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What are your frugal secrets?

Cheap things you buy or use which save you money?

by Anonymousreply 601July 23, 2019 9:10 PM

Stock up on the essentials when they are on sale.

by Anonymousreply 1July 10, 2019 7:38 PM

Sugar, dairy products, condiments from Aldi.

by Anonymousreply 2July 10, 2019 7:41 PM

my roommate in college used to go into starbucks and grab sugar, straws, napkins etc.

by Anonymousreply 3July 10, 2019 7:53 PM

Frozen blueberries at Dollar Tree for $1 each (duh) -- they're great to make into smoothies. Other places will cost you at least 3 x that for the same product.

by Anonymousreply 4July 10, 2019 7:55 PM

Mean Green cleaner at Dollar Store. Formula 409 and the other name brands are a joke compared to Mean Green.

by Anonymousreply 5July 10, 2019 7:58 PM

you pay a $1 for each blueberry? How is that frugal???

by Anonymousreply 6July 10, 2019 7:59 PM

R6, lol. These packages. They have mixed berries and other assorted frozen fruit -- when the link previews return, you can see.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 7July 10, 2019 8:01 PM

I go to Mexico for dental work.

by Anonymousreply 8July 10, 2019 8:04 PM

lots of eggs

by Anonymousreply 9July 10, 2019 8:07 PM

Order for in store pickup (or free delivery) for places like Target or Walmart so you're not tempted to purchase more than what you need. Amazon Prime. Produce, dairy, some refrigerated items and home goods from dollar stores. Buy gently used items from your neighborhood's FB resale page or go to thrift stores. Costco is a ripoff and a impulse buyers nightmare.

by Anonymousreply 10July 10, 2019 8:12 PM

I take all of the toilet paper rolls every time I stay in a motel/hotel. Also I collect a sack full of condiments (sugars, creamers, salt, pepper, napkins, ketchup, mayo, mustard from any restaurant that puts it out for customers. I eat a banana every time I grocery shop and dispose of the peel before checkout. I use my public library to check out DVDs for free. I also ask the front desk at every motel/hotel for razors and shaving cream and toothpaste and they usually have a kit for free.

by Anonymousreply 11July 10, 2019 8:15 PM

Those blueberries are likely coated in glyphosate. Enjoy the cancer.

by Anonymousreply 12July 10, 2019 8:15 PM

^Everything gives you cancer. You would have to live in a bubble to avoid all of the dangers and toxins of the modern world.

by Anonymousreply 13July 10, 2019 8:19 PM

Swallowing cum saves from using tissues.

by Anonymousreply 14July 10, 2019 8:22 PM

I just got back from the 99 Cents Only store. Bought: broccoflower, purple cauliflower, a bag of yellow onions, a bag of baby spinach, a bag of spring mix, a bag of green salad, two packages of raspberries. All 99 cents/each. Also a bag of nectarines (.99/lb), red grapes (.99/lb), broccoli florets ($1.99/bag), lemons ($1.99/bag.) All fresh.

by Anonymousreply 15July 10, 2019 8:26 PM

R13 wrong. But believe that if it helps you get through the day.

by Anonymousreply 16July 10, 2019 8:26 PM

I eat at home almost exclusively.

I save my chicken bones and vegetable trimmings and make my own soup stock. I also make chicken soup stock with chicken backs and feet. It's delicious.

When I take the subway downtown, if I'm coming back uptown within two hours I take the bus, because the transfer is free.

I don't use ATMs with a fee.

Once in awhile when invited out I decline and say "I'm currently on a tight budget", and often someone says, "Just join us, I'll pay for you". After decades of throwing money around at others, I'm fine with this.

I convert credit card/airlines points into Banana Republic gift cards, I use the ones I earn there as well as the discount for being a cardholder/user. I shop twice a year and ONLY purchase items marked 40% off or more (really 44% with the store card discount added in). I replace a mountain of clothes for very little. The salesperson almost always says, "Wow, you did really well today!"

by Anonymousreply 17July 10, 2019 8:28 PM

I don’t throw out food if I can at all help it.

by Anonymousreply 18July 10, 2019 8:29 PM

Spot heating and cooling in my 1500SF home. Saves a few hundred a year without sacrificing comfort. Line drying laundry year around.

by Anonymousreply 19July 10, 2019 8:31 PM

[quote]Those blueberries are likely coated in glyphosate. Enjoy the cancer.

Gawd, another food alarmist who believes "organic" means "pesticide-free" (it doesn't) and that the boogyman glyphosate has killed millions. Being a retard like that is sad.

by Anonymousreply 20July 10, 2019 8:33 PM

When I get rebates on my credit cards, I only use it to apply to the balance (which I also pay in full every month.) I never buy or use gift cards, because I'd lose out on any rebate that I might earn by using a credit card for the purchase.

by Anonymousreply 21July 10, 2019 8:33 PM

I have a dryer but only use it for towels & sheets. For clothes, I dry them on hangers (indoors). Gentle on my clothes, clothes already on hangers, and saves $ on electricity.

by Anonymousreply 22July 10, 2019 8:41 PM

I used to work near a casino and a Big Lots. For lunch hour, I'd go into BL and buy one of those tuna kits with the crackers and tiny spoon (and whatever else was marked down) then walk around the casino drinking from their free beverage stations. I'd find enough money left in the slot machines to pay for my purchases.

by Anonymousreply 23July 10, 2019 8:59 PM

I collect condoms and lube packets from the gay bars and now have a drawer full!

by Anonymousreply 24July 10, 2019 9:00 PM

R17 I tip my hat to your discipline, I wish I was that organized. Suze Orman is proud of you.

by Anonymousreply 25July 10, 2019 9:07 PM

R20 go have your shot of glyphosate before bed and you will feel justified in your stupidity.

by Anonymousreply 26July 10, 2019 9:09 PM

I try to stock up when there's any non perishables on sale. TP, paper towels, tissues, cleaning products.

Because those are often the things that, if you need to buy it at a small local store because you're in a pinch, you pay extra. A lot extra, almost double sometimes.

by Anonymousreply 27July 10, 2019 9:10 PM

Mostly, I’m terrible with money. Despite earning very little, I spend on many things I have no need for. However...

I use my NYC ID whenever I go grocery shopping. That gets me a five percent discount on my total bill. Great deal.

I have breakfast at home almost every day rather than somewhere on the way to work. Not only saves money but it’s much tastier.

I’m an addictive reader so rather than buy books I borrow from the library.

That’s about the extent of my frugal behavior.

by Anonymousreply 28July 10, 2019 9:13 PM

R15 Jesus you must be a gassy bitch

by Anonymousreply 29July 10, 2019 9:15 PM

I "borrow" toilet paper

by Anonymousreply 30July 10, 2019 9:16 PM

spam posted by ip address 5.226.139.164 removed.

by Anonymousreply 31July 10, 2019 9:17 PM

I maximize my credit card rebates. I have a Chase Amazon VISA -- gives me 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods (although I'm too frugal to shop at WF.) I ONLY use it at Amazon. I have other cards that give me 4% back on restaurants or travel, or 5% on gas -- again, I ONLY use those for those categories. For everything else, I use the Citi Double Cash Master Card -- 2% back on everything.

by Anonymousreply 32July 10, 2019 9:32 PM

Wiping my ass with $100 bills as I read this depressing thread ....

by Anonymousreply 33July 10, 2019 9:42 PM

Instead of buying individual soft drinks at work, I make a big pitcher of iced tea and disperse it out in reusable bottles through the week. I see people spending about five bucks a day on drinks.

I also pack my (nutritious) lunch now, instead of getting in the car and waiting at the fast food drive-in window, like some fools.

by Anonymousreply 34July 10, 2019 9:43 PM

Melania

by Anonymousreply 35July 10, 2019 9:44 PM

Don't throw anything away. Get a big box and store it in the basement or attic with shit you don't use, but might have a need for in the future. Just a few of the things in my big box: A Dell monitor from 13 years ago, a 5.1 Logitech PC speaker system from 11 years ago, motorcycle helmets, long-ass rope, spare jumper cables, lunch bag, briefcase, document shredder, dinner ware/silver ware, pots n pans and on and on. Joseph P Kennedy is my hero. "Keep your eye on the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."

by Anonymousreply 36July 10, 2019 9:52 PM

I refill my Swiffer wet mop with solution I make myself.

by Anonymousreply 37July 10, 2019 9:54 PM

Buy nothing unless you need it and it’s on sale

by Anonymousreply 38July 10, 2019 10:08 PM

I buy one-ply napkins …$1.99 for 200. Use half at the table. The others as toilet paper. Does the job and doesn't clog the bowl.

by Anonymousreply 39July 10, 2019 10:11 PM

Instead of buying foaming soap for your sink or shower, you can make your own. It's almost all water anyway. Fill your foaming soap dispenser with 1/5 body wash or hand soap of your chosen scent, fill the other 4/5 with water. Shake slowly to mix. I didn't think the soap would stay in suspension, but it does.

by Anonymousreply 40July 10, 2019 10:12 PM

spam posted by ip address 5.226.139.164 removed.

by Anonymousreply 41July 10, 2019 10:14 PM

Use shamoo instead of Woolite on fine washables. 😍

by Anonymousreply 42July 10, 2019 10:15 PM

Sign up for church charity recipients to receive donated clothes, canned food, and other household necessities

by Anonymousreply 43July 10, 2019 10:20 PM

Wow some of you are some CHEAP ASS BITCHES

by Anonymousreply 44July 10, 2019 10:23 PM

Leaving the house costs money, stay home.

by Anonymousreply 45July 10, 2019 10:31 PM

Instead of the expensive products to get rid of "Ring Around the Color," use shampoo. The ring is created by the grease from your hair.

by Anonymousreply 46July 10, 2019 10:31 PM

My electric bill went down by half when I turned off my air conditioner and switched to fans on stands pointed toward the ceiling,

by Anonymousreply 47July 10, 2019 10:33 PM

I use Crisco grease in a can for fisting lube instead of the expensive water-based lubes like Wet and Adam Male brands.

by Anonymousreply 48July 10, 2019 10:35 PM

I buy loads of plastic kitchen storage containers, and boxes of Reynolds Wrap individual aluminum foil sheets at Dollar Tree

by Anonymousreply 49July 10, 2019 10:39 PM

I no longer have a car and now either walk or take public transportation. If I need to go out of town, which may be once a month, I rent a car or ride with friends.

by Anonymousreply 50July 10, 2019 10:40 PM

When taking a shower I sometimes throw dirty clothes in the floor of the tub and wash them with Shampoo. I hang dry them outside if it's warm.

by Anonymousreply 51July 10, 2019 11:31 PM

I live in the West Village. Used to rent cars locally for trips to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Now I hop on the PATH and rent in Jersey City. Cheaper, less tax and no toll through the Holland Tunnel.

by Anonymousreply 52July 10, 2019 11:31 PM

I have done that too R52.

by Anonymousreply 53July 10, 2019 11:32 PM

[quote]My electric bill went down by half when I turned off my air conditioner and switched to fans on stands pointed toward the ceiling,

The hot air is near the ceiling. You are actually pushing hotter air down into the room. You should point them parallel to the floor to circulate the lower, cooler air. That's the reason that ceiling fans go two directions.

by Anonymousreply 54July 10, 2019 11:33 PM

^^ If it works for the poster, what's it to you?

by Anonymousreply 55July 10, 2019 11:34 PM

I take my coins to the Coinstar and use them for gift cards there....instead of paying the fee to cash them out.

(If you're lucky, your bank may have a counter that counts for you and deposits them, but that is rare.)

by Anonymousreply 56July 10, 2019 11:36 PM

Grocery Outlet has some tremendous deals on food and I've found some premium-quality clothes (brand & condition) at thrift stores.

Even decent-quality food and new clothing strikes me as damned expensive.

by Anonymousreply 57July 10, 2019 11:37 PM

R55 bathes in ignorance. He can use fewer fans, be more comfortable, and save more money, you moron.

by Anonymousreply 58July 10, 2019 11:39 PM

Poors

by Anonymousreply 59July 10, 2019 11:40 PM

People like R11 are the reason my gym no longer offers disposable razors in the locker room.

by Anonymousreply 60July 10, 2019 11:45 PM

R58 -- Again, what's it to you? When we want your opinion we'll kick the shit out of you.

by Anonymousreply 61July 10, 2019 11:47 PM

R36, general application of the old principle of “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without” works wonders. Go out to eat only as a rare treat, stop with the expensive coffee, sodas, impulse junk food. No bars or drinking alcohol at all. You will save lots of money and also live longer. Or maybe it will just seem longer.

by Anonymousreply 62July 10, 2019 11:48 PM

Something I used to do before, and a time-honored tradition for those young, broke, and out bar-hopping: pre-boozing before the club or even sneaking it in. You can get pretty inventive at this at 21.

by Anonymousreply 63July 10, 2019 11:55 PM

[quote]I maximize my credit card rebates. I have a Chase Amazon VISA -- gives me 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods (although I'm too frugal to shop at WF.) I ONLY use it at Amazon. I have other cards that give me 4% back on restaurants or travel, or 5% on gas -- again, I ONLY use those for those categories. For everything else, I use the Citi Double Cash Master Card -- 2% back on everything.

Great tip. I have a similar rotation. Charge everything possible and pay it off in full once a month. It averages out to saving 3-4% of my yearly spending.

by Anonymousreply 64July 10, 2019 11:58 PM

R61, I'm sorry your life is so empty.

by Anonymousreply 65July 10, 2019 11:58 PM

When I travel I always find the cheapest hotel there is. I realized I wasn't spending much time in the room anyway except for sleeping.

by Anonymousreply 66July 11, 2019 12:28 AM

Dollar Tree sells Potstickers for a fraction of what you would pay for them at a grocery store in the frozen food section. Even better, there's like 12 in a pack (there used to be 14, actually, years ago). I used to work at a TGI Friday's back in the 90's and they would sell these as an appetizer for like $6, and you only got like 6 of them per order. Their mini veggie spring rolls are also great.

Another deal I've sometimes found at Dollar Tree's is cans of Progresso brand artichoke hearts, which typically sell for $3.99 elsewhere around here.

I'm not too fond of Aldi's these days, because they're being sneaky with smaller portions and skimpy on individual ingredients in their products, but their smoked salmon is still a good deal at $3.99 per pack for a 3 oz pack vs. like $8.99 for a 4 oz pack elsewhere.

by Anonymousreply 67July 11, 2019 12:38 AM

I kill rentboys so I don't have to pay them.

by Anonymousreply 68July 11, 2019 1:07 AM

Great idea!! ^^^^ no one will miss those skanky hos anyway!

by Anonymousreply 69July 11, 2019 1:57 AM

Use washcloths instead of toilet paper.

by Anonymousreply 70July 11, 2019 1:59 AM

r70, please tell me you're joking.

by Anonymousreply 71July 11, 2019 2:06 AM

R70, why not just borrow some old newspapers from the homeless guy in the alley out back? You have to think cheaper!

by Anonymousreply 72July 11, 2019 2:06 AM

Actually, a bidet is way more cost effective if you don't wish to use TP. So is using the handheld part of a shower.

by Anonymousreply 73July 11, 2019 2:09 AM

Bidets don't work. If you think they do, go pick up some dog shit in your hand and then just rinse it off with water and go about your day.

by Anonymousreply 74July 11, 2019 2:12 AM

I built my own mall on the lower level of my mansion.

by Anonymousreply 75July 11, 2019 3:09 AM

9 Lives stretched with your saltine cracker and bread crumbs makes a meatloaf that can feed an army.

by Anonymousreply 76July 11, 2019 3:12 AM

If you're gonna drink alcohol (don't want to quit), drink at home instead of at a bar. You can buy and drink exactly what you want and you don't have to worry about how you're going to get home. The markup on drinks in bars and restaurants is crazy.

by Anonymousreply 77July 11, 2019 3:26 AM

[quote]I refill my Swiffer wet mop with solution I make myself.

I did the same thing for a few years. The Swiffer mop I had got damaged in a moving van during a move. I bought one of those Libman spray mops. I make the solution for that and the mop covers are washable and last at least year before replacing them.

by Anonymousreply 78July 11, 2019 3:26 AM

Cloth wipes (aka "family cloth") are gross.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 79July 11, 2019 3:30 AM

My drip coffee maker broke after ten years of service, it stopped heating the water. So I started boiling the water myself, and just poured the water over the grounds in the basket manually. I was just doing this as a stopgap until the French press I ordered arrived. But the French press was broken when I opened the box, so I returned it and just kept my old busted coffee maker and boiling the water myself. Honestly, it's some of the best home brew I've ever had since the water gets really nice and hot, and I've been too irritated to re-order a replacement. I was going to order a Chemex, but it seemed silly since I'm basically doing the same thing with what I have now.

by Anonymousreply 80July 11, 2019 4:02 AM

I look at my dog and to the few small possessions assigned to her then note that we too need very little to survive, look good, feel great and enjoy life. If I don't need it I don't buy it. If I have it and don't need it then I'm selling it or giving it away. This changed approach is saving me plenty.

by Anonymousreply 81July 11, 2019 6:06 AM

When my partner and I travel, we trade sex for lodging.

by Anonymousreply 82July 11, 2019 6:39 AM

R67, good tips!

by Anonymousreply 83July 11, 2019 5:43 PM

[quote] Poors

Hardly, Pal. If you only knew. Many of us are just people who are much smarter with money than those like you. You'll more than likely die broke or close to it. We won't

by Anonymousreply 84July 11, 2019 5:49 PM

Isn't it a goal to die broke? I don't want to die with a bunch of assets and unspent money. (I don't have any heirs.)

by Anonymousreply 85July 11, 2019 7:39 PM

^ Lemme take all that off your (passed on) hands. Can I have your stuff?

by Anonymousreply 86July 11, 2019 7:44 PM

My husband and I are very comfortable financially and plan on retiring in 10-15 years. We’ve never had to resort to some of these “frugalities.” Does it mean we’d have even more money, sure; but is it worth separating two-ply napkins and taking a shower with laundry? FUCK NO.

by Anonymousreply 87July 11, 2019 7:46 PM

[quote]Lemme take all that off your (passed on) hands. Can I have your stuff?

Absolutely. But you'll have to pay the "price" while I'm still alive.

by Anonymousreply 88July 11, 2019 8:19 PM

Skipping showers in lieu of just standing out in the rain.

by Anonymousreply 89July 14, 2019 12:27 AM

r87, good for you but not everyone is as fortunate as you and your husband.

by Anonymousreply 90July 14, 2019 1:02 AM

To be fair, the only accomodations r87 gets for sex are old refrigerator boxes.

On a good trip, they're not even urine soaked!

by Anonymousreply 91July 14, 2019 2:12 AM

The best tip all around is stay home and invite friends to your house. You will be healthier if you cook you’re own food. Buy liquor and make drinks at home.

by Anonymousreply 92July 14, 2019 2:25 AM

[quote] Don't throw anything away. Get a big box and store it in the basement or attic with shit you don't use, but might have a need for in the future. Just a few of the things in my big box: A Dell monitor from 13 years ago, a 5.1 Logitech PC speaker system from 11 years ago, motorcycle helmets, long-ass rope, spare jumper cables, lunch bag, briefcase, document shredder, dinner ware/silver ware, pots n pans and on and on. Joseph P Kennedy is my hero. "Keep your eye on the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."

That is called hoarding.

by Anonymousreply 93July 14, 2019 3:14 AM

I am very careful with petroleum jelly.

by Anonymousreply 94July 14, 2019 3:26 AM

I stock up on things (consumables) even when they're not on sale. Saves me time, I don't need to go shopping for the same items over and over.

by Anonymousreply 95July 14, 2019 4:18 AM

At the end of the month, lots of people move and throw out shit they can't be bothered to move...you will find lots of microwaves, kitchen utensils, lamps, side tables etc...

by Anonymousreply 96July 14, 2019 4:27 AM

Download the app Honey for online coupons and discounts.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 97July 14, 2019 4:34 AM

Several years I stopped all the folderol of buying and grinding my own coffee beans and using my old drip coffee maker.

I was at some friends' home and was served a cup of coffee that was quite delicious. I asked about it and they laughed, "It's instant!" I didn't know coffee companies were making instant that tastes good these days.

The instant coffee I knew was preferred by my grandmother and it was awful. And my parents used our electric percolator only on weekends, so I was not raised in a coffee connoisseur household.

My tip: Try different brands of instant coffee to find one you like and skip all the expensive folderol. You'll be drinking your first cup much faster and certainly more economically.

by Anonymousreply 98July 14, 2019 12:54 PM

But which Instant coffee is drinkable?

by Anonymousreply 99July 14, 2019 1:07 PM

R97 I’ll try that, thanks. Always check retailmenot.com for coupon codes before buying online.

I love this thread! I hate waste and what some nasty people on this thread don’t get is that it feels good/satisfying to save money for some of us. I like gaming the system.

1. I almost never buy coffe or water. Freeze a half filled water bottle then fill the rest up in the a.m. and you have cold water with you all day. 2. Grow your own vegetables. 3. Plan our CVS purchase around when you get a coupon code when you sign up for their emails and have an extra care card. I just did it the other day with a 32% off coupon for my entire purchase and save $50! TIP - if you go to the extra care section on their website for there are more coupons as well as manufacturer’s coupons you can add to your card and they will take the discount off on top of the original discount! Ahhhh, that gorgeous feeling when you get something on sale with a coupon!

by Anonymousreply 100July 14, 2019 1:07 PM

"But which Instant coffee is drinkable?"

Of course, that's a matter of taste, but the friends' instant coffee that hooked me was Taster's Choice French Roast. Since then I've tried a half dozen other brands, some not so great (but drinkable) and others good and unique in their own way.

The Germans, Swiss, and Austrians all make some good instants. Look on the label to see where its made.

by Anonymousreply 101July 14, 2019 1:18 PM

Cafe Bustello is hands down the best instant coffee.

by Anonymousreply 102July 14, 2019 1:56 PM

Speaking of coffee, I run water thru my grinds two days in a row so I use half what I used to use. Coffee isn’t cheap and unfortunately I don’t like the crappy beans.

by Anonymousreply 103July 14, 2019 1:58 PM

Instant is vile, even that brand, but thanks for playing.

by Anonymousreply 104July 14, 2019 3:52 PM

Ridiculous coffee prices and brewing rituals appeal to people like R104 -- and that's OK.

Bless her heart.

by Anonymousreply 105July 14, 2019 4:06 PM

Some of these 'hints' have made this ole gal blush! Especially the creative uses for Crisco!

by Anonymousreply 106July 14, 2019 4:11 PM

I make my own tortillas, and refried beans from dried pintos. Masa is soooooo cheap. Makes great tamales, too.

I eat like a peasant.

by Anonymousreply 107July 14, 2019 4:17 PM

Always stay on good terms and be generous and thoughtful with friends who have homes in Paris, London, Hamburg, Berlin, Rome, Beirut, Cairo, NYC and beach and mountain resorts. Was friends for 10 years with someone who had a super yacht but finally he sold it. I realise this doesn't apply to those who are on very strict budgets, but it does help stretch an otherwise middle class lifestyle.

by Anonymousreply 108July 14, 2019 4:24 PM

My lunch and dinners Monday through Friday are a “casserole” made of ramen noodles and generic canned tuna. I eat out once a week on Saturday or Sunday, but the meal must be under $10. I take a multivitamin to make up for no veggies.

by Anonymousreply 109July 14, 2019 4:28 PM

R109 - please rethink the "no vegetables but I take vitamins" strategy. You'd be better off cutting back on meat and replacing it with plant sources. So many benefits of plant-based diets are the plants themselves. Not just the vitamins and minerals, it's the fiber and the micronutrients. No need to eliminate animal sources of protein, just a little less.

And it's cheap.

by Anonymousreply 110July 14, 2019 4:38 PM

R110 - thanks! Would you recommend canned vegetables or fresh? Keep in mind I’m on a tight budget!!

by Anonymousreply 111July 14, 2019 4:39 PM

I'm not R110, but I'd recommend frozen vegetables, R111.

They're flash frozen at peak freshness and retain a ton of their nutrients that way. Plus, you can usually get a big bag of your frozen vegetable(s) of choice for $2 or less.

by Anonymousreply 112July 14, 2019 4:41 PM

Canned greens of any kind in the brassica family. And spinach.

You'll learn how to season your greens very quickly.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 113July 14, 2019 4:44 PM

Good tip about the instant coffee. It's generally pretty drinkable in Europe, especially the stuff that's everywhere in Germany. Does anyone know the German brand I'm talking about? You see it in cafes and even vending machines at the train stations.

by Anonymousreply 114July 14, 2019 4:50 PM

[quote]Plus, you can usually get a big bag of your frozen vegetable(s) of choice for $2 or less.

Frozen peas can often be found for under $1, and they double as ice packs in case of ... household accidents.

by Anonymousreply 115July 14, 2019 8:12 PM

[quote]a “casserole” made of ramen noodles and generic canned tuna

Hey! That's the same thing I use to clean my pussy!

by Anonymousreply 116July 14, 2019 8:48 PM

I like to eat baked tortilla chips with salsa (instead of high-fat fried tortilla chips) but no one seems to make them anymore, so I make my own-- very inexpensively. Buy some cheap corn tortillas, cut them into sixths, sprinkle with salt, and bake until just starting to turn brown around the edges.

by Anonymousreply 117July 14, 2019 8:50 PM

Baked chips are gross, that is why they are not made anymore. Do you also drink instant coffee?

by Anonymousreply 118July 14, 2019 9:08 PM

R109 that is just sad. Why are so you poor? Aren't there food pantries you can go to for some variety and real food.

by Anonymousreply 119July 14, 2019 9:12 PM

Why, I let my beloved lhasa apso clean that for me R116. I get a good cleaning and he gets a delicious dinner. It's a win-win for the both of us!

by Anonymousreply 120July 14, 2019 9:30 PM

R119 - I had a well-off partner for 9 years that recently passed away and his asshole daughter inherited everything. I had been a “stay at home” hubby that did the shopping, cooking, and household chores. Let this be a lesson to everyone: get it in writing and get in the will!!

by Anonymousreply 121July 14, 2019 9:34 PM

R119 - I had a well-off partner for 9 years that recently passed away and his asshole daughter inherited everything. I had been a “stay at home” hubby that did the shopping, cooking, and household chores. Let this be a lesson to everyone: get it in writing and get in the will!!

by Anonymousreply 122July 14, 2019 9:34 PM

R119 - I had a well-off partner for 9 years that recently passed away and his asshole daughter inherited everything. I had been a “stay at home” hubby that did the shopping, cooking, and household chores. Let this be a lesson to everyone: get it in writing and get in the will!!

by Anonymousreply 123July 14, 2019 9:34 PM

I'm sorry to hear that. You should find a way to improve your diet, still. Soup kitchens, food pantries, food stamps, something! If you kept house for a decade you should be able to muster up more than ramen 10x a week.

by Anonymousreply 124July 14, 2019 9:37 PM

R124 - thanks for caring. I am definitely going to check into food stamps this week now that you mention it. I’ve always put it off because I think I’d feel like a loser applying, but I’m pretty sure I’ll qualify and I am sick of eating this way.

by Anonymousreply 125July 14, 2019 9:41 PM

R11 is not frugal. He is a thief.

by Anonymousreply 126July 14, 2019 10:07 PM

Also see a social worker and find out if there are and food pantries you could be visiting. Being poor is not a sin, despite what American culture might write into your moral reasoning. Capitalism may try to stomp you but in fact you have a right to basic food, shelter and medical care.

by Anonymousreply 127July 14, 2019 10:13 PM

Dishes I've learned to make at home that are delicious and not expensive

Minestrone soup (add cheap chicken cuts like backs or thighs)

Homemade pies- a slice of pie can run $5-$7 a slice and they're often flavorless. Conquer your fear of a homemade pie crust and buy in-season fresh fruit. It's really not hard and the results are delicious and generally a buck a slice. Apple pie is the cheapest to make and is popular. Your friends will love you forever for a slice.

Chicken Tagine w/couscous- Skip the preserved lemon and just use fresh lemon zest/juice and this elegant delicious meal can be prepared easily and cheaply.

Eat at HOME and force yourself to try new things with ingredients you see on sale! That's the key!

by Anonymousreply 128July 14, 2019 10:24 PM

R125 , I hope you do reach out for help until you can get back on your feet. That no-veg diet will cost you in the long run. Good luck.

by Anonymousreply 129July 14, 2019 10:44 PM

For the coffee snobs:

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by Anonymousreply 130July 15, 2019 1:22 AM

Always check the oil in your car every other time you fill up. I also check the water in my battery, so many people forget this....preventive maintenance will save you thousands and extend the life of your vehicle.

by Anonymousreply 131July 15, 2019 2:08 AM

R131 Are you posting from 1955? I don't think batteries can be checked for water anymore.

by Anonymousreply 132July 15, 2019 2:17 AM

[quote]Baked chips are gross, that is why they are not made anymore. Do you also drink instant coffee?

No. But I am trying to watch my calories, and they make a decent snack. After all, they're just a salsa delivery device, right?

by Anonymousreply 133July 15, 2019 2:18 AM

No, I'm pretty sure most car batteries have water caps.

by Anonymousreply 134July 15, 2019 2:19 AM

My car is nearly 30 years old (mine for 7). It was $1500 and I've probably spent that same amount in maintenance over 7 years. Insurance is $45, and that is comprehensive (for the roadside assistance). Before that, I had a 99 Civic that I had gotten new and would probably still have, but it was totaled when a guy ran a red and I t-boned him. Sad day.

I can easily afford a new one, but hate car shopping. This one still looks pretty good. When it's waxed, people ask me if I might sell it.

by Anonymousreply 135July 15, 2019 7:34 AM

When you buy any car, plan on driving it for at least 15 years. With this as your goal, you will want to keep up with maintenance as per the owner's manual.

Benefits -- low tax and insurance costs over time will help pay for any additional car repairs. As long as the car is safe, drive it "till the wheels fall off!"

by Anonymousreply 136July 15, 2019 12:09 PM

I "borrow" toilet paper from starbucks

by Anonymousreply 137July 15, 2019 12:15 PM

I bought a vacuum food sealer. After years of throwing out leftovers the discipline of using this really works.

And when fresh foods that can be frozen are on sale I buy lots of whatever it is, portion it up and freeze it. A bonus is that if you sous vide, the vacuum pouches are perfect.

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by Anonymousreply 138July 15, 2019 12:24 PM

Cord cutting. There are thousands upon thousands of sites out there that regularly post tv shows within a day (sometimes within hours) of them airing - commercial free as well. Granted these are spammy sites littered with ads and pop ups, but if you've got a good ad blocker and pop-up blocker extension installed, and some technical wherewithal to create some custom ad blocking filters as needed, you can obviously save a lot of money each year.

Another option would be to frequent some reliable "cracking" forums, which regularly share logins/passwords for popular streaming services. At any given time, I've always got a Sling, Hulu, or DirecTV account on hand to watch shows when I want. Ethically, I have no problem doing this as the cable companies have been screwing people over for decades, and I refuse to pay for tons of junk programming that I don't even watch. Not to mention, the commercials are infuriating.

by Anonymousreply 139July 15, 2019 1:13 PM

I got rid of cable/satellite years ago and use an antenna for local TV stations. I watch CNN online with free internet at my local library down the street. I figure this saves at least $150 per month, equaling $1800 a year!

by Anonymousreply 140July 15, 2019 1:27 PM

I use both sides of my toilet paper.

by Anonymousreply 141July 15, 2019 1:40 PM

You go to the self checkout but don't scan all you items

by Anonymousreply 142July 15, 2019 1:40 PM

Many a Mickle Makes a Muckle.

You need no other advice.

by Anonymousreply 143July 15, 2019 1:47 PM

R138, a $200 vacuum bag sealer that requires bags that cost $20 a roll and a sous-vide are not quite frugal. You should be using produce bags snitched from the grocery and Banquet boil-in-the-bag dinners.

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by Anonymousreply 144July 16, 2019 3:07 AM

I got rid of my double bed a decade ago when I realised that I was no longer using it to entertain men.

And it's much easier making up the sheets on a single than a double.

by Anonymousreply 145July 16, 2019 3:26 AM

R144, it’s MY version of frugal. I try. And that ‘shit on a shingle’ you have pictured at your post will not be going in my freezer bags of frugality.

by Anonymousreply 146July 16, 2019 3:26 AM

I've actually been tempted to get a Food Saver bag sealer. Seems like it would be worth it just for cheese.

by Anonymousreply 147July 16, 2019 4:38 AM

What would you do with cheese? Open it, eat some, seal it up. Open it again when you want another piece? Would you have to use a new bag each time you wanted a piece of cheese?

And, as far as the person above who steals all his media, Netflix is only $9 a month. Not unreasonable. Eventually, if everyone acted like you, there won't be anything for you to steal.

by Anonymousreply 148July 16, 2019 5:58 AM

Cafe Bustelo instant coffee is excellent -- and it's 100% coffee. It's also cheap and handy for traveling. I have it every day and I've taken it to Kenya, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar. Nice to never have shit coffee while traveling or pay extortionate prices.

by Anonymousreply 149July 16, 2019 6:29 AM

Qahwa is expensive in the peninsula?

by Anonymousreply 150July 16, 2019 6:46 AM

www.kanopystreaming.com for free movies. All you need is a local library card to login. Movies/documentaries/TV shows depend on what library you're a member of, I believe. There are also free movies on Vudu and youtube.

by Anonymousreply 151July 16, 2019 7:02 AM

Beware of frozen fruits and vegetables. They may come from China, where they use human waste as fertiliser. Also stay away from products in cans, especially tomato products, as the acid eats into the lining of the can, which you will be consuming.

Things I do - make my own yogurt, which not only saves about half the cost, but also cuts way down on plastic rubbish; entertain a lot at home rather than going to restaurants; use a Melitta coffee filter to make coffee; watch Youtube videos for simple maintenance and repairs on my car; take fanatical care of my expensive clothes and shoes so they last longer; pay for yearly blood tests and prostate exams to catch health problems early; dedicated sunscreen use to avoid future skin damage; plus all the usual boring things re diet and exercise to avoid future health problems.

by Anonymousreply 152July 16, 2019 8:16 AM

Is using human waste for fertilizer any different than using animal waste?

by Anonymousreply 153July 16, 2019 11:50 AM

American producers use animal manure which has processed and sanitised.

Chinese farmers use fresh human excrement straight from their own bowels.

by Anonymousreply 154July 16, 2019 12:03 PM

I know it is unpleasant, but is there any reason why using human excrement would be detrimental to health?

by Anonymousreply 155July 16, 2019 12:10 PM

[quote]I know it is unpleasant, but is there any reason why using human excrement would be detrimental to health?

You're kidding, right?

How about cholera, polio, typhoid, and hepatitis.

by Anonymousreply 156July 16, 2019 12:20 PM

I churn credit cards for points. It used to be so much easier but still can be done. I have never paid for a flight in the past 10 years and typically with points/miles and bonuses, I travel for very little. I travel for work so I can bank all the points I get staying in a single hotel chain to use on vacations. IT was Starwood and was more generous but now it is Marriott Bonvoy and yeah not so much so i status matched with Hilton. I was transferring points but Chase Ultimate Rewards points are too easy to use and they refund you points for using them and have a better point per dollar value. I have a couple of credit cards with fees - 450 dollars each but the perks more than make up for the fees. Just an FYI for those who fly united - right now they are offering thier club card fee free for a year. That is united club access for a year for free, a 500 dollar value.

by Anonymousreply 157July 16, 2019 12:23 PM

R153 I was told at University that most of the epidemics in world history originated in Asia— supposedly because they live closer to their animals

by Anonymousreply 158July 16, 2019 12:36 PM

R158, so would that not be an argument to use human waste for fertilizer, rather than animal waste?

Unless living close to other people is also a problem.

by Anonymousreply 159July 16, 2019 12:40 PM

Matt Damon lived on poop potatoes on Mars.

by Anonymousreply 160July 16, 2019 12:50 PM

R154 - that’s actually a turn-on for me. (I’m into scat) I imagine hot men squatting in the fields while shitting out their bowels, balls hanging low. 😋

by Anonymousreply 161July 16, 2019 12:58 PM

Could we maybe get back to talking about coupons and leftovers, rather than shitting in a field?

by Anonymousreply 162July 16, 2019 1:14 PM

I wait for my neighbors to go to work, then I go into their homes and take what I want for free

by Anonymousreply 163July 16, 2019 1:20 PM

My grocery store has a section filled with markdowns and there’s commonly some great random items included there.

by Anonymousreply 164July 16, 2019 1:53 PM

Well, sometimes I might.....

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by Anonymousreply 165July 16, 2019 1:56 PM

....

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by Anonymousreply 166July 16, 2019 1:58 PM

I use Zucchini, Squash, and cucumbers for dildos and buy when they’re on sale 2 for a dollar. This gives me the feeling of having a slightly different dick in me every time and also saves on the expensive plastic or silicone models I see online.

by Anonymousreply 167July 16, 2019 2:11 PM

I use the Ibotta app to get money back from grocery receipts. You can stack it with other sales and coupons and I cash out for an Amazon GC whenever I reach $20. Don't use it a lot because I don't buy stuff I wouldn't use anyway, but they have some pretty good deals from time, like items free after offer.

by Anonymousreply 168July 16, 2019 2:14 PM

I have a timer on my electric hot water heater so that it only runs 12 hours a day and shuts off for 12 hours. Some people tell me it doesn't really work but I always say, really? if it's only running 12 hours a day then it's only running 6 months a year. They never respond.

Yard sales. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted something but couldn't afford it but if I wait long enough someone will sell me theirs for $1 so I let others spend their money for I want, I can wait. Also the older items you can pick up at sales are made so much better then the items you buy today and they last. I also sell online so am at the sales every week. I picked up a 14k chain with a cross for $10 last month. I sold just the chain this week for $775.

I have a vegetable garden every year and freeze vegetables for the winter in my upright freezer.

One of our grocery stores marks down meat the day before it expires so I buy a lot of that but won't buy the ground beef or chicken. Filet Mignon is $19.99 a lb. but the tail is $12.99 a lb., no difference in the meat. So I can get a tail on sale for $6/7 which will last me 2 meals.

You learn to save money lots of ways if you have to. If I had the money some of these things I would no longer do but some I would.

by Anonymousreply 169July 16, 2019 2:34 PM

[quote] You learn to save money lots of ways if you have to.

True, R169 -- necessity is the mother of invention.

by Anonymousreply 170July 16, 2019 2:59 PM

Steal toilet paper from work.

Steal other people's lunches out of the fridge at work.

Lie about the produce when I self check out.

by Anonymousreply 171July 16, 2019 3:01 PM

At my grocery store we have self -bagged and coded bulk items. So I will bag an item that’s $10 a pound, but enter a code for another items that’s $2 a pound. This prints a sticker that I place on the bag with a barcode that I scan at the self checkout line. It has never failed in 20 years! I figure grocery stores make enough profit anyway.

by Anonymousreply 172July 16, 2019 3:07 PM

^ Karma, baby! You're paying for that thievery X-fold elsewhere *Wink*

by Anonymousreply 173July 16, 2019 3:12 PM

R169: Everything else makes sense but electric hot water heaters are the most expensive way to heat water, period. Depending on local utility rates, running an electric water heater half the day could cost you as much as a gas hot water heater costs to run all day. Not sure why people you question don't respond - if you turn it off, the water temperature gradually lowers and requires a longer, more expensive period of time to return the water temperature to it's preset level that's only achieved by using a heat source, whether electric or gas, at its highest setting. If either heat source is used to heat the water, the assumption is that the tank's insulation keeps it warm - but not hot - until the water temp either drops enough to cause the heat source to go on briefly during times when no water is called for and, of course, when water is drawn from the tank and replaced by cold water that then needs to be heated.

A gas water heater cost a lot less to operate. In California, the cost of an electric water heater was about double, thanks as much to PG&E's rates as to the lower cost of natural gas.

by Anonymousreply 174July 16, 2019 3:49 PM

I also use the grocery store pickup option, which is $4.95 at my Kroger, but waived about half the time because of coupons and definitely worth it even if it isn't, because I stick with my list and don't pick up extras.

Doing the shopping online means I can also comparison shop and buy non-perishables online either from Prime or Walmart, usually Walmart though, because Prime hasn't had very good prices lately. For bulk items eBay can be pretty good, there are sellers of drugstore items who sell in bulk for good prices. For a long time I used a seller called Pharmapacks but their prices have gone up like Prime's have.

Also when I shop online I use Ebates (called Rakuten now) and get about $100 back per year, mostly from Walmart and eBay purchases. Recently had to replace my TV and was able to buy it online cheaper than at the store AND got a rebate through Ebates when I did it.

Speaking of making large purchases online, on Amazon, if you find something slightly pricey that you want, don't buy it immediately. Look at it and then go back the next day, maybe twice. Don't put it in your cart. After "mooning" over your item for a while, you'll get a coupon for $20 off or 20% off when you check out, or even a notice that your item is now on sale.

Another good Amazon tip is if you find something you want, scroll down and see if there's a "Customers who viewed this item also viewed" list. If so, you'll find the exact same item or something very comparable for less. Keep doing that from item to item until you find the one with the lowest price. You won't get it when you search for it, but you can get to it if you keep looking at "also viewed" items.

As for food, making something in advance really lowers costs. Get some flat plastic lids for your casserole dishes so you can stack them in the freezer. Good quality freezer bags are also great for holding meats in marinade. I wouldn't do beef but salmon and chicken breasts are good.

by Anonymousreply 175July 16, 2019 3:54 PM

R174 knows what she thinks and nothing else.

by Anonymousreply 176July 16, 2019 4:19 PM

[quote]Chinese farmers use fresh human excrement straight from their own bowels.

That sounds like frugality to me!

by Anonymousreply 177July 16, 2019 4:25 PM

Take care of your car - it'll last most of us 10 to 15 years and upkeep/maintenance/the occasional trip through a car wash is a helluva lot cheaper than making payments.

Comparison shop everything from a can of tunafish to a 55 inch flatscreen TV.

Buy the store brand for most staples. Kroger didn't build its own factory to make cheaper mustard and relish for you - it's made by the same people in the same plants as the name brands.

Cooked chickens - more so at Costco ($4.99 or $5.99) but even for $10 at Whole Foods, a whole cooked chicken can be the source of three or four meals. And then soup.

Bottled water is a rip-off and the plastic bottles are an ecological disaster. This is the first world, people. The water is safe to drink right out of the tap. If you're still worried, get a Pur or Brita filter.

Eggs are a great, cheap source of protein.

A good set of knives is key. Carpenters buy saws and drills and hammers. Knives are cook's tools because they make food prep so much easier and faster. Don't scrimp on knives.

Don't buy in bulk if it's just you or the two of you. You'll throw out half of it because it'll be past its sell-by date when you go to use it.

Look for freebies - DVD's and CD's from the library, books from the library, classes and lectures if you're in or near a college town, free health screenings, the free admission night at the museum, and on and on and on.

Learn to do stuff for yourself. Everything you can do or fix means not paying someone else to do it for you.

Avoid Starbucks and the like: they have nothing you need except, maybe, the free wi-fi.

Expensive weddings, gay or straight, have become an embarrassment. You want to spend $50,000 or $100,000? Have at it... Mine cost $2800 and that included the fee for the judge, a suite at the Four Seasons, drinks and dinner for a dozen guests, fireworks, and a cameo appearance by Jon Bon Jovi. In truth, it cost $3600: I forgot the cost of the rings. Simple gold bands, but from the best jeweler in town and $400 each.

Which reminds me: don't skimp on hotels. If you're at a Ritz-Carlton, you're a lot more likely to run into, say, Justin Verlander (if Houston's in town) or Dolly Parton or Justice Ginsburg than if you're staying at a Motel 6.

By and large, do what Nancy Reagan said and just "Say No to Drugs." MJ's OK, but cocaine is an expensive habit and most of the rest of 'em are both expensive and potentially deadly.

Finally, if you can, be young, handsome, buff and at least superficially pleasant and you won't pay for a fucking thing. Save your money because it's great while it lasts. It just doesn't last that long.

by Anonymousreply 178July 16, 2019 5:51 PM

As a middle-aged white, well-dressed man, I get away with minor harmless shoplifting because I’m not a common suspect. I never take anything over $20.

by Anonymousreply 179July 16, 2019 5:52 PM

R178 - I love you!! You’re post is perfect 👌🏻

by Anonymousreply 180July 16, 2019 5:54 PM

[quote] This is the first world, people. The water is safe to drink right out of the tap.

Unless you're in Flint, Mich.

by Anonymousreply 181July 16, 2019 6:02 PM

r174 My house is all electric so can't have a gas heater. When I get up in the morning there is enough water to take a hot shower for at least 10 minutes.

by Anonymousreply 182July 16, 2019 6:05 PM

Thank you, R178. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'm thus pained to have to point out - with love, as we do here in the DL way - that your post is not.

by Anonymousreply 183July 16, 2019 6:08 PM

R181 - we wouldn’t allow Flint, Michigan trash on this website. The sooner everyone dies there, the better.

by Anonymousreply 184July 16, 2019 6:09 PM

r183 His post is not WHAT?

by Anonymousreply 185July 16, 2019 6:13 PM

Oops. Neither is mine.

R180. But you knew that.

If only I did.

by Anonymousreply 186July 16, 2019 6:15 PM

Learn to use Kodi and save money in subscriptions and cable.

by Anonymousreply 187July 16, 2019 6:23 PM

R182 — I had one of those water heater timer boxes when I lived in an all electric home years ago. I had it set to turn on for an hour before my morning shower and then off for the rest of the day until 30 minutes before I got home I ran it for another hour for nighttime hot water use. The rest of the time that water heater was OFF, not using any energy whatsoever. Good for you for installing one on your electric water heater.

by Anonymousreply 188July 16, 2019 6:23 PM

Seriously?

by Anonymousreply 189July 16, 2019 6:49 PM

I go to local homestyle bakeries in my area and tell them I’m collecting day-old bread for the AIDS shelter. They usually give me a generous bag of goodies, and on occasion I have received cake and donuts. If it’s more than I can handle to eat I will drop some off at the church down the street - I’m not a total monster.

by Anonymousreply 190July 16, 2019 6:57 PM

Do these tricks to save electricity really save enough money to be worth it?

I spend $50 to $90 a month (depending on the time of year) on electricity. Do you really make enough of a dent in that to make all this stuff worthwhile?

by Anonymousreply 191July 16, 2019 7:00 PM

A few swipes of your shaving blades across a mirror before and after shaving will greatly extend the life of the blades.

by Anonymousreply 192July 16, 2019 7:10 PM

Raising little girls can be expensive. Sometimes you just have to lighten the load.

by Anonymousreply 193July 16, 2019 7:14 PM

R193 - Absolutely! Wives aren’t cheap either.

by Anonymousreply 194July 16, 2019 7:17 PM

Question for the travel/miles/points mavens-

Next January I have a two-week job in Australia and the film company hiring me will be paying for the ticket. Is there any way I can have the miles awarded to me? I will be flying business class from NYC if it matters?

by Anonymousreply 195July 16, 2019 7:17 PM

R195 are you sure they're not already using miles to book your flight? Most production companies I know do that.

by Anonymousreply 196July 16, 2019 7:21 PM

R194,

Neither are ex-ones

by Anonymousreply 197July 16, 2019 7:22 PM

R197 - yes! And neither are parents.

by Anonymousreply 198July 16, 2019 7:26 PM

Expanding on R178's "fix it yourself" - I agree. Anything you may want to do or need to do concerning ANYTHING can be found on YouTube as a tutorial. Do it yourself!

by Anonymousreply 199July 16, 2019 7:29 PM

R199 yeah as long as you don't fuck it up even worse and then have to pay someone double to fix what you thought you were fixing!

by Anonymousreply 200July 16, 2019 7:30 PM

r191 I spend between $90 and $325 a month for electricity so I save whatever I can. The $325 is for the winter months and I only heat the living room, the dining room, kitchen and bathroom and I keep the thermostat at 55-62°. My bedroom has gone as low as 49°. (I have no air conditioning for the summer months (but really need it)

by Anonymousreply 201July 16, 2019 7:35 PM

R195 Assuming they're buying it from the airline or a TA (not a bucketshop: discounters selling cheaper international premium travel) with money and not points, it's easy: give them your frequent-flyer number.

We've gone on cruises where the airfare - in Biz - was included but the tickets were booked and bought by the cruise line, apparently at rates that don't earn miles but that's the only time we ever flew on a non-award ticket and couldn't get the miles.

by Anonymousreply 202July 16, 2019 7:36 PM

R201 perhaps your electric furnace is no longer operating efficiently. That's a hell of a lot of money to be paying for such minimal heat return. Have you looked into an Infrared heater? Now's the time to get them. It's called Dr Heater. Check it out, my friend.

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by Anonymousreply 203July 16, 2019 7:53 PM

Dog flea medicine is over powered. You can half or third it for your pets. See what works.

by Anonymousreply 204July 16, 2019 8:10 PM

^ I have a male Boxer, and I've always used the flea/tick treatment for medium sized dogs instead of the large dose with no issue. I only use one application ONCE per year. We just have that one time period each year around mid Aug to mid Sept which I specifically refer to as being "Flea Season."

by Anonymousreply 205July 16, 2019 8:16 PM

R201 What part of the country are you in? I just had a new Carrier central air system and looked at the electric bills for the first time in a long time because they are always the same - the utility calls it a budget plan where you pay the same amount year-round for the electricity and gas bills and then settle up or get a credit in late summer - but they show what you would have paid if you weren't on a budget.

It's a 2000 square foot house near Boston. Energy cost a bit less than $2500 this year for both: $96 a month for gas heat, gas range, and a gas hot water heater; $110 a month for electricity and that was running the 20 year old a/c system we just replaced. We keep the house at 72 degrees in the daytime and 62 degrees at night in the winter and set the a/c at 78 because if it were any lower we'd freeze. The windows suck - no energy efficiency there and they'll be replaced at the end of the summer - and the furnace (boiler, actually) is 30 years old although the tech who tunes it up says it's very efficient for one that old.

But in the coldest months of the winter here: January, February, and March with average daily temps below freezing, it's never cost more than $180 a month for the heat and we sound pretty profligate in terms of temps compared to you. Assuming you're in the all-electric house, is that by choice or are there no gas mains in the neighborhood? It's confusing trying to follow who's who above, but if you're paying upwards of $325 a month in the winter to heat only a couple of rooms to 62 degrees max, it sounds like it'd pay to switch to gas if you could or even oil heat if it's available where you live.

by Anonymousreply 206July 16, 2019 8:17 PM

R206 -- I cannot say enough good things about the Carrier Hybrid Heat system I had installed in 2010.

If fact it's one of the smartest things I've ever done in terms of reducing household operating costs (electric and gas) and increasing home comfort.

Because my home already had a central gas furnace and electric air conditioner, when it was time to replace my HVAC system, the cost of adding a heat pump was only about $500 more than just buying another central A/C and gas furnace.

Here, watch this:

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by Anonymousreply 207July 16, 2019 9:49 PM

A big "yes" to shopping around, not necessarily w. ecommerce. I was in the market for small, basic picture frames; saw some for $4.79, which seemed a bit high; shopped around; found the same frames elsewhere for $1.09. Friends and I have come across all sorts of things like that. Small carton of half-and-half is $1.29 at Trader Joe's, $1.79 at the local grocery store. It definitely adds up.

And I am amazed by all the people who never shop around or take even a quick look at reviews on higher-priced items to see if there's something at least as good for less money.

by Anonymousreply 208July 17, 2019 2:51 AM

Nothing revolutionary, but I generally try to buy clothes when they are out of season and/or at the end of the season, and are marked down steeply, then just save them for next year. I'm not a fashionista, I'm generally just a basic business casual type person in his early 40's. I've gotten great deals on winter jackets, for example, that were initially selling for like $250+, but were then later marked down to like $65.

by Anonymousreply 209July 17, 2019 3:42 AM

[quote]I eat a banana every time I grocery shop and dispose of the peel before checkout.

I love how R11's solution is: "Oh, I just steal shit."

by Anonymousreply 210July 17, 2019 3:44 AM

Sorry: "secret".

by Anonymousreply 211July 17, 2019 3:45 AM

I see people eat food from salad bar in whole foods all the time, I think it's totally fine...Jeff Bezos doesn't need more money.

by Anonymousreply 212July 17, 2019 3:46 AM

R210, my dad - in his 70's - does this at grocery stores, and it's humiliating. Some of them have pre-chopped fruit available in bins priced per pound, and he thinks they are free samples, and just helps himself to them.

by Anonymousreply 213July 17, 2019 3:46 AM

oh c'mon, bananas are so fucking cheap, if you want to eat a "free" food, pick something more expensive.

Seriously bananas are 25cents each on streets in NYC.

by Anonymousreply 214July 17, 2019 3:51 AM

R154 I'm pretty sure the US uses human shit for farming too. However, I'm not sure how it's processed.

by Anonymousreply 215July 17, 2019 4:04 AM

As far as coffee goes, I actually prefer electric percolators - specifically the mini 2-4 cup models. They're easy to keep clean, very few parts, and low maintenance. I don't make coffee that often, so it's just more convenient. I've even considered switching back to a simple stove top percolator, with the glass knob at the top where you can see when the coffee is bubbling up.

by Anonymousreply 216July 17, 2019 4:06 AM

I bought a Melitta plastic pour-over thing for coffee that cost about $5 and never looked back. Cheap, portable, doesn't have to be cleaned like a French press. Love it.

by Anonymousreply 217July 17, 2019 5:11 AM

My potholders double as socks.

by Anonymousreply 218July 17, 2019 5:55 AM

My potholders double as socks.

by Anonymousreply 219July 17, 2019 5:55 AM

About food from the dollar stores, especially those frozen fruits and vegetables, I suggest you read the label carefully. You will find some of them are imported from China and other countries. Are you comfortable eating frozen foods, cookies and canned food from China and India?

by Anonymousreply 220July 17, 2019 6:15 AM

Cutting the toothpaste tube open and scraping out every last bit. I hate spending money on stuff like deodorant and toothpaste. I make that stuff last until it’s gone.

by Anonymousreply 221July 17, 2019 6:26 AM

I always bought canned and jarred items to keep in my pantry in order to whip up a quick meal. One day a jar of Prego exploded. I checked the expiration date and alas it was 5 years old. I then checked expiry dates on all my items and threw away the ones that were out of date.

by Anonymousreply 222July 17, 2019 6:42 AM

Why would spaghetti sauce explode? Even old sauce?

by Anonymousreply 223July 17, 2019 6:46 AM

For flea/tick treatments, I will buy the dose for large cats and divide it among my small cats. However, DO NOT use the dog treatments on cats. They are not the same.

For pet food and litter, I buy in bulk from Zooplus online.

by Anonymousreply 224July 17, 2019 8:35 AM

Drug stores very often have 2 for 1 sales on things like deodorant that don't go bad if they sit in your closet for a while. Stock up during sales. Plus, having a supply at home is much more convenient than buying the same item every fews weeks.

by Anonymousreply 225July 17, 2019 7:09 PM

R214, bananas are 19 cents apiece at Trader Joe's and have been for many years.

by Anonymousreply 226July 18, 2019 1:10 PM

I love how many people will justify stealing.

How would these same people react if they caught someone going through their wallet and helping themselves to a few bucks and the person's response was, "well you have more money than I do. You can spare it!"

by Anonymousreply 227July 18, 2019 4:08 PM

I hook my water hose up to my next door neighbor’s water spigot to water my yard. He’s a pilot and often out of town. I keep an eye on his house for him so I don’t feel so guilty.

by Anonymousreply 228July 18, 2019 4:37 PM

Contaminated "sludge" fertilizer from sewage treatment facilities is an emerging problem in the US. Per this article, Maine has been encouraging farmers to apply it to their fields since the 80s, but only recently began testing soil where it was used. The results are pretty bad. This dairy farmer was forced to stop selling milk from his herd, and he says his farm represents just the tip of the iceberg.

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by Anonymousreply 229July 18, 2019 5:00 PM

I don't buy lunch or coffee when I go to work. It all comes from home.

by Anonymousreply 230July 18, 2019 5:12 PM

[quote] R30: I "borrow" toilet paper

I had a roommate who wasn’t contributing to the household, and was mooching. I got on his case, and he eventually brought home toilet paper one day, that he stole from his employer. He was in law school, too. I lost all respect for him after that.

by Anonymousreply 231July 18, 2019 5:20 PM

I steal fruit off of my neighbor's tree late at night when he is sleeping.

by Anonymousreply 232July 18, 2019 5:21 PM

I steal fruit off of my neighbor's tree late at night when he is sleeping.

by Anonymousreply 233July 18, 2019 5:21 PM

Except my first car, in 1984, I’ve bought used. I live in a place without “car culture”. I bought my current car in 2007.

I use cash-back credit cards. I usually make $1200-$2400 per year, and it’s not taxed.

I used to use grocery coupons with which I regularly saved about 13%. I cancelled my newspaper delivery now and don’t bother.

by Anonymousreply 234July 18, 2019 5:35 PM

I needed new toilets so I bought the dual flush kind.

by Anonymousreply 235July 18, 2019 5:37 PM

R217, I use Melitta because the coffee tastes better.

by Anonymousreply 236July 18, 2019 6:29 PM

R36, how does hoarding any of that crap actually save you money?

Why would you hang onto a 13 year old computer monitor? How old are you? If you're under 50 and doing this, please seek immediate help, there may still be time to save you.

by Anonymousreply 237July 18, 2019 6:36 PM

I save a lot of money by stocking up when there are good deals, items like toilet paper, paper towels, and detergents. I'll buy enough to last me 6 months even if I have to resort to storing them in the trunk of my car sometimes when I run out of space in my 1-Br apartment. Also buy clothes out of season to wear for later. All the stores online have clearance sales where you'll save additional 40-50% off seasonal closeout items, J Crew is really good for this. In fact I just bought some nice Oxford shirts, pants, and heavy-knit hoodie, 5 items which cost me just under $100, all of the items are classic style (not trendy so you can wear next year and year after that) and well-made.

As for food, I find that frozen food including different varieties of berries and vegetables save me a lot of money. I'll even buy packaged baby greens that are on sale and then I freeze them in freezer bags, I use it to make my morning smoothie with frozen mixed berries.

by Anonymousreply 238July 18, 2019 8:32 PM

STFU, R237.

by Anonymousreply 239July 18, 2019 9:19 PM

I agree with R237. Who needs a bunch of old useless crap in the attic. It's not like it's a vintage Vuitton steamer trunk for crissakes.

by Anonymousreply 240July 18, 2019 9:23 PM

Sorry, but I cannot see how saving 13 year old computer hardware is saving any money. You just have...things. We all have things. They're not saving us money and listing them in a thread about "frugal secrets" doesn't make a lot of sense.

by Anonymousreply 241July 18, 2019 9:52 PM

I think R36 is supposed to be a joke.

by Anonymousreply 242July 18, 2019 10:14 PM

Perhaps R36 is hoping to achieve stardom on Hoarders, which will lead to lucrative opportunities.

by Anonymousreply 243July 18, 2019 10:54 PM

[quote] R33: Wiping my ass with $100 bills as I read this depressing thread ....

Those bills are filthy, you know.

by Anonymousreply 244July 19, 2019 12:04 AM

[quote] R137: I "borrow" toilet paper from starbucks

You mean you return itL

by Anonymousreply 245July 19, 2019 12:18 AM

I found that grocery coupons from a manufacturer actually work for any of their products. So, if you have a $5-off coupon for an item that is normally $30, for example, and don’t pick-up that item, the coupon will work for a $5.25 item. It might have to be a big manufacturer, like Proctor & Gamble or Johnson & Johnson.

by Anonymousreply 246July 19, 2019 12:22 AM

My sister routinely “forgets” to scan the items on the bottom shelf of a grocery cart. I tell her that they will film her and after three times they will arrest her, but she ignores me. I would not recommend this.

by Anonymousreply 247July 19, 2019 12:25 AM

When I moved into my home, my boyfriend plugged the cable into my TV, and it worked, for the cheep channels. I kept that for 12 years and it was also a way to keep me active, as I only taped and watched the news. When they finally turned it off, I ordered all the special channels and now watch a lot of TV.

by Anonymousreply 248July 19, 2019 12:30 AM

[quote] Also stay away from products in cans, especially tomato products, as the acid eats into the lining of the can, which you will be consuming.

I found that when I put plant cuttings in the silver-platted pitcher, they die! I’ve been drinking from that since I was a child!

by Anonymousreply 249July 19, 2019 12:33 AM

[quote]J Crew is really good for this. In fact I just bought some nice Oxford shirts, pants, and heavy-knit hoodie, 5 items which cost me just under $100, all of the items are classic style (not trendy so you can wear next year and year after that) and well-made.

Paying attention to sales and clearances is a great way to save money. Recently, I was looking at getting some replacement shirts for shirts I love and have become staples in my closet. I was going to buy 3 of them, which are regularly priced at about $25 each. I got a notice that there was going to be a 40% off sale, which marked them down to $15 each. However, I noticed that they were selling multi-packs of the same shirts, 4 for $40 and with the discount, the became $24 (or $6/each). In addition to that, in their clearance section, they had the same shirts in colors that were no longer in season, on sale for $4/each which was also eligible for 40% off marking them down to $2.40/each.

I grabbed 2 of the multi-packs (8 shirts) for $48 and then added 3 of the clearance shirts for $7.20, bringing my total to 11 shirts for $55.20 .

On top of all that, I used a cashback site (which I strongly recommend people sign up for to save money on online purchases) and the cashback being offered was 18%, so I ended up getting 11 shirts for $45.26 which is way less than the $75 for 3 shirts I intended on buying.

by Anonymousreply 250July 19, 2019 12:54 AM

[quote]I found that grocery coupons from a manufacturer actually work for any of their products. So, if you have a $5-off coupon for an item that is normally $30, for example, and don’t pick-up that item, the coupon will work for a $5.25 item. It might have to be a big manufacturer, like Proctor & Gamble or Johnson & Johnson.

Apparently this is a big issue in the "couponing communities." Again, it's called stealing.

by Anonymousreply 251July 19, 2019 12:56 AM

The casual thievery of some people appalls and disgusts me.

A severe lack of home training. You and your parents are trash!

by Anonymousreply 252July 19, 2019 12:57 AM

I buy gently used clothing on Ebay, nothing over $15

by Anonymousreply 253July 19, 2019 12:58 AM

I take the lint from my pants pockets and clothes dryer and fashion it all into a paper that I turn into coffee filters. I then sell them on Etsy. It’s almost like making something from nothing.

Drink up!

by Anonymousreply 254July 19, 2019 1:16 AM

[quote] Bidets don't work. If you think they do, go pick up some dog shit in your hand and then just rinse it off with water and go about your day.

R74, I am not sure you really thought this through. The choices are bidets and toilet paper, go pick up some dog shit in your hand and then just wipe your hand with toilet paper and go about your day.

by Anonymousreply 255July 19, 2019 1:28 AM

There is one movie theater in my area that has discounts for matinees. If I have to pay full price, I go to a multiplex and see a double feature. Check showtimes and buy one ticket, and when it's over, waltz over to the other theater for a free show. You have to be careful these days if they have assigned seats. But I've done it hundreds of times over the years and no one has ever checked my ticket. Also, NEVER buy drinks or popcorn. I wear a slightly baggy coat and sneak in a drink and a snack. No one has ever caught me (I'm very discrete).

by Anonymousreply 256July 19, 2019 1:32 AM

[quote]There is one movie theater in my area that has discounts for matinees. If I have to pay full price, I go to a multiplex and see a double feature. Check showtimes and buy one ticket, and when it's over, waltz over to the other theater for a free show. You have to be careful these days if they have assigned seats. But I've done it hundreds of times over the years and no one has ever checked my ticket.

[quote]The casual thievery of some people appalls and disgusts me.

Yup.

You also don't have to go see a movie in a theater if you don't want to pay for it. This is why a lot of theaters now stagger all of their showtimes so that rarely any of them start within 20 minutes of another one's ending.

by Anonymousreply 257July 19, 2019 1:43 AM

One way I save money on food is by fasting a few days per week. If I'm in fat mode, then I save money by only buying snacks on sale by using my rewards card. I try to always check the store's website for deals before making my shopping list.

by Anonymousreply 258July 19, 2019 2:44 AM

The first Tuesday of every month is senior day at Walgreens. 20% off regular priced items for age 50 and over.

by Anonymousreply 259July 19, 2019 2:52 AM

R259, at the Gap store, too, IIRC.

by Anonymousreply 260July 19, 2019 3:07 AM

There's that elder gay creep in a trench coat again...

by Anonymousreply 261July 19, 2019 5:24 AM

I am recycling my ex-husband's cotton boxer underpants.

I am cutting and re-hemming to make up four handkerchiefs from each pair.

by Anonymousreply 262July 19, 2019 7:06 AM

I haven't used my inkjet printer in nearly 10 years. The cartridges are not only expensive, but they dry out even if you don't use the printer at all for an extended period of time. Instead, whenever I need to print something out (which I rarely do), I just email the document(s) to myself and go print them out for a few cents each at the local FedEx.

by Anonymousreply 263July 19, 2019 7:39 AM

^ I do the same.

by Anonymousreply 264July 19, 2019 7:45 AM

If you use a nasal irrigation device, like the NeilMed Sinugator, you can mix your own saline solution as opposed to buying them in packets at your drug store. They're like $15 or so for a box of them at my local Walgreen's. There are recipes online to make it yourself with pickling salt, and baking soda - far cheaper.

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by Anonymousreply 265July 19, 2019 7:45 AM

I like driving the wealthier neighborhoods in Houston on “large item collection” day. I usually find a couple of decent items per month (last week I found a spectacular living room side table.) I then take the items to a secondhand shop and sell directly to the owner, or if it’s a nicer item I’ll list it on Craigslist or LetGo. I’ve made about $100 a month this way which pays my car insurance.

by Anonymousreply 266July 19, 2019 11:19 AM

I typed the following: Don't throw anything away. Get a big box and store it in the basement or attic with shit you don't use, but might have a need for in the future.

In typical DL Queen Bitch mode, a few of the posters to this thread erroneously stated that I was a "hoarder," and that they didn't see how my contributing post made any sense pertaining to the thread. These are perfectly good functioning items which I consider to be spares should I ever need to replace what I'm using now. That computer monitor came in very handy several years ago while I was working from home and had to have several monitors hooked up to my computer, running simultaneously. Besides, it's a good Dell monitor which still works flawlessly - it has value, which is why when the gig ended it went right back into storage. The 5.1 PC speaker set comes in very handy during the summer when we throw backyard BBQ's - it's very easy and convenient to carry it to the back yard and hook it up to a tablet, playing free music playlists on YouTube - very decent sound. Those pots and pans are T-fal and barely used - soon, they will be brought up from the basement and into my kitchen for use as the ones I currently use are showing their wear now. So then, one by one as my need for these stored items becomes apparent, I don't have to go into a store to purchase a replacement because I've already got what I need in some cases. THAT'S FRUGAL!

BTW, R37, you can also eliminate your need for the Swiffer pads by using rewashable/reusable shammy sheets cut to size. They're only a dollar or two at Dollar Tree, and they stick to the base of the Swiffer.

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by Anonymousreply 267July 19, 2019 11:30 AM

I fly first class because that way the plane burns less fuel per passenger and saves the environment. #FRUGAL

by Anonymousreply 268July 19, 2019 11:31 AM

If you have a monitor that works flawlessly, why would you have replaced it?

Frugal? I think not.

by Anonymousreply 269July 19, 2019 12:45 PM

r269 LED/LCD burn far less energy than a CRT monitor - and can pay for themselves in electricity savings in one to two years.

by Anonymousreply 270July 19, 2019 12:50 PM

^ Okay. Okay. You're officially a major FREAK! Hahaha. Good-bye.

by Anonymousreply 271July 19, 2019 12:50 PM

r265 just be sure NOT to use tap water - or you can get a brain parasite.

by Anonymousreply 272July 19, 2019 12:51 PM

Post-Jurassic fun lovers use these at barbecues and pool parties. No electricity or cables requires, dear.

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by Anonymousreply 273July 19, 2019 12:59 PM

Aldis for canned goods, mixes basic spices etc. There's a chain called The Farmer's Market here in NJ, it's like and indoor market of fruit, veg and a few basic groceries and it's as cheap af for produce and bread, milk and eggs. It's not tip top quality but perfectly acceptable for everyday dinners and kunches. I can come out of there with three full bags of stuff for about $12.

by Anonymousreply 274July 19, 2019 1:01 PM

I make sure my rentboys are either new to the business or that they close to giving up hooking. You can get better rates and maybe even a few freebies thrown in. Ask for early bird specials or any others doscounts or promo. You might be surprised!

by Anonymousreply 275July 19, 2019 1:15 PM

R270, how much are you paying for your monitors and your electricity?

by Anonymousreply 276July 19, 2019 2:39 PM

[quote] I haven't used my inkjet printer in nearly 10 years. The cartridges are not only expensive, but they dry out even if you don't use the printer at all for an extended period of time. Instead, whenever I need to print something out (which I rarely do), I just email the document(s) to myself and go print them out for a few cents each at the local FedEx.

If you live near a public library, they will often have a printer there as well, at much cheaper rates than the FedEx Office. We're about to move and gave our printer away, so I've been doing the same.

by Anonymousreply 277July 19, 2019 2:46 PM

We do most of our grocery shopping at our local Walmart Supercenter where you can get the same brands and sizes as other supermarkets at 40% to 50% off. Example: A bottle of chocolate Nesquik at Walmart is around $1.20 whereas at King Kullen the same bottle sells for around $2.20. We save even more by buying a lot of their own brand (Great Value) items which often tastes just as good if not better than more expensive brands. Everything from condiments to pizza. We have a big freezer in the basement so we tend to bulk shop and only go once every month. We go to other (less crowded) supermarkets for small quickly perishable things like bread once a week.

We also got rid of our landscaper who was charging over $1,000 a year (going higher every year). My boyfriend wanted to buy a gas lawn mower but I talked him into buying one of those $60 lawn mowers on Home Depot's website that don't require fuel or electricity or a battery. Way cheaper. And it's a one-off cost. No running costs. He thought I wouldn't be able to do it because it would be "hard work" and I'd give up but I've been doing it all year. I can't perfect the edging in the backyard along the fence but otherwise I do as good a job as the landscaper (I was one briefly in my early 20s) and our lawn is nicer than the neighbors on either side of us who still kept their respective landscapers. I'm not bad at cutting hedges either. I have noticed a lot of people in town have also ditched their landscapers though most aren't as good at doing their own as I am.

I go to the 99 Cent Store for things like stationery. Why pay more for basic stuff like index cards?

I used to go pretty crazy about printing stuff out until I realized how expensive toner and ink cartridges were getting at Staples so I haven't printed anything in a decade. My boyfriend has a printer which we use if we absolutely have to print something for business reasons. I've trained myself to not need to print anything otherwise. My printer/scanner/fax machine combo is only used for scanning now.

Our washing machine down in the basement died in the middle of a wash several years ago and, ever since, we've been doing our laundry at the laundromat. It's a nice one and it works out far cheaper than doing it at home. Our electricity and water bills plummeted to the point both companies insisted on coming to the house to verify that everything is as we said. They were so sure the meter was broken or we were lying. We were proven right however and they accepted our very low utility bills as fact.

We don't go out to eat anymore ever since our favorite diner went out of business (a mafia hit took place in their parking lot). I actually enjoy cooking. I get left in peace when I do it.

I used to go to a hair salon and pay almost $100 to have my hair shampooed, highlighted and cut but now I just walk to my local barber and get it cut for $16 then wash it myself when I get home. No more highlights. Bonus: the barber doesn't engage in annoying small talk.

We got our current mattress for half price because there was supposedly a mark on it. It's been five years and we've yet to find this mark. The store owner was even nice enough to help us tie the mattress to the roof of our car so we could get it home (no home delivery fee required). So, if you're in the market for a new mattress, take a felt tip pin or a small knife with you.

We haven't been to see a movie at a theater since Something's Gotta Give. We have Netflix (DVD and streaming) and just wait a couple of months for them to show up on there. Both of our nearest movie theaters went out of business anyway.

by Anonymousreply 278July 19, 2019 3:05 PM

Bubbles, you don't go out to eat EVER because your favorite dinner closed? You haven't been to a movie since 2003? I'm sorry, but that all sounds too depressing for words. If I were in that bad a shape financially, I'd either sell a kidney or jump off a building.

by Anonymousreply 279July 19, 2019 3:19 PM

I stopped using my electric dryer except for the RARE emergency. I have a carport on the rear of my house and I rigged up a clothesline between the posts holding the roof up. I dry 2 - 4 loads a week on it (sheets, towels, shorts, t-shirts, polo shirts, underwear, jeans, etc.) . You'd be amazed what not throwing away your tumble dryer's lint can do to prolong the life of your fabrics.

by Anonymousreply 280July 19, 2019 3:28 PM

[quote]I'm sorry, but that all sounds too depressing for words. If I were in that bad a shape financially, I'd either sell a kidney or jump off a building.

Not depressing at all. Far from it. Why go to a restaurant when I enjoy cooking? Why pay top dollar to see a movie when I can wait two months for it to show up on Netflix? Why pay someone else to do things I can do myself?

If you want to throw your money around, have at it. But this is a thread asking about how to be frugal and I offered some examples. Don't be a cunt (and you are being a cunt by telling me I should kill myself) and mock me or others for helping the OP (and anyone else who is reading this and wants to save money).

by Anonymousreply 281July 19, 2019 3:34 PM

Sorry, Bubbles, I know i'm being a bit of a cunt. I love to cook as well, but cooking 3 meals a day, 7 days a week all year long seems a little monotonous. I just think life needs at least a tiny bit of spice - even an egg mcmuffin on occasion would be a little treat.

by Anonymousreply 282July 19, 2019 3:38 PM

[quote]If you live near a public library, they will often have a printer there as well, at much cheaper rates than the FedEx Office.

There's a library in my area that has a 3D printer (free!) that I'm dying to try out.

by Anonymousreply 283July 19, 2019 3:41 PM

[quote]I make sure my rentboys are either new to the business or that they close to giving up hooking. You can get better rates and maybe even a few freebies thrown in. Ask for early bird specials or any others doscounts or promo. You might be surprised!

Are there any that offer senior discounts?

by Anonymousreply 284July 19, 2019 3:41 PM

[quote] (I'm very discrete)

Oh, dear.

by Anonymousreply 285July 19, 2019 3:41 PM

Go to university in France, Germany and Switzerland.

by Anonymousreply 286July 19, 2019 3:46 PM

My collegues family is originally from Thailand. She invited us for dinner the other day and there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, just something next to the toilet that looked like a shower you would use in the kitchen. They use their hands to clean their asses and jokingly call this thing a "Bum Gun". I asked how they dry their butts or vaginas after "showering" and apparently they don't and just pull up their pants. She suggested I could save a lot of money and should get one for my house. I politely told her I'm not THAT frugal and I'm also reluctant to shake her hand now.

by Anonymousreply 287July 19, 2019 4:06 PM

To the hoarder queen: saving old things is STILL not a "frugal secret!" It's just having stuff! You do some sort of work that requires multiple computer monitors? Great! Simply owning more than one monitor in that case is not a "frugal secret;" it's planning for your needs.

Seriously? Ask yourself who is actually helped on this thread by reading that you save old stuff that's important to you? I think all of us have a general sense that if there's an item that is important to us, be it spare computer monitors, bicycle helmets or "a lot of rope," that we should save that item for future use. No one is actually advocating a 100% disposable lifestyle, and certainly not anywhere on this thread.

by Anonymousreply 288July 19, 2019 4:14 PM

[quote]I just think life needs at least a tiny bit of spice - even an egg mcmuffin on occasion would be a little treat.

I have a sweet tooth so if I want a treat, I'll just do as I do every week and buy some dessert (cake, muffins, chocolate, whatever) and bring it home to eat. I'm certainly not denying myself. In fact, because we shop where everything is cheaper, we can afford to buy more! I love watching those cooking and baking shows (on Netflix of course) so I'm always getting new ideas. There's nothing monotonous about what we eat.

[quote]She suggested I could save a lot of money and should get one for my house.

I don't blame you. Instead, why not get one of those bidets like they have in Japan that not only wash your ass but also dry it? The Japanese ones even talk to you and play music. They're awesome. You can order them from Amazon. Imagine how much money you'd save on toilet paper (especially with it going up so much in price as it has in recent years).

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by Anonymousreply 289July 19, 2019 4:20 PM

Oh. One more thing.

We use window air-conditioners and whenever we buy one, we buy a second one as well now and store it away for when the current one inevitably dies. We had a situation several years ago when our air-conditioner suddenly died and we went to the store where they'd jacked up the prices (because it was the dead of summer) and there were less air-conditioners in stock than there were sweaty people who were there to buy them. There was almost a fist fight. Never again.

by Anonymousreply 290July 19, 2019 4:28 PM

My roommate in college used to wash his own clothes and dry them in on the drying rack but after drying, there is a smell, why is that? He uses detergent to wash the clothes.

by Anonymousreply 291July 19, 2019 5:08 PM

Because hand washing was probably not sufficient for his dirty, smelly clothes R291. I air dry my clothes all the time and they never smell.

by Anonymousreply 292July 19, 2019 5:17 PM

For those that need to print more regularly than once every few months, ink doesn't have to be that expensive. Just take your cartridges to Costco or Office Depot and have them refilled for $6. Or, you can use generic cartridges. My printer takes a set of 6 cartridges and I can get generic replacements on Amazon for $18 for 24 cassettes.

by Anonymousreply 293July 19, 2019 5:21 PM

Some tips for you bitches by a bitch who has you all beat!

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by Anonymousreply 294July 19, 2019 5:22 PM

I'm also storing a spare window air conditioner with all my other stuff in the basement!

by Anonymousreply 295July 19, 2019 5:25 PM

When I go to a hotel, after swimming in the pool or jacuzzi, I wrap 2 towels around my waist that I got in the pool area. I then pack them in my bag and take them home. They only inventory the room towels, so if you take them from the pool area they cannot charge you. I have a closet full of towels and I’ll never have to buy them again!

by Anonymousreply 296July 19, 2019 5:27 PM

I've cut my own hair for 20 years, just an extra hand mirror in the bathroom and electric clippers, it looks just as good as when the barber cut it.

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by Anonymousreply 297July 19, 2019 5:30 PM

R294, that woman is too cheap! crazy! she cuts her own hair and it looks bad, she's terrible at it.

She feeds her friends dumpster dive foods! Gross!

by Anonymousreply 298July 19, 2019 5:36 PM

If you're in a humid climate sometimes clothes will take so long to dry out that they begin to smell mildewy. Jeans and other heavy materials can take up to 24 hours to dry and will stink.

by Anonymousreply 299July 19, 2019 5:40 PM

R298 if I remember correctly, she doesn't buy TP either... just uses old t-shirts to wipe her ass and washes and reuses them!

by Anonymousreply 300July 19, 2019 5:42 PM

[quote]Go to university in France, Germany and Switzerland.

This deserves its own thread. I was just reading about colleges in Germany, and it's amazing how cheap they are, they even give you a free rail pass.

by Anonymousreply 301July 19, 2019 5:43 PM

yes, so gross R300, I was just watching the video, she was sitting down in the toilet to demonstrate it! with a tiny piece of soap that most would throw away! Gross.

by Anonymousreply 302July 19, 2019 5:43 PM

R294

"The last time I bought underwear was in 1998"

That's when I gave up - she's not thrifty: she's psycho.

by Anonymousreply 303July 19, 2019 5:46 PM

I admire that Kate has no fucks to give!

by Anonymousreply 304July 19, 2019 5:48 PM

R303, I agree. Who the fuck remembers that?!

That apt is a fucking mess.

by Anonymousreply 305July 19, 2019 5:49 PM

An ex used to go to the Barber to get his head shaved down every two weeks. It would cost him about $30 with tip each time. He told me that a few months ago he bought and started using this contraption to give himself haircuts. He bought it for $30 and you can't tell the difference so he's saving himself $60/month with it.

Reading the reviews, people love this thing.

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by Anonymousreply 306July 19, 2019 5:54 PM

I've cut my hair for like 20 years, can blend and edge. No one has ever noticed, and a bit of gel can style away small mistakes for a couple days till it grows in.

by Anonymousreply 307July 19, 2019 6:51 PM

I'm a Flowbee man myself. Paid for itself after three haircuts/beard trims.

by Anonymousreply 308July 19, 2019 6:57 PM

r299 -- I've been drying my laundry outside on a clothesline since 2008 when I moved into this house. I live in the deep south, Lower South Hell to be exact. Humidity out the wazoo.

I have never had my laundry come in smelling "mildewy."

Jeans, towels, blankets, mattress pads, throw rugs, etc. -- no fabric thick or thin has ever come in smelling less than fresh.

by Anonymousreply 309July 19, 2019 7:02 PM

"When I go to a hotel, after swimming in the pool or jacuzzi, I wrap 2 towels around my waist that I got in the pool area. I then pack them in my bag and take them home. They only inventory the room towels, so if you take them from the pool area they cannot charge you."

All the hotels I recently stayed at wanted my name and room number before I got a towel. Had to sign again for it, after I returned it. I hope you already have enough towels bc your days of stealing are numbered.

by Anonymousreply 310July 19, 2019 7:33 PM

"Recently, he moved out on me. Took the towels we stole from some hotel in Tennessee ." - Striesand in "By The Way"

by Anonymousreply 311July 19, 2019 8:00 PM

When I travel on my own dime, and not for an employer, I'm generally fine with staying in a less expensive hotel as long as it's within walking distance of places I want to visit. Especially in places like Vegas or NYC. I'm barely going to be in the room to begin with the whole time I am there - what's the point?

When it comes to eating when traveling, I typically stick to some nearby diner/greasy spoon type joints - particularly for breakfast and lunch, but it's not beneath me to hit up a food truck or something like that for dinner as well.

Due to my line of work over the years, I often have to travel, and get treated to nice dinners at upscale restaurants from various vendors trying to do business with us. Either that, or if my employer is sending us to a conference or something, my boss typically does the same for us, on the company's dime. They also put us up in nice hotels, sometimes even villa's. In other words, when it comes to splurging, someone else is picking up the tab, lol.

by Anonymousreply 312July 19, 2019 9:04 PM

I was just reminded of something a friend told me about what one of her colleague's does to "save money." They work for the Government and their work requires them to make presentations at various places once a week, usually just in a town or two over. Whenever this happens it's considered "travel," and they're given like $100 or something as a per diem.

Her colleague decided to submit Costco receipts as her "per diem," and they allow it so she's basically getting all her groceries for the week for free.

by Anonymousreply 313July 19, 2019 9:15 PM

My friend's husband has been using a Flowbee to cut his own hair. He's been doing it for decades and said he's saved thousands of dollars. His hair looks fine to me, it looks professionally cut.

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by Anonymousreply 314July 19, 2019 9:28 PM
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by Anonymousreply 315July 19, 2019 10:14 PM

[quote] R256: I like driving the wealthier neighborhoods in Houston on “large item collection” day. I usually find a couple of decent items per month (last week I found a spectacular living room side table.)

I used to take my nice trash to Goodwill. Then I tried to leave my crappy trash out the night before, for the garbage pickers. Eventually I went inside the Goodwill store, and I saw that they actually sell a lot of crap there, like grape glass jars for use as drinking glasses. So, now I bring a lot more to Goodwill. As long as it isn’t stained, ripped, or stretched beyond, well, really stretchie.

by Anonymousreply 316July 19, 2019 10:28 PM

If you're really on tight budget, I can understand you do what's necessary. Otherwise, those flowbee cuts look pretty ROUGH. Any decent barber can give you a precise, sharp, clean look. Plus the social experience of going to the barber. Really, life is short. Get good cuts. Keep your teeth clean and your clothes mended and pressed, while you're at it. Are you beasts?

by Anonymousreply 317July 19, 2019 10:31 PM

I'm stopped paying some schmo or schmo-ette $25 to cut my hair the same length all over. I was had for them to cut it!

I have a full head of hair that I wear short and it required a barber less that 15 minutes to cut it. I decided I would keep the money in my account and buy a Flowbee.

Friends and family think my hair looks fine.

R317 is a tiresome concern troll .. and may even be a hair cutter.

by Anonymousreply 318July 19, 2019 10:35 PM

In addition to R310's comments, I've been to 2 resort-y hotels in the past year that had RFID tags embedded into the pool towels and they were linked to your hotel room. You wave your room key fob to get a towel out of the 'safe' and then when you return it your towel debt is cleared.

by Anonymousreply 319July 19, 2019 10:38 PM

Is that who we have to thank for the gay-nazi haircut? Beckham?

by Anonymousreply 320July 19, 2019 10:41 PM

R319, wow, i've never heard of such a thing. I can't believe they tag the towels, towels are cheap.

by Anonymousreply 321July 19, 2019 10:41 PM

R318 yeah, I don't see those cuts as looking "rough." They look fine.

My Ex had a thick full head of hair that grew fast. He liked to wear it buzzed one length all over and so yeah, it would take the Barber 10 minutes and he was shelling out $60/month for it. He's glad to save the money so he can spend it elsewhere.

by Anonymousreply 322July 19, 2019 10:42 PM

Bad towels are relatively inexpensive, but decent and better towels are not cheap, easily $15+ each.

by Anonymousreply 323July 19, 2019 10:43 PM

Flobee are not buzz cuts, which yeah, you could do at home. Barber cuts are quite sophisticated nowadays with all the fades and lines. Ok mature men are not getting lines but you can get yourself a clean fade and look good. Sheesh!

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by Anonymousreply 324July 19, 2019 10:46 PM

Some of you have posted wise cost cutting measures.

But time is valuable to me, and anything too labor intensive really takes away from the value of whatever one is proposing to do to save money.

I'm also reminded that sometimes it's wise to not always buy the cheapest thing. Grocery brands may not always have a big difference, but I don't buy things from, say, Old Navy. Because no matter how cheap it is, it becomes the size of a washcloth in a month or tears into little pieces, and then I have to buy it again, which defeats the frugality of the original purchase.

by Anonymousreply 325July 19, 2019 10:52 PM

You need a better example. Old Navy's stuff isn't made as cheaply as you think i tis.

My cousin, who is extremely wealthy, started only buying her kids clothing from ON. Her thought was that she wasn't going to waste money on clothing they'd just grow out of after a few wears. To her surprise, the clothing held up for years and she just passed them down from kid to kid.

by Anonymousreply 326July 19, 2019 10:58 PM

"But time is valuable to me, and anything too labor intensive really takes away from the value of whatever one is proposing to do to save money."

What is your hourly rate of pay? Is this the driver for you whether you will tackle something yourself or hire someone?

I enjoy saving money that I once paid -- often for decades -- out of ignorance.

by Anonymousreply 327July 19, 2019 11:06 PM

R319 I'd never heard of RFID tags but I reckon I need them for socks that get separated from each other.

by Anonymousreply 328July 19, 2019 11:06 PM

I also hang my clothes to dry in my bathroom. I use the dryer for larger items like bed sheets or if heating to kill is important. I like merino wool for cool/cold weather so I hand wash a few items. I use the washing wand below to save my hands and it was a great buy. I wonder how much I would save if I was use the washer less and handwash most of my clothes and smaller items.

I live in a pretty affluent neighborhood (I'm just lowly renter) and the thrift shops have some great deals, especially with clothes. They are my first choice to buy something I want. I will only buy new if it's something I need immediately. Otherwise, I just bide my time and what I want usually shows up at one of the stores. The stores aren't Goodwill-sized, more boutique so I can swing by once or twice a week for 10-15 minutes and I'm done.

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by Anonymousreply 329July 19, 2019 11:13 PM

R327 Good question. It's not really about the rate of pay.

Hanging clothes and linens makes sense to me. Coupons are a good thing to a point. I just don't want to spend six hours to save a dollar.

by Anonymousreply 330July 19, 2019 11:14 PM

Speaking of coupons, where are my Ibotta sluts? Or similar programs?

by Anonymousreply 331July 19, 2019 11:15 PM

[quote] R327: What is your hourly rate of pay? Is this the driver for you whether you will tackle something yourself or hire someone?

Yes! Before I retired, I would often compare my frugal choices with my hourly rate. If I was saving less than my earnings, I would consider not doing so. Though, that’s not always relevant.

I also try to pay attention to repeating charges in particular. Even a small charge can be a killer if it repeats. Sorry Muriel.

by Anonymousreply 332July 19, 2019 11:32 PM

[quote](If you're lucky, your bank may have a counter that counts for you and deposits them, but that is rare.)

I bank at Wells Fargo, R56 and they had them forever but got rid of them a couple of years ago, and I'm pissed about it. If you have an account there they used to not deduct the fee. Now when I have change to turn in I use Coinstar and get an Amazon gift card.

by Anonymousreply 333July 19, 2019 11:51 PM

R333, you need to bank elsewhere. Wells Fargo is the worst bank in the world. just google it! you better go over your account with a fine tooth comb to see if you've been screwed over by them.

by Anonymousreply 334July 20, 2019 12:03 AM

R334 I thought Bank of America was the worst bank in the world.

by Anonymousreply 335July 20, 2019 12:05 AM

Crédit suisse sucks.

by Anonymousreply 336July 20, 2019 12:15 AM

Crédit suisse sucks.

by Anonymousreply 337July 20, 2019 12:15 AM

But does Credit Suisse suck?

by Anonymousreply 338July 20, 2019 12:22 AM

I opened a student account with Bank of America in 1988. No fees for me. It bugs them because it’s an ancient “product”, they tell me.

by Anonymousreply 339July 20, 2019 12:22 AM

effectivement

by Anonymousreply 340July 20, 2019 12:23 AM

Some days I'll skip washing "down there."

by Anonymousreply 341July 20, 2019 1:59 AM

"Cafe Bustello is hands down the best instant coffee."

Absolutely not. I grew up drinking Cafe Bustello and loved it.

When I decided to switch to instant I went with Cafe Bustello and it was terrible. Incredibly bitter which was not my experience with the regular coffee growing up. And sweetener didn't help. The instant is still nasty.

The next instant I tried was actually quite good. It's the Taster's Choice decaf brand.

There may be better ones out there, but it was such an improvement over the Bustello that I've stuck with it.

I still go to coffee shops and get cold brew and all the other over-priced fancy crap (Don't bother with Starbucks cold brew. It's nasty and you might as well just get their iced coffee and doctor it up). Peets is much better. Just about any coffee shop here in Berkeley has better coffee than Starbucks with the exception of Au Coquelet which has always had nasty coffee but they have decent pastries and their restaurant isn't bad for medium cheap eats.

But when I'm home instant is fine and definitely economi.

by Anonymousreply 342July 20, 2019 2:27 AM

I got cut off at the end. It's "economical."

by Anonymousreply 343July 20, 2019 2:29 AM

Every three weeks I pay $8 at a Vietnamese nail salon for a haircut. She’s better than I would be with any sort of Flowbee

by Anonymousreply 344July 20, 2019 3:10 AM

[quote] Cafe Bustello

Oh, dear.

by Anonymousreply 345July 20, 2019 3:22 AM

I have to agree that Cafe Bustelo's instant product is not as outstanding as its ground coffee. There are others out there that are better, IMO.

Found this on YT:

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by Anonymousreply 346July 20, 2019 11:00 AM

I reuse my old caftans. I cut them up for curtains. One year I made stuffed animals and saved $$$ on gifts!

by Anonymousreply 347July 20, 2019 12:05 PM

ggggg

by Anonymousreply 348July 20, 2019 12:15 PM

don't buy Campbells - buy Food Town. It's cheaper.

by Anonymousreply 349July 20, 2019 12:30 PM

If you have to buy a cheaper can of soup because you can't afford Campbell's Soup, you have to be the saddest, fattest person who ever, ever lived.

by Anonymousreply 350July 20, 2019 3:38 PM

^^ Now that wasn't very nice, was it? Apologize, r350

by Anonymousreply 351July 20, 2019 3:58 PM

It's not mean if it's true

by Anonymousreply 352July 20, 2019 4:39 PM

People do like Campbell's tomato soup, right?

by Anonymousreply 353July 20, 2019 6:01 PM

Speaking of canned soups, Big Lots sells Progresso brand soups quite cheap.

In addition, they also carry a variety of Bob's Red Mill products relatively cheap too.

by Anonymousreply 354July 20, 2019 6:17 PM

Greeting Cards from Dollar Tree or Wal-Mart for fifty cents a piece. Gift bags from Dollar Tree.

Those things alone are a savings of three hundred percent at least.

by Anonymousreply 355July 20, 2019 6:25 PM

Or perhaps poor and underfed? Sheesh! What an asshole. You know DL has a lot of modest peeps.

by Anonymousreply 356July 20, 2019 6:25 PM

You cannot get blank cards at discount stores, and pre-printed messages are tacky.

by Anonymousreply 357July 20, 2019 6:28 PM

[quote]You cannot get blank cards at discount stores

Uh... you most certainly can.

by Anonymousreply 358July 20, 2019 6:33 PM

Theme song for this thread and those posting.

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by Anonymousreply 359July 20, 2019 6:35 PM

If you do like to have Progresso canned soups on hand (like I do), then get the Progresso brand from Target. For some reason, the Progresso soup is way cheaper at Target than at any other store.

by Anonymousreply 360July 20, 2019 6:41 PM

Greeting/birthday cards are strangely expensive.

by Anonymousreply 361July 20, 2019 6:42 PM

Trader Joe's has an array of greeting cards, most blank and all 99 cents.

by Anonymousreply 362July 20, 2019 6:47 PM

That's still twice as much as DT and WM, R362!

by Anonymousreply 363July 20, 2019 6:49 PM

How much does canned soup cost?

Costco sells Progresso Soup, I think it's 6 cans for $6.99 .

by Anonymousreply 364July 20, 2019 6:50 PM

R362 - I LOVE Trader Joe’s Cards! Inexpensive and witty! I’ve used them for years.

by Anonymousreply 365July 20, 2019 6:51 PM

Nevermind, the Progresso at Costco is 8 cans for $10.99 but often goes on sale for $7.99.

by Anonymousreply 366July 20, 2019 6:53 PM

R364, local Costco only sells Progresso in two variations of chicken noodle. I like some of the other flavors. (Yes, I could just cook my own pot of soup.)

Also, some regions (U.S.) just have higher prices across the board, higher cost of living in general.

[quote] Greeting/birthday cards are strangely expensive.

I noticed that. I guess it's what the market will bear.

by Anonymousreply 367July 20, 2019 6:59 PM

My favorite thing for soup is using a can of tomato soup and adding curry, chopped ginger and coconut milk. Doesn't take much time and really makes a better soup. Add some fresh cilantro.

by Anonymousreply 368July 20, 2019 7:03 PM

Why does Trader Joe's limit parking? They recently opened stores in near me, but the parking is so limited you either wait a half hour for a space or find a lot a few blocks away.

Is this some strategy? What is the point?

by Anonymousreply 369July 20, 2019 7:09 PM

My expensive greeting cards are from CVS, which is nearby for convenience. Fyi.

by Anonymousreply 370July 20, 2019 7:10 PM

I was with Met Life for years, decades maybe, then my state deregulated insurance. My car insurance increased from ~$800 a year (old car which I do not drive much) to $1500. I called them and tried to get it reduced, but no luck. I told them, “Once I do the research, I’m not switching back”, because it’s not my first rodeo. So I switched to Liberty, for ~$800.

Then a month later, Met Life called “What can we do to bring you back?” It was just a phone rep so I didn’t feel like I could swear at him, but I did tell him that I called before and blah blah.

Insurance has these stealth increases, so it’s useful to look at this every so often.

by Anonymousreply 371July 20, 2019 7:23 PM

My Dad had a small business. At one point, he asked to be charged less, and they reduced it by $40,000 a year. He was so mad, that he dumped them and got insurance elsewhere.

by Anonymousreply 372July 20, 2019 7:24 PM

I use paper towels in the bathroom to wipe up the water that gets flung about when I wash my hands or brush my teeth. I dry the paper towels, and re-use them several times.

No butt wiping, no floor wiping, just plain water wiped off the counter.

by Anonymousreply 373July 20, 2019 7:26 PM

My Condo was insured for replacement value, but was assessed for far too much. I reduced the coverage, but still got “guaranteed replacement value with upgrades to current code”. The premium dropped about $6000 a year. My condo mates don’t appreciate it, the dopes. That was over a decade ago, so it really saved us a lot.

by Anonymousreply 374July 20, 2019 7:27 PM

R373, why don’t you use washable hand towels? That’s their purpose.

by Anonymousreply 375July 20, 2019 7:28 PM

R371 It's not just insurance that creeps (or jumps) up. When I moved here, garbage collection cost $600 a year. This year's bill was $2,600! No change in service.

by Anonymousreply 376July 20, 2019 7:31 PM

R369 - you must be in LA. Here in Houston the Trader Joe’s parking is free and plentiful.

by Anonymousreply 377July 20, 2019 7:45 PM

R376, that’s outrageous. Will they reduce it if you ask? That’s what really burns me.

by Anonymousreply 378July 20, 2019 7:49 PM

R373, if you are just wiping up plain water, you do know that water dries all on its own, right?

R369, how does Trader Joe's limit parking? Do they have signs or something or do you just mean they put stores in places where there isn't sufficient parking?

by Anonymousreply 379July 20, 2019 7:49 PM

Who wipes his butt with paper towels?

by Anonymousreply 380July 20, 2019 7:58 PM

R376, where?

by Anonymousreply 381July 20, 2019 7:58 PM

R381 Long Island (NY)

by Anonymousreply 382July 20, 2019 8:01 PM

I’m gonna let you cunts in on a little secret, but don’t spread it around too much or we may lose it. Mother’s Day 2017 I took mother to Las Vegas because she always wanted to see Donny and Marie Osmond. (Fuck you if you snickered- they were wonderful entertainers) I reserved the least expensive room at The Bellagio. When checking in, I explained to the clerk that this was a Mother’s Day celebration and we were so happy to be at The Bellagio. I handed him my ID, credit card, and a folded $20 bill and asked him I would appreciate any possible upgrades he could give us. Well don’t you know we ended up on the 16th floor facing the fountains!! I ended up paying $160 a night for a $400 fountain view room! Now I’m not saying this will work EVERY time, but it’s definitely worth a shot!

by Anonymousreply 383July 20, 2019 8:13 PM

R379, I guess that was what I was asking. Do they always choose sites without enough parking for a supermarket? It is just weird that there is usually a 20 to 40 minute wait if you use their parking lot.

by Anonymousreply 384July 20, 2019 8:16 PM

If you cannot afford a 99 cent greeting card, that's almost as sad as the sad sack who needs to only spend thirty two cents on her generic can of tomato soup.

by Anonymousreply 385July 20, 2019 8:21 PM

I plan my yearly travel (3 weeks) at least 6 months in advance. I'm willing to fly into any European city if the round trip fare is less than $400. I sometimes stay in that city a night or two, then fly to my destination on a cheap airline (I've paid $10 - $40). Most of the time I immediately connect, never leaving the airport. Almost every major city has a free 2 hour walking tour. You tip the guide at the end. Most are really good. The guides offer excellent tips regarding what to see and rip-offs (tourist-traps) to avoid during your stay. Some cities I did these free tours: Brussels, Naples, Nazareth, Riga, Palermo, Nice

I have never spent more than $100 a day including everything. People always wonder how I can afford to travel so much to so many cool places, and when I try to tell them they don't want to hear about it. It is complicated sometimes, but I love the planning. I always travel alone and I love it.

Also, all of the major world museums have free tours and classes. Some good ones: Getty Villa, Tate Modern, British Museum, the Israel Museum. Bonus - most museums in London have free entry.

by Anonymousreply 386July 20, 2019 8:39 PM

Trader Joe's stores are not as large as a lot of U.S. supermarkets. They're not necessarily stand-alone stores with acres of parking. In southern California and Las Vegas, I notice that the Trader Joe's tend to be located in strip malls with parking shared between several different shops. You might not be able to park right in front of the Trader Joe's, but there's enough parking.

by Anonymousreply 387July 20, 2019 8:49 PM

Trader Joe's stores are not as large as a lot of U.S. supermarkets. They're not necessarily stand-alone stores with acres of parking. In southern California and Las Vegas, I notice that the Trader Joe's tend to be located in strip malls with parking shared between several different shops. You might not be able to park right in front of the Trader Joe's, but there's enough parking.

by Anonymousreply 388July 20, 2019 8:49 PM

R386 - I too love traveling alone! I can do what I want without consulting or negotiation with anyone. I use hostels, air bnbs with shared bathrooms, etc to save money - things most friend’s wouldn’t do! I guess that’s how I’ve traveled the world making only $40,000 US per year.

by Anonymousreply 389July 20, 2019 8:52 PM

I don't know how to start a budget travel thread. Please someone do?

by Anonymousreply 390July 20, 2019 8:56 PM

R390 - great idea! I can’t start threads, but I could sure contribute lots to a thread like that!

by Anonymousreply 391July 20, 2019 8:57 PM

I have never seen a Trader Joe's that was not a stand alone--which is why the parking is so limited. If they were in a strip malll like most supermarket's there would be more parking.

They seem to take over sites that were built for larger ticket items like computer stores---so the parking lots are small.

I go a couple times a year and park at the strip mall down the street. But that means I can only get what I can carry.

by Anonymousreply 392July 20, 2019 9:13 PM

What would prevent you from rolling the cart down the street to your car? Or paying some nice young man to carry your bags, dear?

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by Anonymousreply 393July 20, 2019 9:17 PM

R383 I am genuinely happy for you and your Mom. I bet it was a wonderful time she won't forget.

by Anonymousreply 394July 20, 2019 9:25 PM

You're a moron if you can't understand it's not about not being able to afford something but rather about why waste money paying more for something when there is a perfectly reasonable alternative.

Although, I can't speak for the canned soup... I don't know why anyone would enjoy canned soup.

by Anonymousreply 395July 20, 2019 9:27 PM

R394 - thank you! It was an unforgettable time that I treasure. 😘

by Anonymousreply 396July 20, 2019 9:28 PM

R373 see R294. She has some more tips you can use.

by Anonymousreply 397July 20, 2019 9:28 PM

R383 I hope you're joking about that secret.

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by Anonymousreply 398July 20, 2019 9:30 PM

Good lord, I would just kill myself if I was poor.

by Anonymousreply 399July 20, 2019 9:58 PM

Many do, R399.

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by Anonymousreply 400July 20, 2019 10:03 PM

[quote]I have never seen a Trader Joe's that was not a stand alone--which is why the parking is so limited. If they were in a strip malll like most supermarket's there would be more parking.

There are plenty in CA that aren't stand alone and their parking is still awful. There are probably more that aren't stand alone then are in CA.

by Anonymousreply 401July 20, 2019 10:04 PM

R399 - I actually thought about suicide many times when I was a working stiff with no end or relief in sight. At the age of 51 my father passed unexpectedly and I received $550,000 as my part of the estate. Now I work 3 days a week and am happier than ever. It may not seem like a lot to some people, but for me it’s all I need.

by Anonymousreply 402July 20, 2019 10:12 PM

I saw that episode of "Extreme Cheapskates" posted at R294. IIRC, the woman featured was living in an apartment in a big city (NYC maybe) that she owned and that was 100% paid-for. She invited two friends over (a male and a female -- I think the male was her ex-BF) and fed them Dumpster-dived food and she also refused to turn on the air conditioning (it was hot). That's depressing to treat "guests" that way.

by Anonymousreply 403July 20, 2019 10:22 PM

R403 no, it was a guy she was saying was an old friend of hers, who obviously wasn't. It's really apparent that chick has no friends and it was some random dude she kind of met a few times a decade ago and his new girlfriend.

She obviously has some sort of mental issue. The way she says she sleeps on a yoga mat because it is "outrageous," that a bed would cost a few hundred dollars, is really telling.

A lot of what she does is disgusting and cringey but the weird thing is once that dude's girlfriend lays into her, I actually felt bad for the mental case.

by Anonymousreply 404July 20, 2019 10:28 PM

I'm comfortably lower range of upper-middle-class and a bit of a foodie but I'd never sniff my nose at canned soup. There are lots of good ones, and I remember my impoverished days at a very swanky college, appreciating Progresso Lentil. I had a fancy boy Cuban American friend who could work wonders with a can of Campbell's consommé or tomato. Not to mention the delights of a canned lobster bisque.

by Anonymousreply 405July 20, 2019 10:29 PM

Progresso macaroni and bean (pasta e fagioli) is delicious!

by Anonymousreply 406July 20, 2019 10:33 PM

R390 and R391

Here's a thread as you requested:

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by Anonymousreply 407July 20, 2019 10:38 PM

R162 the ShopRite in my Brooklyn neighborhood ended Self-Checkout. Security cameras confirmed fraud. Manager said they didn't bother to prosecute customers, just shut down the terminals on a Friday night.

by Anonymousreply 408July 20, 2019 11:07 PM

R36 here. I was talking with my Mom today, and she mentioned that she needed a clip board for her job. I told her that I thought I had one. I went down to my big ole storage box/area in the basement and rummaged around for a few minutes, and JACKPOT! I found a clip board, and it's one of the nicer flip open types in which you can store a stack of papers. I just looked online and these types of clipboards sell for $10-$15. So it was nice to save her some money with a piece of my stash. FRUGAL!

by Anonymousreply 409July 20, 2019 11:13 PM

Entenmann's has bakery outlets. Their cookies, cakes, doughnuts, Thomas's English Muffins with $4.49 price tag for 75 cents. Arnold, Pepperidge Farms, other brands and coffee.. Seniors get 10% off on Wednesday.

by Anonymousreply 410July 20, 2019 11:15 PM

But does the clipboard smell like basement?

by Anonymousreply 411July 20, 2019 11:16 PM

R167 The Anal Vegetarian,

by Anonymousreply 412July 20, 2019 11:17 PM

R411, of course I thoroughly washed it with dish soap and dried it before I took it to her. It looks new. Thanks for asking.

by Anonymousreply 413July 20, 2019 11:18 PM

I like to go up to the rooftop terrace of a luxury hotel and read and relax for a few hours in the afternoon. All for the price of a cappuccino.

by Anonymousreply 414July 20, 2019 11:20 PM

Sign up for "Buy Nothing" - it's a Facebook group made up by neighborhood and the idea is a "gift economy" where you offer things for free if you no longer need them. I've given away countless things and have gotten a few things as well that I was able to use. It's a really cool concept and the right idea environmentally, as well.

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by Anonymousreply 415July 20, 2019 11:29 PM

FreeCycle is the same thing.

by Anonymousreply 416July 20, 2019 11:31 PM

My local grocery store closes at 9PM and around 7 they usually sell a lot of fruits, vegetables, bread and pastries for half price. Expensive berries like raspberries often only cost 50 or 70 cents. On Saturdays around the same time they also sell meat, dairy products, cheese etc. for 30 or 50 percent off. The store manager told me he doesn't like to throw away so much food and offers it for half price even if they lose money. I wish more stores would do this or at least donate the food and not throw it all away. So waiting till 7 for my grocery shopping usually saves me a lot of money.

by Anonymousreply 417July 21, 2019 12:02 AM

One of the markets here used to guarantee that they’d always have rotisserie chickens ready or you’d get a coupon for a free one. I used to stop in later in the evening, and more often than not, they were out. I was able to get a couple free chickens a month that way.

by Anonymousreply 418July 21, 2019 12:11 AM

Yes I shop before closing and I know the stores that are too upscale for their neighbourhoods, so its a 1/2 price cheese and meat bonanza. You have to read the meat packages because certain are defrosted - such as lamb and imported beef. Nobody in these neighbourhoods is buying the pricy organic meat and AOC cheeses, so it's 1/2 price for me, or their garbage can. These shops don't adapt, delusion!, and will fold eventually.

by Anonymousreply 419July 21, 2019 12:13 AM

[quote]I wish more stores would do this or at least donate the food and not throw it all away.

I asked the bakery section at my local King Kullen what they do with all the cakes etc that they don't sell and she said it's donated to homeless shelters or old folks homes or wherever. I can't imagine they sell even a quarter of what they bake as, no matter what time of day I go there, the counter's shelves are always fully stocked.

by Anonymousreply 420July 21, 2019 12:24 AM

In France, they have made it illegal for supermarkets to dump food. They have to donate it.

by Anonymousreply 421July 21, 2019 12:24 AM

Why wouldn't grocers leap at the opportunity to donate food rather than throw it away.

They get a tax deduction for "charitable donations."

by Anonymousreply 422July 21, 2019 12:35 AM

R408, is that the SR on McDonald and Ave I or the one in the Gateway center. The Ave I one is the SR I always go to but have not been there in about 4 months because I was hospitalized for a long while and I'm just getting back to where I can walk, but not enough to shop in a big store yet. I'm trying to remember if they had self-service back then or if I'm thinking of the 10 or 12 items or less near the McDonald Ave entrance to the store. There used to be a Pathmark at the Borough Park store (has since been closed along with all other Pathmarks) that had self service but I can't remember one at the SR I went to so I'm guessing you go to the Gateway one, which I hear is an amazing store, the largest one in the entire Shoprite chain.

I found most people had trouble at the PM self service isle and needed a clerk to help them out which kind of defeats the purpose.

by Anonymousreply 423July 21, 2019 12:51 AM

R422 I was told that a lot of stores and brands don't want to be associated with poverty and poor/homeless people. Even a lot of stores are reluctant to sell food at half price bc people could associate this with cheapness or are afraid people will wait to do their shopping till they get products for half price. Same problem if you offer coupons or discounts too often. At some point customers are no longer willing to pay the full price. The problem with bakeries is that they are often required to have fully stocked counter shelves at all times. Especially if the bakery is in a mall or part of a large supermarket. Thankfully all of this is slowly changing and people are more and more outraged that so much good food ends up on garbage dumps.

by Anonymousreply 424July 21, 2019 1:06 AM

R422 liability.

The big chain by me doesn't donate any of its leftover deli items because of the liability. It's an odd thing, if someone gets sick at a shelter or whatever, they're responsible.

Also, I used to volunteer at various charity events for cancer. We would get a ton of food donated from restaurants and it was always too much. We would literally have at minimum 50 trays of food left over and couldn't do anything with it. We would call various shelters and none of them would take it because they told us the same thing, liability if someone got sick.

by Anonymousreply 425July 21, 2019 1:07 AM

I wasn’t talking about prepared food, r425.

by Anonymousreply 426July 21, 2019 1:14 AM

Yeah but R420 was.

by Anonymousreply 427July 21, 2019 1:15 AM

When I go with friends out to a fancy restaurant I order a side salad and a water.

by Anonymousreply 428July 21, 2019 2:14 AM

Rachel at R428, I had friends that would do that every time they went out with their friends. They would split a salad while everyone else ordered wine, champagne, appetizers, steaks, desserts, etc. The friends would always just divide the check and my friends would be pissed but would never say anything about it. It took them years to realize they were better off just ordering the same way everyone else was.

by Anonymousreply 429July 21, 2019 2:18 AM

separate checks always after I watched an acquaintance pocket half the tip when he thought no one (party of 8) was watching

by Anonymousreply 430July 21, 2019 2:47 AM

If businesses don't donate leftover food because they're worried about liability, local and/or state legislatures can pass "good samaritan" laws like we have in Calif to protect donors who aren't "negligent" as defined by the laws. A politician who sponsored such a bill could be a hero by marketing the cause right -- there's no downside to feeding the poor at the Senior Center, even it's just with day-old cinnamon rolls.

by Anonymousreply 431July 21, 2019 3:21 AM

R431 thanks for the info. I didn't even realize that CA just recently passed this in 2017.

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by Anonymousreply 432July 21, 2019 3:28 AM

R425 it's amazing how insurance companies have fucked over society that we have to worry about liability rather than feed people.

by Anonymousreply 433July 21, 2019 3:37 AM

The Safeway stores in my area have racks at the back with discounted bakery items that didn't sell by their expiration dates (just a little stale, not dangerous to eat) -- bagels, garlic bread, croissants, doughnuts, etc. -- marked down to $1 or $2. Not health food, but nice additions to meals and people are going to buy them anyway so it's helpful to save a couple of bucks.

by Anonymousreply 434July 21, 2019 3:59 AM

R433, it's the lawyers who caused it.

by Anonymousreply 435July 21, 2019 6:05 AM

Nothing can beat a 60% employee discount on day-old danish!

by Anonymousreply 436July 21, 2019 12:57 PM

About 70% of the "tips" on here are borderline insanity, in that they ultimately save you less than $100 over the course of a year but make your life far more than $100 worth of unpleasant.

Honey for online coupons is a smart thing--it also finds lower prices on Amazon, but those often don't come with free shipping so caveat emptor.

A programmable thermostat (for those with central heat/air) that can automatically change the temperature while you're at work and/or on vacation is a smart move. Most of them can be controlled via a phone app these days, so even if you forget, you can change it on your way to the airport.

Eggs are very healthy and very inexpensive.

by Anonymousreply 437July 21, 2019 1:15 PM

R434 That's pretty much every grocery store everywhere that has a rack like that.

by Anonymousreply 438July 21, 2019 2:11 PM

I don't quite understand how Ibotta works.

Or whether it works with your store's loyalty/coupon card or is INSTEAD of it.....

by Anonymousreply 439July 21, 2019 2:13 PM

I go to the local lovers' lane where the hot college guys fuck the girls. When they throw the used and loaded condom out the car window I run over and grab it.

Condoms ain't cheap. Especially the Magnums....

by Anonymousreply 440July 21, 2019 2:43 PM

r440 Make sure you don't catch the aids when you place them on your magnum cock.

by Anonymousreply 441July 21, 2019 2:51 PM

R441 or when he slurps the contents...

by Anonymousreply 442July 21, 2019 2:52 PM

This is reminding me of the jock in my dorm who used to walk down the hall with the condom on his (large) dick to the showers......but all us gay boys never minded. It was like watching a hunter carry the horns of a deer.

Nothing frugal about this so....sorry for off topic tangent. LOL

by Anonymousreply 443July 21, 2019 3:10 PM

When I remember, there are sites that contain discount coupons. Retailmenot is one of them that’s pretty good. Certain companies always accept coupons, like Lands Inn, LL Bean, FTD.... I don’t always remember, though. It’s nice what 3 minutes gets you $20 off an order, or whatever.

by Anonymousreply 444July 21, 2019 3:21 PM

I only use credit cards that have no fee, and give cash back. These days, I get 2% to 5% cash back. Every once in a while, I open a new card to get some kind of “new card” promotion, like $300 to $500 back. I make about $2000 a year this way, tax free. And my credit score is around 830, so it hasn’t hurt me at all.

I think that cash-back is better than miles. The cash-back offers are about comparable in value to the miles-offers, and they are more flexible, of course, because you can use the cash for anything. Nonetheless, I have a ton of miles.

by Anonymousreply 445July 21, 2019 3:28 PM

[quote]I go to the local lovers' lane where the hot college guys fuck the girls. When they throw the used and loaded condom out the car window I run over and grab it.

"Tommy, do you hear that? What is it?"

"Sounds like a runaway rhino, hmmm. Weird."

"And those rustling curtains and clinking earrings are giving me the creeps!"

"Yeah, let's go, Tiffany. And thanks for helping me get rid of my losing science project, but who knew primates preferred the ribs for her pleasure?!"

by Anonymousreply 446July 21, 2019 3:51 PM

[quote]My Condo was insured for replacement value, but was assessed for far too much. I reduced the coverage, but still got “guaranteed replacement value with upgrades to current code”. The premium dropped about $6000 a year. My condo mates don’t appreciate it, the dopes. That was over a decade ago, so it really saved us a lot.

If it is truly a condo, you shouldn't be paying for insurance, because you don't own the building, only the right to occupy it.

by Anonymousreply 447July 21, 2019 3:51 PM

r384 The Trader Joe's closest to me (which is also a few miles from their HQ, coincidentally) is in a shopping center with a bunch of other stores, so there's plenty of parking.

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by Anonymousreply 448July 21, 2019 3:52 PM

r383 Did Mom have any issues in the restrooms at the Bellagio?

by Anonymousreply 449July 21, 2019 3:53 PM

How much do you spend eating out every month, including alcohol at bars?

by Anonymousreply 450July 21, 2019 4:04 PM

R447, a condo owner most certainly should have insurance. The condo owner normally owns their appliances, cabinets and other fixtures (toilets, sinks), often the drywall walls, wood floors, etc., all in addition to their own personal property in the unit. You'd be nuts not to insure those things.

by Anonymousreply 451July 21, 2019 4:12 PM

Guys I've known through the years all seem to love their Flowbees. No woman I know has ever said they have one, but maybe they do. Any female DLers own a Flowbee?

My older brother's hair is balding and he wears it very short. I keep telling him a Flowbee can give him the exact same haircut as his barber for pennies, but I guess he just likes having some one touch him other than my SIL.

by Anonymousreply 452July 21, 2019 4:15 PM

Condo insurance is so high that shopping around saved him $6000.00 per year in premiums? How much was it before? I own a home and my home owners insurance is around a thousand a year and that's for structure and contents. What does that condo owner have for contents? Louie Exx Vee Eye??

by Anonymousreply 453July 21, 2019 4:17 PM

[quote] R447: If it is truly a condo, you shouldn't be paying for insurance, because you don't own the building, only the right to occupy it.

I was a trustee. The association paid for the master insurance policy. And the Trustees were responsible for choosing it.

But I do also, separately, pay insurance for my personal items .

by Anonymousreply 454July 21, 2019 5:02 PM

I cut toothpaste in half as they finish up to get the last drop of paste.

by Anonymousreply 455July 21, 2019 5:09 PM

Get your "rentboys" from grindr. Usually much cheaper than going through the conventional way, and sometimes much hotter.

by Anonymousreply 456July 21, 2019 5:14 PM

I only masterbate to Free Porn I find online. Why pay hefty fees to see cupcakes fucking when I only need them for 3 minutes here, 4 minutes there ?

Say, saves me $ $ $ every year ! !

by Anonymousreply 457July 21, 2019 5:18 PM

tl;dr Insurance increases in cost the longer you have it, and they may reduce it A LOT if you ask nicely.

R453, I don’t remember what the insurance originally cost, but it must have been maybe ~$12,000 a year. This is for the whole complex, 15 homes. Your cost is $1000. Imagine that times 15 would be $15,000.

There’s something called a Boch estimate, which is your rebuild estimated cost, IIRC. Our Boch estimate was lower than what we were insured for, plus we had guaranteed replacement coverage with upgrade to current building code, so, we were grossly over insured. When I explained it all to the new insurance company, he was surprised that I understood it all, and that we were overpaying so much. I might say he was “shocked”, even.

As the expense is diluted in our condo fee, people didn’t notice it. Or care. But it adds up. I pay only 8% of our costs, so it’s not too, too much. But over the years, it adds up.

I think it took me a year to figure this out, but it was worth it.

by Anonymousreply 458July 21, 2019 5:19 PM

R439 there isn't much to figure out.

Yes, it works with coupons and your store's loyalty card.

You snap a photo of your receipt showing you purchased the item they're promoting and they deposit whatever amount into your account.

by Anonymousreply 459July 21, 2019 5:21 PM

I am quite frugal; however, when it comes to tips and hobos, I remind myself that giving a dollar or two (or whatever in tips) isn’t going to change my life any, so I try to be generous.

Of course, I have my limits as to who I tip, but that’s for an entirely different thread.

by Anonymousreply 460July 21, 2019 5:26 PM

I learned that Home Depot, and maybe other stores, doesn’t always need a receipt for a return. If you have the credit card you used to buy the item, sometimes that’s all they need to process a return. Amazing.

by Anonymousreply 461July 21, 2019 5:28 PM

Whenever I give money to panhandlers I always tell them that I expect them

to use the cash for something to make them feel good that night, be it drink, drug or sex

and not to use it for food nor milk as both will spoil in short order.

I believe in living for the day. Carpe Diem !

by Anonymousreply 462July 21, 2019 5:30 PM

I used to always start tipping at 20% (and I would just base it off the taxed total so it was actually more) at restaurants and would go up depending on better service. I stopped doing that when I kept receiving mediocre to zero service and noticed the server would only become attentive the nearer it was to the bill coming as if I'd forget the shitty service. Now I start at 15%.

by Anonymousreply 463July 21, 2019 5:36 PM

As for panhandlers, I can’t care what they use the money for. It’s not like they should starve until they get sober. They’ve hit bottom, and started digging. I don’t want to punish them for being so very mentally ill.

by Anonymousreply 464July 21, 2019 5:40 PM

Budget Gay Travel here ...

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by Anonymousreply 465July 21, 2019 5:46 PM

We insists on separate checks whenever eating out whether there's 2 or 20 in our party, then we's argues about who actually got an appetizer or two or three and who had how many drinks. Then we all act like it's the waitress's fault to justify leaving a 2% tip but 2% is a lot from us. And ha ha, cause like you think I loses sleep over sheet like this ?

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by Anonymousreply 466July 21, 2019 5:52 PM

There’s a group I go out with sometimes. The payment is always short. I have mixed feelings about it. Should the poor folks get a pass?

If we’re broken up into different tables, as often happens with a party of 20 or such, I ask for a separate check for the small table. So maybe there’s four of us at a separate table, and we get a separate check. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.

by Anonymousreply 467July 21, 2019 6:02 PM

[quote]a condo owner most certainly should have insurance

I never said you shouldn't have insurance -- I said you shouldn't have insurance on replacing the BUILDING.

by Anonymousreply 468July 21, 2019 6:06 PM

R468, you said "you shouldn't be paying for insurance".

by Anonymousreply 469July 21, 2019 6:14 PM

Why wouldn't you have insurance to replace the building? You're not insuring the land.

Of course you're insuring the building. With what's usually called a "Master Policy" paid for by the condo association.

Jeez...

by Anonymousreply 470July 21, 2019 6:35 PM

This is kind of off topic but I can't start threads. Does anyone use Amazon Fresh? I was looking into it and I can't believe I understand it. If I do it is outrageously expensive. There is of course the cost of the item, fine. THEN there is some kind of fee of $9.99 per item and then a 20% of the total bill fee added to that. I'm assuming you tip the person bringing the food too. Could this possibly be. It would be like paying maybe 4 times what your groceries would cost in even an expensive place like Whole Foods. I can't believe Amazon has a lot of customers for this service. Prime is a good deal, but THIS!

by Anonymousreply 471July 21, 2019 8:34 PM

[quote] I used to always start tipping at 20% (and I would just base it off the taxed total so it was actually more) at restaurants and would go up depending on better service. I stopped doing that when I kept receiving mediocre to zero service and noticed the server would only become attentive the nearer it was to the bill coming as if I'd forget the shitty service. Now I start at 15%.

I used to default at same, and now I'm more like what you've said here.

And I am very, very generous. I will tip in the 30 percent range at a few of our favorite places, because they are local restaurants and always take very good care of us. But I've learned not to reward mediocre service - and wait to tip until after the meal, no matter how much some of these casual dining places want you to tip up front.

by Anonymousreply 472July 21, 2019 9:52 PM

Speaking of tipping; if I go to a chain restaurant and they're having something like 1/2 PRICE BURGER NIGHT, I still tip based on percentage from the regular pricing. I usually tip 25%; 20% if the service was so-so. I think 2,3 times in my recollection was the server so bad that I left a 15% tip. You also should be absolutely certain it was lousy service based on the server not the kitchen was slow or the kitchen didn't cook the food correctly because those things are not the server's fault.

by Anonymousreply 473July 22, 2019 12:56 AM

I usually tip 25% too, 20% for so-so service. However on the rare occasions where the service really sucked I left nothing and if he or she was available asked to speak to the manager. Yes, I wanted to get that server fired. I'm talking about the bad kind of service that is clearly a server not giving a shit or being downright nasty. I'm not talking about something like being called to do something by 4 different tables and I have to wait an extra few minutes or spilling something or bringing the wrong thing, as that might be the chef's/cooks fault, of course as long as the mistake is corrected, hopefully without spit on the plate.

by Anonymousreply 474July 22, 2019 1:01 AM

Oh, for fuck’s sake, if the experience sucks, I’m not tipping 15%. I’m not tipping anything.

by Anonymousreply 475July 22, 2019 1:02 AM

R475

See, I still tip something. Maybe it's only 15%. Then again, I'm the kind of guy who gives the homeless guy 20 feet away half of what I just gave the one in front of me for coming in 2nd.

by Anonymousreply 476July 22, 2019 1:06 AM

What does all this tip bragging have to do with the topic?

by Anonymousreply 477July 22, 2019 1:28 AM

R477 Are you English, Bubbles? Do you have tipping in Britain?

by Anonymousreply 478July 22, 2019 1:41 AM

Where do you all eat that you're frequently confronted with egregiously bad service?

And what constitutes "egregiously bad" for you?

Given that it's DL it can range from "served the soup from the wrong side" to "kept us waiting for 45 minutes before taking our order and then screwed up 3 out of 4 dinner orders"

by Anonymousreply 479July 22, 2019 1:47 AM

R478 No. I'm Australian and in the U.S. Last time I went back I ordered a pizza and tipped the guy when he arrived (out of habit) and he looked at me like I was nuts. Then I remembered. Oh yeah, we don't tip here.

by Anonymousreply 480July 22, 2019 1:51 AM

R479 screwing up an order because they didn't write it down, having to ask for things multiple times and the server still not bringing the item. Dropping off food and then not returning until the meal is almost over. General negligence and inattentiveness.

by Anonymousreply 481July 22, 2019 1:53 AM

Glad I live in Europe where servers' wages are rightly paid by their employer.

by Anonymousreply 482July 22, 2019 2:12 AM

I'm so frugal that I only eat out once a fortnight.

And I never go to places where I am waited on by human beings acting like slaves who are paid a "tip" for pretending to like their customers just like prostitutes do.

by Anonymousreply 483July 22, 2019 2:28 AM

Good advice on here.

OWN your car. If it runs good, even it’s from 1976, keep it and maintain it. Leasing a car is like pouring money down the drain.

Eat at home. No brainer. Plan for meals and what to buy. Freeze what you don’t use right away instead of throwing it out. Learn to cook if you don’t know how to.

Pay bills on time and use your own banks atms to avoid hidden fees.

Buy non perishables in bulk as much as you can. Especially cleaning items including shampoo, dish soap, windex, paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste and laundry soap. You save money buying these items as much as you can afford at one time. And of course food you know you will eat in time.

Buy generic. You save a lot and most of it is the same quality.

Get napkins and other freebies like straws, coffee stirrers and condiments from restaurants. Keep them in your car especially.

Frequently go to dollar stores. Lot of great deals here.

Buy your fav coffee and take it with you. Just about every place sells the Starbucks type cups you can make at home. Starbucks should be a maybe twice a month thing, if that.

Learn the difference between NEED and WANT. You’d be surprised what you really don’t NEED. You just want it as an impulse buy.

by Anonymousreply 484July 22, 2019 2:56 AM

I sell all of my old underwear online where I have a site that claims I'm a young super fit 22 year old bodybuilder named Justin. Dirty old men from all over the world pay high dollars for my used underwear & socks. [The don't need to know that I'm actually a 47 yr old overweight diabetic who lives in his widowed mother's basement.]

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by Anonymousreply 485July 22, 2019 5:14 AM

[quote]Glad I live in Europe where servers' wages are rightly paid by their employer.

Yeah and every waiter or waitress has all the charm of a DMV employee. Dining out in Europe is torture.

by Anonymousreply 486July 22, 2019 5:53 AM

I never use hotel laundry service...horribly expensive. There's nothing like coming back to the hotel room from a sweaty day touristing around town and jumping straight in the shower fully clothed. I lather up and rinse away until me and my clothes are sopping clean, then I strip off and stomp on the clothes in the stall. To finish off I'll wring the clothes out and then roll them up in a hotel towel, to mop up the excess water, and drape them on coat hangers around the room. They'll be dry the next morning and you're ready to go. Just make sure you pack lightweight clothes and you can travel the world with just your cabin luggage...no more hanging around baggage carousels or worrying about your bags being sent on the wrong flight.

by Anonymousreply 487July 22, 2019 5:54 AM

I take things from people's houses when they are away.

by Anonymousreply 488July 22, 2019 5:56 AM

R487 is one of those fascinating posters I was referencing.

Saves $50 -$75 or so on hotel laundry over the course of his trip so that he can waste an hour every day washing his clothes with shampoo and strewing them around the room.

I mean I get the impulse. You're at some airport newsstand and they want $5 for a bottle of Aquafina and your first thought is "no way am I going pay that much for filtered water" but then you realize how thirsty you are and figure that in the scheme of things, it's worth $4 to not be thirsty this one time.

by Anonymousreply 489July 22, 2019 10:25 AM

R489 = a consumer of the ovine persuasion.

by Anonymousreply 490July 22, 2019 11:53 AM

Agree with R489. There are times it’s worth spending and there is a happy medium between frugal and OCD cheap.

One thing I’ve learned though is to bring an empty bottled water with me from home through airport security and fill it for free at water fountain. Paying a 10x markup is just something that gets under my skin. Though $ aren’t a huge deal, it’s the principle of the matter.

by Anonymousreply 491July 22, 2019 2:43 PM

Some of these frugal tips are more like "frau-gal" tips.

by Anonymousreply 492July 22, 2019 2:46 PM

[quote] R482: Glad I live in Europe where servers' wages are rightly paid by their employer.

In different places, people do things differently. I wish things were more straight forward, but this is the system we have in the US.

by Anonymousreply 493July 22, 2019 2:47 PM

[quote]Glad I live in Europe where servers' wages are rightly paid by their employer.

And?

Doesn't necessarily mean you get better service. In fact, I frequent a lot of "upscale" restaurants in NYC where they've done away with gratuity and the difference in the level of service is noticeable - it's gone downhill sharply.

by Anonymousreply 494July 22, 2019 2:50 PM

Here's some hints for you old bitches.

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by Anonymousreply 495July 22, 2019 2:56 PM

Part 2

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by Anonymousreply 496July 22, 2019 2:57 PM

Part 3

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by Anonymousreply 497July 22, 2019 2:58 PM

I made a terrible faux pas in Holland once. I had a table at an outdoor restaurant, by myself. I got a beer from the waiter, then was ignored by him. I noticed the table next to me was a party of four, and was ignored as well. When they wanted a second beer or whatever, one of the four got up, went to the bar, and got it. I didn’t feel like I could do so, as I had no items to leave on the table so as to say “I’ll be back”. I figured that the table would be taken if I got up. So, when he walked by, I said, “Waiter”. OMG, It was like I swore. People turned to look at me. I was so embarrassed. I guess they don’t do that. But I still don’t know how they get a second beer, there.

by Anonymousreply 498July 22, 2019 2:59 PM

Ugh - it’s the thing I hate most about Europe R498. It’s fine that waiters are treated as regular salaried workers rather than tip-prostitutes, but it honestly feels like they go out do their way to ignore you and be as unhelpful as possible. I get better service at Walmart in Arkansas than a nice restaurant in Europe.

I’ve waited 30 minutes + multiple times to get attention from a waiter - Paris is the worst. How do you Europeans deal with it? As a NY-er, the painfully slow, rude, unresponsive service boils my blood. After many years, I’ve actually just stopped going to waiter service restaurants in Europe - I’d rather eat a take out falafel than suffer through the masochistic experience of eating in a European restaurant.

by Anonymousreply 499July 22, 2019 3:29 PM

It takes an hour to handwash clothes? If I'm traveling, I'm not doing a full load in the sink. It's usually a couple of items here and there.

by Anonymousreply 500July 22, 2019 3:30 PM

Yes, Paris seems to be the worst. I've been in places where thirty minutes go by and no one checks on our table.

by Anonymousreply 501July 22, 2019 4:11 PM

It takes an extra 10 minutes in the shower to hand wash and saves you half an hour at the baggage carousel, because you can travel with just carry-on luggage.

by Anonymousreply 502July 22, 2019 4:14 PM

Here's a solution why waste money or time... just don't wash your clothes! How dirty do you bitches get that you can't re-wear something at least twice!

by Anonymousreply 503July 22, 2019 4:21 PM

[quote]I was talking with my Mom today, and she mentioned that she needed a clip board for her job.

Shouldn't her job provide that??

by Anonymousreply 504July 22, 2019 4:30 PM

R499 For Europeans it is usually very annoying if a waiter asks you every 5min if you need something. It always feels like they want me to leave asap or I have to order another drink. In Europe you usually just make eye contact with the waiter or just wave if you want the check or another drink. Works just fine and I always get what I need. It is also nice that I'm not required to tip. If I really enjoyed a meal or the service, 1-2 Euros is more than enough or I usually just pay 3 Euros if the bill was 2,70. In the UK you often have to get your drinks at the bar and there is no service at pubs, in Italy you already pay 1-3 Euros for the service so they don't get any additional tips. Waiters in France usually ignore you, if you order in English. The French think it is rude that most tourists expect them to speak English and do not speak any French vor the language when visiting a foreign country. I had some very unpleasant experiences in restaurants, hotels, busses, grocery stores....so almost everywhere. Almost impossible to get even some basic information in English in France. Same in Italy: almost no one speaks English (especially outside the big cities and in the south). But Italians are typically not rude, they just don't speak English.

by Anonymousreply 505July 22, 2019 4:41 PM

Kohls, everything cheaper there

by Anonymousreply 506July 22, 2019 4:41 PM

yes, no tipping is needed but isn't there a service charge? % of the bill? Service should be better but it just sucks.

USA has very good service. You notice the difference straight away when you go to other countries.

by Anonymousreply 507July 22, 2019 5:11 PM

The service in Europe is fine. If you go back to a restaurant or cafe in France or Italy, often the staff remember you and greet you warmly. Regarding the servers in Paris' rudeness - you might be rude too if you were a 50 year old father of four dealing with an American frat boy snapping his fingers and loudly yelling 'Garçon! Garçon!' And then following it up by asking in English for ketchup for his steak frites...

by Anonymousreply 508July 22, 2019 5:23 PM

R507 I think only Italy has a service charge. Restaurants and Cafés in Europe pay their employees so a tip is complimentary. Yes, service in the US is better, but it is also very annoying that restaurant prices are already very high and you always have to add an additional 20%.

by Anonymousreply 509July 22, 2019 5:26 PM

I speak (rudimentary) French and am always polite and speak French in Paris. It’s more about their fucked up psychology where they enjoy the game of being obnoxious cunts - seeming not to notice you if you try to make eye contact or raise a finger. I’ve tied too hard to play their game and now at 50 I just won’t.

Finally, 2-3 years ago at lunch with 1 other person in restaurant, the owner and waiter stood chit-chatting 50 feet away from me and refused for a good 15+ minutes to acknowledge me or look my way when I was clearly finished and waiting for the check. I got up and stood next to them and waited for check. Now that’s my standard procedure - fuck cultural “respect” when their “culture” is to disrespect their customer.

by Anonymousreply 510July 22, 2019 5:34 PM

There are service charges in menus, sometimes it's like 15%. It probably goes to the owner who pays the wages of wait staff. So we are paying for their shitty service.

by Anonymousreply 511July 22, 2019 5:35 PM

Saving money at hotels/ motels by stealing items or doing laundry in the shower isn't really saving you money unless you travel a lot for work. For the rest of us the way to save real money is to focus on cutting down spending $$$ on items that we use regularly. Items such as toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, floss, soap, detergent, food, and other household items. The real key here is to over-buy when there is a good sale on, like buy-2-get-1-free deals or better. Also try to shop online for these items when they do go on sale because you save gas $$$ from going to the stores, and the bulky packages are delivered to your door. Win-win in my book. Always check the online weekly ads for sales and deals.

I buy a lot of items on Walgreens this way. Get a Walgreeen's rewards card so that you can earn points and apply those points in the form of rewards dollars off when you check out both online and in-store. It's like a cycle when you keep shopping and earning rewards points, you'll find that you basically never pay taxes on the taxable household items when applying rewards dollars at checkout. For instance, I'd just recently stocked up on buy-2-get-1-free deals on toothpaste, toilet paper, and paper towels, then I used my $10 rewards and saved even more money, all of that with free shipping. Remember to make the purchases on double or triple points days so that you earn 2-3 times the amount of points towards your next $$$ reward.

by Anonymousreply 512July 22, 2019 5:44 PM

You can save money by never paying for toothpaste or toothbrushes! Manufacturers are always giving those away for free.

by Anonymousreply 513July 22, 2019 5:47 PM

I tip only 12.5% for full service restaurants and zero for when I pick up or get to-go. I also don’t tip postal workers, maintenance people, or movers. I do offer cool bottled water that I buy by the case at Walmart. Saves hundreds a year not worrying about tipping.

by Anonymousreply 514July 22, 2019 5:47 PM

Every time I go to the dentist I ask for extra toothpaste and floss samples. I haven’t bought any in years. Probably only saves $50 a year but it’s something!

by Anonymousreply 515July 22, 2019 5:48 PM

Oh, if anyone has prescriptions not covered by insurance, get them filled at Costco. They're cheaper there anyway but they also have a free program you can join which takes an additional amount off.

And no actual membership to Costco is required to use their pharmacy.

by Anonymousreply 516July 22, 2019 5:51 PM

R509, I think there are service charges all across the continent. Maybe someone who travels more can comment?

by Anonymousreply 517July 22, 2019 5:51 PM

Yeah - the tipping the thing is out of control. When I moved to the suburbs and found out you’re supposed to tip the mailman and the garbage men, I was like “fuck that”.

One of the best things about Uber when they started was no tipping allowed. Then they started it and now its like an expected 20% tax.

I sympathize people aren’t being paid enough - but most of us aren’t so we need to fight capitalism not shift the costs from billionaire companies to people struggling to get by - both tippees and tippers.

by Anonymousreply 518July 22, 2019 5:52 PM

Someone mentioned, "pan handlers," above and it reminded me of something I recently witnessed. This man was asking for money in front of a store and this woman gave him a dollar. He followed her in the store and started berating her, saying she was a "cheap, fucking, bitch," for not giving him $5 when she could, "obviously afford it."

by Anonymousreply 519July 22, 2019 5:56 PM

I had something similar R519, but he didn't follow me. A guy asked me for money for the bus. I didn't give him the full about and he bitched to me about it. I told him to go find someone that will make up the difference.

by Anonymousreply 520July 22, 2019 6:03 PM

^A lot of mentally ill are hobos.

by Anonymousreply 521July 22, 2019 6:04 PM

A friend of mine saves money by not being brand loyal. He'll buy whatever brand is cheapest or on sale.

by Anonymousreply 522July 22, 2019 6:09 PM

R517 I have travelled all across Europe many times and only Italy has a fixed service charge. As others have already pointed out, service, tax etc. is usually already included in the price on the menue.

by Anonymousreply 523July 22, 2019 6:10 PM

This has worked a handful of times but not guaranteed to work every time. I always have a couple of ten dollar bills with me and if something I buy is under $20, I always start up a conversation with the cashier to distract them and just hand them a ten dollar bill. Many times they have assumed it was a twenty and given me the appropriate change (if the item was $18 they gave me back $2). If they catch it point out that it’s just a ten dollar bill, I just play stupid and say “oh I’m such a ditz!”

by Anonymousreply 524July 22, 2019 6:15 PM

*amount

by Anonymousreply 525July 22, 2019 6:16 PM

Sure, Addie at R524.

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by Anonymousreply 526July 22, 2019 6:17 PM

First of all, there is no need to tip mailman or garbage man! Mailman is federal worker, they have benefits. Garbage men in my city is unionized, also lots of benefits. NO NEED to tip these people!

The only people I tip are wait staff, bartenders, cab drivers, hair stylist, doormen (xmas time). That's it!

by Anonymousreply 527July 22, 2019 6:23 PM

The fact that some of you eldergays still refer to homeless people as "hobos" just made my day.

And WTF is up with the weird obsession with washing clothes in hotel bathrooms. I travel all the time for work and have zero problem fitting a week's worth of clothes (including workout gear) into a carry on and I never wear the same thing twice. Trick is to pick a color scheme and roll everything. And wear the bulkiest items (coat, sweater, blazer) on the plane. On a longer trip, I'll hit up the hotel laundry once and figure the $50 was worth not having to check a bag.

So many cheap ass no-tipping mofos on here too.

by Anonymousreply 528July 22, 2019 6:25 PM

I have nice thick hair so it’s easy to cut/style. I go to a different hair salon every time and usually on Tuesdays it’s cheaper. I never tip so I save $5 a cut. I just go to a new salon, and repeat behavior.

by Anonymousreply 529July 22, 2019 6:30 PM

Instead of staying at a hotel, rent a house/apartment on Airbnb then you'll not only have a laundry (to wash your clothes in a machine like a civilized person) but also be able to cook your own meals instead of having to call room service or go out every time you're hungry or thirsty.

I'd rather live like a local than a tourist.

by Anonymousreply 530July 22, 2019 6:32 PM

If I remember correctly postal workers are legally not supposed to accept tips.

by Anonymousreply 531July 22, 2019 6:35 PM

The average salary for a USPS mail carrier is between $34,000 and $66,000 with the average being $53,810 so, yeah, they don't need a tip.

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by Anonymousreply 532July 22, 2019 6:40 PM

About the non-tippers ... A few years ago I was having cable problems in my apartment. It was the internal cabling, which needed repair. After much back and forth, in mid-December, a tech arrived who actually fixed the problem. I was very happy, and held out a $20 tip. He declined it, saying nobody tips. I told him I was offering the tip because he did good work and I was pleased and because it's Christmas. And then he smiled and took the money.

On his way out, he stopped by the utility room one more time. Later that evening when I went to watch TV, the television started auto-scanning new channels. After I tipped him apparently he went and removed the filters from my cable connection, and now I got every cable channel except the premium ones. Very kind of him.

by Anonymousreply 533July 22, 2019 6:41 PM

Agree Bubbles R530 but our corporate travel doesn't do Airbnb (Yet-- a bunch of us are working on them!)

When I travel for leisure that's all I do (Airbnb) for all the reasons you state.

by Anonymousreply 534July 22, 2019 7:03 PM

Postal workers and doctors can accept gifts of “token” value. I think it’s $25 for each, but not sure about that. It’s probably the same for others.

I worked for a defense contractor in the 1980s when there were bribery concerns. They initiated caps there and then, too. So, the navy guys could take pens and calendars, maybe lunches, that kind of stuff. Not cars or nice watches.

by Anonymousreply 535July 22, 2019 7:09 PM

Aren’t you guys afraid of bedbugs at airb&b?

by Anonymousreply 536July 22, 2019 7:10 PM

R536 - I’ve used AirBnb for years and never had bedbugs.

by Anonymousreply 537July 22, 2019 7:14 PM

R536 - I’ve used AirBnb for years and never had bedbugs.

by Anonymousreply 538July 22, 2019 7:14 PM

I travel with carry on only so I pack as lightly as possible. I usually wash socks and underwear in the hotel sink. I carry enough for 3-4 days, not for 2 weeks.

by Anonymousreply 539July 22, 2019 7:22 PM

No more so than at a hotel, R536

It's not like you're staying in someone's house (above a certain price point, anyway)--- it's an apartment that someone rents out full time--think high-end vacation condo rental, only in a city, often in a building with a doorman or concierge. You can even get daily maid service if you want.

The shit some of you worry about.

SMH

by Anonymousreply 540July 22, 2019 7:26 PM

R540 - we here at Data Lounge don’t have any “millennial friends.” Eat shit and die, cunt.

by Anonymousreply 541July 22, 2019 7:31 PM

[quote] [R540] - we here at Data Lounge don’t have any “friends.” Eat shit and die, cunt.

Fixed

by Anonymousreply 542July 22, 2019 7:34 PM

I'd be more worried about bed bugs at a hotel or motel. They crank the customers thru. Just think about how many asses have been dried by those towels some of you are stealing.

by Anonymousreply 543July 22, 2019 7:37 PM

I intentionally buy fast-drying workout clothes so I can wash them in the gym shower (using the free soap provided by the gym) to save money on laundry.

by Anonymousreply 544July 22, 2019 7:42 PM

I learned, pack extra socks and underwear, because it’s expensive to have them laundered and they are easy to carry. Pack fewer pants, if you want. It seems more reasonable to wash them at a great price, since they are larger.

by Anonymousreply 545July 22, 2019 7:47 PM

Airbnb is not always the cheapest. I should be the Airbnb troll since I hate them. Airbnb is hurting cities and neighborhoods. In some instances they are making affordable housing next to impossible. I know of two cities in my state that are having a problem with affordable housing all due to Airbnb.

by Anonymousreply 546July 22, 2019 7:53 PM

Airbnb is now on par with hotels now when you take into account the surcharges that most Airbnb places tack onto the final price. It's no longer the cheaper option for travelers but that's not to say that deals can't be had there, you just need to book in advance for the best/ cheapest options.

by Anonymousreply 547July 22, 2019 7:59 PM

Airbnb is always rhe cheapest. There is no nice hotel in London Soho that can offer an ensuite room with kitchen access for $90. The deals are even better in Paris, so much so that I consider my trips there as budget and am able to go yearly.

by Anonymousreply 548July 22, 2019 8:06 PM

Hostels are always the cheapest. They also usually provide kitchen access. R548

by Anonymousreply 549July 22, 2019 8:07 PM

Shouldn't all this travel stuff be in the frugal travel thread that was specifically created by request for that very purpose?

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by Anonymousreply 550July 22, 2019 8:08 PM

R547 - I disagree about getting the cheapest price by booking in advance. I use just the opposite tactic by booking at the last minute. I use the Priceline app for hotels and they discount their rates even more if you can wait to book on the afternoon of your stay. Same with AirBnB. Of course, I travel alone and am very flexible about where I stay.

by Anonymousreply 551July 22, 2019 8:12 PM

The advantage to Airbnb is you get a lot more for the price of a hotel room For $250 or so you get a really nice 1BR apt in a great location with kitchen and large bathroom.

Most of the hosts are great about filling you in on where locals get coffee, go for lunch, drinks, etc. whereas a hotel concierge will send you to a nice but supertouristy place.

by Anonymousreply 552July 22, 2019 8:18 PM

That's a great story, R533. I live in the U.S. and worked as a restaurant server (tipped) in the past. Now, I can afford it and I just like to tip people sometimes, like at the gas station when I get full service (tires, water, etc.). (I'm still frugal, though.)

by Anonymousreply 553July 22, 2019 8:18 PM

^^And if you're traveling with friends or family, you can get a 2BR or 3BR place too.

by Anonymousreply 554July 22, 2019 8:19 PM

^Barcelona, Amsterdam, Mallorca, Berlin.... What started as a nice opportunity for students, families and solo travellers to spend some time with locals and in residential neighborhoods for a cheap price, is now a billion dollar industry and causing big problems in every major city.

I rented a very small furnished room to students in my apartment. Around 2014 I started to exlusively rent the room via Airbnb. I no longer paid rent for my apartment and on top made another $500 a month. Students (also families, singles and elderly people) in my city now have trouble finding affordable rooms or apartments.

One of my last guests stayed at a hostel before he rented my room....and got bedbugs there. Thankfully I had already decided to move out and move in fulltime with my boyfriend. I heard from several other hosts on the Airbnb message board that they had the same problem. I was lucky I only had to get rid of the furniture in the room, did not bring them to my new apartment and also got my deposit from the landlord and never heard from him again (probably thought the new tenants brought them with them). So yes, it does happen a lot.

by Anonymousreply 555July 22, 2019 8:28 PM

[quote]The deals are even better in Paris

Yep. Airbnb is a very cost effective alternative in Paris. Likewise Tokyo where you can get a full house to yourself in Tokyo for $40 a night. Airbnb is also the best option in Australia. You can get a penthouse apartment for $60 a night in Brisbane.

by Anonymousreply 556July 22, 2019 8:30 PM

R556 Yes I can vouch for Tokyo Airbnb being way cheaper than hotels. I usually book Airbnbs in Tokyo that are close to supermarkets. In Japan their supermarkets are known for freshly-made foods with quality ingredients. What's more around early evening the supermarkets in Tokyo and other big cities start discounting prepared foods, and they do have quite a large selection both Japanese and Western dishes, by 50% off and more. By around 7pm the discounts are even steeper, about 75% off. Once in a Tokyo stay of about a week, I stayed at an Airbnb that is right next to a 24-hour supermarket. The money that we saved for meals was tremendous and we ate what would be considered restaurant-quality meals by buying from the supermarket-prepared meals, discounted of course.

by Anonymousreply 557July 22, 2019 8:39 PM

I've never used AirBnB, but I've booked several nice places on VRBO, which is sort of the same thing. I just got a 1-BR cabin with fireplace and kitchen in a beautiful location for about the same price that a Motel 6 was charging not far away.

by Anonymousreply 558July 22, 2019 8:46 PM

[quote]^A lot of mentally ill are hobos.

R521 is hobophobic.

by Anonymousreply 559July 22, 2019 8:46 PM

If AirBnB is such a problem, why don't the cities place restrictions on them? I know that a city where I have a (full-time) rental property has all kinds of restrictions on short-term rentals. And many other cities or homeowners associations have similar limits.

by Anonymousreply 560July 22, 2019 8:49 PM

Cities are, R560. Cities are.

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by Anonymousreply 561July 22, 2019 8:51 PM

^Lots of cities have already started. In my city you have to register and get a permit now and you can only rent a couple of weeks a year and not the whole apartment, only a room. Many other cities have started to do the same. NYC for example.

by Anonymousreply 562July 22, 2019 8:54 PM

yes, many cities have restrictions but it still goes on. Like in NYC.

by Anonymousreply 563July 22, 2019 8:55 PM

Arizona just made it easier for AirBnB and others like it. City of Phoenix is very aware of the problem, but is doing nothing.

by Anonymousreply 565July 22, 2019 9:25 PM

[quote]One of the best things about Uber when they started was no tipping allowed.

r518, Uber allowed tipping. You just couldn't write it in on your card.

[quote]I sympathize people aren’t being paid enough - but most of us aren’t so we need to fight capitalism

Stiffing waiters and cabbies is "fighting capitalism"? No, you're just a cheap prick.

by Anonymousreply 566July 22, 2019 9:33 PM

In some situations Airnbnb CAN be cheaper than a hotel, in some situations not. It depends on the city and how many are in your group. You also have to take into consideration the ability to get points, etc. and the flexibility a hotel offers in cancellations, rather than being locked in to a place. This can help save you some money because prices do tend to drop the closer you get to your date. Also, with a big chain of hotel, there's some security in knowing what you're going to get.

by Anonymousreply 567July 22, 2019 9:37 PM

R556 & R557 which neighbourhoods did you stay while in Tokyo? I am looking for airbnb apartment now but I am getting a bit lost in city geography ;)

by Anonymousreply 568July 22, 2019 9:37 PM

Use vinegar and water in a spray bottle, along with copious amounts of baking soda to clean most everything in your home. Keep a jug of bleach and dilute the hell out of it in water for sanitary purposes and keeping tile grout white.

All these cleaners are nonsense.

by Anonymousreply 569July 22, 2019 10:42 PM

If you run out of fly/bug spray, use Windex. It also works and is much cheaper. Why is fly/bug spray so expensive nowadays?

by Anonymousreply 570July 22, 2019 10:50 PM

I just watched a self-proclaimed cheapskate pull a pocporn and drink container out of the trash at the movies and go get the free refill on it.

by Anonymousreply 571July 22, 2019 11:51 PM

R571 - OmG that’s a great tip! Thank you and I will let you know how it goes when I go see Rocketman on Wednesday!

by Anonymousreply 572July 22, 2019 11:54 PM

I am frugal, ut a lot of the tips here are beyond my boundaries.

by Anonymousreply 573July 23, 2019 12:02 AM

^see, I saved the “b” in “but”. I can use it elsewhere.

by Anonymousreply 574July 23, 2019 12:03 AM

Nice recovery R574

And good to see that others find many of the tips here to be way beyond the pale.

by Anonymousreply 575July 23, 2019 12:14 AM

R568 The Airbnb that I stayed at with the 24-hour supermarket was in the residential Setagaya District in Tokyo. It's about a 5-7 minute walk to the subway station that you can take the train to the bigger/ more fun Shibuya or Shinjuku. It's also across from a post office, where I mailed home the results of my over-shopping during my stay in Japan, and the postal workers were amazingly helpful despite me not speaking Japanese and they not speaking English. Anyways because the apartment (which comes with in-unit washer/ dryer) was slightly out of the way in terms of walking distance to fun, touristy shopping/ nightlife, it was a lot cheaper than say, prime Shibuya. I just looked and the host is charging $65/ night and without outrageous ancillary fees. So she hasn't jacked up the price, Japanese people aren't known for doing shit like that, believe me I had that experience too in various international cities I'd traveled to. I've nothing but great experiences using Airbnb in Japan.

by Anonymousreply 576July 23, 2019 12:44 AM

R568 I forgot to add that to take the train to the fun, touristy areas in Tokyo, it's pretty fast via the bullet trains there, so from walking to station to being where to want to go, it's about 10-30 minutes depending on where you want to go. The trains there run on time and they come every few minutes even if you miss one there's another one in 7-10 minutes or so.

by Anonymousreply 577July 23, 2019 12:51 AM

yes and Japanese people are very neat and tidy, I doubt there would be bedbugs in those Airbnb.

R577, you mean normal subway trains. The bullet trains are for travel between cities.

Yes, the trains are never late! one of the many reasons I love Japan and everywhere is so clean! there are lots of shops in the subway stations too, underground.

by Anonymousreply 578July 23, 2019 12:59 AM

R578 Hi sorry I mean normal subway trains, they're like bullet trains to me because we have shitty slow trains here in the US

by Anonymousreply 579July 23, 2019 1:05 AM

Mr. Money Mustache!

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by Anonymousreply 580July 23, 2019 1:21 AM

^^ Smart guy

by Anonymousreply 581July 23, 2019 1:28 AM

I only flush the toilet once per week to save money on water.

by Anonymousreply 582July 23, 2019 1:36 AM

Mr. money mustache is a freak. His kids get denied toys since they can make their own. He way over the line.

by Anonymousreply 583July 23, 2019 1:44 AM

R582 - “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.” Toilet rules to live by ❤️

by Anonymousreply 584July 23, 2019 2:03 AM

R583 = spendthrift

by Anonymousreply 585July 23, 2019 2:11 AM

R583 = spendthrift

by Anonymousreply 586July 23, 2019 2:11 AM

R585/R586 , R583 is what Pete, aka Mr. Money Mustache, would refer to as a Spendypants. He probably lives in a clown house, drives a clown car for his clown commute to the job he will be working for another 35 years.

by Anonymousreply 587July 23, 2019 2:37 AM

I save tons of money by subscribing to the Data Porch, the DL's knock-off site.

by Anonymousreply 588July 23, 2019 2:40 AM

I save tons of money by subscribing to the Data Porch, the DL's knock-off site.

by Anonymousreply 589July 23, 2019 2:40 AM

Here's a controversial tip.

Don't tip well in vacation spots that you don't frequent. Example, I barely tipped well in Hawai'i because it'll be a while before I go back. I ain't gonna see you again gurl. It should be a pleasure to be serving me Frau!

by Anonymousreply 590July 23, 2019 4:17 PM

R590 - Absolutely! If I know I’m never going back, ZERO tip. Now if it’s a super hot guy under 30 and he’s flirtatious or sweet, he gets a 50% tip. But women and uglies get none.

by Anonymousreply 591July 23, 2019 5:26 PM

I booked a place on VRBO yesterday and was outraged to discover they now had an option of either paying a $59 "fee" (really insurance) to increase the damage deposit by $1500 to $2000 (i.e., on top of the already $500 deposit they charge) or to add another $1500 onto the deposit. Seems like a major ripoff, especially when the property isn't that big of a deal (it's a 1BR place for $150/night.) I went ahead and paid the $2K deposit (I'm not likely to cause any damage) but it's really annoying. This is of course on top of their regular fees and the cleaning fee.

by Anonymousreply 592July 23, 2019 6:43 PM

r590 r591 = bad people

by Anonymousreply 593July 23, 2019 8:16 PM

R592, a $2k deposit sounds iffy. Like you won’t get it back, no how. Is that a normal thing now? Do you have to take photos when you arrive, to be safe? That also sounds exhausting.

by Anonymousreply 594July 23, 2019 8:31 PM

Don't mind me, I just shit in R590 and R591's food.

by Anonymousreply 595July 23, 2019 8:32 PM

[quote]It should be a pleasure to be serving me Frau!

It should be. But it isn't.

by Anonymousreply 596July 23, 2019 8:35 PM

I think I posted this before, but for some of yous, 🙄, I try to remind myself that a decent tip or gift to a hobo will generally not change my life or hurt me any, so I try to be generous. I don’t tip everybody who has a tip jar out, but I do tip the traditional hairstylist, paperboy, foodserver, housecleaner, taxi, and so forth. I also enjoy giving out Xmas tips.

I only tip counter service people if they are my local stores, and then only a couple or few bucks, unless they’re really nice or helpful. Certainly not 15% or more, usually. Their charge-screen offers those higher options and I find that insulting, like they take their customers for chumps.

I once saw a neighbor tip the local owner of the tailor/dry cleaner. That was too much. That’s an example of someone who is ruining it for the rest of us.

by Anonymousreply 597July 23, 2019 8:48 PM

Didn't you post about someone tipping the dry cleaner before, r597?

by Anonymousreply 598July 23, 2019 8:54 PM

Probably, R598. I will never get over it!

Damn wealthy jerks!

by Anonymousreply 599July 23, 2019 9:00 PM

I was a waiter in Ptown decades ago. When I went to drop the check off at a table for six, there was that fight people sometimes get into, with the guys demanding the check. It’s like the frickin’ mating ritual of some tropical bird, sometimes. I had the impression they were Irish from Southie.

Anyway, after some argument, I just dropped the check in the middle of the table. The guy who didn’t get to grab it was really pissed. Nonetheless, the guy who paid left a pisspoor tip. Maybe 5% or less, I never challenged anyone about a crappy tip, but I was tempted. I forgive the elderly, I resign myself to small tips from Lesbian groups and Canadians, but these guys had no excuse.

(Did I manage to insult just about every minority?)

by Anonymousreply 600July 23, 2019 9:09 PM

Not sure if this needed another thread but here's one just in case:

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by Anonymousreply 601July 23, 2019 9:10 PM
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