Latest news with #cheapskate
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I was chuffed to feed myself for a day for FREE with an overlooked app – trolls call me ‘sad' & ask if I ‘reuse condoms'
AN EXTREME cheapskate has revealed how she fed herself for an entire day without forking out a single penny, thanks to an underrated food app. The thrifty content creator behind the page Diary of a Cheapskate set herself a no-spend food challenge and says she was 'chuffed' with the result, but it seems not everyone was impressed. 3 Mortgage-free at just 32, the savvy TikToker regularly shares frugal living tips and money-saving tricks with her growing audience online. From reusing items to bagging freebies, she's not shy about her cost-cutting habits. In a recent video, she documented a full day of free eating, covering breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, all sourced using the Olio app, a platform where neighbours and shops give away unwanted food. She told followers: 'This was such a fun challenge. I love getting creative with what I've got rather than spending cash. It means I end up eating some odd combos, but I don't care, it's part of the fun.' Her freebie -filled day started with a Belgian waffle, chopped apples and yoghurt, all collected that morning via Olio, just past their best-before dates but still perfectly fine, she said. Skipping a morning snack, she moved onto lunch with two chocolate croissants and a browning banana, again all free. By the afternoon, she tucked into more yoghurt with chopped banana before whipping up a dinner of roasted sweet potato and cauliflower, plus some new potatoes gifted by a colleague. She claimed her tea was "a bit weird" but "it worked". To finish off the day, she snacked on fresh raspberries picked straight from her mum's garden and stuck to tap water for drinks – all completely cost-free. But while some fans praised her creativity and thanked her for introducing them to the Olio app, others weren't so kind. I'm a super-saver who pockets £600 a MONTH with easy cost-cutting hacks… it's amazing what people will give you for free One troll cruelly commented: 'Do you reuse condoms too?'. Another slammed her for taking food that could have gone to someone 'more in need.' A third accused her of wasting time and money on travel just to pick up food she could've bought 'cheaply from Lidl.' Still, her loyal followers rushed to defend her, with one writing: 'Just picked up my first haul thanks to your video, can't believe the food people give away. Ignore the haters, your tips are brilliant!' Despite the backlash, the TikToker stood her ground, insisting that her extreme budgeting isn't about greed but about being resourceful, conscious, and proud of not wasting food or money. And judging by her clean plate and satisfied smile, it looks as if the hate doesn't seem to bother her. She's not the only cheapskate taking dire measures to save her pennies. A mum has shared her extreme money-saving tips, and her water hack really turned heads. Becky Giles, who's all about being frugal, revealed that she loves it when it snows because it gives her free water for her family to wash in She also bragged about how her money-saving methods helped her renovate her bathroom for just £49. Since becoming a stay-at-home mum, Becky has found creative ways to save money as she works to renovate her family's 100 year old house. She now prides herself in being 'the most frugal mum in America.' Talking in a TLC documentary, she revealed that she fills up buckets 'with snow to melt and use for water' as 'water from the sink actually costs money.' Elsewhere, a self-proclaimed frugal freak, who previously confessed to re-using bin bags and claimed to only own one plate, has now shared more of his savvy money saving methods. Bradley, 32, who steals loo rolls and re-uses snotty tissues, claimed that some of his tricks might be controversial. Despite earning over £16,000 in just one month alone, the content creator, who has enough money to live lavishly, instead opts for an incredibly frugal lifestyle. But like this frugal food hunter, not everyone was impressed with Bradley's tricks. How to save money on your food shop Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year: Odd boxes - plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price. Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30. Sainsbury's also sells £2 "Taste Me, Don't Waste Me" fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash. Food waste apps - food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public. Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio. Too Good to Go's app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount. Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses. Yellow sticker bargains - yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap. But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here. Super cheap bargains - sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they've found on the cheap, including food finds. "Downshift" - you will almost always save money going for a supermarket's own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands. The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as "downshifting" and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop. 3
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
I'm a professional cheapskate, I clean my house with rainwater and won't make tea or coffee at home
A woman who describes herself as a 'professional cheapskate' her tips on how to keep cost the cost of living down. Taking to her TikTok Diary Of A Cheapskate, the woman, who lives in a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Yorkshire, with her husband and two children, showcases her money saving hacks. The 32-year-old, who describes herself as a 'big fan of cheap hacks, reusing, living frugally', claims to be mortgage free thanks to her frugal life. She revealed how she stocks up on free food, only drinks tea and coffee in work and collects rainwater to flush her toilet and clean. Sharing five tips to save money with her followers, she revealed the 'little frugal things I do daily', saying she replies on the Olio app for free food. In a clip, which racked up more than 440,000 views, she explained that she uses the app which facilitates the sharing of surplus food and other household items among neighbours. She said: 'Here are five things I did today as a cheapskate to either save me money of stop me spending money. 'I started the day by going to pick up a bag from the Olio volunteer that lives near me, I said it before but Olio is free to use, anyone can use it, you don't need to be means tested. 'It's for anyone to pick up free food if you have a volunteer near you. This is the selection I got today just a little bit of bread, some fruit, broccoli and some mini wraps.' Elsewhere the frugal women said she also made some money by selling items on Vinted, however she made sure to not waste any money on packaging. She said: 'I'm not going to be one of those influencers who tells you to buy one of those pretty pink envelopes to put your parcels in. 'Use whatever you have laying around, if you have holey plastic bags or cardboard boxes use them.' The TikToker also revealed how she has bought period pants, so she doesn't have to pay for sanitary products every month either. She explained: 'It's one of those sustainable swaps I'd been putting off because it costs money to buy them in the first place. 'But these were from Next and I had a gift voucher so technically they were free. I'm not completely sold on them, I don't wear them all the time, if I'm at work I don't bother, I just need to get more of a gage on how long they last without any leaks.' Another cost-saving method she shared was when her toilet is broken and won't flush she uses a bucket of rainwater to get it going again. She said: 'Our upstairs toilet has decided not to flush again because it broke, we do have a downstairs toilet so it's not too much of an issue but for now we are using this bucket of water to flush it. 'Of course, the cheapskate in me loves this because we're not using paid-for water to flush the toilet, we're using rainwater. 'I'm not calling a plumber out to fix it we will have a go at fixing it ourselves. It seems simple enough to do.' Then she explained how she won't ever buy tea or coffee at home and waits until she is at work to have one, as the company pays for it. 'Now that I'm at work, I'm taking full advantage of the free coffee. I've said before I don't drink tea or coffee or anything other than water when I'm at home, but when I'm at work and it's free, I might as well. 'I'm the one who buys the tea and coffee for work so I may as well buy the ones that I like and I always use my Co Op card as well so even though I'm using work works card to buy it I get the points.' In another video she revealed that she collects rainwater in her garden which she uses to clean and water the plants. She said: 'I use this water butt outside to collect rainwater, I use it to water any plants or flowers I have in the garden, I also use the water to clean anything I need to clean outside. 'I never realised some parts of the world don't need to pay a water bill but here in England we do, so this is free water. 'I'm using it today to clean the trampoline , it's gone a bit green from just not being used in winter, so I just used some water and this scrubbing brush. 'I didn't use any cleaning products and it still came up clean.' Many rushed to the comments with their own thoughts on the TikTokers frugal lifestyle. One person wrote: 'Why won't you drink tea or coffee at home? We're allowed a little treat you know.' To which she replied: 'Water is free(ish)! I don't like drinking money or calories.' Another said: 'Free food should be for people who are struggling.' To which another replied: 'It's a food waste app. Not a food bank hun.' Someone else quipped: 'May this lifestyle never find me.' Meanwhile other were impressed with her level of frugalness, with some saying they have taken some tips from her. One person wrote: 'I'm the complete opposite to you - I love spending money and luxury however, I can never skip your videos. 'You fascinate me. Thank you for introducing me to olio! I've decluttered so much by just listing stuff on the app and people come pick it up! Keep doing you and posting. Your content is very interesting.' Another said: 'I love your content and completely get it. You have your priorities and work with that. I think it's just too odd of an idea for most people to grasp.'
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
I love being a cheapskate – I only drink tea at work as it's free and use rain water to flush my loo to save on my bills
A FRUGAL mum has shared the five ways she cuts costs in her day-to-day life. From stocking up on free food, to never drinking tea at home, the 32-year-old has saved so much money she is now mortgage-free. 2 As a self-described 'cheapskate,' she revealed five habits that stop her spending. Taking to social media, she said: "Here's 5 things I did today as a cheapskate to either save me money or stop me spending money." She revealed she woke up and headed out straight away to pick up a bag of free food through the Olio app. The savvy woman managed to pick up some bread, fruit and salad which she used to make an egg sandwich with the eggs her chicken laid. To add to her income, she also sold items on Vinted but refused to fork out for packaging, instead using boxes or bags she had lying around her home. She also revealed she bought some period pants to save on buying sanitary products every month. "It's one of those sustainable swaps I'd been putting off because it costs money to buy them in the first place," she added. The frugal woman also revealed that her loo was currently broken and wouldn't flush, so she had to use a bucket of rain water to get it working. "Of course the cheapskate in me loves this because we're not using paid-for water to flush the toilet, we're using rainwater," she added. And last but not least, the money-saving fanatic revealed that she never buys tea or coffee at home and waits until she is at work to have one as the company pays for it. I used cheap Temu tiles to get a herringbone bathroom while saving for a reno - they're good as new 4 months later She added: "Now that I'm at work I'm taking full advantage of the free coffee, I've said before I don't drink tea or coffee or anything other than water when I'm at home but when I'm at work and it's free I might as well." The clip was shared on her TikTok account @ diaryofacheapskate and went viral with over 435k views and 12k likes. People were quick to take to the comments and many claimed the mum had gone overboard with her frugal lifestyle. One person wrote: "You work and you have an extra income. Yes olio is for all but someone might genuinely have nothing and that bag of food could have gone to someone less fortunate than yourself!" Here's how to cut the cost of your grocery shop SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills: Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn't on your list, don't put it in the trolley Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling Don't buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they'll charge for chopping can be eye watering Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains Check the small print – It's always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you're making a like for like decision as a bigger box won't necessarily mean you get more Use your loyalty cards – Don't be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards Another commented: 'Why won't you drink tea or coffee at home? We're allowed a little treat you know." "If it involves a water bucket for the toilet, you know you're pushing it too far," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "May this lifestyle never find me." "Wowza, this would send me insane,' claimed a fifth. Someone else added: 'This isn't living."
