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Anyone who really knows me, is well aware that I'm a spender. Penny pinching isn't my thing. That isn't to say that I'm flinging money about like water. What it does mean, though, is that I don't go out of my way to save a few cents — or even to save a few dollars. While I think that saving money, setting funds aside for the future and emergencies, is important, I don't really think that I'm going to achieve financial freedom by clipping coupons and denying myself a weekly meal in a restaurant.

Sometimes It's Worth It To Pay More

One of the biggest reasons that I'm not a penny pincher is because I honestly believe that sometimes it's worth it to spend more money. Yes, I can go to the buffet chain restaurant and load up on mediocre food. I can save a lot of money doing that, too. But I don't enjoy it as much as I would a meal from the best restaurant in town. Since I enjoy food, and good food is a priority for me, I am willing to pay a little bit more for it.

This is true of some conveniences, such as flying at a time that I consider saner than taking a red-eye, and that allows me to see my son off to school before I leave. It's worth the extra $50 to me. Of course, there are things that I wouldn't spend as much money on. I'm not big into trinkets; buying a postcard or a cheap magnet to commemorate a trip is sufficient for me.

I'd Rather Make More Money

While I believe that it's important to get good value for my money, I don't like taking the time that it takes to be really successful at some of the techniques that are often used to pinch pennies. Yes, I look for bargains. But I'm not nitpicking over a couple bucks. And I don't enjoy the coupon game. While it works for some people, and I don't think there's anything wrong with being frugal and pinching pennies, it's not my preferred method of paying for what I want.

Instead, I prefer to make more money. I have to admit, though, that I am lucky and blessed in that it isn't usually very hard for me to make a little more. I can write an extra article or two, or take on an extra project. If I want a pedicure, I can write an extra article — there's no need for me to pinch pennies for three weeks with coupons, or skip my trip to the restaurant.

Bottom Line

We all have different priorities, and we all prefer to spend our money on different things. Perhaps I'm not being as disciplined as I could be, but as long as I have a general plan for the future, and I'm taking care of what needs to happen, I don't see any reason to pinch pennies if I don't have to. What do you think? Are you a penny pincher? Why or why not?

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