Was I cheap or smart?

[madoka]

I was talking on my cell when I pulled into the drive thru of a Del Taco.

I ordered a 1/2 pound bean burrito ($0.99) and then asked if their tacos were on sale. At this point, my friend overheard me through the phone and started mocking me saying that I am at a point in my life that I shouldn't be concerned with the cost of tacos for dinner.

I argued that the regular price of the taco is $0.69, but when on sale during certain hours, it's 3 for $1.29. So I should change my order from two tacos for $1.38 and order three for a cheaper price. He argued that given my income and otherwise profligate spending habits, I shouldn't be concerned over such trivial sums.

So who's right? Did I make the smart move or am I being overly cheap?

 

[feralkid]

Your friend is a douche nozzle.

People like to save money at any and all "points in their lives".

Everyone knows this.

 

[ImpulsE69]

You were. How dare you not give every last cent back to the man!

 

[DesiPower]

friend's a dick, stay away

 

[Red Squirrel]

You should not be on the phone when driving, so I would not say you're cheap, but you're not smart either.

Seriously though, friend was a douche for saying that. None of their business what you're ordering.

And now I want tacos. We don't have any taco places here though so I'd have to make my own and that's a lot of work.

 

[Exterous]

Yes you were a douchebag for not getting off your phone when ordering.

Wait...what was the question?

I'm still cheap about things and I still order food based on sales. Do I need to? Nope. But I think it helps keep me in the right frame of mind when spending $. A few $ here and there don't mean much by themselves but if the justification is always 'Just get it even though its more expensive' the aggregate can add up over time.

 

[Thebobo]

Your friend is a douche nozzle.

People like to save money at any and all "points in their lives".

Everyone knows this.

Wow you learn something every day

douche·noz·zle
ˈdo͞oSHˌnäzəl/
noun
USinformal
noun: douche nozzle

1. an obnoxious or contemptible person (typically used of a man).
   "he's a total douchenozzle and the whole premise of the show is absurd"

 

[highland145]

Wow you learn something every day

douche·noz·zle
ˈdo͞oSHˌnäzəl/
noun
USinformal
noun: douche nozzle

1. an obnoxious or contemptible person (typically used of a man).
   "he's a total douchenozzle and the whole premise of the show is absurd"

OT delivers.

 

[soulcougher73]

You can become rich by being frugal. You did the right thing

 

[Smoblikat]

Naw thats fine, I always order based on whats currently on sale. Every penny helps.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Tell him that if it's such a small amount of money, he should have no issue paying for your dinners from now on.

 

[Tweak155]

I would argue that you need to learn that other things are better worth your time and will net you better savings. Don't waste too much thought, however given your turnaround time and the fact that (likely) those few seconds could not have further improved something else, you did just fine.

 

[BxgJ]

If your friend likes to give away money, I know someone who will take it gladly...

Of course getting a better deal is the smart thing to do, unless it takes more of your time than it is worth, as your time is valuable as well.

 

[ch33zw1z]

It's your money, friend sounds like a douche

 

[DesiPower]

Now that you have all our inputs, go and tell your real world friend that my internet friends told you that he was a douche.

 

[Murloc]

he will never get rich, or he already is.

 

[dullard]

There is a phrase that describes you: penny wise and pound foolish.

I used to be that way. I would agonize over saving a few cents here or there. Finally I got wise to it. I saw my father-in-law who was more extreme than me spend multiple evenings just to find the best way to save $2 on a purchase. That is about all he does, since everything takes so much time and so much thought because everything needs to be optimized. On the surface, that is great. But, he never had time to then spend to think about things that actually matter: retirement, investments, correct home, etc.

He'll retire with a pile of $2 savings here and there. Maybe over his life he saved a whopping few thousand dollars! Instead I put that time and effort into proper education, investments, and big decisions. I can spend 10 minutes to make the right investment and over my live I am on track to retire with a few million dollars. Think about it.

You can become rich by being frugal. You did the right thing

In my experience, you become middle class by being overly frugal. To become rich, you usually need to put your effort and focus on the big picture items instead.

 

[PricklyPete]

Cheap. Nothing wrong with that. Smart?...um no...you were eating dinner at Del Taco... that takes that term off the table immediately.

 

[madoka]

Of course getting a better deal is the smart thing to do, unless it takes more of your time than it is worth, as your time is valuable as well.

I think your point is the crux of his argument. He knows I make about $2000 per day, so he found it ridiculous that I would eat at Del Taco, let alone be ordering off their value menu. Then when I started asking about whether it was taco happy hour, he lost it.

There is a phrase that describes you: penny wise and pound foolish.

I used to be that way. I would agonize over saving a few cents here or there. Finally I got wise to it. I saw my father-in-law who was more extreme than me spend multiple evenings just to find the best way to save $2 on a purchase. That is about all he does, since everything takes so much time and so much thought because everything needs to be optimized. On the surface, that is great. But, he never had time to then spend to think about things that actually matter: retirement, investments, correct home, etc.

I'm pretty sure that my friend would agree with your assessment 100%.

 

[Exterous]

I think your point is the crux of his argument. He knows I make about $2000 per day, so he found it ridiculous that I would eat at Del Taco, let alone be ordering off their value menu. Then when I started asking about whether it was taco happy hour, he lost it.

People draw the line between frugal and cheap in different places. As long as your financial house is in order, you're not sacrificing free time doing something you dislike and you're not pissing off people you care about embrace your frugality. Most people's financial perceptions are off base anyway

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Maybe he was trying to indirectly tell you that you shouldn't be eating that third taco.

 

[highland145]

Maybe he was trying to indirectly tell you that you shouldn't be eating that third taco.

Like a back door way of fat shaming?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

You should not be on the phone when driving, so I would not say you're cheap, but you're not smart either.

That. Except I would say you're cheap too.

 

[feralkid]

There is a phrase that describes you: penny wise and pound foolish.

I used to be that way. I would agonize over saving a few cents here or there. Finally I got wise to it. I saw my father-in-law who was more extreme than me spend multiple evenings just to find the best way to save $2 on a purchase. That is about all he does, since everything takes so much time and so much thought because everything needs to be optimized. On the surface, that is great. But, he never had time to then spend to think about things that actually matter: retirement, investments, correct home, etc.

He'll retire with a pile of $2 savings here and there. Maybe over his life he saved a whopping few thousand dollars! Instead I put that time and effort into proper education, investments, and big decisions. I can spend 10 minutes to make the right investment and over my live I am on track to retire with a few million dollars. Think about it.

In my experience, you become middle class by being overly frugal. To become rich, you usually need to put your effort and focus on the big picture items instead.

Judging your father in law's life choices is a real douche-nozzle move.

Who cares if you die a little richer than him?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Like a back door way of fat shaming?

Essentially, yes.

Works in reverse, too. A mother telling her married-but-childless daughter that she needs to eat more, used to be a backhanded way of telling her she needed to make babies. It was believed that carrying an extra ~20 pounds into a pregnancy helped the baby be born healthy.

Passive aggressiveness is awesome.