Illegal/Ok?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

I've been toying with the contents of this post for a while, and I thought now was as good a time as any. We all take measures and steps in our personal lives to save/conserve money, and in the last couple of months, I have heard many, many different habits of my friends, coworkers and roommates. Some are similar to things I do, while other are things I'd never do. 


However, I would like to know what you think! In no particular order, here are some of the things that I do/others do/things I've thought of doing. The things that I've done are in bold, the other things listed are things people have mentionned doing or have done.

  • Downloading movies (torrenting - not paying)
  • Downloading music (limewire or equivalent - not paying)
  • Take extra packages of sauce/ketchup/salt, etc from fast food outlets to use at home
  • Taking extra packaged/disposable utensils from fast food outlets
  • Stealing metal cutlery from restaurants
  • Taking pint glasses from pubs
  • Keeping the free mini wine bottles/cola cans from airplanes to drink at home
  • Looping past people on the street handing free things out to stock up
  • Taking extra pens/pencils/stationary from the office to use at home
  • Using the office printer/fax/scanner at the office for personal use
  • Taking bathroom supplies from restaurants/fast food outlets/the office for home use (toilet paper, soap, etc)
  • Taking all the toiletries provided in a hotel bathroom for use at home
  • Buying things 'for donation' and not paying/paying very little (think votive candles at churches, poppies for Rememberance Day)
  • Not correcting a cashier/salesperson when they forget to ring in an item/ring it in at a lower price
  • Switching price tags on items to avoid paying the full price
  • Using a student card to get a discount when you are no longer a student
  • Taking extra ziplock bags from the airport booth (for your carry-on liquids) to use at home
  • Paying for once movie and skipping from theatre to theatre watching movies all day on one ticket.
  • Working 'under-the-table' for cash.
  • Keeping a close watch on hours earned to cut losses on your paycheques because of forgotten hours
  • Lying to your supervisors about extra hours worked to make extra cash (lying about overtime, etc)
  • Stealing sattelite T.V.
  • Hacking (or plain ol' accessing) a neighbors unsecured wireless to do your internettin'.
  • Dumpster diving for used items.
  • Hitting the front of the local thrift stores before the store opens to loot through the donations people have left overnight (that the store hasn't claimed yet).
  • Using 'free trial software' for the period specified (let's say 30 days), then uninstalling it and reinstalling it, or hacking it to work permanently. 
  • Shaking a vending machine until a candy bar falls free, for free.
  • Buying an item in a vending maching from the same slot as a stuck item, so you get 2 for 1.
Well, those are all the ones I can think of for now. What would you like to add? You can plainly see the things that I've done - what do you think? Would you/Have you done the same? Do you disaprove of some of these habits, or do you know someone who behaves in a way you disaprove of to save money? Let me know!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would have to say that most are stealing. There are several I have no problem with like Dumpster Diving, 2 for 1 vending machine.

I have used my husband's office copier but I always take my own paper.

I think most of these come down to a person's own moral code. My mother (who passed away when I was a child) always taught me that if I wouldn't do it in front of the world (owner, strangers, etc.) then it was best that I not do it.

Anonymous said...

I forgot one thing. Just the other day the cashier at the pet store put my total in to be debited for $6.26 - I saw it and had her change it to the correct $26.26.

Anonymous said...

oh thats a really thought provoking list of questions! some I would do, others seem a bit tacky. I might answer it in a post I think.

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...

Umm.... yeahhh... :)

I agree with Anon, they are stealing, but like the way people speed on the highways at 15km over the limit, or running stop signs (all illegal by the way).

I think in sociology, they call it society-accepted stealing..

Jerry said...

I am really conflicted about Torrent, etc. My conscience says not to do it - and I don't - but here in SE Europe there is literally NO OTHER WAY to get most of the shows. Even hulu.com isn't available here. It's terrible and it leads people to do things they otherwise might not. It is a big untapped market, and if there was some insurance that we could access the shows from back home I would totally pay for it.
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com