Ten crazy money-saving tips
We all have our pet ways of saving money - and some people are very good at it indeed.
We've recently reported, for example, on the Grantham mum who reckons she's saved thousands of pounds by making the most of coupons; and last year we revealed how a Scunthorpe pensioner manages to live on £6.50 a day.
Sometimes, though, people go a little too far in their attempts to cut costs, with tricks more worthy of Viz's Top Tips than the real world.
We've trawled the internet looking for some of the daftest ways to save your pennies; here are ten of our favourites.
How to make things last longer
"[Roadkill] is lean, healthy, organic, free, guilt-free and as fresh as fresh can be." (broadcaster Miranda Krestovnikoff)
"Save money on an airport hotel by sleeping in the airport." (Sleepinginairports.net)
"I parked my car in full sunlight in the middle of the day, sliced up some cookie dough and started to bake. It took about two and a half hours for the cookies to bake completely." (Baking Bites)
UK's most frugal pensioner lives off £6.50 a day: what's her secret?
"When I would go to the barbershop here in the city, I would spend about $16 bucks including tip every couple of weeks. When purchasing my own [razor] blades I spend about $40 annually for 12 blades. Not only are you now saving a ton of money on skipping the barbershop every couple of weeks, but you now don't have to worry about using that much shampoo or conditioner." (Tools Of Men)
"Your bladder's loss could be your vegetable garden's gain, since urine makes for a surprisingly good fertiliser. Not only that, we all have a constant, year-round supply of it - and it's free!" (The Ecologist)
"My roommates and I would just flush the toilet one day a week, that was it. I saved so much money on that it was ridiculous. A family of five could save $30 a month." (Extreme Cheapskate)
Frugal mum saves thousands on shopping - what's her secret?
"One of the best ways to get new lipstick is by recycling old crayons." (Wikihow)
"Buy calendars in the sale and use them in the future, beating inflation. Keep a 2014 calendar for 2025, 2031, 2041 for instance." (Skint Dad)
"A few years ago, I was into crafting artificial flowers. A neat way to save money on my hobby materials was to go dumpster-diving at cemeteries to pick up artificial flowers and miscellaneous decorations left behind. I would go into the cemeteries, take what was thrown out in the dumpster and use the items instead for my crafting!" (Bankrate)
"If you own a cat or dog, the odds are good that your clothes, floors and furniture are covered in fur. But instead of seeing that fur as a nuisance, why not see it as a soft blanket, a warm sweater or even a business opportunity? It may seem odd, but there are plenty of people out there knitting dog-hair afghans and making cat-fur handbags." (Mother Nature Network)
