Article makes fun of frugal people

**2ndGenGranola** · 11-07-2011, 04:40 PM

That's odd. Mine never had a plastic taste and I'm super picky about stuff like that.

**Englishlady** · 11-07-2011, 05:30 PM

"The Sun" News paper is a very trashy one and comedians often poke fun at "Sun readers"!

There are a generation of kids in the UK that know the cost of everything but the value of nothing!

Too many think that eating at Maccy D's is a "right" not a treat!

As for the comments, well sadly people are very judgmental and that's why I the prefer FV to UK based ones, where things can get quite nasty, manners seem to go out of the window when people are sat behind their computers feeling venomous!

Tea bags? Well I am a passionate drinker of "Yorkshire Tea" which is strong and I drink it black, I can get 4 cups out of each bag, sometimes 6!!!!!!!! But I don't dry them, I just use it until it is too weak, keeping it in a little glass dish between cups.

I know they sell it in the USA now ( in some places) here is is about $7.00 -$8.00 ish for a box of 80 tea bags(Depending on which store you buy it from).

I have been frugal from a very early age and as hubby has had his income cut by 20% in the last 2 years it has come in very handy

**peanut** · 11-07-2011, 09:59 PM

All that 'to do' over someone trying to do their best to be frugal. Everyone is a work in progress, including the family being interviewed. We all are frugal for different reasons. And we all have different ideas of what 'quality of life' is for us...what we need for our emotional health as well as financial health.

The SUN approach was just wild and weird. They missed the whole point, as we all know. I applaud the family for trying, and for allowing themselves to be held up in public view like that. That isn't easy at the best of times and in the best situations...which this certainly is not and was not!

Right now DH and I are battling out the coat issue. He is at work all day during the winter, in a nice warm building. I have two or three layers of clothes on and freeze my nose and fingers at home.

My recourse in the past has been to leave the house to attend groups, or to have friends pick me up and we do things together or go to their place. Last winter we had a boarder and she wore her winter coat in her basement room all winter! I was horrified. DH just said "Well I've turned the heat up as much as I can!" It was 22 C on the main floor, according to the thermostat, and a good 5-10 C colder in the basement. I was wearing two pairs of pants plus long underwear. This is not how a house should be heated.

I'm talking more insulation in the attic and plastic or quilts on windows. Preferably new windows. DH doesn't know it, but I have some rope caulk coming in the mail to go around all the window trim. I'm a woman on a Mission this year!

**Libby** · 11-09-2011, 10:53 PM

I have no issue reusing my tea bags. I use decaf Tetley orange pekoe and WOW each lil bag is sooo potent I can use one bag to make a jug of iced tea! I usually boil the kettle and set out two mugs, steep one cup and when I'm done, I dump the bag into the other to steep. When I'm ready for my 2nd cup of tea, I just nuke it - not so frugal I know.

We also have a reusable coffee filter (made of both plastic and stainless steel?) and it has saved us tons of money even though you can a bag of 100 for $1 at the dollar store. With the volume of coffee DH consumes when he's home, or the number of times I brew his coffee and then a diff type for me, this filter has come in super handy.

**brennasmom** · 11-09-2011, 11:44 PM

This makes me think of my sweet Grandma. She would be shocked that people wouldn't reuse there tea bags

. She is the most frugal person I have ever met. I think growing up during the depression you made things last as long as possible... it is just how it was. I think we all find the frugal ways that work for us... and leave those that don't

**Suzan Bits** · 11-09-2011, 11:54 PM

yuo no what..Id just blow off the ridiculeing poeple.
I'd rather do like the thrifty poeple in the story. I'd much rather continue to cultivate tools to weather financial hardship in my life than do withuot AND make myself powerless.
Kudo's to all who look there financial life in the eye, dig deep and make one skinny chicken feed everybody all week.
Wuold I be less stressed uot to have more money to work with-yuo bet. But nomatter yuor situatoin if yuo go abuot makeing yuor meens match yuor needs -yuo wil never be poor.

**heartofmine** · 11-10-2011, 11:04 AM

I say let 'em laugh. We can laugh too....all the way to the bank. teehee

**FrugalKate** · 11-10-2011, 01:26 PM

I've been reusing tea bags and tin foil for ever. My English Mum taught me how to and to this day she still does it. Also reuse ZipLock bags as long as they didn't have meat in them. I turn the temp down and the blankets go on. I also turn off the lights and watch TV in the dark. As far as reusing coffee filters I used to rinse them out and do that too till I bought one of those special permanent filters for a few bucks.....

As some one else said, when the proverbial poo poo hits the fan we'll see who's laughing then.

**FrugalKate** · 11-10-2011, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by brennasmom

This makes me think of my sweet Grandma. She would be shocked that people wouldn't reuse there tea bags

. She is the most frugal person I have ever met. I think growing up during the depression you made things last as long as possible... it is just how it was. I think we all find the frugal ways that work for us... and leave those that don't

The era has a lot to do with this type of mindset. Many of those who were raised with Depression Err/WWII parents were either taught how to be frugal or their parents went in the total opposite direction not wanting their children to have to go through what they went though so they spoiled them rotten. Ever wonder where the "entitlement" mentality we see today came from?

**Sophiasmama** · 11-10-2011, 02:28 PM

I reuse tea bags and coffee filters...on the second use of filter I add only 1 scoop of coffee and then start it...Kevin says it tastes the same.

**brennasmom** · 11-10-2011, 08:29 PM

I remember my great grandma folding up (to reuse) wrapping paper and tissue paper. Love it!

My grandma had a attic full of empty cardboard boxes for reuse. Seriously any size you could imagine

**mom23boyz** · 11-27-2011, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by brennasmom

I remember my great grandma folding up (to reuse) wrapping paper and tissue paper. Love it!

My grandma had a attic full of empty cardboard boxes for reuse. Seriously any size you could imagine

I do this also. Tissue paper,wrapping paper, gift bags and boxes.

I reuse all vegi, bread and tortilla bags. I rinse ziplocks(not from meat). Wash and reuse all plastic containers(butter,sour cream etc)