Am I a tight a$$, am I doing it wrong?

There is a pub I know located next to a Westfield's, downstairs from the food court. They do $7 lunches. Several items on the menu, one of them Steak, salad & chips. Much better value that the food court.

This reminds me in Sydney CBD the food court under Myer has $5 Chinese meals at night. I often stop there on the way home from the office for a nice meal - but don't go too late for some reason the food court closes about 7, right at dinner time!
 
This reminds me in Sydney CBD the food court under Myer has $5 Chinese meals at night. I often stop there on the way home from the office for a nice meal - but don't go too late for some reason the food court closes about 7, right at dinner time!

Yes, Hubby gets some very nice inexpensive meals in the City when at work.

Lil complains that I'm a bit tight, when I go to the Pub (it's at Penrith), but I love their steaks. I don't see the point in going elsewhere for similar at 4 times the price.
 
since im a growing boy...... growing sideways that is,

and since I have a big appetite,

buffets are my friend, yes the quality does suffer overall as a general rule,

but there is a place that has $55 per head buffets, that is half price on tuesdays.......... or via a coupon........

i am sad to admit I go about once a month...

but i get my food fix for the week there

all the staff talk to me like I live there :D
 
For small jobs unless i have a guy who is willing to go out and do a hour job, I can't be bothered putting an ad on gumtree advertising a one hour job for plumbing or electric or handyman for say $30', so i just get the agent to use their guy who charges anywhere between 60 and 80$
I've never thought of doing it any other way.

Putting ads on Gumtree or whatever, takes up time.

If you have loads of free time, then maybe it's worth going down that path.

Emailing the agent (usually a reply to a request for a repair anyway) takes me 4 seconds.

Plus, the tradies that the Agents use want to keep their gravy train gig, so they usually do a prompt and good job.

And, I want them to make money, just like me.

Done my way; everyone wins; the tenant, the tradie, the PM and me.

I'm not saying your way is tight (to advertise for someone cheaper) by the way.

I think all of us here suffer this angst over our spending patterns due to the path most have to take to get into the property scene (not including the ones on 6 figures, single or DINKs and/or living at Mum's).
 
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I've never thought of doing it any other way.

Putting ads on Gumtree or whatever, takes up time.

If you have loads of free time, then maybe it's worth going down that path.

Emailing the agent (usually a reply to a request for a repair anyway) takes me 4 seconds.

Plus, the tradies that the Agents use want to keep their gravy train gig, so they usually do a prompt and good job.

And, I want them to make money, just like me.

Done my way; everyone wins; the tenant, the tradie, the PM and me.

well let me give you an example, I need the switch board in an ip for a relativve replaced,

agent got a quote for $1200, my relateive said, too expesnive, get a 2nd one, and this came back at $1050odd
I put up an add on gumtree, for a licesned electrician who gives certificates,

got inundated with people offereing from $450-$650, so we went with a $500 one, gave the agent a call, gave the guy a call, poof!!! all done, and almost saved them $700!!!!!

well worth the 1 hour or so we spent phoning around!
 
well let me give you an example, I need the switch board in an ip for a relativve replaced,

agent got a quote for $1200, my relateive said, too expesnive, get a 2nd one, and this came back at $1050odd
I put up an add on gumtree, for a licesned electrician who gives certificates,

got inundated with people offereing from $450-$650, so we went with a $500 one, gave the agent a call, gave the guy a call, poof!!! all done, and almost saved them $700!!!!!

well worth the 1 hour or so we spent phoning around!
I was referring to the odd little repair.

For something that expensive, then yeah; better than half price; that is definitely worth the time.

I guess the key factor there may be the brand of the unit installed? I don't know if there is a lot of wiggle room in the hourly rate to install for such a thing either?

The other thing that comes into these things is how busy the tradies are; very busy = "go take a run and jump, mate; I'll get to it when I feel like it, and if you don't like the price...farck off"

or something more diplomatic. :D
 
Seems to me that the people most likely to call you a tight ar$e are the ones that have the least money themselves.

My friends do it in jest and I don't mind too much. However, I get a bit *****ed when it goes on and on. Honestly, I don't think I'd be where I am today if I wasn't so 'financially frugal' (not that I'm wealthy by any means, just in a better position than the above-mentioned friends.
 
Seems to me that the people most likely to call you a tight ar$e are the ones that have the least money themselves.

My friends do it in jest and I don't mind too much. However, I get a bit *****ed when it goes on and on. Honestly, I don't think I'd be where I am today if I wasn't so 'financially frugal' (not that I'm wealthy by any means, just in a better position than the above-mentioned friends.

yeah I hear you!

I was on a holiday with some friends recently, he is on $150k salary

we all stayed in $120 per night room at the same hotel, he thought it was too expensive, so ended up staying in a $90 per night room , and here I am on $35k , and he is on 4 x my salary, although we didnt care, if the situation was reversed, id feel quite emabrassed to be looking for a $30 per night cheaper room then compared to a guy on 1/4 of my salary
 
When you're looking at getting small $100 jobs done at your IP, and you think hey i could save $20-40 by going on gumtree, with the time you have wasted putting the add up, going through the quotes, and selecting the person you want for the job, your time would of equated to that saving anyhow! Also if you have someone you know is good and trust you will have much more confidence in their work, over trying to compare people whose work you don't know. The other thing is, this work for your IP is tax deductible! So really your not paying $100 but more like $70 or less.

As long as you do things in life that makes you happy! You are the only one responsible for your happiness! If you enjoy both meals take the cheaper one, if you want something different go the more expensive one!

You guys dont know cheap! $8 main meal, plus desert! Got to love hicksville! I picked up a brand new disney baby walker the other day $29, RRP $139... i went back and got a second one for my mums place! lol. saving and spending is all a mindset! Some people are happy to save, some are happy to spend!
 
oh forgot to add.. went into spotlight in brissy the other day... picked up some pre-hung blockout curtains for my ppor, was $40 a meter.. down to $6 a meter! can't argue with that!... $360 worth for $54!

Am i the only one who goes to the bargain bins/marked down stuff first?
 
oh forgot to add.. went into spotlight in brissy the other day... picked up some pre-hung blockout curtains for my ppor, was $40 a meter.. down to $6 a meter! can't argue with that!... $360 worth for $54!

Am i the only one who goes to the bargain bins/marked down stuff first?

You seem like my kind of woman, Rowena.

I just replaced the broken blind in my Townhouse kitchen with one that my mother was going to throw out because she prefers curtains and her new townhouse has blinds.
 
You seem like my kind of woman, Rowena.

I just replaced the broken blind in my Townhouse kitchen with one that my mother was going to throw out because she prefers curtains and her new townhouse has blinds.

Love it! If they work, aren't broken and the color goes then why not! Much cheaper fix!

The curtains i bought are actually to cover up my blinds which are a cream-pink colour, as i painted the walls light blue - which is a mix of paint from two tins of paint i had left over! Also i wanted block out anyhow when i start doing on call to sleep during the day and the western sun sucks so it reduces heat aswell! So my curtains killed two birds with one stone! :)
 
This reminds me in Sydney CBD the food court under Myer has $5 Chinese meals at night. I often stop there on the way home from the office for a nice meal - but don't go too late for some reason the food court closes about 7, right at dinner time!

Dude, that's called the "got sell it by 7pm or gotta chuck it out..." special :)

The Y-man
 
Dude, that's called the "got sell it by 7pm or gotta chuck it out..." special :)

The Y-man
Reminds me of the meat specials in the supermarkets back in the days around 12.00 midday on Saturdays.

There was a feeding frenzy of customers waiting for the specials to come out for the end of shelf life meat trays.
 
I have been known to select the colour of paint I am buying once I check the trolley with the unwanted pre-mixed tins of paint on it.
 
I used to be that kinda tight *** - spending time to find ways to save money. Now I spent that same time finding ways to make money, and am much better off financially than in the tight *** days.
 
I used to be that kinda tight *** - spending time to find ways to save money. Now I spent that same time finding ways to make money, and am much better off financially than in the tight *** days.

That is much smarter.

But for those that are tight arses and I certainly fell into that category many years ago now, unless you change your mindset you will not know what you are missing and therefore continue feeling pretty damn good that you saved some pennies. All to their own, but its nicer on the other side, I know, I have been in both camps;)
 
I also agree with Dave.

I prefer to make my savings on the more expensive items and make savings in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, like my recent purchase of a near new veranda off ebay for a fraction of the cost - was worth the 1 hour put into finding it.

I also buy things I really WANT and which will make a difference to my lifestyle rather than buying indiscriminately. I think people do fall into a trap of just buying things sometimes without putting much thought to it.

Otherwise I prefer to work on ways to make more money rather than saving a couple of dollars here and there on a meal or other small purchase.

This to me does not mean you lack skills in managing money, just that you appreciate the making more rather than saving, and that you have thought out what is worth saving on and what isn't - balance while still moving forward financially.
 
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When I was starting out in my career, a very smart consultant said to me " worry about profit not costs". He wasn't saying throw caution to the wind or be wasteful, but rather think about how to get the best profit outcome rather than focus on things that don't make much difference.

Years later, my grandfather said to me "if you look after the pennies then the pounds will look after themselves", to which I responded "manage the pounds welll and the pennies no longer matter"...
 
When I was starting out in my career, a very smart consultant said to me " worry about profit not costs". He wasn't saying throw caution to the wind or be wasteful, but rather think about how to get the best profit outcome rather than focus on things that don't make much difference.

Years later, my grandfather said to me "if you look after the pennies then the pounds will look after themselves", to which I responded "manage the pounds welll and the pennies no longer matter"...

I think your grandfather's attitude is more important.
You dont need to be obsessive about it, but it is really the attitude.
 
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