Frugality walks a fine line. One minute, you’re batch-cooking lentils and clipping coupons, and the next, you’re elbow-deep in some truly questionable life hacks that would make your grandmother clutch her pearls. Still, for those who live and breathe saving every last cent, creativity knows no bounds—even when ethics take a backseat.
Here are twelve jaw-droppingly extreme, sometimes ethically gray (or downright black) frugal habits that some people have actually used to stretch their dollars in ways you probably haven’t dared to imagine.
1. Eating Hospital Leftovers Like a Pro
Working in food service has its perks, especially if you’re in a hospital. When there’s food left after the trays are filled, it’s not uncommon for workers to take it home. One kitchen worker managed to avoid grocery shopping for nearly an entire summer by simply living off leftovers. Technically allowed? Maybe. Ethically crystal-clear? Debatable.
2. Living Out of a Car With a Gym Shower Strategy
When housing gets complicated (or expensive), some people make their cars their temporary homes. With a gym nearby for showers, a library for downtime, and maybe even a beach for bonus hygiene, it’s not glamorous—but it’s rent-free. A month in the driver’s seat beats handing over cash for a mattress on the floor.
3. Party Crashing for Free Booze
College life is expensive, but some have found a way to party without ever opening their wallet. The trick? Hanging around long enough at keg parties to snag an abandoned cup. It’s not classy, and it’s definitely not sanitary, but hey, a dime saved is a dime earned.
4. Hoarding Promotional Pens From the Entire Neighborhood
Freebies are fair game, right? At least that’s the logic behind one tactic: collecting promotional pens that were left on doorsteps. Not just one or two, but dozens—possibly from houses that weren’t even theirs. Childhood frugality meets minor neighborhood looting.
5. Walking an Hour To Work (And Never Mentioning It)
Some people go to extremes to save on gas or public transport. Like walking over an hour to work every day and never once admitting it to coworkers. There’s dedication, and then there’s that. Imagine showing up smiling after a five-mile trek—and doing it every single day.
6. Stealing Toilet Paper—Sort Of
Toilet paper can be surprisingly expensive over time. The solution? Use someone else’s. One trick involved relying entirely on a university’s bathrooms during a master’s degree program, including taking some sheets home “just in case.” Minimal spending, maximum toilet access.
7. Ripping off Vegetable Stems at the Store
A few cents here, a few cents there—it adds up. Some shoppers take the time to tear off stems and leaves from vegetables before weighing them, shaving literal pennies off each purchase. It’s frugal. It’s petty. It’s probably making the produce clerk cry.
8. Gaming the Time Clock
Some frugal hacks toe the line between clever and shady. Like clocking out a few minutes later than everyone else by using a different terminal farther from the break room. Over time, those minutes stack up. Ethically? Questionable. Financially? Apparently effective.
9. Grabbing Unclaimed Newspapers for Free Bags and Liner
You know those free community newspapers that clutter driveways? One method of reuse includes scooping them up from vacant properties and putting both the paper and plastic sleeves to work—lining trash cans, cleaning up pet messes, or doing other dirty jobs around the house.
10. Skipping Meals So the Family Eats First
Extreme frugality often means sacrifice. In some cases, that sacrifice is deeply personal, like going without lunch at the end of the month so that kids and spouses can have enough. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s a reality in some households running on fumes by payday.
11. Eating Leftover Steak From Strangers
Food waste is a tragedy. But turning other people’s abandoned steak into stew? That’s another level. One taxi driver found a gourmet doggie bag left behind and, after trimming the “used” bits, turned it into dinner. Waste not, want not… if you can stomach it.
12. Flushing Only When It Smells
Saving water is noble, but this method? Let’s just say it’s not for the faint of nose. Skipping the flush after peeing, sometimes for the entire day, is a trick used by families determined to reduce the water bill. It’s efficient—until you have guests over.
Read More:
- 4 Abnormal Frugal Living Tips You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner
- 12 Unethical but Effective Ways People Make Money
- 20 Most Evil Companies in the Whole World
