Stingiest things thread(op for R&R access)

A friend of mine hates parting with his money. Literally will question every purchase he makes. We used to always go to the pub every Wednesday during our college days and end up getting chipper after and we'd end up getting a taxi home. Often he'd leave the pub with a 5er left in his wallet but would spend the 5er on a bag of chips rather than pitching in for the taxi and would always say "could one of you cover my taxi and I'll get you back next time".

Another ex friend of mine used to ask me to go to the pub quiz with him. (Winners of the pub quiz got a free round of drinks) He'd ask me to go to the pub with him but then proceed to tell me that he currently has no money and will be drinking water for the night and that we have to win the quiz so he can get a pint.

A few months later he decided to quit smoking. What he actually meant was that he decided to quit buying smokes and instead bum them off the rest of our mates.

galway_lad wrote: »

At my wedding, a stingey uncle of mine gave us a present of a scratch card! I know you shouldn't expect gifts but c'mon, how could you do that without any shame. When I saw him after he made a big deal of asking if I won anything, probably looking for a share!

Should've told him you won a couple of grand, thanks very much, then totally avoided any hints he dropped.
Would have been worth it to see his nose right out of joint like that.

Вашему собственному бычьему дерьму нельзя верить - V Putin

I worked in Kuwait about 10 years ago. Company was very good to us, amazing apartment with a pool provided free of charge, we ate for free while at work - all you can eat, huge variety of food. We had free laundry service. Six figure salary which was tax free. Loads of other small freebies, like phone and expenses.

We were given nice cars, American yokes, equivalent to a BMW 5 series - again all completely free.

We had to drive a fair bit to the office, about an hour or so each way.

One of the lads was always bitching that he had to pay for his own fuel. This was in Kuwait remember, where a full tank of premium fuel was about €5. For some reason fuel was the one thing we could not expense.

I remember the manager was telling me about it. The lad was always complaining to him. He would not let it go.

Does the concept of "getting your money's worth" or "taking it because it's free" come from stingieness?

I had a "friend" in college who I'd often go to Subway with. At the time it was relatively new in Ireland and the concept of free refills was a novelty. Everytime we were leaving, he'd go over and fill his drink to the brim and once outside the place would throw it in the rubbish. Always defended it as "getting his money's worth". Was funny at the time but now I wonder.

I know a lad at work who in McDonalds etc will ask for all the free sauce sachets he can get, so he "has a choice" and most of them end up in the bin. Said lad was astounded I didn't use every last penny in an allocation we got to do up our WFH spaces.

I set my FIL up for email credit card bills but he asked to keep the mail option as well. That bill goes straight in the bin and he does it because he hates big finance and wants them to incur the max cost.

Worked with a lad years ago who would stuff his face at work meals. Fair enough. But he was always trying to get fit and lose weight, but would insist on starters, mains, desserts, whatever as "it was coming to him".

Anyone know people like this?

Strumms wrote: »

I think with stingy people it’s not just money, it’s their general toxicity... it’s time, it’s effort... everything they demand and take from others with never an inclination to ever pay back or reciprocate....

Just quoting to highlight this excellent post. There’s a world away from people who want value for money or want to save a few Bob when they can and stinginess

It’s an attitude thing. It’s entitlement, meanness, and as above general toxicity.

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

There’s a mate of mine who would go out of his way to save a few bob, but he is even more careful with other people’s money than his own. He lives in England and knows all the ways to get cheap train tickets (split-ticketing and off-peak travel) cheap hotels for £30 so he can go to a match on a Friday after work, with an overnight stay, for cheap. Knows all the cheap deals in pubs like 2 for one meals on different nights.

But, he’s not stingy. Would never shirk a debt, never skip a round at the pub, and I’ve noticed when he books tickets for a group (which he does because he knows there’s a discount for group bookings), he always passes on the discount he absorbs the booking fee if there is one. He’s happy to pay a few quid extra because he got the cheapest deal for everyone.

Sound man.

There's a massive difference between being a stinge and being a bargain hunter

I'll admit I'm a bargain hunter, I hate paying full price for stuff , but I will if I have to.

I'd be absolutely mortified if someone said they thought I was stingey though, as I'm not mean with money by any stretch.

Spent about €90 total on the sisters 2 kids for Christmas (like every other year). Threw in a €80 voucher for a good restaurant for her and the husband.

She handed us a bottle of red wine (€11 in SuperValu) in return last night. They're both teachers on the upper end of the pay scale. Probably recycled the wine.

Not the first time either.

Finty Lemon wrote: »

Spent about €90 total on the sisters 2 kids for Christmas (like every other year). Threw in a €80 voucher for a good restaurant for her and the husband.

She handed us a bottle of red wine (€11 in SuperValu) in return last night. They're both teachers on the upper end of the pay scale. Probably recycled the wine.

Not the first time either.

Miserable gits.

beggars_bush wrote: »

Public sector workers are like that
They get nothing from their employers except a wage and hassle

There’s about 30-40,000 public sector workers. And I’d say 30-39,998 aren’t like that.

A persons employer doesn’t dictate whether they’re miserable

Paul McCartney regularly visits charity shops and his daughter said he wouldnt pay for her to go to an expensive college. he made her go to a really cheap one.

Saw a fly on the wall documentary. it had ex footballer matt le tissier in his expensive house. and Matt said his guilty pleasure was custard creme biscuits. to which they showed him opening a press and taking out a packed of supermarket own brand custard cremes. id say they cost about 12p a packet. he seemed like a cool bloke though.

please dont jump in to say the above is not stinge. i thought they were funny antedotes relating to stinge.

2lazytogetup wrote: »

she probably didnt spend 11euro on the bottle. probably got it from a kid in the class.

i know a few teachers and yes, they are incredibly stingy. not to go off topic, but they get so much tax free cash from their supervised study and officiating at exams. and their pensions are massive. my only regret in life is not becomign a teacher.

yeah it can be a regret but if you don't have the patience you'd end up in Mountjoy

galway_lad wrote: »

Worked with a lad years ago who would stuff his face at work meals. Fair enough. But he was always trying to get fit and lose weight, but would insist on starters, mains, desserts, whatever as "it was coming to him".

Anyone know people like this?

Reminds me of an Indian man I worked with about 20 years ago. He was very over-qualified for his job (had a PhD from India and very high-level managerial experience) and resented it terribly. He was middle-aged (late 40's) at the time. Every single working day he would have a cup of tea at 10.30, a small tupperware meal of cold rice with vegetables at 13.00 with a cup of tea and a cup of tea at 15.30. The tea was free. He was very slim.

We went for a training day in Co. Clare once (from Cork city) and I was amazed to see him have a HUGE lunch (no charge) with fish, potatoes, veg, a fizzy drink and a chocolate dessert. Needless to say, he was sick as a dog afterwards. We had to stop twice on the way home so he could vomit!

Murt10 wrote: »

Why on earth would you give them an €80 restaurant voucher, especially as you say this wasn't the first time. Are you trying to shame them? Can you not take a hint?

For one reason or another, they're making a conscious decision not to spend big on Christmas presents for adult relatives, or from putting the time and effort into choosing them either.

Then again, maybe you're right and they are really tight fisted. If so, why reward them for their meanness.

Plus you're making all sorts of assumptions about their finances. They may be in relatively well paid jobs, but you have no idea of their true financial commitments or situation.

IMO a E10 bottle of wine deserves a E10 bottle of wine in return. Nobody gets hurt, embarrassed, or as you do, feels hard done by.

Conspicuous gifting.

I'd say some people surely have some stingers xmas stories from today to entertain the rest of us

This year I gave no presents to my parents or sister, nothing not even a card, the first time I ever did that. I don't see the point of buying needless absolute rubbish and I do not believe in Gift Cards. I told them I will buy them something they really need or pay a bill for them instead. I am really appalled at the amount of rubbish they all have. My sister has probably 50+ pairs of shoes, same with handbags, actually every rubbish item of clothing you imagine and she has it times 50. I decided not to support the Penny's rubbish lemmings etc.

I also spent until Dec 10th in quarantine and since it never stopped raining here since then I couldn't be bothered and with brexit and parcel motel gone etc. I decided not to bother with online and I wouldn't support Irish retail purposely by choice.

Am I stingy? No but I won't buy sh!te for senseless consumerism, e.g. I could have lavished €100 on thrash like cosmetics and a handbag or a spa voucher for my sister, she has a €1,500 car repair bill hanging over her so I'll help her pay the garage instead. My mother got a medical bill for €900 i'll help her pay that instead of buying her another trashy Cecila Ahern Novel and some crap from Penny's, my father has loads of clothes but wears the same 4-5 pieces until either they are threadbare or they mysteriously disappears in the laundry and my mum dumps them. I'll help him fill the oil tank next month instead of buying unwanted rubbish.