What is the stingiest thing you've ever done / seen someone do?

[Teadrinker11]

Yourself or someone else, what is the most stingy, mean, miserable thing is that you have ever done or seen someone else do?

20:19BooneyBeautiful

Hawkins001

Ran out of milk, shops near me were closed after 8pm and had a carton of strawberry flavoured milk, so used that until I had milk the next day.

It's usually placed there by the funeral directors so people can donate to a specific charity in memory of the deceased.

Something went wrong here!

@Reallycantbesarsed

A Mum at my children’s primary school who had 4 girls …they had to share one chocolate advent calendar! This was years ago and I still remember every Christmas…Mum was actually a lovely person though .

My three children shared a picture Advent calendar as l did with my brother and sister. I also had a reusable one with pockets which was shared. The number 24 is great as it can be divided in so many different ways. I don’t think it was a bad idea to learn how to share. I don’t think I am mean in other ways.

And if you are Boris Johnson, leaving a restaurant in New York before paying his share of the meal bill with Cameron and Osborne. Apparently, Osborne had a row in the hotel lift about his stinginess. Does Johnson ever pay for anything

I have no idea what either of these posts mean, can you explain please?

@Maireas

I have no idea what either of these posts mean, can you explain please?

Sorry, I was referring to the posts about the strawberry milk and the funeral directors.

@KatherineJaneway

Why not make two cups of tea as unless you want very strong tea, a bag easy does two.

It doesn't.

Yorkshire tea most definetly makes 2 very decent cups of tea.

@ny20005

On a committee that I'm a member of, we used a meeting room at a local hotel. They let us have the room free on condition that we ordered drinks.

I went to take everyone's order for tea / coffee / wine & one man had brought his own flask. He then produced two custard creams wrapped in tinfoil from his pocket

What’s wrong with that? That’s not stingy, that’s organised.

Father in law brought a boot full of beer to drink at our wedding instead of paying bar prices! Mother on law nursed a large coke all evening. They then offered to pay for our honeymoon, booked 4 bed then offered to come with us to a romantic log cabin

@Frenchfancy

I don't understand how not tipping a workman who was paid to mend a lock is stingy. I don't think paying the advertised price for anything without a tip is stingy, I never tip for haircuts or taxis. Taking tips left by others is stealing.

I think the workman probably charged a very reasonable amount.

A kind Eastern European handyman recently quoted me £10 to fix my hedge cutter (I’d cut the cord). I paid him £15 as I think he undercharged, and even that was probably too little and I wonder if I should have paid more. I have something else to get fixed and will ask him.

@Dontwanttolivewithmylover

Empty a dog poo bag into an open public bin then pocket the used bag.

That’s just made up.

@LaDamaDeElche

I don't know if this would be considered stingy or just not wasteful, but DP uses the last drop of everything. He actually cuts shampoo bottles, body creams, turns the washing liquid upside down so every single bit is used, scrapes right in the corner of the butter, eats fruit that's more than ripe etc.

I do all of this apart from the fruit. Hair gel and thick conditioner last for weeks longer if you cut the top off the tube and scrape the contents out with your fingers. Weeks

Fraine - they were using the facilities for free so needed to buy a drink in return

It's like being in a cafe. He was being tight

@Maireas

I had a colleague who bought an M&S dress to wear to her registry office wedding on the Saturday, and returned it on the Monday. I thought that was a terrible thing to do. She wasn't hard up.

Went to a wedding in Swansea in the late 80s. The brides family were sitting in front of us. They had all bought their wedding outfits from the Gratton catalogue. They were returning them on Monday.

Reusing stamps, tearing them in half, picking up discarded food...

@ScotInExile

"Smallkeys

I attended a funeral the other day and there was a collection box outside I was in the Q behind a couple who pretended to donate !

A lot of funerals I have been to have a collection for a charity favoured by the person who has died. Is that not common?"

I have never seen or heard of a collection box at a funeral. Is this a new thing?

I've been conducting funerals for nearly 20 years, and this has always been a "thing" - not at every funeral, but at many.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads

Went to a wedding where no food or drink was provided for the guests.

How bizarre! What did the guests do?

This reminds me of an engagement party that was held in a park (so no fee for the venue) and nothing provided for the guests. No effort even made to host guests.

I once went to a kid's birthday party where nothing was provided either: no party nibbles. I left early as my child was hungry. It was a very rich couple as well (I know because they weren't shy about talking about their wealth )

@thistimelastweek

I worked with a bloke who kept his poppy in his desk drawer. Every year when the collection came round he'd bring it out and pin it on his jacket.

I do this too as it's more environmentally sound. But I do make a donation without taking the poppy. Maybe he does this as well.

My aunt ( and dad brought up in the war) saved string, brown paper, envelopes for shopping lists etc, bread bags, cut the buttons off clothing, also zips. She left my sister’s and I the house and a considerable inheritance. I discovered I was doing it for string, brown paper and jars. We found lots of recipes written on cards too. She was in the Wrens at 17 after being billowed out to a Castle during the war when at boarding school.

I think this is just avoiding waste & not necessarily stingy. I think we're quick to throw stuff out nowadays.

My Dad used to check we didn't use too much toothpaste, he would switch radiators off if you left the room for more than 10 mins, we'd have to walk miles to places as he refused to pay parking.

My friend used to come visit with kids & sometimes husband. She used to bring a bottle then take it home. They would be fed & watered all weekend &.no contribution was made. I did stop inviting them after a few years as it was ridiculous. Their income is about three times ours - so just being tight. She also used to give my kids second hand used gifts. I'd bought hers new gifts for around 10 years but stopped after we had a few second hand things. Mine are younger so I'd been generous & was disappointed to get cast offs.

I knew a family that plastic runners on their carpets in all rooms to protect them from being walked on

We also had this. Another thing was only making phone calls at certain times as it was cheaper after 6pm. All phone calls had to be made in the hallway so it wasn't conducive to a decent chat.

I met a friend for lunch this week. She is like a giant magnet for cheeky fuckers. She told me about a trip with another friend over Christmas. The CF friend asked her if she would like to go to the cinema . CF said she would drive and would pick her up. She never does this because she is lazy and doesn't want to pay parking. She asked if they could go well before the film started and have a coffee. Fine says my friend. CF friend chose the multi storey carpark none of us really use. At the cinema CF friend was insistent that she would get them a coffee each. Nice friend agreed eventually and CF friend said " I'll get the coffees you can pay the carpark". Coffees were nothing fancy so £6.00 at most. When they got back to the carpark the charge was £14.00. Nice friend was stunned. I wasn't surprised at all. CF woman was my friend for years. We trained together. In the end I got rid of her. She never had any money on her, never contributed to petrol, never returned lunch invitations. Fool me once shame on you....fool me twice, shame on me. As they say

@Dontwanttolivewithmylover

I object to paying £3 for a pot of tea which is, in essence, 1 tea bag plus water and a tiny amount of milk in a jug or those useless uht thimbles.

But you’re not just paying for the tea bag and water and milk. You’re paying for the rent, electricity, heating, staff, business rates.

I’m glad I don’t have a takeaway coffee habit as it is expensive, but it’s not just a bit of coffee and water.

My (thankfully) ex-SIL was really tight, so were PIL, they’d come and visit us and we’d (I’d) stock the fridge, home cook them breakfast, lunch and dinner and had all the booze in. When we went up there, there would be no food in, they’d suggest takeaways and then wait for us to pay, and, if I was lucky, they’d buy me 1 bottle of wine for weeks stay over New Year.

I used to ignore it but one time really annoyed me. I was pregnant so I was driving, SIL asked if o could drive them to save the taxi. No bother, it was three round trips to get us all there but whatever not far. So I finally park up and SIL dashes to the car park machine and gets a ticket. This is unusual so I glanced at the parking charges as I went past. £1

Anyway in the restaurant, SIL, BIL and their 2 school age children, ex husband, me and our 9 month old. SIL, BIL get stuck into loads of beers, order food for the four of them etc, we order our food, nothing for baby as he shared mine.

When the bill came SIL grabbed it and said “you owe c£60” I saiid “how so?” And she said “50/50 yeah”

I pointed out that there was 4 of them, two of us and we weren’t drinking and she said, (you’ve guessed it) “but I paid for parking!”

@Handonheart

I was on a first date, the boy took me to the theatre (which was thoughtful), turned up and asked what we should do beforehand, I suggested a drink maybe? He said he couldn't buy one as he had just spent his money in Tower Records....

So he paid for your theatre ticket and you’re annoyed he didn’t pay for drinks either?

I don’t think he was stingy, I think you were a CF.

@LaDamaDeElche

I don't know if this would be considered stingy or just not wasteful, but DP uses the last drop of everything. He actually cuts shampoo bottles, body creams, turns the washing liquid upside down so every single bit is used, scrapes right in the corner of the butter, eats fruit that's more than ripe etc.

I dont understand why you would throw the bottles away if there is stuff inside and you can get it rather than waste it.

@Cariadm

Years ago at a market in Goa, where abject poverty is seen everywhere, we witnessed some people haggling loudly and ferociously with the vendor at a quite small fruit stall over the price of a bunch of bananas!! This made us ashamed to be human...I felt like giving those mean spirited horrible individuals a massive piece of my mind and I regret not doing so!!!

Maybe the customers were poor too?