tight wads. As in--all of us kids had to duck down in the car when Dad was checking in to a motel so that he would receive the "couple" rate.
Sometimes he wouldn't even spring for a motel. It was just pull over to the side of a road and roll out the sleeping bags. No tent.
My parents were very good at saving money, but they didn't know jack about investing. My dad would just put his money in a savings account, or an occasional CD. (He and Mom did buy a small rental house in Provo so that we kids would have a place to live when we went to BYU. I was the only one who ended up going to BYU. I didn't live in the house, but Dad let me use the rent.)