Cheapskate stories

[siamesecat2965]

Oh DoubleTrouble you triggered the SafeLink nightmares from a few years ago.  SafeLink (https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/Public/NewHome.html) is this grand plan to provide US residents "free" cell phones.  The plans are not good and people often spend more than another no contract plan. 

Anyway......we had hundreds of people coming to the library to sign-up.  The TV commercial even said to go to the library and sign-up. I almost threw something at the TV when I saw that.  Of course we were never asked to help, provided info, etc. 

 

If it makes you feel any better, the FCC is really cracking down on abusers of the program, and trying to eliminate a lot of the fraud associated with the program. i work in the telecom industry, so I see all the info. Apparently it was like a free for all, with very few checks and balances, and Lifeline program costs began to skyrocket.

[Library Dragon]

I hope so.  There are people with legitimate needs and safety concerns that get shoved aside in these type of freebie grabs.

[Elfmama]

I think a lot of these cases are a product of growing up without enough, as in the Depression.

While that may apply to your story, and it might apply to some of the others, many posts are about younger people who didn't grow up deprived or during the Depression.  Some people are just stingy and cheap.

I know it certainly applied to my father.  He was the son of a sharecropper in Dustbowl Oklahoma.  He has very strong memories of the Great Depression, and growing up with dingdangity near nothing.  The last time we visited, he and Mom were talking about their childhoods.  He pointed out that compared to his family, Mom's family was rich.  Why, they could afford to buy cornflakes for breakfast!  His usual breakfast was eggs, and sometimes bacon, because they kept chickens and sometimes had a pig. 

[siamesecat2965]

I hope so.  There are people with legitimate needs and safety concerns that get shoved aside in these type of freebie grabs.

Yes, I can assure you they are.  Slightly OT - but there are more stringent certification requirements in place, and if customers fail to certify, they are dropped from the program. also, states are doing away with their programs, and the FCC will have control over them all.  Sadly, its like anything that's "free" no matter what it is. there will always be those who take advantage, when they don't need to.

[mbbored]

My mother had to lay down the law to Dad a couple of years ago.  She wanted to go into an independent living retirement home, so that she could finally retire!  No cooking, no cleaning, etc.  All the things that a lifelong housewife of her era did.  "But we have to save that money for our old age!" Dad cried. 

"Look.  You are NINETY YEARS OLD. I am EIGHTY-SIX.  All that  money for our old age?  THIS IS IT!"

Flabbered my ghast that he hadn't realized that he'd reached "old age" by then......

I'm not surprised, though. My grandpa was once talking to my dad about "those old guys" at church. Which ones? dad asked. "Oh, you see them--they sit in a row at the back." Dad looked, and did a double-take. They were about HIS age--roughly 70 or so. Grandpa was 90.

He just didn't FEEL old.

My 92 year old grandmother talks about her little old ladies: she picks them up, takes them to church, the doctor, bridge games, etc. The oldest one of those little old ladies? 75.

[katycoo]

When he got married, his wife insisted on buying furniture. K was very upset, and wanted to get the furniture second hand, which did not go over well with his wife. He went on a conference trip, and came back to furniture from a very expensive firm. K threw a fit.

If my new spouse acted behind my back to do something I disagreed with, I would throw a fit, regardless of the cost of the furniture.

Sometimes this is a 'pick your battles' thing.  My DH does up cars for a hobby.  I really really wish he would work on only one car at a time.  He's bought cars before without telling me (the expenses isn't great).  I choose my own hobbies without consulting him, and its not fair for me to throw a tanty without changing my own habits.  If I don't want him to pitch a fit hen I tell him I've enrolled in ballet classes, I must show him the same courtesy.

I did however pitch a minor fit when he purchased a brand new work ute without consulting me.  His argument was it was a work related expense, and I am was involved in the business (true).  My position was that it was a $25K vehicle and if the business went down, his personal assets would go too and that affected our joint financial position.  The whole thing was a non-event in terms of problems, but I can guarantee that won't be happening again.

[DoubleTrouble]

When I was about 10, one buffet started charging kids by their weight--1 cent per pound the kid weighed. My parents would take us there and not buy themselves anything but raid our plates. Well, the buffet got wise to that and started allowing the discount only with the purchase of an adult meal for each kids' meal.

I always joked that at least they weren't weighing us on the way out, too, and charging based on the difference. 

That was the joke/reason why I've never taken the boys to a U-Pick farm, knowing my eldest he would eat 3x what we would bring up to the counter to pay for & I couldn't figure out how that would be fair to the farm. Then I found out that some places charge a fee to get in so I think I'm OK with taking him now

Oh DoubleTrouble you triggered the SafeLink nightmares from a few years ago.  SafeLink (https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/Public/NewHome.html) is this grand plan to provide US residents "free" cell phones.  The plans are not good and people often spend more than another no contract plan. 

Anyway......we had hundreds of people coming to the library to sign-up.  The TV commercial even said to go to the library and sign-up. I almost threw something at the TV when I saw that.  Of course we were never asked to help, provided info, etc. 

We have some patrons with MONEY who use the public computers.  No problem.  Of this group were the ones coming and calling demanding to know where their phones were.  (They also wanted their free digital TV converters.) They are quite capable of buying their own cell phones, but only pull out their own cash when the property tax certificates are auctioned.  In one case a woman was most displeased when we wouldn't write a letter attesting to her low income status.

Well, at least I know Grandma would never have done that, cell phones were a big mystery to her & she couldn't see why anyone would want one. Sorry you had to deal with that, should have sent them a bill for all the consulting work you did on behalf of their service!

[Piratelvr1121]

I knew a gal who was so proud of how much money she saved when doing her grocery shopping that I don't think she realized that she was negating her savings by driving around. 

For example for her family of 5 she'd crow that she spent about 100 at the grocery store what with watching sales and stacking coupons, then she'd drive over to Alco which was not right next door to the market.  Then if she heard that one store had a good deal on fruit but the other had a good deal on meat, she'd go from one to the next.   

As she was lecturing me about the value of coupons and stacking (which I'll be honest, I still don't understand) and how much it can save you, I was thinking that I hoped those savings was going towards gas.

I use coupons too which helps to save indeed, especially when there's a sale on the items as well, but I don't drive around to get the deals.  The only time I'll get groceries anywhere but Martin's is when I want a corned beef brisket because except for St. Patrick's Day sales, they're usually cheaper at Walmart.

And I'll admit I can be a cheapskate as well.  Or rather a recovering cheapskate.  Used to buy all clothes at Walmart and thrift stores. Or rather all my clothes.  Boy clothes were bought at Target cause frankly, I like their selection better for boys clothes.   A friend teased me constantly about being such a cheapskate and convinced me that it was actually less money spent to get a pair of pants or shoes for $30 than to be constantly replacing $10 shoes or pants.

[siamesecat2965]

I knew a gal who was so proud of how much money she saved when doing her grocery shopping that I don't think she realized that she was negating her savings by driving around. 

For example for her family of 5 she'd crow that she spent about 100 at the grocery store what with watching sales and stacking coupons, then she'd drive over to Alco which was not right next door to the market.  Then if she heard that one store had a good deal on fruit but the other had a good deal on meat, she'd go from one to the next.   

As she was lecturing me about the value of coupons and stacking (which I'll be honest, I still don't understand) and how much it can save you, I was thinking that I hoped those savings was going towards gas.

I use coupons too which helps to save indeed, especially when there's a sale on the items as well, but I don't drive around to get the deals.  The only time I'll get groceries anywhere but Martin's is when I want a corned beef brisket because except for St. Patrick's Day sales, they're usually cheaper at Walmart.

I was just having a discussion over email about teh show extreme couponers with a friend, who just watched a whole bunch of episodes for the first time. She thought it was soooo fabulous they saved so much and gave it all away. i told her do't kid yourself, MANY but not all, are hoarders and aren't saving anything by buyying stuff they don't need.

Coupons don't always work for me since many are buy two get x off. I live alone so unless its something that will keep or isn't too pricy, it does me no good.

Someone who does use coupons, shops sales and only buys enough for them and their family, that's a whole other ball of wax. but she is insistent she is right so I just let it go.

[ladyknight1]

I used to buy a $15-20 purse at one of the discount stores 3-4 times a year. I then realized these purses weren't made well and I was tired of repairing or discarding them. I now buy one or two well made purses a year for $30-40 and they last. I just change them out if I get bored. Same with shoes, if they aren't made well then they aren't worth a dollar, if you have to keep replacing them.

[Venus193]

A few weeks ago Brunhilde and I were in Target with 50-cent coupons for Cuties Mandarin Oranges.  The deadline on them was three weeks later and the store had none left.  We asked two store employees who found out they had no more and couldn't predict the arrival of the next shipment.  They said that they could check the Brooklyn store but we told them not to bother.

Really, it would have cost her two subway fares (now $5) and and hour and a half to save 50 cents?  Some people just can't do math.

[Moray]

A few weeks ago Brunhilde and I were in Target with 50-cent coupons for Cuties Mandarin Oranges.  The deadline on them was three weeks later and the store had none left.  We asked two store employees who found out they had no more and couldn't predict the arrival of the next shipment.  They said that they could check the Brooklyn store but we told them not to bother.

Really, it would have cost her two subway fares (now $5) and and hour and a half to save 50 cents?  Some people just can't do math.

Which people? Was Brunhilde acting like she was considering it? Surely you can't mean the store employees; after all, how would they know where either of you lived or what your transportation plans were?

[EmmaJ.]

<snip>

Coupons don't always work for me since many are buy two get x off. I live alone so unless its something that will keep or isn't too pricy, it does me no good.

Yes!  This is one of my biggest peeves.  My pantry is about the size of a shoebox so I certainly don't have the room to store all those extra products.

If a coupon is $1.00 off for two products, I wish the store would allow $0.50 off for one.

[Venus193]

Brunhilde didn't even consider this.  The store we were in was a long subway ride away from the other Targets in NYC (the Manhattan one is not accessible by subway).

I realize I forgot to mention that Brunhilde lives within walking distance from the Target we shop in and I take the subway to Brunhilde's neighborhood.  We both have large bag carts with us when we shop there; nobody who drives there needs to have those.

Besides, driving wouldn't solve this problem because the cost of the gas would far exceed the coupon savings.

[otterwoman]

I knew a gal who was so proud of how much money she saved when doing her grocery shopping that I don't think she realized that she was negating her savings by driving around. 

For example for her family of 5 she'd crow that she spent about 100 at the grocery store what with watching sales and stacking coupons, then she'd drive over to Alco which was not right next door to the market.  Then if she heard that one store had a good deal on fruit but the other had a good deal on meat, she'd go from one to the next.   

As she was lecturing me about the value of coupons and stacking (which I'll be honest, I still don't understand) and how much it can save you, I was thinking that I hoped those savings was going towards gas.

I use coupons too which helps to save indeed, especially when there's a sale on the items as well, but I don't drive around to get the deals.  The only time I'll get groceries anywhere but Martin's is when I want a corned beef brisket because except for St. Patrick's Day sales, they're usually cheaper at Walmart.

And I'll admit I can be a cheapskate as well.  Or rather a recovering cheapskate.  Used to buy all clothes at Walmart and thrift stores. Or rather all my clothes.  Boy clothes were bought at Target cause frankly, I like their selection better for boys clothes.   A friend teased me constantly about being such a cheapskate and convinced me that it was actually less money spent to get a pair of pants or shoes for $30 than to be constantly replacing $10 shoes or pants.

I do follow the store sales, but Walmart will price match other stores, even on groceries. I just bring the other stores flyers with me and get all the sales, but only have to go to the one store.