Pushing frugal to the max
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
United States
February 12, 2017 11:06am CST
I know, I know - many people need to save as much as they can - they have to be extremely frugal. Others not so much. While some others are in-between.I know a couple who are so overly frugal I am truly beginning to wonder about them. Let me explain...
I don't drive so my husband is literally always with me. We buy our cards at the grocery store - we take turns in the card section. When we check out we each take our turn handing the cashier the card so that the other person never sees it. It works for us! So far in 16 years doing this only once did we buy the same exact card for each other...now back to frugal.
This cheap, I mean frugal couple - almost do the same thing - they shop together since they only have one car also. They go to the card section one at a time and pick out a card...but here's the difference.
The cards they pick never make it to the cashier - they exchange them in the store without writing in the card..then they return the cards to the appropriate slots. No harm, no foul and no expense. Now that's cheap, sorry.
If I was anywhere near that frugal I think I still could afford a 99 cent card at the Dollar General! I not only like getting cards, I like giving them!
Evidently there is a photo issue again!
Photo: pixabay.com/en/frogs-love-valentine-s-day-1416971/
20 people like this
21 responses
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Feb 17
I am frugal, but not THAT frugal! At that point, they might as well give gifts that way too . . . here's the TV I would buy you if I could . . . here's the diamond ring I wanted to give you if I could. They take "it's the thought that counts" to a whole new level 
.
.3 people like this
Oh my gosh, do you think they'd actually do that?? 
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
LOL - I should suggest that to them she would love it!
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
Yes frugal in a good way! Heck I buy cards there for my husbands grand kids.
@allen0187 (59654)
• Philippines
13 Feb 17
That's being extremely cheap! Agree with what the others wrote here, must be a behavioral condition. Being an extreme cheapskate will do more harm than good in this case.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59654)
• Philippines
14 Feb 17
@AbbyGreenhill I'm sure one can do that, make everyone think that you are poor, but for what? Are they so rich that the fear of being kidnapped hangs over their heads so they resort to doing such (pretending to be poor)?
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
13 Feb 17
If I didn't know they weren't poor - I would assume they were. Maybe that's what they want everyone to think?
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117207)
• El Paso, Texas
12 Feb 17
Well, to each their own @AbbyGreenhill hopefully they won't cut down the oldest trees, those are the ones that provide the most oxygen for our planet.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
@rebelann These are pines. They cut them down, replant and do it all over again ... huge paper mills around here. The one property we own (and trying to sell_ originally was owned by a paper company - they sold them off after a few years of timbering. All pines nothing else.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
The trees are already down and until I moved south I worried about trees - we see logging trucks daily one after another after another - they are grown to make paper.
2 people like this
@CookieMonster46 (13453)
• United States
13 Feb 17
Well I was thinking of a lady I used to work with she said she was frugal, she would wear shoes with the soles almost gone. She won't buy shoes but once year, clothes , she will buy shirts 3 for ten, and even if falling apart wont' spend. Her hair, she wore it in a perm,but it got really frizzy, and not looking good, she won't cut it until 4 months. She had a good position at work, just her to take care of but fear when she was older she may not have money, she grew up very poor.
We used to exchange holiday gifts, I would get her something inexpensive, or she would complain I spent to much... she brought my gift from the thrift store one year it was a little cabinet, she told me to paint it, use it for a jewelry box. I ended up painting it, was very cute, had it for years.
Now back to the card, no I never have done that, in fact not the best saver. I won't get something if I can't afford it, not because I am being frugal.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
13 Feb 17
This person is still wearing her hair the same a when we met 13 or 14 years ago..and still wearing the same clothes. She is skin and bone and says she has to diet. Sometimes I wonder if she makes these things up just to be 'different'
1 person likes this
@CookieMonster46 (13453)
• United States
14 Feb 17
@AbbyGreenhill , gee I don't know, but there are people like that out there..
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
12 Feb 17
I like their idea. I only like receiving cards from people I don't see often. Like Christmas cards with a little note to catch up. I rarely buy my husband a card as I think they just end up in the garbage and are a waste of money and paper. But the cards he gives me I save and so I have begun pulling them out ahead of time and showing him the nice card and telling him to give it to me again.
I hate throwing cards out and I hate having them around adding to the clutter. So, I hope he doesn't get me another one.1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
I have all the cards from our first year together, that's enough - I have him to remind me LOL!
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
12 Feb 17
@AbbyGreenhill I agree. I hate the waste of throwing them out so would just rather not get them. I have him everyday and we are great together.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
12 Feb 17
well they might really be that broke, I know the Dollar tree has 50 cent cards! I think though if I was that broke, I'd get a pen and scrap of paper and just make my own card!
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
No - they are far from broke - they act broke - they owned a real estate company - that's how we met, and they sold it - they owned a small cabin rental business - they sold that - they own lots of rental property.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (69160)
• Centralia, Washington
12 Feb 17
That doesn't sound very romantic but I guess it saves not only money but the issue of eventually needing to deal with the card- to keep in a pile some where or throw away?
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
She says since they've been together 20 years they are beyond romantic - and they are not married. When we met them I assumed they were - and always addressed stuff to them as Mr and Mrs until about three years later I was informed by someone else they weren't married.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
@sallypup They are a strange couple but I guess it works for them.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Feb 17
Now that is frugal. I love giving cards and gifts. Typically when I do, I don't worry about the cost. It's only when I buy for myself that I'm watching the pennies.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
13 Feb 17
I like buying cards - it takes a while to find the perfect one.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
14 Feb 17
@AbbyGreenhill I can be in the card aisle for about half an hour looking at all the different cards, looking for just the right one.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
13 Feb 17
It isn't like they can't afford a card or two - heck she spends more money on gardening items in sprig than we spend on groceries and we spend a lot!
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
12 Feb 17
I should do this! So my poor sister can keep her money 
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
I think because she like to talk - she did say they buy birthday cards, so they aren't totally against buying them.
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
12 Feb 17
@AbbyGreenhill I guess they really don't consider Valentine's Day all that important
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
13 Feb 17
@Happy2BeMe She is all into making money not spending it LOL
1 person likes this
@librarygeek1980 (3137)
• United States
12 Feb 17
I've seen some extremes of frugal, reusing wrapping paper, etc, im curious as to how extreme frugal people have observed. Me personally I'm not much into cards because the next thing you know you've got 25 30 years worth of cards stored away
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
I don't save cards. I did when we first met and I still have a few and they are now 20 years old...but I don't save every card...just not my thing.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169439)
• United States
13 Feb 17
I like that the paper does not accumulate at their house. I know it is already cut down, but I have known more than one person who saved every scrap of paper given to them. If I do not receive it, I do not worry about "saving" it. I can spend a long time just reading cards in a store and be entertained cheaply.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
13 Feb 17
I am not a hoarder of any kind - no junk paper or otherwise in my house
@marsha32 (6631)
• United States
12 Feb 17
Yes to the photo issue as my photo of the book didn't go in for my post either.
Well, not too bad of an idea really since most of the time cards just get put in the recycle bin anyway.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
Everyone can do as they see fit - I just think it's very odd but coming from them sorta normal!
@LeaPea2417 (40026)
• Toccoa, Georgia
12 Feb 17
OMG, I have literally never heard of frugal people doing that! To me, that is crazy. I buy cards at the Dollar Tree and even there, there are some cards that are cheaper than a dollar , like 50 cents!
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
My husband can't believe that she tells people what she does LOL. I guess nothing is a secret. She does way more than that and believe me they aren't poor.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
Yes, she said they would share one piece of chocolate!
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
12 Feb 17
I know a couple who did this. I thought it was rather sweet. They didn't limit themselves to looking at the 99 cent cards. Let's face it spending money on a card when you have trouble buying groceries can be foolish.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
12 Feb 17
These people are not having trouble buying groceries. As a matter of fact they only buy organic so they sped more than a lot of people.
@Deepizzaguy (122076)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
13 Feb 17
I try to be frugal and buy only things I need and not excess food or drinks with my tight budget.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
13 Feb 17
Everyone has different financial issues. If you know your limits that good that you are careful.
