Ah, the joys of being a first-time homebuyer.
The whole experience is exciting. Each step along the way can be exhilarating: deciding that you want to buy your own place, searching for the right neighborhood, touring homes for sale, making an offer on a home you like, and finding out that the offer was accepted.
Of course, when the offer is accepted, there are a few other details to go through. Among other things, you’ll want to get an inspection done and have a final walk-through before closing. By that point, there shouldn’t be any big surprises if you’ve gotten a good look, right?
Well, that’s what one couple apparently thought as they were in the process of closing a purchase of their first home. However, these first-time homebuyers were dealt a fun surprise, which I’ll share in this 23rd installment of the Squirreling Gone Wild Series.
So, the homebuyers were a classic couple: single in their late 20’s, living in the city as young professionals, they met each other and fell in love. After a few years, they got engaged, and then they got married. Soon after marriage, they decided to buy a home in the suburbs. I didn’t ask, but my guess was that this was in anticipation of starting a family.
Anyway, the wife wanted to live closer to her parents, and the guy agreed to it (or just dealt with it, which again wasn’t something I asked!). They picked a subdivision in this suburb which was a bit older, and a few miles from her parents’ house. Naturally, the home was a bit older as well, but appeared to be in good shape. Surprisingly good shape. They did note that the sellers had interesting choices in furniture and placement of furniture, but wrote that off as unimportant, since as buyers they of course would be having their own furniture.
After having their offer accepted, the couple had an inspection done on the house. The inspection revealed a few things that didn’t catch their eye originally, but could have if they looked carefully. I don’t recall what those were, from the original story, but I remember that it did make them wonder about the sellers. This was exacerbated by the sellers’ “nickel and dime” approach in dealing with the maintenance issues. However, the couple really liked the house, and they were so excited about it that they settled for what the sellers were willing to do. Besides, during these times, real estate had been steadily increasing in value.
Eventually, they were set to move in. They just had to go through the “formality” of the final walk-through before closing. Everything seemed taken care of, but it looked like the owners still hadn’t moved everything out. Some of the furniture was still in place, particularly in the family room. It was still in the same awkward layout that it had been before, though most of the rest of the house was empty. It seemed strange, but they were assured that it would be gone upon move in. They didn’t think anything more about it.
Then, they closed the sale, and got the keys. They got to their new home, their first home, and walked in to find…..a living room with massive stains all over the carpet.
The lightbulbs went on in their heads right away. These stains were the reason why the furniture was in such a strange layout, and was still present upon the home being sold.
Apparently, the stains were from pet urine. Lots of it. TONS of it.
As I recall the story, they eventually pulled out the carpet and found that the pet urine had seeped under the carpet into the floor boards. It was all over the room, right where the furniture was awkwardly placed. Messes were even elsewhere in the house, though apparently it was covered up in a less obtrusively. Now, I’m allergic to dogs and cats, and probably have less tolerance for pet disasters than the average person – so to me, this sounded disgusting. At least it didn’t smell, but that indicates that the stains were probably quite old. Maybe years old.
The prior homeowners were so cheap, that they couldn’t even replace the carpet when they lived there. Rather, they covered it up and dealt with it. Not only did they just deal with it, they stayed cheap as they strategically positioned furniture in such a way that the buyers had no idea that there were big problems.
Can you imagine being that sneaky, that shameless, just to save a few bucks up front? It reminded me of the people from Squirreling Gone Wild #10 who saved a few bucks by serving spoiled food.
From what I remember, the buyers thought that the sellers were moving up to a newer, bigger, more expensive house. So presumably they had some money….they just didn’t want to spend it, and weren’t transparent with the sellers.
I have to admit that I think it would have been kind of funny to see the looks on the couple’s faces when they saw the carpet. I can only imagine the wife’s face when she saw those stains J
Still, I did feel really bad for them, as they were jerked around by the bad cheapskate owners. One can be a good cheapskate, but they were bad cheapskates for sure!
Lesson learned: If anything seems suspicious in a home sale, then be suspicious and do your due diligence.
My questions for you:
- What would you have done in their situation?
- If you’ve ever had a home inspection done, have you encountered one where there have been red flags? Maybe you’ve heard of such situations as well.
You can usually get a small discount at the drive-thru. No coupons needed, and nothing needs to be on sale. The discount usually doesn’t apply if you make a purchase inside the restaurant.
How can you get this modest discount?
Well, one of the earlier episodes of the Squirreling Gone Wild series focuses on the extreme frugality of a friend of mine from back in the old days. In this 22nd edition of the series, I share my own dive into the abyss – which was really for fun anyway.
So, in my quest to drop my previously excessive (in my opinion) caffeine habit, I decided to drop the usual suspects in my previous choices: soda and coffee. To make that transition easier, I switched to one decaf coffee every few days in the month of January. The strategy worked very well, as I’ll share in a future post. Anyway, I purchased the decaf coffee by making my way to the drive-thru.
The first time I did this, I ordered the coffee at the speaker, and was told the cost would be $1.07. As I pulled up to the window to pay, I noticed something bright and shiny on the ground. Looking closely, it appeared to be a coin!
While I had previously derided such behavior, when presented with the opportunity to pick up a coin, my instincts took over. The car door opened, I reached down to look at the coin, and saw that it was a dime.
Sweet!
I paid the $1.07, kept my shiny new dime, and drove off with my decaf coffee. It occurred to me that effectively, that was a nice little discount!
So, with that in my mind, I searched for change on the ground with purpose on my next trips. As I found change, I thought it would be fun to keep track of how much was picked up on each trip.
There have been 9 drive-thru decaf coffee purchases in 2010. Here are the results:
- Visit 1: $1.07 spent, $0.10 found
- Visit 2: $1.11 spent, $0.03 found
- Visit 3: $1.07 spent, $0.01 found
- Visit 4: $1.11 spent, $0.13 found
- Visit 5: $1.07 spent, $0.02 found
- Visit 6: $1.07 spent, $0.05 found
- Visit 7: $1.07 spent, $0.20 found
- Visit 8: $1.11 spent, $0.00 found
- Visit 9: $1.07 spent, $0.12 found
All told, the nine visits for coffee totaled $9.75 in expenses. The total money found totaled $0.66. That’s a 6.8% discount.
Does this seem like a total cheapskate maneuver? Ok, I agree that it is. I became a real Squirreler here in 2011.
Maybe I enjoy these “arbitrage opportunities” (as a friend once called these) a bit too much. Why did I get a kick out of this gambit? I felt like Costanza on the Seinfeld series, with a scheme like this.
Doesn’t matter, it was all in fun. I felt like the ultimate cheapskate when I tried to pick up coin that was stuck to the ground in front of the drive-thru window on one of those visits. I looked up and saw a disapproving look by the lady taking the money at the window. Felt like I was being scolded by that look at hers.
“What a cheapskate!”, her eyes seemed to say, as I looked back up. I sheepishly handed over my $1.07, got my coffee, and drove off feeling busted.
I actually saw the same coin on a future visit, and opened the car door to grab it a second time, I’m almost ashamed to say. It was stuck to the ground. I wonder if it was there as a joke, like a coin that people glue to the ground so they can laugh at the misers that try to pick it up.
Before you wonder what I would do with that $0.66, here you go: I gave it away. Well, actually I gave away more, as I walked back in the restaurant and dropped a $1.00 bill in a charity donation box. All the change was picked up at the restaurant’s drive-thru, so I thought I might as well throw the something in the box. Every little bit counts, right – even if donated?
Moral of the story:
It’s not that we should all rush to the drive-thru hunting for coins. Rather, it’s that it goes to show that literally and figuratively, sometimes there really is money just laying around, right there under your feet:)
What is the wackiest thing you have done to either save a few coins, or pick up loose change?
Caveat Emptor, or Buyer Beware.
No matter how you say it, most of us realize that it’s up to us to be aware of what we buy, and to take responsibility for our own purchasing decisions. Thankfully, it’s also up to the other party to be fair, as there are often consequences in one form or another if they aren’t.
However, there are times when we deal with unscrupulous sellers who are out to rip us off. It’s often evident when certain situations are shady. In those cases, we have to use our heads and know how to use our better judgment to avoid getting greedy and getting something for nothing. This 21st edition of Squirreling Gone Wild shares a story that illustrates how if something seems too good to be true and risky as well – it probably is
The Scene
Ironically, the story comes from the same trip to China that I had described in an article on the best customer service I ever had. In that piece, I recalled an example of amazing customer service near the Great Wall about 20 years ago.
In this case, the episode occurred on the end of the same trip, after we left China and exited through Hong Kong as our gateway back to the West. After spending weeks in China, as American exchange students, we were ready for the craziness and freedoms of Hong Kong. You see, Hong Kong at the time was known to be a place where money talked. If you were 17 and wanted to drink, did you have a problem? Nope. Just go to a local bar or even convenient store and buy whatever you want. I visited my first bar ever while there – an Australian pub. Believe me, it was fun. A lot of fun. We had a little bit of money to spend, and that’s all anyone cared about. “Let’s make a deal” was the tone.
This deal-making attitude also took hold at many stores in Hong Kong. We were told ahead of time that people can negotiate for electronics, clothes, and other goods – there were no “true” fixed prices at many places. This was particularly true at smaller stores.
I had a few small deals, and that was it. I bought a jar of Tiger Balm (good stuff, by the way), bringing the guy down from $3 to $1. Small potatoes, really. Truth be told, I didn’t have much money and was lucky to be on the trip anyway.
Some of the people in our group were particularly excited about electronics stores. The notion was there that you could get electronics at much cheaper prices than back at home, if you smartly negotiated. Keep in mind this was 20 years ago and Hong Kong was a different place then. Saying all this, we were warned that we should be careful.
Of course, being high school kids, not everyone was mature or street smart. Some people on this exchange trip had never been out of the U.S, and had probably been sheltered. To some degree that included me.
The Deal
One guy in the group kept talking about how he wanted to buy a top of the line camera. The way the story went from those that were with him, they visited an area that had a large cluster of electronics stores, crowded next to each other with neon everywhere. So the kid walked in, found a camera he liked, and started to negotiate.
Apparently, he really aggressively tried to drive a hard bargain with the store owners. Eventually, the guy he talked to said he had to talk it over with this boss. Then, the salesman and his boss switched languages from English and went back and forth with each other in Chinese. Naturally, the American kid had no idea what they were saying.
Then, the boss turned to the kid and said “Yes” in English, indicating that they had a deal. The guy then once again spoke in Chinese to his employee, sending him to the back room to get a camera. When the guy returned, he brought a camera box, and the boss told the American kid that it was in its original box so it can’t be returned – especially since such a great price was being given.
The kid thought he was buying a camera at half the price of what it would cost at home, so he didn’t care. He quickly purchased the camera and left.
The Outcome
Well, sure enough, the kid opened the camera box later in the evening back at the hotel. What did he find?
Rocks!
Yep, they sold him a box of rocks. What a deal.
Naturally, many of the other people in the group were getting great laughs at this kid’s expense. I remember feeling bad for him, but laughing about it with others when he wasn’t there. It’s still funny to me.
WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS HE THINKING?!
What was funny is that he tried to go back to the store the next day, and the people tried to act like they only spoke Chinese and didn’t understand English. From what someone who was with him said, they were openly laughing at him and joking with each other in Chinese.
The American kid was ripped off and had no recourse. At all.
The Lessons
To me, this is another example of anti-Squirreling Gone Wild, actually – where the tables are turned and the business tries to save money on the customer, in a sneaky way. As I recalled this story, it reminds me in a way of my own experiences with The Crafty Waitress, from Squirreling Gone Wild #16.
It’s not just consumers that are looking to pinch pennies, its some businesses too. Yet they’re willing to pinch dollars out of you instead.
If it seems too good to be true, and appears to be overly risky, it probably is. Be sure to keep the something for nothing urges in perspective and under control, or someone somewhere will be there to exploit them.
How about you?
Have you ever been completely ripped off, or have you heard of anybody you know being totally scammed by a business?
Do you have any tips to avoid such situations?
How does a free meal sound to you?
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, we don’t want to follow the pattern of The Extractor , as those who read that story from Squirreling Gone Wild #18 realize. Also, we need to keep in mind that there are sometimes strings attached, and there might not truly be such a thing as a free lunch. To that latter point, we have to pick our spots to get free stuff. It can’t cause us to go out of our way, and it can’t influence our future purchasing decisions.
This 20th Edition of the Squirreling Gone Wild series shares a quick story of how a free meal for the family was happily brought home. Sometimes the little things can bring excitement, especially for a squirreler:)
Very recently, I had planned to spend some time running some errands during the mid-to-late afternoon. During this time, I was going to be heading by a particular restaurant which I happen to like. This made it the perfect time to execute my free meal plan.
How did the free meal get obtained? Well, a few years ago, I had signed up for a few email clubs at some restaurants. Just 3, actually. I had forgotten about them, until recently receiving a series of emails indicating that I will get a free birthday meal at each of these establishments. Hooray! Free is good!
I ran my errands, and then stopped by the particular restaurant I had planned to visit. As I got out of my car, I looked down to the pavement and saw a rugged, dirty looking quarter sitting there.
“Cool!”, I thought. Who doesn’t like to find a coin? Rugged or sparkling, money is money. So, I walked into the restaurant, email printout in hand, and ordered that meal. Then, I ordered another dinner to take home as well.
At that point, I finished the deal by pulling out a gift card which still had a small balance left. I got the card a few years ago, and it was just sitting there unused. Clearly, it was due to be enjoyed! Fortunately, it still had value.
So, with the combination of a free birthday meal and an old gift card, I walked out the door with two dinners that I made sure were likely among the most health-conscious choices on the menu, while paying nothing.
As I got to the car, I noticed that the minivan that was parked next to me when I got there was now gone. Then, I spotted a $1 bill by the curb next to where the van was. Sweet! I picked it up, put it in my wallet, and drove off.
Not a bad day! Two free meals, and earned $1.25 for the trouble of showing up. Kind of like icing on the birthday cake, or perhaps a tip for showing up there.
I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open for these free birthday meals in the future, and suggest that you consider taking the simple step of signing up for them when you get the chance.
And yes, I realize that I probably got a little too excited over a free meal. My frugal streak comes through here in blazing colors, for better or worse. But hey, it’s better to excited about doing it this way than how The Extractor gets free stuff!
What about you?
Have you had one of those times where you scored a free meal through coupons, email lists, or other like means?
Also, do any of you try to obtain free birthday meals?
Flattery, as we know, is an age old tactic to gain favor with people. Whether it’s for business purposes, to win over a date, or to curry favor with someone you want to impress, flattery is often used in order to reach a specific outcome.
This edition of Squirreling Gone Wild, the 19th in the series, is about a waiter who used a little flattery to obtain a nice tip from his customers. Much like the Crafty Waitress from Squirreling Gone Wild #16, this person employed some George Costanza-like methods to earn a few extra dollars from paying customers.
This story comes via a friend of mine, who recently went out to dinner with his wife. I have known them both for many years, him a few more. Needless to say, I know them pretty well.
He recently sent me a random text, which he does on occasion. They tend be on sports, stocks, careers, or other random topics of interest to him aside from his main interest: his family. This time, however, the text was related to his family, specifically his wife.
The text read: “Waiter asked Elaine to see ID, I told her it’s just for more tip. Would you ever say something like that?”
I smiled when I read that, because it sounds just like him. First, I told him no, I probably wouldn’t say that. I might think something like that, but would probably keep the thought to myself.
The next time we talked, which was a few days later, I asked him what exactly happened.
Apparently, when the waiter came by to take their order, they ordered cocktails. The guy asked Elaine (not her actual name, but let’s go with it here) for her ID. Now, Elaine is in her late 30′s. She does look younger than her age and is a very fit, active, nutrition-conscious person. But someone in his or her late 30′s will not look like a borderline-21 year old person. I don’t know any contemporaries that do, and have yet to meet one. We all age, it’s natural and normal.
According to my friend, it made his wife beam with pride. She was teasing him how she was carded and he wasn’t, though she’s a few months older. That’s when he told her that the only reason the waiter did that is in order to flatter her so he can get a bigger tip.
I of course started to laugh when I heard that, because I know my friend and how he can be direct, a bit competitive….and have the ability to accurately assess situations. So, he said that to her. Personally, I wouldn’t have said that, and would have let her enjoy the moment, no matter how delusional. But hey, we’re all different.
Then I asked what she said, and he evaded the answer a bit, changing the subject to what the waiter ended up doing. Apparently, the waiter went to a table of two guys in the booth adjacent to them, and took their drink order without asking for IDs. The guys seemed like a father-son duo according to my friend, about 55 and 25. The son was a younger looking guy, but was not carded. My friend’s wife, who is actually well over 10 years older, was carded.
Needless to say, this fueled my friend’s suspicions even further. He told his wife this again, teasing her, and she talked some smack beck at him. All good natured, I’m sure.
He said that they later both noticed a different larger table of women, seemingly out for a “girls night”, get carded by the same guy. Then my friend’s wife started to buy in a bit, but still rubbed it in his face that she was carded and he wasn’t.
Later, when she got up to use the restroom, the bill came and my friend told the waiter that the guy made his wife’s week by asking for her ID. He also said that it made her happy to see that she was carded and he wasn’t, in addition to the younger guy at the adjacent booth.
So my friend, while bantering back and forth with the server, joked with him by asking him “If it works”. The waiter apparently paused, thought about the question for a second, and said with a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his face, “I’m in the business of making people happy”.
When Elaine got back to the table, my friend said he was looking at the bill and trying to figure out a tip. She told him to give him an over the top nice tip.
Well played, Mr. Waiter. Like a squirrel trying to find a nut, he kept at it and ultimately got his modest prize.
My friend dutifully did what his wife asked him to do, and gave the guy a good tip. I’ll give him credit for admitting it. I didn’t ask what percentage, but he felt that the waiter deserved credit for being smart, and besides – his wife told him to do it:)
Have you ever experienced anybody – be it a sales person, vendor, waiter – flattering you in an obvious way to try to get money from you?
Do you ever complain about bad service at a restaurant? Do you contact a company if you purchase a product that doesn’t live up to your expectations?
If so, maybe you just want to let the business know your thoughts, or perhaps in some cases you want a refund. This edition of Squirreling Gone Wild will focus on a unique type of individual who goes beyond complaining and likes to suck free goods or services out of a business as a vampire likes to suck blood. It’s frugality run amok.
Now, some of us do complain more than others, and there is a wide spectrum of fussiness among consumers. Personally, I’m on the lower end of that spectrum. I’m likely to take action by making a different purchasing decision next time. If it’s incredible rudeness, gross incompetence, or something of the like, I’ll gladly complain. But that’s not frequently the case.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who will complain at any dissatisfaction they have with food, service, or product. If they don’t like what they paid for, they will let the business know about it loud and clear. Whether it’s wanting to get out frustrations, or simply trying to get a refund every time they’re unhappy, these folks like to take a stand.
Then, there’s that unique type of individual I referred to earlier. The best way I could characterize this person is with this title:
The Extractor
I had the pleasure of knowing one these individuals, and it was quite interesting. On the surface, she and her husband were nice, gentle people. I got to know them a bit through a friend, and eventually spent some time with them on occasion. They had some good qualities as people, no doubt.
However, when it came to spending money, they were penny pinchers extraordinaire. This would manifest itself when going out to dinner with them.
Invariably, there was something wrong with the food or service. Maybe the food isn’t warm enough, perhaps it isn’t spicy enough, or maybe the water doesn’t have enough ice. There was always something to complain about. And complain she did.
I recall one time when we went out for pizza, there was someone in our group that was thirsty, but didn’t get a glass of water for about 10 minutes. Otherwise, it was a good evening out for all, with good pizza and good fun. I didn’t think anything of it.
The next time I saw The Extractor, she told me that she called the pizza place the next day, complained about the service, and scored a credit for free food up to $20.
All for a glass of water. And she wasn’t the one who had to wait for water!
Another time we went out with The Extractor and husband (and there weren’t that many times), I recall her complaining about the quality of a vegetarian sandwich that was ordered. “Could they have really messed up something made of veggies?!” is what I thought. But then I remembered who I was with, and thought “That’s just her. We all have our quirks”
Of course I gave her the benefit of the doubt. And, of course, she turned around and complained even more, to the point where they gave the sandwich for free. I began to see a pattern.
I then noticed, in a few conversations on different occasions, that she would talk about different instances when she complained about products she purchased. One was ice cream that she said had too many artificial ingredients in it for her taste, so she called the company to complain. A coupon for free ice cream was sent. A similar complaint was made with a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips. A coupon for a free bag of chips was sent.
I first thought, “If the food product was so offensive that a complaint was necessary, why eat a replacement that’s exactly the same?“
Then I quickly concluded, “She’s not really complaining. She’s just trying to get free stuff.”
That was it. It was all about getting free stuff.
I recall visiting their home, and seeing a letter sitting out on the coffee table. I didn’t want to be nosy, but when The Extractor and her husband stepped into the kitchen, I peered from the corner of my eye at the letter. The letter began something like:
“Dear Mrs. (Extractor), we are sorry that our product did not meet your satisfaction……”
I smiled. Even thought I didn’t think it was good form on her part, it was kind of funny, if for no other reason than it was so blatant. I thought, “Well, this is kind of weird, but at least they’re not hurting me. And besides, they’re nice in other ways.”
Fast forward to later on that year. We were out to dinner again, this time at a nice place downtown that was fairly pricey. It was a fabulous meal, with nice views of the of the city to boot. Fun experience to be sure.
Then, as we were nearing the end of the meal, I saw her husband’s eyes notice something, and he immediately got up. I turned, and noticed that he was going to the bathroom. The next thing I know, the waiter walks up to our table with the check. He handed it directly to me.
First I was like “What the…..”. Then, quickly realized what was going on. Mrs. Extractor was married to another Extractor! Very slick, that ”to the bathroom when the bill’s on it’s way” move.
All of a sudden, it’s not as funny when you’re the one being extracted from!
That was long enough ego, but needless to say, I don’t see Mr. and Mrs. Extractor anymore.
I had done this once as a college kid, trying to score a free pizza. It worked, and I felt bad afterward, as shared in a previous story here. But these were grown adults doing this type of thing on a regular basis. Not my type:)
Have you ever met anybody like this, who takes such extreme measures to get free things?
The “something for nothing urge” is something that comes up often in the Squirreling Gone Wild series. Frugality run amok! This edition shares two instances which combined kids AND grown-ups letting their excitement over something for nothing get the best of them. A new generation of extractors has to learn somewhere, right?
The first situation, unfortunately, involved me being the catalyst for craziness. It was just in the last year or two, when we went out as a family for Sunday brunch. As we were on the way out, I looked toward the door, and spotted a gumball machines. I hadn’t gotten gum from a machine in probably 25 years, so normally I wouldn’t think anything of it.
This time, gum just sounded good, as a taste break. So, what did I do? I walked through the first door which opened to that entryway area, and stood by the gum machine. I then paused and thought to myself: Do I want to act like a child and put my quarter in the gumball machine?
I quickly looked around, and assessed the situation: nobody was watching. So, I put my quarter in, turned the dial, and out came a gumball. I quickly grabbed it while acting nonchalant. I guess it was embarrassing to be a 6’0″ tall grown man who’s a father that’s buying a gumball for himself. I did it anyway, and that gum was as good as I remembered it from the days of youth.
Then I noticed something else: the quarter was still there! I got the gumball for free. I thought that was strange, but it was quickly exhilarating, and I turned the dial a second time just to see what would happen. Out came another gumball, and my quarter was still there. Another free gumball. YES! I was curious if this was just luck or a case of a broken machine, so I tried again: free gumball #3 emerged.
At that point, a wave of guilt and a bigger wave of maturity came over me, and I stopped. I just hit me that I need to stop, so I did. However, I made the mistake of talking about it aloud with my family.
Apparently, a kid from a different family heard me talk about it, and he excitedly ran over and turned the dial. Never mind that it was my quarter that was still in there, though I didn’t care since he was just a child that was too excited to notice or care whose money it was. The kid was just so excited, and he turned the dial to get the quarter and free gum. It was good theatre, and he was happy to get the gum. Eagerly, he told his parents what happened.
The mom said, “let’s try it again!”. So, the kid does it again, while I watch. He gets more gum. Then he kept turning the dial and collecting gum. Both his parents are then laughing as he’s so excited to get free gum. He turned the dial 5 or 6 times before his parents told him to stop and give the “Nice Man” his quarter back. He grudgingly did that, and then they (and we) walked out. They were laughing about the whole thing, while I was amused by their actions.
The part that was especially funny to me is that they felt bad about him using my quarter. I couldn’t have cared less about that quarter, in reality. To me, what should have been important to them is that they were encouraging the kid to take advantage of the broken machine, and rip off the owners repeatedly. Sure, it was just gum, but they didn’t get that wave of guilt or maturity about getting something for nothing at someone else’s expense. Maybe they thought they were smart and frugal? Who knows.
Do you think that kid noticed his parents’ approach to this? He got extra laughs and attention for his antics. An extractor was born.
The second situation was at a bank, where they kept cookies in the lobby area. These appeared to be super cheap chocolate chip cookies of the stale, generic variety. They were lined up on a plate on counter. A frugal “treat” for customers.
In this situation, I eyed the cookies as I walked in. I have to admit, sometimes when I see free food, there’s some kind of magnetic attraction there. This time, I must have quickly assessed the cookies and decided that I wasn’t interested, as I walked to the rather long teller line. I then heard some commotion, and saw some kids walking in with their mom. They made a beeline for the cookies, and asked their mom if they could have some. The mom said something like “Yes, but settle down!”.
That’s the only discipline that was shown. The kids each must have taken 3 or 4 cookies, and then they sat down while their mom got in line. She said nothing. Now, 3 or 4 small cookies isn’t a big amount, and I’m sure the bank didn’t care one iota. Maybe I shouldn’t either. But to me, it’s the idea that they didn’t just take one, and that they finished off what was left on the plate. They left nothing for other customers.
Two more extractors were created.
My takeaway from these two episodes is that the something for nothing tendency can exist in all of us, and this includes kids. I can’t blame the kids, but I do think the parents should teach their kids socially acceptable behavior, and not to take advantage of others like that.
Oh well. At least these things were amusing to see 
When I was a young kid, I remember visiting San Francisco with my parents, and trying to grab pennies from a water fountain in a hotel lobby. I went so far as to step in the water to collect coins. That something for nothing urge was there big time. FREE MONEY! It was a blast, for that minute I was doing it.
The fun ended when my mom yanked me out of the water. She told me that civilized people don’t do that, and people might have made wishes before throwing the coins in the fountain. I was made to drop the coins back in the fountain. Now that I’m a parent, I would do the same thing. Thankfully, my daughter seems like a more mature kid than I was at that age:)
Here are my questions:
- Do you think that these seemingly small examples are good situations for parents to teach lessons to kids, instead of facilitating their shenanigans?
- Can you think of any such examples from your own childhood, or from your experiences as a parent?
- Am I just getting old? You don’t have to answer that one, I know that I am
Most stories in the Squirreling Gone Wild series have centered around interesting measures people take to save money. Usually, these stories have been about people I know or strangers who I have seen trying to save a few dollars or even pennies on food, gas, and other purchases. A few of these stories even involved me:)
This story is in that latter group as it involves me. However, it’s a little bit different because it discusses how someone appeared to keep a few dollars at my expense.
For this story, let’s rewind a few years, when I was doing a little bit more business travel. It’s one that I actually hadn’t even thought about being included in this series, until it popped in my head at a restaurant recently when trying to pay for a meal.
Anyway, during the aforementioned business trip, I recall eating a meal at a hotel restaurant by myself. Yes, the lonely business traveler is what I was that day:) Actually, the restaurant was a bar and grill, and I had been there before on a previous trip. Decent atmosphere, several TVs with sports on, and quick service….about all you can hope for at a mid-range airport hotel.
I don’t remember exactly what I ordered that day – but it was probably a small order, since it came out to just under $10. I think it was $9.83, but it might have been a few cents more or less. That is the price it came to, before tip, when I got the check.
Once I got the check, I reached for my wallet, pulled out a $20 bill, and set it in the little black folder that restaurants provide when giving you a check. I didn’t use a credit card that day, probably because the total was relatively low.
Soon after I set it down at the edge of the table, the waitress shuffled over to pick it up. Then, she proceeded to ask me the following question:
“Would you like any change?”
I remember sitting there thinking to myself, “Ummm….uh…YEAH! That’s $20 I left with the check!”
So of course, what I actually said was a polite “Yes, please.”
It seemed odd to me. Did she forget that my bill was less than $10? Clearly, my $20 was visible as it edged out of the little black folder. Maybe she didn’t see it? Hard to believe, but who knows.
Then, she quickly came back with the change and a big cheery smile, saying “Thank you!” I opened the folder, and saw the bill with a smiley face and the same words written. Then, I grabbed the bills and coins that represented the change she gave me, without thinking twice. I did a double take when I saw what she gave me, in addition to the loose change:
Two $5 bills.
On the occasions that I actually pay cash instead of charging, I usually look to the change I receive as the source for the tip I will leave for the server. I have to think many others view it the same way.
This got me thinking; “Why did she leave two $5 bills? Wouldn’t that make it tough to leave an appropriate tip?”
There’s no way I’m leaving a $5 tip for a meal that cost me less than $10. But that’s what would happen if I counted on the change for the tip.
I smiled as I realized that the waitress might be playing games with me, to secure a bigger tip.
At that point, I waited until I made eye contact with her, at which time I motioned to have her come over. She walked to the table, and I asked her if she could make change for one of the $5 bills.
She paused for a second or two before saying “It might take a while, since I have to get change from the bar. Do you want to wait?”
Ok. Maybe I was being cynical, but that convinced me that she was probably trying to extract from me. Believe me, I have seen enough instances of extraction to know what this looks like.
I paused, then thought that maybe I have some change in my wallet. I checked, and found a few singles.
I made the quick decision: take out a $1 bill, leave it on the table along with the change, and say “No thanks, there’s no need to get that change”.
I shared the story with someone, who chuckled while telling me that I didn’t exactly teach the waitress a lesson. After all, I did leave a tip.
That’s probably true. I said my tip was about 12%, which is lower than my usual 15% to 20%. Again, I got a few extra chuckles, as this wasn’t exactly a motivator for the waitress to play fair with the customers. I guess that in the split second when I made the decision, I just couldn’t walk away leaving nothing.
Allow me to ask you:
Do you agree with me that the waitress was playing games? What would you have done in this situation?
On a warm day, doesn’t an ice cream cone just hit the spot sometimes? A nice cold, flavorful treat can do wonders to break the heat.
Well, we had experience with something close to ice cream – gelato – which did a great job in cooling us down from the heat on a warm day a few years back. Nothing remarkable about that, right? Well, that’s certainly true, but the fact that we did not spend even a penny for multiple flavors of gelato made it even sweeter! This 15th edition of Squirreling Gone Wild explores how we got the gelato for free, and the merits of this approach.
First off, I have to say that gelato can be pretty darned tasty. I had never had any of it until I was fortunate enough to visit Italy some years back. After getting a taste of it in one Italian gelateria, I was hooked. It got to the point where I was having a scoop twice a day. One day, I had a double scoop in both the afternoon and evening.
Anyway, I don’t get gelato like this on a daily basis, here at home:) Mostly fond memories from a trip abroad. That said, a few years back – while vacationing within the U.S. – we came across a place that had gelato for sale. It was one of those types of days when you want a cold drink or an ice cream cone to break up the day, so this place was a welcome find.
The place was more like a free standing kiosk, shaped like a rectangle. Picture gelato being sold on each side of the rectangle, in the cold refrigerated displays, with a mini “wall” dividing the two sides of the kiosk. This divisor contained supplies, such as cones, cups, and other items. Essentially, if you were a customer or employee on one side, you couldn’t see what was going on over on the other side.
As we approached the mini-gelateria, we went off to the left side of it, and peered into the display. Lots of good flavors were there, and we couldn’t decide what to get. So, we asked for a sample “taste” of a flavor. Then another. Then, yet another.
At that point, you almost feel obligated to get something. At least I would. One sample is ok, but three means you’re serious:)
So, what did we do? We decided to go to the other side, just to see if there were any new flavors. There weren’t, as it was basically the same selection as on the other side. There was a different person working on the other side, however.
While on the other side, we decided to try out one more flavor that we saw initially, but didn’t try. That’s four total samples at this point. You just have to get something now, don’t you think?
Then, we looked up at the price: $6 for a scoop.
Yes, it was $6 for one scoop. $12 for two. Just for this glorified ice cream. Sure, the samples were good, but $12 for two scoops? Are you kidding?
At that point, I thought “Hmmm….you know, I have had enough of the gelato already. Why pay so much when the taste buds were satisfied by the samples, and I’m cooled down now. Besides, the guy here on this side only gave us one sample, so we won’t get that look that we would after walking from four samples….let’s just walk away?”
That’s what we did: we walked away. The net result: $12 in tasty (albeit overpriced treats), for ZERO! Not bad.
Now, I have to say that it wasn’t my intention up front to get free gelato and then to walk away without buying. The intentions were good, and totally legitimate. It’s just that the price was so shocking, that we walked away. That’s how I can rationalize it – I never would have paid that kind of money for the dessert if I had known the price.
While I didn’t do this intentionally, many folks do this with no problem. Anyone who has been in a Costco has seen people swarm to the free samples that are given away. They go from station to station, and eventually try to come back for more if they like what they sampled. There are plenty of other places where samples are offered – and some people take them without intending to even consider a purchase.
What do you think? Do you ever go for multiple samples with the idea that you can get a mini-meal for free? If yes, where do you draw the line?
It’s often nice to enjoy nature, even the simple aspects of it. Green parks, proud and majestic trees, meandering streams and rivers – they’re all examples of the outdoors that can be admired within the confines of many urban and suburban environments. The great part is that it doesn’t take much money at all to simply appreciate some of these parts of nature.
There are some individuals, however, who try to take matters into their own hands, and are a bit too “overzealous”. In this 14th edition of Squirreling Gone Wild, I’ll share a recent scene that I encountered where some people tried to take frugality just a bit too far when enjoying nature.
The experience I had with these characters started innocently enough. I was driving down a suburban boulevard on a recent warm, summer day. This was a four lane road, with a median in between both sides of traffic, and was not heavily trafficked. The median, as the road approached the traffic light, was very nicely landscaped. Highlighting the landscaping was a nice arrangement of flowers that was on a slightly elevated grade. I’m not a flower expert (don’t know too many guys that are), so I couldn’t tell you what kind they were. What I do know, however, is that the flowers were yellow, red, and very vibrant.
So, as I approached the stoplight, I met a yellow light about to turn red. Naturally, I stopped at the light. Then, to my left, I saw a car pull up. Immediately, the passenger door next to me open, as did the backseat door on the other side of the car. Two women scurried out of the car, and made their way to the median. One looked to be in her 50’s, the other in her 20’s. Perhaps a mother and daughter.
In the blink of an eye, they were furiously pulling flowers. I sat there amused and stunned. They just pulled and pulled and kept on pulling. I kept the window rolled down, and could hear them speaking to each other in excited, hurried tone while they accumulated flowers. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, as it didn’t appear to be English. Regardless, they clearly getting a kick out of this. They had these mischievous grins on their faces as they kept pulling flowers.
Finally, a man in the car waved to them as the light was about to turn green. They each carried an arm full of flowers to the car, tossed them inside, then got in. At that point, the light turned green, and they took off.
It all happened so fast.
I drove off after that, and chuckled at how sneaky those people were. Then, my humor turned to a more realistic view of what these clowns did.
They took flowers that were intended to be for the public, paid for by taxpayer dollars, and took them for themselves. They had absolutely no regard for the right thing to do in that situation.
So, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that these people absolutely knew that they were doing something wrong. They had those naughty smiles as they accumulated flowers at a dizzying rate.
What could I have done differently? This was the thought in my mind as I kept on driving. Maybe I could have used this new smartphone I bought, and taken a video of them along with their car’s license plate number. Perhaps the local police would have liked to have seen it? I would guess that it’s against the city’s ordinance to take public property like that. Or, maybe I could have just gotten out of the car and asked them to stop doing it.
Alas, I was just sitting there stunned as I had previously watched them, so they got away.
I wonder what they did with those flowers. Did they put them in a vase in their home? They could have filled several vases the way they were going. Or perhaps they’re going to some function and want to take a bouquet of flowers. Maybe someone they know had a tragedy and they wanted to brighten the person’s day?
Regardless, it was frugality run amok, what those frugal flower bandits did!
Have you ever seen someone do something so blatantly tacky? Have YOU actually done something tacky like this? As you know, it’s safe to confess here:)
