I own a Rolex(s) but I also...

[hambone1983]

sometimes I'll just have the red caviar instead of the good black stuff

[Godfather111]

Originally Posted by Jdreg

When the bar of soap is down to a sliver, instead of throwing it out, I rub it into a new bar at the end of a shower. By the next shower the two pieces are fused together.

I've been doing this for years now! Glad to know I'm not alone. Of course, it made me realize I've been using the same brand of soap for years!

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

Some of these are really cheap. Sneaking outside food/drinks into a movie theater violates the terms of your ticket.

Originally Posted by jpeezy14@hotmail.com

Thanks for the lecture. Maybe get off the high horse and enjoy the thread, as most of us (I think) appreciate the fact that we're not only ones who like to save. Being around this forum sometimes make me feel like the pauper among millionaires, so it's nice to see that we're all thrifty in our own ways.

Originally Posted by Jayhawk1

While, contrary to your belief, you still know nothing about the people you are so harshly judging, they now know a lot about you....

My wife and I buy coffee at a coffee shop and openly take it to the movie theater. No one has advised us that we were cheating, dishonest bullies.

Yup and yup!

[Sarosh]

My wife waters down the hand soap in the bathroom till it's just water. Lol. She has a whole tuff crate full of large ziploc bags with different toiletries from hotels all around the world. I can't remember the last time I bought shower gel or shampoo. The collection keeps on growing, fine by me.

Individual valves on each radiator in the house. Heating goes on, rooms with no-one in them the valves are turned off.

I live in the UK, don't need to wash my car, it rains often enough. Lol. Only if a bird decides to be unkind to my car then I'll wipe it off and clean it.

As a former 8 year manager in costco I have hoards of toilet paper and kitchen towels and kitchen cleaning materials stored in the garage, enough bought on discount to last for atleast a year.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Tmac478

Doesn't surprise me that, just because we have the means to buy a Rolex, most of us are still very frugal in a lot of ways. I have a lot of methods I use to save money. Most of them by trying to reduce my carbon footprint. I've also lived in the same house for over 30 years, owned my last car for over 20 years and still dump about 20% of what I make into savings and investments. But there's also a lot of things I refuse to skimp on. Mostly travel and dining.
Being frugal is one thing but I know people, friends and family, who are worth much more than me, who are downright cheap. It's hard to hang out with people who spend every waking moment trying to save a buck. Sometimes you just gotta splurge.

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I suppose it makes sense to be frugal as buying a Rolex is just about the most frugal luxury you can buy, many of them hold their value very well and the odd one actually rises in price, in fact that is becoming the norm recently.

[JTL31]

Kudos to Chris.m88! Simple question...great thread

:

[farscott]

Some of our frugal practices:

1) I shave with double-edge razor blades, and I buy 200 of them at a time for less cost than a single package of "name-brand" cartridges. Per blade cost is US $0.125.

2) My wife and I live in a modest 1800 square foot home now that our daughter is out of the house. We still have too much room.

3) We prefer to buy pre-owned vehicles, maintain them, and drive them until they are not worth repairing. We bought a 2003 Trail Blazer in 2004 for $20,000 in cash and drove it until the end of 2016 when our daughter left home. Other than a new transmission which came from a junked vehicle, we only had to do normal (tires, brakes, fluids, filters) maintenance. That vehicle cost us about $2500 per year to own and maintain. That vehicle was replaced with a 2014 Fusion.

4) We shop sales at grocery stores and eat out only twice a week. Once is date night, and once is with my wife's parents.

5) We buy quality so as to diminish recurring costs. I am wearing one of the pair of Allen Edmonds shows I bought in 1995. They have been "re-crafted" multiple times and look like they did when purchased. We will buy used when it makes sense (safes, pressure canners, some clothing) and new when that makes sense.

6) We invest wisely and save about twenty percent of our income. Our daughter graduated college with no student debt.

7) We use debt when it makes sense. We still have a fixed-rate mortgage on the house, but Rolex purchases are made with checks.

[Seanken]

Originally Posted by No SUBctitute

Depending what one's interest rate is, its better to not pay your mortgage down early (I don't know if you did that, it just triggered the thought). You're better off throwing that money into a stock fund for a couple decades.

Hi No SUBctitute. Took me a while reading your screen name to get it!

Regarding paying off a mortgage, yes the math/numbers tell you that given long periods of time putting your spare money into investments instead of paying down your mortgage is a good move. My house is paid off and I talk to people three or four times a year who are aghast and tell me I'm making a terrible financial mistake. What I tell them is that, yes the math works as long as you are investing over at least five or more years and the timing of when you need that money is critical. I think that what many people who are good with math an understand the numbers involved are missing is factoring in RISK. Any good businessman looking at a deal prices in risk. I have extremely low financial risk. No mortgage, no debt that rides from month to month, retirement in the bag. What price can you put on the peace of mind you experience when you wake up in the morning and look at your ceiling and can say to yourself, "I own this house and everything else in my life. It can't be taken away." My calculations regarding paying off my home in under six years in stead of taking thirty tell me that I saved over $150k in interest payments. Over the last ten years ALL the money I would have spent on the mortgage has been very gainfully employed making more money.

[wiggindude]

Use grocery store bags as trash bags

[kneedeep]

Originally Posted by Ss22525

Add water to the shampoo

Guilty there and the liquid soap too.

[RMC12]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

My wife makes up for that fee in free shipping after a week

Same for me! Top Gear is the free perk of my wife's shopping habits!!

Turning the lights off is also a constant thing. I come home to an empty house and spend 10 minutes walking round cursing turning them off. I joke with my wife when I get too hot that I'm going to stand by the electric meter to cool down from the draft of it spinning around !!!

[William.L.]

Originally Posted by august1410

Gotcha beat, car wise. 2003 Hyundai Elantra with 217K on it.

I live in a small house, shop at Walmart and live pretty simply.

I drive a 2002 Chevy blazer I bought for $235. Had a clogged catalytic converter, seller couldn't figure out why it wouldn't accelerate. Drove it though college, graduated, hauled a trailer to Florida with it when I moved for my new job with my degree, hauled trailer back to Michigan when I realized job wasn't for me, and came back to work at the Rolex AD i did through college, and am selling it at the end of the year to upgrade. 67,000 miles later I'd say I got my $235 worth out of it

[Louie A]

Originally Posted by hambone1983

Only use ATM's without a fee

+1 I do this all the time

[peterskinner]

I never use the car if it is possible to walk. And I don't use public transport if I can walk, even if it is raining hard. Good fun actually.

[lig]

Thread of the year. Very entertaining stuff, all.

[pickettt]

Originally Posted by Seanken

Regarding paying off a mortgage, yes the math/numbers tell you that given long periods of time putting your spare money into investments instead of paying down your mortgage is a good move. My house is paid off and I talk to people three or four times a year who are aghast and tell me I'm making a terrible financial mistake. What I tell them is that, yes the math works as long as you are investing over at least five or more years and the timing of when you need that money is critical. I think that what many people who are good with math an understand the numbers involved are missing is factoring in RISK. Any good businessman looking at a deal prices in risk. I have extremely low financial risk. No mortgage, no debt that rides from month to month, retirement in the bag. What price can you put on the peace of mind you experience when you wake up in the morning and look at your ceiling and can say to yourself, "I own this house and everything else in my life. It can't be taken away." My calculations regarding paying off my home in under six years in stead of taking thirty tell me that I saved over $150k in interest payments. Over the last ten years ALL the money I would have spent on the mortgage has been very gainfully employed making more money.

I'm firmly with you on every point, except....."I own this house and everything else in my life. It can't be taken away." Don't pay your property tax and see what they've got to say about it. We're on the hook....forever.

[pickettt]

Anyone else fill out the survey on the IHOP receipt for a free short stack of pancakes on your next visit......or is that just me?

[MonBK]

Had a dozen oysters last night.

4 of them were bad and smelled terribly.

I gave them to my wife and she got so sick.

[Brainh18]

also love my dog.

[You]

Shop at Walmart
Try to always get a deal
Use coupons
Buy the cheapest gas
Take the train

[JParm]

The one that makes me smile is the "order tap water at restaurants" example. I did not know that people thought of that as frugal! I grew up in a house where that was the norm, so when people ordered something else, it would make me do a double-take as a child.

I asked my wife last night if she thought that it was weird that we did that, and she rolled her eyes and said YES. Oops, haha...

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

Some of these are really cheap. Sneaking outside food/drinks into a movie theater violates the terms of your ticket....

Like a wet blanket on a nice campfire.

[Bstewart]

Originally Posted by pickettt

Anyone else fill out the survey on the IHOP receipt for a free short stack of pancakes on your next visit......or is that just me?

I try not to eat fast food anymore but the McDonald’s app has great deals! Often free coffees, free sandwiches, etc.

[watchwatcher]

Originally Posted by AK797

I suppose it makes sense to be frugal as buying a Rolex is just about the most frugal luxury you can buy, many of them hold their value very well and the odd one actually rises in price, in fact that is becoming the norm recently.

That is a great point, Neil. This is probably why the Rolex hobby appeals to me.

[Left wrist]

...only have 9 damien hirst paintings

[hambone1983]

this is probably the most frugal thing I do...

I buy Johnston & Murphy shoes, which are definitely not cheap, but they are way more inexpensive than any other brand I've ever bought. The uppers are practically indestructible, so I have them resoled 7 or 8 times before I have to replace them. They easily last 10 years or more.

[Jagsie]

Use apps for everything that collects points.
Try to get discount on everything (I'm Indian, we invented the word "discount").
Take being called "cheap" or "tight" as a compliment.
Drive a 2001 Audi A2 with 186K on the clock that I paid £200 for.
LED lightbulbs everywhere.
Tap water at fooderies.
Use rechargable batteries instead of regular (charge at work).
Save the extra ketchups from burger king and fill up the container at home.

Oh Christ, the list is endless, and proud.

[JustinMD]

Eat in the doctor’s lounge because it’s free.

[jimjreyes@gmail.net]

Originally Posted by chris.m88

...break my toothpick in half and save one-half for later.

Coming from simpler times and lesser means, I have some habits that I can’t shake off. Thought it’d be interesting to hear your frugalities as well.




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I hear you bro. I own a couple of Rolex and a few other luxury watches but I would still stop and pick up a penny on the street.
Just a habit I had back in the old days when times were lean.



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[Fleetlord]

Use single ply toilet paper and use it as tissues too...

Your nose gets used to it.

Kleenex is the BIGGEST waste of money possible. If I have a cold, a $1.50 box would last me only about 15mins. Roll of TP? Maybe a a day or two..

[faz]

Originally Posted by pickettt

Are you saying you have a bad haircut?