Do non-frugal behaviors of others sometimes make you cringe? - Page 6

[Leta]

As a matter of fact, if you took a dog to a stylist who was a dog herself, the dog would probably come home covered with feces.

So I guess dogs kind of care what their hair smells like, but people are confused about what to use.

[phathui5]

She has to go through McDonalds drive-thru twice a day for extra large caffeine free diet coke with no ice.

Have you told her that they sell caffeine free diet coke at the grocery store?

[swimswamswum]

Originally Posted by dharmamama

The way I see it, animals need less to have a comfortable, happy life than people do. When people treat their pets like people, it's for the people's sake, not for the pets' sake. That's what I find objectionable. I have no problem with taking good care of your pets. We feed our animals good food, take them to the vet, make sure they are well-trained and have plenty of access to exercise. But when people start doing things like my aforementioned $100 doggie haircut and designer clothes for doggies, it becomes about the people and not the pets. Dogs don't care what their hair looks like.

dm

I agree with you completely Dharma. I'm doing research at a non-profit (here in the US) where people regularly suffer a great deal because they cannot access things like insulin and antibiotics. I have co-workers and friends who given their old cats and dogs insulin every day. It makes me crazy.

I love my cats, but I hate how disconnected humans are from each other's realities and suffering. The fact that we in the US treat our pets better than most of the world's people is WRONG.

[Scribe]

So giving your dog or cat needed medication (insulin) is the same as getting them designer duds and haircuts? I don't think so. Getting an animal proper veterinary care, including insulin and antibiotics, if that's what is needed, is part of responsible pet ownership.

[swimswamswum]

It's the inequality. When the human being doesn't have access to insulin, but the dog does, there's something very, very wrong.

A medical system based on profit creates major gaps and human rights violations. Flame away, that's my perspective. I've seen some really, really awful human suffering and I hate that our national priorities become prolonging the lives of animals over humans.

I am not anti-pet or anti-vet. The inequity epitomizes major flaws in global and national systems of distributions.

[Scribe]

I don't at all disagree w/ you about human health care (nor am I flaming). I just don't see how one prevents the other, and I certainly don't think it helps anybody to withhold medical care/drugs from pets until all humans have access to them.

I believe that I have a responsibility to provide adequate medical care to any creature under my guardianship--human or animal.

[swimswamswum]

I didn't advocate withholding care from animals. I pointed out my moral issues with seeing animals treated much better than the humans who I work with.

[daekini]

Originally Posted by swimswamswum

It's the inequality. When the human being doesn't have access to insulin, but the dog does, there's something very, very wrong.

Um, not all dogs have adequate care, just like not all people have adequate care.

This is becoming a circular argument. I don't think anyone is completely wrong in their opinion on this kind of issue; there doesn't seem to be a solution.

I don't think I should be prevented from experiencing the joy of owning and caring for a pet until I've provided medical care for every human on the planet.

[Mamm2]

Originally Posted by swimswamswum

I didn't advocate withholding care from animals. I pointed out my moral issues with seeing animals treated much better than the humans who I work with.

:

I have a dog....but when I see all the fundraising that goes on to help the local dogs, etc., it makes me cringe. We have children going hungry in our own county, maybe they could use the money?

[Scribe]

Wow. I can't believe how infuriating I find this. If you don't choose to use your resources to take care of animals, that is fine--it's your choice--but to imply that those of us who do are wasting money we should be putting towards humans is incredibly arrogant. Who are you to tell anyone else where their charity dollars should go?

With 4-6 million dogs and cats killed every year in the U.S., it is not as if there is some awesome surplus of support for animals in need.

[JesseMomme]

Originally Posted by camprunner

Well the one that takes the cake is when my mother informed me that my brother buys his socks at walmart so he doesn't have to wash them. That's right. He wears them one time and then they go into the trash!
..

I had a roomate that did that...went across the street to the dollar store every week and bought a package of socks to wear just once! Blew my mind then, when I wasn't trying so hard to be as frugal as I am now!

[dharmamama]

Originally Posted by avengingophelia

Who are you to tell anyone else where their charity dollars should go?

I don't think anyone is telling anyone else where their charity dollars should go. Some of us are just saying that, given the scope of human need, pampering pets beyond what is needed to give them a healthy and comfortable life makes us uncomfortable.

dm

[sanguine_speed]

I had a friend this weekend tell me that I should stop buying organic food rather than canceling cable because my children will be left out if they can't watch "all the shows". My kids aren't even aware that there is such a thing as changing the channel they watch so little TV. They watch an occasional video.

[choli]

Originally Posted by swimswamswum

It's the inequality. When the human being doesn't have access to insulin, but the dog does, there's something very, very wrong.

A medical system based on profit creates major gaps and human rights violations. Flame away, that's my perspective. I've seen some really, really awful human suffering and I hate that our national priorities become prolonging the lives of animals over humans.

I am not anti-pet or anti-vet. The inequity epitomizes major flaws in global and national systems of distributions.

People I know spent $800 on a root canal for their dog. Sorry, with so many humans unable to afford dental care, I can't agree with that. Just pull the tooth for God's sake, the dog does not care about the quality of his smile.

[MommytoTwo]

No- I have my splurges and other people have theirs. I dont understand some of them but its not my wallet.

[wildmonkeys]

I am still stuck on the wearing socks once and then throwing them away : Camprunner, can you convince your brother to at least donate his "old" socks.

My dh and I do worry about some of the people who we know are struggling to get by, but continue to buy things they probably can't afford.

[traceface]

Originally Posted by wildmonkeys

I am still stuck on the wearing socks once and then throwing them away : .

me too. That is just ... beyond the pale.

[rosehill]

Originally Posted by krisnic

.

I'm the one who researched coupon codes forever before I got my computer and saved $750 off of it. I use coupons, don't eat out often, spend $75 a month on groceries, use $5 mascara and buy my top of the line running shoes on sale when I can't use the ones I have anymore. I said something to my mom when she brought over chocolate milk in 6 pint size individual containers for my niece and nephew about how it was the same price to just buy mix or the gallon and she said this way was just "easier."

.

How do you spend $75 a month on groceries? : I would LOVE some tips!!!

Thanks!

[krisnic]

Well, there are only two of us. My bf works at a hospital and sometimes buys his lunch there, or he takes leftovers. We eat out (fast food - cheap and I normally don't pay) about once a week, but that's not factored into groceries.

I visit about 4 coupons sites and use coupons with sales. Arm and Hammer toothpaste was on sale for 1.99 and I had 2 $1 coupons, so I got two things of toothpaste for 99cents. I buy lean ground beef and freeze it into one pound packages as soon as I get home. We drink organic milk. Since there's only two of us when we cook, we always have leftovers. I also only buy what I need to make meals. I'll make a list of meals that we routinely eat (wet burritos, chicken dishes, rigatoni) and only buy ingredients for that. We don't really buy prepackaged stuff - I do buy pudding cups because I love them lol. But I only buy them when they're on sale, and then I stock up. We do things like buy a big thing of applesauce for a little over a dollar, and put it into individual containers for the refrigerator. I typically take a thing of applesauce and a yogurt for my lunch at work (I work third shift 2 days a week).

In an effort to get bf away from drinking pop, we get gatorade, but if you buy the powder you get basically two large containers for the price of one. We typically buy cereal in the bags - so much cheaper it's crazy. We stock up on bread when it's on sale and freeze it. When I shop, I evaluate if I really need it or not. Right now, we are out of sandwich bread (I buy the cheap white bread for french toast, and we have that) and also out of PAM spray. However, it seems silly to go grocery shopping for just that, so I will make bread in the bread machine and use butter and flour when I bake until there's more that I actually need.

Basically I only buy what's on sale or with coupons when I go, or if I can't find it on sale, I'll get the store brand (depending on what it is). And I stick to my list and my list of ingredients for meals.

Hope that helps!

[krisnic]

Oh! And I forgot to add an important factor - I shop at Walmart. I know it's not a popular option - but it is so much less. If I were to get everything I typically get at Meijer (regional store) it would seriously cost me about double what I spend at WM. However, if Meijer is having their Super Saturday sales with good deals, I'll stop there for some things and if I run out of shampoo and stuff I'll get it there. We also buy our dog food there, but that stuff, once again, is not factored into groceries. Dog food alone costs us $50 a month!