Whither Cheap?

I live with possibly the cheapest person alive.  She grew up in an upper middle class household, & her father is "rich" in a sense that I will never understand.  Once, we ate with him at a terrible Chinese restaurant (why?) on the San Antonio Riverwalk.  The bill was nearly a hundred bucks.  He left a dollar tip.

The service wasn't bad - but he just didn't tip much.  I'm sure that's how he felt he stayed rich.

I grew up very poor, but not in poverty.  I didn't even know how poor we were, really - I was a dumb kid, & I spent a lot of time playing with Star Wars figures.  One day, some time in sixth or seventh grade, my mother asked me, "You're not ashamed that we're so poor, are you?"

Well, I wasn't, Mom - until then!

This Cracked article is pretty spot-on about the bad habits one gets when one grows up poor.  I watched my brothers be extravagant on payday & then hit people up for money the rest of the week.  I can be extremely generous myself, although I don't think I've gone too overboard.  But for my wife - who has kept her maiden name, Skinflint - it can be unbearable.  I often tease her about giving money away to charity - & it can enrage her.

She's getting better now.  She has actually been more free & easy with her money from time-to-time.  This show, then, is kind of a backhanded homage to her.

Sorry it's so late.  I hope it's up by noon tomorrow!