Too cheap to chug: frugality as a buffer against college‐student drinking

Abstract

Abstract Beyond its probable effect on preventing financial problems, frugality may contribute to consumer well‐being in other ways. Using survey data collected from American undergraduates, in this paper we demonstrate that frugality is negatively associated with several types of alcohol use. These relationships hold even when sex and impulsivity are controlled. To further substantiate the link between frugality and college‐student drinking, we confirmed that typical amount spent on alcohol mediates the relations between frugality and each type of drinking we assessed. These results are consistent with suggestions that young adults' drinking‐related choices are subject to price considerations and that policy makers may be able to leverage such considerations to prevent excessive drinking. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.