Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

[terry1156]

So, do you qualify as a <A HREF="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sns-yourmoney-1205spending,0,1350179.story?coll=sfl-yourmoney">frugal fanantic</A>?

[34saving]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

Nope. Definitely not a frugal fanantic BTW, if someone is going to separate the toilet paper plys why not just buy the toilet paper that only has one??

[DivaJen]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

I do reuse aluminum foil if it's still pretty clean, as well as waxed paper and plastic and paper bags.

I also used cloth wipes some of the time when DD was in diapers, as well as cloth diapers. No difference washing wipes versus diapers, after all.

Interesting to me is that much of what inspires me to do things like this isn't saving money - it's trying to lessen my impact on the environment.

[cercis]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

I don't get separating the toilet paper unless you have someone who just uses a lot. The first thing you do when you get one ply, is fold it over (otherwise there are leakage problems and it tears).

I don't understand why cloth wipes are a big deal. I didn't do it, but that's because I didn't think about it. I used cloth diapers.

Most of that stuff is pretty stupid and and silly and won't do anything anyway.

[Bluezy]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

Many of those suggestions are common place in other countries, mostly third world. When there is no money at all you use what you find to meet your needs.

Of those frugal habits, I reuse the foil (then recycle) and will use regular washcloths instead of baby wipes on CJ.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

-- And keeping with the freeze theme, an often-repeated personal finance tip advises consumers who abuse their credit cards to store them frozen in a block of ice in the kitchen freezer. That way, they would have to wait for the ice to melt to get their cards. Meanwhile, the theory goes, the urge to splurge will pass.

"Give me a break," says Gail Harlow, editor of Making Bread magazine, a women's frugality publication in Philadelphia. "Any truly committed shopaholic would be resourceful enough to stick the container in a microwave and be off on her merry way in under 60 seconds."

ROLF! I think she might be missing the point, if the shopoholic put it there in the first place, whatever caused them to put it there might remind them to leave it there!

BTW no I am not an FF. though I see nothig wrong with saving baggies or tinfoil, or cloth wipes (so long as I KNOW they are not the ones used on me if I need a shower, I know it is prolly silly, but......) Anyway, I think they are just odd to normal consumers (which I recall someone thought that was a bad name, but is pretty apt discription for many, maybe Users would be better?)

[PRICEPLUS]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

I am frugal but I am not a fanatic about it.

[cheapbastard]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

I am a cheap bastard, but some of those ideas just go too far. They did make me laugh, which is probably the whole point of the article.

[Fern]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

Yeah, i don't do any of these except i sometimes reuse used tinfoil and zip lock plastic bags after cleaning them. The other things are all good examples of wasting time and energy on something with questionable payback. I'd rather spend what free time I have thinking of ways to save more substantial amounts of money, like on car insurance and other larger expenses.

[cercis]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

I don't use foil or ziplock bags. I strictly use reusable containers. I found that foil and ziplocks were a major pain to use (foil never stays in place). For watermelon (which is my mom's main use of foil), I cover it with a clean dish cloth for storage in the fridge.

[akaivyleaf]

Re: Frugal Fanatic - Are you one?

I'm not fanatical like that, but I'm most certainly frugal.