If you haven’t been to a self-serve frozen yogurt (FroYo) place yet, it works like this.
- First, grab a cup.
- Fill it with frozen yogurt of your choice.
- Add toppings from the topping bar.
- Put your concoction on a scale and weigh. You pay by the ounce.
I like these places because I can make myself a treat exactly how I like it in a small portion.
A couple weeks ago, we were at the local FroYo place waiting in line when I noticed a mother in front of us yelling at her 2 children. I thought she was scolding them for running around like rabid banshees. Nope, not even close. Here is what she was yelling about:
- Mother: Jimmy, what did I tell you about the toppings?
- Jimmy: I know, I know…
- Mother: I told you to avoid the heavy ones like Whoppers and Peanut Butter Cups. Use light ones like Froot Loops* so we don’t have to pay as much!
At this point, three thoughts came to mind:
- Crazy screaming lady was the spitting persona of the crazy-ass mother from that old TV show, “Malcom in the Middle.”
- It was pleasant to see someone practicing some sort of frugality, even though it was a bit bizarre.
- However, this exercise in frugality was completely ridiculous. If you’re this hard-up for money, you should skip the FroYo place altogether. If you must have a treat, go pick up some ice cream at the grocery store and eat it at home. Problem solved.
But wait, it gets better
I decided to hang around until screaming mother and banshee children left. I wanted to see what kind of car they had. They got up and I glanced out the window to see them getting into a massive Yukon SUV. Google tells me this thing starts at around $50,000.
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see where I’m going with this. It’s extremely silly to worry about saving $.50 at the FroYo joint when you drive a car that costs about 100,000x that much. This mother was completely missing the point. However, you need not look far to see similar examples all around you. Here are some that I’ve noticed:
- One acquaintance likes to brag about saving money by using cloth diapers. At the same time, her minivan is brand spanking new, has leather seats and multiple TVs.
- Another semi-insane person told me that he doesn’t drive over 55 on interstates to save money on fuel. His vehicle is a full size pickup for no good reason. He even has those Truck Nuts on the back. Amazon tells me that a set of truck nuts runs about $20. He should have saved the money to spend on fuel instead.
- Perhaps the most common example is cell phones. People tell me all the time how they’re excited about free upgrades. It is at that time I remind them that I pay $25/month for my cell service while they pay north of $100. Their “free upgrade” is costing them $75/month. How does that upgrade sound now Mr. Free Phone Man?
The most important place to practice frugality is with the big stuff. It’s the big stuff that really matters and if you aren’t going to start there, why bother at all?
Here are some things you need to worry about:
Here are a couple items where you should spare no expense:
I’m frugal, but I draw the line too
I think that we’re pretty good as far as frugality goes. Our home is relatively cheap for the area ($176,000). We have modest cars that were paid off a long time ago. My MacBook is 7 years old and I have an iPhone 4s with a cheap provider. We don’t go out to eat much and the kids aren’t enrolled in expensive schools or activities.
However, I draw the line at FroYo toppings, toilet paper and beer. Give me Peanut Butter Cups, soft toilet paper and good beer or give me death! Well, maybe not death, but I take my toppings, TP and beer very, very seriously. Who needs to be afflicted with Froot Loops on top of FroYo, bright red baboon-butt or Lite beer?
*Froot Loops as a topping? Ick.
**The house is mine. The motorcycle and Corvette are not.
Heady Topper! We were recently gifted a few cans from a guy Mr. FW’s friend knows in Vermont and rationed them out over the course of a month. Yum. Costco TP for the win as well.
Agreed–the FroYo lady was missing the point of frugality and how to save money. You’ve got to look at how much you’ll actually gain through each decision. While I’m all for frugality at (almost) every turn, there’s no sense in concentrating your savings on the stuff with the least potential.
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Heady Topper is a rare treat! It alone makes me want to get my butt up to Vermont. Soon…
I wonder why people can’t see the big picture? Maybe in their scrambled minds, they have somehow convinced themselves that the 50K SUV is a necessity? Dunn.
So good! Hoppy, yet somehow creamy!
My 2015 wedding will likely be up in Vermont (as that’s where my fiance is from) and you better believe that we are getting a secret stash of Heady Topper to dole out to only the most deserving guests!
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I just don’t understand why people buy those cars to begin with. They aren’t good for hauling things. They get terrible gas mileage. They aren’t necessarily better built. And unless you are the Duggars why do you need that car? Then you deny your children the pleasure of Whoppers (which I don’t like) for Fruit Loops?
I just don’t get people sometimes.
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Yeah, I don’t get SUVs either. Take a CRV for example. It seats the same amount of people as a Camry or Fusion, gets poorer mileage and has much less storage space.
Regarding hauling things, I suspect that 2% of SUVs have ever been used to haul anything substantial.
AMEN to the toilet paper. My husband moved into our current place before I did, and bought the cheapest TP he could find at Sam’s Club, and I cannot WAIT til we run out and I can replace it with the good stuff.
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“My husband moved into our current place before I did, and bought the cheapest TP he could find at Sam’s Club…”
Hmmmm, if I were you one day, I may just sneak out and purchase a secret stash…
We all make choices on what is important to us and what we value, like you said I don’t mind spending $16 on some 3 Floyd’s Zombie Dust, but buying the new 50k SUV is for the froyo lady.
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Zombie Dust! How on earth do you get a hold of that? I have seen it in a bottle only once from a friend who managed to get his hands on it somehow.
Let me know when you are coming into town next, give me 2 weeks notice and I’ll see what I can do. I of course can’t divulge my secrets to the masses.
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The FroYo example reminds me of people who waste money on lots of crap at Walmart and similar stores instead of investing in quality once in a while. They want lots and lots of stuff for cheap, they don’t care if it lasts, where it’s made, etc. There’s nothing frugal about spending a little money on a lot of stuff that isn’t great.
I’m surrounded by people who do silly little “frugal” things while their overall financial picture is a wreck. I’m all about splurging at times (and my overall frugality enables me to do that), but not if it’s going to make me suffer in the long run.
Yeah! A relative called me rich a couple years ago because I had an iPhone (I don’t come from money!). However, years later, I have the same iPhone (4S). Plus, I bought it used for $99 and have it on a discount carrier.
Quality over quantity.
Our friend used to go to the froyo place for dinner, and just get fruit toppings only. She said raspberries were way cheaper there than at the grocery store, and she could eat all she wanted.
I love the concept of “big wins”. We all are guilty of getting caught up in the minutia, at the expense of the really important stuff.
That said, sometimes the big mistakes can’t be taken back that quickly. For example, you might be upside-down in an SUV and replacing it with a more reasonable used car takes capital and time. If I assume (naively) that this person realizes a change needs to be made and is working towards that…in the short term, saving on some gas might not be such a bad idea.
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“Our friend used to go to the froyo place for dinner, and just get fruit toppings only. She said raspberries were way cheaper there than at the grocery store, and she could eat all she wanted.”
Ha, that is an awesome way to hack the system!
“For example, you might be upside-down in an SUV and replacing it with a more reasonable used car takes capital and time.”
Yeah, good point and another reason why buying vehicles new is a mistake.
If I were her and I couldn’t get rid of the land yacht, I’d be trying to hustle on Uber.
ha! I love the trick with the raspberries! You can do the same thing with the DIY trail mix bar at Whole Foods sometimes when it’s on sale and the individual nuts are not. =)
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In the realm of frugal decisions, we don’t drive cost-efficient vehicles. Mr. Maroon proudly drives a full-size pickup. I know we could put the money to better use, but it’s ours free and clear and has been for many years. Oh and we were young and stupid five years ago. But I absolutely draw the line at truck n… I can’t even bring myself to say it. Living in Texas, and now Oklahoma, there is no shortage of them. It gives me the heebie-jeebies (anyone tried to spell that lately?) every single time I see them.
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Mrs. Maroon, I regret to inform you that you are the winner of this month’s contest, a brand spanking new set of rubber genitalia for you truck!!! 🙂
While I pass instant judgement on people who have these things on their vehicle, I greatly admire whomever came up with the idea.
Oh boy where do I start…yea I see that all the time. What good is it to save a few cents when you’re leaking cash on huge car payments? Sounds like my dad at a buffet chiding me for getting cheap carbs that will fill me up rather than the more expensive crab legs or something =) Although he didn’t drive a Yukon and was frugal in all respects so he was at least consistent. I do find myself following that philosophy a bit still though…haha…it’s been ingrained in my head. Although I also don’t drive a Yukon. But I’d have to get peanut butter cups at the FroYo place…those are my favorite!
Andrew@LivingRichCheaply recently posted…Living Rich Cheaply: Have Your Cake And Eat It Too!
Right-on with the PB Cups! I fill mine up with peanut butter yogurt. Then, I add the cups and butter finger pieces. After that, it’s peanut butter and hot fudge sauce. Oh yea! You’re making me hungry!
One time (and one time only), I went to one of those fancy Brazilian BBQ places. I was harassed to by a friend for eating cole slaw: “Dude, they put that out there so you eat less meat!” I didn’t care, it was good.
Just checking in on this one…
– I think I’m the only comment poster here who doesn’t have a blog
– We only use 2-ply. Ever.
– We only buy butter, never margarine.
– Our beer expenditures are ridiculous and don’t resemble a budgeted expense at all
– Our house is paid for (woo hoo!)
– We aim for saving 50% (another woo hoo!)
– Our “extra” car is a Yukon . . . but we bought it off Craigslist for $13,000 (not $50,000!) before I discovered all these frugality blogs. Yes I feel guilty for having it, but we don’t drive it unless we’re lugging lots of tweens around, which is about once a week
– Fro-yo is a big big treat. Yes, in terms of actual dollars it’s not as expensive as, say, cable TV, but the kids don’t have to know that! I lecture the them before we enter the building, hover over them while they’re selecting topping lest they f0rget the lecture, and share with them the cost of their fro-yo compared to their Prime Example of Life (me) and if necessary berate them for too big a serving. Ah yes, so many valuable life lessons to be learned courtesy of the fro-yo shop. And would you believe because I have all these fro-yo shop rules the kids value a trip there much more than they would otherwise. It is indeed a big treat.
So there you have it – everyone does things a little differently. Love your blog 🙂
I don’t have a blog either, but it seems like I’m the minority on most PF blogs these days. I like to hear from people who aren’t PF bloggers too.
Hi Beth, thanks for commenting! You’d be surprised how many people read without comment. This blog gets around 45,000 views/ month. MMM get 6,000,000! Very few people comment and even fewer non-bloggers…
Nice! You prove that there is a fine line between frugality and craziness. We control our kids portions at the FroYo place too. They get the smallest cup and a limit of 3 toppings. It is a rare and special treat and like yous, they appreciate going.
I don’t think it should be a place to teach money saving though. It is a treat after all.
Thanks for the kind comment!
I see your point completely but I more felt bad for the mother rather than wanting to scold her after hearing the story because I see it so often. It’s a common trap to obligate yourself up front into paying for big ticket items that make you feel rich or better off than others but in actuality they remove a lot of control over your finances. These parents made choices that now likely strain their finances and it probably doesn’t end with the Yukon purchase. That leaves them to stress about small purchases because that is the only thing in their control at this point. The rest of the budget is shackled by bills that they are obligated to pay, leaving little margin for anything else, or more than likely they are resorting to increasing credit card debt.
Frugal people tend to leave themselves large margins between earning and spending which provides freedom from these kind of scenarios. It’s a beautiful thing.
“It’s a beautiful thing.”
Right on and such a better way to live. My money security blanket brings me great happiness.
“I see your point completely but I more felt bad for the mother rather than wanting to scold her after hearing the story because I see it so often.”
I’d love to see a TV show just talking about money and teaching people how to live right. It would have to be entertaining, but I think it could be done. Each show could feature a case study. I think something like this could make a real difference.
What an excellent post! I can’t agree more with you on your points. On these day to day items it’s better to buy quality items than saving a few extra pennies. Some people just don’t see the big picture when it comes to savings. Some people save a few pennies here and there yet they have a huge leak somewhere else in their lives. Your cellphone upgrade example is perfect. Do people not realize it’s not “free” upgrade? The network providers are trying to get you to pay more money to them monthly, how is this free?
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Yeah, it amazes me how many people fall for advertising trickery. I have no idea why anyone would pay $100/month for a cell phone plan, but many do. Wake up people!
Hey, Heady Topper! That’s from my neck of the woods 🙂
My feeling is that a trip to the FroYo place should be a special occasion. That way I’m more comfortable with splurging on the heavy toppings!
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Kara, I can’t wait to visit your neck of the woods! It’s the former home of Mad Fientist and the future home of Frugalwoods. I here it’s beautiful.
I’ve been to 39 states, but Vermont has eluded me. 2015? 2016 at the latest.
#EpicRoadTrip
jkenny: no blog here either!
And I have been that Mom! (I do it in private BEFORE we go in) I have 4 kids and its a treat when I take them to get froyo. My daughter would load up her bowl with Swedish Fish – those things weigh a ton! I can get a whole bag/box for her at the dollar store. Yet she (I) was paying that same price for like 8 of them. Plus do you know how hard they get when cold? YUCK. Anyhoo.. I want my kids to know that everything has a price in life and I do believe that saving small amounts add up. BTW.. we usually get cones at Mickey D’s for $1/each. thats a bargain!
Swedish Fish on FroYo! Oh no!
Unrelated, but I was trying to get Mrs. 1500 to try lutefisk yesterday. Not. Gonna, Happen.
And kids are just as happy with the cones! The issue is our little one is 5, but doesn’t have a firm grip on using her mouth. Half of the cone ends up on her face.
Ugh. We had those “ice cream and toppings by weight” at our residence cafeteria in university. People were too cheap to buy overpriced ice cream that way, so it ended up being hard as a rock and no one could scoop it! Off campus ice cream and froyo shops were pretty happy though.
I’m one of those people who prefers to pay a little more for quality items, so there are things I definitely won’t cheap out on. When you look at things on a cost per use and cost per year basis, it pays off in the long run.
Yep, buy quality and keep it forever. Or in the case of food, eat out infrequently, but when you do, make it worthwhile.
I guess I hope there was some context to the mom’s comments – something along the lines of you each can spend $x on your yogurt, so if you want the most (biggest serving) possible, concentrate on getting the least dense toppings…. Perhaps it was a hidden lesson in density = mass/ volume?
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Ah, Mrs. PoP, the scientist.
I’m being really mean, but I don’t think this woman had any grasp on even the most remedial science.
Yay, 1500, my hero! We cannot, will not, must not skimp on the beer. Never have I seen such craziness than here in Houston where someone will get out of a Mercedes, walk into a bar, and order a Lone Star (think Miller Lite). Oh, what a boob!
Other than beer, I don’t spend much on anything. I will not skimp on healthy foods at the grocery store. I don’t eat all organic, not even close, but I figure I’d rather pay now than pay the medical bills later!
Food is one thing that is worthwhile. Even spending money on fancy food at the grocery store is far cheaper than going out to eat.
And Lone Star? Bleh! Is it as terrible as that music act by the same name? Worst song of all time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-skFgrV59A
Mr. 1500,
“I have an iPhone 4s with a cheap provider.”
You spendthrift! I’m rocking a cracked iPhone 3G with my $25/mo Aio plan. 🙂
But, seriously, spending $3 or $4 on a small frozen yogurt and then worrying about the toppings, when you’re driving around a Yukon? Talk about missing the forest for the trees….
I’d rather walk to the grocery store and buy a 1/2 gallon of ice cream for the same price when I’m in the mood for such a treat.
Best wishes!
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DM, you kick my ass! A 3G! I didn’t know any of those were still around! Hold on to it as it will be a collectors’ item soon!
Just stopping by to say… glad the TP is going the correct way. Carry on.
Yes! TP always goes OVER. Always.
Have you ever met anyone who is newly high income, but already wealthy due to frugal behaviors? I ask because the FroYo situation totally seems like something my parents would have done in high school when my dad’s business took off and he was earning more than double what he had previously. Before high school, my parents were living, giving and investing on a slightly above average salary with 5 kids, but then when my dad’s income jumped, they suddenly had money to spend, which they happily did in a penny-wise pound-foolish manner.
For example, my parents paid for private tennis lessons, but made me bike because of the cost of gas.
We sometimes went out for bagels, and would only order cream cheese on half the bagels since they spread it on so thick, but it would have been cheaper and easier to just order cream cheese and a dozen bagels (or cheaper yet by the same order from a grocery store).
Ha, interesting!
Personally, no matter how much money I have, I don’t think I’ll ever change. We passed the million mark and live in our 176K home. If I had 5 million or 10 million, we’d still stay in the same place.
The tennis lesson/biking thing is interesting. I wonder why people stick to certain things like they’re the gospel, but then lose their minds with other stuff?
Really the difference is if you can afford what you have or are doing isn’t it? We do have a paid off SUV virtually no debt except a small mortgage that we are murdering. We don’t complain about what we do or spend but do try to be careful and stay within our budget. My brother on the other hand is always buying, eating out, heavily in debt and says he is broke constantly. Rather disturbing to say the least.
Love this post / rant. I can’t tell you how many people I have seen nickel and dime their way to $10 worth of savings, when they are wasting the same amount on gas by driving a huge SUV to work everyday. It’s not that they shouldn’t try to save the $10 on the small stuff, it’s more that they are wasting so much more on the bigger items without giving it a second thought.
Waking up to the real cash drains is where you can save big. I’m talking Cable, Cell Phones, Cars, Home Energy Use (cough…dryers…cough…cough). Even just going to the library for a book vs purchasing one would probably save 10x the amount of your Fro-Yo example.
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I guess that 50 cent savings was going toward the kids’ college funds! 😛
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Haha solid post. People never realize where they’re actually wasting money. 80/20 rule at work again. 80% of your savings can come from 20% of your wasteful spending. Find that 20% and be as efficient as possible with how you save.
Sam
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