Extreme Cheapskates - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Tell us about them here!

[sunrisepink]

Reusing funeral flowers for a date; using hotel sheets to redo a bedroom; purchasing lingerie from a thrift store; and an inexpensive vow-renewal ceremony are featured.

Edited September 30, 2014 by sunrisepink

[sunrisepink]

A couple who hate to spend money fry breakfast on a car's engine and do their own dental work at home.

 

[sunrisepink]

A man uses plastic wrap to keep all his possessions, including his car, looking like new.

 

[hoodooznoodooz]

Thank you for setting up this thread! These people are hilarious.

[sunrisepink]

With the new season starting I didn't think I'd be the only one looking for a place to snark!

 

The thought of having an intimate relationship with an extreme cheapskate is almost too disgusting to handle.

[sunrisepink]

A doorman lives rent-free by house-sitting for the entire year; a flight attendant takes her boyfriend to look for unclaimed baggage.

 

[sunrisepink]

A woman insulates her house with plastic and moves her Pilates studio into her home to save money on rent; a salon owner looks for inexpensive bridal-party products.

 

[hoodooznoodooz]

How are they able to avoid becoming ill? Eating out of dumpsters, etc. And none of them are embarrassed by their behavior!

There are only a few message boards for this show. I think TLC might have one. But there is no clever snark, so this was desperately needed. Thanks again.

[hoodooznoodooz]

Wow. She chose to extract a tooth vs paying for a root canal. That blows my mind.

[hoodooznoodooz]

I'm surprised that the building management where the doorman works allows him to use all of that square footage for storage of his own personal possessions. And that he can line up back-to-back house-/pet-/plant-sitting jobs with no gaps in between.

[Andrews m]

Well, she could have had the dentist pull the tooth for less than $200.00. Of course, she wanted to keep his dental instruments! Can you imagine having such little respect for yourself that you forgo basic medical care for yourself. They can afford it. I am pretty sure all of this is a form of OCD.

[sunrisepink]

It's just..astonishing. What DO they spend their money on?

[hoodooznoodooz]

It's just..astonishing. What DO they spend their money on?

Ha. That is a good question.

[sunrisepink]

I would bet that the flight attendant was fired after her supervisors saw this show.

[hoodooznoodooz]

Good lord.

Stuffing human hair into pillows/cushions to make them softer?

They most likely did fire that flight attendant from the other episode. And everyone from that bridal party must have been royally pissed after watching this episode.

I do love that the camera crew seems to capture authentic reactions from the people who interact with the ECs.

[fliptopbox]

I know I'd certainly be pissed if I paid for a spa treatment and found out they used kitty litter on my face. Um, no! Freaking go to Sally Beauty and buy some real damned face masks, that shit's cheap. And it's a legit beauty product. As a supposed "salon owner" she would have access to plenty of decent facial products priced below retail cost. I call bullshit on her.

[hoodooznoodooz]

Honestly. Any money she might have saved by purchasing kitty litter instead of actual facial masque supplies she lost in future sales/bookings.

[sunrisepink]

I didn't catch whether she added any scented oils or anything to the kitty litter masks. You'd think the odor would be a dead giveaway.

[sunrisepink]

A man looks for spare change at a car wash in the vacuum canisters; a woman rations her gum to one piece every three days.

[NYCFree]

Not to mention the horrid looking hot dog and waffle "finger sandwiches". No way they weren't in on it.

[sunrisepink]

A woman's exercise regimen consists of using equipment on display at sporting goods stores instead of joining a gym; a real estate agent spends three dollars to stage and sell her homes.

[Tunia]

Aren't there license requirements and inspection procedures for a business of this type?  How in the world does she meet these, considering her "product line"?

[leisawoo]

I love your avi Tunia!

Edited October 18, 2014 by leisawoo

[Tunia]

^^^Thanks, leisawoo.  It's kind of how I "dance".   :-(

[xls]

Can't wait to see the DIY dentistry. 

[sunrisepink]

A woman gets free clothing by reading obituaries and procuring the deceased's belongings from surviving relatives.

[Maharincess]

Is anybody watching?

[SeenYouWitKieffah]

Wow that was gross. No, lady, your stuff is not sterilized. I'm hesitant to even say sanitized.

[sunrisepink]

Her behavior was pretty disgusting in my opinion.

[applecrisp]

I have been trying to be frugal and have made an effort this last month or so.  Reduce the # of lottery tickets my husband buys.  We spend about $16 a week on pizza, cut it in half.  Does he really need to buy 2 papers each morning, often our paper would not be delivered early enough, but that is two dollars each day, plus some kind of hostess snack.  I am trying to save on cleaning supplies, they also tend to be better for the environment. I buy microfiber clothes rather than swiffers.

 

Very simple things that take little time and you are saving some $$$.  

 

The people on this show put in so much time to save cash it is not worth it.  Also, don't cheat people i.e. the people eating at a dinar for 6 people and ordering 2 meals.  The waitress works harder and probably does not get a decent tip.

 

I also don't think you should ever sacrifice hygiene, keeping yourself healthy also saves money.

 

Just wondered if anyone has some ideas on being frugal.

[MrsEVH]

Jeni, the pool lady shouldn't have bought a house with a pool if she had to worry about the price of maintaining it. I wonder why her kids faces were blocked out? Does she have a husband or is he ashamed (maybe like the kids) to be on the show?

[hoodooznoodooz]

Wow. The people who interact with the ECs sure are tolerant. The owner/manager of the sporting goods store is a saint. I agree that if the cost of maintaining a pool seems too exorbitant, you don't buy a house with a pool.

[hoodooznoodooz]

I am definitely watching. I can't look away.

The man whose mother died, he was close to tears. I felt so bad for him. Yet that woman persisted and the camera man was there . . . I am actually really surprised he consented to TLC airing his appearance.

Man, she was relentless at the clothing-by-the-pound store. Wonder how many times a store has banned her for bad behavior.

[hoodooznoodooz]

This father was not concerned that there might have been sharp objects/broken glass in the vacuum cannisters that could have sliced open his young children's hands.

Surprised he forces his daughter to churn butter when he seemed to pilfer butter from the diners, too.

[xls]

Wow that was gross. No, lady, your stuff is not sterilized. I'm hesitant to even say sanitized.

Especially the used needles, there could still be someones blood inside the shaft. Extremely dangerous. 

[applecrisp]

With the new season starting I didn't think I'd be the only one looking for a place to snark!

 

The thought of having an intimate relationship with an extreme cheapskate is almost too disgusting to handle.

Amen to that. I would like this show a little more if they really gave good tips, but this just shows the crazies.

 

There is often an obsession with water for a lot of these people.

[applecrisp]

I would bet that the flight attendant was fired after her supervisors saw this show.

Why specifically?  Just curious about your thoughts, I'm not disagreeing.  

[Texasmom1970]

I have no words for how disrespectful it is to troll the obituaries and go askiing famiky members to give her their deceased loved ones clothing!!

[sunrisepink]

Why specifically?  Just curious about your thoughts, I'm not disagreeing.  

 

Wasn't she taking stuff from the planes that was supposed to be disposed of? Used pillows, open peanut packages, etc.?

[sunrisepink]

A woman replaces her lawn with artificial grass to go with her garden of silk flowers and eliminate her landscaping bill; a man promises to pass on his saving tips to his new employer.

 

[sunrisepink]

A woman converts a hospital that's been abandoned into her home; a cooking instructor shares tips for preparing inexpensive meals.

 

[Toaster Strudel]

Just watched the cooking instructor, I think he overspent for his meal.  5 dollars to feed 6 people?  I could do that without dumpster diving.

[xls]

Just watched the cooking instructor, I think he overspent for his meal.  5 dollars to feed 6 people?  I could do that without dumpster diving.

That would make his head explode!

I think this show is mostly a put-on hoax BS.

[Toaster Strudel]

Also he had one of those cheap, $10 but fantastic non-stick white ceramic coated frying pans that he used for eggs (that's what they are fantastic for!) but was scratching it with a metal fork.  Re-use a plastic fork instead!  Keep your frying pan in perfect shape longer.

 

I hate watching this show to see people wasting good stuff.

[wanderwoman]

That's my problem with most of these people. They're not cheapskate; they're thieves. Stealing airline pillows at the volume she is using (a whole comforter?) gets passed along to the consumer. Stealing mustard, ketchup, sugar, etc.,. Is stealing. Ordering four waters... then the equivalent of 4 lemons and two cups of sugar is stealing. These people are cheap to the point of unethical. The waitresses that serve six people and then are given an order for two sandwiches with extra lettuce still served six people and washed six plates and glasses. If you're that cheap, don't go out to eat. The chick who had made a house out of a hospital was cool. The guy who taught a cooking class with trashed items should be fined. What about cross contamination and allergies?

Wasn't she taking stuff from the planes that was supposed to be disposed of? Used pillows, open peanut packages, etc.?

No. Pillows are used multiple times, as are blankets.

[wanderwoman]

Holy shit. That blew my mind. I know we're pampered American who waste a lot and have different expectations, but some of this stuff seems like a big finger to people here, and abroad, that are living at these levels out of necessity. It's like a poverty tour or contest to see who can be the biggest cheapskate. I agree with this being a form of OCD.

That dental procedure was ridiculous. You can get healthcare and dental care if you're impoverished. Doing what they did would be different if it were economically necessary. But, doing it to save a few bucks and potentially risk infection, disfigurement, and further damage seems pennywise and pound foolish.

Holy shit. That blew my mind. I know we're pampered American who waste a lot and have different expectations, but some of this stuff seems like a big finger to people here, and abroad, that are living at these levels out of necessity. It's like a poverty tour or contest to see who can be the biggest cheapskate. I agree with this being a form of OCD.

That dental procedure was ridiculous. You can get healthcare and dental care if you're impoverished. Doing what they did would be different if it were economically necessary. But, doing it to save a few bucks and potentially risk infection, disfigurement, and further damage seems pennywise and pound foolish.

[Texasmom1970]

Flossing with your own hair, I cant even comment!

[mmecorday]

I'm sorry, you don't play around with shellfish. Mr. Cheapo Flip-Flops had no way of knowing how long those lobster tails had been in the dumpster and he was indangering the lives of the people in his "cooking class" by using them in that ghastly lobster thermidor. This show has got to be as fake as the grass in the Brady Bunch's backyard. I'm almost 100 percent positive the people in the cooking class were from central casting and the cheapskate instructor looked like the McCann twins from those Consumer Cellular commercials a few years back.

[Toaster Strudel]

Three shirts and two shorts?  What a waste when in California, he could get away with just wearing a single speedo.  I mean, he's in reasonable shape, he wouldn't gross anyone out.  He would save hundreds of dollars every year on soap alone.

 

Boiling kills bacteria but does not inactivate toxins.  Clostridium rhymes with yum!

 

This show should be renamed Extreme Wasters.