Hellooooooo? I said Sardines! Because they’re cheap! I got them at a farmer’s market for 25 cents a can! They weren’t even the good sardines! Don’t you find this disgusting? Where’s the outrage? Have you people no sympathy???
BTW, I saw absolutely no indication that Star Light was feeling sorry for herself.
jarbaby
Buy at sale time. Now (and I still hate this) is when all summer clothes leave the stores.
I just bought a top at Express for $3 when it started out at $20!
BOTH? erm…
Sorry to anyone I may have offended. I didn’t see any sorry-feeling either. My assumption was that many people forced to live in such circumstances do. But then maybe I got that wrong too & should also apologize to the many who don’t.
Stolen silverware from dining service to furnish my apartment.
Two words: Taco Tuesday
Scouting out the student-dominated neighborhoods when everyone changes apartments.
I’m getting close to “donating” plasma, but I have to get over the fact that I’m selling my body.
Many students at my school pay rent in this manner: they buy a keg or two of shitty beer like Natty Ice or Milwaukee’s “Best.” They then invite all too young to legally purchase alcohol. If they charge $3-5 a cup, they can make back expenses, pay for carpet cleaning, and pay the rent.
And the lowest thing I’ve done: my roommate and I went to a bar where you paid a deposit for pitchers. We started to collect empty ones and return them to the bar. We made enough to buy another pitcher, as well as an order of breadsticks afterwards. The next day we realized that the bartenders and waitresses were giving us evil looks because we were stealing their tips.
Bottle return is a wonderful thing, providing you with a little windfall every time you cash in your cans. 'Course, I’m moving to Mississippi, where they don’t HAVE that, apparently.
In the school cafeteria, they had a salad bar, and you had to pay for the lettuce, tomatoes, etc because they were behind the cash registers. But the salad dressings, croutons, and bacon bits were all outside in the dining room, on the condiment table. Many’s the time I had a bowl of croutons with bacon bits and Italian dressing for lunch.
A few times my friends and I found ourselves thirsty but with less than a dollar between six of us, so we’d go over to McDonald’s and buy a small soda with free refills, and keep going up to get the refills as we surreptitiously filled our canteens and coolers out of the soda cup. Since we weren’t actually seen filling out own drink cups directly out of the restaurant’s fountain, we didn’t get in trouble.
When in need of a quick energy boost or a snack, I steal sugar packets and eat them straight.
A woman is going to donate blood. On the elevator ride up there’s a man going to the same floor. She said, “Are you donating blood, too?”
“Nope,” he said, “Sperm! I get a hundred bucks a pop!”
“Wow,” said the woman, “I only get $5 for blood!”
The next week, the same guy and the same woman end up in the elevator together. The guy says, “Hi! Donating blood again?”
The woman shakes her head. “Mmm mmm.”
(Uh, I don’t think this joke works as well in print.)
I think you said a mouth full with this one
The Borders bargain tables are an even better deal when you work there. 
Rice is your friend (also, check your local Asian restaurants, a bowl of plain rice is pretty cheap). Ditto for popcorn – get a cheap thrift store air popper, throw in some popcorn and look! A meal! Even better, make friends with someone who works at a movie theater – I have a friend who hooks me up with massive garbage bags full of movie popcorn for free. It’s like wine, it tastes better as it ages. Also, try hitting Costco or your local supermarket on sample day (usually Saturday). Drink a sixpack of soda, cut the tops off the cans, bend the sharp edges down and voila! Six reusable cups. If you ask for ice water at a fast food joint or coffee place, the cup they give you will probably last a while, too.
I used to wear these comfy macrame shoes, and my (richer) friends were always stunned that I took the time to sew them back together when they developed holes, rather than throwing them out. I also sew up holes in my socks, since I have no clue how to darn them.
I recently reflected that it is possible to get through college without ever having housing … just find places to lock up a duffle bag of clothing, shower at the university gym/rec center, and nap during the afternoons by heading to the library and falling asleep over a textbook.
Oh, and be sure to get a job where you get free stuff, especially edible free stuff. Free coffee is my friennnnnnddd …
I dumpster-dive. Basically, I take usable stuff from dumpsters. Very simple, yet fairly misunderstood.
I probably didn’t make it clear that I really don’t approve of this particular idea - in fact, I find most of her ideas range from kindy wacky to downright stupid. It cannot be denied that the woman can save - but I don’t know why you’d put yourself through some of the stuff that she does just to save a few pennies. I hate this particular trick, but she sees nothing wrong with it - she figures they can sell it for the money they paid her in refund. Yes, it’s wrong, and unethical - but it’s a weird thing she does to save money. Just to set the record straight - DON’T DO THIS! It’s wrong - it’s very wrong - and is a form of theft, which I do not in any way condone.
Bought Bugler tobacco in a can with 200 papers in my college smoking days.
Bought Bugler tobacco in a can with 200 papers in my college smoking days.