Confessions of a true CHEAPSKATE

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rivrider I reuse plastic sandwich bags. Have a rack to hang them on to dry after washing them.

me too, unless they are greasy or had meat/dairy/seafood in them.

before picking up this habit, i used to have to buy storage bags every time shopping.

this is so reassuring to read all these frugal habits. i'm not alone on the planet Cheapo. LOL

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by toofrugalformycat One time when we were taking a cab to the airport in Mexico, the driver was friendly and asked us about ourselves, and DH and I were responding in our limited Spanish. When he asked how we could afford to vacation in Mexico for weeks at a time, I said in Spanish, "We eat beans and rice every day." I said this partly because those were about the only food items I knew the words for, and we did eat them a lot. He said, with a smile, "I don't believe you!". I said to DH, "He doesn't believe me because I am too fat!" and we all had a laugh because it was true, and in Mexico it's not an insult to call someone fat, just funny, even when it's true. When we got back home I wondered why we DIDN'T eat them every day. We do now. We buy organic dried kidney beans and brown rice in 25-lb bags, and cut tomatoes at Costco in the #10 (big) can. We cook up a batch of beans in the crock-pot, and freeze it in 2-serving portions with the tomatoes. We cook up a batch of brown rice and keep that in the frig. Most every day for lunch, we dump the frozen beans and tomatoes into a Pyrex bowl and nuke it, then put it in a bowl with the precooked brown rice, and add jalapenos or salsa. Delicious, nutritious, non-fattening, and oh so very cheap! Thank you, taxi driver.

beans and beans and magical fruit
the more you eat, the more you toot
good for the soul, good for the heart
the more you eat the more you...start (haha - gotcha)
to eat your beans at every meal

[Madison]

I refuse to pay extra for sour cream for my burritos at one of my favorite restaurants. They charge 30 cents for it!

[73ss454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madison I refuse to pay extra for sour cream for my burritos at one of my favorite restaurants. They charge 30 cents for it!

That makes me crazy also.

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73ss454 That makes me crazy also.

double ditto on that. since when does 1-2 tbsp of sour cream cost 30 cents? argh

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex Yes - don't hold out on us.

he's gonna make us suffer....LOL

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by toofrugalformycat One time when we were taking a cab to the airport in Mexico, the driver was friendly and asked us about ourselves, and DH and I were responding in our limited Spanish. When he asked how we could afford to vacation in Mexico for weeks at a time, I said in Spanish, "We eat beans and rice every day." I said this partly because those were about the only food items I knew the words for, and we did eat them a lot. He said, with a smile, "I don't believe you!". I said to DH, "He doesn't believe me because I am too fat!" and we all had a laugh because it was true, and in Mexico it's not an insult to call someone fat, just funny, even when it's true. When we got back home I wondered why we DIDN'T eat them every day. We do now. We buy organic dried kidney beans and brown rice in 25-lb bags, and cut tomatoes at Costco in the #10 (big) can. We cook up a batch of beans in the crock-pot, and freeze it in 2-serving portions with the tomatoes. We cook up a batch of brown rice and keep that in the frig. Most every day for lunch, we dump the frozen beans and tomatoes into a Pyrex bowl and nuke it, then put it in a bowl with the precooked brown rice, and add jalapenos or salsa. Delicious, nutritious, non-fattening, and oh so very cheap! Thank you, taxi driver.

Works great, unless you are a foodie like me. Then you end up dropping $5/pound on heirloom beans from this place: Rancho Gordo

They are more than worth it, though.

[toofrugalformycat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Works great, unless you are a foodie like me. Then you end up dropping $5/pound on heirloom beans from this place: Rancho Gordo They are more than worth it, though.

Thanks for the reference! That's what I'm paying for my organic kidney beans. These look like a lot more fun.

[NotSoonEnough]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 I actually tear my paper towels in half for small cleanup jobs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl We cut them in thirds before using the roll.

I don't use paper towels, 1/2 or 1/3 paper towels, or any other paper towels. I have never purchased paper towels. I use washable cotton towels for everything. But, I wonder if washing cotton is more expensive than buying paper...:confused: Hmm, time for another study/experiment.

[Janet H]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madison I refuse to pay extra for sour cream for my burritos at one of my favorite restaurants. They charge 30 cents for it!

This chaps me as well. I think I'll bring my own next time and see what happens.

[zoey]

Some of what we do has already been mentioned like reusing plastic baggies and cutting up paper towels. We also hang our clothes on the line, instead of using a dryer. Probably, the most extreme thing we do is not heat our water heater. We turned it to "off", which saves us about $20 per month on our gas bill.

We reuse as much as possible such as tofu plastic trays, food jars, etc. I cook from scratch and we buy bread at the discount bread store. I pick up change off the street. This week was a great week for found money. I found a $20 bill, two dimes, a penney and a starbucks card that had 36 cents left on it. All this during one half hour walk. The next day I found a dime and a penney.

We don't buy bottled water. Instead we use a PUR water filter/pitcher and don't change the filter as often as they recommend. The water stays fresh tasting for months longer than they say it will. I think they just want you to buy more filters.

I color my own hair and have it cut infrequently. Last hair cut was at least 18 months ago. I'm going to to break down and go to the hair dresser soon, though.

I cut off any unused portion of paper from junk mail, bills, etc. and use it for scratch paper. We water down dish liquid--about 10 parts water to one part soap. We don't run our dish washer--instead do dishes by hand.

[laurence]

Brita water filters, Ditto on the overuse. Co-workers laugh at my lunch packed in trader-joes yogurt containers. Lots of others that are already mentioned.

Oh, and remember the old line? "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down?"....still the rule in our house, unless we know guests are coming!

[amy5708]

I used to rewash all my tin foil and plastic bags. Now I just buy the cheapest plastics in the smallest sizes and try to use the "fold over" bags instead of zip-locks.

Buy clothes at thrift stores. I can get shirts and pants with tags still on for $2. One of my favorite jackets I got at a yard sale and talked them down to $2.

Buy food on sale with coupons. I used to go through the newspaper recycling bin for coupons so I wouldn't have to buy a paper.

We hardly ever eat out. Pack lunches for all 4 of us daily.

Buy in bulk and buy generic.

Stay away from Wal-Mart.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoey Probably, the most extreme thing we do is not heat our water heater. We turned it to "off", which saves us about $20 per month on our gas bill.

Eeow! That sounds painful. In the winter around here the incoming water temp is in the 40s. I try to tell her it would save water if we showered together but that only works sometimes.

[template]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl We cut them in thirds before using the roll.

I use half a dryer fabric softener sheet in each dryer load. When I buy a box of dryer sheets, I cut the entire box in half using a bandsaw.

[Orchidflower]

Bounty makes paper towels that are perforated for half of the normal size sheet of paper towels, so you are not alone in this idea.
95% of your ideas are cheapskate things? Gosh...the above seems pretty normal to me. God only knows I have blown enough money in my time on things I could have done without, so I have learned to conserve where I can over the years..ha!

[Martha]

I think Al uses a fillet knife to slice his paper towels. We used to use a serrated knife but on his suggestion went to a fillet knife because it makes a nicer cut.

[REWahoo]

With a diamond blade circular saw you can get 12 'mini-rolls'.

Warning: Use caution, that last cut is dicey!

[Martha]

<snort>

[W2R]

I am in AWE of some of the things people on the board do, to be frugal. I have been thinking about this and musing over it and how I could be saving so much more, but am not. I know that I don't spend much, but to be honest I don't work that hard at being frugal, either. I really don't buy used clothing, nor do I use paper towels for toilet paper or any of the other wonderful tips that people have been giving.

I think that my approach is to just not buy very many things, compared with most people. Other than food, I was brought up to be very "easy" on things, and not wear them out or ruin them. Where someone else might say that they need something, I would be thinking "I can make do for a while longer". Then, when I finally buy whatever-it-is, I buy it new at a moderately priced store (not Neiman Marcus, but not necessarily Wallie World, either), and often on sale.

Just thought I'd mention a different approach that helps me in working towards the same goals others on this thread have. When I am buying something, no matter what the bargain, I think to myself: Is this something that I really need, or am I just responding to the "buy, buy, buy" pressures of Madison Avenue? Would my ancestors have bought this during the Great Depression of the 1930's?" If not, then I go home and enjoy the things that I already have.