Stingiest things thread(op for R&R access)

The_Conductor wrote: »

Thats just theft- not stinginess?
If it was stinginess- she wouldn't have given away 30 grand?

Queue 10 pages of posts about the difference between theft,stinginess and frugality.

the_pen_turner wrote: »

the worst part is that the charrity had the money in the bank. why wasnt it handed over to the charity or being used . they said 30k is 15months of profit, so they had nearly 4 years worth stockpiled

Not saying it was the situation here but I read a great book about the guys in Manchester who ran the plastic bag outside your house for clothes scam. They targeted posh neighbourhoods and any quality gear used to sell to retro shops and export the rest to Western Europe to remanufacture into the original fibre and then export to Africa, they were turning over 1 million a year in the 80s. Seen so many cases of volunteer running a charity shop skimming most of it.

As for a stinge story, started noticing one of the lads would arrive up to a match without beer and say he’ll get some at half time. Drink about 6 and then come back with 4 and then just leave.

irish_goat wrote: »

Wife told me a stinge story yesterday. A friend of her's was staying up in Belfast for work last week and had arranged for a young cousin to call and feed the cats/change the litter trays, however another friend who lives nearby insisted that she could sort the cats and it made sense as she was a few doors down. During the week the friend's mother drives past and notices the bins haven't been taken in so gets her spare key and lets herself in. Walks into the kitchen to find the friend using the washing machine and tumble dryer to do 3 loads of washing. :pac:

Nice friend!

This is a post taken from the Are Irish people cr*p at haggling? thread.

When I was in Turkey I got used to it

After a few days of knowing the minimum they would accept on certain clothing (I've been told just get out for offering stupid low amounts ) and also figuring out if they genuinely had literally had no interest themselves to sell or work for the sale ,I changed my approach

If I saw a shirt and let's say they wanted 40lira and I knew I wanted to give no more than 12 lira

I would have my wife wait away out of the shop out of sight and I would purposely only have 12 lira on me with a note in my wallet and change making up the 2lira in my back pocket

After browsing and pretending I had no interest for a minute or 2, I would then ask the price of a random shirt nearby (I had no interest ) he would say X ,
id say no no
And move on ltowards the door looking then pick up the one I want

I'd ask the price

He would say 40 ,

I'd say 5 as a joke and eventually my wife would come in as an urgency saying come on we are gonna be late for the dinner , let's go

The shop keeper starts panicking because he had me talking

I would offer 10 as my final offer and open my wallet with the 10 showing and nothing else in the wallet, not even a bank card, just a 10 note

he would be annoyed and know I've no other money and then try to say get money off the wife , but she would literally storm out and be pretending to be annoyed with me for being late and she is now gone altogether

I'd put back the item on the rack and joke saying I'm in the dog house now and he knows anyway I am on the way out the door now to chase the angry wife and get to dinner

I would then pretend I don't care anymore and need to go and say things like

Look , I'd give ya 5 and you didn't want it ,

I've only a 10 on me and flash the stupid note inside the wallet and then start walking out the door step and he would know I'm gone and I'd pull out the 2 lira from the back pocket as if I found something and say look, take the 12 or nothing

I'm on the door edge holding no clothing looking for the wife, moving my head as if that's my focus

They accepted in 95% of cases in anger (obviously they have a Cost base too)

I'd have my shirt and a happy wife

I got a buzz out of it but you need to be in the mood




40 lira = 4.46 euro

12 lira = 1.34 euro

I always think there's a balance to these things - the vendor is never going to sell it at a loss, and I don't want to be paying 'gringo price', but I don't want to spend my holiday arguing over a few Euro.

I was at a street market in Thailand, having arrived with an almost empty suitcase thinking I could buy some suitable stuff for the climate locally. I was looking at some cargo shorts that seemed good quality with loads of pockets so asked the guy 'how much?' Let's pretend he said 100. I offered him 140 for two pairs. He didn't seem too happy about it, but accepted straight away. I might have got them cheaper, but it was hot as balls and the match was starting in a half hour. I still have the shorts too! Think they worked out around €7 each. One button has come off one pair but eleven years later they're otherwise fine.

I think I may have told this story before on this thread but on the same trip I met a German guy who wanted to bargain for water. We were just back from three days easy hiking in the jungle in the north, and I had just bought some icecream and a bottle of water from a hut at the side of the road. It was a 2.5l bottle and had cost around sixty cent. The German guy said 'We'll have to bargain them down'. The guy looked worn out, had just dropped a heavy pack, and was about to head into the jungle with it for a few days, but was going to argue over a few cent. To be fair, maybe they were on a very tight budget, but it doesn't seem like a good way to enjoy your holiday.

After our easy three day hike carrying only day packs, our guide brought us to a massage school down the street from our hotel where we all got two-hour massages for €8 - about half the cheapest rate we saw advertised around the city. It was the second best massage I've ever had and I left a tip. I wonder if that guy would have tried to bargain them down....

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That is more than stinge. that is annoying people for sport.

It's not stinge. It's a technique. Haggling is a cross between a sport and an art. I spent 8 years in Africa, they never sell below cost unless they are trying to dump it. They may be plssed that you're paying 80 when every other tourist pays at least 150, but that's it. It's a masterclass in drama for them.

Every market trader I knew in Africa made very good money, the stalls are passed down generation to generation. They know what they're up to.

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

The worlds billionaires have increased their wealth by 27.7% to $10.2tn during the pandemic.

Older people are more at risk so take that into account before commenting on the fact they've publicly committed to donate $0.0072tn to help fight Covid.


:mad:

Not stingy, just using best business practices to increase their wealth.

KevRossi wrote: »

Jeff Bezos is very stingy when it comes to wages and working conditions, for someone with so much money he could actually offer his workers a living wage and proper health benefits.

On the subject of bad stinges, my cousin broke a part of the stand on the base of their TV. They have a cardboard box weighed down with books holding it in place to prevent it slipping off the TV table. Problem is you can only see 75% of the screen now as the box takes up most of the bottom bit of the screen.

A new part for stand costs €19, they won't pay for it, they'd rather complain constantly about it being buggered and not being able to see the TV. It's been like that since Easter. Herself and the husband are on at least €85K between the two of them, no kids. New car (Qashqai or similar) every two years on Jan 1st.

She was living with her parents all her life, she inherited the house from her grandmother, it's worth about €400K, still complains 15 years later that it cost them inheritance tax and €40K to do it up the way they wanted; painting, carpets, new bathroom, new kitchen, ensuite. When she moved out of her parents house aged 35, she took most of the cutlery, pots and pans and most of the plates and cups. Took two full bedrooms of furniture and all the bedding in the hot press. Her mother had to buy a load of new stuff to replace it.

What a spoilt cow :eek:

I'd say the parents were glad to sacrifice all the stuff just to get rid of her.

KevRossi wrote: »

She has always lived at home, paying €50 a week to cover all bills when she was 35, so its not as if she was hard up on cash. Spoilt rotten from the day she was born.

See I wouldnt even call this stingy. Its just sad that she has no value over money or sees the value of making her own. I rather be broke and happy than miserable and complaining about a tv stand.

California Dreamer wrote: »

See I wouldnt even call this stingy. Its just sad that she has no value over money or sees the value of making her own. I rather be broke and happy than miserable and complaining about a tv stand.

She fought tooth and nail to only pay €50. She left college at 21, straight into a decent job, always lived at home and never paid a cent to her parents until she was about 27/28 as she 'needed to build up her savings'. If you're on €35-40,000 pa and only hand over €50 a week for rent, heat, light and food then there's something wrong with you.

She never gets a round in until we order her to get one, always 'forgets' her cards when we're out eating and so on. She spends loads on herself, newest phones, really nice clothes, €5000 on a holiday for two for 10 days every year. She's just as tight as they come.

I've a friend whose dad bought a rake of houses, bought one in his son's name. Anyway, said friend constantly moans about how he "lost his first time buyers grant" - like ok yeah, but your dad's gonna die and leave behind six houses for you ffs.

Antares35 wrote: »

I've a friend whose dad bought a rake of houses, bought one in his son's name. Anyway, said friend constantly moans about how he "lost his first time buyers grant" - like ok yeah, but your dad's gonna die and leave behind six houses for you ffs.

That in itself does not necessarily imply to me that your friend is stingy though, albeit they potentially have an unwarranted chip on their shoulder. That said his father may have bought the house in his sons name as a tax avoidance ploy rather than with the intention of doing your friend any favours. It has being known for offspring not to be included in wills by the last surviving Partner.

Its when your younger and getting on your feet....building up your career, house buying, getting married, having kids, that you need supports like first time buyers grants so I can to an extent see where he is coming from - That is without knowing the full facts and if he is constantly moaning about it, well the chap probably has a problem then alright.

Antares35 wrote: »

Oh absolutely it was a tax avoidance move, he wasn't buying him a house! I see your point re the timing of it alright, but to be honest, I don't think he will ever buy. Has it too easy at home, living rent free. Then again as others have said, that might be seen as stingey, or it could be just availing of the situation!

Another potential wrinkle he may encounter if he ever does go to buy a house in the future is that the lender will say that they are already paying a mortgage (in theory) and can't afford a loan. It gives me no pleasure to spoil a potentially good stinge situation (stinge-uation?).

^^^An unfortunate fact is that by employing underhand tactics like that which enable the rich to get richer, often assisted or at least facilitated by others.

check_six wrote: »

Another potential wrinkle he may encounter if he ever does go to buy a house in the future is that the lender will say that they are already paying a mortgage (in theory) and can't afford a loan. It gives me no pleasure to spoil a potentially good stinge situation (stinge-uation?).

If I had to hazard a guess I would say chances are the 6th house was bought for cash if it is the case that the father already owned 5 other houses.