The way I see it, most people are BOTH big spenders and thrifty at the same time. I've looked at my friends and all have some of both traits in them. Some will spend heavily on nice cars but wouldn't dream of going on a nice vacation. The way I see it, unless your a rich person, your going to need to be cheap in at least some items in life. Money if finite. For me, I'm tight when it comes to things I can do myself. I can fix cars and most household items, so I buy used and never hire anyone to fix them. On the other hand, I'll drop good money on nice vacations. Some expenses in life are un-advoidable....such as medical and dental and the house payment. So I am cheap where it doesn't hurt so I can afford the rest of how I live.