How to get my hair all one shade?

From years of dying I have dark dark brown nearly black at the bottom of my hair, and fades up to a medium/dark brown with a tinge of red at the top of my hair (chestnutish). I would like to remove some dark pigment from the bottom of my hair and make the top of my hair slightly darker. I understand to get the top darker I will need to dye it, but how can I take the pigment out of the bottom without frying my hair? It only needs to be lightened a tiny bit. Ive trying dye removal products, they did nothing. Should a put some peroxide on the bottom for a half hour or something? Lemon juice? Froster kit? I don't have the money to go to a salon. My hair is usually pretty good about staying soft and silky no matter what I do to it: dyes, dye removal, curling, straightening, blow drying ect. Your advice?