Are You an Honest Frugalite?

We are all trying to save an extra buck here and there. Couponing is becoming fashionable and you are no longer considered an outcast if you shop for clothes at thrift stores.

My question for you guys is do you tell little white lies in order to get out of paying more? After researching various blogs and forums I've come to realize that honesty and saving money are not simply black and white. There are a lot of grey areas that people love to argue about and express their opinion. For instance, do you tell the cashier at the movie theater that your 4 year old is actually only 3 so that you don't have to pay for an extra ticket? Maybe you do the same for the kid's menu at a restaurant? Or maybe you cram extra people into a hotel room in order to not have to buy another room. I confess that I have purchased candy from the dollar store and "snuck" it into the theater so that I don't have to pay $3+ per box for candy.
At one time I thought this was harmless. I mean the movie theater makes a ton of money so why do they need mine? I also allowed my then 10 year old to sign up for some games sight using their name but my birthday because they had to be 13 to join the site. It seemed harmless enough at the time.

Little White Lies and Our Kids
Here's the problem. These little white lies are teaching our kids that it's okay to lie as long as "it's not hurting anyone" and YOU DON'T GET CAUGHT. Yes that is what it says. Come on. How embarrassed would you be if you told the movie cashier your kid was 3 only to have your child tell them "I'm  four."? Honest answers ladies. You would be mortified to be caught in the lie. Do you really want your kids to think it's okay to break the rules or lie to ANYONE as long as no one gets caught?

My Revelation
When I truly sat down and thought about this I realized that I want my kids to do the right thing regardless of whether anyone is watching or not. I want them to be able to do whatever is required of them without thinking twice as to what they should do. To be completely open with all of you, I have had the problem of little white lies (and some great big ones) for as long as I can remember. This has gotten me in a great deal of trouble in life and has caused great rifts in relationships with my family and my husband. The biggest problem was that I was so good at it that small things became good things. But I learned early on that as long as you don't get caught then you're fine. Guess what? That's not the case. I am just now, in my mid-30s, relearning how to be completely honest with the people around me. This is really hard and sometimes I have to catch myself from going back into old patterns.

Something to Think About
Regardless of what you are trying to accomplish money-wise, saving money is never a good excuse to "fudge the truth". Being honest with those around you and with yourself is one of the best way's to insure that your finances and your family relationships will flourish to their utmost potential.

What have you done to save money that made you think twice later?