What the X-Men, Old Pantyhose, and Pregnancy Tests Have in Common

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Use each of them in the right way, and you’ll find yourself in a better financial situation. In theory, that is.

These bits of advice might be considered unusual, much like the theory that playing poker leads to financial wisdom or that filling your wallet with $100 bills saves money (because people are especially reluctant to part with big bills). But hey, sometimes the oddest strategies are the best strategies. Whatever works.

Jeff Yeager, a.k.a. The Ultimate Cheapskate, suggests “20 Money-Saving Ways to Reuse Old Pantyhose.” My questions aren’t so much about the ways to repurpose pantyhose, which include filling a leg with potpourri and using a pair as a homemade bungee cord, so much as they are about Yeager’s personal life: Like, dude, what are you doing with all that old pantyhose in the first place?

Yeager, in fact, explains the manly way to hose up (and look fabulous) while doing manly things:

Guys, don’t be shy about sporting a pair of worn out pantyhose next time you go camping or work in the yard. Real outdoorsmen (and outdoorswomen) have known for years that they prevent chigger and other insect bites and minimize foot blister.

The WSJ, meanwhile, clues folks in as to some of the more atypical health cost tax deductions: The list includes pregnancy tests, fertility treatments, acupuncture, and expenses related to treatment for losing weight and stopping smoking. No deductions for gym memberships, nicotine chewing gum, hair transplants, or cosmetic surgery, however.

Finally, there’s Man vs. Debt’s “The X-Men’s Guide to Unlocking Your Financial Mutant Powers.” Apparently, each X-Men character from the old video game represents a different aspect of personal finance: Blob, for example, represents student loan debt, which like the oversized character himself, can seem overwhelming to an opponent, but “can be taken down with consistent and repetitive force.”

What, you don’t get it? You can’t grasp what Wolverine, Magneto, and the rest of the X-Men characters have to do with your finances? Perhaps you’re not evolved enough.