Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?  (Read 8020999 times)

OtherJen

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11500 on: June 25, 2018, 07:18:11 PM »
*Froze 1.5 lbs of strawberries (Meijer sale at less than $1 per lb) before they rotted/got moldy (my track record with using fruit in time is not great)
*Used the last of the chicken in our freezer (yay, no freezer burn)
*Used up more veggies from last weekend’s Hungry Harvest box (this makes me really conscious of food waste)

This isn’t small, but I just paid off our last credit card debt, which we incurred to pay for an emergency furnace replacement. That is a huge load off our shoulders. It feels really good to know that we won’t have to pay interest on that card again.

pancakes

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11501 on: June 26, 2018, 01:18:14 AM »
I bothered to make popcorn on the stove for the first time.

A $1.95 bag makes 20 of the serving size I made this afternoon which is perfect for a snack for me and the baby/toddler. It also takes less than5 minutes including cleaning up and requires no special equipment.  Bonus I can put as little or as much salt on it as I want.

Hula Hoop

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11502 on: June 26, 2018, 05:51:20 AM »
I bothered to make popcorn on the stove for the first time.

A $1.95 bag makes 20 of the serving size I made this afternoon which is perfect for a snack for me and the baby/toddler. It also takes less than5 minutes including cleaning up and requires no special equipment.  Bonus I can put as little or as much salt on it as I want.

Sorry to be a downer but keep a close eye on the baby/toddler while eating popcorn as it's considered a choking hazard for small children.

pancakes

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11503 on: June 26, 2018, 06:05:56 AM »
I bothered to make popcorn on the stove for the first time.

A $1.95 bag makes 20 of the serving size I made this afternoon which is perfect for a snack for me and the baby/toddler. It also takes less than5 minutes including cleaning up and requires no special equipment.  Bonus I can put as little or as much salt on it as I want.

Sorry to be a downer but keep a close eye on the baby/toddler while eating popcorn as it's considered a choking hazard for small children.
Definitely worth noting and she is supervised while eating it always. Though I do wonder if popcorn is that much of a higher risk than all those light airy puff snacks marketed to toddlers?


Linea_Norway

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11504 on: June 26, 2018, 06:26:10 AM »
I ordered a bunch of flowers delivered to my mother on her birthday. I thought the shop where I usually buy them was a bit expensive. Then I found they have a bunch of competitors. I choose a random other shop that had nice flowers for 5€ less than the other shop.

Arbitrage

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11505 on: June 26, 2018, 07:38:52 AM »
I bothered to make popcorn on the stove for the first time.

A $1.95 bag makes 20 of the serving size I made this afternoon which is perfect for a snack for me and the baby/toddler. It also takes less than5 minutes including cleaning up and requires no special equipment.  Bonus I can put as little or as much salt on it as I want.

Sorry to be a downer but keep a close eye on the baby/toddler while eating popcorn as it's considered a choking hazard for small children.
Definitely worth noting and she is supervised while eating it always. Though I do wonder if popcorn is that much of a higher risk than all those light airy puff snacks marketed to toddlers?

It's the errant unpuffed (not fully puffed) kernel that's the choking hazard. 

Dicey

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11506 on: June 26, 2018, 08:00:51 AM »
I just got caught up on this thread. These two were eyebrow raisers. I've omitted the identifying details, but I'm surprised that they slipped through unnoticed, given the topic of this thread.
Quote
Waited until the leopard sandals I've had my eyes on went on sale to buy. Grabbed them today at 25% off!

Quote
...I switched to Newman's French Roast organic K Cup...
Not gonna face punch, but am definitely scratching my head. To be perfectly clear, it's not exactly about the fact these specific purchase decisions were made, but that they were posted on this thread. Hmm...

chasingthegoodlife

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11507 on: June 26, 2018, 03:30:18 PM »
Good luck @Linda_Norway , that sounds like a great side gig for you!

This week I have been trying harder on turning off lights we are not using (not one of my strengths).

Brought coffee and snacks with us when we went to do some work on MIL's grave, luckily the weather was nice and we enjoyed eating them on the bench in the cemetery and thinking about family.

Hosted a lovely gathering on Friday with some wine and crackers we had on hand and cheese we bought on sale. Many in that group are older and retired, it's very relaxing hosting when everyone brings along something to share and are not too focused on having expensive wines etc.

Step37

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11508 on: June 26, 2018, 10:24:30 PM »
I saved money for my mom today by baking a cake for her to take to my great-aunt's and by returning my car to her. She totaled her car a few weeks ago, and was going to go back to sharing one with her husband, but they're both busy and have very limited mobility. At the same time, I'm able bodied and sometimes need a little nudge to ride my bike rather than drive, so I talked my mom into keeping my car, and just letting me borrow it as needed.

What a kind and generous thing to do! And I love that it’s a win for you to get you on your bike more.


alewpanda

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11509 on: June 27, 2018, 10:10:41 AM »
-- We toss a lot of random plastic bags from clothing in the trash at work.  Saved a tote bag full to pick up dog poop.  Saving 2-3 cents with each bag, which adds up when you go through 5-6 of them a day....

-- Hung a load of laundry to dry.  We pay by the load here in our apartment building, but there is a couple of mostly unused clotheslines down there with the machines.  Saved 1.70 on a drying load.

-- DH and I participated in a local survey about bike paths/lanes and biking transit the other day.  20 minutes of time plus the few minute walk either direction netted us each a 5.00 gc to a local coffee place. Saving them for a cheap date night.

-- Cooling the apartment via the breezes from the windows the last couple days rather than the AC unit. 

-- Picked up a dime off the ground.

Imma

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11510 on: June 27, 2018, 01:16:52 PM »
For reasons unknown, power has stopped working in part of the house (fuse blew for no clear reason, when we turned the power back on some lights and wall sockets weren't working). For safety reasons we've turned off the power downstairs except for the fridge. I suppose we'll still use some power while living upstairs until the electrician has time to visit us (on Friday) but we don't have a TV etc. there so it will be a lot less.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11511 on: June 27, 2018, 02:14:17 PM »
-Got a kiddie pool through Buy Nothing, instead of buying one, to do play time and exposure for my puppy. So glad I thought to ask- the lady had one smaller than I've seen elsewhere and it's the perfect size, the puppy can jump out and in. Free AND better than I would have found.
-Bully sticks. Most places have them for like $6 for an 8" section. Costco, of course, has BULK. Ten 12" sections for like $29. These are too big for our dog, but we've just been sawing them in half.
-Ongoing: husband has magical hypermiling abilities and always gets great gas mileage for long work trips. 44MPG for a gas car? Yes please I'll take it.

-- We toss a lot of random plastic bags from clothing in the trash at work.  Saved a tote bag full to pick up dog poop.  Saving 2-3 cents with each bag, which adds up when you go through 5-6 of them a day....

Your dog poops 6 times a day? Is it a puppy?

Dollar Slice

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11512 on: June 27, 2018, 03:06:22 PM »
I found $20 in my desk drawer, buried under about two years' worth of crap. I have no idea where it came from. But now it's in my wallet :-)

Going to six concerts for $0 this week, thanks to contests, memberships, and just-plain-free shows. I've been working the free ticket angle so hard this year that I now have a $200+ surplus in my "entertainment" budget built up in Mint.

Threshkin

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11513 on: June 27, 2018, 03:56:36 PM »
Volunteered at a local Brewfest.  Tickets were amazingly expensive.  $40 for a plastic glass and 10 tickets good for 4oz ea. (40oz beer total).  So many people paid full price!

Instead I got to hang out with friends for 4 hours chatting and pouring beers.  For my "work" I got 5 free tickets plus many free samples.  Then the volunteer coordinator gave me another 10 tickets for helping out and giving feedback on my experience.

I would never gone if I had to pay for it but by volunteering I had a great time and got to try many new and unique beers.

Will

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11514 on: June 27, 2018, 04:29:58 PM »

-- We toss a lot of random plastic bags from clothing in the trash at work.  Saved a tote bag full to pick up dog poop.  Saving 2-3 cents with each bag, which adds up when you go through 5-6 of them a day....

Your dog poops 6 times a day? Is it a puppy?

Maybe picking up random dogs' poops is a low-cost (now free!) hobby of theirs?  ;)

Bracken_Joy

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11515 on: June 27, 2018, 04:33:18 PM »

-- We toss a lot of random plastic bags from clothing in the trash at work.  Saved a tote bag full to pick up dog poop.  Saving 2-3 cents with each bag, which adds up when you go through 5-6 of them a day....

Your dog poops 6 times a day? Is it a puppy?

Maybe picking up random dogs' poops is a low-cost (now free!) hobby of theirs?  ;)

I mean, that would be *incredibly* neighborly and wonderful of them! If so, they are a far better person than I am =P I think I'll still stop at picking up my own dog's poo.

Threshkin

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11516 on: June 27, 2018, 04:50:02 PM »

-- We toss a lot of random plastic bags from clothing in the trash at work.  Saved a tote bag full to pick up dog poop.  Saving 2-3 cents with each bag, which adds up when you go through 5-6 of them a day....

Your dog poops 6 times a day? Is it a puppy?

Maybe picking up random dogs' poops is a low-cost (now free!) hobby of theirs?  ;)

I mean, that would be *incredibly* neighborly and wonderful of them! If so, they are a far better person than I am =P I think I'll still stop at picking up my own dog's poo.

Our town provides free poop bags in public parks and trails.  Some apartment projects also provide free bags.  Unfortunately, many people still didn't pick up.  When I had a dog I would collect both her poop and some other poop.  One dog's poop is usually no worse than another's. 

OtherJen

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11517 on: June 27, 2018, 07:24:05 PM »
I pickled the big piece of fresh ginger from last weekend’s Hungry Harvest box instead of forgetting about it until it grew mold.

Step37

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11518 on: June 27, 2018, 07:39:48 PM »
I biked to my three errands today instead of driving. Small cost savings, but big health and happiness benefits. I can’t help but smile when riding around on a lovely day.

Just made a double batch of granola to put on the fruit and (homemade) yogurt I usually eat for breakfast.

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11519 on: June 28, 2018, 04:34:42 AM »
I pickled the big piece of fresh ginger from last weekend’s Hungry Harvest box instead of forgetting about it until it grew mold.

Tell me about pickling ginger? I have done ginger syrup but never pickled.

Zaga

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11520 on: June 28, 2018, 05:05:36 AM »
I pickled the big piece of fresh ginger from last weekend’s Hungry Harvest box instead of forgetting about it until it grew mold.

Tell me about pickling ginger? I have done ginger syrup but never pickled.
Ooo yes, me too!

I put ginger slices in a jar with lemon slices and cover them with honey and store it in the fridge.  A few spoons of this goes in my tea every morning.  So that's another option to use up and (slightly) preserve fresh ginger.

JanetJackson

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11521 on: June 28, 2018, 06:27:35 AM »
Volunteered at a local Brewfest.  Tickets were amazingly expensive.  $40 for a plastic glass and 10 tickets good for 4oz ea. (40oz beer total).  So many people paid full price!

Instead I got to hang out with friends for 4 hours chatting and pouring beers.  For my "work" I got 5 free tickets plus many free samples.  Then the volunteer coordinator gave me another 10 tickets for helping out and giving feedback on my experience.

I would never gone if I had to pay for it but by volunteering I had a great time and got to try many new and unique beers.

This is a great idea! My brain is now swirling with possibilities!
This kind of stuff is GREAT!  I've volunteered at races that I would have never paid for (pay to run, no thanks) and been able to run with the heat after my "shift", I've volunteered at the front desk of a yoga studio attached to a full gym for free membership (and I only worked like 30 minutes per week)… it's certainly worth exploring if you have specific interests/hobbies!

Dicey

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11522 on: June 28, 2018, 07:13:18 AM »
I found $20 in my desk drawer, buried under about two years' worth of crap. I have no idea where it came from. But now it's in my wallet :-)

Going to six concerts for $0 this week, thanks to contests, memberships, and just-plain-free shows. I've been working the free ticket angle so hard this year that I now have a $200+ surplus in my "entertainment" budget built up in Mint.
OMG, as a follower since the V days, I can really appreciate what a win this is for you! Way to slice those dollars!

Dollar Slice

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11523 on: June 28, 2018, 10:26:59 AM »
I found $20 in my desk drawer, buried under about two years' worth of crap. I have no idea where it came from. But now it's in my wallet :-)

Going to six concerts for $0 this week, thanks to contests, memberships, and just-plain-free shows. I've been working the free ticket angle so hard this year that I now have a $200+ surplus in my "entertainment" budget built up in Mint.
OMG, as a follower since the V days, I can really appreciate what a win this is for you! Way to slice those dollars!

Thanks :-) I still spend a lot in that category (which I'm fine with) but I've definitely been whittling it down some without sacrificing anything I want to do.

Mon€yp€nny

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11524 on: June 28, 2018, 12:45:43 PM »
Very nice (side) job Linda. I have been planning to grow mushrooms on wood, coffee grounds or under our bed for years. I had a single use kit once, that wasn't heavily producing but fun.

I made a new batch of meal starter today. I'm often tired and/ or my hands hurt when it's time to make dinner. That has led to eating unhealthy easy food or take out in the past. What I do now is get my kitchen machine out and grate unions, carrots, garlic and selery stalks every once in a while. Everything goes in one zip lock bag in the freezer. Shake it often as it freezers to avoid big clumps. The idea came from the Italian kitchen but I use it for a lot of meals. It defrosts and cooks really fast.
I started a chick pea curry with it today.

- that was another saver, a curry from scraps of broccoli (stems), courgette, can of peeled tomatoes and frozen cubes of curry paste. With a can of chickpeas instead of meat. Served on brown rice.
And hooray, husband didn't complain about the lack of meat and lIked it.

- solved a organisation problem in our temporarily bedroom with things we already had instead of buying new furniture, shelves and baskets. Everything is of the floor now so vacuuming is easier (allergy!) and I finally have a place for my stuff.

- I got 9 euro's back from the Scoupy-app that allows you to try non-food and food free or for a very low price. I only buy what I really need. There were spice/ meal mixes from Maggi for 50 cents but many were not even worth 50 cents to me. I can make that from scratch using the spices that I already have. I send in my receipt to claim the discounts two days ago and got my money back today.

- We are having builders of all sorts over to get quotations for three different projects. Fingers crossed our estimates are in the good direction. Maybe I'll try to persuade husband to replace the toilet ourselves, it will be cheaper and quicker. So I actually hope the plumber that came today to look at our toilet will ask a rude amount of money /so.
 Husband is preparing and repairing the windows that needed a new coat of paint before autumn. The new color will look so good.
I transfer as much money as I can to our rebuilding fund and it's not doing bad. I try to only pay the big bills from fund, trips to the hardware stores etc from our monthly expense account.

lemanfan

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11525 on: June 28, 2018, 12:48:12 PM »
Soup.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11526 on: June 29, 2018, 10:21:31 AM »
-We're at our vacation house, and a family crew is replacing our deck. I prepped lots of food to keep everyone fed, but we are saving about $10K over paying to have it done.
-Used miles to cover a flight for my nephew. Will be his 16th birthday gift
-Repaired our freezer using YT videos. Unclear if it will work, but we will be here for another 6 days, so can replace if it isn't totally fixed.

Jenny Wren

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11527 on: June 29, 2018, 12:15:29 PM »
We got back from vacation yesterday. I stopped and picked up milk, bread, and some produce on the way into town so we could scavenge food from the house (cheaper than ordering in). We have enough supplies so I don't need to do a proper shop for a few days.  We also have +/- two gallons of gas left in the Prius from our last fill-up in Port Townsend (we basically drove the length of Washington on one tank of gas. I love my 8 year old car!), and I refuse to fill up again or spend any more money until July so we are staying around the house.

Made breakfast burritos for the freezer, hummus, a giant pitcher of ice coffee, and falafel (for lunch salads) all from pantry and freezer ingredients this morning.

Did a couple of circuits with the free 7 minute workout app, as well as some free yoga with the Down Dog app.

I'm about to walk up to the library and return the book I finished over vacation so I don't get a late fee. I'm then going to enjoy a free coffee, thanks to a gift card my MIL sent us because she doesn't drink coffee. I'll sit on the patio and catch up on work on my laptop, soaking up sun and enjoying summer. I am very much looking forward to this solitude after 2 weeks in small B&B's with a spouse and two teenagers!

Hirondelle

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11528 on: June 29, 2018, 03:08:52 PM »
Volunteered at a local Brewfest.  Tickets were amazingly expensive.  $40 for a plastic glass and 10 tickets good for 4oz ea. (40oz beer total).  So many people paid full price!

Instead I got to hang out with friends for 4 hours chatting and pouring beers.  For my "work" I got 5 free tickets plus many free samples.  Then the volunteer coordinator gave me another 10 tickets for helping out and giving feedback on my experience.

I would never gone if I had to pay for it but by volunteering I had a great time and got to try many new and unique beers.

This is a great idea! My brain is now swirling with possibilities!
This kind of stuff is GREAT!  I've volunteered at races that I would have never paid for (pay to run, no thanks) and been able to run with the heat after my "shift", I've volunteered at the front desk of a yoga studio attached to a full gym for free membership (and I only worked like 30 minutes per week)… it's certainly worth exploring if you have specific interests/hobbies!

Oh volunteering at events is SO good. I've done a gymnastics world championships back in high school and could see all the famous ones. Also volunteered at a Holi Festival once. And worked at many events, but that's a bit more restricted as you're getting paid so you have to actually work a bit harder.

D.O.G.

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11529 on: June 29, 2018, 04:08:31 PM »
Saving some small change - again! My Granny (she and my Granddad both worked as accountants in the same home loan bank for decades) always told me the old german adage: "Kleinvieh macht auch Mist" ("Small livestock produces dung, too" = a penny saved is a penny earned) Therefore putting money into the piggy bank is has become a habit with me. I'm aware that this is not the smartest way to earn interest, but I just can't shake it off!

 I've got actually two piggy banks: One is shaped like a californian surfer bus - I put only 1 €-, 2 €- and bills in it. The money is a nice addition to our holiday budget. The other piggy bank is shaped like an american US mail box and is used for very small change that merely clogs up my wallet. When it was full recently, I took it to the bank where they have a coin counting machine. The small change turned out to be worth 14,44 €! I was delighted to realize that even this small amount made me feel almost rich . . . ! :)

Mon€yp€nny

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11530 on: June 30, 2018, 02:41:43 AM »
@D.O.G. You just brought a memory of my grandmother back, thank you!

I know some people use shadow boxes to save for certain goals.

I'm going to try to convince husband to order glasses somewhere cheaper but still with trained staff etc. today.  And try to buy clamps so we can attach a tarp to the gutters on our patio. Saves money for beams etc and ultimately, saves money for a terrace covering with sun screens (wich value will be added to our house owners tax)

Trifle

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11531 on: June 30, 2018, 06:34:01 AM »
Welcome, @D.O.G !  Love that proverb of your Granny's.  Here's another one:  "Wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist des Talers nicht wert."  Basically -- If you don't first take care of the pennies, you'll never see the dollars.

There was a thread on these proverbs a while ago:  https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/pro-frugal-expressions-in-languages/msg1469155/#msg1469155 

ramengurl

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11532 on: June 30, 2018, 03:46:30 PM »
Alcohol is so so much more expensive where I live compared to Trader Joes Wine shop so a) I went there with my backpack and bought some two buck chucks to stash for the rest of summer b) instead of bringing two bottles of wine to friends house party or expensive whiskey , I brought a pre made 2 Quart size mason jar filled up with a cocktail recipe I found online for doctoring up two buck chucks :)  Not only is it so so pretty its really tasty and I think this is going to be my go to party drink for the summer at least till I run out of my $2 phillipines rum.  I had all the ingredients already in my house but if I had to rebuy everything it would still come under $8 and serve double the amt of people than a bottle of wine would.

Tyson

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11533 on: June 30, 2018, 04:43:20 PM »
We're getting divorced, which I'm not happy about.  But I guess you can't 'make' someone love you if they feel that they don't.  Sucks.  Especially with an 11 year old daughter involved. 

We've agreed to see a moderator instead of getting divorce lawyers involved.  That will definitely save money, maybe even a lot of money.

Mon€yp€nny

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11534 on: June 30, 2018, 04:57:22 PM »
@tyort1 Very sorry to hear that. Wishing you strenght.
Friends that go trough divorce save a lot of money buying second hand furniture etc for the kids and themselves.
A neighbor is in a very difficult financial situation because of all the legal costs that come with a custody battle. The ex is broke and gets financial assistance for his legal aid.
Another friend missed a lot of work due to meetings with CPS and counseling.
Good communication and leaving the past behind is key for good co-parenting. My friend had to learn to ignore her ex's attempts to start issues and to say 'I'll get back to you on that' instead of saying yes or no immediately sometimes. But financial reasons are not as important as the children's well being of course.

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11535 on: June 30, 2018, 08:11:35 PM »
I've been in the lookout for a coffee maker, as mine is on it's last legs. Last time I checked Goodwill they were asking $10 for really basic ones, which didn't seem like a great deal. Checked in again today and found a Cuisinart grind and brew for $8. I checked online and they retail for $160, so I paid only 5% of retail!

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11536 on: July 02, 2018, 08:17:05 AM »
Sending good thoughts to you @tyort1

Bracken_Joy

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11537 on: July 02, 2018, 08:43:31 AM »
-A relative is emptying out an unused guest room to become a storage room. Up for grabs: a 10" Queen size Lucid memory foam mattress and a nice bed frame, used twice in 2 years. DH and I have been on a Full the whole time we've been together (which we actually like, it'll be weird to size up) but we've been considering replacing our mattress for a long time (~3 years now). And we've been eyeing that exact lucid! We're getting it free, except for the gas to go to an outlying area to get it, and bonus: it's already had plenty of time to offgas! Only downside, need a new set of sheets, and eventually may want to paint our bedroom to coordinate better with the bed frame, but those are a lot cheaper than a new mattress and frame.

-Free entertainment yesterday. Visited relatives, helped them with a little hauling of stuff, and in exchange got to use their kayaks for the evening and got fed dinner. Plus, their dog wore out our puppy. Wins all around.

Jenny Wren

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11538 on: July 02, 2018, 10:30:56 PM »
The cuttings I started in a re-purposed pot a while back are growing like mad and the cats were messing with the soil. I didn't want to spend on a hanging basket, though. I remembered an old wire frame basket, the type with the coconut coir lining that always rots away, that was half buried behind our garage (left by a previous owner). Unearthed it and cleaned it up -- still in good condition. Hung it from a hook near a window (also left by a previous owner) and set the repurposed pot in the now repurposed wire basket frame. Works perfectly and looks nice -- my free houseplant is still free!

Mezzie

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11539 on: July 03, 2018, 07:16:37 AM »
Started using my new FSA account. It'll save about $120 in taxes over the next year. Every little bit counts!

alewpanda

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11540 on: July 03, 2018, 08:42:12 AM »

-- We toss a lot of random plastic bags from clothing in the trash at work.  Saved a tote bag full to pick up dog poop.  Saving 2-3 cents with each bag, which adds up when you go through 5-6 of them a day....

Your dog poops 6 times a day? Is it a puppy?

Maybe picking up random dogs' poops is a low-cost (now free!) hobby of theirs?  ;)

I mean, that would be *incredibly* neighborly and wonderful of them! If so, they are a far better person than I am =P I think I'll still stop at picking up my own dog's poo.

Our town provides free poop bags in public parks and trails.  Some apartment projects also provide free bags.  Unfortunately, many people still didn't pick up.  When I had a dog I would collect both her poop and some other poop.  One dog's poop is usually no worse than another's.

LOL....I HAVE been known to pick up random poop on the apartment lawn, simply because it keeps the lawn a safe and clean place to take my own dogs outside, but I should have specified...

I have 2 dogs, large ones.   My lab poops a minimum of once after every meal, and gets fed twice a day.  My older dog has allergies and hip problems.  We have the allergies mostly managed, but with poor hips, his poops tend to be smaller and more often, as it takes much more work for him to 'bend' that way. 


alewpanda

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11541 on: July 03, 2018, 08:53:24 AM »
-- Walked 5 miles yesterday to do errands/buy a birthday gift.  No gas used, no bus fee.

-- By hanging all the heavy stuff, my 3 loads of wash only required one dryer and the basement clotheslines to dry.  If I can keep up with hanging items, I am hoping to cut our laundry expenses by a good quarter or third.  The charges for our laundry in this new apartment caught us by surprise!  It gets expensive!

-- DH is selling off some excess electronic items and parting his desktop out to rebuild savings after the move.  He will use his laptop for all personal work/activity instead.

-- Sent an email to a shop I've never displayed art at before.  Hoping they like the images I attached and I can get my most recent collection up and seen (and hopefully bought...)

-- Made french toast this morning.  Cheap and sweet breakfast!

-- Picked up change off the ground yesterday.

-- Applied for a library card yesterday.  Our new neighborhood library is literally 5 blocks away.  I'm so excited!

Tyson

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11542 on: July 03, 2018, 11:33:06 AM »
We're getting divorced, which I'm not happy about.  But I guess you can't 'make' someone love you if they feel that they don't.  Sucks.  Especially with an 11 year old daughter involved. 

We've agreed to see a moderator instead of getting divorce lawyers involved.  That will definitely save money, maybe even a lot of money.

Just a follow up after our initial meeting with the moderator.  Holy shit, Colorado law fucking fucks you. 

After this experience I am NEVER EVER EVER getting married again.  Fuck.

Arbitrage

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11543 on: July 03, 2018, 02:13:22 PM »
Started biking to work full-time as of last Friday. 

Also, had to work on two days off, and pulled nearly a double-shift yesterday.  Thankfully, I'm actually going to get paid (straight time) for the time, but I definitely need to take a vacation soon (got another double shift coming on Friday, so can't do it yet).  Since this thread is about saving money, I'll say that I did get several meals provided during all of those extra work hours, and grabbed a leftover sandwich and drink for one more meal.  Total of 7 'free' meals.


Linea_Norway

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11544 on: July 04, 2018, 01:47:13 AM »
Started biking to work full-time as of last Friday. 


Well done.

chasingthegoodlife

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11545 on: July 04, 2018, 04:40:57 PM »
Got this month’s book club book from the library’s ebook app.

Made an apple pie with ingredients on hand for a surprise guest.

Still using up coins from the change stash for weekly spending and transferring the same amount to our long term savings. The self serve check out at the supermarket is great for this. Feeling a bit silly that I’ve had hundreds of dollars sitting on the self for several years because it wasn’t convenient to take it to a bank with a coin counting machine. Would have been better off in the market.

dandypandys

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11546 on: July 05, 2018, 06:01:03 AM »
used my holy grail homemade hair gel (boiled flax seeds then strained)
drinking green tea that I buy loose from the Chinese store in a big cylinder- instead of a box of bags at my local.. sooo much cheaper and better too!
Didn't buy a house.... instead decided to stay put in the paid for condo and swap rooms around.. now it FEELS new yay!

MountainGal

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11547 on: July 05, 2018, 11:55:59 AM »
Spoke with the Post Office clerk last week about mailing large envelopes from my office rather than from their office.  She explained the ounce increments (I bought a postage scale years ago) and costs, and sold me the correct stamps.  This will save me several trips to downtown per month.  Though it's not that far of a drive, it will be worth it to avoid the hassle and being around incompetent drivers.

My Walmart Savings Catcher account is up to $5.46. :)

Put another $1.20 in change into my piggy bank.

Cut the top 2/3 off my lotion pump bottle to get to the last inch of product to stretch it out another week or so.

Brought what we were going to have for dinner anyway to a last minute BBQ invite last night.  Saved me a trip to the store.




OmahaSteph

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11548 on: July 05, 2018, 12:13:52 PM »
Had company for the Fourth of July with some dietary restrictions. Was able to make a vegan poundcake and dairy-free date bars using ingredients I already had. They also brought food and left some of it so we have food for at least the next two weeks.

Sent off a clean-out bag of clothes to ThredUp. The payout is never very good, but at least the clothes are out of my closet and off the floor, and now I have a credit.

Bought wedding photos but left the order sitting in my cart long enough that the company began emailing me discount codes. Waited for a good one and then clicked "Purchase" :)


jengod

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11549 on: July 05, 2018, 12:55:27 PM »
* Harvested rhubarb, Roma tomatoes, zukes, lemons and chives from the garden.

* picked up a flannel baby blanket someone dropped. Will wash and add to our stash

* got .10 off a coffee by bringing my own mug

* Planted an odd strip in front of our house with gifted succulents (a friend was redoing her balcony plantings) and snake plant ripped out and discarded by a neighbor.
« Last Edit: July 06, 2018, 11:52:10 PM by jengod »

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!