Ode to the Cheapskate

Some people are good a being cheap.

Am I saying that right? Some people just know how to pinch a penny. They eat, pickle, or trade all the food that grows in their gardens. They set a grocery budget and honestly stick to it, and when they decide not to use their credit cards, they forget those evil plastics even exist.

This may seem like a quaint, old-timey scene, back when many women owned one dress and baked bread from scratch. But some modern day folks are budget mavens, and they're great about spending less. I have a girlfriend who would go on haitus from

buying clothes for 6 months or so. By the end of that time, even I got sick of her wardrobe. She rarely bought coffee, and religiously brought her lunch to work. But she bought a beautiful home with some of the money she'd saved. Another family member will wring his hands, heavily debating before buying an album on iTunes.

Honestly, I'm not stellar at sticking to the family budget. I'm not terrible, but it's hard when two adults are sharing an account and able to make spending decisions. Life is expensive. Dave is not a big spender. He shops for clothes about once per year (last week in August), he buys decent beer, and extended cable t.v. is non-negotiable. On the other hand, he recently asked me if I'm single-handedly keeping Zappos in business. Yes I bought a few shoes last month, but they are replacing ones that I've rocked for years. I swear.

There are a few tips I've encountered to cut spending, none of which seem to fit into our lifestyle: carpool ("Anyone else want to swing by daycare for 15 minutes on our commute?"), eat less meat (Dave looks crestfallen if there's no animal on the dinner plate), color your own hair (done with that adventure at age 22), and clip coupons (ugh).

I do succeed in a couple cheapskate ways. I am an avid library book borrower, I get 80% of Edie's clothes at the local consignment shop, I am not too proud to pick up side-of-the-road toys, and I always turn off lights when I leave a room. The most old-ladyish money-saving thing I do? Recycle plastic baggies and aluminum foil.

I like using Peapod for groceries to stick to the budget. Sometimes my strategy to trim costs works, and I spend time deciding which items to put back on the virtual shelf when I've gone over my limit. This is a bit harder to do in a brick n' mortar store. Other times I stick to my budget, and the quantity of food that arrives is so paltry I rush to review the receipt to make sure Peapod didn't leave one of our bags in the truck.

Mint is an online resource that is great for budgeting and tracking spending. Again, sometimes I am right on target, and I spend my set amount on gas, entertainment, or clothing. Other times I blow the budget out of the water and feel guilty and anxious about it until the next month when the numbers reset.

While I will likely never be known as the lady who stretches a dollar, I am also not getting my nails done or driving a car I can't afford. Our laptop is five years old, and our couches are hand-me-downs. It's all about balance. I just need to find that happy money medium.