I've heard of people going completely shampoo free ("no poo!" as mentioned earlier). Some people have really great results - they claim that their hair is softer and much more manageable. They tend to wash with just water (and lots of vigorous scrubbing to remove any dirt or dry skin from the scalp).

I tried this... the problem was... your hair will get very, very greasy before it reaches the amazing soft and manageable stage. After about a month, I couldn't do it anymore - so I can't say for sure if it works. It's definitely worth googling around to see what others have experienced.

HOWEVER... I don't use regular shampoos/conditioners. I think they're filled with a ton of chemical crap, and I think that they strip your hair of natural oils, forcing your scalp to have to produce a ton more.

Instead, I use... baking soda and vinegar. I have two small plastic bottles, the size of juice boxes (got them at the grocery store). In one, I put about 1 Tablespoon (or a little less) of baking soda. I fill the other about 1/3 of the way up with white vinegar. Then, I fill both with warm water.

Use the baking soda one like shampoo - wet hair, dump in baking soda mixture, and scrub your scalp (it won't bubble, but you can scrub anyway). Then rinse with water. Then rinse with the dilute vinegar (be very careful - even diluted, the vinegar burns really badly if you get any around your eyes. I keep my eyes closed, then splash water on my face 2-3 times before opening them... )

I leave the vinegar in a bit while I clean/shave/etc, then rinse it out, rinse with some nice cool water.

The first time I tried it, I was amazed. I have fine hair that knots badly even with conditioner, but it was really easy to comb through. I do use a tiny bit of Morrocan oil after, b/c my hair gets frizzy... that makes it super soft. Otherwise, I usually just let it air dry.

It does an *amazing* job of getting my hair clean. The vinegar smell doesn't stick around (unlike the one time I tried apple cider vinegar, and couldn't get the smell out), and it just makes me hair feel really great!

And, I only have to do it about 2x/week. When I'm too busy/depressed, I'll do it once a week, but I don't like letting it go that long, as it does get a bit greasy.

I'm guessing baking soda and vinegar are tons cheaper than most shampoos and conditioners, and it's super easy and has much less chemicals. Give it a try, and let me know if it works for you!

Edit: I wanted to add that you can use baby (talc) powder as a dry shampoo - but it's best to use it the night before, i.e. put a generous amount on your head, around your scalp, rub it in, comb/brush it out, then go to bed... I find that I can't get it all out when I do it, but it seems to disappear at night and is fine in the morning. Works well for me, but with the recent news about talc powder possibly causing cancer (some people won a lawsuit) - I don't do it as often as I used to. But, it was pretty easy and worked well, and I'd use it in an emergency to make my hair a bit more presentable for the next day.