Official Frugal Thread - How Low Can You Go?

[Guru of Nothing]

I'm a cheap bastard who won't even pay to go see a movie because I think it is a rip off.

Joe got me to thinking. How do YOU pinch pennies? ... and where do you waste money?

For me, all my discretionary spending seems to begin and end with food - especially lunches during the work week. .... and beer. ... and my neglected gym membership. .... I SEE A WAY OUT!

Please share, even if it is something as trivial as porn site passwords.

[desflood]

I save every little ketchup packet from fast food places, and use them all... unfortunately, fast food is also how we waste money!

[JoeChalupa]

I'm a cheap bastard.
I haven't paid more than $40 bucks for a pair of sneakers.
I haven't bought a pair of Levi's jeans in years.
If I see a movie in a theatre it's at the $1 movies.
I wear Fruit of the Loom.
If I eat at a fast food place, kid's meal of course, I'm walkin' out with a wad of napkins.
I read the newspaper in the breakroom 'cause I'm too cheap to buy it.
I love Hill Country Fare and Sam's Club products.
I drink Miller Tall Boys.
I use the same lunch brown paper bag until if falls apart and I re-use my baggies too.
If I don't have a coupon for it, I ain't buyin' it.
I've never gone to the Wash Tub to wash my car I do it at home.
If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down.

Oh, but I did finally break down and get road runner.

[Duff McCartney]

I waste money anywhere I can...it's mostly buying clothes at A&F and American Eagle.

[timvp]

Kori is the anti-Joe Chalupa. One time we were walking out of the store after getting seventy-five cents back in change and we are heading to the car. Suddenly, I see Kori throwing the change on the ground in disgust. I ask what happened and she said she got tired holding it.

I was like :wow

and crawled under the car to get the three quarters she disposed of. You don't throw away quarters. Hell, Bill Gates probably doesn't throw away quarters.

Pennies? Yeah.

Quarters? :wtf

[Kori Ellis]

I waste money anywhere I can

You should probably delete that, considering you owe Jim $700.

[Kori Ellis]

BTW, I think it was only 60 cents.

[JoeChalupa]

But don't get me wrong...when I spend, I spend baby!!!

[ChumpDumper]

I drink Miller Tall Boys.Slow your roll, Rockefeller. That's a little high fallutin' when there are perfectly horrible beers out there for less. Icehouse, Natural Light, Milwuakee's "Best"....

[jalbre6]

One time we were walking out of the store after getting seventy-five cents back in change and we are heading to the car. Suddenly, I see Kori throwing the change on the ground in disgust. I ask what happened and she said she got tired holding it.

My girlfriend used to do that with anything but quarters, until I made her a change holder for her car in October. She wouldn't use coins for anything, not even a tollbooth, but I told her to do it for a month and I would see how much she collected. It was around $20, and I took the cup, Yankees logo and all, to the bank one Saturday, and got bills for it. I then went and got a GC from a salon for a pedicure, rolled it up in the cup, and put it back. She didn't notice for like three days.

In November, she started a jar for a cruise fund. And I'm scared to death of touching that one.

[Guru of Nothing]

I'm a cheap bastard.
I haven't paid more than $40 bucks for a pair of sneakers.
I haven't bought a pair of Levi's jeans in years.
If I see a movie in a theatre it's at the $1 movies.
I wear Fruit of the Loom.
If I eat at a fast food place, kid's meal of course, I'm walkin' out with a wad of napkins.
I read the newspaper in the breakroom 'cause I'm too cheap to buy it.
I love Hill Country Fare and Sam's Club products.
I drink Miller Tall Boys.
I use the same lunch brown paper bag until if falls apart and I re-use my baggies too.
If I don't have a coupon for it, I ain't buyin' it.
I've never gone to the Wash Tub to wash my car I do it at home.
If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down.

Oh, but I did finally break down and get road runner.

Excellent! This is the kind of material I am looking for, but I'll never do the mellow yellow.

[Guru of Nothing]

My first contribution: Beans, rice and cornbread.

I'm like "chefs gone wild" as of late with dry beans, rice, and spices.

[Duff McCartney]

You should probably delete that, considering you owe Jim $700.

That's why I said anywhere I can....it's not like I can now.

[Hook Dem]

GON...if a person would actually figure what they spend daily unnecessarily, a lot could be saved for more exciting things like trips or whatever their pleasure might be. It's really not necessary to have a steak everyday when a corn dog might surfice. Thats just an example. However, it usually does cost a lot more when someone is dating. Girls ain't gonna go for a corn dog lol. Thats why I'm glad I'm married. My wife never wastes food and we have leftovers quite a bit. I have to say she is a very good cook and it tastes great. We then have the money to do the things we like to do. We usually do not eat out more than once a week. Works for us. If you go to the right place, you might even run into Kori & LJ. :lol

[MannyIsGod]

Hmmm, I try to be cheap with everything. I just look for values. I'll think of examples and post them; I'm drawing a blank right now.

[Guru of Nothing]

Hmmm, I try to be cheap with everything. I just look for values. I'll think of examples and post them; I'm drawing a blank right now.

Frugality is as easy as riding a bicycle Manny. Right?

[timvp]

Frugality is as easy as riding a bicycle Manny. Right?

Nice.

[Nbadan]

I buy all my books on E-bay. I'm to cheap for even half-priced books.

[timvp]

I buy all my books on E-bay. I'm to cheap for even half-priced books.

This thread is becoming a classic before my eyes.

[NeoConIV]

Never let yellow mellow. Dude, that is rank man!!

Other than that one, I'm all dittos down his list...

My contribution would be dial up, not cable.

Also, negotiating and haggling with AOL will always get you free internet access in two month increments until you reach about the 14-16 month mark. Like clockwork every two months we would say that Prodigy looks pretty good or Earthlink...and they break so easily. "Ok, because we value you as a customer, we will give you two more free months". After a year of free AOL, we were like, damn, do they realize we've been doing the same damn thing every two months? Are they keeping records? We got another 4 or 5 months, then they got my wife to do a year contract for $9.95. All in all, not too shabby.

We figured they would rather just give us access for free rather than giving a competitor our money. Who knows.

[Nbadan]

This thread is becoming a classic before my eyes.

:lol

Who made Timmy the grammer police anyway?

[timvp]

:lol

Who made Timmy the grammer police anyway?

Sorry.

[ChumpDumper]

I'm not at this point yet, but if you buy a directional antenna for your wifi card (+6db or more) and live in an apartment, you can almost always find an unsecured router to get your broadband.

Came in handy once when the cable went out and I found a router distributing a DSL line.

[Nbadan]

Sorry.

He, he..where's the $#@$$ spell-check on this mo-fo!!

[Kori Ellis]

If I have to live cheaply, I can. When I was in college, I paid out of state tuition for two years and my scholarship money didn't cover that. So I worked two jobs and I was very thrifty. I've also gone through periods of being poor as an adult, but right now I'm not very frugal. I'd imagine after we have children, then money will be a different story.

[Jekka]

I shop sales racks like nobody's business. I've gotten formals at Saks for $70 (originally $400) and BCBG for $80 (originally $320).

[Guru of Nothing]

I shop sales racks like nobody's business. I've gotten formals at Saks for $70 (originally $400) and BCBG for $80 (originally $320).

Just when I was starting to thing you were pretty and low maintenance.

Saving $300 on a garment was not my aim.

[Jekka]

Just when I was starting to thing you were pretty and low maintenance.

Saving $300 on a garment was not my aim.

Hardy har har. Sales shopping is a valid way of saving money. And most people need formals at some point - most men pay pretty handsomely for suits. My normal clothes come from Old Navy and Express sales racks - I make a lot of other clothes and a bunch of my purses. And really, it's so pointless for a woman to say she's low maintainence because it's not a credible source, so I'll leave Manny to say I'm not a high maintainence nightmare, at the risk of sounding defensive. Whatever.

[Duff McCartney]

I'd spend money on alot of things if I could....when I become rich...I'm sure I'll spend money like nobodies busines..I'm hardly a saver.

The only thing I wouldn't spend money on is cars...I figure one or two is enough....and I'd buy em both to be fuel effecient cars. Nothing sucks it more than having to pay 20-30 bucks just to fill it up.

But other than that...I like spending money to buy shit that people say is ridiculous. I remember a girl I knew used to get mad that I bought clothes at Abercrombie or stores like that.

I still have a shirt that I bought at Banana Republic years ago that cost me $60 dollars....and to this day I've only worn it once. But hey, how many people can say they bought a shirt for $60 bucks and only wore it once? There can't be that many.... :)

[Kori Ellis]

I shop sales racks like nobody's business. I've gotten formals at Saks for $70 (originally $400) and BCBG for $80 (originally $320).

The best dress that I have was $69.99 (originally $400). I also have at least 20 purses that are top brands that I got at a discount. I'm pretty good at saving money on stuff like that. But everyday stuff, groceries, household items, etc. I'm not very thrifty.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I'd spend money on alot of things if I could....when I become rich...I'm sure I'll spend money like nobodies busines..I'm hardly a saver.

The only thing I wouldn't spend money on is cars...I figure one or two is enough....and I'd buy em both to be fuel effecient cars. Nothing sucks it more than having to pay 20-30 bucks just to fill it up.

But other than that...I like spending money to buy shit that people say is ridiculous. I remember a girl I knew used to get mad that I bought clothes at Abercrombie or stores like that.

I still have a shirt that I bought at Banana Republic years ago that cost me $60 dollars....and to this day I've only worn it once. But hey, how many people can say they bought a shirt for $60 bucks and only wore it once? There can't be that many.... :)

Well, not people who owe college tuition.

[Guru of Nothing]

And really, it's so pointless for a woman to say she's low maintainence because it's not a credible source, so I'll leave Manny to say I'm not a high maintainence nightmare, at the risk of sounding defensive.

If Manny is half as smart as I think he is, he will say whatever you want him to say.

[MannyIsGod]

Jekka is the lowest maintenance woman I've ever dated.

You give the woman a glass of wine and any food with cheese on it and she'll smile the rest of the day. Life is good.

[Kori Ellis]

and any food with cheese on it

:lol

See, Jessica is normal -- she likes cheese. Unlike you, who weirdly HATES cheese.

[MannyIsGod]

I'm thinking of 2 words.

Word one begins with Fu, and Word 2 begins with Yo.

Can you guess the 2 words?

:)

Here, let me help..

:flipoff :flipoff

[timvp]

Even though Kori is known to throw quarters away, she's actually pretty low maintenance. Anyone who has been to a GTG knows she can cook and she usually prefers that to going out. She RARELY asks me to buy her anything. I don't remember the last time she complained about not having something.

I just have to vacuum and clean the kitchen and she pretty much does everything else.

:smokin

[Kori Ellis]

She RARELY asks me to buy her anything.

Except Manolo Blahnik shoes. :)

[iminlakerland]

Damn throw those shoes on over this way :p

[Slomo]

OK do not start this sort of thread with Slovenian posters present! Just to ilustrate this point here are two jokes our neighbours have been circulating about us for decades:

Do you know how copper wire was invented?
By two Slovenian fighting over a penny!

Scots use to live in Slovenia until they got thrown out of the country for being too liberal with their money!

True story:
Hiking in the mountains we passed by a farm house, my friend was thirsty and asked the farmer for a glass of water. He replied without missing a beat: Go a little further to my neighbours' house, water is colder there!

[Flea]

We go to the library, however, it's not much savings when you have to pay fines. :lol

[travis2]

:lol

See, Jessica is normal -- she likes cheese. Unlike you, who weirdly HATES cheese.

Manny hates cheese? No wonder! Now I understand him!!

:lol

[JoeChalupa]

Hardy har har. Sales shopping is a valid way of saving money. And most people need formals at some point - most men pay pretty handsomely for suits.

That's why I go to the Men's Warehouse. I'm guaranteed to look good.

[Shelly]

. I'd imagine after we have children, then money will be a different story.

That's what grandparents are for! :lol

We're not that frugal, but I do use coupons. I can't justify spending loads of money on clothes that aren't well made. I will spend money on shoes, but I keep them forever.

I am very low maintenance. My neighbor cuts my hair (but she is licensed so it's not like I'm getting a flowbee cut!). I don't get my nails done and all that other girly stuff.

I cut the boys' and my husband's hair (i used to be a licensed hairdresser, so again, no flowbee :lol)

[Shelly]

We go to the library, however, it's not much savings when you have to pay fines. :lol

:lol

One time I got a bill for like $20 for a kids book because they said I lost it. I know I turned it through the drop box thing. I ignored it for a year (I only got one notice). I guess they found the book because the last time I went, I didn't owe anything.

[Clandestino]

i pick up change any time i see it... except off restroom floors...

once i was walking through the parking of a taco cabana with a girlfriend and i picked up a nickel..she was like, "wtf, you make all this money and you are picking up nickels???" then when it came time to pay the bill was $10.05!!! we laughed our asses off!

[Useruser666]

At certain Sonics in Converse/Universal City, if you order a breakfast burrito combo, an extra burrito, large coffee and a milk, the totall comes out to $6.66!

I buy things with coupons all the time. But there are something you should NEVER scimp on!

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I buy things with coupons all the time. But there are something you should NEVER scimp on!

1. Condoms.
2. Bulk Food.

[Shelly]

I buy things with coupons all the time. But there are something you should NEVER scimp on!

1. Toilet paper--it's Charmin Ultra all the way baby.

2. Paper towels and napkins. Nothing is worse when you're wiping your hands and it falls apart right away. Then you end up using more so you'd be better off buying the expensive brand that lasts.

[sbsquared]

I shop at Goodwill. If you are patient and go through all the racks, you can find some great deals. I got a really nice pair of lined Talbot's slacks for $3.99!

I buy a lot of HEB brand and Hill Country Fair brand. Also, if you go later in the evening, say around 9:00, the meat department drastically reduces the fresh-cut meat that date expired that day. If you cook it right away, or freeze it, it'll last for a few weeks. I've gotten whole packages of hamburger or chicken for a buck!

I hardly ever go to the movies, unless it is the $1.50 ones. The new video rental machines at HEB are great, rent the movie for 24 hours for $1 - how can you beat that?! We hardly ever eat out either. When I was a single parent, my kids didn't even know what a waiter was, because we never went anywhere but to fast food joints!

[Spurminator]

I shoplift.


No, seriously... I'm a cheapskate at heart, but I'm also lazy and prone to pointless addictions. So a lot of money that could be better-spent goes towards DVDs, CDs and fast/frozen foods (because I never cook, and my wife rarely cooks, despite what she led me to believe before she married me ;) )

[TNT21]

For about two years I saved all the change that I had left over in my pocket every time I went out. I collected it in one of those 5 gallon water jugs and by the end of the second year when I counted it up it was like $400.

[Flea]

I agree Shelly, Charmin Ultra is the best! I also don't skimp on coffee, orange juice or pickles and probably a few other things. :)

[Shelly]

:lol @ pickles!

[Opinionater]

IMHO, I save money because my ass doesn't know the difference.

[Taco]

I had an Aunt who would make sandwiches for her 6 kids and husband out of one can of potted meat.

same Aunt would make soup and then remove the meat to eat the next day.


BUT she was a smart investor and when my uncle retired, with her investments they were making more money the when he was working

[Opinionater]

Mmmmmm...just the mention of "carne del diablo" brings back childhood memories.

IMHO, it racks right up there with fried Spam sammiches and those little sausages in the can.

[Duff McCartney]

That's why I go to the Men's Warehouse. I'm guaranteed to look good.

I heard...K and G is the best..but I never go there because I don't have a decent suit to save my life. But my dad went there when my sister was graduating to get a suit.

[Duff McCartney]

Well, not people who owe college tuition.

That's why I said I bought it years ago...because it was years ago. I think it was when I was still in high school.

[Jekka]

I shop at Goodwill. If you are patient and go through all the racks, you can find some great deals. I got a really nice pair of lined Talbot's slacks for $3.99!

You got lucky then, because from what it used to be, Goodwill has gotten way too expensive - especially considering the market they are supposed to be catering to. They know that trendy kids shop there all the time now and have consequently raised their prices to meet their budgets. I needed a desk not too long ago and went to Goodwill thinking, "I'll find something cheap and crappy and just paint it or something."

Not a single piece of "furniture" for under $99. That's ridiculous. It's fucking Goodwill. Value Village in Houston is what Goodwill used to be, and it's awesome. $0.25 shirts are where it's at.

And on the subject of furniture, it used to be easy to save money on furniture by getting unpainted raw pieces - and now, thanks to my nemesis Home and Garden Television, every Trading-Spaces-watching-woman with a paintbrush is now buying this stuff and using the same crackle finishes - and the prices have gone way, way up.

[Duff McCartney]

Here's a good tip....condiments make great meals...

Many a night when I ate A-1 out of the bottle, or ate Buffalo Wing sauce on a plate by itself.

[Duff McCartney]

thanks to my nemesis Home and Garden Television,

Your nemesis is a television show?

Unbelieveable.

[Opinionater]

. It's fucking Goodwill. Value Village in Houston is what Goodwill used to be, and it's awesome. $0.25 shirts are where it's at.



Those sound like garage sale prices to me.

[exstatic]

Your nemesis is a television show?

Actually, it's a cable network.

[timvp]

But there are something you should NEVER scimp on!

Peanut butter. Generic peanut butter is gross. Also only certain bottled water tastes good. I prefer Ozarka.

The Princess tried to tell me that all water tastes the same until I introduced her to high-class water. We had some seven-dollar-per-glass water that was pure gold.

:smokin

[MannyIsGod]

7 dollar water?

What. the. Fuck.

[Kori Ellis]

The Princess tried to tell me that all water tastes the same until I introduced her to high-class water. We had some seven-dollar-per-glass water that was pure gold.

:lol
The only bottled water that is drastically different to me is some that we had in Salt Lake City this summer -- that was damn good water. Other than that, water is water to me.

[Useruser666]

Does anyone else use plastic grocery sacks as trash bags?

[exstatic]

Generic "cola" sucks ass. I'll drink Coke, RC, and Pepsi, in that order.

The HEB brand ground beef topping pizza for 93 cents is pretty darn tasty. I also like Michelinas frozen stuff.

[MannyIsGod]

Yeah, definetly do the reuse of grocery bags.

Man, 7 dollar water better have some bubbles and gin in it.

[timvp]

Generic "cola" sucks ass. I'll drink Coke, RC, and Pepsi, in that order.

That HEB generic coke is damn good. I actually prefer it to Coca-Cola or Pepsi. RC Cola is very underrated too.

[timvp]

Man, 7 dollar water better have some bubbles and gin in it.

Hell no. 100% H2O. Stick to wine because if you become a water connoisseur, you'll go broke :)

[JoeChalupa]

That HEB generic coke is damn good. I actually prefer it to Coca-Cola or Pepsi. RC Cola is very underrated too.

I agree. I like the HEB root beer and RC is good too.

Sam's has their 2-liter bottles for 2 for $1.

Yeah, we use our old plastic bags for all kinds of things. If we're going on any kind of road trip I guarantee we'll be carrying some stuff in old HEB plastic bags.

[MannyIsGod]

:lmao yeah, I'm not down with 7 dollar water. Not when I can spend that money Wine. :p

[Flea]

Oh yeah, peanut butter too. Don't skimp on peanut butter.....and bread. Cheap bread is yucky and smushy.

I consider myself frugal if I avoid shopping at central market.

[CosmicCowboy]

I heard...K and G is the best..but I never go there because I don't have a decent suit to save my life. But my dad went there when my sister was graduating to get a suit.

K&G rocks...I needed a tux a couple of years ago for a black tie affair and was appalled to find that it now costs almost $90 to rent one...and the rentals never fit me because I am really tall but relatively speaking not that big around...and the rentals never fit...I bought a really nice one at K&G fitted to me perfectly for $150 including the tux shirt...

[CosmicCowboy]

I am a combination of splurge/frugal when it comes to vehicles...I will buy or order a new hard loaded truck just exactly like I want but then I take very good care of them and do ALL the necessary maintenance and keep them till I put 175,000 miles on them...

[Useruser666]

Sam's and HEB cola burns my throat in the quantities that I drink. I like the Minutemaid Lite lemonaid. It's not cheap, but it has 5 calories, no caffine, no sugar.

[JoeChalupa]

I like Sam's lemonade because I'm cheap and it tastes good to me.

I'm trying to cut down on my soda drinking.

[timvp]

:lmao yeah, I'm not down with 7 dollar water. Not when I can spend that money Wine. :p

I've seen $12 water ... but I drew the line on that. I'm not going to waste money on some stupid water.

:smokin

[Shelly]

HEB's plastic bags suck. But I save the Target bags. They're stronger.

[maxpower]

I don't know if any of you skinflints caught the Dillards sale this past weekend...well last wednesday to Saturday. All markdowns were cut an additional 50%. For guys this meant that you could buy polo, nautica, tommy, jeans and khakis for $15. Same for dress shirts. Heck even shoes were about $24 dollars(polo/skechers/others).

[spurster]

Find a cheap beer that you like. For me, it's Lone Star.

Look for cheap wines from Australia or Chile.

Anybody have good ideas on cheap liquor?

[Spurminator]

Listerine.

[maxpower]

$1 lonestars at bar america.

[CosmicCowboy]

Anybody have good ideas on cheap liquor?



http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/wordpress/index.php?p=4

[E20]

Go drop some pennies near some homeless people. It would do them good.

[davi78239]

I like the hill country brownie mix. For some reason, that shit tastes better than the name brand brownies.

[johnny00]

There is a little Mom and Pop conv. store on Division raod that had thier Ozarka 24oz. water for 59 cents, the owner knew I came in there during the mornings to pick up one on my way to work. He apologized to me this week that the price had been raised on that product.... to 69 cents, I couldn't help but laugh.

[GoldToe]

The only thing I won't skimp on are socks.