Signs that you're getting TOO cheap

The weak economy has forced many people to cut back on their spending, but some are going to extremes. Cheapskates, like Amy VanDeventer, are becoming even cheaper.

Before the economy tanked, she was still wearing maternity clothes from her last pregnancy, clipping coupons and using hand-me-downs to dress her daughters, ages 2 and 3. Now, she's salvaging bagel scraps left on their plates for pizza toppings and cutting lotion bottles in half so she can scrape out the last drops.

"I was already cheap," said VanDeventer, a 36-year-old mortgage loan underwriter from Broomfield, Colo. "Now I am neurotic about it."

If you thought those cheapskate friends and relatives couldn't pinch pennies any tighter, think again. The recession is making tightwads like VanDeventer cut back even more. They're going way beyond sharpening their coupon scissors, replacing already cheap store-brand fabric softener with vinegar and even making their own detergent. VanDeventer was drying her hair in front of a fan after her portable hair dryer broke - until her friends bought her a new one. [Link]

It's okay to be somewhat cheap, but here are some signs that you're getting WAY TOO CHEAP:

1. You dry your hair in front of a fan.

2. You take a shower only once a week, whenever it rains.

3. You save money by cutting out coupons and putting them in the offering plate in church.

4. You don't shop at Goodwill until they have a 50% off sale.

5. You shake the vending machine before putting any money in it.

6. You rub scented candles in your armpits each morning.

7. You take a friend to McDonald's so you can share the small fries.

8. You shave with your sharpest kitchen knife.

9. You take a disguise to the grocery store, so you can have two shots at the samples.

10. You don't use hair gel, just a dab of mayonnaise.

11. You floss your teeth with your cat's hair.

12. You take a newspaper to the bathroom, but not just to read.

13. You make meatloaf without any meat, creating a family favorite called eatloaf.

14. You carry a 10-cent balloon in your wallet, just in case.

15. Whenever you leave comments on the Internet, you say, "That's just my one cent."

Comments

[Kathi]

I like No. 3 & 11..

[Priloza]

Hahaha! A balloon just in case. Man, your blog is one helluva read.

[Di]

Funny as it gets!