This is a devil's advocate post to look at an idea from an uncommon perspective and you can thank Jim from Bargaineering.com for the idea.
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Recently JD posted over at Get Rich Slowly about what he was seeing around him in the market place:

"Still, I’m happy to see so many people discovering frugality. It’s an opportunity for us to spread the gospel of thrift."
He points to different mainstream news articles that are coming out lately about people who are taking on the new frugality and learning the art of spending less and still being happy.

To be frank, I don't like this new age of thrift and it isn't good our future.

Thrift Stores
More people are going to thrift stores and finding good deals on name brand items and that means there is more competition. There is a greater chance that someone will snatch that unique sweater or name brand pants, and I will have less to chose from.

Let's also look at the fact that as people become more frugal they hold onto items longer by fixing them and sewing them up instead of donating them to the thrift store or consignment shop - also cutting down on the great name brand deals.

And let's not even talk about how the lines at the cash register are getting longer. You can pretty much forget about going on the weekends any longer because it is crazy busy - like ants to a popsicle. Plus, everyone wants discounts on their items and wants to save an extra dime and by the time I get to the cashier I'm not all that special asking for my discount.

Fix it Yourself
People now are fixing their clothes and their vacuums and their furniture and that leaves fewer items dumped quickly in the darkness of night at the dumpster.

I haven't seen a decent piece of salvageable furniture at my favorite dumpster in over 2 months and let's not get into the clothes and toys I used to find because they are long gone now and I only have the stories left to tell my amazed friends.

I loved finding "new-to-me" furniture and clothes and toys that I could refurbish and keep or give as a gift to someone else, but now I have to go to thrift stores to pick that stuff up and I already mentioned the pain that can cause.

Cooking at Home
Yes, even your cooking at home cuts into my thrifty ways because you are using coupons more and throwing them out less, which leaves me fewer to pickup after you dump them in the trash. I even have more competition on eBay for coupons that I didn't used to have.

Coupons are not the only items disappearing quickly. Now when there is a good coupon for an item, something free or almost free, those items are cleared out from the shelf and this causes me to have to go back twice or even go to another store to find the item for my coupon before it expires. This not only wears me down but causes me to use more gas.

In Summary
I would like to say that I'm just thrilled you have found frugality and thrifty living to help you make ends meet but you have made my life more stressful, competitive and frankly I can't wait until you go back to your spendy and wasteful ways as they benefited me a whole lot more than the way you are now.

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This has been a devil's advocate post to look at an idea from a different perspective. I am taking an opposite view to a common idea, sprinkled with a bit of sarcasm.

Please give me your thoughts one way or another on this new frugality

5 Comments

  1. Mary Beth // Wednesday, May 20, 2009 12:47:00 PM  

    Great post!

    I truly enjoyed the sarcasm and wit involved.

    I'm personally a fan of the new "fix it yourself" and "cook at home" trends.. Learning to sew and make my own meals has been quite empowering!

  2. Lisa Nelsen-Woods // Wednesday, May 20, 2009 6:17:00 PM  

    However if the "fix it" trend continues it could provide new business opportunities as out of work people decide to revive the idea of opening a fix it shop.

    As consolation, I'll let you have all of my coupons. I gave up coupons long ago as a money-saving measure. Most of the where for expensive packaged foods I don't eat. I save more money by not using coupons than I when I did!

  3. Dawn // Wednesday, May 20, 2009 6:31:00 PM  

    @Mary Beth
    Glad you liked the post - I'm taking teensy tiny steps myself for fix it yourself and for cook at home.

    @condo Blues
    That is a good thought, if people stay on this course we may have more local fix- it businesses.

    Oh I find more than enough for what I use, really. The stuff I would like coupons for they don't offer in the first place.

  4. Deals Hunt // Monday, September 28, 2009 4:11:00 AM  

    Great post! as we know coupon is important to save our money it reduce the price of products.

  5. Anonymous // Friday, December 31, 2010 9:16:00 AM  

    While the article may be meant as sarcastic, I truly have those feelings. I have been thrifting and couponing for years. It's very true that it's harder to find the bargains before someone else gets to them these days. Friends that used to hand clothes down now take them to a consignment shop. The only plus I have personally found to the newer habits of the forced thrifty is more yard sales!