Silly Frugality?

[skipro33]

Theft is not the same as frugality.

I was attempting to be facetious. Sorry I missed the target.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

post deleted

 

[Nemo2]

I was attempting to be facetious. Sorry I missed the target.

Naaah...I got it.

 

[flintnational]

I lick my own dishes clean. Waste not, want not.

You win!

 

[Walt34]

Not sure if this should go in this thread or another one but:

John went to visit his 90 year old grandfather in a very secluded, rural area of Oklahoma.

After spending a great evening chatting the night away, John's grandfather prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate, and questioned his grandfather asking, "Are these plates clean?"

His grandfather replied, "They're as clean as cold water can get them. Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!"

For lunch the old man made hamburgers. Again, John was concerned about the plates as his appeared to have tiny specks around the edge that looked like dried egg and asked, "Are you sure these plates are clean?"

Without looking up the old man said, "I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now don't you fret, I don't want to hear another word about it!"

Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather's dog started to growl, and wouldn't let him pass. John yelled and said, "Grandfather, your dog won't let me get to my car".

Without diverting his attention from the football game he was watching on TV, the old man shouted ...

"COLDWATER, GO LAY DOWN!!!!"

 

[gretah]

Not me, but someone I met last fall.

I invited her over for lunch. I made a beef stew with cognac, roasted vegetables, and garnished with creme fraiche. For dessert, we had warm berries with cream whipped with Frangelico, toasted and ground hazelnuts, and cardamom.

After she ate her generous serving of stew, she asked for a second helping. I was flattered but surprised since the first serving was huge and she is tiny. She is my guest and might have a furiously high metabolism, so why not? So I gave her another big serving.

She ate a little then put bowl aside.

Same thing happened with dessert.

Hmmmmm? I was curious.

Then she mentioned she brought tupperware and could she take her uneaten food home?


I'm a redheaded Scotswoman and cheap as heck. This gal got me beat!

 

[John Galt III]

I don't understand how people can't finish a restaurant meal, unless it's those chain restaurant meals that are mostly pasta or fries. We don't eat out often, and we go hungry to good restaurants and eat every scrap. We're not typically what you'd call big eaters, either. It just isn't that much food.

Agree. I find restaurant portions to be disappointingly small. Maybe I'm a glutton. LOL.

 

[Amethyst]

The more expensive the place, the smaller the portions, at least where I live.

In Florida, however, the pricier restaurants usually give a decent portion. Probably varies by location, but that's what we've observed where we've visited.

We have been called many things, but gluttons is not among them.

Agree. I find restaurant portions to be disappointingly small. Maybe I'm a glutton. LOL.

 

[harllee]

I find most restaurant portions to be much larger than I eat at home and DH and I both usually take home leftovers for lunch the next day. We do watch our calories. A serving of meat should be about the size of a deck of cards. Most restaurants we visit serve portions at least twice this size.

 

[Philliefan33]

Whether it was frugality or potion control, DH and I made the most of a couple of takeout meals last week.

On Friday, neither one of us wanted to cook so we decided to try takeout pasta from the local pizza place. We ordered one lasagna meal and one chicken parm meal. Each came with salad and some Italian bread.

On Friday we ate our salad, bread, and shared one chicken parm cutlet with some of the accompanying spaghetti. On Sunday we made our own salad and finished the chicken parm & spaghetti. Then on Monday we shared the lasagna. So we got three meals each from what was supposedly two takeout dinners!

 

[lwp2017]

I get that. I have some small bits of wood that I'm sure I'll use any day now. And I've been saying that for many, many years!



I also hate to throw out random nuts, bolts and screws. I have a small utility cabinet full of them.

I had depression era parents. Nothing was thrown away.
"Waste not, want not" will be my epitaph.

I save almost all dimensional lumber cutoffs over 18".
Under 18" is used as kindling. Started last nights fire with it- got a little satisfaction.

Save a few plastic tubs for painting and mixing epoxy. Save twisties from the dry cleaning for tying up vines the garden . Return the wire coat hangers so dry cleaners can use them again.

Save all my haystring.


If I don't use an item in a few years it gets recycled or trashed, fine line between thrifty and hoarding.

 

[scrabbler1]

I'm not sure if this counts a "silly," but in recent months I would buy a fresh, full pie from my favorite local pizza joint, and ask them to slice into 16 half-slices. I would take it home and split this into 3 roughly equal-sized portions. I realize 16 doesn't divide by 3 evenly, but then again all 16 half-slices are not of equal size, either. I would split it into 6-5-5 half-slices, choosing the 6 smaller-leaning half-slices first.

Instead of buying the slices sitting around the pizza joint 2 at a time, I get fresher, tastier slices with the remainder available to reheat later when I freeze what I don't eat right away. It's easier to store the half-slices, 2 at a time, into plastic, air-tight containers and defrost 5 of them the morning I plan to each them for lunch.

But the best, frugal part of this is being able to save a lot by not buying soda at the pizza joint. And if the weather is bad, I don't have to walk over there. I can eat a little more, fresher pizza for a little less money.

 

[Sunset]

The more expensive the place, the smaller the portions, at least where I live.

.....

Same here.

We often will order chinese takeout, as 1 lunch special, and then split it, as there is plenty for each of us.

 

[pb4uski]

These posts remind me of the old Tightwad Gazette - anyone else remember that? I recall reading about how they wrote about things like using the dregs of jellies and jams to make popsicles, extending the lives of children's shoes by applying bottlecaps to the soles, etc., but I drew the line after I read about saving the dried ketchup rings from the tops of ketchup bottles until there was enough to make tomato soup! Ick!

Wasn't there one back then about using old rags as toilet paper and then laundering them to reuse? Talk about uck factor!

 

[Meadbh]

I'm not sure if this counts a "silly," but in recent months I would buy a fresh, full pie from my favorite local pizza joint, and ask them to slice into 16 half-slices. I would take it home and split this into 3 roughly equal-sized portions. I realize 16 doesn't divide by 3 evenly, but then again all 16 half-slices are not of equal size, either. I would split it into 6-5-5 half-slices, choosing the 6 smaller-leaning half-slices first.

Instead of buying the slices sitting around the pizza joint 2 at a time, I get fresher, tastier slices with the remainder available to reheat later when I freeze what I don't eat right away. It's easier to store the half-slices, 2 at a time, into plastic, air-tight containers and defrost 5 of them the morning I plan to each them for lunch.

But the best, frugal part of this is being able to save a lot by not buying soda at the pizza joint. And if the weather is bad, I don't have to walk over there. I can eat a little more, fresher pizza for a little less money.

I learnt how to make pizza. I can make two 15” pizzas, loaded, for about $10 Canadian.

 

[Music Lover]

I learnt how to make pizza. I can make two 15” pizzas, loaded, for about $10 Canadian.

I make my own pizzas all the time and they're pretty good, but there are a couple local places that make great pizza and I don't mind paying for one every now and then. Of course, being frugal, I usually get a large as it's a better value...and it will usually last for 3 or 4 meals.

 

[haha]

When I read these dispiriting posts, I wonder if there is any purpose to amassing all this money?

 

[W2R]

I don't understand how people can't finish a restaurant meal, unless it's those chain restaurant meals that are mostly pasta or fries. We don't eat out often, and we go hungry to good restaurants and eat every scrap. We're not typically what you'd call big eaters, either. It just isn't that much food.

I was telling Frank about your post yesterday, since we often split a meal for lunch or else take half home. I told him that I wondered if your comments above were due to the fact that you are probably younger than we are (we are mid to late 60's) so maybe you can eat more than us old fogies can. I was sympathizing with how much higher expenses could be for younger people who eat out.

But he had a better idea. Years ago he lived for a while in Connecticut outside NYC, and also for a year or two in Baltimore, all for his job. He says that from what he saw in the NE, restaurant meals there are customarily a whole lot smaller than what is served down here and he thinks your observation is correct for your region. (I traveled to DC for work often, but seldom ate at a restaurant there so I didn't know that.)

I should have taken a photo of the roasted chicken pita we split yesterday and were eating at the time we were discussing this. Each half fully covered a normal sized plate. If we didn't split it, I suppose it would have been served on an extra large serving plate.

 

[Amethyst]

I am a little bit younger, but my husband is older than you all. That said, I suspect Frank has the right of it. That chicken pita sounds delicious.

I was telling Frank about your post yesterday, since we often split a meal for lunch or else take half home. I told him that I wondered if your comments above were due to the fact that you are probably younger than we are (we are mid to late 60's) so maybe you can eat more than us old fogies can. But he had a better idea. Years ago he lived for a while in Connecticut outside NYC, and also for a year or two in Baltimore, all for his job. He says that from what he saw in the NE, restaurant meals there are customarily a whole lot smaller than what is served down here and he thinks your observation is correct for your region. (I traveled to DC for work often, but seldom ate at a restaurant there so I didn't know that.)

I should have taken a photo of the roasted chicken pita we split yesterday and were eating at the time we were discussing this. Each half fully covered a normal sized plate. If we didn't split it, I suppose it would have been served on an extra large serving plate.

 

[W2R]

I am a little bit younger, but my husband is older than you all. That said, I suspect Frank has the right of it. That chicken pita sounds delicious.

It was, thanks!

 

[harllee]

When I read these dispiriting posts, I wonder if there is any purpose to amassing all this money?

What is dispiriting about taking home half of a too large meal from a restaurant to eat later? If I ate all the food I am served in restaurants in my area I would gain weight and my cholesterol would be through the roof. It is nice to save money by taking food home but I mainly do it for my health.

 

[W2R]

OK, this isn't that chicken pita but I browsed through my old photos and found this one, which shows my 1/2 of a grilled chicken sandwich that we split back in 2011. For me, this was more than enough for lunch and it was about the size we expected.

 

[W2R]

What is dispiriting about taking home half of a too large meal from a restaurant to eat later? If I ate all the food I am served in restaurants in my area I would gain weight and my cholesterol would be through the roof. It is nice to save money by taking food home but I mainly do it for my health.

We eat lunch out every day, and it is our largest meal of the day. If I ate an entire meal by myself each day, I would weight 600 lbs. As it is, I am too overweight and most of the time I try to combat that by choosing a small side salad for my lunch or else a cup of soup.

The 1/2 sandwich I showed in my last post cost $6 including tax and tip. So was that 1/2 chicken pita I mentioned in my post before that one. I could easily afford $12 for lunch, but the calories are the limiting factor, not cost. Really this is not due to frugality so much as health concerns. Guess I am guilty of thread drift, sorry!

 

[Idnar7]

A neighbor of mine told me her husband is so frugal he brings individually-packed slices of cheese to McDonalds to put on his hamburger to save the 10 cent or whatever upcharge.

 

[Music Lover]

A neighbor of mine told me her husband is so frugal he brings individually-packed slices of cheese to McDonalds to put on his hamburger to save the 10 cent or whatever upcharge.

I'm guilty of that...except I rarely go to McDonald's and won't do that in the restaraunt. The burger places I like usually charge 50¢ to $1 more for cheese. I get the burger to go and add a slice of cheese at home.