It would probably be a good premise for a new reality show: 10 cheapskates abandoned on the streets of New York each with a dollar in their hand and the clothes on their backs; will they survive?
We all know somebody we either admire (or make fun of) that seems to allow frugality to run their life. In fact, need to or not, many folks simply have made being cheap their trademark. This ability has no doubt made many a millionaire (not that a being a millionaire is much to brag about anymore).
So what are some of the extreme measures that frugal folks out there in cyberspace are coming up with to save pennies? We’ll share a few that we found for laughs and learning:
- Using vinegar in place of fabric softener. From someone who doesn’t even use fabric softener, I think I’d rather have stiff clothes then a “vinegar cloud” surrounding me!
- Using mayonnaise as a skin moisturizer. Apparently mayo contains all the essential ingredients required to maintain a good skin – oil serves as a moisturizer, eggs to firm the skin, and vinegar to maintain pH (acidity) levels. True cheapskates will simply visit their nearest fast food burger joint and grab your day’s quota in those little paper cups or packets – for free…
- Using baking soda in place of toothpaste. Well, I used to do that as a kid because I hated the texture of toothpaste, but as an adult the opposite would likely be true…
- Split your roll of 2-ply toilet paper into two rolls. Hmm… I think the use of extra hand soap might offset that savings…
- Cutting lotion and shampoo bottles in half in order to scrape out every last drop. Not a bad idea!
- Get your flowers from funeral home trash dumpsters. Flowers used in a funeral are usually dumped in the trash after the proceedings, and it is illegal in most states for funeral homes and florists to resell or reuse these flowers. OK, dumping the flowers is definitely wasteful, but the thought is a bit unnerving…
- Pick, squeeze, freeze your own citrus. But the clincher is once your tree is barren, the fruit of your labor is obtained from other people’s trees. Touche?
Such extreme miserly behavior may only worsen the decline in consumer spending. And it seems as though many of the “extreme frugalists” haven’t even lost jobs yet – they are obsessing in preparation for the worst! And what if they become so hooked on the behavior, they can’t increase spending again once the economy recovers? There may be a new support group out there entitled, “Cheapskates Anonymous”!
All kidding aside, hopefully you got a laugh and a money-saving idea or two that works for you. If you have any frugal ideas to share to help others weather the economic storm, please do tell!
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I think the split of shampoo and conditioner is a great idea, the same goes for ultra potent hygenic items such as Listerine and Dial hand-soap; you can achieve the same results and literally double your savings. The lather will be the same and the antibacterial properties will not be diminished, although they are over-used in today’s phobic society.