Do non-frugal behaviors of others sometimes make you cringe? - Page 7

[Zamber]

Originally Posted by wildmonkeys

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

Me too. It's nice to have the luxury of perfectly white socks, but come on. Would suggesting he wear black or other dark colored socks solve his disposable sock problem? Or does he have a foot fetish?

Originally Posted by phathui5

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

[mlleoiseau]

It really bugs me, too. Although I admit I am pretty wasteful in some areas, too, and feel like I need to buy organics and such. But.....

My bil and sil are very, very much in debt. Granted, their son does have significant medical issues. But, they eat out 2 or more times a day, go to the movies at least twice a week, sil gets her hair done and has her nails done frequently, and she'd rather buy new clothes than do laundry. Plus, they won't eat leftovers--they throw whatever's not eaten away. And they go on vacations at least 4 times a year. When sil married bil, she had to buy new shoes to match her skirt even though she had four other pair that were beige. She's constantly telling me that she wished she could stay home, but that they can't afford for her not to work with ds's medical bills. : I just heard that she's about to start selling jewelry. Knowing her, she will buy way more than she sells. (Bil is actually not that wasteful, but he's pretty spineless about it.)

And then there's my parents. When we were growing up they were quite frugal. Now they aren't. They are constantly buying dd junk toys. They buy zoo pals plates for dd to use. They eat on styrofoam plates to save on washing dishes. And yet they still have to wash the silverware, pots, etc. I just don't understand it. And we are moving in with them in a couple of months. I think I will take over the dishwashing and encourage the use of real plates.

Living away from family seems to make it a bit easier to be frugal. I'm kind of afraid that when we move we will start feeling entitled to wasting money, too. I'll have to find me some frugal mamas to hang out with.


ETA that the whole sil thing bothers me so much not so much because they are wasteful with their money, but because she keeps saying they can't afford for her to stay home.

And my parents, I can understand not being frugal now that they don't have to be. The styrofoam plate thing bothers me from a disposable plastic point of view. And the junk toys bother me because they are just junk and something that clutters my house after she's played with it a couple of times.

[JanB]

I would say that wastefulness bugs me more than non-frugality in general. Like, the throwing socks away and using all paper plates, etc., would bug me in the sense that people who do that are creating excessive waste. But still, it's just a minor complaint, because hey, your household, your choice.

Someone who chooses to spend several hundred bucks at the grocery store each week on expensive name-brands, organic produce, etc., wouldn't bug me at all, nor would someone who chose to buy expensive clothing or whatever. If that's what they choose to spend their money on, more power to 'em. I am non-frugal in some ways as well. :

[justmama]

Originally Posted by JanB

I would say that wastefulness bugs me more than non-frugality in general. Like, the throwing socks away and using all paper plates, etc., would bug me in the sense that people who do that are creating excessive waste. But still, it's just a minor complaint, because hey, your household, your choice.

EXACTLY!!!!!

[meowee]

Originally Posted by avengingophelia

This statement disturbs me more profoundly than I can express. Because there is human suffering, other suffering doesn't matter? Because there is human suffering, I don't have the responsibility to take good care of the animals I have adopted? That's ridiculous.

I'm talking about people who literally treat their pets better than many human children are treated. People who spend thousands+++ on pet beauticians, massages, day cares, pet psychiatrists, inordinate amounts on medical care (I used to live an manhattan and saw this stuff up close). People who spend wastefully on their pets. You can love a pet without pouring money into it.

And yes i do think we should start with the humans if we are going to stop suffering. It would have trickle down effect.

When a person spends thousands of dollars to save a pet prairie dog, when there are neglected, miserable children even in this country, even in your town, is a total misdirect of energy and money.