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PeopleImages from Getty Images Signature via Canva<\/p>\nIt\u2019s 2025. The economy is tanking, layoffs abound, AI is taking jobs left and right, and we\u2019re seeing people scrape every last penny they can. Frugality has become more than a trend. At this point, it\u2019s the basic way for many of us to survive.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve grown up around frugal people, you already know they\u2019re quite a bunch. They have their ways of doing things that can make big spenders feel awkward, and vice versa, as there are many things people do with money that make frugal people uncomfortable. At times, it can be a little fun to make them wince, but then again, pulling too many of those rude tricks can alienate them from you. Wanna see your frugal friend cringe? Do one of the things below. Want to keep your frugal friend around? Avoid these social gaffes as much as possible.<\/p>\n
These are 11 things people do with money that make frugal people deeply uncomfortable1. Asking to split the bill<\/p>\n
PeopleImages from Getty Images Signature via Canva<\/p>\n
Oh man, frugal people\u00a0hate this\u00a0with a passion. They often feel overburdened because they actually cut back on what they wanted to get just to lower the bill. Now, they\u2019re likely stuck paying more because someone else wanted to indulge.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re frugal and hate this faux pas, do yourself a favor and ask for a separate check before appetizers are put in during your next bar crawl.<\/p>\n
RELATED: 11 Things Frugal People Do That Make Their Friends Feel Guilty<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 2. Pressuring them to spend money on a date<\/p>\n Yes, we all know that it\u2019s 2025 and most people are okay with going Dutch. Some aren\u2019t. It\u2019s a part of life that remains up in the air, with etiquette varying from culture to culture. Most frugal people are okay with splitting the bill on a date or even paying the full bill as long as they feel it\u2019s an experience worth it. But they are\u00a0not\u00a0okay with being guilt-tripped and brow-beaten into paying for luxury experiences.<\/p>\n If anything, that\u2019s a good way to make a frugal person break up with you. And they\u2019re right to do so, since this behavior is almost a step away from an\u00a0actual romance scam<\/a>. So, don\u2019t do it. It\u2019s gross.<\/p>\n RELATED: 26 Fun (But Cheap!) Date Ideas For When You’re Trying To Save Money<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 3. Expecting them to spend money they don\u2019t have after they warned you<\/p>\n This actually happened to a friend of mine. He explained to his date that he was on a tight budget and that he couldn\u2019t do much without risking not having enough gas money. The date said that was fine and that she could pitch in.<\/p>\n She then ordered a fancier meal, to his chagrin. He reminded her that he was not OK with money. When the check arrived and his date looked at him expectantly, he reminded her about the conversation they’d had. She told him that she would be willing to pay for a date on their anniversary, but that she expected him to pay for everything right there at the moment. He quietly excused himself from the table, left without paying, and told the waiter it was on her. I couldn\u2019t blame him.<\/p>\n The person who asks a person out is\u00a0generally expected to pay<\/a> for the first date in modern dating. However, if money is tight and a person is upfront about their situation, behaving the way his date did was totally out of line.<\/p>\n RELATED: 11 Things That Instantly Make Someone Look Low Value, According To Psychology<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 4. Pressuring them to spend money on outings they can\u2019t afford<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever been the \u201cpoor kid\u201d in your circle of friends, you already know what this is like. It hurts when you can\u2019t afford to go on the trips everyone else gets to go on. You end up at this crossroads where you might have to choose your livelihood or your social status.<\/p>\n Do your frugal friends a favor and don\u2019t make a big deal if they can\u2019t make every outing. If anything, offer to visit at home and share some good times there.<\/p>\n RELATED: 11 Common Things Gen X Experienced That Are No Longer Affordable For Gen Z<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 5. Criticizing their frugal purchases<\/p>\n As a kid, this was traumatic. I came from a frugal family that didn\u2019t care about brand names. I went to a school that was all about brand names. The end result was awful. Kids regularly made fun of me for not wearing the right clothing or owning the right toys.<\/p>\n I was far from alone in this. In fact,\u00a0one major seller of school uniforms<\/a> started selling them because she wanted to prevent others from the bullying she experienced. Even as adults, judging others for the choice to avoid brand-name items stings. It also makes them deeply uncomfortable to have you around them.<\/p>\n RELATED: 11 Things Frugal People Do That Seem Weird Until You’re The One Paying The Bills<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 6. Not researching major purchases<\/p>\n Few things are as important to frugal people as major purchases. Frugal people will do a lot of research on everything about it, including the brand, the quality, the warranty, prices nearby, and repair costs\u2026 the works!<\/p>\n For frugal people, it\u2019s baffling to hear of people who don\u2019t even research basic issues on the cars they drive. Yet it happens every day. A quick read on a site like the FTC or\u00a0Consumer Reports<\/a> can save you a ton of money.<\/p>\n RELATED: 11 Things Frugal People Buy Once And Use For The Rest Of Their Lives<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 7. Not getting a second opinion for repairs<\/p>\n While we\u2019re on the topic of research, we may as well talk about the other major purchase category we never really discuss: repairs. We all hear about crooked repairmen who charge an arm and a leg for fake repairs on cars and homes. They\u2019re\u00a0scarily common<\/a>.<\/p>\n Frugal people are aware of this and will often call multiple repairmen to get things fixed. They will ask at least three for their own opinions, then go with the most reasonable one. Hearing of people who blindly trust just one person? Oh, that drives them nuts.<\/p>\n RELATED: Mechanics Reveal The Most Common Car Maintenance Mistakes That Can Cost Owners Thousands In Repairs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 8. Not maintaining their property<\/p>\n You can be the most savvy shopper imaginable, but it won\u2019t do much if you don\u2019t maintain your belongings. Truly frugal people will keep their house clean and running smoothly. They will wipe down their electronic equipment and install updates.<\/p>\n Why? Because they spent a fortune buying those items. They want to make sure those things last.<\/p>\n RELATED: 11 Little Things Frugal People Always Have In Their Homes That Most People Overlook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 9. Not bartering and trading<\/p>\n Frugal people are masters at the art of haggling. In most parts of the country, haggling and bartering is looked down upon. But why? It often lets both people get out of a trade with the most amount of profit.<\/p>\n When a frugal person tries to barter or haggle with a typical individual, it\u2019s often not well-received. It can even be taken as an insult.<\/p>\n RELATED: Former Property Manager Reveals A Clever Hack To Negotiate Your Rent Price If It’s Being Raised<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 10. Surprising them with fees<\/p>\n If you want to see a frugal person get angry, wait until you bring them to a car dealership that packs their car sales with\u00a0junk fees<\/a>. Junk fees are non-mandatory fees that just go to bloat up a car dealership\u2019s profits.<\/p>\n Most frugal people know this. They do their research. Seeing those fees is an insult to their intelligence. It\u2019s even worse when they refuse to budge on them after they spent hours trying to reach a sale.<\/p>\n RELATED: 11 Things People Who Grew Up Broke Still Can’t Justify Spending Money On<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 11. Paying for status<\/p>\n Frugal people hate status symbols. Or at the very least, they hate status symbols that aren\u2019t wise investments like cars.<\/p>\n If you want to see a frugal person get annoyed, watch their expression when they see a person drop $400 on pants that rip in a heartbeat. It will drive them bonkers, especially since most people buy these things to\u00a0get friends<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Pressuring](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/things-people-do-money-make-frugal-people-deeply-uncomfortable-pressure-to-spend-on-date.png\" "\\"Pressuring")
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