Every person has their own take and view of what frugal/cheap is. My personal view on the world is that one man’s trash is another WOMAN’s treasure. Could some call me extreme? Yes. But I’m the one with the growing savings, low bills and fabulous life.
I’m a thrift store shopper, dumpster diver, trash picker and all-around frugalista! A couple of my fabulous finds:
FREE
Coupon Inserts
Diamond and Ruby Gold Ring
Live Plants in Flower Pots
Laserjet Printer
Two High Back Gorgeous Dining Chairs
Small Grecian Columns
PAID FOR
Dishwasher and a Refrigerator for $30 total! Both in near new condition.
Judge me if you will, but it’s all personal opinion. Humans, especially Americans, are so wasteful. People starve around the world while we are constantly throwing out things from our refrigerators that have gone bad. I view my life as an opportunity to make a difference by recycling, giving and saving my hard earned dollars.
Am I frugal or just cheap to the extreme? I proudly raise my hand to both questions. Want to follow along with me in my extreme undertakings? I’ll be blogging about it this year….just wait!
First extreme frugal confession:
Unopened, sealed condiments from a finished food tray outside of a hotel room. Free, and very tastey! Rather than see these get thrown out and wasted, my husband was able to enjoy some delicious ketchup and mustard! Do I call myself a Freegan? No. But I might be if I lived somewhere that threw out that much food!
Weigh in with your thoughts: Extreme, Frugal, or Responsible?
Photo taken by Tiffany from Living As Mom. See more extreme frugal confessions at Bargain Briana.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Crystal,
You are just too funny! I loved this, you are so much fun and full of surprises
Happy we got to spend time together in Nashville!
.-= Tiffany´s last blog ..All You Printable Coupon! =-.
SMART GIRL! I love your way of thinking!
I think it’s great to reuse what other people don’t want–it’s far less wasteful and sets a good example for children in what is often a materialistic and throw-away society. We refurbished several bikes that other people had thrown out, and got a perfectly good electric piano and a side table, to name just a few things. My husband found a really nice shallow wooden box that he’s going to help me make a wine cork bulletin board out of (the extensive collection of wine corks is my own).
I LOVE this post…you are too fun!
.-= Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam´s last blog ..Creating Beautiful Food…are you that chef? =-.
You are a hoot! I vote frugal and environmentally responsible–does that count as a vote??
Too cute!
.-= Gabrielle´s last blog ..Free Oreo Cakesters =-.
I am also a bit of a “dumpster diver”…. I can usually find tons of coupon inserts in the recycling bins around the neighborhood every week!
.-= Crystal´s last blog ..FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO REMEDY MAGAZINE =-.
I love Dumpster Diving!
I’ve done that for coupons and magazines before! 
which reminds me….I have a great story for my next frugal confessions edition!
I vote for environmentally conscious!
I hate waste, so far before I was frugal, I was attempting to minimize waste.
You ROCK!
.-= Noelle´s last blog ..Ore-Ida Steam N Mash Printable Coupon =-.
I would totally be freegan if it weren’t for my 3 kids. I don’t mind taking a small risk to eat unopened food from the trash, but I don’t feel comfortable taking that risk for my kids!
Actually, my friend and I have been dumpster diving for food! We went to a health food store and there was so much sitting in the trash, we couldn’t believe it! Organic, unopened, gluten-free, food. While so many are starving we are throwing this awesome food away?! We got as much as we could eat ourselves (our husbands wouldn’t eat it, and we didn’t feel comfortable giving it to our kids,) and it was delicious! I realize it isn’t for everyone, but I think people should really take a look at how the Western world consumes, and consumes, and consumes! Just my 2 cents!
If being frugal means taking what others are throwing away, I am all for it. Sometimes it is trash but many times it is more like TREASURE with an amazing price tag–FREE!
I agree with you and try to be a good one
Too funny! I would of done the same thing! I ALWAYS take the toliet paper and kleenex from the hotel rooms I stay in(even the new ones)! My kids laugh all the time! but I paid for them!!
I just want to say all of you are awesome. I recently joined the site and follow on facebook. In no way, shape or form am I into the whole “organic” moment, but I can totally stand to save some money any where I can, so I constantly keep up with your posts on different things.
I have to shamefully admit to being one of those people who DO NOT buy store brand stuff… which is awful considering I know it’s practically all the same. I try very hard to buy only what is necessary and to not go insane. I’ve been trying really hard to clip coupons and print coupons since joining the site and in doing so I have saved a lot of money, so I thank you all for that, I just need to be more motivated about it, and really do my homework.. it’s just hard with my 1 kid (who is like 5 rolled into 1) haha.
I say do your thing girl! My dad makes the majority of his income from getting used things from peoples trash and fixing it up and re-selling it. How awesome is that? I’ve seen him make 100′s and even 1,000′s off of other peoples unwanted stuff, and the same goes for my pop-pop.
Crystal, just when i thought I was losing interest in your blog you got me back . You are so honest and open about things other people don’t want to mention because they are afraid to make others uncomfortable. I grew up in Soviet Union, and remember having potatoes and pasta only for dinner with occasional meat dishes that my mom creatively could stretch over a week. When my 2 year old fusses over a crust on her PB sandwich, it annoys me. It’s food! You are right, some people don’t have it at all and hundreds die from hunger every day. We are indeed as a nation way too wasteful, but maybe if at least some of us are frugal, it could make a difference…Thank you for opening up this discussion!
Crystal, can I just say you look amazing! I can see the Wii results, and am motivated to get on mine more!
Oh my goodness…thank you (blushing)
That’s pretty funny, but I’m afraid I’m not very good at the extremely frugal end of the spectrum. I’m excellent, though, at following Dave Ramsey’s plan. I’ve been out of debt for years. I’d much rather see people be frugal than be part of the wastefulness that’s everywhere. That’s probably why I enjoy the local Freecycle site. So I say good for you!
I don’t remember the exact details, but I remember seeing a show about a couple in CA that did extreme dumpster diving. They were authors and only paid the mortgage and electricity with the money they made. Everything else was second hand or from the dumpsters. Especially like day old bread from bakeries. I wish I could remember more to tell you what book they wrote. Anyhoo! I love dumpster diving! Call me freegan, call me cheap, but the one thing I am not is without!
You go girl!! It has always baffled me that NO ONE has come up with a way to recycle untouched restaurant food/waste/etc. We have some friends that own a restaurant and even if a bag of chips is unopened…they are not allowed to re-use it (you know, the small bags on the plate with a sandwich) … and of course, not to mention the 1/2 a sandwich that the person didn’t even touch … we are such a wasteful society. I don’t think freeganing is so much “cheap” as it is responsible!! I love it!
oh yea…and I have been meaning to tell you – Crystal! you are just a tiny little thing! Now that I have met you in person… I can tell you that you look awesome girl!
.-= KeriLyn@SheSaved´s last blog ..How to get the MOST out of your Dish Network Account…. =-.
I had to have a bellhop help me to my room the first day there. (I was dying over the weight of my luggage!) On our way there, we wheeled past a tray with at least four gigantic gourmet chocolate covered strawberries. It was all I could do not to grab them. (but I didn’t!) I was saying what a waste it was and the bellhop said he sees it all the time. Sometimes they are sent to rooms as a complimentary treat and they just waste them. I was horrified! Especially when I went to buy some later, and they were sold out. Glad you were able to snag some goodies while you were there! It was so great to finally meet you at Blissdom!
.-= Jaycie´s last blog ..Facebook Savings: Popchips BOGO Printable Coupon =-.
Waste not, want not!
I love you post!
.-= niki´s last blog ..Snow Day? AGAIN? No Problem! =-.
Crystal. Too funny! I was great to meet you at Blissdom! And I had a blast a Savvy Blogging. Thank you!