Do not attempt to kill your hamster at home.  None of the methods listed above are humane and could be considered animal cruelty.  Take your hamster to a veterinarian for humane euthanasia.  If money is a concern most if not all veterinarians will euthanize an animal for free if it is suffering.  Another option would be to take it to an animal shelter--they will euthanize for free. 
The best thing for your hamster would be to have euthanasia performed by a veterinary professional so the hamster will not suffer.

We have the same problem. I called the vet and they wanted $70 to euthanize our hamster. I called my local animal shelter and they do it for free. I asked if we could get her back since my son wants to bury her. I was also told that if we ask them and take a box for them to put her in, they would give her back. After reading some of the horror stories about people doing it at home and it not working the first time, etc., I didn't want to do it at home. This way I'm not having to do it.

I took Pocoyo (My Robo hamster) to the vet today and had him
put to sleep. He had a bad infection on he’s rear right leg for over 1 month
and the antibiotics were not working. He had lost a ton of weight and had wet
tail for the last 3 days. I knew I had to put him out of he’s misery. I was
crying when the doc took him. They were supposed to charge me $10, but the vet told
the nurse no charge. The vet gave him to me wrapped in a piece of cloth. I took
him home, put him in he’s little coffin that I made out of wood for him last
night. I closed the coffin, dug a 2 foot deep hole in my backyard, put the coffin
into it, threw a flower and some of he’s favorite treats and covered the whole.
I then put a big stone over the spot to prevent animals digging and made a
small prayer for him. Rest in peace Pocoyo (July 2008 - October 19, 2010). You
will be missed!

I took mine to the vet & it cost $20 to put him to sleep.  It would have been an additional $30 to have him cremated, but we took him home to bury him.  Ours was almost 4 yrs old & had been in bad health for some time.  He had large tumors, couldn't eat or move that well and seemed to be in pain.  His eyes had crusted shut and he was essentially blind.  We wanted him to go on his own, but couldn't stand to see him linger in that condition like he had been for the past few months.  It was a sad decision because he was still affectionate and wanted to do stuff, but couldn't.   The vet said they would give him gas anesthesia as if he were having surgery, they would just give him a little more than he needed and he would go to sleep peacefully and not wake up.  When I got him back, he was in a soft towel inside a box and looked so peaceful.  We are sad to have him gone, but it felt so much worse watching him be in that bad condition everyday.  We are at peace now that he is at peace & running around on his wheel again in Hamster Heaven!

Tons of people freeze their rodents when they become ill and/or are suffering. This was recommended to a friend of mine by her vet who told her it was completely painless. The animal goes to sleep and dies in its sleep. I now have a rat that is in a lot of pain every day. I called the vet, but it is really expensive to take them in to be put down, especially when the rat itself didn't cost more than a few dollars. I am beside myself about the whole situation as I love my rat and just don't want her to hurt anymore! I guess I will probably be taking her to the humane society in the end...

I would call and ask your local vet.  Not to take it in but for advice.  They can give you the best answer if you don't find one here.  I don't even know what to tell you.  That is a sad situation, I am sorry.  I understand you don't want the animal to go through the pain.  That is just my advice.  Most vets are in on Saturdays for part of the day at least.  I would give them a call and see what they suggest.  Good luck and I am sorry you have to go through that.  God bless your hamster.

So I am in the same position as you, my hamster is dying, he's VERY sick, and I can't fathom paying to have him put down as I didn't pay for him. Although I am at a point now that I am going to consider bringing him in as he is suffering badly now. I have heard that some vet's will do it for free if they can tell the animal is suffering. I don't know when you posted this or if it's too late, but think of this if it was your dog or cat. You would not want them to suffer and would do what ever it took to humanely help him .... And NOT hit him with a book!!
Good luck!

If you haven't already taken it to a vet, or done something horrible to it on your own, take it to a shelter. They will euthanize an animal for a lot less than a vet (although it really doesn't cost a lot for such a small animal)

Lol
so many IDIOTS and kIDS here.
He/She is askign how to HUMANELY (KEY WORD) euthanize it.

So all you who say he is cruel for murdering the hamster, what should he do? Let it live for another year in pain? And that's not cruel??

Maybe he should let the hamster live, maybe not. But doesn't mean he's a "monster"
so GTFO

You don't! You take it 2 the vet and get it put down !

When one of my hamsters is sick and is going to die I don't disturb it, I give it the usual food and water and seat but its side, look at it and think that one day may be I'll be in its position

Oh wow you can't murder your hamster that's plain mean! Take it to the vet. You never know, maybe it doesn't need to be killed. Maybe he has a broken  foot or something. I am truly sorry if I'm answering this too late (Don't judge me!) I hope your hamster is alright

I know...bring it to a vet! Blue cross is absolutely free so there is no excuse to say you can't afford that,its free free free,100 percent free! If your not going to do that your just simply...cruel and mean! How would you like being a little helpless hamster dying and being smacked,thrown out of a window,drowned,frozen or anything so mean like everyone else said,you will feel bad after you do thoose mean things!!!! The best thing to do is simply let it die or bring it to a free vet! How would you like being in a hospital bed or at home dying and someone keeps smacking you and you can't do anything! You people are crazy,mean,cruel and need your heads examined! If you want a pet you care for it,and when its sick bring it to a vet,if you can't do this or afford this then don't bother your ass getting a pet again!!!!!

You asked how to relieve yourself of the burden of a hamster?? And you think making it suffocate slowly in a bag with filled with lighter fluid is REALLY???? Humane??? You know it is not so please DO NOT listen to that insane, sick response.

If the hamster is too much of a burden for you to let him GO NATURALLY into his GOODNIGHT, then please do what the SANE PERSON recommended and bring him to your local HUMANE society and that way you KNOW he will have a HUMANE death and not a grotesque murder. Thanks for posting your sad question.

Its best to get the vet to put it to sleep.

I think you should take the hamster to the vet and ask the veterinarian what you should do with it.

The best way is to leave it alone , would you like to tell me whats the wrong with it ? What is the problem. How sick is it like? Feed normally , handle normally , do everything normally , if it is going to die it will be soon be died if you are very worried you will feel more upset about it , if you not worried that much when it dies you have already done your best to help he /her .

In a plastic bag and seal it over the end of the exhaust pipe on a running car they will just fall asleep, rather quickly actually. If you live somehwere cold you can put them out in the snow as we all know that is the best way to go as hypothermia sets in they will feel warm and comfortable then fall asleep and never wake up. DO NOT put them in a freezer apparently that is one of the most painful ways to die as the constant cold air circulation means that they do not fall asleep or go through hypothermia the same way.

You take it to a vet and let the vet put it to sleep

My hamster is losing fur all over its face!! What to do? She looks like she is suffering! My mom said to let her freeze to death... :( I'm a horrible person!!

Iff you do wish to kill your hamster , take it to the vet.

Vet injection to put it down is best.

GIVE THE HAMSTER TO THE VET NOW!!!!!the hamster is suffering and the vet can give it a shot and the hamster will painlessly pass on you will be doing the hamster a big favor by putting him/her to sleep!!!

Don't KILL YOUR HAMSTER! You should take it to the vet and have it put down.

Well you can go to a vet to get it put to sleep if you really want to

What ever you do don't shout at it its cruel!!!!!! Take it to vets ask them to put it down they will do it with injection they don't feel a thing :)

You are a terrible person!!!!! Just take them to a vet!!!Have them do it! I can't even kill a toad, let alone MY hamster Scrat(little guy from ice age, you know, squirrel guy!) If you do this though,(which is cruel) at least give  them PROPER  funerals! And the guy who gave the bag suggestion, you are not supposed to kill a pet, you can get fined or even arrested !.(which I hope you do!) by the ASPCA for doing this even if its a hamster!.

I hope that you know that a trip to a vet for your small pet (Hamster) only costs around 12 dollars.....

You don't stupid. that's called murdering!!! there is no humane way to MURDER a hamster. take it to the vet OR LEAVE IT ALONE. the SYCO who said to do the starter fluid the is STUPID and should be reported because he has obviously done it before.

You people are sooooooo mean you should not get an animal if you know you have not got enough money to pay the vet bills. Blue cross is free.  All I can say is that anybody who can smack or throw their hamster out the window is just plain CRUEL how would you like to be locked up in a freezer and freeze to death I would rather die in pain. Give your hamster a chance let it die on its own and if you kill it yourself I hope he haunts you for the rest of your life. Don't buy any ANIMAL EVER AGAIN!
BLUE CROSS IS FREE.