As a frugal person, I’ve learned a ton of things over my years and one of those things I’ve learned is that you can’t be frugal all the time. There are some instances when spending less money isn’t the best option. It’s easy to save money in the now, but you have to be careful, because you could set yourself up for financial failure in the future. Below, I’m going to list some ways that being a frugal person can actually harm your budget, rather than help it. That way, you’ll know how to avoid some of the pitfalls of being a frugal person.
#1. Couponing Can Cost You Money
Using coupons is one of the best things you can do in order to save a ton of money, but it can actually cost you a lot of money, as well. This is one of those frugal areas where you have to be really careful. Sure, you can save money on items, but do you really need those 23 sticks of deodorant that will most likely expire before you even get to use them? No, you don’t, and this is where a lot of people mess up.
Just because you have a coupon for something doesn’t mean you need to use it. Also, spending hours upon hours of clipping coupons and organizing them can cost you a lot of time. Time is money, so your time may be better spent doing other things. It’s ultimately up to you, but I would suggest being very careful when using coupons.
#2. The Dollar Store isn’t Worth it Sometimes
It can be tempting to head out to the dollar store and pick up a blender for only $5, but how long do you really think a $5 blender is going to last? How about those kitchen utensils you can get for really cheap at the dollar store, but they melt as soon as they touch a hot pan? Sometimes, it’s better just to fork up the extra cash up front and get quality things, rather than things that will become trash in a short period of time.
#3. Cheap Insurance
Part of being frugal is knowing where you can cut corners to save money. Unfortunately, a lot of people will cut down on their insurance to save money and this can have drastic consequences. For instance, some people will carry the minimum amount of insurance on their vehicle, because they haven’t been in an accident for years. Well, what happens if you do get in an accident? The money you’ll pay out of your pocket will likely break your bank. It would have just been cheaper to have full coverage insurance on your car.
The same applies for health insurance, vision and dental. Your health is the most important thing in the world, so don’t skimp out on it.
#4. Avoiding Routine Medical and Dental Exams
This is something that a lot of people do, because going to the doctor and/or dentist can be very costly, but as I said above, your health is the most important thing to you and you shouldn’t skimp out on it. Look at all the people you know that had small problems, but didn’t go to the doctor/dentist and those problems turned into huge problems. Chances are, their big problem could have been prevented if they had went to the doctor/dentist earlier.