Great 'Embarrassing MoneySaving tips' Hunt

ceridwen

mulled_wine wrote: »

One of my friends used to do this. So when we arranged days out/theatre trips/ meals etc, one of us (not the same person each time) would phone her, let it ring *once* and hung up knowing she wouldn't return the call.

She soon learned when she asked why she wasn't "invited" to anything having heard us discussing it afterwards

Now we're working on getting her to buy a round of drinks and not just slip the money for her drink to the person who did buy the round so she avoids the round! This may take some time!

Ouch! The thought may not even have occurred to her to "return the call" - why would it? If someone starts ringing me and doesnt continue ringing till I answer or, alternatively, leave a message then I just think "Must have been a mis-dial or someone interrupted them or something" and expect them to ring back properly later.

Maybe she "slips the money for her drink" to the person buying the round because she can't afford to pay for rounds (eg she doesnt drink as much as the rest of the group - so would be paying more than her "share" if she did so). It could also be the case that she is a bit quieter/more introverted than the rest of the group - not so quiet/introverted that she doesnt want to go out in a group - but too quiet/introverted to want to have to "push herself" at the bar to make sure she gets her turn from the barman (rather than having other - later - people shove in front of her). That probably happens more now - as, back in my day, there was a tendency for men to tell me to go first anyway at the bar (being polite and "gentlemanly"). Men don't seem to do that anymore and some men seem to think its "funny" to deliberately nip in in front of a woman and take her turn these days...

rosalie-lavender

I am in agreement with Ceridwen about the issue of rounds. If she is paying for her own drinks I don't see the problem. If she was accepting drinks, never paying for her own and never returning the favour by buying a round that would be different.

I hate rounds, I can't afford to spend a large amount of money in one go and drink much less than other people anyway. I prefer to pay for my own drinks when I am in a social setting or contribute to a kitty set up to pay for drinks. That way I don't find it is my turn to pay out a large sum of money in one go, possibly at a time when I can least afford it.

diddly74

Asiacat wrote: »

When you phone somebody on their mobile phone just let it ring once or twice before pressing the call end button/hanging up.

Nine times out of ten they will phone you straight back saving you the cost of a call.:D

This is all well and fine if they have "Free calls" in their package. My friend has free o2 to o2 calls and always tells me to hang up and she calls me back. We have agreed on this arrangement - but frankly you wanted to talk to them, you called so you should pay for the call!

ceridwen wrote: »

Ouch! The thought may not even have occurred to her to "return the call" - why would it? If someone starts ringing me and doesnt continue ringing till I answer or, alternatively, leave a message then I just think "Must have been a mis-dial or someone interrupted them or something" and expect them to ring back properly later.

Maybe she "slips the money for her drink" to the person buying the round because she can't afford to pay for rounds (eg she doesnt drink as much as the rest of the group - so would be paying more than her "share" if she did so). It could also be the case that she is a bit quieter/more introverted than the rest of the group - not so quiet/introverted that she doesnt want to go out in a group - but too quiet/introverted to want to have to "push herself" at the bar to make sure she gets her turn from the barman (rather than having other - later - people shove in front of her). That probably happens more now - as, back in my day, there was a tendency for men to tell me to go first anyway at the bar (being polite and "gentlemanly"). Men don't seem to do that anymore and some men seem to think its "funny" to deliberately nip in in front of a woman and take her turn these days...

Good point there ceridwen, this "friend" might not be able to afford a whole round of drinks but they are making sure that the round buyer isn't out of pocket for her drinks.

When I used to go out with a certain group of work friends we used to put £10 in the middle of the table to pay for food and a drink and then you paid for your own - left over money was either divvied up or left as a tip, depending. If one is having coke and the others a short its not fair to ask them to pay for everyones.

NualaBuala

Same here - if my phone rings once or twice, I assume the person misdialled or can't talk now, I generally don't call back missed calls but I do respond to voicemails.

And I don't like rounds - I generally explicitly opt out because on the very rare occasion I go out, I couldn't afford to and wouldn't want to keep pace with the group. I can budget for x number of drinks for myself that way. So I don't see the harm - what I don't like is when someone takes part in rounds but somehow always manages to miss theirs!

nykied

dander wrote: »

And as far as washing clothes goes - I always wear a different outfit to work every day, so it looks as though I'm wearing something fresh, but actually I keep wearing things until I spill something all down them - which usually happens sooner than the clothes getting stinky pits!

I do this. I wear trousers and a jumper in winter and I have two piles of jumpers - one pile of freshly-washed ones and one pile of 'I've wore these once' ones. I don't wear anything in the worn once pile that same week and once I've worn them for the second time, they go in the washing basket.

LittleMissBride

SoapyDish wrote: »

My mum and her old school-friend have given up buying each other Christmas presents, after one regifted to the other a cheapish perfume the next Christmas. It's now a running joke, they just send the same bottle of perfume back and forth every year, with a few sprays gone just to test how badly it has gone off! It's been going as long as I remember, at least 15 years or so, probably more...

This has really made me chuckle:D Thank you for sharing! x

narabanekeater

I understand the buying of drinks points. Im pregnant so drink soft drinks only yet I still got stung for a 'round' at £36,
I really thought the other would have offered me something towards it but they didnt
Ive started looking at DD clothes and that of my own before I wash them now. If there non smelly and look clean enough I put them back in her drawers. Night clothes used to be fresh daily and now I make her wear them at least twice.
Were trying our best to cut down with the baby on the way. I have cloth nappies already. Id love to learn to knit to make some super cute cardis but I have issues with my hands and fingers so I dont think id manage it

[Deleted User]

Originally Posted by SoapyDish
<<My mum and her old school-friend have given up buying each other Christmas presents, after one regifted to the other a cheapish perfume the next Christmas. It's now a running joke, they just send the same bottle of perfume back and forth every year, with a few sprays gone just to test how badly it has gone off! It's been going as long as I remember, at least 15 years or so, probably more..>>

When my late husband was alive he bought me a beautiful Christmas card one year, the words were so lovely, and he was a big softie at heart and as it was so nice I told him not to buy another the next year as I would save it . I did, and every year I used to get it out and put it on the side with the other cards I received.I would write the year on the back of it .When he sadly died in 2003 I carried on, but put it on a shelf in my bedroom and I feel when its there he's saying Happy Christmas JackieO.I still write the year on the back and it started in 1995 My children always ask me if I have still got it and I say yes of course.when I finally snuff it they know its to go with me as to me its a very special part of my late husband

BUXTONRABBIT

A couple of kids from the High school, crossed the road to where I was picking wild cherries and asked me what they were. I told them and they started picking and eating them them selves. The embarrassing bit was that one of them said "No offence but we thought you were just some crazy lady"

I did tell a colleague at work who thought it was funny. So when we were on out Christmas night out she asked me if I had got my Christmas tree on the Main road. I sad yes. And they all started mocking me about sawing it down. (I bought it)

mulled_wine

ceridwen wrote: »

Ouch! The thought may not even have occurred to her to "return the call" - why would it? If someone starts ringing me and doesnt continue ringing till I answer or, alternatively, leave a message then I just think "Must have been a mis-dial or someone interrupted them or something" and expect them to ring back properly later.

Maybe she "slips the money for her drink" to the person buying the round because she can't afford to pay for rounds (eg she doesnt drink as much as the rest of the group - so would be paying more than her "share" if she did so). It could also be the case that she is a bit quieter/more introverted than the rest of the group - not so quiet/introverted that she doesnt want to go out in a group - but too quiet/introverted to want to have to "push herself" at the bar to make sure she gets her turn from the barman (rather than having other - later - people shove in front of her). That probably happens more now - as, back in my day, there was a tendency for men to t
ell me to go first anyway at the bar (being polite and "gentlemanly"). Men don't seem to do that anymore and some men seem to think its "funny" to deliberately nip in in front of a woman and take her turn these days...

Sorry I explained that badly. The phone calls she said herself she would phone other people and hang up after 1-2 rings so they would ring her back. So after a few times, we decided enough.

The drinks she would have her drinks in the first couple of rounds ( always alcohol) and then the round before hers would slip the money for her drink to the person buying it and then say she's had enough and "go home" when it was her round. Then after that next round had been bought she would come back with her Vodka&coke etc and join back in the convo. It wasn't being skint (which we could have understood) as she was always saying how much she had stashed in the bank.