Irish Cheapskate

One of the biggest rip-offs of the century are drinks at the bars… $5 for a drink?  You can get a $5 foot-long sandwich from Subway for that price.  On top of paying 50 times the cost of the drink, you have to tip the bar tender for what?…  Pouring liquid into a cup?

What a scam!!!

I have found that a $10 investment for a nice flask can save you twice that much in just one night.  For about $10, your flask could hold ~4 shots.  Four drinks would normally run you ~$20 at the bars + tips.  Here are some tips for bringing your flask out on the town with you:

• Keep it hidden.  You will want to be as discreet about it as possible.  The people at the bars will have a power trip when they see that they aren’t squeezing every last dime out of you.
• Order a water, drink the water and pour your own liquor into the glass.  This way, you can enjoy sipping the drink you smuggled in without having to be careful about people seeing you drink it.  The bathroom or under a table are good places to pour yourself a drink.  Make sure to tip yourself!
• Use a water bottle if you don’t want to get a flask.  When you bring your flask out, you always risk getting it confiscated.  Also, everyone knows that its not water in your flask.  If you bring a water bottle filled with a clear substance, you might be able to play the “sober driver” card.  Also, if you lose it, the loss is $0, compared to a $10 flask.  Unfortunately, water bottles are a little easier to spot in your pocket than your flask.  I have had luck putting it in my jacket pocket and leaving my jacket open.  One last benefit to a water bottle is that if you finish everything, you don’t have to keep lugging it around to all the bars with you.  Just toss it when you are done and forget about it!

You don’t always have to BYOB to save money at the bars.  Try going out on off-beat nights - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - and you can usually find some pretty sweet drink specials that make paying for drinks totally worth it.  $1-$2 for a drink isn’t terrible, but $5+ is.

You may find that you can walk faster than you think. I have found that it is pretty easy to keep a 3-4mph pace without breaking a sweat. If you have to go somewhere that is only 1 mile away, it will take you about 15-20 minutes to get there.

Compare that with spending a few minutes grabbing your keys, climbing into the car, starting it up, pulling out, driving through traffic, parking, and finally climbing out of the car and locking the doors. Your car typically gets the worst gas mileage and pollutes the most when it is cold. One mile is not sufficient to warm up your engine in the least.

Walking has other benefits other than just saving you money and polluting less. Walking is one of the most efficient ways to metabolize body fat. If you have a one mile commute, consider walking as a substitute to driving at least a few days a week. The rewards are plentiful!

Save money on unnecessary purchases such as ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo, soy sauce, salt, pepper, bbq sauce, etc. If you haven’t noticed, these items are offered for free at many restaurants and food places throughout the country.

If you go out to eat somewhere, grab some extra packets of condiments. When you get home, stash them in a jar in your cupboard or on the top of your fridge. It saves you a couple bucks and you always have plenty of condiments to choose from when eating at home.

There is a reason that we have thick skin on the bottoms of our feet.  It is because for hundreds of thousands of years, we walked around with no shoes.  Why do we have shoes now?  Because everyone is a wuss.

Save money by saving your shoes for when you really need them.  Slowly start building up the skin under your feet, and eventually you won’t ever need shoes again.  Make sure you gradually make the transition as you don’t want to injure yourself.

I have had the same pair of shoes for over two years now, mainly because I try to keep the wear and tear to a minimum by wearing them as little as possible.

It truly is a way of life.  There are some people that blow their money foolishly, others that spend their money wisely, even fewer hang on to every last cent.  Then there is me, the Irish Cheapskate.  I go beyond frugal.  You will laugh, you will cry, and you might just save a buck or two using these great tips I will share with you.