People who are extremely frugal treat every coin as precious, and saving money becomes their entire lifestyle. While most people enjoy spending the money they’ve worked hard for on quality items, true cheapskates avoid those kinds of purchases at all costs. They stretch every dollar, reuse everything they can, and search endlessly for bargains—even when they actually have plenty of money. You’ve likely met someone like this. These individuals don’t just want to avoid spending; they genuinely find joy in squeezing maximum value out of every penny.
Everyone likes receiving something for free—a pen, a small coffee, or a tiny shampoo sample. But if you’ve never known anyone who takes frugality to extremes, prepare yourself. These kids, who grew up with incredibly cheap parents, shared some of the wildest stories from their homes. Their experiences have been rewritten here with clearer wording and proper phrasing.
1. My dad’s clever trick for getting free soap
When my father moved into his new place, he invited a man over to show him how to use an under-sink water filter. The instructor demonstrated the process using a bar of soap, then left it behind. Realizing he could get a free bar each time, my dad called at least four different companies asking for a “lesson.”
He never planned to install a filter at all—he just wanted the free soap.
This habit has only intensified as he’s gotten older, and honestly, I never tried to stop him.
2. The strict rules around paper towels
My dad treats paper towels like luxury items. Even though I’m an adult now, he still expects me to ask permission before I use them. He guarded them so tightly when I was younger that I thought each roll must cost at least $100.
He always buys the cheapest version of everything, even when it breaks quickly or doesn’t work well, which means he ends up paying double in the long run.
Once, my girlfriend and I accidentally spilled an entire gallon of milk in his house. She grabbed a roll of paper towels to clean it up. When my father discovered the roll was gone, he looked devastated. He didn’t scold us—especially not in front of her—but I could tell he was holding back frustration and sadness over that “wasted” roll.
3. My dad’s unusual strategies for saving money
My father’s cost-cutting methods go far beyond normal frugality.
He insists on hanging clothes outside year-round to avoid paying for electricity, even in freezing temperatures. When my sisters and I cleaned our rooms, he would go through our trash looking for “useful” items like cardboard or spare change.
He is obsessed with finding the cheapest gas. I once sat in his car for thirty minutes while he drove all over town hunting for the lowest price.
His favorite way to go downhill? Shift the car into neutral, open the door, and push himself with one foot to save a few drops of fuel.
We went to Burger King once, and he only allowed me to order chicken fries because he said burgers were “too expensive.”
4. Master of the return policy
My dad is absolutely in love with Costco’s return rules.
One of his biggest “victories” was returning a set of outdoor chairs we had used for eight years. The chairs were old and worn, but Costco still accepted them—and he used the refund to buy a brand-new patio set. I still can’t believe they took them back.
5. My grandmother’s legendary frugal habits
Growing up, I spent summers with my grandparents. One of my nightly chores was setting the dinner table. If guests were visiting, I had to use the “nice napkins,” meaning the ones that didn’t have restaurant logos printed on them.
My grandmother only took us out to eat if she felt she would benefit from it. She:
clipped endless coupons,
convinced others to take her to dinner as a favor,
carried a huge purse filled with restaurant napkins and leftovers,
and avoided any place without a salad bar.
For her birthday one year, my mother and I wanted to treat her to dinner — but we had to drive over an hour to find a Sizzler that hadn’t banned her yet.
6. Toilet paper savings — taken to the extreme
My dad found a place that sold those massive industrial toilet paper rolls used in shopping malls. He started buying them and installed them in our bathroom.
Imagine inviting friends over and having them face a giant commercial roll while washing their hands. Mortifying.
7. My grandmother’s unbeatable “lifetime guarantee” from Sears
When my grandparents married in the late 1940s, they registered at Sears back when nearly everything came with a “lifetime guarantee.”
Even after moving nine or ten times, my grandmother kept every flattened box and every warranty from her wedding.
Two years ago, I went with her to Sears to replace her ancient iron. She brought the original box and paperwork from the 1940s—and unbelievably, Sears honored the guarantee and handed her a brand-new iron.
She hasn’t bought a new appliance in nearly 60 years.
She always says, “Lifetime guarantee means lifetime guarantee.”
Honestly, I feel bad for Sears. No wonder the company is struggling—imagine thousands of thrifty grandmas doing the same thing.
8. My dad’s bargain house that became a huge project
My father is consistently too cheap, and choosing just one story is hard. He only looks at price tags, never long-term value.
If a six-pack of toilet paper is $5 and a twelve-pack is $7, he always buys the smaller one, even though it’s the worse deal.
When I was about eight, he bought a house.
A decent home in our neighborhood cost around $110,000 at that time.
Instead, he bought a beat-up house for $89,000.
It was built in 1947, and the original owner had been just as cheap as my dad.
Here’s what the house looked like:
Every door and window was a different size.
The original asbestos siding was still on the exterior.
The interior walls were unfinished.
There were no kitchen drawers or countertops.
The living room floor was bare plywood.
The only interior door was the bathroom door—and it didn’t lock.
The downstairs bedroom had loose linoleum lying across the floor.
He might have “saved” $21,000 initially, but he has spent far more trying to fix it over the years.
9. My dad’s frugal summertime survival tactics
I grew up in Georgia, where summers are brutally hot.
My father refused to turn on the air conditioner unless the temperature passed 100°F.
He bought Styrofoam boards lined with foil and made us wedge them into every window and exterior door to “keep the heat out” and cut AC costs.
Our town also has a natural spring where people gather to collect free drinking water. Moms would show up with a single jug for their kids, while my dad would stand there filling thirty-two five-gallon bottles “just in case the spring dries up tomorrow.”
10. The girl who had nothing — until one letter changed everything
My parents owned luxury cars, took yearly vacations to the Maldives, and always had the newest gadgets.
But I had almost nothing.
When my grandmother passed away, they quietly took the inheritance she left me without ever telling me.
Every year, they handed me a $50 Walmart gift card as my birthday present.
I didn’t even have my own phone.
But everything shifted the day I received a letter while they were away on a cruise.
The envelope read:
“Do not open while they are present.”
As soon as they were gone, I opened it.
“Hi Mary,
This is your biological father.
I haven’t seen you in many years.
I’ve worked hard to recover the inheritance your grandmother meant for you.
Come to the address below — it’s time for you to reclaim what is yours and begin a better life.”
And with that message, everything started to change.