Amen! Lets not forget these are the same group of people that buy a $25 DVD player from wallmarts/Targets/Sears with a bounced check, and complain religiously to customer service as to why it broke a month later, and use also use a debit card for 79 cent pack of gum, and hold up people the "20 items for less line", saying its wallmarts/Targets/Sears fault that theres no money in there account.

Frugal is cutting  discount and two for one coupons, not buy anything at retail price, and driving a small high mileage car.  Cheap is buying clothes or shoes that falls apart after couple of uses and not bringing food or drinks to gatherings to share. or never opening a new can of tennis balls.  I know a guy that has brough the same can for tennis balls for years but ALWAYS waits for someone else to pop open a new can.

I dunno about this. I think that the message of the article is kind of devious. They seem to be trying to get people to want to spend spend spend when nobody seems to have any money money money. It's almost as if they have zero understanding that the current situation the country is in economically is not one of mentality, like "the secret" where you will it to be and it is (me shaking my head in disgust), rather one where rock meets hard place.... Hello store how may I help you drive me to the poor house while I work 2 jobs to pay excruciating rents and pay $4.30 for a gallon of gas.

Lame discussion to be sure, instead of thinking about how we should be more spend thrifty, people need to start thinking about why they work harder and harder only to live a quality of life that gets worse and worse. Did ya know that one person 30+ years ago could pay for a house, food vacations and gasp medical bills with JUST ONE JOBBY JOB back then????? Amazing stuff. How much longer are you willing to put up with this.

Along the lines of cheap vs. frugal...siliness. I am as cheap as it gets (but actually make decent money) and when my spendthrift family or friends that like to buy another round at the bar get into trouble, who do you think has something to be able to help them out WITH?

I knew this hit a nerve when rich started to comment.The article is trying to point out their is a diference between cheap and frugal.Like showing up at neighborhood party empty handed.That is cheap.when it is 99 hot and humid, and refuse to put the a/c on.

Sorry Rich, but there is a big difference between being frugal and cheap. You're probably the guy who hangs around your friends when your out looking to get in on that free round of shots or drinks.  Then when its your turn to buy you happen to disappear. You sound like a tool. I'm all for saving money but being a cheap ass has to do more with the way you go about saving money and less on the amount you save.

Been cheap is not a crime is a way to protec the little money we have left after paying all the bill's, every year inflation don't go along with the increase in our lousy pay checks, insurance, gas food, light water and so and so is never the end, most companies are just giving a 2% increase in our pay check, any one notice how much the healt insurance increase this year!!!!and still talking about cheap, does any one know how to go to the store and tryied to buy the same amount of food bought months ago, 100 dollares could make a decent maket for a week but now only last couple days, everything in out of control, yes i'm cheap, every week I go to Winn Dixie on monday or tuesday looking for special they have a great dea!  buy one get one free, I never use a coupon before... but now I don't have no choice if I want to buy the same amount of food I use to buy before with $100; is not a shame to use coupon or look for special any where you can save, people don't pay my bill's, don't heat my house don't buy my foof or my clothes i'll do it so i'm the one who needs to keep a eye on the budget and make my  money last longer, please be cheap, is the only way to keep driven our car, bringing quality food to our tables, buying the same type of cloths we use, monday and tuesday are the best day to buy any were since stores have to restock their shelves with new products they need room and therefore they have to move last week product to make room for the new one's also some products last only week's and is better for those stores to sale at cost rather that loose all, so......... who want to be in the cheap side!!!!!!!!

Bottom line difference - being frugal means saving money WITHOUT taking advantage of anyone or expecting your friends to foot the bill for you.  Being cheap means not hesitating to save a buck even if it's at your friends (or company's) expense.  

The next time you're going to engage in something frugal (or cheap), ask yourself if someone else is going to pay for it.  Is part of your pay plan free toilet paper?  No?  Then it's wrong.  In the end, even if you don't get caught, the company will give you (and your coworkers) a smaller raise because their toilet paper expense is higher.  Why should your coworkers indirectly pay for your toilet paper?

Is WalMart a Rental Center?  No?  Then don't buy something knowing you're going to return it.  In the end, WalMart will increase prices for you (and everyone else) because their returns are so high.  Not to mention, they may discontinue the product you "rent" because they assume it's inferior quality because it is returned so often.  Then, the manufacturer may go out of business and people will lose their job all because you were too cheap to do it honestly.  Is this an exaggeration?  Probably.  But then again, if what you are doing is right, and if it is right, then you shouldn't have a problem with everybody doing it and if everybody does it then my example isn't an exaggeration at all.

The point is, ask yourself what is the ripple effect of this action?  It is one thing to buy something on triple discount using offers the merchant has made and expects you to use.  It's another to 'work the system' which is DISHONEST.

I think some people are mis-understanding the article.  Frugal is spending less money by making an effort of your own, like cutting coupons and shopping sales.  Cheap is spending less money by having someone you know make up your difference.  Frugal isn't bad.  Cheap is, but the people who are paying the difference should stick up for themselves and say they're not paying it, but no one wants to do that because then they feel like the cheap one.

Yeah, Rich, 30 years ago one income could support a household, but not at the standard of living we enjoy today.  We choose bigger houses (houses are about 1200 square feet larger today than the '70's), fancier cars, more cars per household, more electronics (more TV's per house, computers, cell phones, video games, etc. that didn't exist 30 years ago), more expensive and high tech (and better) medical care, and on and on and on.  For most people, if you're willing to go back to those standards, it can be done on one income.

I'm tired of all the whiners and complainers about how bad we have it today, and what is the government going to do to make it better.  Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.  If you don't like your job or your raise, quit and find another one.  Or, hey, take a risk and start your own business.  Then, when you're successful, you can be the target of all the whiners saying you don't pay enough in taxes, even though you shell out more than 50% of what you make.

Yay, Steve!