21 Weirdest Things People Do To Save Money (Hey, If It Works!)

Ever wondered why some people seem to be able to save money like itโ€™s no oneโ€™s business? How come they can do it and you canโ€™t? And they arenโ€™t millionaires, either. So what gives?

Well, some people have found weird (we think theyโ€™re pretty brilliant, actually) ways of saving a few bucks here and there. And it all adds up over time, month after month, to impressive amounts.

Weโ€™ve scoured the web for cool, unorthodox, smart, and the weirdest things people do to save money. Let us know which one is your favorite and if you have your very own proper weird ones, add them to the comments.ย 

Beware! Some of these things are extreme! They may require good planning, huge levels of patience, and who knows what else! Youโ€™ve been warned!ย 

Wrapping food in foil and cooking it on your car engine

Wrapping food in foil and cooking it on your car engine

Have you ever considered doing this? It seems some people do it successfully and they say the food tastes great. This is especially efficient if you have a long commute ahead of you. 

How about some biodiesel? 

Some people know that you can use your used vegetable oil to make biodiesel. Youโ€™re saving the planet and your wallet in the process so why not learn how to do it? 

Pretending itโ€™s your birthday for free desserts

Pretending itโ€™s your birthday for free desserts saving money

To be honest, did you ever do this? We wonโ€™t judge. Lots of restaurants offer free desserts to birthday boys and girls (and adults) so why not take advantage of it? And who doesnโ€™t like free desserts? So yummy! Expert tip: you can take it to the next level and go to multiple restaurants within a week or a month and get a truckload of free desserts.

But donโ€™t forget to keep track of where you go and when – maybe track this in an Excel sheet ;)?

Cutting the ends of all tubes to get that extra 

Have you ever cut the end of a lotion tube? Wasnโ€™t it amazing how much it had in there? The same goes for toothpaste or anything else thatโ€™s in a tube.ย 

Cold showers are for the brave

Cold showers for saving money

And the restlessโ€ฆ Itโ€™s not easy to take one and you would know if you ever tried doing it, especially on a winter day. Studies (study 1 and study 2 show that itโ€™s really good for our health (body and mind) and invigorating. Plus you have already done something hard (if you shower in the morning) and the rest of the day can be a breeze compared to that cold water hitting your body.

The classics never die

Turning your underwear inside out for more mileage never goes out of style, does it?

Using body lotion for your face instead of expensive creams and lotions

Using body lotion for your face

This seems to work well for a lot of women. Itโ€™s a matter of testing it out and being ready for bad results until you find the right lotion. But you could be saving thousands of dollars a year by doing this. If cheaper lotions are as efficient (or close to) more expensive ones, why not use them? 

Goodbye new shoelaces, hello gift ribbons! 

Gift ribbons as shoelaces? Talk about weird, right? Donโ€™t they look strange? Have you known of someone doing this? Sounds weird enough to actually work. 

Dumpster diving, anyone?

Dumpster diving

Some people swear theyโ€™ve found lots and lots of cool products and even food while doing this. If youโ€™re not too shy about doing something like this, you could be in for a treat. 

Cardboard is good for a lot of things 

How about using cardboard as insoles for your shoes? Just slip some good, old, reliable cardboard inside your shoes for a cool, DIY fix. Who will know what youโ€™ve got in there? 

Freeze! Said the fire to the candle

fire to the candle to save money

It seems that if you send your candles for a trip to the freezer they will last longer as they burn slower. Worth a try.

On the lookout for what people throw out

If you play your cards right and pick nice neighborhoods you might be amazed at the almost new things people throw out. You just need a truck for this to carry the loot. 

Bathing in the same water

Bathing in the same water to save money

Maybe youโ€™ve already heard about people who bathe one after the other, in the same water, to save on their water and electric bills. Sounds weird? Or just nasty? Well, some people need to do it, especially when they have a few kids to take care of. Itโ€™s not for everyone, thatโ€™s for sure.ย 

How about a โ€œspecialโ€ paintbrush?

Why is it special? Because itโ€™s made from your own hair. Cut it, tape it to a stick, and voila, the perfect paintbrush. It has your DNA written all over it.ย 

Reusingโ€ฆ dental floss

Reusing dental floss to save money

Now this has got to be one of the weirdest ways to save money weโ€™ve heard of! We can understand reusing a lot of things, from tea bags to gift wrappers, but dental floss?! 

Eating just free samples

Could you actually eat all your meals like this? By going from place to place (where you know they offer free samples) and just eating whatโ€™s available for free? Or maybe just do this for a few snacks, here and there. Expert tip: ask for seconds for a โ€œspecial friendโ€ which is actually you. Thatโ€™s why โ€œheโ€ is so special. 

Time for soup

Time for soup for dinner saving money

If youโ€™re partial to ketchup why not go for a nice, ketchup soup? A few free ketchup packets and hot water and youโ€™ve got aโ€ฆ wellโ€ฆ something. Itโ€™s frugal even if a bit depressing but hey, it gets the job done. 

Renovating your house, your way!

Renovating a house is super expensive and it takes a lot of time. If you want it done in a few, short years, yes. But how about thinking about it as a long-term project? How about doing a few things each year, learning to do them yourself, and waiting it out?

Some people online have done things like this for 10+ years, learning to lay tile, fix the roof, hang drywall, and everything in between! It saves tens of thousands of dollars over time and itโ€™s well done because itโ€™s done by you! It just takes time, patience, and the willingness to learn new things that take you out of your comfort zone.ย 

Most people wonโ€™t have the patience for this kind of project, but if youโ€™re strapped for cash but still want to renovate the house, this weird plan might just be the ticket. 

Are you done with the newspaper, yet?

replaced toilet paper with the morning news saving money

Some people need it forโ€ฆ when they go to the toilet. It seems some can withstand that scratchy feeling and have successfully replaced toilet paper with the morning news. 

Why shower at home?

Why not get a gym membership for this? Believe it or not, some people will exclusively pay for a membership just so they can shower as much as theyโ€™d like. They donโ€™t even use the gym! While others do use the gym to stay in shape and also use the showers available there so they donโ€™t have to shower at home. 

Enjoying our list? How about checking out the 25 weirdest careers you could think of?

Using tea bags only once? How about 5 times?

using tea bags many times so they can save money

Just imagine how much money can be saved, over the years, if you reuse your tea bags 3, 5, 10 times. Granted, those cups wonโ€™t have the same flavor with each passing use, but hey, money stays in your pocket!ย 

And thatโ€™s all folks! We hope youโ€™ve enjoyed our cooky list of the 21 weirdest things people have done to save money. Maybe youโ€™re using one or more of them? Or know of any others that might sound weird to some but are pretty good for saving a few bucks? Letโ€™s share them in the comments.

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