Cheapest thing a person has ever done

[Unorganisedchaos2]

Inspired by the children's birthday party thread, Im sure this has been done so many times but humor me as Im stuck at home with a poorly DD...

Our family once knew a couple who were convinced that the baby they were due to have shouldn't cost them any more than the family allowance and a grant I believe you used to get in the early 2000's. Some of the things they did:

• Commented that it had worked out well that the baby was born 2 months prem as they had been able to claim family allowance but he hadn't cost them anything yet as the hospital were providing nappies, milk etc.
• Refused to visit the baby until the hospital had issued a free parking pass then only visited 3 times a week because they were tired and as it was a 30 minute it was already costing a lot in petrol.
• Did a separate food shop for him of all supermarket own brand food and £1 meals, she actually had "his money" in one of those money bags the bank used and made the checkout person run it through as two separate shops.
• Spent hours in charity shops buying up the next few years with of clothes for him, at his second birthday they were asking us to buy clothes for 7-8 year old.
• Asked my mum to register as a childminder so they could claim childcare but expected my mum to do it for free (not honestly sure how that was ever going to work out)
• Not child related but he refused to drive above 50 MPH because he believed it was uneconomical, even if he was late for work or holding up a queue of traffic.

I recently discovered that my dad gave my then husband £2,000 to pay for our son's funeral, the son who may well have lived beyond the five and a half months he did, had my husband allowed me the chance to prepare for pregnancy. I paid for the funeral with my own money and knew nothing of my father's kindness. He went to his grave with me never thanking him.

Worried, i’m so sorry for your loss.

Wow I’m so sorry Op, this is heartbreaking. Glad you got rid of that horrible excuse of a man.

Sorry I didn’t mean to put Op.

So awful. Very sorry.

Omg that’s is an absolutely horrible thing to have done.

My daughter died when she was 2 weeks old.

My older 2 dc were very upset and confused as they were young and we had baby things with no baby, so my ex SIL said she would put my daughters pram, moses basket, cot etc in her spare room until we decided what to do with them.

I found out a month later that my other ex SILs son had got someone pregnant, and they decided between themselves to give her my daughters things, so she travelled the 250 miles (that was apparently too far to travel for my daughters funeral) to collect them without a word to me. They thought it was fine because its not like I was using the stuff anyway.

I never spoke to them again.

Oh my goodness
@Worriedaboutrapecourts and
@WiggyWiggyImGettingJiggy
I'm just so sorry about your experiences.

I thought the OP was pretty depressing but I just so feel for you both. I lost my own first born son at three weeks so I truly do empathise.

These stories are heartbreaking.
I won’t tell you my lighthearted one.

Please do @IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads , we need light in amongst remembering ❤

to @IvedoneitagainhaventI and @WiggyWiggyImGettingJiggy

I’ve just heard one from my husband about a tradesman he knew who when he was working in people’s houses he’d fill plastic milk bottles with their water because he was on a water meter and didn’t want to run his taps .

I think is one of the worst things I have ever heard. I am so, so sorry you had to go through this.

Some heartbreaking stories here and I am sorry for the losses you have suffered.

Mine is in a very different vein - my best friend was Maid of honour at my wedding, I paid for dress, shoes, accessories, make up and hair as you do.

I asked her to bring a loaf of bread, two packs of bacon and a box of eggs so we could all have a bacon butty for breakfast whilst getting ready, she also enjoyed a lovely sandwich. A couple of weeks after the wedding she asked me to transfer her £10 for the breakfast items.

We had a party for our son's 18th birthday. My SIL offered to bake a cake for the buffet (not THE birthday cake). She presented me with a bill. This was despite taking home a large doggy bag of leftovers for her and her family.
Same SIL gave DH (her brother) a birthday present in a battered box. It was something really inappropriate for him so it was put in a cupboard then given to the school fayre for the white elephant/tombola/raffle.
Next birthday, DH received the same item back for his present.

SIL gave me 2 x jumpers for Christmas last year- I thought ohh lovely a nice big squishy parcel . Both BNWT but neither the right size and neither v nice and quite obviously Vinted . No money issues either . Quite hurtful when you put thought and money into buying for someone .

That is heartbreaking, I'm so sorry 💐.
Your Dad was a kind man - I'm sure (especially given the circumstances) he never gave it a second thought- he was just glad to be able to do something to help you.

Wow. I find myself saying this every day, but what is wrong with people? 💐

I have a friend who has pathologically "money saving" ways (bless her) .

She once stayed at mine - said she'd get some food to contribute to dinner. She bought a reduced pack of ready chopped cabbage for 20p and took the rest home with her the next day 😁.

Waste not want not I suppose!

@Unorganisedchaos2 my mind is blown by those cheapskates!! It's like something out of a dark comedy.

I'm so sorry for your loss and then finding that out about your lovely dad. 😞Sending a hug

Once knew a guy who was quite the cheapskate. Can only remember a few examples but one was when he gave me a tiny bottle of moisturiser or similar for Christmas and when I noticed it said part of a multipack, he said it was a 3 pack and he had given the other ones to his mum and sister. As if it was a very normal, practical and obvious thing to do 😂

Another time we got takeaway coffee and for the first time ever he actually paid but got himself a large and me a regular and informed me that if I wanted a large I could pay next time. Oh and then he demanded, because he paid for it, that I gave him the little sticker from the cup that was put on a card thing to save up for a free coffee.

Two years ago my brother did his Christmas shopping for me entirely online.

He claimed to have “accidentally” ordered the parcels to his old uni accommodation. These parcels were then refused and refunded to him. He did his shopping on the 23rd, so this was Christmas Eve.

For Christmas he gave me a print out of the pictures of what he had ordered, as it was “the thought that counts”

PIL turned up to Xmas lunch with two small £1 cheesecakes from Morrisons and six mince pies for six adults and four older teen boys.
They also stayed in a youth hostel in the Lakes rather than pay for a hotel. They were mid 70’s at the time. I could write a book..
When they died, a few people thought they were that poor they quietly offered to help with funeral costs. It came to light PIL were millionaires.

MIL and FIL
For DS's combined first birthday and Christmas, waited for the ELC sale and bought him a reduced plastic tractor.

DH and his sisters got to share a cornet on holiday, alternating licks.

MiL used to make french toast with one egg to make an egg go round three children.

DH and his sisters remember being hungry as children/teens.

When MIL's mum died, she didn't visit her father before the funeral, because it would have meant buying a full price rather than Apex train ticket.

When FIL died, there was £1m in the bank.

I once worked with a guy who had a bring your own meat barbecue. He also allocated sides, desserts, even sauces to each attendee. I’m not sure he actually provided anything other than the coal… His wife was mortified but well used to it, too!