Cheapscate 101!!!

[disneedee]

don't know if this qualifies as grand californian/cheapstake don't go together very well but here is what we did
had a family reunion at dl grand california hotel
got the 3 bedroom suite
had 4 families, they would only book for 8 people.(what is with that if each room holds 5 should have been able to have at least 15 by my multiplication not counting the living room space).
so booked in parts of 3 families, bought passes only from AAA for the other 6 people. total of 14 staying in the suite, had sleeping bags brought up for the extras without beds (they do sleeping bags instead of rollaways).
suites came with conciege service at this time so we ate well! plus one brother lives down there and he and his tribe of 4 joined us for breakfast/parks/ pool. it was great!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

In the past I have fessed up to taking my own personal microwave for our room at the AS's. After being flamed I have quit doing so, posting about it that is. LOL

I guess the cheapest thing I have ever done was done in Nashville, TN. Way back in the good old but poorer than dirt days we went there on a family vacation. My dh who thinks he is Mr. Gotrocks wanted to take one of those bus tours but it was over $100 (at least $500 in today's dollars) and it surely was NOT in the budget. Being a resourceful person who knew her way around Nashville a bit I drove down to the tourbus station. Watching for a bus to pull away from the curb I just followed along with my husband complaining that he did not know whose house he was seeing. I told him that often the tour guide did not either so to just enjoy the scenery. I will never live that one down but I am unrepentant to this day.

Might not be everyone's cuppa tea but here we sit, owing nothing but the monthly utility bills and happily retired.

Slightly Goofy

 

[Aisling]

Please don't bash me but a few years ago we bought one refillable mug for myself and ds. We would fill it, go outside and pour it in a bottle and then go back and refill it.

My mom did this, and I was mortified! I pretended I didn't know her!

 

[mainelyj]

Don't bash me for this one. But one day at our resort (about 4 years ago) we all had the BBQ at pool side - usually my husband does not like to jump on this type of offer because he is sometimes no fun. Anyway, later I asked how much it was. He told me, but also told me he just charged it to our room. I said ok - he said our room number is XXXX, right? I said no...... We decided to wait and see what came up on our bill - but of course it never showed up... I kept waiting for the hotel "police". Most places now ask for your room key. I hope the person who got our bill, refuted the amount from the BBQ.

I would never, never, intentionally do this, nor recommend this.

Bottom line, read your bill carefully.

 

[luv2nascar]

okay non disney related but local steak/rib house
I always order extra basket of the best sweetest honey rolls ever
they are free. I like to take them home with the leftovers to make sandwiches.

DH is the king of extra fixings from the free fixing bars

 

[Cindy B]

Not Disney related, but I think the ultimate cheapskate story.

I was very nearly born in the hospital parking lot, because my parents wouldn't go in until *after midnight so they wouldn't have to pay for the extra day.

Well, I did this as well for my daughter in an indirect way. The OB told me to hold a contraction so she would be born after midnight. I did and she was... born at 12:07 am.

 

[BringBackTapestries]

Good ones. Keep em coming. I especially like the one about the person following the tour bus!

 

[brandip22]

So I don't feel so bad wanting to say my DS is 2 when he'll be 3 and 15 days! Of course, DH won't let me do it, but I feel much better wanting to do that! Great ideas folks!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

BringBackTapestries, I am glad to be of service LOL. Especially to one who has chosen such a great name. I hope you accomplish that task.

We were headed west on a vacation and my dear ever loving big spender hubby kept seeing signs for a place called Jumer's Castle (sp?).. Hey, Castle? He is a man and a man NEEDS a castle. The heck with money for gas. Anyway I did stop there and when I found out that the rooms were $300 or more a night I calmly turned on my heel and went across the road to a place that I had a $29 coupon for. I took some of the savings and took him to the Castle to eat dinner though. I am not totally heartless.

Slightly Goofy

I am not only thrifty but proud of the fact. Difference between being thrifty and being miserly IMHO is if you really want something, have the money and do without you are a miser and that is NOT something I aspire to.

 

[BringBackTapestries]

brandi... you going next week? We are too!

 

[ksoehrlein]

Well, I did this as well for my daughter in an indirect way. The OB told me to hold a contraction so she would be born after midnight. I did and she was... born at 12:07 am.

I did even better with my DD. Time of birth? 20 seconds past midnight, thank you very much. We were able to get the 2 full hospital days thereafter covered by our insurance without them trying to boot us out of the hospital early.

Side note: I don't hold much for astrology, but she was born on a cusp. After midnight, she suddenly became a Gemini. I think people born on a cusp are supposed to exhibit some of both signs' traits, so the fact that Gemini is one of them probably means that she'll always be of THREE minds about every situation.

 

[jlw29]

Well, I did this as well for my daughter in an indirect way. The OB told me to hold a contraction so she would be born after midnight. I did and she was... born at 12:07 am.

I had my first daughter a few months before they guaranteed 2 day hospital stay. If the baby was born before 7:00 pm you were discharged the next day, if she was born after, you got to stay until the following day. The OB had me stop pushing at 6:55 and breath through a few contractions. I didn't understand why until she explained it to me after. (DD ended up with a shoulder stuck and didn't come out until 7:31 anyway).

 

[thelees385]

This thread is very entertaining. I'd love to hear more.

 

[disneymom3]

Slightly Goofy--If my mother were not terrified of computers in general I would swear you were her. (Hmmm, does that make sense??) I am cracking up at you following that tour bus!

This is a fun thread. I am pretty thrifty, am not thinking of anything astounding.

 

[floridagirrl2]

Right around 19 years ago, my best friend from nursing school found some coupons on the Land O' Lakes butter boxes offering free or nearly free admission to the Magic Kingdom for a certain number of boxes. She collected enough for the 2 of us to go for free along with 2 of her kids. We also snuck in lunch (WDW was very strict about bringing in food in those days).

A year and a half ago, DH and I bid on 2.5 hotels on Priceline and stayed in a decent hotel near Disney for two 3-day weekends, once for 31 per night and once for $26 per night!

 

[4fordisney]

You people are cracking me up!!!

My husband and I want a rooftop luggage carrier for our trip, but we are fast running out of money....so we put an ad in the "Good Neighbor" section of our local newspaper asking if anyone had one to give away. We now have our pick of 4 free luggage carriers!

 

[annsteere]

Right now McDonalds has a deal going where you buy a $5 gift card and get a free three piece chicken strips meal. So, the last four Monday nights, I've eaten free chicken for supper. We go to Orlando tomorrow and I've got $20 in gift cards for us to spend on a quick lunch for the family one day.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Last May when we were there my Mom had an empty soda bottle and we were eating lunch at Tony's at MK. With a spoon my Mom was putting soda and ice from her glass into the bottle. My brother and I about died of embarrassment and gave her such a hard time for the rest of the day.

 

[rockin_rep]

I did that too! On a luau in Hawaii they wanted $20 for a picture. I took a picture myself! We went to other events though where they didn't let you get close enough to see the photos so no pic of those. Oh , well. The picture of the picture turned out great

I started doing that at Rockin Roller Coaster -- because we ride it several times -- and our hair is going straight back! I take a pic of the pic each and every time (one spring break we rode it 13 times in 4 days) and the pics turn out great!

However we do buy them at Splash Mountain DisneyLAND, as the boats are different than at WDW and the pics are always sooo cute! (you can't put a price on certain things!)

 

[DisneyObsessive]

when i went to disney 2 years ago when i was 16, my mom said i was a child and we paid child price for me for tickets and what not. I just dressed like a little girl would lol i have an uncanny ability to look younger than i am, and while most times it sucks, for disney, i couldnt complain! Saved my mom some money