Let’s face it. There are some off the wall, weird ways to save money out there. If you’ve ever seen the television show Extreme Cheapskates, you know what I’m talking about. Some of them are just a bit too crazy for me to even consider. However, some of them, while weird, aren’t too out there and actually do help. Some I have tried personally, some are done by people I know. Here are some somewhat weird ways to save money.
Washing zip top bags
I don’t do this one. Having grown up having to do this, I refuse. I will, however, reuse ones that only had bread or something in it to put bread in it again. Or my daughter’s snack bags. Once she eats the crackers, etc. that are in it, I will refill it with the same thing and put it back in her snack basket in the pantry. Easy and saves a few cents.
Using dishwater to water plants
This is another one that we did growing up. We often took the plastic dish tub outside to water some of the plants instead of pouring it down the drain. It was even more important when we lived somewhere on town water and sewer. Many places track your water usages by how much goes down the drain. Using dishwater to water plants keeps that water from going down the drain and costing you more money.
Saving shower water
In the same vein as using dishwater, you can also save the cold water from when you are waiting for the warm water in your shower. In this house, the shower is very close to the hot water heater so it doesn’t take more than a few seconds to get warm water. In our old place, it took a fair amount of time. Instead of just letting that water run down the drain, you can collect it in a bucket to water plants or fill pet water dishes.
Turning off the lights
I never realized this one was weird until I spent time in other houses. Growing up, and now in my own house, if you aren’t in that room, turn off the light. Even the room that you are in, only turn on the lights that you need. There is often no need for every lamp and the overhead light to be on. I also rarely turn on a light during daylight hours.
Reusing food containers
I’m not a huge fan of using yogurt or sour cream tubs to store food in but I do like to reuse these types of containers for other things. They are great for storing other items like markers or pencils as well as other craft type supplies. They are also great for sandbox toys. (If you’re looking for a cheap sandbox, be sure to check out my DIY thrifty sandbox tutorial.)
Drink mostly water
Whether we are out at a restaurant or at home, I almost always drink water. I might have a glass of orange juice or milk with breakfast and will occasionally have a soda but most of the time I drink only water. Not only is it healthier it is a lot cheaper. Coffee is a stable here but that is considered a necessity. 😉
Ditch paper products
This one I’m not so great at following. I do try my best to limit the use of paper products. We use paper towels on a daily basis for certain things but napkins, paper plates, etc. are used sparingly. Even with paper towels, I try to only use them for certain tasks and use cleaning rags or reusable paper towels for other tasks.
Sometimes you find fairly normal ways to save money. Other times, you find some weird ways to save money. You may not even consider some of these weird! What ways do you save money that others might consider weird?
Gina says
I’ve done some of these before, and still do a few. I mostly drink water, turn off lights and ditch paper products. It’s hard to stop using paper towels completely, but we do our best. I can’t think of weird ways that I’ve saved money, but they might be weird to others. I extreme coupon, so I’ve gone to great lengths in order to save some money. Also, my post today is about dumpster diving and how it’s saved me money. I guess you could say that’s a little weird. 😉
Gina recently posted…My History of Dumpster Diving
Julie says
lol. I think we can count dumpster diving as weird. 🙂
Erin says
I’ve been considered weird for declining to participate in things like at-work gift exchanges, and other social events involving spending money.
I agree with you that coffee is a necessity! 🙂
Erin recently posted…My December Yogi Wishlist
Julie says
I’ve bowed out of those things as well.
Jenny @ Unremarkable Files says
I like your ideas for saving water. We wash and reuse our Ziplocs, but I can never tell if it saves money. My husband says we’re just paying for the water instead of a new bag.
#SHINEbloghop
Julie says
I’ve never been sure either. That’s one of the reasons I just don’t bother taking the time. Thanks for visiting!
Crystal Green says
These are all great ways to save money. My great-grandmother also did a lot of these on this list. She also washed alumin (spelling is NOT my virtue) foil and reused it too. She did quite a few other little things that I thought were odd, but now that I’m an adult they make perfect sense. Go figure!
Julie says
It’s funny how those odd things sometimes make more sense to us as we get older. 🙂
Rachel F. says
Love these ideas! I tend to be extremely strict about turning lights on only if you need them on. I think that comes from my childhood though-I can hear my dad’s voice in my own when I now say “Why are all the lights burning? Money doesn’t grow on trees!” 🙂
I’m still trying to get better about using less paper towels. Still a work in progress with that one.