Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?  (Read 8030512 times)

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9850 on: October 25, 2017, 03:27:15 PM »
-Made leftovers for dinner
-Packed lunches for the kids
-Ate free breakfast, lunch & snacks at work
-Enrolled in annual benefits at work, optimizing a few things to take advantage of plan changes

dandarc

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9851 on: October 25, 2017, 03:50:17 PM »
Found out I can pay my health insurance premium at CVS with a credit card.  2% card = $14.50 / month

chasingthegoodlife

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9852 on: October 26, 2017, 02:10:16 PM »
Signed SO up for cheaper online stockbroker. If I like it, I will switch to. Cost per trade is nearly half what I am paying now.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9853 on: October 26, 2017, 03:55:54 PM »
-Ate free breakfast, lunch & snacks at work. (Although, putting in a 12 hour day, so doesn't feel like much of a "win".)
-Got a raise as part of my promotion I've worked on for a few years. It's nothing crazy, but will help pad the stache!

MrsTuxedocat

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9854 on: October 26, 2017, 08:38:11 PM »
-Switched internet providers, will be saving $35 per month

Dollar Slice

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9855 on: October 26, 2017, 11:58:21 PM »
Went to the eye doctor to see if I needed an updated prescription (it's been 5+ years since I got checked). Turned down all the upsells, and decided not to get new glasses when she said my prescription was essentially the same. Even though my glasses are really old and the finish is starting to come off and discolor, it's all on the inside of the frame and behind the ear where it rubs on my skin, so they still should look OK to other people while I'm wearing them. I made sure I went somewhere that took my vision insurance (which I pay a whopping 99 pre-tax cents/month for) so it was only a $10 co-pay for the exam. $65 saved on the exam, at least $35 on the upsells I turned down, and probably $100-$200 saved by not getting new glasses.

Got a free drink and concert ticket, although I don't think I actually did anything to achieve that. I actually tried multiple times to pay. Maybe this is more like a "how did you save money in spite of yourself today" item...

marty998

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9856 on: October 27, 2017, 02:11:11 AM »
Checked my mobile phone provider (Amaysim) for any updates to data plans.

Currently paying $24.90 for unlimited calls/text & 1.5GB data every 28 days.

New plan available is $20.00 for unlimited calls/text & 2.5GB data every 28 days.

Going to switch as soon as the current billing cycle expires in 10 days.

Linea_Norway

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9857 on: October 27, 2017, 10:51:30 AM »
The usual small stuff:

- eating home made sandwiches for lunch, as usual.
- bringing home some leftover bananas from work ar Friday afternoon.
- eating a fresh mushroom that I picked in the forest today.
- eating frozen pizza (reheated), but from home made pizza leftover.

haypug16

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9858 on: October 27, 2017, 11:44:53 AM »
- Breakfast was free (Starbucks gift card I got for signing my work up for something)
- Lunch was bought for me for helping out a former colleague (will have leftovers for tomorrow)
- Ordered Dog food online at 50% off
- Will be stopping at BJs on my way home from work to get gas, I think the prices are typically 15 cents off per gallon which saves me roughly $1.50 per fill up.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9859 on: October 27, 2017, 03:57:16 PM »
Surveyed the food situation this morning and decided to freeze the flatbread and the muffins for later, since I won't get through them this weekend.

Dollar Slice

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9860 on: October 27, 2017, 04:59:19 PM »
Spectrum (previously Time Warner Cable) jacked my price from $45/mo to $71/mo while I was recovering from surgery. (Gee, thanks!)  Just basic-level internet access, no phone or TV, that is crazy expensive! Finally got my shit together enough to call today and ask for a price reduction. For the first time in my experience, they said no. Nope. Nothing we can do. $71 or nothing. No lower service levels you can downgrade to, no promos, nothing. I threatened to change providers. They said they would understand if I wanted to do that. So I just spent 40 minutes signing up for FiOS and will get similar or better internet bandwidth for $39.99/mo.

I have a bad history with Verizon from way back in the DSL days, but I'll give it a shot if I'll save $360/yr. If they suck I'll switch back to Spectrum and get a sign-up promo :-P

I'm also buying the modem, so I should save money in the long term over renting one for $10/mo.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9861 on: October 27, 2017, 05:06:17 PM »
-Ate leftovers for breakfast & lunch
-Used up spinach from the freezer in breakfast smoothies
-Packed lunches for the kids
-Listed 10 items on eBay (not a fan, but it declutters & earns money, so hopefully win/win)
-Got our first power bill since I went super hard core & tried to cut costs. We've saved $30 over last month! So excited. We have A LOT of work still to do in this space.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9862 on: October 27, 2017, 06:09:38 PM »
-Got our first power bill since I went super hard core & tried to cut costs. We've saved $30 over last month! So excited. We have A LOT of work still to do in this space.

Great work!

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9863 on: October 27, 2017, 08:07:38 PM »
Ordered new flats for work.

$150 marked down to $99, less $22 in loyalty points, so they were basically half price.

Linea_Norway

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9864 on: October 28, 2017, 02:34:56 PM »
We sawed and chopped wood from our garden for the wood stove.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9865 on: October 28, 2017, 04:16:19 PM »
-Got our first power bill since I went super hard core & tried to cut costs. We've saved $30 over last month! So excited. We have A LOT of work still to do in this space.

Great work!

Thanks! The three other people in my house are annoyed by my constant "turn that off", "unplug that" comments, but they are getting used to it. ;-)

I'm a red panda

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9866 on: October 28, 2017, 07:52:50 PM »
Carved our Jack o lantern today, took a photo and now the pumpkin is cooking to be frozen and used during the year for breads, pies, and truffles.

Husband loves carving, but I hate food waste, so this is the yearly tradition

peppermint

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9867 on: October 28, 2017, 08:55:47 PM »
Brought coupons to the store when I went grocery shopping.
Froze the rest of the tomato paste from the can in tablespoon sizes in ice cube trays.
Roasted the jalapenos that were starting to go bad in the fridge.

marty998

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9868 on: October 29, 2017, 05:53:55 AM »
I read my emails on my personal (non-work) account for the first time in 6 weeks.

Spotted one, and then a reminder from a certain telco provider who are delighted to announce they are cancelling the prepaid mobile broadband service I'm using because it's ancient and they want to focus on providing a better service with more cool options and ad-ons (i.e. a post paid service with lots of data but one that creams you on excess usage).

Apparently I'm a dinosaur (but I already knew that). The service I was using requires a USB key modem and I was getting 12GB for $150 with 365 day expiry. Not great but that was all I needed - basically all I do is internet banking, write shit on this forum, and look at stocks and realestate websites.

At the local shopping centre on the ground floor there was the telco provider who was giving me the boot, and opposite them was the telco provider who still is willing to cater to Brontosaurs like me. I went up to the sales dude and said "those guys (pointing out the store to them) are cancelling my service. I need a replacement"

$39 for a new modem, and a $130 recharge for 25GB with one year expiry and I'm happy.

And the old telco has promised to refund the 7 months left on the cancelled service so I'm very happy with that too.

Dicey

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9869 on: October 29, 2017, 06:12:01 AM »
Managed to get out of CostCo without buying anything else.
Impressive. Teach me your ways.
My strategy is to not get a cart - mostly to save time but it also means I can't get anything extra.  I'll happily be that moron carrying around 35lbs of dog food (that I buy for a friend), 2L of olive oil, 4lbs of bacon, half a gallon of heavy cream, 4lb of frozen broccoli, and 2 dozen eggs.

The trickiest part is holding/balancing all that shit while trying to show the receipt to the person at the door on your way out.
Sorry, I don't find anything admirable or believable about ketchup's so-called strategy. We just shopped at Costco today and dog food was on the list, so I call BS. Even if one manages this feat, Costco is always busy. The risk of someone bumping into you while you're balancing all this "shit" is too great. If a distracted person with a huge cart accidentally jostles you and that two- or five-dozen pack of eggs hits the floor, whose fault would that waste of resources be? Use a cart, a list, and exercise a little self discipline. You can achieve the same goal without being a menace to those around you and without jeopardizing the safety of the items you've just deployed a good-sized platoon of your little green soldiers to acquire.

Everyone moans about their total Costco bill, but they love how much they're saving on each individual item they select. If you do it right, the total might be high, but the value is even higher. I keep a running list of items I buy at Costco on my sorta smart phone. Before I leave home, I check off the items I need. At the store, that's what I buy. Easy. Hell, I'm just happy when my total is low enough that I don't have to sign for it.

Sidebar alert: One of the reasons Costco checks your receipt is because they sell a lot of items that must be picked up after paying at the checkstand. An amazingly large percentage of people pay and forget to pick up their item, so that's a key thing they're checking for. Another reason to highlight the receipt is so people can't buy something, take it to their car, then re-enter the store, grab another of the same item and use the first receipt to exit without paying. Also, highlighter colors are rotated. Different color every day, for the same reason. I'm 100% fine with this, because it saves me money and hassle in the long run. It is in my best interest that Costco makes just enough profit that it continues to exist.

Back on topic: I quite agree that your strategy can be quite effective in other situations. We also stopped at Lowe's today  We bought the four items on our list and easily carried them in our hands. The items were lightweight and the store in our area is required to charge for bags. On this leg of our retail odyssey, the strategy you endorse saved us actual, not just theoretical, money.


Rollin

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9870 on: October 29, 2017, 06:39:51 AM »
Not today but Wednesday I went to local pool supply and got 10% discount for being a "senior" - oddly all you have to be is 55 or older. Took four gallons of acid home instead of 1. That also saves future trips (which I usually do by bicycle).

Rode my bicycle to meet up with friends instead of driving. I do that every day though ; ) - ride the bike as opposed to driving that is.

Signed up for a new HSA that offers .499% interest and will process various medical costs through that as soon as it is open - saving my tax rate on the costs.

HappierAtHome

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9871 on: October 29, 2017, 06:49:32 AM »
Checked my mobile phone provider (Amaysim) for any updates to data plans.

Currently paying $24.90 for unlimited calls/text & 1.5GB data every 28 days.

New plan available is $20.00 for unlimited calls/text & 2.5GB data every 28 days.

Going to switch as soon as the current billing cycle expires in 10 days.

Looks like I need to do that too! Thanks Marty!

Prairie Gal

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9872 on: October 29, 2017, 07:53:00 AM »
Starting November 1 I will be working from home, so should save a lot on gas. My commute is 13 kilometers (8 miles) each way.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9873 on: October 29, 2017, 08:23:33 AM »
-Saved and made money. Dog sitting while DH is out of town. Built in entertainment right there. I had planned on spending an afternoon sitting with a book at a coffee shop prior to the request, so that saves me at the minimum the cost of a coffee.

Starting November 1 I will be working from home, so should save a lot on gas. My commute is 13 kilometers (8 miles) each way.

That's great! Permanent change to WFH?

Kwill

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9874 on: October 29, 2017, 09:00:24 AM »
I went out for brunch and thought it strange that my relatively small meal turned out more than other people's. Looking at the receipt later, I realised I was charged twice for the main part, and I went back and got a refund. Savings of £1.70. Bonus is that I now know better how their system works, so I should be able to keep the brunch cost to £1.70 in future.

frooglepoodle

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9875 on: October 29, 2017, 10:50:57 AM »
I bought 20 bell peppers at $.50 each at the farmer’s market to dice and freeze for this winter’s stews and soups. It will probably save $1 per pepper over buying imported peppers during the winter and will taste better!

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9876 on: October 29, 2017, 04:43:19 PM »
Downloaded an app to earn 150 frequent flyer points.

Lauran75

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9877 on: October 30, 2017, 02:41:20 PM »
DH found someone on Craigslist who was trying to get rid of multiple pallets. We were needing a couple of pallets to store the concrete bags for our fence project (long story.) So we took our truck and went over and picked up 3 of the best looking pallets. Just cost a little a gas and some time.

Prairie Gal

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9878 on: October 30, 2017, 08:54:43 PM »
-Saved and made money. Dog sitting while DH is out of town. Built in entertainment right there. I had planned on spending an afternoon sitting with a book at a coffee shop prior to the request, so that saves me at the minimum the cost of a coffee.

Starting November 1 I will be working from home, so should save a lot on gas. My commute is 13 kilometers (8 miles) each way.

That's great! Permanent change to WFH?

It could potentially be permanent, if all goes well for both sides. We need to work out some logistics, but they are being very accommodating.

Annie_R

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9879 on: October 30, 2017, 10:52:30 PM »
Checked my mobile phone provider (Amaysim) for any updates to data plans.

Currently paying $24.90 for unlimited calls/text & 1.5GB data every 28 days.

New plan available is $20.00 for unlimited calls/text & 2.5GB data every 28 days.

Going to switch as soon as the current billing cycle expires in 10 days.

I'm switching from amaysim too, but based on my usage I only need 1.5gb so I'm switching to Bendigo bank Telco, $14.50 per month for unlimited call/text and 2.0gb.  https://www.bendigobanktelco.com.au/sim-only-plans

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9880 on: October 30, 2017, 11:12:18 PM »
I read my emails on my personal (non-work) account for the first time in 6 weeks.

Spotted one, and then a reminder from a certain telco provider who are delighted to announce they are cancelling the prepaid mobile broadband service I'm using because it's ancient and they want to focus on providing a better service with more cool options and ad-ons (i.e. a post paid service with lots of data but one that creams you on excess usage).

Apparently I'm a dinosaur (but I already knew that). The service I was using requires a USB key modem and I was getting 12GB for $150 with 365 day expiry. Not great but that was all I needed - basically all I do is internet banking, write shit on this forum, and look at stocks and realestate websites.

At the local shopping centre on the ground floor there was the telco provider who was giving me the boot, and opposite them was the telco provider who still is willing to cater to Brontosaurs like me. I went up to the sales dude and said "those guys (pointing out the store to them) are cancelling my service. I need a replacement"

$39 for a new modem, and a $130 recharge for 25GB with one year expiry and I'm happy.

And the old telco has promised to refund the 7 months left on the cancelled service so I'm very happy with that too.

I know we had this conversation but somehow I missed this post.

You might be a dinosaur but I still like you. :D

FrugalAussie

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9881 on: October 30, 2017, 11:19:54 PM »
Saved $100 by getting a second opinion about a medical procedure. It pays to call around.  My surgery was going to charge $100, another surgery that I've been to before bulk bills only so no charge (Australian healthcare system). Thankfully no need for an iron infusion at this stage anyway. Doctor advised that I trial a different supplement and be retested in 2 months.

We're travelling again (awesome deal on shoulder period flights from Australia to Europe).  Usually my dad, who lives close to the airport, drops us there.  He's in holiday himself so unavailable.  I joined up to Uber which I've never used.  Googled a deal $25 off first ride (Westpac, for Australian readers). Trip to airport will be free or nearly so.

Before we travel we've been eating out of the freezer/pantry/garden in an attempt to keep out of the shops and leave a clean fridge. We've done very well.

Spring garden has been super productive.  Eating lots of greens (good for my Iron levels) and Mulberries every day.  Lots of strawberries and blueberries too. Froze some of the excess fruit for when we return home from our trip. 

Dicey

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9882 on: October 31, 2017, 12:57:26 AM »
DH found someone on Craigslist who was trying to get rid of multiple pallets. We were needing a couple of pallets to store the concrete bags for our fence project (long story.) So we took our truck and went over and picked up 3 of the best looking pallets. Just cost a little a gas and some time.
I love that you only took what you needed.

kaypinkHH

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9883 on: October 31, 2017, 10:27:08 AM »
Signed up for a pumpking carving contest at work, got a free pumpkin, 2 hours of entertainment last night, and then won the contest, and made $50!! ($50 Visa gift card!)

Total profit:
Pumpkin~ $10
Two hours of entertainment: $30
Free pumpkin seed snack: $3
Winnings: $50

Total "savings"- $93  :D

Lauran75

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9884 on: October 31, 2017, 12:03:24 PM »
DH found someone on Craigslist who was trying to get rid of multiple pallets. We were needing a couple of pallets to store the concrete bags for our fence project (long story.) So we took our truck and went over and picked up 3 of the best looking pallets. Just cost a little a gas and some time.
I love that you only took what you needed.

I was actually surprised there were any left - the post had been up for 20 days. I've seen multiple people around here who use the pallets to make signs, so I figured they'd be long gone.

Hirondelle

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9885 on: November 01, 2017, 02:18:44 PM »
Had free lunch at work both today and yesterday.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9886 on: November 01, 2017, 03:36:02 PM »
We were tempted to get takeaway last night but I'm still on an elimination diet trying to get to the bottom of some food issues.

In the end it was just easier to cook at home rather than second-guess what was and wasn't going to make me sick.

Made plans to see friends on Sunday afternoon. Friend immediately asked for my preference between two recipes. Health and budget intact.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9887 on: November 02, 2017, 06:54:14 PM »
Cashed out loyalty points for a $25 supermarket voucher.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9888 on: November 02, 2017, 06:56:48 PM »
For vacation later this month: renting a car through an app called "turo" when we get there. Found a referral link on someone's profile, so we'll get $25 off the booking too. Glad we made our trip 7 days instead of 6- there was a 15% discount for a week's rental. Also passed on additional insurance coverage- we chatted with our insurance and made sure we were fully covered.

frooglepoodle

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9889 on: November 02, 2017, 07:02:05 PM »
Two no-spend days in a row.

DH has to travel for work for a few days and his hotel has a fridge this time. I sent him with breakfasts and lunches to minimize what he needs to spend at restaurants.

marielle

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9890 on: November 03, 2017, 06:29:28 AM »
Paid rent with my credit card, which has no fees and will give me $7.50 in cash back. I was going to give my roommate a check to take to the office, but realized I had time to go myself to pay with a card.

lexde

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9891 on: November 03, 2017, 07:22:15 AM »
Last night & today:

Skipped dinner last night since I wasn’t super hungry.

Found an old RX for my dog to help with her itchy allergy feet that saved me $60.

Grabbed a RXBar from the court reporters’ office yesterday since they have free snacks. Have it in my purse now, they’re $2/each in bulk.

Drinking free work coffee (the nice individual pouch machines, but wasteful...), tea, and la croix instead of buying my own.

Going to spend $8.50 on food today total for two meals. Not amazing, but still not bad.

Jaayse

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9892 on: November 03, 2017, 09:28:46 AM »
I cancelled the SLGI that I had, it was costing me 18.50 a month for the insurance.  Since I am single and have no dependents, it doesn't make sense for me to have it.  That is $222 back in my pocket for this next year!

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9893 on: November 03, 2017, 11:21:57 PM »
Ordered the 'big' Christmas present for my nephews after finding it online marked down from $60 to $35.

chasingthegoodlife

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9894 on: November 04, 2017, 01:07:37 PM »
Wanted to get some mulch for the garden before our backyard wedding in few weeks. SO wanted to get some delivered ($195) but I convinced him we should take our trailer down to the council transfer station instead.

$10 for a huge trailer load, and a good workout loading it ourselves. SO is really impressed with the quality of the mulch and now planning to get another load for his rental property.

Spent some time yesterday harvesting the last of the leeks and kale and sowing seeds for summer crops.  I don’t think my veggie garden saves us a HUGE amount of money, but it definitely helps and we eat a better variety and quality of veggies than we otherwise would. Eg leeks are $2 each in the shop. I grew maybe 20 leeks this year, costing $1 for seeds and then maybe another $1-2 for inputs like fertiliser and straw. I probably wouldn’t have bought 20 leeks at $2 a piece, so I can’t say I saved $37, but we sure did enjoy eating a leek whenever we wanted.

Kwill

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9895 on: November 04, 2017, 01:27:06 PM »
I booked flights home for Christmas this morning, and then I realised that I couldn't fly out that early because of a fairly important two-day event here. After much looking around on websites and staying on hold with the agency I booked through, I finally got connected to someone at the airline who said that they're required by law to allow cancellations within 24 hours for a full refund. Nothing at all about that on the airline's website, which says repeatedly that no refunds are allowed for any reason, and nothing about that on the travel website. I don't know which country's law that is, and I can't find anything about it online. But I took the refund and re-booked on better dates later in the day. Over two hours wasted on resolving this but a reasonable amount of money not wasted.

Finally found this: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/notice-24hour-reservation (via this story: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/how-to-cancel-your-flight_n_6029618).
« Last Edit: November 04, 2017, 01:30:49 PM by Kwill »

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9896 on: November 04, 2017, 03:24:04 PM »
Adjusted the temp in my freezer to save power.

horsepoor

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9897 on: November 04, 2017, 06:46:46 PM »
I was digging around trying to find my cell phone and found an $18 mail in rebate check that I lost several weeks ago and had given up on.

Eucalyptus

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9898 on: November 04, 2017, 10:33:27 PM »
Made a cheap bunch of rice and beans, total cost inc veg was about $3. Will last me about 6 meals, 7 with some cheap bread added.

Practised hypermiling techniques on my short drive to the Kindy working bee in my new (2nd hand of course!) little cheap Moustachian economical car. Went well.

Put up my old round dining table on gumtree (Aussie craigslist) for $40 negotiable. I mainly want it gone, but if I can get $20 that's a win.

Helvegen

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #9899 on: November 05, 2017, 07:44:26 AM »
Managed to somehow not spend a single penny yesterday.