George Costanza has many shortcomings as a human being but there is one trait that seems to stand out more than any other. As Elaine tried to delicately put it once, George is extremely careful with money — which is another way of saying he is an absolute cheapskate. Now, we all like to save money whenever we can, but George makes it his mission to spend the least amount of money possible.
Any time George is forced to pay for anything that is not immediately benefiting him, you can guarantee he'll try to weasel his way out of it. It's one of those characteristics that make him such a hilariously awful person. Here are George Costanza's worst cheapskate moments from Seinfeld.
Paying The Doctor
George seems to view himself as above the normal conventions of society, especially when it comes to money. The kind of things people just accept as an expense in life, he fights against with all his energy. As it turns out, that includes instances pertaining to his own health and well-being.
When George needs to go to the chiropractor, any relief he gets from the doctor immediately disappears as soon as he sees the bill. He maintains that the work that was done on his back could not have cost this much and defiantly says he's only paying for half.
Playing The Big Shot
As it turns out, when George does come into a little bit of money, he can become somewhat charitable and his ego grows along with his wallet. After scoring big with a risky stock investment, George is flush with cash and acts like a king.
He insists on paying for Jerry and Elaine's lunch like it's no big deal. When the check comes, he gives the waitress a generous amount and says he doesn't need to even check the bill. He quickly changes his mind and checks the bill, then proceeds to take some of the money back.
The Big Salad
Even a simple favor can spiral into a huge deal when George Costanza is involved. As he and his girlfriend are going down to the diner, Elaine asks if they could pick her up a big salad to go. George, wanting to appear generous, obliges and pays for lunch. But when his girlfriend hands Elaine the salad and gets a "thank you," George cannot stand by silently.
In his mind, since he was actually the one that bought the salad, he is the one who deserves the gratitude. He gets mad at his girlfriend for stealing his thank you which, of course, causes him to lose yet another love interest.
Wine Vs Pepsi
George is more than willing to ignore and by any social pleasantries if it means he will save a little money. As the group is heading to a party, the others insist they should bring something for the hosts. Obviously, George thinks this is a ridiculous idea.
Finally, he gives in to social pressure and agrees to chip in for something. Elaine suggests a bottle of wine, but George was thinking more like a bottle of Pepsi. In his mind, Pepsi is a much more beloved drink that would really be appreciated. It also happens to be significantly cheaper than wine.
The Art Of Tipping
Tipping seems to be a particular point of frustration for George and it pains him that he has to do it. However, when his boss, George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees, takes a liking to George's calzones, he has to keep returning to the same restaurant everyday which causes a tipping disaster.
George doesn't want to tip if it's not going to be appreciated, so he tries to make a big show of putting the money in the tip jar, only for the server to miss it. Not wanting to give more, he tries to take the money out and do it again, but the server assumes he's stealing tips.
Bulimic Girlfriend
George doesn't have the best of luck with women so when he begins dating a beautiful model, he cannot believe how lucky he is. However, given how much the girl eats and how skinny she is, he begins to suspect that she might be bulimic.
His friends are initially surprised George cares so much about this girl being bulimic. He then explains that he doesn't want to be paying for her expensive meals if she's just going to be puking it up right afterward. That sounds more like the George Costanza we all know.
Flying To A Funeral
Comion is not something that George is known for, even when it comes to losing a loved one. After his girlfriend's elderly relative es away, George is far more concerned with how much it's going to cost him to fly to the funeral than he is with his girlfriend's grieving.
However, George learns of a special airline deal for discounted flights if a person is flying to the funeral of a family member. Certainly, George is not above pretending to be a fake relative to save a few bucks and even goes so far as trying to get the death certificate to secure the discount.
The Human Fund
Even the holidays are not enough to inspire a little generosity in George. As his coworkers begin exchanging gifts around the holidays, George spends the festive time of year complaining about wasting money on buying stuff for other people.
He comes up with a scheme that allows him to continue accepting gifts without having to spend money on giving any back. He invents a fake charity called the Human Fund and tells people that he will be donating in their name to this organization. Ebenezer Scrooge has nothing on George Costanza.
The Wheelchair
George's father, Frank Costanza, can be a pretty scary guy so it's best not to get on his bad side, which George often does. On one occasion, George's laziness gets the best of him and he parks his father's car in a handicap spot while running into the store. As a result, a lady in a wheelchair is forced to park further away and gets into an accident.
George's father forces him to make up for the horrible incident by buying a new wheelchair for the lady. Of course, George picks out the cheapest wheelchair he can find, which results in the breaks failing and the woman having another accident.
Cheap Envelopes
While George's cheapness was always seen as a mere annoyance, it turns out that it can actually be quite deadly. When reluctantly planning his wedding to Susan, George begins worrying about how much it's all going to cost.
He decides he'll be in charge of the invitations and, of course, picks the cheapest ones he can find. It is then poor Susan who has to lick all the envelops and the cheap glue ends up poisoning her and ultimately killing her.