Frugal Fatigue: Why I'm So Over Money Saving Tips

Our writer was frugal long before it became fashionable. Here's why she's reconsidering her money saving ways.

Walk into the Goodwill in Westport, Connecticut (known for its upscale clothing and furniture), and you'll find many well-heeled customers searching for bargains. As various media have reported, frugal is the new black. But here's the rub: I may have chronic frugal fatigue. Sometimes, I get so tired of trying to save money.


I'm allowed to be tired. After spending impulsively throughout my 20's, I turned into a frugal homeowner and have stayed that way for years. Though I'm not a candidate for the new TLC show,"Extreme Couponing" my copy of The Tightwad Gazette is dog-eared and I am known as the hand-me down queen in my circle of friends. Yes, I hang laundry on a clothesline in my backyard to save on electricity. I even chronicle tightwad living in an affluent town on my blog, Two Frugal Fairfielders. Clearly, my penny-pinching parents brought me up to be frugal-minded. But is there a downside to all this economizing?

My husband, Steve, insists that I clarify: "We are frugal, not cheap," he told me. "I don't mind spending money, but I hate wasting money."

Maybe that's true, but there are times when I feel tired of being frugal. Here's why:

1. Being frugal can be frustrating.
It is frustrating not to be able to just write a spur-of-the-minute check for a new kitchen, sofa, siding...the list goes on. It's all about delayed gratification, which can get tiring. Sometimes I want things when I want things.

Even though there are times when I'm ready to splurge, self-control is a characteristic that ensures success in life, according to behavioral experts and the often-cited article in The New Yorker. I have trained myself to have self control. And waiting really does pay off. It took us two years to renovate our basement because Steve did it himself, but we paid a quarter of what contractors would have charged us.

2. Being frugal means tons of research.
You're looking to buy something that costs the least but is of the highest quality, so of course it's going to take a lot of research.

Even though it can get tiresome to go on a time-consuming product hunt, my friend Aimee, a former teacher and stay-at-home mom, argues that it pays off in the long run. "You have to plan purchases," she says. "Sometimes I regret those in-the-moment purchases." Me, too. But sometimes, I just want to buy something.

3. Being frugal means you never have the latest, greatest gadgets that everyone else has.
My friends have iPads and iPhones. Me, not so much. One of these days I'm going to go out and just splurge on a high tech device for myself. I'm tired of looking over other people's shoulders and admiring theirs even though I know the high monthly costs.

Still, being frugal can sometimes lead you to cool tech gadgets. My neighbor Melissa made a decision to cut back on cable costs by getting rid of all of the extra channels; In its place she purchased a Roku player for $59, which allows her to watch streaming TV programs. A small investment for bigger savings. That's smart.

4. Being frugal means never getting to buy name brands.
When you need it fast, brand name stores are typically too expensive. I'm tired of not being able to pop right into stores I want. Lucky for me, there are bargain stores with beautiful deals. Otherwise, I'd get really frustrated.

5. Being frugal means you are often envious of not-so-frugal friends.
There are benefits of knowing not-so-frugal people. They can make you feel okay about letting loose and buying an expensive Mrs. Meyer's cleaning solution when it's not on sale (gasp!). Or, they can put things in perspective when you hear they bought the expensive patio set that you wanted...but they put theirs on a credit card.


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