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Mr. Cheapskate

February 7th, 2019 at 04:23 pm

A couple of days ago I went to give blood at a local church. I knew one of the ladies and she was knitting a dish cloth for their "bread ministry" which is if they have a visitor come to church, someone visits with a loaf of bread and a homemade dish cloth to thank them for coming. She said they only had two people making the dish cloths so I volunteered to make some for her. I told her I would give them to a mutual friend to give her. So, I proceeded to make ten dish cloths.

I dropped them off at our mutual friend's house yesterday. He's a nice man, but I've decided my husband has him pegged correctly. He says "He gives cheap a bad name."

My friend had a good paying job. He gets both Social Security and a good pension. He owns his house outright and the same with his car. But he hates spending money. Any money. Any time.

I get wanting to save, but it has almost become a sickness with him. Almost every piece of his furniture is hand me downs. I know, because one couch was ours and that was over 20 years ago when we gave it to him. He was showing me his new bookcase. He said he found it in someone's garbage and pulled it out. I'm all for recycling, but this bookcase is plastic and cardboard and it was dirty. It won't hold up, but it was free.

One of our thrift shops is run to benefit our Lutheran school association. They are very picky about what they put out and will throw out stuff. Apparently our friend is dumpster diving to get things at the thrift shop. I can see saving money, but never buying anything nice and bringing home other stuff. A lot of the stuff he's bringing home isn't nice. As cheap as my friend is, apparently he isn't too worried about dirt and smoke smell.

I think it has become an obsession with him. And it scares me. I know his mom is frugal as is his brother who is a CPA. But they purchase things -- they just don't go crazy. So, when does it become more than saving money and a sickness?

8 Responses to “Mr. Cheapskate”

  1. crazyliblady Says:
    1549558048

    Is it possible that though he appears to be financially okay now, maybe he went through some bad financially times earlier in his life and is afraid to spend money because of that? Or maybe even though he gets retirement and social security, he still struggles to buy other things like food? We never know what struggles people deal with that they don't want others to know about.

  2. Butterscotch Says:
    1549559687

    Maybe it makes him feel good to keep things out of landfills.

  3. creditcardfree Says:
    1549563642

    It's his right to choose how to live in his own home. It's not worth worrying about, it only tells you that it not how you want to live.

  4. ceejay74 Says:
    1549564410

    I think I'd only worry if it spilled into things besides material possessions--nutritious food, going to the doctor, etc. My parents' stuff is, most of it, older than me, and walking into their house without knowing them, you might think they were super poor, or didn't care about life.

    But my dad takes good care of his health and wellness, and he spares no expense trying to keep my mom healthy (despite her not being very good about taking care of herself). They always have enough food, the car's in good shape, etc.

  5. rob62521 Says:
    1549578378

    I grew up with my friend and he had a great child hood. And I know it isn't because he can't afford stuff, it is he chooses not to. Sadly it has spilled over in other areas of his life such has food and his health.

  6. livingalmostlarge Says:
    1549591691

    Are you talking about my in-laws? They give cheap a bad name. Considering how well off they are now.

  7. rob62521 Says:
    1549831451

    LOL LivingAlmostLarge!

  8. sandy Says:
    1549844325

    be nice

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