I'm an extreme penny

May 28, 2023

EXTREME penny pinchers can save hundreds of dollars a year - but some of these bizarre bathroom hacks are stomach-churning.

Peeing in a bottle is just one unorthodox money-saving tip recommended during times of high inflation and soaring costs.

The Part-Time Money website has dipped into 10 shocking money-saving moments from TLC's Extreme Cheapskates reality show.

Here are the ones that stood out:

Look away now if you're squeamish - Kay Hashimoto was featured on the show for refusing to buy toilet paper.

New York-based Hashimoto said she struggles with costs in the city, adding: "I don't use toilet paper, I just use water and soap to wash myself off."

The silky fine white powder is a product most people use to thicken gravy.

But on TLC, it was recommended by a Texan man to help stay cool in heat waves.

Ben Livingston, an artist from Austin, told Extreme Cheapskates that he doesn't have air-conditioning so he covers himself in cornstarch to beat the heat.

"When you work on a shoestring budget, you have to keep your expenses down," he said.

Roy Haynes told the show he freezes the credit card in order to prevent his wife from spending.

He also saves money by eating left-behind food at restaurants and feasting on abandoned food from nearby tables.

Haynes previously told HuffPost: "I never noticed the recession, except when people started coming to me asking for tips."

Fanatically frugal Vickie and John from Idaho scour local roadsides for dead animals which they use to feed their hungry brood.

The family has saved a fortune by dining on roadkill - and even fashioning presents out of carcasses.

John told TLC: "My mission is to find good roadkill.

"If it's fresh and good, well, I'm a butcher. I have no problem eating something fresh and good."

Vicky added: "It saves me hundreds of dollars."

Greg Insco, from Ohio, appeared on Extreme Cheapskates to explain why he flushes his toilet just once weekly.

"When I take a shower I keep a bucket in there and it catches all the excess water from me.

"At the end of the week when I’m ready to flush the toilet, I take that water and pour it directly into the toilet and that's what causes the toilet to flush.

"That way I’m not wasting any water," he said.

Hub Pages described Roy Haynes as one of the show's worst cheapskates as he was shown digging through trash bins for free snacks while on a date.

The website added: "Haynes pushes a lot of boundaries."

He also dries paper towels - and then reuses them.

Hub warned that "recycling paper towels is unsanitary. They are disposable for a reason as they can be a breeding ground for microbes."

Ben Livingston fills up on water in a local creek to avoid paying for tap water.

"We have a lot of artisan springs here that come out of the ground.

"It's kind of amazing how inexpensive you can live," he said.

... and then not buying anything.

Roy Haynes, of Huntington, Vermont, was filmed asking for 14 free ice cream samples - but walked away without buying anything from the shop.

His miserliness annoyed Hub Pages, which scoffed: "Not paying for the products you are getting is downright shameful."

Ben Livingston's car is anything but a work of art.

TLC showed the artist's rust bucket with chunks missing, which, according to Part-Time Money, takes "clunker" to a whole new level.

Victoria Hunt, of Columbus, Ohio, is a self-made millionaire who unplugs phantom energy-wasters like TVs, stereos, and cell phone chargers.

This is actually recommended by electricity firms, with the Department of Energy estimating you could save 10 percent every month when you unplug appliances when not in use.

Hunt also takes showers at her gym to save electricity and water.

Huffington Post noted: "She is so cheap that she urinates in a bottle and then empties it in her garden, a move she estimates shaves a couple dollars off her monthly water bill."