HHI-260,000

We save by: never getting Starbucks, no cleaners currently, using hotel shampoos and other food and toiletry samples I get by visiting heyitsfree.net daily (I think this is fun--it's not just about being frugal), always searching for promo codes before ordering online, cooking most meals at home, buying clothes at Target, Kohls,

Splurge by: gym membership is not cheap but it's used regularly, once a month massages for both of us (we believe it's an investment in health), buying organic/Whole Foods/CSA share, nice restaurant meals once a week and we pay the date night babysitter well so she's always available for us

I buy Folger's half caf. After Starbucks stopped making theirs, I experimented with several and then tried the Folger's based on Amazon reviews. It's better than the Starbucks and people are always asking me for more.

I let my mother cut my hair. She's pretty good at it! She cut her sister's hair and her sister's stylist said she did a great job so I rationalize it as getting a good quality cut for free.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Insists upon sneaking our entire family into a resort pool when visiting them at their vacation condo. A friend lives at the resort and arranged to sign us up as "family." I did this once, naively thinking he paid for us as guests. Refuse to do this again...

As long as you spend money on food and drinks, I think many places would be happy to have you. If you don't spend any money, then you're just being trespassing.

Not this place, though! FIL too cheap to buy membership at their own condo, so asked his friend miles away ( about ten) to buy season passes for us as extended family. FIL went so far as to give us all fake last names for the ID cards. I drew the line at going to get a photo identification made up for the upcoming season, allowing us even more privileges.

Anonymous wrote:
Insists upon sneaking our entire family into a resort pool when visiting them at their vacation condo. A friend lives at the resort and arranged to sign us up as "family." I did this once, naively thinking he paid for us as guests. Refuse to do this again...

As long as you spend money on food and drinks, I think many places would be happy to have you. If you don't spend any money, then you're just being trespassing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I travel a lot, and am incapable of coming home without the little shampoo, conditioner and soaps from hotels. If I'm there for 2 nights, I hide the partially used ones in my bag so housekeeping has to replenish - then I take the new ones home as well. I could easily go 2 years on what I have at home now. HHI $350,000.

We also spend an obscene amount on food. Eating well is one of the great joys in life.

Curious what you do with all those little shampoo bottles. I find them so bothersome. If I'm checking luggage, I bring my own shampoo.

I use the shampoo/conditioner, then throw the bottles away (recycle, actually). I'm not a hoarder, keeping things just for the sale of keeping them. But if someone's going to give me something that I have to buy otherwise, I'm gonna take it. And I rarely if ever check bags, but even if I do, why would I want to lug something I don't have to?

I share one netflix account with all of my friends.

Posting on behalf of my FIL. Ultimate cheapskate!

Towed his own car, via a rope and my MIL behind the wheel

Repainted his car, via rented commercial paint sprayer, plastic sheeting inside his garage and full toxic waste jumpsuit and mask

Spent an entire summer renting movies (pre Netflix days) and then copying them at home to build his "library"

Insists upon sneaking our entire family into a resort pool when visiting them at their vacation condo. A friend lives at the resort and arranged to sign us up as "family." I did this once, naively thinking he paid for us as guests. Refuse to do this again...

Anonymous wrote:I travel a lot, and am incapable of coming home without the little shampoo, conditioner and soaps from hotels. If I'm there for 2 nights, I hide the partially used ones in my bag so housekeeping has to replenish - then I take the new ones home as well. I could easily go 2 years on what I have at home now. HHI $350,000.

We also spend an obscene amount on food. Eating well is one of the great joys in life.

I could have written this post! I'm cracking up. We even spend on food like you. I still buy my favorite conditioner but we have shampoo free shampoo for ages!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I travel a lot, and am incapable of coming home without the little shampoo, conditioner and soaps from hotels. If I'm there for 2 nights, I hide the partially used ones in my bag so housekeeping has to replenish - then I take the new ones home as well. I could easily go 2 years on what I have at home now. HHI $350,000.

We also spend an obscene amount on food. Eating well is one of the great joys in life.

Curious what you do with all those little shampoo bottles. I find them so bothersome. If I'm checking luggage, I bring my own shampoo.

My local food pantry could really use all of those shampoo bottles. Really! Consider donating these shampoos to a food pantry, women's shelter, or similar charity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i wear my silver wedding shoes to work as my main shoes no matter what i wear (from 3 yrs ago).

i tell the garage guys at work sometimes i have no $$$ to pay them that day (to park).

I ask coworkers for change to buy a bag of chips from the vending machine. And I ask for k-cups.

HHI $155

You sound like a very strange lady.

Or an even stranger gentleman!

Anonymous wrote:OP's douchey first post ruined this whole concept. Keep it simple, OP.

+1

HHI $850,000

Save: one car household, car is 13 years old and paid. Have minimalist attitude, not too many clothes or shoes or toys, etc. allow inlaws to buy almost all of kids' clothes even if some aren't exactly my taste. Cut my kids hair. Tie tons of vacations into DH work (like conferences in nice places) to save on airfare and get free hotel stays. I love thrift stores, Craigslist and neighborhood listservs for kids toys and other items. Cook all our meals, all of them. Only buy kids presents for birthdays and Christmas, no random toys all the time.

Splurge. We shop almost exclusively at whole foods. We sent kids to private schools. We are not cheap when it comes to gifts, esp for relatives weddings, etc. we live in a nice neighborhood a few blocks from the metro. Our house is a bit of a fixer upper, but location location location,

Anonymous wrote:I travel a lot, and am incapable of coming home without the little shampoo, conditioner and soaps from hotels. If I'm there for 2 nights, I hide the partially used ones in my bag so housekeeping has to replenish - then I take the new ones home as well. I could easily go 2 years on what I have at home now. HHI $350,000.

We also spend an obscene amount on food. Eating well is one of the great joys in life.

Curious what you do with all those little shampoo bottles. I find them so bothersome. If I'm checking luggage, I bring my own shampoo.

I travel a lot, and am incapable of coming home without the little shampoo, conditioner and soaps from hotels. If I'm there for 2 nights, I hide the partially used ones in my bag so housekeeping has to replenish - then I take the new ones home as well. I could easily go 2 years on what I have at home now. HHI $350,000.

We also spend an obscene amount on food. Eating well is one of the great joys in life.