By B. G. Markstad I have noticed in the end there are 3 types of frugality - conspicuous, hidden and sporadic.
Conspicuous frugality parades how wise it is with money.
The person who argues with the clerk that he was overcharged 15 cents, whose house has broken chairs, whose sidewalk is cracked and whose planter just fell off the wall and lies on the lawn, is possibly saving money by not doing repairs but is also showing an attitude. If your winter coat has duct tape patches and your shoelaces are tied oddly because they have been torn and are very short, you are conspicuously frugal. This type of frugality tends to turn people away. One of the ironies of our society is that people are embarrassed to be poor at the time but later brag of having been poor when young. Having to walk uphill to school in a snowstorm, having to take turns seeing who got to eat the meat for dinner - those are the tales grandparents tell, trying to teach their kids the value of money.