Frugal by choice

There’s a huge distinction between people who are frugal out of necessity and by choice. Depending on your particular financial situation, you are probably one or the other, if at all. My husband and I happen to be frugal by choice. We have a good income and choose not to squander it by living above our means, quite the opposite of our peers. We’ve learned to deal with the reactions from others when they see that we’re not buying the newest cars, the latest gadgets, or name brands. But, to deal with other frugal folks who have an elitism mentality is something else.

I went on an our annual girl camping/canoeing (Midwest folks call it floating) trip this past weekend and had a blast. What I didn’t enjoy was one of the girls’ inability to understand that not everyone did things her way. I understand that her financial situation is very tight, and she’s become quite an effective frugalitarian (is that a word?). But, she constantly argues with people because they do things differently.

I just chose to not argue. I listened, but didn’t resond. In reality, for me, it just wasn’t worth the discussion. It’s like that old saying, “those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still.” Have any of you run into this? If so, how do you deal with it?

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