How cheap are you?

English: Nike, Inc. tennis shoes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I probably know a dozen folks that are so cheap, they have lost touch with reality. I'm not talking about being thrifty. Everyone should be thrifty. It just seems some people are obsessed with with being cheap to the point where they can't see the long term value of paying a fair price for a quality item.  For example, my friend in Minnesota would never eat at a restaurant if they didn't have a coupon. If they had to, they would order the special of the day. They waste money driving around to get to a "coupon" restaurant that they ignore the neighborhood cafe who really needs their business. Then you have the folks who just can't walk into a store a just buy something. They have to make sure they compare prices and features to every similar item within a 50 mile radius no matter how insignificant the item. Then to top things off, they try to negotiate the price down with the manager. Yes, you can save money doing this but isn't your time worth something? Time is money. There are also folks out there who always buy cheap crap that breaks down all the time. They just bought it because it was cheap. For example,  I bought a pair of off brand tennis shoes because they were cheap. Unfortunately, I found my feet didn't like them. As I get older, I find it more important to wear good shoes. It's worth it to me to pay a little more for a brand name shoe that I know is good, than to go cheap. As the old story goes, you get what you pay for.