Just interested

littleredfish

This is posted on another board I frequent, and I found the difference in peoples answers interesting. Just thought I'd throw it out there and see what are your thoughts?

Extreme penny-pinching is an art, but it can also go too far. Where’s the line between frugal and flat-out stealing?

We’ll let you be the judge. Are the following 10 scenarios justified or just excuses?

1. Taking extra toiletries or condiments.

You’ve paid for your hotel room, so that means you’ve also paid for all the tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner you can grab off the maid’s cart. Same goes for fast food napkins and condiments. They want you to enjoy a month of free lather and tiny ketchups. Customer appreciation, anyone?

2. Using Wi-Fi or cable channels you don’t pay for.

The rude neighbor who always hints that your grass needs mowing doesn’t password protect his Wi-Fi. Aw shucks. And your cable company forgot to turn off those extra channels when you unbundled last month. You’re just giving those stray signals a good home—you’re like the Humane Society for lost wavelengths.

3. Taking advantage of the return policy.

You’ve landed a job interview, and you need a new dress to impress. But you’d rather not pay to impress. After all, you might not even get the job. So why not use the department store’s return policy as your own personal lending library? You’ll wear lots of deodorant and even lint roll when you’re done. Good as new-ish.

4. Supplying yourself with work supplies.

The supply closet at work is a little like the wardrobe to Narnia: The yellow pads, sticky notes and stapler refills seemingly never end. So who’s going to notice if you stock your home office with an extra box of paper clips? Besides, Herb from accounting does it—and he goes to church.

5. Skipping the “suggested donation” box.

Free charity concert! Oh wait, there’s a suggested donation of $20? Are you obligated to pay, and if so, does it have to be the full amount? If musicians want to volunteer their time, surely that’s up to them. After all, the invite says “suggested” for a reason—they know not everyone will pay. Let the rich people help those poor kids.

6. Using a friend’s paid subscription logins.

Everything from Consumer Reports to Angie’s List to Hulu requires paid subscriptions to access their full websites. But your friend or family member already pays, so why not use their password to read or watch only what you need? After all, someone is paying for it. You’re just getting their money’s worth.

7. Sneaking food from a buffet.

What if your all-you-can-eat outing doesn’t have to end? With the help of a few gallon-sized zipper bags and a massive handbag, you can get a few more meals out of your $17.99 tab. Why else would you buy a purse the size of a Buick?

8. Downloading music/movies/software without paying.

If it was free on basic cable, why shouldn’t your favorite TV show be free forever? All those Hollywood directors, actors and studios have too many beach houses anyway. They don’t need your hard-earned money to survive. Besides, you wouldn’t buy it if you didn’t get it for free, so they’re not losing your money to begin with.

9. Overdoing freebie days.

Free Ice Cream Day. Free Doughnut Day. Free Pancake Day. To capitalize on all the freebies out there, you’ve launched Google Maps and made a plan to hit up every location multiple times. If they want to offer you a free lunch, you’ll gladly take seconds . . .  and thirds . . .  and fourths.

10. Sitting through two or three movies.

For the cost of a couple movie tickets, you could stream movies for two or three months! So you don’t mind “reusing” your movie pass and venturing into another theater once the credits roll. It’s not like you’re stealing. The seats would’ve just sat there, cold and bottom-less, if you hadn’t warmed them up.

littleredfish

1. Taking extra toiletries or condiments. I do this on occasion, like if I feel like I'd use them (have another trip coming up, etc), but I'm not hoarding from the maids cart or something and I don't have a stash building at home.

2. Using Wi-Fi or cable channels you don’t pay for. I have used cable channels before without paying if the company has them on without knowing (like I don't call and say, hey I have this channel I'm not paying for). I don't steal WiFi because I've had mine stolen before and I know that it effing sucks to get that bill. I'd probably even tell the person their connection was open if I knew how to find them.

3. Taking advantage of the return policy. I don't do this because A) I've worked retail and I hated it when I KNEW people were doing that. but also I'm afraid it would get ruined somehow and I'd be stuck with it lol.

4. Supplying yourself with work supplies.Sort of the same answer as the toiletries. I have taken some before, but I work for a charity, so it's not like I'm stocking my own supply store off of their donations.

5. Skipping the “suggested donation” box. This I don't consider stealing, more just rude. I work for a charity so I see people do this A LOT and it bugs me. If you're not going to offer a donation, don't go.

6. Using a friend’s paid subscription logins. I did this just recently with my friends Netflix account so DH and I could decide if we wanted to go for it or not. We ended up going for it at which point we stopped using his and now pay for our own.

7. Sneaking food from a buffet. Never done it, but in honesty have thought about it though I am not brave enough to try lol.

8. Downloading music/movies/software without paying. I've done this. I don't think I know anybody who has a stance on paying for these things unless they have to.

9. Overdoing freebie days. I would never do it to this extent, but I like a good freebie day and don't think I take advantage...?

10. Sitting through two or three movies. Never done this either, again because I'm not very brave and would be mortified if a tween working there came up and asked me to leave lol. Though again, I've thought of it after paying $50 in tickets and snacks  8-|

Edit to clarify

najzomax

My answers are all the same as yours littleredfish

MelissaMiso

1. Taking extra toiletries or condiments. I occasionally take an extra plastic fork or spoon to have in my car so when I forget them when I order food I have a spare. Other condiments, no. I only take what I need for that meal.

2. Using Wi-Fi or cable channels you don’t pay for. My cell phone automatically picks up open wifi signals. I never really pay attention to it. Never got free channels and never stole cable for that matter.

3. Taking advantage of the return policy. No, I find it rather gross that people will return used (e.g. dirty) items for some unsuspecting purchaser to take home.

4. Supplying yourself with work supplies. I have in the past. Nothing major just a few packs of post its and maybe some binder clips. Now a days, I have no real need for office supplies outside of the office.

5. Skipping the “suggested donation” box. I always give when I can but having faced a lot of financial hard times in recent years, I can't always pay. I try to make up for it when I have a little extra cash in my pocket.

6. Using a friend’s paid subscription logins. I have done this. I made a sign in for the online version of a NY paper using my parents paper subscription info while I was living in CO so I could keep track of local news to my hometown.

7. Sneaking food from a buffet. Never. Seems a little too gluttonous to me

8. Downloading music/movies/software without paying. I usually pay, hubby used to download for free.

9. Overdoing freebie days. No need to overdo freebies. I think it's a bit disrespectful to take, take, take. P.S. Same thing is true for the samples at Costco. Take a sample, enjoy, and if you really like it but the item

10. Sitting through two or three movies. I think I did this once as a kid. I wouldn't do this now because 1) there aren't enough movies worth seeing and 2) if I had that much free time in a row, I'd much rather be doing something more fun