EXTREME Frugality - Saving even MORE!

Each week, I'll be posting, tips for EXTREME Frugality. What is extreme frugality (EF)? It's the stuff you can do, beyond the everyday tips, to save money. Everyone knows the basics (shop sales with coupons, drive less, etc.) but there are lots of things you can do to save money that many people have never thought of doing.

Some of these are old stand-bys, some are new, some are a little funny and some are considered downright gross. You're view on these will depend on how much money you want or need to save.

Remember my motto - "pennies make dollars and dollars make house payments!".

• Take your recycling (and the recycling of other families, if they're OK with it) to a recycling center for cash back.
• Flush less - yes I'm serious! Follow the old hippie saying "if it's yellow, let it mellow - if it's brown, then flush it down". You could easily cut your water bill by $10/month and it's better for the environment.
• Line dry your clothes - at least one load per month. This saves in several ways. First, it saves wear & tear and your clothes (what do you think dryer lint is? It's bits of your clothing slowly falling apart!); second, it saves electricity (some people have saved over $30/month on their bill with just this one change!); it saves wear & tear on your dryer (so it lasts longer). You can hang clothes inside your home, basement or on your back porch. I typically use my dryer for the first 10 - 15 minutes and then line dry for the remainder.
• Reuse tooth floss (I promised a few gross ideas, didn't I?)
• Eat meatless meals at least twice per week (rice & beans together make a complete protein for about 1/3 of the cost of meat and it's better for you!)
• Learn to cut your own hair, or at least trim your own bangs, which could extend your cut for a few weeks (three fewer cuts per year could save the average person over $100/year). I don't cut my own hair, but I do often cut my kid's hair, for a savings of over $65/year.
• Get "freebies" from the Internet whenever possible (check here each week for a list of updated freebies). (A good source: Get your Free Samples. Updated with a complete new list of Free Stuff every 24 hours. Get yours Now! Click Here )

Got more EF ideas to share? Please leave them here in the comments section so everyone can learn from you!