Extreme Cheapskates returns with more radical penny-pinchers bringing new meaning to “REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE”

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Think you’re a cheapskate? Wait ‘till you meet a new group of ultra-thrifty misers in the second season of EXTREME CHEAPSKATES, airing on TLC every Thursday starting August 7 at 9:00 p.m., with encores every Friday at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday at 8:00 p.m.

Over eight episodes and fifteen different stories, see the jaw-dropping lengths some people go through just to preserve their money and possessions.

From excessive recycling to dumpster diving, EXTREME CHEAPSKATES 2 will entertain and amuse you with these self-proclaimed frugalistas' penny-pinching shenanigans.

Cheap as the characters featured on EXTREME CHEAPSKATES 2. The first season left viewers astonished and amazed at how far some people are willing to go to save a couple of dollars. But if you thought they were excessive in their ways, wait till you meet this new group of thrifty misers and their peculiar approaches at conserving their cash from their strict budgeting and excessive recycling to dumpster diving. Season two premieres on TLC every Thursday, starting 7 August at 9:00 p.m. Encores every Friday at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday at 8:00 p.m.

There are those who are prudent and careful, there are the stingy skinflints…and then there are these folks. Over eight episodes and 15 different stories, meet these self-proclaimed frugalistas and see the jaw-dropping lengths they go to every day to preserve their money and possessions.

In the premiere episode, we introduce the Parrans, a couple who only spends US$25 a week and takes their marriage vows so seriously they share everything. Their morning bathroom ritual includes showering together to save water, using the same razor, toothbrush and even dental floss! They also use the same deodorant but limit each other to one swipe per armpit, and keep tabs on who flushes the toilet more to determine who will have to pay extra for electric and water bills at the end of the month. They even plan to spend eternity together and have bought a casket at a bargain which they intend to share when they pass.

Also, meet Torski, a mother who cooks, cleans and does the majority of her household chores between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. to take advantage of the lower electricity rates her local power company offers at that time.

Other highlights from this new season include a firefighter who books his daughter’s sixteenth birthday at a strip club because he managed to get a great deal on renting the venue, a pregnant woman who is relying on her husband to build a homemade breast pump in order to save US$200, as well as the world’s cheapest millionaire who has earned US$5.3 million through real estate and other investments but limits her expenditures to just US$1,000 a month. Some things you just have to see to believe!

EXTREME CHEAPSKATES 2

EPISODE GUIDE

Rick & Karissa/Torski (Premieres August 7)

Karissa and her husband Rick have been competing to be cheaper than the other since their wedding five years ago. Their extreme frugality saves them over US$7,000 on household expenses each year. By sharing everything from their shower to a single toothbrush, this cheapskate couple has no limit to their cost-cutting. The competition is so fierce that they keep a running tally of who's used what around the house so that they each pay their fair share. In this episode, Rick and Karissa show off how they save in every aspect of their life but their planning extends even into their death, as they arrange the cheapest funeral ceremony of all time... for themselves.

Torksi’s family has a combined income of US$3,600 a month after taxes, but she takes care of her home, husband and son for only a third of that sum by living a cheapskate lifestyle. Her bizarre cheap behaviors include burning her own trash to save money on garbage pick-up and doing chores in the middle of the night to save on her electric bill. With her son’s tenth birthday coming up, Torski finds herself facing the challenge of throwing a memorable birthday party while staying within an extremely limited budget. We follow Torski as she finds the perfect location, cake and decorations for the cheapest birthday party ever.

Matt/Sarah (Premieres August 14)

To afford his dream of becoming a pro-wrestler, 25 year old Matt has reduced his spending to just US$300 a month by living with his mom and pinching pennies in every aspect of his life. To keep up his “wrestler physique”, Matt built his own homemade gym in the basement. To maintain a wrestler's clean look, he's recruited his mom to wax his body. In this episode, Matt faces a crossroads when he lands a dream audition with one of the world’s top wrestling organisations in Kentucky. We follow Matt as he finds the cheapest way to travel from New York to his audition and steps in the ring with professional wrestlers from TNA.

Sarah saves money every month on rent and utility bills by living with her sister, brother-in-law, their three kids and her grandmother. Although Sarah makes a good living as the baker for her family's catering business, she’s figured out a way to reduce her grocery bill by making sure she never leaves one of their catering events without leftovers. Sarah’s family completely disagrees with her cheap ways and is always encouraging her to spend at least some of her money on herself. As the ladies in the family head out for a girls' day out, Sarah once again refuses to spend money on anything, but her family is planning to finally make her splurge on the finer things in life.

Angel/Mark (Premieres August 21)

Although she’s eight months pregnant, 25 year old cheapskate Angel frequents local dumpsters on a regular basis with her husband Orlando. The couple goes dumpster diving at least three times a week in search of furniture, clothing, and even medication. By looking behind pharmacies and hospitals, Angel saved more than $350 on pre-natal vitamins alone. In this episode, Angel and Orlando are preparing for the birth of their first child by finding everything she'll need without spending anything. After setting out to paint the nursery with free paint samples, Angel enlists her husband to build a breast pump from parts scored at a local junkyard.

Despite living in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas resident Mark has saved over US$150,000 in the past two years alone by not spending a cent of his full-time salary. Taking advantage of his city, Mark is always on the lookout for lost change dropped by unlucky gamblers all over the busy Las Vegas strip. Obsessed with cutting costs wherever he can, Mark doesn't mind eating expired foods for cheap and has found a way to get his laundry done for free. He even participates in clinical trials, putting his health at risk, just for the money. In this episode, we follow as Mark prepares for his next clinical trial: getting his testicle removed for US$35,000!

Jordan/Michael (Premieres August 28)

27 year old Utah housewife Jordan manages to only spend US$1,400 a month for her family of five, less than half what a typical family spends. Jordan manages her tight budget by rationing everything, from the Cheerios for her kids’ breakfast to the sheets of toilet paper. Despite having three kids and a husband to feed, Jordan keeps her grocery budget under US$200 by asking her wealthy neighbors for their leftovers. In this episode, Jordan hopes to lower that number even further by starting a farm in her backyard.

40 year old Michael is constantly inventing new ways to save money. He generates less than one bag of trash a week by refusing to throw away anything that he thinks he might be able to turn into a money-saving invention. So far, he’s come up with a way to clean his used straws and is working on reusing an old vacuum cleaner to mow his lawn. But Michael’s obsession with being cheap goes even further when it comes to his water bill. By reusing his bath water to do the dishes and his laundry, Michael has reduced his costs to just US$15 a month. He now hopes he can get it down to zero thanks to his latest invention.

Shelly (Premieres September 4)

Mother-of-two Shelley has been penny pinching in Mesa, Arizona for over twenty years. By cutting costs at every corner, she manages to spend sixty percent less on household expenses than the national average. Thanks to her radical techniques, like using a fan instead of air conditioning in her car or using a hanger as an antenna for her television, she manages to save nearly US$25,000 a year. But Shelley’s biggest money saving challenge is going to be her daughter Ashley’s wedding. Since Ashley got engaged to Colby eight months ago, she’s been collecting everything she can find free for the upcoming wedding so she can stay under her set budget of US$1,000. In this episode, we follow Shelley as she prepares for the wedding. Although venues are typically the most expensive line in a bridal budget, Shelley found one at no cost. And as far as flowers and a dress are concerned, she's found solutions that will give her daughter what she's looking for at a fraction of the normal prices. For the cake, Shelley has an idea that will give a whole new meaning to the expression “something borrowed.” But while keeping her budget in check, she'll also need to please the bride-to-be…and the mother-of-the-groom.

Melody/Marlin (Premieres September 11)

45 year old Melody only spends US$1,000 a month for her family of four. To make sure they don't run up the bills, she has come up with multiple extreme saving measures. By living in a trailer, closing off half of it, and sharing one room – and one bed – with her husband and two sons, Melody saves hundreds of dollars on her electricity, heating and cooling. She also has her family share one bath each day to keep her water bill down. But Melody’s expenses are about to double with a visit from her daughter, son-in-law and their three kids. She will have to figure out how to accommodate and feed five more people without breaking the bank.

As a firefighter, Houston-resident Marlin is used to saving lives. But during his free time, his focus turns to saving money. To cut costs, this husband and father of two sets strict rules on household energy use and shuts down the power to the whole house every night at 9 p.m. To keep the rest of his household bills down, Marlin finds savings by using his fire station, where he fills up the dishwasher with his own dishes and takes leftovers home to feed his family each week. In this episode, Marlin will face his biggest cost-saving challenge so far as he organises his daughter’s sweet-sixteenth birthday for under US$300.

The O’Briens/Aimee (Premieres September 18)

The O’Brien’s are a couple who refuses to buy anything new and insists on finding ingenious ways of fixing their broken belongings instead. They are trying to sell the home they have lived in for over 10 years but discover they’ll need to spend money on improvements. They team up and prepare for an open house – the cheapskate way.

Aimee’s total net worth is US$5.3 million dollars but she refuses to spend more than US$1,000 a month. Her frugal behavior includes turning off her hot water heater, enlisting her ex-husband to do housework for free, and feeding houseguests cat food to save a couple of bucks. Aimee needs to travel to Los Angeles for a business meeting but she’s planning to do it for free.

Stephanie/Larry (Premieres September 25)

Stephanie’s cheap behavior embarrasses her boyfriend, Patrick, who thinks they have plenty of money to spend. After three years, Patrick finally gathers up the courage to invite friends over to watch a football game. Stephanie isn’t happy but she finagles a way to host the party without going over her extremely tight budget.

Larry is the cheapest mechanic in Texas. He even avoids paying rent by living and working in his garage. Larry sleeps in cars, cooks on a barbeque, and bathes in a utility sink. When a close friend sets him up on a blind date, Larry tries to impress her without spending any money.