The Scrooge.
There’s a show called “Extreme Cheapskates” where they profile real people who go to great lengths to save money. For example, they interviewed a guy that showers in his clothes rather than doing laundry AND showering. Talk about two birds, one stone.
Maybe not to quite those extremes, but we all know someone who goes the extra mile to save money. To be clear, this is not to be confused with someone who is genuinely on a very tight budget. The “scrooge” is someone who is miserly mostly by choice, and have some of the following bad habits:
HABIT: Excessive DIYing to save money
CONSEQUENCE: Project may be out of your scope, illegal, or even dangerous, costing you more in the long run on errors, fines, or injuries.
HABIT: Skips out on (or mooches) a social life.
CONSEQUENCE: Family and friends feel unimportant, or worse–taken advantage of if they feel like you have skipped out on your fair share of a night out.
HABIT: Saves without purpose.
CONSEQUENCE: Saving without a goal in mind may keep you from putting that savings to work for you in the most efficient and effective way.
HABIT: Complains about the price of everything
CONSEQUENCE: First of all, you’re driving everyone nuts with the constant bitching. Second, it’s unlikely the listener can do anything about the price. That negativity isn’t doing anyone any good.
Are you a scrooge? Do you reuse dental floss? Is the expiration date on your food merely a suggestion? Do you try to pass off your preteen as a really tall 7 year old when buying movie tickets? What is the craziest way you have seen someone try to save a buck? Let us know in the comments!
