C H E A P People that you know...what are your stories of that person you knew that went overboard with their habits?

[j-c-c-62]

..... his wife was busy painting the fence (rural lifestyle property) with this really smelly black goo. I asked what it was that smelt so bad.
It turns out he has been painting the fences with the used engines oils from his vehicles - most are diesel. That might sound cheap, but it actually makes good sense.

Engine oil and diesel combined will preserve the wood, and stop the rot, as well as keeping away any bugs or mosquitos etc. His fences looked brand new.

Used motor oil has lead and other contaminates, further the oil hardly evaporates, and in any rain/snow event a portion leaches into the soil and eventually the ground water over time. IMO its equal to pouring used motor oil on the ground, just over much longer period of time, disregarding the potential increase in flammability of the wooden fence sees.
This is not something I would do.

 

[kiwigtx]

Used motor oil has lead and other contaminates, further the oil hardly evaporates, and in any rain/snow event a portion leaches into the soil and eventually the ground water over time. IMO its equal to pouring used motor oil on the ground, just over much longer period of time, disregarding the potential increase in flammability of the wooden fence sees.
This is not something I would do.

Thanks for your input.

 

[j-c-c-62]

Sometimes I am tempted to buy something but I have to weigh the gains that I would see from it to see if it makes sense.
I've wanted to switch to a lightweight Lithium battery for the red car. I have this interest in shedding weight (on the car) while not negatively affecting performance or comfort. A Lithium battery would be 7 lbs but cost just shy of $500 compared to $200 for a lead acid battery.
I've wanted to switch to Trick Flow heads but at $2000+, I wonder if they would deliver enough of a power increase to be worth it.

If you currently have iron heads, IMO, Yes
If not, I'd only make the upgrade it the engine was apart for some other reason, and the original heads had some resale value.
Neither rises to frugal or cheap for me, just smart.

 

[jimbosride]

The " Pull the rope " Satellite

I answered an ad for a 68 plymouth back in the 80's. So me and a friend go to take a look at the car. It was really dirty but the guy said it ran ok. So my friend hops in the back seat
And the owner on the passenger side. I go to start it and all I get is dash lights. The owner then tells me to turn the key and pull on the rope coming thru the wing window. We saw
the rope earlier but didn't think much of it . So when I tugged on the rope, the starter engaged and it fired up. So I back up and go down the street. When I went to stop at the stop sign the
car made right turn dive and one of the box speakers in the back flew off and hit my friend in the head. No brakes on one side. I ended up buying the car at deep discount and drove half way home until it died.

Turns out the nut and post that attached the starter wire was striped so by pulling the rope it made the connection.

 

[cosgig]

At the swap meets that I vend at, I’m known as “cheap parts guy”, does that count?

 

[Mackman]

My Grandparents did the same thing.

'Waste not, want not' was a popular phrase in the day.

My brother and I used to get hand-me-down clothes from older uncles. I hated that.
I don't make my kids wear anything used like that.

When we were kids we used to get hand-me-downs from aunts, uncles, and cousins. But my sisters and I were glad to get them, as new clothes didn’t come to us very often, and they were often nicer than the clothes we had.

 

[440 4 speed]

Years ago at a kids hockey tournament. We went out with a group of parents. Everyone is boozing big time. Me and the wife are being responsible (insert smart *** remarks here). Two plain salads and diet cokes. One parent says to me, “a hundred bucks per couple should cover it.” Lesson learned. Never happened again.

When we go out, we usually say we are paying our own way, unless something is agreed upon earlier.

 

[kiwigtx]

When we were kids we used to get hand-me-downs from aunts, uncles, and cousins. But my sisters and I were glad to get them, as new clothes didn’t come to us very often, and they were often nicer than the clothes we had.

My sister was the lucky one - being the only girl for 3 generations on both sides. No hand-me-downs for her.

 

[Chargerjase]

I have a friend who is a Concrete Cutter by trade - self-employed and damn good at it. He regularly services his truck, cars and machines. I was over at this house a few years ago doing some work for him, and his wife was busy painting the fence (rural lifestyle property) with this really smelly black goo. I asked what it was that smelt so bad.
It turns out he has been painting the fences with the used engines oils from his vehicles - most are diesel. That might sound cheap, but it actually makes good sense.

Engine oil and diesel combined will preserve the wood, and stop the rot, as well as keeping away any bugs or mosquitos etc. His fences looked brand new.

Lol, my ex Father-in-law also did that. He swore by used engine oil and diesel mixed to paint on the fences. Must be a NZ rural thing.

 

[CoronetDarter]

WE all know CHEAP people. Some of us are those people.
Sometimes they are really smart and just not being wasteful but sometimes their penny pinching ways are annoying.
Me? I can be cheap sometimes. It sometimes is motivated by money but other times I like a challenge to do more with less.
This car:

View attachment 1746834

Was put together with mostly used parts I saved over the years. Yeah, I could have opened the wallet and bought new things but it was fun to see what I could do with a tight budget. I have a running, driving ratty car for a total outlay of under $10,000.

What about the people that use single ply toilet paper or that recycle used engine oil to lubricate door hinges?
Who has stories of family members or friends that were so CHEAP that they annoyed the heck out of you?

Is it a coincidence that Greg started this thread the day after he and I went on a parts run? I did let him pay for lunch.

 

[Kern Dog]

My over-active imagination works in ways that even confuse me.

 

[68BabyBlue]

When we were kids we used to get hand-me-downs from aunts, uncles, and cousins. But my sisters and I were glad to get them, as new clothes didn’t come to us very often, and they were often nicer than the clothes we had.

When I was a corporate lawyer, I started buying used suits at resale shops. Way better quality than any I ever bought new, and a fraction of the cost.

 

[71dodgechargerrt]

I know a guy close to here that oils his fence. Looks good.

 

[j-c-c-62]

I know a guy close to here that oils his fence. Looks good.

Did he live in Times Beach?

 

[MarPar]

When I was a corporate lawyer, I started buying used suits at resale shops. Way better quality than any I ever bought new, and a fraction of the cost.

 

[j-c-c-62]

I liked that movie.

 

[JackR]

I have this neighbor…..he thinks he can do it better than anyone he would have to hire and it won’t cost him anything if he can do it himself.
He built a decent looking small outback house. Admit he did a nice job on it.
Then….rather than hiring a competent electrician he wired this house into his kitchen electrical circuits.
His main house has Been empty now almost two years as with the illegal electrical configuration and fire, the insurance company won’t pay claim.

 

[CoronetDarter]

Then….rather than hiring a competent electrician he wired this house into his kitchen electrical circuits.
His main house has Been empty now almost two years as with the illegal electrical configuration and fire, the insurance company won’t pay claim.

If you want something done right, hire a professional.

 

[RemCharger]

View attachment 1747430

Is that why they call them " Law- Suits"?

 

[j-c-c-62]

I have this neighbor…..he thinks he can do it better than anyone he would have to hire and it won’t cost him anything if he can do it himself.
He built a decent looking small outback house. Admit he did a nice job on it.
Then….rather than hiring a competent electrician he wired this house into his kitchen electrical circuits.
His main house has Been empty now almost two years as with the illegal electrical configuration and fire, the insurance company won’t pay claim.

Sorry, but there must be more to this story. An "illegal" electrical configuration is not automatically incompetent. For a determination of "incompetent" post fire it would likely indicate enough was not consumed in the fire in order to make that clear determination enough to legitimately decline an insurance settlement ( a jury will make that final decision), also suggesting since the fire did not do that much damage, and the house is maybe vacant for two years as the owner justwants to make an a statement regarding the insurance settlement.
But the fact remains as per movie icon "Dirty Harry" states, "A man has to know his limitations".