Am I A Cheapskate, Or Am I Just Sensible?

I like money. I don’t have a lot of it, compared to some— but I like it nonetheless!— which is why I try to live frugally. Sometimes, I consider the things I do, ‘thrifty’— you know, upcycling old bedside cabinets and wardrobes by rubbing them down and painting them— that kind of thing. But other times, I know I’m a right cheapskate. Penny-pincher. Tight-wad. Stingy!

…Or am I just being sensible and responsible?

Of course I’ll treat myself now and again (a nice top here, a new handbag there), but I’ve never been one for spending a lot of money on single (and what I deem to be overpriced and expensive) items and especially since having Byron and being paid the Government’s idea of what you can live off of, aka. Statutory Maternity Pay, the purse strings are, naturally, a lot tighter. It’s not so much that there’s another mouth to feed, but more that our income is lower (single parent families, you are brilliant. I don’t know how you do it!) and I now think twice before buying something.

I like to have nice things, but I really begrudge paying a lot for cosmetics, skincare and even clothing sometimes. I realise that generally, the more you pay, the better the quality of product usually, but it gets to a certain point and you’re just paying for the name. When it comes to cosmetics, I spend a little more on the essential items sometimes, but even paying £30 for foundation or a bronzer for example, just seems extortionate to me. THIRTY POUNDS STERLING. Let’s think about that for a second. Walking along the street, you might feel great wearing Chanel Vitalumière Foundation (£34) but can anyone actually tell the difference? The most I’ve ever spent on foundation is around the £20 mark, and even then, that was with a gift voucher. You certainly won’t catch me paying £21 for a single eyeshadow, that’s for sure.

You know you’re getting old when you say, “What is this world coming to?!”, but really… WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO. When did it become acceptable and ‘affordable’ to pay £150 for a pair of jeans? £60 for a cardigan? £55 for a skirt?! I might be being sensible, but I also blame affordable high street fashion like Primark and drugstore brands like MUA and Sleek, for the fact I find it hard to part with my money these days.

Even when I was working full-time pre-baby, you wouldn’t catch me splurging on Selfridges make-up counters and raiding the rails in Monki.