Cheap vs. Savings

Hayate

Hayate

Best I Never Had...
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Alright, so, I was reading the thread about being a cheap game buyer and came up with this thread.

What exactly IS the difference between a down right cheap ass or someone whom is using their money wisely?

Explain the difference and Which one that you are.
 
Clipping coupons, seeking sale items and researching products so that you can purchase the best quality item at the lowest price are not signs of a cheap person, in my opinion. That's just smart shopping. I don't believe that a person has to piss their money away without thought in order to excuse themselves from being cheap.

Cheap people hold onto dollar bills hard enough to make George Washington scream out in pain. They won't lend money to friends/family, tip poorly or not at all, neglect to partake in any activity involving the expenditure of money regardless of how financially secure they are, and will bargain constantly for lower prices even on items already on sale (I run into this all the time). They also give pretty shitty gifts. It's the thought that counts, and that comes pretty cheap.

I based that little description off my aunt. Cheapest person I know. Oh, and I don't consider myself cheap.
 
I'm more of a saver now. For example, I bought FFV Advance for just under a fiver. It was pre-owned and was only the cartridge, no box or instructions. But why would I need instructions for a game I already knew how to play, or a box that im likely to damage and throw out anyway? If I had bought a brand new copy with all the trimmings I didn't really need it would have been £25+. Nice saving right there imo.

Also I check out the '2 for £20' sorta deals, as I could get 2 games cheaper in one store than I would have for the same games in another store with a different deal, usually with about a fivers difference.
 
Cheap people don't seem to like to spend their money, EVER. Frugal people don't spend their money unless they think it's worth it. Things like looking for a better deal, coupons, etc., are more indicative of a frugal person that a cheapskate. Frugality is making wise decisions about your money, and cheap is just wanting to hoard it.

which begs the question, "What's the point?" I suppose it depends on the individual and their particular reasons for saving. I would argue that most people save in anticipation of some future purchase, planned or otherwise. So, are cheap people hoarding their money just to do it? If they are intending on saving for something, does it really make them cheap? Anyway....

I've certainly grown more frugal as I've gotten older. I used to be quite a spender, but once I lived through a period of considerably less income, I learned to make a dollar stretch farther. I don't really hoard my cash, but I don't spend nearly as much as I used to, and when I do buy something, it's the best deal I can find.
 
I don't have a job and only ever have about £20 at a time.. I just tend to spend my money when I get it. Mind you I still live with my parents so don't have rent or food to worry about. I really need to get a job though so that I can start saving up for uni next year, I'm moving out as soon as I can. >__>

Anyhoo, if there's something I want and I have enough money for it, then I'll usually just buy it. Although depending on what it is I'll shop around a bit, like I refuse to spend more than a tenner on dvds when you can get them somewhere else for half the price. >_>
 
I'm usually just conservative and shrewd with money. Don't want to buy hand-me-down things, but don't spend more than I need to, realistically. Plan what you want to buy carefully, look for the cheapest comparable product, and don't buy anything you don't need or really want. You don't save or get the good things by being careless with your money, etc, etc. I might want to get another game, but I want to get a bargain on that game, and not get too many games that I'm not going to get much play value out of.
Frugal's the word.
 
"Worth" depends on other things besides money though. Things like time are important as well. What if you buy something that's cheap but it takes you lots of time to prepare or use and isn't as efficient as buying something a bit more expensive, but is much more efficient and takes less time to use? You could be spending all that time earning money rather than getting the cheaper product to work or preparing it. It might not seem like a lot of time when you use the product once, but if you use it many times, then the time accumulates.

For example, gourmet potatoes. They're more expensive than regular potatoes, but they're easy to prepare; just wash and boil them, and while you're boiling them, you can go and do something else. With regular potatoes, you have to cut them as well, and it takes quite awhile to do that.

The other is choice. If it will take you a long time to decide which product you want, or you want to go to all the stores and compare the prices of the same product in different stores, but you don't have the time to choose one, and by the time you get a better job (ie, graduate from college or university), you will have to get another one anyways, why make the investment over that product when you could be investing that same amount of time in getting a better job (ie, studying for exams, etc.)? It is better to have spent your limited resources (ie, time) on an investment that will benefit you in the long run than to spend it on something that only benefits you in the short term.

Products that are normally expensive are that way for good reason--they last longer. If you needed to replace it, you wouldn't have to replace it as often. So if you buy something cheap, expect to replace it soon; if you buy something expensive, expect that you won't need to replace it soon.

Which leads us to the next consideration: there are certain things which you wouldn't like to replace often like computers or other expensive electronics items and such, and other items, for which you use only a few times and need to replace anyways--in which case the quality doesn't matter, and buying the cheapest one isn't any different from buying the most expensive one. But replacing a cheap computer is not worth it because computers generally cost lots of money anyways. If you buy an expensive computer and it is a very good brand, it will probably last you nearly 5-7 years or more. I'm not saying you can't buy a cheap computer and have it last that long too; you'd have to take really good care of it though. But the probability of keeping a cheap computer for the same amount of time you keep an expensive one is less likely.

Oh right, about my spending habits. Wait, what habits? I don't need a lot of material wealth to satisfy myself, so I'm fine just restricting myself to groceries and other basic needs. I'll still replace my tablet and computer if they get old or outdated though. I don't buy a lot of clothing or games either; there are actually very few games I'd want to try, or they're hard to find, so I end up getting them off of emulation, and my parents usually end up buying my clothes because I don't end up buying anything I "like". I'm fine with the clothes I have now anyways, and don't need more.
 
I'm neither cheap or a saver. I'm like Jane, I tend to spend money as soon as I get it, unless there is something I REALLY want, then I'll save. I'm just not one for personally going out and finding things that will help save me money so I'll normally just pay the full price which doesn't bother me all that much...I'll also lend money to people if I KNOW I will get it back at some point. My dad gives me money for clothes anyway since he thinks I should spend my money on things to enjoy myself whilst I'm still young...so I'll say I like a certain top or something and he'll get me it, I'm not arguing. :)
 
People say you should never buy anything you don't need, and I consider that as cheapness. It's OK to buy things you don't need, as long as you don't ripped off. Spending more than 2 hours searching for a particular coupon, not buying something you rly rly need cause it's a little bit too pricey, or turning in your boyfriend/girlfriend to Crimestoppers because they told you he/she robbed something small 10 years ago would count as cheapness in my opinion. I'm probably very very uncheap as my parents still buy things for me O-o
 
Lately, I'm beginning to dislike the word, "cheap" or "cheaper". Whenever I go to the store, I hear random people saying, "Well this one is 20 cents cheaper so let's get this instead." Does 20 cents really make a big difference? >.> I prefer to use the term "less expensive."

Anyway, I agree with what everyone pretty much summed up here. Honestly, I can be a bit of both. When I see something less expensive (something higher than a 20 cents gap, mind you) than the other, I tend to go with the less expensive one, although it depends if I really want to get the best quality - only then will I get the most expensive one. Hence, that's when the question begs if I spend my money wisely or not. Sometimes I don't, sometimes I do. Just depends, really.
 
The only thing I spend my money on is food, primarily, and I'm usually going to the store to get it so I don't have to waste what cash I do have on a fast food dinner every night. I'm probably one of the most frugal individuals in my family, which is good, because when I'm entirely on my own (already somewhat), I'll have the know-how to save/distribute my funds evenly.
 
IMO I think that it doesn't matter if you buy the game cheaply or buy the one that's expensive and brand new. So long as they play the game to it's fullest then I consider them a true gamer :)
 
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