Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[parkerk]

My MPP today is that I'm annoyed on behalf of my MIL that she spent money on Christmas gifts for us (which she wasn't even supposed to buy, as we had agreed, but she had to get us "just a little something") and they don't fit.  They're from Costco so I figured returns would be simple, but apparently she bought them like 10 months ago (what? why?) so without a receipt you only get credit for the last sale price, which was a whopping $4 for one item.  THEN I find out that the other item wasn't even bought at Costco in this country, but in the US last time she was there (see above re: 10 months ago).  So she spent probably $30 or so on items that are totally useless to us.  I know it's petty to be annoyed by something so minor and that was supposed to be a nice gesture but I just despise the waste of money. We agreed no gifts!  Stick to the plan!

Oh well.  The clothes might fit my BIL and SIL so we'll pass them on and hopefully it won't be a total waste.

I'm not sure why my brain is compelling me to write this, but that only happens at Costco if you're not the member who purchased the item, and you have no receipt. I just returned some sheets I purchased several months ago with no receipt. It was no hassle and I was refunded the price I paid. I hadn't opened them yet and they were on sale. I returned them and bought the same sheets for $20 less. The Kirkland 680 sheets are the bomb, btw. Best constructed bottom sheet I've ever seen, and I have a thing for nice sheets.

As to the fact that she bought whatever it was ten months ago while she was traveling, could you reframe it a bit? At least she didn't wait until the last minute to think of you, lol.

Fair observation.  I was trying to return them myself because I don't want the angst from her of "oh no I'm so sorry I'm a terrible gift-giver" if I ask her to return them.  So yeah, if I gave her the one item back and she returned it she could get the full price back, you're right.  And yes, I know I'm contributing at least a bit by letting my feelings about her feelings prevent me from just getting her to return the thing.  It's a vicious cycle.

As for the 10 months ago complaint it's symptomatic of this thing she's starting to do where she just grabs stuff she sees while she's shopping thinking "so and so might like this!" and then it sits in a cupboard, forgotten, until she remembers it.  Like, both of us have had birthdays since the shopping trips where she got these items, so why not give them to us then?  I've had two separate grandmothers (one of them her own mother) who ended up with a house full of junk that she kept buying because it was there and on sale and then never used or gave to anyone.  Stuff like 20 pairs of gloves or 100 (no joke!) pairs of pantyhose.  When she does this kind of thing it makes me feel like she's going down the same road.  So, again, feelings.

Plus, especially with clothes things can change in 10 months!  People lose or gain weight, kids grow.  She bought some other clothes for my nieces throughout the year, and by the time Christmas came around some items almost didn't fit them anymore. 

Anyways.  This is an MPP for a reason, it's silly and petty and just something that annoys me because I wouldn't do it so I'm venting here.  Life goes on.

[Dicey]

^^Whoops, I wasn't calling you out, sorry if it felt that way.^^ I'm just a huge Costco fan girl.

As to the gift thing, I totally understand. A gift that reflects thought and caring is the best gift, no matter how humble it might be. Gifts that feel like checked boxes on someone's half-assed list just suck.

[parkerk]

^^Whoops, I wasn't calling you out, sorry if it felt that way.^^ I'm just a huge Costco fan girl.

As to the gift thing, I totally understand. A gift that reflects thought and caring is the best gift, no matter how humble it might be. Gifts that feel like checked boxes on someone's half-assed list just suck.

Oh, I didn't think you were calling me out, all good!  I'm a big Costco fan too.  Your comment just made me consider further why I was so annoyed and you got caught in the crossfire of my feelings-post.  :)

[Morning Glory]

Ooh, I just thought of a really good one. My new job is even closer to my house and I get more time off, which means I won't get near as many bike miles this summer. Time to start going on bike rides for fun!!!

[ixtap]

Ooh, I just thought of a really good one. My new job is even closer to my house and I get more time off, which means I won't get near as many bike miles this summer. Time to start going on bike rides for fun!!!

The horror!

We live a mile from my partner's office (it was 1.5 when we moved in, but then they switched him to another building). He bikes because he can't carry anything do to a back issue. Sometimes when we go on a bike ride, I make sure we grab his ID and then stop at his office on the way back and send him in for the free fizzy drinks. I don't even feel bad because he never drinks any when he is at work!

[LennStar]

Ooh, I just thought of a really good one. My new job is even closer to my house and I get more time off, which means I won't get near as many bike miles this summer. Time to start going on bike rides for fun!!!

Oh I know that!
I miss the daily half mile walk to work. It's juuust the distance that you feel refreshed but not that you can feel it is a pressure on your time budget.

And now it's always half-dark when I end work so I don't have that much feeling for going out the door for fun.

[Freedomin5]

To save money, I started making my own nut bars (like the imported KIND bars that go for $3/bar here in China). My recipe makes about 15 bars and should theoretically last us the week. My MPP is that they are so tasty that all members of the family eat multiple bars a day, and it’s only Tuesday and we are almost out of nut bars.

[Morning Glory]

To save money, I started making my own nut bars (like the imported KIND bars that go for $3/bar here in China). My recipe makes about 15 bars and should theoretically last us the week. My MPP is that they are so tasty that all members of the family eat multiple bars a day, and it’s only Tuesday and we are almost out of nut bars.

They sound delicious. Are you willing to share the recipe?

[Freedomin5]

To save money, I started making my own nut bars (like the imported KIND bars that go for $3/bar here in China). My recipe makes about 15 bars and should theoretically last us the week. My MPP is that they are so tasty that all members of the family eat multiple bars a day, and it’s only Tuesday and we are almost out of nut bars.

They sound delicious. Are you willing to share the recipe?

Recipe: https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/homemade-kind-bars-chocolate-cherry

And...of course, like any baker, I’ve made substitutions based on what I had in my pantry and substantially changed the recipe, so I don’t actually know how the original version tastes. I made the following substitutions:

1. Replaced dried cherries with dried cranberries
2. Replaced brown rice cereal with sunflower seeds
3. Left out the chocolate chunks
4. Replaced brown rice syrup with honey and maple syrup
5. Replaced almond butter with peanut butter
6. Made a chocolate icing from cocoa powder, icing sugar, and milk to drizzle over the bars
7. Added 1/4 cup peanuts
8. Added a tablespoon of chia seeds for extra healthiness

But I kept everything else in the recipe the same! Hah!

[Morning Glory]

To save money, I started making my own nut bars (like the imported KIND bars that go for $3/bar here in China). My recipe makes about 15 bars and should theoretically last us the week. My MPP is that they are so tasty that all members of the family eat multiple bars a day, and it’s only Tuesday and we are almost out of nut bars.

They sound delicious. Are you willing to share the recipe?

Recipe: https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/homemade-kind-bars-chocolate-cherry

And...of course, like any baker, I’ve made substitutions based on what I had in my pantry and substantially changed the recipe, so I don’t actually know how the original version tastes. I made the following substitutions:

1. Replaced dried cherries with dried cranberries
2. Replaced brown rice cereal with sunflower seeds
3. Left out the chocolate chunks
4. Replaced brown rice syrup with honey and maple syrup
5. Replaced almond butter with peanut butter
6. Made a chocolate icing from cocoa powder, icing sugar, and milk to drizzle over the bars
7. Added 1/4 cup peanuts
8. Added a tablespoon of chia seeds for extra healthiness

But I kept everything else in the recipe the same! Hah!

I make substitutions all the time too!!! Thank you!!!

[Steeze]

To save money, I started making my own nut bars (like the imported KIND bars that go for $3/bar here in China). My recipe makes about 15 bars and should theoretically last us the week. My MPP is that they are so tasty that all members of the family eat multiple bars a day, and it’s only Tuesday and we are almost out of nut bars.

We occasionally make home made bars like this and have the same issue, easily eat 3, 4, 5 bars in a day before the guilt sets in. ^^^ just need to triple the recipe and you will be set. I hypothesize that after a week or two of having as many bars as you want, the consumption will level off then fade to something more respectable. Only way to find out is to make all the bars (for science!).

[mspym]

To save money, I started making my own nut bars (like the imported KIND bars that go for $3/bar here in China). My recipe makes about 15 bars and should theoretically last us the week. My MPP is that they are so tasty that all members of the family eat multiple bars a day, and it’s only Tuesday and we are almost out of nut bars.

We occasionally make home made bars like this and have the same issue, easily eat 3, 4, 5 bars in a day before the guilt sets in. ^^^ just need to triple the recipe and you will be set. I hypothesize that after a week or two of having as many bars as you want, the consumption will level off then fade to something more respectable. Only way to find out is to make all the bars (for science!).

That approach worked for me with a weekly delivery box from the bakery. We were more than happy to see the end of it by the end of the 5 week subscription!

[lazycow]

The little 30 year-old plastic wallet holding my credit card, licence, etc has almost fallen apart so I had to use a lot of duct tape to mend it. Should last another 30 years, much to my very fashionable sister's horror. She snatched it off me the last time we were out with friends and showed them all so they could have a good laugh. I didn't care, as I am the only one out of the group who has a paid-off house and doesn't need to work.

[LennStar]

The little 30 year-old plastic wallet holding my credit card, licence, etc has almost fallen apart so I had to use a lot of duct tape to mend it. Should last another 30 years, much to my very fashionable sister's horror. She snatched it off me the last time we were out with friends and showed them all so they could have a good laugh. I didn't care, as I am the only one out of the group who has a paid-off house and doesn't need to work.

That's going overboard though. A new wallet costs just 10 dollar, which is a minuscle amount for 20-30 years and you don't run the risk of losing some paper that would take you days of hassle to replace. Not to mention more money than 10 dollar.

[Dicey]

The little 30 year-old plastic wallet holding my credit card, licence, etc has almost fallen apart so I had to use a lot of duct tape to mend it. Should last another 30 years, much to my very fashionable sister's horror. She snatched it off me the last time we were out with friends and showed them all so they could have a good laugh. I didn't care, as I am the only one out of the group who has a paid-off house and doesn't need to work.

That's going overboard though. A new wallet costs just 10 dollar, which is a minuscle amount for 20-30 years and you don't run the risk of losing some paper that would take you days of hassle to replace. Not to mention more money than 10 dollar.

Still, it's a good feeling to be able to be able to feel smug when spendypants friends and family make fun of your frugal ways. Those snarks invite all sorts of comebacks that Lazycow is probably too polite to say aloud (Oh you poor, POOR consumerists! *Pat on cheek* I hope that your pretty wallets dazzle you enough to distract you from the lifetime of toil that you have ahead of you. I hardly even think of mine as I flit about my days of retirement freedom!)

IMO, there's frugal and there's cheap. One could also purchase a decent looking wallet at a thrift store or garage sale. Instead, OP is flaunting his cheapness, which is fine for him. It could also be a way of drawing attention to himself.

In my pre-FIRE years, I preferred the challenge of stealth frugality, which is the subtle art of being wise with resources without appearing or acting like a cheap-ass.

[Morning Glory]

The little 30 year-old plastic wallet holding my credit card, licence, etc has almost fallen apart so I had to use a lot of duct tape to mend it. Should last another 30 years, much to my very fashionable sister's horror. She snatched it off me the last time we were out with friends and showed them all so they could have a good laugh. I didn't care, as I am the only one out of the group who has a paid-off house and doesn't need to work.

That's going overboard though. A new wallet costs just 10 dollar, which is a minuscle amount for 20-30 years and you don't run the risk of losing some paper that would take you days of hassle to replace. Not to mention more money than 10 dollar.

Still, it's a good feeling to be able to be able to feel smug when spendypants friends and family make fun of your frugal ways. Those snarks invite all sorts of comebacks that Lazycow is probably too polite to say aloud (Oh you poor, POOR consumerists! *Pat on cheek* I hope that your pretty wallets dazzle you enough to distract you from the lifetime of toil that you have ahead of you. I hardly even think of mine as I flit about my days of retirement freedom!)

IMO, there's frugal and there's cheap. One could also purchase a decent looking wallet at a thrift store or garage sale. Instead, OP is flaunting his cheapness, which is fine for him. It could also be a way of drawing attention to himself.

In my pre-FIRE years, I preferred the challenge of stealth frugality, which is the subtle art of being wise with resources without appearing or acting like a cheap-ass.

Me too. Plenty of beautiful wallets and handbags available for 10% of retail on the classified board at my work. I get compliments on my Frye boots every time I wear them, and I paid $30 for them.

[ixtap]

Conspicuous non consumerism...

[Morning Glory]

Conspicuous non consumerism...

Hmm... my car is getting some rust and looks pretty bad, but I park on the street and don't want to worry about something nicer getting damaged or stolen.  It's a stick shift and pretty powerful for it's size so it's fun to drive, and the heat and AC work great. It is 17 years old and has less than 100k miles because I don't drive that much. Insurance and tabs are dirt cheap too.

[ixtap]

Due to the unfortunate timing of a series of rather mundane events, we have consistently spent more than usual on our "overflow" cc - the 2% card that we use whenever there isn't a better option. Bill pay still insists on telling me that "this payment is significantly more than usual" when I enter the numbers in. Uh, it is actually less than the last two months, but thanks for keeping me honest?

[Alternatepriorities]

I have a habit of spending way too much time trying to optimize my purchases at the hardware store. This is especially prevalent when I'm looking for things I have no intention of using for their intended purpose... I'm not sure if this is a MPP or an "engineer problem". Today I spent an hour considering different options for converting an old lawn mower into a ice shaver for resurfacing a lake. In the end I bought a $10 piece of flat steel convinced I could weld up a better solution that I could buy for a reasonable price...

[stoaX]

I have a habit of spending way too much time trying to optimize my purchases at the hardware store. This is especially prevalent when I'm looking for things I have no intention of using for their intended purpose... I'm not sure if this is a MPP or an "engineer problem". Today I spent an hour considering different options for converting an old lawn mower into a ice shaver for resurfacing a lake. In the end I bought a $10 piece of flat steel convinced I could weld up a better solution that I could buy for a reasonable price...

Making a homemade Zamboni!?!   Wow, that's an mmm - master mustachian move!  I would do the same but I fear I wouldn't get much use out of it here in South Carolina.

[Green_Tea]

The little 30 year-old plastic wallet holding my credit card, licence, etc has almost fallen apart so I had to use a lot of duct tape to mend it. Should last another 30 years, much to my very fashionable sister's horror. She snatched it off me the last time we were out with friends and showed them all so they could have a good laugh. I didn't care, as I am the only one out of the group who has a paid-off house and doesn't need to work.

That's going overboard though. A new wallet costs just 10 dollar, which is a minuscle amount for 20-30 years and you don't run the risk of losing some paper that would take you days of hassle to replace. Not to mention more money than 10 dollar.

Still, it's a good feeling to be able to be able to feel smug when spendypants friends and family make fun of your frugal ways. Those snarks invite all sorts of comebacks that Lazycow is probably too polite to say aloud (Oh you poor, POOR consumerists! *Pat on cheek* I hope that your pretty wallets dazzle you enough to distract you from the lifetime of toil that you have ahead of you. I hardly even think of mine as I flit about my days of retirement freedom!)

IMO, there's frugal and there's cheap. One could also purchase a decent looking wallet at a thrift store or garage sale. Instead, OP is flaunting his cheapness, which is fine for him. It could also be a way of drawing attention to himself.

In my pre-FIRE years, I preferred the challenge of stealth frugality, which is the subtle art of being wise with resources without appearing or acting like a cheap-ass.

Or maybe they just don't care about their wallet or about what other people might think? Or they think a new wallet isn't worth the impact on the environment?
 
I have a kind of childish wallet for cash that I prefer other people not to see if avoidable but still I couldn't be bothered to replace it so far, reason being that except that minor inconvenience of what other people might think, personally I just don't care as long as it works. I don't think it's cheap, it's a mixture of thinking about the environment, indifference about wallets and not caring too much about other people's opinions.


Also Lazycow didn't seem to flaunt it as they said "She snatched it off me".

[Mighty Eyebrows]

I have a habit of spending way too much time trying to optimize my purchases at the hardware store.

This is something I battle with. I finally had to convince myself that spending an hour searching through 7 different online stores in order to save $10 was a poor use of my limited time. However, I do spend a fair amount of time reading reviews for reliability. I don't regret that, as broken tools and returns take way more time, plus I enjoy seeing how well things are made (or not). AvE is quite entertaining.

[Abundant life]

I have a habit of spending way too much time trying to optimize my purchases at the hardware store. This is especially prevalent when I'm looking for things I have no intention of using for their intended purpose... I'm not sure if this is a MPP or an "engineer problem". Today I spent an hour considering different options for converting an old lawn mower into a ice shaver for resurfacing a lake. In the end I bought a $10 piece of flat steel convinced I could weld up a better solution that I could buy for a reasonable price...

I initially thought it was overkill to convert a lawn mower into an ice shaver. Then I realised it wasn't the kitchen-type ice shaver :)
We don't resurface lakes in Australia as far as I know. We did have a friend who converted a lawnmower into a jack hammer in an afternoon after someone complained that his driveway had a bump in it.

[The Frugal Expat]

Due to my wife and I's frugality, people often wonder why we do not spend money on ubers, going out to dinner, and how are savings rates are so high.

[Taran Wanderer]

Due to my wife and I's frugality, people often wonder why we do not spend money on ubers, going out to dinner, and how are savings rates are so high.

People wonder all three things at the same time?  Because that would be just... silly.

[Alternatepriorities]

I have a habit of spending way too much time trying to optimize my purchases at the hardware store. This is especially prevalent when I'm looking for things I have no intention of using for their intended purpose... I'm not sure if this is a MPP or an "engineer problem". Today I spent an hour considering different options for converting an old lawn mower into a ice shaver for resurfacing a lake. In the end I bought a $10 piece of flat steel convinced I could weld up a better solution that I could buy for a reasonable price...

I initially thought it was overkill to convert a lawn mower into an ice shaver. Then I realised it wasn't the kitchen-type ice shaver :)
We don't resurface lakes in Australia as far as I know. We did have a friend who converted a lawnmower into a jack hammer in an afternoon after someone complained that his driveway had a bump in it.

I would love to see how they did that. Phase one (welding) is complete, but I got distracted be replacing the suspension on our 08 Honda Fit tonight and didn’t make any more progress on the mower. Which now that I think about it is probably another mpp. First three were easy but the front drivers side turned into pain when the cv joint popped out of place. I’ll get back to i tomorrow afternoon and the mower after that.

[lazycow]

The little 30 year-old plastic wallet holding my credit card, licence, etc has almost fallen apart so I had to use a lot of duct tape to mend it. Should last another 30 years, much to my very fashionable sister's horror. She snatched it off me the last time we were out with friends and showed them all so they could have a good laugh. I didn't care, as I am the only one out of the group who has a paid-off house and doesn't need to work.

That's going overboard though. A new wallet costs just 10 dollar, which is a minuscle amount for 20-30 years and you don't run the risk of losing some paper that would take you days of hassle to replace. Not to mention more money than 10 dollar.

Still, it's a good feeling to be able to be able to feel smug when spendypants friends and family make fun of your frugal ways. Those snarks invite all sorts of comebacks that Lazycow is probably too polite to say aloud (Oh you poor, POOR consumerists! *Pat on cheek* I hope that your pretty wallets dazzle you enough to distract you from the lifetime of toil that you have ahead of you. I hardly even think of mine as I flit about my days of retirement freedom!)

IMO, there's frugal and there's cheap. One could also purchase a decent looking wallet at a thrift store or garage sale. Instead, OP is flaunting his cheapness, which is fine for him. It could also be a way of drawing attention to himself.

In my pre-FIRE years, I preferred the challenge of stealth frugality, which is the subtle art of being wise with resources without appearing or acting like a cheap-ass.

Or maybe they just don't care about their wallet or about what other people might think? Or they think a new wallet isn't worth the impact on the environment?
 
I have a kind of childish wallet for cash that I prefer other people not to see if avoidable but still I couldn't be bothered to replace it so far, reason being that except that minor inconvenience of what other people might think, personally I just don't care as long as it works. I don't think it's cheap, it's a mixture of thinking about the environment, indifference about wallets and not caring too much about other people's opinions.


Also Lazycow didn't seem to flaunt it as they said "She snatched it off me".

OP (female) here: this thread made me laugh. We all must have so much time on our hands to be debating the ins and outs of my silly post!

I cheerfully admit that in this instance I am being cheap. I wouldn't make anyone *else* do this, but I simply couldn't care less about the appearance of a credit card-sized wallet. It lives inside my good leather wallet so no one sees it anyway. Amongst friends I am considered the weirdo, more for sustainable/saving-the-planet behaviour (which is the main reason I am frugal). I am very careful not to flaunt my family's debt-free, mortgage-free life!!

[RainyDay]

I have a habit of spending way too much time trying to optimize my purchases at the hardware store. This is especially prevalent when I'm looking for things I have no intention of using for their intended purpose... I'm not sure if this is a MPP or an "engineer problem". Today I spent an hour considering different options for converting an old lawn mower into a ice shaver for resurfacing a lake. In the end I bought a $10 piece of flat steel convinced I could weld up a better solution that I could buy for a reasonable price...

I initially thought it was overkill to convert a lawn mower into an ice shaver. Then I realised it wasn't the kitchen-type ice shaver :)
We don't resurface lakes in Australia as far as I know. We did have a friend who converted a lawnmower into a jack hammer in an afternoon after someone complained that his driveway had a bump in it.

Same!  I thought he was making an industrial-sized sno-cone maker!

[dougules]

I have a habit of spending way too much time trying to optimize my purchases at the hardware store. This is especially prevalent when I'm looking for things I have no intention of using for their intended purpose... I'm not sure if this is a MPP or an "engineer problem". Today I spent an hour considering different options for converting an old lawn mower into a ice shaver for resurfacing a lake. In the end I bought a $10 piece of flat steel convinced I could weld up a better solution that I could buy for a reasonable price...

I initially thought it was overkill to convert a lawn mower into an ice shaver. Then I realised it wasn't the kitchen-type ice shaver :)
We don't resurface lakes in Australia as far as I know. We did have a friend who converted a lawnmower into a jack hammer in an afternoon after someone complained that his driveway had a bump in it.

Same!  I thought he was making an industrial-sized sno-cone maker!

What is the resurfacing for?  This boggles an Alabamian's mind as much as being told that my FIL used to park his car on Lake Erie in the winter. 

[sherr]

What is the resurfacing for?  This boggles an Alabamian's mind as much as being told that my FIL used to park his car on Lake Erie in the winter.

So you can play ice hockey on it of course. :)

Nuts, aren't they?

[ixtap]

What is the resurfacing for?  This boggles an Alabamian's mind as much as being told that my FIL used to park his car on Lake Erie in the winter.

So you can play ice hockey on it of course. :)

Nuts, aren't they?

MMM: broom ball doesn't require resurfacing or any special equipment.

[dougules]

What is the resurfacing for?  This boggles an Alabamian's mind as much as being told that my FIL used to park his car on Lake Erie in the winter.

So you can play ice hockey on it of course. :)

Nuts, aren't they?

I figured, but I didn't know if it was for a parking lot or an ice hotel or whatever other things people do on ice up there.  I don't really have much frame of reference for what all one does on a frozen lake. 

[Alternatepriorities]

What is the resurfacing for?  This boggles an Alabamian's mind as much as being told that my FIL used to park his car on Lake Erie in the winter.

So you can play ice hockey on it of course. :)

Nuts, aren't they?

I figured, but I didn't know if it was for a parking lot or an ice hotel or whatever other things people do on ice up there.  I don't really have much frame of reference for what all one does on a frozen lake.

The real irony is I don't even really skate. This whole project is just because a friend presented me with an interesting problem to solve... They've already built a homemade Zamboni. It does great at filling in holes and cracks, but it does work well if there are bumps on top the ice rink, so they were scraping those off by hand which took hours. The rink is on a frozen lake, so sometimes if it snows and then rains on top you get really rough nasty ice. In theory this will smooth it down enough to finish with their Zamboni.

[Alternatepriorities]

I have a habit of spending way too much time trying to optimize my purchases at the hardware store. This is especially prevalent when I'm looking for things I have no intention of using for their intended purpose... I'm not sure if this is a MPP or an "engineer problem". Today I spent an hour considering different options for converting an old lawn mower into a ice shaver for resurfacing a lake. In the end I bought a $10 piece of flat steel convinced I could weld up a better solution that I could buy for a reasonable price...

I initially thought it was overkill to convert a lawn mower into an ice shaver. Then I realised it wasn't the kitchen-type ice shaver :)
We don't resurface lakes in Australia as far as I know. We did have a friend who converted a lawnmower into a jack hammer in an afternoon after someone complained that his driveway had a bump in it.

Same!  I thought he was making an industrial-sized sno-cone maker!

Intriguing... I could think of some uses for such a thing.

[Taran Wanderer]

My MPP:  I am supposed to get reimbursed by work for my cell phone, but with the pandemic and a planned switch to an automated reimbursement process, I didn’t get the reimbursement for the last 5 months, and I didn’t notice. So now they’re going to give me the whole 6 months worth all at once. DW asked what exciting thing we might splurge on, and we couldn’t think of anything.

[GuitarStv]

The little 30 year-old plastic wallet holding my credit card, licence, etc has almost fallen apart so I had to use a lot of duct tape to mend it. Should last another 30 years, much to my very fashionable sister's horror. She snatched it off me the last time we were out with friends and showed them all so they could have a good laugh. I didn't care, as I am the only one out of the group who has a paid-off house and doesn't need to work.

That's going overboard though. A new wallet costs just 10 dollar, which is a minuscle amount for 20-30 years and you don't run the risk of losing some paper that would take you days of hassle to replace. Not to mention more money than 10 dollar.

Still, it's a good feeling to be able to be able to feel smug when spendypants friends and family make fun of your frugal ways. Those snarks invite all sorts of comebacks that Lazycow is probably too polite to say aloud (Oh you poor, POOR consumerists! *Pat on cheek* I hope that your pretty wallets dazzle you enough to distract you from the lifetime of toil that you have ahead of you. I hardly even think of mine as I flit about my days of retirement freedom!)

IMO, there's frugal and there's cheap. One could also purchase a decent looking wallet at a thrift store or garage sale. Instead, OP is flaunting his cheapness, which is fine for him. It could also be a way of drawing attention to himself.

In my pre-FIRE years, I preferred the challenge of stealth frugality, which is the subtle art of being wise with resources without appearing or acting like a cheap-ass.

Many people on this forum have lost their way.

The purpose of a wallet is to hold money and cards.  If the wallet lazycow is using fulfills that purpose, then it is as functional as a 'beautiful'/newer wallet.  Mending things is far better for the environment than buying new (including new cheap) stuff . . . holding on to things for a long period of time and learning to be satisfied with what you have is a vital part of frugal mentality and makes you a better person.

Disclaimer - I am a person who has a 30 year old wallet I'm not only perfectly happy with, but have grown emotionally attached to as we've been through so much of life together.  :P

[Adventine]

My policy is only to use brand new wallets that people gift me, because they can't stand the sight of my previous, beat up wallet.

[Dicey]

The little 30 year-old plastic wallet holding my credit card, licence, etc has almost fallen apart so I had to use a lot of duct tape to mend it. Should last another 30 years, much to my very fashionable sister's horror. She snatched it off me the last time we were out with friends and showed them all so they could have a good laugh. I didn't care, as I am the only one out of the group who has a paid-off house and doesn't need to work.

That's going overboard though. A new wallet costs just 10 dollar, which is a minuscle amount for 20-30 years and you don't run the risk of losing some paper that would take you days of hassle to replace. Not to mention more money than 10 dollar.

Still, it's a good feeling to be able to be able to feel smug when spendypants friends and family make fun of your frugal ways. Those snarks invite all sorts of comebacks that Lazycow is probably too polite to say aloud (Oh you poor, POOR consumerists! *Pat on cheek* I hope that your pretty wallets dazzle you enough to distract you from the lifetime of toil that you have ahead of you. I hardly even think of mine as I flit about my days of retirement freedom!)

IMO, there's frugal and there's cheap. One could also purchase a decent looking wallet at a thrift store or garage sale. Instead, OP is flaunting his cheapness, which is fine for him. It could also be a way of drawing attention to himself.

In my pre-FIRE years, I preferred the challenge of stealth frugality, which is the subtle art of being wise with resources without appearing or acting like a cheap-ass.

Many people on this forum have lost their way.

The purpose of a wallet is to hold money and cards.  If the wallet lazycow is using fulfills that purpose, then it is as functional as a 'beautiful'/newer wallet.  Mending things is far better for the environment than buying new (including new cheap) stuff . . . holding on to things for a long period of time and learning to be satisfied with what you have is a vital part of frugal mentality and makes you a better person.

Disclaimer - I am a person who has a 30 year old wallet I'm not only perfectly happy with, but have grown emotionally attached to as we've been through so much of life together.  :P

For the record, most have advised buying one used, thus saving, not adding to, the landfill. Mustachian as hell, in my book.

Also, OP's original description in bold above, was changed to:

I cheerfully admit that in this instance I am being cheap. I wouldn't make anyone *else* do this, but I simply couldn't care less about the appearance of a credit card-sized wallet. It lives inside my good leather wallet so no one sees it anyway....

So was it actually a wallet or just a plastic sleeve that she carries inside her "good leather wallet"?

What we can all surely agree on is this is an excellent MPP, and it's nice that we all have time to discuss such minutiae. It is not evidence that the community have "lost their way". For proof of that, you'll have to look elsewhere. For those so inclined, there are plenty of stones to be cast on other threads.

Dicey, however, must shove off now. It's her turn to volunteer at her favorite thrift store today. Maybe she'll see some great wallets. If so, she'll leave them for others to discover, as hers is just fine. The zipper's getting a little balky, but that's perfect for a mustachian, right?

[djadziadax]

I love how Dicey characterized this:

:In my pre-FIRE years, I preferred the challenge of stealth frugality, which is the subtle art of being wise with resources without appearing or acting like a cheap-ass.:

This is a motto I want to live by. We are the most frugal of all of our friends, and  I love comparing our lifestyles and discovering that they are overpaying for everything they do/have while we have the same standard, and use our resources carefully.

[RWD]

...The zipper's getting a little balky, but that's perfect for a mustachian, right?

I know that this isn't a "Fix each other's problems" thread, but if you decide that you want to make your zipper run more smoothly, try rubbing the graphite part of a pencil on the teeth. I don't know why I think that this helps, but it's lodged in my head as though it's a real thing.

Dry powdered graphite is sold directly as a lubricant so probably works similarly (example). I've used it on squeaky/sticking door latches/locks.

[okisok]

My policy is only to use brand new wallets that people gift me, because they can't stand the sight of my previous, beat up wallet.

This is my new philosophy! My previous wallet had a zipper issue, but it still held it shut. Then a friend did a declutter and gave me a brand-new wallet that she didn't like. It's sort-of designer, with a tiny stage coach metal fob so it's special /s/. My old wallet cost $5, and the one before that was a gift from my SO from a clearance bin. :)

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

My MPP: I dropped my deodorant rock crystal and now it is like 5 jagged little pieces :-(.

[Alternatepriorities]

What is the resurfacing for?  This boggles an Alabamian's mind as much as being told that my FIL used to park his car on Lake Erie in the winter.

So you can play ice hockey on it of course. :)

Nuts, aren't they?

I figured, but I didn't know if it was for a parking lot or an ice hotel or whatever other things people do on ice up there.  I don't really have much frame of reference for what all one does on a frozen lake.

The real irony is I don't even really skate. This whole project is just because a friend presented me with an interesting problem to solve... They've already built a homemade Zamboni. It does great at filling in holes and cracks, but it does work well if there are bumps on top the ice rink, so they were scraping those off by hand which took hours. The rink is on a frozen lake, so sometimes if it snows and then rains on top you get really rough nasty ice. In theory this will smooth it down enough to finish with their Zamboni.

Partial success. The concept worked reasonably well for a beta test. It was particularly good at removing ice from the driveway. However I broke blade mount on the free mower I've been using for the last four summers. Seems like a simple part, but I suspect it might not be replaced very often...

[Abundant life]

My MPP: I dropped my deodorant rock crystal and now it is like 5 jagged little pieces :-(.

I dropped mine a few years ago and broke off a corner of the oval shape, leaving a jagged edge. I'm happy to report that after a few more years of wear the jagged edge is now smooth :) Can you glue the pieces together?

[crocheted_stache]

To save money, I started making my own nut bars (like the imported KIND bars that go for $3/bar here in China). My recipe makes about 15 bars and should theoretically last us the week. My MPP is that they are so tasty that all members of the family eat multiple bars a day, and it’s only Tuesday and we are almost out of nut bars.

They sound delicious. Are you willing to share the recipe?

Recipe: https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/homemade-kind-bars-chocolate-cherry

And...of course, like any baker, I’ve made substitutions based on what I had in my pantry and substantially changed the recipe, so I don’t actually know how the original version tastes. I made the following substitutions:

1. Replaced dried cherries with dried cranberries
2. Replaced brown rice cereal with sunflower seeds
3. Left out the chocolate chunks
4. Replaced brown rice syrup with honey and maple syrup
5. Replaced almond butter with peanut butter
6. Made a chocolate icing from cocoa powder, icing sugar, and milk to drizzle over the bars
7. Added 1/4 cup peanuts
8. Added a tablespoon of chia seeds for extra healthiness

But I kept everything else in the recipe the same! Hah!

I am stealing this recipe--thanks! Between them being the homemade version and whatever substitutions I end up making to your substitutions, I'd better start calling them "Kind of bars."

[fuzzy math]

My MPP: I dropped my deodorant rock crystal and now it is like 5 jagged little pieces :-(.

I have repeatedly done that, and use the bigger pieces still. Some days if I catch the wrong angle I get a cut that's worse than razor burn.

[Dicey]

My MPP: I dropped my deodorant rock crystal and now it is like 5 jagged little pieces :-(.

I have repeatedly done that, and use the bigger pieces still. Some days if I catch the wrong angle I get a cut that's worse than razor burn.

Seriously, how much is a new one?

[Freedomin5]

To save money, I started making my own nut bars (like the imported KIND bars that go for $3/bar here in China). My recipe makes about 15 bars and should theoretically last us the week. My MPP is that they are so tasty that all members of the family eat multiple bars a day, and it’s only Tuesday and we are almost out of nut bars.

They sound delicious. Are you willing to share the recipe?

Recipe: https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/homemade-kind-bars-chocolate-cherry

And...of course, like any baker, I’ve made substitutions based on what I had in my pantry and substantially changed the recipe, so I don’t actually know how the original version tastes. I made the following substitutions:

1. Replaced dried cherries with dried cranberries
2. Replaced brown rice cereal with sunflower seeds
3. Left out the chocolate chunks
4. Replaced brown rice syrup with honey and maple syrup
5. Replaced almond butter with peanut butter
6. Made a chocolate icing from cocoa powder, icing sugar, and milk to drizzle over the bars
7. Added 1/4 cup peanuts
8. Added a tablespoon of chia seeds for extra healthiness

But I kept everything else in the recipe the same! Hah!

I am stealing this recipe--thanks! Between them being the homemade version and whatever substitutions I end up making to your substitutions, I'd better start calling them "Kind of bars."

😂Love the name! I may start referring to these bars as Kind Of Bars too!

[Green_Tea]

My MPP: I dropped my deodorant rock crystal and now it is like 5 jagged little pieces :-(.

I have repeatedly done that, and use the bigger pieces still. Some days if I catch the wrong angle I get a cut that's worse than razor burn.

Seriously, how much is a new one?

Dicey, I love most of what you write, I really do. You seem to have quite a strong reaction to what you perceive as "cheapness" (personally I don't like the word). Why? Some people are different than you. Some get contentment or fun out of getting the last bit of use out of things. Some don't enjoy shopping. Just let people be :)