PremiumPaulette PerhachNew York Times·8 Jun, 2026 08:00 PM8 mins to readSandy Smith said she embraced being “cheap” because “I had to.” Now her friends come to her for financial advice. Photo / Benjamin Norman, The New York TimesOur spending habits are often influenced by our social circles. You can help shape what it looks like.When Sandy Smith’s stepfather lost his job during the Great Recession, she found herself supporting multiple family members and two households.
Her family, which emigrated from Jamaica, had always been frugal, but
