http://www.promotionalcodes.org.uk/617/20-things-you-can-legally-steal-to-save-money/

#18--

I actually tried something like that a couple of years ago at a certain un-named anchor store at the Van Mall, in this case as a little "experiment" in social engineering. Much as I absolutely despise cellular telephones, I went in there and said I lost my cell phone. (Anyone who knows me personally knows I wouldn't even be caught dead with a cellular telephone, of course.......)

I did see a rather nice graphing calculator in there, a TI89. Made a mental note of its presence. Came back the next day and told them (different cashier that time, natch) I lost my calculator. Next thing I know, I'm entering my apartment asking Dennis if he wants a TI89, as I am still using the one I got when I was in high school!

To be honest, this is the kind of stuff you'd read about quite a bit in 2600....

I was so broke, that I used to go to Mcdonalds and Steal a whole bunch of those tiny Catsup packages. Inside my fridge i have a gigantic stack of those tiny catsup packages!

With the economy in the shitter, there is no point of actually paying for catsup!

Buns of steel out!

Wow, what a way to wreck your life permanently with a nice police record. Geez, what an idiot the writer is.

In the first place, stealing from work, no matter how small, is the EASIEST way for an employer to fire you. Especially if you have a union job and work for a employee-unfriendly employer, especially the kind that likes to call the cops. Ever see old managers at dives like Kmart? They're there for a reason -- nobody else will hire them even if they've decades of experience elsewhere.

As for stealing library books . . . heck I'D call the cops if I see a bunch of stolen books in your house and I'd give you a swift kick in the butt if you are peddling them on eBay or at Amazon.com.

And stealing gas. Doesn't this idiot know this is gun-toting America? Getting blasted by a car owner's gun is particlarly not pleasant. And in many medium-sized towns with plenty of blue shields, bored cops will happily chase you down and bust you (think Sherwood, Tigard, Newberg, et al) all from a suspicious neighbor's phone call. Never mind the bored editor of the local rag looking for something to fill the front page with.


Steal catsup if you wish but don't frack with my books!

And that outside mounted gas can may contain sugar-laced gas just waiting to be stolen.

I worked for a car dealership 15 years ago, I was a lot attendant. Basically I detailed cars,I cleaned them and filled them up with gas.
I worked there for 2 years, and during those two years I NEVER PAID for gas. We were given gas cards to fill up the company cars at a special gas station, and I would always take my car in at least once a week and fill it to the brim with unleaded. I didn't care if this was stealing because I was paid minimum wage and I had to deal with Car Salesmen who were complete doushe bags, Total scum, So I figured that I deserved the free gas. After 2 years I quit because I was going to college. ( I was not fired)

Anyone worked for Scott Thomason or Bob Frink had an "OK" from me to put all the gas they want on the company card.

Stuff I have done save money when times really, really sucked:

Take the hotel crap. Snag condiments, but only those special ones that are hard to get otherwise. I make a purchase too, but I do take a LOT of the condiments for use at home later on other stuff. Crackers, particularly the "help yourself" free crackers and lemons are gold. That's a quick rainy day, fill your stomach lunch when it gets bad.

Every time I visit the higher margin mini-mart, I make sure and use their garbage can. Hey, it's a customer service, thanks for buying that 32 oz. soda right? If you are careful, you can get rid of just about all your household garbage that way.

Get good at that and cut your garbage service. They will whine about it being required, but just don't ever pay it, and they will eventually deal, let you back on and all will be good.

I do the get one free deals everywhere and share cards and stamps with others. I share media with others for max bang for the buck.

These days, one netflix rental, shared among 4 people works like an extension of the queue. Just watch it, pass it on, last one drops it in the mail. Keep 'em coming a few at a time and it's one hell of a deal. Back then it was shared VHS rentals and such.

Hassling fast food places for their many cockups is good for free stuff regularly. Just take the fam through the drive true, order a bunch of off menu crap, and *bam* free meal almost every time.

Taco Bell is the most consistent one for this and they will hand it out like no other too. Nice guys, give them a call.

Then there is the retail rental. Need to use an expensive tool, wear that dress only one time, just want to check out the product for a coupla days, get seen with that gadget everybody just has to have?

That's right, the retail rental. Keep your receipt, buy it on an AmEx and charge it back, if they don't accept the return. Ever wonder why some places have the restocking fee? That's why. Some of the dumber ones will just take the return and that's great. Look for those as hard times generally means not having credit. Remember almost anything is possible during a peak time, shift change, etc...

Buy the expired carton at the store or mini-mart, wait until peak time, then go in and just BITCH and MOAN. You will get your money back, and usually that item for free.

Go to the garage sales, buy a lot of stuff. Pawn it off, wash, rinse, repeat. When your "credit is good", get the max and never, ever go back. Send a good friend in to haggle for the best of it a few weeks later, for bonus points!

Visit your fam and just get stuffed. Don't eat for the next day. This is usually worth about $10 to $20 these days, particularly if you just don't go anywhere.

Done regularly, that's $100 a month.

If you work somewhere that serves food, it works the same way, only easier.

Send your kids out to do odd jobs. Collect and reward with some killer free time. (I didn't do this one, but knew somebody that did! Can't decide if I really have a problem with that one or not. Depends on the relationship with the kids, I suppose.)

Polish up found gems from the thrifties. Sell these later.

Borrow a little from everybody, then do lots of favors and have your sob story ready. Only works once per year or so.

Make beer, food, munchie, whatever runs for people. Work all the deals you can, pocket the difference. Coupon clipping can matter folks!

Make stupid sucker bets with people you don't care about. Practice the wording on these for best returns. Have a friend handy for the ass kicking that just might happen if you pull this at work.

(have had fun times with that one, lost a few times and that sucked though. Be extremely careful with this one and be prepared to either really have to go the distance or give it all up.)

On those store deals, "limit 2" kinds of things, send the whole damn family in, MULTIPLE times and just save a ton. Eat it and just deal.

Go for broke. This one is for when it really, really sucks. Write a batch of smaller checks for things you can either sell, return or use directly. Write one big one for cash, then move, don't bank for a long time.

If it sucks that bad, being able to bank is the least of your worries. Burn your register and be prepared to act confused again...

(harder to do now, but was not so hard then)

Drive the older people places. It's sometimes good conversation, they like it, and will gladly pay some for it.

Cash in your vacation. Act confused later in the year and maybe get some time off anyway.

Find your local sucker and do quick usury level loans for them. You know, "Hey Bob, wanna borrow $20 for $30 next payday?"

If the function has food, attend! Be polite and appear very interested and when is the next one?

Ditch all subscription services. Cut a deal with your neighbor.

Mow lawns. Just walk the streets with the mower at the ready. This isn't just for kids. Anybody can do it. Take what they give you and kick ass. Tell them a sad story, hoping for a better gig next week.

Sell stuff off your car that you don't technically need.

Always use other peoples toilets. Hey, water is pricey, and that cuts out the TP buy.

Cook interesting food for others. Hand out the goodies at work, then charge for it, just like a crack dealer does. Done right, they will actually ask. (and I've had exactly that happen)

This works well for single, male night-shifters who miss a real meal. Gotta be nice to your spouse cooking dinner though. Nothing is really free.

A variation on this is the lunch assurance retainer. $5 per day gets that person a home made lunch that's sure to fill them up and not be something out of a can, box, or dive. Gotta have a bit socked away for this one. When I did it, I got some minor league adjustment for a car loan. Stocked up at the Safeway, having had success with the home cooked evening meal deal.

One nice one about this is you get enough to pay for your own lunch too! This can net a coupla hundred per month, if you've got regulars hooked and a spouse that can cook.

Fix stuff for people. Do what it takes, just fix it. When it sucks you have time, but no money, so you deal.

$1 a day quick rides for work.

$1 a day, swing by, wake up call, ride to work, if needed service. Maybe ask for gas money or more, if they are a PITA.

(both involved somebody struggling with booze, why not help them out, right?)

Walk. Walk alot! Sometimes you find stuff. Other times you forget you are hungry.

Visit friends often. "Because your place sucks"

Either don't sleep for a few days to do extra work, or if that's not available, sleep huge to conserve food energy until the end of the week.

So there you go. Mostly legal

Ahhh... 20's. Loved that time.

"Ditch all subscription services. Cut a deal with your neighbor."

I have a free to air satellite receiver and I use my neighbour's DSL line when she's out of town and I am watching her flat. Yup, I'm good.

"Fix stuff for people. Do what it takes, just fix it. When it sucks you have time, but no money, so you deal."

And at that, a few people in one of the other buildings know me as "Fox MacGyver"..... ;o)

Anybody else pick up pennies off the ground? I don't need 'em, but I feel good for about a mili-second.

I picked up a $20 bill off the ground the other day and felt great about it!

Lunch from the fridge at work......"NO NAME FAIR GAME"!

LOL! that brings back memories Temper!

My friend used to get his lunch stolen EVERY DAY!His wife would pack him these delicious Roast beef sandwiches which were to die for, and they would always get stolen out of the company fridge. Finally my friend was fed up and pissed off. So one night he goes home and decides to pack his lunch for the next day. He makes one of his wives delicious Roast beef sanwiches but instead of using Roast beef, he opens up a can of ALPO soft dog food and puts that in instead of the roast beef. The next day he brings his ALPO dog food sandwhich to work with him, puts it in the company fridge and guess what?? It gets stolen that day.
He came to find out that it was his boss who was stealing his food! LOL!

If your lunch is constantly getting stolen out of the company fridge, than Start making ALPO dog food sandwiches, that will get em' to stop stealing your lunch REAL QUICK! (Unless they actually like the taste of Alpo Soft Dog Food

I killed a drifter just to get an erection once.

Hey justin.
That was actually very nice of your friend to put Alpo dog food in a sandwich. I, for one, would never be that nice. I wouldn't put Alpo dog food in a sandwich, I would go outside and find some fresh Dog Shit and slather it between two pieces of Franz white bread. Now that will really get someone to think twice before stealing my lunch.
For all you lunch "Stealers" at work, you better pray that you don't steal my lunch one day because you might be eating shit for lunch!! No pun intended

We did the Ex-Lax cookies. Worked the very first time.

No cookie was ever stolen again at that workplace. We had to cover for the guy too. Was in the can the whole next day.

Most of the suggestions in that article are too unethical for me to even consider. The free WiFi suggestion, though is one that I like and have used a number of times. Since the place offering the WiFi is not getting billed based on the amount of data transferred through its Internet connection, I don't see this as being harmful.

One of the more interesting, tech-geeky suggestions that I have seen was to charge batteries using the signals of local AM radio stations. This was in an old radio book from the 60s or 70s. The idea was presented just to illustrate a concept: in practice, the voltages and currents that one could extract from broadcast radio signals with a longwire antenna are too low to charge batteries.

They forgot one to steal legally, being a bank CEO.

The Salvation Army for free loaves of bread. Might be a day old but good if your gonna consume in a day or so.