Now that we have a thread of "splurging" how about the "cheapest" thing we do!

I couldn't help but think of the opposite in the splurging thread and really get some kicks out of what my own father does as far as cheap, as he grew up in a very poor household, with 11 brothers and sisters. Here's a few things he still does to this day that are jaw dropping cheap:

1) He usually brings a can of tuna to lunch to work and drains the cans water into a cup to drink it because he says "I don't want to waste it. it's good water." (he never wastes food, even at an all you can eat buffet, he wipes his plate clean every meal)
2) The wife and I will invite our parents over for dinner and when we're cooking he'll clean up the small amounts of spilled ingredients, cut off chicken wastings, etc and pack it up to bring home to use later.
3) He'll routinely spend hours building a tool or method to save the less than $10 he could have spent just buying the thing to do what he needs to begin with.
4) He's 65 now and uses the same hairbrush that he got when he turned 18! Every 10 years or so he takes it down to the shop and cuts it down a little more and refinishes it. (some old famous wood brush he says. haha)

There's others I'm sure.. but I thought it would be an entertaining thread. Share your stories!

to save on utility bills, i reuse my underwear by turning it inside out!

I pirate software instead of buying it.

I started shopping at the A&P instead of at Wendy's.

I signed up for 50,000 brokerage accounts in order to keep all the trial deposits...

You want us to give away all of our secrets? Sheesh...

sea shower (I don't have the heart to use the other name) or shower at work

Ooh-Rah

oh, and when we lived in the dorms, rather than buy dish washing detergent, we used the hand soap that was provided to wash everything from body to pans...

BillLumberg said: Poop at work to save on TP.

I just take work TP home with me.

My parents must have a few hundred mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner from various hotel stays. Also those free slippers/toothbrushes/etc you get on international flights.

Many years ago I recall the "save a flush". That is, one of my parents would use the bathroom, and then come and find my sister or me and urge us to use the same toilet prior to flushing.

drjofis said: My parents must have a few hundred mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner from various hotel stays. Also those free slippers/toothbrushes/etc you get on international flights.

Many years ago I recall the "save a flush". That is, one of my parents would use the bathroom, and then come and find my sister or me and urge us to use the same toilet prior to flushing.

"If it's yellow, stay mellow. If it's brown, flush it down!"

I charge my cell phone in the car so I don't use electricity from my house.

I always turn off all the lights in the house when I go to bed.

I unplug as many appliances, lamps, etc. I can before going away on vacation.

I replaced my bulbs with compact fluorescent ones.

I drive VERY conservatively. This past weekend I got over 37mpg average in my 2006 Focus with an automatic.

I charge my cell phone in the car so I don't use electricity from my house.

Not sure if that makes sense. You are still draining/using energy, just from a different source.

umtigerlily said: I charge my cell phone in the car so I don't use electricity from my house.

Not sure if that makes sense. You are still draining/using energy, just from a different source.

The car battery is free energy though. You're paying for the home energy bill, Einstein.

CoffeeEater said: umtigerlily said: I charge my cell phone in the car so I don't use electricity from my house.

Not sure if that makes sense. You are still draining/using energy, just from a different source.

The car battery is free energy though. You're paying for the home energy bill, Einstein.

78% of the people who read this will miss the sarcasm and that's a scientific fact!

GambinoTDX said: I charge my cell phone in the car so I don't use electricity from my house.
tsk tsk tsk.

A true FWFer would charge it at the office.

rileymartin said: CoffeeEater said: umtigerlily said: I charge my cell phone in the car so I don't use electricity from my house.

Not sure if that makes sense. You are still draining/using energy, just from a different source.

The car battery is free energy though. You're paying for the home energy bill, Einstein.

car battery energy comes from burning gas which is almost certainly more expensive than home electricity but still insignificant enough to make no difference in either home elec or gas bills in this case

this has the makings of a good e-argument... like the one about the plane on the treadmill..

lampy2k4 said: drjofis said: Many years ago I recall the "save a flush". That is, one of my parents would use the bathroom, and then come and find my sister or me and urge us to use the same toilet prior to flushing.
Yikes. Just looked at my water bill, and it comes out to $0.00631 per gallon, that is, over 150 gallons per penny. That's about 100 flushes for a penny.

I probably just burned more in electricity and brain energy (that is, food I'll have to eat) computing this than what it'll cost me to flush the toilet for the next month

lol so true. it seems the elderly is still stuck in the old times where it cost a lot of money (or effort) to have and use water freely. i know i personally don't even meet my minimum use on my water so they bill me the minimum quarterly bill. i need to start flushing toilets more to get my money's worth, or maybe i'll just install a sprinkler system.

therivler1 said: GambinoTDX said: I charge my cell phone in the car so I don't use electricity from my house.
tsk tsk tsk.

A true FWFer would charge it at the office.

I can't, that's where I charge my palm pilot! haha I don't want to look like I'm cheap!

I didn't mean to start a controversy over my cell charger but if I get an average 37.5mpg in my Focus on a tank then I highly doubt the car charger is sucking up alot of gasoline. it's probably a negligible amount of energy either way but the car is just more convenient for me. that way i never forget my phone.

lampy2k4 said: drjofis said: Many years ago I recall the "save a flush". That is, one of my parents would use the bathroom, and then come and find my sister or me and urge us to use the same toilet prior to flushing.
Yikes. Just looked at my water bill, and it comes out to $0.00631 per gallon, that is, over 150 gallons per penny. That's about 100 flushes for a penny.

I probably just burned more in electricity and brain energy (that is, food I'll have to eat) computing this than what it'll cost me to flush the toilet for the next month

Doing a simple multiplication of $0.00631 and 150 yields $.94, which is close to a buck. Did you mean a buck instead of a penny or are you missing two more zeros in front of your price per gallon. (I'm almost positive it's the former)

Instead of giving bad driver the middle finger, I just raise my pinky, less energy spent that way. Besides, some people just don't deserve the very best.

mahlax said: Okay, I'll go again with something that I've actually done. I feel kind of bad about this. I signed up for a bunch of 'corporate Christmas card' sites that'll send you free samples ... then cut the SAMPLE ONLY part off the cards and actually used the other half as single-thickness Christmas cards this past Christmas. But it kind of made me feel dirty, and I don't think I'm gonna do it again.

But you will truly have "arrived" when you can just cross the "your name here" out and write yours below! We have several relatives that this is a long running joke over many years with.