To ask what small cheeky things you do to save money?

[monroeagogo]

DH routinely reuses stamps. His excitement when an envelope arrives and the stamp isn't marked is a wonder to behold.

Franking is the enemy.

What cheeky things do you do to save the pennies?

@Gwenhwyfar

"There are quite a few actually. I jump around depending on which ones have what I want and whether they allow downloads or not."

I just don't believe that's all legal or that everything is available.

Believe what you want. I use Virgin media for my internet and they block illegal sites. Torrent sites are illegal but these are not. Maybe not ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING then but I've always managed to get what I'm after. They do have a lot of annoying pop ups though. Usually for porn/games or gambling but not always. Some regular ads too.

@Wolveryeti

I pirate Windows/Office or buy hooky copies when I need a new version. The prices they charge are completely insane and I don't mind declining to line their shareholders' pockets.

That's a form of stealing too. We pay for our software or find legitimate free versions.

@MistyGreenAndBlue

But those shows you watch free online are made by real people, funded by real companies that employ real people, bought by companies like netflix who employ real people.

The TV and film industry has workers who need to be paid and the industry's income includes subscriptions to Netflix and Amazon Prime etc.

So by watching for free rather than paying, you're reducing the income into an industry and therefore the income of real people.

It's like if everyone went to the cinema but didn't pay for their ticket. Would you think that was OK?

@AdobeWanKenobi

I had a relative that worked as a security guard, many years ago when grapes came loose and not pre packaged.

Every week a woman would come in, select a bunch and hand them to the child in the trolley who would eat as they shopped. At the end what remained of the grapes were handed to the cashier. As I say, at the time this was on weight so she was stealing weekly.

Relative observed this for about three weeks to be certain. When the fourth week rolled around and the woman got to the till the cashier was handed a full bunch of grapes to weigh. Woman was told in no uncertain terms she was stealing and if observed again would be banned. She paid for the full bunch, took away what remained of the eaten ones and never did it again.

Yes, I don't think people realise this. They might not get caught immediately but it doesn't mean their thievery hasn't been noted and logged. They look for patterns of behaviour too, and retail managers/security are quite happy to trawl the CCTV to be sure.

[quote youvegottenminuteslynn]@MistyGreenAndBlue

But those shows you watch free online are made by real people, funded by real companies that employ real people, bought by companies like netflix who employ real people.

The TV and film industry has workers who need to be paid and the industry's income includes subscriptions to Netflix and Amazon Prime etc.

So by watching for free rather than paying, you're reducing the income into an industry and therefore the income of real people.

It's like if everyone went to the cinema but didn't pay for their ticket. Would you think that was OK?[/quote]
That's why we are happy to pay for these services. DH is one of the many employed to provide media. If everyone got it free there'd be no income for him!

As he's in the area a lot of our friends are too. Scriptwriters. Directors. Camera ops, sound ops etc etc. They all deserve to earn an income.

I have no objection paying for the TV licence either. If you look at everything the BBC do then it's very worth it.

Even some of the shows on streaming services can trace their beginnings back to the BBC.

I honestly doubt that even though you may not watch BBC TV you don't benefit from the work of the BBC in another form. (You being the mystical you, not a reference to anyone in particular on this thread)

All those of you saying ‘That is theft; you should be ashamed’ or ‘But it’s steeeealing!!’ or similar - what are you hoping to achieve? I don’t disagree with the fundamental point, but are you really expecting any of the people boasting about paying for one sticky bun when they’ve taken two to suddenly have a Road to Damascus-type revelation because of your words? ‘You reuse old stamps?! But it’s embarrassing!’ - do they seem embarrassed to you? They’re boasting about it online - that seems like the opposite of embarrassed.

Like I say, I don’t agree with stealing (although I wouldn’t put a few extra salt sachets from McDonalds in that category), but after 29 pages, I fail to see the point of continuous posts on the exact same lines. The genuine thieves won’t change because of your words, and the ones on the wind-up have achieved exactly the outcome they wanted.

Genuine money-saver: I signed up for an Uber Eats account with my work phone. I got £10 for referring a ‘new’ customer, plus £10 as a new customer. When I get a special offer on one account (say 20% off your next ten orders), I use that account for all my orders; then, by the time the offer has run out, Uber spots my other account has gone quiet and gives me a special offer on that one to get me spending again. Haven’t paid full price for a takeaway in over a year!

@WomanStanleyWoman

All those of you saying ‘That is theft; you should be ashamed’ or ‘But it’s steeeealing!!’ or similar - what are you hoping to achieve? I don’t disagree with the fundamental point, but are you really expecting any of the people boasting about paying for one sticky bun when they’ve taken two to suddenly have a Road to Damascus-type revelation because of your words? ‘You reuse old stamps?! But it’s embarrassing!’ - do they seem embarrassed to you? They’re boasting about it online - that seems like the opposite of embarrassed.

Like I say, I don’t agree with stealing (although I wouldn’t put a few extra salt sachets from McDonalds in that category), but after 29 pages, I fail to see the point of continuous posts on the exact same lines. The genuine thieves won’t change because of your words, and the ones on the wind-up have achieved exactly the outcome they wanted.

What does anyone try to achieve posting on MN? Most of us are on here wasting time, avoiding RL stuff we should be doing.

I said upthread (and was called naive) that a lot of the boasting about shoplifting on here probably isn't true anyway.

I said upthread (and was called naive) that a lot of the boasting about shoplifting on here probably isn't true anyway.

For what it’s worth, I agree with you. MN is full of wind-up merchants!

Believe me, I'm grateful. If it wasn't for people like you, Microsoft's shareholders might get concerned and clamp down.

@WomanStanleyWoman

I said upthread (and was called naive) that a lot of the boasting about shoplifting on here probably isn't true anyway.

For what it’s worth, I agree with you. MN is full of wind-up merchants!

Exactly. You can say whatever you like anonymously and nobody would know, isn't that what draws people to the site? 'I'll confess to shoplifting, and see how that goes down' they probably think, or stealing towels from hotels.

@SpaceFarce

I shared Spotify, Netflix and sky with my ex for years, also Washington post and a few other journal type magazines. I'm not now as I'm living with dp, but when ex and I lived a few streets apart we just continued sharing (we get along well)

[quote youvegottenminuteslynn]@MistyGreenAndBlue

But those shows you watch free online are made by real people, funded by real companies that employ real people, bought by companies like netflix who employ real people.

The TV and film industry has workers who need to be paid and the industry's income includes subscriptions to Netflix and Amazon Prime etc.

So by watching for free rather than paying, you're reducing the income into an industry and therefore the income of real people.

It's like if everyone went to the cinema but didn't pay for their ticket. Would you think that was OK?[/quote]
Depends. If they're funded by advertising and it's legal, that's fine. I watch YouTube in that way. I don't pay, but the creators get money from the advertising.
There are LOADS of programmes and films I'd like to watch free, but I can't find them so I suspect the pp is just watching whatever is available.

"‘You reuse old stamps?! But it’s embarrassing!’ - do they seem embarrassed to you? They’re boasting about it online - that seems like the opposite of embarrassed."

I wouldn't be embarrassed about re-using stamps because as I said, I was brought up being told I SHOULD do and that not to, would be bad.
However, I hardly ever send letters now so didn't know that the post would count them as unpaid for so I wouldn't do it in future.

I do think that some kind of stealing is socially acceptable. The main one being watching pirate films and using pirate software.

Shoplifting isn't acceptable at all to me, but I accept that there are people for whom it is and I see no reason to think people are lying about it. It's quite common!

Stamps?

I just shove mine in work post

Haven’t paid for years

There are LOADS of programmes and films I'd like to watch free, but I can't find them so I suspect the pp is just watching whatever is available.

Are you impugning me sir? 😂

@WomanStanleyWoman

All those of you saying ‘That is theft; you should be ashamed’ or ‘But it’s steeeealing!!’ or similar - what are you hoping to achieve? I don’t disagree with the fundamental point, but are you really expecting any of the people boasting about paying for one sticky bun when they’ve taken two to suddenly have a Road to Damascus-type revelation because of your words? ‘You reuse old stamps?! But it’s embarrassing!’ - do they seem embarrassed to you? They’re boasting about it online - that seems like the opposite of embarrassed.

Like I say, I don’t agree with stealing (although I wouldn’t put a few extra salt sachets from McDonalds in that category), but after 29 pages, I fail to see the point of continuous posts on the exact same lines. The genuine thieves won’t change because of your words, and the ones on the wind-up have achieved exactly the outcome they wanted.

I guess maybe pointing out that they’re so stupid they don’t understand the thread title. Cheeky ways you save money can’t be answered by ‘instead of buying fruit I just steal it - ha ha ha ha ha! I’m so cheeky.’

There’s no point having these threads if people don’t understand them enough to answer the question that’s asked. You don’t ‘save money’ by stealing. If you’re that desperate to share how you steal things then start a thread called ‘ways to get away with stealing.’

@Landedonfeet

Stamps?

I just shove mine in work post

Haven’t paid for years

This is the ideal cheeky solution to high postage prices!

@Landedonfeet

Stamps?

I just shove mine in work post

Haven’t paid for years

But do they get posted???

We get emails round saying that the envelope addressed to xxxx, yyyyy has been removed from the post bag and will be reinstated only when the postage has been paid, or evidence shown of it being business related.

My friend uses my prime account and cinema pass and keeps anything that I happen to lend her or leave at hers. That's how she saves money

Open padded envelopes carefully and reuse. Save wrappings to reuse. Use clear plastic boxes for small seedlings.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads

Been doing it for years
Birthday presents arrived
Payments made
Docs signed and returned

So yes they’re sent

And received!

@needyousomuch

My friend uses my prime account and cinema pass and keeps anything that I happen to lend her or leave at hers. That's how she saves money

Only with your acquiescence tbf.

Change your password for Amazon prime and the cinema?