Extreme Cheapskates On TLC & Crossing The Extreme Frugal Line


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Have you seen this program?  While it isn’t new, it’s  “new to me.”  Yes the man on this episode was over the top, he did have some good tips.  Sharpening your razors on a matchstick box, what a great idea!  Asking people if you can have their leftovers when you go out, not only a bad idea BUT dangerous. (ie diseases)  Rescuing animals, great idea! Going to random restaurants asking for ketchup packets, kinda embarassing….

Sometimes being frugal is great, but for a lot of us theres a fine line we don’t cross.  Reusing rags as toilet paper, it’s not for me.  BUT it’s not that far off of washable diapers, it’s all ones comfort level.

Do you have any frugal tips to save money  that don’t cross the “extreme”  line to share?

*If you scroll down the “Ultimate Cheapskate” from the show Jeff Yeager weighs in!*


135 responses to “Extreme Cheapskates On TLC & Crossing The Extreme Frugal Line”

  1. wendymac says:

    I know what you mean about lines you don’t cross. I have one frugal tip and a well defined line drawn around it. When I clean counters, I spray them with Lysol or whatever and wipe them dry with a paper towel. I then put these towels out to dry because they aren’t dirty so much as just wet. Then I use again to clean the floor or walls or whatever. But if the towel has come into contact with food or real dirt, then I just throw them out.
    wendymac

    • COURTNAY says:

      I KNOW YOU PROBABLY WON’T READ THIS BUT

      IF YOU CLEAN YOUR COUNTER WITH A PAPER TOWEL

      THE COUNTER IS CLEAN AND THE PAPER TOWEL SHOULD BE THROWN OUT

      BUT IF YOU USE AN ANTIBACTERIAL SPRAY

      YOU SHOULD STILL THROW IT OUT

  2. xxkatiexx says:

    the ketchup makes me think of when I was at fanshawe and my roomates would go to the cafeteria after it closed and refill our bottles at the heinz pump. lol

  3. mcminsen says:

    wendymac, I do something similar. I save the used paper napkins from the dinner table and use them to wipe up spills on the floor or whatever.

    How about this… if your butter comes wrapped in foil, then use the little remnants of butter left on the foil by wiping it on a frying pan. 🙂

  4. krys says:

    i ask for ketchup packets all the time.. nothing embarassing about that to me, but usually i buy something. Even if if its a drink.. sure i get a weird look but hey whatever!

  5. joline says:

    I just watched the one where the man went into the laundromat and asked to look for change in the washers and dryers – IF he was a customer there, then fine, but to me he completely crossed the line. And he wanted to make a “nice” dinner for his wife, so he cooked sheeps head? Honestly, I would be offended if my husband made that for me thinking he “went all out”.

    No real tips….we take the plastic cutlery that we get when we go out to a fast food restaurant (which is rare) and we wash and save those for when we go on picnics or out of town. We wash our ziplock bags and reuse those (except if they had raw meat in them). I rarely waste anything…if my veggies are going bad, I make a pasta sauce, soup or a stirfry. If my fruits are starting to turn, I freeze them and/or make them into smoothies in the morning.

  6. Janetta says:

    I totally watched this show tonight!
    The man who asked for everybody’s leftovers was concerning to me. As you mentioned, who knows if the people he’s eating after have diseases or illnesses. I kind of felt bad for his wife at their anniversary dinner. I get that he’s trying to say money..but seriously..reusing a card your wife received from someone else and writing over it?
    How about finding a piece of paper and writing something meaningful on it instead? I dunno.. he totally erked me.

    As for tips; when you think you’re completely out of peanut butter, mayo, dressing, Nutella etc. get your spatula out! You’d be surprised at how much is left in there (most of the time, lol)!

    I often buy a whole loaf of fresh Italian/French bread or baguettes. Sometimes we just don’t finish it and it gets stale. I cut it into cubes and make croutons out of it or put it in a food processor to make bread crumbs. Just make sure to dry them out before storing so it doesn’t mold.

    I save the napkins they give out at fast food places. They are a good replacement for paper towels! After that, if I happen to be frying food, they are great for soaking up the grease left over in the pan! No one wants grease down their drain. Just soak it up and toss it in the garbage.

  7. Bettyboop says:

    I clean using vinegar and water or baking soda. I use microfibre cloths instead of paper towel for cleaning windows most of the time.

    I use a soap pump dispenser at all my sinks that I can add a little soap and alot of water too. It is the suds pump kind and saves the environment this way. I just refill the bottle each time.

  8. zandermor says:

    @mcminsen I freeze the butter “foils” and use them to butter pans when baking. It’s a great money saver!

  9. roars says:

    During winter time when the furnace is working condensates a lot of water from the surrounding air, that water usually goes straight to the drain, just divert it to a big container, in my case the furnace for a hose of about 1600 square feet collects about 70 – 110 liters a day, the colder the day the more the furnace work condensing more water. That water is distilled water so if the container is clean, you can even drink it. In my case the container is not so I use it to flush toilets. also in some cities the water is hard (with high content of salts as Sodium and calcium carbonate making the water not very good for washing anything, clothes, dishes or your persona, so the use o water softener is needed, so the more you use tap water for your household the more tap water the water softener is going to use to “regenerate” the system, meaning washing off all the salts an minerals that hardened the water. so after washing off all this salts it goes straight to the drain, but the secret is that at least for my household the first 30 minutes of this water is just clean tap water then for about other 30 minutes is going to be really salty water that can’t be used at home, well you can flush some toilets but all that salt could end corroding metal stuff in your house, like screws that hold drywalls, or nails that hold the floors to the beams, so you would not like this. so let it go, then for about 14 minutes more the Water softener is going to deliver fresh water. all this water is about 60-80 liters depending of how much tap water your household needed. at home it usually “regenerates” once or twice a week. that woulkd be 120 -180 lts a week times 52 weeks: 7800 lts ayear that you can reuse, because you already paid for it.

    Now during summer time if you have central A/C the unit outside your home takes the humidity out of the hot air around it and push inside your house after passing it through radiators filled with a very cold gas to cool that air down, causing condensation so all that water usually is drained inside your house because if if the let it drain out of the house it could cause damages to the foundation of your house, so all that water you can use it even for drinking because is distilled water the problem would be to keep the pipes sterile. but it would be clean enough to flush toilets, wash dishes, water plants, etc even better than tap water because it won’t have any of the chemicals like chlorine and fluoride. Again the hotter the day the more water the A/C condensates and more water you can collect. I do not have good averages of water collected from the A/C because we try to keep the air conditioner off as much as we can, it varies with the weather.

  10. JJ says:

    My tip for saving money is stop going to sale or deal websites. Buying something that you didn’t need in the first place is a great saving idea. Also, i’ve saved tons of money this way!

  11. MamasitaDonna says:

    I watched the show and couldn’t pull myself away from the t.v. I was completely sick to my stomache with the asking other for their leftovers…but to each their own! A frugal tip that I’ve used for years is using vinegar in the kitchen as a disenfectant. Cheaper than regular cleansers (unless a great coupon comes along) and smells refreshing!

  12. kerry says:

    I have used napkins from fast food outlets for spills and clean ups.I also re-use the white liners that hold danish cookies in a tin.I use them for muffins,cup-cakes,and sometimes coffee filters.

  13. denise says:

    I watched this show last night too and felt both mortified sand horrified.
    Imagine giving your wife of 25 years an “anniversary gift” of animal crackers, bottle of water & a rubber skull with pop-out eyes! And of course, the ancient used kettle and dead roses from the dumpster?! Ridiculous! And that woman is just as bad to stay with the shameless miser.
    The mom of 6 horrified me altogether. Re-using rags for toilet paper and sharing them among the whole family (and visitors)is sick. She probably spends more each year in detergent, bleach ad hot water to clean these things. And then to buy that rank outdated cheese and pasta sauce to make pizzas for everyone. Eeewwwww! It’s one thing to risk her own health with these cheapskate tactics, but to put her 6 young kids and other kids (via babysitting) at risk is just reprehensible!

  14. Newfiegirl says:

    I think my family thinks I’m a cheapskate. I recorded this a while back but watched last night. And I can definitely say that I am not a cheapskate. I do try to save money, but would not do the things in this show. I do try to use most condiments to the bottom, and may use the bottom of ketchup or mustard bottle to mix up a sauce or dressing, but would not refill with ketchup packets. I think I can skip the goats head, that was just gross.

  15. denise says:

    Forgot to add, they should hook these cheapskates up with the extreme couponers. At least then they might be able to afford ral toilet paper and condiments-lol!

  16. supermandy says:

    A few grocery saving tips:

    1) This is also a good diet trick to eat less: use the smaller size plates for dinner. I have been doing that for months – works wonders.

    2) I don’t eat a lot of bread (and my hubby refuses to eat whole grain), so I always freeze at least half the loaf – only take out a few slices at a time.

    3)If you are not a leftover junkie, freeze leftovers in reusable aluminum containers for lunches, right away – I used to leave them in the fridge, forget them, and then toss them.

    4) Got rotten veggies? Invest in a good quality plastic container with dividers (I got a nice locn’n lock one for about $12). When you shop, cute fruit and veggies immediately and store – easy grabbing. Also if I buy some cooking veggies (i.e. green beans, beets etc) I cook that day and then store – just reheat for dinner (again a good diet tip to have these things readily available)

    5) buy a scale and some measuring cups – your cereal and cheese will go alot further if you eat proper portion sizes.

  17. supermandy says:

    ooh – two more:

    save margarine containers for storage of things (my dad uses them to store the little toys for the grandkids. They get a total hoot out of discovering what is in each.

    save paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, and scrap paper for crafts with the kids

  18. Love to Travel says:

    @JJ – you save money by not going to a deals or sales website?

    Hehehe
    What are you doing here?
    Guess it’s not working too well for you.
    Hehehe

  19. kekes says:

    I was raised by my grandmother who had to leave her homeland due to the czar uprising … there was nothing!!

    Wrappers for lard and margarine … that’s parchment paper and can by used to line your baking pans and cookie sheets …
    she always keep a clean tin on the stovetop (out of the way) and left the wrappers in there, the tin would warm, the fat/margarine would drip down the paper into the tin and be used for cooking.
    Keep wrappers in the freezer, and when cooking lay the wrapper on top the food and let it melt directly onto the food

    Vinegar … cleans your coffee machine pot very well ! Rinse pot well after.
    Use the used vinegar to .. If you have well water which is hard, to soak any hardened mineral deposits on metal dishes or to soak the stains off your glassware then pour into the sink drains with b. soda to clear the drains

    Used foil, foil pie plates, takeout foil containers … wash them and then use to line the “pie plates” under your stove burner elements. Also to line your broiler pans to catch drippings! Easy clean up. Remember foil can’t be recycled so please reuse!

    When finished squeezing out the toothpaste tube, cut off the top, believe it or not there is enough toothpaste left in that tube for 2-4 brushes depending on how much you use on your brush.

    Unwanted clothes are used for “work around the house clothes”, then they are reduced to dishrags, then to dusting rags, then to “oh yuk!” or floor rags then throw them out!

    All sorts of little things to save money, and if you ever have been without … you will do them. Just think safety first!

  20. stacy says:

    don’t overlook the meat section,when the packages say “consume today or freeze”.As long as you’re careful and do just that.Also i don’t leave these pack out to defrost but cook them right from frozen.ex. hamburger for spagetti.Never had a problem and saved half on meat for that weeks meals!

  21. glowworm2k says:

    I just save money by doing things that most people have forgotten/don’t know how to do or can’t be bothered to do:
    – mend clothes by hand
    – repurpose and reuse containers of all sorts
    – see buying something new as a last option, not a first one

    In terms of food, eating a semi-vegetarian diet is a fabulous way to save money – legumes and beans (if purchased dry) are waaaay cheaper than meat, even if you buy meat on sale! Even canned beans offer good value-for-money. As a plus, it’s also better for the planet, and often for your waistline.

  22. Anita says:

    Wow, I’m shocked that people think using cloth for toilet paper is sick or gross. That’s what people HAD to do way back in the day, we’ve just gotten very used to “disposable” in our culture.

    It’s called family cloth if the whole family uses it. In my household I’m the only one that uses it & it’s not used for number 2 or for guests. I purchased amazingly soft & well constructed cloth “wipes” on etsy & place them in a wet bag, as it’s called, after use. At the end of each day I do a small wash & wash them. I cannot believe how much money it has saved! I was a TP addict.

    I also use un-paper towels. I bought well constructed birdseye cloths on etsy [but any cloth napkins can be used & are easy to make] & I use them to wipe up spills, clean the kitchen etc. When I clean up a mess I place it in a kitchen wet bag that hangs on our stove. We still use paper towel for really yucky things [wiping down the toilet etc.] BUT we’ve saved SO much on paper towel.

    For me, it’s money savings AND better for the environment. Don’t even get me started about mama cloth [cloth sanitary pads]…I use those too 😉 I think from outside appearance you’d never think I use cloth toilet paper etc…but I’m savings tons of money & the environment to boot 🙂

  23. Brock says:

    I used to wash-out milk bags with soapy water and use them as freezer bags. A twist tie or rubber band seals the top and they’re great for storing leftovers.

  24. stacy says:

    I agree with “Glowworm 2k”lentils and legumes are a wonderful way to supplement your diet that some have forgotten about .Soups like split pea are filling and economical.I’m not sure my family would buy into the cloths for the bathroom,but seriously seem no different than cloth diapers to me.

  25. Valiant says:

    My oh my, if people only knew how our elders lived, especially during The Great Depression, they wouldn’t be so horrified about money-saving ideas. ‘Head cheese’ was a common food; after butchering the hog in fall, all of the small bits of meat, including the head of the hog (scrubbed, scraped and boiled) were cooked in a large canner, then cooled & cut up finely and left to cool in pans, where the meat gelled into a delicious sliced meat, much more nutritios and tasty that anything we buy today in all of those packaged sandwich meats.

    There was no toilet paper; Sears catalogue or newspapers if you were lucky, corn husks or corn cobs otherwise. Sanitary napkins and pantiliners were made of cloth, and buttoned together, and washed with the rest of the whites. Washcloths were commonly used.

    Paper was scarce, and people wrote letters from left to right, then turned the paper to write across the words at right-angles, then turned the paper again to write across those words diagonally.

    Baths were once a week, hair washed once or twice a week; 2 changes of clothing, and ‘good’ clothes for Sunday. Lye soap sufficed for everything. Birthday celebrations were rare, maybe a cake and homemade presents.

    These extreme-frugality shows are very much edited for their shock-value in order to attract and keep the attention of the viewers. Many ‘truly frugal’ people have most of their best tips cut out of the ‘air time’, because the show wants viewers, not ‘learners of a frugal lifestyle’.

    There are so many ways of being frugal, yet unobjectionable, in gift-giving and living. Maybe that man should be learning some of them, because he’s giving frugality a bad name.

  26. little_orch says:

    I didn’t watch the show, but it sounds crazy!!!
    I have a few frugal tips but my first one is one that I think as SC’ers we all do.
    Don’t pay full price for anything!!! I always stock u p on items that are on sale. For instance, this week at valumart I can’t beleive it’s not butter is on sale for $1 reg $3.99 so I bought 8 and froze 7 of them ( I love baking so I will use it up there) I refuse to pay full price when I know that every item eventually comes on sale!

    Using vinegar and water for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. It is cheap and doesn’t harm the environment.

    Spreading X-mas shopping throughout the year. If you pick up hats and mitts and scarfs on sale once the spring clothing starts to come in stock and save them, they make great xmas gifts for the following X-mas (you can never have enough mitts) Also storing things through the year that you picked up on clearance is a great idea!

    Shop at home! I have a friend who just bought a house. He is going to need everything! Instead of going out and buying him some frames or candles or whatever you may buy as a house warming gift I am going to fill a laundry basket with things he will need i.e Laundry soap, Toilet paper, Kleenex, Papertowels, Hand soaps, dish detergent and go through any appliances that we may have accumulated double of over the last year. This way he is getting things he will need and seen as I have a stockpile of all of these things there is no OOP for me 🙂
    Also when my Fiance goes out of town for work he is usually staying somewhere that has a full kitchen so he shops at home for food to take with him. I always have lots of pasta anf sauce and cheese and crackers and meat so it cuts down on his eating out expences!

  27. caroman says:

    my DH sharpens his razors on a piece of denim. he started doing this last Sept and is only on his 2nd blade!!

  28. Tia says:

    At the price we get TP on these deal sites, (~.10 a roll, sometimes free) I highly doubt it’s more economical to use cloth wipes at least for our family of 5. Think about the electricity, water, detergent, and TIME for folding these, setting them out, and collecting. We probably go through max a double roll a day for 5 of us.. so .20 a day, worth it.

  29. RmeBrt75 says:

    Watched it last night. That first guy was down right disgusting. If you are so bloody cheap that you have to ask people for their half eaten food, you have no place eating out. IF my husband ever embarrassed me like that, we would never be seen in public together again. That woman must think very little of herself.

    The second woman was admirable. The toilet paper thing crosses the line though. At least have some for guests.

    And Jeff Yeager, well, he could have worked one hour at a job and made what he made biking around for 40 miles scrounging change. Can’t call him lazy but I think he may be a little mentally unbalanced. The goat heads were absolutely horrific. Good grief man, buy some freakin hot dogs if meat is so expensive. YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Not one of them stated if they had excess money in the bank due to their “frugal” ways. I would hope so for all their unethical tactics.

    Going into a store and asking for ketchup packets and then emptying them is a mental illness….plain and simple.

  30. Theresa says:

    Totally agree with denise about the mother of six. She would save way more money by buying toilet paper than using hot water to wash the cloths. Penny wise, pound woolish.

  31. dizzyb says:

    I wash and reuse plastic zipper bags. Some people think it’s crossing the line, but I think it’s a waste of resources (they are not recyclable here) to toss a bag in perfect condition. Unless it has had raw meat in it.

  32. Tia says:

    At the price we get TP on these deal sites, (~.10 a roll, sometimes free) I highly doubt it’s more economical to use cloth wipes at least for our family of 5. Think about the electricity, water, detergent, and TIME for folding these, setting them out, and collecting. We probably go through max a double roll a day for 5 of us.. so .20 a day, worth it.

  33. Rebecca says:

    I make my own eye make up remover. I refuse to pay $8 – $15 on it every month or so. It’s so easy to make, and great to use.

  34. m$ney says:

    I agree with Rebecca and have used even baby oil as and eye makeup remover. Dollar stores sell it for 1$. My grandmother used it as a makeup remover and she was less wrinkled at 92 than most 50 year olds i see today.

  35. saver says:

    use a spatula when the peanut butter jar or jam jar is close to empty to use it all up. re-use milk bag for freezer bags, wash them well and dry thoroughly first.

  36. daystar says:

    – once the cream bottle stops dispensing, I will open and turn it on a bowl
    – dilute dishwash liquid by 50/50 water
    – will not buy something I do not want even on sale
    – if I dont want something, I will not obtain it even if free – someone else can use it
    – if I need something that is not urgent, I wait for a sale
    – certain items in life are important – like medicine – I will not compromise waiting for a sale or coupon.
    It is smart to be thrifty and spend when required instead of being wasteful.
    I donate clothes that are gently used and anything worn out, I use them for clean up and toss them in the garbage. I will reuse rags as long as I clean the living room/furniture/bedroom, the moment I use them in the washroom / kitchen they do not reenter other space. Use as much and toss.
    I do not like to say ‘I save’, but ‘I do not waste’, so I can spend on the spur of the moment unavoidable requests my kids make ‘can I have that’, I go ‘let me see’ and I weigh in (can I afford? is it worth? do they need it/ will they enjoy it as much they want it?) and I say YES – there are times I would also say ‘No, maybe next time’. They have learnt to accept when explained – not like some parents who make their kids cry by yelling at them.

  37. sabina says:

    Ok I missed this where can i watch it?

  38. daystar says:

    oh forgot – the magic word is BALANCE

  39. Sara says:

    I saw someone on Oprah (I think) who removed grapes from the vines in the store to reduce the weight. I can understand corn, but that’s a bit much for me. I’m sure he’ll be on the show soon!

    My tips…

    For cleaning, I use a bucket of water with a tsp of vinegar and a drop of dish soap. The vinegar disinfects and the dish soap breaks down the dirt. A little goes a long way.

    I buy automotive microfibre cloths at Cdn Tirewhen when they are 50%-70% off. They are big so I cut each into 4 pieces and use as dish clothes. If you throw them in the laundry, one pkg can last years.

    I use olive oil as a makeup remover, then follow up with a gentle cleanser. It does a better job then store bought products on my sensitive skin! I also make my own makeup brush solution (olive oil, rubbing alcohol, dish soap and water)

    I collect water from my eavestroughs. There’s no chlorine so its better for my plants.

    After shopping I put my fruits and veggies in conatiners, often with a paper towel to absorb moisture. My mushrooms last a long time without browning.

    I have gone to glass storgage containers. I use my old Rubbermaid plastic containers for storage stuff. The glass ones (eg Lock n Lock) last much longer than plastic ones, have better seals and don’t stain. I use them for both fridge and freezer so save money on ziplocks. They can’t go straight from freezer to oven like Pyrex but no problems from freezer to fridge.

    Reusing ziplock bags, milk bags and other one-time-use plastic containers can be dangerous. Depending on what was stored inside, the acid or other food chemicals can cause the plastic to release toxins.

  40. kekes says:

    For those wanting to save on meat … dh likes meat … lots of it.. me Im semi vegan
    For those casserole dishes ie chili, spaghetti, anything that uses grd beef and sauce, or even hamburgers and meats, I use for him … 1/2 meat and add TVP (textured vegetable protein) its cheap, pickups up the other flavors its cooked with, thickens the sauce and is a healthy filler. Get mine from Bulk barn.
    and best of all … he hasn’t noticed the difference! I use straight TVP in my casseroles. (yup, I cook 2 different versions of same meals for almost every meal.

    My skin specialist … said use unscented vaseline for your face its better than any of the products on the market … and he’s right! Just a little goes a long way.

  41. jvkenya says:

    Make stock! Keep your veggie scraps/peelings/ends – throw them in a tupperware in the freezer. Also keep chicken bones (or beef bones/scrap to roast and then use, or loster shells etc). When you have enough, dump your veggie scraps and bones in a pot & cover with water, bring it up just to boil (not rolling), and let simmer all together uncovered for a couple hours (less for seafood). Don’t add anything, not even salt. Strain with a fine sieve & freeze in convenient portions (500ml, 1l).

    Tomatoes going a bit soft, carrots soft, or celery limp? throw them in the oven on low heat for a couple of hours, and make a roasted veggie stock (use ALL the drippings from the roasting pan!).

    MUCH cheaper than pre-made stock or bullion cubes (and healthier). Very easy to put a pot on while you’re making supper, let it simmer till you’ve eaten & cleaned up, then strain and put away the stock. All chefs make their own stock (out of kitchen scraps) for two big reasons: squeezing value out of every food purchase, and every recipe you use it in tastes soooo much better!

    also see

    http://www.fabulousfoods.com/articles/19919/stock-making-101-how-to-make-soup-stocks
    http://www.salon.com/2011/01/22/how_to_make_stock/

  42. Jenn says:

    There’s being frugal and being plain, dirt CHEAP. There is a fine line that you should not cross and this man sounds like he has completely gone to the other side.

    I keep whatever sauces, napkins and unused plastic utensils we got left over from fast food restaurant, but never deliberately ask for some to take home. Things that can be cleaned and be used again, i’ll do it. Eg. an aluminium party tray i saved later turned into a soldier’s shield for my son’s medieval time dress up at school. I use water a vinegar and the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for most of my cleaning. It not only saves money but also good for the environment.

  43. Chris says:

    I save glass/plastic jars/containers, it’s good for storage in the pantry or anything else, save money from buying containers from the store and less waste.

    An empty jar/can can be used for holding fat drippings, freeze it and toss it out on the day of garabage collection.

    Use old cotton clothes/towels as rags.

    Always doggy pack leftovers and make sure it gets eaten right away or it’s a waste of food and containers too.

    When I make fondant roses on toothpicks, I poke it into empty egg cartons to air dry, save money from buying a drying rack/foam.

    Stock up a few month’s supply (non-perishable/frozen food, toiletries, etc) while it’s on sale. Use coupons on the lowest size count and while it’s on sale. It’s double discounts and usually cheaper per count that way.

    Always use scrap papers, I even use them to print my coupons.

    I use half a piece of kleenex to wipe my mouth, afterall, your mouth’s not that big! And I tear off a small piece from a roll of paper towel for small spills.

    It’s sad to see people get a whole stack of napkins at the fast food place and trash it unused. I always try to get only what I’d need and if there’s leftover I’d bring it to my car/home to use.

    Water collected from the dehumidifier can be used for watering plants/mopping floors/flushing toilets, etc.

    At home during winter, turn the heat to 20 degrees (it won’t dry off your skin as much too) and wear sweatpants & sweatshirt. In the summer, keep it at 25 degrees and wear shorts & tank. While at work, keep the heat low and A/C high at home to save energy.

    Use grocery bags as small garbage bags, you don’t need to buy them anymore.

    When you get to the end of a shampoo/conditioner/lotion/face wash/soap bottle, open it and you can dig out a few day’s worth of use in it.

    If you’ve received gifts that you don’t like/use and you can’t exchange them, rewrap it and give it to someone who’d like/use them.

    If you and your friends/coworks read the same magazines, you can exchange to read instead of getting duplicate orders. Saves money and trees.

  44. Chris says:

    When I get to the end of a sauce jar/bottle, I put some water in, swirl it around and it’s good for use.

  45. AMANN says:

    8 small hand towels from costco at 8.99 and have been using them instead of Jcloths for the past 9 months in the kitchen. They are still white. This may sound silly, when i use ginger for dinner, i keep the peels and put them in my tea. I bought fabric for my babies blankets and crib sheets from fabricland and sewed them on my own. I made three blankets and all cost me $25. Each one of those blankets at sears is aprox.$20-$30. The sheets only cost me 1.99 per meter.

    Thanks for the milk bag tip, i would have never thought of it. Also when your pouring the last bit of your milk, let it sit for couple of minutes and youll see at the bottom of the bag there still be some milk left.

  46. MZK says:

    I agree with those that say that going vegan/vegetarian is an AMAZING way to save money! I am a vegetarian and save SOOO much money by being one. I also feel cleaner and healthier, and i’m also helping out the environment as well as eliminating cruelty towards animals. I would highly recommend everyone to try vegetarianism, even if starting with baby steps 🙂

  47. Jen says:

    Love some of these tips! I never thought to keep my butter wrappers to use for greasing baking pans, but I always do that with Crisco!

  48. operabob says:

    Cut the ends off rolled up toothpaste tubes and scrap out the extra paste with your toothbrush. Good for an extra 6 – 8 brushings.

    Send mail through company mail if convenient saving a stamp. For example, I have to send documents to a bank’s head office and just drop them off at a local branch. Or combine mail with friends and neighbours. This works well in a condo if paying bills by mail.

    Save old deodorant sticks. Scrap out the bottoms into a glass and microwave a few seconds. Pour liquid back into one of the containers to get a new full stick.

    Coupon, coupon, coupon. Many people fail to realize coupons are worth double the stated value because if you paid by cash you’d have to earn double the amount before taxes to equal a coupons savings value.

  49. Carrie says:

    @RmeBrt75: the cloth toilet paper girl and her family became that way after they had a very large credit card debt – $85,000 I think, and they paid it off in one year.
    They obviously make decent money to be able to pay off the debt in one year and hopefully they are using their savings to pay for their 6 kids college education.

    I use washable rags for cleaning ect. but would never use them to replace toilet paper. I would like to see her water, bleach and hydro bill to was those rags on a daily basis.

  50. annie says:

    🙂

  51. Sandra5 says:

    ‘These extreme-frugality shows are very much edited for their shock-value in order to attract and keep the attention of the viewers. Many ‘truly frugal’ people have most of their best tips cut out of the ‘air time’, because the show wants viewers, not ‘learners of a frugal lifestyle’.”

    I think your observations are dead-on correct, Valiant.

    This sort of show is intended to shock the viewer with bizarre examples of frugality, not to instruct the viewer with truly useful information.

    Shows like this give the frugal lifestyle a bad image.

  52. Mars says:

    There is nothing wrong with beign frugal but from my experience with frugal (cheap) people…they are not so too concerned if their ways are costing others money. If you are doing it at somebody else’s expense then it is WRONG.

    Asking for extra condiments at fast food outlets so that you can fill you ketchup bottle at home is wrong. Eventually, prices will increase to compensate for all the cheap people taking extra condiments home cuz they are too cheap to buy a bottle of ketchup.

    I have friends that are “Frugal” or just plain cheap…and what pisses me off is that they are not so frugal when someone elses finances are involved. They are always the first to ones that order the most expensive meals on the menu or drink the most alcohol and then expect the bill to be split evenly. I don’t think so!! If you want to save money, don’t expect others to pay for your stuff!

    Some claim that they are vegetarians. If we hold a pot-luck lunch, they bring a vegetarian dish which obviously was cheap. Those so called vegetarians are the ones that run to the steaks and take more than their share with no consideration for others!! They never bring a bottle of wine but will drink like they have never seen wine before AND they will ensure that they leave with containers full of food including the steaks! Seriously, to become a vegetarian because you are to cheap to buy meat and then claim that you are doing it because of animal cruelty is BS because I am almost certain that if someone bought you a steak…you would eat up with no consideration for animal cruelty.

    Not so frugal when it’s at someone elses expense eh?

    Yes, I agree that our grandparents and even some parents did not have the luxuries that we have but that does not mean that we have to live like they did. I’m sure that is not what they would want us to do, especially since they worked their hardest to ensure that their children would not be faced with the same challenges or misfortunes.

    Some of these ideas are just plain ridiculous not to mention dangerous to your health.

    Being environmentally conscience is not why people are frugal they are just cheap and do not want to spend money. You can be environmentally conscience and not be cheap so the two should not be used in the same discussion.

  53. Chris says:

    Use unprinted (or even printed) return envelops just like new ones. I’ve heard of people use used envelops, print new address on a sticker & stick over old address & return address to use it again.

    Always turn off the water tap while you’re brushing your teeth (and use a cup!), applying shampoo/conditioner/bodywash, a lot of water is being wasted like that.

    Collect water from eavestroughs to water the lawn/garden, wash cars/patio/outdoor stuff, etc.

  54. kristina says:

    I watched the show last night and just loved it. It was for sure shocking, but I think that there were a lot of great ideas.

    I remember when my kids were little, they were in cloth diapers and I used wash clothes to clean them up instead of baby wipes… I do not see how washing your bum in the shower with a washcloth is any different than washing your bum on the toilet with a washcloth. Sure there might be a little bit more waste, but the bacteria is there regardless.

    I only use paper towels for grease. Unless it is soaking up a bit of fat off bacon or sausages or wiping down a frying pan that has left over grease in it, my paper towels are off limits.

    I buy fabric scraps in cute patterns and cut out rectangles, sew 2 together, make a hem and toss in an elastic for the waste and my daughter has the cutest skirt around…super easy and super cheap!

    I will cut up old dishtowels to make dishcloths.

    I use glass and plastic containers to store everything in. Ziploc bags are only bought when they are super cheap and they are only used for freezing meat.

    I only buy clothes which will not go out of fashion any time soon.

    There are so many ways to save money and be frugal. The way I see it, better in my pocket than someone else’s.

  55. robbi says:

    A comment on the blog…. washable diapers, who thought of that invention? LOL

  56. kekes says:

    Gee I thought I was try to go vegan because of health! well slap me silly ROFL

  57. Rachel says:

    I have a couple to add. I save the bag that cereal comes in and use it instead of wax papper. I will save glass jars from pickles or spaghetti sauce and use them for storage. I save the water from the dehumidifier and water plants with it. Also, I still get some paper bills in the mail like from the phone company and usually 1/3 of it has no writing on it and I save those for to-do list or shopping lists.

  58. love88 says:

    1)If I can’t pump any more lotion from the bottle, I remove the tube inside and leave it upside down to make it easier to get whatever lotion is left.
    2)I use bathroom tissue in the kitchen if I need smaller pieces of paper instead of the paper towel.
    3)I use a bar soap to wash my hands sometimes when it’s not too dirty but I still want to wash it (I keep liquid & bar soaps by the sink).
    4)Use a lip brush for whatever’s left from a lipstick tube.
    5)Re-use the other side of flyers that come in the envelopes. They are great for writing your shopping lists.
    6)At the end of the school year, remove the used pages of school notebooks and re-use them for lists or for younger kids to practice writing or drawing.

  59. Michelle says:

    I just use coupons & look for deals. As far as inside the house, you couldn’t pay me enough to hang up a piece of used paper towel and reuse it. I tend to use cloths in lieu of paper towels anyways. I’m on a well so my water is already being recycled 🙂 I do save my son’s baby food jars (only have 5 as I make my own food) to put the food I made in when we’re going out.

  60. Jen says:

    Um. Yeah. I WOULDN’T be so certain that I would eat a steak if someone was buying it for me…..that’s really not how the whole “vegetarian” thing works.

  61. Dillon says:

    I don’t take extra ketchup packs but I do take extra sugar packs. I don’t use sugar much at home, so basically all I have is sugar packs I got from restaurants, coffee shops, etc. I never buy sugar(I don’t bake) because I just use sugar at home for coffee or tea.

    You don’t have to ask for sugar packs though they are usually just left out. I usually take 3 or 4 extra packs after I bought something at the restaurant. Also when guests come the sugar packs are actually better to leave out than a sugar bowl in my opinion. Sugar in a sugar bowl tends to get clumpy because people dip their wet spoons in it sometimes.

  62. Orual says:

    When there are extra condiments, napkins or utensils in the bag/on the tray from fast food I keep them, rather than throw them out, but I think asking for extra just to use at home crosses the line.

  63. Mike P says:

    I watched it and agree that there were some some distasteful parts but others made you think. The most insightful was the fiscal purge the one family did where they lived off what they had for a week. It was extreme that he floated around looking for change and bought 2 goat heads but the fact that they used up the sample bottles they had been collecting for the year and putting cider vinegar in the jam jar and using it as salad dressing was insightful.

    Best tips that I can give:

    (1) buy hard cheese in bulk and wrap it in foil. It will last significantly longer than with cellophane. I have had cheese last for over 2 weeks without mould. The outside can get dry but you can cut around it. I think it works due to the prevention of air reaching the cheese or ion transfer from the metal…
    (2) separate your bananas so they don’t ripen as quickly. This will prevent them from signaling one another to ripen by reducing the ethylene gas. I am the only one who eats them in my household so I can buy more and not have them spoil before I am ready to eat them. If you want to be extreme, you can put them in separate rooms.
    (3) buy a soap dispenser for the washroom and fill it with the bulk soap. We moved into our house 5 years ago and still use the same ones. Clean them of course from time to time. You can also get the Lysol auto dispensers and there are YouTube articles which show how to refill the container.
    (4) If you buy airwick candles, after you use them, put boiling water in them to get all the wax out (run the water down a spoon so as not to break the glass) and bingo, you have new drinking cups – we use them in the washroom for brushing teeth.

  64. kristina says:

    I also think that it is good idea to invest in good quality products that are going to outlast.

    I was shopping with a friend a few years ago and she needed utensils. She bought 2 sets of 4 for $15 each because she liked the design on them. Not a month or two before I bought a set of 8 for $44. Mine were stainless steel. Not a year later she had to replace hers because they were falling apart and were rusting….several years later mine still look good as new.

    The same thing goes for pots, baking dishes and a good set of knives. A good stainless steel set of pots will last YEARS, whereas a non-stick set will not…and just because it is a name brand or costs more does not make it better.
    Always be informed and spend money on products that are put together well with quality parts….

  65. mojo says:

    I make all my own cleaning products. From granite cleaner to “febreeze”. Not only is it cheaper, it has no toxic chemicals (or very little), so it is better for you and the enviroment.
    I grow my own food in the spring and summer and freeze for the fall and winter. I grow herbs all year round.
    I never buy new clothing. There is far to much used stuff that is in great condition. ( underwear and socks are the exception)
    I use olive oil for face cream ( and no you do not break out). Used coffee ground+olive oil for a face mask. (don’t laugh until you try it!).Baking soda and water as a gentle exfoliant. lemon juice to lighten sunspots and get rid of blackheads.
    I could go on and on……If you want any of the cleaning receipies let me know and I will post them here….

  66. Nettie says:

    For larger purchases, check Kijiji first! I’ve bought so many large items on Kijiji that I was going to buy regardless, and saved a ton of money. If you are picky, you can find items that are just like new. Some things I’ve purchased are:

    1)Leather Living Room Sofa Set for $350.00. Mint condition. The set we were going to buy within a few weeks was $999.00.

    2)Elliptical for $150.00. The same elliptical sells at Canadian Tire for $999.00. Perfect Shape. I had been saving money for one for a few months, so this worked out perfectly.

    3)Dining Room Table Set – $200.00, and we reupholstered the seats to match our decor for an extra $50.00. So total $250.00.

    4)New Glass TV Stand/Mount for LCD TV $40.00, regular $150.00 from The Brick.

    5)Convection Glass Top Stainless Steel Cook Stove, $650.00. The same one was on sale at Futureshop that week for $1299.00. The one we had been using was about 30 years old and ready to give out.

    It only saves money if you purchase things you were going to buy anyway. We had recently moved into a new home, so needed alot of items.

  67. KouponKween says:

    I watched that show as well and was totally appalled by the guy who gave his wife dead flowers as an anniversary present and then took home other people’s leftovers! Here is a tip, when you go out for dinner order something like pasta, or noodles and eat just half so you can take the other half for lunch the next day. This way way your meal now just turned into two meals and the portions are always huge anyhow. I understand sometimes times can be tough, but taking other peoples leftover is just totally disgusting.

  68. Michelle says:

    I save the Pampers baby wipe containers for my grandaughters crayons, pencils, craft items. Ideal size, easy to open. These containers can be used to store a multitude of things and are a perfect size – stackable too.

  69. April says:

    I watched that show last night. That guy spent $7.50 on those two sheep heads. He could have got a nice steak and shared it with his wife for that price. Of even a package of chicken thighs (I just bought a 10 pack for $6.50 yesterday). Also it took him all day to collect $7.50? He could have worked an entire day’s work and made a lot more money.

  70. Andrea says:

    I watched this show when it first aired, I found a lot of it disturbing (like the woman who used expired food to feed kids she was babysitting).

    But my kids and I did get inspired to do something fun. We decided that when we find any change on the ground/in the house/at a restaurant etc. we’re going to save it in a jar in the house. At the end of the year we’ll count it all up and use it to do something together as a family.

    We’ve been doing this now for about a week and a half and have already collected over $10!

  71. Thing2mama says:

    @Mars

    What you are describing is someone who is “cheap”, not frugal. There is a difference.

    Someone who is cheap will do things like you describe. If they can get more than their share they will take it never worrying if it is at the expense of others. A cheap person will go to a pot luck with a macaroni salad that is just macaroni and mayo 9if anything at all) and then run to the meat dishes and devouring as much as they can hold.

    A frugal person (like me) would look in their freezer and cupboards and see that they have all the ingredients on hand (thanks to sales and coupons) to make their famous chili, whip up a huge batch, bake some corn bread and bring it to the pot luck to enjoy it with their friends.

    Basically a frugal person doesn’t necessarily go without anything, even the finer things in life. They just use their resources wisely, pull their own weight, and are not a burden to others.

    In my definition being frugal is positive behaviour, eing cheap, not so much…

  72. Chicklet says:

    RE: ROARS COMMENT
    You may want to be careful about counselling someone to consume the water that is coming from your furnace. It is not WATER, it is carbonic acid. Products of combustion ARE NOT drinkable water. Google that. It is dangerous enough to harm you. Although the water coming from your AC and humidifer are OKish. It is not recommeded that you consume it. Again water coming from your furnace is NOT condensation from air but a byproduct of gas and oxygen! DO NOT DRINK – even from a clean container!!!!!!!

  73. Eric says:

    We’ve used Ketchup packets when we were out and it wasn’t yet payday. Of course, these are ones that have been collected over a while – not specifically asked for.

    Normally for ketchup, we just buy the big can and refill previous bottles.

    We always have a supply of powdered milk in case we run out (though I can’t stand it).

    Re: Vegetarian – I don’t see how it’s cheaper to be honest. My mother in law buys veggie-version products which cost a lot more than the real things (burgers for example). As for beans, ask anyone near me if me eating beans is good for the environment 😛

    Something we like to do with change: Anything less than a loonie goes into a jar (after gathering the proper loonie/quarter ratio for the laundry machines downstairs) and then rolled up when full or when we need some cash. Last summer (after a few months) we had about $200 in change.

  74. Vivian says:

    When I have bananas that are quite past fresh, I use them to make into muffins and banana bread and freeze them for future eating! I also took the carcass from Thanksgiving’s turkey, put it in a pot with some vegetables and water and made stock. Any leftover meat that came off the carcass, I used to make a turkey salad.

  75. Stephania says:

    Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but whenever I eat out, I take the extra napkins home: Used, i.e. with my own lipstick mark, or unused. I use these napkins to wipe up spills on counters, on my desk, carpet, etc.

  76. Cheapnik says:

    If you go on vacation and have half a litre of milk left throw it in the freezer – it freezes fine (may separate a bit – stir it well when thawed), you just have to do the smell or taste test to figure out when it is sour after that. I also freeze half dead bananas and thaw them out to make banana muffins. Less wasted food.

  77. Racheldm says:

    I use baking soda and apple cider vinegar instead of shampoo and conditioner. It took some getting used to, and experimenting to get the procedure right, but now it works GREAT.

    See http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html for how-to’s, or google “no poo”

  78. Aggie says:

    Those cheapskates are wasting time. If they were extreme COUPONERs they wouldn’t need to worry so much! There are always amazing deals on toilet paper, food, toothpaste, and more!! especially in the US – where you can stack coupons, doubling, stores match your coupon up to $1, free membership discount cards, soo much more…

  79. kekes says:

    Aggie, Im not in the U.S. Im in Canada and in the province I live in, we don’t have those wonderful deals you are talking about. There is no matching coupons or stacking or doubling. Heck Some stores even limit the # of coupons I can use in one trip.

  80. Alice21 says:

    One of my favorite money saving tips is to reuse the swiffer dusting cloths. You can throw them into the washer and dryer and they work great the second, third, fortieth time. I only buy one box a year and I use them ALL the time. Also I dont own a wet jet but I buy the wet jet liquid and pour it into another squeeze bottle. It is much cheaper than the mop and glo type products and works just as well.

  81. TeriB says:

    Watched a Cheap Guy at a live show club one night picking up all the bottles at his party’s table and taking them back to the bar to demand the 5 cents each for them. It was extremely crowded, so every time he got up (4 times in quick succession) people had to squeeze out of his way while he blocked their view of the stage. He didn’t want the waiters to pick the bottles up so he made another trip every time there was 2 or 3 new empties.

    The bartender was humouring him, but I wish they’d told him to keep the damn bottles and take them to the recycling depot himself.

  82. MZK says:

    @ Mars … vegetarians do not become vegetarian because they are “too cheap to buy meat”, I have quite a good amount of disposable income and would spend it on meat if I really wanted to eat it. And I am quite certain that I would NOT eat a steak if someone bought it for me… please inform yourself of what vegetarianism is before you make such silly statements.

  83. R says:

    It seems to me that a lot of the ideas here are about making it cheaper to maintain your current habits/lifestyle. For me, being frugal is about making changes to my habits that also save me money. Rather than scraping the bottom of the ketchup bottle or getting packets from fast food places, I just don’t buy ketchup. It doesn’t have any nutritional value, so all it does is change the taste, which is something you can get used to living without.

    In fact, I eat a lot of foods plain. Black coffee, plain lentils (maybe some vegetables mixed in), plain oatmeal… sometimes the tastes take a bit of getting used to, but you save tonnes of money on sauces, seasonings, sweeteners, etc. I do use some spices, mostly black pepper and chili flakes – those are like $5 a bottle and they last months. Although admittedly I only feed myself, I suppose it would be harder if I had a picky family to feed.

    Instead of making my own make-up remover, I stopped wearing makeup. I also bike to school, so zero gas costs (this obviously isn’t viable for everyone, but consider public transit).

    Basically, I think you can save a lot more money by making choices to live more simply, than by squeezing a few more brushes out of every tube of toothpaste. Not that those aren’t good things to do, of course; I’m on this site for a reason :] Thanks for the tips all!

  84. Cigale says:

    So do you have enough material for a book yet?

    My turn to share a few tips.

    Wash your bum-bum! Get a plastic measuring cup and splash your self clean. That’s how they do it in warm countries and places where their diet is very high in fibres. Convert your toilet into a bidet, if you prefer. A cheap bidet ($50) can be hooked up to your water intake, but a fancy one ($500) will offer you a warm seat, water temperature control and a puff of air. Voilà! Nice and clean and less irritating.

    Wash your baby’s bum-bum under the tap (the sink when he/she is small and the tub when she/he is bigger) instead of using baby wipes, but check the temperature first.

    Start errands at Dollarama (arts & crafts, cable ties, gift bags).

    Go to Costco where the goods are “proven quality” and the returns are “no questions asked”.

    Buy clothes at the end of the season and decorative items/candies after the holiday. It’s got to be something that I really want if I give-in before they put up a 50% off sign.

    Need some shopping therapy? Go to Value Village, Goodwill or the Salvation Army. I’ve found nice collectibles, costumes and ride-able toys (little tykes cozy coupe, wagons, tricycles) over the years.

    When my kids were small, I was a fan of Garbage Day. Kind people who don’t want to make the trip to the thrift stores sometimes put out good stuff a few days early to make sure that money savvy moms like my give their old (playskool)slide, mini climbing structure or plastic picnic bench a good home. And I thank them. (Now where is my scrubbing brush?)

  85. Mars says:

    @MZK, I understand what vegetarianism is and I respect them for their choices. I am referring to the folks at the beginning of this thread, they themselves say that they are vegetarians because they are “too cheap to buy meat”. Their reasons for being vegetarians are BS which is why I am almost certain that they would eat a steak is someone else paid for it. What the hell is a “semi-vegetarian”??…. I interpret that as a person that is too cheap to buy meat but would eat a steak if someone else paid for it.

  86. Monica says:

    Since I was young my mother always saved juice bottles for making kool aid in. Margarine containers for storing left overs. glass jars for canning (if you wax the lids properly they seal just as if they were mason jars.) Scraps of fabrics for either rags or sewing projects. Hang clothes to dry. I personally have not bought my 9 year old any clothes beyond socks underwear and shoes since she was 4 for all the hand me downs we get. I clip coupons for the things i need or want and wait for sales. i don’t wear a lot of make up so i only wash my face when i do. I live in an apartment building that has a laundry room but I take my things to the laundry mat because the machines are bigger and generally the same price, so you get more bang for your buck. I don’t shop online and I do not have credit cards. I learned very early that buying dried canned and frozen is cheaper and I buy the meat in the eat today or freeze immediately section. When we have big family dinners our parents like to send us home with leftovers I learned how to make those last to. Turkey dinner into soup and or stew. Meat loaf into shepard’s pie and so on. I have a new baby and if I had my own washer and dryer I would cloth diaper and wipe. I am not totally apposed to toilet “cloth” either. a bucket of vinegar and water keeps it from smelling and getting nasty and washing every other day is not that obscene to me. Many cultures even today do not use tissue in their toilet routines. However I am saying unless I has my own laundry machine I would not will not do not. because just because I’m ok with it does not mean others will be and I just don’t want to make life for any one difficult. Carrying on Powdered formula rather than liquid for my son (breastfeeding though we tried desperately did not work for us). Also and this is probably my biggest. I am fairly young only 28 and I have 2 children quite far apart in age. I have not bought any furniture not for me not for them since I’ve been on my own. Most things given for them as gifts but even our own furniture. I have an apartment full, tv stand dresser bed couch chair computer desk all of it random pieces that family or neighbors were just going to throw out anyway because they were tired of it. Since I moved out on my own. I’ve had 15 different homes and almost as many different sets of furniture. When it’s broken or completely ruined we put out the word that we need it and always some one comes through.

  87. Lorie Brijeski says:

    Instead of taking my dog to the groomers I bathe her in the tub,she is a golden Retriever so large I put on my bathing suit and get in the tub with her.no broken back and I use baby shampoo from the dollar store If it’s raining out and she gets that wet dog stinky smell I wipe her down with a dryer fabric softener wipe,she smells good and no static,I also put a dryer sheet in my vacuum smells so good.I also joined a wonderful Freecycle site ,what one person does not want another will and keeps things out of the land fill and it’s free.You can find everything Join a freecycle group you will be so happy you did .I have gotten lots of wonderful things,and what my kids have out grown or I don’t use any more some one would love to receive it for FREE aLSO gardening is wonderful,save your seeds from one year to the next and divide your house plants and give them as little gifts .

  88. Jen says:

    If you use dryer sheets, you can use them to remove “frizz” and “static” from your hair! Just rub them over your hair and it takes the static right out (and smells nice!).

    You can also use baby powder instead of expensive volumizing sprays for your hair. Just put some on your roots in areas you want volume, then rub it in! Instant volume!

  89. Christina says:

    If you use dryer sheets, a half of one is more than enough to soften your load. I tear all of mine in half. That way you get twice as many loads.

    You can also do this with scouring pads (the kind with soap in them – SOS or other). I used to find that I would use only a bit and then they would rust on the counter. Now I cut it in half, use it and then throw it away. It is usually plenty to do the job. Bonus, you sharpen your at the same time.

  90. Christina says:

    *you sharpen your scissors at the same time

  91. Kate says:

    I am in my 30s and I remember using my mom’s washing machine with the “SUDS SAVER” option. If we washed whites or something not very dirty, we would make sure the plug was in the laundry tub, press the button and save the soapy water for the next load. I had tons of horse blankets, towels and wraps etc. for my horse, so I used the water for that most of the time. My mom reused the water from whites or light clothes to wash dark denim etc.

    Why isn’t this an option anymore on washing machines? Is it because there isn’t always a full-size laundry tub in smaller new homes to reuse the water? I thought that it would be an option with the new trend to be kind to the environment being “cool” now.

  92. m$ney says:

    Some of this tips are great but not for everyone and do not always work. Eg. I like wearing makeup and eating meat thank you very much. I also like tiolet paper, and would never use my dehumidifier water to water my orchids as hard water stains and slime are always in the bucket even though I clean it with bleach after use. As for VEGANS, that is not neccesarily healthier as many do not get enough protein and eat to many carbs. Man was meant to eat meat. Look at the cavepeople. lol

  93. Mandy says:

    FYI vegans get tons of protein unless they are eating oreos for dinner, protein is in beans, vegetables, nuts, fruits, whole wheat bread, brown rice, seeds, etc, etc.

  94. Keykey says:

    I go to Value Village and buy the big bag of mixed towels. Can usually get them for $3.00 or even cheaper when they have 50% days. They make great rags to clean with or dust or wash the floor or wash/wax the car. Blankets or bedding I pick up for my dog’s bed there too.

  95. Ginger says:

    You should be careful using human shampoo on dogs, even baby shampoo. Their skin is not the same, and even baby shampoo can be harmful, and cost you more in the long run with a trip to the vet to take care of a skin problem. Some dogs can handle it, some can’t – mine definitely cannot tolerate baby shampoo.

  96. Irish Girl says:

    Mars, I use the term semi-vegetarian to describe mayself. I don’t eat meat but i do eat fish.

    I’m not to cheap to buy meat. I do well for myself and if I wanted to buy meat I would. I simply don’t like it.

    I can’t classify myself as a vegetarian as fish are animals but I’m not a carnivore as I don’t eat meat. Happy to hear your suggestions on a better name for it 😉

    Thanks for all the tips. Some I know and use, others were new to me. I watched the program too and agree that it was most likely played the way it was for shock factor rather than any real information on being frugal. I don’t like to waste, it isn’t a matter of being able to afford things or not… If I don’t spend money on one thing, I will have it to spend on something else. I don’t want to pay more $$ for something if I can get it for less. $$ in my pocket is better thanin someone else’s but I certainly wouldn’t cheat anyone to achieve that end.

  97. Nelle says:

    Great tips! I will be using a lot of them.

    Here are my top 2:

    Use cloth diapers for cleaning. They are the best for cleaning windows, mirrors, shiny surfaces, floors, furniture, just about anything. I dampen them before I use them and off we go. No need for chemical cleaners, buckets, sponges, etc. Leaves NO streaks.

    This may sound really cheap, lol, but I’m one of those people who pick up pennies and other change off the street. I wipe them with antibacteral hand cleanser, and keep them separate from the rest of my change. I save them up and either buy a coffee every now and then, or use them when making a purchase. For example when the total is something like $2.27, I’ll hand over a $10 bill and give 27 cents in change. It makes me feel like I’m getting away without paying the tax. Even when I make a purchase using my debit card or cc, I’ll try to make the change with my “found money” and put the rest on debit or my cc. Pennies, nickles and dimes make a big difference over time. One day I’m going to chart exactly what I find so I’ll have more of an idea how much I do find!

    I don’t keep the ketchup thingys, but I do keep the soya sauce. We just don’t use much soya sauce here but it’s nice to have the the soya when something calls for it.

    Oh! One more. 🙂 I use laundry bar soap for pretreating stains. You can get the Sunlight bars at Sobeys and there are other brands as well. My fav dollar store carries Tide laundry soap bars for something like $1.50. The soap bars last forever and I think they do a better job than the spray stain removers.

    When my DD and I go out for dinner on the spur of the moment, we drink water only, each have a salad and split an entre’. Good for the pocket book and the waistline and we are quite satisfied with that amount of food.

    Turn your thermostat down and put on an extra sweater if you are cold. I have a little heater fan than I can move room to room so if it gets too chilly I just move it to the room we are in instead of heating up the whole house. I don’t like using my dryer and hang everything up on an indoor laundry stand thing. So my little heater fan is drying the clothes at the same time warming us up. It costs practically nothing to use and the clothes dry pretty fast, not as fast as the dryer, but pretty darn close.

    When we are just hanging out and watching tv, sometimes we’ll turn out all the lights and light up some candles. So cozy and makes the house smell nice and is much more economical than turning on the lights.

    Costco online offers great online deals (you have to watch for the deals) with free shipping and delivers to your front door. It’s cheaper and less time consuming than getting in my car and driving 30 minutes to the nearest Costco and back home. You can’t get “everything” online, but the deals you DO get online are better than pretty well anywhere else. I bought a new computer chair that was priced between $300 and $400 most anywhere else, for $179 at Costco with free delivery.

    I hate spending much on cleaning supplies (I call them perfumed posion) but love fancy bath gels and salts. After a bath I scoop up some of the bathwater and dump it in the toilet and swoosh it around with the toilet brush and she comes clean! I always throw a little more of the bathwater back into the john and some in the tank part and the bathroom smells so nice for a while longer.

    I don’t use fabric softener anymore (well, only on bed sheets) and I find that the clothes come out cleaner (I read somewhere that fabric softeners kind of trap in the dirt and leave oil spots) and they aren’t stiff.

    Guess I had more than 2, once you get going you can’t stop! lol

  98. soaking old face clothes in fabric softener and letting them dry make wonderful dryer sheets that last all week for me! (Family of 5!) And With couponing you can get the fabric softener very cheap if not free!
    Used to make my own laundry soap b4 I started couponing, now I can get it free, so it is cheaper not to make it! =)
    I almost always bake all my own bread. my recipie is too big so unless I am expecting company I freeze 1/2 or share with the neighbors!
    Breast fed all 3 of my kids (I realize not everyone can do this)
    I buy the large containers of yogurt instead of the single serve. Much cheaper and less waste. As well as awesome containers for freezing extra soups and spaghetti sauces!

    And my all time fav! When my husband and I are done having our morning coffee I pour the last from the pot into ice cube trays and freeze. once frozen I transfer into a freezer bag or large container to store in freezer. These cubes are awesome for making Iced Capps, Iced mochas, chopping into milkshakes, or thaw for putting into muffins, cakes, cookies etc!! I know coffee is cheap, but think how much you spend on Ice Capps? I started doing this out of desperation when we moved out of the city and Tim Hortons was no longer just around the corner lol

  99. Funkymunky says:

    I’m not too sure that re-using paper napkins (ew?) and plastic cutlery is a good idea at all – using real cutlery and washing it after is the real “savings”, as well as using cloths that can be washed instead of doing the whole drying up and re-suing the paper ones

    washing out zip lock bags is a bit strange too – you never know what food can get stuck in the corners – wouldn’t be easier to use plastic containers instead? you can wash these out properly

  100. bluebunny27 says:

    I’ve been really cheap a few times but nothing as extreme as what was seen on the show … a few times I did eat fruits from the garbage can that had just been thrown away … raspberries for example where someone had thrown the whole container away just because a few were not good anymore for example … they were still in the container so I just took the raspberries out, rinsed them and they were alright … 😉 Once when I had no ketchup left at home I brought home about 20 sample ketchup packets from the restaurant when I bought chicken to go .. lol ! That guy on the show was embarrassing though, he didn’t care about embarrassing his wife at the restaurant, etc. I think he had mental issues, that cheapskates. Reusing paper napkins and paper towels, yeah, I do that too … some people throw ’em away as soon as there’s a lil’ dot on it, I mean come on. For example if there’s a party I can collect 10-20 napkins later on to re-use … I am not really bothered by the germs personally, I just clean ’em with water and let them dry. I make my own stuff too sometimes .. mouthwash, yogurt … I would say I’m pretty cheap but people on the show were 100% cheap, I’m only 50% on that scale.

  101. K says:

    I’m someone who is thrifty but still enjoys nails, hair, clothes etc..

    When getting my nails done I ask that the white part of my french manicure start lower down on my nail so that the manicure lasts longer when the nails grow out.

    When getting a hair cut I don’t have my hair blow dried or styled. It’s an extra $40 for the length of my hair! I’ll blow dry and wash at home for free thank you!

    I keep all my receipts when buying clothes. If an item I purchased 2 or 3 weeks ago goes on sale I will go in with my receipt and ask for the difference. Never had a problem and never needed the item with me to received the $. Did the same with some receits from Christmas presents which went on sale during Boxing day week!

  102. K says:

    @ Irish Girl: You are pectotarian!

  103. Carlotta says:

    Some of these tips are great. But I draw the line at not using toilet paper. Yes, our ancestors used cloths and old sears catalogues, but our ancestors also rode into town in a horse and buggy. They also used old wringer washers and heated the water for their washing on wood stoves. No thanks. I’m quite happy to use new inventions…. toilet paper and computers are two of them! As numerous people have said, there is a big difference between frugal and being just outright CHEAP! And advising someone to use water that has run through their furnace and/or air conditioner…. are you crazy????
    As far as asking for ketchup packages, I just bought 2 big squeeze bottles of ketchup at Costco for about $5. It will last me for over a year! If you cannot afford $5 for a year’s worth of ketchup you should just quit eating ketchup. Sorry.

  104. MZK says:

    @ Mars … I actually am what you would consider a “semi-vegetarian”… pollo-pescetarian to be exact, who is someone who eats chicken and fish, but still extremely minimal amounts. I eat chicken and fish, but only 2 or 3 times each year if even that. Although I do understand your point that some people do have that mindset, please don’t think that real vegetarians are like that. I wouldn’t go on a chicken/fish food binge if someone brought that kind of a food item to a potluck. If I really wanted to, I’d go buy it myself 😉

    @ K … I do the exact same thing when I get my nails done! Getting the white tip done thicker makes it last soo much longer. Another thing I do sometimes is push back my cuticles by myself before I get them filled. Some nail salons don’t do this prior to doing the fill. This way your fill lasts longer 😀

  105. V says:

    The cloth toilet paper is a cheap option, but using a Bidet would be much cheaper option.
    You still have to wash the clothes and use detergent.

  106. Sandra5 says:

    We put up VERY simple decorations at Christmas, lots of nice stuff from Dollarama or at 50%-75% boxing day sales.
    Since most of my favorite decorations get reused, I doubt I spend more than $5 per year to add to the collection.
    Instead I prefer to look at OTHER peoples’ nice decorations. We go for walks in the neighbourhood and downtown and enjoy and admire other peoples’ efforts to decorate lavishly.
    No need to own all that glitter.

  107. Wendi says:

    I will cut a jclothes into 4 squares to make it last longer.
    If I buy something and it goes on sale later, I will ask the store for the difference.
    I use the fruits and vegetable bags from the grocery store and milk bags as freezer bags.
    I eat dinner leftovers for lunch the next day.
    I use plastic store bags as small garbage bags (great for the bathroom).
    I buy unisex clothes so my older child can pass on her outgrown clothes to her younger brother.
    I buy childrens clothes at the end of season to wear for next year.

  108. mealplanmuncie says:

    i tip only 10% or 5%.

  109. fru-gal says:

    I see someones point that the guy should have bought a steak or chucken legs for $7.50 but it looks like he lived in a rural area and that butcher may be his only means of meat for miles, and prob being to cheap to pay for gas to drive to the nearest big grocery store, he thinks he is saving money by buying goatheads. Maybe that butcher charges an arm and a leg for steaks and chicken. The guy would be better off making a monthly grocery run and get cheaper meat and freezing it. Maybe he is too cheap and does not own a freezer? lol The wine thing was hilarious!!! Maybe he does not own a car?Maybe he should hunt for food! He had a decent home and basically was retired and not that old. He does have a point there.

  110. fru-gal says:

    That show is very amusing! I love it! Great entertainment. The guy who ate others leftovers was weird but maybe he grew up like my dad,in the 40s and 50s in a poor household, where they did not waste anything. Old habits/fears die hard. Those people should eat that food or take it home, not throw it out. It may be a bit unsanitary however he is still alive!! My grandmother used to keep open salad dressing in the cupboard!! And had green furry cheese and rancid chocolates and nuts and lived till her 90s.!!! That mom though that bought pasta sauce from 2009 and expired cheese to feed her kids and others really irked me, putting them at risk for food poisoning as they are young and 2 years expiry is unacceptable!!

  111. Muj says:

    I like to bake, (and I hate to throw food out) so whenever my fruit is starting to go off, I bake something with it (cake, muffins, bread, etc)…. most times it turns out pretty good, but after a few days if it’s not getting eaten, I take the leftovers & make bread pudding… this usually turns out really nice with all the flavours of whatever I baked in it.

    Also for cleaning glass (windows, mirrors) old news papers are the best! they don’t leave streaks or lint and can still be recycled after…

    And leftover tea in my teapot – always goes to make iced tea… add a little lemon juice & some sugar while it’s still warm (easier to dissolve) and voila!

  112. Xina says:

    If you are like me and always end up with a bit of salsa in the jar after a perty or the like, add a bit of chicken stock to the jar and shake to make sure you get all the salsa from the jar. Dice and fry up a small onion. Add the salsa mix to the pan and about 1 cup of shredded cheddar. Makes a wonderful salsa fresco. Better than any store bought fresco.

  113. Me says:

    There’s a reason we don’t live like it’s the great depression anymore. It’s called progression. I’m sure we’d all love to go back to the days of the wife being beaten if dinner wasnt on the table as soon as the husband got home. With a sparkling house and slippers at the front door too. Eyeroll

  114. tbone says:

    tipping only 10-5%? really? that’s just plain cheap.

  115. T says:

    The lady re-using cloth toilet paper is just plain stupid. I recently bought 60 rolls of 2-ply premium quality toilet paper for $10. It’s called COUPONS (I’m sure more seasoned couponers could have done even better than that!) Also, doesn’t she realize that her washing machine and dryer use up energy and water to wash the cloths? She could just put that money towards buying toilet paper.

  116. Mischa says:

    We make coffee at home and take it to work in our travel mugs. I know it sounds simple, but a lot of people’s regular routines include stopping at the local Starbucks and spending $2 every morning before work. That’s $500 a year and doesn’t include the occassional pastry that I’m sure you might buy if you forget to eat/take breakfast, when you’re feeling peckish.

  117. Jeff Yeager says:

    Hi – I’m Jeff Yeager, one of the “Extreme Cheapskates” featured in the show — the goat head guy (AKA “The Ultimate Cheapskate”).

    Just for the record – and speaking only for myself and my wife and the part of the show we were in – we were pretty satisfied with it. Yes, they enhanced the quirkiness and “entertainment value” in order to get people to tune in – not too uncommon with TV, you know.

    No, I don’t spend entire days bicycling around, looking for lost change — although I do go for a bike ride most days (one reason why at 53 I weigh exactly what I did at age 21), and I’ve never been too proud to bend over to pick up a lone penny on the sidewalk, or even make it a point to more aggressively look for lost change if I have the time (it’s my form of “fishing” – recreation, not a career). Yes, I really do eat and enjoy offal and things like goat and lamb heads, as they do in many less-wasteful cultures around the globe; please, try it before you criticize it, and – if you eat meat – consider the moral implications of the snoot-to-tail approach I endorse.

    And, yes, I know very well that you can buy all kinds of meat and other nutritious “normal” foods for less than I paid for the goat heads (heck, I write books on the subject — all available at the public library, BTW). But watching me eat a chicken thigh ain’t exactly riveting TV, and since – in real life – I eat both goat heads and chicken thighs, the producers opted for the more photogenic goat head (go figure). Obviously it was done to attract viewer/media attention, but it wasn’t inaccurate or dishonest in terms of representing my behavior, which I openly admit isn’t mainstream-meat-and-potatoes-American.

    At least in terms of our segment, I was I glad I got a chance to make some points about frugality – and provide at least a few practical tips – that I consider worthwhile, including: going for a week without spending any money (what I call a “fiscal fast”) is both possible and therapeutic (BTW, the statement that we save “$700 a week” by doing this was inaccurate and something we never said or claimed, and I don’t know where the figure came from); dryer lint stuffed in toilet paper tubes make good fire starters; Americans spend 50 cents to $1 per mile driving cars, when there are alternatives like cycling that could save many people thousands of dollar a year; set a “permanent standard of living” and stop allowing your expenses to rise to meet your income; mesh onion bags stuffed with repurposed aluminum foil make good pot scrubbers; a penny saved/found is actually worth significantly more than a penny earned, for the reasons I indicted; soap slivers can be used up by putting them in worn out pair of pantyhose and making a “cheapskate soap-on-a-rope;” we’re too dependent on costly technology that doesn’t necessarily make our lives any better; lemon rinds and baking soda can be used to clean copper; we waste too much, including foodstuff that we’ve been conditioned to turn up our noses at, but that’s a delicacy in other cultures; and you can have a pretty cool house, a loving spouse (of 28 years), and lead a seemingly content, enjoyable life, and still be a “cheapskate.”

    Sure, a lot of this isn’t “new news” to frugal folks like us, but it is for many (most?) Americans. And, sure, I wish they would have included some of the other information and details about our lives based on the interviews we gave (e.g., we give ~20% of our annual income to charity; we “functionally retired” in our mid-forties; we spend two months out of the year traveling the world in “cheapskate style;” we live entirely debt-free, paid off our one-and-only house in 15 years and built much of it ourselves from recycled/reclaimed materials; our frugality is grounded in a strong environmental ethic; etc.)

    But my wife and I also don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed about our involvement or portrayal in the show, and we’re comfortable with and proud of the life we lead, whether others consider it “extreme,” gross, unappealing, or otherwise. We just consider it enjoying life more by spending and consuming less, the occasional goat’s head and all.

  118. Sally says:

    Hi Jeff! Welcome to the conversation! I’m wondering how come you don’t use coupons to save money? Not extreme couponing, but to help out. Or do you?

    Thank you for joining in!

  119. Jeff Yeager says:

    Hi Sally – Thanks for the welcome. Personally, I use very few coupons: in part because I’m not very organized, cook mostly from stratch, don’t like brand names, processed foods, etc. I love to cook, and love the challenge of spontaneously planning my menus around the best of the best weekly store specials (AKA the “loss leaders”). That said, I certainly don’t fault people who use coupons – to each his own – and I generally don’t believe that there’s “one best” path to frugality for everyone. You just need to find what works for you and makes you happy. FYI, for my last book I surveyed over 300 proud, self-proclaimed “cheapskates” (mostly Americans, but a few Canadians), and found that they were almost equally divided when it came to using coupons: Half swore by them, and the other have swore *about* them. 😉

  120. Jeff Yeager says:

    P.S. to my above post: And, when was the last time you saw a coupon for a goat’s head?

  121. Sally says:

    Haha, never but it’s not something i’d ever purchase. What about items like toilet paper? Since you can stack in the US at stores you’d be able to get toilet paper and such free correct? That would be worthwhile? I’m going to contact you with an idea….

  122. Trixyluxx says:

    Well saidJeff, its good to see people out there “recycling” products you would nomally throw out!

  123. nessa23 says:

    great blurb Jeff – I enjoyed reading! I wish everyone would think in the sense of reduce, reuse, recycle, as I believe a lot of us don’t think about how much we actually waste (either personally or as a society)

    Will keep an eye out for your books!

  124. pat g says:

    wow,,, I will have to look for it , to show my family Im not that cheap,,, yes I buy things on sale and stock up using coupons, not that I have ever eaten Goats heads,,,but if I want to buy meat, I buy what on sale that week, same goes for veggies, maybe I wont buy the cauliflower if its $4.99… I will buy the spinach
    and the after Christmas sales are the best for stocking up for next years bags and ribbons,,, I buy those at 90% off,,,

  125. cheapette says:

    WOW!! Cool that Jeff is on this website. I think he is very smart and doing stuff alot of us cannot afford to do. Wish I had his determination and mindset 25 years ago. Then I to could travel and retire!!!!

  126. Tabetha says:

    Just out of curiosity what happened to the show? After the first episode I have not heard or seen anything about another one being aired.
    I found the show had both it’s good and “bad to me” parts. There were some helpful ideas on there but there were also things I personally would never do or consume. No offense Jeff 🙂

  127. KK7 says:

    Great to see you on here Jeff. I loved watching the show some very interesting idea’s!

  128. Trish says:

    hi jeff
    i enjoyed your segment on the show although i doubt i would eat a goats head but again to each his own. My husband and i carpool to work, which saves alot and since he is a mechanic we always buy older cheap vehicles which he fixes up cheap and we drive until we need something else. We have yet to lose money on a car. We have always sold the cars for at least what we paid for or even more.
    Saw on cityline that starbucks napkins make the best face blotters. i recently updated my kitchen and instead of new cupboards i painted the ones i had. we also bought tile at a garage sale and we tiled the backsplash and the counter top.

  129. Jeff Yeager says:

    Tabetha – The show was just a one-time special, not a series. Although my understanding is that it was a big hit, and TLC is now casting new cheapskates for additional specials and maybe a series.

    Sally – You’re no doubt correct about coupons and things like toilet paper. Again, I’m not very organized and I hate to shop (a good thing, IMO) so I simply spend a lot less time shopping than most. And, re: TP, it’s just my wife and me, so we buy TP in bulk and use relatively little of it.

    You know, what I write about is not so much how to save money on stuff, although I give some of that advice. I fear that in the U.S., at least, we’re missing what could be the silver lining of the recent recession: 99% of all the news coverage you hear about frugality these days boils down to “Here’s how to save 20% by using a coupon or getting some other type of discount on the same old pile of crap you’ve always bought.” I’m not opposed to saving money, but the question I wish we’d be asking instead is, “Do I really need that pile of crap in the first place, even if I can get it for 20% less?” In other words, I don’t write books about how to get rich; I write books about how to get happy, perhaps with less than you think or with what you already have.

  130. Sally says:

    Very true. I have a lot of stuff that I got just because I had a coupon. BUT a lot of that stuff I also collect up over the year and donate to the women’s shelter. 🙂

  131. Andrea says:

    Jeff Yeager – Not sure if you’re checking back, but I really enjoyed you on the show (I can’t say the same for the other 3 featured) and I thought you, of everyone featured, had the best ideas.

    I watched the show with my 2 oldest boys (12 and 9) who really enjoyed it. In fact, my 9 year old had the idea to look for and save any change he found. We decided that for the next year, everyone in our family will put any ‘found change’ in a jar. At the end of the year we’ll use it to do something as a family.

    So thanks very much for inspiring my kids!

  132. Watergirl73 says:

    I watched the show and loved it. I think to each their own and really it is about what makes you happy. I actually picked up my resolution from Jeff which I had posted in another thread just after the show where we were going to go one week a month without shopping.

    I thought the idea was brilliant and so far it hasn’t been difficult at all. Thanks for the great idea Jeff!

    There’s things in life that are worth spending money on and others that are not! My father walks every day of the year except Christmas day because that’s the day he dumps out his pail of change he’s collected all year in parking lots like Zellers and Walmart, smart and keeping fit at the same time. He’s never been ashamed to pick up a penny even when I was younger and neither am I.

  133. spaz says:

    I got this idea from a friend. When you are done your milk, cut the top of the plastic bag and rinse out with a little soap and water. Let dry and you have perfect plastic baggies. I use elastics, that I get wth celery and mail etc. to secure the plastic around the food item in the bag.

  134. mynameis says:

    cobblestones at thornbury


















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