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Being perceived as frugal is a favorable quality, but unfortunately it is also misconstrued as cheap.  At IT recruiting companies, you may know candidates, hiring managers, or fellow technical recruiters who can seem to stretch a dollar while still keeping things classy.  You may also know an individual who tries to get by as inexpensively possible by taking any means necessary.  In an economically troubled society, what crosses the line from frugal to just plain cheap?

Cheapskate

A technical recruiter does not feel like buying groceries.  He relies on the snacks in the IT staffing office kitchen for breakfast.  Lunch rolls around and he is feeling pretty hungry.  He reaches out to a sales representative for an impromptu client lunch… on their tab.  The IT headhunter orders the most expensive meal on the menu and turns his head when the check arrives.  He takes both his and the sales representative’s leftovers for tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s lunch.

When you are saving money at the expense of others, you are being cheap.  A rule of thumb, if it feels like you are cheating the system or taking advantage of another party, you are being cheap.  Stop making others at technical recruiting companies feel uncomfortable and realign your values.  Before you take more than you need, think about how this puts you at an advantage and if it is completely necessary.  Typically those who are cheap are unhappy, so by becoming more flexible with your budget you may easily remove a stressful trigger.

Frugal

IT recruiters decide to go out for lunch together.  Not sacrificing quality over price, they use a coupon they found online to an upper tier restaurant.  After leaving, they realize the restaurant provided extra napkins and utensils with their leftovers.  They bring them back to the IT staffing company for others to use with their lunches.

The difference between frugal recruiters and cheap recruiters is that thrifty IT headhunters use the resources available to them while cheap individuals shamefully take from others. Those who are financially responsible are typically generous, fair, and are often times more happy than those who are cheap.  Their values are more in line with what is important in the quality of life versus what is in their pockets.      

The next time you feel like being cheap, ask yourself if it is actually worth it and what need you will be satisfying.  There are more important things in life than money, so avoid the temptation of greed.  Guaranteed you will feel less stressed and more self assured when fiscal burdens are removed from the equation!