Extreme Cheapskate series

[paloftoon]

All Wrapped Up | Extreme Cheapskates
I am guessing Todd is on the spectrum based on his mannerisms in this episode. Maybe some people on this forum can relate to some of the extreme cheapskating shown on here.

I didn't know this was a series and just ran into it today.


btw, Todd is very attractive, but I don't think I'd want to live like him. He does save money, but he lives so un-classy because of it. I'd rather find a better balance where I save some money but still keep things classy and fun for myself.

 

[tree]

Those are being aired again/still?

I remember one that featured a woman who thought
she was being frugal because she heated food in the
dish washer, instead of in oven, microwave, or on the
stove top.

The lasagna in that episode was somewhat watery,
guests said.

 

[Magna]

I didn't watch the episode either because I don't have the time right now, but just last week I decided to learn about couponing as a way to save money. My ex-wife and her mother were addicted to it and obsessed by it, but they did it the wrong way by buying a bunch of stuff they really didn't need. I on the other hand want to learn how to do it to actually save money on the things that we normally buy.

I could see how frugality could turn into an obsession and taken to an extreme.

 

[Thinx]

In the UK the Co-op offer online coupons you can choose from each week. They appear to base them on what one buys, so we tend to get offered choices for foods we often buy. This week we chose 50p off meats and 50p off Schweppes. Every little helps. They also give some bonus money to spend on shopping that mounts up, as do others, think we have £40 with Tesco now.

 

[paloftoon]

Re-runs are being re-aired, but they did away with the series. I think they did away with it because the behaviors disturbed people too much rather than due to lack of enough popularity.

Those are being aired again/still?

I remember one that featured a woman who thought
she was being frugal because she heated food in the
dish washer, instead of in oven, microwave, or on the
stove top.

The lasagna in that episode was somewhat watery,
guests said.

 

[Suzette]

I can't watch that show but I am a self confessed cheapskate!

One thing I love to do is preplan meals, cook a bunch all at once and freeze them. You can really plan you ingredients so there is no waste at all.

When my son was born and we were living off my husbands single income, which was very small, I once fed us for and entire month for $100.00 for the 3 of us. All three meals every day!

I used a combo of coupons and shopped the bargins from three stores near my house. Menus and portion control was important.

I have many "cheapskate vices". Or is frugal living a special interest?

I love answering such questions as "Is it cheaper to heat water on a stove top, microwave or in an electric kettle?"

 

[Luca]

I have a $50 limit for my groceries (for myself) for a week!
My bi-weekly limit for “non-essential” items is $20. Things that I really need, I buy a bunch of and use them until they need to be replaced with the “new” ones.
If I really, really feel like I need something extra I will save money for a bit so I can buy it.
I cook stuff and freeze it and eat it again for the rest of the week. I keep a lot of frozen foods (mostly not junk foods lol) in my fridge for months.
I’m willing to spend more on dog food but I also buy that in huge amounts and use it for a few months before having to get more.
I never wanted to post that lol but I don’t seem to be the only one!

 

[Gerontius]

I don't buy new clothes, almost ever--Exception is socks. New socks, hats, drawers, and boots are OK.

I fix everything. I walked the bottoms out of my boots for awhile there because it was easier to let my toes out to have a look at the world than to bother with buying a $200 pair of boots.

My razor is an old Gillette safety. It cost me two dollars. My shaving-brush is of unknown but great age, and I pulled all the bristles out & put new bristles in to save the handle.

I wear old tweed suits pretty much every day as it's just easier. I wash clothes with flake soap or a laundry bar and dry it on a line in the basement (my new apartment is under an old house) near the boiler.

Finally parked my car & let it sit, switched to bicycling and walking everywhere. I like this way of life.

 

[unperson]

I love answering such questions as "Is it cheaper to heat water on a stove top, microwave or in an electric kettle?"

I'd love to know Suzette, cos my hot water is very slow - despite being a new gas heater, so I heat water in the jug for washing up or cooking, it's faster than the tap.

 

[Magna]

I watched the first 5-10 minutes of that show from the link. It didn't surprise me at all that they interviewed his EX-wife. No way could someone expect that another person live like that. Real relationships are an exercise in compromise. That person refuses to compromise in any way. That's fine for him living by himself, but not ok for a marriage in which the other partner doesn't want to live like that.

 

[Suzette]

I'd love to know Suzette, cos my hot water is very slow - despite being a new gas heater, so I heat water in the jug for washing up or cooking, it's faster than the tap.

It would depend on if your cooker is gas or electric, and the cost of each where you live.

Generally the most expensive choice will be electric. If your cooker is electric you can compare the manufactures stated energy consumption to your electric kettle. Be careful though as you cooker might be more efficient by the numbers but the cost might be higher compared to the shorter length of time required by your kettle.

You can also compare this against your water heater. If your heater is gas you will need to know how much gas costs, how your heater brings the water to temp, does the appliance cycle on and off? Is the appliance designed to hold the water at a certain temp and simply deliver it to you when demanded, or does the appliance need to heat the water to a higher temperature before delivery? Also, you might look into lowering the temperature if the water is delivered at scalding. For most things you won't notice the change but it can save you money.

For most of the world, a gas home water heater will cost less to use than heating water on an electric stove or with an electric kettle.

 

[clg114]

I didn't watch the episode or anything, but I like to darn socks, put glue into the cracks of boots, pick wild plants as vegetables to go in my stir fries, and to do other things that people nowadays think is weird, to save money and extend the shelf lives of my stuff.

You should try some Shoe Goo. You can fix anything with Shoe Goo. There is nothing else like it.