Dawn Cadwell, proprietor of the website Frugal for Life, claims there’s a world of difference between being cheap and being frugal.
According to Cadwell, cheap means you’re engaged in self-indulgence – namely scheming to get stuff for free.
“It’s kind of like going out to eat with $10 and grabbing something for $8.99 and then leaving the change as a tip. That is cheap,” she explains. “To me, a frugal person would buy something for $5.99 and give the waitress a decent tip.”
Frugal? It’s one of the most heavenly words in existence.
Cadwell, of Englewood, grew up poor, and by the time she was in her 20s woke up with $20,000 in credit-card debt. The situation spurred a spiritual awakening that centered around thriftiness.
Soon, Cadwell began amassing a catalog of information from other sites, books and her own considerable experience in penny-pinching.
These days, Frugal for Life features tips on about almost anything life can throw your way. “Tip: Stretching your Coffee. If you are a coffee drinker, try re-grinding the coffee from the can before you use it. You will get about 10 percent more use out of it.”
Using “The Tightwad Gazette” – a 1990s newsletter and then books by self-proclaimed “frugal zealot” Amy Dacyczyn – as a model, Cadwell began the Frugal for Life website as a place to index her vast knowledge on the topic.
“After reading about how bankruptcies were going up each year, hearing people living paycheck to paycheck at work,” she explains, “I thought maybe the information I had could help people if they stumbled upon it.”
Now 33, Cadwell, who works in tech support in the Denver area, runs a website with Zen-themed aesthetics that dispenses money-saving advice to about 600 to 700 visitors daily. Comments and discussions are welcome.
Cadwell typically begins with a straightforward question: Do I really need this?
I ask her if that’s a fair or useful question. We don’t need a lot of things, after all. And with widespread grousing about consumerism and materialism – too often coming from folks who drive German cars and buy $7 cups of coffee – we’re often made to feel guilty about our success.
What’s wrong with enjoying the fruits of our labor? Or utilizing the modern conveniences that make life easier? Does Cadwell believe there is something inherently immoral about materialism or moral about frugality?
“If you have money and disposable income to buy what you want,” she says, “I don’t think it’s a moral issue. I think it’s about priorities when you don’t have the income. It’s about people who buy things they can’t afford and don’t need.”
Frugal for Life features some advice that can be useful for everyone. Some other recommendations, well. …
Tip: “Not only do Dumpsters and trash cans have furniture, but I have also found the following items in my history of diving: Comic books … many pennies … much wood … chairs … usable computer equipment.”
As much as I enjoy comic books and chairs, I’m not so sure Dumpster diving is for me.
Cadwell says sometimes it’s just a matter of trial and error. Even she can throw out a dud from time to time – using tennis balls instead of dryer sheets, for instance, was an unmitigated debacle.
The potential success of Frugal for Life does make Cadwell uneasy. Some days she feels like a hypocrite. “I spend around 20 bucks a month on the vending machine.”
But don’t confuse her concerns with being a cheapo.
“Some people are frugal in one area – they may recycle, they may get furniture and clothes at Goodwill – but they will love their sailboat to death,” she says. “They sacrifice in an area to have something they’re passionate about.”
Tip: “If you have some food that your dog doesn’t like, try sealing it in a bag with some beef jerky for a while and try again.”
For more tips on parsimony go to: www.frugalforlife.blogspot.com/.
David Harsanyi’s column appears Monday and Thursday. Reach him at 303-820-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com
