All Hail Cheap Bastards!

[hpychick]

Those flappers are great for making chicken stock! Just add some celery, carrots and onions. Yum.

Originally Posted by Blade

I wouldn't say I'm really frugal but I do find ways to do more with less, be it food or money or whatever. I buy a family pack of chicken wings. I cut off the flapper, I don't use it. I cut the other 2 sides apart. I separate the flats and drummetts. I put the flats in packs of 10 and either fry or grill them and the drummets I put all in the same bag and when I cook them I either make chicken pot pie, chicken soup, or chicken and rice, chicken and dumplings, whatever I might need chicken stock and chicken for

[Rockinonahigh]

I wouldnt say im a cheep bastard,but close.I shop at the goodwill store.last week I found two pair of boots for 5 bucks a pair..a pair of ropers and a pair od motorcycle boots.A fue weeks ago I also found a food processor for ten bucks.
I have also found things befor the trash man gets hear..a near new ping pong table with all the paddles and such,a candle holder that Liberache' would have loved to have..turned out it was the realm deal too.It amazes me at what folks throw away.
Did I mention garage sales and trade days....im in hog heaven...need I say more..my grannie would be proud to know she raised me right on this.

[roy g biv]

My mother used to take us on the bus to Salvation Army for clothes shopping, a tradition for which I am grateful.

If I can pay $10 or $20 for an overcoat or a suit that someone else paid $400 for last year, I'd have to be nuts not to. Even if you add $20 for a tailor to make adjustments, it's still cheap.

It does seem lately, however, that those who donate must be more reluctant to part with nice things because the racks have more threadbare clothing than they used to.

[Odarlin]

Originally Posted by cybersuebee

So far Odarlin's tale of Cheap Bastidism wins. I'll be letting you know what the prize is the day after garbage pickup.

Originally Posted by cybersuebee

Well I refuse to hire professionals to do anything around the house unless I absolutely can't do it. So I do most of my electrical work myself. Which isn't so much cheap-bastardy as thrifty IMO. The part that makes it worthwhile though is making it dangerous when it doesn't have to be. In MY family we prefer to do work with the breakers ON, 'cause where's the challenge otherwise? The question we ask each other is not IF you got shocked, but how many times. Hey! I don't drink, don't smoke......gotta get my thrills somewhere don't I?

So far, I think using electrical power for cheap thrills wins!
How hardcore is that?




Mine just outs the squeamish.

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by roy g biv

My mother used to take us on the bus to Salvation Army for clothes shopping, a tradition for which I am grateful.

If I can pay $10 or $20 for an overcoat or a suit that someone else paid $400 for last year, I'd have to be nuts not to. Even if you add $20 for a tailor to make adjustments, it's still cheap.

It does seem lately, however, that those who donate must be more reluctant to part with nice things because the racks have more threadbare clothing than they used to.

I was raise poor. We made the same haul. I went through a phase I call "N Rich" making money and living the high life. I finally came back down to earth and realized I was giving 30 fucking percent of my money to the government.

Frugal and cheap became my middle fucking name.

[apretty]

i can't even tell you how much i love a good disposed of piece of mid-century modern found in an alley...

my dad (who retired at 50) loves dumpster diving for produce behind grocery stores. (i haven't yet had the pleasure of partaking in a trash-salad but it can't be any worse than pesticides)

Ez is patient and a good carrier and loader of heavy things into the back of his truck, but he won't step foot in a big lots*. we've all got our limits.

...maybe if i tell him that they've got a shipment of argyle sweater vests straight from banana republic (still safe in plastic) he could be lured--but by now he knows all my tricks.

(oh and he stomps on the gas/guns his engine away from stores like 'tuesday morning' --this never seems to keep me from trying, 'baby, look! a tuesday morning!)

[Admin]

Originally Posted by Sachita

I was raise poor. We made the same haul. I went through a phase I call "N Rich" making money and living the high life. I finally came back down to earth and realized I was giving 30 fucking percent of my money to the government.

Frugal and cheap became my middle fucking name.

Sachita,

Your post has been reported for using racist terminology. The use of the term "N rich" is not acceptable anywhere on this website as per Rule #5 of our Terms of Service which states: "5. Intolerant Behavior - Racially offensive, Sizist, Transphobic, Classist, Elitist, Misogynist, Homophobic, or otherwise hateful speech is NOT acceptable here. .

At first, I gave this a warning. 10 minutes later, I feel that a warning is not sufficient and am now giving you a 3-week time-out.

Your time-out ends on March 14th. If you come back from your time-out and make any more racially offensive posts, your time-out will be extended to a year.

Thanks,
Admin

[Andrew, Jr.]

I shop at the dollar store, and at local Mom & Pop garden stops along the highways and byways for fresh fruits and veggies. 2 of my neighbors and I share papergoods we get at Sam's Club. I cupon clip, and try to save as best I can.

As for my gardening, I use some of my food clippings for the soil, and I use fat for winter to feed the birds (suet).

I have 1 neighbor who is a hunter, and he gives me some of his game that he gets and cooks (smoker or fryer).

[suebee]

Originally Posted by Odarlin

So far, I think using electrical power for cheap thrills wins!
How hardcore is that?




Mine just outs the squeamish.

*In best Sally Fields acceptance speech voice* You like me! You really like me!


My girl's recent best bargain: an espresso machine at a thrift store. Total cost: under $1.......CANADIAN FUNDS!

[NJFemmie]

T-shirts for everyone!



Hmmm... maybe Mare and I are cheap bastids. I like to think frugal and thrifty though We do our own repairing around the house when possible, grow our own veggies, shop for sales, coupon clip, and I am not shy to say that we enjoy a good trip to the thrift store now and then. Mare has come home with some incredible thrift store deals.

I grew up not so much poor, but in a thrifty household. My dad was def a cheap bastid and my mother was thrifty and frugal. I grew up with that same mindset - and can't see spending more $$ than you have to and we try to save wherever we can so we can spend our money on something more enjoyable - like vacations and the like.

[suebee]

My father is a cheap bastid. He won't throw away his clothes until.....well, we're not quite sure. Anything old or ripped is good enough for "work clothes" - 'cause even though he's long-since retired, he loves to be busy. One time his cousin had had enough of one of his polo T's because it was ripped and worn, and stained.......she reached over and ripped it from one end to the other. Much to my surprise I found it in the garbage later that day. (and you can be sure, THAT'S never happened before!) So I took it out of the garbage, hung it's tattered threads on a wire hanger, put dry cleaner's plastic over it and left this note: "Dear Dad, You seem to have thrown out one of your good T-shirts by mistake. I took it out of the garbage but it was dirty, so I had it dry-cleaned." My mother nearly peed herself.

[NJFemmie]

My dad was the same way ... and it would annoy the hell out of us. He had nice clothes, but never wore them probably because he thought they were "too nice" - even though it would be just a simple shirt or plain pants. The man looked like a rag-a-muffin, lol. I would have to comb through the house and "terminate" (believe me, "burn" would have been far more suiting) some of his clothing.

My mom however, was always spiffy. She didn't pay a lot for her clothes, but you would never know it. The woman knew how to shop. My dad was disabled, so jobs were hard to come by for him, so my mom supported five kids and a husband on her salary. She had to be thrifty and frugal.

[Rufusboi]

Originally Posted by cybersuebee

That would almost pay for the trip to Texas to to to the sale!

I've gone to book sales like that. Day three. As many bagfuls as I could manage. I STILL haven't read all the books from that first sale 10 years ago. I'm learning to be a little less "enthusiastic".

And guess what everyone got for Christmas that year!

We just found a book sale in San Antonio in April. 70,000 books The prices are 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hardbacks every day of the sale. We are driving up on the first day. Just look for the weighted down car on I37 - that will be us all loaded down with books.

Rufus

[suebee]

Originally Posted by Rufusboi

We just found a book sale in San Antonio in April. 70,000 books The prices are 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hardbacks every day of the sale. We are driving up on the first day. Just look for the weighted down car on I37 - that will be us all loaded down with books.

Rufus

BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET ANY PAPER CUTS!

Only problem with secondhand book sales - or any secondhand store is that I'm allergic to mold. So my girl and I have a system: we go in together. If I smell mold or start to react I do a once-around and leave. She pretty-much knows what I like, so she stays and browses. She got me a lovely Victoria's Secret silk robe, a beautiful deep purple, for $3. It was not only a great gift and a fantastic bargain, but shopping for bargains is a lot of fun too. I've met some pretty interesting people that way.

[Rockinonahigh]

When I bought this place three years ago I promissednyself I would have some kind of libarry for me to just sit ,read and injoy.This was one of the first things I did and now have a fairly good bunch of books.In September every years one of the colleges hears has a book sale and everything is from
.10 to a 1.00.Over the years I have gotten some really great books from them and the good will store.The Arabian Knights is a set of books im looking for,I know I could prolly get them new but I like old used books best.

[wolfwalker]

I am a major cheap bastid

when i see something I want or need. getting bees? need a honey spinner to get it out. why am I going to pay someone 300.00 when i can make the same thing, probably better for way less. will it be all spiffy and shiney? nope, but it will work and be built of better materials. so the damn thing lasts for more then a season. I build things all the time just by looking at it and seeing how it works. the one timje i decided not to cheap out and let someone else build me something. well i am still waiting for it a year later.

[suebee]

I just put together my set of two bedside tables that I bought at our local surplus store. Retail price: $75 U.S. My price: $10 U.S. It took 5 mintues to put the two of them together, and they look sharp! (we won't mention the six months of haunting the store several times a week to find them, 'cause that's just part of the fun!)

I LOVES being a cheap bastid!

[Apocalipstic]

I am not a cheap or frugal, but need to learn to be, times being what they are.

I have gotten some great ideas from this thread! Yeayyy! Especially for even more books.. Grin.

Now, to find more book shelves. We have a book "problem" ha.

MsBee, do you have photos of your new bedside tables? I need some and am looking for cheap ideas.

[suebee]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

I am not a cheap or frugal, but need to learn to be, times being what they are.

I have gotten some great ideas from this thread! Yeayyy! Especially for even more books.. Grin.

Now, to find more book shelves. We have a book "problem" ha.

MsBee, do you have photos of your new bedside tables? I need some and am looking for cheap ideas.

Ms. Lipstic, We are just rearranging the bedroom now. I will try to take a picture later and post it. They're super simple and I bet they could be made with no trouble at all!

Da LUVS helping out!

[StoneFinn]

We do our best to live very frugally. There are a lot of ways that we do that, from growing our own veggies (organic to boot. another added plus. we know every stage of our food), to shopping thrift stores and auctions, to going to the recycling center at the tip.

some of our best scores, which does include 1 New Purchase (which is still one of my best)

The new purchase was a brand new treadmill, on severe clearance, for $100. The original price was $1200. We live in an area that frequently has not-good-for-walking weather more often than not, so it does help us keep up.

Other purchases include shoes such as Zenga's and Bruno Magli's for no more than $5 a pair, without even a single scuff on them.

This past weekend, we saw that a local graphic business was going out of business, and they had a rubbish tip out in the park lot. The first thing that I saw was a really, really nice office chair. Let me say-- it is very, very comfy <spins in it now>

We also pulled out several other things, and things we didn't personally want or could use, we ran over to one of the local thrift store donation areas. We couldn't stand the idea of all of it being tossed.

One thing we find a lot of at the tip's recycling center (where people can drop off usable items in the shed rather than putting them in the landfill, so others can come by and pick up, completely free of any charges) are books. lots and lots of books. Last time we went about 2 weeks ago, we sorted through and picked up 5 milk crates of books.

And one of our last good scores... a "brand new" kitchen... for $300. I installed everything, and even with all that I needed to run to the hardware store for-- the total cost came to $500. That included a new 5 star water-wise mixer tap. I had to put that in, just because the water saving principle will over-rule the frugal principle. YAY ebay!

Long live frugality!!!