I have been unceremoniously charged with being "Cheap". I take offence to this and retort that I'm not cheap, I'm thrifty. I am told that it's the same thing. I disagree.
I would equate cheap to a Millionaire offering pennies when he can afford to spend dollars. To me, Thrifty is making more, with less. I repair anything that I can repair. I recycle, and re-use what ever I can. I prefer to spend Time over Money, because quite simply, I seem to have more of one, than the other. But that doesn't mean I don't buy anything. Sometimes you have to. Sometimes you just can't repair it anymore. Sometimes you just don't have a choice.
I understand the difference between "value" and "price"... because the "lowest price" does NOT mean the best deal. And personally, I think many people have a difficulty with that.
Growing up, we didn't have a lot of money. We had food on the table, and we had a roof over our head, but not alot of extras.. and that's ok. It taught us that we had to work hard for the things we wanted; that if you didn't work, you didn't eat. When I was my own, the latter was absolute. Not knowing where (or when) the next meal was coming from sucks.
When I got married I thought things would get better financially, but as the old saying goes, money isn't everything. Financial sacrifices were made to create happiness : a happy wife means a happy life.... money was tight. we budgeted, we scrimped and we saved for the items we needed to acquire...
and once again, I find that there's too much month at the end of the money. Yes, I have food on the table and a roof over my head, but there's not much left over. So unfortunately, I don't drive a new car, I don't have a new computer, and I don't have a big screen HD TV.
but I AM...
Generous when I can be. Tight when I have to be. and I always try to give more of my time, than I take.
So don't call me Cheap.
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