Extreme Frugality

FrankBlunt · Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject: Extreme Frugality

On UM, I created a thread titled, "Off-beat Tips for Daily Living", which received a better response than I expected. Below is an idea I had years ago for anyone wishing to avoid paying rent. It was inspired by the story of several hippies in the 60s who were living rent-free on make-shift houseboats in Sausalito, CA. The government intervened and evicted them from their floating domiciles.

My idea is workable, but rather extreme as the thread title indicates.

1. Find a friend who owns a home and doesn't mind you using their address for IRS and employment purposes.
2. Rent a PO Box to prevent irritating said friend with mail delivery.
3. Park your car with a trailer / camper shell pick-up within walking distance of a shopping center offering a gym and a laundromat.
4. Join the gym for use of shower, bathrooms, and electrical outlet to recharge your laptop battery.
5. Use a cell phone in place of a home phone.
6. Move your vehicle every 72 hours to avoid parking citations.

FrankBlunt · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:35 pm Post subject:

Late last year I stayed in a hotel that costs between $90 - $100 per night on a discount travel site when purchased without airfare. I won't name that particular outfit, but their name is hybrid of the words "travel" and a synonym for speed.

I learned from the hotel's accounting department that they were only reimbursed $45.33 by the travel company. I could have called that hotel's toll free number and negotiated a room at $5 or $10 above that figure. I know that this works because when I vacationed at Lake Tahoe in '04, the manager told me to call them directly instead next time because they'd gladly offer me a room for less than my payment to yet another travel agency (Synonym of Revolutionz). No, the "Z" was not an oversight.

Offer any hotel where you plan to stay a few dollars more per night than half of the "discount" travel site's original rate prior to any package based reductions. The savings on air/hotel packages aren't spectacular in the first place.