While wrapping a birthday present in the colored comics I save from the Sunday newspaper, a friend called me thrifty and I said “thank you”. It really didn’t sound like a compliment but I took it as one as I take pride in spending less, saving more and wasting less.
The definition of thrift is “the careful management of money” and it does not mean that I am cheap, it just means that I think carefully about what I buy and I make sure I get value for my money. It also means that if I save more I can decide where to spend more and for me being able to take a trip every year is worth being thrifty the rest of the time.
The reason I wrap presents in comics is not that I don’t have money for proper gift wrap or that I am cheap (or stingy or miserly) I just dislike buying something that is immediately thrown out once the gift if unwrapped. Sometimes I attach a $5 bill to a gift instead of a Hallmark card. When the kids were younger we had them make cards which worked well but since I have no talents in that regard I stick with cash.
When it comes to food, there is often a relationship between value and healthier choices – buying raw materials are cheaper than pre-packaged food and are usually lower in calories, fat and salt. GST is also an indication of how you spend your money in the grocery store as tax only applies to processed foods. There is no tax on vegetables, fruit, milk, bread and meat.
“Thrift is the proper stewardship of all resources. Time, money, goods and the earth’s finite bounty” as per Jane MacDougall
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