Ultimate cheapskate

Accokeek man takes frugality to a new level

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Christopher Anderson⁄The Gazette Jeff Yeager, named NBC Today Show’s Ultimate Cheapskate, feeds the fish in his fish pond which was once a swimming pool. According to Yeager, cracks in the pool were too expensive to repair, so he converted it into a fish pond and he stocks the pond with gold fish for a few cents a piece instead of expensive koi.

Last week, he went on a ‘‘Fiscal Fast,” where he did not spend any money all week.

‘‘I think it is a good exercise,” Yeager said.

Yeager’s frugality has earned him the title of the ‘‘Ultimate Cheapskate” by the NBC Today Show host Matt Lauer.

‘‘The man has never met a piece of scrap lumber he cannot use,” said Yeager’s neighbor, David Bookbinder.

Yeager said that he thinks Americans are too wasteful.

‘‘Our society is one that is way too materialistic and that’s not a good thing,” said Yeager. ‘‘There is no relationship to money and happiness.”

According to Yeager, most Americans are already very rich in comparison to other countries. ‘‘It’s a matter of being thankful for what you have,” said Yeager, who is currently writing a book, ‘‘The Ultimate Cheapskate Guide.”

Yeager said his wife, Denise, is a good sport about him being cheap.

‘‘My wife always said I was the cheapest man in America,” Yeager said with a laugh.

Denise Yeager said her husband is amazing in the way he comes up with things. She said he has a knack for finding things and turning them into something useful.

Denise said she and Jeff are not very materialistic.

‘‘We don’t own the latest technology. We don’t own a cell phone, and we probably never will,” Denise Yeager said.

Denise Yeager said she and her husband are a rarity in American society.

‘‘It’s frightening that our society is such a debt ridden society,” Denise Yeager said.

Denise Yeager said people would be better off if they used her husband’s philosophy.

‘‘It’s not how much you own, but it’s our experiences that are priceless,” Denise Yeager said.

Bookbinder said Yeager’s frugality usually leads to creativity. He recalled a time when he allowed Yeager to use his concrete chunks to build a fish pond in his backyard. Bookbinder said Yeager took the metal pipe from their well to redo his greenhouse.

‘‘It’s remarkable to see what he can do with complete odds and ends,” Bookbinder said.

Bookbinder said he’s a maniac for getting things on-sale.

‘‘He found an old motorbike in the river and is now selling it for parts. He’s truly remarkably gifted in that way,” Bookbinder said.

Bookbinder has noticed one thing that Yeager will hire someone to do. ‘‘He will not empty out his own septic tank,” Bookbinder said.

Doug Moss has known Jeff Yeager since 1983 when they both worked for American Youth Hostels. Moss said Yeager definitely deserves the title.

‘‘This is Jeff 100 percent, he’s always been beyond frugal,” Moss said.

Moss said Yeager does everything himself, including tarring his roof.

‘‘He’s definitely the type to look in garbage dumps,” Moss said.

E-mail Tia Carol Jones at tjones@gazette.net.