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There are times when it is tempting to lie, steal, or break one of the other 10 commandments to get a good deal, but living frugally, we must all stick to honesty. This is not always easy to do, but I want to give some examples that can help you be honest. Here are some common tactics some people use that are unethical and sometimes illegal:

Theft of “free” merchandise – This one really pissed me off! We needed some labels for the business. UPS offers its customers unlimited free labels as needed for packaging when shipped with UPS. We bought labels from a lady on Ebay. When we received them, they came from the UPS shipping center. The lady told us that this was her “other office”! What he did was take our money and then call UPS like it was me and have them send me “free” labels. The Gaul! I confronted her and reported it to UPS. I should have known it was a “too good to be true” deal! By the way, this particular lady had made tens of thousands of dollars from UPS “free” label sales on eBay. This is not only dishonorable, but illegal.

You need pens because you are falling short then you take a handful from a store that is giving them away. This is stealing. If you take one, that’s fine. Unless they tell you to take them all, it is in bad taste for you to take a large quantity of them with you. They are offering them simply as a courtesy.

You buy an item and use it multiple times and then return it because you no longer need it. Steal and lie. You probably won’t tell the sales clerk that you only needed to use it a few times and even if you do, it’s only okay if it’s a rental store. If an item breaks, doesn’t work, or isn’t the right color, it’s okay to return it. If you only need it “a few times” (like a dress for a special occasion) and you know you won’t be wearing it again, you’re stealing if you return it.

If you eat a food with a guarantee in the box And it tastes disgusting, give it back. That is why they offer a guarantee. If you eat the entire contents of the box first and return the box almost empty, it probably wasn’t really unpleasant.

If you are trying to pass off your 14-year-old as a 12-year-old So you only have to pay for a child’s meal, you are lying and teaching your child that lying is good when it benefits you.

If you go to a restaurant where it is customary to tip, Tip the usual amount (usually 15%) if the service is reasonably good. If you get good service and don’t tip, you are stealing from the server. If you cannot pay the tip, go to a restaurant where it is not customary to tip (such as a fast food restaurant). If your entire family shares an entree and your kids leave a mess of ground cookies that spread eight feet from the table in all directions, don’t just tip on the one entree. Suggestion on the job you create for the server.

If you find a “great deal” you can’t live without but don’t have the money in your checking account, do not write a check. Let it be “the one that got away”. If you knowingly write a bad check, you are stealing and lying.

If you find a “great deal”, buy it and then hide it from your husband, you’re lying (unless it’s his birthday present ;-). If you have to hide it, you will know that you are doing something wrong.

If you load your credit cards with frivolous things like shopping and eating out and then you file for bankruptcy, he is stealing from the credit card company and everyone who does business with that company. Bankruptcy is intended to help people who end up in financial distress due to reasons beyond their control, such as catastrophic medical expenses or the death of a spouse. It’s unethical to file for bankruptcy because you went shopping, because you bought something you couldn’t afford when you bought it, or because you decided to change careers and no longer want to pay off student loans from your old career. He signed that sheet of paper when he bought the item saying that he would refund the money and he did not. It is up to you to pay them back in any way (legal 🙂 you can, even if it means feeling “private” for a while.

One more thing about bankruptcy: It is unethical to go into a lot of debt “keeping up with the Joneses” and then go bankrupt because the debt is so great. Many people look at others and say to themselves, “Those people are the same age as me. I work hard. I deserve it too.” or “our house is too small” or “our car is a real junk, so we need to buy a brand to” save “on repair costs (a big myth, by the way!). Of course, buy them. If not you can afford those things, find a way to earn more money, or learn to be happy with what you have.

The frugal life is about making good financial decisions. There are so many things you can do to spend your money smarter, so when you think you can get a “good deal” but it requires doing something that hurts someone else, let it go.

Whenever you are in doubt about whether something is ethical, ask yourself if it would be okay for you if the situation were reversed and you were the person who potentially falls short. Be honest. We’ve all heard “Do to others what you would like them to do to you.” If you object to others doing it to you, you better find a better way to save.

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