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?

My DM was a keen knitter and I have spent hours with my hands up and her unravelling a hand knitted jumper winding the wool around my hands ready to wash and re -knit.

Me too!

My word - that takes me back.

The new wool came in hanks that had to be balled up, too.

@SchadenfreudePersonified

My DM was a keen knitter and I have spent hours with my hands up and her unravelling a hand knitted jumper winding the wool around my hands ready to wash and re -knit.

Me too!

My word - that takes me back.

The new wool came in hanks that had to be balled up, too.

And then it had to be held over a steaming kettle to get rid of the kinks.

It used to happen in the UK too, you could return glass bottles to the shop and get cashback. It was pretty rare by the early 80s when I was a kid but still happened with maybe one or two brands.

Apparently it used to be very common and kids would collect bottles that hadn't been returned so they could collect the penny/hapenny to spend on sweets.

@JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon

It used to happen in the UK too, you could return glass bottles to the shop and get cashback. It was pretty rare by the early 80s when I was a kid but still happened with maybe one or two brands.

Apparently it used to be very common and kids would collect bottles that hadn't been returned so they could collect the penny/hapenny to spend on sweets.

I remember collecting can ring pulls for my Grandad's local shop but this might have been just for his individual shop!

@OhPatti

My ex once ranted at me and treated me to the whole 'charity begins at home' speech because I gave 50p to a homeless person. 50p. Did I mention he's an ex?

I find that people who say "Charity begins at home" tend to make damn sure it ends there, too.

Well done for getting rid of him.

@Spreadingtheword

Also to add, this wasn’t just “lots of pepper will be too hot to eat” this was for my sister, whom to this day is completely intolerate to any kind of spice or mint and would cry if she saw a spec of black in anything cooked for her at the pure fear that it was going to be ‘spicy’ - so I knew what I was doing

"You're terrible, Muriel . . . "

(You probably have to be a certain age to get the reference)

I knew someone who used to peel their brussels etc in the supermarket before begging as he said he's now paying for the peelings. His wife did the shopping while he sat peeling the veg.

@rookiemere
@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll the B&B owner seemed a bit Bail Fawltyish for sure, but I wouldn't call it miserly as his intention was to have guests out of the room at the time they had agreed to be out pf the room. It's events like that which create huge memories post childhood.

I went with a professional musician friend to a piano studio, he was looking to buy a new piano and spend in the £20-25k price range. He'd been once already, seen something he liked, and booked the rehearsal room for an hour at a charge of £75 to be able to play the piano properly in private and get a feel for it to decide if he wanted to buy, not have just a few minutes playing time out in the showroom. This was all discussed, arranged and paid for in advance with the owner. We got there 15 mins early, the place was empty except for the owner. She said 'you're early, you can go across the road for a coffee and return when it's time'!

We were a bit bemused but looked at the other pianos in the showroom while the clock ticked down the by now ten minutes left. On the hour she unlocked the studio room and ushered us in - but had the cheek to return 45 minutes later, and start shuffling around, opening cupboard doors, generally making her presence felt. It was impossible for my friend to continue playing, so we left. On the way out, she started asking how he'd be paying for the purchase!

I was very pleased to hear him say he wouldn't be buying as the vibe was all wrong. I don't think she got it... Wonder how many other sales she lost? He spent his £25k at another piano shop where they were much more professional as well as relaxed, I think of that mean old woman every time we visit and he plays for us.

It was done by my dsm.
Once when Id just had my first baby. We had ran out of money due to.a change in dh contract, but would be ok by the next week. I waa bf.
I asked for a bit of money to help us through next few days , saying why.
She gave me one pound.
The second eg was the day after id given birth. I had dc at home and several people came to visit. We ran out of milk. She asked could she do anything so I asked could she get us a 2 pint milk. She did. She said ,on return , that will be .. and asked for thw money..
It is not she is short of cash .!

I knew someone who used to peel their brussels etc in the supermarket before begging as he said he's now paying for the peelings.

Where does it end, though? Do you peel bananas and core apples before buying them by weight? It's irrelevant, as a product is sold as is, by weight, and it's your choice to either buy that product or not to; it's up to you to decide if you believe it to be value for money overall. Its worth/price is already determined based on how much of it will be eaten and how much will be thrown away.

Do they do it with other things? Would they rent a car for 24 hours and expect not to pay for the hours when they were asleep? Would they get a Sky package and demand a discount for all the channels/programmes they choose not to watch?

Most things come with inbuilt wastage/packaging/protection - you can't just decide to open them up in the shop and expect to knock 3% off the stated price on a whim. Maybe if you ask if the shop owner is willing to agree, but you have no right at all to help yourself.

GloriaSicTransitMundi

The piano woman sounds utterly clueless about business. She reminds me of these shopkeepers who stand there all day blocking their own doorway, following people around and glaring when they carefully pick up the goods to look at them properly - and then get genuinely amazed when their business fails and they have to close - probably blame that on the customers too.

I'm astonished that a shop selling £25K pianos doesn't already automatically include the free use of a private practice room for an extended period. You wouldn't expect to buy a car without an opportunity for a good, thorough test drive - and the pool of potential buyers for £25K cars is much larger than that for £25K pianos.

Did she expect him to just point at one at random and sign up to buying it on the spot - like it was a packet of crisps he fancied from the corner shop?

Small circle of friends who all used to chip in to get one another a birthday gift.

One of the friends suggested doing something quite sweet that was a thing in her home town (she’s French).

Basically you buy a special pretty cloth bag that acts as reusable gift bag, that you put each present in as travels round the circle of friends. Less waste and a reminder it’s a special friendship group, symbol of how friendship goes around etc. It’s a circular bag with a drawstring at the top with so it looks pretty when it’s ruffled up and the drawstring is a nice silky cord rope that ties up in a bow.

Every one thought it was a great idea. So French friend bought one and it was duly passed round with birthday presents. It was sweet and it also meant no hassle buy paper/wrapper etc.

Until it got to one person. She got her gift in the bag when we had cakes and cocktails as a wee birthday party.

Then the next time we all met for coffee she
took great delight in explaining how she had repurposed the cloth bag into being a loo roll cover in her en-suite.

Really ruined the vibe.

I once worked for a very wealthy family when the child finished her cereal she would get a tea strainer and pour the milk back in the bottle .

Bed and Breakfast owner on the Isle of Wight.
You had to choose your cereal in advance and it was on the table for when you arrived. I ticked the box for Weetabix.
It was weetabic.
Tight cow.

@Talipesmum

*That's really weak tea. Fine if you like it but not OK to assume others do. Not sure it's stingy though so much as getting distracted and forgetting that drinking tea this weak is a bit niche.*

Ok I do appreciate that everyone likes their tea differently - but I object to this being “a bit niche”! So much so that I’ve obsessively trawled the internet for backup and I reckon that what I make is about in the middle? I usually end up clicking in the middle of the pictures on those Facebook “ooh which colour cuppa are you” things too. Thus data

I know I'm days late but I just have to say: You're adorable and I would drink tea with you

I think the tightwad who peels brussels sprouts in store would be shocked in a butchers.

*That's really weak tea. Fine if you like it but not OK to assume others do. Not sure it's stingy though so much as getting distracted and forgetting that drinking tea this weak is a bit niche.**

Ok I do appreciate that everyone likes their tea differently - but I object to this being “a bit niche”! So much so that I’ve obsessively trawled the internet for backup grin blush and I reckon that what I make is about in the middle? I usually end up clicking in the middle of the pictures on those Facebook “ooh which colour cuppa are you” things too. Thus data wink*

I have tea with only around 2 teaspoons of milk in it. It turns my stomach if it has more as it tastes horribly creamy. I've tried without but I am a supertaster so it's very different without. I am at the other end of the spectrum and also consider myself niche. I'd not make my sort of tea for anyone else! Nothing wrong with niche IMHO!

I went with a professional musician friend to a piano studio, he was looking to buy a new piano and spend in the £20-25k price range. He'd been once already, seen something he liked, and booked the rehearsal room for an hour at a charge of £75 to be able to play the piano properly in private and get a feel for it to decide if he wanted to buy, not have just a few minutes playing time out in the showroom. This was all discussed, arranged and paid for in advance with the owner. We got there 15 mins early, the place was empty except for the owner. She said 'you're early, you can go across the road for a coffee and return when it's time'!

I do have some sympathy. Moving the piano, leaving it to settle and then paying for it to be tuned before doing the same after he's finished will cost a lot more than £75.

@Whatiswrongwithmyknee i don’t think that was the point of that post. You’ve missed out the worst bit, that she effectively shortchanged the buyer by 15 minutes.

I know someone who always go through the self checkout at the supermarket. For weighted items, she will enter the wrong item rather than the actual item (for example, entering potatoes instead of cherry tomatoes etc) so the total ends up being much cheaper than it should. She does this on multiple times a week and has for years...reckons she has saved thousands!!

@mjf981 is she actually hard up? If not, I would report her to the supermarket if you know it.

@mjf981

I know someone who always go through the self checkout at the supermarket. For weighted items, she will enter the wrong item rather than the actual item (for example, entering potatoes instead of cherry tomatoes etc) so the total ends up being much cheaper than it should. She does this on multiple times a week and has for years...reckons she has saved thousands!!

This is not stingy, it is stealing, and she is not saving thousands, she has stolen thousands.

@mjf981

I know someone who always go through the self checkout at the supermarket. For weighted items, she will enter the wrong item rather than the actual item (for example, entering potatoes instead of cherry tomatoes etc) so the total ends up being much cheaper than it should. She does this on multiple times a week and has for years...reckons she has saved thousands!!

The chill at Asda has a camera on which recognises the produce you are weighing. It also has a video of your face as you are at the till. She's going to get found out sooner or later.

Yeah, if a friend of mine boasted about saving stealing thousands from the supermarket, or I saw them steal the tips from the waiting staff etc, they'd no longer be my friend. Why do all you PPs keep socialising with these thieves?

It was my friends turn to get a round of drinks so she started making herself sick and dry heaving so she had to leave the pub and sit outside. She missed her turn but it was the most pathetic, stingy thing I’ve seen