How Cheap are You?

A few months ago I put a box in the lunchroom at work and asked people to anonymously provide me with their most bizarre habits for saving money. I then compiled them into an email for the office and we all had a great laugh.

I can be cheap at times, some of these responses are a little excessive:

•  I only call long distance when I know the party won't be home so I can leave a short message and they have to call me back.

•  I have not bought ketchup, mustard, relish, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, napkins or plastic cutlery in years – I fill up on everything at the food court at the mall when I'm getting low.

•  I once needed an umbrella so I went to the library's lost and found and told them I lost a black umbrella. Not only did I get one for free, I had my choice of several.

•  I always buy the house paint that was mixed wrong and try to correct it myself at home.

•  Destroy the stripes on your credit card before dining out with friends and carry no cash. That way you can pretend to “take care of the bill” but when the waitress informs of you of the problem, your friend will have to foot the bill!

•  Cook three or four times as much food as you need for dinner then freeze it. It doesn't take any more energy to cook more, only to cook more often!

•  I once re-gifted a three year old unopened Stetson's men's cologne gift set!

•  I only shower at the gym and use their soap and shampoo.

•  My neighbour and I are both cheap, so we split the cost of the newspaper and share it each day. One week, I read it in the morning and him in the evening, the next week we switch!

•  I make soup from the table scraps off my family's plates, peelings, skins and bones and call it Garbage Soup – they don't have a clue!

I'll leave it to you to decide whether you want to give any of these a shot!

Good Luck!