20 Telltale Signs You're a Cheapskate

Contrary to popular belief, there is a major difference between being frugal and being a tightwad. The former involves healthy discipline and maybe a little creativity.

The latter? Well, it knows no bounds. Anything goes if it means saving even one penny. So, how do you know if you’ve crossed the line from thrifty to stingy?

If you’re simply and smartly finding clever ways to crush debt and save more, you are thrifty. But here's when you might just be cheap.

If you’d rather melt than turn on the AC, we need to have a heart-to-heart. We’re all for using your HVAC system responsibly, but we cannot, in good conscience, support you on your path to heat exhaustion.

Invest in a good fan, at the very least.

Perhaps you only contribute napkins to company potlucks. (Napkins you pilfered, no doubt.)

While your co-workers are bringing actual food and making sure everyone gets enough, you’re doing the bare minimum but taking the most. That’s freeloading, not frugality.

First, pat yourself on the back for not hopping on every fashion trend or falling for the temptation of a weekend sale.

Now, go replace the jeans you’ve been mending and patching up for the last eight years. It’s time. It was time seven years ago.

If you find yourself washing disposable cutlery or rinsing out soiled paper towels so you can use them again later, please just buy actual silverware and dishcloths.

We love a good “reduce, reuse, recycle” moment, but this kind of frugality borders on unsanitary.

Maybe you don’t hold onto clothes until they’re mere tatters, but instead your pendulum swings in the other direction. In other words, you buy new outfits every week because you don’t plan to keep them anyway.

Clothing rental services do exist for thrifty shoppers, but your local boutique isn’t one of them.

You know what we’re talking about. If your laundry doesn’t smell dirty, it must be clean enough to wear again, right?

There are far better ways to save on detergent and cut back on water usage that don’t require you to take a whiff of your twice-worn unmentionables.

Perhaps paying for a meal without taking handfuls of sweetener — or creamer or ketchup packets — makes you feel cheated. This habit is especially bad if you feel compelled to take the Splenda even though you never use it.

It really is OK to exercise a little restraint and only take one or two of the condiments you’ll actually use.

Buffets can be expensive, but if you get your money’s worth by gorging to the point of nausea, you’re probably overdoing it.

Skip the tummy ache and go to a regular restaurant instead. (But leave the Splenda!)

There’s something to be said for home remedies and DIY solutions, but there’s also something to be said for buying the thing you need.

After all, if you’re spending $15 on the ingredients for a homemade cleaning concoction that costs $2 ready-made, what exactly did you save?

Believe it or not, some people swipe cutlery, ramekins, and even glassware when they go out to eat.

If you’re tucking tableware into your to-go box — or risking it all and putting dirty dishes right into your purse — you have likely crossed the line.

Repurposing presents isn’t always a bad practice, but it is a dangerous game. It’ll be painfully awkward if you get found out, and there’s a good chance you’ll hurt someone’s feelings.

If you don’t see the value in spending money on new gifts, stick to heartfelt cards instead.

We get it: Health care is anything but cheap. But slapping on a bandage when you really need stitches really isn’t a good or safe way to save money.

If that $50 urgent care copay feels too expensive, just wait until you find out how much it costs to treat sepsis.

Cutting back on nights out is one thing, but never seeing your friends or treating yourself to dinner and a movie? That’s a bit extreme.

How does that old saying go? All saving and no spending makes Jack a dull boy.

There’s a widespread myth that causing a scene or demanding a supervisor is a harmless way to snag discounts or freebies.

However, saving a few dollars is never worth throwing tantrums or jeopardizing someone else’s job. Besides, you’d be amazed how far customer service reps will go to reward kindness and patience.

Right up there with the tantrum throwers are the bad tippers. Opinions about tipping culture aside, refusing to cough up 15% to 20% of your bill to ensure your server gets paid is a little — OK, a lot — on the cheap side.

If you’d rather save a few bucks than leave a tip to stretch your restaurant budget, it’s best to dine at home.

There’s Netflix and chill, and then there’s Netflix and steal. Mooching off of your friends’ streaming logins might save you money, but it’s not exactly fair to them.

Why not split the subscription costs so everyone benefits? It’s like carpooling, but for couch potatoes.

Do you feast on food samples at big-box stores during your lunch break, or are you normal?

Nabbing a few freebies during your regular grocery run isn’t an issue. But when you turn the exercise into a way to replace entire meals, your cheapskate alarm bells should ring.

There are plenty of great ways to save at Costco that don’t require you to lose your dignity in the process.

Eating food that’s a day or two past the sell-by date is one thing. But if you’re slicing off moldy bits and chowing down as if they were never there, we need to talk.

Instead of risking illness in the name of saving, just go to the store instead.

Using water to stretch your hand soap is the oldest trick in the book. When that “soap” no longer lathers, however, it’s time to buy more.

A palmful of suds is your best friend when it comes to proper handwashing. Scrimping is your worst enemy.

Separating two-ply toilet paper into two rolls of one-ply toilet paper is about as cheap as it gets.

When you find yourself willingly compromising the structural integrity of your TP, your frugality has gone too far.

If you’ve turned to scheming and stealing in the name of saving, you are officially a card-carrying member of the cheapskate club.

Aside from clear ethical violations, it can be hard to know where to draw the line with your frugality. When your quality of life or your relationships suffer, re-evaluate your methods.

Some people don’t have a choice but to use these strategies to eliminate money stress. But if you can afford to be more flexible with your money habits, relish that fact, and remember that balanced spending is a goal worth pursuing.