Do you think it is possible that someone could take his/her frugality too far? What would be an example of being too frugal, in your opinion?

I definitely think people do that. I dont have one example per say but I think people need to stop and realize that they need to live. If you can afford it should you have ratty furniture justo save a buck? Should you deprive yourself all the time just to have a million in the bank? Yes its good not to constantly blow money but again people should enjoy life as well. Its too darn short not to!

Yes.

If people are saving money at the sacrifice of their families or their health, they are being too frugal. I have been too frugal ... but I'm getting better (see blog).

I heard about a woman years ago that when she died she left heaps of money to a university. She had been so frugal her whole life, she hadn't taken her son for the medical care he needed. (I'm trying to find this story ... if anyone knows what I'm talking about help me out so I can post a link. )

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well i guess it depends on your value system...

the tightwad gazette lady was too frugal for me - i mean if im with extended family and they're asking me to chip in a few bucks for a pizza party for my kids - and refusing, then yeah thats a little too much.

i really put things in perspective. a bar of soap can be as low as a quarter....so is it worth my time to scrape up the last bits of used soap to combine it to make it last longer???

things like that are taking it too far, imho

My grandmother washed out baggies and aluminum foil, dried them, and put them away for another use or two or ten! To me, that is ridiculous. She also did without things like her favorite brand of coffee...because it cost $.50 more. She died of a massive heart attack, two years ago, without any warning. I wish I had taken the time and iniative to have gone and bought her a year's worth of that brand coffee...just so she would have had it. She WAS special enough for that cost...and we have to remember that ALL of us are special enough for some things to be not the cheapest version!

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My grandmother is like Blessed's. Aluminum foils, plastic bags, etc. I mean, how expensive are they? Also, she and my grandfather did without for so long to save for retirement, then he ended up getting sick, so they never enjoyed their lives.

Now, my mil, she's quite the character. She and my fil will not fix up their ratty, shingled house, and always refused to reshingle or do anything to make it look nice because they didn't want their taxes to go up. Their house is embarrassing.

When my bil got married, we all stayed in a hotel, which of course, she complained about. We all went down to the restaurant for dinner - pizza. She refused to come because she didn't want to spend the money. She brought pork and beans for her dinner in her room. When we visited, our lunch was always soup. A can of soup. That's it. Needless to say, I made it pretty clear to dh that we need to make our own lunch plans - having dinner in her cluttered kitchen is hard enough. This is the woman who spends hundreds on dolls at the mall for each month.

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To me taking it too far would include mooching off of others, always looking for a handout, always taking and never giving. Stuffing your pockets or purse with napkins, and/or condiment packs when going out to eat, showing up to a potluck either empty-handed or with a dish that only serves 4, while dragging in a large ravenous family.

Basically when frugality crosses the line from personal economy to taking advantage of others. JMHO

I do not think that you can too frugal. I think when you won't go out to eat with family or won't fix up a house etc than you get to be cheap. Just my 2 cents

To me that is just plain rude and cheap, not frugal. Frugality (IMO) is not necessarily an aversion to spending money, rather an attempt to get the best products for the best prices. I do think frugality can back-fire for those who haven't learned that it is okay to spend money on quality products. I have no problems with generics- if I am happy with them. But, for instance don't do generic tp. Why? I've found that I like thicker brands better, and everytime I buy generic the family goes through it much faster. So, it is really more frugal for me to buy a name brand with a coupon than the generic since it goes farther per sq foot.

I admit I used to try and re-use baggies and foil (if its safe to do so- no meats, veggies stored in them) But, its not b/c I was trying to save half a penny, its b/c I was trying to reduce waste. I try to use plastic now for all those things, but if the girls go somewhere and get a snack in a baggie I will re-use it rather than tossing it immediately.

I think we're talking the difference between being frugal and being cheap. Being cheap is being stingy, not showing generosity to others, etc. Being frugal is a more positive term in my opinion, and means to make the most of your money. Being frugal doesn't always mean buying the cheapest thing; it can mean spending more on something that will last longer.
Being cheap is definitely not good; being frugal is.

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