Think You’re Cheap? You Might Change Your Mind When You Read These Stories!

Saving Money

With the consistent soaring of prices due to inflation and shortage of jobs, parents all over America do their best to budget their money for their families. But some parents take their frugal attitude towards money way too far. 

Birth of a cheapskate

She wasn’t always like this, money wasn’t always a big deal for her. She would often spend her money without any second thoughts. But ever since she gave birth to her daughter, her attitude towards money has changed completely. 

Her husband didn’t mind this change initially. In the beginning, he thought it would just be something minor. But as time passed, his wife seemed to get more and more frugal and he anticipated… 

Being a parent

It’s the first time for Apple Melacio and her husband, Victor Melacio to be parents and she feels very anxious over it. Her responsibility isn’t only towards herself anymore, but for her child as well. Raising a child is not cheap, you may find yourself working overtime or getting several jobs just to be able to provide the best for your child. But for Apple, she found a way to raise her little girl without emptying their pocket. 

Her ways

Whenever Apple took her little girl outside to play at the playground, she’d notice several toys scattered around the area. She figured that other kids may have left them there. Thinking how much of a waste it is to just ignore the toys, Apple picked up the colorful looking truck she saw at the sandbox. 

“It only has two wheels!” Victor told Apple in protest, but Apple was determined to take it home. After all, it’s a free toy.

Taking it up a notch

Apple isn’t only frugal when it comes to buying toys, but to other aspects as well. Ever since she stopped producing breastmilk, Apple knew that buying formula every few weeks will cost her a lot of money. So in order to save more, Apple would collect breastmilk from her friends instead. 

Wet wipes are considered a staple when taking care of a toddler but for Apple, she’s willing to find ways to provide for her daughter without spending too much money on essentials. Instead of buying wet wipes, Apple would make homemade moist towels instead. To top it off, Apple also got a free changing table from a gas station she frequents. She just patched it up with duct tape and it was good to go! But if you think Apple was the most frugal mom, wait until you hear about this next story… 

Frugal Mom #2

Most women dream of having an extravagant celebration during their wedding day. The white beautiful gown, the pristine venue, and the delicious food served during the reception. All of these make a wedding enjoyable, but they come at a high cost. Although this second frugal mom wants her daughter to have an enjoyable wedding, she wants to show her support without breaking the bank. 

Finding a dress

Normally, when shopping for a wedding gown, brides and her entourage go to dress boutiques. But the bride’s mom, Shelley Watson, had other plans for her daughter. 

It was unbelievable but Shelley was able to convince her daughter, Britney, to go shopping with her at a pawnshop! Equipped with her humble entourage, they entered the pawnshop to look for a cheap used wedding gown. 

The dilemma

After trying on three different dresses at the pawnshop, one particular dress caught the bride’s attention. It was a good fit and looked somehow presentable but one of her friends noticed something strange.

There was a yellow stain on the bottom of the dress. Concerned about the condition of the dress, Brittney’s friend decided to inspect it. She tried to observe and smell the bottom of the gown, and it seems her suspicions were right. The dress was stained with rat urine. But instead of being disgusted, Shelley thought this was the perfect opportunity to get a huge discount for the dress. The people with her at the store thought Shelley was crazy, but she was insistent and it seems her daughter doesn’t mind it too. They got the dress for a cheaper price. Shelley also ensured that the dress will be all cleaned up by the day of the wedding. She filled a tub with detergent and soaked the dress there. Excited over the huge bargain she had. 

The venue

As the guests arrived, they were shocked. They wondered if they were at the right location or if they had made a wrong turn, but it seems they were at the right place after all. 

To save money, Shelley had an unusual strategy. She used a school’s gymnasium as the venue for her daughter’s wedding. The groom, Colby Cosgrove, described his wedding day as something he did not expect but “It is what it is,” he said. 

The wedding itself

The wedding was simple. Aside from the added interior designs at the venue such as some streamers and flowers, Shelley made sure that everything was as simple as they could be. 

It was a strange wedding but the guests didn’t seem to mind. For the reception, Shelley had her friends prepare cheese sandwiches while she encouraged her guests to bring their own alcohol and food. And Shelley had another trick up her sleeve, she was also the wedding minister for her own daughter’s wedding! Although the wedding wasn’t as extravagant as other weddings, it seems the bride and the groom enjoyed their special day anyway. 

Thrifty Husband

They were having a wonderful family dinner in a restaurant. Dyra quietly indulged Chinese food as she observed her kids and her husband exchanged conversations over the table. It was a lovely night. Her heart warmed in content because her husband took their family out despite how frugal he was. However, when the waiter handed their bills, her husband’s lips curled. He grabbed his bag and took out a huge sack of pennies. Her cheeks went crimson red from utter embarrassment. Dyra wanted to hide under the table.

Coming Home

Terrence Candell was an educator based in California. With two doctorate degrees, he was very keen when it comes to saving money. However, it gets so extreme that his family was terribly worried. His wife, Dyra, ran her hands through her hair as she got home with an unpleasant sight… again.

Minimalism

Their house was almost like an empty shell if it wasn’t for their little television that was sloppily laid on the floor. Dyra glanced at the rustic four chairs and one table that her husband salvaged from the school. To her dismay, they don’t even have a proper sofa for their living room. But she didn’t know that Terrence was plotting a surprise.

A Bag of Coins

Terrence went to his room and pulled out a huge sack of pennies. These were the cents he collected for over a year. Whenever he coached basketball to students, there were instances where they mindlessly dropped coins from their pockets. That was where Terrence came in, he would instantly pick up the coins from the floor. And he was able to gather two to three dollars for a day. The clatters from the coins inside the heavy sack sounded like a big achievement for him. So Terrence lept into the sunshine and called his family.  

Family Dinner

He asked them to dress up because they will be eating out for dinner. Dyra couldn’t believe what she just heard so she immediately got up and went ready for a once in a lifetime opportunity. But when the family arrived at the Chinese restaurant, her heart sank a little bit. She thought that he would bring them to a fine dining restaurant. But what else she should expect for her tight wallet husband? Dyra shrugged and went on with the family dinner. As long as they were able to eat out once in a while, it should be fine. However, Dyra made a grave mistake when she signaled the waiter for their tab.

The Payment

“92 Dollars” Terrence read the tab. The people in the restaurant turned their heads at the family as he pulled out his large sack of pennies. “This was all my change,” he stated. The waiter’s reaction was unreadable. He watched Terrence take out the cents and started counting them one by one. Dyra’s whole world went in shambles. Terrence was too immersed in counting the change that he hadn’t noticed his wife was already dying of embarrassment. But on the brighter side, the pennies were enough to cover their dinner. The family soon walked out of the restaurant with bellies full and unforgettable memory. 

But if you thought this was already extreme… then you wouldn’t believe the next story. Because there was a woman who brought Christmas presents in the most economical way that made her entire family at a loss for words.

From Sarah

The whole family watched in anticipation as Ernisha ripped off the paper wrapper. It was a Christmas present from her sister Sarah. Ernisha thought that maybe she put a lot of effort into this because her sister looked very excited. She smiled at the lovely thought. Gradually, the smile disappeared when she noticed a pink colored case—it was familiar. She scrambled the paper wrapper in haste and unraveled an item that made her jaw dropped.

In Charge for Christmas

Sarah Gracel Anderson lived in her sister’s house in Florida that saved her from rental fees. To pay forward, she took charge of decoration for Christmas. But there was a problem.. she doesn’t want to spend a single penny for it.

Christmas Eve

Ernisha smiled as she watched her daughter run downstairs and yell, “It’s Christmas time!” The whole family was excited to see the pile of gifts under their Christmas tree. She settled near the fireplace cuddling with her husband. But there was something that caught her eyes… the altar that Sarah made. Ernisha furrowed her eyebrows when she glanced at the different dolls, piggy banks, and even trophies. Beside those random items was a cardboard box consist of plucked leaves. But that was just the start of Sarah’s money-saving antics.

The Lost Belonging

The time to open up the presents came. Sarah stood up and handed her a neatly wrapped item. Ernisha smiled brightly and felt a hard case beneath the wrapper. “This looks expensive.” Ernisha thought. But when she stripped her present open, it was a pink case. She immediately had a bad feeling. Ernisha opened up the case and she was right… it was her glasses that she lost a year ago. Sarah beamed in delight, “I knew you were gonna love them. You were looking for them right?” Ernisha stared at her sister in disbelief. She knew she had to brace herself for more as Sarah’s gifts weren’t distributed to everyone yet.

Recycled Present

It was finally their mother’s turn. Her curiosity crept in when she saw Sarah’s present for her. It was wrapped in an enormous box. Sarah, on the other hand, was so thrilled as she watched her mother take out the item. There was an awkward silence. No one knew what that gadget was for. So Sarah had to step in and explain that it was an electric foot massager. Her mother’s face brightened. She was relieved that she received an item that was not a lost belonging. However, she didn’t know that Sarah got the item from a recycling warehouse. When she plugged the foot massager and it lit up, the whole family cheered. Sarah proved that it wasn’t necessarily expensive to bring the spirit of Christmas.