Being A Cheap *******

[schiezainc]

I am the very epitome of a cheap *******. Why?

Well, look no further than Black Friday.

For each of the last 13 years (soon to be 14), I've waited hours in front of a local store for their once-a-year deals.

Last year was the best.

I went the entire year without buying but maybe three DVDs altogether. My brother and I waited in line at Best Buy for 16 hours ... so I could save maybe a hundred bucks on DVDs that I was only lukewarm about.

We spent about 12 minutes total in Best Buy.

Oh, and while we're talking about cheap ... I still make my wife go Dutch when we're at Olive Garden for Never Ending Pasta Bowl. lol

 

[Batman]

A vending machine trick from my old shop:

Some vending machines will allow you to press another selection if the product you pick doesn't "drop."

The thing to do is look for items -- such as bags of M&Ms -- that will get stuck often, just barely hanging onto the spiraling holder.

Then you punch the M&Ms code again, and often get two bags.

I do this every time I go near the vending machine. Sometimes I've even bought something just to get the freebie. :-[

Also remember a soda vending machine at a local supermarket when I was a kid (same store that had the sugar sale). I put the 50 cents in, quickly hit the button twice on accident, and two sodas came out. The next time I was in the store, I put my money in and just kept bashing the button.
It was like hitting the jackpot on a soda slot machine. Cans just kept falling. My dad comes over and asks what I'm doing, and I tell him to just open a bag. I shovel all the sodas in there (must've been about 20 -- I think I jammed up the machine, or at least emptied that brand) and we speed out of the store.
I think Dad was proud of me on some level.

There was also a paper vending machine in my neighborhood that gave "refunds." You could get your paper, then alternately hit the coin return button and shake the door to make coins drop. I could usually get a couple dollars out of it.
Now that I'm in the business, I feel kind of bad about it. Then I remember it was a Trentonian machine in the early 1990s and it makes me happy

OK, let's review the differences between taking advantage of the system (coupons) and stealing....

I was a teenage delinquent. Sue me.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

My wife and I frequently argue over leaving an extra dollar for a tip in a restaurant. My wife is the cheap one.

 

[exmediahack]

I hate the retail world but thrive on Black Friday. Still use the $35 Ab Lounge 2 or the $10 Oster oversized griddle to make pancakes quite often.

 

[Moderator1]

I don't even know how much I'm saving now on a newspaper subscription. But I read several of them every day. For free. It's a great deal and I don't feel like I'm stealing anything.

 

[dooley_womack1]

My mom was the ultimate cheap *******. Back when they'd pump gas for you in places besides New Jersey, my mom asked for $13 worth. Guy pumps $13.01. My mom refuses to pay the penny. I dunno what's worse: my mom bitching about the penny or the gas station guy insisting on getting it.

The penny had nothing to do with it. There was something going on between your mom and the gas pump guy. You were just too young or naive to pick up on it.

I always wondered why she went to the gas station by the cheap hotel.

 

[Drip]

I've always wanted to do what Joe Namath did in C.C. and Company. Walk in a store, make a sandwich, eat it, and leave.

 

[Batman]

My mom was the ultimate cheap *******. Back when they'd pump gas for you in places besides New Jersey, my mom asked for $13 worth. Guy pumps $13.01. My mom refuses to pay the penny. I dunno what's worse: my mom bitching about the penny or the gas station guy insisting on getting it.

The penny had nothing to do with it. There was something going on between your mom and the gas pump guy. You were just too young or naive to pick up on it.

I always wondered why she went to the gas station by the cheap hotel.

Explains why she was so good at siphoning, too.

 

[The Big Ragu]

A vending machine trick from my old shop:

Some vending machines will allow you to press another selection if the product you pick doesn't "drop."

The thing to do is look for items -- such as bags of M&Ms -- that will get stuck often, just barely hanging onto the spiraling holder.

Then you punch the M&Ms code again, and often get two bags.

I do this every time I go near the vending machine. Sometimes I've even bought something just to get the freebie. :-[

Also remember a soda vending machine at a local supermarket when I was a kid (same store that had the sugar sale). I put the 50 cents in, quickly hit the button twice on accident, and two sodas came out. The next time I was in the store, I put my money in and just kept bashing the button.
It was like hitting the jackpot on a soda slot machine. Cans just kept falling. My dad comes over and asks what I'm doing, and I tell him to just open a bag. I shovel all the sodas in there (must've been about 20 -- I think I jammed up the machine, or at least emptied that brand) and we speed out of the store.
I think Dad was proud of me on some level.

There was also a paper vending machine in my neighborhood that gave "refunds." You could get your paper, then alternately hit the coin return button and shake the door to make coins drop. I could usually get a couple dollars out of it.
Now that I'm in the business, I feel kind of bad about it. Then I remember it was a Trentonian machine in the early 1990s and it makes me happy

OK, let's review the differences between taking advantage of the system (coupons) and stealing....

See, to me stealing would be breaking the glass on the vending machine and emptying it out. If you find a faulty vending machine and it gives you a ton of food because you kept pressing buttons, to me it isn't stealing. My distinctions may be arbitrary, but to me that one doesn't cross the line.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

Mechanical failure. Of course. So if the faulty scale in the deli is giving you three-quarters of a pound of cheese and showing it as a full pound, you're not getting cheated?

 

[AreaMan]

My uncle was kind of a cheap *******. Because there's a million burger kings/mcdonald's/hardees/wendy's in the area, he would call each of them periodically and claim there was a hair in his Whopper/Big Mac and they would send him a coupon for a free value meal or whatever. He would accumulate these to where he would probably get 1-2 free meals a week. And no, surprisingly, he's not fat.

 

[Matt1735]

My uncle was kind of a cheap *******. Because there's a million burger kings/mcdonald's/hardees/wendy's in the area, he would call each of them periodically and claim there was a hair in his Whopper/Big Mac and they would send him a coupon for a free value meal or whatever. He would accumulate these to where he would probably get 1-2 free meals a week. And no, surprisingly, he's not fat.

That's not being a cheap *******. That's being a thief.

 

[BTExpress]

If you find a faulty vending automatic teller machine and it gives you a ton of food money because you kept pressing buttons, to me it isn't stealing. My distinctions may be arbitrary, but to me that one doesn't cross the line.

Care to re-think this?

 

[mustangj17]

I frequently use the free vacuums at the local car wash that aren't free anymore (without a car wash). Thing is, I bought a car wash there once and the car came back dirty.

 

[Buck]

I can't speak for other states, but in California a gas station cannot charge for air or water; however, many of them still have coin-operated machines.
I go to the attendant, tell him/her I need air, and he/she turns the air machine on.
Is that being cheap?

 

[cjericho]

Batman that's being frugal, not cheap. Why should the guy care. If I filled up my tires and there was time left I'd want someone else to take the rest. I agree with those who say frugal is saving yourself money, being cheap is shortchanging others. At restaurants I'll always give 20%, unless the service is bad and they don't look like they care. If it's someone is new or inexperienced and they f up but are nice I'll usually give them 20.

I think I'm probably more frugal than most. get pissed at the wife when she throws out coffee at the end of the day. i'll pour it in a cup and put it in the refrigerator.

Farmer J that's a good point about how the little stuff ads up. i remember a prof in college gave us a stat of how much most families spend per year on soda. it was a while ago but i'm pretty sure it was at least $500. i remember the guy saying soda is not healthy, if you just drink water you also save money. guy also encouraged us to read the paper and magazines at the library. of course that doesn't help anyone in the business.

coco, good story about the m&ms. place i used to work at, if someone lost money because the candy or chips didn't drop we'd shake the **** out of the machine and everyone would get something. not proud of it and don't do it anymore.

 

[Madhavok]

I like to grab a magazine and read it while I do some grocery shopping. If it's one I enjoy with some good reads, I'll buy it. If not, I'll just put it randomly in with the rest of the People and weekly gossip rags.

 

[YGBFKM]

Everyone who knows me gives me crap about being cheap. But if I'm so damn cheap, why don't I have any freaking money?

 

[Care Bear]

Everyone who knows me gives me crap about being cheap. But if I'm so damn cheap, why don't I have any freaking money?

You don't have any money because you don't make any money. Also, you spend your paychecks on emergency situations caused by your lack of attention to detail. You ***** about purchasing a $2.97 jug of milk and go into histrionics when faced with spending more than $10 on a tank of gas. But thank you for the coffee and parfait this morning!

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

I like to grab a magazine and read it while I do some grocery shopping. If it's one I enjoy with some good reads, I'll buy it. If not, I'll just put it randomly in with the rest of the People and weekly gossip rags.

How does one read while one shops for groceries?