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September 21, 2006
I May Be Cheap ...
On the radio this morning, Bob & Sheri were talking about being cheap versus being frugal.
There are those who:
* Go to the movie, find a used popcorn bag in the garbage or elsewhere and get it refilled with popcorn free.
* Find a restaurants used empty drink cup, take it in, and get it refilled free.
* Pick half-smoked cigarettes out of cigarette bins and smoke them.
* Reuse paper plates.
* Unplug appliances during the day. (One listener knew someone who actually unplugged his Glade Plug Ins during the day.)
* Reuse tea bags.
* Take a large supply of toothpicks or straws home from a restaurant.
* Take large supplies of salt, pepper, or ketchup home from a restaurant. (I have done this before, but I don't now.)
* Do not turn lights on during the day.
* Take toilet paper from work.
* On Sunday mornings, pose as a hotel guest and eat the free continental breakfast.
I believe those things to be frugal, and in some cases stealing.
Some examples of people being cheap:
* Ordering a Happy Meal instead of an Extra Value Meal.
* Ordering water for dinner instead of coke.
* Looking at someone else’s newspaper. (My parents used to let me have their newspapers.)
* Sharing magazines. (My aunt lets me have hers!)
* Picking pennies or other money off the ground. (I think it would be silly to leave it!)
* Taking the soap and shampoo home from your hotel room. (I always do this. I figure it’s included in the cost of the room.)
* Use Wal-Mart bags for small garbage cans. (I do this!)
One woman called in and said she is a Dumpster Diver. She said she goes through the dumpster at Bath & Body Works and gets lotions, Christmas balls, body sprays, etc. She said they just throw away the testers.
As far as I have been told, this is not illegal. Once you put something in the dumpster, or you put your home garbage can out on the curb, the public can go through it and pick out what they want. This includes your personal papers. This is why I own a shredder and use it!
Posted by tami at September 21, 2006 9:18 AM
Comments
I come from a family of "dumpster divers". You wouldn't believe what some stores throw away! We have found everything from childrens' clothing ( we dig in the dumpsters behind Children's Orchard on a weekly basis..when the employees there tell you that they are going to donate whatever they can't sell to charity, they're lying; they immediately bag it up and throw it out their back door ), halloween costumes and decorations, make-up, laundry detergent (Wal-Greens threw out a whole case of detergent simply because one of the bottles had been punctured and gotten the liquid on all the other bottles!) Christmas decorations, etc. etc. The computer chair I'm sitting in right now came from the garbage; it's a lot better than the one I bought from Wal-Mart, which only lasted about 2 months. Dumpster diving is totally legal, and I don't see a thing wrong with it. As a matter of fact, I think it's shameful and wasteful of these stores to throw stuff away when the items are perfectly useful; they could be donating it to charity, but they don't.
Actually, I think it's becoming something of a craze here in Lexington; a lot of times we can't find good stuff now because a lot of people have caught on to which stores throw stuff away on certain days. I don't consider "dumpster diving" to be either cheap or frugal; if these companies are so wasteful as to throw away perfectly decent items, someone may as well get some use out of them!
Posted by: Stacey at September 21, 2006 4:23 PM
Gosh, I recognise lots of those acitivities!! Dumpster diving seems to me to be a good idea - we waste an awful lot of stuff. I always ask the men at our local recycling yard if anything can be reused before I chuck it in.
I used to reuse plastic bags for rubbish - but now I no longer accept them and take a bag with me. (The system of rewarding myself with a bootle of wine every time I remembered to take my own bag shopping has been good training!) I always pick up coins off the floor - I once found a £10 pound note and 100 francs in France.
I always take the shampoo things,more as a silly reminder of places I have been whilst travelling. I am now training my self to unplug appliances during the day because I think global warming should make everyone consider doing this and I don't turn on the lights in the house unless I am in the room. But it is so much easier to remember to do all of this now I no longer work!
Posted by: Miss L at September 22, 2006 8:45 AM
Just an interesting after thought - what do you mean by the words 'cheap and frugal'? I think I understand you ruse of frugal - meaning someone who is careful about the money they spend, but I think the word 'cheap' might mean something different over here. Isn't it fascinating how the words have changed their usage?!!
Posted by: Miss L at September 22, 2006 8:48 AM
By cheap, I mean low in price, inexpensive. For example, I am being cheap when I order water for lunch because it is free. A cola would cost around $2. Since I HAVE the $2, but don’t want to spend it, that is just me being cheap.
Posted by: Tami at September 22, 2006 11:41 AM
Right, does the word have a sense of condemnation about it? We use cheapskate for that. The word cheap can be used in a snobbish way over here - do you use snobbish over there?!!! Its so funny, we speak the same language but the words are different! LOL
Posted by: Miss L at September 23, 2006 5:39 AM
Yes, we use cheapskate & snobbish here also.
I guess the word cheap does disgrace some people. I think it makes a difference when you have the CHOICE to be cheap, rather than not having money and HAVING to be cheap. I hope this makes sense.
Posted by: Tami at September 23, 2006 6:13 PM
I listened to that, too. I was reminded of a co-worker, who not cause of convenience, but rather the cost of kitty litter, was teaching her cat to use the toilet. Everytime she (my co-worker), goes to the bathroom, she has to take a metal bowl of kitty litter out of the toilet and then place it back for the cat. I consider this downright cheap (and kinda gross for that matter).
Posted by: Alexa Westerfield at September 24, 2006 1:01 PM