I Win!

My parents are pretty frugal people. not spending money on material things when not neccesary, (exhibit A: i found the ikea sheets i had when i was six, still in use this evening...I'm 28)
I've learned alot of great tricks and lessons form them along the way and naturally, kids take what they've learned and tweek it in adulthood to fit thier lifestyle.
However in my case i have a strange polarized thing happening about all this.
For example: When i cook, i like to cook using whatever i have in the house. Not unreasonable, until it becomes a game, and then a challenge to not go out and buy even the most simple ingredient to make whatever the recipe calls for. Then i insist on eating it all week long even if it tastes bad, actually calculating how much each serving costs, pumping my fist in the air when i realize my (tastes like crap, made with questionably mature soymilk because i refused to go around the corner to the wawa and spend the $.49 for real milk) quiche only costs me $.75 per serving. YES! At this point, its no longer a charming picture of a girl being creative in the kitchen, its a total obsession disregarding the quality or flavor of the food. I just have to make it as cheap as possible, and then, I WIN. ( i then to proceed to eat it for lunch every day until it's gone, reliving the glory a little bit each day)
ok, ok, ok, so just FYI, my mom doesn't do this. She is a creative "lets use up whats in the house" kind of cook, however I am the one that made the act into the "hipster on the cheap challenge:2007!"
Here's where the polarization comes in: I purchase bottled water by the case, regardless of price. Based entirely on the pakaging and wheather i like it's color. Even though i am perfectly content drinking the town water out of the faucet AND own 4 different sized nalgene water bottles i could use instead. OR how i justify the purchase of $50 worth of yarn for a project that has a 9% chance of EVER being completed.
I won't buy a pint of milk out of frugality and priniciple, but i will buy lots of overpriced yarn so it can collect dust in the closet...just in case!