What's Your "Cheap" ?

[coolerifyoudid]

We all pay cash for our houses and cars, of course, but what aspect of your life would you qualify yourself as being stingy?

Do you buy knock-off cereal?
Do you buy liquor off the bottom shelf?
Do you need a name brand hotel or can we leave the light on for ya?
Do you have a punch card at the local brothel?

Where do you cut corners?

 

[keepngoal]

I cut corners with coupons from my favorite website.

 

[CloniesForLife]

I pack pretty much the same lunch to work everyday. Only go get lunch 1-2 times a month as more of a social/networking thing.

 

[cycloneG]

Cereal.

I don't eat cereal because I think it's disgusting but my wife and children practically live on it. I do all the grocery shopping so they have to make do with Malt-O-Meal brand. They ***** constantly about it because they want the "good stuff". It tastes exactly the same, IMO!

 

[StratCY]

Getting married soon. It was supposed to be next October, but things are so expensive, so we are moving it closer to home and doing a small close family wedding. Dont want to go into more debt just to get married. By doing this My fiance and I are saving about $10k

 

[srjclone]

I don't buy new clothes. If someone (my girlfriend) buys me a shirt or pants that I like, I'll throw her some cash for it, but if I'm in a store I can never bring myself to purchase something. "What does it matter if I buy this new shirt, I already have 75 shirts at home" is my mindset while my girlfriend rolls her eyes and calls me dumb

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

is there a difference between trying to get a good price vs cheap?
for example, i saw some Nike shoes for $80 at the shoe store and looked online and found them for $55 direct from nike. I wanted the better deal but spending $55 on shoes i don't really need isn't being thrifty

 

[flander1649]

A lot of things I don't need name brand crap.

 

[KnappShack]

I like shirts that have the date on them. Not every shirt, but some mixed in. Lets me know that a large portion of my weekend t-shirts are 20+ years old. Keeps it real.

My big cheap is my vehicle. I grew up in **** cars and still drive them. Guess it's the freedom to not care if I get a door ding and the excitement of not knowing if the ride is going to start.

River Town 4 Life

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

I like shirts that have the date on them. Not every shirt, but some mixed in. Lets me know that a large portion of my weekend t-shirts are 20+ years old. Keeps it real.

do you secretly go to walmart and buy shirts with dates on them?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Allman-B...-Eat-A-Peach-T-Shirt-Coolie-S-3XL-S/925067095

 

[RyCy04]

Same car for over 13 years now.

 

[KnappShack]

do you secretly go to walmart and buy shirts with dates on them?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Allman-B...-Eat-A-Peach-T-Shirt-Coolie-S-3XL-S/925067095

Those *******!

At Urban Outfitters I saw a 1997 Race for the Zoo shirt that I actually ran in 20 years prior. (Still have the shirt) Buying that is cheating.

My ISU Career Day '92 shirt is legit. I promise

 

[mywayorcyway]

Cars. I've never bought a brand new car, and I keep them as long as they don't give me problems. They've always been decent. Not the nicest, but not hunks of junk either.

My last three cars:
Paid $22k, sold for $19k (two years)
Paid $13k, insurance settlement for $10k (it was totaled, but I did put $4k into it...so I spent $7k total) (six years)
Paid $16k, looking at selling right now and will probably get $10k (six years)

14 years, $16,000. I can live with that.

 

[cowgirl836]

cups and silverware, apparently. We got some niceish plates after the wedding but have never changed out our college collection of cups and silverware. Most of our cups are from some bank in Ames. We keep saying we're going to get a nice set of both (especially since we have broken several of the silverware now) but haven't.

Definitely do the whole "search 15 sites before booking" for hotels and such. I'm more about good deals than cheap though. Used to go cheap on clothes and shoes and have found it's not worth it.

 

[carvers4math]

We only have one grocery store in town, a HyVee. Because they have a monopoly, their prices are crazy high. The stuff in the storewide sale ad they mysteriously don't have, like they have run out of it as soon as the ad comes out. One of my kids did an econ project that involved comparing the cost of a gallon of milk at our HyVee versus HyVees in neighboring towns, as well as other stores in those towns. A gallon of milk at our HyVee cost 77 cents more that the next highest store.

As a result, I drive 20 miles each way and do most of my shopping for a week at a Fareway in a neighboring town. We use the local HyVee like a convenience store, when just an item or two are needed.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Clothes and cars were the two things that came to me when I started this.

I have nice clothes for weddings, funerals, etc, but the rest of my wardrobe is pretty basic and pretty old. I stay away from trends and stick with solid colors or simple patterns that last the test of time. It's not unusual for me to go several years without buying a shirt or a pair of pants. Shoes are the exception. I won't buy cheaply made shoes.

While I love nice cars, I really just need something to get me to work and back and be reliable. I get too many rock chips and door dings from the daily grind. And if I don't feel like washing my car for awhile, meh.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

We all pay cash for our houses and cars, of course, but what aspect of your life would you qualify yourself as being stingy?

Do you buy knock-off cereal?
Do you buy liquor off the bottom shelf?
Do you check 20 different websites before getting a hotel?
Do you have a punch card at the local brothel?

Where do you cut corners?

You'd be better off asking me where I'm willing to spend a little more. I'm a total cheapskate!

 

[wxman1]

I am not terribly cheap with any one thing other than maybe groceries. I am not picky so saving money and buying store brand is more than fine with me. However I don't do the shopping so as long as she sticks to the budget we are cool. I am cheap in general combined with the fact that if I am going to buy something I want it to be good quality and fulfill want I am looking for and I am willing to pay extra to be more sure of this. That being said I am also generally willing to wait as long as it is not an emergency to make sure we can afford it.

I don't know if checking hotels, flights etc for deal is so much cheap as it is just being smart. You have tools at your disposal...use them.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I pack pretty much the same lunch to work everyday. Only go get lunch 1-2 times a month as more of a social/networking thing.

That's a good one for me too. I'm the only one in my side of the office that doesn't go out to get lunch every day. The people that walk in with Starbucks every morning and then complain about bills make me chuckle.

 

[CycloneWarning]

Have some nice wine in the house, but also will have box wine around for just regular glass every now and then.

Like others, clothes. Rarely buy new clothes. I probably have some business shirts that are 15+ years old and still look fine.

Will keep every new car 10+ years.