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We have just spent some time staying at my partner’s parents house; they have a very nice little house in Northern Ireland but I noted whilst there that their lifetime habit of being thrifty has produced serious knock-on effects which is affecting their quality of life in their old age.

Being Scots the word thrift is well ingrained in them and I have to say it would not hurt for many people nowadays to learn the meaning of the word…but you can take it too far.

They saved and worked very hard to buy their little house back in 1962 and it is both their security blanket and refuge from the modern day world. Unfortunately their habit of hanging onto every penny and pound they have has meant they have ignored doing basic maintenance on their home over the years. 

The toilet cistern takes 45 minutes to fill as instead of a steady flow there is more of a slow drip-drip; the roof leaks in the kitchen; there is damp around the walls as they are afraid of cold drafts and refuse to open any windows to let fresh air in; their carpet - though well cared for over the years - is nearly 50 years old and both looks and smells like it.

The front door does not lock securely either and the one frypan they have is so old that the cooking surface is peeling. But trying to convince them to spend some money and update some features falls on deaf ears - ‘the hoose is fayne’ they say. We don’t think it is and I am sure that their insurance company would hesitate paying out should any problem occur through the above issues.

Thrift is good - but responsible spending is as well.

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