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.

after my mums funeral, there were leftover chocolate puddings in small pots at the reception. my husabnd scarped them all out into a bowl to take away. in the car on the way home it spilt all over my mums stay form her coffin that we were taking home. he has always been tight and in fact his ways with money were partially responsible for me having a total psychotic. breakdwon from which I never recovered.

I know a woman who boils the kettle once a day and stores the boiled water in a thermos flask so she never has to boil it again for tea or (instant) coffee at any other point in the day. She also was turning her hot water cylinder down to a very low temp to save money, until she was told about the bacteria that grow under a certain temp.

She regularly puts herself in for medical tests (studies) to make a few hundred pounds.

She owns her own home, car and has a good pension saved.

You have no idea why those parents aren’t visiting more often.

Oh no! My mum had these, I think she got them from her church jumble sale & one of my friends used to crack up at them. They had removable handles that slotted into a section on the side, mum accidentally melted the handles but continued to use the pans with a fork slotted in the handle groove. My friend found another set at a jumble sale & got them for my mum to be given only on the condition the old set were confiscated, mum laughed, accepted the 'new' set & carried on using the old busted ones. When I met my partner I was amused to see he had a set that I tried to discard but he loved them. Maybe he's your uncle?

A family member plummeted in my estimation @ilovecardigans when they are their partner used to sneer at their friends talking about their stillborn DC. Less than a year after their loss apparently they should have got over it. People can be thoughtless and cruel.

my parents in law nought me a set of these

A case of when someone shows you who they are... How utterly mortifying though, to be exposed as a common as muck thief. Glad you got that satisfaction and the few bottles back.

@romatheroamer @CherryRipe1 my gran had steamer pans. I had a set in my 20s, long gone, and recently spotted some in Tesco. They are wonderful and save things like cauliflower/broccolli/courgettes from going soggy and double up as a colander, saving on the washing up too.

I once went to a BD party for someone - they made a big show of the invites etc and also asked for specific presents (like Pandora charms, jewellery etc) - the meal was nice but at the end all guests were presented with individual itemised bill, including drinks etc. That was unexpected. The person was very wealthy btw.

I shared a flat with a very stingy woman. We shared the cost of toilet rolls, and she asked me to pay a bigger proportion as I had just got together with my BG and used more to dispose of used condoms.

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

I've heard all sorts over the years but never this one before!!!

Amazing.....

This is super basic but we have a woman in our team of 5 people. Every couple of months we go out for a quick drink after work or before work parties. We roughly take turns in buying rounds. She has NEVER offered to buy anyone a drink, but let's us by her one every time. We all earn decent money and she is the only single person not crippled by the cost of keeping other humans alive!!! Oh and she always orders an expensive non-standard drink.

If this was constant I would have to say something @Dogstar78 "oh Sue isn't it your round this time?". Presumably the other members are irritated too? Can't stand people like that (BIL will do it if he's allowed to get away with it).

I went to a wedding which was described as a "tea dance". Big religious ceremony, bride in a beautiful, expensive gown, then on to the very nice venue lots of guests. We had one sandwich, a piece of cake and a cup of tea. For the toasts they gave us one glass of white wine.
They only seemed to be stingy with the guests.

Why on earth don't people say something?! I don't get it.

With people like that, I genuinely think there must be something wrong with them.

What's the problem with that?

If the host provides the charcoal, BBQ, bread buns and salads why it it unreasonable?
Not everyone has a dozen garden chairs either 🙄

I will confess to having been very wasteful with kitchen roll in the past. I then discovered washable bamboo kitchen roll. It will survive a 40c or even 60c wash. I do still buy kitchen roll (about once a year maybe) for things like mopping blood off steak when it's defrosted. I've saved a fortune.

Ooh, will look that up @Bojosgirl

Tempted by this one. I told DP am never buying it again after seeing the price of it last week.

You are totally right! It's become this weird thing. In a work context she is very difficult to work with. In covid she chose to move further away. Despite the policy on office working we dont see her physically that often. So I think we just put up with it.

You mean these I think ?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1855478747/rare-vintage-judgeware-triangular-enamel?ls=s&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=triangular+pans&ref=sr_gallery-1-26&frs=1&sts=1&content_source=a2ef13a2-02c5-4450-9cff-43fce7e9b333%253ALT756784ad4b7321be59249e90fadf5e202ce094d2&organic_search_click=1&logging_key=a2ef13a2-02c5-4450-9cff-43fce7e9b333%3ALT756784ad4b7321be59249e90fadf5e202ce094d2

Why do you keep offering to buy her one? I'd make a point of not doing so. Or just say to her, in front of everyone, 'I think it's your turn to buy a round.'

Yes, I don't know why people enable this sort of behaviour, then complain about it.

Same friends (and they happen to be evangelical Christians who spend lots of time wanging on about kindness and generosity):

• suggested we see a film at a much further-away cinema because they had a discount voucher (I was driving). The voucher was only for their tickets…
• brought wine to mine after I invited them to dinner, drank my (better) stuff, then took theirs home again.
• honeymooned in the Bahamas and she had a £600 wedding dress in 1995….but the reception was in her church, the parishioners contributed the pork pie buffet, and we got 1 glass of wine for toasts.
• wanted to put her bridal flowers on her father’s grave (fair enough) but proceeded to launch my bridesmaid posy at the guests to see who was next. I wouldn’t have minded, but she’d also made me pay for my own flowers and hair.

I made the difficult decision not to invite her to my wedding after that.