Almost a third of Americans admit to eating out-of-date food in order to save money, new research has revealed.
The study, which surveyed over 1,000 Americans on their spending and saving habits, also revealed that 42% of people buy second-hand clothes in order to keep their costs down.
A quarter of those surveyed were willing to risk their health and drive in a car knowing it had problems - proving that people are willing to take extraordinary measures to stick to tight budgets.
33% of Americans also admitted that they had previously sacrificed their social life to avoid over-spending and over 80% recognised that penny-pinching had a negative effect on their home life.
For relationships, saving often sparks debates. It has been shown that one partners' money-saving habits causes conflict with almost 1 in 4 couples reporting that they had argued about their spouses' attempts to save money.
A third of Americans have been found to review their budgets several times per week, with many people turning to freebies to help cut the cost of daily living.
Amongst all freebies that are readily available to people in leisure facilities, kitchen equipment proved the most popular to grab.
Napkins, pens and small sachets of serving sauce were the most common items that were taken for home use; followed by packets of sugar and plastic cutlery.
However, not all Americans approved of these thrifty tactics. Less than a quarter recognised taking these items from food outlets or hotels as a form of stealing and avoid it altogether.
Mike Meade, CEO of 360couponcodes.com, said "It comes as no surprise that Americans, like most people, are using clever techniques in an attempt to stick to their budget. This is why we aim to provide chances for savings across a huge variety of purchases".
He added, "Getting the most out of your money doesn't have to be a skill. Once you have discovered the balance between enjoying spending your hard-earned dollars and finding easy ways to seek the best deals for your needs, you will recognise that you don't need to be paying big bucks for daily necessities".
In March of this year, it was also revealed by the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) that almost 50% of American children are living near the poverty line.
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