What's the grossest thing you've done to save money?
It used to be that doing gross, desperate, unthinkable things to save a buck was reserved only for penny-pinching students.
Squeezing ketchup packets into a bottle. Using paper towels as coffee filters. That kind of thing.
But come on, this is 2010. Not only have we just endured the greatest financial pullback of the last 80 years, but the Internet age has made making or saving cash a common – and often anonymous – enterprise.
For instance, let’s say you can play Beethoven’s 7th in farts with your armpit. Or you can fold a dollar bill into a butterfly. Or you can paint your flabby gut to look like John Goodman and rap Roseanne lines out of your belly button. There’s a site for that.
On forums like Fiverr.com, users can post whatever services, tasks or random acts they can perform and sell them for $5. Other Fiverr surfers check up on your weird posts, see if your bizarre talent or offer warrants their five bucks and “buy” it off you. And people actually do this.
Or maybe, in your state of fiscal disarray, you’ve taken to selling your body in the least sexual way possible. Brand tattooing – having a company’s logo or slogan tatted on your body – is a well-known custom now. And so is “body mining,” the act of selling your blood/plasma/sperm/hair for quick cash.
Few all-natural entrepreneurs have made quite the splash a U.K. mom did earlier this month, when it was revealed by the Daily Mail she’d been selling her breast milk for $22 a bottle.
What’s weirder? That, or the fact the 26-year-old actually had a number of customers forking it over for 4 oz. containers of the stuff?
In any case, creativity is the greatest attribute of man, so it’s worth celebrating the odd, perhaps disgusting things we’ve done to help our finances.
So whether it’s stealing toilet paper from restaurants, re-using other people’s Laundromat dryer sheets or making that last piece of dental floss last four or five days, we ask:
What’s the weirdest/grossest/sickest thing you’ve ever done to save a buck?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: shannon | Jun 25, 2021 2:21:21 AM
I shoplift everything I can including food, clothing, shoes, household items and steal whatever I can from restaurants, gas stations, friends houses, work. Also going out on garbage day, you can find lots of treasure. Try to find companies putting on free bbq's and take all you can!
Posted by: CJ | Jun 25, 2021 3:09:02 AM
Seek help Shannon, seriously.
Posted by: the kid | Jun 25, 2021 8:13:20 AM
shannon, you are my hero!
Posted by: shannon's friend | Jun 25, 2021 9:00:40 AM
I get my stuff at Shannons house.
Posted by: Smelling Sweet or is that spelled sweat | Jun 25, 2021 10:38:34 AM
Save all your used deodorant containers for 6 or 8 months. Taking out all the pieces of plastic that move up and down and putting them in a bowl and use the microwave to melt the inaccessible deodorant from them. Once melted, pour the liquid into an almost finished deodorant container and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Ta da, a brand new deodorant and you've saved a whole 2 bucks.
Oh, and make sure that Shannon doesn't know about your savings. She might just pay you a visit.
Posted by: Shannons new Hubby | Jun 25, 2021 11:42:47 AM
Shannon will you marry me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Shannons new Hubby | Jun 25, 2021 11:44:08 AM
Shannon will you marry me!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: michele | Jun 25, 2021 1:23:43 PM
oh my goodness people. lol
Posted by: joeblow | Jun 25, 2021 1:41:01 PM
Does anybody know somebody who would sell breast milk in Canada. Want it for my baby as it is better than formula.
Posted by: am joe | Jun 25, 2021 2:26:32 PM
I do all my laundry at work, I also take home papertowels, garbage bags, sugar packets, soap, coffee filters and coffee, towels, shampoo, emvelopes, movies, music and use their phone and internet. If I shower at work...I also save on hot water and water bills. I work for a spa, My job makes me money and saves me money. Just livin a Shannon life.
Posted by: Shannons Relative | Jun 25, 2021 3:46:01 PM
Ive been stealing my neihbours interent for over a year now, haha!! Thats 30-40 bucks a month :)
Posted by: mR cLEAN | Jun 25, 2021 4:03:17 PM
I had this multimillion dollar idea last idea.
Recyclable toilet paper, like a big towel! just use it, wash it and Voila! you can use it again :)
Posted by: jflo | Jun 25, 2021 8:33:57 PM
You people are sick
Posted by: LOL | Jun 25, 2021 10:04:44 PM
this is pretty hilarious...leadst thats not how you save money... dont crave for ketchup in the first place...
Posted by: shannon | Jun 26, 2021 12:21:22 AM
New Hubby: Tell me some ways that you save $ & I'll consider marrying you! It's alot easier to just shoplift deoderant when you need it as opposed to saving up all the used ones & melting them in the microwave. I've saved thousands of dollars by doing these things. am joe has it down pretty good at work. Work is also a great place for school supplies, paper, etc. I needed some hangers for my closet and took a few everyday from work (nice ones) from the coat closets and got myself a nice closet full of hangers (for all the nice clothes I stole)!!!
Posted by: Andy T | Jun 26, 2021 8:55:36 PM
I have to say pick up garbage on other people's lawn is illegal. YES! you break the law!! Once you put the garbage on the lawn for collection. It belong's to Toronto Work's property (City). The garbage may contain recycle material which may resell for cash by city to compensation a portition of our garbage fee.
Posted by: Livinitup | Jun 27, 2021 3:05:45 AM
Using gas station paper towels for sanitary napkins.
Posted by: Wealthy Grampa | Jun 27, 2021 2:58:06 PM
I put on a strip show at the retirement home and then after I had a free meal courtesy of the old girls who loved my show and showing.
Amazing what old broads will do when they have been "without" for years.
Oh I forgot to mention I am a guy and then I sold my body to the same ladies. Takes very little to satisfy them and I collected a stockpile of false teeth that I was able to sell at a yardsale.
Posted by: shanks | Jun 27, 2021 3:44:51 PM
haha, you guys are all crazy. Heres a few tips.. dont shop at urban planet, suzy shier, reitmans, whatever.. i live in a small town about 20 minutes from all the big shopping malls, but when the rich vacationers dont like what they buy, they give them to thrift stores (like a vestiere, bargain shop, frenchys).... you can guy gap, VICTORIA SECRET, lasenza, all that stuff still with their tags on, for under $10... i do that now instead of mall shopping, you save a ton of money. Just make sure you wash everything before you wear it :)
Posted by: sylvia | Jun 27, 2021 4:54:10 PM
OMG lol.....im sitting here lmao....this is freakin hilarious!! Im especially surprised about the breast milk...