How cheap is your wife?

[tywy_99]

My wife calls it, "being frugal". I tend to agree with her at times. She knows how to stretch a dollar!

[lostinblue]

Thrifty.....Thrifty that is the word she uses....$2.50 for a pair of pants at walmart (on sale) ....walks out smiling ear to ear....Better price than I can get in China.She found a top for 2.00 this weekend . Got home and it is tooo sexy , Hardly can wear around the house let alone out(needs another cup size or two for her to wear without falling off). I just smiled.

Edited August 13, 2007 by lostinblue (see edit history)

[sawadee]

Yesterday when we were on the way to Mcdonalds I told my husband we should drive thru instead of eat in, cause they will charge you 'eat-in' tax(I think thats 6%), he looked at me as if I was crazy. I told him with that eat-in tax we could get a nice fresh cabbage thatwould be good for one week's use.

[yuan fen]

She will never let anything edible go to waste, watermelon rinds, bones,

washes and reuses aluminum foil, Ziploc bags, little containers, ect¡­..

 

and comment if I use too many paper towels, too much water, too much AC¡­¡­.

 

She is slowly taking the consumerism out of me.

 

 

But,

 

When we do buy things it is high quality, and it does cost more.

 

 

 

 

Just a different view is how I would explain it.

 

Really, our definitions of ¡°cheap¡± are not the same.

[paula]

my husband keep buying, I keep returnning. Few days ago, he told me he hide or destory receipt when he buy something by himself. I was upset with him, because all what he bought cost more. He never use coupon, mail-in-rebate and never compare prices. He said only 10% of americans here did what I did, using couon, mail-in-rebate and so on. then I told him americans are stupid. The only one thing I enjoyed here is shopping and returnning. My husband said my shopping is my entertainment. As I always bought a lot, then few days later, I drove to return them. but I did spent a lot money on dresses, shoes,make up, but all are on sale or have a lot free gifts. Sometimes I just bought them because they are much cheaper here after discount. I collected them for gifts in case someday I will back china for visit.

 

again I love shopping in the US.

[Dennis143]

Yesterday when we were on the way to Mcdonalds I told my husband we should drive thru instead of eat in, cause they will charge you 'eat-in' tax(I think thats 6%), he looked at me as if I was crazy. I told him with that eat-in tax we could get a nice fresh cabbage thatwould be good for one week's use.

That is just so funny!! I hope your hubby likes cabbage too.

 

My Leiqin got a wake up call, after her son totalled the Honda and she came to me asking that we buy him another.

 

She's always bought things we just don't need. Our little home that was once a minimalist home is now stuffed full of things she's just had to have, yet have no purpose nor value.

 

When she asked that we buy Ning another car, I pointed out all the unnecessary items that she bought that could have gone to her son's eduaction. That hit her like a ton of bricks coming down on her. Seems, ever since then, her attitude about spending has greatly changed. Thank you, Ning.

[David&Wendy]

Nope.

 

It will only get worse.

[tonado]

My wife is not frugal. She is a big spender. She has brought $100 pants because she said they fit her well. She likes to buy cage-free organic eggs and organic veggies. If she is looking for a special item at supermarket, she would pick the most expensive. That is why I do the grocery shopping. Also, she loves to buy lotions for face, eyes, butts, body, feet, and whatever. My bathroom is loaded with them. After a few months she would throw them away because she think they had expired. She thinks they can make her sick. Also, she only eat fresh food item. Thus, she would throw away old veggies and milk that is still good. Furthermore, she wastes water all the time by blasting the water faucet when washing her hands. I always told her that if there is a war or emergency in this country, then she would suffer. She said there is no war or emergency now.

[chilton747]

My wife is not frugal. She is a big spender. She has brought $100 pants because she said they fit her well. She likes to buy cage-free organic eggs and organic veggies. If she is looking for a special item at supermarket, she would pick the most expensive. That is why I do the grocery shopping. Also, she loves to buy lotions for face, eyes, butts, body, feet, and whatever. My bathroom is loaded with them. After a few months she would throw them away because she think they had expired. She thinks they can make her sick. Also, she only eat fresh food item. Thus, she would throw away old veggies and milk that is still good. Furthermore, she wastes water all the time by blasting the water faucet when washing her hands. I always told her that if there is a war or emergency in this country, then she would suffer. She said there is no war or emergency now.

 

Are you serious Tony?

[shaffej7070]

My wife is not frugal. She is a big spender. She has brought $100 pants because she said they fit her well. She likes to buy cage-free organic eggs and organic veggies. If she is looking for a special item at supermarket, she would pick the most expensive. That is why I do the grocery shopping. Also, she loves to buy lotions for face, eyes, butts, body, feet, and whatever. My bathroom is loaded with them. After a few months she would throw them away because she think they had expired. She thinks they can make her sick. Also, she only eat fresh food item. Thus, she would throw away old veggies and milk that is still good. Furthermore, she wastes water all the time by blasting the water faucet when washing her hands. I always told her that if there is a war or emergency in this country, then she would suffer. She said there is no war or emergency now.

 

Ditto!

[amberjack1234]

To answer the OP, yes she is very thrifty. I feel that she is to thrifty sometimes but I can not complain. If you read my post about ¡°my story¡± then you will understand where I am coming from. I don¡¯t want very many material things but I do want things for her that she will not buy for herself. I am sure that she wants these things and we can now afford them but she still will not buy them. My only desire is for her to have a better life whatever way she sees fit.

 

I am very glad that a lot of people have responded to this post as it gives the newer members in this process an idea what to expect in the future. I wish that more would respond.

 

All of this does prove one thing that Chinese (girls as a lot of them like to be called) ladies are not all apples of the same kind in the basket. Each one is an individual. A lot depends on what part of China that they come from, how they were raised by their parents, environment, education and individual personalities. You can raise two children of the same sex, by the same standards and they will be very different people. Sometimes one will be good and one will not be as good. It does defy logic sometimes.

 

I do think (my own opinion) that most are in the frugal category.

I recently ask my wife if she will ever relinquish any restraints on our money and she said that she would. I laughed and said ¡°will I be around when that happens?¡± Of course she jumped me immediately about that.

 

Larry

[chilton747]

To answer the OP, yes she is very thrifty. I feel that she is to thrifty sometimes but I can not complain. If you read my post about ¡°my story¡± then you will understand where I am coming from. I don¡¯t want very many material things but I do want things for her that she will not buy for herself. I am sure that she wants these things and we can now afford them but she still will not buy them. My only desire is for her to have a better life whatever way she sees fit.

 

I am very glad that a lot of people have responded to this post as it gives the newer members in this process an idea what to expect in the future. I wish that more would respond.

 

All of this does prove one thing that Chinese (girls as a lot of them like to be called) ladies are not all apples of the same kind in the basket. Each one is an individual. A lot depends on what part of China that they come from, how they were raised by their parents, environment, education and individual personalities. You can raise two children of the same sex, by the same standards and they will be very different people. Sometimes one will be good and one will not be as good. It does defy logic sometimes.

 

I do think (my own opinion) that most are in the frugal category.

I recently ask my wife if she will ever relinquish any restraints on our money and she said that she would. I laughed and said ¡°will I be around when that happens?¡± Of course she jumped me immediately about that.

 

Larry

Excellent post Larry. I firmly believe that it largely depends on how our SOs grew up. My SO grew up in rural China. She had no money until she was well into her 20s. She lived largely from the land and got food from the forest (wild food). Certainly she will never forget those days and it will be the source of her frugality for the rest of her life. There have been many lessons learned by myself. She has taught me a lot and I must say "humbled me" in many areas.

[Tony_onrock]

My wife is not frugal. She is a big spender. She has brought $100 pants because she said they fit her well. She likes to buy cage-free organic eggs and organic veggies. If she is looking for a special item at supermarket, she would pick the most expensive. That is why I do the grocery shopping. Also, she loves to buy lotions for face, eyes, butts, body, feet, and whatever. My bathroom is loaded with them. After a few months she would throw them away because she think they had expired. She thinks they can make her sick. Also, she only eat fresh food item. Thus, she would throw away old veggies and milk that is still good. Furthermore, she wastes water all the time by blasting the water faucet when washing her hands. I always told her that if there is a war or emergency in this country, then she would suffer. She said there is no war or emergency now.

No kidding.

When my ex moved out, she left 13 bags of clothe most of them with tags still on!

 

Well, the current one is not frugal either. Apart from the bags thingy I complained before. She is into fitting out our new apartment. Tiles all imported from Italy, hand painted silk wall covering, Italian kitchen ware (oven, stove etc). Custom made marble fireplace, custom made bed, furniture and the only thing she thinks is expensive is my fish tanks.

[Joanne]

I am not frugal, but I don't enjoy shopping at all.

 

After packing and moving so many times, I have no desire of owning any unnecessary items. I got rid of stuff every time we move.

 

Yes, a lot of times I got rid of clothes with tags still on. It was not because I bought too many clothes, it was because when I bought those clothes, I wished I would wore them, but at the end I prefer to wear my few old "rags", because I feel more comfortable in old clothes. The result is I am not well dressed.

 

I don't shop for things on sale or use coupon. (If it happened that I could save a few bucks, that's fine.) I found that if I pay much attention to the discounts and coupons, I would bring home things we would never use. So I usually shop with a list in hand.

 

Make sense?

[chilton747]

I am not frugal, but I don't enjoy shopping at all.

 

After packing and moving so many times, I have no desire of owning any unnecessary items. I got rid of stuff every time we move.

 

Yes, a lot of times I got rid of clothes with tags still on. It was not because I bought too many clothes, it was because when I bought those clothes, I wished I would wore them, but at the end I prefer to wear my few old "rags", because I feel more comfortable in old clothes. The result is I am not well dressed.

 

I don't shop for things on sale or use coupon. (If it happened that I could save a few bucks, that's fine.) I found that if I pay much attention to the discounts and coupons, I would bring home things we would never use. So I usually shop with a list in hand.

 

Make sense?

 

Makes perfect sense to me Joanne. I am pretty much the same way.