Extreme cheapskates!! What's the most extreme thing you have done to save money?

moneyistooshorttomention

I guess they were thinking in terms of not having to weed the astroturf??

Horrible stuff though - and I wouldn't want it....

fuddle

DH picked up false grass from a site visit completely free to us as it was being discarded due to the show home being sold.

It covered an old paved area that was uneven and hazardous turning it into a safer place for my children to sit or play and more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than what was there. It cost us nothing when the alternative was to do nothing because we rented the place privately on a 6 month contract.

It's easier to turn a nose up at an idea, judge or assume than it is to come up with a solution to a problem and go get that solution. Even better if you can get it for free and save it being discarded. Cheapskate? Nope - savvy, switched on and proactive in my opinion.

Anne_Marie_2

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I hadn't thought of that - you must have some pretty efficient waiters in the places you eat out that they remember that:). I might try experimenting with that to see if that works for me for future reference.

I've already decided on not going to this particular group meal out - because it's a particularly forceful person organising it and not exactly a friend of mine (if you get my drift). I don't think the others realise this and I could just see it being awkward when I started getting out my money to pay for mine at the end and Mrs Forceful making a bit of a scene of it.

Just tell the waiter that you want a separate bill, but make sure you do it right at the start, I've never had a problem with this.
As for Mrs Forceful, perhaps if one person spoke out, others would follow, and you will probably find that you are not the only one.
Remember one night out a very long time ago, where one couple had quite a bit more in the way of food and drink than everyone else, the bill was shared, and they were the ones complaining about the expense. That was when I decided just to pay my own way, the straw that broke the camels back!
Of course there are occasions when I am quite happy to share the bill with good friends.

fatpiggy

I would also associate the term Cheapskate with someone of dubious morals, unlike Thrifty. I drive to work early, beat the worst of the rush hour so save petrol as the car isn't idling very much, have a lovely hot shower in the department I work in (put in to encourage people to cycle to work), dry my hair under the hand-drier and arrive at my desk clean, tidy and refreshed. As I am in early I can leave early again, so beating at least some of the other commuters again, let the chickens out to play and flog myself half to death thanks to my library of evil exercise DVDs, mostly bought cheaply from Ebay and charity shops, and thus save myself the gym membership.

charlies-aunt

Cheapskates and cadgers give thrift a bad name. I will help and have sympathy for anyone who is experiencing genuine hardship but haven't any time for cheapskates as most seem to be comfortably off but are just so tight they squeak when they walk!


I admit to a fair bit of wombling (picking hedgerow brambles, picking up twigs and pine cones for fire lighting) and also occasionally indulge in a spot of little light fremantling from time to time (wrapped sugar cubes that accompany a cup of coffee, a mini toothpaste tube sample from the dentists waiting room).


(As defined by Douglas Adams: Fremantle (vb.): To steal things not worth the bother of stealing. One steals cars, money and silver. Book matches, airline eye­patches an individual pots of Trust House Forte apricot jam are merely fremantled.)

VfM4meplse

charlies-aunt wrote: »

I admit to a fair bit of wombling (picking hedgerow brambles, picking up twigs and pine cones for fire lighting)[/B]

Foraging is resourceful, not cheapskate. As for fremantling....who doesn't? If I don't use it, I give it to someone who will.

pws52

I thoroughly agree about splitting the bill at the end of a meal.

I don't drink alcohol so was ending up subsidising the alcohol consumption of others....I drink tap water.
When I asked for the drinks bill to be separate I was told that it is easier to share the whole bill as it all comes fair in the end!

Others in the group were having more courses than me or more expensive items so now I write down the total of my food and give that to the 'sharers' then they can do their 'sharing'.
Initially I received a few comments but a couple of others are now doing the same.

I am a pensioner...some of the others are still working. I wonder whether attitudes will change when their incomes are reduced.

Another moan from me related to me not drinking.
I am always the driver. I don't mind this as I choose to do this for my own convenience but if I give a lift to someone and have to pay to park the view is taken by passenger/s that I would be paying to park anyway so never offer a donation towards the fees. If there was an offer I would probably decline it anyway.
They have had the convenience of being picked up and taken home for free.

Thank you for letting me get this niggle aired....and hope that I am not regarded as being mean!

CathA

pws52 wrote: »

I thoroughly agree about splitting the bill at the end of a meal.

I don't drink alcohol so was ending up subsidising the alcohol consumption of others....I drink tap water.
When I asked for the drinks bill to be separate I was told that it is easier to share the whole bill as it all comes fair in the end!

Others in the group were having more courses than me or more expensive items so now I write down the total of my food and give that to the 'sharers' then they can do their 'sharing'.
Initially I received a few comments but a couple of others are now doing the same.

I am a pensioner...some of the others are still working. I wonder whether attitudes will change when their incomes are reduced.

Another moan from me related to me not drinking.
I am always the driver. I don't mind this as I choose to do this for my own convenience but if I give a lift to someone and have to pay to park the view is taken by passenger/s that I would be paying to park anyway so never offer a donation towards the fees. If there was an offer I would probably decline it anyway.
They have had the convenience of being picked up and taken home for free.

Thank you for letting me get this niggle aired....and hope that I am not regarded as being mean!

I am always the one leading from the front regarding paying " shares ". I don't drink and usually have water so I'm not paying for someone to drink an entire bottle of wine! Sometimes people get a bit sniffy, I don't care.

As I don't drink I often give lifts and pick up and drop people at home. I've never had to pay parking but I would never ask for petrol money although it's often offered. We have an arrangement that if someone wants to buy me a drink (non alcoholic, obviously! ) then that would be nice. Everyone is happy then.

charlies-aunt

pws52 -you aren't mean but you aren't an unpaid taxi service either. Its downright cheeky to take that attitude - really ticks me off


I have very simple hobbies - painting, baking, sewing, making jams/chutney and homemade wine - but for some, it seems to think these cost me nothing in time, effort or money . . . . and that it's no problem for me to shorten their curtains, bake them two dozen mince pies, give them a jar of preserves -or- a bottle of HM wine - just for the asking!


*rant over*

dekaspace

I have known some really bad moochers over the years, even worse when they tried the sob stories on me all the time despite me being on benefits.

There was one that got £100 a week for a youth scheme in a club where he admitted he just made drinks and played with computers and dj equipment and lived with parents who didnt charge him rent and even gave him pocket money and drove him to and from work every day, he used to mooch off me saying he was skint and at the time I got £20 a week JSA and paid £6 a week of that in electric and rent top up and he well knew that, whenever he came round my bags of loose change went missing, if I did treat myself to like a £2 bottle of alcopop(those large 1 litre size ones or just under) I would go to toilet and come back to find he downed the whole bottle and either say "well im skint" or "i'll pay you back" (he never did) one time when I sold some stuff to afford £15 for a night out I bought 3 of those big bottles, my phone rang and I went out of my room to answer, was gone 8 minutes and came back to find all 3 bottles drank! As well as the fiver I had on the side had vanished along with some of my change.

2nd moocher was when I lived in same place, wanted to go to pub every day but when we got there said he was skint as he was looking after his toddler that night so could I buy him a drink as a loan(this seemed to be every day) despite again me living off £20 a week, I found out he was working cash in hand but signed off due to "bad back" but I forgave him as he said how he had debts due to his ex leaving him and he felt "depressed" Eventually I needed money so sold my phone which I could of got £100 for at second hand shop for £50 to him which of course he promised to pay next day, the money never arrived and he never answered his phone, so I went round to his flat and knocked his door to see him open curtains and peek out but not answer, so hid outside until I saw another one of his friends arrive, and them talk at door for a few minutes about what a great night they had drinking the night before and "thanks for that phone £100 was a bargain" and it was my very phone his friend was holding in his hand, then about how he was getting that free money for child benefit even though he never sees his kid, at which point I decided to show myself but pretend I had just come round the street corner and he said it was a friend he had and I went "oh are you hungover" and he went "uh no I am ill, my friend was just bringing me some medicine"

A few days later he was back to his "lets go to pub and mooch off you" mentality but I said I was skint (and I was, like £1.20 to last 5 days food) he decided to go to cash machine and when he checked his balance it was almost 9 thousand in credit!! he said it was a "error" and in fact he was 9 thousand in debt, then hid as he took £200 out and pretended it was £20.

At that point he stopped answering my calls and answering his door totally to me.

3rd scummer was a guy at college, he seemed to be a friendly geek type and I found out shortly after knowing him he liked to smoke cannabis which I tolerated since I don't have much issue with someone who smokes it who is friendly and doesn't put others at risk, but I noticed he started coming round daily and always wanting favours and never giving any help back, turning up on doorstep and wanting me to download him stuff then burn it which took 2 hours of my day every day and he didnt even pay for the discs, if I went to toilet when he was there I would find him on my computer and saying "just one minute I want to check this" and end up being on my pc for 2 hours or more, dvds and games were literally vanishing out of boxes (and he was only visitor I got) as in the manuals and box was there but game missing, any cash left lying about started to vanish and he was always short of like 50p, so I had to "lend" him it, it ended up after me selling him my old Xbox him owing me £50 which he never attempted to pay off even though I found out he was working cash in hand for a job, and spending £25-£50 a day on his cannabis habit, and he even admitted to me he smoked a bag a day (which cost £25) one time he arrived at my flat at 10am saying he was paid at midnight and promised to pay me what he owed then, left at midnight came back at 2am stoned and said he was skint as spent all his money on the cannabis(which he refused to share) Then on New Years Eve he turned up 11am with his girfriend promising to only be 30 minutes, to spend 6 hours there, even him and his girlfriend had change of clothes she had hair straighteners even food to cook (using my electric) eventually when they left (leaving their bag of clothes) I chucked out the leftover food (they werent even nice enough to share it with me or clean what they used) only for a hour later them to arrive saying they were meant to meet parents but they didnt get any drinks from them and when they asked for their leftovers when I said I had none left they said "well the food cost £4, give us £4 and we are even" and I refused, they noticed a friend there who had some cannabis of his own(I dont smoke it but tolerate it in small does) he goes "can I borrow some, I promise to give you it back" and after pestering for a while my friend gave him some, for the guy to then go "oh you have a car. can you give me a lift home" and then more whinging till my friend did.

Eventually I had enough and said to him one day if he kept wanting me to spend 2 hours of my day downloading and using up my own dvds then I want £1 a time to cover dvd costs and time spent, he stopped turning up at all then until one day he messaged me wanting to list, sell and give him payment for a sky box he had (bearing in mind he owed me £50) I did so and to spite him kept the £30 I made from it (he didnt even want to pay me for time listing it) cue his "girlfriend" texting me calling me a thief, scum, and how I am living a life of luxury whilst they starve (I was on JSA, topping up rent by £30 a week and paying £7 a week council tax, £10 a week electric and living next to a drug dealer and in a flat where there was leaks and walls crumbling as landlord didnt do repairs) so I responded how "well you can afford over £25 a day in drugs, don't take drugs and you can afford to live far better than me"

No response, till a year later he contacts me one day wanting to make up, I let him come round and as I am ill I ask him for favour knowing it will go badly of putting on £50 gas and electric and give him my top up cards.

No suprise he did a runner with the cash so thats £100 he owes me.

What I found out though was he lived almost 3 years in a council flat and never paid rent, never told utilities he lived there so free gas and electric, his girlfriend had never worked a day in her life and outright stated to me one "whats the point of working, I WANT a 5 bedroom house paid for by benefits"

Last I heard he had a baby with her, and neither work.

Sorry for long post.