The Krazy Coupon Lady website had this article about someone who considers themselves a Cheapskate and the 20 bullet points/examples that prove it.
I got to tell you that this person isn't Borderline Cheap. Some of what they do is down right unethical if not illegal.
Go HERE to read the article yourself.
Here are the 20 bullet points and my thoughts--
1. I dumpster dive for coupons. As long as the dumpster isn't signed No Trespassing or padlocked I don't see a problem with this.
2. I break off broccoli stems to reduce weight. Tough one-if they are advertising "crowns" and there are large stems still attached I might be tempted. But then again, stems are edible and taste the same and can be cut up small and/or put into soup.
3. I split the cost of wi-fi with my neighbor. Not sure on the legality of this but if your neighbor and you agree to this, go for it.
4. I only go to Costco for the free samples. While not illegal it is smarmy if you ONLY go there for samples. And really, how sad is your life if you do this. lolz
5. I rub myself with magazines. Ok, no problem with this, I say go for it! Except it's not something I'd do personally as I don't like being drenched in fragrance. Heavy scents give me breathing problems.
6. I ask for ugly produce for the "chickens". If you do not have chickens or are not going to give foods given to you under false pretenses you have ethical problems. This is lying plain and simple.
7. I pull Catalinas out of the wastebasket at the self-checkout. This is a brilliant hack and if I think to try it I will peruse the self-checkout wastebasket.
8. I always reuse my Ziploc bags. Why not reuse something you had to buy if it's feasible and you didn't contaminate the bag with raw meat. All for it. Or better yet, find a non-disposable alternative to plastic bags, like reusable glass containers.
9. I find other customers' receipts in parking lots and shopping carts and use them to redeem rebate app offers. You might think that why not? since the item was purchased, if the buyer isn't going to avail themselves of the rebate, you should and you aren't stealing from the company really. This smacks of unethical though in my head.
10. I only go to the movies if I have a free pass. Only going when you have free tickets? Knock yourself out. As long as you don't cheat or steal to get that free pass.
11. I use free gym membership trials to stay fit. Again, like the Costco samples question, you are setting forth from the start to "use" a free offer with no intent to buy. Smarmy.
12. I ask other customers to use my loyalty card. First off, I am not so bold that I would ask a stranger to use my loyalty card just to get points for myself for some future reward. But if I was in line behind someone and they were purchasing items that would be cheaper for them if they had a card then I will offer my card for use. Maybe it comes down to your intent when you do this.....or maybe it's wrong no matter the circumstances.
13. I water down my husband's body wash. I would do this in a heartbeat, especially with College Boy(who has been known to use half a bottle of shampoo to wash his hair once). No problem stretching out product as long as it still gets the job it's suppose to do done. Good hack.
14. I furnish my home for free. Again, I have no problem hauling used items home if they are free for the taking. Why spend money when you don't need to?
15. I hide products so I can run home and get my coupons. Not very sportsman-like of you but not illegal. A bit self-centered and unethical. Why did you not have your coupons with you, hmm? And think of the extra time people working there will have to put in putting your hidden things back in the proper place if you don't come back and purchase them? This costs the store/employer wages in the end.
16. When at the movies, I grab popcorn bags out of the trash to get free refills. BIG PROBLEM with this one! Free refills are for the folks who purchased the food. You did not. Even if the purchaser does not avail themselves of refills, you don't have a right to trash dive and get their refills. Period.
17. Or I just bring my own snacks from home. This is a bit unethical. You risk getting kicked out of the movie if caught. And secondly, the movie house makes NO profit on the film ticket sales. That purchase barely covers the cost of rental to them from the film company of the movie. Their profits come solely from the snack bar purchases. Personally, I think this is a terrible system and the cost of food at the movies is ridiculously high.
If you are this tight just don't buy food when you attend the movies.
18. I only buy clearance meat. Best hack ever! I personally mostly only buy discount sticker meats and/or meats on sale at the very least. This goes for fresh produce and fresh baked goods as well. It's a great way to lower your food bill. If you have a freezer it's a great way to eat well for a lot less money.
19. I rarely pay attention to the best by dates on my food. A good hack but one which you have to be careful about. There are "best by", "sell by", "use by" and "expiration" dates and depending on the type of item and the store you frequent they can mean vastly different things.
You really need to read up and know your foods. Many "best by", etc. dates are put on items by the manufacturer so they can sell more goods. Really! The faster they make you think you have to use up something or trash it, the faster they can make you buy another. This means more sales over time and more profits for the company.
Go HERE for a handy guide to how long you can safely store different kinds of foods.
Remember that once frozen the clock stops on fresh foods rate of decay. I "heart" freezers. ;-)
20. I buy my bread at the dollar store. Another good solid hack. If you have a dollar store that carries fresh bread/baked goods it just makes sense to buy your loaves there. As long as it's a brand/type/quality that you prefer to use. It's the same as going to a company's Bread Outlet like I do buy bread. Day old bread is fine. And bread can be handily frozen too if you can't use it up before it gets hard/mold/etc.
So would you/do you follow any of these suggestions to save money?
Do you feel any of the above 20 items are good practices or not-so-good?
Do you have any other hacks you partake in that make you a cheapskate?
Sluggy
I got to tell you that this person isn't Borderline Cheap. Some of what they do is down right unethical if not illegal.
Go HERE to read the article yourself.
Here are the 20 bullet points and my thoughts--
1. I dumpster dive for coupons. As long as the dumpster isn't signed No Trespassing or padlocked I don't see a problem with this.
2. I break off broccoli stems to reduce weight. Tough one-if they are advertising "crowns" and there are large stems still attached I might be tempted. But then again, stems are edible and taste the same and can be cut up small and/or put into soup.
3. I split the cost of wi-fi with my neighbor. Not sure on the legality of this but if your neighbor and you agree to this, go for it.
4. I only go to Costco for the free samples. While not illegal it is smarmy if you ONLY go there for samples. And really, how sad is your life if you do this. lolz
5. I rub myself with magazines. Ok, no problem with this, I say go for it! Except it's not something I'd do personally as I don't like being drenched in fragrance. Heavy scents give me breathing problems.
6. I ask for ugly produce for the "chickens". If you do not have chickens or are not going to give foods given to you under false pretenses you have ethical problems. This is lying plain and simple.
7. I pull Catalinas out of the wastebasket at the self-checkout. This is a brilliant hack and if I think to try it I will peruse the self-checkout wastebasket.
8. I always reuse my Ziploc bags. Why not reuse something you had to buy if it's feasible and you didn't contaminate the bag with raw meat. All for it. Or better yet, find a non-disposable alternative to plastic bags, like reusable glass containers.
9. I find other customers' receipts in parking lots and shopping carts and use them to redeem rebate app offers. You might think that why not? since the item was purchased, if the buyer isn't going to avail themselves of the rebate, you should and you aren't stealing from the company really. This smacks of unethical though in my head.
10. I only go to the movies if I have a free pass. Only going when you have free tickets? Knock yourself out. As long as you don't cheat or steal to get that free pass.
11. I use free gym membership trials to stay fit. Again, like the Costco samples question, you are setting forth from the start to "use" a free offer with no intent to buy. Smarmy.
12. I ask other customers to use my loyalty card. First off, I am not so bold that I would ask a stranger to use my loyalty card just to get points for myself for some future reward. But if I was in line behind someone and they were purchasing items that would be cheaper for them if they had a card then I will offer my card for use. Maybe it comes down to your intent when you do this.....or maybe it's wrong no matter the circumstances.
13. I water down my husband's body wash. I would do this in a heartbeat, especially with College Boy(who has been known to use half a bottle of shampoo to wash his hair once). No problem stretching out product as long as it still gets the job it's suppose to do done. Good hack.
14. I furnish my home for free. Again, I have no problem hauling used items home if they are free for the taking. Why spend money when you don't need to?
15. I hide products so I can run home and get my coupons. Not very sportsman-like of you but not illegal. A bit self-centered and unethical. Why did you not have your coupons with you, hmm? And think of the extra time people working there will have to put in putting your hidden things back in the proper place if you don't come back and purchase them? This costs the store/employer wages in the end.
16. When at the movies, I grab popcorn bags out of the trash to get free refills. BIG PROBLEM with this one! Free refills are for the folks who purchased the food. You did not. Even if the purchaser does not avail themselves of refills, you don't have a right to trash dive and get their refills. Period.
17. Or I just bring my own snacks from home. This is a bit unethical. You risk getting kicked out of the movie if caught. And secondly, the movie house makes NO profit on the film ticket sales. That purchase barely covers the cost of rental to them from the film company of the movie. Their profits come solely from the snack bar purchases. Personally, I think this is a terrible system and the cost of food at the movies is ridiculously high.
If you are this tight just don't buy food when you attend the movies.
18. I only buy clearance meat. Best hack ever! I personally mostly only buy discount sticker meats and/or meats on sale at the very least. This goes for fresh produce and fresh baked goods as well. It's a great way to lower your food bill. If you have a freezer it's a great way to eat well for a lot less money.
19. I rarely pay attention to the best by dates on my food. A good hack but one which you have to be careful about. There are "best by", "sell by", "use by" and "expiration" dates and depending on the type of item and the store you frequent they can mean vastly different things.
You really need to read up and know your foods. Many "best by", etc. dates are put on items by the manufacturer so they can sell more goods. Really! The faster they make you think you have to use up something or trash it, the faster they can make you buy another. This means more sales over time and more profits for the company.
Go HERE for a handy guide to how long you can safely store different kinds of foods.
Remember that once frozen the clock stops on fresh foods rate of decay. I "heart" freezers. ;-)
20. I buy my bread at the dollar store. Another good solid hack. If you have a dollar store that carries fresh bread/baked goods it just makes sense to buy your loaves there. As long as it's a brand/type/quality that you prefer to use. It's the same as going to a company's Bread Outlet like I do buy bread. Day old bread is fine. And bread can be handily frozen too if you can't use it up before it gets hard/mold/etc.
So would you/do you follow any of these suggestions to save money?
Do you feel any of the above 20 items are good practices or not-so-good?
Do you have any other hacks you partake in that make you a cheapskate?
Sluggy
