Frugal vs. Cheap

Today I was reading a post on http://www.thesimpledollar.com/, and liked what Trent had to say about the difference between being frugal and being just plain cheap:

"A cheapskate always chases the bottom line, regardless of quality of the experience. A spendthrift just takes the first offer that comes along and insists that this is the best way of doing things. On the other hand, a frugal person doesn’t just accept the first offer that comes along. They try to find ways to get that same experience and quality and value for a lower price - or find the best bang for the buck in their lives."

When I think of a cheapskate, the face of one particular person comes to mind. Lance and I laugh about the behavior of this guy, because he can be such a MISER! He is the only person we know who has ever had an electric bill in the single digits. And, boy, was he proud of that...He went without heat all winter (choosing to sleep with hot water bottles instead) just to prove he could.

Sure, I search for ways of "trimming the fat" in my own life, but I won't completely sacrifice the comfort and quality of my life to save a few bucks. Personally, I like heat in the winter. To save money, we simply installed a programmable thermostat, which only heats the house when we're there and turns it down when we're asleep. I actually consider this a luxury item (because I never have to adjust it), but it also saves us a lot of money.

My goals as the homemaker of our little family are to provide an inviting home, good food, and good company to my husband. I find that I can accomplish all of these goals on a much smaller budget than most of our friends, while our quality of life doesn't seem all that different from theirs. This is extremely satisfying to me. And while I may never have an electric bill in the single digits, I use my God-given talents to help us live on less while still having a life of relative abundance. We have everything we need to be happy and fulfilled. That's just enough.