Author Topic: When saving money goes too far  (Read 9353 times)

Geostache

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When saving money goes too far
« on: September 22, 2015, 07:24:13 AM »
There's Mustachianism, and then there's cheap. And then there's this lady:

https://www.facebook.com/KevinBankheadBarnett/videos/10154429635985472/

FatCat

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2015, 07:37:33 AM »
Now I want to know if it's really possible to cook lasagna in the dishwasher. I guess it's a frozen one and the dishwasher is just thawing it.

Random Hangers

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2015, 11:09:24 AM »
That was a crazy video!

Her food budget is $400 yet she pours pasta and dressing back into the bottles? She's either shopping at the wrong places or buying more food than they need somehow.

I can *kind of* see her point about the grapes (paying for the vines when you aren't using them) but my goodness, I would not be able to flout social convention and peel the  bananas like that!

And forcing guests to use CANDLES to go to the restroom? Is this for real??

Lord love her boyfriend though. Makes all the spouses who won't get on board with the MMM way look WEAK, lol.

Wow. Just wow.

Geostache

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2015, 11:27:35 AM »
That was a crazy video!

Her food budget is $400 yet she pours pasta and dressing back into the bottles? She's either shopping at the wrong places or buying more food than they need somehow.


Those were my thoughts too. $400 is a lot of money to spend on (apparently) 3 people per month. And buying pasta, which isn't that expensive to begin with!

RWD

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2015, 11:35:04 AM »
Now I want to know if it's really possible to cook lasagna in the dishwasher. I guess it's a frozen one and the dishwasher is just thawing it.

Mythbusters to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IaT90jhuB0

zephyr911

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2015, 12:05:20 PM »
Now I want to know if it's really possible to cook lasagna in the dishwasher. I guess it's a frozen one and the dishwasher is just thawing it.
That's just silly. And doesn't save energy. News flash: heating an object from temperature A to temperature B takes the same amount of energy regardless of which device you use, waste aside.

Kitsunegari

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2015, 12:09:53 PM »
She still deserves points for creativity :D

RWD

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2015, 02:01:32 PM »
Now I want to know if it's really possible to cook lasagna in the dishwasher. I guess it's a frozen one and the dishwasher is just thawing it.
That's just silly. And doesn't save energy. News flash: heating an object from temperature A to temperature B takes the same amount of energy regardless of which device you use, waste aside.
I would guess that a dishwasher actually uses quite a lot more energy for that task. Mythbusters found it to take something like three hours to properly cook too...

FatCat

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2015, 02:21:31 PM »
Now I want to know if it's really possible to cook lasagna in the dishwasher. I guess it's a frozen one and the dishwasher is just thawing it.
That's just silly. And doesn't save energy. News flash: heating an object from temperature A to temperature B takes the same amount of energy regardless of which device you use, waste aside.
I would guess that a dishwasher actually uses quite a lot more energy for that task. Mythbusters found it to take something like three hours to properly cook too...

I was just interested in whether or not it's possible without regard to whether or not it saves any money. I think it would be more costly because the dishwasher isn't designed for this purpose and would be less efficient. Based on the Mythbusters video, it is possible, but takes forever.  Thanks for the link!


This does remind me of some cooking items designed to use the heat from your car to cook meat. I guess this would save money if you were planning on driving your car anyway and so the heat was going to be generated anyway. I think these are marketed more as novelty items than something to save you money.

Gone Fishing

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2015, 02:22:01 PM »
LEDs are cheaper than candles (unless she got the candles for free).  I bought a 25 watt equiv. LED bulb at Walmart for under $6.  Per the packaging, the annual cost to run for 3 hours a day for a year at .11 kW is $.48.

TVRodriguez

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2015, 02:52:14 PM »
Her food budget is $400 yet she pours pasta and dressing back into the bottles? She's either shopping at the wrong places or buying more food than they need somehow.

Have not seen the video yet but for $400, I can easily feed my family of 5 for a month.

Sounds ridiculous.

YoungInvestor

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2015, 06:04:28 AM »

Lord love her boyfriend though. Makes all the spouses who won't get on board with the MMM way look WEAK, lol.

To me, that guy was just about the weakest person I've ever seen. Can't get any say in his household.

ash7962

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2015, 07:23:53 AM »
I feel sad for the boyfriend and the kids.  Bet those kids are going to spend as much as possible the second they have their own money.

MgoSam

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #13 on: September 23, 2015, 09:41:33 AM »
When keeping it real goes wrong...

This reminds of how George Constanza got his fiance killed by buying cheap envelopes.

Cpa Cat

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #14 on: September 23, 2015, 10:04:47 AM »
LEDs are cheaper than candles (unless she got the candles for free).  I bought a 25 watt equiv. LED bulb at Walmart for under $6.  Per the packaging, the annual cost to run for 3 hours a day for a year at .11 kW is $.48.

I thought that, too. There's a reason that we don't use candles as a light source anymore- they really aren't cheap or efficient.

I'm also confused about why she can't just turn off the lights in the rooms that she vacates, rather than unscrewing the one lightbulb. I assume it's a control issue - to prevent her family members from being able to control even the light. Like the baby monitor... so she can yell at her boyfriend in the bathroom.

And returning food to the containers? Why doesn't she just stick the plate of leftovers into the fridge?

And that pasta water... that was vile.

Scandium

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #15 on: September 23, 2015, 10:16:12 AM »
Is this one of those extreme cheapskates people? I saw a clip from that show. Sounds like the same principle. One lady had stacks of junk mail in her bathroom, to use as toilet paper.. A guy picked stuff out of trash cans to give as gifts to homeowners he stayed with to save on hotel. Oh, and haggled over a jar of jam at the mom 'n pop grocery store.

Mostly people who aren't frugal, they just mooch of others to save money.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2015, 10:46:48 AM by Scandium »

FatCat

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #16 on: September 23, 2015, 10:30:32 AM »
I'm also confused about why she can't just turn off the lights in the rooms that she vacates, rather than unscrewing the one lightbulb. I assume it's a control issue - to prevent her family members from being able to control even the light. Like the baby monitor... so she can yell at her boyfriend in the bathroom.

I think it's about the forcing the effort and control. If turning on the light involves moving the bulb around room to room, then maybe you'll decide there is enough dim free lighting coming in from the windows that you don't need to move the bulb. If there is one bulb that only she controls, then nobody else can turn the lights on, and most activities can be done in the dark anyway.

The candles were probably kept for when the power goes out. And guests were allowed to use them just because the candles were available and she didn't want to go buy another bulb or let the guests run the bulb back and forth.

The party only happened because of the show. They probably asked him what he would like to do but he can't do because of her cheapness and he said he'd like to have a party. So the party happened just to show how ridiculous having a party would be. She probably got paid a few thousand to have the party. Otherwise she wouldn't have allowed it.

I was on a show similar to this before. They asked a hoarder what he would like to do but can't because of the hoard. So we had a food tasting party in a hoarded house just to show how ridiculous having a party would be in a hoarded house. The party footage wasn't used. Probably because one guy was making jokes the entire time playing with the garbage like it's hilarious.

Rosy

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #17 on: September 23, 2015, 08:39:38 PM »
Deranged, irrational and just plain silly.

paddedhat

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2015, 06:15:40 AM »
It's interesting to meet one of these folks in real life. Occasionally, while picking up supplies at a local business, one of the warehouse guys would go on a bit about a co-worker who was wasn't all there. Apparently, the guy had a large stash, a nice inventory of rental properties, and was working for barely above minimum wage loading trucks. He was also a renowned cheapskate. He would tag along with the warehouse crew for their traditional Friday lunches. Within a few months time he was banned from two local eateries. The McDonalds showed him the door when they caught him refilling a nasty old soda cup that he had no issues admitting using for months of stealing soda. The pizza place tossed him for stealing condiments. He got caught when he filled a used soda cup with grated cheese, and attempted to walk out the door with it. The craziest part of it all is that co-workers reported that he was argumentative and indignant during both confrontations, arguing that free soda refills and condiments were included with his meal. 

FLA

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2015, 10:38:55 AM »
1 lightbulb, so dark when she unscrews it and walks with two toddlers running around in the dark to plug it in to another socket. Umm, if you don't turn on the light or the switch, does a lightbulb even use energy? One of these days someone's gonna fall over this stupidity and the co-pay to cast a broken arm will cost her more than she ever saved (0 cents, 15 cents?)on this incredibly stupid stunt. Same when e coli breaks out from putting food that has touched dirty utensils back in the container.  Then the pasta water, bacteria likes carbs, also don't google, one lady uses it for 3 months!  But it's all ok, 'cause she puts the lid back on. 

the baby monitor where she goes, "GET OUT, PAT!", he should've dried himself off, put on clothes if he's allowed to have any, grab those kids and got the eff out!

Now I want to know everything, income, EF, retirement plan, 529s.  Why she gets a beret and everyone else has to freeze their precious heads.

she's not as bad as that lady who peed in jars and made her BF do it, too to save flushes or something

these intense water savers, do they really save? Every town I've lived in there was a quarterly water bill, if you did not use more than allowed, the bill was say $30, you did not save money or pay less if you used less than $30, only if you used to go over the allotted amount and stopped doing that so your bill dropped to $30. 

I wonder if Stephanie's is set up like that, if so she will not be happy and Pat should get a load on before coming home that day. 

Indexer

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #20 on: September 27, 2015, 07:22:29 PM »
Wow....  Penny smart dollar stupid has a new meaning!

How much power does an LED light use? Especially when it is turned off! Even having 1 light per room is pushing it, but walking around in the dark with a light bulb is insane. What happens when you trip and fall? Living in constant darkness can also increase the likelihood of feeling depressed.

A banana with its skin removed is going to go bad faster than a sealed banana. That is why she can only buy 3 at a time. They will all be mush within 24 hours. I on the other hand can buy 5 and they will easily last me 5 days. So this means she is probably going to the grocery more often... aka driving more often.

Cooking in a dishwasher has to be more energy intensive than just using a pot on the stove. The dishwasher is one of the least efficient things in a house. You are heating gallons of water to over 130 degrees for 3 hours when you could just heat a little pot with a few cups of water to a simmer for 15 to 30 minutes depending on what you are cooking.

The dishwasher thing is just insane... insane. She makes her BF cut his shower short to save water, and then she tries to cook things in the dishwasher. WTF? 

Don't even start me on reusing food. If you only eat half of a meal for a family there are seconds, but putting the ranch back in the jar is gross.

This lady is saving pennies on electricity with the light and saving on water with the short showers so she can then use a ton of electricity and water trying to cook in a dishwasher! Eventually someone is going to get sick/injured which will lead to higher medical costs. There are smart ways to save money, and then there are stupid tricks that end up costing more in the long run.

Rant over...
« Last Edit: September 27, 2015, 07:24:09 PM by Indexer »

ginastarke

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #21 on: September 27, 2015, 07:44:03 PM »
That show drives me nuts.
"we reuse paper towels"  or  you could just use rags.
"I'm trash picking for a present" ok I get it if something nice is easy to spot, but why go looking for more crap to find room for in your house!
Cook in the dishwasher....what's a dishwasher?
scooping food back in the jar ...ewwww  JUST PUT LESS ON THE PLATE!

Now Jeff Yeager's episode, I like him. Would I want to couch surf on a bike trip? NO. After biking in traffic, I've had my fill of people and want to be alone.   If I could figure out a way to air the house out before hubby got home, I'd do that salmon idea. Salmon chowder is delicious.


Papa Mustache

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Re: When saving money goes too far
« Reply #22 on: September 28, 2015, 01:46:22 PM »
Clearly looks like mental illness to me...

Reminded me of a link I found here on MMM recently:

http://tetanusburger.blogspot.com

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!