"Extreme Cheapskates, one of TLC’s questionable “reality” shows, features penny pinchers who will amaze (and even disgust) you with how far they’ll go to save a few bucks."
I don't understand the qualms with the cornstarch? Read the ingredients in most body powders and the main ingredient is usually corn starch - so skip the fillers and perfume and just use the corn starch!
Oh and I do eat road kill frequently - IF I killed it , or saw it killed. . . I don't think I've ever served it to guests though.
Agreed with the cornstarch - apparently the author of this article never had a grandmother, or great grandmother.
In my homemade bath & body products (that sell well at the farmers market) - corn starch is a main ingredient.
Turning off all your power. That's crazy & insane>? Really?
~All my electronics are on power strips (except for the DVR- it can't record when turned off)- power strips off unless using
~My washer/dryer, off at the breaker
~My microwave - power strip (turned on when needed)
~My stove (used to turn it off at the breaker every time too - but DH cried coz it's the only clock in the house) - (expensive clock in my opinion) - I let him have that one- but just ONE - haha
~For obvious reasons the fridge/freezer remain on (however, if I lived alone - I can't promise that I wouldn't pull the plug on it every now and again for a few hours)
~My deep freezers - on timers (they cycle on/off every 8 hours for 8 hour periods)
~The A/C -never on when we are not home, occasionally on during heat spells when we are home - otherwise, only on when we go to bed (another of DH's requests - I love the hot summer nights, and the windows open)
~The furnace - never on when we are not home (unless below freezing) - very low during the day (we bundle up) - off at night (unless below freezing) & we huddle under electric blankets
~My hot tub - (has to stay on or it will be a cess-pool instead of a hot tub)
Maybe that's why I am not supporting the local utility company..... and he/she is....
(and I am currently looking into supplementing with solar energy for a few of these things)
As for the paper towels - well I don't use them... but I know plenty of folks that rinse them out, and use them over and over. They cost as much as dishtowels these days....
And the beater car??? So what - that person probably wouldn't want someone like the writer to even grace them with their presence....
The title - 'shockingly stupid ways to save money' - well, I suppose that writer will be writing for a very long time, coz with that attitude - he (or she) won't be retiring any time soon.....
I think the article should be retitled: 10 ways to keep yourself from a quicker financial independence (even if I don't want to participate in all of them) ~ written by a 'shockingly stupid writer' :stupid:
Agreed with the cornstarch - apparently the author of this article never had a grandmother, or great grandmother.
In my homemade bath & body products (that sell well at the farmers market) - corn starch is a main ingredient.
Turning off all your power. That's crazy & insane>? Really?
~All my electronics are on power strips (except for the DVR- it can't record when turned off)- power strips off unless using
~My washer/dryer, off at the breaker
~My microwave - power strip (turned on when needed)
~My stove (used to turn it off at the breaker every time too - but DH cried coz it's the only clock in the house) - (expensive clock in my opinion) - I let him have that one- but just ONE - haha
~For obvious reasons the fridge/freezer remain on (however, if I lived alone - I can't promise that I wouldn't pull the plug on it every now and again for a few hours)
~My deep freezers - on timers (they cycle on/off every 8 hours for 8 hour periods)
~The A/C -never on when we are not home, occasionally on during heat spells when we are home - otherwise, only on when we go to bed (another of DH's requests - I love the hot summer nights, and the windows open)
~The furnace - never on when we are not home (unless below freezing) - very low during the day (we bundle up) - off at night (unless below freezing) & we huddle under electric blankets
~My hot tub - (has to stay on or it will be a cess-pool instead of a hot tub)
Maybe that's why I am not supporting the local utility company..... and he/she is....
(and I am currently looking into supplementing with solar energy for a few of these things)
As for the paper towels - well I don't use them... but I know plenty of folks that rinse them out, and use them over and over. They cost as much as dishtowels these days....
The title - 'shockingly stupid ways to save money' - well, I suppose that writer will be writing for a very long time, coz with that attitude - he (or she) won't be retiring any time soon.....
I think the article should be retitled: 10 ways to quicker financial independence (even if I don't want to participate in all of them) ~ written by a 'shockingly stupid writer' :stupid:
Some of these are actually massive safety concerns. I mean, being cheap is great and all - but driving in that car might put you into an early grave, and nobody cares how good you "were" with money when you're dead. There is definitely a line that should be drawn out when it comes to being frugal haha.
There are sometimes 'presumptions' too when it comes to looking frugal.
My cousin drove a car that looked like that on the outside. But the engine, transmission & every 'component' of that vehicle was better than most any other vehicle that you could find on the road. And he did it for one reason only (to stay under the radar) - his words. From who or why - who knows... but no one ever bothered him. And I had the great thrill of being one of the few that got to see the car in action (when I laughed at it) -(and he took me on a joy ride - at over 100 mph) - I promise you, it was no joy (as I lay on the floorboard screaming, "Please STOP"!!!!).... :weeping:
Oh absolutely. I agree with you on the "internal" idea. Some vehicles look horrid on the outside, but have been up-kept where it counts... but! I sort of figured if these folks are "extreme cheapskates", then I can only begin to wonder what has made its way into that vehicle as an inexpensive "replacement" for factory parts haha. Scary scary scary.
I agree with the unplugging of appliances/turn off power strips, but some I think should be left like the refrigerator and my answering machine. Everything else generally stays off all the time unless I want to use it. I can say doing this cut my bill by a third. Also switching over to cfl lightbulbs, that dropped my bill by another third.
I also agree driving a used car that is great under the hood, but not necessarily attractive on the outside is a good idea. Used cars are much better on insurance too. Every car I've had was used and I drove them all into the ground.
Now here's one I really don't get. The paper towels. Why buy paper towels in the first place? If you want to dry your hands then just use a regular towel. If you want to wipe up a spill then use a sponge (which is reusable and can be sanitized in the microwave). Growing up we never had paper towels. If we were out of regular towels you learned to air dry or use your pants lol. It wasn't until I moved out with roommates that I learned of this obsession with paper towels and because I had to chip in on the cost of household goods it drove me crazy. My roommates went through paper towels like water and I found myself spending $10-$15 a month on them on my student budget. And that was just my share! That was definitely one of the reasons I insisted on living alone.
But some of those were outrageous. No toilet paper?! If you have one of those bottom wash things ok I get it, but otherwise toilet paper or flushable wipes are necessary. And not flushing the toilet for a week? I can understand going for a low flow or half flush toilet, but not flushing is nasty. All that bacteria lurking? No way.
But some of those were outrageous. No toilet paper?! If you have one of those bottom wash things ok I get it, but otherwise toilet paper or flushable wipes are necessary. And not flushing the toilet for a week? I can understand going for a low flow or half flush toilet, but not flushing is nasty. All that bacteria lurking? No way.
Started to read this article and the first 2 lines irritated me so much.
If you thought being cheap means always leaving a small tip or stealing packets of ketchup, you aren’t familiar with the extremely cheap.
This is such a pet peeve of mine. My DS18 is a server at sports bar where it is busy from open to close. He works his tail off.
He tells me stories all the time of people that come in and are so "high maintenance" they make him take back their lemonaide until it's made the way they like it, making requests every few minutes. He's fine with that, as that is his job to serve. But then they leave a zero tip with some smart a** comment like, "Sorry no tip for you today."
I believe if you cannot afford to leaving something, don't go to a sit down establishment and expect these servers to wait on you hand and foot like you are their only table.
He has a much better attitude them me. He just tells me "that's part of the job mom." It's probably why I'm not a server, I'd get myself fired for saying something inappropriate.
Rant over....probably wasn't the place to say all of this.
Road kill is gross if u didn't run over it yourself. My son called home one evening really excited because he ran over a rabbit and "only hit it in the head". He cleaned it and brought it home. That seems okay to me.
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