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How mean can you get?

(107 Posts)
Littleannie Fri 29-Mar-19 16:23:39

Many years ago when my son was young I took a cleaning job to make ends meet. My pay was 19 shillings and sixpence for 4 hours. She always gave me a pound note, and I had to give her sixpence change. (That's 2 and a half pence in new money for anybody not old enough to remember pre-decimal money). At Christmas she gave me the pound note and told me to keep the change as it was Christmas. Then she said "do you like raspberries?" She took a massive bag of them out of her freezer and carefully weighed out 4 ounces on her kitchen scales. A few extra fell out of the bag, so she put them back. Then she said "don't worry about pesticides. My neighbour gave them to me, and he doesn't spray them".
So my Christmas present was 2 and a half pence and 4 ounces of raspberries somebody had given her.
Can anybody beat that for meanness?

dogsmother Sun 31-Mar-19 08:32:40

Beautifully recalled BradfordLass72 .
I’ve nothing to add, as we’ve all come across meanness in all its guises. And hopefully none of us here are like that ?

Grammaretto Sun 31-Mar-19 08:52:44

I think your name was Cinderella!
BradfordLass
I actually think some people just don't know how to behave. They have never been given an example of good behaviour. Is it something you can be taught? I don't think so.
Reading some of the posts on here I can see I'm guilty of being thoughtless by not reading the signs or knowing the unwritten rules.

Ofcourse some are naturally generous but there are others to whom generosity of spirit doesn't come easily.

GillT57 Mon 01-Apr-19 14:49:32

Years ago, my parents and brother stayed at a highly recommended B&B in Cornwall, and opted to have the evening meal one night. As it was fish which my brother did not like, they asked for an alternative, he got an egg with his chips and peas, and yes, the next morning, he did not get an egg with his breakfast!

Lilyflower Tue 02-Apr-19 10:07:01

My MIL used to buy us a box of chocolates from the market for Christmas. They cost about the same as a large bar of Cadbury's Fruit and Nut and, frankly, we would have preferred that.

However, when she died she left us a shedload of money so I am glad she was frugal.

fairisle Tue 02-Apr-19 10:43:02

Last friday my co-worker had to leave work due to childcare issues,as there was only the 2 of us working i said i would cover for her ,finish my work then finish hers,she thanked me and said she would bring me some chocolate as a thankyou,i worked for free for 1 and a half hours to make everywhere look presentable,she came in to work yesterday with a 4 pack of bueno bars,opened the pack and took 1 one out for herself!!!

Witzend Tue 02-Apr-19 13:27:58

Sparkly, I can't help wondering whether the old lady with the 20p had some degree of dementia, and was living in the past where money was concerned.

Just a few years ago I was visiting my mother in her (dementia only) care home, when some of the ladies were having their nails done. I commented to one of them what a pretty colour her nail polish was.
'Yes,' she said, 'and do you know, it was only one and six!'

Another lady, in her head, was still running some sort of boarding house and was often complaining that this or that other resident hadn't paid her nine quid a week!