It sounds ironic, but being cheap can actually cost you more in the long run. Here’s why.

— There’s a fine line between being frugal and being cheap. I’m sure we all know of that one person who comes across as being an extreme cheapskate – he/she hoards chilli packets from McDonald’s, loots toiletries from hotel rooms, hovers around event promoters for free samples, and even hangs out at unrelated events for free food and drinks at the buffet… you get the idea. Most of us aren’t that cheap (thankfully), but sometimes, we can’t help but indulge in the occasional act of penny-pinching – like asking for extra lobang to be thrown in when we buy something. There’s nothing wrong with it so long as you don’t take it to the extreme, but what I’ve come to realise over years of observation is that often, being cheap doesn’t pay. In ......