Are you cheap or are you poor?

I don’t worry about money. I just bought a new video card for a few hundred bucks without thinking about it or checking my bank account. I pay no rent or utilities, and don’t drive and have no kids. I can easily cover my living expenses on 300 a month. I take in significantly more a month.

I’m not sure why I should feel bad for not wasting money on crap I don’t need to impress idiots. And hurting the economy? I guess I do hurt it by not spending every last cent on shit made in China sold by people getting food stamps and Medicare by people working at WalMart.

I live comfortably & have more than enough disposable income to satisfy my needs.
There’s always someone better off financially, “daddy bought me this spiffing helicopter…hoorah!!”
That’s okay though, because the payback for those pretentious bastards is leading a shallow existence & being mocked mercilessly.

Why do you care how other people live? I would focus on yourself first.

@marinelife cheap people are the reason waitresses ask you if you want separate bills.

@marinelife I could list a 100 different reasons why cheap people are a problem.

I wish I had the luxury to pick what type of annoying person I can be.~

Is the question “are you poor?” or is it “should we treat cheap people as if they’re poor?”

No, I’m not poor. I’m not wealthy or even “comfortable” by most standards, but I’m not struggling to pay my mortgage, so I’m grateful.

As for the other question – who am I to dictate how others spend their money? I work at a bank and I’ve learned that a lot of people who have money don’t act like it. Does that make them cheap? Not necessarily. Who cares how they spend their money? If it’s not mine, I have no say in the matter.

Cheap people in general are a tad annoying, no matter how much money they have, but that’s neither here nor there. They have the right to spend their money as they please.

More importantly, how do we “treat” poor people as opposed to wealthy people? People are people, and I treat them all the same regardless of their bank account balance.

And @bucko, what exactly is wrong with splitting the bill at a restaurant? If my husband and I go out to dinner with another couple, why should one person be responsible for the bill? We’re all adults and can pay for our own food. Why would one expect their bill to be covered just because they came to the restaurant as a group?

Am I alone in thinking cheap people should be treated like they are poor? I think you are too worried about other people and appearances. You need to worry about yourself and stop judging others.

I dislike the terms you use, cheap and poor. Who is to decide who is cheap? And how do you determine who is poor? Poor financially, but yet you said they have money but don’t spend. So then they need to be treat like a poor person? How do you treat poor people?

There are annoying people of all genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and economic demographics. I believe that we should treat others with respect and courtesy, and to lead by example.

I have been quite poor and gone through bankruptcy as a single mother. I now live comfortaby and can get nearly anything I want without having to stress about it, but I still contemplate the value of a purchase before buying.

There are many reasons why one would choose to split the tab at a restaurant, and as long as they indicate that is the preference from the outset, it’s only a minor inconvenience for the waitstaff.

Cheap people don’t deserve to know what first class feels like.

@livelaughlove21 splitting the bill into separate checks is lame. I’d rather use a 10% off coupon than inconvenience a waiter or waitress.

@bucko Your sentence everyone wants money is projectory. Every one needs it sure. Some want extra, some are happy with enough. Since their focus is on other things.

Some like to buy items they enjoy, that you perceive as flashy? Others prefer a modest lifestyle. Not sure why you would hate them? And what were you referring to as First Class? An air flight?

@Shippy on an airline you have to pay to sit in first class. That makes sense to me.

@bucko Oh OK, First Class could be meant metaphorically, through life, or even a train ride for example. So if I flew First Class would I not then be seen as “flashy” by you? Just your question is full of contradictions.

@bucko: “Cheap people don’t deserve to know what first class feels like.”

Who determines what the definition of “cheap” is in each instance? Who are you to determine who deserves what?

Are we feeding the troll in trying to answer this question?

There is nothing wrong with people being frugal with their money and who is to say that the person being “cheap” as you call it is not keeping their money for that big ticket item that they have always wanted like a trip around the world, that car they have had their eye on for a long time. So would they then annoy you for being cheap and then annoy you for being flashy?

I bought this canary when I was a kid, it was going cheap :¬)

The flashy guy wants attention and the cheap guy wants to feel like the flashy guy without touching his bank account. It’s not rocket science. I find the flashy guy to be far less annoying.

@bucko Splitting the check is no inconvenience to a server. I know, because I’ve been a server. In fact, it was more of an inconvenience to ring up coupons in most of the restaurants I’ve worked. In a country where not many people carry cash anymore, splitting the bill is the least inconvenient way to do it, for everyone. Nothing “lame” about it.

To be honest, if splitting a check is an inconvenience to the server, so is cleaning up after you, refilling your drinks, and bringing you your food. It’s their job, and the reason you should tip them well for what they do.

You seem extremely concerned about how other people portray themselves and are viewed by others. Perhaps you should be more concerned about how you portray yourself and stop worrying so much about how other people choose to live their lives, hm?

Wow, @bucko. I’d love to deconstruct that whole so-called argument, but there’s only another 8 days left in the year, and I’m feeling what passes for “festive” for a cheap bastard like me.

And speaking only for myself, I try to treat people with money and without it pretty much the same, as a rule, with a certain amount of respect and leeway, and sometimes with love and admiration when that is merited (and I always hope that it is). More often than not, in fact, I don’t try to tell – or imagine – one from the other. Person with money? Person without? Who cares?

Finally, those who save their money are not – not in any way – “wrecking” the economy. More often than not, those people are investing their money in the actual capital that builds the economy, though this is not immediately apparent to news broadcasters, journalists, Hollywood celebrities, picket line walkers, protesters and activists of all stripes, and supermarket cashiers, to name a few. In fact, we’re a vanishing minority, and – Hey! We’re a minority! Maybe we can get politicians to name a Day after us and send us some of your money for a change! – ah, the hell widdit.

Have a Merry Indebted Christmas and a Happy Working-Your-Ass-Off-To-Pay-The-Bills New Year.

And here’s a present that cost me nothing.

And another, because I’m so generous.

The flasher guy wants ladies to see his tiny penis, fucking attention seeker.

A friend of mine who is a park ranger taught us a game they played amongst themselves called “Quien es mas barato?”. They would brag about how little they paid for something or where they got it for free. While not poor, they do not make a whole lot of money.
We play it now and I do quite well. I have always been cheap although there is the rare occassion where I do impulse buy.

@rojo I can respect someone who is proud of being cheap.

I am poor, but am quick to share what I can. I am poor but generous.

Am I alone in thinking that cheap people should be treated like they are poor?

I sure hope so, although I’m not exactly sure what you mean. Maybe you should try treating all people with kindness and respect and not continue to dwell on whether other people have lots of money or not, of whether you think they’re cheap or flashy. Why are you so concerned about what other people have or don’t have?

Cheap people don’t deserve to know what first class feels like.

You must be that horrible boor relative that no one wants to see at Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Solstice dinner. You sound really mean and petty and lacking in compassion. Maybe head up to the Northeast and volunteer to help the victims of hurricane Sandy or offer a helping hand to the folks of Newtown, CT. Maybe that would get your mind off your troubles.

Wait! You wouldn’t happen to be Ebenezer Scroo…. nah it couldn’t be.

@Kardamom I’m already in the Northeast. No volunteering for me though. I make donations.

@bucko Why no volunteering?