Life is too short; drink good coffee
I have been reading on other blogs about how people are cutting back on various things in the act of frugality. Of course, some people are merely cutting back due to the bad economic times. I have been doing some thinking on the people are making cuts just to be frugal though. My concluding thought is that life is too short. Don’t get me wrong though – I am all for frugality so let me explain.
I know someone that loves coffee. I am talking about serious love here. There is always coffee brewing and she always has a cup of java in her hand. In fact, I think she came out of the womb that way! To embrace frugality, she started drinking cheap coffee. She has said that she does not like it as much. The brand that she prefers is about twice the cost. And she goes through a LOT of coffee so it adds up.
But you know what? She LOVES coffee so why did she pick this area to practice frugality. The same goes for people that love something else but go cheaper just to be frugal. Why are you doing that to yourself?!? Don’t you know that life is too short? You should really drink the good coffee!
Sure, drinking the good coffee 100 percent of the time is pricey. So why not do it 50 percent of the time? Or even 70 percent of the time? You would still be saving and being frugal but the difference is that you would not be denying yourself.
You know, the only other blogger I have seen that was paying down debt and had an area that they didn’t go crazy-frugal is FB of Fabulously Broke In The City. If I recall correctly the thing she did not frugal up was ‘food.’ For me, I have a few areas like that. Coffee happens to be one of them. I spend $12 for a one pound bag of coffee. Mmmm. Cheese is another. I don’t eat a lot of dairy but when I do I go all in and get the best. Oh, and shoes. I don’t by shoes often but when I do I go for quality.
What about you?
October 24th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Thanks for the mention, hon!
Yep. I never frugal’ed it up on the things I loved. Quite frankly, life is too short to hoard money, and punish yourself for being in debt. That’s not to say to be totally lax, but give yourself a break…
As for coffee, that’s a small splurge. Where people tend to buy and get int debt with but not realize it, is their cars. I can’t believe that even with a $2000 car, I am racking up almost twice that in the end, after factoring in insurance, etc.. and that is on the CHEAP END!!
So really, a $6/day coffee habit? I wouldn’t sweat it. I’d just cut one night out at a restaurant or something if I wanted to be frugal. *shrug* Or no more clothes…
October 24th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Easy — food and clothes. Cheese and shoes, especially ; )
But of course, that’s not to say that I spend crazy amounts on those things. If anything, I’ve found that indulging in the good stuff can definitely be a more frugal strategy.
For example, my husband and I used to spend a lot on eating out and just about as much on convenience food. Nowadays, we eat out less but go to nicer places and we enjoy it a lot more. When we go grocery shopping, we focus on good quality, whole foods that are healthy and yummy — and we prepare them ourselves. So, we’re spending less while eating tastier, healthier food. Sure, our grocery bill isn’t as low as those of the coupon queens sometimes featured on t.v., but food isn’t just about the numbers on the receipt.
Likewise, I love pretty things and I especially love wearing pretty things that make me feel good when I look in the mirror. I’m not going to wear stuff just because it’s cheap; it has to look great, too. Why spend money on clothes I hate? Fortunately, the pickier I am, the less I seem to spend — and the happier I am with my wardrobe. I’ve always been a bargain shopper (and still am), but lately I’ve been more willing to spend more per piece to buy better quality items even if it means buying fewer pieces. I’ve had to overcome a little sticker shock at times, it’s been well worth it!