What's the difference between frugal & tight?

[Green Aura]

I've had a look at a few frugal sites and some of them seem quite good, often the info ties in nicely with self-sufficiency as well as reducing outgoings.

I'm sorry to say that the one's that lean towards penny pinching and blagging seem to be British. We don't seem to have the same view of it as in the US.

I suppose, in mitigation, we don't have the same shopping opportunities (bulk-buys and that sort of thing) so maybe that's what we're left with.

[Annpan]

Oh..... I just got angry reading that

He makes his wife walk to and from the shops, he makes his wife get up at 3 in the morning to put the roast in the oven.... I don't know who is more stupid the man or his wife

If they really want to save money why don't they both walk home carrying the shopping from the supermarket? and have soup for Sunday Lunch.
If they grew some of their own food they would save money too, and where is the sense in buying dead plants just because they are cheaper

He isn't frugal he's mean.

[Helsbells]

Appart from the obviousely rediculouse ideas he has, which have already been mentioned, there are a few that I quite like like making your own crackers and christmas hats, and re-using christmas cards as gift tags, its his approach which is irritating. I would do many of those things for environmental reasons, and not to save the odd 10p here and there. Saving money is a happy by product of being environmentally aware.

[red]

its the smugness thats irritating

i think frugal means being careful, whereas tight or mean means treating others badly on they way

But hmm.. we dont have wrapping paper.. we use newspaper these days.. we dont care about the wrapping paper.. its whats inside that counts!

And i don't buy rounds. I dont expect anyone else to buy me a round either. the whole round buying thing drives me nuts. If i was out with just another couple, then yeh, we might take it in turns.. but if out with a crowd... we just get our own drinks. We dont expect any bought.. everyone excepts it fine.

[Ellendra]

Given that, generally speaking, men weigh slightly more than women, shouldn't he be the one walking?

[ina]

And i don't buy rounds. I dont expect anyone else to buy me a round either. the whole round buying thing drives me nuts.

That's one of those British institutions that us Germans never quite understand... Because it's really exclusive - it means if I can't afford to buy rounds, I can't go out. Whereas in Germany I can go out for a couple of halves with a friend who has more money and wants to drink 4 pints. So what? Nobody feels any the worse for it...

Does anybody know how that is done in other countries? Is it just us Germans who are so strictly "pay-your-own"?

[evelyn]

What a horrid little man, although he has shot him self in the foot now as everyone knows his game, i dont think he will be getting free drinks or meals any more.

However my daughter is the price reducer at the big blue supermarket, so i do my shopping at 6:30pm, i dont have a car and i wont pay the £4 taxi fair to go the mile home so i got myself an old lady pullalong shopping bag, i can fit a weeks shopping in it and the walk dose me good.

I also borrow a friends Parfits card for all thigs bottled and caned.

If i am at home alone i swich off the tv etc...and the heating and go and do something like cleaning or gardening it keeps me walmer than the heating anyway.

My kids are 14-17-19 now but we still put a mince pie and glass of brandy out for santa, well i have to deal with my mother in the morning so i deserve the tipple.


Eve

[oldfella]

I wonder if he will have the odd visitor or two Christmas night.

[invisiblepiper]

[StripyPixieSocks]

Will he be so smug when his wife gets attacked one day on her way to meet him at the Petrol station?

There's frugal, there's tight and then there's downright ridiculousness and if I were his wife... well... I wouldn't be fore very much longer.

I don't buy rounds either, I buy my own drinks as I rarely drink as fast as people buying rounds so it's best I just buy my own and let them get on with buying rounds between them.

... surely if he was being ultra frugal though he'd be brewing his own and not buying rounds in the pub anyway HAHA!

The media always seems to pick up on idiots like him though and tar us all with the ame brush which is what infuriates me!

[evelyn]

[quote="StripyPixieSocks"]Will he be so smug when his wife gets attacked one day on her way to meet him at the Petrol station?
She probobly dosent mind the walk as it gives her the opportunity to get away from him for half an hour or so

Eve

[StripyPixieSocks]

She probobly dosent mind the walk as it gives her the opportunity to get away from him for half an hour or so

Eve

Highly unchivalrous of him though and I do believe chivalry isn't quite dead yet

[red]

And i don't buy rounds. I dont expect anyone else to buy me a round either. the whole round buying thing drives me nuts.

That's one of those British institutions that us Germans never quite understand... Because it's really exclusive - it means if I can't afford to buy rounds, I can't go out. Whereas in Germany I can go out for a couple of halves with a friend who has more money and wants to drink 4 pints. So what? Nobody feels any the worse for it...

Does anybody know how that is done in other countries? Is it just us Germans who are so strictly "pay-your-own"?

We call it 'Kiwi rules' amongst our friends - as some friends from New Zealand came to live over here for a few years and they said thats how it was done in NZ - everyone pays for their own.

I like Kiwi rules if we go out for dinner with a large group.. you dont have to worry if you are ordering something too expensive, nor worry that you will be paying for someone elses expensive choice... everyone just pays their own. makes total sense to me

My OH does not drink, and this makes a further mess of rounds... we just opted out, and no one takes offense - its just the way we do things

[JulieSherris]

We try not to go out in groups - and being here for just a year, that's easy NOT to do anyway!

If we're out with friends, it's more turn & turn about - although if it's one of the daughters & their escort of the moment, it's usually hubby who pays for the lot!

As for being frugal/tight.... I think being frugal means you still have enough to share - being tight basically means that the person is thinking of just one person - themselves!

Julie

[eccentric_emma]

I think the buying of rounds is dying out a bit. My OH and myself managed a couple of pubs for a while, and the clientèle of our first one was mainly 40+ and mainly did buying rounds, and our second pub, the clientèle was mainly 18-30 and nobody bought rounds. Barely any of my friends buy rounds unless theres about 4 or less of us to be honest. Easier to buy your own!