My father's a child of the Great Depression. (He remembers when oranges were a Christmas treat.) That's probably why he's a bit of a cheapskate. He's a rather stingy tipper, so when I tip I try to be generous.
It shows when we want to buy a new dishwasher or video player or home computer or such. His instinct is always to buy the cheapest model available, and you'll have to fight him before he'll buy the second cheapest! My sister Moira says that it's a way of avoiding the decision. But on the other hand, you can also avoid the decision by buying the most expensive model!
Am I a cheapskate? Well, I like to keep wearing my clothes till they're clearly threadbare. I was thinking that if everyone started wearing their clothes as long as they could before buying new ones, the economy would be transformed. Where would the fashion industry be then? I've never understood why people view hand-me-down clothes as something to be ashamed of. I'm the youngest of three sons and often wore them in my childhood. Too many people are suckers for clothes marketing. Maybe I am a cheapskate...
No comments:
Post a Comment