{"id":6606,"date":"2026-01-06T21:21:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T21:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=6606"},"modified":"2026-01-06T21:21:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T21:21:31","slug":"children-of-cheapskate-parents-share-their-horrifying-stories-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=6606","title":{"rendered":"Children Of Cheapskate Parents Share Their Horrifying Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We live in a time when stretching every dollar matters. Many of us work hard just to cover basic expenses, so finding small ways to save can genuinely make a difference. But then there are people who push frugality far past the reasonable limit\u2014those who drift from \u201ccareful with money\u201d to outright \u201ccheap.\u201d And sometimes, it\u2019s their kids who end up stuck dealing with the fallout.<\/p>\n

Story 1
\nWhen my dad first moved into his place, he scheduled a free demonstration for an under-sink water filtration system. The salesman used a bar of soap during the pitch and left it behind afterward. My dad then called four more companies just to get additional free demos\u2014only so he could collect the free soap bars.<\/p>\n

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He never had the slightest intention of actually buying a filter. He pulls stunts like this all the time, and it\u2019s only gotten worse as he\u2019s gotten older. At this point, I\u2019ve just accepted that this is who he is.<\/p>\n

Story 2
\nMy dad guards paper towels like they\u2019re made of gold. Even now, at 21, he still expects me to ask permission before using one because he can\u2019t stand the idea of \u201cwaste.\u201d When I was younger, I honestly thought a single roll cost a hundred dollars based on how he acted. He\u2019s so cheap that he ends up spending more in the long run\u2014constantly buying the lowest-quality items that break or malfunction.<\/p>\n

One day, my girlfriend and I were at his house when I accidentally spilled an entire gallon of milk. She grabbed a roll of paper towels and used the whole thing to soak it up. I felt guilty just helping her, but when Dad realized we\u2019d gone through an entire roll\u2026 the look on his face was unforgettable.<\/p>\n

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He didn\u2019t yell\u2014he\u2019s too polite to make a scene in front of my girlfriend\u2014but you could see the pain, anger, and heartbreak building inside him over that \u201clost\u201d roll. Story 3
\nDads can be unbelievable. Mine despises paying for electricity, so he air-dries his clothes outside all year\u2014even when the temperature drops below freezing.<\/p>\n

Whenever we cleaned our rooms, he\u2019d rummage through our trash hunting for \u201ctreasures\u201d we might\u2019ve tossed out, like loose change or recyclables. He\u2019s obsessed with saving on gas. I once sat in the passenger seat while he drove around for thirty minutes comparing prices, just to save a few cents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

And whenever we drove downhill, he\u2019d shift into neutral, open the car door, and push the car along with his foot to \u201cconserve fuel.\u201d
\nOne time at Burger King, he refused to let me order a burger because it was \u201ctoo pricey,\u201d so I was only allowed to get chicken fries. Story 4
\nMy father absolutely abused Costco\u2019s return policy. He once returned an outdoor furniture set that we\u2019d been using for nearly eight years.<\/p>\n

It was worn out, sun-damaged, and several pieces were literally broken. Costco still accepted the return. He walked out with a refund big enough to cover most of a brand-new patio set.<\/p>\n

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It was unbelievable. Story 5
\nWhile my parents lived in luxury, I was left with nothing. After my grandmother passed away, they quietly stole the inheritance she meant for me.<\/p>\n

Every year, all they send is a $50 Walmart gift card. I\u2019m so broke I don\u2019t even own a phone. Meanwhile, they buy multiple luxury cars every year and jet off to the Maldives like it\u2019s nothing.<\/p>\n

Then one day, everything changed. They were away on a cruise when I received a letter. On the envelope were the words: \u201cDo not open this when they\u2019re around.\u201d
\nI glanced around, tore it open immediately, and started reading.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMary, this is your real father. I\u2019ve been trying to find you for years. Your grandmother left you a large inheritance, and I\u2019ve been fighting to get it back for you.<\/p>\n

Meet me at the address inside. It\u2019s time for you to reclaim what\u2019s yours and finally change your life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We live in a time when stretching every dollar matters. Many of us work hard just to cover basic expenses, so finding small ways to save can genuinely make a … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6606"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6611,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606\/revisions\/6611"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}