There was a time when I was quite frugal. Now, my approach is pretty close to that articulated by @almarg. I'm not afraid to spend some bucks, but I am very careful and usually do so after a good bit of research and thinking about the purchase for several months. I hang on to what I purchase for a long time, which results in an acceptable value proposition in my estimation. I'm not one who chases after every tweak or the latest and greatest new piece. You can spend a lot of money on stuff that results in little to no improvement if you are not careful. I caught the bug while I was still in my teens and now, 50 years later, I've got a system that really sings. Upgrades from where I am now are going to be infrequent, because stuff that is better than what I currently own won't come cheap.
Who else here is frugal?
If I had to describe myself as an audiophile in one word, I'd like it to be frugal. Iconoclast may also be right, but if I'm different it may be due to being frugal. There used to be a TV show called The Frugal Gourmet. To paraphrase him, the food he cooked wasn't necessarily cheap, but he'd get as much value as he could out of what he was doing.
Being an iconoclast doesn't hurt either. Listening for yourself and buying what you like, regardless of what reviewers say and how expensive something is also points us towards this.
What about you? Do you feel better saving money than spending it? Then tell us about yourself. :)
Being an iconoclast doesn't hurt either. Listening for yourself and buying what you like, regardless of what reviewers say and how expensive something is also points us towards this.
What about you? Do you feel better saving money than spending it? Then tell us about yourself. :)