Frugality Hall Of Fame

[Sue]

My mother "recycled" Halloween candy. Every year she took the candy that none of us would eat and saved it for next year's Halloween.

At Halloween she would have two baskets of candy. One basket had the good candy which was for the neighborhood kids that she knew. Everyone else got the recycled candy in the second basket.

 

[camberiu]

Timing my bio-cycle so that I will need to use the toilet while at the office, in order to save on water and toilet paper from home.

 

[Keim]

What car make is it?

1976 Chevy Monte Carlo.

 

[Khan]

I drove the same car for 18 years; I replaced it this summer.

 

[limpid lizard]

I bought a pickup in November 1979. I am going camping in it this week. Hey, it is still a good truck!

 

[youbet]

Timing my bio-cycle so that I will need to use the toilet while at the office, in order to save on water and toilet paper from home.

You buy toilet paper for home Wow! Verrrry extravagent!

 

[megacorp-firee]

OK, my BS meter is a bit slow, but I hope (at least some of you) are joking.

... and SecondCor, why are you wasting perfectly good cold water ... down the drain? You should capture it in buckets and use it to flush you toliets...

... hey I think I'm starting to get the hang of this.

 

[free4now]

I've long ago given up washing out ziplocs and deli containers. I figure I already have perfectly good tupperware and don't need any more, so why accumulate any more containers. It took me a decade to work through a jumbo pack of ziploc bags that caught my eye at a Costco back when it was called the Price Club.

The hardest challenge I'm now facing is throwing out some of my perfectly good old tupperware because I'm slowly replacing it with glass containers. But I still consider this frugal... there's no savings in complicating your life by carrying unnecessary possessions.

 

[Sarah in SC]

You know, about the toilet paper thing...I read somewhere (maybe here) that Americans use twice to three times as many squares as other countries and that someone was working on an automatic dispenser that would put out just 4 squares in public bathrooms. That got me to thinking--boy, do I use a lot more than 4 squares! So I'm trying to cut back, except at work, where the TP is free!

 

[Nords]

OK, my BS meter is a bit slow, but I hope (at least some of you) are joking.
... and SecondCor, why are you wasting perfectly good cold water ... down the drain? You should capture it in buckets and use it to flush you toliets...

Hey, we learned habits like that (and other disgusting practices) going through a Northern California drought in the 1980s. If you went over your minimal water allowance the local utility hammered you with extra[-]vagant[/-]-use rates.

Once you've learned a frugal habit, if it doesn't involve a lot of time & effort to maintain, then it's hard to let go of it.

 

[Keim]

I lived next to a golf course growing up. So, when I needed a little cash I'd sell used golf balls I'd found to the golfers.

My shoes are older than most peoples cars (alright, possibly not most people on this board)

When my home stereo amp broke I decided not to fix it. How is this frugal? I bought a kit and built my next one so if it ever broke I would know how to fix it.

Ditto for my phone. I now own a working wallphone from 1910.

New furniture? Rarely. I buy (better yet-am given) old furniture and refurbish it myself.

 

[Janet H]

Anyone "borrow" wifi?

I have some new neighbors and they rang my bell recently and asked if I would mind sharing the key to my wifi. They can see the signal but were mildly miffed that it was encrypted.

They paid cash for a 300K house and then did another 100K of upgrades - I guess this is how they saved up for those purchases?

 

[REWahoo]

I have some new neighbors and they rang my bell recently and asked if I would mind sharing the key to my wifi.

If they'd pay half the monthly fee, let 'em. If they don't pay, change the key...

 

[megacorp-firee]

Anyone "borrow" wifi?

I have some new neighbors and they rang my bell recently and asked if I would mind sharing the key to my wifi. They can see the signal but were mildly miffed that it was encrypted.

They paid cash for a 300K house and then did another 100K of upgrades - I guess this is how they saved up for those purchases?

... and when they hack into your bank and brokerage accounts how will you feel?

 

[Janet H]

... and when they hack into your bank and brokerage accounts how will you feel?

Sooo NOT happening. Besides banking info, etc, they could probably log into ER and have a great time with the delete key.
I politely declined and offered to take in their paper when they traveled. I noticed they get the NY Times delivered.

 

[mja]

If they'd pay half the monthly fee, let 'em. If they don't pay, change the key...

I'd say probably not on that. One, if they have any teenaged kids, there's a non-zero chance the RIAA could end up pestering you about any file-sharing they might do. Two, your agreement with your ISP may not allow connection sharing or reselling. Three, if they were "miffed" that you prevented them from stealing from you, they can F off

 

[W2R]

Sooo NOT happening. Besides banking info, etc, they could probably log into ER and have a great time with the delete key.
I politely declined and offered to take in their paper when they traveled. I noticed they get the NY Times delivered.

Oh, you are GOOD!!! How do you politely decline something like that, anyway? I am imagining myself trying unsuccessfully to politely decline...

"No, you thieving weasels, buy your own effing internet access!! The reason I have a password is because I don't want to share, morons!"

Actually, I'd probably feed them a bundle of white lies, such as that I shut it down unpredictably at times and leave it off for weeks, and that I forgot what the password is, or that it isn't mine at all but probably the next neighbor over's. Then I'd feel guilty about lying.

 

[Moemg]

Anyone "borrow" wifi?

I have some new neighbors and they rang my bell recently and asked if I would mind sharing the key to my wifi. They can see the signal but were mildly miffed that it was encrypted.

They paid cash for a 300K house and then did another 100K of upgrades - I guess this is how they saved up for those purchases?

I'd probably start laughing and say "You are soo funny ,what's next running a extension cord for my electricty . "

 

[SecondCor521]

Do you get any mold from this?

Nope, I have a large master bathroom with decent air circulation.

2Cor521

 

[SecondCor521]

OK, my BS meter is a bit slow, but I hope (at least some of you) are joking.

... and SecondCor, why are you wasting perfectly good cold water ... down the drain? You should capture it in buckets and use it to flush you toliets...

... hey I think I'm starting to get the hang of this.

That sounds like work ;-). Good idea, though.

Half the kind of stuff I do like this is just for idle entertainment anyway. It's completely irrational to do the "don't drain the tub" thing when I could earn enough in 15 minutes on my job to pay for the wasted heat for the next year. I try hard to be rational about it.

2Cor521

 

[SecondCor521]

Oh, you are GOOD!!! How do you politely decline something like that, anyway? I am imagining myself trying unsuccessfully to politely decline...

"No, you thieving weasels, buy your own effing internet access!! The reason I have a password is because I don't want to share, morons!"

Actually, I'd probably feed them a bundle of white lies, such as that I shut it down unpredictably at times and leave it off for weeks, and that I forgot what the password is, or that it isn't mine at all but probably the next neighbor over's. Then I'd feel guilty about lying.

Miss Manners says to reply thusly:

"I'm so sorry, I couldn't possibly"

Or some such.

2Cor521

 

[TargaDave]

Barber sheers with a #6 attachment. Just buzz the whole head myself and vacuum up the mess. Walmart jeans and tee's. [DW and DD's have accepted my disregard for fashion and compensate accordingly]

 

[Shabber2]

Worked for a multi-millionaire for about 5 years that stopped in the middle of the parking lot over a storm grate, reached down and grabbed a shoe lace that was laying on it, wrung out the water, and said "great find huh?" and put it in his pocket.

He was a former NFL guy, owned 250 rental houses in San Fran area, 50 commercial, and ran a thriving commercial flooring company.

 

[TromboneAl]

boy, do I use a lot more than 4 squares!

I think you should use this as your signature.

 

[audreyh1]

Sooo NOT happening. Besides banking info, etc, they could probably log into ER and have a great time with the delete key.
I politely declined and offered to take in their paper when they traveled. I noticed they get the NY Times delivered.

Good for you! LOL!

Such an outrageous request! Think they are entitled to open wifi, do they?.....

Audrey