Frugal Tips From Ralph Nader

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You might not agree with his politics, but you have to agree that Ralph Nader is one frugal guy. While Nader has assets in the millions, he still lives like he’s a starving law student. Here are a few tips we can learn from Mr. Nader’s life

• Don’t own a car. Ralph Nader hasn’t owned a car since 1955. I guess he swore off them after he wrote Unsafe At Any Speed.
• Live in a boarding house.
• Don’t upgrade your technology. Mr. Nader still uses a black and white television. I can’t remember the last time I saw a black and white TV.
• He isn’t married and he doesn’t have kids. I plan on having a family. The money savings don’t outweigh the joy of family life. However, I can see how not having kids would save me a ton of money. Clothes, sports camps, food, and education costs can add up. As my father-in-law says, “Kids are money sucking leaches.”
• He buys clothes at the Army Surplus Store. Nader wears socks that he bought 20 years ago an Army surplus. Not only are the clothes cheap at surplus stores, they’re made to last.
• He buys his clothes at thrift stores. Sure, Ralph doesn’t have the latest fashion, but he never looks like a schlump. You always see the guy in a suit and tie. However, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on his wardrobe, he’s only spending a few bucks.

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[tags]Ralph Nader, frugal[/tags]

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2 Comments

1. Rich Minx on 26.05.2007 at 07:30 (Reply)

   Brett, what are your thoughts on someone who lives so frugally when they don’t have to?

2. The Frugal Law Student on 26.05.2007 at 09:06 (Reply)

   Rich Minx-
   I’ve actually written about what it means to be frugal when you’re wealthy.http://www.frugallawstudent.com/2007/04/08/what-does-it-mean-to-be-frugal-when-youre-wealthy/ If I were wealthy, I would definitely splurge a little more often.

   I think in Nader’s case he’s frugal for political and moral reasons. He doesn’t want to feed the evil corporate machine. If that’s his thing, then more power to him.

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