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If you are reading this post, you probably a frugal person or a frugal-person-in-training. Perhaps your frugal ways have been called “cheap” or caused embarrassment. This article clears up any confusion between the two terms.
Per Webster’s dictionary:
frugal: characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources
cheap: stingy (not generous or liberal: sparing or scant in using, giving, or spending)
These two definitions do not mean the same thing. Here are five examples that make the difference very clear. (Bargain Babe provided her own definition of being frugal versus being cheap more than a year ago).
- If I buy a designer dress for $20 at a yard sale, I am frugal. If I try to talk down the price to $2, I am cheap. I mean, come on! Let the yard saler make some money for goodness sakes. You are already saving at least 90%.
- If I make my own deviled eggs to take to a potluck, I am frugal. If I grab a bag of out-of-date crackers to take to the potluck, I am cheap. The difference? I am putting my time and talents into making the economical deviled eggs. By grabbing some tasteless, possibly stale chips to bring as my contribution, I am degrading the meal.
- If I score tickets to a free screening of a new movie and share them with my friends, I am frugal. If I try to sell them tickets, I am cheap”¦ and I will most likely be kicked off the list of people who get screening tickets. This is a big NO-NO.
- If I want to take my friends out to eat and go to a restaurant where I’ll get a discount, I am frugal. If I decide to save a few bucks by leaving a 5% tip, then I am cheap. No comment necessary to explain this one.
- If my neighborhood is a great “trick or treat” street that attracts tons of families and I buy big bags of candy at the 99 Cent Store to satisfy the hordes, I’m frugal. If I turn off my porch lights and hide in my den, I’m cheap (and not much fun.)
What do you think? I’d love to hear your examples.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
I love this one! My friend and I were talking about this a few days ago but in reference to a first date. We were talking about this because we know someone who had this experience.
You take a date to a restaurant you have a $20 coupon for. You order 1 dish, $30, use your coupon, and split the bill. (Cheap)
You take a date to a restaurant you have a coupon for. At some point in the night without making it obvious, hand the waiter your coupon and ask him/her to bring you the bill. When the bill comes, pay it. Oh yes, and don’t limit it to a 1 dish option. (frugal and smart)
I don’t think not handing out Halloween candy is cheap. There are plenty of reasons why one might chose to leave the light off.
RE: leaving lights off on Halloween. I think there’s an assumption that you bought a ton of (cheap) candy…and then stayed home to eat it yourself. That’s pretty cheap.
thank you, thank you. Too many times on these posts we hear from people who are just downright cheap. I appreciate getting ideas on how to live a fun and interesting life more frugally, not how to live a stingy life for myself and others around me.