selective cheapness

[RunningBum]

Does anyone else re-use charcoal briquets? After grilling, I put on the lid and close the vents, and the coals cool down. Next time I add some new briquets to the old, mix them in my chimney starter, and they seem to burn just fine! Some of it is due to cheapness, some of it is to not waste, some of it is to not have to haul away charcoal ashes so often.

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire ?? I just said, "No thank you!", and my brothers and nephew jumped right in to divy up the stuff for themselves, to help fill their McMansions I suppose. Guess I am lucky. (?)

Ditto! My sister even keeps a lot of my old stuff. Visiting her is like a going into a time warp, decade by decade.

[Gumby]

I will cheap out on many things -- cars and my own clothes, for example -- but I will never go cheap on food at the grocery. Being able to buy exactly what I want at the grocery, when I want it, is very important (we could not do that when I was a kid and I swore it would not be the case after I left home).

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby I will cheap out on many things -- cars and my own clothes, for example -- but I will never go cheap on food at the grocery. Being able to buy exactly what I want at the grocery, when I want it, is very important (we could not do that when I was a kid and I swore it would not be the case after I left home).

I am the same way with food. I view it as a cheap luxury and I am a foodie so I actually care about the ingredients when I take the time to cook.

Other stuff, I could care less about.

Then again, I just spent $70 on half a dozen bars of soap and a bottle of bubble bath for DW.

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby ...I will never go cheap on food at the grocery. Being able to buy exactly what I want at the grocery, when I want it, is very important (we could not do that when I was a kid and I swore it would not be the case after I left home).

That was my big rebellion when I got my first apt. I shopped at an international market that specialized in fresh imported produce. One time I bought some out-of-season grapes and the clerk reminded me they were priced by the half pound and asked if I was sure I wanted them. Yes, but no doubt she wouldn't have quibbled if it was a bottle of wine.

[old woman]

Quote:

One time I bought some out-of-season grapes and the clerk reminded me they were priced by the half pound and asked if I was sure I wanted them

I try to buy healthy food at any price and if a food is both yummy and healthy I can get myself to pay a high price. Bing cherries cost about 3.99 then go down to about .99 a pound but I buy some any time I see pretty ones at any price. I grew up with mom refusing to buy overpriced things and I still have trouble with it, I like bargains. If it is bad for me like chips I often look at the price per pound and put it back. Sometimes I get a bunch of produce bags and tell myself I have to fill them no matter what it cost. I go to a veggie market and can get two or three grocery bags of food for $6-$7 even if I throw in something that cost too much.

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by old woman I try to buy healthy food at any price and if a food is both yummy and healthy I can get myself to pay a high price. Bing cherries cost about 3.99 then go down to about .99 a pound but I buy some any time I see pretty ones at any price. I grew up with mom refusing to buy overpriced things and I still have trouble with it, I like bargains. If it is bad for me like chips I often look at the price per pound and put it back. Sometimes I get a bunch of produce bags and tell myself I have to fill them no matter what it cost. I go to a veggie market and can get two or three grocery bags of food for $6-$7 even if I throw in something that cost too much.

I'm still in heaven in produce shops and farmer's markets because mom bought only apples, oranges, bananas and (yuch!) ice berg lettace. But she grew some delicious stuff: rhubarb and tomatoes but the grape vine never produced.

[Meadbh]

I've been splitting dryer sheets for 20+ years. I buy no name brands all the time and compare price per gram or ml. I use generic over the counter drugs such as acetaminophen. I am selective about gifts, grooming, wine.....

[Martha]

You would think docs would get things like acetaminophen for free. Just like I have an endless supply of pens and legal pads.

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha You would think docs would get things like acetaminophen for free. Just like I have an endless supply of pens and legal pads.

Actually no, not in my situation. Docs in private practice may get drug samples from pharmaceutical reps, but usually it's whatever newfangled drugs they are trying to mass market, e.g. the latest antihypertensive or antibiotic. Acetaminophen is a commodity and not worthy of their attention. In any case, I'm a baby doc in academic practice and when I prescribe acetaminophen for my patients, it's in syrup or suppository form. All our major new treatments are introduced in the context of rigorous randomized clinical trials and if the evidence doesn't show benefit, out it goes. When it's a new use for an old drug, our team pharmacists advise us. It's pointless for pharma reps to come visit, so I simply don't see drug samples. The only free stuff I get is conference pens.

There is evidence to show that "physician detailing" works to some extent. Big pharma knew that all along, else why bother hiring those drug reps? It's scary, because your local doc may be getting his/her information from biased sources. So many of the medical professional associations have ethical codes about what physicians can and can't accept from drug companies. For example, sponsorship of an educational event is OK, fancy dinners are not.