Greetings fellow cheapskatonians,

Due to lack of new coffee filters in the house and my addiction to the stuff, I was forced to re-use the disposable filter.  To my surprise the thing rinsed off extremely easy and is going on six brew cycles and not a tear in it yet! 

Tasty as the first cup!

Guess I should buy some more before I push my luck!

Have fun

Brian

There's cheap, there's frugal, and then there's miserly. Anyone who would go to such lengths to save a fraction of a cent is in the latter category. He is also retired because no gainfully employed person would have time to waste on such an inane activity.

Many, many years ago, there was a stationary engineer in the plant where I worked that made  tea everyday at work. Everyday he would dunk a tea bag into a cup of hot water exactly three times, then put the bag away. He used the same bag  every day for one week. The next week he would splurge and start using a new tea bag.

This man didn't even need to work because some years before, he sold hundreds of acres of land to the state of Maryland and to developers. Part of the Baltimore beltway, the Motor Vehicles Administration (in Glen Burnie),  several shopping centers and possibly other buildings were then built on the land.

A tea bag per week. That may be a record level of cheapskatedness. 

Allan J  

I used a paper towel from one of the rolls they use in the bathroom.  The cleaning lady just gives me the rolls when they get down to a certain size and we have lots of rolls hanging around.  I rip a bit off and stuff it into the mr. coffee maker and it works fine. :)  I was going to bring in some filters but, hey, why bother.

Well done fellow cheapskatonian! Your post reminded me of an  HVAC filter I bought several years ago. It is reusable. You cut it to fit your intake air grill and just take it out to clean it. No more buying/transporting/storing and throwing away paper or fiberglass filters anymore.

Maggie, Maggie, Maggie!

Well, at least you weren't putting already-used sheets in the coffee maker.

On the other hand, how do you know the last person to use that roll hadn't grabbed the last towel on your roll as he tore off the sheet he needed?

Hey, maybe he had sneezed in his hand and just wanted to wipe the .........

Enjoy your coffee!

:>)

Allan J

This is an amazing string of posts.  Here is a way to save a buck with some downside.  There are permanent coffee filters.  Use it, wash it and reuse it.  Simple.  Cost maybe $5 or $10 at a discount store.  Downside ...have been told coffee grounds over time will clog drain pipes.   I use a new, clean paper filter each time I make a pot of coffee.

Picked up a pack of filters today. 

 Wow I got ten brew cycles or more out of that baby!  Quality tapered off a tad.....

 Is pretty sad isnt it?  Im cheap but not that cheap!

Yes, I would imagine prolonged grinds down the drain could pose a problem...hmm!

My mother re-uses her paper towels....DOH!

Thanks for all replies.

Brian

 

This tightwad spirit, I am impressed.  Now this idea is not for me, but its good to know if I just ran out of filters.  I am not so sure it is really cheaper, actually.  It takes some water to wash off the old one I assume.  Or at least water to wash down the grounds.  If so, it is not worth the penny saved. 

I would add that simply making my own coffee is already a reasonably thrifty activity.  So I use good coffee, and splurge on a fresh filter every time.   

[quote user="Alex..."]

I would add that simply making my own coffee is already a reasonably thrifty activity.  So I use good coffee, and splurge on a fresh filter every time.   

[/quote]

 Aye

One of my former clients was a real Billionaire. RIch.  He used to:

Go to costco on weekends and stand in line to buy toilet paper and paper towels by the 36 pack.

Walk around the house turning off all the lights his wife and kids left on.

Leave a lit flashlight out at the driveway as a beacon for guests rather than turning on the lights.

Examine ALL of his bills scrupulously for accuracy. He came after me once for three dollars on a thirty thousand dollar invoice.  

This is very impressive, as is Allan's tea story.

This has to be one of the funniest threads I've ever come across. It should be in a category of its own. Thanks for the smiles and laughs.

yeah, isnt it nice to get a good laugh, when we can all be so serious with this investing stuff.

 I have to say there are a couple of really funny threads in tightwads.  One about the "dog ate my steak" or something and another one that made me roll on the floor when this guy started razzing the cheapskates, he was really funny, something about dumpster diving for a napkin or something.  Really funny, but some resented his presence.

 UPDATE:  I got one of those Kurig coffee systems for Christmas.  So no more coffee filters.  I just love this thing, it uses indidual K-cups for single cup brews.  Perfect cup everytime and fast and easy.  I must admit, the waste of the empty K-cups filling up in a landfill does bother me a bit, but has not stopped me from brewing!

Have fun everyone!

 Brian

Don't know if this quite fits the tightwad category or not.

A friend of mine used to work in a finance department for PNC Bank. She told me whenever they used up the last sheet of paper on a yellow notepad, they had to turn in the cardboard back and sign their name on it in order to get a new notepad.

Sorry sensei, but I think that belongs in the "corporate theft control" bin!

Then again, what would stop them from just tearing off the back and taking the paper pad home without the cardboard backing?

 My wife worked in an office where you could only re-up your office supplies once a week, not because of any 'control' measures but just because the witch in charge of the office supply cabinet was lazy and a word that rhymes with witch!  Can you imagine, "gee boss.....I'm sorry I have not been doing my job but whats her name would not give me a pencil!" 

Most employees have better things to do than project and estimate there weekly supply needs, but give someone a key to the supply cabinet and it goes to their head!  Its like a bank vault with time clock!

Good Luck to all, and if the current volatility bothers you just stop looking and read tightwads instead!

Brian