8 Subtle Signs You Might be a Cheapskate, not a Frugal

Some people like spending their last penny on shiny objects they’ll never use. They rarely think of tomorrow and prefer enjoying the present moment without regrets and overthinking.

Others, however, keep their bucks locked for a “real need,” which never comes. They are over rational buyers who stress a lot when spending money.

Some are passionate shoppers, while others are cheapskates. Both types are ruled by the money passion that often plays a harsh game.

It is vital not to lose humanity when it comes to money management, regardless of how much money you make and spend. If you often experience family arguments or even depression linked to your earnings, notice if you possess any of these subtle signs of cheapskates.

1. You Have No Money For Emotions

Human life often seems boring if you look at it from the outside. The same morning routine, 9–5 lifestyle, long-awaited weekend, and then the same things over again.

Our lives would not make sense without impressions and emotions. They add brightness to the grey days and leave long-lasting memories. Positive emotions are addictive, and people spend huge bucks to experience them over again.

Meanwhile, what do cheapskates do? They are conservative people who are unwilling to spend their means on impractical things.

Here is what I’ve heard from cheapskates about my lifestyle:

“Why would I spend money to travel anywhere if I can see everything online?” “Why buy a fireplace? It is not practical.”

What cheapskates don’t understand is that every experience is a life lesson that might unlock new opportunities and connections.

Trying to save on impressions is a flawed strategy. When your time on Earth is nearing the end, you’ll have nothing to recall.

With pockets full of money, you’ll still be poor. Your mindset will remain poor.

2. You Want to “Look Poor”

What might motivate people to look poor intentionally?

Think of it this way, they have enough means for existence, but they want to create an impression that they are “poor.” Despite their earnings, they don’t seek to improve their life quality. They keep it on the same level and don’t want others to show any signs of prosperity.

They eliminate excessive spendings while saving means for vital purchases. But what is vital if they are unwilling to create a better way of living?

Cheapskates believe looking poor might help them avoid extra attention to their lifestyle, work, earnings, and as a result — save more.

Instead, they are stuck in the same lifestyle, mindset, and time forever.

If you don’t self-improve, you’ll eventually slide down.

Most cheapskates don’t realize that they’re going to be just as afraid to spend the money later as they are now. The best thing a cheapskate can do is figure out why they don’t want to spend and face those fears. Time is more likely to make the fear of the expenditure worse rather than better.

3. You Can’t Get Rid of Broken Items

If you can’t say goodbye to old and broken items because they can still be helpful one day, chances are you have a cheap mindset.

Some people are unbearable cheapskates who don’t want to spend money ever! They believe broken items can be fixed, and old things can still serve their purpose, while excessive things can be sold.

Their apartments are full of old, unused items that keep waiting for the right moment to be sold or used again.

Why is this harmful behavior? Well, it indicates that people live their past. Each old item has a value for them, even if it is no longer in use.

New memories and new lifestyles can’t be created if the old mindset dominates. Such people don't build their future; they are too focused on the past.

4. You Like Complaining About Your Life

There is no better way to show the signs of being a cheapskate than to complain about your life loudly.

Go ahead and share how prices rise day by day, how the government is unable to do anything for you. Don’t forget to share that the local market prices increase and how farmers sold you rotted carrots.

Cheapskates see others’ fault in every failure. They rarely accept their responsibility. Why not? Well, it is easier to blame the government than to work the ass off and earn more money, get life under control and become an optimist.

They don’t want to adopt a rich mindset and transform their lifestyle. Instead, they accept the mediocre living.

“If you keep looking for sympathy as a justification for your actions, you will someday be left standing alone when you really need help.”

― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Noone likes being surrounded by pessimistic people who complain all the time. Sooner or later, their friends might stop inviting them anywhere. And family members will help themselves on their own rather than deciding who will pay the next bill.

5. You Don’t Value Your Time

Being extremely frugal can save you money, but it can eventually incur much higher costs — your time.

If you don’t know how to do specific tasks, you’ll have to figure it out yourself. It is often a long and time-consuming process that does not guarantee you’ll get the expected results. Why not hire someone to do them for you? It would help you avoid mistakes and get things done faster.

I used to do many things myself without knowing if I would get the results I wanted. I wasted lots of time searching for learning materials and figuring out how certain things work. I’ve often struggled with self-doubts, the outcome — several wasted years without much results. I valued money more than time. Hence, I ended up wasting it.

It is essential to find the right balance between the value of time and money. Otherwise, you’ll stay where you are, and the dream life would never come.

6. You Have Means for Everything But Yourself

99 % of people are convinced they can’t achieve great things. They work hard every day, they pay the bills, buy all the necessities, and live their mediocre life.

It’s not bad, though, but it does not seem like a dream life either.

While it’s great and well respected to be a gorgeous man, don’t forget about you and your inner child.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung claims your inner child is why you can get emotional, why intangible things make you happy, and why you get absurdly creative ideas from time to time.

If you have means for everything but yourself, it is an alarming sign of having a beggar mindset. Without celebrating your wins, it would be hard to stay positive and avoid self-criticism.

I used to judge myself stricter than others. I did not make my inner child happy until I squeezed myself as a lemon and showed tangible results. However, who sets those targets? Me. And what happens if I don’t achieve them? Nothing! I won’t get less money, but my mental health will severely deteriorate.

I am pretty sure some people can relate to this experience.

You have to learn to praise yourself and break through the past. Without loving yourself, you can’t taste this world to its full extent.

7. You Save On Your Health Care

Energy, time, and money are the most precious resources on our planet.

Time is scarce. You can’t buy it and keep it in your bank account. If you waste it, it is lost forever.

When there is no life energy, neither free time nor big money will make you happy. It is a simple truth, yet people often neglect it.

I’ve had a chance to be in touch with people who claimed to be smart savers. Their attitude to personal health and medical expenses made me rethink the way I treat my physical body.

Cheapskates believe they save by choosing cheaper medical insurance. They don’t trust “expensive” foreign medicines and unwilling to conduct a regular medical check-up. These are all costs, not an investment, according to cheapskates. They are convinced every unspent penny is a saved penny, even if it was intended for well-being.

1 out of 4 Americans reported skipping medical care because of its high costs. Other reasons might be childhood fears, lack of knowledge, unsuccessful experience, money addiction, etc.

Saving on personal health is a result of a poor mindset, not money absence.

You’ve only got one body, and you can’t replace it. The best thing we all can do is take care of ourselves to live a longer and happier life.

8. You Refuse to Form a Family Budget

People who are obsessed with money don’t like to spend a lot. Cheapskates believe one way to prevent excessive spending is to split the family budget. In other words, every family member pays their bills.

People with a poor mindset are more concerned about their money than about the human relationship. They admit the need to contribute to their family’s well-being, but the fear of overspending often holds them back.

I personally know a few wealthy families that look quite happy but suffer from ridiculous money arguments behind the scenes. Marriage money issues adversely affect kids psyche and might lead to divorce.

In fact, over 41% of GenXers reported their marriage ended due to disagreements about money.

Trust issues might prevent family members from forming a single budget. Perhaps your spouse has personal reasons behind not sharing the earnings.

If family talk doesn’t help determine the root cause of the problem, you can assign who will pay for what. Such an agreement might help to establish an order and make even misers pay the bills.

Final Thoughts

Frugality is all about using means wisely and avoiding waste, and there’s nothing extreme about that. However, the problem might arise when you get blinded by a single desire to save more. It leads you away from the true meaning of frugality.

If you catch yourself wasting your valuable time for money, arguments, complaints, and forcing people to pay your way — it means you moved from being frugal to becoming a cheapskate, and you urgently need to get back on track.

You might need to spend some bucks to change the destroying habits. Rest assured, it is a good investment in your future.

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