Monday, January 31, 2011

Frugality versus Miserliness

"There is a vast difference between practicing frugality and being miserly.  To be frugal is to set higher standards for your thoughts, behavior, activities, surroundings, and possessions.  A frugalite (a word of my own making) is one who enjoys comfortable, attractive surroundings and endeavors to transform the simplest foods into a feast.  You exult in keeping the bonds of family and friendship alive through simple yet elegant entertaining.  You enjoy quality accoutrements to daily living, although many frugalites have a (sometimes stringent) limit to their income.  Frugalites prefer to make wise decisions on how to spend money and time and hold a respect for the principle and disciplines of frugality.  They know that money, saved by wise spending, can be used to enhance their lifestyle, contribute to worthwhile charities, or both."
"Born from the Latin word for "wretched," miserliness is the absence of generosity.  A miserly person will spend money reluctantly and deprive himself of all but the barest of essentials, for the sole purpose of hoarding money.  In my humble opinion, to live a miserly existence would truly be wretched.  To wait for "someday" is the ultimate futile exercise."

Frugal Luxuries:  Simple Pleasures to Enhance your Life and Comfort your Soul by Tracey McBride



I would like to be a frugalite.

1 comment:

  1. I never really thought about the difference between those concepts. I hope I would fall into the frugal category. I know I don't fall into the miser category because I sure don't accumulate money.

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