Extreme Frugality – Where to Draw the Line

by Colleen P Moyne (Colmo) (follow)

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While doing research on money-saving strategies, I have often come across some interesting publications and blogs on ‘extreme frugality’. That means taking cost-cutting to a point where it compromises your health, well-being, safety or standard of living.

I've read alarming stories of people who condone stealing toilet paper from public toilets or raiding the dumpsters outside supermarkets for discarded food. My response is this…if you feel the need to do that, you need help. There are all sorts of agencies that can provide assistance if you are really struggling financially.



Then there are stories of those who lived through the depression era and had no choice back then but to cost-cut as much as possible, and are still unable to break the old habit. Many (including my father) still pinch pennies at the cost of a decent standard of living- purely out of habit, not of need. We’ve all heard about elderly folk who are reluctant to use their air conditioner on sweltering days and end up suffering heat stroke or de-hydration.

There are the characters who proudly boast that they re-use a tea-bag three times or separate their two-ply toilet paper into two rolls (I don’t quite get that one – wouldn’t you then have to use twice as much?), or the family who doesn’t use toilet paper at all but instead uses cloths which are then washed and re-used.


Here’s a quick list of what I see as reasonable frugality and what’s not….

• Reasonable – Picking up other people’s discarded household goods on hard refuse day. Not reasonable – Crawling into dumpsters or around refuse depots.

• Reasonable – Taking advantage of a free taste-test at the supermarket. Not reasonable – Taking more than one offered sample or going back for seconds, thirds, etc.



• Reasonable – Saving your cans and bottles, picking up discarded ones from the ground, or accepting them when offered by others. Not reasonable – Rummaging through bins for bottles.

• Reasonable – Waiting until you get to work to take advantage of a free morning coffee. Not reasonable – Taking coffee or other goods home from your place of work.

• Reasonable – Cutting down on food portion sizes and skipping snacks. Not reasonable – Skipping meals or eating unbalanced meals.

I like to think I’ve got the balance pretty right between living a frugal life while still enjoying a good standard of living. I have found ways to reduce my overheads and free up money for the nice things in life.

Here’s what works for me….
I live in a modest-sized, simply-furnished home in an affordable area, drive a small car that is very economical. I have a small credit card amount that is for emergencies and if I want something special that is not urgent I will use lay-by. I plan my budget 6 to 8 weeks ahead, always allowing some spare money for myself. I still go out to lunch or dinner with friends or to a show now and then.

I did some research and found the cheapest insurance, electricity, internet and phone deals and also found a bank that not only offers no account keeping fees, but rounds off my money and transfers the excess cents into my savings account automatically.



I rarely pay full price for anything. I shop around and do my research. When it comes to groceries, I always use a list and set a maximum spend amount but allow for flexibility when it comes to menu planning so I can take advantage of specials. I have no problem with generic brands and have used them for so long I wouldn’t know the difference. I LOVE op shopping for clothing, accessories - even jewellery, and many of my household items are also second-hand refurbished or restored where necessary.

Those are just a few of my strategies. None of these practices compromise my standards or detract in any way from my enjoyment of life. In fact, the more I can save on these basics, the fewer hours I need to work and the more time I can spend on the fun stuff. I love my life.

So, have you got the balance right? Are you wasting it on unnecessarily expensive overheads and having to scrimp on enjoyment?
Or are you practicing extreme frugality – compromising your well-being by cutting costs on the necessities of life? Trust me – it is possible to achieve a balance.


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