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Which Gender is More Frugal, the How's and Why's?

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 Source: VoucherBin

Ask any man and they will probably tell you that women spend a lot longer and seem to enjoy shopping much more than the male of the species.

Perhaps women spend more time looking for the bargain or men really just dislike shopping so much that they get it over with as quickly as possible. Maybe men just inherently know when they see a bargain. Whichever way you look at it a bargain is much easier to find if you undertake your research beforehand. Certainly frugality is a major talking point.

On Reddit, it is the number one subreddits with thousands of posts, comments, hints and tips. So who is the most frugal – men or women?

Put frugal men into your favourite search engine and the site – TheArtofManliness gives you at least eighty ways a man can be frugal. However, eHarmony asks whether a woman should ditch a frugal guy or stay with him? The answer seems to be responsible but not reckless and certainly not tight fisted. After all, a lady likes to feel treated occasionally. Do further searches on tight-fisted men and it appears that not a lot of women like a skinflint so a little bit of double standards here.

Do a similar search for frugal women and you get loads of saving tips and examples of home makers who feed their family on £x a day. Maybe the feeling is that it is the women's job to be frugal.

Seeking some learned details on the relative frugality of the male versus the female a search on Google Scholar does not elicit many ideas – although there must have been many different surveys and research investigations. So back to the newspapers and websites to undertake the surveys and investigations.

Certainly women seem to spend more on fashion, hair and makeup than men according to many surveys. However, in 2016 this may well be changing as men sport even more complex hairstyles and the beard remains in vogue. Men seem to be dressing more expensively and in more varied clothes now so perhaps the gap will be closing. Or is it that women's clothes are so expensive?

Is the female expenditure on fashion etc. more than a man will spend on his hobbies? The question is moot and I am sure much discussed when the various sexes get together with their friends.

Has the frequency of shopping got something to do with the amount spent? Certainly women seem to shop several times a week, whereas men only when they really, really have to.

You only need to look at the forlorn group of men "parked" outside the women's changing room or struggling along behind their women folk, carrying multiple bags, grim features etched on their faces to believe that men do not like shopping and usually only do it when the end result is of an interest to them.

Do not fall into the belief that car shopping is the responsibility of the male of the family – any car sales person will tell you that it is generally the female of the family that has the final sale of this purchase. Ditto for holiday and house sales.

Surveys directly comparing purchasing habits and factors surrounding purchases include that by Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retail Initiative and the Verde Group, titled "Men Buy, Women Shop" found that women put friendly sales associates at the top whereas men look at such things as good parking and checking the item is in stock first. Both sexes seem to hate long queues at checkout.

Mary Portas, who was asked by the government to revitalise the UK's high streets, believes that good service improves sales. Ruth Haden, who wrote "For Richer, Not Poorer: The Money Book for Couples" believes that women are taught by their mothers to purchase lifestyle and children's items whereas men are taught to purchase investments. Men also pander to their egos with their purchases, wanting bigger and better cars for example. Women suffer more peer pressure and need to "keep up with the Jones".

So what is the best way to be frugal? :

• Do your research first, of course; there are many comparison sites that will help you find the cheapest price.

• Combine this with vouchers, discounts, and coupons - go to the likes of VoucherBin.co.uk and make sure you’re getting the most savings out of them from the largest vouchers selection in the UK.

• Consider joining a savings site that will give you savings on big purchases.

• Make a list of what you want to purchase, where and how much you want to pay before making your purchase.

• Check whether on line or off line, is the cheapest and most convenient method to make your purchase. Factor in ease of purchase, delivery costs, whether you will be in to collect the parcel and guarantees.

• Consider buying second hand, especially for big items. Just heck the seller out and ensure that you do not hand over any money before you can physically touch the item or that you are covered by a buyers guarantee such as that offered by Amazon.

We wish you many happy frugal purchases, why ever and whatever you want to purchase.

Source: VoucherBin