What Is The Stingiest Thing You Have Ever Done to Save Money?

I recently bought a power bank for travel but what I am doing now is charging the power bank at work so that I dont have to use my electricity at home to charge our mobiles and ipads.

I also turn off the gas booster to my solar hot water on sunny days so all my hot water is free…..when the sun is out.

What do you do to save $$

WOW, Thank you all for replying. I didn't expect such a response.
What a community!
Some great ideas and some funny comments too.
Thank You

Comments

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  • I took home coffee pods, raw sugar and tea bags from my hotel room during my 5 day stay at the Darling hotel in Pyrmont. It ended up just $10 worth of tea and coffee.

    Just to get my revenge after losing $200 at the pokies…

    • Bro. Pokies? Really? :(

    • we did the same at the marina bay sands hotel. we stayed in a suite so as well as coffee pods we got some high quality pens and bathroom stuff as well

      • Mbs stocked awesome tea. Not avail in au.

        • TWG? Can get from Djs food court

        • @gavt:

          really? Nice. Will be def grabbing some soon.

          I didn't know DJs still existed, or that people still went there.

    • Pro Tip -put the tea bags & coffee in your bag as soon as you arrive. Each day you stay Housekeeping will top up all the freebies. Repeat daily until you leave with a great stash.

      • I thought this was common knowledge

    • I call up every night of a hotel stay and ask for more refills of different things on different nights.

    • Also tissues and facial tissues and when I pass the maids cart grab a few pens.

      • I dunno about taking things from carts man. I'm all for taking everything they give you but actually taking stuff without asking feels more like stealing.

      • bottle water for free on maids cart

  • Reusing glass peanut butter jars instead of buying a cup
    Reusing a large 10kg yoghurt bucket instead of buying a bucket
    Package parcels at the post office using their own tape
    Get free bubble wraps from other people instead of buying new bubble wraps to package parcels
    Use free recycled boxes at bunnings instead of buying new ones for packaging
    Reusing an empty water bottle as an ice pack for esky instead of buying an ice brick
    Using a pack of frozen peas/vegetables as ice pack instead of buying an ice pack
    Reusing old plastic shopping bags for packaging instead of buying satchels
    Instead of using a workshop I obtained all the right mechanic tools and learned how to service my own car.

    I basically try to recycle as much as possible instead of spending money on useless stuff.

    • I also go to brick and mortar stores to try on clothes and shoes and then do my online shopping at home using ebay discount codes on ozbargain lol.

      • I really like ur first post, but really hate this. The first post everything you did was good for you and society, but going to bricks and mortar stores to try and test things and then heading online to buy is just a transfer of costs of them providing you a service to the people who shop in store. It's free for you at the expense of others.

        Additionally the online retailers, depending on what you are buying, probably pay no tax. So again, simply another transfer of wealth effect.

        Ways of saving money coz they reduce waste is a +.
        Ways of saving money becaus you are transferring the cost, is a bit like stealing. Emphasise on "a bit", coz it's not, but feels wrong

        • I would've bought without hesitation if bricks and mortar stores were cheaper than online. I bought online because I am stingy. I get what you are saying but this is more like a loophole like finding a loophole to minimize taxable income when doing tax returns.

          This is nothing in comparison to other's post about them stealing printing paper, toilet paper rolls and hand sanitizer soap for personal use at home.

        • I have to wonder if in the future of retail we'll ultimately end up with showrooms for many products, paid for the brands themselves, with staff who are knowledgeable about the product, but with a clear understand that you're just there to look, and understand the product, and find out if it's for you, with zero pressure to buy, and no means of selling to you anyway (the showrooms would not even have registers or cash or credit card machines, they are literally just be a showroom, not a shop).

          And then you go buy it wherever it's cheapest (eBay, Amazon, etc). That way showrooms can demo the product well, and online retailers can sell it cheaply and get it to you quickly. Obviously you'd end up with fewer showrooms that current stores, since the end prices paid would be lower, but there would be enough in major cities, and surely the shopping experience would be better.

          The above is what some people are doing anyway, but this just makes it explicit, removes any moral issues. Apple stores seem the closest to this right now in terms of the experience, except that they sell stuff. If they refused to sell you stuff, but instead helped you find the right thing, and wrote that down on a card, and said "now go buy it at the cheapest place", then they'd be it.

          Mobile phones and shoes seem the most obvious to me for a showroom model. Maybe Dyson vacuums too. Basically it'd suit products that are expensive enough to be worth shopping around for, have strong brands who want to engage directly with customers, and which benefit from some physical interaction with the product, but where there are already multiple online channels for buying that product.

          Perhaps showrooms could also handle manufacturer's warranty repairs and replacements? I'm a bit unclear on that myself, but seems like a reasonable opportunity.

        • @armdrags:

          yea, totally understand, and im sure you would have plenty of friends in this regard. I mean, bricks and morter stores are providing a service of sorts for free, and you are redeeming the freebie because they are unable to charge for it.
          Plus, as i said, they always dodge GST as well, so you are literally minimise your tax ;)

        • @nickj:

          yea, i reckon you are probably close to being what the future could be like.

          In the end, people are subsidising some others. If a showroom is paid by brands the end cost will pass on to online retailers via higher prices and as you say, remove the moral issue, and even the cost discrepency.

          The problem right now with this moral issue is that only some people understand the problem. Most people are probably like Armdrags, don't know or don't care. Must get it cheapest, who cares who pays for this as long as i can get it cheaper.

          Which is why I highlight this issue, and as i point out, there is no discussion needed on balant stealing, this on the other hand is invisable to most people.

        • I would compare this to something like counting cards in blackjack. It's not illegal to count but frown upon just like masturbating on an airplane lol. You need to worry about the posts on this forum about them stealing these stuff from work for personal use instead of focusing on this issue.

        • @armdrags:

          I disagree with worrying about stealing. Stealing is clearly wrong and hence needs no debate. Debates occur due to behavours of questionable stance.

      • Yeah an old girlfriend of mine used to do that i couldn't think of anything worse then making clothes shopping drag on

        • Yeah for girls its about the thrill of the hunt. My brother and i swore never to take my two female cousins clothes shopping again. It was our xmas gift for them. We wasted half a day bought nothing. Subsequent years after that we just hand them cash.

        • A few years ago, an old girlfriend didn't have a decent dress for a wedding, so she bought one at Target, wore it to the Saturday wedding, then returned it to Target on the Monday, saying it didn't fit. She had even spilled red wine down the front of it, and had spent an hour or so sponging it out before returning it.

        • No, in fact she always dressed indecently. I was more than happy with that, but it scared the hell out of me when she went out with her girlfriends on a 'girls' only night out', clubbing or whatever.

        • @Ozpit: So your girlfriend never found a decent dress?

        • No, in fact she always dressed indecently. I was more than happy with that, but it scared the hell out of me when she went out with her girlfriends on a 'girls' only night out', clubbing or whatever.

    • Reusing an empty water bottle as an ice pack for esky instead of buying an ice brick

      I do this too. Another benefit is that you can drink it when it melts, or depending on how good your esky is you have super chilled water for a day or two as it slowly melts.

    • Great tips for ur hip pocket and environment. Love it

  • My local GP bulk bills for kids so I take my kids there to get them a free lollipop

    • Your GP thinks you're his best client :) and your dentist loves it too ;)

    • Rofl haha lol for some reason this one has me crying laughing haha lol Jesus Christ.

    • This is disturbing…is he a good GP, at least?

    • r/unexpected

      • You make me uncomfortable.

      • Rolf? Is that you?

        • It's 50 cent lol.

  • Nature of my work means we all have to work back late sometimes. I went around and ordered everyone's dinner on menulog (claimed it back on expenses from the company) all the time so I could keep the eigth free meal to myself :-)

    • I hope you're using cashrewards too!

  • I use both sides of the toilet paper

  • Save bones with plenty of meat on them. Throw them in a pot with some broth and a potato? Baby, you got a stew going.

    • Boil them, mash them, stick them in a stew.

  • I have never done anything stingy to remember. But yeah once I didn't have money enough to get a ride home and eat, so I ordered Pizza with free home delivery and got a free ride home with the driver (Yeah, I had a mate working in the shop).

  • I just went through the mcdonalds trash to get a monopoly token.

    Do I feel dirty? Yes
    Would I do it again? You're goddamn right I would

    • Was it at least a free food Monopoly token?

    • Lol I'm guilty of that too..
      But hey got a free coffee out of it!

      And haha I would so do it again!!

  • I bought a trolley lock chain for $20 from some German shopping trolley supplier and a eBay coin hacker tool. I've liberated well over $20 worth of coins from abandoned trolleys with those tools.

    • And when the ladies see that tool hanging off your belt the relative humidity in the immediate area goes up measurably.

    • That ain't stingy, thats enterprising. Send me a link?

        • @niggard:
          Have you concidered a lucrative career as a slave?

        • Spend $25 to make $2

        • @Drew22: I've found about $35 all up since the beginning of this year, most of my findings were in Canberra around civic.

        • @altomic: you need one of those + a lock chain starter thing to release the coins without damaging the trolley

        • @niggard: no you don't need lock chain starter thing.

          you need this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkbP0XZ31No

          if you make one, send me one ok? :)

        • @tinx: that just looks like a bent nail…I should've googled for ways to get coins out before buying a chain

        • @niggard:

          Stop horning in on my racket brah!

    • And did it take you 20 hours?

      • It sounds like one of those things where your time would have been better spent working for minimum wage even if you are in the highest tax bracket.

    • Lool, I use paper clip save me $20 :p

    • What are the legalities of doing this? Would it be considered stealing?

    • I have found a way to unlock trolleys without the trolley lock chain and saved myself $20.

      • Yeah, just do the right thing and bring them back to the docking area to get the coin.

        • Sometimes the docking area is fully fuсked up. You get flipped over trolleys, wrong-sized trolleys back to back, etc.

      • A pair of pliers works too but it's too shifty carrying that shit around

        • @armdrags: So are you telling us or not? if not go brag somewhere else.

        • No and I will continue to brag here. Are you going to start crying now?

      • You can use paper clip, or the iPhone SIM card tool. I have one with my keys all the time :p

      • I have made one myself and it fits in my wallet.

  • Me and two mates wanted to go from one station to another but I didn't have a MyKi, so the two went over first and one of them came back to me with the other guy's myki

    • Was one friend a fox, and the other a chicken, or something like that?

    • I've walked from a station down just to avoid the zone 1/2 surcharge

      • I have done that for bus zones, save my self 10 cents per trip.

      • You'd be wasting your time doing that these days. They don't charge for both zones anymore, the most you will pay is the zone 1 fare.

    • Awesome

  • Buying a Myki, putting $1 on it, catching a train into country victoria, throw away myki, repeat.

    Walking 14km instead of catching a taxi.

    I know someone that was in Florida and was going to Cancun.. And bought a flight via Chicago because it was cheaper. I believe it was a 12 hour transit vs a 1 hour transit.

    • I did this in Sydney, where the cards are free. Put just enough on it to put it in positive, go to the airport, throw card in bin, catch flight. $15 bucks saved :)

      • That is not ripping off that's giving Maquarie bank what they deserve!

        • It's owned by Westpac now. I walked from Domestic Terminal to Mascot recently to avoid the Private Rail Line Surcharge.

        • @dealman: I'm only speculating. The card goes into negative so I'd say they got paid, these big companies rarely miss out when it comes to this sort of thing.

        • I doubt that the owner of the airport station is missing out. I reckon the government is wearing the loss.

        • @JIMB0:

          No, any proof of this? Government wearing the loss.

        • @JIMB0:

          Interesting that you say that..

          I guess at some level you are right if the card goes into negative, the government is essentially charging the card owner and prepaying the airport.

          Maybe it's not such a good idea after all then

      • I do this in sydney ALWAYS, get the free opal card, which you must put a minimum $10 credit on it, use it enough to make sure theres only a few cents left on it, then off to the airport and scan through, funny when you see the balance go to -$18 when the gates open, then chuck the card- rinse and repeat next visit to syndey.

        • You can't do that with just a few cents, you need the minimum of $3.46 (or $2.42 off-peak) to touch on your opal in the first place

        • @R-Man: , nope, I was in sydney 3 weeks ago and it worked with a few cents on it. The gates opened at the airport with no issiu when I touched the sensor. maybe i still had enough credit when I touched on at cirqular quay?

        • @MelbBargainChaser77: Yes soz thats what i meant :) when you touched on at Circular Quay you must have had $3.46 or $2.42 to get in. That then got obliterated when you touched off at Airport!

          Would be amazing to touch on with $0.01 haha

      • how does this work?

        Does the ticket machine let you through even if you are on negative credit?

        • To catch a Sydney train you need a balance of $3.46 or $2.42 if off-peak to touch on your opal card. The trip to the airport costs $15 or more.

          1. Buy a free opal at woolies, minimum load $10
          2. Try to use up $6.50 of it on public transport to maximise Macquarie's loss ;)
          3. Use that low balance opal to get to the airport, you touch off and your balance is now -$11 or worse
          4. Find your nearest bin, chuck the opal in :)

          Your trip to the airport costs you $10 at worst or $2.42 at best depending on your other use of public transport and time of day. Anything better than $15!

        • @shiningstars: Damn, i guess they could set up pay machines just before the Opal gates. Another way to close this opportunity for good is to put a price of $15 to buy an opal BEFORE any credit is added (similar to Melbourne's $6 myki fee).

          Anyways this was working around 30 August when i last tried it.

        • @R-Man: i think i read that they are now cracking down on this. If you don't have enough credit they direct you to pay before you exit.

    • You can get done for fare evasion when travelling on vLine if you don't have enough on your myki to cover the trip. The conductor would have made you aware of this when checking your myki.

      • Yea this is no different to just sneaking on the train with a myki you drew with crayon.

      • Hmm.. I haven't been checked when doing this.. I must just be having a lucky streak.. Haha

        • Rambutan! Now that's a fruit I could get in Msia very often :)

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