example a) we always, always each got a new box of crayons for christmas. the old boxes got dumped into a big tub that we could use to replace any crayons we used or broke in our new boxes and if that tub got too full the extras got donated to the local elementary school.

example b) once my parents found the china they wanted (which was like 15-20 years after they got married) they got a ton of it (like place settings for something ridiculous like 36 with expectations that kids using it would mean some of it would break sometimes, one set of 12 they got from an ad in the newspaper for $100 total) and they got rid of everything else. we always used the fine china at every meal. that was just normal for us.
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BTW — I thought I was the only one who loved that peach crayon in the Crayola 64 box (with sharpener, of course). I used that crayon up much faster than any of the others because it was my preferred color of choice for skin color on the people I was drawing.
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I’ve gotten a little better with this now that my kiddos are older… but it’s still hard for me to see them use up things like stickers or break crayons.

It’s good to remind yourself that it’s good to be frugal… but it’s just silly to waste perfectly good stuff in the name of frugality. If you’re not going to use it… give it to someone who will!

@Heather thanks! Glad to know I’m not alone.

@Meg indeed, it was the contradiction in my thinking & actions which inspired the title. All the while I was being wasteful while thinking myself frugal. Cheap is the word for it.

@Carl Sounds like a good shift!