6 Things I’m too cheap to pay for
I’ve been thinking about this post for a few days now and thought I would finally take the time to post it. We all have those things that are just readily available to us thru gifts, friends, family, or just the area we live in. There’s a few things that I am just too cheap to pay for (at least right now) that I thought I’d share with you. Some of them are interesting, some are just a good laugh.
- Shampoo - I’ve collected oodles of small hotel bottles both from my own travels and my father’s (who’s even more frugal than I am). I’ve been using them for a good 6 months without spending a cent on shampoo. I’m talking Neutrogena, Pantene, and everything. I’ve got at-least another 6 months to go before I run out.
- Costco Membership - My mom works for their corporate office in Issaquah, Washington. They can have 4 additional family members added to their account without cost. I’m one of the stingy who doesn’t want to cough up the $50 annual fee.
- Lotion - See #1 for background on small hotel bottles. I use lotion every day but haven’t boughten any for a good 6 months. My lotion stock isn’t as big as my shampoo stock, but sticking to sunscreen for the summer (for its sun protection just as much as that Banana Boat good smell) should keep me lathered up for another 6 months.
- Eggs - my girlfriend has a chicken coup of a dozen hens. This yields close to a dozen eggs a day. As long as I keep living close to her, I’ll never have to buy eggs again.
- Bank fees - No overdraft fees (I have USAA), no check fees (I have USAA) no ATM fees (again, I have USAA), no online bill pay fees (do I really need to keep bragging?), no balance transfer fees (USAA Amex has none - now I’m just gloating) Oh yeah…. and no more credit card annual fees (I’m canceling my American Express Gold Card) in favor of the no-fee (you guessed it) USAA Amex.
- Email Account - these you shouldn’t have to pay for. I use Gmail. ‘Nuf said.
Similarly, there are 6 things I pay for which I think are worth every single penny. They improve my quality of life and boost my happiness way more than they cost.
- Tivo - I pay a monthly subscription for myself and my father (I got him one too for his birthday). He travels a lot and when he is home, has other things to do while the basketball game is on. Now, we both watch TV on our schedule, skip thru commercials (and the angst of wanting things we don’t really need), and can catch up on shows that we are weeks behind on. (In almost 1/2 the time.)
- Sirius Satellite Radio - My boyfriend actually pays for this one, but I still think it’s worthy of adding to the list. I can travel from here to San Diego and never have to change the channel. No commercials, lots of music, and much happiness. The Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville station is worth it alone.
- Fitness Membership - $25/month of good health and mood management. If I was really frugal I’d take a shower there and get ready in the morning, saving on the cost of water and electricity.
- Internet Access - $29.99/month keeps me connected to EVERYTHING. Bills, friends, entertainment, work, tools and resources, oh and Ebay.
- Life Insurance - Even though I don’t have any dependents and don’t really NEED life insurance under the standard definition, $24/month provides my friends and family with half a million dollars incase I die. That’s one heck of a party!
- Ceiva - I bought my dad a Ceiva digital photo frame for Christmas. $13 month gives his frame the ability to dial in and download new pictures every night. When he wakes up in the morning, they are there. I’ve given my aunt, uncle, and sister the ability to send pictures to it. Now, no matter how far away he is from all of us, he can still feel connected.
Anyone else want to weigh in as to what you’re too cheap to pay for? Or something you think is worth every penny?
