# "Extreme Cheapskates" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260 "2013-11-19T15:20:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/41 "2013-11-24T06:08:24Z")
Just so people know, there are allegations online that this show is fake. I haven’t seen it, but there’s a claim that a roll of toilet paper appears in a shot of the bathroom of the woman that claims she doesn’t buy it, and someone claiming to be the teenage girl forced to wear 1970s dresses said she was putting on an act and made money from her job to buy decent clothes. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/42 "2013-11-24T07:30:44Z")
My most extreme cheapness is that I constantly check the Megabus web site when I know they are going to open a block of tickets for sale. My biggest score to date is purchasing 20 trips between Chicago and Kansas City for $20.50. That’s more than 10,000 miles for 20 (plus the .50 reservation fee). ---
**Author:** ![soulburnz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@soulburnz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulburnz)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/43 "2013-11-24T10:25:16Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > I don’t think I have many extremely cheap habits, except that I reuse twist-ties until they turn into plain wire, which is a stupid economy when you consider that I don’t actually buy twist-ties. You really are paying for the twist ties, if you are getting them with another product. They are included in the total price of the item. Basically, the garbage bags (or loaf of bread - etc) would cost less if they didn’t include the twist ties. I suppose it’s possible but, I’ve never seen twist ties for sale (stand alone) - unless it was in a manufacturing setting. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/44 "2013-11-24T14:59:33Z")
I have seen rolls of the twist-tie stuff for sale at nurseries. Some people must use it to tie up plants. But I, too, reuse twist-ties. Even though the plastic bags I buy come with wads of them, it’s simply faster to just grab an ‘experienced’ one, separate and lumpy so it’s easy to pickup, versus taking a couple seconds to peel a virgin one free of the litter, and then having to split off a couple of others from it since I usually end up with more than one coming free… Yes, I can be that lazy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/45 "2013-11-24T20:21:14Z")
> [@soulburnz](#): > > You really are paying for the twist ties, if you are getting them with another product. They are included in the total price of the item. Basically, the garbage bags (or loaf of bread - etc) would cost less if they didn’t include the twist ties. I suppose it’s possible but, I’ve never seen twist ties for sale (stand alone) - unless it was in a manufacturing setting. We get ours (free\*) at the grocery store when we buy produce and meat. They’re hanging right next to the free plastic bags. - I’m sure our grocery bill contains some fraction of a cent that goes to cover the half dozen twist-ties we pick up during a normal visit, but savings on the twist-ties I re-use probably aren’t significant enough to have an impact on either the store’s profits or our financial stability. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/46 "2013-11-25T15:44:41Z")
I lather and rinse. But I _don’t repeat_. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/47 "2013-11-25T15:58:43Z")
I think that “repeat” thing came from the days it was usual to wash your hair only once a week AND men used hair oils and women lots of hair spray. The first wash basically only took out some of the excess goop and it took a second to insure you really got your hair clean. Definitely overkill nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/48 "2013-11-25T16:40:18Z")
> [@Mdcastle](#): > > Just so people know, there are allegations online that this show is fake. I haven’t seen it, but there’s a claim that a roll of toilet paper appears in a shot of the bathroom of the woman that claims she doesn’t buy it, and someone claiming to be the teenage girl forced to wear 1970s dresses said she was putting on an act and made money from her job to buy decent clothes. I’ve never seen the show so I’m just guessing, but some of this stuff sounds at least exaggerated for television, if not completely made up. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/49 "2013-11-25T17:22:42Z")
> [@Just\_Ed](#): > > Yep. Had the same question; found this on YouTube: [Milk in bags, eh?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTPgd4HUk4w) On yet another different note, the lady in this video has an excellent Canadian “out” - if you listen carefully, you can hear that she doesn’t say “oot” at all. > [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > \ > I don’t think I have many extremely cheap habits, except that I reuse twist-ties until they turn into plain wire, which is a stupid economy when you consider that I don’t actually buy twist-ties. We don’t buy twist ties because we always get them from the store - if you didn’t have twist-ties, what would you use to close stuff? > [@Incubus](#): > > \ > I’d be more interested in savvy people (like some Dopers 😃 ) who take advantage of credit card offers to consistently get free airfare and take vacations at little/no cost, or know how to get a _really_ good deal on a new car simply by knowing where to look/what to say. My wife is frugal in the sense that she is a very good negotiator and knows when to press a salesman to get something on her terms (for instance, she’s never paid a restocking fee on returned merchandise. She’s polite about refusing to pay for it, but _very_ persistent in the matter. They’ve never stood their ground, apparently.) We always ask about our CAA discount (AAA to you guys) when we stay in a motel - if they don’t take CAA, they usually give us a discount anyway, just for asking for it. We also use those discount coupons that you find at any IHOP or Denny’s - they are fantastic deals on hotel rooms. > [@bouv](#): > > To the people re-using plastic bottles: > > I’ve heard mixed things about that. Obviously, the super-crazy people/websites will tell you “OMG chemicals leaching into the water!” but they would say that about everything, even a brand new bottle you haven’t opened yet, just bottled last week from the bottling plant. I guess you can only drink natural rainwater collected in your rain barrel, or something. > > But even with ignoring the more crazy-types, I can’t imagine re-using a plastic bottle designed for one use for YEARS is in any way good for you. A few times? Sure…but YEARS?! Hell no. > > Seriously, just buy a $10 re-usable aluminum or stainless steel bottle. > > [Hell, if you’re not picky about color, you can pay less than $5.](http://www.amazon.com/Eco-Friendly-Mouth-Stainless-Steel-Bottle/dp/B002VDA2AC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384968971&sr=8-1&keywords=aluminum+water+bottle) I use a big plastic juice jug for my concentrated juice - I can only use it so long, though, because it eventually gets scrungy inside, even with washing. I’m not an extreme cheapskate, either - just frugal. Making money is good; not wasting money is also good. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/50 "2013-11-26T03:51:45Z")
Some people consider me frugal, but I don’t mind spending money. I just would rather spend it on something tasty or indulgent than on yet another box of Ziplocs. So I reuse plastic bags, recycle the big clear bags that my newspaper bundles come in (so I don’t buy trash bags), generally don’t buy paper goods except toilet paper. I don’t shave my legs more than a few times a year so rarely buy razors and creams, etc. Then I turn around and spend my “saved” money on good coffee, ice cream, treats for the kids, decent dog food. I do have a good nose for bargains in the grocery store, though. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/51 "2013-11-26T04:19:24Z")
Well needed to buy my son a new pair of basketball boots, $220 in Australia so jumped on the interweb and found them delivered to me from the USofA for $150, then googled for any coupons found some then the shoes became $130 delivered, then asked around if anyone else needed boots etc from the team, 2 said yes so we split the postage and in the end I have got a new pair of Jordans for $90 delivered. I’m not cheap but sheet $130 is real money! ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/52 "2013-11-30T06:49:02Z")
One thing I want to know is what’s the point? I understand if you need to, but why if you have a ton of money socked away in accounts? Why you die do you really want the one thing people to remember is that you were insanely cheap? I’d much rather die having people saying I was generous with my family and friends. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/53 "2013-11-30T14:25:13Z")
This (IMHO) is the beginning stages of hoarding. These people aren’t “cheap,” they’re terrified of throwing things away. Saving some money on a major purchase is one thing, like an automobile for instance, but reusing razors and toothbrushes is simply mental illness, nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/54 "2013-12-01T00:10:07Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > It’s much more expensive in the long run to not brush your teeth. Not if you don’t go to the dentist either. Then it’s just much more painful. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/55 "2013-12-01T00:22:42Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Saving some money on a major purchase is one thing, like an automobile for instance, but reusing razors and toothbrushes is simply mental illness, nothing more. Well, you could style it Xtreme Thrift, but then again I would expect that sort of people to run head on into the Sam Vimes’ Boots theory of socio-economic unfairness. Even should they be able to afford not to. ---
**Author:** ![amorali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3e96dc/32.png) [@amorali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amorali)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/56 "2013-12-01T00:24:45Z")
There is a disclaimer for that show that some of their ideas are actually ideas of the producers. I can’t believe half that stuff is real. Like most reality shows, there’s not a lot of reality involved. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/57 "2013-12-01T01:49:06Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > One thing I want to know is what’s the point? I understand if you need to, but why if you have a ton of money socked away in accounts? I might feel rich if I had $100,000 socked away in a savings or checking account, but according to my financial adviser, $100,000 is really not a ton of money to have saved for retirement. So it kind of depends on what kind of savings it is. That said, I’m really not convinced that some of those “cheap” strategies are the kind of things that really enable a family to save money. ---
**Author:** ![yawuntz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a5b964/32.png) [@yawuntz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawuntz)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/58 "2013-12-01T01:49:07Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > It’s much more expensive in the long run to not brush your teeth. > [@TBG](#): > > Not if you don’t go to the dentist either. Then it’s just much more painful. Just ignore your teeth and they’ll go away. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/59 "2013-12-01T03:05:17Z")
I got one good idea from watching that trainwreck of a show (and I’m a frugal person already); one lady kept track of her electric meter usage on a spreadsheet. I had nothing better to do, so I started doing it. Which is how I learned my oven uses about 2 KWH/day to be a large clock, as I rarely use it living alone for the time being. And right above it is the microwave, which I use a lot and has a clock as well. Flip went the oven’s breaker 4 months ago and I’ve enjoyed the savings. From the Tightwad Gazette I learned to turn my dirty (but rinsed) plastic bags inside out and tuck them into a lingerie bag to go through the wash w/ my whites. Never the bags that held raw meat, of course. Then I hang the bags to dry and turn them right side out for re-use. I hang everything but sheets to dry; shaking towels out to hang dry is a great workout, I can tell you that. Case lot sales are popular here so I found a neighbor or two to share those w/ and we split cases and savings. I put it all on my credit card so I get the 1% reward back and they reimburse me in cash; this inadvertently gives me a short-term interest free cash loan if I should have an emergency. Same w/ Costco shopping; I rarely go in to buy things only for me. I buy powdered milk, never liquid as I can’t use it up nearly fast enough. Powdered is cheaper as well. I offer to prepay services in exchange for a discount. It’s worked at the vet (5% x 3 cats at the time adds up) and Curves (10% cash discount for prepaying a year) so far. I turn in all our metal at the local metal recycler for cash. Don’t have cable or home phone. Our city gives out free pumpkins to carve and bring back for a city park jack-o-lantern parade; I clean those pumpkins out so well they’re many pounds lighter when they go back, while I have many pounds of pumpkin puree in my freezer and a bonanza of seeds. I use the puree in baking recipes in place of oil. I’m a couponing fiend. That plus Commissary prices can mean some amazing deals. Same w/ Amazon’s ‘Subscribe and Save’ plus the coupons they sometimes have on certain items. What do I do w/ the money I save and free items I sometimes get after coupons are deducted? There’s a non-denominational food pantry near our Air Force base and I take a box or bag to them every week w/ things like cat food, hygiene items, lady products, etc. When some friends of ours were in very dire straits due to his ongoing cancer recently we were in a position to give them $1500 and not short ourselves in the process. I make sure to ‘pay myself’ first, so I don’t see it as generous since I had it left over anyway. I’m not cheap just to be cheap or pretend I’m making us rich; I simply have the time to figure out the best way to help myself and others w/ the money we make. ---
**Author:** ![amorali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3e96dc/32.png) [@amorali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amorali)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260/60 "2013-12-01T21:09:17Z")
How much do you save on your electric bill? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-cheapskates/674260.md?page=2)