Comments on: Do You Ever Feel Embarrassed By Your Frugality?

By: One Frugal Girl

One Frugal Girl — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 18:32:50 +0000

In reply to Lizzy. What a beautiful sentiment. I love how every item in your house tells a story!

By: Lizzy

Lizzy — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:52:10 +0000

In my living room I have a thrift store sofa. The bookshelves are IKEA. There is a wing chair, occasional table, and backgammon table from the house where I grew up. ( My parents downsized a few years ago.) I have a non working fireplace that was once a working fireplace in an old mountain farmhouse.
In the adjacent dining room I have a long dining room table, also from my parents ‘ old house. There is an a hutch that was my parents first piece of furniture they bought as newlyweds. It holds their wedding china and mine. The strangest item is an Ikea tea cart from the 70s. Probably before there even was an Ikea in the States. My parents brought it over from Sweden!

Am I embarrassed? Not really, since everything tells a story.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:44:00 +0000

As long as you are happy with your choices, that is all that matters. If they’re your friends, I doubt they even notice/d any of it. 🙂

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:16:00 +0000

You can get fairly cheap sheets at discount stores. Throw matching sheets over the furniture and it instantly matches. Plus, you can take it off and throw it in the washer to get rid of pet hair.

Anyhow, we don't even have furniture, realyy. We had a hand-me-down futon frame with a secondhand (but totally clean!) futon on it in the living room, set up in a lounging bed style because when it was set up as a couch, it was way too low to the ground.

We don't have a TV or anything else of that nature. We have exactly four chairs in the house. Two at our tiny dining room table, two in the office.

When we have friends over, we sit on the floor to eat. But...I lived in Korea for two years and my boyfriend is Korean, so we can get away with claiming Korean culture status (which it is). Ha!

By: Shelly

Shelly — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:44:00 +0000

This is the first time I’ve read your blog. I will be reading it more often. I like your attitude, and I share it. Your way of thinking about things is great. Keep it up, and I’ll be reading it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:18:00 +0000

interesting that it is just this set of friends comming that made you feel uncomfortable about your home. I think that is more of the question. Why them?
Pat in Kitchener

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:18:00 +0000

It is all about choices. You have made the choice to spend the money the way you have spent it – of course you shouldn’t be embarrassed by it, it was your choice.

By: Chelle

Chelle — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:59:00 +0000

Not really. If I am embarrassed by anything it’s because of things like not having dishes done for like a week or having stuff laying around all the time. How much I do, or don’t, pay for things never really bothers me. Hand-me-downs and gifts are never anything to scoff at. Some of my hand-me-downs have lasted longer than some new stuff that we’ve bought. As long as you are happy, what does it matter what others think? Sure, new stuff is nice, but hand-me-downs and thrift shop finds have character and can often be just as comfortable or nice as new items.

By: Milk Donor Mama

Milk Donor Mama — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:09:00 +0000

My home is a mix of furniture we bought new and unfinished and finished (stained and polyurethaned) ourselves, along with furniture that I recovered from curb piles, furniture we got used, and a sectional we got new. It works for us and our toddler and our two cats (though, the used couch isn’t very comfortable and I’d like to replace it because I currently refuse to sit on it, as it hurts my behind!).

Like the previous poster said, if your friends rate you on the “quality” of your possessions, you might want to rethink the value of those “friendships”.

By: Steven

Steven — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:20:00 +0000

If your “friends” have to checkout your home and possessions, they’re not your friends. I’m always surprised when I visit someone’s home and they have to give me a “tour”. Why? I’m there to visit with them. If I wanted to visit a furniture store, I’d find one.