Right now I am living with my parents untill I get my own place!! My parents are both 73 years old, and my mother, in particular, comes from a family that used 2 watch every penny and use 2 have a "make do and mend" attitude, particularly my grandfather, as this was during the Second World War when my mother was a child and young woman.

The thing is, I have never met such a frugal, tightwad, penny-pinching, couple in all my life!! I have always known my parents 2 b careful with money, but since living with them I have come 2 witness this first hand and found out that this goes WAY beyond what i thought of them!!

Anyway, right now at this time of year, it is getting really cold and damp here in the UK, and my parents, in particular my mother, just wont put the heating on yet in the house, and I am really freezing!! My mother makes the excuse that its her so-called medical condition of having something called "Heated bone syndrome" as well as her menopausal hot flushes!! but in actuality its because of her mean tightfisted ways!! The only time I am ever warm is when I go out in my car and put the heating on in there!! I really hate being cold and its enough 2 get me really irritable and short-tempered!!

There are other things 2, which really get me!! They hardly go out 2 eat, cos of the expense, and if they do, they cut corners by only having water to drink, which really embarrasses me!! They always choose the cheapest materials for home decorating or something and the cheapest ways of doing things, which at times just doesnt work out in the long run!! If it was upto my mum, she would pick grass from outside and cook it for something 2 eat!!

I could actually write a book about how my parents live as cheap as possible and still think that we are still in the War years!!!

Anyway, do u guys have relatives or know of other people who live on the cheap like my parents do????

You won't change them now. Mom and dad survived world war II, with food rationing, gas, cigarette rationing...you'll never understand what they went through, unless you have a long in depth conversation.
celebrate them. they're saving all their money for you. silly kid, trix are for kids.

Put up with it and look into moving out. Old Habits Die Hard.

It's time for you to move out and experience the "real" world

Ever consider that the pensions they receive may not be enough to survive on, let alone support you? They have got to do those penny-pinching ways so they can survive plus having to support you on top of that makes it a lot harder for them to make ends meet.

And the fact that they have to support your adult butt must be hard on them financially. Do you have a job? Do you contribute any money to the household?

I suggest you get off your butt and stop living off them, get a "real" job, move out, and budget your money to pay your bills and for your groceries. And if you want you can blow your pay check and then worry how you will pay your bills and eat.

Time for you to grow up

my sister bought a big ol' barn of a house a few years ago. while i lived there it was around fall, close to wintertime, so it was chilly most nights. she never put the friggin heat on, except for ONE time while i lived there (some of her friends came over). i had to keep a space heater on in my room overnights. if i wanted to stay downstairs i'd have to open up the oven and turn it on so there'd be some heat. plus, she had one of her friends turn on the electricity in the house by rigging the power line out in front of the house, as opposed to calling iowa power and having it turned on legally. i shit you not--i stood in the front yard and watched the cat shimmy up the pole to turn it on. dude didn't get electrocuted or nothing! she'd be like "don't turn on no lights before the sun goes down! i don't want the power company coming by here!"

that house was ghet-to.

We never used the heater growing up either. My mom advocated "bundling"

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

my dad would get old sweatshirts and jogging pants and make me wear 'em around the house. he wouldn't turn the heat on unless it was deathly cold out. it didn't help much that the old house we lived in had cruddy insulation (we had duct tape along the bottom of the door to keep the cold air drafts out).

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Thank God we lived in California or we would have been sure frozen to death

my parents are about the same age... and lord knows they aren't about to change their ways now growing up in the depression and through the war was definately formative for them all.

my suggestions have already been mentioned... get a safe space heater (with tip over safety features because burning down their house would be bad ) and give them a few extra quid to cover the extra cost on the electric bill. you are happy, and they don't feel put out... you both win

to keep my own bills as low as possible i keep cuddle throws on the couch and extra blankets on the bed... i practically live in a polar fleece jacket during the winter. oh and i will turn the heat up when people come over too

and if we went out to eat i would probably just order water too don't be embarrassed

Also, 2day we were talking about all the extra security and everything at airports and how u now have 2 b at airports about 3 hours beforehand in order 2 go through all the extra security and check-in procedures!! Anyway, I thought I heard it all, until my mum says the only reason u have 2 b at airports now 3 hours beforehand is because once u have checked in, u now have about 2 hours 2 kill in order 2 browse around and spend at the airport restaurants!! She says its all designed 2 make u spend money at the airports and also 2 make money from all the extra car parking fees!!

She has no concept of what is going on in the world right now and how serious all this extra security is now at airports and how serious it is!!!

Also, she actually goes 2 a barbers 2 get her hair cut, cos she wont go 2 an actual hair salon to have perms or washes, cuts and blow drys, etc. cos she says that hairdressers and hair stylists make their money from all the washing and cutting and blowdrying and styling they do and that all that is not necessary!!! Her hair is in a dreadful state and she really needs a good hair stylist 2 make her over!! She really needs a "body perm", but she wont have one cos it costs 2 much!! She makes the excuse that her hair cant take perms, which is a load of BS!! She goes out with her hair wet and mousse on it and lets the air dry her hair!! She looks a right sight!!!

I really dont know what 2 do with my mom!!!!

Desire2006 said:

maybe not bashing her on the internet would be a good start.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

i know, right?

Desire2006 said:

Have you offered to pay for her?
you should be glad they took you in dear.

....
[Edited 10/12/06 13:43pm]

LleeLlee said:

totally--if those were my folks, they'd be kicking me the hell outta their house for being so ungrateful towards 'em. i can hear my dad now: if you don't like it here, get your own place!

put on a sweater dear. my father is the same way, he used to
always go around telling us to turn off lights.

i just remembered i used to walk up to my dad and make cheeping noises like
a little chick, implying he was cheap. it was all in fun and we both laugh about it today.

luv4u said:

That sounds damn frustrating...my Dad is the same grrr ...but I suppose when their gone those will be the little quirks u look back on that make up who they are and love

Does not sound like u love them and respect them much one day they will be gone and u will so miss them, u will pick up the phone 2 call them then realise u do not have them and feel lonly. Treasure all there ways, spoil them rotton, if u do not have the monnies bring in nice food just a cheep cake put the kettle on sit with them and just talk as one day you wont be able 2.

katt said:

I'm sure you love them so just treat Mom to a day at the salon and have a good time talking with her about her life. Then take a bit of your savings and give them to your Dad to help with expenses and spend time talking with him about his life. Someday you'll be glad you did.

They sound pretty cool to me.

I make a game out of seeing how long I can go without turning my heater on in the fall/winter. I have blankets in my living room, and lots of layer-able clothing. It's fun. My electricity bill is always less than $8 per month.

Your parents grew up in much tougher times.

They are frugal for a reason and believe it or not, it's a blessing that they are teaching you to be frugal, IF you pay attention.

Stop focusing on what you DON'T like about your parents and start focusing on the fact that they are 73 years old and have more days behind them then ahead of them. All you can do is learn from them. "Take what you like and leave the rest."

And if you can't do that...it's time to move out. They are helping YOU by taking care of you past your childhood years.

Where in the UK are you for it to be "so Cold" ???

Damn.....its still T-Shirt weather for me !!


and go easy on your Folks.....Its their home not yours. My Mother always said "As long as you are under my Roof respect my wishes".....

MartyMcFly said:

Thats just so damn naughty yet funny.....

boy do I. my grandparents owned 7 homes and a muffler shop and they did all their shopping at garage sales and a damaged goods grocery store. My grandmother was in the paper once cause she cashed in $500 worth of cans and worst one Disneyland vacation she had a bag and was picking up cans around the park she always explained she didnt see a can in the trash she saw nickles. She also had one of those washers that had the old ringer on the side of the machine and she hung her clothes on a line said thier was no use for a dryer. Great woman and I miss her like crazy

Desire2006 said:

oh..my..god...that sounds like some shit they say down south.
I'm staying with my parents right now too, and sometimes it makes me think that the menendez brothers had the right idea...