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| I had to show you this -- a licorice shrine. Apparently, licorice is a very big thing in Scandinavia. |
This may shock you: There are instances when I feel downright spendthrifty. Our Wednesday day trip to Poulsbo, WA brought out my extravagant side. We spent more on a few purchases, some as gifts and others to enjoy by our family, that I definitely could have bought elsewhere for less. Surprising as this may be, you can even find souvenir t-shirts that feature the name of a town or attraction on Amazon for close to half the price as buying at that destination. For these purchases, though, I wanted to support some local businesses, even if it meant I would spend more.
The choice to spend more for ethical, sustainability, or community-driven reasons presents a dilemma for frugal people -- the question of are you still frugal if you spend more to prioritize non-financial aspects of purchases in place of maximizing savings at all times?
It may be ethical sourcing that's important, such as not patronizing brands that use child or slave labor, or don't pay their employees a fair wage, or do something damaging to the environment in the production of their goods. Sometimes it's about shopping at businesses that are locally-owned, or are small businesses. And sometimes making a purchase from a non-profit will benefit a greater cause than simply profit. This idea of being selective with purchases extends to restaurants and other similar establishments. A person may prefer to support an independently-owned restaurant to keep money in their local area.
In my family's case the other day, we bought a Christmas gift for an extended family member, a men's t-shirt for my husband, and some salty licorice, pastries, and ice cream/iced coffee for us to enjoy. The Christmas gift came from a store that features items from Scandinavia and will be appreciated by a family member who strongly identifies with the Scandinavian side of our family. I could have purchased a Christmas gift for this family member on Amazon. But I wanted my purchasing dollars to benefit a local business.
This was my husband's first visit to Poulsbo. I took our three kids there many summers ago, and bought t-shirts for each of them then. My son still wears his t-shirt, and my husband has admired it a time or two. We found the same shirt in several color choices at the maritime museum. Their merchandise sales keep this museum open to the public with free admission. We saw other t-shirts at retail shops in Poulsbo for a few dollars less. And I even found a couple of Poulsbo t-shirts on Amazon for several dollars less. But I wanted to help a non-profit stay open. So we made the purchase at the museum.
The food purchases all came from independent and locally-owned businesses. We could have gone elsewhere for the ice cream, breakfast pastries, or licorice. But again, I wanted our purchasing dollars to stay in the area.
The employees we interacted with all live within a short drive of their places of work. The owners also live locally. My hope is that this town continues to have the same small town charm for many more decades.
There was a time in our family's story when we couldn't afford to prioritize anything but paying the lowest possible price. I'm blessed and can say that we sometimes can now make decisions in ways that help small businesses or non-profits, or keep profits local, or prioritize the way that products are made or harvested that benefit employees or environments. It's a balance, however. We can't make our choices in these ways all of the time. But when we can, it makes me very happy.
Being frugal is not always about saving the most money. Incorporating thoughtfulness in spending has a place in a frugal mindset. Personally, I like to use my purchasing power to help local businesses and their employees. I worked in retail when I was younger, and I think I connect with people working in shops and small restaurants. I want to have an impact on their day in some very small way. Giving them my business is one way to accomplish just that.
I think frugal looks different for everyone depending on their circumstances. Frugal to me means living within your means and not wasting. And spending priorities look different. Like for you, supporting local businesses is important to some. Travel is important to others. A house remodel may be what someone else wants. Name brands instead of store brands on some products can make a difference to some people. I think frugal can look as many different ways as there are people.
ReplyDeleteI am happy and admire that you were able to get some nice things and support local businesses during your recent vacation. Sometimes, I get caught up in costs and forget about doing that.
Hi Live and Learn,
DeleteI agree, we all have different priorities as we make spending/saving decisions. And for some people, they may make many of the choices you lay out, but at very different times in their life, evolving in their priorities.
As far as spending more to support local businesses, I find this much easier for me to do if the purchases benefit someone other than myself, for some reason.
Have a great weekend!
Absolutely! We do the same, purchasing many things locally (meat, veggies at times) and eating at restaurants local to the area we are in. Other reasons for spending more as a frugal person is for something that is higher quality or that may have a better guarantee. In the hiking world, Darn Tough socks are an example, because their socks have a lifetime guarantee, though they are more expensive than some other brands. We have a favorite little local coffee shop that we go to occasionally; the couple who run it are about our age. He's a veteran (like my husband) and he and my husband cross paths at work (on the local Army post) and enjoy chatting about hunting. They are kind people who give back to the community and we want their awesome little coffee shop to stay in business. Bonus: she sometimes makes gluten-free baked goods so even I can indulge now and then!
ReplyDeleteAs I have heard said before, the least expensive choice is not always the most frugal choice when you consider quality and personal values.
Hi Cat,
DeleteYou're absolutely right about quality. In my family, we've paid more for quality on appliances, food, computers, and clothing. I also think for me at least, I take better care of the items that I know are high quality, and that helps them last even longer. I think about my wool winter coat. It was more expensive than some coats, and I take care with it. It goes on a hanger immediately when I take it off.
Your local coffee shop, and its owners, sound delightful. How very sweet of them to bake GF treats so you and others can enjoy something, too.
Thanks for the heads up on Darn Tough socks. I checked their website and they look cute, plus they have a lifetime warranty. Sounds like a good company.
Have a great weekend!
I feel like being frugal affords me the freedom to chose where to spend my money. Yes it was a t one point about paying the lowest price but now it is about putting my money where I think it needs to go. I shop very rarely at Walmart, Target and large grocery stores. I instead go to farm stands, farmers market's buy fresh bread locally and eggs locally. I have 4 independent grocery stores to choose from and Amish bulk and scratch and dent stores. I do flashfood at a local large grocery and pick up some items there. I do not look down on others who shop at large corporations, it is just that if these smaller businesses don't have backing they will disappear.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
DeleteYes, I completely understand what you're saying about your frugality offering freedoms. My kids have used Too Good To Go, which I think might be like Flashfood, but also includes bakeries, cafes, and restaurants, as well as markets.
I feel the same way about losing smaller businesses. Our state was heavily shut down during covid, and several of my favorite shops and merchants went out of business. That was sad to discover. These were shops that would go above and beyond when I was looking for something specific. I like the choice offered by having these small businesses as well as big corp stores.
Have a great weekend, Amy!
Amen, Amy! This was my thought, too. If we are careful with our money, it gives us more options to decide where/when we will spend "more" or "less".
DeleteLili, your frugality allows you more options to spend on what you value/what will give real benefit or joy. (I really loved the t-shirt part of the story.) Sara
Hi Sara,
DeleteI so agree! As we've become more financially-able, we've been able to make choices with our money that has greater impact for other individuals. It makes it all worthwhile.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Sara!