To ask about the tightest person you've ever met

[GunpowderGelatine]

I'm not talking about skint people, frugal people or those doing good for the environment - but who have you met who is the biggest tightwad without the need to be tight?

Mine is my mum unfortunately. She's just been for a week-long visit and I swear she gets worse with age (though she's not even 60 so not old). She's well off enough that she retired aged 47, hasn't had a mortgage since 2002 and her husband earns a very good living. She wears designer clothes and has lovely jewellery, so I don't think she's secretly skint or anything.

We went shopping in town one day during her visit and both got the odd thing from places like Primark, Superdrug etc ie nothing expensive. Because I had DS in the pram which is awkward round small and busy aisles, when coming to pay one of us took the others' stuff up with them to pay whilst the other one of us waited by the doors with the pram. Stuff we bought cost us each no more than a fiver altogether. We then went for lunch in M&S, mum got a table whilst I went up with a tray, got toasties and coffees and paid then and there. Cost about £19 for the 3 of us to eat and drink.

At the end of the day I figured we were probably even in what we'd paid for and I would've said nothing more about it. However 10 minutes after getting home she presented me with 3 receipts for places where she'd gone up to pay for stuff, with my stuff highlighted (she must've brought a highlighter with her as I don't have one in the house 🤣) and the amounts written on - the amounts were £2.99, £2.62 and £1.49

She then said she wanted to "treat us all" to the cinema as the kids wanted to see the Lion King. So off we went, I packed some mini bags of popcorn from M&S and some bottled drinks as otherwise I'd be spending around £20+ for the equivalent in the cinema. I packed enough for everyone (this is allowed in our cinema). When we went to buy the tickets, she bunged me a fiver (the cost of her ticket) - so much for treating us! And then I thought we were going into the cinema but to my surprise she proceeded to get a large popcorn, large coke, a hot dog and Maltesers for herself. Which cost her £16.99. We had to all carry something as she had so much 😂 I was and thought it's a good job I have a sense of humour. She then wouldn't let my kids have some of her maltesers because "your popcorn is enough you'll get sick" - and then left a half full packet on her chair at the end

I don't think I've ever known such a tightwad! She's like this with other people - she gives her elderly neighbour a lift to the supermarket when she goes, and takes petrol money off her! Even though she's going anyway.

And no I didn't ask for money for lunch and what I paid for in shops, or for lunch, because i refuse to be like that. I also didn't want to mention about her treating us at the cinema because she'd no doubt say something passive aggressive like "oh I didn't know you were skint" 🙄

Cheer me up please by regaling me with your best tightwad stories!

[Igetknockeddownbutgetupagain]

A friend once told me the story of his parents, who would come round with huge water bottles to fill from his house as he didn’t pay water rates at his rented flat and they did

And another whose very very wealthy parents insist on reusing tea bags. Bleurghhhhh

[ginghamstarfish]

My sister. Years ago, I was living abroad, came home for a week to see my lovely dad. Couldn't stay with dad, sister lived around the corner in large 3 bed house (just her and husband), but I was not invited to stay, so stayed with friend a few miles away. I dutifully walked round to visit my sister after seeing dad. I was eventually - and grudgingly - offered a cup of tea. After a chat I asked if I could phone the friend I was staying with to say I would be back for dinner (I had foolishly thought my sister might ask me). There was a silence, then she said 'As long as it's local rate'". We are now NC thank god.

[OMGshefoundmeout]

I’ve posted about this person on here before. Her and her DH are very well off. Sufficiently so to own at least 3 SE properties outright (there might be more for all I know), there are no dependent children or other relatives

She invited a small group of girlfriends to spend the weekend in their new holiday /retirement home in a very nice part of the south coast. The night before we arrived she sent us a copy of the online shopping bill to divvy up between us. This included a pack of 48 loo rolls, a bag of 78 dishwasher tablets and various cleaning items and toiletries. She had basically done a family ‘big shop’ and asked her guests to pay for it. On that same weekend all the husbands in the group were staying with my DH at our overseas family home for a weekends fishing (as they do every year). She knows we have never once asked any of our guests to contribute to groceries let alone pay for their own loo rolls but somehow it was ok for her to charge us.

She also once invited the whole friendship group (6 couples) round to hers for dinner. It was a hot day and she eventually decided she didn’t want to cook so she ordered a Chinese takeaway. The next day we all got an email and her bank details asking for the £3.78 per head we owed her.

[NightsOfCabiria]

That's outrageous OP. Your mum is mean.

My ex is the tightest person I've ever met in my 50 years on the planet. He'd never buy a round, always 'nipping out' on the phone, to the loo, to get something from the car etc.. If forced to pay, the next time we got together he'd 'forget his wallet' so I'd have to pay (or anyone else he felt 'owed him.' This happened multiple times. He'd forget to settle up for Christmas and Birthday shopping and general shopping too. He'd ask me for £30 or so before we went out so that it would appear that he was buying all the drinks/food in front of others. He'd drive around for ages looking for free parking rather than pay, even if it made us late or meant we had to walk for ages in the rain. He used to give me 'knock-off' gifts for Birthdays and Christmas.

I could go on. I was young and stupid. I left.

Reader, he was and is a millionaire. He and his current girlfriend have open social media so I watch with amusement as she posts frustrated memes about tight people!

[KatharinaRosalie]

TIght people I know hate spending money on anything. Your mum is just mean and selfish.

[AtLeastThreeDrinks]

A cousin is the usual split-the-bill-to-the-penny type, but never accounts for vegans/veggies/non-drinkers who should also pay less. It's always somehow hers that works out cheapest.

She'll also host themed parties, buy all the decorations but leave the tags on (tucked away) so that she can return them the next day. The worst was a blanket she'd bought for a Christmas shindig – someone went to use it and she lunged at them before they touched it.

She's not poor. I'd understand if she were, but it's just plain tightness and meanness, and I can't imagine going through life stressing about who owes you 2p!

[SneakyBeakyLike]

My nan lives next door to my auntie. Nan is on a water meter so she goes to my aunties house while she's at work to fill her kettle.

She lives alone so doesn't flush the toilet and washes in the sink unless she needs to wash her hair too, then she'll have a shower.

She also won't set the timer on her heating to come on before she gets up in the morning because it'll come on when she's on holiday, even though it's unbearably cold in her house first thing.

Oh and she has an old friend who takes her for lunch sometimes (he drives, she doesn't) and she'll complain every time that he expects her to pay for herself

[nononever]

The only one I can think of is the gift my friend got for Christmas from her MiL about 15 years ago. A tin of Vim from circa nineteen canteen that had 2p off (god knows what the original price was) and a pair of tights that were seconds 😳. Pic is exact same as the one she received. Still laugh about it.

[cookielove]

I have a friend who is tighter than tight.

I actually stopped talking to her for a few months as she pissed me off so much.

I don't charge people petrol!

She however does, which normally is fine! Whatever! However i found out that as the driver she never included herself when dividing up the petrol costs. And i quote 'because she did all the driving' also she is a terrible driver so on my hen weekend she drove me and 3 others home, and hour and half journey, She charged us £20 each for petrol and wear on tear on the car!!

[Shortwinter]

My DP... soon to be Ex. Have even started a thread. I had no idea he presented himself as so generous when I first met him. It’s killed our relationship as it shows he is only concerned about holding onto ‘his’ money - and he doesn’t even spend it much on himself he’s just amazing it in order to have it and no one else. He earns so much money and yet we bought a lightbulb yesterday and he was on the verge of asking me to walk 2 miles instead in the rain to get it cheaper from somewhere else!

His father was the same. Made his wife walk out with nothing and then left it all to his favoured golden child and no one else, not even his still wife who had to go to court against golden child.

[KatharinaRosalie]

Reminds me of my SIL's PILS (So her DHs parents). Plenty of cash. FIL has worn the same horrendeous bobbly cardigan every single time I have seen her, including when they have been invided to fancy restaurants by my PILs. MIL broke her glasses and has now been walking around with them taped together with literal scotch tape for 2 years. We live in a country where she could get a new pair for free, she's just too tight to pay the few euros co-pay for prescription.

At one dinner, they stuffed their faces and when FIL said he is way too full, MIL whispered that he has to try to eat some more, it's free!

When they have their grandchildren visiting, they hide all treats and lie that they don't have any. Not because they are worried about GC eating too many sweets, but they simply don't want to share.

[Shortwinter]

Amassing.. sorry not amazing!

[Crabonastick]

My ex. Can give a million examples but I think the best one is probably when our son was a baby and we were at my parents. I think I was having a bath. We ran out of nappies and the baby had a poo. My mum and dad said that he had better go down the road to get some nappies and he sat there.... waiting for them to give him some money for the nappies

[jenthelibrarian]

My cat stopped eating anything fish-flavoured and we ended up with a whole load of the sachets out of multi-packs of cat food.
I totted up that we had 10-15 quid-worth and advertised it on local social media asking for a donation to a local charity.

If some cat-rescue or someone struggling to feed a pet had contacted us then obvs I would have happily given it away.

Some woman showed up, spent ages sort of staring at the pile of packets and then said she'd take them, as if doing me a huge favour.

She dropped £1.50 into my hand.

The next time the bastard cat decided to stop eating whatever variety I asked for a donation of a tenner , and got it.

[MummyJasmin]

I cannot stand tight people. Ugh.

[Mintjulia]

My ex had a very large windfall 20 years ago and gave up work. A couple of years ago he realised he was running out of money, and got very mean.
About the same time I was made redundant so money was tight & I was at risk of losing the house.. He turned up one day and suggested I take him to lunch. I offered to make him a sandwich, but he wanted to go to a local gastro-pub so I said no, couldn’t afford it etc.
He said he’d treat me so we went, had lunch and when the bill came he told the waiter to give it to me.
I had to explain to him in front of the waiter, that he knew I was redundant, that I’d already said I couldn't afford to buy him lunch, and I only had £8 on me. There was a horrendous silence before he gave his card to the waiter. He drove me home in silence. So humiliating. Haven’t been out with him since.

[StarlingsInSummer]

My university boyfriend! He was much better off than me, but when we went on holiday together at the end of the third year, he insisted on writing down in a little notebook every time I bought him an ice cream or he got me a drink.... "I spent £3.46 on you today and you spent £4.83, so that's a deficit on my part of £1.37. But yesterday I got you that cake for £2.75 and you bought me a drink for £1.22, which meant you owed me £1.53. So that means I only owe you 16p. Let's carry that over to tomorrow."

I made him throw the notebook away.

[Witchend]

There's tight and careful or tight and CF.

My df is the former. He'll spend an hour going to 6 different shops to see if one of them might be cheaper and end up going back to the first. If we wanted something as a child we needed to justify why it cost that much. But when we did, he could be incredibly generous, buying a more expensive version or double what we were expecting.

Dh has a relative who is the opposite. We did Christmas for his relatives one year. We provided everything, and did everything barring a little bit, including washing up.
A couple of years later Christmas was at their house and we were told asked to do Boxing day. He demanded £30 a head for doing Christmas day. Dh responded that we'd provide the same as he had when they'd come to us.
That's only tip of the iceberg.

[Mephisto]

she bunged me a fiver (the cost of her ticket) - so much for treating us!

And no I didn't ask for money for lunch and what I paid for in shops, or for lunch, because i refuse to be like that.

And you didn't say anything, so you enable her. My mum has done similar in the past and I call her up on it. And what's more, we have a much better relationship then my siblings have with her because she knows I'm honest with her and don't bottle things up.

[StarlingsInSummer]

She however does, which normally is fine! Whatever! However i found out that as the driver she never included herself when dividing up the petrol costs. And i quote 'because she did all the driving' also she is a terrible driver so on my hen weekend she drove me and 3 others home, and hour and half journey, She charged us £20 each for petrol and wear on tear on the car!!

I personally wouldn't do this, but I don't think she's being completely unreasonable either, especially if she gives people a lift a lot of the time. Driving is tiring and wear and tear on a car does cause it to depreciate.

[Hederex]

Two of my school friends have been in a couple since we were 13. They've always known what they wanted, worked hard and saved hard. The rest of us all live in standard houses with standard lifestyles. They now have a six bed house with land at under 40.
The group joke though that we should all be able to move in, because to our knowledge, neither of them has ever put in their full share when out for a meal.

[katseyes7]

l used to work with a woman who was gold standard tight. She wasn't hard up, just very, very mean with money.
She got a new (as in brand new) car. So of course when we were leaving work, we all had a look at it. Someone said "Linda, where's your parcel shelf?" She replied "l didn't get one. lt was £25 extra."
This woman used to walk round all the shops at lunchtime to see where the boxes of cup soup were cheapest, then go back to the cheapest shop. She must have worn out more shoe leather than she saved.
lf we went on a work night out, she'd sit nursing a lime and soda all night. Unless someone asked if she wanted a drink, then she'd have lager.
She once cooked a Vesta (!) curry and rice, and she said when she was eating the rice it tasted soapy. When she checked, the colander she'd drained it in had washing up liquid on it. She hadn't noticed because she didn't put the kitchen light on to save money.
The worst l ever heard about her was dreadful. lt was coming up to Christmas and a mutual friend was at the shops with her. She was looking for a present for her dad, who was terminally ill at the time. They went to a chemists and she was looking at aftershaves. Apparently she was complaining to our friend about how much they were, and actually said "l don't want to spend too much. l don't know how long he's going to last."
Our friend was so disgusted she walked away. We both said the same - if that had been either of our dad's, we'd have spent everything we had.

[HelloYouTwo]

An elderly acquaintance was on a day trip with his wife, end of the day they were hungry and went to a bakery. Hurrah for stingy chap, bakery was selling yesterday’s sandwiches off cheaply, for pence, and had reduced today’s sandwiches to a mere pound. Sends his wife in to buy cheap sandwiches but when she returned he was shocked to see that she had bought the reduced-to-a-pound sandwiches.

So he sent her back into the shop to exchange the sandwiches for yesterday’s offerings and get back the £1.60 or whatever difference. And she did as she was told

[timshelthechoice]

Loads! They never get far with me, however, I have resting bitch face and also have no problem calling them out or refusing to sub them.

[francienolan]

I have a funny and harmless one. It's my dad. He loves eating but hates spending money on eating out, like if we ever suggest going out for ice cream he'll argue and say it's cheaper to get a carton from the shop. (Yes, but we don't like the same flavours, so it isn't actually!)

Anyway, we just kind of laugh at him because he isn't mean or anything. But the funniest example is that he volunteered to be his workplace's union rep because there's always a sandwich platter at the meetings, and now he's really involved in all of the union stuff.