Extreme Cheapskates, did anyone see the show last night?

[laurend1985]

Did anyone catch this show last night? This is reason I'm tired because after the debate I watched two episodes. The guy who doesn't flush the toilet for a week made me go WTH!

TLC's 'Extreme Cheapskates': TV Review - Hollywood Reporter

[dawnwes]

I don't have cable, but I can imagine there are many things they do on there that would have me completely grossed out.

There is frugal and there is cheap.....we are frugal and that is as far as we choose to be.

[Tree0164]

I don't have cable so I didn't watch it on TV. I just checked out some clips

Here are some clips from TLC Extreme Cheapskates Videos : TLC

I watched one clip where the lady doesn't do laundry and washes her dirty clothes in the shower and she doesn't buy toilet paper. I understand reusing and recycling but sorry I draw the line at toilet paper. Just gross

[disneysteve]

There is frugal and there is cheap

And then there is mental illness.

Many of the people featured on these voyeuristic shows like Extreme Cheapskates, the couponing show, Hoarders, etc., are mentally ill. They need professional help, not a camera crew following them around. It is really a sad statement that this is what many in our society consider to be entertainment.

[phantom]

I think I must have caught the tail end of a pilot of it or something, because my on screen guide said I was watching Extreme Cheapskates, but the ads kept saying the series premier was coming up later in the night and seemed to be for a different episode.

The bit I saw featured a guy who spent 2 hours riding his bike around finding change that other people dropped. He dug through dirt along the sidewalk and checked the lint filters at laundry mats for change. He ended up collecting something like $3.50 and using it to buy goat heads for dinner. I couldn't help but think that I could have found easier ways to obtain $3.50 and found much less disgusting looking meat to spend it on. But, I figure that if it makes him happy, so be it. I just couldn't figure out how he'd found a wife who accepted it all so well.

It made for an interesting contrast as I kept flipping between the guy and HGTV's Million Dollar Rooms.

[Blessed]

I did. I thought I was tight with my cash but yowsa. The dumpster dived entrees did me in!

The guy that rode his bike so far for the goats head is an author. I thought his book was entertaining and I learned a few things. Jeff Yeager || The Ultimate Cheapskate

Flushing once a week and washing clothes in the shower was darn bizarre to me.

[disneysteve]

Despite my mental illness post above, another thing to consider is that Americans are outrageously wasteful compared to much of the rest of the planet. We have a small percentage of the world's population but use a huge percentage of its resources. Folks in many other countries live perfectly fine without so many of the items that we take for granted and consider to be "needs" like washing machines and dryers and toilet paper and such. Previous generations right here in the US lived without many of those things for decades. So it isn't necessarily a bad thing to go back to a simpler time when people didn't spend money on all of these conveniences. It might make you look a little weird but you'll save money and very possibly be healthier in the process (depending on the habit we're talking about).

[disneysteve]

washing clothes in the shower was darn bizarre to me.

Is washing clothes in the shower any different than carrying them down to the river to rinse them?

If anything, doing it in the shower is a lot better because you're using sanitary water and soap. So again, compare that habit to the way it is done in much of the world.

[Jeff Yeager]

Jeff Yeager here, from Extreme Cheapskates

Hi – I’m Jeff Yeager, one of the “Extreme Cheapskates” featured in the show -- the goat head guy (AKA “The Ultimate Cheapskate”).

Just for the record – and speaking only for myself and my wife and the part of the show we were in - we were pretty satisfied with it. Yes, they enhanced the quirkiness and “entertainment value” in order to get people to tune in – not too uncommon with TV, you know.

No, I don’t spend entire days bicycling around, looking for lost change -- although I do go for a bike ride most days (one reason why at 53 I weigh exactly what I did at age 21), and I’ve never been too proud to bend over to pick up a lone penny on the sidewalk, or even make it a point to more aggressively look for lost change if I have the time (it’s my form of “fishing” – recreation, not a career). Yes, I really do eat and enjoy offal and things like goat and lamb heads, as they do in many less-wasteful cultures around the globe; please, try it before you criticize it, and – if you eat meat – consider the moral implications of the snoot-to-tail approach I endorse.

And, yes, I know very well that you can buy all kinds of meat and other nutritious “normal” foods for less than I paid for the goat heads (heck, I write books on the subject -- all available at the public library, BTW). But watching me eat a chicken thigh ain’t exactly riveting TV, and since – in real life – I eat both goat heads and chicken thighs, the producers opted for the more photogenic goat head (go figure). Obviously it was done to attract viewer/media attention, but it wasn’t inaccurate or dishonest in terms of representing my behavior, which I openly admit isn’t mainstream-meat-and-potatoes-American.

At least in terms of our segment, I was I glad I got a chance to make some points about frugality – and provide at least a few practical tips – that I consider worthwhile, including: going for a week without spending any money (what I call a “fiscal fast”) is both possible and therapeutic (BTW, the statement that we save “$700 a week” by doing this was inaccurate and something we never said or claimed, and I don’t know where the figure came from); dryer lint stuffed in toilet paper tubes make good fire starters; Americans spend 50 cents to $1 per mile driving cars, when there are alternatives like cycling that could save many people thousands of dollar a year; set a “permanent standard of living” and stop allowing your expenses to rise to meet your income; mesh onion bags stuffed with repurposed aluminum foil make good pot scrubbers; a penny saved/found is actually worth significantly more than a penny earned, for the reasons I indicted; soap slivers can be used up by putting them in worn out pair of pantyhose and making a “cheapskate soap-on-a-rope;” we’re too dependent on costly technology that doesn’t necessarily make our lives any better; lemon rinds and baking soda can be used to clean copper; we waste too much, including foodstuff that we’ve been conditioned to turn up our noses at, but that’s a delicacy in other cultures; and you can have a pretty cool house, a loving spouse (of 28 years), and lead a seemingly content, enjoyable life, and still be a “cheapskate.”

Sure, a lot of this isn’t “new news” to frugal folks like us, but it is for many (most?) Americans. And, sure, I wish they would have included some of the other information and details about our lives based on the interviews we gave (e.g., we give ~20% of our annual income to charity; we “functionally retired” in our mid-forties; we spend two months out of the year traveling the world in “cheapskate style;” we live entirely debt-free, paid off our one-and-only house in 15 years and built much of it ourselves from recycled/reclaimed materials; our frugality is grounded in a strong environmental ethic; etc.)

But my wife and I also don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed about our involvement or portrayal in the show, and we’re comfortable with and proud of the life we lead, whether others consider it “extreme,” gross, unappealing, or otherwise. We just consider it enjoying life more by spending and consuming less, the occasional goat’s head and all.

Stay Cheap!
-Jeff Yeager
AKA "The Ultimate Cheapskate"

[bjl584]

Hi – I’m Jeff Yeager, one of the “Extreme Cheapskates” featured in the show -- the goat head guy (AKA “The Ultimate Cheapskate”).

Just for the record – and speaking only for myself and my wife and the part of the show we were in - we were pretty satisfied with it. Yes, they enhanced the quirkiness and “entertainment value” in order to get people to tune in – not too uncommon with TV, you know.

No, I don’t spend entire days bicycling around, looking for lost change -- although I do go for a bike ride most days (one reason why at 53 I weigh exactly what I did at age 21), and I’ve never been too proud to bend over to pick up a lone penny on the sidewalk, or even make it a point to more aggressively look for lost change if I have the time (it’s my form of “fishing” – recreation, not a career). Yes, I really do eat and enjoy offal and things like goat and lamb heads, as they do in many less-wasteful cultures around the globe; please, try it before you criticize it, and – if you eat meat – consider the moral implications of the snoot-to-tail approach I endorse.

And, yes, I know very well that you can buy all kinds of meat and other nutritious “normal” foods for less than I paid for the goat heads (heck, I write books on the subject -- all available at the public library, BTW). But watching me eat a chicken thigh ain’t exactly riveting TV, and since – in real life – I eat both goat heads and chicken thighs, the producers opted for the more photogenic goat head (go figure). Obviously it was done to attract viewer/media attention, but it wasn’t inaccurate or dishonest in terms of representing my behavior, which I openly admit isn’t mainstream-meat-and-potatoes-American.

At least in terms of our segment, I was I glad I got a chance to make some points about frugality – and provide at least a few practical tips – that I consider worthwhile, including: going for a week without spending any money (what I call a “fiscal fast”) is both possible and therapeutic (BTW, the statement that we save “$700 a week” by doing this was inaccurate and something we never said or claimed, and I don’t know where the figure came from); dryer lint stuffed in toilet paper tubes make good fire starters; Americans spend 50 cents to $1 per mile driving cars, when there are alternatives like cycling that could save many people thousands of dollar a year; set a “permanent standard of living” and stop allowing your expenses to rise to meet your income; mesh onion bags stuffed with repurposed aluminum foil make good pot scrubbers; a penny saved/found is actually worth significantly more than a penny earned, for the reasons I indicted; soap slivers can be used up by putting them in worn out pair of pantyhose and making a “cheapskate soap-on-a-rope;” we’re too dependent on costly technology that doesn’t necessarily make our lives any better; lemon rinds and baking soda can be used to clean copper; we waste too much, including foodstuff that we’ve been conditioned to turn up our noses at, but that’s a delicacy in other cultures; and you can have a pretty cool house, a loving spouse (of 28 years), and lead a seemingly content, enjoyable life, and still be a “cheapskate.”

Sure, a lot of this isn’t “new news” to frugal folks like us, but it is for many (most?) Americans. And, sure, I wish they would have included some of the other information and details about our lives based on the interviews we gave (e.g., we give ~20% of our annual income to charity; we “functionally retired” in our mid-forties; we spend two months out of the year traveling the world in “cheapskate style;” we live entirely debt-free, paid off our one-and-only house in 15 years and built much of it ourselves from recycled/reclaimed materials; our frugality is grounded in a strong environmental ethic; etc.)

But my wife and I also don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed about our involvement or portrayal in the show, and we’re comfortable with and proud of the life we lead, whether others consider it “extreme,” gross, unappealing, or otherwise. We just consider it enjoying life more by spending and consuming less, the occasional goat’s head and all.

Stay Cheap!
-Jeff Yeager
AKA "The Ultimate Cheapskate"

Jeff,
You have obviously mastered the art of frugality. But I am curious as to the other side of the equation. Mainly your investments and assets. Would you be willing to disclose your net worth? I didn't see the show, so this may have been discussed already, but I am curious if your extreme frugality also translates into extreme saving and investing. If you retired in your 40's I'm guessing that you have at least a decent nest egg put away.

[phantom]

Thanks for posting here, Jeff! I agree that they did give you a chance to make some pretty good points during the show. I particularly liked the bit about keeping yourself at a constant standard of living and that you said it was something you said you and your wife both agreed to early on in your marriage. While I did think some of your frugal habits were a bit extreme for me, I was very impressed by how much you and your wife were on the same page about things. You seemed like a very happy couple.

I'm glad to know that you treat collecting lost change as more of a hobby than a serious means of earning money. I can see how it could be fun in the same way that something like a scavenger hunt can be fun.

I still draw the line at eating animals that appear to be looking at me, and I'll take chicken thighs over goat heads any day. But, I think it's cool that there's someone out there who enjoys it.

[laurend1985]

Thanks Jeff for your response. I didn't see your segment but I also pick up things off of the ground and I did a guest post on Money Saving Mom about it. How I Earn Free Coke Rewards and Get Some Exercise, Too! | Money Saving Mom®

I also did one on McDonald game piece on Femme Frugality. femmefrugality: How to Win By Greening Up The Neighborhood

I do envy people who can do what you do but there are somethings I will not do like: eating a goat's head and etc, dumpster diving for my meals and not flushing the toilet for a week.

[Blessed]

Is washing clothes in the shower any different than carrying them down to the river to rinse them?

If anything, doing it in the shower is a lot better because you're using sanitary water and soap. So again, compare that habit to the way it is done in much of the world.

I wouldn't be washing them in the river either unless there was no choice. I think those folks had a choice. I like my high efficiency washer very much

[Blessed]

Hi – I’m Jeff Yeager, one of the “Extreme Cheapskates” featured in the show -- the goat head guy (AKA “The Ultimate Cheapskate”).

Just for the record – and speaking only for myself and my wife and the part of the show we were in - we were pretty satisfied with it. Yes, they enhanced the quirkiness and “entertainment value” in order to get people to tune in – not too uncommon with TV, you know.

No, I don’t spend entire days bicycling around, looking for lost change -- although I do go for a bike ride most days (one reason why at 53 I weigh exactly what I did at age 21), and I’ve never been too proud to bend over to pick up a lone penny on the sidewalk, or even make it a point to more aggressively look for lost change if I have the time (it’s my form of “fishing” – recreation, not a career). Yes, I really do eat and enjoy offal and things like goat and lamb heads, as they do in many less-wasteful cultures around the globe; please, try it before you criticize it, and – if you eat meat – consider the moral implications of the snoot-to-tail approach I endorse.

And, yes, I know very well that you can buy all kinds of meat and other nutritious “normal” foods for less than I paid for the goat heads (heck, I write books on the subject -- all available at the public library, BTW). But watching me eat a chicken thigh ain’t exactly riveting TV, and since – in real life – I eat both goat heads and chicken thighs, the producers opted for the more photogenic goat head (go figure). Obviously it was done to attract viewer/media attention, but it wasn’t inaccurate or dishonest in terms of representing my behavior, which I openly admit isn’t mainstream-meat-and-potatoes-American.

At least in terms of our segment, I was I glad I got a chance to make some points about frugality – and provide at least a few practical tips – that I consider worthwhile, including: going for a week without spending any money (what I call a “fiscal fast”) is both possible and therapeutic (BTW, the statement that we save “$700 a week” by doing this was inaccurate and something we never said or claimed, and I don’t know where the figure came from); dryer lint stuffed in toilet paper tubes make good fire starters; Americans spend 50 cents to $1 per mile driving cars, when there are alternatives like cycling that could save many people thousands of dollar a year; set a “permanent standard of living” and stop allowing your expenses to rise to meet your income; mesh onion bags stuffed with repurposed aluminum foil make good pot scrubbers; a penny saved/found is actually worth significantly more than a penny earned, for the reasons I indicted; soap slivers can be used up by putting them in worn out pair of pantyhose and making a “cheapskate soap-on-a-rope;” we’re too dependent on costly technology that doesn’t necessarily make our lives any better; lemon rinds and baking soda can be used to clean copper; we waste too much, including foodstuff that we’ve been conditioned to turn up our noses at, but that’s a delicacy in other cultures; and you can have a pretty cool house, a loving spouse (of 28 years), and lead a seemingly content, enjoyable life, and still be a “cheapskate.”

Sure, a lot of this isn’t “new news” to frugal folks like us, but it is for many (most?) Americans. And, sure, I wish they would have included some of the other information and details about our lives based on the interviews we gave (e.g., we give ~20% of our annual income to charity; we “functionally retired” in our mid-forties; we spend two months out of the year traveling the world in “cheapskate style;” we live entirely debt-free, paid off our one-and-only house in 15 years and built much of it ourselves from recycled/reclaimed materials; our frugality is grounded in a strong environmental ethic; etc.)

But my wife and I also don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed about our involvement or portrayal in the show, and we’re comfortable with and proud of the life we lead, whether others consider it “extreme,” gross, unappealing, or otherwise. We just consider it enjoying life more by spending and consuming less, the occasional goat’s head and all.

Stay Cheap!
-Jeff Yeager
AKA "The Ultimate Cheapskate"

How interesting you stopped in! Your right they do show the quirkier stuff as it makes good tv. I was watching and went "I know who that guy is!" from reading your books. . Your newer one is not available in our library system yet so I am holding out

I'd also love to know about your investing side since that i don't have down pat.Savings yes. investing not so much. I have the frugal stuff down fairly well but am always looking to learn something new.

[Ima saver]

Congratulations of being debt free, Jeff! I, too enjoy finding change and will stoop to pick up the lone penny! I consider it good luck!