50 Unconventional Money Saving Tips - The Skint Dad Blog (2024)

We all know the usual money saving tips that are banded around. Set a budget, cancel unnecessary subscriptions, use cashback websites etc.

However, there are some unconventional money-saving tips that you may not have considered.

50 Unconventional Money Saving Tips - The Skint Dad Blog (1)

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We’ve hunted down 50 of the silliest, most bizarre, obscure, downright stupid, extreme, tongue in cheek and creative ways to save money.

Can you think of any to add?

The “mostly” unconventional money saving tips

1. Two-ply toilet tissue lasts twice as long if you separate the sheets in half.

2. Don’t use bin bags, reuse your old shopping bags for rubbish.

3. Buy calendars in the sale and use them in the future, beating inflation. Keep a 2024 calendar for 2052 and 2080, for instance.

4. Read reviews of bad restaurants on Trip Advisor and eat at them. If the service is bad complain and say you want a discount.

5. Charge your phone at work saving your electricity at home.

6. Only take a shower at the gym. Although you could always cancel the gym membership to save even more money…!

7. Make your own after-dinner party mints.

8. Get condiments from fast food restaurants to use at home.

9. Squash the toilet roll so it can’t roll quickly. No more Andrex puppy moments.

10. Freeze your credit card in a block of ice.

11. Don’t buy binoculars, just stand closer to the thing you want to see.

12. Return all presents.

13. Brush your teeth while showering to cut down on water use.

14. Use your doctor’s or dentist’s office as a library to borrow magazines.

15. Only wash clothes when they are very dirty, not every time you wear them.

16. After using paper towels, hang them out to dry and reuse them again.

17. Serve road kill for dinner.

18. Save money on your phone bill by calling and hanging up, in the hope they will call you back.

19. Rub pine needles under your armpits instead of deodorant.

20. Turn every plug and light off in the house and tell the children you’re having a game of hide and seek in the dark.

21. Have an iPhone? Head to the iStore to charge your phone instead of doing it at home.

22. Use your dog or cat bed as a draft excluder for your doors.

23. Spend your Saturday afternoon browsing in electrical stores so you can watch football for free.

24. When you go out, to save on your electric bills turn your doorbell off as you won’t hear it anyway.

25. Park facing forward as reversing uses more fuel.

26. Tell everyone you’re abroad during Christmas then buy any presents in the New Year sale.

27. If it’s yellow, let it mellow.

28. Cut back on buying dog food by teaching your dog to beg for food from others.

29. Cut your own hair, or just shave it off.

30. Make your own clothes out of your old clothes – jeans become shorts, socks become fingerless gloves.

31. Head to a customer service desk at a shopping centre or library and tell them you’ve lost a black umbrella. They must have loads.

32. Send all birthday, Christmas, celebration and occasion cards via Facebook saving on the cost of a card and stamp.

33. Buy kid’s toys that don’t need batteries, so you’ll never need to replace them.

34. Forget to take your money when you go out with friends.

35. Leave the car at home and just walk.

36. Reduce your weekly food bill by reducing your portion size and eating less.

37. Sleepover at an airport instead of checking into a hotel – yes, people really do this.

38. Buy the next size up in children’s clothes and it’ll last twice as long.

39. Spend £20 on printer ink to print out a 20p coupon.

40. Use duct tape to fix, well, everything.

41. Turn your oven off and bake cookies in your car.

42. Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the tap for cold water.

43. Reuse tea bags.

44. Use paper plates so you don’t need to buy washing-up liquid or heat water.

45. Buy clothes, keep the labels in, then return them.

46. Make your own cleaning products.

47. Make use of cafés and pubs with free WiFi and just order water.

48. Get an early morning newspaper round, earn money and read the papers for free.

49. Go to the IMDb website and read up on the film to find out what happens – you never need to go to the cinema or buy a DVD again.

50. You don’t need to buy an expensive console. Take your children to a video game store and let them play the sample consoles for entertainment.

Disclaimer

I cannot endorse any of the above and have not tried all the money saving tips mentioned.

However, some I have.

I will leave you to guess which.

50 Unconventional Money Saving Tips - The Skint Dad Blog (2)
  • About
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Ricky Willis

A little bit of everything at Skint Dad

Ricky Willis is the original Skint Dad. A money-making enthusiast, father, and husband to Naomi. He is always looking for unique ways to earn a little extra.

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50 Unconventional Money Saving Tips - The Skint Dad Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the 30 day rule? ›

The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.

How to save in 2024? ›

A good place to start is to look at your spending and cut out memberships and services you haven't used or can do without. A side hustle and freelance work can add an income stream that goes directly into your savings account — as long as you keep your spending in check.

How can a poor man save money? ›

Start a budget

No matter your income level, setting a budget is a great way to save. Give yourself a set amount to spend on groceries, bills, personal care, etc., and then make sure you don't exceed it. Be realistic when setting your budget.

How to save money in the USA? ›

What Is the Best Way To Save Money?
  1. Set goals. Set savings goals that motivate you, like saving up for a house or going on a dream vacation, and give yourself timelines for reaching them.
  2. Budget. Make a budget and make saving a necessary expense. ...
  3. Cut down on spending. ...
  4. Automate your saving. ...
  5. Pay off debt. ...
  6. Earn more.
May 3, 2024

What is the 9o day rule? ›

According to the 90-day rule, a foreign national who engages in conduct inconsistent with their nonimmigrant status within a 90 day period of entering the U.S. may become inadmissible for the green card or even permanently barred from entering the US.

What is the wash sale rule? ›

Key takeaways

A wash sale happens when you sell a security at a loss and buy a “substantially identical” security within 30 days before or after the sale. The wash-sale rule prevents taxpayers from deducting paper losses without significantly changing their market position.

How to save $1000000 in 5 years? ›

Saving a million dollars in five years requires an aggressive savings plan. Suppose you're starting from scratch and have no savings. You'd need to invest around $13,000 per month to save a million dollars in five years, assuming a 7% annual rate of return and 3% inflation rate.

How to save $100 000 in 3 years? ›

Five tips to help you save $100,000 faster
  1. Live below your means and cut frivolous spending. ...
  2. Be hyper-aware of every monthly expense and ruthlessly cut back to save faster. ...
  3. Pay down high-interest debts like credit cards first. ...
  4. Find the financial institution that will get you the highest interest rate.
Mar 27, 2024

What do the poor have the rich want? ›

The answer to the riddle is "nothing." Nothing is greater than God. Nothing is more evil than the Devil. The poor have nothing. The rich need nothing.

What will a poor person will toss and rich person keep? ›

What is the thing which a poor will throw and rich will keep in his pocket? I think you mean, what thing will a poor person will throw away and a rich one will keep in their pocket. The answer is: Money.

What state is easiest to save money? ›

5 Easiest States for Saving Money
  • North Dakota. North Dakota tops the list as the best place to live to save money. ...
  • South Dakota. Like its neighbor to the north, South Dakota offers excellent conditions for saving money. ...
  • Kansas. ...
  • Missouri. ...
  • Iowa. ...
  • 1. California. ...
  • Hawaii. ...
  • Nevada.
Apr 1, 2024

How to live on very little money? ›

These seven tips may be able to help.
  1. Understand your current financial habits. Not sure how to start spending less? ...
  2. Create an effective budget and stick to it. ...
  3. Look for ways to reduce spending. ...
  4. Set financial goals for future success. ...
  5. Save for emergencies or major purchases. ...
  6. Pay down debt. ...
  7. Stay aware of lifestyle creep.

Why can't I save money? ›

Failing to Set Goals

Having a specific goal or target you're trying to reach helps you to stay focused on what it is you're trying to achieve. If you don't have a goal in mind of how much you want to save or what you want to use the money for it's easy to let other things take priority.

How does the 30 day rule work? ›

For those uninitiated, the 30-day no contact rule is generally peddled as a technique involving ignoring your ex for about 30 days to get them to miss you more, and then reaching out with some canned line or message. It's a common hoax dumpees fall for.

What is the 30 day rule money? ›

The 30 day rule is simple. When you feel the urge to spend money on a 'want' you have to put the amount you'd spend on it into a savings account. Then you wait 30 days. At the end of this period, if you still want to buy the item, you can.

How soon can you rebuy a stock after selling it? ›

Designed to prevent abuse, it disallows tax deductions if you repurchase similar securities within 30 days. To maintain tax benefits, refrain from purchasing identical securities 30 days before or after a sale or adjust by selling again later.

What is the 30 day loss rule? ›

Q: How does the wash sale rule work? If you sell a security at a loss and buy the same or a substantially identical security within 30 calendar days before or after the sale, you won't be able to take a loss for that security on your current-year tax return.

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