It is a commonly accepted stereotype that accountants are cheapskates. Unlike Lady Gaga, they weren't born this way, rather they are shaped and molded by miser mentors and as their lives and circumstances demand. If you're one of those CPAs that fancies yourself as a savvy consumer, Kate Hashimoto will make you look downright opulent by comparison. The Post reports today that she "Dumpster-dives for all her food, doesn’t use toilet paper or do laundry, and hasn’t bought toiletries in 10 years. She doesn’t have to live this way — she’s an employed CPA."
By virtue of our investigative skills – that involved a comment on the original article that has since been deleted – we've confirmed that Ms. Hashimoto is employed by PwC, but that's really neither here nor there. What's incredible is the level of thriftiness that this CPA has achieved:
“I’ve always been frugal, but it was when I was laid off in the dot-com crash that I became extreme,” Hashimoto explained. “No job is guaranteed, so I live as if I could be fired at any time.” Manhattan, she said, is a gold mine for Dumpster divers. “Consumers in wealthy areas expect their products to be perfect, so upscale stores throw out a lot of items that are still good. “New York can be the most expensive place to live, but it can also be the least expensive if you know how to work the system.”
If you've forgotten, Jerry continues from there, "Adjacent to refuse is refuse." That obviously doesn't bother Kate.
Anyway, the Post reporter spent an entire day with Ms. Hashimoto who paid for her studio apartment in Harlem in nine months. MONTHS! Other ways she saves money include running to work, cutting her own hair, and washing her clothes while she showers.
Incredible.
Kate will be featured on the new TLC series Extreme Cheapskates tonight. Forget the debate. If you watch this you might actually learn something useful.
She loves ‘Ew!’ York [NYP]
