"The second problem I've seen is people who impose burdens on themselves and others by trying to be overly frugal. In my opinion, this causes more problems than it solves. Ultimate point: You shouldn't judge the benefits of a frugal lifestyle by how much you've accumulated compared to your nonfrugal friends. If you do, chances are you'll always feel cheated. And you'll be missing the point."

Those are interesting thoughts, and I'd be interested in more feedback. If you look for good deals and buy things at low prices — but you're still buying lots of things — can you be considered frugal? Let me know what you think.

Another online poster touched on the same topics.

"I don't care how much one makes or how much one spends, so long as that person spends less than he/she earns and if he/she will be able to afford an acceptable retirement," this reader wrote. "Having very little or having lots of money isn't good or bad in and of itself. It's how one spends and what value/priority one places on money where the trouble arises...All of us should be frugal within our own financial realm."

And that, of course, is the bottom line.

If you have comments or financial questions, send them to gkratz@desnews.com or to the Deseret News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.

Or, if you'd like to keep the conversation going online, post your comments to the "Family finances" section of the new Deseret News "Life Talk" message boards at lifetalk.deseretnews.com. I'll take a look there occasionally and add some thoughts, too.

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E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com