Comments on: Seven things you hate paying for

By: Debbie Wnuk

Debbie Wnuk — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:04:43 +0000

Here in the land of sun and fun, we never flush for number one. To quote the sign next to my friends commode!

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:44:58 +0000

I know this sounds ridiculous, but I absolutely hate paying for utilities, like gas, water, electricity, etc. So I do my utmost to keep utility bills down, such as:

- blackout shades are pulled down in summer to block heat, and raised
in winter for heat gain. Curtains/drapes are interlined for the
same purpose.

- clothes are only partly dried (to decrease wrinkling) and then placed on hangers over bathtub to finish drying. In winter, this also decreases dry air in house. In summer, clothes finish drying on outdoor covered patio.

- since both husband and I have very dry skin, the dermatologist told us to bathe/shower every other day, and to just wash up on opposite days. We do this unless we have done strenuous activity that requires daily bathing. It saves water and power to heat it, as well as sewer costs. If you are really frugal, you can save bath water for flushing, but we skip that step.

- In master bath, we use the rule: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.” This literally translates for us into flushing after every other use. This may be too frugal for some, but it really saves water in drought prone areas. We don’t do it in the 1/2 bath that guests use.

- we set heat and cool to minimum levels necessary for comfort, and we’ve gotten used to it and don’t mind. We layer in winter and wear minimum clothing indoors in summer. We open doors/windows and love the fresh air whenever possible from about April to November.

Some people may consider these ideas cheap, not frugal, but we get savings month after month, year after year, so we think it’s worth it. Most of it is just what our “depression era” parents did as a way of life!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:11:27 +0000

For trips out hiking check out the aluminum reusable bottles (at TJ Maxx for as little as 6 dollars) I use one at the gym.

For friends who scorn your faucet, maybe purchase a fridge filter and have water in a jug that has been filtered.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:41:51 +0000

I have to agree with Lisa above, I hate paying for bottled water at home and especially around the holidays ally our guest look at you like you are crazy when they discover the only water option comes from a spout in the kitchen, its called a faucet but I guess most houses do not use it for drinking water.

I do buy bottled water when on a driving trip and I am not prepared, but to buy it for your home makes little or no sense to me.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:56:34 +0000

I know that the bottled water thing is often covered. But it infuritates me that folks visiting my own home expect me to have bottled water for them! Our “gang” takes turns hosting a group of 15 couples every few months for appetizers and a dessert. I offer beer wine and soft drinks but over half of my guests ask, “Where’s the water?” I point to the RO spigot next to my sink and a tray of drinking glasses next to it. They look at me like I expected them to go out to behind the shed and use the old fashioned hand-operated water pump to fill an old dipper cup! So I try filling a pretty clear pitcher with my RO water and a few ice cubes and some lemon slices. Still I get, “Where are the waters???” As they dig around in the large ice chest filled with beer and sodas on the patio. Thats MY pet peeve. My hubby’s is seeing almost every female on our favorite hiking trail carrying a bottle of water. He says, “Cant they go one hour without water???” Now, THAT use of bottled water makes perfect sense to me. You cant go hiking, jogging while carrying a glass of water in your hand. The bottled water issue seems silly, but its a multi-million dollar industry.

By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:01:36 +0000

You also can check out Costco for Ink refills. I just paid only $8.99 for a tri-color refill and it was done in 1 hour. Most of the time you can also ask if they will do it without a membership. As for the air issue, you can pick up an air compressor for your car at Target or Walmart that plugs into the lighter for around $20-30 and then keep in the car for emergency’s. It usually has a light on it as well if you need to change a tire on the side of the road at night. You can always ask at your car’s dealership in their oil change area, or make friends with the local repair shop or tire store. I used to go to the local tire store and then when I needed a new “used” tire, they knew me already and I was able to get a better discount.

By: missyvn

missyvn — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:25:29 +0000

I hate it when you go to McDonalds and they want to charge you a quarter each for BBQ sauce etc., when you just bought food from them!

By: Sara Noel

Sara Noel — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:13:18 +0000

I love hearing what others hate paying for. Mary P I’m with you on buying ice. We buy quite a bit of it over the summer for our cooler. And Mike after years of living in NY, I hate tolls, too.
Richard, my husband does the cash back option a lot. But we’re fortunate that our credit union has free ATMs all around.

By: Richard W.

Richard W. — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:46:56 +0000

Avoid all ATM fees by making any size purchase at a large grocery store and getting cash back after paying with your debit card.

By: Mary P (savvy_sniper)

Mary P (savvy_sniper) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:48:42 +0000

Ice – I HATE purchasing ice! When we plan a camping trip, I freeze premade food, refrigerate beer and soft drinks in advance and freeze my own ice. I take two coolers – one with soft drinks, water and beer and the other is for food. I freeze ice in large plastic containers that I have amassed over the years. Plastic ice cream buckets are an excellent example. Large chunks of ice last longer than cubes.