NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Tales of tightwads flooded my inbox last week, thanks to readers of my column, "Dealing with a Cheapskate."

Many readers said that once they spot a perpetual cheapskate in their midst, they have no problem asking for separate checks when they go out.

That's a fine solution if you don't mind the awkwardness. But personally, I much prefer the strategy another reader used:

"We had a friend who would always pay short, so one dinner we all agreed to put our credit cards on the table and let this waitress pick ONE card to pay the entire bill. We had it pre-arranged with her to make sure she picked his. It was priceless!"

There was no end to the absurdity of some situations readers described. Here are just a few jaw droppers:

Creative accounting: Among a group of friends who met regularly for dinner, one friend "would grab the check and tell us what we owed ... We all kicked in three or four dollars more for the tip and yet ... he would (leave) three dollars for a fifty-dollar tab. He had us paying for his bill with all the extra cash."

READ THE ORIGINAL COLUMN • Dealing with a cheapkate

Making millions one dollar at a time: "I sold my company to a much larger company. To celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the purchase, I took the purchaser and his wife to dinner at a restaurant of his choice. The bill, which I paid, was $265. When we were waiting for the valet parking attendant to get our cars, he saw that I had a couple of dollars in my hand to tip the attendant. He literally grabbed the money out of my hand and said, 'If you are going to give away this money, give it to me.' He was serious. The man is worth millions."

Counting when lit: Double-checking a bill is one thing. But it can go a little too far. "A couple from our social group often feels they've been cheated into paying too much when we go out to dinner. They scrutinize the bill always to our embarrassment. The worst occurred when we had a large group and drank many bottles of wine. They insisted the restaurant produce every empty bottle of wine."

One for you, one-two for me: Ah, road trips. "When traveling together by car (800 miles round-trip), we went in my car and I paid for all of the gas. Then, when just about home, (my travel companion) handed me a $10 bill and said, 'Put that towards gas.' About 15 minutes later, he asked if I wanted to stop for ice cream. Then, at the cash register, he asked me for the $10 back so he could pay for the cones."

Negotiation expert Douglas Stone's comments that a person may seem cheap in social situations, but only because she values financial security above all else struck a chord with one reader.

"(That) is my Mom! She ... always wants her nickel back from change, keeps receipts and figures out the tip to the exact penny. But ... I realized that for many years she has come through many times over for myself and even far-flung relatives who needed cash ASAP. I never realized it before, and I wanted you to know that because of your article I will have a much better, more positive and healthier relationship with her now."

Now that was much nicer than the letter I got from a gentleman who advised me not to get my "ovaries in a wad" over such silly money matters.

I got a lot of flack from some readers (and one irate caller) for being stingy about my pronoun selection.

I used "he" throughout the piece since my editors hate when I switch back and forth between "he" and "she," and too often, "they" isn't a graceful solution.

In no way did I wish to imply that only men can be cheapskates. To prove the point, I'll end with one of the most teeth-grinding scenarios sent in about a woman who would rather impose on others than part with a little cash.

This woman, it seems, needed to borrow her mother's car for a while but soon the battery died. So she called on a friend to chauffeur her son to and from daycare.

"She didn't see why she should pay for the battery since it wasn't her car. The solution? Have me drive 40 minutes out of my way in the morning and another 40 minutes out of my way in the evening. And she was hoping I would do it 3 times a week."

The writer refused and demoted the woman from friend to acquaintance.

Jeanne Sahadi writes about personal finance for CNN/Money. She also appears regularly on CNNfn's "Your Money," which airs weeknights at 5 p.m. ET. You can e-mail her at everydaymoney@cnnmoney.com.