£2.40 For A Bottle Of Water - You're 'avin A Giraffe...

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

True. But the coffee anecdote is useful for most people as, judging by the people I observe anyway, a metric shedload of wonga haemorrhages out of the myriad tiny lacerations of coffee, Sky TV, flash phones, city breaks, etc etc. Even the most materialistic zombie consumer[1] notices the the gaping wounds that'll financially kill them in pretty short order (job loss etc).

[1] Much as I pity these people, I owe them everything. Well, a massive chunk of my divi income annually.

Everyone spends money on some stuff that everyone else thinks is a waste of time. Praise the variety of individuals, otherwise there would only be one thing and it would cost a lot.

I do not spend money on bottled water. Or makeup. I like skiing though. After a two week holiday I've got the same as someone who indulged heavily in bottled water (nothing). Unless I break my legs that is.

I tend to pity people who don't spend any money at all, rather than people who get value and entertainment out of the money they spend.

Of course some can turn frugality into an entertainment in itself. Good luck to them. It's not for me though. The things I like tend to cost money.

[winkie]

The best things in life are free.

[renting til I die]

One of my brief relationships was dealt a severe blow by a difference in philospohy.

As I may have mentioned, I run a small, economic and old but reliable car that does a perfect job of getting me from A to B. The money I save by running as cheap a car as possible allows me to work less hard and spend money on other things to make my life more comfortable, such as a cleaner.

This logic was lost on my lady-friend, who owned a large, new Audi that she could barely afford to run. In her eyes, it was stupid not to run the most expensive car you could possibly afford; it just seemed a fact of life to her, as was having to keep the house clean herself. She found me eccentric.

We're all different, I guess.

Edit: And she only ever drank bottled water. I'm not sure if she thought tap water was undrinkable, or if drinking tap water was simply a sign of low status to her.

I would say good riddances.

Everyone has their priorities and will spend money on things that they value and which make them happy. Of course many people simply waste money on stuff they don't need or are simply too lazy to check if they can get it cheaper elsewhere. This doesn't mean going to 3 different supermarkets to save a few £/pennies because that would be totally inefficient in terms of time but it does mean being aware of the price that you are paying and possiblly planning future savings (which don't effect the total time invested or quality of the products).

Well, my personal experience is that the prices I knew at the start of my life are so divorced from what they are today, that I have totally given up trying to keep track. In fact I probably gave up about 30 years ago because of my lack of interest in 'small' prices. I try to focus on the big costs. Would I not buy a pint in the pub I'm in because it cost £4. Or go without a coffee at one of the big chains. No, would I buggery. There's a lot of pleasure one can miss out on by avoiding regular small treats for oneself because they 'cost too much'. Focus on the BIG picture people.

I feel for politicians when they are asked the price of a pint of milk or a weekly shop.

Always check big stuff first. I check the what rents are going for in my area (still not found anything cheaper!) as that is by far my biggest out going. Saved £230 on my last car insurance renew in about 15 minutes, time well spend but when the renewal for my motorbike came though it was only £90 so I just paid it as any potential savings, (if any!) seemed to small to waste my time over, plus I was revising for exams and my mind was elsewhere, again 'priorities', keep your eyes on the big picture.

I also think it is a nonsense when politicians are asked the price of a pint of milk or loaf of bread, etc. They have far more important things to be thinking about (like how to dodge tax or get lots of tax payer cash to pay for their new BLT! ). My answer to this would be, 'its depends which shop you go to but anything between 30p to £2'. Proof me wrong!

You're confusing the issues of wanting to save money with enjoying being tight.

Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves is an adage for people who get a buzz out of spending as little as possible. its complete ******** if you are interested in actually saving/making money.

I used to know a business director who used to go nuts when people wasted the odd sheet of paper in a photocopier. I pointed out to him that there were more important things to focus on in the business to save/maker money than the odd 5p sheet of paper.

The adage should be "look after/make the pounds, and you don't need to give a toss about the pennies".

The important thing to remember is that there are 2 ways to increase your disposable income. Increasing net income and decrease expenses.

The adage, like most, is too simple to cover all the possibilities.

Your business director is a great example of someone who has taken the saving pennies adage too far. Apart from the fact that most business costs should be tax deductible, the greatest cost to most businesses are the wages of your workers. You need your workers to be happy so that they are at their most productive. Moaning at people at wasting a few sheets of paper or spending too long in the toilet (as one of my old bosses, a right tight wad, used to do) is counter productive.

But back to everyday life. It takes little effort to be aware of where you are spending your money and look for easy savings. So, do it and then buy a house, no matter how much it costs, because, as the old adage goes "Renting is dead money!" (Just to point out that any money you spend on anything that doesn't give you an income is technically dead money, just shows what a load of bull some of these adages are! and all the more reason to keep an eye on where all that dead money is going! )

[okaycuckoo]

The best things in life are free.

Hmm - interesting history to that song - I wonder who the selfish-girl singer is: WP doesn't give a link to her.

[Frugal Git]

This has been an excellent thread.

I must say although I live by my username to an extent, in recent times my attitude has become rather different - pretty much taking the best aspects of all the points in this thread.

1) look after the big things first.

2) Have treats when I want one (pushed the boat out and had a cornetto from a van today)

3) Plan things to maximise value.

All that said, I still went shopping this arvo looking for bargains post grand prix (watched on Sky - again, shock horror to me I get value from it). Nice day and a chance for a walk and an ice cream. But I totally agree that being completely laissez faire about the small stuff just isn't in the DNA of the true saver, and thus I would *never* have a Starbucks unless there was a bloody good reason for it (say, on a date or some such rubbish).

The main difference I have from wishicouldaffordone (retirement investing today is terrific by the way - lovely job) is that I am no longer concentrating on sacrificing time now to retire early - I rather wouldn't retire at all having seen first hand what retirement does to older men when they lose that structure and routine.

Instead, I went part time (3 days per week) five years ago at thirty and have never looked back. Having lots of time to do, learn, explore and mend has given me skills and perspective in abundance that I didn't have when I was spending all my time either at work or recovering from it.

I'm pretty equally well off despite the corresponding 40% drop in income initially - more time to look after what I have and more focused at work.

For me, enjoying the now has worked brilliantly, and hopefully I'll be able to continue to do so.

[gadget]

I do find the sub-genre of miserliness on this forum pretty amusing...

I'm glad some on here enjoy weeing in the bath to save on hot water. And i'm pretty good at saving the pennies myself (bottled water and starbucks coffee add nothing to my life). However the amount i spent on my last ski trip would make some on here puke.

The point of life is not to accumulate money in your bank account like points in an arcade game. Unless that in itself gives you a thrill* in which case enjoy.

*The only explanation for Bernie Eccelstone for example.

[OnionTerror]

I do find the sub-genre of miserliness on this forum pretty amusing...

I'm glad some on here enjoy weeing in the bath to save on hot water. And i'm pretty good at saving the pennies myself (bottled water and starbucks coffee add nothing to my life). However the amount i spent on my last ski trip would make some on here puke.

The point of life is not to accumulate money in your bank account like points in an arcade game. Unless that in itself gives you a thrill* in which case enjoy.

*The only explanation for Bernie Eccelstone for example.

You look back whilst on your deathbed..

"Phew, I ended up living on 6p cans of Beans for 3 years, just so I could use all those savings to buy that new pair of scissors..."

Old Bill Hicks had a point...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMUiwTubYu0&feature=kp

[renting til I die]

Old Bill Hicks had a point...

Been a while since that was last posted, I love that clip.

[okaycuckoo]

You look back whilst on your deathbed..

"Phew, I ended up living on 6p cans of Beans for 3 years, just so I could use all those savings to buy that new pair of scissors..."

Old Bill Hicks had a point...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMUiwTubYu0&feature=kp

When did the ride end?

[Bootsox]

There are useful apps that show you fuel stations just off the motorway networks, in one case the fuel was 13p per litre cheaper than the scam on the M-services.

Found out today that the M6 J44 roundabout has had a new link road built which better connects up with the ASDA, easy to fill up when heading North of the border.

126.7 ppl

[goldbug9999]

Well, my personal experience is that the prices I knew at the start of my life are so divorced from what they are today, that I have totally given up trying to keep track. In fact I probably gave up about 30 years ago because of my lack of interest in 'small' prices. I try to focus on the big costs. Would I not buy a pint in the pub I'm in because it cost £4. Or go without a coffee at one of the big chains. No, would I buggery. There's a lot of pleasure one can miss out on by avoiding regular small treats for oneself because they 'cost too much'. Focus on the BIG picture people.

I feel for politicians when they are asked the price of a pint of milk or a weekly shop.

Well frequency comes into it. Saving a few of quid every day is probably worth it - chopping a fiver off your working day outgoings nets your a £100/month. OTOH skimping on ad hoc treats probably isnt.

[snowflux]

What sets you up for the future is earning more money now.

Time better spent writing cvs than making sandwiches.

I haven't written a CV in ages. I much prefer working (not very hard) for myself, even if it does require me to make my own sandwiches. At least I choose what time I get up to make them.

[happy_renting]

I also think it is a nonsense when politicians are asked the price of a pint of milk or loaf of bread, etc. They have far more important things to be thinking about (like how to dodge tax or get lots of tax payer cash to pay for their new BLT! ).

We pay for their sandwiches now?

[19 year mortgage 8itch]

Stolen from another thread but look, a whole generation to generalise about. They'll clearly never be rich, unless their parents are)

Generation Z

I found this on the internet;

Edited May 26, 2014 by 7 Year Itch

[SarahBell]

3rd most common cause of death in the SE apparently.

4th most is smugness being beaten out of you by a travelling northerner.

[justthisbloke]

The best things in life are free.

Not all of the best things are free. One of the best things - financial independence - requires a socking great wodge of wonga.

And frugality pays double in the financial independence stakes. Not only does it speed to towards your goal faster but it also moves the goalposts towards you.

There are two reasons why I'm frugal. Firstly, a perception of value and an abhorrence of waste. And secondly, because my capital is sufficient to maintain a lifestyle that some would call frugal (but that I would call "plenty" or "enough"). A Sky TV or Starbucks habit is not sufficiently rewarding to compensate for the shift between being entirely free and my own man to being beholden to an employer.

[wish I could afford one]

...

And frugality pays double in the financial independence stakes. Not only does it speed to towards your goal faster but it also moves the goalposts towards you.

...

That's an incredibly important point that most seem to miss. The link in post #30 demonstrates with some simple maths just how powerful this fact can be if you choose to use it to your advantage.