What has she taught us about money? Its not that money can turn a slightly spoiled hollywood teen into a psychopath, though you could probably make that argument. No, instead it is she has taught us:

“Im a slave for you”

I have a friend that recently has crossed the line from frugality into cheap…in his obsession to save money he has stopped doing anything worthwhile. Everyone has a friend that sometimes fits into the category of Mr or Ms Cheap. You know, instead of the Teddy Roosevelt of frugality, they cross the line into Ross from friends, taking salt out of the hotel salt shaker and unscrewing light bulbs. Ok so my particular friend hasn’t reached that point yet but many people have. They have become slaves to their money.

Just for fun, lets go over Mr Cheap ala Ramit’s definitions.

Mr Cheap:

Mr Cheap lets his friends buy all of the rounds at the bar
Mr Cheap refuses to lend you dollar when you are one dollar short for lunch
Mr Cheap buys things simply because they are cheap
Mr Cheap affects everyone around him
Mr Cheap dismisses ideas because they cost money
Mr Cheap is upset when his friends decide to do something that costs money

Worst of all Mr Cheap drinks PBR. Terrible.

So What is the point? Your friends suck?

No. The point is that you never want to get to the point where you are no longer controlling your money, but it is controlling you.The whole point of personal finance is to manage your money so that you can life a good life. When your money is controlling you, it is one of the most stressful situations possible. Even if you are in debt badly you should be able to allocate at least a small amount of money for fun and entertainment. Pay yourself first. The dog should always wag the tail, never the other way around.

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