Quote:
Originally Posted by lapka
This thread makes me think. I mean.... am I frugal or am I stingy?
What is the difference between frugal and stingy? I think it is attitude towards money. Stingy is when money is very high in the value system. Frugal is to be very deliberate about spending and spend money according to your value system.
For example if we take this story with boss asking for food. It made me cringe. I wonder why did he do it. To save the cost of this food for the higher purpose of.....? Is he generally so? What place has "throwing food away" in his value system? Or did he do it just to save this money to have a bigger pile of money? I remember my grand-grandma going with the hand over the table surface after the dinner and eating this crumbs. That was because she went through very hungry times. And even if that was many years in the past, she was just not able to throw away even crumbs from the dinner table and not because she was stingy.
I do basically the same like this boss. I am pretty active in a foodsharing network. I go two times a week to a russian grocery store and sort through their "best before" stuff. They would normally throw this stuff away. I take from it what I need and the remainder gets distributed in the network. From this store the network gets on average something around 10 kg of diary and 15 kg of veg and fruits per week.
And I do get paid in my job "pretty darn well". It just would make me cringe to see this stuff in the garbage can. I do it not for money, but because it promotes my value system of throwing less stuff away, being resourceful, being green.....
I don't think you and my boss are at all alike, nor are the reasons behind your actions. He's just...cheap. JUST NOW AT THIS VERY MOMENT a staff member came by passing out homemade jam as Christmas gifts. He had 3 types that he and his wife made. Would I prefer peach, raspberry or peach/raspberry. I chose peach and then he moved on to the boss and gave the boss the same spiel.
Boss had a pained look on his face and didn't answer.
Guy "They're all homemade by my wife and me. You don't like any of the flavors?" hurt expression
Boss "Well I do..."
Guy "Great which would you like?"
Boss "Well how much are they?"
Guy "I'm trying to give you a Christmas gift!"
Boss "Oh I thought you were selling them, maybe for your kids. In that case, I'll take 2 peach if you have enough." (I **** you not)
Guy "Well let me see if I have any left after I'm done and I'll bring you another."
I started to respond to Lapka's comment when all of that took place.
Lapka you are nothing like him. I don't know for sure why he is the way he is...maybe he was hungry as a child like your great-grandmother but omg. He's just always on the look out for something free, especially and particularly food.