I spent about $100 once on soil, plants, lumber for a raised bed, etc. to wind up with about $10 worth of a few veges. No green thumb here.

It's healthier if you're in a region that has contaminated water, or parasites, like in Mexico, * for example, and other regions in countries around the world that are otherwise developed around the world.

lol, i love the last line

Yeah I might rent, but I know I'll never have to replace a roof for $20,000 or pay any maintenance. Notwithstanding, investors screwed way too many people out of affording a home. It truly is the American dream now because you have to be dreaming to think you can afford one.

And you generally end up with a middle finger in your bum after it pokes through the cheap paper

Actually, I've always wondered about that, but had no way of testing it out!

This is a hobby for some elderly folks. Perhaps reliving an old past time joy of finding coins on the ground. I once found a $20 bill on the sidewalk. I was just walking, going about my day. I wasn't straining to meet quotas and multi-tasking. A minimum wage job, for the amount of work that you end up doing with little downtime, other than your required breaks, does not lead a great quality of life and the pay does not equal the time and efforts. IF I could make the same amount just walking and looking at the ground as I do at my current job I'd choose coin hunting. And the coins aren't taxed.

it's super cheap to live in an alleyway with no shelter from the elements with only one set of clothes for any weather - you don't pay any rent or utility bills! you'll be completely miserable, but think of all the money you're not spending!

My mother says you either spend your time or you spend your money

So many people don't think about their time. I have a friend who drives to four different grocery stores to "save money." Granted, they're all in fairly close proximity but my time is worth more than not just going in to one store (two MAX dependent upon sales) and shopping. It's just silly. She'll save some money, don't get me wrong, but it's not enough to matter. She's spent quadruple the gas and at least two hours extra shopping. Refuses to acknowledge the gas and time part of it.

However 3 hours a day riding a bike is great exercise. And he didn't have to pay for a membership to the gym.

when i was in high school/ doing college prep, kids would whip change down the halls all the time. i used to snipe it and put it in a bag in my locker. they used to laugh and call me the poor kid. then i took their change at the end of the year and used it to help fund most of a trip to mexico.

My dad's favorite form of gambling (at least when you could still gamble with and win real money) was walking around and checking the payout bins of slot machines. Every once in a while he'd find a quarter and proclaim it a "jackpot." He was often the only one of us to leave the casino with more cash than we started with.

I refuse to wait in the crazy Costco gas lines for this very reason. Those people are wasting so much gas waiting in line. The time wasted doesn't justify the maybe $10 saved.

I wish I could show this to my MIL

Same with extreme couponers. I watched a documentary with such a guy who had, like, a whole basement full of stuff: three dozen canisters of detergent, enough shampoo and deodorant to fill a whole shelf, and so on. amongst other things he also something concerning female hygiene, like tampons maybe. when one of the filmcrew asked what he was doing with three dozen packs of tampons he just shrugged. " It was like 50 cents a pack with coupons, so i bought it." I just shook my head.

"around pay phones," .. ?!

I witnessed in real life a YOUNG (20's ?) guy lurking around tarromat booth and then picking leftover cans/bottles that other users gave up on and left behind. So the MF standing there ALL day dor a few euros worth of income while he could.. get a job?..

"The whole time I couldn't help but think that even a minimum-wage job would yield him more capital for his time, " Yeah, but what if you have a job, which does not pay overtime? Then the "you work more you get paid more" is not true. So if he has time, hen every cents he founds, are for free.

I remember seeing one of those extreme couponer episodes and they made a point of saying that she saves something like $30k a year or something. But then the dug into her routine and it was a full time, 10-12 hour a day, job. The more she went on about her routine and the more they showed her ‘hail’ the more I was convinced I’d rather be working and be able to choose my own groceries and spend time with my family.

Like constantly being late because you drive to a further away petrol station because it is cheaper, and still only put in $20 in case it is cheaper in a few days! Not the only reason my mum had troubles with time management, but it was stressful for me growing up, knowing we almost always had to get petrol on the way to things.

My paternal grandmother used to get up early to go down to the village and scour the pavement and gutters for dropped change from the night before. Her early-morning endeavours were the difference between eating or not. Back then, there were more coins of a reasonable value in circulation and less paper money so it was worthwhile. These days, the coinage is worth less so I can't really see the benefit except to say that the guy might enjoy his bike ride, find a few quid and be healthier for it. So whilst he may never be rich, he'll probably outlive the minimum-wage office drone sat down all day.

This reminds me of my step-mother who used to clip coupons all the time. While a few people save enough to make what would be a decent hourly wage, she wasn't even close. She'd spend hours to save a few dollars, and was definitely under minimum wage. She did seem to enjoy it, which is fine, but it wasn't financially smart.

I always look in the nooks of fences when walking my dog. You never know what you might find.

Sad to say, but beggars sitting on the sidewalk/pavement make more money per day than a minimum wage job.

Once saw a programme about this sort of stuff a woman used 1 light bulb and took it from room to room to screw it in to the socket in the room she was using at the time!! That's dedication or maybe stupidity

I did something similar in college, but instead of change, it was Coke product caps for their, at the time, rather lucrative rewards program, and it was super easy as the campus had separate receptacles for recycling so I wasn't digging through straight trash, and they sold exclusively Coke products in all the cafés on campus. Alas, that rewards program has since gone to s**t and I've been out of college for a while, so...it was fun while it lasted.

I'll be honest, whenever I'm short a quarter (and I'm desperate), I usually check under the window of drive-ins.

This sounds strikingly similar to the compulsive gamblers I used to have to sell lottery to. Like yeah dude, it's awesome that you hit for 30k. But you spend 100 almost every day.

I work in a clinical waste treatment plant and in the course of a work day I find coins that people have inadvertently or purposely tossed away in hospital waste in a 3 month period I found £60 not enough to retire on but definitely worth the effort to bend down and pick up it's usually 10p/20p/50p or copper coins but I have found two £10 notes and a £5 note but that isn't the norm unfortunately

When it’s done right, it’ll usually cost a lot less in the long term than when it’s done cheap.

It's really hard to keep up with self-care when you are deeply depressed.

I don't know where ur staying. I work at quality inn and we can't even match those sites nevermind beat them.

Or in my case, doing the dishes by hand vs. not doing them at all (no dishwasher, and no space to install one).

I hope the photo isn't their idea of good quality tools...

Or better gloves?

i have always been told that the smarter a person is, the less common sense… because they’re focused on their whatever

What are condoms??? - Herschel Walker

What year was this? Crisps haven't been 20p in greggs for years.

Depends. You don't need an industrial central air conditioning system in a tiny bungalow, as my my ex's parents installed. They like to be freezing in the summer. Nor does it have to be sweltering in your home in the winter. And they don't need to be kept on all the time.

The trick is to combine coupons with store sales. My husband is amazing at this.

So true. Buy phone separately, new or used.

Believe it or not, some people would like to buy a new car, but can't afford one. Crazy, I know.

It all depends. I'd rather get to a place super early so I feel like I at least have a few hours my first day on vacation.

Any rent to own really. Check what you pay in the end. An $800 television will cost you $2,400

I think not having to be with people/neighbors is worth the costs (if moving to a more rural area)

My ex like to make apple cider moonshine. He had to buy mason jars and a s**t ton of alcohol, apple juice and whatnot. Thought he was going to make all these underground sales from his friends. Pfft. He sold nothing and I got to keep most of the mason jars. Those come in handy for many things.

On a totally unrelated topic... those reading this, I have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty.

people don't do cloth diapers for the nonexistent convenience or the not-so-cheap price. they do it because it's more sustainable & better for the environment, & usually far more comfortable for the baby.

BS. I've had the same non-stick 12 dollar fry pan for the last several years. And a cheap cast iron (10-15 bucks) will last indefinitely.

Only if you plan on keeping your car for longer that's two/three years. But if you plan on getting a new car every couple of years then paying only the depreciation seems like a better deal. But if you keep your car for 5-10 years... then buying is definitely cheaper. Longer than 10... might start looking at costly repairs.

It's all in the intended budget of what you were planning on spending. If you're expecting to buy $200 shoes and had allowed room in the budget or saved for them, and then the shoes are found to be $100 on sale, then, yes, you saved $100.