A recent PM conversation was spawn from the fact that I am financial tight-ass. A proud one, in fact. I will cut corners wherever possible, get shitty trash bags to save 30 cents and buy in bulk whenever I can. Costco gives me a boner. My shirts and socks are from Walmart, as well as all my shitty work jeans and belts. Aside from one or two pairs of dress shoes/boots and my running shoes, I wear beater shoes that have so many holes in them they no longer serve their protective purpose. I buy generic cereal. I haven't gone clothes "shopping" in years, and despite being financially stable I still eat Ramen noodles like that shit is going out of style. I have determined that a well-constructed pair of all-purpose boots is one of the best value purchases you can make. But I do that because there's a few things I refuse to skimp on: - toilet paper (nothing touches my ass except for Charmin extra soft, and yes, I have and will pack it on trips) - beer (aside from high life, which is cheap, but it holds a special place in my heart) - a few types of liquor, namely vodka and gin; everything else I buy the rot gut shit and just drink it quick - running shoes - television (the fiance watches it a lot, and all the channels shut her up) - knives, and a few other frequently-used kitchen utensils Focus: We all make sacrifices in life, and much of what we do is a give-and-take. Where do you cut corners, and where do you splurge? Any tips on cost-saving measures? Alt. Focus: Money. Are you tight with it, or do you "only have one life to live and I'm living it how I want"? What is your opinion on those on the other side of the fence? Alt. Alt. Focus: What is the most terrible display of tight-assness you have ever seen? What's the most opulent display of wealth?
My mother was raised by people raised by people who survived the depression. I can live on nothing for weeks. That has helped me in the fact I have nothing between a divorce and drinking literally all my money the last five years. I'm almost 28. -I've never bought a T.V., they've all been given to me. -I've never bought a computer. My current Mac was a barter deal and I'm actually being given a PC in a couple days. Before that I'd gotten one as a graduation gift and lent one. -Car payments, never had to make those. My first car was $1000 when I was 16 and lasted me til my twenties, and by then I could pay for my current ride. -Just got my first MP3 player a few days ago. I designed some business cards and got a Zune. -I've spent over $100 on a phone once, and that was a shitty Metro PCs Samsung phone for my 27th birthday, with the gift cards I got. -If I buy my own clothes, I literally go to the thrift shop or Ross/Marshalls. Anything nice I have has been gifts. -I still play the SNES and N64 from my childhood (fuck PS, my PS2 broke in a few years). -I used to steal toilet paper from the supply closets in college. Once I started working I'd grab it from work. A roll lasts me forever since I usually take a shit somewhere besides home (ideally while on the clock). There are only a few things I won't go cheap with. -Tequila. Besides the obvious, the cheaper are usually watered down with grain alcohol. -Whey protein powder. -Creatin. -Things like organic vegetables, hormone free foods and dairy, cruelty free meats (while adding a delicious flavor, the shock adds toxins), vegetarian/grass fed animal parts.
Generic prescription medications will NEVER be found in my house. People can tell me till they're exhausted and winded that they have the exact same composition as name brand drugs; I don't care. When it comes to keeping my uterus empty, my coughs suppressed, and my sleep regular, I want the safety implied in a brand name.
I only buy clothes at kohls and only when they are 20% off and if I can not find it at Sams Club or Costco in bulk at a discounted rate I do not really need it. I refuse to buy plastic cups, napkins or trash bags as I take them from bartending events I do. I remind my wife that the 100 bucks a month she spends at starbucks is a waste of money, and that that saran wrap that is super sticky is way to pricy and she is trying to ruin me financially. I will however drop close to 15,000 a year fishing and hunting. Oh 500 bucks to go fish a catch and release tournament with a purse that will not pay the hotel and gas bill to get to the tournament, yes please. Whats that, 7 days of elk hunting in New Mexico? Of course I will pay for that, as a matter of fact put me down for next year as well.
I consider myself pretty tight with money for an unmarried 26 year old with no debts and an average to above average paying job, my friends who earn around what I do live much more lavishly and usually call me a cheap bastard whenever I'm reluctant to go out or buy something I clearly don't need. Some of the ways I save cash are: - When I drink it's usually boxed wine, I can barely tell the difference between it and good wine and I don't get hungover - I live in a crappy house with 3 other guys to save on rent (although the house is crappy, the space is HUGE, we each have our own bathroom two living rooms a yard and pay next to nothing) - I rarely go out to eat or to the bar, I pretty much only go when I'm forced, like for a bachelor party or most recently a going away party. Not only does it save money but I usually have way more fun at house parties - I'm currently dieting, not just because I'm fat but because I'm too cheap to buy enough healthy food for someone my size. - When I go to the casino (I recently moved to Connecticut so this happens far to often for my liking) I barely if ever place bets, I usually just stand around my friends like a vagrant and try to take advantage of the free drinks - Clothes, I almost NEVER buy clothes, only when it's absolutely necessary and when that arises I usually go to Walmart or building 19 - I have an Ipod Nano my dad won at a work function that he gave to me four years ago. It has since been through a washer and dryer cycle and been crushed by a dumbbell, I can only see a quarter of the screen but I refuse to buy a new one - I am the only one of my friends that does not have internet on their phone. That said, like the OP I do splurge on certain things - I have a 55" LED TV, it fucking rocks, anyone who thinks money doesn't buy happiness needs to watch a movie or play a video game on it - The few times I do go out I throw money around like it's going to rot, I usually buy everyone shots and never think twice about getting the most expensive thing on the menu - Beer: Unless I'm playing a drinking game I like to have a nice oatmeal stout or porter, pretty much the only cheaper beer I'll willingly drink is Yuengling - I try to play paintball as often as possible even though I suck at it, in fact I'll probably go this or next weekend Like Ballsack I live a fixed amount below my means and pocket the rest, I actually have 4 savings accounts all dedicated to different things that I have money auto-deducted into every month, granted none of these accounts have over $3 grand since I made some stupid decisions in my early twenties but it's something.
Focus: I splurge on make-up. I can't fathom the thought of wrecking my skin by putting cheap drugstore shit on my face, so I opt for Sephora only. I will however, skimp, on buying clothes. I don't really care where my clothes come from as long as they look nice. I will gladly rock my Hanes v-neck t-shirt with my Louis Vuitton bracelet any day. Alt. Focus: I am the worst at saving. I make money, I like to spend money. I figure that I'm young and now is the time for me to have fun and if that means spending all of my monies, then so be it. I'm thinking after summer, I'm going to try to tone it down and save up a bunch of money so I can actually go to Europe like I had planned to this summer
My grandfather was such a cheap fuck, that he would unroll the toilet paper, separate the plies and then reroll it back onto a stick so that it would last twice as long. I remember when I was 5, he had the biggest shit fit when my sister and I wasted about 6 rolls of toilet paper turning ourselves into mummies. Also hand soap. He would divide a bottle into about 4 other bottles, and then fill them with water. Taking a shit and washing your hands at grandad's house sucked.
When I started to read this thread, I thought you were going to say that you cut corners on Toilet Paper. That is the biggest no no in my book. My roommate always bought the cheaper stuff until I made him compare side by side the cheap stuff and charmin ultra soft. I have to admit that I am not the most prudent spender. I especially tend to splurge on electronics (always gotta have the best gadgets), food (I'm a fatty), beer (duh)...and video games. I spend way too much money on buying xbox and ps3 games. The things that I am a little more frugal on is clothes. I buy most of my work clothes and every day collared shirts at Ross. I only really spend extra on sport coats and jeans.
I splurge on food and food-related products. My knives are top of the line, and everything from my stove to my wooden spoons are the best money can buy. I have all sorts of gizmos and gadgets including a deep-fryer that rivals most industrial grade models I've worked with, a slush/ice cream maker, a giant centrifugal juicer, a blender that I'm pretty sure has busted a hole in the time-space continuum, my Kitchen-Aid mixer, a coffee maker than belongs in a space station, and all sorts of other goodies that making cooking a blast, including all manner of frying pans, pots, spatulas, tongs, spring-form pans, casserole dishes, serving trays, ramekins, etc. etc. Hell, I've spent more of my income in the last 6 years on kitchen supplies than I have on rent. Easily. When it comes to food, it's whatever I want, when I want it. Fuck sales, discounts, fuck all that. I spend mountains of cash of prime cuts of beef, pork and chicken. I rival restaurants with how much I spend on fish at the local seafood market. I've put in hundreds of dollars, not to mention man-hours, this last two months alone towards my garden, which is going to produce incredible amounts of vegetables this year. I get my fruit from a co-op that offers some of the best fruit I've ever tasted, and it's all locally grown. In short, if it's food, I'm all in. No half-step, no hesitation. Don't fuckin' bother if you're not going to do it proper right off the bat. Everything else, I get on the cheap. Clothes are worn until they are no longer covering the naughty bits. Cheap curtains, cheap pillows, cheap beds, cheap electronics, cheap couches, cheap everything. Except for toilet paper, which is a sensitive subject for me. Citronelle all the way motherfuckers! While I'm not the best fellow to take tips from regarding cost-cutting on the culinary and gardening front, I can offer one little gem. Look around your area for auctions when restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and the like close down. You can get things for next to nothing there, and much of it will outlast most commercial items you might pick up brand new for twice the cost.
When I have the money I splurge hard on new video games. I used to be one of those people that would line up well before midnight for new releases as well as buying games JUST to play the demo for the game that wasn't out for another six months. Being broke and the fact that you just download demos now has changed my splurging tendencies. I buy shit used now or just rent a game and beat it in within the week. Fat Tire actually is one of the few times Ill splurge on beer. I mean I appreciate a good beer but that is not my driving force behind drinking a beer. I drink beer to get drunk and it is much easier and cheaper to buy a 12 pack of pabst and drink to have fun than it is to pay more and choke down tons of "good beer" playing drinking games. Fat Tire on the other hand usurps this logic because it is simply amazing. Still not a blow out kegger type of beer. edit: I'd like to reiterate that I do not splurge on Fat Tire to play 80 rounds of flip cup. It isn't really a party beer. When the chance arises that I can get my hands on some I treat it like a prize and sip it with my pinky out. Not that Ive never partied with it but Im not doing beer bongs of it either.
Totally off focus: My apologies, but I have to step in. It isn't the beer; it's the lines. Most restaurants and places that are licensed to sell draft beer (think hockey arenas) don't give a shit about their draft system, and as a result they essentially poison people and everyone thinks it's the beer. Not so. Beer is like milk - it can spoil. Therefore, to prevent this, several things must be done: - Have the lines cleaned REGULARLY. Our pub did it every two weeks. That's a $300 charge that restaurants hate paying, so often they don't. Imagine milk being piped through a plastic line and that line never being cleaned...yeah. Ew. - Refrigerate the line all the way to the tap. Most places keep the keg room cold, but there's about five pints in the lines going from the keg to the tap that's often unrefrigerated. If it's allowed to sit at room temperature those first five or six pours will contain disgusting amounts of bacteria. This is what makes you sick and headache-y. - The bartender allowing the pour to touch the tap. A small thing but if the guy pulling pints is letting the glass rest high enough so that the tip of the tap is in the poured beer, it's allowing bacteria to build up just inside the tap. Bacteria = sick. I could go on, but I've derailed enough for now. You want good draft beer? Ask the place you're ordering at how often they clean the lines. When they stare at you like a deer in the headlights, go elsewhere.
I have an older cousin that has always been tight with money, despite having a well paid job and inheriting property etc. Evidence of his tight ass ways that defy logic. His previous car running out of fuel because he was only filling up some $10 of petrol at a time. His current car has been converted to run on LPG (liquid petroleum gas) with retails for roughly half of the cost of petrol (albeit in Australia such a conversion is a common thing) , but his car has to start on petrol and then switches over to lpg gas. So , when he fills with lpg , he adds $5 of petrol (thats less than 5 litres) , not only is his petrol guage constantly showing empty but he has to stop for petrol more often than he stops for lpg. I can only wonder what Petrol station attendants think of him. One way I have been saving money by not buying coffees when at work (at around $3 -$3.50 Au per coffee and two-three per day) , but instead buying my own coffee machine for $140 that makes perfectly good coffee and making my own.
I figure since this thread is about saving money this is a good question to ask, but delete it if it's not. Aside from if you actually do not have the money to fill up all the way, do people actually think you save money by filling up small amounts at a time? If you fill up $60 worth of gas you are not wasting more money than if you only filled up $15 worth, you are simply buying 4 times as much gas, and therefore it will last you 4 times as long. If I'm missing something, which I really might be, please inform me to why this could work. This is ignoring varying fuel prices at different stations/periods of time.
Well, your car would be carrying less weight if you constantly keep the gas low which would theoretically increase fuel efficiency. That said in my mind it's still a really fucking stupid way to try and save money unless gas is absurdly high where you're filling up and know you can get it cheaper elsewhere. Especially when you factor in the extra time you spend since you fill up more frequently plus the fuel you waste every time you turn on your car and accelerate out of the gas station (I'm speaking out my ass here, let me know if I'm wrong). As stupid as it is I'm guilty of it time to time, if it's the last day of the month and I'm $20 away from meeting my budget but desperately need gas I usually think to myself "you really only need 3 gallons to get home" but usually dismiss it when I realize how dumb that is.
Call this bitching, but I get a lot of shit from my roomates about being financially smart (in my mind), or as they like to call it; "saving for nothing." I've never understood it. Just because I opened that bag of pretzels doesn't mean I have to finish it or offer it to the rest of you. It's a simple understanding of your needs/wants and being able to budget your money. My one roomate who constantly tries to make fun of it for me didn't have any money to buy food the last week and a half of the semester. Guess who bought him meals? This guy. I don't have any notable items, but I just laugh at kids who can't budget their money. I'm only 20 and between working at a bank as a teller and being brought up in a financially sound family has taught me one thing: Don't buy something you can't pay for one way or the other.
I convert from Catholicism to Judaism right before Lent so I don't have to pay the mark-up on fish, then convert back just in time to cash in on the sale price of ham for Easter Sunday. Since I don't have to go to church during this time, I also pocket the cash I'd normally put in the collection basket. I know, most of you are thinking, "Well, why not just find a religion that doesn't cost anything?" Well, my friends, eternal salvation has a price tag. I'm just structuring better financing. Oh, and I shop at Costco.
Never EVER buy store-brand ketchup. It's Heinz or it's nothing. Shopping at a farmer's market for produce not only saves money, but it's better. No-Name microwave popcorn tastes like freshly popped dog shit. I fork over the good coin for it like a classy stud would. With Beer I'm not Moneybags but not by any means cheap. The only cheap beer I like is Lakeport Pilsner, but that's only when the funds are low.
Focus: I buy a lot of shit no-name because theres generally no difference. Exceptions are Ketchup (water is the first ingrediant in no name ketchup) and toilet paper because fuck that risk. Alt Focus: I spend far too much; and its coming back to bite me in the ass saving for a down payment on a house. At least I don't have debt outside of my car.