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Ridiculous Things Cheapskates Actually Do to Save Money

Money, that thing that we never seem to have enough of, that thing that seems to burn through our pockets and leaves us wondering where the hell it all went to. Payday comes around and in the blink of an eye, a few paid bills, and probably a few nights out with friends, everything is gone and you’re left pining for the next payday with an empty bank account.money clock

Some people have perfected the art of not spending on frivolous things, and some have even mastered how to save even on the most basic necessities. Saving is always a wise thing to do, but some people have taken it to a whole other level. Some things that may seem completely outrageous and unreasonable for some of us have become a way of life for others.

Let’s look at a few things that the most diehard of cheapskates do to keep their almighty dollars in their pockets. Some may seem somewhat doable for the regular person, but others are down right “What the hell are they thinking?”.

More Than Just a Coupon

Most of us go through the weekly specials at our local grocery store and try to see where we can save a few bucks. We can even clip the available coupons, bring them with us, and possibly use them if we envision needing the product on the coupon. Cheapskates will take this coupon shopping to a level most of us can’t even fathom. A lifestyle that involves shopping ONLY with coupons and pre-calculating everything before heading out is actually a thing. Most people simply use websites like Raise to find Kohl’s coupons, or coupons for wherever they are shopping, and treat themselves to something special. Although, many people now shop only using these coupons. It is, in fact, growing in popularity with TV shows that have recently showcased a few of these extreme coupon shoppers. Grocery shopping skills conquered, but it also becomes a very time-consuming activity that can almost be considered a full-time job.

Dollar Stores

Dollar stores have become more and more popular over the years. This has had a two-way effect on consumer activity. On the one hand, it has made people buy things that they don’t really need because “Hey, it’s so cheap, so why not get it even if we don’t need it!”. This method of thinking in these stores has contributed to over-consumerism and maybe even facilitated some hoarding situations to reach extreme levels. On the other hand, it has also helped the cheapskates purchase their basic necessities and groceries at cheaper prices. Buying Halloween decorations and candy at a dollar store sounds like a reasonable thing to do for the normal consumer, but did you know that you could also get pregnancy tests, foodstuff, and beauty supplies there as well. Yes, the cheapskate’s paradise!

No Shower and Lights Out

Some miserly people don’t shower daily in order to save water consumption and money on the utility bills. Others actually refrain from turning on the lights in the house and opt to use candles sparingly and meticulously in order to light the occupied areas of the house or apartment. If you’re into the camping lifestyle, then this is something that should be easy for you to do, otherwise, you become a serious fire hazard and coworkers will start to comment on your personal hygiene. Time to stock up on those free body spray samples that they give out at the department stores.

Dumpster Diving for Dinner

Yes, you read that right. Eating garbage. Again, obviously not for everyone. Thing is, restaurants and grocers throw out a lot of food that is freshly expired but not necessarily bad or rotten. This doesn’t have to mean eating some kid’s leftover Happy Meal. There can literally be some good food in there. The difficult part is obviously having to propel your body down the stinky bin to go through the contents to find the good stuff amongst the possible soiled diapers, coffee grinds, and tuna tins. Also, having to deal with onlookers and people questioning your sanity is another thing to consider. Maybe some dumpster in another neighborhood is a good idea.

No Tip and Disappearing Condiments

The true-de-facto cheapskates will hardly ever eat out in restaurants, but when they do, they don’t tip and will take whatever they can that is considered a free offering. I know, this will infuriate the restaurant workers reading this, and I can sadly tell you that you can’t really tell that they are cheapskates from the way they look. They all look pretty normal, but when the bill comes and it is time to pay, they will look over every detail and try to find any error that may have occurred in the calculations and then leave a very poor, or even a zero tip. Also, check the table, pretty sure all the ketchup packets are gone.

Roadkill Appetizers Anyone?

Yes, eating dead animals that have sadly been struck by cars. Preferably recently hit and not three days old already putrefied and maggot-filled. Won’t go into any more details about this one, but I’m pretty sure you can find roadkill recipes somewhere on some cheapskate’s blog. Bon appétit!

Some of these things are pretty extreme and some are even gory. Some may possibly get you into trouble with the law, but they are serious things people do not to spend any money. Any proud, true, and self-confessed cheapskate will attest to these tactics and will even have more ways of being cheap for you to think about. Cheapskates live for not spending any money and are always very proud of sharing their thoughts with whoever is interested. But, when you think about it, wouldn’t it be nice to have a few more bucks in the bank?

This article was sent in by Andrea Boffo who is CEO of PlusVoucherCode, a website that provides discount codes to save money on online purchases.

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