The Epitome of Cheap

[Guest]

I tend to be a spendthrift. This is not good. But on the other hand, I know people that give new meaning to the word cheap.

For instance, I have a friend that makes his coffee with a french press, the whole pound bag, and freezes the concentrated coffee into cubes, just enough for one cup at a time. Cheap.

Or a neighbor that put a brick in his water-saver toilet and still flushes every other time. That's cheap.

Or an acquaintance that never carries money or credit cards because he may buy something, or have to pay....

Anyone know cheap?

 

[Mickey Richaud]

FRUGAL, Bill, frugal!

By the way, reminds me of a Justin Wilson joke...

 

[tony barnhill]

I just spent 3 weeks with a guy who was so cheap he'd get a free cup of coffee in the hotel lounge & take it to the Denny's next door - & expect them to refill the styrofoam cup......every time the checks came, he took his & went to the restroom & never came back - without leaving a tip.....when he found out there was an Army dining facility near the simulation center, he wanted to eat there - & overfilled his plate beyond what the normal amounts were - & took what he didn't eat for later.....once at breakfast he didn't eat his pancakes so he got a 'doggy bag' & loaded them & all the little jelly packets on the table into his take out!

 

[mailbox]

Or an acquaintance that never carries money or credit cards because he may buy something, or have to pay....

If I could just teach my wife that trick...... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whistle.gif

 

[Twosheds]

I worked with a woman who stole toilet paper from the restrooms and get it out of the plant in her purse. She would take all the little salt and pepper packets from the breakroom. Someone tipped the guards and they caught her leaving with toilet paper in her purse. She was given time off with no pay for that.

 

[William]

I seem to recall that there was a rash of people going into Starbucks/Caribou type places and making "lattes" by ordering a small espresso in a large cup then emptying the milk from the condiment bar into the larger cup. Saved, like, a dollar fifty off the cost of a real latte.

-William

 

[Bugeye58]

I have two engineer friends that I told one day, "Copper wire was invented by you two guys fighting over a penny."
If we went to lunch, it was to whichever place they had coupons for. I'd take music CD's on trips we'd take, and they'd borrow them and copy them at work. These two weren't starving, either. They were both senior engineers at GM.
Jeff

 

[William]

For instance, I have a friend that makes his coffee with a french press, the whole pound bag, and freezes the concentrated coffee into cubes, just enough for one cup at a time. Cheap.

I'm not even sure how this would work....he melts the cubes and drinks it? Does he have to let them sit in the sun or does he use the microwave?

Wouldn't it be watery?

-William

 

[vping]

I'd have to agree with the Frugal part. Tony's pal on the other hand, now that's cheap.

(hope your pal does not read the forum)

 

[tony barnhill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I'd have to agree with the Frugal part. Tony's pal on the other hand, now that's cheap.

(hope your pal does not read the forum) [/QUOTE]

Hey, after a couple of weeks of it I'd had it also. One night he asked if we could go to one of those chain fish places - Long John Silver's as he had a book of their coupons. When he went to place his order, he found that the manager's special was a better deal than any of his coupons; however, he tried to get the kid at the register to take a $1 off coupon with the special.

I'd finally had it so I took his book of coupons, walked to the trash place where you put your finished trays, tossed the book in & told him to "just pay for the d$#%^@ food!"

 

[AweMan]

When I worked for the D.O.D. there were people that would take kimwipes, toilet paper, pens, pencils, tape, hand soap, hand lotion and basicaly anything that wasn`t tied down. What I didn`t understand was, there were periodicaly gate checks and searches for contraband. And YEA some people got caught with these minor items and consequently were fired! WHY RISK A $40,000.00 + a year salary for five bucks worth of stuff?
I worked as a welder in a shop where every tool known to man was available, it was VERY tempting to make "Home Projects" {and some guys did} But get caught and NO MORE JOB! It just wasn`t worth it to me. AND I`M A scott, YEA I could squeeze the dung out of a buffalo nickle! But on the other hand if it is my turn to buy I wouldn`t hesitate.

 

[70herald]

For instance, I have a friend that makes his coffee with a french press, the whole pound bag, and freezes the concentrated coffee into cubes, just enough for one cup at a time. Cheap.

I'm not even sure how this would work....he melts the cubes and drinks it? Does he have to let them sit in the sun or does he use the microwave?

Wouldn't it be watery?

-William

This actually works very well. Basically you are making "coffee concentrate" and freezing it in individual portion sizes. Take 1 portion out of the freezer, and pour boiling water on it. - Coffee comes out just right. Think about it, instant coffee is just dehydrated brewed coffee. So what he is doing is making quality coffee and instead of dehydrating it and ruining the flavor, he just freezes the concentrate which preserves it quite nicely. Not so sure that it is cheaper than buying instant, but it will taste better.

The coffee machines (some European brand, from Holland I believe) we have a work, use a liquid concentrated coffee which is mixed with hot water. Same basic concept

 

[ccougill]

Tony weren't you guys on expense account?

 

[anthony7777]

70herold, at a company xmass. party i had the chief pilots wife sitting next to me after a couple of cocktails she confided in me amongst other things that her husband was so cheap he would always wear a trench coat to the movies no matter what the weather so he could sneak in bags of pre-popped popcorn from home. a friend of my brothers has used tea bags suspended by thumb tacks on his kitchen wall for further us. one of the guys i ply in a jazz trio with (the quitar player) who happens to be a multi millionaire has never purchased any kind of meat in his entire life but i can tell you when hes at my house hes no vegetarian musicians most usually get a free meal when playing at places that serve food the way he selects his solo gigs is he looks over the menus of the places hes asked to play he'll only play for "sir loin" he put a second oil tank in his basement with a fuel nozzle to feed his diesel v.w. in order to save 2 cents per gallon kicker is he never uses his own car! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif

 

[1965_MGB]

Wow, and I thought I was frugal (read cheap).

 

[Guest]

Cheap is running 90mph on 30-year-old Red Lines. And dumb.

 

[jlaird]

Right on Tony.

 

[anthony7777]

1965mgb, we have only private trash collectors and have to pay a monthly fee, hes never in 24 years hired one, he uses small plastic bags and places them in down town puplic trash receptacles aint much though cuz he never buys food, his frig. looks like the "howe caverns" i could go on about this "guitar" player till pennies turn to gold. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif

 

[Baz]

I won't say she's 'cheap', but definitely has a frugal mindset having grown up during the rationing of WW2.
My mum re-uses tea bags, all parts of an animal is used, never any leftovers. Old clothes were recycled in some way or another. Grows her own veggies and still uses a recipe book from the 50's.
To this day, she measures every spoon of sugar so not to waste a grain, gets up at 4 am to do the laundry and cooking because the electricity is cheaper.
Tough old bird that one.

 

[BIBBER]

A little different aspect of cheap...I spent my early years of corporate employment working for a guy who loved to go out to the bar after work and share the days experiences...he was known by everybody for never picking up a round "we used to joke that you could hear his wallet screak when he ever opened it....

but the guy was a GREAT person inside...and met an untimely violent death many years young...and we all miss him terribly still today...sometimes you can stand cheap!!!