Couponing became something of a national sensation when TLC started featuring "extreme" savers on dual reality shows, "Extreme Couponing" and "Extreme Cheapskates."
Newspaper theft skyrocketed— any couponer knows that's where the best deals are — and the shows have developed their own cult followings.
But there are some things people just shouldn't have to do to save money.
We rounded up the most outrageous moments from the shows and countered them with some money-saving tips of our own.
1. Washing clothes in the dishwasher.
In another episode, featured cheapskate Ben washes his clothes, hats, comb, dishes and even his toothbrush in the dishwasher.
"It's kind of an all-in one cleaner," he says, claiming that the dishwasher gets hot enough to wash anything he throws in there.
Estimated savings: $5-10 per month
Our tip: According to energy.gov, a dishwasher uses 3.5 times more wattage to run than a clothes washer, costing you much more to run. Also, washers have a special way of agitating clothes in order to clean them. A dishwasher does not. ... plus, there's no spin cycle to be sure you're getting all the excess water and dirt out. A dishwasher is only recommended for use on clothing items like shoes and baseball hats, things that would lose their shape in the washing machine.
2. Turning a bottle into a toilet.
A TLC-featured "Extreme Cheapskate," Victoria has a pretty gross way of saving water: Using a bottle for bathroom breaks instead of wasting money on toilet flushes.
On top of that, she dumps her urine in her compost bin afterward.
"I thought wow, I can pee in a jar, grow my compost and not have to flush my toilet," she said.
Estimated savings: $10 a month
Our tip: We fully support the compost and water saving initiative here, but you don't have to take it to this extreme. Try the "if it's yellow, let it mellow" approach and you can easily cut back on water use. In fact, you can save 2,190 gallons of water per person per year by only flushing once a day.
3. Using a makeshift bidet instead of flushing the toilet.
What is with extreme savers and their bathrooms? In this episode, featured cheapskate Kay uses a water bottle and soap to clean herself after using the bathroom so she doesn't have to buy toilet paper.
"I don't believe in spending money on something that you are going to throw away, such as toilet paper or paper towels," she says.
Estimated saving:$150 per year
Our tip: OK, she has a point about wasting money, but toilet paper is so cheap already that there are definitely better and bigger ways to save than by compromising sanitation. Toilet paper and other paper products are among the best items to buy in bulk to save — up to 40 to 50% off retail prices.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider