These are just a few of the many clichés that can make a frugal person cringe. It is important to be mindful of these clichés and avoid them if you want to achieve your financial goals. “What media cliché hurts your frugal heart the most,” asked a user on the forum.
Here are some of the best replies.
BUYING MULTIPLE PREGNANCY TESTS
“People buying dozens of pregnancy tests. It’s not just a waste of money; it’s been done to death. I’m not talking about buying in bulk, but about buying and immediately taking dozens of tests because you’re so afraid you’re pregnant. It happens so often it’s like it’s obligatory. Perhaps sponsored by Big Pregnancy Test.”
BUYING TOO MANY BABY THINGS
“People think they need to buy vast amounts of new stuff when they are pregnant. Babies use most things for like five minutes. The world is full of cheap/free hand-me-downs!”
GUTTING AND OLD TO RENOVATE THE WHOLE HOUSE
“I think the TV shows about home decor and rents have messed up a lot of people’s finances. The notion is that you have to gut and reno the whole house before you move in rather than just saving up and slowly tackling one project at a time. People have no emergency fund or college savings for their kids, but they have marble countertops.”
HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS IS EXPENSIVE
“I don’t like the message that to hang out with friends; you need fancy food, expensive plates, alcohol, and over-abundance. Some of my favorite times with friends have been pot-luck casual times.”
CLUELESS FATHER/BOYFRIEND BUYING EVERY KIND OF TAMPON
“Dumb father/boyfriend fill an entire shopping cart with every brand and size of every kind of tampon and pad because they don’t know what to buy.”
CHARACTERS THAT LIVE BEYOND THEIR MEANS
“My pet peeve is always seeing main characters living beyond their means of what their job/industry allows. They have expensive cars, nice neighborhoods, and huge TV, and yet if you look up their profession, it barely makes 40k. Hollywood is completely detached from reality on how most people live.”
SHOWS PROMOTING IN AND OUT STYLES
“The whole fashion industry promotes “in” and “out” styles that you constantly have to change for every season. So many articles of clothing are worn just a few times, then thrown away or dumped at a Goodwill. I love looking at the creativity and talent of certain designers (Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen), but not the whole People magazine “cardigans are out, blazers are in!! mentality.”
THROWING OUT FOOD
“Throwing food out just because they got a better offer. That’s not a huge expense, but it is still an expense! Just stick it back in the fridge for later.
Same with that thing where they show a cop buying food to-go, then the cop gets a call on the radio, and the meal they LITERALLY JUST BOUGHT goes straight into the nearest trash can. Seriously? You’ll get there just as fast with the bagged meal sitting next to you. It might be cold when you get around to eating it, but there’s no reason to throw it out.”
TRASHING THE ROOM WHEN YOU’RE UPSET
“Trashing your room when you are upset. Even punching drywall costs a small but substantial amount of money and effort to fix. And in the media, we see people throwing their iPhone pro max at their 85-inch Sony TV…”
PEOPLE USE 87 TYPES OF CLEANERS TO CLEAN ONE THING
“TikTok people who film themselves cleaning something (toilet, sink) with 87 types of cleaners, creams, powders, and foams. You only need one, and also, you just wasted $50 worth of cleaning supplies! Maddening!”
MODERN LAVISH WEDDINGS
“This might be unpopular, but modern-day weddings. Tons of people in my country are in debt, live paycheck to paycheck, and can’t afford a down payment on a house. It blows my mind it’s “normal” to spend 30k on one day.”
BUYING ANIMALS AS GIFTS OR APOLOGIES
“Randomly buying people animals as gifts or apologies (ex: puppies, birds.) Not only is an animal a HUGE responsibility day to day, but caring for them requires a huge financial commitment for the rest of the animal’s life. Food, bedding, healthcare — animals are living things, not accessories!”
THROWING CELL PHONE WHEN MAD
“I mean, throwing your cell phone when you’re mad.”
THE BIG BREAKFAST NO ONE EATS
“That they also miraculously have time to prepare. If I made so much delicious food, you’d better believe I’m sitting down and eating it even if I’m late.”
OLD CARS ARE UNSAFE
“The myth that if you have kids, you need a huge brand new SUV or minivan because a car older than three years old is “unsafe” and a regular sedan is “too small.” My parents managed three kids with a Corolla for a long time.”
THE POOR WHO LIVE IN GIANT APARTMENTS
“Poor people on TV who live in giant apartments that I sure couldn’t afford. Like when they portray characters as absolutely broke, but then they have these massive well-stocked apartments for a single person. Space costs money!”
PEOPLE IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT ROLES LIVE IN FANCY HOUSES
“In movies or tv shows, the person in a senior management role always lives in a fancy house perfectly filled with nice furniture and decoration. The reality is many executives also live in mediocre-looking spaces.”
BUYING DIAMONDS FOR EVERY OCCASION
“Every Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day, they run commercials about buying your wife a diamond from (insert name) jewelry store as if you don’t love her enough unless you buy her a diamond. Although they are beautiful, diamonds are seriously overrated. There are many other kinds of jewelry that you can buy for her that are very beautiful and not so expensive (IF that’s the kind of thing that you would like to do for her). Choose not to be like everyone else! Get creative.”
Anika Jindal
Anika is a CPA and founder of What Anika Says. She shares simple and actionable frugal living, money management and money-saving tips to live a debt-free financially independent life. She has been featured on popular websites like Bankrate, Forbes, Mint ,and Authority Magazine. Byline: MSN