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How amazingly cheap are YOU?

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cslewis

cslewis

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 23, 2004
812
0
40º27.8''N, 75º42.8''W
I'm not a huge spender, but I'm not really a tightwad, either. I keep track of all of my money, even when I splurge on nice things. However, I do a few things that some people might consider cheap. For one thing, hot lunches always seemed like a ripoff to me. Why pay $5 for a slapped together sandwich and milk when you could make something tastier at home for $2? Second, I have this weird fetish for not throwing away plastic bags. They'll be used in my room's trashcan or something, not just tossed out into the dumpster! Lastly, haggle! You can save an incredible amount of money on items... it's a skill many Americans need to learn, IMHO.

What are some of your cheap habits? :D
 
mac_head101 said:
...What are some of your cheap habits? :D
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I never pay for funerals, all my dead relatives are either buried in the garden or dumped in landfills.

THAT'S A JOKE™
 
Other than turning off lights when not in use and not heating the house to 75 degrees I pay for anything I think is of quality.
 
I never use public transport. I walk, ride, run or commando crawl my way around instead.

It's not really me being cheap so much as me hating public transport.
 
I use carrier bags as small refuse bags too in the kitchen. I'm often good and buy the heavy-duty reusable ones that the supermarket replaces when they wear out - but I generally forget to take them back when I go shopping again.

I do aim to turn off lights and not to overfill the kettle when I'm making a single mug of tea.

These things are more to do with environment rather than cost. Since I don't really have to scrimp, I'm less worried about the pennies.

I do like feeling like I got a bargain though and will probably waste more of my valuable time hunting down a good deal online for a flight/room than I save - still feels good though. I tend to only haggle in stores though if something is dirty or slightly damaged.
 
iGary said:
I wast money without even thinking about it.

Life's too short.
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I'm kinda with you on that, but I do try and maximise what I get for my money... though that's hard when one loves eating out, buying gadgets on the highstreet and satisfying the ever expanding wardrobe.

I never ever pay interest on my credit cards, though. That is a massive waste of money. I always pay them off in full every month.
 
Applespider said:
...I tend to only haggle in stores though if something is dirty...
Click to expand...
Applespider - "$50 for a real-feel blow up doll! I give you $30"
Porn Shop Guy - "Get out"
 
mpw said:
Applespider - "$50 for a real-feel blow up doll! I give you $30"
Porn Shop Guy - "Get out"
Click to expand...

so that was you in the little booth at the back with the curtain drawn. I thought the odd noises emanating from it would mask my discussions...:p

For the most part, I agree with iGary. Life is too short and for some stuff (like making sandwiches to take to work or coffee to take on the Tube), I really can't be bothered. I'd rather have the extra 15 minutes in bed... and pay an extra £2 for the privilege.
 
I have a box fetish. I always save boxes to everything I buy. Yea, its a little odd and excessive. Not only do I save the boxes though, I save all the packing materials- styrofoam, tape, bags.

My friend makes fun of me because of it.

EDIT: I also save the twist ties too.

Is this really being cheap though, or is this OCD.
 
for the most part i tend to splurge more, life is short... but there's those few things that i get stubborn about and go into tight wad mode.

like i almost always refuse to buy finished wood furniture. i like to finish it myself or totally make it myself. (how "jesus christ" of me) i tend to convince my friends of this too. i've even finished their furniture for them just to prevent them from buying crap or spending too much for a simple buff job and a stained finish. <shrugs> just a quirk.

my habits don't make a lot of sense to anyone but me.
i buy expensive vodka and cheap juice to mix it with. i buy generic cereal and overpriced organic milk. i buy fancy coffee, generic cream and drink it in a $1 mug. i spend a lot on my hair and nails but buy cheap eucerin lotion for my face and wear no make-up. i wear cheap tie dye shirts and $400 shoes.

see? just part of my non-sensical world. :)

i save plastic bags and use them as trash liners too by the way. ;)
 
iBlue said:
i save plastic bags and use them as trash liners too by the way. ;)
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I haven't quite figured this out yet. I save plastic bags, but I also buy bin liners for my pedal pin. The result? I have thousands of plastic bags shoved down a corner out the way in my kitchen. I'd recycle them but the local collection doesn't include them and I can't be bothered to take them anywhere :(

Someone come collect my plastic bags? :D
 
miniConvert said:
I haven't quite figured this out yet. I save plastic bags, but I also buy bin liners for my pedal pin. The result? I have thousands of plastic bags shoved down a corner out the way in my kitchen. I'd recycle them but the local collection doesn't include them and I can't be bothered to take them anywhere :(

Someone come collect my plastic bags? :D
Click to expand...

my trash cans are tiny and taken out every day so the little grocery store plastic bags work great, i never need to buy trash bags. if i had a large trash can this habit would no longer fit.
 
I have a rather limited income, and I like quality and expensive things... I'm incredibly cheap with everything else, so I can save up for Macs, gadgets and stuff like that :D :eek: . Also, I really hate using a "big" bill ($10 and up) to buy something cheap (say $2), because then the rest of the money slips through my fingers... For example, at the Uni I almost always have the cheapest lunch ($2) instead of the better one ($2.7), because that's $10 a week, and I use a single bill for it (I usually have $20 to spend a week... I finally got a job though, but I haven't got my first paycheck yet). And then I go ahead and spend $500 on some gadget, money that takes me months to save... I guess I won't be this extremist when I start getting my paycheck, but I don't think I'll ever completely stop being dirty cheap :eek: .

PD: I forget all about this when I'm with a lady though... I guess that's not so good for my pocket, but I can't help myself. I don't mind going broke on a single date :eek: .
 
I keep on keeping old mac parts, no matter how old and useless they are... I'll also take any free mac, even if it doesnt work....

I also dont waste my money on vacuum cleaner bags, I just empty and re-use them...
 
i'm not that cheap, i know when to spend and save....
Meanwhile, i'm trying to NOT buy a 1 gig nano.... too tempting...
 
I would say I'm responsible with my money, but I'm not frugal or anything (well for a student anyway). I try to buy better quality things that last longer rather than going the cheap option which will probably need replacement which ends up costing more (part of the reason I bought a Mac!).

I always buy lunch at uni - the extra sleep is more valuable. I catch the tram which only takes 15 minutes because it's cheaper than petrol and parking. It's also better for the environment.

When I'm buying clothes, I always try to buy them when they're on sale (it helps me justify how much some of the things I buy cost :eek: ), plus I hate it when I buy something and then a month later see it for like half the price.

I think when I have a real job and more income (hopefully) I'll be pretty liberal with it - you only live once!
 
OP don't listen to these rich guys, I don't get the people who go to work or school every day and buy a lunch. If you do this you're throwing away a hundred bucks a month. That "15 min in bed" isn't worth $100 bucks is it? Why not just order a maid that way you never have to get out of bed unless you're doing it for You.

I have a friend, and he lives with his brother. Both of them are always pinched for money. And when I ask them...

Me "where did you eat last night"
them "oh we went out and had mcdonalds (or some such)"
Me "why didn't you just make something fast at home like Pasta-Roni?"
them "cause we don't have any of that, sides we ordered off the dollar menu" (several items I assure you) (I feel I should point out that Pasta-Roni is "just add boiling water" and is really good and can feed 2 people and costs $1 when its on sale all the time at Albertsons. Or Sams Club)

Them "I'll be back, we're going to Best Buy"
Me "what do you need at Best Buy, you should save your money"
Them "I work really hard so I can afford to buy a movie every now and then"
 
I'm pretty tight all the way around. I use my plastic grocery bags (great for cat **** :p ), for the most part I buy store-brand products, although there are exceptions (I don't care what's for sale I always buy Gain laundry detergent...mmm...). I never spend money going out to eat, (not just because I'd rather spend the money elsewhere but because I'm uncomfortable having people serve me. :eek: ) I've always been a brown bagger, as I rather enjoy fixing my lunch. I wear the cheapest clothes I can possibly find, I care nothing for style so that's easy. The one thing I do slurge on is anything electronic. It's my hobby, which I fund with all the money I save with my 2nd hobby-knitting exciting underwear.
 
jared_kipe said:
OP don't listen to these rich guys, I don't get the people who go to work or school every day and buy a lunch. If you do this you're throwing away a hundred bucks a month. That "15 min in bed" isn't worth $100 bucks is it? Why not just order a maid that way you never have to get out of bed unless you're doing it for You.
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To a point, I agree with you. For a long time I just didn't buy anything at the Uni, I took my food with me instead (if I was getting out late), otherwise I just waited to have lunch at home. The problem was eating well... I almost never had time to make a semi-healthy lunch; it was always pasta, rice or something like that... almost never salads and stuff that takes longer to cook. So I decided to start spending a little and at least have one decent meal a day...

(And buy movies? Never! I rent at most... I do spend a lot on games though, but not so much lately).
 
Hmm. I'm usually never really cheap... Except when it comes to tips. 15% my ass. The only reason I ever give tips is for really excellent service, and even then its only 2-3 bucks. No matter how much I spent.

I know :eek:...
 
blaskillet4 said:
Hmm. I'm usually never really cheap... Except when it comes to tips. 15% my ass. The only reason I ever give tips is for really excellent service, and even then its only 2-3 bucks. No matter how much I spent.

I know :eek:...
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Wow you are cheap :eek: :D

I really love the sign that I saw at a McDonalds drive through that says not to tip the employees. Really, who would ever think of tipping someone there.
---

I spend $3 on lunch each day. I know, its stupid and the food is gross. I am to lazy to make a lunch and so is my mom ;). I do eat a nice homemade lunch at school probably a few times a month. I know, its bad.

Typically I spend the money on
The main lunch: $2.00
A "wrap": $2.50
A Bagel: $1.25 (with cream cheese)

If I get a bagel I spend $.40 on a milk. I typically buy a bag of pretzels for $1.00. About 1-2 times a week I buy a bottle of water for $1. Occasionally I will buy a pop-tart if I am really really hungry. The food is gross so sometimes I throw most of it away. The portions are also small so if you do eat it 90% of the time you are still hungry.


It really disturbs me that there are many kids that I see that for lunch buy 8 cookies and a rice krispies™ treat or some other unhealthy meal.
 
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