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What is the scantiest (thriftiest) thing you have ever done?

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Steel

Steel

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
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DH reminded me tonight of the time we returned a mirror we bought at a hardware store to save a few bucks.

We returned it because having visited the store a few days after our purchase we noticed the remaining mirrors had been reduced in price by about €20. So we drove home and picked up the mirror we had previously bought and brought it back to the store. We returned it to customer service got our refund, walked to the mirror section to pick up the same mirror and took it to the check-out to buy it for less.

Looking back, it was a bit scanty
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Hows about you? What have you done to save money or just for the principle of the thing?
 
Now that I think about it I also queue up for a refund if I notice that I have been overcharged by any amount. I have happily queued up when I was overcharged by less than .05 pence.

No amount is too small when it comes to £/€/$....

Oh and I love vouchers....mhhhhh free stuff.
 
Well I am pretty good at shopping around and checking prices before we make majore purchases. I do remember in college I was pretty sassy and thrifty since I was going to school and working part time. I went to buy some picture frames, two were the same exact for $30 each and the smaller two were $10. Well this store was having a sale, buy one get one free. Well the lady said she would let me have the $10 ones free. I stopped and said no, or else I will just go through the line twice. Now I doubt I would say that now but back then money was tight and I would have just gone through the line twice to save some money so she gave me one of the $30 and one of the $10 ones for free, like I wanted.

I know many stores offer within 2 weeks of a sale a price adjustment and sometimes if I catch that then I will go back for the adjustment.
 
Did you ask them if you could get a price adjustment? Many stores will give you the sale price if you purchased an item within the previous 14 days. (oops, ETA - Skippy posted this already!
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I buy about 95% of everything online, and when I do, I always try to find coupons code to save a few $, I usually am successful at finding coupon codes even if it means I buy some, most times I wait for coupons and most time I wait for sale on top of that. I've been more thrifty in the last two years than I have ever been in my entire life and we are more financially secure now than we have been in the past, but I like to think that the money I did save goes towards my bling fund
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or something extravagant unecessary almost. my last purchase was an accent table found a site for $82 including shipping and everyone else was selling it for over $105, then just happen to find a seller on ebay brand new item, and snatched it up for $65 includes shipping and insurance... not much in savings, but good enough. It sometimes drive DH nuts because I have to research for a few hours to a few days before I can commit to buying something online.
 
There''s an airport about an hour away from my hometown that is always cheaper to fly into. Almost every time, the cheap flights include a connection at my hometown airport, but a direct flight into that same airport is nearly twice as expensive. The thriftiest thing I''ve ever done is pack everything in a carry-on and leave the plane during the connection, skipping the final leg of the trip and saving both time and money.
 
After wearing my original (expensive) e-ring for a month, I went and traded it in for a different e-ring setting, a watch for my husband, and a set of white gold hoops. That isn''t terribly scanty...but it seemed like it was at the time lol.
 
Since I''ve been unemployed, I''ve become quite thrifty. I tend to look for dented cans in the store (as long as they''re still closed, of course) so I can get $$ off, and I stock up on any of my basics that are on sale. I''ve still got some debt from the "glory days" when I had a job and finances felt more secure, and I can''t wait til I get a job so I can pay everything off (and so I will have something to DO -- argh), and I plan to keep my penny-pinching ways. I used to feel great when I could buy name brands and more expensive things, but now I feel a sense of accomplishment when I get a great deal on something I need.

That said -- when (sometimes it feels like IF) I get another job, once I''ve paid off debt, I plan to save up some money to buy an emerald cut diamond ring (unless I can talk the fiance into getting me one before then -- haha!).
 
Dunno if this really counts, but I drive a bit out of my way to go to a gas station that has non-ethanol gasoline. And sometimes I get coupouns for 4 cents off a gallon, too, which makes it even more worth it!!
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I shop online a lot as well and always, always search for a coupon code before I check out. I saved $20 the other day because I searched before I checked out.

I''m also a big couponer. I''ve gotten into the line at customer service when coupons haven''t been properly rung or missed. Every little bit helps!
 
Oh, and meant to add....

We went on vacation a couple of weeks ago. Out flight out was mid-morning. I got up early so I could go hit Kroger before we left and scored some free rice and deodorant. Coupons made them free and I''d been traveling all week and hadn''t been able to shop. DH was laughing at me, but I was not about to miss out on free stuff!
 
I pretty much won''t buy anything online without a coupon code, or anything in a store without it being on sale. Since I get 40% off the store I work at it''s just impossible for me to pay full price for any item of clothing. That''s the only thrifty thing I do, really. I''m pretty bad about wasting money, actually!
 
I returned a (not so) fresh Christmas tree.

I bought one from Home Depot, they swore it was fresh, just off the truck that day. In a few days (like 3) the thing was as crispy as a potato chip. So I called them up and told them and they gave me some serious attitude. Which ticked me off enought that I took the stupid thing back in a tree bag (which I had purchased along with a tree stand and tree preserver and A SAW to cut the bottom of the truck in a fresh cut before putting it into the stand) to the store and asked for a manager. More attitude even when I showed them the reciept dated just a few days before that clearly showed that I had bought EVERYTHING we could possible need to preserve the tree . So I handed them the bag with the fallen needles in it and said that it was fire hazard... about 1/3 of the tree wieght was in that bag. Still attitude. Now I was fuming. So I just shook the thing for a minute straight. Another 1/3 of the things needles ended up on their floor and people were starting to stare. They refunded my money and I handed them (the now bare) tree and left the mess to them to clean up. Never shopped there again.

Normally, I just let things slide... but don't mess with me at Christmas.
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I am not generally a very thrifty person, unfortunately, but I do do a couple of thrifty things, e.g. when I have a few $3 off drugstore coupons I''ll split up my drugstore purchases so I can apply a coupon to each, or I bring FI and we both stand in line and both use coupons.

I also see what''s on sale at the supermarket and coordinate the weekly recipes accordingly.
 
Date: 5/16/2009 7:20:35 PM
Author: misskitty
There''s an airport about an hour away from my hometown that is always cheaper to fly into. Almost every time, the cheap flights include a connection at my hometown airport, but a direct flight into that same airport is nearly twice as expensive. The thriftiest thing I''ve ever done is pack everything in a carry-on and leave the plane during the connection, skipping the final leg of the trip and saving both time and money.
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Oh, that''s a good one!
 
Date: 5/16/2009 9:12:36 PM
Author: thing2of2
I pretty much won''t buy anything online without a coupon code, or anything in a store without it being on sale.
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I''m the same way with coupon codes- I always try to find one before I make an online purchase. I can about 75 percent of the time, and if I feel it isn''t worthwhile without one, I''ll usually skip it and wait until it goes on sale.
 
I do some of the stuff already posted, but wanted to add...

I sneak food/drinks into the movie theater!
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I don''t like to sit through movies without a snack, but their food and drinks are soooo overpriced that I bring my own (I don''t know if it''s true of all theaters, but the ones here clearly say ''no outside food or drinks''). I do often buy popcorn there, though, too.
 
dumpster diving
 
Date: 5/17/2009 8:25:10 AM
Author: strmrdr
dumpster diving
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Wow!! I can''t top that!
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More power, though, to anyone who can
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I don''t consider myself thrift savvy, but I am proud of the deal I got when buying my car (Toyota Matrix).

At one point near the end they had the "finance guy" come out and . . . can you believe this? . . . tell us that they had "accidentally" quoted us a price $1,000 lower than they meant to for the car and they would just need $1,000 extra from us. This was after we had agreed on a price! DH is a kind soul and he said oh, well, that wasn''t our understanding, see, we thought . . . and I said, "THAT''S IT!!!!! I''VE HAD IT!!!!" and put my jacket on, grabbed my purse, and headed out the door. You should have seen the vein that popped out of the "aw shucks" salesman''s forehead. Instantly the finance guy was ripping up his amended offer and apologizing! (This made me respect them even less, because if they were going to pull an intelligence-insulting stunt like that, they should have at least stuck to their guns. If we had any doubts about it being a legitimate "misunderstanding," they were squelched when they immediately reneged.)

I also put my old car on the table as a trade-in, but I had already gotten an offer from Carmax (which I did not share with them). They were only offering me 2/3 of what Carmax did, but I waited until they gave me a good offer on the price of the car thinking they''d make it up on my trade-in to "change my mind" and decide to keep it.

I know I got a good deal because I got a new car for less than a used one at Carmax, and I consider their prices to be pretty fair.

DH needs a new car next spring and I will definitely need to do most of the talking as I have "ice water running through my veins" according to him.
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He is a peacemaker by nature and can''t bear to be in conflict with the salespeople. But if we all spend a few minutes or hours making sure we got a good deal to save $5 or $20, why not to save $500 or $2000? It''s a game in many senses, and if you want a good deal you need to play.
 
Date: 5/17/2009 8:13:51 AM
Author: Sabine
I do some of the stuff already posted, but wanted to add...

I sneak food/drinks into the movie theater!
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I don''t like to sit through movies without a snack, but their food and drinks are soooo overpriced that I bring my own (I don''t know if it''s true of all theaters, but the ones here clearly say ''no outside food or drinks''). I do often buy popcorn there, though, too.
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I almost always sneak food/drink in. A couple years ago, a friend of mine snuck a six pack of beer in..... in glass bottles. You could hear them clanking in her coat pockets.
 
Some of my beauty products come in squeeze bottles (hair conditioner, sun screen, facial cleanser) and when can''t be squeezed anymore, I cut them in half so I can get the very last bit out. My husband just shakes his head when I do this.
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I use my friend''s "emloyee discount" when making large purchases. I take her with me and give her the money so she can present her card and my funds for the item. It saved quite a sum on a new TV.

I also have no problem asking for discounts on "damaged" goods. I saved over a hundred dollars on a stove because of a tiny ding (that actually faces the counter).

I always search for the best prices and I will always find the free shipping coupons. Or, if the free shipping is only good for purchases "over $75", I''ll order the stuff and then take it back to the store and get a refund just to save the $12 shipping fee.

I also split up store purchases when they have limits on quantity or coupons.

I call it frugal.
 
I don''t think I''m overly thrifty...but it''s silly not to look for deals.

When we were redoing our home, I bought a beautiful mirror for our bathroom from Hobby Lobby. I bought the mirror for about $150.00 (very reasonable!) and loved it. But, as you know with Hobby Lobby (if you shop there) they have crazy sales--mostly 50% entire departments. About 3 weeks later, the mirror department had a 50% off sale. So, I loaded up the mirror--trucked it into store and got a price adjustment.
 
I''m deeply "thrify," to the point of being straight-out cheap. I''m cheap to the point that, not only do I shop almost exclusively at discount shops like Loehmann''s, Daffy''s, etc. ... I''m so cheap that I tend to only shop their clearance racks. Best find thus far? A gorgeous Nicole Miller dress for $9. $9! I still get a little thrill just thinking about it.
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Date: 5/17/2009 4:52:09 PM
Author: Circe
I''m deeply ''thrify,'' to the point of being straight-out cheap. I''m cheap to the point that, not only do I shop almost exclusively at discount shops like Loehmann''s, Daffy''s, etc. ... I''m so cheap that I tend to only shop their clearance racks. Best find thus far? A gorgeous Nicole Miller dress for $9. $9! I still get a little thrill just thinking about it.
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I picked up a Donna Ricco dress for 14.99! I''ll be wearing it to a wedding next weekend.

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Wow such great stories!

Steel - I''d do the same as you - even for a few cents! Haha except I don''t think I''d get back in line, I''d probably politely break in line and tell them they''d overcharged me.

Skippy - you betcha I''d be just as adamant as you about those frames!!! They should totally give you one big one and one little one - haha I''d separate the purchases too if it came down to that!

misskitty - Hahahaha I LOVE your plan with leaving during the connection. I wonder if they''re aware people are saving money by doing that?? That''s insane - at least you figured it out!
 
I waited to get my FJ Cruiser (phoenixgirl - woohoo Toyota!) at the end of the year when they were slashing prices to make room for new vehicles.

And I totally sneak food/drinks into the movies too - no way I''m paying 5 bucks for a drink I can get for 75 cents in the convenience store!!
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I bought my wedding gown brand new at Brides for Breast Cancer - most of the ones there are discounted at least 50-75% off their retail price. Does that count?
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Date: 5/16/2009 9:06:34 PM
Author: April20
Oh, and meant to add....


We went on vacation a couple of weeks ago. Out flight out was mid-morning. I got up early so I could go hit Kroger before we left and scored some free rice and deodorant. Coupons made them free and I''d been traveling all week and hadn''t been able to shop. DH was laughing at me, but I was not about to miss out on free stuff!
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I''m all about the coupon/sale matchups to get free stuff! If the opportunity is there, why pass it up?! I''ve been buying groceries for 80-90% off lately thanks to some blogs that do the work and post the matchups. We also sneak food into the theater... the prices they try to charge are just plain wrong and take advantage of the situation. I have a friend who has even snuck pizza and hotdogs in before.

Gypsy, that tree story is just hilarious! Obviously not funny that you had to go through such a hassle, but pretty funny that the store got what they deserved when you shook that tree!
 
I fell in love with this beautiful gold hair stick from lladro... it has porcelain doves and an 18kt gold-plated ''branch.'' I "had" to wear it at my wedding, but it was sooo expensive for such a little thing.

So... my mom and I picked a nice little twig off a tree, spray-painted it "gold," and stuck plastic cake decorating birds from Michael''s on it - for about $4 total
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Does that count?
 
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