Examples of extreme frugality!

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:30 pm

It’s great to be frugal…
But everything has its limits!
What examples of frugality have you seen that you felt is extreme?

I’ve recently been told by someone she keeps the leftover egg shmear from her challah rolls overnight and adds it to another recipe later on in the week.

amother

Babypink

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:33 pm

Wahing used parchment paper! My mother does that.

amother

Rainbow ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:34 pm

Rinsing paper towels and reusing them
1 pair of weekday shoes for over 10 years

amother

Lightcoral ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:35 pm

Washing and reusing disposable anything

amother

Dodgerblue

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:37 pm

Refusing to buy doctor recommended medication. (That they can easily afford)

amother

Vermilion ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:37 pm

Reusable/washable cloth toilet wipes Can't Believe It

amother

Violet ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:40 pm

Hand me down white shirts which have since turned black.

GLUE ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:41 pm

A magazine had a contest years ago on this topic,

I think the winner used the plastic on top of a 6 pack tied many of them together to make a hammock

amother

Teal ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:41 pm

amother Lightcoral wrote:

Washing and reusing disposable anything

You think disposable anything?? I agree like white disposables but What about those super sturdy fancy colored plates your almost not sure if they're reusable. I would call myself far from frugal but sometimes wash those..

amother

Latte ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:42 pm

My fil is a terrible hoarder. It's not that they're poor, it's a real sickness.

He refuses to throw out his old worn out suites that no longer fit, maybe they can be passed down to another relative down the line.

He doesn't throw out disposable anything.

He doesn't own a challah board, reuses the same piece of paper towel weekly.

He uses the same disposable cup for a week. Changes every Sunday.

Beautiful ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:42 pm

amother OP wrote:

FYI not supposed to leave raw eggs overnight unless they're mixed with something

amother

Sand

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:42 pm

Way back when there was an article (not a Jewish mag) about "how I feed my family of 4 on $X a week"

It was an extremely low number, and the mother looked very undernourished. Emaciated maybe.

One example was that she would only buy day old bread, because if it was fresh they would eat more of it.

↑ Beautiful

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:43 pm

Oh, and my parents used to wash out ziplock bags and reuse them. I don't, but it explains my complex with my kids wasting gallon size ziplock bags.

amother

Chartreuse

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:45 pm

Beautiful wrote:

Oh, and my parents used to wash out ziplock bags and reuse them. I don't, but it explains my complex with my kids wasting gallon size ziplock bags.

My parents do that too and I refuse to reuse anything disposable

amother

↑ Violet

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:45 pm

Using spoiled milk for a latte. Been offered a cup. Kindly declined

giftedmom

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:47 pm

My mother would buy used clothing at a non-Jewish thrift shop for a dollar a piece.
It took me a good few years to even contemplate spending more than 5$ on an item of kids clothing.

amother

↑ Latte

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:47 pm

Beautiful wrote:

FYI not supposed to leave raw eggs overnight unless they're mixed with something

Are you klausenberg? They're the only people I've met with this chumrah.

amother

Waterlily

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:48 pm

True stories from a family I know-
Have one bedroom with teen boys and girls with furniture mechitza down the middle
Not buy trash bags use shopping bags and constantly take them out
Wear shmattas from 20 years ago (and I know there's nice clothes from 20 years ago. I'm not talking about that)

amother

↑ Teal ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 3:52 pm

Also there's a difference between poor and frugal. I think Frugality is more when you may be able to afford to skip that habit but don't.