. Or if they do, you have to do some work for them AND pay them back. I don't have much money myself, but I hope to never be a tight wad.
@brimia (6581)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I'm frugal and occasionally a tightwad. I think it's a gene I inherited from my dad :)
I don't like to buy a lot of "stuff" that just ends up filling the house and becoming useless...the opposite of my mom and sister. I usually wait and decide if I really need something and then will shop around for the best price. I think it can be fun to find ways to save money but every once in a while I have to really try and let loose a little.
@samwilliams06 (946)
• United States
22 Jan 07
I know a few of them but many have good reason to be. I love to shop and my husband knows this. If it wasnt fr him I would never have any money . He is funny when it comes to food shopping. I prefer to have the less expensive brands of certain things but he cant stand it. I guess we just work for one another in different ways...
@marief2rnurse (2704)
• United States
22 Jan 07
I know a couple of people are so cheap but I'm not sure if they really pinch their pennies. I have a friend who loves to take anything you can give, even food that's been in the refrigerator a long time. Like she has a business and instead of buying stuff for her store she would look around my house for things she can ask for... I don't mind but it's annoying sometimes.
I have a sister who always says she's broke. She has the biggest pay and she has her nails done every week with airbrush. She even buys bags that are $200-$300 but she will never help any family member out. Even my dad who doesn't have a job in the Philippines.
