Now you tell me!

Umpteen years ago when I was in college - an economics professor lured us to class one day with the promise of helping us learn the magic to becoming millionaires. "Never marry. Never buy a car. Buy nothing new. Save everything you make except for necessities. And no matter how little you make, if you live long enough - you'll eventually be a millionaire." What I learned in that lecture? Never trust anybody who teases you with brilliant information.

I'm frugal - but not a miserable tightwad unable to enjoy life. A few weeks ago my wife and I invited a couple out to eat lunch. They are well-known tightwads in our circles. Every time we take them out they always split an entre and ask for two plates. We joked beforehand wondering if they would do it this time. Sure enough. They did. One order of fajitas - with two plates. While I appreciate them for not ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, I find it fairly miserable to behave as they do. We'll invite them out and sometimes have them to our house. As you might imagine, they never ask us out. They always have us at their house - and yes, I always leave starving (they never have enough food - most times I feel badly for getting a single helping of anything because it's obvious that if everybody takes a single helping, then somebody will fail to get any at all).

For what are they saving? I wonder. Maybe at night they lock all the doors and count their money. Perhaps that is great fun. I wouldn't know.