‘Rather die than pay retail’: Shocking measures mum-of-two takes to save money

Some people go above and beyond when it comes to pinching pennies, but we don’t think anyone does it quite like the Watson family.
The series So Freakin Cheap follows four families, including the Watsons, as they share their extraordinary ability to save a buck – and the lengths they go to are often as equally shocking as they are impressive.
Stream episodes of So Freakin Cheap for free on 9Now. 
Meet Shelley, the matriarch of the Watson family and the master spearheading the family’s money-saving efforts.
We first lay eyes on Shelley as she salvages her dog’s shedding hair and proceeds to use it as stuffing for her pillows and cushions.
Don’t believe us? Watch it for yourself in the video above. 
“I’d rather die than pay full price or retail for anything,” Shelley declares.
Shelley put the full weirdness of her frugality on display as she cooks a simple pasta dish for her husband Tracy, daughters Ashley and Britney and their partners Colby and Shane.
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The 58-year-old calls it “family pasta night” but not for the reasons you might think.
Shelley sourced the ingredients by knocking on the doors of families close by.
“I go to my neighbours to see what pasta they have leftover and we put them all into one put and we have just a hodge podge of pastas,” she says proudly.
With a random mix of spaghetti, macaroni and penne on the menu, Shelley strains the pasta using a uh, tennis racket.
“My mum and dad have had that racket for as long as I can remember,” daughter Ashley recalls.
”Honestly you could probably spend a couple of dollars and buy a colander but it works just fine and so that’s what they use.”
It’s time to serve up dinner and you best believe Shelley is not whipping out the fine china crockery for family past night.
Instead dinner is served on plastic wrapped paper plates.
“Go ahead and eat but remember to keep the plastic on your plate because we’re going to reuse the paper plates,” Shelley reminds her family.
“Arizona is a drought state and we’ve had water bills before that have been $300 or $400 so we try not to use the dishwasher as much as we possibly can, and that’s why we use the plastic wrap and paper plate,” she explains to cameras.
“Now because we conserve water so much our bills are down to $100.”
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Shelley’s methods might be outrageous, but according to her they are paying off in the long run – just ask her dad, who she learned it all from. 
“When I was younger I didn’t know that my parents were frugal, it was just the way we were,” Shelley explains.
“My dad is a retired teacher and they live in a very expensive, elite area in Oregon but he was never a doctor or lawyer like the rest of the people who live there.”
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You can catch all of Shelley’s weird and wonderful “hacks” by watching Episode 1 ‘Rather Die Than Pay Retail’ of So Freakin Cheap on 9Now. 
Stream episodes of So Freakin Cheap for free on 9Now. 
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