G-Beauty 的部落格

 
國際中心／綜合報導

在這物價飆漲的時代，如何開源節流已經成為市井小民每日必做的功課。

而將省錢招式發揮淋漓盡致的達人出現在美國，除了平時簡單的省水、省電，

這位「小氣女」連上廁所都不使用馬桶，節省程度令人大嘆不可思議。

根據美國《哈芬登郵報》（Huffington Post）報導，

來自美國俄亥俄州（Ohio）的51歲女子維多利亞‧杭特（Victoria Hunt），

可說是名符其實的「小氣女」，每天不使用馬桶如廁，

而是用保特瓶將尿液收集起來，做為家中花園最天然營養的肥料；

這樣一個簡單的小步驟，讓她每個月省下1至2塊美金（約新台幣29至58元）的水費。

除此之外，維多利亞還會為冰箱定時，每天只運作12小時，

並且習慣在運動中心洗澡，節省家中水電費；空閒時，

就和男友史蒂夫‧巴克（Steve Barker）一同進行垃圾桶尋寶活動，

偶爾還會撿到一些零錢，或是沒人吃過的新鮮蛋糕，而這也成為她的興趣之一。

相信有不少人認為維多利亞這麼節省是因為經濟拮据，

但實際上維多利亞已經是位百萬富翁，投資許多房地產、擁有數棟房子；

3年前就退休的她，目前正樂當包租婆，

不過她每年的花費也不超過1萬2千美金（約新台幣35萬元）。

但她的生活並不是一直都這麼順遂，25歲時，

維多利亞是位住在拖車裡的單親媽媽，仰賴政府津貼過活，

從此她下定決心不要再陷入貧窮，28歲開始當個「小氣女」，

並堅持至今。如此堅定的信念也讓她聲名大噪，

日前還接受TLC旅遊生活頻道節目訪問，成為全球小氣男女的典範。

文章轉貼來源:

http://www.nownews.com/2012/10/05/91-2860488.htm

 Victoria Hunt, 'Extreme Cheapskates' Star,

Urinates In Bottle

And Eats From Dumpster To Save Money


Victoria Hunt urinates in a bottle and empties it in her garden

to save money on her water bill.


You think you know cheap? Meet Victoria Hunt, 51, of Columbus,

Ohio. She is so cheap that she urinates in a bottle and

then empties it in her garden, a move she estimates

shaves a couple dollars off her monthly water bill.

"I am also an avid gardner and I read that urine is a component

[for a compost]," said Hunt, who is featured in the upcoming

TLC series "Extreme Cheapskates."

But Hunt isn't cheap because she's poor. In fact, Hunt is self-made

millionaire who owns several houses and has stock and

other investments. She retired from her career as an accountant

at age 48, and now her primary income comes from her rental properties.

Still, she lives on just $12,000 per year, including bills, groceries

and even health insurance.

It wasn't always this way; 25 years ago Hunt was a single mother

living in a trailer park and receiving government assistance.

"I wanted to be sure I would never be poor again," she recalled

about starting her life as a cheapskate around the age of 28.

"Some people like pedicures, I enjoy ways to be frugal and save money."

Hunt's cheapness doesn't stop at her bottle toilet routine,

and to stay on budget, she meticulously tracks every penny spent

in a giant spreadsheet. (For the record, the bottle stays at home,

she flushes for number two and when out in public:

"I am not concerned with other peoples' water bill!")

Her other cheap tricks include putting her freezer on a timer

so it only runs 12 hours a day and taking showers at her gym

to save electricity and water. She also dumpster dives

and forages for food, sometimes even in her front yard.

"My house had landscaping [when I bought it],

and I explored if my yard was edible," Hunt told The Huffington Post.

"Most flowers are edible, it turns out. Everything on your lawn

that is a weed, like clover and purslane, are all edible."

In fact, she now picks her own dandelion roots for herbal tea,

instead of paying $8 per box.

While living a life of extreme thrift has allowed Hunt

to save money and retire before 50, it hasn't always been easy.

"During my career, I was a cheapskate. My peers were buying

bigger houses and there I was with 16-year-old Corolla with

broken windows," she said. "A lot of people made fun of me

and ... I felt like a black sheep."

But her unorthodox lifestyle hasn't stopped her from finding love.

Her boyfriend Steve Barker was "hit really hard" in the recession,

she said. In the year-and-a-half they have been dating,

they have joined forces to create a life based on modern-day hunting

and gathering. They often feast on the fresh -- and free -- venison

he has killed while hunting. Meanwhile, Hunt spends her days

gathering, both in dumpsters and in the forest.

"It's exciting. When we find nickels and dimes that's a little joy,

" Hunt said of her dumpster finds, which often include boxes of

fresh pastries and cakes. "It's really my hobby,

so when I find something, the joy is perfect."

"Extreme Cheapskates" premiers on TLC on Oct. 16.

文章轉貼來源:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/victoria-hunt-extreme-cheapskates_n_1933287.html