UNITED STATES—Money, oh money, it’s something we all strive for. Some of us are much better at saving money than other people, but is it ever okay to be a penny pincher? I guess it depends on who you’re talking to. Some people frown upon those who try to conserve their income compared to those who may spend frivolously. Someone recently told me, “I live for the moment.” So wait are you telling me you prefer to be broke so that you can gloat about all the expensive items that you have bought.
That item that you want will always be around. The one good thing is that item could drop in price there is sometimes the exception that an item never changes in price, hence the illustrious iPad that seems to stay at a consistent price. I will be the first to acknowledge that money is something I never use to have. So now that I’ve learned to respect the commodity, I appreciate the value a lot more. It’s not so much about purchasing a cheap product because that’s not the case. It’s about making every dollar stretch.
In today’s economy, you can be wealthy one day, flat broke the next day. People that tend to be penny pincher’s are what I like to call rationalist; we think well behead of the fact. I constantly have to process what things have to be taken care of this week, I have to worry about whether or not someone will ask me for money: it happens once or twice a week all the time. I can’t recall the last time I had a paycheck where I wasn’t forking out a few dollars to someone else.
So whenever I get a hefty sum of cash, I always stash a little bit away. About a month ago I was in euphoria when I was able to dump a few hundreds in my bank account. I love depositing money into my account, I hate taking money out of my account. Like I’ve always been told if you pay yourself, you’ll always have money on reserve when you need it.
So when do you know when you’re dealing with a penny pincher? Price is always something that concerns them. This doesn’t mean every person who looks a price is a penny pincher, it involves price being the deciding factor if they choose to purchase things. They will continue to talk about price and allow it to be the primary factor. Another way to pinpoint a penny pincher is by the items purchased.
If purchased items are damaged that is another sign you may be dealing with a penny pincher, as getting a good bargain involves an item that may not be as new as one expects. I wouldn’t recommend purchasing outdated items (likely to take place at a grocery store). If you plan on eating the item before the expiration than its okay, but if you’re hoping to reserve that item, you might be a penny pincher.
So in essence, being a penny pincher is not a bad idea; it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but who are we to judge. Some people who are viewed as penny pincher’s are those who may have not had as much money growing up or perhaps recently recovered from a situation where income was low. So to ensure that situation doesn’t happen again, they take the income they’ve earned as sport. The goal is to keep as much of it as possible, but at the same time you can’t deprive yourself of daily necessities or desires because you want to keep that extra buck. Remember in the long run you can’t take that money with you when you die.
By Trevor Roberts
