Where do you draw the line at being too cheap?

[ducklite]

Was your sponge wet? Mine always are. We buy them all of the time, but with 3 boys, who sometimes lack common sense, I feel better nuking them before each use!

We keep plenty of hand towels in the drawer, and bounty papertowel (we have big messes!) but they've been known to use a sponge on the floor. Which happens to be where the kitties walk, also!

Here's how I combat the sponge germ issues...

I have two in the kitchen. The one in the tipdown under the sink is only used for dishes/pots and pans, etc. It gets put through the dishwasher every week or so, and I use a sanitize cycle, so I use it for a few months before I toss it. If the dishwasher isn't getting my sponge clean, than my dishes must not be either...

I also have a second one, it's under the sink down in a bin with other misc stuff. That one is used on the floor, walls, etc. It's the "dirty sponge." I don't clean it, just let it get yucky then toss it.

I use Clorox Wipes on my counter, if I have a really big mess I'll wipe it up with a paper towel first.

I dry my hands on a terry kitchen towel kept on a hook on the inside of the door under the sink, and replaced/laundered twice a week or so.

Anne

 

[phillybeth]

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

What do you think women did before disposable sanitary supplies? My grandmother told me stories about her mother teaching her how to 'cut down' old cloth diapers to use.

It's not for me, but I don't think it's gross- just too much effort.

 

[accruise]

I think you are being toooooooo cheap when you go to a restaurant and order a cup of hot water, and add you own beverage. If you can't afford to buy your meal...stay home or get it to go. Another pet peeve is the people that ask for a cup for water and put soda in it. I think this is stealing...just my thoughts.

 

[Genieklone]

I would never buy chunk light tuna. It looks too much like cat food to me!

Like my husband says, " All food looks the same going down!"

 

[Genieklone]

This was actually something I was thinking about just this morning; the fact that after I get home from work I hang up my clothes and don't wash them again until I've worn 'em a couple of times. Since I work in an office, sitting down all day, it's not like they end up all sweaty and stinky. Underwear and gym clothes are, of course, the exception!! Not to mention, I use my shower towel twice before washing as well.

Is that too cheap? Or too gross? My husband would NEVER wear something more than once before washing it; I think he's silly. (He's an office person too)

Don't most people do this?

 

[kors]

I agree with Macfamily...

Quote:
Well, considering she's a 200# wonder, she probably could do justice to it!

This comment made me really sad, considering I myself am a 200# wonder, wherever that little term of endearment came from, and I certainly wouldn't try taking home food from a party that wasn't offered to me. Nor would I "do justice to it" all by myself. *sigh*

This comment hurt my feelings as well. What should it have mattered if she was 100, 200, or 300lbs? I know many folks that weigh a lot less than me, eat a lot more than me. Please be sensitive to others who may have an issue with this. You got your point across without having to add in that slam.

 

[ducklite]

Don't most people do this?

When I worked in an office and had to wear professional attire every day (read dry clean only) I wore my suits three times before they went to the cleaners. Underwear and blouses were laundered after each wearing. I didn't buy dry clean only blouses, I bought washable tanks, shells and sweaters--most in a silk knit so no ironing was needed.

Now I wear business casual with teh emphasis on casual, and it all gets laundered each time I wear it.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

they sell them on ebay pretty darn cheap if your looking for the washable cloth pads... I dunno if I'm there yet.. I'm actually thinking more and more about the diva cup...

This is all making me hope that menopause comes sooner than later!

Anne

 

[KarenAylwood]

I think you are being toooooooo cheap when you go to a restaurant and order a cup of hot water, and add you own beverage. If you can't afford to buy your meal...stay home or get it to go. Another pet peeve is the people that ask for a cup for water and put soda in it. I think this is stealing...just my thoughts.

I totally agree. I also think too cheap is when people order a water and extra lemons to make their own lemonade at the table. It's one thing if you take the lemon that comes with your drink- it's another when you actually ask for more lemons knowing they're free and make your own drink.

I agree that too cheap is when it affects others. If you're having guests over- use the AC or the heat, or turn on a light or two, or even flush your toilet each time it's used!

I also don't think the whole making your own pads thing is too cheap- it's just too much work for me. Same thing with cleaning out ziploc bags. I only use a few a week and buy the boxes from the dollar store that come 60 in a box. They're less than two cents a bag and I go through a box every 2 months or so.

I bring my own food, snacks or drinks when I travel or go out. If I'm out shopping I'd rather grab a cereal bar from my purse or the car than waste money eating out. That will tide me over until I get home.

I keep my thermostat at 67-68 (I'm thinking of changing it to lower for the next month), and in the summer I just can't go without AC- I keep it at 71 and turn it down to 69 at night. I splurge for AC- I just can't sleep when I'm even a bit warm!

And I will always flush my toilet after each use.

 

[Genieklone]

wow the things on this thread are just shocking to me. I guess I'm not that cheap after all. I love sales and saving $ but some of these things are just . I would never wash plastice bags and I'm certainly going to buy myself some pads and tampoons once a month. We flush every time too. Frugal is not even the word for this.

That's ok. This is called the 'squeamishness' factor, that Amy presents in the Gazette.

Even if something sounds weird, because nobody you've ever known has done it, make a commitment to try it once. This assumes obviously you are doing something thrifty--not illegal or harming towards others. When you try this new thrifty thing and it works, if you've done your cost benefit analysis and it pays out keep doing it. What I mean by this is for you to literally check this. For example, a good to great sponge comes in a 2 pack for 2 for 5.00. If you buy a new sponge every week this would cost you $130!!! What if you did this everyday? $9,125! What does it cost to pop this in the dishwasher when you have a cycle running? Acouple of cents and you can replace your sponge once every three weeks giving you total cost at approz. 43 dollars a year. That's more money for Disney...but really more freedom for yourself.

I don't know, it makes cents to be open minded.

 

[vhoffman]

That MSN article was great. There is a big difference between being frugal and being stingy. Stingy is mean and selfish!

Where do draw the line with being cheap? I think everyone has their "pet" cheap behaviours that make them feel in control of their finances. Sometimes these things might make others roll their eyes, but that's okay.

I think we have to weigh the cost savings versus the time and energy expended, or the inconvenience. My mother refuses to use commercial laundry detergent, she makes her own detergent, soaks a sponge with it, and tosses it into the laundry. I personally believe that the time she takes to make the soap, store the 5 gallon bucket it is in, and play "hunt the sponge" after every wash is not worth the few pennies she might be saving with each wash (plus I don't think it cleans the clothes very well, but it is good enough for her). But she has done it for years and spending money on Tide is a hot button for her.


I save bags, wrapping paper and ribbons. It bugs me to spend money on those things, so I have this giant box of stuff that I have salvaged so i don't have to. That is my thing. My DH thinks I am nuts, but that's what i do.

So, I agree, as long as you aren't affecting others negatively by your thriftiness, and you aren't withholding something in a spirit of selfishness, be as cheap as you wanna be! Just make sure you are taking into account the time and hassle investment in the equation of saving money. In this day and age, TIME IS MONEY.

Saving bags, wrapping paper, ribbons, etc. is something I just started doing about a year ago and its paying off. DD was able to make her teacher's Valentines Day card and decorate a gift bag, all with stuff I had left over. I figure I saved at least $4-$8 on the cost of card and wrapping paper, plus she had the fun of making it. It looks great, too! I'm sure the teacher will appreciate her homemade card better than a store bought one, too. Its obvious the amount of work involved, sort of a "labor of love".

 

[Genieklone]

I totally agree. I also think too cheap is when people order a water and extra lemons to make their own lemonade at the table. It's one thing if you take the lemon that comes with your drink- it's another when you actually ask for more lemons knowing they're free and make your own drink.

QUOTE]

I'm not sure how this makes you cheap. Do you understand that you technically have paid for the water/lemons from the margins they make on your food?

Question: Do you think ordering ice water at Disney concession stands is cheap? We ask for ice water and we add koolaid to the water they give. If that's wrong then I don't want to be right! The margin retailers make on soda is 80-90%!

I work for these companies.... so I don't want fall trap to my own marketing techniques

 

[clutter]

I have a question for trashpickers. We have the tall dumpsters that roll down our driveway. Do you all actually go into them to pick?


Along those lines, here's the cheapest, meanest trash picking story I know. One saturday, I left a couple of bags of things out on the curb for Purple Heart. A big-momma SUV pulls up and takes my bags!!!!! I meant to check ebay later to see if any of my stuff was listed. But that's TOO cheap, stealing from charity.

 

[vhoffman]

Well, there again, cheap or frugal is all a matter of how it affects you and those around you. If you're comfortable with it and it doesn't harm/insult/take advantage of others, its frugal. If it adversely affects others, especially someone you've invited or has no choice but to be in your presence for a given period of time, such as a lunch companion, then its cheap.

Here's a problem for me--we like to keep our house on the cool side. I keep the heat at 63 at night, 66 during the day. We're comfortable like that, and so is our gas bill ( $88 for last month ). We live in Central Texas, and the winters are usually mild here, but last month we had a killer ice storm, temperatures below freezing for almost a week, then slightly higher the rest of the month. Still had a low gas bill.

However, I realize not everyone is comfortable at those low temperatures. Seems most everywhere I go I'm uncomfortably warm. My kids school seems like an oven in comparison to our home! I usually dress the kids in long pants, short sleeve shirts, and a sweat shirt or light jacket or sweater they can take on or off depending on the temperature. Yesterday I went to my doctor's office and just remembered to dress like my kids--short sleeve and light sweater. Good thing I did. Honestly, the sweat was rolling off me I was so hot in there! Guess its just a matter of what you're used to.

So here's the dilemna--we're used to lower temperatures and are comfortable with it. Not everyone else is. If we have invited guests I bump the heat up a little for their comfort. However, if its an uninvited guest, just someone who drops by and forgets to leave, I feel no obligation to bump up the heat for them. BTW, I should mention dh is laid off and we're struggling to get by on unemployment and what's left of our severance pay, so money's tight here. I feel no obligation to run my heat bill up for someone who wasn't an invited guest, which is just what happened yesterday. SIL (of the ham-a-month club) dropped by. She then complained --its cold in here--and proceeded to adjust the theromastat up to about 75! I immediately put it back down and told her that's the way we like it here. Well, she huffed off, complaining about how "cheap" we are. I'm sorry, I feel no obligation to keep someone else more comfortable than we are from our limited budget. If she wants it toasty warm, go to her home and hike up the heat all she wants!

Now, like I said, if its an invited guest (last Friday dd had a friend over night, we bumped the heat up for her sake, she was invited, I feel we shouldn't invite someone if we can't afford to make them comfortable). But invited guests are one thing, drop in vultures are something else--they take us as they find us!

 

[vhoffman]

I have a question for trashpickers. We have the tall dumpsters that roll down our driveway. Do you all actually go into them to pick?


Along those lines, here's the cheapest, meanest trash picking story I know. One saturday, I left a couple of bags of things out on the curb for Purple Heart. A big-momma SUV pulls up and takes my bags!!!!! I meant to check ebay later to see if any of my stuff was listed. But that's TOO cheap, stealing from charity.

Oh, that's low! What next--helping themselves to the church collection plate? Makes me think twice about having a garage sale vs donating items. Usually I set the items to be donated out in front of the house, too. Usually they leave a note saying Thanks for the donation, but several times we didn't get such note. Perhaps they didn't get the donation, but a curb swiper got there first? At least if I have a garage sale I get something for it, as opposed to feeding someone else's garage sale.

 

[vhoffman]

Ok now here's the lowest I ever heard of. From SIL, the ham-a-month, we want it warm in your house at your expense one.

I just learned this from talking with her yesterday. We invited her and her family to go to church with us. They seemed hesitant to attend because they didn't know anyone, so we felt it would be nice to attend with someone to help ease them in, which seemed to be working. Then she tells me this gem--

When they pass around the collection plate, she just puts one of those donation envelopes in, without anything in it! She doesn't fill it out, just folds it over, and drops it in the plate. She says no one knows who didn't "pay" and it looks to everyone like she put something in the plate! Oh, how low! We always put $5 in, and the kids put $1 each in for Sunday school, so $7 a week out of our limited finances (we're currently unemployed). DH and I were discussing dropping back to $1 in the plate and a quarter each for the kids (the kid say that's what most people give, anyways). We figure God will understand. How to justify cheating the collection plate, though! I wish our pastor would preach about the woman who gave the two coppers--would hit sil right where she sits!

BTW, we won't invite sil to go to church with us anymore--she knows how to get there if she wants to!

 

[ladysoleil]

As a joke I bought DH a box of Golden Grahams for his Christmas stocking- the house rule is no cereal unless it's store brand or on sale with a coupon. I told him to enjoy it because I was not likely to buy a name brand cereal without a double coupon for quite a while!

He was just a little too excited to get his box of cereal, which made me realize that maybe I should lighten up on the cereal rule just a bit.

I guess maybe I could stop being cheap and spend the extra $2.37 once in a while, right?

 

[ducklite]

I'm not sure how this makes you cheap. Do you understand that you technically have paid for the water/lemons from the margins they make on your food?

Question: Do you think ordering ice water at Disney concession stands is cheap? We ask for ice water and we add koolaid to the water they give. If that's wrong then I don't want to be right! The margin retailers make on soda is 80-90%!

I work for these companies.... so I don't want fall trap to my own marketing techniques

I think it's incredibly cheap to go into a restaurant, order water, and add your own Koolaid mix. And I think it's cheap to make your own lemonade out of ice water, sugar, and lemons. I think it borders on stealing if they offer lemonade on the menu.

Margins aside, a restaurant is in the business to make a profit, and by eating there, you are agreeing to contributing to the profit. If you don't like their prices or profit margins, then bring a lunch and eat on a bench in a park. Restaurants are not soup kitchens.

The same thign for people who don't want to tip solely to save money. It ends up COSTING the server to serve those people! A server makes $2.35 an hour, and is taxed for an 8% on every bill, whether they got a tip or not. That's $8 on a $100 bill that they ahve to pay taxes on. At a 25% tax rate, they pay $2 in taxes in money they never got, which is more than their take home pay on thier minimum wage after that is taxed!

Anne

 

[StephMK]

I have a question for trashpickers. We have the tall dumpsters that roll down our driveway. Do you all actually go into them to pick?


Along those lines, here's the cheapest, meanest trash picking story I know. One saturday, I left a couple of bags of things out on the curb for Purple Heart. A big-momma SUV pulls up and takes my bags!!!!! I meant to check ebay later to see if any of my stuff was listed. But that's TOO cheap, stealing from charity.

That is a mean story! Maybe she thought it was trash but should have checked first.

Speaking for myself, no, I don't go into dumpsters or cans. The times I've gotten something it's usually been a toy or piece of furniture left by the can. I usually stick to hard surface stuff that can be wiped down or cleaned. It's amazing how much perfectly good stuff is just tossed because people don't want it. We donate or give away all that kind of stuff, it's a shame to waste it and have it sit in a landfill.

 

[Genieklone]

I think it's incredibly cheap to go into a restaurant, order water, and add your own Koolaid mix. And I think it's cheap to make your own lemonade out of ice water, sugar, and lemons. I think it borders on stealing if they offer lemonade on the menu.

Margins aside, a restaurant is in the business to make a profit, and by eating there, you are agreeing to contributing to the profit. If you don't like their prices or profit margins, then bring a lunch and eat on a bench in a park. Restaurants are not soup kitchens.

The same thign for people who don't want to tip solely to save money. It ends up COSTING the server to serve those people! A server makes $2.35 an hour, and is taxed for an 8% on every bill, whether they got a tip or not. That's $8 on a $100 bill that they ahve to pay taxes on. At a 25% tax rate, they pay $2 in taxes in money they never got, which is more than their take home pay on thier minimum wage after that is taxed!

Anne

With your logic, drinking the free water would be stealing, if the restaurant sold bottled water.

If the restaurant really wanted to make a profit, they should charge for the water. If the water really was truly free, then you could come to the restaurant and drink water, sit down and not pay a dime. Obviously no restaurant would do this. The restaurant has already taken into account the amount of people who will pay for caramel colored water (coke), charged a hefty margin to make a profit, and quite frankly does not care how many people drink water or the amount or if they use lemons. Most people will order soda, which will more than offset the tiny amount of people who drink extra lemony water. The water and lemons are made for consumption in that restaurant, so no harm done.

Personally, I can't stand the taste of fountain drinks or chlorinated water. I always add splenda and lemons to my water...even at home. I just won't drink it otherwise.

Maybe I answered my own question...I crossed the line here with being too cheap?
Oh well