Extreme Tips for Saving Money - Way Beyond Cutting Out Your Starbucks Habit

As the title of this article indicates, the next few paragraphs are about "Extreme" ways to save money. You will not see tips like "Quit your latte a day habit" or "Cancel your cable TV subscription." These tips go way beyond those typical "heard that one before" ideas for saving money. I suppose canceling the cable TV subscription might seem extreme to some people, but for the majority of folks that's not much of a stretch. For the purposes of being able to call this article "Extreme tips for saving money" I will assume that you have already stopped spending $4 each day on Starbucks coffee drinks; you've already cut out your cable TV; you pack your lunch every day instead of going out to eat with your co-workers; you turn off all the lights when you leave a room; and follow all the other usual money saving ideas.

This is about what to do when you've pretty much run out of money saving ideas, and you feel like there is not much else you can do. Well, if you want to get extreme about saving money, read on. I will admit that some of these ideas are a bit on the edge...but then again, I actually know people who do each of these things so maybe these are not all that "extreme" after all. Besides, if gas and food prices continue increasing the way they are, these money saving ideas perhaps won't seem all that extreme after all.

Wash and reuse plastic sandwich bags or Ziploc bags. You can easily rinse and dry Ziploc bags to use again. Of course, you have to be sensible with which bags to wash. For instance, if you store raw chicken in a Ziploc bag I wouldn't recommend trying to rinse and reuse that bag. But if you just had stuff like crackers or grapes, then it's easy to reuse the bags. Plus, you get the added benefit of being environmentally friendly.

Cut your paper napkins in half. Most paper napkins come folded into a square, which are actually four thin squares. Unfold the napkin and cut it in half to share with a family member. You can try cutting twice, but then the napkin squares will probably be too thin. You can do the same for paper towels. Most of the time you only need half of a paper towel to wipe whatever needs wiping. Don't just use the entire large sheet just because that is how the manufacturer decided to perforate the sheets (gee, do you think they do that on purpose to make you use more, and hence, buy more?). Use only what is necessary for the job.

Forget Supercuts and cut your own hair. I personally save money this way. Granted, this might not be so easy for some people depending on your hair type and style. But I need a haircut every 3 weeks or so. At about $15-20 a haircut, this adds up pretty quickly. Sure, you'll need to practice a bit, but after a couple of tries it'll be easy.

Buy everything used...within reason. Here's a sample list of stuff I've purchased used on Craigslist.com (if you don't know what Craigslist.com is, check it out). Bike, dining table, coffee table, Total Gym, bar stools, chairs, file cabinet, tools, TV, etc. Before you go shopping for whatever you want to buy, look for it on Craigslist first. There are tons of used items for sale. There's even a section in Craigslist where you can look for free stuff. By the way if you don't already know, one of the big money savers is to always buy used cars instead of new. New cars loose a big chunk of their value as soon as you drive off the dealer's lot. A well maintained used car is a gem!

Don't buy cleaning supplies, make them yourself. Ever wonder how people cleaned their bathtubs before Scrubbing Bubbles or any of the other modern day cleaners came along? They used things like vinegar and lemons as a cleaning solution. There are plenty of cleaning solution recipes out there, and many of them are neither harmful to the environment nor harmful to your health (like if you breathe in those chemical fumes of today's cleaning products).

Ditch the clothes dryer. Use solar power. My mother in-law still insists on hanging clothes out to dry. This not only saves on power bills, but it actually is better for you...apparently sunlight kills bacteria, germs, etc. Some of your clothes will feel a little stiff at first, but if energy prices keep rising the way they are, a little stiffness will be worth the savings!