Share a funny frugal story

photo by barkdog
Frugal living is fun. When practicing frugality, you’ll have stories to tell that are especially funny to fellow frugalitarians. These stories are validation that money-saving strategies can be applied to your life seamlessly. If you have a funny frugal story, share it with me.
Here are a few that have been shared.

THAT’S JUST MY STOCKPILE: I lived in an apartment building with a total of 16 families. Long story short, a fire broke out. Everyone got out safely, but the building was destroyed. I was out with the firemen, who made me stay because my asthma was so bad, when they noted that one end of the building had billowing bubbles and foam coming out of it. I had to reassure them that it wasn’t lethal — the fire hoses had just reached the closet with my 37 boxes of laundry detergent. — Marjorie, New York

SUPPORT MY CAUSE: I recycle cans and have been doing this for more than 26 years. The guys I work with save their cans for me, and I make my pickup every day at 2 p.m. One day last year was a very good day. It was 89 F outside and about 100 F inside, so the guys were really amassing the cans. My boss asked me what I was going to do with all that money from them, and, me being the smart aleck that I am, said, “I’m going to use the money for a boob job.” You wouldn’t believe the cans I got the rest of the week. — Cat, Ohio

WHAT? THIS OLD THING?: My dear husband’s sisters are quite the “brand name, if it isn’t more than $100, I won’t wear it” types. One day, they complimented me on a lovely bag I had, wondering how I could get my hands on a Prada bag. I didn’t say anything, just said that it was a “gift.” I left out that I swiped it from the garbage behind the university. Another story: I have this great dress that is a very 1950s, A-line halter-top-style, and it’s wonderful. I love it. One day, my husband’s friend complimented me on it, and his wife was gushing and asking where I had gotten it. I didn’t really want to say. Finally, my dear husband told them for me: I made it from a used tablecloth. There was silence for sure. — Stephanie, Missouri

ANOTHER MAN’S TRASH: I’m a thrifty little freebophile, so most of the things in my house were scavenged, bought at garage sales or thrift stores, or just plain given to me. My friend was in the middle of moving from one apartment to another when it suddenly occurred to her that months earlier she set it up with her father to hold her mother’s birthday party at her house. Mummy and Daddy are from a fairly ritzy neighborhood, and holding a birthday party seated on a bunch of packed boxes was just not in the cards. So I cleaned up the house, and they all came over. Her mother complimented me on my kitchen drapes. She asked where I got them; she just loved the fabric. So I tried to evade the questions with vague generalities. But she kept pressing — she just LOVED those drapes. Another one of the guests chimed in and said, “Tell her where you got them, for goodness sake!” So I looked her right in the eye and said, “They used to be YOURS, actually, from your dining room.” Dead silence. — Vail, Washington

Posted by Sara Noel on June 11 2009. Filed under Frugal & simple living.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook