I'd have to say I'm frugal. But my frugal may be different from everyone else. I shop for the best sales and best items I can afford. I like a designer handbag and will buy it on Ebay or Craigslist. I buy my kids stuff at Children's place, old navy, kohls and target, but on sale and I root for the sale items. I carry my coupons and Entertainment book with me at all times, also signed up for 4 coupon website to get the best deal.

Now DH is VERY FRUGAL. He takes his lunch & coffee every day to work. He has his uniforms cleaned at work so I don't have to do extra laundry. He only buys what he needs and complains if I do buy more for him and makes me return it. We both try to buy quality over quanity. For instance I wanted a new Dooney and Bourke bag, so I sold 2 of my old ones on ebay to buy a new one. I'll do that every couple of months to get the stuff I want. I like clothes from ANn Taylor, but shop the outlets, we have a HUGE selection in Lancaster, PA and Rehobeth Beach.

Now Cheap is my inlaws. They go away on "VACATION" and stay with family, for 3 weeks. They go to dinner, and if there are single serving items, sugar, butter, jelly, my MIL has a large ziplock bag she carries with her and takes handfulls of what ever she can get. If there are rolls, she takes them too. She takes whatever someone offers whether she needs it or not and keeps everything for that some day.

I'm learning to do alot more with being frugal and what is best for my family. Now I do know some people, they don't buy bottled water, use right out of the faucite, they take whatever people will give them, don't buy extra for anything. Yet, this person will be 40 in 4 years and is retiring with almost 2 million to his name!!!!

I am frugally cheap!!! We don't have ANY credit cards, I stay home with our five young'uns and homeschool. I have decided that we have too much stuff though, and am trying to declutter and trade off stuff we don't use for things we can use or need. I use coupons only if I were planning to buy the product anyway. We plant a big garden and we can a lot of our own vegitables, as well as making a big trip to the orchard every fall and making our own applesauce and apple pie filling, as well as apples for fried apples (YUM!). I try to make as much homemade as I can. Since my kids are homeschooled, they can save their good clothes and use them a lot longer, a lot less wear and tear from the playground and such. My kids play sports through the parks district, so that is very cheap/free depending on what sport it is. We rarely eat out at all. I plan meals by what is in the freezer/panty/refrigerator. My washer and dryer are ones my MIL gave us (that were her's) when we got married, almost 13 years ago (they are about to go though, the dryer squeeks and the washer only has two water levels that work, medium and small, which is not good for a family of 7 but we do with what we have). We don't take vacations, well maybe once every 6 years we go overnight someplace, if that counts. I try to make only one trip to town a week, as we live about 15 minutes from the closest town and with the price of gas, that can add up, plus it's so tempting to buy stuff we really don't need when we're in the stores. We do however have decent vehicles, my dh's car is paid off, and mine is about halfway paid off, but they have to last us for several years after they are paid off. So we are trying to be more frugal, and we really still need to just get decluttered a lot more.

Tonya

I would have to say I am very frugal. I moved out of my parents home at 17. I had my own place ,job and school. I Buy the best I can after saving for it. Now that I have a family I have found that alot of what I learned then is helping now.
We have the same furniturein most of the house. and I have never payed full price for much.

Oh no the sugar / cream tip means your cheap if you take it home. Oh I am so guilty. When we go through the drive through of like Taco Bell they always ask if you want sauce -- We use 1-2 and keep the rest in the fridge at home for when we have homemade tacos. See I new I was cheap at heart.

I would have to say I'm frugal more than cheap. I will spend the money to get what it is we need or are wanting but I won't pay a penny more than I think is a good deal. I want a new fridge, and actually we need one b/c ours in on the blink but I haven't bought one yet b/c I haven't found that good deal.

I take trips with my dh and go away to visit family. I take my neices to do and see things they have never experienced. I do try to find good deals when we do these things but I won't deny any of us those wonderful memories just to save a few dollars. Too me that is frugal. Find the most effective use of your money, you can't take it with you when you die so enjoy what you can.

I am both, I like to have enough money in the bank so if DH is out of work (like the six weeks he couldn't work because he had shingles!)we could manage with belt tightening. So we have to be frugal to keep that kind of money ahead!