Confession time. I'm a "make your own," "do it yourself" kind of nut. I prefer hand knitted socks, home made bread and home grown mint tea. I may be just a little bit of a snob when it comes to things like that, too, because I think the quality is so much better.
As a rule, home made, hand made, hand crafted, whatever you call it, is more frugal, too. I know it costs more initially to knit your own socks, but they last a lot longer. Some things are like that - you can't define frugal only by the evident price.
Can frugal people be snobs? I think so. I know so. But then, maybe we'd better define "snob."
Let's use this one, from Dictionary.com: "a person who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have different tastes regarding this field: a musical snob."
I like the first part, anyway.
But when we begin to think that our way is the only way, we're wrong. Home made bread isn't easy for everyone to make and it may not even be cost effective for everyone.
That's one example, but if you think just a little, you can come up with examples of why your pet frugal ideas just don't fly for others. Maybe you can see, too, why some ideas don't seem to work for you.
So, can frugal people be snobs? Yep. Doesn't mean we should be, though.
What kind of yarn do you use? I got some sock yarn, but it is so expensive here! But I did need some wool-blend socks, so I got yarn anyway. The cheapest I got was on sale Opal yarn, but the socks I made with it sag. The Regia yarn, I do like, but I can't get it on sale the same, and it is pricey.
ReplyDeleteMaybe baby yarn would work? But sock yarn often has a stretchiness to it that helps with the finished product, I think...
I use spiral tube socks patterns. That way I don't have to mess with the heel, and the spiral tube does just fine! I also use 11 or 12 inch long sock needles, so I just keep knitting around & around (and the stitches don't slip off like when I used to use 3 or 4 needles around). I am working on another pair, but they do take me some time to do.
-Taylor
I use various brands of yarn. The last pair of socks I made were Lion Brand Magic Stripes which I bought at a thrift store - two skeins, plus some baby yarn, for $3.
ReplyDeleteWhether the socks are stretchy or not depends on the type of yarn. You can use baby yarn, or any fine yarn, but baby yarn won't stand up to the hard wear that socks take.
I've used the spiral tube socks and liked them, but I tend to get bored with any pattern and have to find something else.
If you have thrift stores nearby, take a look at them and you might be able to find a good buy there, too.
Both my husband and I are DIY kind of people. With our combination of skills, we make a great team! The positive side is that we have gotten the satisfaction of being able to save tremendous amounts of money doing it ourselves as well a the satisfaction of a job well done. In fact, the family joke is that we must tell the person who is receiving a gift that we made it, otherwise, they usually do not know! Unfortunately, we also joke that it costs us five dollars a dozen for eggs from our own hens, and ten dollars a pound for raising our own turkeys! While we are exaggerating the actual cost, many things do cost more to make or raise. We are driven to continue this lifestyle because the quality is so superior. We feel it makes it worth it in the end. For those who are not driven, it isn't worth it for them. In fact, it would probably make them miserable.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
Gigi
Gigi, that's exactly my point. Well said!
ReplyDeleteI'm a frugal snob in the way that I do not buy anything I will not use and do think is of inferior quality.
ReplyDelete