Most outlandish frugal thing you did

[Kewells]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

My husband makes fun of me but I wash and save Ziploc bags because I can't bear to think of them never biodegrading, and it saves too! He says I'm going to get trenchmouth, but I never reuse one's I've used on meat. Just the ones for snacks, like roasted soy beans and chips/pretzels. He doesn't know it, but the extra Portuguese rolls he bought for our porkroll egg and cheese breakfast this weekend, are nestled in the fridge in Ziploc bags that have been around the block a couple of times.

[LuxLiving]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

Upon leaving my first husband I moved back into the family home. I was all of about 19 years old - the house was empty because we had another home elsewhere that the family was living in about an hour away....so I moved in there and lived there for an entire summer w/no electricity, which also meant no air conditioning, which in my state meant it was Hotter Than H.E.doublehockeysticks. It was worth it to be away from him. The kitchen stove ran on propane and the tank was full so I had a way to cook.

My family to this day doesn't know I did without electricity - I was working but it took all my money to keep gas in the car and insurance on it and food in my mouth and some back for savings so I could move into a place of my own. I used a cooler for food and because I had a super nice boss and he let me get ice from my waitressing job to keep it stocked. After three months I had saved enough and did move into a fully civilized apartment w/all the essentials.

My folks didn't know because I always went to visit them and because they were living and working in another town they just never knew! Ahhh...the pride of youth that was too stubborn to ask for help!

Man, was it hot there! Some of these types of experiences helped forge that Scarlett O'Hara streak that runs in my viens, "I'll never be w/o electricity (and a well stocked Emergency Fund) again, no, nor any of mine!"

Because of the way that house was built, I was able to crawl out a window and onto the roof and spent many of those nights sleeping out on the roof where it was some cooler!

[mom-from-missouri]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

The way I sleep, I would have rolled off the roof..... Really, thats how they slept a lot a generation ago, on the roof, yard or in "sleeping porches".
I reuse my baggies and foil. Usually our foil is used on the grill, so I just wipe it down and put it back in the locker in the garage that holds the BBQ and smoker supplies. But, we do buy the thicker heaver weight foil, as it will hold up better. I also save and reuse the foil cooking containers. Some of my family even save them for me. Nicer ones we reuse on the days we grill or smoke, and after they get shabby, they get reused somewhere on the farm--to hold oil cans or to put some animals food in (cat or dog). I rarely buy straws, but when I do, we wash and reuse them also. Some laugh at that. Oh well.

[cptacek]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

While waiting in a hospital waiting room this summer, I noticed the coffee machine was free and the coffee was very good. Wrong or right, I can now be found stopping into the waiting room a couple timers per week for a nice cup of free joe. If you are into free coffee, try hotel lobbies, oil change places and any other waiting room you can think of.

Is it stealing? Maybe, maybe not, all I know is that I will not pay $ for a cup of coffee when I out and about.

My parents live by a truck stop, and he saw the truckers getting free coffee. He asked why, and they said "because they buy hundreds of gallons at a time." He told them that our family spends more at that gas station than any trucker driving by could. So, they give him free coffee too. He's done it for years, sometimes 3 times a day, and even when that truck stop was sold to another company, he still got it approved. I've been riding with him when he said "darn it, shift change isn't for 15 minutes, and they've seen me in there twice already today."

[frugalelf]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

Upon leaving my first husband I moved back into the family home. I was all of about 19 years old - the house was empty because we had another home elsewhere that the family was living in about an hour away....so I moved in there and lived there for an entire summer w/no electricity, which also meant no air conditioning, which in my state meant it was Hotter Than H.E.doublehockeysticks. It was worth it to be away from him. The kitchen stove ran on propane and the tank was full so I had a way to cook.

My family to this day doesn't know I did without electricity - I was working but it took all my money to keep gas in the car and insurance on it and food in my mouth and some back for savings so I could move into a place of my own. I used a cooler for food and because I had a super nice boss and he let me get ice from my waitressing job to keep it stocked. After three months I had saved enough and did move into a fully civilized apartment w/all the essentials.

My folks didn't know because I always went to visit them and because they were living and working in another town they just never knew! Ahhh...the pride of youth that was too stubborn to ask for help!

Man, was it hot there! Some of these types of experiences helped forge that Scarlett O'Hara streak that runs in my viens, "I'll never be w/o electricity (and a well stocked Emergency Fund) again, no, nor any of mine!"

Because of the way that house was built, I was able to crawl out a window and onto the roof and spent many of those nights sleeping out on the roof where it was some cooler!

Oh, can I relate! My first apartment was a cheap motel room with a hot plate above a busy bar . One whole summer I lived there with no other appliances other than one pan to cook everything in. No car, so I walked to work and it could be dreadfully hot, and no phone. I had $17 each week leftover from my paycheck to buy food. Even then it didn't buy much. I didn't know anyone as it was a state away from home and it was so darn lonely. I eventually found another job working as a waitress and could move in with a friend and share her apartment. By January though I had decided that going back to college was a far better alternative.

[Ima saver]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

I think I am starting to rub off on my husband. today, he was putting some chips in a container to take to work. He dropped one, picked it up, brushed it off and put it in the container. Sunday night, I sent him into KFC with a coupon and he used it!! I was proud of him. (They even had to call the manager to approve the coupon cause it was old, but had no date on it)

[starving_student]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

I hadn't thought I had anything that was different - I do the ketchup packets into the bottle, wash ziplocs (a group of people at work think it's funny and give me lightly used nice sturdy ziplocs), all the regular cheapie stuff people have mentioned.

But then, as I put on my anti-perspirant, I realized I may be one of the few anti-perspirant recyclers. I have an old Mitchum glass roll-on bottle. When I am done with an anti-perspirant, I save them and then I use a knife to get out the solids, or thin a liquid with a little water, and pour it all into my Mitchum bottle. Put a dash of water, nuke it and shake it, and I'm good to go. I get a fair amount of free sample ones, and the amount left when they are "done" is almost the same amount as was used! I know this is not saving me big bucks. Or even little bucks. But it makes it easier to recycle the plastic. And it doesn't really take much time.

I suppose even cheaper would be to go without, which I do sometimes on weekends, but I can't be smelly and wet at work. And yeah, deoderant might be better for me than anti-perspirant, but so it goes.

The ketshup thing is obviously stealing. Considering that you can get a bottle for 1$ this is downright miserly.

[LuxLiving]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

starving student, I'm not lrjohnson, but taking the EXTRA packages that are already in your hands after you've brought home a sack of burgers from the drive-thru and filling your ketchup bottle is definitely NOT stealing.

[frugalelf]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

The ketshup thing is obviously stealing. Considering that you can get a bottle for 1$ this is downright miserly.

Oh....I don't know. My mom nabs extras of sugar, sweet n low, jellies and the ketchups and mustards ect.... She has a lot of family get togethers and they are used then, especially in the summer. One dollar will only buy you a cheap no-name ketchup and no one at my house will use it! It's Hunts or Heinz or they complain. You must not be a student that has starved enough!

[starving_student]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

Oh....I don't know. My mom nabs extras of sugar, sweet n low, jellies and the ketchups and mustards ect.... She has a lot of family get togethers and they are used then, especially in the summer. One dollar will only buy you a cheap no-name ketchup and no one at my house will use it! It's Hunts or Heinz or they complain. You must not be a student that has starved enough!

Not enough to steal. No. Beside maybe they should not go to the fastfood place in the first place.. My dad used to put no name ketchup in Heiz bottle. As kids we couldn't ttaste the difference and never complained, because we though that it was the real thing. Saving yes, stealing no.

[frugalelf]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

Not enough to steal. No. Beside maybe they should not go to the fastfood place in the first place.. My dad used to put no name ketchup in Heiz bottle. As kids we couldn't ttaste the difference and never complained, because we though that it was the real thing. Saving yes, stealing no.

Oh, for goodness sake...it's not stealing. Most of the fast food and other restaurants give you too many condiments for one meal. Why not take them home? ***We could taste the difference....the ketchup is so thin in the cheap brands. Anyway, I think accusing people of "stealing" is ridiculous. So isn't telling people that they shouldn't go to fast foods in the first place! Lighten up!

[lrjohnson]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

The ketshup thing is obviously stealing. Considering that you can get a bottle for 1$ this is downright miserly.

Whoa, buddy, watch it! I only use extra ketchup I am given. I never take extra. I totally agree with you that that is stealing...I am shocked that I am quoted as one of the bad guys!!!!

[Ima saver]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

lrjohnson, you are wanted by the ketchup cops!!

[living_in_oz]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

Wow! Everybody is getting all worked up over ketchup and flushing toilets!LOL

My 2 cents, if anybody wants it!

I see absolutely nothing wrong with not flushing the toilet every time. I mean, my gosh, it's only been in the last 50 years or so that the majority of American's have even HAD flushing toilets! Many rural folks were still using an outhouse and they lived to tell their story!LOL Also, even today in most third world countries there is no indoor plumbing. Sorry, but it's a fact of life that mankind has lived without flushing toilets for 99% of the time we're been on this planet. Plus, is it really that gross to use the toilet(pee only) after your child or spouse? Gosh, I've wipe urine and poop from my kids butts for years(when they were little of course). I've even had them puke on me so many times it's not even funny. So, is it really THAT big of a deal to pee in a toilet with a little bit of your OWN child's urine after being in it up to your elbows when they were babies? What about my husband? Not to get gross or anything, but we DO have three children together. It's pretty obvious that we've shared "bodily fluids" a few times!LOL I don't think I'll die if I use the potty and he's tinkled in there and forgot to flush! Having said that, at our house we do try to flush every time except in the middle of the night(so we won't wake anybody up). But, I don't think it's completely disgusting NOT to flush everytime like other's seem to think. I guess it's up to each individual family....

The ketchup thing? I really think it's unhonest to take extra ketchup, sugar, condiments, from a restaurant. If you're that hard up that you have to take condiments from a restaurant....hello? you shouldn't be spending your money at a restaurant! However, I see nothing wrong with keeping the extras that they give you in a drive thru to use for other purposes. The restaurant GAVE you those extra...you didn't just TAKE them.

Of course these are just MY opinions.

[CJsoccerchic]

Re: Most outlandish frugal thing you did

Not so outlandish.. But when I go and buy a bottle of water, I drink it up pretty quickly.. Most places around have a water dispenser at buisnesses and offices and I keep my water bottle with me. When it runs low, I just refill it with the water from the dispenser and not feel bad at all cause they are offering water to any and all!