Ah, the life of the frugal.

It’s no secret that people nowadays are on the hunt for clever ways to save to maximise their budgets.

Some go to extreme lengths, whether it's hoarding restaurant napkins, reusing contact lenses, or even skipping meals, all to save that extra penny.

It all started when a man asked on social media about the ‘unique’ measures people take to save money, particularly on food and bills, and received hundreds of responses.

Here are some of the ‘weird’ tricks savvy savers use to survive the crisis.

One person uses napkins as toilet paper.

One person washes and reuses Ziploc bags to cut costs. Image source: Ziploc

‘I use napkins that I collect from various sources (like the break room at my job and the ones downstairs near the prepared food section) as toilet paper instead of just buying toilet paper,’ one person replied.

‘Not sure how much money this saves but every bit counts.’

‘Wash Ziploc bags and glass jars to re-use them,’ another said.

Some earn extra money through online surveys, while another sends savings to a relative for safekeeping.


‘I’ve seen people unroll a bunch of toilet paper and paper towels from public restrooms and refill empty soap bottles in the same manner,’ another recalled.


Meanwhile, others also adopt unique savings strategies: some swear by dumpster diving.

‘Dumpster diving saves a tonne,’ a fourth wrote while others invest hours comparing supermarket prices for maximum savings.

For some, financial strains have led to limiting their meals.

‘Eat one, maybe two meals a day and I fast every few days. It's actually really good for you as long as you're eating healthy!’ one person explained.

‘I don't eat breakfast or lunch. I just have a very large dinner,’ someone else agreed.

‘I eat the scraps from my kid, and if I'm lucky, the school where I teach and my son goes to will give me a free lunch,’ another responded.

‘I ate a $2 pack of instant mashed potatoes for lunch. Just that. Just mashed potatoes. The ones where you add water,’ a fourth said.

One person takes toilet paper and paper towels from public restrooms and refills empty soap bottles to save money. Image source: Pixabay

Alternatively, some buy groceries daily, believing it reduces waste and is more cost-effective than bulk shopping.

‘It might not work for everyone, but we buy what we're gonna make that day instead of bulk buying for the whole month or the week every day after work, we go and buy what we need for dinner that day, and there's less waste,’ one person said.

‘We eat out a lot which sounds weird, but it's only two of us, and it's a lot cheaper for us to get fast food or even just Subway rather than buy ingredients to cook dinner,’ a second commented.

One person hides money to prevent spending, while another uses work toilets to save on utilities.

‘Keep all my receipts. It'll be the weirdest places that try to scam you,’ one woman said, adding to make sure items aren't mistakenly double-scanned or priced incorrectly.

And finally, one frugal spender said: ‘I re-use my daily disposable contacts for three or four days per pair.’

One person keeps all receipts and reuses disposable contacts to economise. Image source: Pixabay

Key Takeaways

• People are resorting to ‘weird’ methods to save money due to the rising cost of living, including stashing restaurant napkins and skipping meals.
• A man asked on social media what unusual things people are doing to save money, and many shared their money-saving methods.
• Some are using shared napkins as toilet paper, washing and reusing Ziploc bags, and others are skipping meals to cut costs.
• There are varied responses, with other savvy savers compiling their shopping lists for hours comparing prices, while some said they resort to using the bathroom at work to save on water and toilet paper.

Members, what's your take on these hacks? Have you tried any, or do you have an even quirkier one? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

I do grocery shopping with two other ladies in my area once a week after we finish our craft group . We take turns in driving , the one who drives has an esky and cold food item bags in the back of the car . There is a Bunnings , Aldi and Woollies near where we go and a Coles and Fresh & Safe also in the area . Very convenient. .

 

[Gsr]

I have always washed and reused plastic bags, now I try to use less by putting a lot of stuff I previously used plastic bags for into plastic containers which can be used for years. I cover some things with foil instead of plastic bags or cling wrap. I use cloth dishcloths for washing up which I change every day. I soak the used ones in very hot water with a dash of bleach, then wash them and dry in the sun. I use old face washers or hand towels for cleaning cloths instead of disposable cloths. Washing machine water is pumped onto our back lawn, we collect the shower water in a bucket when we run the shower before it gets to temperature and it goes onto the front lawn. These are just some of the ways we save money.

 

[darrellh]

We use a bucket in the showers in the warmer months and put them on the lawns when it has cooled. Makes a big difference as your retic can't be on as long as is needed. It all helps. I have a lot of baths with magnesium in and when it has cooled down we bucket that out and it really helps. The vegetables are thriving as well as fruit trees and then we put it elsewhere.