“My dad’s cheap.”

“And why would you say that?”

“He keeps buying all this used stuff!”

“Hmm, that may not necessarily be cheap. But what did he buy?”

“He recently bought used golf clubs! Why would one even waste money on them? And even if he did, why buy used stuff?”

“If he’s not a pro, and you guys don’t have tons of money either, it only makes sense. New, branded clubs would be very expensive. He’s only being frugal. “

“What do you mean?”

“See, when it comes to making sure you’re not wasting your hard-earned money, you can either be frugal or cheap. While these terms may seem interchangeable, they are not. There’s a significant difference between the two – frugal is not cheap, and cheap is, well, cheap.”

“Okay, smart aleck, what’s the difference?”

Frugal vs Cheap: What’s the Difference?

Frugality is about being resourceful, making the best possible use of your money. Have you noticed the sugarcane juice guy? He keeps grinding the canes until each and every cane is squeezed dry. It’s just that – making sure you’re really grinding your money and extracting the best possible value out of it. It’s making wise choices to stretch your rupees and dollars.”

“And how do you really make wise choices?”

“But just being aware of your spending habits.

Ask yourself this vague question: What’s the amount of money I want to spare on this item. It’s not about not spending money, it’s about knowing how much you’d rather spend on a specific product.

Frugality helps your money last longer. It’s a positive trait. You can do smart shopping and save money on your everyday expenses. Buy in bulk, shop for deals, or shop during the holiday sale season. Helps your money get more bang for buck!

We wait for the end of season’s sale, right? What’s that if not frugality? It’s certainly not cheap. Similarly buying good, used items is also not cheap. I mean you’re not buying someone’s used underwear, are you?”

“I’ll gift you one for sure. Used.”

“Haha. You should know that frugality is also environmentally friendly. You would reduce waste and even consumption, if you’re a smart shopper. You will reduce your carbon footprint for sure. You will be a good, value-conscious human being saving planet Earth, and our planet would personally thank you for that, haha.

Cheapness on the other hand is about being unwilling to spend money, even when it’s necessary. It’s prioritizing price over quality and value, and even need. You will save a few dollars for sure. You’ll rather not buy an essential item or buy a low-quality item and put yourselves and the world around you in discomfort. Cheapness would have been if your dad didn’t at all buy the clubs even when he had enough money. If he sacrificed his joy in spite of money. Or if he bought with your money 😁

You bought low quality ink pens last time which even blotted my book, remember? That was a cheap buy. “

“Yeah, I mean, pens are just for writing, right?”

“That’s precisely being cheap. Cheapness can be dangerous in some cases. If someone is cheap enough not to maintain their cars or buy an insurance, that can put themselves and others at risk on the road. Like your cheap ink pens can stain all of my books.”

“Okay, got the point. I’m hungry, let’s grab some dosa. Left-over dosa.”

“Hah, now that’s being cheap… Buying a left-over dosa for free though may just well qualify as being frugal. 😁”