Cheapskate tips for the credit crunch

[Cycling Naturalist]

And false economy is a fine line. Sainsburys Basics bogroll is very cheap, but I'm finding I need to use 50% more each time. I'll have to do a fine calculation to see if that makes it more expensive than the normal stuff....

Is this the grade called "Yuk?"

 

[Baggy]

simply steam it off.

But these days it depends whether the stamp is a licky stamp or a ready glued one...

 

[rich p]

Is this the grade called "Yuk?"

Ah yes, Inge the finger

 

[Chuffy]

simply steam it off.

You need the old fashioned 'bronco' toilet roll to get away with that trick.

 

[Amanda P]

simply steam it off.

Fill the kettle, then hold the switch in the 'on' position to prevent it switching itself off, and hold the envelope above the ensuing steam. Don't worry, it won't explode. The stamp should then just peel off, leaving the envelope intact. It is, however, technically treason.

You could do this, but it would of course cost you more in electicity to heat and boil the water than the stamp is worth.

Then again, if you do it when you were going to boil the kettle anyway...

 

[bonj2]

You could do this, but it would of course cost you more in electicity to heat and boil the water than the stamp is worth.

Then again, if you do it when you were going to boil the kettle anyway...

yeah but arch lives ina uni so could use their kettle. Their leccy.

 

[bonj2]

Talking of bogroll - reminds me of another cheapskate tip for the credit crunch.
For DOUBLE savings - always shoot at work. Never at home. You save twice: their bogroll, and their time. As opposed to yours, and yours.

 

[Abitrary]

Talking of bogroll - reminds me of another cheapskate tip for the credit crunch.
For DOUBLE savings - always shoot at work. Never at home. You save twice: their bogroll, and their time. As opposed to yours, and yours.

It depends on how much of an achiever you are.

In my team shitting at work is seen as a sign of weakness, a sign of losing control.

You're an IT man aren't you bonj? I'd happily shoot on most of my asperger syndrome colleaugue's desks.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

It depends on how much of an achiever you are.

In my team shitting at work is seen as a sign of weakness, a sign of losing control.

I don't think he was talking about shitting at his desk...

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I've got a debt that's still four figures that I'm on a payment plan for which freezes the interest, this is meant for when you can't pay it off, but the truth is that I simply don't want to. If I can do this, everyone can. We all owe it to each other to stick two fingers up to the greedy banks and hit them in the pocket by being savvy to their policies and procedures.

I like the way when people borrow more than they can afford it's being savvy, whereas when banks try and make money it's called being greedy. Although the banks must share a lot of the blame for irresponsible lending, irresponsible borrowers are just as much to blame.

The bank won't care - they'll just see a credit for the same amount coming in - like in that indiana jones film where he takes the jewels off a weight sensitive pillar and replaces them with a bag of sand.

If you remember, that resulted in Indiana running for his life being persued by an enormous rolling boulder... I hope for your sake your analogy isn't too accurate...

In times of hardship, i.e. when you're spending more than you earn, then with a view to the above, you should basically regard bank accounts as dispoable. Once you're over limit, you should spend a maximum of one month getting as over limit as you can, and then sack off that account and join another bank, and put it on a payment plan.

That's all very well, but you'll find it won't last forever; there's a shrinking number of banks and you're relying on being able to get an account with a new bank once you've squeezed as much as you can from the old one. You may find out that the next bank won't take you on as a customer once they find out about your debt on the previous ones. Having to renegotiate your payments and get an interest holiday may go on your credit record which will affect your ability to borrow in the future. If you're using borrowing to basically live outside your means you may find yourself in a tricky situation where you actually need to borrow some money for something important (rather than bike n+1) and you're not able to becuase the banks are fed up with you.

 

[bonj2]

I like the way when people borrow more than they can afford it's being savvy, whereas when banks try and make money it's called being greedy. Although the banks must share a lot of the blame for irresponsible lending, irresponsible borrowers are just as much to blame.

Banks like to lend to people who are likely to pay it back, and charge some interest. They do however have a mechanism for still making just as much (if not more) money out of people who are less likely to pay it back. It's called charging them more interest. The way I see it, then, is that if I'm paying any more than rock bottom interest, and certainly if I get charged fees, then I'm paying for the service of being seen as a less than perfect risk. If I'm paying for a service, it's a bit rich to then expect me not to make use of it.

If you remember, that resulted in Indiana running for his life being persued by an enormous rolling boulder... I hope for your sake your analogy isn't too accurate...

er.. yeah, but he must have got the weight wrong. You see the thing I think he did wrong is made it too heavy just to be on the safe side.
Which also applies equally to finance and debt.

That's all very well, but you'll find it won't last forever; there's a shrinking number of banks and you're relying on being able to get an account with a new bank once you've squeezed as much as you can from the old one. You may find out that the next bank won't take you on as a customer once they find out about your debt on the previous ones.

Isn't there something in the law that it's obligatory for a bank to provide you with a basic account? i.e. everyone has a right to an account with just a cashcard and no overdraft? I thought there was.
If the bank then choose to convert it into a standard account, and give you an overdraft, that's their lookout. That's how all mine have started.

Having to renegotiate your payments and get an interest holiday may go on your credit record which will affect your ability to borrow in the future. If you're using borrowing to basically live outside your means you may find yourself in a tricky situation where you actually need to borrow some money for something important (rather than bike n+1) and you're not able to becuase the banks are fed up with you.

Paying nationwide off with £370 for a £1500 debt when I was a student in 'full and final settlement' hasn't affected my ability to get credit. None of my 'overdraft conversions' have affected my ability to get a mortgage.

 

[cchapman]

A very interesting thread; I'll havt go back and read the middle thirteen pages.
My favourite is to save money on clothes by buying at an op-shop. Notice how the suits have always been drycleaned? Pick a good well-fitting specimen, check the seat is not too worn to avoid any embarrassing moment when bending over to pick up alady's dropped handkerchief This should cost $5 to $10. Wear it until it needs cleaning, then donate it to the op-shop and pick another (freshly cleaned) one.
The original cost would be less than the dry-cleaning, so effectively you have got it for nothing! This also works for shirts and shoes, dressing gowns and slippers.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

I don't think he was talking about shitting at his desk...

Oh yes, he was.

 

[Dalestar]

hook your spare bike up to a generator (also a good excuse to buy another bike if you are not feeling the pinch but want to sympathise with the proletariat) and attach it to the TV, if the other half wants to watch a soap opera then he/she has to peddle a couple of miles for the pleasure.

But make sure that you have the override switch so that you can still enjoy your fix of (insert sport program of choice).

 

[Arch]

yeah but arch lives ina uni so could use their kettle. Their leccy.

No, Arch lives in a rented flat, it's her own leccy.... Anyway, as rich so helpfully pointed out, I can just reuse the envelope and stamp together (as long as the weight doesn't exceed the postage provided.

Cchapman, is an 'op-shop' what we Brits would know as a charity shop (donated goods sold to benefit a charity)? I do get most of my clothes (not that I buy many) from there, and I've found loads of tee-shirts for my baby nephew there as well - good as new, most of them.