Things cheap people do
Discussion
samsock said:
Lemming Train said:
In theory, yes. However the reality is somewhat different. I'm not the only one in this neighbourhood to complain about the tap water quality here and Yorkshire Water have been out and run tests. It has a higher than average chemical content but they said that it's within government tolerances so tough s
t. All I know is that it causes nasty stomach aches and I have no such issues at all drinking the basic bottled water found in Tesco and other supermarkets. I am aware of the scare-mongering about the plastic chemicals leaking into the water but given as it tastes absolutely fine to me and doesn't cause me any health issues I'll take my chances thanks.
it's not so much about the plastic ... Bottled water is much more likely to become contaminated over time. Also there are no requirements for bottled water producers to do tests for things like e-coli. And 'mineral water' is likely to have higher chemical content than 'higher than average' tap water.t. All I know is that it causes nasty stomach aches and I have no such issues at all drinking the basic bottled water found in Tesco and other supermarkets. I am aware of the scare-mongering about the plastic chemicals leaking into the water but given as it tastes absolutely fine to me and doesn't cause me any health issues I'll take my chances thanks.Government tolerances are quite strict for tap water in the UK, so even higher than average is likely to be much safer than bottled. If Yorkshire did the same tests on bottled water I think you would be shocked at just how much stuff (including 'minerals') is left in. I try to avoid the stuff whenever possible.
Edited by samsock on Friday 14th December 09:45
You use 'highly regulated' tap water and enjoy a much better taste.
I wonder if anyone has done the economics on the filter cartridges vs buying bottled water?
I guess if you were extremley resourceful you could make the filters yourself lol.
JaredVannett said:
I wonder if anyone has done the economics on the filter cartridges vs buying bottled water?
There is no comparison to make. Buying a large water filter will give you pretty much unlimited filtered water for around £50 / year. Bottled water is nowhere close in terms of costs.https://www.amazon.co.uk/H2O-Under-Water-Filter-Sy...
I hate spending money, the wife does most of that.
Probably the worst habit I have it trying to get the absolute best deal on anything I'm buying online. This goes right down to a USB cable off eBay. I'll search for what I want, set to UK only and Buy It Now to hopefully exclude all the Chinese sellers. Then sort by price. Biggest annoyance though is not be able to exclude the multi-listings where they'll have a really low value item in there for 10p or whatever but clicking the drop down to select what you actually want reveals it to be £5. I ignore all those listings until I get to the first one that really is just the item I want, then usually have to exclude the first few as they're still Chinese sellers, have their eBay location set to the UK, but the 10 days+ for the item to arrive gives it away. Finally get there after many minutes of searching all over a cable costing 99p. If I actually worked out the time wasted and equated to my hourly rate at work the cost would be much more.
Any significant money spending takes much planning!
In some ways I'm glad I don't do the weekly shop but then again it does annoy me that my missus could save us a bit by embracing Lidl / Aldi (and even B&M / HomeBargains) but I know she can't be bothered as do the whole weekly shop in the budget supermarkets isn't as easy as Tesco.
Probably the worst habit I have it trying to get the absolute best deal on anything I'm buying online. This goes right down to a USB cable off eBay. I'll search for what I want, set to UK only and Buy It Now to hopefully exclude all the Chinese sellers. Then sort by price. Biggest annoyance though is not be able to exclude the multi-listings where they'll have a really low value item in there for 10p or whatever but clicking the drop down to select what you actually want reveals it to be £5. I ignore all those listings until I get to the first one that really is just the item I want, then usually have to exclude the first few as they're still Chinese sellers, have their eBay location set to the UK, but the 10 days+ for the item to arrive gives it away. Finally get there after many minutes of searching all over a cable costing 99p. If I actually worked out the time wasted and equated to my hourly rate at work the cost would be much more.
Any significant money spending takes much planning!
In some ways I'm glad I don't do the weekly shop but then again it does annoy me that my missus could save us a bit by embracing Lidl / Aldi (and even B&M / HomeBargains) but I know she can't be bothered as do the whole weekly shop in the budget supermarkets isn't as easy as Tesco.
supercommuter said:
Benbay001 said:
- Buying 20% fat mince rather than 5%, but eating 15% less of it...
250g of mince at 5 percent fat contains 12.5g fat
212g (15 percent less) of mince at 20 percent 42.5g fat
Please explain...
thanks very much for doing the maths so I didn’t have to... was thinking the same!95JO said:
An average day for one of the serial offenders is: Breakfast on the way in to work from Pret-A-Manger ~£12, lunch at Five Guys/Wagamama or similar with drinks etc ~£15-£30, 2-3 large coffees at the local branded coffee shop at ~£5 a pop
What do they get from Pret that breakfast costs £12?! And I've not seen anywhere sell a coffee for £5.EddieSteadyGo said:
JaredVannett said:
I wonder if anyone has done the economics on the filter cartridges vs buying bottled water?
There is no comparison to make. Buying a large water filter will give you pretty much unlimited filtered water for around £50 / year. Bottled water is nowhere close in terms of costs.https://www.amazon.co.uk/H2O-Under-Water-Filter-Sy...
(Not really, I’m sure the additional stamp duty, higher income tax and impending council tax disaster would offset any Evian savings)
gangzoom said:
Go to M&S foods about 1hr before closing and you can grab some real bargins as they discount outofdate stock with yellow stickers.
I've done 3 days worth of shopping there for £5 which is even cheaper what you can get at Aldi.
Timing is everything though, go too early and the discounts are poor, too lates and all the other penny pinchers will have beaten you.
Cheaper than Aldi and great produce - seems like a win win!I've done 3 days worth of shopping there for £5 which is even cheaper what you can get at Aldi.
Timing is everything though, go too early and the discounts are poor, too lates and all the other penny pinchers will have beaten you.
Fastchas said:
daddy cool said:
When I buy loose tomatoes in the supermarket (which are weighed of course) I twist off the bit of stem remaining.
If Sainsburys think they can charge me for that they have another think coming!
Serious question... Did you mean to type 'think' or is it a typo?If Sainsburys think they can charge me for that they have another think coming!
It's just that the way the english language is evolving there are more people than ever that say 'anythink' nowadays, so much that I've even seen it in written form!
https://grammarist.com/usage/another-think-coming/
JaredVannett said:
The Selfish Gene said:
I was always taught to be first to the bar...............
alas, people start taking advantage of that quality, but it becomes clear and it's ended quickly.
I've been known to buy a round of drinks for everyone except the tight person...........
leave them sat without.
Then I'm a total.
alas, people start taking advantage of that quality, but it becomes clear and it's ended quickly.
I've been known to buy a round of drinks for everyone except the tight person...........
leave them sat without.
Then I'm a total
.
How about the sleeper meal voucher?
It goes something like this...
Your friend Mr Cheap calls you and one other friend to join him at some local Italian bistro where they have an offer, "3 meals for the price of 2".
Enticed by the discount you and your friend agree to join him for a wonderful evening of Italian cuisine and catch up.
Having enjoyed your meals, you get out your wallet to settle the bill 3-ways only to find Mr Cheap has claimed the third 'free' meal discount all for himself, leaving you and your friend to pay for your own meals in full
Mr Cheap's justification? ... "I setup the whole evening and booked the table, so it's only fair I get the free meal".
Note: I've never done this, and never would - but I've seen it happen to friends and relatives I know.
Edited by JaredVannett on Thursday 13th December 19:24
"No I'm not very hungry" she would say "I'll just have a naan bread".
Then "oh your dish looks great, can I just have a little bit on my naan" and the a little bit of the next persons......and then as people offer dishes around as you do when having 10 people at a curry she'd get stuck in. She'd end up having as much food as everyone else, especially as we always over-ordered.
Then she would offer, being great at maths, to sort out the bill. Of course everyone would overpay to add to the tip and she would factor in these overpayments to cover her own naan bread and beers.
Took a few years for us to get wise to this happening every time.
Ended with penny dropping and us simply refusing to share any dishes with her one night and someone else sorting the bill out.
Tight drink buyers can be good for entertainment though.
I have a mate who gets upset if it's my round when we go somewhere cheap. In fact he insists on paying if we go somewhere cheap, so he can then claim the drinks back at the more expensive venues later in the night.
It's easy to wind him up though. The first is to order something expensive (for the cheap place), the second is to take the first pint that's poured, down it, and say same again please
I have a mate who gets upset if it's my round when we go somewhere cheap. In fact he insists on paying if we go somewhere cheap, so he can then claim the drinks back at the more expensive venues later in the night.
It's easy to wind him up though. The first is to order something expensive (for the cheap place), the second is to take the first pint that's poured, down it, and say same again please
Joey Deacon said:
9)Take my own lunch to work, amazes me to see people spending £5 to £10 on lunch every day.
I have for a long time maintained two standards on which I am not prepared to compromise, and if other things have to be dispensed with to maintain them so be it.1. I don't ever want to be cold in my own house. I hate going round people's houses and then freezing.
2. I don't ever want to make my own lunch. £5-10 a day is a small price to pay for something tasty made freshly, rather than some soggy sarnie or leftovers that other people seem to be satisfied with at lunchtime.
Having said that I never go into coffee shops, as decent coffee is free at work, and I never buy still bottled water as perfectly clear and tasty water is free out of the tap.
I also don't anyone anything except for the mortgage. It took me long enough to work my way out of student debt in the first place.
However life is too short for cheap beer, poor wine, crap shoes, or diesel cars.
Sebastian Tombs said:
I have for a long time maintained two standards on which I am not prepared to compromise, and if other things have to be dispensed with to maintain them so be it.
1. I don't ever want to be cold in my own house. I hate going round people's houses and then freezing.
2. I don't ever want to make my own lunch. £5-10 a day is a small price to pay for something tasty made freshly, rather than some soggy sarnie or leftovers that other people seem to be satisfied with at lunchtime.
However life is too short for cheap beer, poor wine, crap shoes, or diesel cars.
+11. I don't ever want to be cold in my own house. I hate going round people's houses and then freezing.
2. I don't ever want to make my own lunch. £5-10 a day is a small price to pay for something tasty made freshly, rather than some soggy sarnie or leftovers that other people seem to be satisfied with at lunchtime.
However life is too short for cheap beer, poor wine, crap shoes, or diesel cars.
I follow the same approach. Warm, comfortable house, nice fresh food, good wine and beer.
My Sister in Law will only get her cut when the place she likes to go to has a groupon offer for 20% off. her and my brother only eat out if they have vouchers or special offers. Writes complaint letters to get free stuff like hotel rooms, vouchers anything they can think of when there hasnt been anything wrong. Most recent was them stopping in a hotel with bath in bedroom. After the stay they complained about "damp" in the room and got a free night out of it. I asked if he thought it might have been the fact there was a bath in the room pumping out steam while he soaked. Said he knew it was the bath but couldnt care less
Whilst doing this they spunk £750 a month in car payments between them, gym membership at £60 each, mobile phone contracts at £50 each (same phones and cases on special offer), dressed the 18 month old bairn in Joules and equally expensive clothes and then there is the Juice Plus subscription. Nor forgetting the cap in hand for a deposit for a house from parents as they couldnt afford to save anything
Thick as a castle wall the pair of them
Whilst doing this they spunk £750 a month in car payments between them, gym membership at £60 each, mobile phone contracts at £50 each (same phones and cases on special offer), dressed the 18 month old bairn in Joules and equally expensive clothes and then there is the Juice Plus subscription. Nor forgetting the cap in hand for a deposit for a house from parents as they couldnt afford to save anything
Thick as a castle wall the pair of them
Edited by pavarotti1980 on Friday 14th December 15:07
BoRED S2upid said:
Grahamdub said:
I have a company mobile that allows free personal calls, use the company laptop but have a 10 year old Mac I got given too, utilities are the cheapest I can find, car is 5 years old but paid for and £30 tax, don't really drink now but partly for health reasons.
Completely agree about packed lunches too. People in my office spend £10-20 a day and then complain that their house is too small or rented.
That’s crazy £10-20 a day on lunch plus breakfast and dinner maybe a coffee or two what are they earning per day? A lot less after all that gets taken out. Completely agree about packed lunches too. People in my office spend £10-20 a day and then complain that their house is too small or rented.
I’m so lucky I can work from home no fuel no sandwiches at crazy prices lots of money saved.
I could obviously make a packed lunch, but who has the time for that? It's just the price of being here and it's fine, and the food is amazing and varied
Sebastian Tombs said:
However life is too short for cheap beer, poor wine, crap shoes, or diesel cars.
with bells on...........in my view, time is the most valuable commodity - so i'll assess how long it takes me to do something, and how much that would cost me if I had to take time off work to do it.
Things like gardening - I hate - so hire someone - i'd rather spend my valuable time with people who are important to me.
cooking the same - I just don't have the time to spend making sandwiches or cooking dinners.
Luckily most of the GFs I've had are happy to cook if I repay by taking them out when it's my turn.
pavarotti1980 said:
My Sister in Law will only get her cut when the place she likes to go to has a groupon offer for 20% off. her and my brother only eat out if they have vouchers or special offers. Writes complaint letters to get free stuff like hotel rooms, vouchers anything they can think of when there hasnt been anything wrong. Most recent was them stopping in a hotel with bath in bedroom. After the stay they complained about "damp" in the room and got a free night out of it. I asked if he thought it might have been the fact there was a bath in the room pumping out steam while he soaked. Said he knew it was the bath but couldnt care less
Whilst doing this they spunk £750 a month in car payments between them, gym membership at £60 each, mobile phone contracts at £50 each (same phones and cases on special offer), dressed the 18 month old bairn in Joules and equally expensive clothes and then there is the Juice Plus subscription. Nor forgetting the cap in hand for a deposit for a house from parents as they couldnt afford to save anything
Thick as a castle wall the pair of them
what car?!Whilst doing this they spunk £750 a month in car payments between them, gym membership at £60 each, mobile phone contracts at £50 each (same phones and cases on special offer), dressed the 18 month old bairn in Joules and equally expensive clothes and then there is the Juice Plus subscription. Nor forgetting the cap in hand for a deposit for a house from parents as they couldnt afford to save anything
Thick as a castle wall the pair of them
Edited by pavarotti1980 on Friday 14th December 15:07
im astounded by some of the stuff on here. Some of it seems to be making your lives a drudge just for the sake of it and then being too old to actually enjoy what you have saved.
im also astounded by the people posting who have 'friends' who scrounge meals and drinks/refuse to pay. why would you be friends with such people? if it were mine of my friends id say something to them and take the p constantly embarrassing them into changing there ways. if they didn't id be blunt and say i'm not go to dinner/drinks with them if they keep doing it.
in my circle of close friends, 1 of our best mates had a reputation for being a bit tight when it comes to rounds as a teenager, but we just take the p and its become a running joke over the years, so that he doesn't do it anymore.
8 of us Went for a lovely three course meal at a very small restaurant, Michelin listed etc. We had a good amount of wine too. The cost was something like £48 per head which I thought was pretty fair for the quality of food offered and the lovely setting.
One couple made a scene and refused to tip saying that the price was obsesnce, everyone else has had much more wine etc (and after raving about the food before the bill)
Really spoiled the evening for my other half with her friend being so critical in earshot of the staff.
As a result we put more money in to cover the tip and a short payment by them because of their "we drunk less wine" which didn't seem to stop them piling into it when I was watching.
Final straw was when the bloke from the couple said on the way back "just think how much indian takeaway you could have bought for that" Missing the point I think.
Life is too short, but It really did sour the evening. this other lady and her partner are the sort of people that say "you owe me £2 from a couple of weeks ago" and often take as much of your stuff as they can, like it's a competition or something. It's like they are very sensitive getting anything for anyone else, and completely in denial when it comes to ploughing into stuff that other people have generously provided, oh the hypocracy etc.
Pleased to say that with most friends it's the usual give and take, and I always try to be generous.
First world problems eh.
One couple made a scene and refused to tip saying that the price was obsesnce, everyone else has had much more wine etc (and after raving about the food before the bill)
Really spoiled the evening for my other half with her friend being so critical in earshot of the staff.
As a result we put more money in to cover the tip and a short payment by them because of their "we drunk less wine" which didn't seem to stop them piling into it when I was watching.
Final straw was when the bloke from the couple said on the way back "just think how much indian takeaway you could have bought for that" Missing the point I think.
Life is too short, but It really did sour the evening. this other lady and her partner are the sort of people that say "you owe me £2 from a couple of weeks ago" and often take as much of your stuff as they can, like it's a competition or something. It's like they are very sensitive getting anything for anyone else, and completely in denial when it comes to ploughing into stuff that other people have generously provided, oh the hypocracy etc.
Pleased to say that with most friends it's the usual give and take, and I always try to be generous.
First world problems eh.
Edited by urquattroGus on Friday 14th December 15:56
BoRED S2upid said:
Grahamdub said:
I have a company mobile that allows free personal calls, use the company laptop but have a 10 year old Mac I got given too, utilities are the cheapest I can find, car is 5 years old but paid for and £30 tax, don't really drink now but partly for health reasons.
Completely agree about packed lunches too. People in my office spend £10-20 a day and then complain that their house is too small or rented.
That’s crazy £10-20 a day on lunch plus breakfast and dinner maybe a coffee or two what are they earning per day? A lot less after all that gets taken out. Completely agree about packed lunches too. People in my office spend £10-20 a day and then complain that their house is too small or rented.
I’m so lucky I can work from home no fuel no sandwiches at crazy prices lots of money saved.
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