The Just How Frugal Are You Quiz
When we first got Netflix I discovered a show from TLC called Extreme Cheapskates. To my horror there were people far, far, far more cheap than I ever imagined. I don’t use the term cheap lightly. Cheap means that you literally find ANY way to get something FREE or avoid spending money. My definition of thrifty means you are smart, calculated and focused on saving money where you can and using what you already have.
That’s why I came up with this fun questionnaire called The Just How Frugal Are You Quiz to see just how thrifty you are. You might discover there are a few avenues of thrifty living you didn’t even know about. After you read through the questions, add up how many describe you and compare your total to see where you fall on our “How Frugal Are You” quiz.
1. You have picked up someone else’s (non-food, non-perishable) trash from the side of the road and re-used, re-purposed or sold it.
2. You know your thrift store’s weekly sale cycles.
3. Much of the furniture in your house was free, off the side of the road or came from a thrift store or garage sale.
4. Your pantry, fridge and freezer contain 90% off brand products.
5. You have a coupon folder that contains coupons for every major retail store and restaurant in your area.
6. You don’t have cable or a land line phone.
7. You will try to do something yourself before you think of hiring a professional.
8. You often barter skills, tools or services with friends or neighbors.
9. You change your own oil & wash your own car.
10. You cut a few or all of your family member’s hair yourself.
11. You do your own manicures and pedicures.
12. You cut your own grass and do your own landscaping.
13. You rarely download books on your E-reader that aren’t free.
14. You always find a place to eat free on your birthday.
15. You drive a car without automatic windows or locks.
16. You drive used cars until they die.
17. If there are lots of left-overs at a party, you make your own doggie bags to go.
18. You’re car is so old or has such high mileage that you only keep liability insurance on it.
19. You regularly check out your community calendar to find free stuff for your family to do.
20. When you get a coupon that gives you $10 off a $10 purchase, you only spend $10.
21. You know the definition of “Go Gazelle”.
22. You’ve called into the Dave Ramsey Show to do your Debt Free Scream.
23. You’ve carried cash in an envelope system a time or two.
If you answered yes to 18-23 of these questions.
MILLIONAIRE KIND OF FRUGAL- You probably grew up in a home with a frugal parent. You have MacGyver kind of skills for taking what you have an making it useful. You rarely struggle with money simply because you just don’t spend it. You may have a hard time getting rid of things. You probably get an adrenaline rush from getting amazing deals or quality items for free. You don’t hide your frugality and rarely care about what others think of you. You may even find ways to make money by buying your items cheap and re-selling them for a profit. You like using retail and manufacturer coupons to get items for next to nothing or free. If you are strategic with your income and savings, you will probably be a millionaire in your lifetime.
If you answered yes to 11-17 of the questions.
FRUGAL LIFESTYLE LOVER- Saving money is always on your mind. You live a busy life so you can’t always do everything yourself but you try. You love shopping at thrift stores, consignment stores & garage sales for your household and clothing needs. You use coupons whenever possible and typically buy off brand products to save extra money. You love making old things look new. You often find ways to re-use or re-purpose items before you throw them out. Your friends are impressed by the deals you find. You enjoy the frugal lifestyle but you do sometimes pay regular prices for items you want or need. If you are strategic with your savings, you will probably retire comfortably.
If you answered yes to 6-10 of the questions.
FRUGAL EXPLORER- You’re a person who pursues a frugal lifestyle and are working to be better at saving money. When you hear of a new way to save you put it in your repertoire and try to remember it for later. You may have struggled with saving money in the past but over time are beginning to get your spending under control and finding ways to save to get ahead and pay off debt. You enjoy shopping semi-annual sales and clearance racks for new things. Shopping at thrift stores or garage sales is fine by you but you don’t always think to shop there first. You rock at finding great deals on items you need online and have probably purchased a few good deals from Ebay and Craigslist.
If you answered yes to 1-5 of the questions.
CONVENIENCE SAVER- You like the idea of saving money but don’t always have the time to worry about it. You probably have enough money to be comfortable and you like to save money when it’s convenient. If you happen to have a coupon in your purse or it’s one you took off the package at checkout you are happy with yourself. You probably prefer getting something new on sale over buying the same item used.
DISCLAIMER
This quiz was totally for fun and was meant to inspire you to find or try more and more ways to be frugal each day. The score sheet is no way accurate or representative of any particular person. I made the whole thing up and it’s not scientific or statistical. It may not even be accurate about you. I’d love to know if it was though. I hope you found it entertaining and will share it with your other frugal loving friends.
What’s one area of frugal living you want to work on or one that you have already mastered?
Kim Anderson is the organized chaos loving author behind the Thrifty Little Mom Blog. She helps other people who thrive in organized chaos to stress less, remember more and feel in control of their time, money, and home. Kim is the author of: Live, Save, Spend, Repeat: The Life You Want with the Money You Have. She’s been featured on Time.com, Money.com, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Day, and more!