'This Is Unhinged' – A Reddit User Asks Others For 'Extreme Acts Of Frugality' They Witnessed And The Replies Are Shockingly Entertaining

Some people take saving money to a whole new level. A recent thread on r/Frugal asked users to share the most “extreme acts of frugality” they've witnessed and the responses did not disappoint. From genius hacks to eyebrow-raising habits, here are some of the most memorable ones.

One user shared a story about their grandfather, who would walk to the local grocery store daily to grab a complimentary coffee sample. He'd drink the small Dixie cup-sized serving and then walk home without buying a thing. According to the person, he “lived a great ultra-frugal life as he saw it. We didn't know much about his finances, but he needed very little in life. He left behind over a quarter of a million dollars in his bank, a house he owned and a gently used Toyota in the early 2000s.”

Don't Miss:

• The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement — How do you compare?
• Can you guess how many Americans successfully retire with $1,000,000 saved? The percentage may shock you.

Another person’s grandmother's clever recycling also made an impression. As socks wore out, she'd darn them and pass them down to younger family members. When the socks became too short, she'd cut off the tops and sew them over worn coat sleeves. As someone noted, “I imagine this only works with real textiles. The polyester clothes that they sell now would never.”

A person’s father had a nightly ritual that involved turning off the Wi-Fi router to save on electricity. While the actual savings were probably pennies, the habit sparked debates about how far people would go to pinch a penny.

Another crafty idea involved fabric strips dipped in a cornstarch-water mixture to seal drafts around windows and doors. Not only is it effective, but it's also an old-school trick that's stood the test of time– “I did this as a privacy screen on my biggest windows, but I appreciate the small amounts of heat savings they offer, though it was not my primary goal.”

See Also: The global games market is projected to generate $272B by the end of the year — for $0.55/share, this VC-backed startup with a 7M+ userbase gives investors easy access to this asset market.

Some folks took eco-frugality to another level by flushing their toilets with grey water from washing dishes or showers. One person even calculated that while this practice saved them next to nothing, it gave them a sense of satisfaction for using less.

In one of the more polarizing examples, someone's ex insisted on skipping seasonings altogether to save money, claiming the calories-per-dollar ratio wasn't worth it. This led to three months of bland, unseasoned rice and beans until the poster finally stole a salt shaker. "Worth it," they said. For one commenter, this was unhinged because, as they put it, a pound of salt is “like $1 and lasts forever.” Is it worth eating bland food every day just to save on that? They finally asked.

One commenter mentioned their sister, who wore her wedding dress from a previous marriage to her second wedding. While it raised eyebrows, others applauded the practicality. After all, it's just a dress.

Trending: Many are using retirement income calculators to check if they’re on pace — here’s a breakdown on what’s behind this formula.

The thread also included stories about people cutting expiration dates off coupons, reusing disposable cups to claim "free" refills and dumpster diving for receipts to get freebies at fast-food restaurants.

Many users pointed out that extreme frugality often stems from past experiences with poverty or financial insecurity. One commenter reflected on how their grandparents, who lived through the Great Depression, saved everything from aluminum lids to juice concentrate tubes. It was less about saving money and more about the fear of waste and scarcity.

From hilarious to heartwarming, these stories show how far people will go to save a dollar. Whether it's a quirky habit or a creative solution, there's no denying that extreme frugality takes ingenuity – and maybe just a little madness!

Read Next:

• Can you guess how many retire with a $5,000,000 nest egg? The percentage may shock you.
• I’m 62 Years Old And Have $1.2 Million Saved. Is This Enough to Retire Stress-Free?