Where do you draw the line at being too cheap?

[Worfiedoodles]

We write a check, put it in our weekly collection envelope, and drop it in the collection basket.

So do we, and we also bring our checkbook, so if there are unexpected collections (for missions, human relations day, etc.) we can make our donation but still have the deduction at tax time.

I also don't put money in Salvation Army kettles, or any other on the street collections. We have a deduction taken directly of of dh's weekly paycheck to give to the largest homeless services agency in our area. I'd rather put my money where I know it will be used effectively, and I refuse to support organizations that I don't know. I'm sure it looks cheap as we walk by, but I know that we are giving much more and much more effectively than we would be if we randomly dropped a few dollars in a kettle at Christmastime. I know there are others like us, so don't automatically assume folks are being cheap...

 

[KelNottAt]

We write a check, put it in our weekly collection envelope, and drop it in the collection basket.

To observers it might appear that we're cheap. Our donation to church is made by direct debit from our checking account. When the collection plate goes by, I throw in a dollar or two, whatever I have in my pocket, but it's just "extra," not our real donation.

 

[TreslovesWDW]

I do find I have to time ds in the shower or he gets in there and forgets to come out until the water's cold, no mean feat with a 50 gallon hot water heater!

Also, my kids have their own bathroom but I find I can't leave bottles of shampoo and conditioner in there. Whatever's in there they use! I keep small sample size bottles and refill them every day (diluted 1-3), and they still go through that like crazy! Kind of like housekeeping at a hotel, fresh toiletreis daily! Beats using an 18 ounce bottle of shampoo in 3 days!

My kids do the same thing I new bottle only last lke 2 showers for 4 kids my shampoo lasts forever..well to me. I now take the shampoo and conditioner out of their bathrooms and the smaller two I put how much they use in their hand. I think they were just pouring it down the drain or something but I had to end that , I was buying 2 bottles a week for them.

 

[Genieklone]

As I have discussed before we leave the house at 58 during the day, 66 at night, which I think is pretty darn good. We turn off lights, and we're very energy efficient.

Here I get the energy bill today and it's 374 dollars!!!

This is insane!! Yes, this is my first winter not in Florida, but God I have never seen an energy bill so high---and with us being cautious!

If this is me, I don't want to see the bill when one has it at whatever degree they feel like it.

Ouch, this hurts... now I have to find something else I can cut.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

As I have discussed before we leave the house at 58 during the day, 66 at night, which I think is pretty darn good. We turn off lights, and we're very energy efficient.

Here I get the energy bill today and it's 374 dollars!!!

This is insane!! Yes, this is my first winter not in Florida, but God I have never seen an energy bill so high---and with us being cautious!

If this is me, I don't want to see the bill when one has it at whatever degree they feel like it.

Ouch, this hurts... now I have to find something else I can cut.

Not sure but that may be too much of a spread(temp wise) and the heater may be working too hard(especial trying to warm the house when the outside temps are dropping). If the heater is working too hard that would def. increase the bill, try not letting it get so cold during the day.

 

[Genieklone]

I was told it didn't matter, that lowering the temp would lower the bill.

I'm very confused because I actually lower the degrees gradually, 58 from 8am-5pm, 5pm-10pm its 62, 10-1am 64 and 1-6am 66. At 8am it starts all over again.

The electric did estimate at the reading so we think that has something to do with it, but even so, it could be even 300 and that's just out of whack for me. This is just a 1180 sq ft home....

Is this normal? If this is the case, I think I am going to break out the wood and get a heating blanket.

I don't want to pay out the nose for something I can't see.

 

[vhoffman]

As I have discussed before we leave the house at 58 during the day, 66 at night, which I think is pretty darn good. We turn off lights, and we're very energy efficient.

Here I get the energy bill today and it's 374 dollars!!!

This is insane!! Yes, this is my first winter not in Florida, but God I have never seen an energy bill so high---and with us being cautious!

If this is me, I don't want to see the bill when one has it at whatever degree they feel like it.

Ouch, this hurts... now I have to find something else I can cut.

When you say energy bill, do you mean both gas and electric? The it would be ~ $160 each, still high. How big is your house? Is someone home all day? Like another poster said, perhaps you're keeping it too cool during the day and the furnace has to work that much harder to compensate when it it raised.

What is your cost per KW hour for electric? It might just be the high cost of electricity in your area, not your habits. I ran a thread on cost per KW hour, costs varied from 8 cents to 18 cents KW! OUrs is 13.99/kw hour, for comparision. Our last month's gas bill was $86, and our electric bill was almost the same ~$86! Just a coincidence, but total we're paying about half of what you're paying.

 

[Genieklone]

When you say energy bill, do you mean both gas and electric? The it would be ~ $160 each, still high. How big is your house? Is someone home all day? Like another poster said, perhaps you're keeping it too cool during the day and the furnace has to work that much harder to compensate when it it raised.

What is your cost per KW hour for electric? It might just be the high cost of electricity in your area, not your habits. I ran a thread on cost per KW hour, costs varied from 8 cents to 18 cents KW! OUrs is 13.99/kw hour, for comparision. Our last month's gas bill was $86, and our electric bill was almost the same ~$86! Just a coincidence, but total we're paying about half of what you're paying.

Actually my gas is 320.03!!! Here is how the breakout is (I swear the energy bill is in Greek):
Gas Delivery
250 CCF @ $.1859....
Gas Recovery
250 CCF @ $1.0054...
All of this plus taxes and crap fees ends up being 320 bucks

Electric is about 36 dollars (168 kwh by $.0199...) plus a transfer fee since we moved...This is more in line with our usage. I am not sure what that transfers to $ per/kwh but the bill says that if we want to go to another provider they have to rpovide a price lower than 6.09 KWH. This bill statement was from 12/22-1/25 and I was out on vacation for the first week and everything was unplugged and the heater to 55 deg! Can you imagine if I was there everyday!

They did say they estimated but we went downstairs today and saw the electric meter and it was only off by 10 kw or so.

I don't know how much more I can go... This is entirely more than we can afford on a monthly basis...

 

[writersblock42]

WOW! This thread has gotten way out of control-reusing sanitary pads, putting empty envelopes in the collection plate, not tipping 15% because the bill is high. SHOCK! BTW, for those of you who use the "why should I tip more because the bill is higher" is because servers of most big resturants do not get their entire tip. They must usually give between 3 to 5% of the bill (not their tips) to the resturant for tip sharing with bartenders and busboys. Think about this, if your bill is 100 and you decide to only give a five dollar tip and the server must give 5% then she/he actually gets no tip. Think about that the next time you decide to be cheap. If you can afford a $100 dinner meal-you can afford to pay the server. Another thing, I buy teabags for 97 cents for a 100 teabags. That equals out to less than a cent per teabag. So reusing the teabags would only save one cent. If you did it for an entire month you would save less than one dollar. Not worth it. Things that really do reduce costs are cutting the number of times that you eat out in half. Switching to iced tea instead of drinking soda cutting out things like soda.

 

[daisyduck123]

As I have discussed before we leave the house at 58 during the day, 66 at night, which I think is pretty darn good. We turn off lights, and we're very energy efficient.

Here I get the energy bill today and it's 374 dollars!!!

This is insane!! Yes, this is my first winter not in Florida, but God I have never seen an energy bill so high---and with us being cautious!

If this is me, I don't want to see the bill when one has it at whatever degree they feel like it.

Ouch, this hurts... now I have to find something else I can cut.

Whoa that's cold to me.

We keep our house at about 72...I can't stand it any colder.
I just asked DH what our monthly gas/electric bill is & he said about $300.00.

(Our house is about 2500 sq ft, btw)

 

[mom2minniemouse]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady V
I hope you don't mind me asking...what is a menstrual cup??


Here ya go. Great if you don't slouch or lay down, not so great if you do. I wouldn't reuse one though, because I'd be afraid of bacteria. (bacteria is what causes Toxic Shock Syndrome). I think there might be another kind that is reusable, though.
http://www.softcup.com/



Actually, the Instead cups (in the above link) are NOT reusable, and TSS is caused by the absorption properties of tampons, and TSS from using menstrual cups is very, very unlikely. There are reusable menstrual cups, and info on them can be found on www.divacup.com and www.keeper.com. Yes, they're about $30 initially, but if one is saving $3-6 a month on disposables, it pays for itself in a matter of a few months. I know a PP said she got UTIs from hers, but I've been using mine for nearly a year and have yet to have any UTIs. It's been a wonder and a money-saver for me, since I'm seemingly allergic to an ingredient in pads and tampons never worked correctly for me. I had considered cloth pads, but as a PP mentioned from the Tightwad Gazette, everyone has their own level of squeamishness, and I guess that would be mine. LOL!

Okay, enough menstrual cup talk lest I make the men on this board run and hide.

 

[pearlieq]

Hey, maybe those people could give my sil some tips? How to stay fat for free? BTW, they were all grossly overweight (I use that term with both meanings).

Lay off already!

I'm only halfway through this thread and there's been more than a few hateful things you've said about people being overweight!

Does it make you feel better or something to pick on people and make cruel comments about their appearance? Weight is complete irrelevant to this thread and you're coming across as very ignorant, petty, and rude.

 

[Genieklone]

I don't think anyone's method of cost cutting is extreme (except ofcourse those that are harful and illegal)

I don't reuse tea bags but I do make 1 gallon of Ice tea from one tea bag (does that count?)....

anywho, doing these cost cutting measures are not necessarily about the amount of money you save from that particular activity but more about the behavior and the attitude you approach life with. Rather than thinking " I don't have time to save money on tea, or I can afford that" you get a little gratification that you use every drop of everything you purchased.

For me, its about being a conscious consume---- not just following the masses. I try to buy things that I truly, truly need (not want). And needs are universal (food, water, shelter, space). I evaluate 1. do I have something that can subsitute this new item, 2. can I reuse the packaging,etc. so that the item can be multipurpose, and 3. can i do without this item.

It's not about counting pennies or living without. It's paradigm shift...it's not about how much money you save but how much money you kept at the end of the day. More money in my pocket allows me to retire early and be free from the corporate crap. Freeeedom!

Some people's cost cutting measures may seem weird, unorthodox and just plain tacky but we live like royalty compared to other people in other countries. Living frugally is a way of life for them. I just happen to admire that way of life and want to emulate it. I think that it makes you freer to know that you can do without and not be a 'forced consumer'.

Ofcourse, I sometimes need to check in with others because at times I may not know what others consider 'taboo'

I think when we stop seeing frugality as temporary or something only poor people would do, we can start to see it as more of a lifestyle and perhaps not so out there.

dos centavos

 

[vhoffman]

Lay off already!

I'm only halfway through this thread and there's been more than a few hateful things you've said about people being overweight!

Does it make you feel better or something to pick on people and make cruel comments about their appearance? Weight is complete irrelevant to this thread and you're coming across as very ignorant, petty, and rude.

My comments are about my sil, not all of overweight humanity. If you choose to apply my comments to a group of people in general, that's your problem, not mine!

 

[Lady V]

Not Latin, but the same is true in both my birth family and the one I married into. We always exchange leftovers at the end of a pot luck meal.
Sheila

and that is how it should be!! Why invite people over when you really don't want to let them eat the food? And God forbid someone think enough of your cooking to want to maybe take some home?? I would hate to think anyone would talk about me for wanting some leftovers. Let alone family!! But I guess you never know...and people are so called 'anonamous' on these messge boards so they think being nasty here doesn't count...

 

[pearlieq]

and that is how it should be!! Why invite people over when you really don't want to let them eat the food? And God forbid someone think enough of your cooking to want to maybe take some home??

I guess it's all what your culture/norms are. I provide food generously for all of my guests and invite them to eat and drink their fill. However, I view the leftovers as mine and I may have plans to use them for lunches or another meal. I was the one who bought, paid for, cooked, and served the food.

I almost always offer guests food to take home and I wouldn't be offended if someone politely asked for some to take with, but I would definitely take exception if someone demanded the leftover food or automatically assumed they were entitled to it!

I'm providing you dinner, not dinner and free groceries for the rest of the week.

 

[mom2minniemouse]

Quote:
Originally Posted by pearlieq
Lay off already!

I'm only halfway through this thread and there's been more than a few hateful things you've said about people being overweight!

Does it make you feel better or something to pick on people and make cruel comments about their appearance? Weight is complete irrelevant to this thread and you're coming across as very ignorant, petty, and rude.

My comments are about my sil, not all of overweight humanity. If you choose to apply my comments to a group of people in general, that's your problem, not mine!


Ya know, at some point, "VHoffman," you're going to realize that MAYBE the problems you're encountering on the Dis and in your personal life have a common denominator... and it's not cake mix! LOL!

 

[swilshire]

As I have discussed before we leave the house at 58 during the day, 66 at night, which I think is pretty darn good. We turn off lights, and we're very energy efficient.

Here I get the energy bill today and it's 374 dollars!!!

Check with your local utility company. They may do a free energy audit or recommend companies that will do it for a small fee. You may need to reinsulate, wrap the hot water heater, replace inefficient windows, etc.

Though, if I added my electric, gas and water bills, that would be low for us in the winter, even with the woodstoves going.

Sheila

 

[hsmamato2]

I haven't read all of this yet...but I like the idea! I read once about people separating 2 ply toilet paper and re-rolling it to get double the use...that's too cheap for me....
dh likes to turn to heat down to 57 at night, that's just too low for me, I don't mind 59-60 -and it's deep freeze here right now...
we time ds in the shower, he'll spend 30 minutes under the hot water, we allow him 5... usually it's somewhere in between,unless we go in and shut off the water on him,nightly!
however, curb shopping is fine with us,every spring we find great new things,and we love freecycle.org- it's a great online source to get and give away things you won't use anymore, but you'd be surprised what someone else might want!
too cheap for me is not going to WDW to save some $$$, I'll do the trip as cheaply as I have to ,just to be there... my vacation time is priceless! pbandj sandwiches in a cooler? no problem,as long as I'm at WDW!

 

[hsmamato2]

Oh- I'll use one teabag each day to make whole teapot, which a friend of mine mocks me for.... but it works fine, just takes 4 or 5 minutes longer... but I must have really good fresh coffee each a.m. Since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house, one bag of good coffee that I grind myself lasts for quite a while. no skimping on the coffee...
Oh, and I don't think I'd wash baggies, the cost on me and the environment of water,soap,and time isn't worth the value of the baggie.... But I tend to wrap things more,or use the gladware around the house anyway.... I mean how much does a baggie cost? lie 1cent each,then to run hot water, use soap,and time? nope-
instead of sponges I buy handiwipes, they're cheap- and huge- i cut them in half, and use, drape over my kitchen sink to dry,and can wash and reuse 100's of times, they can go many uses without washing too,as they dry within minutes,they're that thin....