Can you go a week without buying anything? Not spending a single cent? Here's the story at RealSimple of one man (who is already a cheapskate to begin with) that did just that:
My friends and family see my attitude toward money in slightly different terms. “You’re a total miser” is how my darling wife, Erin, puts it.
In fact, it’s a bit worse than that. I’m one of those irritating guys who try to convert self-deprivation into a virtue. I buy my pants secondhand. I hoard hotel soap and used aluminum foil. I eat the not-too-badly-chewed leftovers off my daughter’s plate. And I constantly rail against consumerism.
Which is why I recently subjected myself to a little experiment: Could I go a week without spending a single penny? Here was my big chance to showcase all that adorable righteousness! To stage a tour de force, a morality play in seven daily acts!
This wasn’t how I sold the plan to my wife, though. I assured her the point of the challenge was (at least partly) to help me come to terms with my superior attitude toward money. Confronting my reliance on currency might actually lead me to be less judgmental, I argued.
My wife sighed deeply. “Oh God,” she said. “This is going to be so annoying.”
http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1844394,00.html - via CNN, Thanks Tiffany!
It really bothers me when people pretend to be poor. They have no idea what it's like to not know if they'll be able to buy groceries next week, or if they'll be able to keep the power on next month. For them being broke is just a game that they can end whenever they get bored of it.
I picked an awesome time in US history to graduate from college – but I make a meager salary and get by as I slowly recover, can't complain really. Though, I'm glad this guy can blog about being a thrifty douchebag whenever he feels like it.
A month at least, or even two weeks would've been more impressive, but by mooching, he didn't even really accomplish that one single no-spend week. He succeeded at semantics.
Oh wait, no it doesn't. This guy is just a delusional jerk who spends others people money and shafts the needy.
Anyone who can't go a week without buying clothes or going to the movies or whatever has a problem.
How sad that this is what constitutes a big accomplishment these days.
It gives me great pleasure when the clothes that I am wearing add up to less than five dollars for everything! (no we don't buy used panties or underwear). We get 501's carharts, polos, you name it, all in good shape with no stains or rips.
And by the way, all you haters, go away.
Lame!
He had his wife to buy food and probably cook it.
Try living off of 40 a month for food, phone, bus fair(to go to school and work), and saving up for books and lab fees, anything that isn't for rent.
Its called college.
This was funny, quick and awesome. Relatedly, I definitely go weeks without actively spending money on anything besides bulk food.
That was a cute, if ever pointless, story.
I'm sure he got paid for writing it...
While we are still arguing about the inherent value, or lack thereof, of this, somewhat, stupid story...
He's already banking on the next one.
Laughing all the way...