My Life Divided: Before and After

People have unique attitudes toward money. Some embrace every day as if it’s their last, splurging on luxuries, while others are frugal, saving for uncertain days ahead. Though holding onto money isn’t inherently negative, extreme frugality can hamper everyday life for both the individual and their family.

For those who haven’t experienced living with a frugal family member, these anecdotes shared by folks on Reddit will give you a glimpse into such quirky experiences.

1. Dad’s Ingenious Way to Get Free Soap

One person recalled their father inviting water filter companies for free demonstrations just to nab the complimentary bar of soap, despite having no interest in the filter itself. Such behavior seems to become more pronounced with age, but they just let him be.

2. The Tale of the Precious Paper Towels

Another Redditor shared how their father hoards paper towels, insisting they ask for permission even at 21 to avoid wastage. An unforgettable moment occurred when the user’s girlfriend used a whole roll to clean a milk spill, leaving the father silently distressed but too polite to show anger.

3. Dad’s Quirky Way to Save Pennies

This storyteller described their dad’s efforts to beat electricity bills by air-drying clothes even in freezing weather. Keen on finding “valuables,” he’d rummage through his children’s trash, all while hunting for the cheapest gas in town.

4. Master of the Return Policy

A significant tale involved a father who returned an eight-year-old outdoor furniture set to Costco, taking full advantage of their lenient return policy to fund a new patio set.

5. Grandma’s Special Occasions Napkins

One grandchild shared the unique dining experience at their grandparents’ home, where “good napkins” meant those without restaurant logos. Grandma was a pro at maximizing deals, cleverly using restaurant visits to stockpile napkins and buffet food.

6. Bulk Buys Embarrassment

An amusing story narrated the dad’s enthusiasm for purchasing giant industrial toilet rolls, having discovered their source, leaving the children embarrassed when friends visited.

7. Sears and the Lifetime Guarantee

In her quest for enduring value, a grandmother religiously saved boxes and warranties from her wedding gifts to capitalize on Sears’ old lifetime guarantee policy, acquiring new appliances decades later.

8. Dad’s House Purchase Story

Frugality led this father to buy a dilapidated house at a low price to save money. Over time, however, the multitude of repairs and updates amounted to much more than if he had just purchased a better property initially.

9. Cooling on a Budget

This savvy dad in Georgia devised a makeshift solution involving metallic-foiled styrofoam to minimize AC use, together with hoarding gallons of natural spring water to avoid buying drinks.

10. The Gift Card Surprise

What started as a simple gift card inherited from a grandfather unveiled a surprise when it turned out to be linked to an unclaimed million-dollar store sweepstakes. The unsuspecting grandchild’s life was transformed in a moment.

11. Ramen Noodle Memories

An anecdote involved a dad collecting flavor packets from ramen noodles. Diversifying his meals but saving the packets in a large stash proved surprisingly helpful whenever other flavors ran out.

12. The Brick Cleaning Saga

A story of reclaimed value highlighted a father’s insistence on scrubbing every brick from a demolished garage to reuse them one day—years later, they still sit unused.

13. Sharing Bathwater

In a bid to cut utility expenses, a family would reuse bathwater starting with the children, conserving resources amid financial constraints.

14. The Crib That Was a Dog Bed

This recollection involved a dad considering a dog bed as a suitable sleeping solution for his baby instead of traditional furniture, much to the amusement of family.

15. Christmas Wrapping and Its Memories

A childhood filled with the sight of misprinted discounted wrapping paper became an endearing Christmas tradition, the paper’s irregularities sparking fond memories of the festive season.

16. The Toy Crib

Attempting frugality, a new grandfather offered a toy crib as a “perfect bed” for his granddaughter, overlooking its impracticality and safety hazards, leading to shared laughter.

17. Stretching Condiments

A mother’s peculiar habit of stretching condiments by adding water, despite its unusual result of watery flavors, became an oddly endearing practice of “thrifty love.”

18. Long-Lost Truths and Revelation

Living with scant means, one individual discovered the hidden truth of a substantial inheritance through a clandestine letter from their biological father, providing new hope, away from their lavish-living parents.