When it comes to frugal living, there is sometimes a fine line between being smart about saving and being a miser. Here are some practices that many frugal people use. Are they common sense or going to far. See what your responses might be, yes or no, to each of these questions.
You go out to dinner and want to keep your bill as low as possible. Would you do any of the following:
You order a free water with lemon. You then squeeze the lemon and add some sugar or sweetener to make your own lemonade.
You order a virgin drink and then add your own alcohol that you brought yourself, since it is cheaper.
You avoid a plate sharing charge in a restaurant by sneaking bites off of your partner’s plate when the waitress isn’t looking.
You order the kids meal for your baby and then eat it yourself while feeding the baby some jarred baby food.
You ask for a second helping of the free bread just so you can then stuff it into your doggie bag at the end of the meal.
You collect other people’s free bread from their tables on your way out the door.
You order a very expensive meal, along with an appetizer and desert. When it comes time to pay the bill, you split the cost exactly, even though your partner only ordered a hamburger and fries.
You skip breakfast or lunch so you can have more room for the all-you-can-eat buffet.
You sneak some of that buffet into baggies that you have hidden in your purse.
You linger over the buffet with a newspaper or book, so you can eat more an hour later (good for Chinese food?)
You make a big deal of a minor complaint with the food just so they will take it off of the bill.
You always ask the waitress if there are any coupons that she can apply to your bill.
Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans.
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