Where do you draw the line at being too cheap?

[daisyduck123]

I draw the line at washing sponges.
There was a whole long thread the other day about how people wash sponges to reuse them...throw them in the dishwasher or microwave.

They are 4 for $1.00 at my local Giant.
I just buy a new pack every week.

 

[Frye7127]

My sister and I are curb shoppers from way back...our first find... a set of Lawrence Welk records...we were about 4 and 5 and could not understand why anyone would throw those away. Oh yes, there was a Chipmunks record too. My mom still has those. We really thought they were real treasures!

 

[katerkat]

For those who cloth diaper.. does anyone have a good free pattern?? I'm going to try to make cloth diapers. they are SOO expensive to buy! I hate to admit I have only started doing this. I dont want to admit how much I've spent on Pampers in the last 6+ years.

I can't sew well, so I don't make them. I do recommend, however, Fuzzi Bunz seconds. Usually the only "flaw" my seconds have are tighter leg elastics, which works perfectly for Mr. Skinny Legs! Plus they're $12, way cheaper than usually around $17-18 for perfect ones. I use microfiber towels that you can buy at Costco for stuffers. I ended up spending about $200 total on 16 diapers and the stuffing, and he's worn the same size from 6 months old to current. Considering he's 22 months old and close to potty training, it works out to $12 a month and going down every continual month - and everything's still in great condition for the next possible child.

 

[tuckerkeys]

I have been known to be in a 58 deg house all day

op, you remind me of my uncle who i thought was the cheapest person on the planet!!!!

he reuses aluminum foil, baggies, paper towels ( when he uses them he usually just shakes his hands on the floor...) he has a flush rule. if it's brown flush it down. if its yellow let it mellow......all of his water is on a trickle. and his house doesn't get warmer than 50!!! there is so much more, i dont even know where to begin!!!

 

[meandtheguys2]

I can't function if I am too cold. So, that is where the line is drawn here. My in-laws don't believe in paying for what you can't see...I hate going there in the winter, or the heat of the summer.

I don't wash baggies, because it takes too much space. My boys demolish all shoes we buy. OTOH, we alsway buy good clothes, because they last thru more than one boy. All things are then passed down to my nephew, and a little boy at the farmer's market.

I see "too cheap" as being behaviors that affect other's. Giving a 10% tip on excellent service, using unsanitary items, keeping food after it is way gone. (Not a day or so, but gone.)

I made my own diapers, but can't remember where I got the pattern. Loved them. Still using most of them for cleaning rags, etc., 12 years later!

 

[mjbaby]

Let's see, I reuse baggies (the heavier freezer kind) and foil, garden (and can, freeze and dehyrdrate the results), dress my kids in hand-me-downs and thrifted finds, trash pick, drive used cars, buy used books, used furniture, etc., etc., etc. I don't have a keeper or a diva cup although I've been researching them and I have no problem with homemade panty liners - some of them are soooo cute! and washable so whatever, just like a cloth diaper IME or the panties with which I'm toilet training my daughter, this is what a machine machine is for after all. I do a lot of sewing, too, which helps with clothing and household decoration expenses.

I do keep our heat at about 67/68 degrees (much to my husband's chagrin) but use a biodiesel blend in our tank so I figure there's a balance there somewhere. I buy Fair Trade coffee because I see that as a moral issue.

I will NOT pay for cable or satellite television, any magazine sub other than Vogue, any kind of gaming system (if my son wants a game boy he'll have to earn the money - since he's six and gets $1.50 a week allowance I figure I'm safe for some time), any food where I cannot pronounce the ingedients, and products made in China as much as I possibly can, especially holiday decorations and children's items. We don't buy DVDs and purchase precious few books - and those we do buy are either classics or useful in some way.

 

[mjantz]

I see "too cheap" as being behaviors that affect other's. Giving a 10% tip on excellent service, using unsanitary items, keeping food after it is way gone. (Not a day or so, but gone.)

This is pretty close to my thoughts too. I also won't do anything that embaresses my kids. Their clothes may be from thrift stores or the clearance rack at The GAP, but I always make sure they're stain free & the right size/length.
I don't wash baggies, but I will reuse them if its just for the kids snacks or something like that. I personally find it much easier to have a selection of containers in various sizes (bought from Dollar Tree & such) & mix those in with the baggies as opposed to washing baggies.

 

[mrsltg]

I don't go cheap on shoes or clothes - especially for the kids. Stride Rite may cost $50 for a pair of sneakers my baby will wear for 3-4 months, but we're talking lifelong podiatry and back issues here. I tried buying play clothes at Walmart and they fell apart after a few washings. I'd rather pay an extra few dollars to buy play clothes at Target. Nice clothes come from Gymboree (on sale of course!)

For me, I wear nice clothes for work. It's not a choice, but a necessity. HOWEVER, I am a careful shopper and buy things that coordinate with lots of other things. I have countless pairs of slacks that are machine washable and can go with anything from a twin set to a suit jacket depending upon the day.

I won't go through someone else's trash - period. I buy carefully so what I purchase will last a long time.

I won't go cheap on a car. We're talking about a 2-3,000 lb piece of metal into which I put my family's safety. I'm talking tires, repairs, maintenance, etc.

I believe you can be economical without being cheap.

 

[bar1jp]

I agree on the clothing with my kids getting older and staying in a size for the whole year, I buy the clothing that will last, on sale of course! sometimes I hit the racks a season ahead to get winter jackets ect..

 

[Mono~rail]

Just thought everyone might enjoy this article from MSN money.

Are you frugal, or stingy?

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/AreYouFrugalOrStingy.aspx

I read the article, and there were lots of points in there I had not thought of before. The example of the neighbors with the freeze pops was mean! How embarrassing for those kids.

 

[jsmla]

I can't sew well, so I don't make them. I do recommend, however, Fuzzi Bunz seconds. Usually the only "flaw" my seconds have are tighter leg elastics, which works perfectly for Mr. Skinny Legs! Plus they're $12, way cheaper than usually around $17-18 for perfect ones. I use microfiber towels that you can buy at Costco for stuffers. I ended up spending about $200 total on 16 diapers and the stuffing, and he's worn the same size from 6 months old to current. Considering he's 22 months old and close to potty training, it works out to $12 a month and going down every continual month - and everything's still in great condition for the next possible child.

Wow! Cloth diapers sure have changed in the 17 years since I used them on my kids. We had the cloth rectangles that you had to use pins with. And the plastic pants! No matter what you did they always yellowed. The new ones are really cute, but pricey!

Jennifer

 

[lpandorf]

When it impacts others. For instance, I am a co-leader of my DD's Brownie Troop. We asked the parents and ask each week, ask in newletters and leave out a sign-up sheet to please sign up to bring a snack or drink one time. I am amazed that over half the parents are yet to sign up. I would never not sign-up to save a few bucks and letter others bring snack twice to cover. Or some of the girls in the group wanted to order their own handbook. I took the order, picked up the books, and paid for them. One girls' parents never paid me for the book and last week I learned the girl is dropping out and still no money from them. I learned a lesson - make them pay first but I am trusting and nice and figure people will pay.

Another example, when we go out to eat in a group, there is one guy that never tosses in his fair share. Maybe puts in enough to cover the food, but not enough for the tip.

This is where I draw the line. I don't want to ever be taking advantage of others by trying to save a few bucks.

 

[vhoffman]

If you're having guests--turn on the lights!

About a year ago dd was invited to a party. We drove up and down the block at least 10 times looking for the house number, thinking we had the wrong address. Finally we saw some other kids she knew going into a house. The house was in total darkness! No porch light, no interior lights at the windows, nothing to indicate anybody was even home, let alone find the address! When we got there, we were taken in total darkness through the house to the family room, where, they did have lights burning. Come on! How blasted cheap can you get? If you can't afford a light bulb, you can't afford a party! I probably spent more on gas cruising up and down the street looking for the place than they saved by not putting a light on!

Another party-related gripe of mine--sending home party invitations in kids backpacks to save the stamp! There again, if you can't afford the stamp, maybe you should reconsider if you can afford the party! It also makes extra work for the teacher. Unless the entire class is invited, its a slight to those who aren't invited. We had a teacher last year send out an email asking parents not to send invitations to put in backpacks, for just those reasons. Oh, the backlash! some parents complained (unsuccessfully) to the principal. As though the teacher doesn't have enough to do, without standing on her head to save someone else a few stamps (those parents probably never send in supplies, snacks, other classroom contributions).

Both of these incidents involved parents with very good-paying jobs, 500k+ houses, not welfare receipients--just plain cheap!

 

[vhoffman]

If you adhere to the maxim "if its brown, flush it down, if its yellow, let it mellow", do remember other people don't appreciate that when you're a guest in their homes. Do remember to flush at other people's homes, unless that's their stated rule--then I'd consider finding other friends!

I had a college roomate who apparently had been brought up on that rule because she never flushed the toilet (we weren't paying for water). I would wake her up in the middle of the night to go flush her waste if I needed to use it. After a few weeks of that she requested to be transferred to another room, which suited me just fine--I wasn't assigned another roomate the whole semester and was charged the same. she flushed her way out of my life

 

[rucrazy]

how to make your own sanitary napkins. Plenty of info also on how to store and launder used ones for reuse.

Congratulations. This officially takes first place in the "Grossest thing I ever heard" contest.

 

[drcmk]

Too cheap is when your frugal decisions interfere with or take advantage of other people--for example if you don't leave a tip at a restaurant, if you intentionally "drop by" friends and family at dinner time to wrangle an invitation without reciprocating, if you don't pay your fair share when you do something (eat out, share a vacation) together as a group, if you encourage your children to visit their friends' houses so that someone else pays for their snacks, toys, activities.

There are other frugal decisions (like giving very inexpensive gifts) that are not necessarily unacceptable, but anyone who makes that decision has to understand that they are opening themselves up to social consequences (namely, everyone will talk about how cheap they are!).

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I agree that if it's effecting guests at your home, you should probobly splurge for that moment in time. But I see nothing wrong with being "extra" thrifty if that's what floats your boat. My thrifty pretty much ends at saving money on groceries and other in other stores. And the only think I have ever picked out of the trash was a recipet to return something that I could have gotton on sale the day after.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

Another party-related gripe of mine--sending home party invitations in kids backpacks to save the stamp! There again, if you can't afford the stamp, maybe you should reconsider if you can afford the party! It also makes extra work for the teacher. Unless the entire class is invited, its a slight to those who aren't invited. We had a teacher last year send out an email asking parents not to send invitations to put in backpacks, for just those reasons. Oh, the backlash! some parents complained (unsuccessfully) to the principal. As though the teacher doesn't have enough to do, without standing on her head to save someone else a few stamps (those parents probably never send in supplies, snacks, other classroom contributions).

Both of these incidents involved parents with very good-paying jobs, 500k+ houses, not welfare receipients--just plain cheap!

I do have to say that lastyear we did bring the invitations to school, not because we are cheap. I will happily admit that I am cheap, frugal, thrifty, etc. But my daughter was in Kindergarten and she had never knew any of these children before. We did not have any of the address's. In that age group, some kids know their address's and telephone numbers and some do not. The most logical things for parents to do was to bring in the invitations. This year the school came out with a school directory, for all the families that wanted to participate, with all the students addresses and telephone numbers listed by class. It came in handy when we did her invitations for this year. I pick my daughter up at school and there were some other girls invited to the party that are pick ups also. I had my daughter hand them to her friends as they were picked up. I don't see anything wrong with that either. But yes I am cheap for alot of other things.

 

[vhoffman]

I do have to say that lastyear we did bring the invitations to school, not because we are cheap. I will happily admit that I am cheap, frugal, thrifty, etc. But my daughter was in Kindergarten and she had never knew any of these children before. We did not have any of the address's. In that age group, some kids know their address's and telephone numbers and some do not. The most logical things for parents to do was to bring in the invitations. This year the school came out with a school directory, for all the families that wanted to participate, with all the students addresses and telephone numbers listed by class. It came in handy when we did her invitations for this year. I pick my daughter up at school and there were some other girls invited to the party that are pick ups also. I had my daughter hand them to her friends as they were picked up. I don't see anything wrong with that either. But yes I am cheap for alot of other things.

Well, its not just a matter of "being cheap" to save the stamp. By mailing it there's a better chance the parents will actually get it, rather than risk the kid losing it on the way home from school. I don't know how many times I've found invitations under the seat in the van, in the garage, under the bed, wherever (that was when they were younger, they're a little more responsible now).

 

[Mono~rail]

I personally hand out party invitations to parents that I see regularly. It seems a bit weird and "snotty" to mail an invitation to someone that I see at least a few times a week. For me, it isn't a matter of being cheap.