# Frugal people...what purchases do you not skimp on? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2019, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657 "2019-07-07T04:42:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/21 "2019-07-07T16:59:32Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Not sure I should mention this, since civilized people would never skimp on it, but: Beer. I’m not really a beer afficiando, personally I like pabst blue ribbon. I get a lot of shit for it, but its one of the better tasting beers out there. Shoes are something I don’t skimp on. I used to be one of those people that said ‘no generic ketchup, only heinz’. But I didn’t realize generic ketchup has gotten so much better than just huntz. One day Heinz wasn’t on sale but Simple Truth organic ketchup was. Pretty nice, like Heinz but sweeter. I still use heinz but this is my [preferred](https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Truth-Organic-Tomato-Ketchup/dp/B00J3ZTVYE)ketchup now. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/22 "2019-07-07T17:03:56Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I’m not frugal at all, but I consciously do not skimp on vacations. > mmm I wasn’t going to respond to the OP, but this comment resonates with me. I tend to buy inexpensive coffee, ice cream, shoes, computers, etc. I wouldn’t dream of buying my coffee from a shop with baristas, for example. BUT…I never skimp on vacations, dining out, or concert tickets. I figure, “If you’re going to take the time and spend SOME money, go all the way.” Concert tix are $160 each? Might as well spend $50 more and get good ones. Driving across town for a nice dinner? Might as well spend an extra $25 on the wine. Taking a cruise? Get the stateroom you want. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/23 "2019-07-07T17:09:51Z")
Fresh Fruit - blueberries, grapes and cherries when they’re in season. They can be expensive but I still buy them. I’m just seeing the cherries in the stores. They’ll be gone by early Aug. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/24 "2019-07-07T19:25:19Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Shoes are something I don’t skimp on. Yes siree, Bob. While I’m happy with a lot of inexpensive clothes, shoes aren’t one of them. I see the cheapo shoes at Walmart and can’t believe what crap they are. We didn’t have much as a kid and I got cheap shoes all the time. Nope. Not doing that again. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/25 "2019-07-07T19:30:42Z")
Shoes, definitely. Fresh fruit. Someone mentioned cherries, currently in season. Trouble is a 5 lb bag never lasts in my house more than a day or so. And chocolate, especially for my truffles. I pay an extra $100 on Air Canada to get extra leg room. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/26 "2019-07-07T20:07:32Z")
Tools – cheap tools don’t save money, they just make the job harder, and they break and need to be replaced so often cost more in the long run. Shoes, because I need my feet not to hurt (though I won’t pay extra for what they look like). In some ways food, but not in others – I’ll pay extra for quality in food, but I rarely eat out, a lot of the produce I eat is seconds not quite good enough to take to market, and while partly for humane and partly for flavor reasons I generally buy meat that’s not factory-style raised (which is expensive), I buy the relatively-cheaper cuts or buy in bulk direct from my neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/27 "2019-07-07T20:19:49Z")
Farmer’s market veggies and the occasional splurge on meats or fish. So much tastier and motivation to cook when i wouldn’t bother otherwise. Plus I like supporting small local businesses. I usually start with cheap shoes but return them and spend the bucks. Someday I’ll learn to save myself the effort. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/28 "2019-07-07T20:38:58Z")
I have two guiding principles: value for money, and the right too for the right job. I guy good shoes because they last and same my feet. I like Levis’ so I wait until there is a sale or a good deal at Costco. I’ve absorbed part of the marie kondo effect. Does it spark joy? More accurately, I have decided that irritating pieces of equipment have to go. For example, we had a paper towel roll stand up holder. Only my wife could unscrew the top, change the roll and screw it back in. Me and the kids, would try to take the top off and it just would work. Thru that POS away and bout a real simple no moving parts towel holder. It desn’t spark joy, but sure as hell no longer is an irritant in the kitchen. That’s a win ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/29 "2019-07-07T20:42:31Z")
> [@DorkVader](#): > > For me frugal doesn’t necessarily mean buying the cheap stuff. Yeah, to me it means getting the most for my money, and not spending money on things I won’t use or won’t appreciate. I _am_ going to skimp on toilet paper, because the stuff from the dollar store is perfectly adequate, and why spend more on something that I’m buying for the express purpose of smearing with shit and flushing down the crapper? Shoes (as many have said), and coats and other things I’m going to wear frequently are things I don’t skimp on in the sense that I won’t buy the cheapest available—but I will look for a good deal on decent quality, and I won’t assume that high prices necessarily mean good quality. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/30 "2019-07-07T21:17:02Z")
I taught financial literacy and live on government benefits. I buy mostly good quality stuff when it is on sale be it yoghurt, toilet paper or power tools. I have set our finances up to allow for bulk buying and freezing/storing when cheap. We do eat more pork and chicken than beef and lamb because the best bits are much cheaper than the equivalent in other critters. The cat is fussy as hell, he gets his fancy food because once a month or so it is reduced heavily by one of the nearby supermarkets and we buy multiple boxes. I have lots of advantages over many people in this regard though, 2 major chain supermarkets nearby competing for my business, time to check prices, the space to store things and some wriggle room in the bank account so I can spend more today to save tomorrow. We also have factory outlet shops not far away for clothing, kitchenware etc. Yesterday I went to the supermarket looking for chicken fillets, they only had small packages available that work out at $2.50 more per kg. I changed dinner plans, we had tonight’s planned dinner last night, I’ll pick up a cheaper bulk pack of chicken today. That’s not only about money though, it means less plastic coming in to the house. We live very comfortably for a low income household. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/31 "2019-07-08T01:00:03Z")
Sheets. We grew up relatively poor…middle class but holding on with the tips of our fingers. My mom always bought the cheapest sheets she could find, and they would barely last a year. I buy quality, and I am often tired of them sooner than they wear out. If I do get tired of them, I donate to charity. I scored a set of Frette queen size sheets (with two pillow cases) for $80 at Home Goods. They originally cost $900. I’d never pay that, but they really are the most comfortable sheets I’ve ever slept in. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/32 "2019-07-08T01:26:37Z")
High quality shoes, and butter. Never margarine. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/33 "2019-07-08T01:53:14Z")
Quality stuff, bought frugally. We buy Starbucks beans, though there is a lot of much cheaper coffee out there - but we await for it to be on sale, and then buy a lot. When we stayed in NY we could have found cheaper lodgings in Brooklyn, Astoria or NJ, but we chose Manhattan, Yorkville. We did an AirBnB and got a good price, but it was far from the cheapest place. And much better for us than a ritzy hotel at five times the price, especially for 3 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/34 "2019-07-08T03:21:15Z")
The one I haven’t seen here yet is underwear, and for me, it’s Jockey For Her. They’re expensive - about $25 for a 3-pack - but they fit my borderline plus-size body, are comfortable, and last for quite a while. I’ve stitched up small holes and gotten many more wears out of them. Bras are another thing where spending the extra money on one that fits and has construction if you need it is a good idea. Again, they’re more comfortable, and they last much longer than the cheap ones. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/35 "2019-07-08T04:14:22Z")
Unhealthy food. If I’m going to kill myself with my diet, it’s at least going to taste good. Also, bed mattresses. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/36 "2019-07-08T04:21:54Z")
This is going to sound like a joke but it isn’t; explosives and ammo. I only buy DuPont’s finest and I’ve gotten it from the same supplier for over 40 years. And while I don’t go match grade I am fussy about my factory loads and I’ll spend the extra bucks to get what I want from sources I know and trust. Other than that I’ll pinch enough to make Lincoln bleed. But those two ------- never. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/37 "2019-07-08T04:28:18Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Peanut Butter. For most groceries, I’ll settle for generic or the store brand, but my peanut butter has to be Jif. I was with you up until the last word. I don’t want to get into a PB-war, but no peanut butter should have more than one ingredient. That extra stuff they put into Jif may as well be toxic sludge as far as I’m concerned (tastes like it, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/38 "2019-07-08T04:32:04Z")
I love my Gillette razors (Which of course aren’t expensive but they’re more expensive than Great Value or other generics) and my Tide with Downy. I buy cheap detergent and put it half and half though, because I’m that cheap. I also got picky about butter instead of margarine, although I will still cook with it or go half and half cooking/baking. I get the cheapest tissue in 24 packs but I also get some of that cottony soft expensive kind to be used for … well you know. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/39 "2019-07-08T06:54:34Z")
“Quality shoes” is a very popular answer. Didn’t know we had so many Jeep owners on the board. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657/40 "2019-07-08T07:05:10Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Also tropical fruit. I eat it through our long, cold, winter. Pineapple. Mango, berries, grapes, dragon fruit, etc, etc. It’s my indulgence and I totally think it’s worth it. This may not be true for your location but pineapples are a good example for me of frugality masquerading as indulgence. A 69p pineapple that I prepare myself yields a greater weight of edible flesh than pretty much any other fruit. Bananas also. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frugal-people-what-purchases-do-you-not-skimp-on/836657.md?page=3)