Saving Money as a Blood Sport

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Finders Keepers
"Find" things you need in the lost and found at work, the library, gym, daycare, etc. You might never have to buy an umbrella again if you are willing to go this route. And if you don't mind wearing mis-matched gloves, you could be set for life!

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Don't Toss That Pet Hair
This one falls into the crazy but true category! People are actually learning to turn pet hair into clothing -- we're not kidding. Kendall Crolius shows readers how to turn pet hair into yarn in her book "Knitting with Dog Hair." Not to be left out, cat lovers are on the bandwagon as well.

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Risky Driving Technique
One of the more outrageous ways we've seen to save money is to turn off your car ... while it's still moving! While the American Automobile Association warns against this technique, some extreme savers promote it as a way of saving gas. They suggest you use the car's momentum to glide into parking spaces or move downhill to get where you're going without burning any fuel. Our take: it's just not worth risking your safety (or someone else's) to shave a few dollars off your gas bill each month.

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Pan Braised Squirrel Anyone?
No extreme ways to save listing would be complete without this one … road kill for dinner. There are dozens of tasty (gulp) recipes to be found in road kill cookbooks and online.

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Dumpster Diving
You'd be amazed to see the things that people will throw out! Drive around early in the morning on trash day and you can find furniture, televisions, artwork, exercise equipment -- all kinds of things -- just parked on the roadside and yours for the taking! Going with used merchandise is a GREAT way to save some big bucks. Of course, make sure any item you pick up is safe and sanitary. Think twice about going with used baby equipment, for example.

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Ignoring the Expiration Date
Here's a money saving idea we can't support. Some folks suggest stretching your dollar by using items like food and medication past the expiration date. Bad idea. There are plenty of ways to save on groceries and medicine without putting your health at risk!

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Extreme Recycling
Some serious savers make it a rule to re-use everything. That includes teabags, dryer sheets, aluminum foil and wrapping paper. Many people re-use plastic bags, but extreme savers go one step further and stop buying them altogether, using substitutes such as plastic newspaper bags or the liners to cereal boxes instead.

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Here Kitty, Kitty ...
Kitty litter is expensive -- and cleaning up the box is no fun. You can cut costs and save a chore by toilet training your cat according to the most frugal pet owners. (No, we're not kidding!)

Extreme Ways to Save Money

Just Add Water
Some frugal consumers stretch their dollars by watering down items to make them go a little farther. This includes watering down milk, cleaning supplies, spaghetti sauce, liquid hand soap and detergent, to name a few.

Extreme Ways to Save Money

An Easy-Bake Oven for Adults
Have you ever gotten in your car on a hot day and thought "it's hot enough to fry an egg in here" … well, how about a cookie? Nicole Weston of Baking Bites has developed an interesting method of baking cookies without using the oven. She cooks them in her car on hot days. She says it needs to be at least 95 degrees outside for this to work, and the cookies take about two and a half hours to cook.

Extreme Ways to Save Money