Social media users have spent the last few weeks posting their most unhinged money-saving hacks as budgets tighten across the U.S.
Earlier this past Spring and again in May, two X posts went viral for seeking out wild ideas for building savings accounts. This kind of advice, no matter how surprising, is easily going viral during a period of serious financial “yikes” and “oof” for most Americans.
Some of these hacks may seem more or less relevant based on your income bracket, and a couple of them are probably bad advice. The Daily Dot does not condone the following behavior.
Sane spending habits? In this economy?
As the effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs begin to show themselves and the economy wobbles like a drunk toddler, people have moved on from seeking ways to spend more responsibly. These are the days when you may shift to the opposite end of the spectrum from overspending and into unhinged frugality.
People are going on imaginary shopping sprees and walking around the store with armfuls of groceries like weirdos. Others, some hopefully not so serious, are advocating for outright theft. The wildest are using the elements as refrigerators, like it’s the time before we invented electricity.
A few posters seem to actually be starving themselves. Unfortunately, having to skip meals to get by has been the reality for millions of Americans for many years, and that’s getting worse all the time. Just remember that poor nutrition can result in serious health costs down the line, so use that only as a last resort.
26 utterly unhinged money-saving hacks
From the X threads of @praiseoghre and @tosinolaseinde come some of the mind-blowingest financial hacks of the era. A few of these may only seem “out there” to those not used to curbing their spending habits, like not buying a new phone every year. Some may actually be useful.
But for the most part, I’m here for the shock value…
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