Frugal Is The New Sexy

Well, okay, maybe it isn't. But how do you make being careful and responsible with your money into an exciting, if not sexy, personality trait? The article How to Be Frugal and Still Be Asked on Dates discusses the issue. The article opens with:

"Saving may be making a comeback, but it still hasn’t gotten its sexy back, particularly if you’re a man.

Earlier this month, the Commerce Department reported that the personal savings rate in June was a much-improved 6.4 percent and that the number had risen as high as 8.2 percent in the depths of the stock market doldrums in the spring of 2009.

Those who are single may not have been rewarded for their parsimony, though. Now comes some survey data from ING Direct, the people who would like you to save more money in their online savings accounts. In June, the company asked 1,000 people which words would come to mind if someone was fixing them up on a blind date with someone described as frugal.

Just 3.7 percent answered “sexy,” while 15 percent picked “boring” and 27 percent chose “stingy.”"

So the cheapskates among us have their work cut out. But the most interesting thing to me was what went into newspaper personal ads way back in 1860. Here is what one ad says:

"“A young lady, rather good looking, and of good address, desires the acquaintance of a gentleman of wealth (none other need apply), with a view to matrimony.”"

Here is an ad from a man in 1860:

"“The advertiser, a successful young business man of good education, polite manners and agreeable address, having recently amassed a fortune and safely invested the same, wishes to meet with a young lady or widow.""

Do men still need to be wealthy today to meet that special woman? Does more money help? If you are not willing to spend alot on your girl friend hurt a guy?

There is actually a blog about how to save money shopping called Frugal Is The New Sexy!

Then there was this funny cartoon from the Wall Street Journal. It was originally at Pepper...and Salt.