Cut Your Hair

10 Quirky Saving Strategies

Cut your hair off. Having a bald-head or a short do can save lots of money on shampoo and conditioner. Props if you can get a friend or family member to do the cutting to eliminate high salon prices – but be sure you’re willing to graciously accept the final result.

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Reuse Aluminum F... Reuse aluminum foil. Although the cost of foil per inch is nominal, reusing tin foil can double its value – for quadruple the effort. (AP Photo/Will Kincaid)
Cut Your Hair Cut your hair off. Having a bald-head or a short do can save lots of money on shampoo and conditioner. Props if you can get a friend or family member to do the cutting to eliminate high salon prices – but be sure you’re willing to graciously accept the final result.
Use Coke to Clea... If you’re short on cleaning supplies and want to get creative, you might consider using Coke to clean your house. Don’t think you’re the first to discover this trick. If the acid in Coke can clean the rust from a car battery, just imagine what kind of damage it can do around the house. Just be sure to use it in moderation; the kids might not enjoy having Coke-colored gym socks and it certainly won’t help George the Goldfish.
Cut Paper Goods ... Those that are really frugal might consider cutting paper products in half, literally. But taking a pair of scissors to those paper plates will not only decrease your portion size but increase your mess. A better bet: Try to cut down on paper products altogether and perhaps even assign the kids dish-washing duty. You’ll cut down on waste and mess.
Check the Lost a... Finders Keepers: The sneaky and thrifty know their way around their office’s lost and found. In need of a black umbrella? There is sure to be at least one and you can even catch a glimpse at what else is there and free for the taking. When your coworker sees you with her grandmother’s heirloom umbrella, though, good luck explaining how you got it.
Skip Deodorant f... You can go for twice as long before buying another stick of deodorant if you alternate the days you use it. But sometimes it’s better to draw the line. The trade-off for saving a few pennies could mean that you turn into the smelliest person in the office.
Eat Your Kitchen... Many folks have turned to eating in to save money. But it’s important to control your portions. Eating your kitchen clean sounds good… if you have a family of 20. But generally speaking, overeating is bad news and why not make those groceries last longer instead of gobbling them up to buy more? Be realistic and make your money stretch.
Reuse Newspaper ... If you’re thrifty and environmentally-conscious, it might have crossed your mind to reuse newspaper sleeves and cereal box liners. Just know where to set your limits. The possibilities may be endless when it comes to second-hand packaging (say goodbye to expensive gift-wrapping), but do you really want to put your turkey sandwich in the same place where the Sunday Times once was?
Don't order soft... If you want to avoid overpriced sodas at restaurants, consider requesting extra lemons in your water and add sugar. Caveat: Just don’t be alarmed by strange glares from the rest of your dining party or the pain of sipping on sugar clumps.
Stock up on Cond... There are frugal shoppers who relentlessly comparison-shop for salad dressings and condiments to land the best deals, and then there are those frugal shoppers who know where to really find the best deal: at their preferred fast food establishments. Ok, grabbing those free condiments and stocking up on napkins, sugar and even ketchup isn’t exactly robbery. Just be sure too many people aren’t looking. Rest assured-- restaurants that have started to charge extra for those kinds of things are happy to blame you for being greedy. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)