Tight, Cheap, or Thrifty?

Ever notice that people take offense to being call tight or cheap, but glow when they are called "thrifty"? I'd like to know what the difference is. I also like to call myself cheap in front of others, and hear them gasp. More often than not, they will politely correct me...stating that am actually thrifty. What's it to them, anyway?

So...what clichés have you heard? Growing up, I'd hear Dad say "he's so tight he can squeeze a nickel so hard that the Indian rides the buffalo". Ever hear the one about "being tighter than the paper on the wall"? I'm sure you can think dozens other sayings about people who are extremely careful with their money. I often wonder if people perceive these "tightwads" as being as weird as they are thrifty, or if they're actually envious of their thrifty friends. If I was a betting person, I'd put a million bucks on the latter. (By the way, "people" I know would verify the fact that I do, indeed, have that much money----because they know that I can't walk past a penny on the street without picking it up.)

Over the last few years, I've noticed a growing trend ....that of people bragging about saving money. How about the one-upmanship? "Oh, yeah...well, I bought the same thing and paid less than that!" "I bought this $200 skirt for $5." "I makes double plays." (That means getting something on sale and using a coupon with it.) I'm sure we all know someone who says they can always find a better price. Along the same lines, I remember shopping at thrift stores with my mother when I was growing up. If someone asked you where you bought something, you would cleverly say something like..."It was a gift", or "In Buffalo". Never, ever, would you admit that you had been shopping at a second-hand store. At age 50-something, I've finally quit worrying about what someone might think if---heaven forbid---I should be wearing a used sweater.

Speaking of thrift stores, I just love to run into friends and acquaintances there. I get a thrill out of catching a glimpse of someone rounding a corner...trying to avoid me, then, walking up to her and saying "hi...fancy meeting you here!". The look on her face is truly priceless. Oh, do I wish I had a camera in my pocket for that photo opportunity!

Now, let's get down to brass tacks. How, you ask, do you get to be thrifty? Some of us are lucky enough to be born and raised that way. Besides growing up in thrift stores, I began refunding at an early age...probably around 10 years old. Way back then, a stamp was 10 cents, and you'd get a whopping 25 cents for the refund. Today, I am not a hard-core refunder, although I did go through a stage where I filed my gar-bage in boxes in the basement. That can actually be a full-time job, with quite profitable results.

The key here is to make a conscious decision to watch every penny, and to follow through. Keep your ears open, read everything you can about frugality, and eventually it will come naturally. I read tips about saving money all the time. You can find them in magazines, newspapers, on TV, and on the Internet. What really bugs me is that I already know and practice almost everything I read. I know, I know what you're thinking.....I could be rich!