Photo by Chris Owens
Every week I’ll pose a question for you to share your experiences and tips. If you have a question that you’d like me to post, I’d love to hear from you!
Saving money has always been important to me, even when I was a teenager, but I wouldn’t consider myself “cheap.” I happen to love Starbucks, especially the seasonal pumpkin spice latte, and there are other quality items I’m willing to pay more for, even if it’s not always the most frugal choice.
I recently stumbled across this definition of a “ghetto latte”, made by ordering an iced espresso and then filling up the cup with the free milk at the condiment station to make a latte for half the cost, and I wondered where the line between frugal and cheap is drawn.
Where do you draw the line between being frugal and just being cheap? How would you define being cheap? Do you think ghetto lattes (and other similar hacks) are dishonest, or is it just the same as taking advantage of loss leaders to build a stockpile of free products? Weigh in here.
Join the discussion — add your two cents to previous Ask DSM Readers questions too!
Sarah
Just for the record, the price of sugar and the price of coffee have both sky-rocketed recently. Your coffee shop is paying a lot more to get the beans to make your espresso and the sugar you’re adding is costing them more too. Milk isn’t free for them either.
charlene
Ouite frankly if you dont have the money for a real latte beuing the difference of a $1.50 then you shouldnt be buying coffee out but making it at home which averages 50 cent a cup… i dont believe its stealing as they are there for the customers use and you couldnt be arrested for ‘overusing the milk’ but if you have respect for yourself you just wouldnt spend 10 minutes filling it up with tiny little milk packets…
emmaoforange
Your entire take-out drink should still fit in the cup it came in when you leave.
The ghetto latte is like ordering a small cup of coffee and then putting it in to a milk jug to top it off.
emmaoforange
Also, Starbucks or local coffee shop must pay their bills, light, heat, staffing and insurance to stay open (Starbucks is actually one of the few fast food places to offer it.)
We expect to be paid when we work and hope for a profit (what we save) If it feels a food is overpriced, don’t buy it.
Rachel
I think the affect on others (company or other shoppers) is on target for me. Ghetto latte =- shady / cheap.
But, there’s more than just coffee here. The exact line is not always apparent/universal. However, I find some stockpilers to be cheap (way beyond frugal). As someone who has 10 shampoos in my cabinet accumulated perhaps across 5 sales, I’m all about taking advantage of deals. But,….
I sometimes think stockpilers are cheap and have crossed the line past being frugal. Please, when you stockpile 40 shampoos and clear out all local Rite Aids (in one morning), you are denying me the chance to buy and making a bad name for couponers. That’s cheap! Can you stop at say, 5 shampoos across 1 rite aid?! There’s one thing about taking advantage of loss leaders, there’s another about clearing them out across 4 stores in the metro area (and blogging about it on the dealseeking websites!). It is behaviors like this that go over the line from frugal to cheap.
twogirlsmommy
Totally AGREE rachel!!
Kristi E
I think the topic of conversation has gotten way off for some of you, the question was frugal or cheap not how much Starbucks charges. Truth be told Starbucks would not charge as much were it not for their gratis products being taken advantage of.
And again it’s not about adding some milk and sugar to your coffee as you do at home, do you add a half quart of milk to your coffee at home?
Frugal is saving money and using your conscious. Being cheap is taking advantage because “it’s there for you as a paying customer”.