Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Mu parents have bought 48 tins of tuna

312 replies

CrinklyCraggy · 07/02/2022 19:56

It was on offer at a discount store, worked out about 50p a tin.

These are not poor people. One of their biggest concerns is inheritance tax (I say fgs spend it!)

They don't even like tuna much, but have been back for another 48 tins.

This absolutely will not be wasted. They will plough their way through 96 tins of tuna that they don't enjoy, just to be thrifty, which they don't need to be.

They've always been ones for stocking up when the price is good - in then70s they would buy a whole cow from the butcher for the freezer, but surely this is ridiculous?

What's more, I mentioned that we actually get through quite a bit of tinned tuna because it's about the only thing DS2 likes in a sandwich and they didn't even offer me a pallet Grin

Do you have examples of extreme and unnecessary thrift? I like a bargain, I'd stock up if it was something I enjoyed, but when you don't?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
HearMeSnore · 07/02/2022 21:40

When I rented a room in a house share, my visiting BF (now DH) offered to nip to the shops to get a few provisions in for the weekend. I asked him to pick me up some Weetabix. Bear in mind I used to buy the little 12 pack because I only had one shelf in the shared food cupboard and usually only had myself to feed.

He came back with 96 Weetabix. Apparently the 48 packs were 2 for 1.

ABitOfAShitShow · 07/02/2022 21:40

@KatherineJaneway In soup??!! What would you put in with it?

@Vebrithien I loved your story. ☺️

@HelloKeith 😂

bigbluebus · 07/02/2022 21:41

My DF used to buy household goods in bulk when they were on special offer and store them upstairs in a cupboard. After he died I didn't need to buy and dishwasher tablets for 3 years (we run our dishwasher every day). I even gave some away to DB and DM kept some although she rarely used the dishwasher living on her own.

CorsicaDreaming · 07/02/2022 21:42

I love the way responses fall into two camps - either reminiscing over other items being stockpiled by themselves or DPs (full disclosure - Tinned Tomato Queen here) or others hot footing it off to Lidl to stock up on tuna themselves...

Kitkat151 · 07/02/2022 21:42

@harriethoyle

Completely missing the point but I'm going to lidl tomorrow to look for this deal!
Me too ....that is a good offer😆
Babdoc · 07/02/2022 21:43

Please don’t eat skipjack tuna more than three times a week, or albacore tuna more than once a week.
Both contain mercury, which is toxic. Albacore tuna has three times the level of skipjack. Children should eat it even less often, as their developing nervous system is more susceptible.

AChocolateOrangeaday · 07/02/2022 21:44

As someone who has just this very day taken delivery of 20 500g boxes of brown sugar cubes I cannot judge them.

CorsicaDreaming · 07/02/2022 21:45

@AChocolateOrangeaday

As someone who has just this very day taken delivery of 20 500g boxes of brown sugar cubes I cannot judge them.

😂 that is an awful lot of sugar cubes...

MimosaFields · 07/02/2022 21:45

I helped my parents move two years ago. They had 72 liters of UHT milk in the pantry

Gregsprinkles · 07/02/2022 21:48

Tuna soup 😳🤢
That's how I felt when I read that too

ImJustNotMeAnymore · 07/02/2022 21:49

Tuna curry is nice too!

Serendipity79 · 07/02/2022 21:51

I confess I'm terrible for stockpiling food. I'm convinced its because when I was a child the cupboards and fridge were bare most of the time. I have cupboards full, and a big chest freezer thats full too. Everyone laughed at the start of lockdown because they knew we wouldnt starve whilst the temporary madness of empty shelves hit.

The most random purchase ever tho had to be my ex MIL who was a nightmare for not being able to ignore reduced or bargain items - she brought dog food home once - it was a huge bag and a very good bargain so she said - now ask me if she even had a dog?? :D

HelloBunny · 07/02/2022 21:51

My dad will barely stop the car, for fear of paying for parking or getting a parking fine. My parents are turning into that couple from that TV show where they go on holiday & eat foil-wrapped sandwiches, while sitting on a bench, commenting on all the folk actually enjoying themselves.

MrsClatterbuck · 07/02/2022 21:56

@TillyTopper

OMG OP, don't get me started! My DDad was not so frugal and would have the odd treat he fancied, but sadly he's passed away and my DMum is another level frugal! We took her out for a picnic back in the summer (just on the spur of the moment) and she really created because I bought a pack of sandwiches each. It actually spoilt what could have been a lovely afternoon. We also had a lot of ducks and geese turn up (we were by the river) and one of my sons fed them with a load of bread we'd bought and she stopped speaking to him because he'd used up the bread (that was for the week, not for her anyway!). He is 20 so was quite Shock it was an issue.

She also made me return tights and pants multiple times as "They weren't quite right" basically she was trying to get them cheaper. She needed new glasses and I said no problem, get whichever ones suit you best - when she found out the price she stopped speaking to me for a bit (but I paid for them!). To top it all she fell over a few weeks ago because she had worn through the soles of her slippers to the carpet and didn't tell any one (she is ok though). She is well aware she has 2 brand new spare pairs of slippers in her wardrobe. Words fail!!

My mil years ago was wearing slippers that had very worn soles and were a accident waiting to happen. My DH took the slippers and threw them out and made her use the pair she had in case she went to hospital. She also had an ironing board that was on its last legs and was dangerous. Dh took it and put it in a skip that happened to be outside. Vwe gave her a new ironing board as we had got 2 forca wedding present. She wasn't happy but she was safer with the new slippers and ironing board.
katepilar · 07/02/2022 21:57

@Vebrithien

I have a somewhat heartwarming one though. My dear departed grandfather never EVER wanted to wasted anything. Everything that could possibly be saved, was. I lost him in 1996.

At some point in the late '80's, my grandparents got a new, plastic set of Christmas fairy lights. My dear GF carefully unscrewed all of the metal screw bulbs, and kept them. Just in case.

When my beloved GM passed away, she left me all of her Christmas fairy lights. Carefully tucked away in the middle, was a little box I'd given my GF, with all of the spare, old bulbs safely inside. This was in 2014.

Fast forward to this Christmas, just gone. We visited DH's parents. They had their tree, with the original fairy lights that they had got for when DH (in his late 30's) was a baby. They were sadly lamenting that if another, single bulb went, they would have to get rid of the set, as they just couldn't find any replacements.

AND MY GRANDAD'S BULBS FIT!

There are enough to light their tree for many, many years, and I find it so lovely that, although my GF never got to meet DH (they would have got on), something he did , so many years ago, as a frugal instinct, has made my PIL and DH so happy.

Thats lovely :)
Hoolihan · 07/02/2022 21:58

I need to know about the tuna soup. I'm not going to be able to sleep otherwise.

Benjispruce5 · 07/02/2022 21:59

This is how they have money. My DM once worked for a very wealthy lady who rana nursery from her very large house. My DM was washing up the children’s milk cups and went to tip the water away afterwards to be stopped and told not to, that the water would be used for the whole day’s washing up! This lady now lives in a small stately home.

Marmm · 07/02/2022 22:00

I have already bought mine. It's a great deal for kids lunches and the baked potatos we're going to be eating twice a week to get the bills down. Almost wish I'd bought more!

DreamTheMoors · 07/02/2022 22:01

My dad was like this.
Instead of buying one or two boxes of tissues, he’d buy 12 or 14, then stack them by his chair in the den. It was embarrassing.
Or bread - he’d buy half a dozen loaves and put them in the freezer, then the next week buy half a dozen more. Same with so many other items - tp, coffee, tea, roasts, and on & on. And it didn’t have to be on sale.
He grew up during the depression, but his parents were quite wealthy, so I don’t think they suffered with much.
I think with Dad it was more a borderline hoarding issue. I’ve often wondered if it was a “security” issue.
My mum didn’t have this problem.
It was embarrassing when friends came over and they’d ask, “why do you have so many tissues?” I’d always stumble for an answer.
It got worse as he got older.
@CrinklyCraggy is it just the tuna or do your parents have form for this?

Nat3kids · 07/02/2022 22:02

This is one of the most depressing threads ever - no wonder our oceans are increasingly empty of wildlife. Fish is something we should eat in moderation (if at all) not bloody stockpiled by people who don’t even like the taste of it. Feeling a bit depressed about humanity now Sad

VivX · 07/02/2022 22:03

I know someone who used to buy all sorts of shite for the Tesco reward points.
Sometimes, if they'd have piles of unwanted stuff which they'd plough through regardless of whether they really liked it.

00100001 · 07/02/2022 22:03

@FoamBurst

My friend in LD1 stock piled. And is still continuing to do so. Every kitchen cupboard is full. She's brought 3 extra freezers for the shed. She's filled the ottoman in bedroom and lounge. She's filled the side boards and under the stairs. Filled one of the garden storage boxes of things like floor cleaner. . Her last count was over 100 bottles bleach. 80 floor cleaner 150 washing up liquid 100 tins beans, spaghetti tin toms. 100 bags pasta. 200 toilet roll in the loft. And still buys 9 a week. 70 tubs of wahsing tablets. 50 dishwasher tablets. Things like noodles pasta in sauce anything with a long date she buys and buys and buys. Daily just buys what's on offer.
Does she need some professional help??
stairway · 07/02/2022 22:04

My parents own 3 houses outright…, my dad was absolutely thrilled at finding someone’s hat on a walk and has been using the hat himself everyday since. I said to him why don’t you leave it on a fence for the owner to pickup but nope finders keepers.

ShinyPikachu · 07/02/2022 22:04

DMIL died many years before I met DH. I'm still using dish towels and scourers she stocked up on over the years that even DFIL didn't get through himself. Most of the stocked up cleaning products I have finally got through, but I didn't have to buy stuff for quite a while when we moved in together.

I'm also off to Lidl tomorrow. Grin