Returning items to a store where they were not purchased is stealing.I wasn't expecting the OP to have the examples it did. Clearly, that stuff is wrong is not illegal.
Returning items to a store where they were not purchased is stealing.I wasn't expecting the OP to have the examples it did. Clearly, that stuff is wrong is not illegal.
So it's ok to give your kids sink water instead of cold clean water.
This is puzzling. What does cutting off the stem of the banana do?I wasn't expecting the OP to have the examples it did. Clearly, that stuff is wrong is not illegal.
I was actually going to share about a local 'frugal' person who was doing a segment on the news with clever tips to save money (groceries, household, etc). The first time I saw her segment she advised taking scissors into the grocery store and cutting the stem part off the bananas you're buying so you don't pay for those. I'm not sure that it was wrong, but it definitely feels like it to me, so I never watched any more of her tips and certainly did not take her advice.
It absolutely catches up to them. Her life is a MESS..and I believe it has something to do with the way she lives it. You can't expect good things to come your way when you are conniving, scheming and downright dishonest. Call it God, karma or the universe, it comes back to you.Op, if what you say about your former friend is true (obviously I don't know either you or her, so I'm basing my opinion off what you are saying), then there's more to her than just trying to be frugal. She is committing fraudulent criminal behavior.
For whatever reason, some people sear their minds into condoning their actions. And the more they do it; the easier it gets. However, life has a way of eventually catching up with them. Does that make them "no good?" I couldn't say that...and agree with @Marionnette that I hope your ex-friend has some redeeming qualities to change her life around.
To answer your question - I don't care for some of the allowed frugal threads across these boards, if that tells you anything about the extent of my frugalness. Don't get me wrong, I love to save money, but you have to be careful that the pursuit doesn't take you down roads you didn't intend to go...
This is puzzling. What does cutting off the stem of the banana do?
Wow, I didn't even know you could do that! Maybe that's why many stores now charge for s single banana instead of by weight.Lowers the weight so you pay less.
I saw someone on another message board that cuts the ends off of the asparagus and broccoli before purchasing. That thread was a huge uproar.
Reduces the weight that you pay for when you buy the bananas. Pay by the pound/kilo.This is puzzling. What does cutting off the stem of the banana do?
I agree with you that this is not ideal, but unethical? Not in my eyes. Some people literally work 12 hours a day. Some people don't know how to cook. At least the kids are getting food to eat, although it's far from healthy. I'd rather someone feed their kids fast food than no food at all.Reduces the weight that you pay for when you buy the bananas. Pay by the pound/kilo.
While people can really push the envelope, it is truly unethical IMHO when we cut corners to such an extent that it jeopardizes the health & safety of our children or young people in our care. eg eating out at McD's for dinner 4 or 5 x a week and getting the dollar burgers and kids' specials with coke because it is less $ and less work than making a tuna sandwich and mashed potatos or baked potatos with a glass of milk. Sad but true.
Yes she is stealing, but the question is a good one. How far would most people go? When I go to a fast food restaurant with my son that has unlimited refills of soda I will only buy one soda rather than pay $2 for another cup. When he is done with his Sprite I'll go back and fill it up with Coke. I also will buy him a kids meal at restaurants even though he is older than the age limit listed.
What this woman does is clearly unethical, and some of it illegal. I know someone that does things that are not necessarily unethical, but I do find them very off-putting. She brags quite often about the freebies she gets through e-mail complaints to companies.
For example, if she opens up a can of corn and there are a couple of brown kernals.... she will send an e-mail to the company expressing her complete shock and disappointment that a brand she has been so loyal to for so many years would package an inferior product. This normally results in the company apologizing profusely, and sending her coupons for a number of free cans of corn in an effort to "win back her trust and confidence" in their product.
She will do the same thing with restaurants. She will send off an e-mail explaining the whole story of how when they dined there on Tuesday night, her husband's steak that he ordered "medium" was clearly "medium rare". Although the waitress did bring the steak back to the kitchen and rectified the situation, her food got cold waiting for his to come back, and he felt bad that she had to wait. Of course, this resulted in their entire evening being ruined. This usually results in a $50.00 gift card "to please come give us another chance".
Although she doesn't make up these situations... I just find it off-putting to always try to get something out of it.
What this woman does is clearly unethical, and some of it illegal. I know someone that does things that are not necessarily unethical, but I do find them very off-putting. She brags quite often about the freebies she gets through e-mail complaints to companies.
For example, if she opens up a can of corn and there are a couple of brown kernals.... she will send an e-mail to the company expressing her complete shock and disappointment that a brand she has been so loyal to for so many years would package an inferior product. This normally results in the company apologizing profusely, and sending her coupons for a number of free cans of corn in an effort to "win back her trust and confidence" in their product.
She will do the same thing with restaurants. She will send off an e-mail explaining the whole story of how when they dined there on Tuesday night, her husband's steak that he ordered "medium" was clearly "medium rare". Although the waitress did bring the steak back to the kitchen and rectified the situation, her food got cold waiting for his to come back, and he felt bad that she had to wait. Of course, this resulted in their entire evening being ruined. This usually results in a $50.00 gift card "to please come give us another chance".
Although she doesn't make up these situations... I just find it off-putting to always try to get something out of it.
She is gaming the system..you are not.Is she doing it with the intent to get something free? I like those Cool Gear cups with the gel in them that you freeze. We have several and buy new colors when they come out. We host a lot and it's Florida so keeping your drinks cold for as long as possible is a good thing. Well, I have gone through a few of them. DS didn't think and put one in the dishwasher. I have dropped a few. And our first set we figured out that you need to freeze them upside down or they crack. But when I bought new ones last year and went through 3 of them doing everything the right way, I was very unhappy. And I did email them. I don't usually but like I said, I like their product and was very disappointed that they lowered their quality so much. They emailed me back and sent replacements to me in the colors of my choice. I still have and use them. I don't feel what I did was unethical. I wasn't looking for anything free. I was complaining because something I liked seemed to have dropped in quality. Must have been my Target got a bad shipment or something because the replacements are still fine.
Why the distinction?My years of reading the board have educated me on this one.
Doing this to save for Disney: frugal.
Doing this at Disney: unethical.
Inconsiderate, but not unethical. But it's why many stores put a limit on how many of a loss leader one person can buy.What about buying all of a loss leader so that no one else can purchase it (for example all the toothpaste that was a on sale and that has a coupon)..unethical or no?
Lotions and soaps are fine. Frugal if you like the product, silly if you don't. Towels and robes? Stealing is a crime.What about taking towels or lotions and soap and robes from a hotel that you are staying in? Unethical or frugal?
What about buying all of a loss leader so that no one else can purchase it (for example all the toothpaste that was a on sale and that has a coupon)..unethical or no?