My father was sooooo cheap.....

[jvas]

That I remember one day when I was a kid, we went to the grocery store and he asked the clerk "how much are the carrots?"
the clerk replied "the more you buy, the cheaper they are..."
My dad then told him..."well then, keep loading up my basket till they're free".....

 

[Serena]

Jvas, you're cracking me up today. thanks

 

[nativetxn]

hee, hee

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My mother was so cheap that she bought me a pair of prescription glasses in October and they were considered a part of my Christmas. I was only 12 at the time.

When my father died she tried to get a bargain on his burial plot. She got the people to come down $400.00.

When I got married she told me I would have to wear my sister's wedding gown if I wanted her to buy our wedding pictures.

This could go on and on and on and on..............................


Lori

 

[Pin Wizard]

LOLOLOL! Too funny Jvas! Right away I thought of my grandmother sewing socks.

 

[jvas]

once when we went to breakfast, he asked the waitress "how much is the coffee? " she replied "one dollar a cup" he replied "how much are refills?" she replied "refills are free"

he then replied "well then, let me have a refill and a piece of apple pie"

 

[Pin Wizard]

 

[pixiemomma]

When my father goes to the boardwalk near his vacation house, he drives around looking for a parking meter with time left on it.

My sister told me that when she and my brother were younger my dad also tried to get the family to ration toilet paper. (Mind you my parents were both very well paid)

And when I was 10 or so I really wanted this Guess jean jacket t hat was $40. My Dad bought it for me, then shorted my moms child support check $20 (her half, I guess)

 

[Cindy B]

I can beat you all with my parents...

My parents also rationed the toilet paper.
My parents saved all margarine tubs, cool whip containers, and used them for bowls!

Occasionally if a McDonalds was opening near us, we would go to the grand opening specials (usually 25 cent hamburgers --it was the mid 70's) and stick them in the freezer and eat them later.

We would go to the cash and carry store and buy a case of can without labels.. You would swish them around and guess what was in them... it was a surprise at dinner!

My first bike was trashpicked and cleaned up/fixed for me!

Going to a non thrift store was a treat (and then it was the Sears Surplus store)

 

[pixiemomma]

Hey my Dad picked a scooter out of the trash for me. (My Barbie bike was new however) I think our Dad's were hatched form the same egg.

 

[ryansmom]

My Dad never let the thermostat go above 60 degrees in the winter. My sister would come to the dinner table with mittens on!

 

[KristiKelly]

My Dad wanted to go to the grocery store and buy the ready made sheet cakes for my wedding. That was one time I was glad my parents were divorced - no way in "you know where" my mom would've gone for that one.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

DH once got up early enough to do the free full breakfast buffet at the Embassy Suites in Chicago, then hit it again for an early lunch before checking out!

 

[Blueberry]

We used to have to bring home our paper lunch sacks and baggies, she would wash them out and would reuse them each day for a week...

 

[DocRafiki]

Ugh you guys are reminding me how glad I am to be out of my parents' house!! We had the toilet paper rationing talk, too.

Unfortunately I'm having a hard time losing some of the cheap habits. Well, maybe it's a good thing since I'm not exactly wealthy.

 

[frannn]

My mom was so cheap I thought garage sale shopping was a way of life. Mom had it down to a science, and every Sat, she, grandma, their friend, and I would pile into a car with the map and the Pennysaver (listings). This served as both entertainment and a way of getting the stuff we needed.

 

[FOJMO]

My Dad would stand outside the bathroom and time our showers -- you had to be done with everything in under 3 minutes!

 

[Mishetta]

I had to laugh reading some of these posts since my Mom raised me alone (Dad died when I was 8 y/o) & she was left raising me on a very low income....

My lunch paperbag was recyled so many times that it would fall apart sometimes & I'd have to carry my sandwich & apple in my hand!

My Mom always reused foil & she's make us use the bar of soap until it disappeared. It would be in itty bitty pieces, hard to pick up but we'd use it until it was gone...

She re-cycled her own toothpicks. She would use one until it broke. She did that until the day she died. I found a toothpick in her room not long ago & cried my eyes out.

I hated doing stuff like that when I was little but now I appreciate all that she did to raise me. I just wish I had told her that more.