This is surprisingly relevant to my latest post, though I've thankfully never been in a situation where I've had to resort to desperate measures to save money.
I once wore a pair of shoes until they were reeking and falling to pieces. A boyfriend stole them and threw them in the dumpster to force me to buy a new pair. Years later, it happened again, only that time it was my parents who made me throw them away. By that time, I was no longer a college student - I was an engineer with a six-figure job! Stingy habits die hard.