The Frugal Fawn

I was once asked if my finances were what kept me thrifting & saving, scrimping & searching for deals, sales and so forth, but honestly, I think that even if I was incredibly wealthy, I would still enjoy doing all those things.

I like old things.

I like shopping at Value Village or the Sally Ann.

I like items with stories, with quirks, with oddities.

I like being frugal.

The reality is, I've inherited my mother's unparalleled ability to SAVE. Mentally, I have an incredibly difficult time purchasing anything for full price. I shop second hand when possible, I almost never buy new clothing for myself unless it is on sale, I buy my groceries at the least "fancy" stores, I very rarely purchase brand name anything, I buy bulk & if I know I can find something locally/handmade I will hold out for it instead of buying new/imported. All of these things have been ingrained into me since childhood. A childhood where money was quite tight.

I get an extreme amount of pleasure when I save on a purchase. It fills me with a sort of triumphant feeling instead of the guilt I feel when I pay full price or feel as though I've been gouged.

I realize that some things can't be compromised when it comes to price, but saving on so many of my other purchases makes some of the bigger ticket items seem a little less daunting. I also believe in supporting local/small businesses, and so spending my money there makes me happy, rather than stressed or uncomfortable.

Do any of you have an insatiable need to save? To thrift? To surround yourself with these sorts of treasures? Do your spending habits mimic that of your parents or the rest of your family? (I don't want to pry into your individual financial situations, of course, I'm merely curious if anyone else loves the thrift hunt as much as I do.)

PS. I should add a funny little note to this post: The boy hates it when I buy no name or store brand food at the grocery store. If he did the groceries we would be eating all of the most expensive items in the store and I would have a heart attack.

Source.