I used to work with a guy that was so cheap that he would save his drink cup from Subway...and then refill it every day at the Subway store for free. When he would pay for his sub in cash, he'd ask the cashier if they had a "take a penny, give a penny" so he wouldn't have to pay the change. He wasn't even embarrassed, but I was embarrassed being seen with him at lunch time.

One day he approached me at work and said, "You like Coke, right?" When I said yes, he said, "I got a free Coke last night at the car wash and I don't drink Coke, so I brought it in for you." Great, I think. I'm expecting him to hand me a 20 ounce bottle, 12 ounce can, etc. Instead, he whips out a fountain drink paper cup of Coke, warm, that he got the night before! I politely thanked him, then threw it out when he wasn't looking. Good lord.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2016 02:37PM by DareWright.

I am so cheap that my shopping bags always come with me to the store. This way I avoid paying for a new bag and get 5 or 10 cents discounts at the store

I am so cheap that I even did an audit shop for GfK last month. Now that is really cheap.

I'm so cheap that I started collecting the rain water to water my lawn with. I'm so cheap that I used the downspouts that I got for pennies on the dollar as a solar air heater in the winter to save on heating the house. I'm so cheap that I still use the same keyboard from my second computer that I bought back in the 90's. Keys are hard to press at times but hey I am building up my finger strength at the same time. My wife thought she was being cheap by buying some old propane tanks that no one will refill and I had to pay a disposal fee to get rid of them. Sometimes you can be a penny pincher but be Dollar foolish.

I hear you, 2stepps. Before I learned to discipline myself on really good sales, I used to stash stuff in my bedroom closet that I bought with amazing deals. My Mom discovered my stash back then and said the same thing. She said, "How are you saving money if you are buying things you will never use? " Even though they were lemon seltzer waters and we did indeed use them, I got her point. Sometimes we buy things because they are an insane deal, but they do no good if we don't use or donate them.

Speaking of "penny pincher but Dollar foolish," doesn't that equate with the MSC who pays measly fees for shops and ends up paying substantial amounts for bonuses to get the shops done successfully and meet the deadline?

@CaliGirl925 wrote:

I love the tips for using flat sheets instead of fitted ones! I'm convinced that 60% of the stress in my life comes from trying to fold fitted sheets. So thanks, I'm totally going to try these!

I learned years ago how to fold fitted sheets, Think I got it from Heloise or Dear Abby or some such. Now my wife on the other hand just stuffs them into the matching pillow cases and says done.

@siamese5555 wrote:

As I was removing the staples from old shop printouts tonight so I could print on the other side, I had a fun thought, I dare all of you to complete this phrase with the money pinching things you do. Maybe we can get some new ideas to save money (or at least have a chuckle).

@siamese5555 wrote:

I'm so cheap I print on both sides of my printer paper.

I tried to compress the print down so that I could get two to four pages on one side and read them with a fresnel magnifier. But I kept getting headaches. Although on my old monitor I did go out and buy a large fresnel magnifier and it worked great until the monitor gave up the ghost last year.

@siamese5555 wrote:

I'm so cheap I actually use all the ketchup packets I get from fast food shops.

I was doing that until the wife said that she was tired of all of the ketchup packets. Now I am required to put them in an old ketchup bottle. Which means they go into the trash. I will marry two partial empty bottles into one but not the little packets.

@siamese5555 wrote:

What's your best?

Keep your ketchup packets in a tupperware container and put them in your pantry. Then she really can't complain about them. There are far worse things men can do to irritate me other than save ketchup packets, that sounds okay to me. But I guess as long as she is the one paying for the ketchup it's fine, right? My husband and I went on a trip not too long ago where we were staying in a place that had a partial kitchen. I had mayonnaise and mustard packets that came in handy, since we didn't want to buy a whole jar of mustard and mayonnaise to make sandwiches with for our daily outings while hiking. He was pretty happy with my stash of packets.

@2stepps wrote:

I'm so cheap that I used the downspouts that I got for pennies on the dollar as a solar air heater in the winter to save on heating the house. .

Can I have more information on this please?

I am so cheap, I found out from my scheduler that I don't need to print the whole report summary when I mail in lottery tickets. She suggested that I tear a sheet of paper in half and then write the shop ID and my Shopper# on the piece of paper. I've been tearing a sheet in thirds and I think I might do in sixths with today's tickets. Also, I use a pen I got for free from the lottery office.

I'm so glad the MSC who does the lottery convenience store shops in my area lets us keep ours!

I'm so cheap I figured out how to save on buying fish at Long John Silvers. I need to eat fish but hate it and can't stand to smell it cooking. I've been buying fish by the piece at $1.99 each, just fish, I can't have the potatoes, puppies (I wish) and so forth. Did this yesterday, bought two pieces and read the menu board while I was eating. Discovered I can buy the biggest platter complete and get more fish per piece for less money than buying individually. I'm going to do that, buy the big platter, cut all the sides and puppies, just box up the fish. Bingo! I'm so cheap I'm hilarious.

Mary, don't forget to ask for the senior discount. And go online and join their club. They e-mail you coupons for cheap one or two piece meals, then you can add another piece for 99 cents (less the senior discount, of course).

You're not cheap, you're clever AND frugal. Bravo.

@MDavisnowell wrote:

I'm so cheap I figured out how to save on buying fish at Long John Silvers. I need to eat fish but hate it and can't stand to smell it cooking. I've been buying fish by the piece at $1.99 each, just fish, I can't have the potatoes, puppies (I wish) and so forth. Did this yesterday, bought two pieces and read the menu board while I was eating. Discovered I can buy the biggest platter complete and get more fish per piece for less money than buying individually. I'm going to do that, buy the big platter, cut all the sides and puppies, just box up the fish. Bingo! I'm so cheap I'm hilarious.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2016 09:21AM by Professional Guest.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

I'm so glad the MSC who does the lottery convenience store shops in my area lets us keep ours!

That must be a completely different client that the one I meant. The scheduler for this company said that the client wants them back.

I'm so cheap that I wait for books to be free (in electronic form), then I download them! LOTS of books are offered free once or twice a year. I have thousands of free books since I started this fun habit in 2013! They are intended for Kindle readers, but you don't have to have a Kindle device. They can be read on any PC.

Today, there is a book being offered free. It is right up your alley if you are on this thread. It's called Be A Cheapskate Now!

[www.amazon.com]

I'm big on saving jars and lately have become especially fond of those from Penzey's spices. With all the different sizes I can use them for my own spice blends, homemade vinaigrette and BBQ rubs sold in flimsy deli style containers from a local shop. I also discovered a cheap, chemical free way to remove glue residue from labels. Equal parts baking soda and cooking oil

I'm now using medication bottles to accumulate spare change. They fit in my pocket and work great for those nickle/dime purchases at the convenience store with no digging required. I also use medication bottles to carry extra AA batteries, one up and one down.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2016 12:27AM by MDavisnowell.

Lisa, that is such a great tip. My husband makes wine and I have been buying goo gone and using Scotch Brite pads to get stubborn labels off of the wine bottles.

I tried it for the first time last night. The bottles had already been soaked to remove the paper label. Maybe a teaspoon each of the oil and baking soda was enough for two bottles. As soon as I applied the paste some of the glue was coming off right away. Leaving them sit overnight was like magic for both the glass and plastic.

@AustinMom wrote:

Mary, don't forget to ask for the senior discount. And go online and join their club. They e-mail you coupons for cheap one or two piece meals, then you can add another piece for 99 cents (less the senior discount, of course).

I'm not sure if it's good or bad but I don't qualify for senior discounts yet. Sometimes I wish I could! I do sign up on various company websites and get birthday gifts or discounts. I love getting a free sandwich, ice cream treat or a flashlight at the hardware store.

Wow! Some great ideas here! I too save gift bags and tissue paper, and save cards to make gift tags. When my kids were younger, I would get the end rolls of newsprint from the paper and use for gift wrap and let them color it or use stickers to decorate. I used to save all the 35mm film canisters and use them to bring salad dressings or sauces for my bag lunches...still have a few I use after all these years. I have my rag bag of old tee shirts,etc that I use for cleaning and found that old washcloths fit nicely on my Swiffer head for "mopping" the floors. I use the purchase required shops to stock up on things like batteries, hand soap, snacks and bottled water. And of course, Our date nights are dinner shops and a movie shop!

Here's a great tip for gardeners. Save that old T-shirt or sweat pants and cut the fabric into long strips. Use these strips to tie up plants instead of string. The soft fabric will not damage the plant and you can re-use the strips for several years.

I always do a route of pizzas which means 4 pizzas each time. Once a month the daughter takes all four and freezes them for snacks, lunce, etc. The daugher is an RN in the Peds ICU so the second time I do 4 pizzas I take them to the hospital for the nurses. They love me.

Also, as in cheapness, I always ask that they put the paper plates, napkins, etc. in a bag for me. I live in a high rise apartment building with a trash chute and the PJ's bags are perfect for trash. Haven't bought trash bags since I started doing this. Same goes for the grocery bags.

I can't find the Papa johns MS.. My son loves that place.

I'm very cheap!! I freeze my jeans in the freezer, NEVER buy condiments or napkins,I walk anywhere that's less that 2 miles to save gas( time and weather permitting), I often have " NO BUY" months, and Every 3 months we have a " eat down" we are banned from grocery shopping until the fridge is bare- that really helps us to eat everything before it expires. I think a big thing is when I stopped buying alcohol. I only drink now if it's free or Reimbursed.

Why do you freeze your jeans?

From what I understand, it helps get the smell out, thus extending time between washings.

Like many of you, I don't think of myself as cheap so much as frugal or environmentally conscious. I've picked up some great suggestions from fellow posters and here's a few that I didn't see:

#1 When a bar of soap gets small I merge it onto a new bar so I can use it up and avoid all the little pieces in the shower. At the end of a shower, I simply stick the small piece onto the new bar and when they dry they are stuck together.

#2 After I have rolled up a tube of toothpaste, I straighten it back out and cut it in half. There is quite a bit left in the tube even after you think you've gotten it all out. Old toothbrushes are saved a used for all sorts of cleaning tasks around the house.

#3 I save mushroom containers, sour cream containers, and all sorts of similar size containers and use them for starting garden seeds indoors. I also make handy seed pots out of newspaper that I can plant directly in the garden. I make my own seed packets from used printer paper.

#4 When old clothes are worn out, I add them to the rag bag and use them around the house.

#5 Anytime I see loose change on the ground, I always stop and pick it up. I usually keep it in a separate jar so I can see how much I've "found" each year. Usually, it's enough to take the family out for dinner.

#6 I haven't bought a garbage bag in years as I simply reuse the plastic bags I get from retailers.

#7 My compost pile gets every suitable scrap from the kitchen. The compost is like black gold for the garden and it saves valuable space in the landfill.

#8 I make stock out of leftover shrimp shells, crab shells, chicken bones & skin, beef bones, vegetable scraps etc. The stock gets frozen and then used to create fantastic depth of flavor in rices, noodles, soups, stews, and many other places when cooking. This is something I just started doing in the past 10 years and I cannot believe I wasted all this free flavor over the years!

#9 I always try to organize my errands in logical loops to save time & gas.

#10 I empty my vacuum cleaner bag out in my trash can multiple times until the bag finally gives out. I hate to waste money on consumables when I don't have to. Same with using hand towels instead of napkins, containers instead of ziploc bags, among other things.

I try to minimize my footprint on this earth and really hate to add things to a landfill. I would much rather, repair, reuse, repurpose, or recycle then to simply toss it in the trash. If this is considered cheap, then sign me up!

Love your ideas and wish you would share how to make newspaper seed pots. For #10 I solved the vacuum cleaner bag issue and got a bag less

I also bought a real piping bag years ago and cringe whenever a TV chef recommends using a ziplock bag. The real thing was not expensive and is easy to wash.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2016 01:35AM by LisaSTL.