5 Signs You’re Not as Frugal as You Claim To Be
Written by
Laura Bogart
Edited by
Kristen Mae
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You pride yourself on being frugal. You’re no stranger to a sale or a coupon pack. Meal prepping is part of your weekly routine, and you’ve even got the rows of orderly Tupperware in your fridge to prove it. You reuse everything you can. When it comes to saving, you’re a superstar.
Or maybe not. Maybe your star doesn’t shine quite as brightly as you’d like to think. When you run the numbers, it turns out you’re not as frugal as you thought. Where have you gone wrong? Taking a look at some of your most common habits may reveal the true reason you’re not saving as much as you could.
1. You’re Shopping All the Sales — But Do You Need What You’re Buying?
At this point, you’re so aware of all the sales for your favorite stores — from Costco to Target, Walmart to Amazon — that you practically have them plugged into your calendar. You’re the first person to load up your cart with that discount toilet paper or baby wipes, to grab those half-off jackets for the whole family, even if they don’t need them or your closet is already packed to the brim with toilet paper and wipes.
While sale signs can feel like beacons for thrifty people, if they’re only calling you to buy more of what you already have or don’t need, you’re not saving at all. In fact, you’re spending unnecessarily.
Instead of following the siren call to the stores, take a look in your closets to see if you already have the item you’re eyeing. Ask your family if they really need or want another — well, whatever it is you’re thinking about buying. You can also wait several days before making the purchase. If your urge has waned or you completely forget about the item, you clearly didn’t need it.
2. Using Your Credit Card for Its Perks While Carrying a Balance
If you salivate every time you look at your airline miles, silently thanking your credit card when you immediately book a vacation — while using that same credit card to book your hotel — you might want to step back and ask yourself if you’re the savvy consumer you thought you were.
Credit card perks are fun, but they’re more like the sprinkles on top of the frosted cupcake of your credit usage. Your primary focus should be on paying off your card every month to avoid carrying a balance, not on maximizing your perks, which can lead you to spend in ways you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Remember, your perks should reward your everyday spending — not encourage unnecessary purchases. If you’re spending a thousand extra dollars just to earn a couple hundred dollars’ worth of perks, you’re not saving money — you’re spending it.
3. Not Being a Savvy Coupon Clipper
Just as your parents and grandparents sat at the kitchen table clipping coupons to save at grocery stores and department stores, you go online and file away coupons galore. You might even say you’re the king or queen of couponing.
Well, Your Majesty, have you considered what types of stores those coupons are for? If you’re bypassing mom-and-pop shops or discount retailers — where prices are already lower — and going instead to name-brand, high-end stores, you’re simply not saving as much as you could.
A coupon for an elite grocery store or retailer might still result in you paying more than what you would at a lower-cost shop. On the other hand, using coupons at stores with already discounted prices only compounds your savings.
4. You Meal Prep but Still Treat Yourself
“Make your meals at home” is practically the golden rule of saving money. And you likely follow it, doing a dutiful grocery trip every week or two and cooking in bulk. You’ve got your meals set for the week, and you’ve hit your budget.
Then you open your fridge and sigh. None of the options you’ve carefully shopped for and prepared are calling to you right now. But you do have that coupon for DoorDash.
There’s no harm in occasionally treating yourself, especially on days when you’re just too busy to cook. However, if you catch yourself getting carryout even with a stocked fridge, you’re just doubling up on your food expenses. If you know you won’t have the time or inclination to cook, consider allocating part of your grocery budget to carryout instead.
5. You Sign Up for Free Subscriptions but Never Cancel Them
Whether it’s a gourmet meal kit or streaming service with that one show you wanted to check out, you snagged a great deal — for a time. Then you forgot to cancel it, and now you’re being charged. You know what you’ve got to do: Go through your bank statements and cancel all the services you don’t use.
Frugality isn’t just about saving a few bucks here and there; it’s about being intentional with your money and spending it in ways that align with your goals. By taking a closer look at your habits and making a few key adjustments, you can reclaim the frugal title you’ve been striving for.
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