CNN: Extreme Penny Pinchers

[jania]

CNN has a little series of articles (very short) about people across the US that are making changes in their lives to save money. The ideas range from not eating supper and drinking as much as you can during happy hour to simplifying and living like the Amish. I just thought some people here might find these interesting.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/pf/1106/gallery.penny_pinchers/index.html

[Bastelmutti]

OK, some of those seem perfectly reasonable. Others - just weird and/or unethical, unhealthy.

[pinkytoe]

I just came across that too. I imagine people all over are doing non-traditional things to save money. Personally, I have always been a re-seller of goods. We have what our city calls bulky pickup days twice a year where people put their castoffs on the curb. I have found some real gems and re-sold quite a few things after cleaning them up. I kind of like the no-dinner idea especially the older I get - or at the least, a very light dinner. Isn't it ironic how frugality is the in thing now?

[Lainey]

I actually took up one of these same ideas - stop eating dinner. Found I wasn't even hungry if I ate a decent breakfast and a hot lunch. Might have a few crackers, or handful of nuts, etc. but not a real dinner. Made me realize if the 3 meals/day we've been taught are really necessary, especially for those of us who don't do manual labor.
And, I lost 6 lbs. over about 10 weeks and that loss is holding.

[fidgiegirl]

Thanks for sharing! Interesting. I liked vacuum guy. I also got a kick out of the kids paying for supper.

[porcelain]

Interesting read. I think that it is a parent's job to feed their children. If that means the family can't afford to go out and instead eats PB sandwiches and fruit at the hotel, so be it. But I don't think it's right to expect the children to pay for dinner.
And to quit eating dinner to save money sounds like something straight out of N. Korea's propaganda during their famine...if you're not hungry, you're not hungry. But to save money?
And don't get me started on sleeping in one's office.

[loosechickens]

I liked the vacuum guy......we know a guy who does something similar with BBQ grills. He gets them from Freecycle, off Craigslist, people give them to him now that they know he does this stuff, etc.....he cleans them up, replaces parts, paints them and resells them for a little business.

Not a huge amount of money, but.....

I love to read these things, and always interested to see the innovative ways people can come up with to save money, earn money or keep from spending. The only thing I DON'T like is that often some of the ways are unethical, cheap in the sense that they achieve the savings by shorting someone else.....definitely not just bad karma, but gives us tightwads a bad name. (not in this particular piece, but often some of the ways that people are "frugal" are really cheating others somehow, and doing unethical stuff. I hate to see that).

I remember a guy, way back when, in Philadelphia, who would go around on the days that you could put items of furniture out on the street, and find old tables, bedsteads, etc., perhaps in poor condition, but made of good woods. He would cart those things home, take them apart, remove finishes, plane the wood and make some of the most beautiful items from the "free" materials.

I especially love the ones where people make use of things that others throw away and manage to not only make the item useful again or make use of the raw materials they're made from, but manage to earn some money while keeping stuff out of the landfills, and preventing use of more additional raw materials.

nice story.....thanks for posting it.

[Zoebird]

we are always thrilled to find another way to save or make money. :)

[reader99]

Interesting read. I think that it is a parent's job to feed their children. If that means the family can't afford to go out and instead eats PB sandwiches and fruit at the hotel, so be it. But I don't think it's right to expect the children to pay for dinner.
.

I knew someone would say that. It's not about providing nourishment day to day, it's about the life lessons involved in the luxury of eating out on vacation. By the kids paying, they learn what is really involved in dining out. They learn to make the optimum decisions instead of growing up expecting extras to be handed to them without thought or effort. It's wise parenting.

[porcelain]

I knew someone would say that. It's not about providing nourishment day to day, it's about the life lessons involved in the luxury of eating out on vacation. By the kids paying, they learn what is really involved in dining out. They learn to make the optimum decisions instead of growing up expecting extras to be handed to them without thought or effort. It's wise parenting.

Just my opinion, as you are equally welcome to leave yours on this thread. No need to argue with mine directly.

[Mrs-M]

Thanks for this Jania. Out of the 13 confessions the vacuum guy is my favorite!

[Tenngal]

I often eat off the dollar menu and it manages portion sizes and I don't have the extras I don't need, fries. We also like eating dinner early to get the good lunch prices.

[fidgiegirl]

You know, the skipping dinner thing isn't so totally crazy. My DH and I sit down together to 3 square meals a day. However, with him out of town and me coincidentally eating a TON at lunch (because I've gone out every day!! So frugal ;) ), I have not wanted a dinner. I have had a bowl of cereal and am good. Maybe again tomorrow, too . . .

[Chickadee]

I liked the link. It is always fascinating to see how others save/make money creatively. Thank you for posting it!

One thing I found especially interesting was how the tip on skipping dinner as a cost savings/healthy living measure kind of correlated to the tip on seniors early bird specials. Aren't those portions usually smaller to accommodate the smaller senior appetite? It all kind of fit together for me since I have often wondered if as a culture we really need all those big heavy meals in the evenings. I know I don't feel great if I have a large meal at night. Just something I have been pondering anyway...

I thought the parents having the kids take ownership in the vacation meals was brilliant. It sounds like something we should do ourselves here. The article doesn't say where the kids get the money in the first place but if it were us it would probably be something along the lines of us as parents having them earn extra $$ around the place by doing an extra job, etc. It wouldn't surprise me if those parents "fronted" the kids the money somehow too just to teach them the value of a dollar and the cost of something special like a vacation. I know my kids would be way more inclined to "earn" money to have a nicer vacation (restaurant meals vs. food brought from home, etc.) than we could maybe pay for by ourselves. Plus it gives them a sense of pride too to know that they are a helpful part of the family, not to mention having won the right to vote on the details of the vacation. Love it!

[Chickadee]

One thing I forgot to say too was that I have been noticing a lot of the dollar menus are now changing to "value" menus and the items are not a dollar anymore. I just noticed at Burger King the other day the Jr. Whoppers were $1.69.

[Mrs.B]

I thought the stalkers of the Sr. citizens was pretty funny! I like the way they assumed the food would be healthy and cheap. Sleepy in the office, this one says, "I have no family or friends" cuz if he did someone would be coming over to visit!! Wonder how he avoids the janitors? And the $ menu? If you HAVE TO eat out, this is a way to go, or you could be like us and plan ahead and pack a lunch! Hehehehe
Mrs.B

[razz]

I though that they all had merit and I agree that getting children to understand the cost of things including meals can be a game not an ordeal.