by Cassie Howard | Jun 13, 2016 | Making Money |
It’s hard to believe that less than 2 years ago, I was a cheap, frugal, extreme couponer that held the purse strings tight. I used to think being frugal was smart. Spend less, save more, and buy better quality items. Buying better quality items did, and does make sense, but that often meant spending hours, if not days or months, agonizing over the “big” purchase. The Dyson vaccuumThe Sealy mattressThe Webber barbecue Sure, they are amazing brands and I love them, but when I made the big purchase, even though I was excited at first, I’d eventually beat myself up about it. Who am I to buy such nice things? I should be saving my money, not spending it. The cheaper brands would have been just fine. I’m so stupid for spending that much money on a vacuum when I could have bought one for only $100! Every time I thought I was doing something SMART by purchasing better quality, I always ended up giving myself shit for spending the cash. I grew up in a household that didn’t have a lot of money. We weren’t poor, but it felt like it sometimes. We were provided for, but we rarely got more than what we needed. It was embarrassing to go to school wearing the same clothes over and over again (the hand-me-downs or thrift store finds) because we couldn’t afford new ones. It made me feel like a loser to own the cheapest school supplies and the most boring backpack, while all the other kids in my school seemed to have the BEST stuff. I’m so grateful to my mom...
