Frugality

When it comes to myself, I'm incredibly frugal.  Some would call me cheap, but I see no point in wasting good money for things when I can spend infinitely less and get the same quality.

There was a bookseller that specialized in a particular genre of books that offered four brand new books for $1 each plus shipping and handling with no obligation to make any further purchases.  I took the company up on its offer, paid what amounted to about $16 and then cancelled my account within a month thereafter.  To much shock and amazement, a couple of months later I received a solicitation to join the same book club at exactly the same tersm.  I thought for sure this was a mistake but decided the worst the club could say would be no, so I ordered four more books.  A month later, to my happy amazement, a box arrived with an invoice for another $16.  I paid the invoice and a month later, cancelled the account once again.  What happened next strains credulity.

For the next two years, the same book club renewed the same offer an unbelievable ten times.  I think I got roughly $1,000 of books for approximately $120.  There must have been a regime change at the book club because after I cancelled the account for the last time, I didn't get another solicitation for about eight months.  When I did receive another offer, the terms had changed:  I could buy four books for $1 plus shipping and handling, but I would be obligated to buy one book at club prices within the next two years.  I declined the offer.

Incredibly, another book club dealing with another subject had the same offer which I used about five times. 

I buy in bulk, I have rewards cards at every conceivable restaurant, I use coupons.  I just don't see the point in paying top dollar when I can get the same thing with the same quality for much less.

Not too long ago, there were several offers for free food at three different fast food joints.  Admittedly, the offers were for samples, which effectively made the sizes kid sized, but it was all free.  Even better, all three restaurants were located within a block of each other in a place I had to work on Saturdays.  So after work, I went to the first store and got their new onion rings, the next store and got their fried mushrooms and the third store for their newer popcorn chicken nuggets.  I ate lunch in the car for free that day.

I don't recall how this happened, but somehow I got on an online survey for a newspaper in another part of the country.  I may have read the newspaper twice in my life.  Every week, I'm sent a survey to complete about the contents of that weekend's newspapers that I dutifully fill out as if read the paper.  For completing the survey, I get so many points which, when I total a certain amount, I can redeem for a gift certificate at an online store.  Works for me.

Karen is a bargain hunter as well.  She thinks I'm a little nuts as to how I go about it.  Perhaps I am, but since I didn't inherit millions or win a national lottery, I do what I can to get through life as cheaply as possible.

Tomorrow, I'm going to buy $15 another bookshelf I found on craigslist.com.  On it I'll put my $1 books.

(c) 2012 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles