Extreme Cheapskates

I know reality tv is just full of crazies but I had to check out this show. A lot of the stuff I seen on the show isnt even logical.

I’m currently a poly student, and i’ve been arguing with my parents about the topic of pocket money. So for context, I received $70 (because of school hols + i got a super viral flu fever) in march and my average pocket money amount is about $100/month. How it’s calculated is based on whether I go to school or not, receiving $10 PER SCHOOL DAY (sometimes even if i go school im getting $0). if i dont have school, im getting $0 even if im going out with my friends once in awhile.

So in poly, my timetable is around just 3-4 days of school per week. Which means im getting $30-40, even if im eating breakfast+lunch+dinner. Sometimes during my non-school days, I would wanna relax and maybe go out for lunch with my friends. Today, I was asking my dad if it’s possible to increase my pocket money because I work as a private tutor 3 times a week and even then it’s barely enough with the rising cost in sg. He then got super defensive saying that i don’t even go out that much, i need so much money for what?? i go to school 3-4 times a week, go out about 2-3 days either working or with my friends

I’m really at my wits’ end, i don’t have a solution for this because what he’s telling me is basically:

• everyday just go school and come home, if u wanna go out with your friends that’s your choice, but im indirectly punishing you for it

• spend $3 per meal (which is freaking impossible wth, the chicken rice near my house is $7.50)

idk what the hell im supposed to do, am i supposed to call up my school and request for 7 day school weeks?? my parents are so damn unreasonable and borderline abusive to me and my sister lmao (my sister hasnt spoken to them in months). even after showing them the straits times article of average pocket money $14/day, this man is insisting that mine is enough.

i’m really bawling my eyes out because i never realised how little my parents care about me and my well-being. i’m not asking them to move heaven and earth, i’m asking for something more than $2.30 per day. plus, im a girl who has to buy clothes, shampoos, conditioners all on my own expense. i’m not tryna be someone who relies completely on my parents but damn im working 3 times a week and i cant cope with more, i feel so damn depressed about this. anyone please help me!!

side note: my sister is receiving $500/month while studying abroad at china (costs are way lower!!!)

I love the trashy reality TV show you can watch on YouTube but it all seems very odd. I am in UK and we don't have coupons for example.

I love this show. I honestly wish there were more seasons. (I would take any show recommendations for similar series!) This isn’t meant to look down on anyone on the show or anyone who lives like this, I honestly wish I had that kind of self restraint. However I’ve watched a few episodes where people have habits that I feel like don’t really save money or at least could find better options.

For example I just watched the episode where the woman’s boyfriend wants her to get an actual bed instead of using her air mattress. She says a new bed will cost her $1,000 so she buys two heavily stained mattresses for $8 each. I feel like people give away mattresses or at least sell them (not for $8) often on Craigslist. I see free mattresses on CL all the time, I feel like that would have been a better option. For such a frugal person: how does she not own a sewing kit for easy repairs? She buys fabric scraps and duct tapes them together.

Another episode shows a family who uses paper plates covered in plastic wrap. Wouldn’t the cost of plastic wrap outweigh the cost of just buying more paper plates?

Another episode has a guy who runs his hot tub to use for showers/dishes/laundry. Hot tubs aren’t known to be cheap and I’m assuming the cost of running that is high.

Anyone up for discussion? (Also like I said looking for show recommendations) :)

I’ve been binge watching those old shows recently and I’ve wondered how much of them are staged. I assume the addictions are legit but maybe they exaggerate it a little for tv. The things the people on extreme cheapskates would do to save money are just impractical and waste time.

Some from the show and some from my own experience. Feel free to add on

1. Cleaning with water and vinegar. I would still add baking soda and dish washing liquid to the list for a more powerful cleaner but we don’t necessarily need bleach or other cleaning agents though they are nice to have.

2. Buying a bicycle for transportation. This might not be a good option for everyone especially if you live in an area that is hard to get around without a car but it will definitely save you money longterm if you don’t want to take the bus. My advice is to get a decent bike used for a few hundred dollars and initially yes it’s more expensive but in the long run you save a lot. I used to live where it would cost $1200 a year for the bus and I bought a $400 bicycle recently after moving so if I stayed there I could save $800.

3. If you want to go to community college but don’t have the money try to find employment that can pay for your schooling. This one is hard because most jobs don’t pay for schooling but there’s a few that at least pay for community. My sister had a job that paid for her to get her bachelors because it was in the same field however she had to pay for community. It’s a better deal to not have to pay for a college that isn’t community as they are much more expensive.

4. If you use a credit card get one with cash back and don’t spend more than 10% of your credit line. Pay it back when it’s due and not too early so your credit score can go up. Good credit scores are important for applying to apartments and getting a car.

5. Look for sales when shopping. If you’re buying clothes get them thrifted. Groceries? Try going to get some things at Aldi (I don’t trust meats here so Trader Joe is also a good option cause they are cheaper and generally healthier than an average grocery store). Coupons help too.

6. Growing your own food can help you not only avoid pesticides but also save money. Haven’t tried this yet but it sounds like a fun idea to garden.

7. Find a cheaper phone plan. Mint mobile can be $15 a month for a single line 4 GB of data can work if you don’t use a lot of data. If you use more and want a better range of service t mobile connect works for $25 a month 6 GB.

8. Cook more eat out less. Cost of food his risen significantly and making your own food can help make things cheaper for you.

I suck at excersising but I'm sure I'd be happy to do it if I were generating electricity and cutting down on my bills. Anybody has any idea if you can actually generate a worthwhile amount of electricity with this sort of concoction?