Nearly two years ago I wrote a blog post titled 8 Ways To Be An Extreme Cheapskate, which explored extreme money-saving strategies. While that post highlighted people from the TV show Extreme Cheapskates, I wanted to ask everyday people what they do to save money and to collect their best money-saving tips.
We’ve all done embarrassing things to save money. By sharing these stories—funny, awkward, or inventive—maybe we can feel less alone and discover new practical ways to cut expenses.
Applying even a few of the ideas below could change your finances: pay off debt faster, build better habits, or reach long-term goals sooner.
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Below are some of the best, funniest, and most embarrassing money-saving tips people shared.
The many ways of saving money on your looks
Some of these are extreme, others are creative—each one shows how people adjust their appearance habits to save money.
Shave your head. “I shaved my hair to save time and money as a single mom. Seventeen years later I still keep it short—mostly out of habit, though the money saved is a factor.” – Alaya Linton
Stretch your makeup by washing less often. “In college I rarely removed my makeup—every two or three days I would refresh it rather than wash it off daily. I know it sounds bad now, but it made my drugstore makeup last longer.” – Roxanne Gilmore
Skip the cap and gown. “Renting a cap and gown cost $60 when I graduated. I couldn’t afford it, so I wore a suit and was the only one not dressed as a graduate. I saved $60 but still regret it.” – Chris Huntley
Cut your own hair. “I bought hairdressing scissors, learned from YouTube, and cut my own hair for almost seven years to save money. I don’t recommend it long-term!” – Eden Ashley
Avoid the mall for years. “I didn’t step foot in a mall for two years while I was a single mom. I had one decent pair of shoes and rarely bought new clothes or hair services. It was rough but taught me frugality.” – Natasha Ptomey
Patch shoes with tape. “I broke a sandal and taped it with Scotch tape so I didn’t have to buy new shoes. It lasted another month.” – Adrienne Luedeking
Use hotel toiletries. “We wait until the housekeeping cart is unattended and take a few small bottles of shampoo and conditioner—just a few at a time.” – Millason Paige Forrester Dailey
Wear contacts longer than recommended. “I stretch 2–3 week contacts to four weeks. It’s not ideal—no backup glasses—so it’s risky, but it saves money.” – Brittany
Find ways to save money at home
Home expenses add up quickly. These tips show unconventional ways people reduced bills and living costs.
Live in extremely cheap conditions. “I shared a cramped house with people who didn’t use heat or AC to save on bills. Chicago winters were brutal, but rent was very cheap while I was in college.” – Alexis Schroeder
Move in with relatives. “To pay off $144,000 of student loans, our family of six lived rent-free in my in-laws’ unfinished basement for three years. The shower was low and cramped, but being debt-free made it worth the sacrifice.” – Stephanie Jones
Accept odd roommates. “I rented a room for $200 with four guys who had nightly band practice and even kept an eel in my closet. I lasted a year and saved a lot on rent.” – Lauren Wittry
Use jars or bottles to avoid flushing. On Extreme Cheapskates, viewers saw people use jars or flush only once a week to save water.
Make reusable toilet paper. “Living full-time in an RV, I made and used reusable toilet paper to avoid black tank issues and save money.” – Margaret Heaton
Turn off AC in summer. “I lived a month without AC to cut my electric bill from $450 to $200. I slept on tile and endured the heat to save money.” – Ryan Wilkins
Freeze water bottles for cool nights. “I froze water bottles and put them in bed during NYC summers because I was too cheap to buy an AC.” – Erin Lowry
Cut cable and paid streaming. Cable and satellite costs are high—many people save by switching to free over-the-air broadcasts with a digital antenna instead of paying monthly TV bills.
Delay repairs and live with temporary fixes. “We lived with half the house without electricity and used extension cords for years rather than pay to rewire. Cold showers taught me resilience.” – Amanda Abella
Limit possessions and practice minimalism. “We did a no-spend year, limited outfits to five per person, shopped thrift stores, and moved to a smaller place to reduce clutter and expenses.” – Marie Edwards
Wash clothes by hand in a bucket. “In college abroad I washed clothes in a bucket to avoid laundromat fees and saved leftover bread from restaurants for meals.” – Ashli
Hang blankets to block drafts. “We used heavy blankets behind ill-fitting doors to stop drafts instead of buying expensive custom doors. It looked shabby but lowered heating bills.” – Caroline Vencil
Sleep on an air mattress. “I slept on an air mattress for months when I moved to a new city until a roommate gifted me a bed.” – Kate Dore
Collect neighbor coupons from recycling bins. “To avoid newspaper subscriptions, I’d walk on recycling day and gather coupons from bins.” – Alaya Linton
Repurpose discarded furniture. “When I moved from dorms, I picked up furniture left at move-out and found a great papasan chair.” – Lena Presley Gott
Buy gift cards in bulk for rewards. “I bought $8,000 in Lowe’s gift cards in $25 increments to earn free gas rewards. It took time to check out, but I saved on gas for months.” – Lauren Greutman
Hunt for sales and classifieds. “After college I bought a queen mattress advertised in a classified for $300 from a truck in an industrial area. It was risky but affordable.” – Jon Dulin
Accept practical gifts. “Growing up we sometimes received household items as presents. When I was broke in college, I grabbed free food wherever I could.” – Ashleigh Blatt
Use hot water bottles and teakettles for warmth. “Rather than turn on heat, I used a hot water bottle to stay warm, saving on energy costs while reading by lamplight.” – Natalie McKee / Ellie
Use every last bit of products. “I retrieve nearly empty toothpaste tubes and squeeze out extra uses rather than toss them.” – Lisa Hebert
Set thermostat low and use space heaters. “We keep heat at 60°F in winter, dress warmly, and use a space heater in our main living area to cut bills.” – Jennifer Roskamp
Adopt the ‘if it’s brown, flush it’ rule. “We avoid flushing every time to save water—if it’s brown, flush it; if it’s yellow, let it mellow.” – Ashleigh Allman
Move in with parents to reduce expenses. “I moved in with my partner’s parents as a teen to save money during school.” – Melissa
Use public restrooms when short on supplies at home. “In university I once spent days walking to campus bathrooms because we were out of toilet paper at home.” – Sang Shin
Live in your car or in small cabins. “I lived in my car my first year of college to avoid dorm costs; another person rented a tiny cabin with an outhouse for $400/month in Alaska.” – Colin / Lindsay VanSomeren
Rethink travel routes and use alternatives. “To get home cheaply from Yellowstone, I took a bus to Los Angeles, stayed with a friend, and turned a pricey flight into an affordable trip and mini-adventure.” – Julie Rains
Skip storage fees creatively. “A tip about using free lockers at the British Library instead of paid left-luggage services drew heavy traffic and eventually changed library policy—but saved many travelers money for a while.” – Karyn Fleeting
Use gift cards as practical gifts. “We used wedding gift cards to buy Christmas presents with coupons, stretching the value for months.” – Jen Smith
Ask for refunds when you stop using a service. “I canceled an online dating subscription after meeting someone and successfully got a refund for unused time.” – Gary Weiner
Grocery money-saving tips
Food is a large and recurring expense. These tactics reduce grocery bills, sometimes in surprising ways.
Swap name-brand boxes for generic contents. “I filled a name-brand cereal box with off-brand cereal because my husband preferred the name on the outside. We cut our grocery bill from $100 to $50 per week by making many similar swaps and DIY staples.” – Heather Farris
Join a low-cost meal plan. Subscribing to an affordable meal-planning service can help you cook at home more and reduce food spending with clear shopping lists and budget-friendly recipes.
Find free food at events. “In college I attended campus events with food to stretch my funds—sometimes I could go days without spending on meals.” – Crystal Stemberger
Dumpster dive for food. Some people salvage edible items discarded by stores or restaurants. It’s extreme and not for everyone, but it’s a way some reduce grocery costs.
Bring a toaster on vacation. “My mom packed a toaster to heat waffles in hotel rooms instead of eating out, hiding it in her suitcase when leaving.” – Christine White
Use unconventional food sources. Extreme Cheapskates showcased families who used roadkill or other unusual sources of meat—practices many find too extreme, but they did reduce food costs for those households.
Eat simple meals for stretches. “My friend and I survived a week-long trip on peanut butter and banana sandwiches to save money.” – Nick True
Take leftover catering home. “I volunteered to clean meeting rooms so I could take leftover catering home for dinner.” – Emma Healey
Weigh small purchase decisions. “As a cash-strapped student, choosing cream cheese over free butter felt like a major decision—tiny choices add up.” – Neena Nandagopal
Stop using paper towels. “We ditched paper towels and used cloths instead. Guests found it odd and now often bring us paper towels as gifts, but the savings were real.” – Rosemarie Groner
Combine fasting and calorie-dense meals. “Occasional fasting and consolidating calories into one or two nutrient-dense meals helped me reduce grocery costs.” – Leighann Scott
Water down boxed juice and swap branded for generic. “I diluted boxed juice to make it last and replaced brand-name cereal with store brands, often in the original boxes to avoid questions.” – Sandy Smith
Use super glue to extend footwear life. “I glued the sole back onto sandals and they lasted until end-of-season sales.” – Amanda Kruse
Take advantage of resort remnants. “As resort cleaners, we took leftover food and unused toiletries from rooms and sometimes even unopened bottles of wine.” – Bindi Horvath
Buy in bulk when rewards make sense. “We bought many packages of Mentos to earn gas points that reduced fuel costs.” – Claudia Pennington
Use small purchase hacks to get freebies. “In the UK we once paid for one-hour parking just to receive a voucher that gave a buy-one-get-one-free meal. Over time those small hacks saved a lot.” – Ricky Willis
Save money by making money
Sometimes the best way to save is to earn extra. These ideas show how people generated cash to improve their finances.
Buy used fixtures and resell others’ items. “When we built our house we bought used toilets from removals, cleaned them, and saved huge amounts compared to new fixtures.” – Carly Campbell
Take online surveys for side income. Signing up for multiple reputable survey sites can yield small, steady earnings—often $25–$100+ a month—by completing surveys and product tests.
Hold a garage sale or sell items online. “I sold possessions at pawn shops and on eBay during tough times. Garage sales and online listings can quickly generate needed cash.” – Julie Powell Pollitt
Rent your home and crash elsewhere. “I sublet or Airbnb’d my NYC apartment and stayed with friends to cover rent during tight months.” – Stefanie O’Connell
Take high-paying focus groups or product tests. “I once earned $1,000 to stay in a hotel and participate in a study that required me to stay awake 48 hours—brutal, but lucrative.” – Jenny Kerr
Host yard sales and continuously declutter. Selling items you no longer need both reduces clutter and provides extra cash for essentials or savings.
What other money-saving tips have worked for you? What embarrassing or unconventional things have you done to save money? Share your experiences and continue the conversation—there are countless ways people creatively stretch dollars, and every small idea can add up.