Extreme Cheapskates

[Belle0101]

It's on TLC now (started at 9).

 

[mommyrom]

Just turned it on to check it out. Got TOTALLY grossed out by the goat head dinner, so had to change the channel. Maybe next week...

 

[blessedby3]

I am also mortified by lots I have seen. The lady using rags for toilet paper....ummmm YUCK!!!! Unbelievable things on this show

 

[momto2inKC]

I am also mortified by lots I have seen. The lady using rags for toilet paper....ummmm YUCK!!!! Unbelievable things on this show

I know! Toilet paper is totally worth the $4 a week I spend on it LOL That would be the last thing i'd cut if I had to

 

[AnninIowa]

I feel sick after watching! I am all for saving money, but these people go way too far. I wiuld be furious if I found out someone deliberately served my child expired food.

 

[momto2inKC]

I feel sick after watching! I am all for saving money, but these people go way too far. I wiuld be furious if I found out someone deliberately served my child expired food.

I feel the same way. There's a discussion on my FB wall about this show and some people see nothing wrong with feeding other peoples kids expired food I don't care what they feed their kids, but PLEASE don't do it when my kids are over.

 

[hereyago]

Goat's heads and non toilet paper=make me want to throw up in my mouth.

The guy with the fiscal week aka Goat head guy: the fiscal fast week thing, ok I can get that, goat head nope. They have retired early and that is neat so that is something to show for the cheapskate ways. But I'd also want a few more luxuries. but once again this is a cheap skate show.

My point is I'd want something or somethings to show for it. the first guy, mr. dumpster diver. picking up rice off the sidewalk, you got married because she had a job and insurance, charming.lol.

Nasty non toilet paper lady: what? expired food, yea i'd be miffed if that was fed to my kid let alone no toilet paper. she needs to hang out with the Extreme Coupon people and learn to get some free food. cause eeeww.

You know her neighbor was skeeving out inside. yes, they got out of debt, but really no toilet paper, you can't put change in a jar or something? I love me a coin jar so I'm not knocking it.


Bartering. My DF and his friends would do this between themselves with their various trades. however, they weren't going to go to a bakery and do it. Did anyone notice the older man in the donut shop just kind of shaking his head in the background when the guy was reciting poetry? Hilarious.

 

[wdw_girl_18]

I am also mortified by lots I have seen. The lady using rags for toilet paper....ummmm YUCK!!!! Unbelievable things on this show

Isn't it called the "family cloth" or something like that? I've seen it mentioned on here before.

 

[SoonerSarah]

I didn't watch the show, didn't know it was on. I don't know if I will remember to watch it, so maybe the people were especially gross or something, I don't know.

But really, no one has heard of using cloth wipes instead of paper for toilet paper? Along the same lines of cloth diapers and cloth menstrual pads. Most people I know don't throw away their sheets or clothing that get urine or feces on them, they throw them in the washer and clean them.

 

[DOOM1001]

It's one thing to watch your spending,but some of the things on this show were ridiculous.Riding your bike 40 miles to go find some pennies and nickels on the ground to buy two goat heads,come on.Toilet paper has gotten out of control expensive and I thought to myself for a second,hey that's not that bad an idea as she was explaining how she never touches the rags after they're used,like I said I thought that for one second and then I came to my senses,THAT'S NASTY!!

 

[hereyago]

But really, no one has heard of using cloth wipes instead of paper for toilet paper? Along the same lines of cloth diapers and cloth menstrual pads. Most people I know don't throw away their sheets or clothing that get urine or feces on them, they throw them in the washer and clean them.

I have, but also my grandparents didn't have a indoor bathroom until I, the 7th grandchild was born and my grandmother would still use a chamber pot and kept a damp rag right there.

She still had toilet paper in the bathroom for the guests though. but to wash these cloths, wouldn't it mean more washing , more water and power?

And for the cloths, using a dark color is best, just sayin....

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

I missed the first half of the show and didn't start watching until Goat head guy and Donut singing man. I was totally grossed out by the first guy cooking Goat heads for his wife that he already admitted she didn't like and he knew she wouldn't eat. And the guy begging/singing for a Donut was embarrassing to watch. It was uncomfortable. Is this suppose to be a weekly show now or was this a one time show?

 

[pam95]

$7.50 for two goat heads, which the guy cooked for one meal?!?! I don't understand how that is cheap. I can do a lot better for $7.50 by taking advantage of meat sales at the grocery store.

I did like his idea of the fiscal fast though - good way to clear out the cabinets!

 

[plummer925]

$7.50 for two goat heads, which the guy cooked for one meal?!?! I don't understand how that is cheap. I can do a lot better for $7.50 by taking advantage of meat sales at the grocery store.

I did like his idea of the fiscal fast though - good way to clear out the cabinets!

I did not watch the show (I do not have cable) but if you go to Fox's site at http://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...kates-profiles-penny-pinching-perfectionists/ it shows a pic of the guy with the goat heads....here is where I have a bit of an issue...

LOOK at the kitchen - those cupboards are beautiful - expensive. Okay, maybe he's handy and made them (TRYING to give the benefit of the doubt). But a banana hanger?! (With NO banana's on it, never-the-less!). A convection oven (back right corner), Microwave AND dishwasher!? And that is an awfully nice blender, toaster & clock. Seems like he's not as cheap as the "goat head" would portray him...weird. Well, at least his aluminum foil is generic (but a true cheapskate would reuse it, and at the VERY least NOT line a cookie sheet with it to put the gross goat on!).

I dunno - seems fishy to me, but again, I could be just being cynical this morning!!!

 

[Marionnette]

I didn't watch the show, didn't know it was on. I don't know if I will remember to watch it, so maybe the people were especially gross or something, I don't know.

But really, no one has heard of using cloth wipes instead of paper for toilet paper? Along the same lines of cloth diapers and cloth menstrual pads. Most people I know don't throw away their sheets or clothing that get urine or feces on them, they throw them in the washer and clean them.

Heard of them? Yes. And still grossed out by the very thought! I didn't cloth diaper my kids and the homemade sanitary napkins were something my grandmother had to tolerate but not me or my daughter!

As to the urine-soaked sheets or those that had feces on them - When my kids were small and those things happened, the bedding went straight into the washer. It didn't sit around in an open basket for days. That's just nasty, nasty, nasty!

 

[blessedby3]

Heard of them? Yes. And still grossed out by the very thought! I didn't cloth diaper my kids and the homemade sanitary napkins were something my grandmother had to tolerate but not me or my daughter!

As to the urine-soaked sheets or those that had feces on them - When my kids were small and those things happened, the bedding went straight into the washer. It didn't sit around in an open basket for days. That's just nasty, nasty, nasty!

I AGREE!! You said it! I cant even imagine having those smelly, poopy, urine smell rags just sitting in my bathroom. So very gross when there is tp available and at all different costs. You can get inexpensive ones if you dont want tp with all the bells and whistles And a child wetting the bed or having an accident in their pants is much different than a bucket of nasty rags sitting for an extended time. I agree with a PP, this lady needs to get with the extreme couponers and get her some tp and unexpired food for free!!!

 

[plummer925]

I AGREE!! You said it! I cant even imagine having those smelly, poopy, urine smell rags just sitting in my bathroom. So very gross when there is tp available and at all different costs. You can get inexpensive ones if you dont want tp with all the bells and whistles And a child wetting the bed or having an accident in their pants is much different than a bucket of nasty rags sitting for an extended time. I agree with a PP, this lady needs to get with the extreme couponers and get her some tp and unexpired food for free!!!

While I agree with what you said, I have to disagree that reusable rags are all bad. I've considered using them here in my home...for pee only though. I'd have a small basket of CLEAN rags by the potty (for my use only - I have TP also!!!) and a bucket of bleach water in the tub (which sits right next to the potty). After using them, they'd go in the bucket, thus no smell or grossness - and would be rinsed and washed with my next load of laundry. I think doing it that way would be VERY similar to cloth diapers and would not smell at ALL. But I'd ONLY use them for pee...otherwise ick. And would certainly soak the used ones IMMEDIATELY.

 

[MrsPete]

It's on TLC now (started at 9).

Remember, folks, that reality TV doesn't actually depict reality. These people were clearly playing it up for the cameras. I mean, the guy who spent the whole afternoon scrounging for change seemed a little weird, but not stupid. He would've been smart enough to realize that wasn't a good use of his time. If his real goal was to earn more money, he could've earned more in that time in several ways. However, his real goal wasn't to earn money -- it was to be "extreme" for the cameras.

A couple of their ideas just don't work:

The guy who divides double-ply toilet paper isn't getting twice as much use from his tissue. People just use more when it's divided. And he's wasting time and making messy rolls.

The one-week physical fast (in which he and his wife agree not to spend a single penny) is also stupid. They're not "living for free" that week. They're just adjusting their spending. For example, I filled my car's tank yesterday. I can easily go a week without filling it again -- but that doesn't mean I'm not using resources. It just means I'm not spending this week. I can feed my family from my freezer/pantry this week and spend zero on food -- but that previously stored food cost money too. I just didn't spend it this week.

And the ketchup guy is using some fuzzy math. He says he saves $70-80 per year by going into restaurants (where he isn't a customer) and begging for ketchup packets. For that to be true, he'd have to use more than a bottle of ketchup PER WEEK. I don't think they have children in the house, and I have trouble believing that he and his wife consume that much between the two of them.

They have retired early and that is neat so that is something to show for the cheapskate ways . . . you can't put change in a jar or something? I love me a coin jar so I'm not knocking it.

Yeah, they retired early, but I'm solidly on track to retire at 57 (still a decade away), and we don't eat goat heads.

I put coin jars in the same category as that fellow's physical fast. It doesn't actually save you any money. It just keeps all your coins in a different spot.

But really, no one has heard of using cloth wipes instead of paper for toilet paper? Along the same lines of cloth diapers and cloth menstrual pads. Most people I know don't throw away their sheets or clothing that get urine or feces on them, they throw them in the washer and clean them.

Yeah, rags for toilet paper isn't a choice I'm making in my own home, but when you look at how people actually do this, it's not disgusting. People have only had commercial toilet paper for a fairly short period of time across history. We Americans have become awfully squeamish about certain things. Mainly, we're squeamish about things that advertisers have told us should matter.

I don't admire their choice to eat expired food (wouldn't be surprised if they aren't drummed out of that babysitting group), but the toilet paper thing is better than throwing one's hands up in the air and saying, "Life is so expensive. I just can't cut my household expenses."

$7.50 for two goat heads, which the guy cooked for one meal?!?! I don't understand how that is cheap. I can do a lot better for $7.50 by taking advantage of meat sales at the grocery store.

Agreed. I have several reduced-for-quick-sale roasts that cost less than $7.50. But that's not "extreme". Remember that the goal is to attract viewers. A nice roast cooked in the crock pot isn't interesting (except to the actual dinner guests).

LOOK at the kitchen - those cupboards are beautiful - expensive. Okay, maybe he's handy and made them (TRYING to give the benefit of the doubt). But a banana hanger?! (With NO banana's on it, never-the-less!). A convection oven (back right corner), Microwave AND dishwasher!? And that is an awfully nice blender, toaster & clock. Seems like he's not as cheap as the "goat head" would portray him...weird. Well, at least his aluminum foil is generic (but a true cheapskate would reuse it, and at the VERY least NOT line a cookie sheet with it to put the gross goat on!).

Disagree. Being thrifty (or a cheapskate) doesn't mean you always set out to spend the least amount of money possible. It means you try to get the best value for the money. It makes total sense to me to invest in nice cabinets --a product that you use every single day, a product that enhances your house and your life -- while skimping on items that're temporary: Store-brand canned food, generic cereal, homemade cleaners.

I agree with a PP, this lady needs to get with the extreme couponers and get her some tp and unexpired food for free!!!

Nah, I don't admire them either. They don't seem to bring home ingredients that could produce actual meals.

 

[Crystal0608]

I had to hide my face in pillows when the goat head thing was going on. I told dh he could make a cheeseburger, eggs & toast, $1 menu, spaghetti-all that can be made for way under $7.50 and not make me want to vomit. The last part was funny about the bartering, that's the only part I could see myself really doing but I don't see anyone going for it.

 

[blessedby3]

While I agree with what you said, I have to disagree that reusable rags are all bad. I've considered using them here in my home...for pee only though. I'd have a small basket of CLEAN rags by the potty (for my use only - I have TP also!!!) and a bucket of bleach water in the tub (which sits right next to the potty). After using them, they'd go in the bucket, thus no smell or grossness - and would be rinsed and washed with my next load of laundry. I think doing it that way would be VERY similar to cloth diapers and would not smell at ALL. But I'd ONLY use them for pee...otherwise ick. And would certainly soak the used ones IMMEDIATELY.

I will give you that pee only rags are not as gross (I still would never use them, I can cut costs somewhere else to have clean fresh tp)...but those tread marks all over the rags that are "clean"--that is so nasty. I could not use a rag with tread marks on it, clean or not