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Am I cheap?
Old 08-26-2017, 08:39 PM   #1
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Am I cheap?

When I see something cheap I like to stack it deep. I have a good 5-10 year supply of car oil, underwear, socks, shoes and other things.

I had a slew of toothbrushes and am finally running low on them so I've been perusing the dollar store, they have my brand but I've been holding off at $1 a pop. I picked up the last batch online so I tried again and found some for .29 each, not the brand I'm on now but a brand I've used in the past and liked them so I picked up 50 pieces for a $20 bill, .40 each shipped. 50 pieces will probably last us a year, maybe I shoulda bought more.

I'm pretty passionate about my opening statement and feel it saves money in the long run, an old lady I once knew who drove a Benz but bought day old bread every week told me - pinch the pennies today so you can spend dollars tomorrow
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Old 08-26-2017, 08:54 PM   #2
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Does pretty much having a lifetime supply of forever stamps fall in that category? That's what I did .
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Old 08-26-2017, 09:11 PM   #3
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Oh yeah, I'm sitting on a few of them too
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Old 08-26-2017, 09:34 PM   #4
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One thing to bear in mind is the shelf life of the item you are stashing. For example, will the elastic in underwear lose it's elasticity after a number of years? If you're only stashing it for a couple of years, probably not, but I wonder if your undies will be as good as new if you don't start using them until 5 or 10 years after first buying them.

About 20 years ago, my then-fiancee bought me a large amount of bottles of moisturizing lotion, which she got a deal on. Thing is, I don't use very much lotion at all, and after about 10 years, it was separating out, so I had to toss what was left away. I still have toothbrushes left from the stash she got me though.

Something to consider.
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Old 08-26-2017, 09:49 PM   #5
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I probably lose thousands of dollars every year by not re-balancing, and by sticking to a less than ideal AA. That being said, I love a bargain if its not a hassle to get. I have over 100 high hat lights in my home, I bought enough light bulbs to illuminate all of Times Square. They were such a deal I couldn't resist. When I sell this place the light bulbs get thrown in as a bonus.
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Old 08-26-2017, 09:58 PM   #6
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Does pretty much having a lifetime supply of forever stamps fall in that category? That's what I did .
People still use snail mail?
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Old 08-26-2017, 10:02 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Tom View Post
One thing to bear in mind is the shelf life of the item you are stashing. For example, will the elastic in underwear lose it's elasticity after a number of years? If you're only stashing it for a couple of years, probably not, but I wonder if your undies will be as good as new if you don't start using them until 5 or 10 years after first buying them.

About 20 years ago, my then-fiancee bought me a large amount of bottles of moisturizing lotion, which she got a deal on. Thing is, I don't use very much lotion at all, and after about 10 years, it was separating out, so I had to toss what was left away. I still have toothbrushes left from the stash she got me though.

Something to consider.


I have not bought underwear since 1999.... elastic is still good...


Just for info, I had a good number, but bought a bunch new just before moving overseas to work... when I got back home I had twice as much... I can go more than a month without washing (maybe two)... and I only wash undies in one load... they are wearing out pretty fast now... but I think I got my moneys worth....
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Old 08-26-2017, 10:06 PM   #8
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As to OP... it is not a waste IF you use it....

I bought a few pairs of dress work shoes since I loved what I had and it was hard to find... JCPenny had an online sale so I bought.... still have one or two new pair in the closet that I will not use... well, maybe some time in the future...

But shelf life is an important part of the calculation.... otherwise if you have a place to store it all then go for it....
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Old 08-26-2017, 10:07 PM   #9
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Does pretty much having a lifetime supply of forever stamps fall in that category? That's what I did .
How many stamps^^ is that?

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Old 08-26-2017, 10:10 PM   #10
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Having too much inventory is not always a good thing. What about the opportunity cost of the money spent to buy it, and the cost of the space it takes up? Having said that, I do stockpile certain items when they are on sale, such as toothpaste and toilet paper. Just not years' worth of supply of toilet paper, because of its bulk. I haven't bought bar soap for at least six years, since I last moved, because I have a couple of baskets full of it, from hotels I have stayed at. There is no noticeable deterioration in the quality of the soap over time. As for underwear, I am still using panties that I bought 10-20 years ago. New ones in storage seem to keep indefinitely. I am still using some sheets and towels that I bought when I moved out of my parents' home 35 years ago.
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Old 08-27-2017, 12:17 AM   #11
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I can actually speak to that I bought a lot of my favorite brand of undies some 11 years ago, when I had BX privileges overseas. Just broke open the last pack, and they are just fine! Recently, I checked their price at Macy's and almost had a kitten. It was about 3X what I remember paying in 2006.

I must admit that, while I do look for good buys, I don't spend much time bargain-hunting any more. Time is much more valuable than money.

Quote:
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I wonder if your undies will be as good as new if you don't start using them until 5 or 10 years after first buying them.

.
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Old 08-27-2017, 05:07 AM   #12
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Having too much inventory is not always a good thing. What about the opportunity cost of the money spent to buy it, and the cost of the space it takes up? Having said that, I do stockpile certain items when they are on sale, such as toothpaste and toilet paper. Just not years' worth of supply of toilet paper, because of its bulk. I haven't bought bar soap for at least six years, since I last moved, because I have a couple of baskets full of it, from hotels I have stayed at. There is no noticeable deterioration in the quality of the soap over time. As for underwear, I am still using panties that I bought 10-20 years ago. New ones in storage seem to keep indefinitely. I am still using some sheets and towels that I bought when I moved out of my parents' home 35 years ago.
+1 I think there are some false economies of taking stocking up to the extreme that the OP has that some you have pointed out, like opportunity cost, the clutter that it adds to your life, possible additional space you decide that you need to keep all your "stuff", etc. But most importantly, your needs and wants may change and some stuff may not be used in which case that which isn't used is wasted money so the savings of stocking up are not as great as first thought. Perhaps you have a closet full of briefs but now prefer boxers so the cost of the briefs that you will not use are wasted.... so much for those big savings.

For me, I would much rather buy what I need when I need it and shop for a fair price than have a lot of clutter in my life. Now, if I could just convince DW!

But to answer your question... yes, you are cheap.
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Old 08-27-2017, 05:30 AM   #13
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I would rather have someone else store my necessities even if it cost me a little more in the long run. And as others have suggested, that might not be the case anyway due to shelf life and style changes.
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Old 08-27-2017, 05:53 AM   #14
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A 6-pack of good toothbrushes is $1 at Walmart.
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Old 08-27-2017, 05:56 AM   #15
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I had a slew of toothbrushes and am finally running low on them so I've been perusing the dollar store, they have my brand but I've been holding off at $1 a pop. I picked up the last batch online so I tried again and found some for .29 each, not the brand I'm on now but a brand I've used in the past and liked them so I picked up 50 pieces for a $20 bill, .40 each shipped. 50 pieces will probably last us a year, maybe I shoulda bought more.
Are you talking about toothbrushes throughout that whole paragraph? 50 "pieces", an odd way to refer to a toothbrush, only lasts a year? That's 2 weeks per. I go about 6 months, or replace after a cold.
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Old 08-27-2017, 06:20 AM   #16
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I haven't bought bar soap for at least six years, since I last moved, because I have a couple of baskets full of it, from hotels I have stayed at. There is no noticeable deterioration in the quality of the soap over time.
We pretty much use nothing but bar soap, from The Soap Works, now:

https://well.ca/brand/the-soap-works...SAAEgK7qvD_BwE

Bulk Barn sells it.....they also issue flyers with coupons giving $3 off on purchases over $10.......we pass by, grab ~$10 worth, get ~ a 30% discount.

Then again, we are cheap.
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Old 08-27-2017, 06:28 AM   #17
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I read Andrew Tobias' "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need" when it first came out and he was a big advocate of buying in bulk. He made the point again and again (which this group already knows) that saving AFTER-tax money is important because for every $ you spend, you'll have to earn about $1.30 to replace it.

Having said that- I'm not into clutter and, with just me in the household, spoilage is a concern. I buy at Costco when it makes sense but wouldn't want more than a year's supply of anything, particularly bulky things.
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Old 08-27-2017, 06:41 AM   #18
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I tried stocking up on fruit and vegetables at the farmers' market, but I had to make a lot of sauces and dishes to freeze, and I only have the freezer compartment of my fridge. If I sold my condo and spent another $200K I could buy a SFH and then I would have room for a freezer. I'm not going to spend $200K to store frozen vegetables!
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Old 08-27-2017, 06:50 AM   #19
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People still use snail mail?
I definitely send less and get less snail mail now than the pre-electronic days. I say, around twice a week, isn't uncommon for me to get zero snail mail, not even ads.

Still, there are times I still use a stamp. I'm old fashioned in sending snail mail Christmas cards to some folks.

Plus, I write a check (yep, use that too, but get paid 10 cents a check - I know, cheap) for stuff like paying my health insurance premium and HSA contribution. I don't trust their electronic setup.
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Old 08-27-2017, 06:51 AM   #20
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For those of you that don't stock up on underwear, here's something to consider. Sometime around the late 70's or early 80's. polyester and nylon became the primary materials for ladies' underwear. You could not find cotton underwear. There were people in my family wearing cotton underwear with holes and marginal elastic for years, looking everywhere for the "holy" grail of cotton underwear.

At some point, cotton made a comeback as healthier and more breathable. Later on, the low cost producers, Hanes and Fruit of the Loom, started importing cheap cotton underwear. Buy it cheap and stack it deep was the approach used at that point, because you never knew if the product would once again disappear from the store shelves.

Should have bought a 20 year supply of Tide laundry detergent before they took out the phosphates as well...
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