Frugal During College

Sometimes, I was too frugal back in my college days.

Since money was tight back then, my friends and I were always looking to do things on the cheap!

Back then, my friends and I all worked out regularly.  My best friend (at the time) and I were especially into fitness and our appearance.  We routinely worked out and not to brag, but we looked pretty good.  Well, one year along came spring break and neither of us can afford to go.

Since we didn’t want to look like we didn’t go somewhere, we decide to try and get a tan during spring break.  There were three of us that couldn’t afford to go anywhere that year.  Well, my one friend Matt decided that he wanted to sunbath on the roof of the dorm that we were staying at.

So we strolled up to the door, and it was locked.  Now, that was enough for me to start back the way we came, and that’s what I started to do, at least until I heard the loud crash.  Lo and behold, Matt (who is build like the comic book version of the juggernaut) kicked the steel door open. Both my best friend and I looked at each other, shook our heads, then went through the door to the outside with Matt.

Being Too Frugal Did Get Other Friends Arrest

While neither my best friend nor I was into the stupid act of kicking the door open, we figured, hey we’re here…  So we all went out in 40 to 50 degree weather to sunbath (we just took off our shirts, we were already wearing workout short).  After 20 minutes, I wimped out and went back to my dorm room.  We did this for the entire week, with me going out the least.  My friends, while freezing out on the roof, managed to stay out in the cold for 45 minutes sessions. 

At the end of the week, then they told me something interesting.  After they were done and coming in out of the cold, they saw some other guys coming up.  Matt told the other guys what we were doing but obviously didn’t tell them he kicked in the door.  The other guys were friends with us too, but not very close.  Well they decided that they liked the idea too, and got towels and a radio so they could sunbath too.

Unfortunately, the security guard came around, and they left the door ajar slightly and with a small portable radio playing… well he caught them, and they got busted.  I’m not sure of the exact details, but I think the police were involved, but the boys that were caught were just made to pay the damages to the door.  My friend that kicked in the door also payed a percentage of the cost of the door, but he wasn’t arrested, he just felt guilty.

If we just went to the tanning beds, it would have been the safest route to get a tan so that we wouldn’t be outcast in our social group, and looked good for those tanned girls coming back from spring break.  Ironically, the door upstairs was never the same and could be opened with a bit of work.  I didn’t want anything to do with that door after the sunbathing session on the roof, but that didn’t stop my friends…

If I were one of the boys caught it would have been a large expense that I didn’t want to pay, not to mention potential vandalism charges!

Have you ever done stupid things to save a buck?

Cheers,

MR