Cheapskate stories

[2littlemonkeys]

I spotted some cheapskatey behavior from a relative recently.  It's also a bit brain hurty.

Relative had to pay a water bill.  It had been left too late to do via mail so the options were:

*to go to city hall to pay it

*to go to one of our currency exchanges (you can pay a variety of bills there)

*pay it online

The currency exchange and online options included a $2 convenience fee.  Relative ranted and raved about how stupid it was and they were not going to pay a penny more than what was owed.

Finally, another relative pointed out that $2 was less than round trip train fare and they could take care of the chore in 5 minutes, versus having to go out, stand in line and come back.

Suddenly, the $2 fee looked a lot better, LOL 

[Piratelvr1121]

I was reminded of this thread when I watched a sketch from the Carol Burnett Show today, the "No Frills" sketch where a guy (Tim Conway) starts off boasting about how he's saving all this money by sitting in the no frills section, only to be ignored or treated like carp by the stewardess (Carol), there's no glass on the window, he's the only one that feels turbulence and when he says he's getting off in Chicago they throw him off the plane! LOL!

[DollyPond]

Here's a cheapskate event that backfired on the cheapskate.

I just traveled this past few days with my moocher friend Kay.  Things have gotten a lot better with her thanks to advice from E-Hellions here and reading about Roe's tactics with K'innihave.  Now that the Bank of Dolly is closed there are far fewer mooching episodes.  Now on to the story...

At dinner one night there were 5 of us and we all asked for separate checks.  I ordered my entree and a side of guacamole.

Kay: (in a condescending tone) Are you going to shaaaaare that with the rest of the table? (referring to the guacamole)

Me:  No.  I ordered it as a side for my meal.

Kay:  (haughtily) Fine.  I'll order some but IIIII will Shaaaaaare it with everyone.

When her entree came it had guacamole included and there was also the extra one she ordered.  No one else at the table wanted any.  So she wound up wasting (and paying for) an order of guacamole that no one ate.

[Asharah]

On that show "Extreme Cheapskates" there was a family that didn't use TP at all. They used cloth rags that got washed and reused. Part of me says that the average cloth diaper contains a higher volume of ... well, you know, and people used those for eons before Pampers were invented, and some families still do, for ecological reasons, so what's the big deal?

But another, larger part of me just says, "Ewwww!"

My mother grew up with an outhouse. They used the Sears catalog. 

[Chip2]

My son just graduated from college and my SIL flew down to Phoenix to see him using a cut-rate airline that only flies on Tuesdays and Fridays. My son's ceremony was on Friday, so SIL missed it and let everyone know she was upset about missing it. Ms. Chip took the opportunity to point out that SIL would be missing the graduation specifically because of the airline she chose and, given that, the flight wasn't such a bargain after all. SIL hemmed a bit, but wouldn't agree she didn't buy what she wanted versus what was cheapest.

But I had a side conversation with her. She said the flight was cheap enough that she could use that airline to fly down and see us more often. We live about 200 miles from Phoenix, so it's a 3 to 3 1/2 hour one-way drive there. I pointed that out; SIL said she'd pay for gas. I said, "Still ain't happening," so SIL went for an overrule by Ms. Chip. Ms. Chip's response?  "You can rent a car or fly to Tucson."

[lemonfloorwax]

Heehee...first thing that came to mind when reading about the sugar was Marilla Cuthbert muttering "Twenty pounds of brown sugar..." after Anne whirls in and then back out with her puffed sleeves.

My daughter and I just finished that book! I must be a cheapskate because I picked it up for a dime at a local church's rummage sale. Nothing else that day, just the book.

[Elfmama]

On that show "Extreme Cheapskates" there was a family that didn't use TP at all. They used cloth rags that got washed and reused. Part of me says that the average cloth diaper contains a higher volume of ... well, you know, and people used those for eons before Pampers were invented, and some families still do, for ecological reasons, so what's the big deal?

But another, larger part of me just says, "Ewwww!"

My mother grew up with an outhouse. They used the Sears catalog. 

Which is why so few Sears and Montgomery Ward's catalogs of that era are still in existence!

[goodwillgal]

My IL's, especially FIL, are very, very cheap.  It's actually kind of ruining DH's pleasure in buying our first home.  We have not told the ILs yet, and won't until we close and it's a done deal (Friday...yay!).  We paid a fair price for a property that we really like and are excited about moving in and making it our own.  However, DH is dreading the inevitable lecture from FIL about how he bought his property for $25k and it had more land with it and blah blah.  Well sure, but that was 25 years ago...the house was the manager's home on a now-abandoned oilfield...20 miles from a hazmat disposal site...in some of the ugliest, hottest, most barren territory you can imagine.

  my grandparents - never knew the "real" price of my parents home - purchased in 1966- Grandma would have a fit if she knew that our house cost more than 12,000 (wonder what she would have thought about how much my house cost....

[Asharah]

On that show "Extreme Cheapskates" there was a family that didn't use TP at all. They used cloth rags that got washed and reused. Part of me says that the average cloth diaper contains a higher volume of ... well, you know, and people used those for eons before Pampers were invented, and some families still do, for ecological reasons, so what's the big deal?

But another, larger part of me just says, "Ewwww!"

My mother grew up with an outhouse. They used the Sears catalog. 

Which is why so few Sears and Montgomery Ward's catalogs of that era are still in existence!

I wonder what else they used. How long would one Sears Wish Book last with seven kids?

[hermanne]

On that show "Extreme Cheapskates" there was a family that didn't use TP at all. They used cloth rags that got washed and reused. Part of me says that the average cloth diaper contains a higher volume of ... well, you know, and people used those for eons before Pampers were invented, and some families still do, for ecological reasons, so what's the big deal?

But another, larger part of me just says, "Ewwww!"

My mother grew up with an outhouse. They used the Sears catalog. 

Which is why so few Sears and Montgomery Ward's catalogs of that era are still in existence!

I wonder what else tbey used. How long would one Sears Wish Book last with seven kids?

Corn cobs. No joke. 

[VorFemme]

Remember, there was also the Montgomery Wards catalog, corn husks, dry leaves, or any newspapers that had already been read (if you could get your hands on a newspaper - early 1920s on, probably - before that whatever you didn't MIND throwing away or boiling clean to use again).  I can't remember if J C Penney used to have a catalog or not - Mom & Dad shopped Wards & Sears.

And there were at least two catalogs a year - sometimes more. 

[magicdomino]

Penney's catalog lasted longer than Sears' or Montgomery Ward's.  In fact, it lasted longer than Wards' brick-and-mortor stores.  I don't know when Penney's started their catalog, though.

I'm told that cobs from shelled field corn have a relatively soft surface, but have no interest in testing the theory.

[hermanne]

A quote I read in an article about plumbing in the "good old days", the person was composing a letter; "I am seated in the necessity house [i.e. outhouse]. I have your letter before me. Soon it will be behind me."

[Asharah]

I remember an episode of "In The Heat Of The Night" when a reporter wrote a nasty article about Chief Gillespie and he talked about when you would read the paper than tear it into strips for the outhouse. He implied that this newspaper was not of a good enough quality to be used for that purpose. 

[ladyknight1]

My FIL is a cheapskate. If we go out to eat, a mutually arranged dinner, he will never order an appetizer. However, if we order one he will help himself. I just think it is pretty PA for him to do that, especially as every time, we ask first if they (MIL & FIL) want to order an appetizer and most the time we pay or split the check.