Spinoff - cheapest person

**Dutchie** · 05-28-2009, 02:44 AM

Who is the cheapest person or persons you know?

In my case I have to say my parents in law.
Let me just say beforehand that these are wealthy people.

One of the many, many, many examples - they buy a frozen cream cake for visitors/birthday etc. It sit out on the table for most of the day after it is defrosted.
If there is still some left over they will put it back in the freezer for the next time.

Who is the cheapest person you know?

**frugalfranny** · 05-28-2009, 03:04 AM

Dutchie, your post cracked me up.

soooooo....guess you mean cheap in a 'bad' way

.....I will have to get back to you on this....and I was all ready to say I was.....but I don't think I am in a 'bad' way.....maybe just a little 'extreme' in some areas.

**Siebrie** · 05-28-2009, 04:15 AM

My cousin, who's 6 years my senior. She will sort the m&m's into colours and starts eating them in a certain order. She will give the guests (if she has any) the yellow ones, because 'she does not care for them'.

**Grainlady** · 05-28-2009, 07:56 AM

My grandfather was the tightwad. He would chew a piece of gum (free from a friend) and would place the chewed wad of gum in an old asprin tin to save it. He would chew that one piece until it was completely gone - however many days it would take.

He would occasionally smoke a cigar (also free) and would poke a toothpick in the end of it to hold onto when it got too short to hold with his fingers.

He allowed my grandmother one 40 watt lightbulb in the kitchen, but she couldn't use it unless the sun was down.

They didn't have running water, only a hand pump in the kitchen. The city forced them to get city water and install modern plumbing in the early 1980's. He made Grandma pay for it.....

**CrazyCat** · 05-28-2009, 08:54 AM

I had a boyfriend I lived with who's mother used to wash the bags the lunchmeat came in and re-use them...she also saved every pot pie tin they ever ate. When I helped clean out the basement..there must have been 1000's of those things.~!

I re-use....but you gotta draw the line at too much~!

**Momto2Boyz** · 05-28-2009, 08:58 AM

I honestly (and I hope they don't ever look at this board) think the cheapest people I know are my neighbors.

They have plenty of money, and spend it freely...on themselves. But when it comes to other people, it's tightwad city! Throughout the summer, we routinely have get togethers with neighbors, and pretty much everyone "hosts" and event at least once during the summer. It's always informal, BYOB, everyone brings something to share, like smore's or chips. Nothing special.

But you guessed it...they have NEVER hosted anyone at their house. They never bring anything to share, and they don't even bring their own beer! They simple show up and start drinking whatever is in the cooler. Last weekend, we were over at a different neighbors, and I was drinking mudslides. I knew I was only having one drink, so rather than take the whole bottle, I put it in a travel mug. Unfortunately, it was see through. So she made a comment, when I got there about how I didn't bring enough for everyone! I had to go back home and get the bottle so she could have some!

Don't get me wrong...I love these neighbors, but they've done this for years and it drives me crazy!

But I've gotten used to it, and now I just think of it as one of their "quirks"!

**Dutchie** · 05-28-2009, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Momto2Boyz

and I was drinking mudslides.

What's a mudslide?

**WV_mom_of2** · 05-28-2009, 10:42 AM

I have an aunt in law who just takes the cake for me. She's so cheap she's nasty about it. When Y2K was all the talk my uncle just went nuts. He was positive that the world was going to end as we know it. They stockpiled everything in sight. That summer my aunt went around trespassing on people's property to steal blackberries and apples, etc. so they'd have enough to eat when the world stopped. She would call everyone she knew to beg things like apples, etc. until she made a royal pest of herself and people were talking about her.

When her son was a kid and lived at home she would hound her ex for his child support, then never allow the son to have anything. She made all homemade bread which the son didn't like. She refused to buy one darned loaf of bread a week for him. He never got to go anywhere with friends, never got spending money for anything, etc. But let his dad miss a payment and she was on the phone with the law after him! Her ex MIL supported the kid too. She paid for all of his clothes, school supplies, any field trips, etc.

They raised goats for a few years and milked them. She made cheese and yogurt, etc. Her dad sent her money to buy two more goats and did she do it? Nope, she decided that she would just pocket the money instead!

She's also managed to turn my uncle, who used to be the nicest man on earth into a money grubbing a**hole. When my grandma died all her personal possessions went to my mom. He got everything personal when grand-dad died. Grandma's house was to be sold and the money split between mom and uncle. Her bank account was also to be split AFTER expenses. Grandma died in Nov. She was a packrat and her house was packed full of stuff. It was up to my mom to clean it out and get it ready for sale at auction. IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER my uncle came to mom and asked her who was paying for the heat and water. Mom told him it was coming out of the bank account. He got mad and told her she was spending HIS money and he wanted his share right then! He should NOT have to be responsible for paying for the heat and water while she cleaned out the house. Never mind that HE was going to get half the proceeds from the sale of the house. My grandma would have been horrified with him for that and it ended any relationship I ever want with him. He was still cleaning his stuff out of the outbuilding and would come in the house and get a drink of water or use the bathroom! I told mom to charge him everytime he used water for any reason!! The freakin nerve!!

I should mention that aunt and uncle are not cheap when it comes to things they want. She has diamond rings and necklaces, etc. He gets pure bred dogs, then sells or gives them away.

**JenMarie** · 05-28-2009, 12:29 PM

My grandparents, though my grandfather is gone now. They lived through the great depression and it stuck with them. They owned a farm in western NY. When my mom was young they would go to Niagara Falls and walk across the bridge to Canada instead of driving because it saved 35 cents. They NEVER ate out. My grandfather died two years ago at 90 and my grandmother is 87. Neither of them have even eaten McDonalds... there are probably very few Americans who can say that! They bought salvage groceries and shopped at thrift stores. My grandmother still wears polyester suits from the 70s.

Although they were cheap to an extreme, they were also very generous. When they retired from the farm they had nearly $300,000 saved. They gave each of their five kids either a piece of the farm or $50,000. They bought a tiny little house in central FL and were really happy.

[QUOTE=WV_mom_of2;1179037]I have an aunt in law who just takes the cake for me. She's so cheap she's nasty about it. When Y2K was all the talk my uncle just went nuts. He was positive that the world was going to end as we know it. They stockpiled everything in sight. That summer my aunt went around trespassing on people's property to steal blackberries and apples, etc. so they'd have enough to eat when the world stopped. She would call everyone she knew to beg things like apples, etc. until she made a royal pest of herself and people were talking about her.

LOL- Sounds like my uncle. He stockpiled tons of canned veggies and meat, water, paper products...etc. Then to protect it all, he started stockpiling guns and ammo and buried bombs all over his yard. Then he got a visit from the feds... haha

**Incognito** · 05-28-2009, 03:34 PM

Er... what about all of us???
We're FRUGAL, and we're stock-piling...

**Dutchie** · 05-28-2009, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Incognito

Er... what about all of us???
We're FRUGAL, and we're stock-piling...

Personally, I feel that there is a difference between being frugal and being cheap, although I find it hard to explain.

**nodmicks** · 05-28-2009, 04:39 PM

My Mil. On most things she does I take notes because she is really smart!!!

However she will not allow lights to be turned on! Once one of the boys left his light on and she took the bulb for a week. LOL

**dean** · 05-28-2009, 05:16 PM

A co-worker of mine.
When we have a pot luck for a birthday, holiday, etc. she brings her tupperware and takes home everyone's leftovers. (Doesn't ask-just takes them) At the last day of school student picnic, she does the same thing-just packs up the leftovers and books on out of there. It can be buns, a 2- liter soda, 1/2 a cake, it doesn't matter. If it isn't consumed during the life of the party, then it's on its way to her house.

**Incognito** · 05-28-2009, 05:55 PM

I thought Dean's post was really funny!

But getting back to the "cheap" label; I guess it's a matter of perspective:
ie: If "C" is more frugal than "B", then "C" is considered cheap, while if "B" is more frugal than "A", then "B" is considered cheap.

And, JMO, as I was reading that website about people posting about the cheapest person they knew, I noticed that lots of the posters were making fun of the basic things most of us FV'ers do all the time.

**dean** · 05-28-2009, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by Incognito

I thought Dean's post was really funny!

But getting back to the "cheap" label; I guess it's a matter of perspective:
ie: If "C" is more frugal than "B", then "C" is considered cheap, while if "B" is more frugal than "A", then "B" is considered cheap.

And, JMO, as I was reading that website about people posting about the cheapest person they knew, I noticed that lots of the posters were making fun of the basic things most of us FV'ers do all the time.

Incognito,
Don't get me wrong, I'm as frugal with my money and stuff as the next frugal villager. But, this person isn't the least bit in need. She just wants it all. And I forgot to mention in my last post, she never brings a pot luck to share. She somehow always "forgets."