Frugality for some may not be a choice yet, for others it may be. Regardless of whether it’s a preferred way of living or out of necessity, frugal shaming can occur. What is Frugal shaming exactly? Frugal shaming to put in simple terms defined by Get Rich Slowly is “referring to folks who look down on others for being too cheap or miserly with their money” Frugal shaming can look different in multiple ways and vary in different degrees. Some examples of frugal shaming I’ve personally experienced have been quite unsettling for someone who chooses to be frugal a majority of the time.

 I worked as a cashier for 12 years. The amount of Frugal shaming I experienced and observed within a management position and also from a cashier standpoint was quite jarring. I remember we would get returns. I was working at this particular store that had reduced food items that catered more to people who were on a tighter budget than most. We did accept returns even though the prices were quite reduced. Some customers would return small items that were under a dollar. They were not satisfied with the item and they were granted their money which is totally acceptable because it was store policy. 

Yet, I remember customers would make comments behind the other customer’s backs. The other customers would say to the employees “ did they just return that for only less than a dollar? Why go through that trouble? Why hold up the line? Why waste our time, pertaining to the manager and the other customer’s time . Even though the customer who did return the item, did absolutely nothing wrong. The fact that they were being mindful of their money by returning a product they were not satisfied with made them more susceptible to frugal shaming just perpetuates the stigma around frugal shaming.

Another example I have is directed at me personally. I am an avid couponer and have been for over 10 years. I started couponing in high school and it’s something I enjoy. A little known fact is you can use manufacturer coupons at Dollar Tree, I would recommend looking at Dollar Tree‘s coupon policy for further info on that. I went to this one particular Dollar Tree near my hometown and every time I would go in there the cashier would frugal shame me for using coupons.

This one time I went up to her register and handed her my coupons. She started scanning the coupons and with each coupon she said, “ I hate coupons, I hate coupons, I hate coupons,” slamming each coupon down on the counter. This made me feel so drained and so exhausted because I wanted to get a discount and live a frugal lifestyle yet I ended up getting shamed. Even though I was following the policy of the store, it felt like I was doing something wrong.

There are many reasons not to frugal shame, yet a few come to the forefront of my mind:

• You never know what someone’s financial circumstances look like. You never know what they are going through in their own personal life. You have not walked in their shoes.
• It is rude and you are not entitled to shame anyone based on their frugality.
• Your shaming can affect someone’s life in a negative way.
• By frugal shaming you are further continuing this problem and stigma around frugality.

Frugal shaming in a nutshell can be detrimental to a person’s mental well-being. As stated before, you never know what a person is going through within their financial situation. Just be mindful and always think before speaking because words are powerful especially to those in a more vulnerable financial situation.