You can call it frugal, stingy or both, but I hear more and more people talking these days about getting their money’s worth. Whether they’ve paid for something, received a gift or just feel entitled, it’s the new norm.

Case in point: a friend took her niece on a lake outing recently where paddle boat tours were offered. Karen is my age (40 or 50-something, don’t be so nosy!) and her niece, Lydia, is five-years-old. Karen paid the astronomical fee of $25 PER PERSON for a half-hour of what turned out to be sheer drudgery. At first, they paddled around the exterior of the lake, admiring the huge, Spanish-moss draped oaks and the many ducks waddling around. Ten minutes or so into the excursion, Lydia complained, “Let’s go back now. My legs are hurting.” Karen raised her eyebrows and said, “Aw, come on! Don’t you love this fresh air, sunshine and exercise? This is FUN!” Her pep talk didn’t help much. Lydia just paddled slower and slower, rolling her eyes. Karen said, “Now, listen, if I can do this, surely you can too!” And they stayed on that lake the full thirty minutes. Karen told me later, “I wasn’t about to stop just because Lydia was complaining. I was getting my money’s worth!”  But I have to tell you: Karen, gym rat that she is (but remember, she’s no spring chicken), was quick to point out that she was the one who couldn’t walk straight for a week due to muscle spasms.

Years ago, when I ran my car through the car wash in Pawleys Island, I always dropped in my quarters for the vacuum cleaning as the last step. Sometimes the first deposit would do the job; but other times, I had to drop in more quarters — now I’m telling my age because I’m sure it costs lots more than that now. But if I was through vacuuming and there was still air, I would just keep vacuuming until it completely stopped. I might’ve looked like a crazy lady, but I admit it: I wanted to get my money’s worth.

Hub Russ is a golfer and he tells this story about getting your money’s worth: he says when golfers have a bad round and take many more strokes than normal to complete that round, they are often known to say, “At least I got my money’s worth today!” And finally, once on a cruise ship, Russell and I heard a comedian talking about this same subject. This big, boisterous, bodacious guy said he planned to take advantage of all the FREE food on the cruise. He went into detail: Three full meals a day, pizza snacks, taco snacks, ice cream bar snacks, midnight buffet and Captain’s Gala, plus cocktail parties! He emphatically stated, “I paid for it! It’s mine! I’m going to get my money’s worth!”

Well, I’m leaving in two weeks for a six-day cruise and like the comedian and most of the other guests, I’m sure I’ll get my money’s worth. But afterwards, when I return home, I’ll get my money’s worth all over again: I’ll be huffing and puffing at Gold’s Gym, wishing I hadn’t gotten my money’s worth on the cruise ship.