Kate: I TRY TO
AVOID PAYING FOR ANYTHING. Narrator:
WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY, THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAVE... LAST TIME I DID LAUNDRY
WAS THREE YEARS AGO. Narrator: ...THERE ARE THOSE
WHO ARE STINGY... I HAVEN'T BOUGHT ANY CLOTHES
IN EIGHT YEARS. WELL, NOT FOR $25. I DON'T USE TOILET PAPER. Narrator: ...AND THEN
THERE ARE CHEAPSKATES. SHE'S THE CHEAPEST PERSON
I'VE EVER MET. Narrator: MONEY MANAGER BY DAY,
DUMPSTER DIVER BY NIGHT. EXCUSE ME, MISS.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT. THIS NEW YORKER'S LAUGHING
ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. IT ALL ADDS UP.
DIG IN. WHAT IS IT?
IT'S, LIKE, REALLY HOT. I NEED TO, LIKE,
STEP OUT FOR A SECOND. Narrator: WELCOME TO THE WORLD
OF "EXTREME CHEAPSKATES." -- Captions by VITAC --
www.vitac.com CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS HI, MY NAME IS KATE HASHIMOTO,
AND I'M AN EXTREME CHEAPSKATE. I'M A LICENSED CPA, AND I'VE LIVED IN NEW YORK
FOR THREE YEARS. ALTHOUGH IT IS THE MOST
EXPENSIVE CITY TO LIVE IN, I FOUND WAYS TO GET AROUND IT. I HAVE ONLY $1.30 HERE.
WOULD YOU TAKE THAT? IF I HAVE TO SPEND MONEY,
I CANNOT AVOID IT, I WILL TRY TO
PAY AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. I AM A CHEAPSKATE
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. AFTER I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE,
I PRETTY MUCH ASSUMED I'D BE EMPLOYED
FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. BUT THEN, I WAS A CASUALTY
OF THE DOT-COM CRASH. I LOST A CAREER. NOT FOR $25. I LEARNED THAT
THE BEST WAY TO LIVE IS TO BE VERY FRUGAL
AND MINIMIZE MY EXPENSES. Man:
IT'S GONNA BE $10. I HAVE ONLY $5
WORTH OF CHANGE. WOULD YOU BE ABLE
TO TAKE $5 FOR THAT? OH, NO.
UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T. YOU CAN'T BRING IT DOWN?
YEAH, I WISH I COULD. YEAH,
THEN I'LL GO ELSEWHERE. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
HAVE A GOOD DAY. IF I USE A PAPER TOWEL
IN A PUBLIC RESTROOM, I'M DRYING OFF HANDS
THAT I WASHED CLEAN, SO I KEEP THEM AND REUSE THEM. YOU CAN REUSE
THE PAPER TOWEL MANY TIMES. WHY PAY TO THROW SOMETHING AWAY, ESPECIALLY
WHEN I CAN GET IT FOR FREE? I DON'T BELIEVE
IN PAYING FOR FURNITURE. I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT FURNITURE. THERE ARE SOME CHAIRS
IN THE DUMPSTER. HMM. I FURNISHED MY PLACE THROUGH
PICKING UP DISCARDED FURNITURE ON THE STREET
BEFORE THE TRASH PICKED IT UP. NOW, THIS IS PRETTY DIRTY. BUT THIS ONE LOOKS MUCH CLEANER. WELL, I DON'T HAVE HIGH-END,
LIKE, UPSCALE FURNITURE, BUT I WOULD SAY
I PROBABLY SAVED AT LEAST A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS
ON FURNITURE. HMM, THIS WORKS WELL,
AND IT'S MUCH CLEANER. I AVERAGE ABOUT $200 A MONTH
IN BASIC LIVING EXPENSES. I OWN MY OWN HOME,
FREE AND CLEAR. I JUST HAVE TO PAY REAL-ESTATE
TAXES AND CONDO FEES. I DIDN'T PAY ANYTHING
FOR FURNITURE. I GOT ALL THE FURNITURE
THAT I HAVE EITHER OFF THE STREET OR FROM
HAND-ME-DOWNS FROM OTHER PEOPLE. THIS IS MY MAKESHIFT COUCH. I FOUND THIS IN THE TRASH
OUTSIDE A SCHOOL DORM, END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. IT'S ALSO MY GUEST BED
WHEN PEOPLE VISIT. THIS IS MY BED WHERE I SLEEP,
AND THESE ARE ACTUALLY YOGA MATS THAT SOMEBODY WAS TRYING
TO GET RID OF, SO I TOOK THEM. I DO CONSIDER MY BED
COMFORTABLE, AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE A NEED
FOR A REAL BED. BEDS COST HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, AND THAT IS
ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS. AND HERE'S MY SMALL KITCHEN. MY PLACE CAME WITH A DISHWASHER. THE DISHWASHER
IS A WASTE OF WATER AND ENERGY. SO NOW IT'S JUST STORAGE SPACE. THIS IS AN ELECTRIC STOVE THAT I GOT USING
A FREE GIFT CERTIFICATE. I HAVE THIS BECAUSE MY PLACE
CAME WITH A GAS STOVE AND OVEN, BUT THE UTILITY COMPANY
WAS CHARGING ME $17 A MONTH MINIMUM MONTHLY FEE JUST FOR
HAVING THE GAS TURNED ON. I RARELY COOK,
SO I GOT THE GAS SHUT OFF. NOW THE STOVE IS A STORAGE AREA. AND I ALSO HAVE SOME MAGAZINES
HERE TO USE IT AS A TABLE. I NORMALLY DON'T SPEND MONEY
ON CLOTHES. I HAVEN'T BOUGHT ANY CLOTHES
IN PROBABLY EIGHT YEARS. THE LAST TIME
I BOUGHT UNDERWEAR WAS 1998. I DON'T THINK
I'VE EVER BOUGHT SOCKS. THIS IS ONE OF MY UNDERSHIRTS THAT I'VE HAD SINCE
I WAS A CHILD, PRETTY MUCH. [ CHUCKLES ] AND I GOT THESE SHORTS
ON SALE IN 1999 FOR I THINK IT WAS $15. THESE ARE TOO WIDE NOW. THIS ELASTIC KIND OF WORE OUT
OVER THE YEARS. SO, I TAKE THIS BINDER CLIP
AND I CLIP IT TOGETHER, AND IT FITS FINE. THESE SHORTS HAVE LASTED ME
13 YEARS GOING ON, AND HOPEFULLY MORE YEARS. I STORE MY TOILETRIES
IN THIS BOX. I DON'T BELIEVE
IN PAYING FOR TOILETRIES. I'M SUBSCRIBED
TO MANY DIFFERENT MAILING LISTS, AND I ALSO KEEP MY EYES
ON FREEBIE SITES. WHENEVER I HEAR
OF ANY FREE SAMPLE OFFER THAT'S FOR SOMETHING
THAT I WOULD ACTUALLY USE, I WOULD GO AND FILL OUT A FORM. HERE ARE SOME FREE SAMPLES
OF SANITARY PADS AND TAMPONS. AND ALSO, SOMETIMES I GO
TO SOME PROMOTIONAL EVENTS WHERE FREEBIES
ARE BEING GIVEN OUT. DENTAL FLOSS,
CONTACT LENS SOLUTIONS, TOOTHBRUSHES, TOOTHPASTES,
FREE SAMPLES OF DEODORANT, FREE SAMPLES OF RAZORS. I'M A BIG FAN OF FREE SAMPLES.
MAYBE I'M AN EXTREME SAMPLER. I DON'T DO LAUNDRY. YOU HAVE TO PAY QUITE A BIT
IN QUARTERS, SO WHENEVER
I HAVE DIRTY CLOTHES, I TRY TO WASH THEM
WHILE I'M SHOWERING. YOU SEE I'M USING A FREE SAMPLE
OF DETERGENT I GOT. OKAY, I NEED TO GET DETERGENT
AND BLEACH ONTO MY CLOTHES BEFORE I PUT THEM
IN THE SHOWER TO SOAK. THEN, ONCE I'M DONE SHOWERING,
THEN I LATHER UP THE CLOTHES. I ALMOST NEVER DO LAUNDRY. I THINK THE LAST TIME
I DID LAUNDRY WAS MAYBE THREE YEARS AGO. I START
RINGING OUT THESE CLOTHES. I DON'T USE A DRYER. NOT ONLY
DOES THE DRYER WASTE MONEY, BUT IT SHRINKS CLOTHES
AND IT WEARS CLOTHES OUT FASTER. CAN KEEP YOUR CLOTHES
LOOKING NEWER FOR LONGER IF YOU DON'T DRY THEM. WELL, NORMALLY, I WOULD DO MAYBE
A LOAD OF LAUNDRY EVER OTHER WEEK. IT COSTS LIKE $3
TO WASH AND DRY CLOTHES. I SAVE MAYBE $6 A MONTH. I USED TO GET MY HAIR CUT
ONCE A YEAR AT A BEAUTY SCHOOL, AND THEN I DECIDED
I WOULD CUT MY OWN HAIR. A FORMER ROOMMATE
ACTUALLY LEFT THIS BEHIND. AND THAT HAS WORKED OUT
MUCH BETTER. I HAVE HEARD THAT NORMAL PEOPLE
PAY $100 FOR A HAIRCUT. NOW, THAT'S JUST VERY HARD
TO IMAGINE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT. I DON'T USE TOILET PAPER. I JUST USE WATER AND SOAP
TO CLEAN MYSELF OFF AFTER GOING TO THE BATHROOM. I TAKE THIS WATER BOTTLE THAT
I HAVE, AND I RINSE MYSELF OFF. IF I JUST URINATED,
I'M DONE WITH THAT, AND THEN I DRY MYSELF OFF WITH
THE PAPER TOWELS THAT I HAVE. IF I TOOK A DUMP,
THEN I ALSO GRAB SOAP, WIPE MYSELF DOWN WITH THE SOAP, AND THEN I TAKE THE WATER
AND RINSE OFF THE SOAP. I DON'T BELIEVE
IN SPENDING MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE JUST GONNA
THROW AWAY, SUCH AS TOILET PAPER
OR PAPER TOWELS. [ TOILET FLUSHES ] Narrator: COMING UP...
Kate: I HAVE BEEN EATING DUMPSTER-DIVED FOOD
FOR TWO YEARS. CHICKEN ASPARAGUS
WITH TWO SIDES. MY FRIENDS MIGHT LIKE THIS, EVEN
THOUGH I DON'T LIKE CHICKEN. [ Ringing ] MATT: Hello? HEY, MATT.
IT'S KATE. Hi. I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T
SEEN YOU IN OVER A YEAR. IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE YOU
AGAIN AND FINALLY MEET ROSE. Kate:
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HAVING MATT AND
HIS GIRLFRIEND, ROSE, OVER. MATT IS A FRIEND I MET WHEN WE WERE BOTH STUDYING
FOR OUR LICENSING EXAM. Okay,
I'll see you tomorrow. YEAH, BYE.
Bye. MATT HAD PREVIOUSLY
EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN SEEING MY LIFESTYLE, SO I THOUGHT
THIS WOULD BE A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE THEM
TO DUMPSTER-DIVE FOOD. I HAVE BEEN EATING
DUMPSTER-DIVED FOOD REGULARLY FOR TWO YEARS. AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, I FOUND I WAS SPENDING ABOUT
$20 TO $25 A WEEK ON FOOD. THAT ENDS UP BEING LIKE
$100 A MONTH, AND I WAS LIKE, "HOW CAN I
SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON FOOD?" I DO HAVE SOME FOOD LEFT
FROM PREVIOUS DUMPSTER DIVES, BUT NOT ALL THAT MUCH. I COULD USE MORE FOR TOMORROW'S
DINNER WITH MATT AND ROSE. THIS SHIRT HAS HOLES IN IT, AND THIS IS AN OLD,
CRAPPY PAIR OF SHORTS. SHOULD HELP ME LOOK LIKE A BUM. STORE MANAGERS
DON'T WANT US DUMPSTER DIVING. THEY'LL TELL US TO GO AWAY. BUT IF I DRESS UP LIKE A BUM, HOPEFULLY THE STORE MANAGERS
WILL HAVE MORE SYMPATHY AND LEAVE ME ALONE. IT'S TIME TO GO DUMPSTER DIVING. I GO DUMPSTER DIVING
IN THE TRASH OF UPSCALE GROCERY STORES
IN NEW YORK. THESE STORES OFTEN THROW AWAY A
LOT OF VERY HIGH-QUALITY FOODS, INCLUDING ORGANIC FOODS
AND REALLY NICE PREPARED FOODS. THERE'S A LOT OF GRAPES IN HERE
AND ARTICHOKES AND TOMATOES. I'M GUESSING THESE TOMATOES
GOT THROWN OUT PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY WERE
AMONG A BUNCH THAT HAD MAYBE ONE OR TWO
THAT WERE SPOILED, SO OFTEN THE STORE WILL JUST
THROW THE WHOLE BATCH OUT. THESE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE, AND I WOULD NEVER SPEND MONEY
ON THESE FOODS. ALFALFA SPROUTS. LOOKS A LITTLE WET INSIDE. WHEN I DUMPSTER DIVE, I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO EAT
REALLY HIGH-END, GOURMET FOODS THAT I WOULD NEVER PAY FOR. THE GNOCCHI PASTA THING. FRESH, NO-BOIL LASAGNA SHEETS. THESE STORES ARE MOST WASTEFUL, DISPOSING OF FOOD
THAT IS STILL EDIBLE. THERE'S A LOT OF LETTUCE
IN HERE. I'M LOOKING FOR CLEAN,
SANITARY FOOD. PREPACKAGED FOOD
IN SEALED PACKAGES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN OPENED
OR TAMPERED WITH. OH, I FOUND SOME PREPARED FOODS
IN THIS BAG. THERE IS A CHICKEN ASPARAGUS
WITH TWO SIDES HERE. MY FRIENDS MIGHT LIKE THIS, EVEN
THOUGH I DON'T LIKE CHICKEN. THIS IS DATED TODAY. A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE A FOOD
HAS HIT ITS EXPIRATION DATE THAT SUDDENLY
HAS TURNED POISONOUS, AND THAT'S NORMALLY NOT TRUE. HOT CHICKEN WINGS HERE,
AND THIS WAS DATED YESTERDAY. I EAT DUMPSTER-DIVE FOOD
THAT SOMETIMES HAS BEEN EXPIRED FOR MONTHS OR EVEN YEARS. MORE OPTIONS FOR MY FRIENDS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE FOOD
IS AS FRESH AND GOOD AS POSSIBLE FOR MY GUESTS. OH, THERE'S A PACKAGED CAKE. IT LOOKS PERFECTLY GOOD.
CARROT CAKE. OH, IT SMELLS VERY GOOD,
ACTUALLY. SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE
IN HERE. OH, THERE'S ANOTHER CAKE
IN THIS BOX. THIS LOOKS PERFECTLY GOOD. SMELLS GOOD, TOO. HEY, EXCUSE ME, MISS.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT. OH, I'M JUST SEEING
IF YOU HAVE ANY SALVAGEABLE FOOD IN YOUR BAGS. I'LL CLOSE IT UP
AND LEAVE IT CLEAN. WELL, YOU CAN'T DO THAT,
MA'AM. DRESSING UP AS A BUM
DIDN'T WORK THIS TIME. ALTHOUGH,
IT DIDN'T REALLY SCARE ME BECAUSE ONCE THE TRASH
HITS THE CURB, IT IS PUBLIC PROPERTY, AND IT IS LEGAL FOR US
TO TAKE THE TRASH. I NORMALLY JUST
EAT MY DUMPSTER-DIVE FOOD DIRECTLY OUT OF THE PACKAGE. BUT SINCE
I'M HAVING GUESTS OVER, I'M GONNA HEAT UP THE FOOD
IN A POT. TURKEY MEATLOAF MEAL
WITH TWO SIDES. SMELLS OKAY. CHICKEN ASPARAGUS
WITH TWO SIDES. THIS IS A WHEAT BERRY SALAD. IF FRIENDS OR FAMILY
WANT TO GO OUT TO A RESTAURANT, I TRY TO TALK THEM OUT OF IT. I WOULD GO ONLY IF
THEY WOULD PAY FOR MY MEAL. I SUSPECT MATT AND ROSE MIGHT
WANT TO HAVE A REAL MEAL AT A RESTAURANT INSTEAD, BUT I'LL SEE
IF THEY CAN TOLERATE THIS SINCE IT'S CHEAPER. Narrator: COMING UP...
HEY, MATT. Rose: "WHOA."
[ CHUCKLES ] "THIS IS REALLY SMALL
AND CLUTTERED." Kate: THIS MATTRESS
WAS FROM A DORM DUMPSTER DIVE. AREN'T YOU AFRAID IT'S GOT,
LIKE, STUFF ON IT? ROACHES ON IT?
SEEING HOW DIRTY THAT IT IS. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING
MATT AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, ROSE, OVER FOR DINNER TONIGHT. I HOPE THEY'LL ENJOY
THIS DUMPSTER-DIVE FOOD. HI, KATE.
HEY, MATT. NICE TO SEE YOU. HOW'S IT GOING?
NICE TO SEE YOU. THIS IS MY GIRLFRIEND,
ROSE. HI. NICE TO MEET YOU. NICE TO MEET YOU,
FINALLY. Matt: AS A FRIEND,
I KNOW HOW CHEAP SHE IS, SO I CAME TO VISIT KATE
TO SEE HER IN ACTION. Kate: I HAVEN'T SEEN MATT
IN OVER A YEAR, AND I HAVE NEVER MET ROSE. MY FIRST REACTION
WHEN I WALKED IN WAS, "WHOA." [ CHUCKLES ] "THIS IS REALLY SMALL
AND CLUTTERED." I'LL SHOW YOU AROUND. Matt: OKAY. [ Chuckling ] NOT THAT THERE'S
A WHOLE LOT OF SPACE TO SHOW, BUT THIS IS
MY MAKESHIFT COUCH. THIS MATTRESS
WAS FROM A DORM DUMPSTER DIVE. AREN'T YOU AFRAID IT'S GOT,
LIKE, STUFF ON IT? ROACHES ON IT?
[ CHUCKLES ] WELL, YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE
THE PLASTIC BAGS OVER IT. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I WOULD DO.
NO. [ CHUCKLES ] THIS IS A LITTLE TABLE
THAT I FOUND OFF THE CURB. WELL, THIS CHAIR, I FOUND
YESTERDAY IN THE DUMPSTER. THAT ACTUALLY
LOOKS PRETTY NEW. [ CHUCKLES ] STILL,
IT WAS IN THE DUMPSTER. [ CHUCKLES ]
SO, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. THIS STOOL I ALSO GOT
OFF THE STREET. SO, YOU DON'T PAY
FOR ANY FURNITURE? NO, I'VE NEVER BOUGHT
FURNITURE BEFORE. Matt: THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
I GOT TO SEE HER BEING REALLY CHEAP, SO THIS WAS JUST COMPLETELY,
LIKE, A SHOCK. [ CHUCKLES ] SO, YEAH,
AND THIS IS WHERE I SLEEP. YOU SLEEP ON THIS? WOW. THAT DOESN'T
SEEM COMFORTABLE AT ALL. ACTUALLY, IT IS
QUITE COMFORTABLE. THIS IS A YOGA MAT.
YEAH. FROM, LIKE,
A GYM OR SOMETHING? LIKE, YOGA MATS? I THINK, YEAH. LOOKS RATHER
UNCOMFORTABLE. [ Chuckling ] YEAH. LIKE, THERE'S NOT A LOT
OF CUSHION HERE. ACTUALLY, IT IS QUITE
COMFORTABLE TO LIE ON. YOU GUYS COULD TRY.
[ BOTH CHUCKLE ] I DON'T THINK SO. [ Chuckling ] I DON'T KNOW
HOW DIRTY THAT IS. ACTUALLY,
IT IS QUITE CLEAN. Kate: I DON'T CARE
WHAT MATT AND ROSE SAY. THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE
MY ROOMMATES OR ANYTHING, SO THERE'S NO NEED FOR ME
TO BUY A NEW BED JUST BECAUSE MATT AND ROSE
THINK IT LOOKS UNCOMFORTABLE. Matt: KATE WORKS REALLY HARD, AND
SHE DOESN'T SPEND MONEY AT ALL. AND IT'S JUST
VERY TROUBLING TO ME. HOW DOES THIS WORK? SO, YEAH, THIS PLACE CAME
WITH A GAS STOVE AND OVEN. THE UTILITY COMPANY
WAS CHARGING ME LIKE A MINIMUM MONTHLY FEE
OF $17-PLUS, SO I DECIDED
TO SHUT OFF THE GAS. SO, THEN,
YOU USE THIS INSTEAD? YEP, THAT STOVE THING
IS WHAT I USE, TOO. Matt:
IT'S LIKE A BUNSEN BURNER. 'CAUSE IT'S ONLY $17.
IT'S ONLY $17. IT ALL ADDS UP. I'M DYING IN HERE.
[ CHUCKLES ] YEAH,
IT'S REALLY HOT IN HERE. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'D STAND IT
HERE IN THE SUMMER. YOU'D GET SICK JUST NOT HAVING
GOOD CIRCULATION IN HERE. I NEED TO, LIKE,
STEP OUT FOR A SECOND. [ SIGHS ]
YEAH, SURE. I'M, LIKE,
REALLY DIZZY. [ SIGHS ] Kate : I DO NOT
HAVE AIR-CONDITIONING. I'VE HEARD OF PEOPLE
WITH ELECTRIC BILLS OF A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS
A MONTH IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE THEY USE AIR-CONDITIONING,
SO I DO WITHOUT. YOU OKAY? YEAH, I THINK SO. I WOULDN'T PURCHASE AN A/C JUST IN ORDER
TO HAVE GUESTS COMING OVER. THIS IS THE BATHROOM? Kate: YEP.
THIS IS THE BATHROOM. THAT IS ALSO VERY SMALL. YES, IT IS. YOUR OUTFIT'S
VERY INTERESTING. ACTUALLY, THESE SHORTS I GOT
MAYBE 12 YEARS AGO, LIKE, WHEN THEY WERE
ON SALE. 12 YEARS AGO?
[ CHUCKLES ] SO, YOU'VE HAD THEM
FOR A LONG TIME. YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY,
THE ELASTIC BAND ON THIS PAIR OF SHORTS
WORE OUT, SO I HAVE TO USE
THESE BINDER CLIPS TO CLIP THEM TOGETHER
SO THEY DON'T FALL DOWN. Matt: NORMAL PEOPLE
DON'T USUALLY GO AROUND WITH CLIPS ON THEIR PANTS. Kate: I TRY TO AVOID
PAYING FOR ANYTHING. AND IF I HAVE TO
PAY FOR SOMETHING, I'D WANT TO PAY
THE LEAST AMOUNT POSSIBLE. Rose: WHAT ABOUT FOOD?
YOU PAY FOR FOOD AT ALL? I TRY TO AVOID
PAYING FOR FOOD. THERE ARE MANY UPSCALE
GROCERY STORES IN MANHATTAN, AND THEY THROW OUT THEIR FOOD
IN TRASH BAGS ON THE CURB. WHEN THEY'RE PERFECTLY --
WELL, THEY'RE STILL EDIBLE. [ Chuckling ]
THAT REALLY BOTHERS ME. ME TOO.
[ GROANS ] Narrator: COMING UP... UNH-UNH. WHEN I FOUND OUT
IT CAME FROM A DUMPSTER, I FELT A LITTLE SICK
TO MY STOMACH. I'M JUST GONNA
GO TO THE BATHROOM. Kate:
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HAVING MATT
AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, ROSE, OVER. MATT HAD PREVIOUSLY
EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN SEEING MY LIFESTYLE, SO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE
A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE THEM TO DUMPSTER-DIVE FOOD. I'VE BEEN COOKING UP
A SURPRISE FOR YOU GUYS. DIG IN. I DON'T KNOW.
[ CHUCKLES ] Rose: DOESN'T LOOK
VERY APPETIZING. IT DOESN'T. WHAT IS IT? THESE ARE SOME VEGETABLES
WITH TURKEY AND CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES, AND THIS IS
A CHICKEN-FRIED RICE. SO, EVERYTHING'S
IN THE SAME POT? THE TURKEY AND -- YEAH,
THIS IS A MEDLEY. OH, OKAY. GO AHEAD, MATT.
[ BOTH CHUCKLE ] [ Chuckling ] OKAY. GUESS I'LL TRY
SOME OF THE TURKEY. GO AHEAD, ROSE. GUESS I'LL TRY A LITTLE BIT
OF THE TURKEY, TOO. MM, I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT ALL
THE REST OF THIS STUFF WITH IT. JUST A LITTLE BIT. WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE? DOESN'T REALLY
TASTE LIKE TURKEY. [ CHUCKLES ] TASTES LIKE SOMETHING, LIKE,
OUT OF A CAN OR SOMETHING. MM-HMM. YEAH,
IT'S TURKEY MEATLOAF. OH. GONNA EAT ANY MORE OF IT? I'LL TRY SOME OF THE RICE. YEAH,
THAT'S CHICKEN-FRIED RICE. HOW DOES IT TASTE? I DON'T KNOW. IT JUST DOESN'T
SEEM FRESH TO ME. [ CHUCKLES ] I'M GONNA TRY
A LITTLE BIT OF IT. THERE'S, LIKE,
CHUNKS OF STUFF IN HERE. UNH-UNH. SOME OF IT TASTED OKAY.
SOME OF IT TASTED STALE. YOU KNOW, I MIGHT JUST
STICK TO WHAT I HAVE. AS A FRIEND,
I KNOW HOW SHE LIVES. SO, I SUSPECTED THE FOOD
CAME FROM THE DUMPSTER. WHERE DID YOU
GET THIS FOOD FROM? IT'S A SURPRISE. IT'S A SURPRISE. [ CHUCKLES ] WHAT DOES THAT CHICKEN
TASTE LIKE? JUST DOESN'T TASTE GOOD TO ME.
[ CHUCKLES ] SO, WHERE DID IT
COME FROM? THE TRASH?
[ CHUCKLES ] [ Chuckling ]
BAGS ON THE STREET. OH. WHEN I FOUND OUT
IT CAME FROM A DUMPSTER, I FELT A LITTLE SICK
TO MY STOMACH. I'M JUST GONNA GO TO
THE BATHROOM, IF THAT'S OKAY. WHO KNOWS
WHAT'S IN THAT DUMPSTER? THERE'S BUGS AND ALL SORTS OF
STUFF, ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY. JUST...YEAH.
[ CHUCKLES ] Kate: I WAS TRYING
TO MAKE IT A SURPRISE. I DIDN'T TELL THEM THAT I WAS GONNA FEED THEM
DUMPSTER-DIVE FOOD, AND I THINK THAT NEGATIVELY
AFFECTED THEIR OPINION. AND HERE'S
SOME DESSERTS. OH, BOY.
[ CHUCKLES ] HERE'S A KNIFE. WHAT IS THIS ONE
SUPPOSED TO BE? LOOKS LIKE A CHOCOLATE --
IT'S A CHOCOLATE CAKE. FROM THE STREET. THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'VE BEEN,
LIKE, MESSED WITH. SEE, LIKE, THE TOP'S ALL,
LIKE, DENTED IN. I DON'T KNOW. [ CHUCKLES ] CHOCOLATE CAKE, TOO. THERE'S, LIKE,
STUFF COMING OFF OF IT. TRY A LITTLE BIT OF
THE CHOCOLATE CAKE, MAYBE. THE ICING
DOESN'T TASTE FRESH. STALE, HUH?
A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE TO
TRY SOME CARROT CAKE? I THINK
WE'RE GONNA GET GOING. THANKS FOR HAVING US. Kate: IF MATT AND ROSE
HAD NOT FOUND OUT THE FOOD WAS DUMPSTER-DIVED, I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE
TRIED MORE OF THE FOOD, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW
IF THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED THOSE PARTICULAR DISHES. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. NICE TO MEET YOU. IT WAS GOOD SEEING KATE.
SHE'S A GOOD PERSON. BUT MY GIRLFRIEND AND I
ARE DEFINITELY EXCITED TO LEAVE. I GUESS WE'LL BE
SEEING YOU SOON, HOPEFULLY. MM-HMM.
YEP. Rose: I WOULDN'T COME BACK
AND VISIT KATE AGAIN. I WOULD PREFER
TO MEET SOMEWHERE ELSE, PREFERABLY
WHERE THE FOOD WAS FRESH. Kate: TOO BAD MATT AND ROSE
DIDN'T LIKE THE FOOD. HOPEFULLY,
I'LL GET TO SEE THEM AGAIN, AND I DEFINITELY WON'T BE GIVING THEM ANY MORE
DUMPSTER-DIVE FOOD.
Went down a major “extreme cheapskates” rabbit hole with my gf the other night...this one was definitely one of the highlights. She dumpster dives for food and then serves it to “friends” who she invites over...its bad
7:05 "if i took a dump"
Extreme cheapskates is all sadcringe. There's this one episode where the dude is obviously financially abusive to his spouse and kids and it's so awkward and awful to see it portrayed on this TV show as "look at this quirky dude who seizes all of his wife's income and doesn't buy furniture so he can literally hoard the money in an offshore account! What a doozy"
Tl;dr: “I smell.”
This breaks my heart. She mentions that she started doing this when the market crash happened and she lost her job. It must have been an amazingly traumatic experience to shift her mindset into such an intense level of survival mode. I have someone close to me that is very similar to this. They are successful and financially secure, but because of the immense poverty they experienced as a child they choose to hoard their money and dumpster dive for food, and pretty much anything else, rather than spend a dime.
you don't want to spend money on yourself? fine. but don't make your friends go along with it.
What a ridiculous person
This is definitely not normal behavior. Seems as if she might have suffered some sort of trauma as a child, or was extremely poor growing up etc. I wouldn't be surprised if she is mentally ill or is on the spectrum. She completely lacks the ability to understand the blatant uncomfortable social cues and uneasiness of her guests.
This makes me sad