Pride in the Name of (Savings) Love

So this blog was supposed to be all about The Day of Living Cheaply, aka how to get through a day spending zero dollars. I was even going to test-drive all of my ultra-frugal tips: steal complimentary coffee from a nearby hotel lobby, eat Costco samples for lunch, be a paid audience member for dinner money, etc.

I soon realized that not only am I too lazy to partake in said activities, I have far too much pride. So ended The Day of Living Cheaply.

Pride is a tricky thing when it comes to saving money and seeking out freebies. Being a professional deal hunter, I do a lot of online research to try to discover new and creative ways to save a buck. And I gotta say, a lot of the suggestions I see out there in the blogosphere make my skin crawl. Make your clothes last longer by, um, not washing them very often? Re-use paper towels? (As in use a paper towel, rinse it out the best you can, wait until it dries, then use it again.) And my personal fave: save valuable money on a hotel by sleeping at the airport.

The list of questionable money-saving suggestions goes on and on. I personally have better things to do than separating my two-ply toilet paper and re-spooling it onto convenient homemade one-ply rolls. (And if I didn't have better things to do, I certainly wouldn't admit to it!) The only airport sleeping I've partaken in is the type where you nod off in the middle of an early morning layover, only to be immediately woken by a screaming baby and/or indecipherable PA announcement. And I would hope that for the vast majority of people when it comes to washing one's clothes/dishes/self, hygiene trumps frugality every time. But then we get to the gray area...

I happen to have no problem using grocery coupons. I have friends, however, who would much rather pay $6 for a box of cereal than hold up a line with a fistful of coupon clippings. I regularly cut open a tube of lotion or toothpaste to get the last few drops out. Some consider that to be on par with crazy, Howard Hughes type behavior.

On the other hand, I am far too prideful for some frugal activities that others participate in without a second thought. I refuse to elbow my way past fellow bar patrons to get first crack at free Happy Hour food. I won't stand in a line around the block on Free Scoop Day. And I already explained my stance on toilet paper plies.

So I'm curious: where do you draw the line? When does pride get in the way of your saving a buck? And when is that for the best? Please weigh in below.

If you'd like more money saving tips and some fantastic deals on wine, follow me on Twitter @SavingsHSimas.