The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: ChaseJuggler on February 18, 2015, 06:08:07 AM
-
A huge part of the Mustachian life is not wasting money on the latest gadgets. But I'd love to hear what gadgets have actually saved you some cash over the years. (If you list one, please link to it!)
CFL Bulbs
http://goo.gl/judxJ1
Low flow, high pressure shower head. Really increased our water pressure, while decreasing the amount of hot water used. It's also my go-to holiday gift giving idea.
http://goo.gl/ddA7Z0
Oral B electric toothbrush. I've had nothing but perfect dental checkups since buying this thing! (get the replacement heads on ebay - much cheaper there.)
http://goo.gl/oNnsGH
Wifi black & white laser printer (more than $50, but if you do a lot of printing like we do, it pays itself off in a hurry!) We've had zero problems with the Brother HL-2270dw after printing about ten thousand pages. We get our replacement toner on ebay for about $8.50 each, and they're good for about 3000 pages each.
Toner: http://www.ebay.com/itm/161285879385
Printer: http://goo.gl/gBUelY
Would love to hear any other recommendations!
-
Pasta Boat. This really helped me kick the restaurant habit. Make pasta or steam veggies in the microwave.
http://goo.gl/6cC7RE
-
Reusable lids for used Keurig k-cups. They are awesome and cost only $8.99 on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FGFC9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The Keurig was a gift but we loved it. We would buy k-cups on E-bay and save lots of money over the stores but it was still expensive. We saved a bunch of the k-cups, rinse them out, fill them with our favorite coffee and pop on one of these lids. Now we still get the convenience of one cup whenever we want it at a fraction of the k-cup cost.
-
$50 Wahl clippers. Haven't purchased razors in 3 years. And 6 months out of the year I shave my head with it. Saving $15 on a haircut every 4-6 weeks.
-
Practically every tool in my toolbox.
-
Purchasing a modem rather than renting it.
-
I spend way less than $50 on vegetable garden supplies most years.
-
$50 Wahl clippers. Haven't purchased razors in 3 years. And 6 months out of the year I shave my head with it. Saving $15 on a haircut every 4-6 weeks.
+1
My clippers paid for themselves the second time I used them. They've generated several hundred dollars of savings over the last couple years, and the amount is only increasing. We have a son to clip as well now.
-
wife bought eye glasses from Zenni Optical for $27; saved about $200
I bought and replaced my furnace igniter for $25; saved about $250
built an outdoor table with about $50 of lumber/stain; has beer and wine troughs in it using garden planters; saved about $400 over buying a new one
took military space A flights to Europe for $0; saved thousands
bought modem on craigslist $35; saved about $50 + the cost of renting one
Ooma box was $105, but the savings there are significant over time; same with Republic wireless phone.
-
If we can go over $50, one $5000 backhoe. Saved 20 or 30 thousand at least.
-
french press + coffee grinder, saves us money because we enjoy great coffee at home
costco membership $50/year but huge savings on household basics
back when i lived in a city, paying an extra $50 to buy both good boots and a warm coat saved me cab fare and metro fare when i was fine walking everywhere in winter
more than $50 but sewing machine for basic hemming, curtains, throw pillows
-
Thermal curtains - keep the heat out in the summer and in during the winter.
-
Slow cooker. Takeout is much less tempting when I know dinner is already cooking.
-
Cuisinart Vegetable Chopper. On busy days, I have skipped many a restaurant meal by having that machine slice and dice dinner.
+1 to the Wahl clippers. Have easily saved $4500 on haircuts for DH and the boys.
+1 to the Modem. Still mad for not realizing that savings years earlier.
Had a Krups Cappuccino machine that was a faithful servant for many years. Cost $40 at Bed, Bath & Beyond. It paid for itself after 1 month.
-
Our rice cooker. We bought a cheap one ~$20. I cook a few cups of brown rice with vegetables on Sunday, and we eat it through the week.
-
Agree with the hand tool answer above. Big time savings.
Also, although not a gadget, choosing to buy turbotax through amazon in years where we've messed up and get a refund gives us amazon gift card credit that exceeds the cost of the program (up to $200 credit if you direct up to $2000 of your refund to the amazon account).
-
Thermos. We spent $35 on a guaranteed unbreakable thermos and it gets filled with coffee to take with us almost every time we go out. Even the Hub who "does not cook" manages to fill the thermos for days when he will be away from the office. Being able to take the coffee with us also means that we are much more likely to pack a picnic than stop for junk food.
Camp stove. Cost about $50 and means we don't jump in the car and drive into town for coffee the minute we wake up. Saves us both the price of gas and eating out.
Hair clippers just like everybody else.
Three stamps to send away to Carlsfriends for free sour dough starter. We used to go out for pancakes once in a while. Having the sour dough just waiting to be made into pancakes means we never do that now. The pancakes take less time to mix up than it used to take us to find our shoes and car keys.
Wool skateboarder hat, wools socks, sweatshirt. Total cost less than $5.00 from thrift store. Means I turn the heat on a lot less. Has not actually saved me thousands yet. Depends on how long I live.
-
Reusable lids for used Keurig k-cups.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/heres-a-super-easy-way-to-get-around-keurig-20-drm-restrictions-121214.html
I second the rice cooker. While I got some warnings at work about the longevity of cheaper ones and that I should get a Zojirushi, I don't really use it like them (cooking several cups at once, leaving in the machine and using throughout the week). I am not comfortable leaving it plugged in and using the timer, but I can get other things done while the rice cooks and the stir-fry portion only takes a couple minutes.
A subsequent purchase that goes with this are pyrex containers to take the leftovers to work. They technically pay for themselves in one meal.
-
Cordless Dremel for doing the dog's nails. Pays off in a month or two.
-
Shoe Goo = $8 which repairs 10-20 pairs of shoes.
-- Vik
-
Shoe Goo = $8 which repairs 10-20 pairs of shoes.
-- Vik
+1 Shoe Goo is magic
Also +1 on the Wahl clippers - mine are still going strong after 5 years of bi-weekly use and have never needed sharpening. I just bought a new red guard (the smallest) from Sally Beauty for three and a half bucks because I wore out the first one.
I would also add on that having almost no hair on my head (mostly by choice) has saved a TON on shampoo and I never need conditioner. I use a pea-sized dollop of cheap Suave shampoo every morning. A regular bottle lasts months.
-
Yes to the rice cooker. I actually use ours more for oatmeal than I do for rice.
Also, mason jars. They're just so versatile.
-
Definitely YNAB.
Maybe outlet timers? I admit I've never calculated the dollars in energy they save, but I feel like they are worthwhile. Even if only to shut off the modem at 11 each night so I don't waste sleep time on other things...
-
For all you with the hair clippers, do you just buzz the whole thing the same length? If not, any tips on doing a bit more stylized cut with longer top than back and sides?
-
I do the Hub's with clippers and I just buzz the his whole head. He used to insist on a hair style until he saw himself on TV and realized he was getting bald.
I use a Flowbee on myself and find that going all over my head at one length gives me very much the same style I used to pay for. So much for the idea that hair styling is a secret art. Didn't mention the Flowbee on this thread because it cost more than $50.
-
Question about the rice cooker: we currently add rice and water to a pot, bring it to a boil, and then simmer for 20 min and it comes out perfectly. What exactly would a rice cooker save me? Or what benefits are there? I am really interested because so many people swear by them.
When I used one it was for time-savings and that it clicks off. The rice doesn't actually cook faster, but I don't need to be in the kitchen watching it so I could set the rice cooker up (and some rices take longer) then go shower and warm but not overcooked rice would be waiting for me to add to leftovers when I got out. Nice after a long day when you just want to come home, eat, and fall into bed. I'm no longer in commissioning mode at work and my pot is easier to clean so I don't really use it anymore.
-
Cloth napkins.
Wire mesh coffee filter.
-
The hair clipper is a big one. No more visits to the barber.
Also my dentist got me on some prescription anti-cavity toothpaste a couple of years ago. At $17 for a tube it's expensive, but not as expensive as fillings, and I haven't needed any since switching toothpaste.
-
clothes drying rack - don't have to use the clothes dryer.
crockpot - i just love pouring ingredients in, turning it on, going to bed, and walking up in the morning or coming home after a long day to nice hot food.
scissors that cut paper with a nice design. i don't know what they're called, but a life saver. I usually take a plain 3x5 index card and cut it in 1/2 so the design is on just 1 side. punch a hole and presto, nice gift tag for practically nothing.
outlet timer - i have a very bad habit of falling asleep with the light on. I set it to turn the lights off at a certain time, and if I'm still away by that time -- that's my reminder it's time to go to bed.
my travel pants and shirts. yes i really do have clothes just for when i travel. i realize it doesn't sound very MMM, but hear me out. This pair of pants and 3 shirts get washed in the sink almost daily when i travel. I just hang them in my hotel room, and they're dry by morning for me to wear. Because i can pretty much wear them daily (the items are washed pretty much daily) I can pretty much travel with just carry on. And yes I do carry an extra pair of pants and shirt, but they don't usually make it out of the suitcase.
-
Reusable lids for used Keurig k-cups. They are awesome and cost only $8.99 on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FGFC9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The Keurig was a gift but we loved it. We would buy k-cups on E-bay and save lots of money over the stores but it was still expensive. We saved a bunch of the k-cups, rinse them out, fill them with our favorite coffee and pop on one of these lids. Now we still get the convenience of one cup whenever we want it at a fraction of the k-cup cost.
God for you! More people need to do this. beyond the cost savings, those k-cups are are horrible for the environment.
"There were 60 billion K-Cups that have gone into landfills during Keurig's rise so far," Mike Hachey says. "Obviously, Keurig is the machine of choice for many people — 13 million people have this machine."
IDK what the volume of one k-cup is, but that is a huge volume of unnecessary trash!
-
For all you with the hair clippers, do you just buzz the whole thing the same length? If not, any tips on doing a bit more stylized cut with longer top than back and sides?
I buzz really short but there are great guides online for doing your own fade on the sides.
For me it's just the red guard:
http://www.salonguys.com/wahl-attachment-combs.html?sel=CL-95-02&gclid=Cj0KEQiAjZGnBRCOuJOUo9Xd0sUBEiQAPbicN6wnqPOILjsrXu3nRFjZpifJqUrJnXjgBL_OLLUpk1waAv7o8P8HAQ
The clippers have a long and short adjustment lever that I use. Red guard/long on the top, red guard/short on the sides and back. The difference is subtle so it sort of blends itself in automatically. I don't bother with any sort of fancy cut-in line in the back by my neck - too hard to do solo and I like it blended all the way out anyway. Some kits come with a tapered left and right guard to help transition the sides if you want a bigger length difference.
Another bonus - the eyebrow guard. It's just plain awesome lol
-
If you are gonna get clippers get the Wahl for sure, i've had too many cheaper ones crap out on me.
-
My $8 flask has saved me a couple hundred dollars.
-
Aeropress coffee maker
-
For all you with the hair clippers, do you just buzz the whole thing the same length? If not, any tips on doing a bit more stylized cut with longer top than back and sides?
I use a #2 on the sides and back, a #7 at the very front, and a #4 on top. Just blend it by eyeball while pulling the clippers away from the head slightly as you go up. Usually I can cut the sides and top fine on my own, but I get my wife to even up the back properly. I don't know if there's a special name for this haircut . . . it just looks like a generic men's cut.
-
For all you with the hair clippers, do you just buzz the whole thing the same length? If not, any tips on doing a bit more stylized cut with longer top than back and sides?
This is how I cut my husband's hair. He has coarse, straight hair. I use a Wahl for the bulk of the cutting, then a smaller electric clipper called a Peanut for the more detail cuts. You can do everything with a Wahl, but sometimes it is clumsy around the ears.
- Put a #3 guard on the Wahl scissors. Buzz vertically up the sides and back of head, not rounding into the top part of the head.
- Use scissors to cut the top of the head. I cut his around 1" - at the front side of my fingers when holding the hair.
- Stop the 1" cut as you approach the front of head - leave about 2" of space.
- Cut hair in the front of the head to the best look for person's face (usually 1.5-2" long, gradually blending into the shorter hair already cut with scissors).
- Grab Peanut (or remove guard from Wahl clippers).
- Grab a comb.
- Using the comb as the guard, use the Peanut/Wahl clippers to cut and blend in the hair around the crown of the head. This is the area where the original guard cut and the scissor cut come together. Easiest to start closest to the face, then work to the back of the head.
- Trim around the ears and back of the neck.
- Check eyebrows for stray feelers. Cut with scissors.
- Demand money for haircut, get laughed at by DH. :-)
-
Thanks for the tips 2ndTimer, OSUBearCub, GuitarStv, and GardenFun! Any preference for dry vs damp vs wet hair?
-
Thanks for the tips 2ndTimer, OSUBearCub, GuitarStv, and GardenFun! Any preference for dry vs damp vs wet hair?
I do both the Hub's and mine dry. Then we jump in the shower and have a shampoo to get rid of the itchy bit that always falls down the neck.
-
Purchasing software to do my own taxes (and I'm a CPA).
I used to use Turbotax, but got frustrated royally with this year's product changes and the fact that the software no longer agrees with my firewall.
So, I switched to TaxAct -- an equally sufficient product at a fraction of the cost.
So, I saved several ways:
(1) Using software helps me organize and maximize deductions.
(2) I don't pay professional fees to anyone else to do my taxes.
(3) The switch from TurboTax to the TaxAct Deluxe Package saved me over $50 in software costs and filing fees (TT=$75; TA=$20)
(4) Oh -- and I bought the TT software at Costco, which has an excellent returns policy. So, after spending 1 1/2 hours on the phone last night with TT techs only to realize that TT was no longer going to work for me (after 5 years of being a regular customer) I decided to say "screw it" and I'm returning the software this weekend.
-
Wow, this thread derailed into "how to cut hair" quickly.
Also, OP, you give shower heads as your go-to Christmas gift??
-
toaster oven
drying rack
bread machine
"old lady" bundle buggy
-
Wire mesh coffee filter.
Thank you! I didn't even know such a thing existed! It's on my wishlist now.
My bicycle tyre repair kit has saved me a few visits to the repair shop, but not that many. I'd have to drive over broken glass more often to get a better return on the investment. My drying rack's saved me much more.
-
For all you with the hair clippers, do you just buzz the whole thing the same length? If not, any tips on doing a bit more stylized cut with longer top than back and sides?
I just do a #8 (1") over the whole head, and trim the sideburns shorter using the #3. This results in hair that is short, but still pretty combable. I let it grow out for a few weeks and repeat. I do the cut with dry hair and then shower afterward to keep the extra hair from getting all over the house.
-
Wireless hot spot. It added $20/month to my monthly bill. Actually, I realized I could save money in other areas, so my bill actually went down $30. But I'm not counting that savings. Just the time I don't have to spend finding wireless and the added flexibility has been worth a lot.
-
Mentioned this in another thread, but George Foreman grill. Gave my husband the ability/confidence to cook, and his pitching in has saved us on both the cost of cooking food and by reducing the tendency toward takeout.
-
Hahaha...based on the other thread I'm involved in....when I was younger? Birth Control AND Condoms.
-
my travel pants and shirts. yes i really do have clothes just for when i travel. i realize it doesn't sound very MMM, but hear me out. This pair of pants and 3 shirts get washed in the sink almost daily when i travel. I just hang them in my hotel room, and they're dry by morning for me to wear. Because i can pretty much wear them daily (the items are washed pretty much daily) I can pretty much travel with just carry on. And yes I do carry an extra pair of pants and shirt, but they don't usually make it out of the suitcase.
Do you have a link to these? Thanks!
-
Like some other posters have already stated: Wahl Clippers. I just cut my own hair.
Mike
-
Wow, this thread derailed into "how to cut hair" quickly.
Also, OP, you give shower heads as your go-to Christmas gift??
This one gives you REALLY good pressure. Everyone always thinks it's a weird gift, until they install it and take their first shower with it.
I got my girlfriend one the week after we started dating. She couldn't believe the difference!
-
Bought gobs of stock in the Wahl Clipper Company just hours ago. I'm FI now!
-
I bought an ice cream maker on Craigslist for $1, used it a couple times and then swapped it for a breadmaker that my brother and sister-in-law had bought but didn't like. SIL can't have dairy, so they get more use out of the ice cream maker in the summer making alternative ice creams with things like coconut milk. I only use the breadmaker every now and again, but over maybe six years, I've gotten more than my dollar's worth.
I bought a chipped French press coffee maker at a yard sale for about $1. It makes good coffee, even if I just buy the pre-ground store brand coffee. It hasn't exactly saved me money because without the coffee maker, I'd drink tea at home, which is cheaper. But it's a cheap way to make coffee.
-
Salad Spinner - I used $9.99 on a gift card at World Market so technically I didn't purchase it. It also looks just like the brand that sells for $29.99 in BB&B. It saves me from wasting money on salad in a bag and heads of lettuce last a lot longer.
-
Programmable themostat - sorry no link, but yeah, saves a lot since it turns on or off the heat and air without us fiddling with it!
+1 to buying own modem, etc as well!
-
Programmable themostat - sorry no link, but yeah, saves a lot since it turns on or off the heat and air without us fiddling with it!
+1 to buying own modem, etc as well!
ha!
I got two of those little money savers a few weeks ago for my studio. They are really great and work just fine. The studio is perfectly temperated when needed, and ice cold when I'm not at home anyways. Perfect! <3
My below-50$-purchase to save real money was a studded bike tire. Amortized itself after only 4-5 days of winter cycling.
-
Cordless Dremel for doing the dog's nails. Pays off in a month or two.
I've been thinking about this, but don;t want to hurt her. Do I need to get a specific one? I saw a $20 on the Home Depot website?
-
If you don't cut into the quick (the blood vessel) you won't hurt her, any more than you hurt yourself when you cut your nails. If her nails are white/clear it is easy to see where not to cut. With black nails it is harder, but doing it every week and just taking a bit off will work. Nail clippers and then the Dremel are probably easiest. If your dog's nails are not too rough when you finish (some are more brittle than others), or you do a lot of walking on rough surfaces, you can skip the Dremel.
General comments - reward, reward, reward - my dog expects a treat every time I do her nails (when we are done she jumps up and runs to the kitchen counter where her treats are) but she doesn't fight me about it, just looks resigned. When you are first starting you could reward after each foot, or even after each nail. Tiny tiny pieces to make the treat last.
If you can hear your dog's nails click on a hard floor, they need cutting. Too many dogs are walking around with their paws at a bad angle because their nails are too long.
To stay on topic, good nail clippers for a dog (scissor type) are usually about $10, plus the Dremel, and I used to pay $6 every two weeks (sometimes every week if her nails were growing fast) when I got it done at obedience class. Not to mention that you can do it in the comfort of your own home, no need to make an appointment and go out (just like cutting our own hair).
Dremel - you want an attachment that will grind off things, like an emery board for the dog. Sort of like these:
http://www.dremel.com/en-ca/Accessories/Pages/SubCategories.aspx?catid=2051 (http://www.dremel.com/en-ca/Accessories/Pages/SubCategories.aspx?catid=2051)
I've been thinking about this, but don;t want to hurt her. Do I need to get a specific one? I saw a $20 on the Home Depot website?
-
A decent travel mug (aladdin). All the free ones I got from work/conferences/etc seemed to leak early into their life which made it hard to stay out of the gas station for my caffeine fix. Now I always start my commute with a $0.03 cup of tea.
-
God for you! More people need to do this. beyond the cost savings, those k-cups are are horrible for the environment.
"There were 60 billion K-Cups that have gone into landfills during Keurig's rise so far," Mike Hachey says. "Obviously, Keurig is the machine of choice for many people — 13 million people have this machine."
IDK what the volume of one k-cup is, but that is a huge volume of unnecessary trash!
Agreed. And I didn't even mention that we re-use the k-cups multiple times, not just once. We've been re-using the same few k-cups for the last 2 months and I've only thrown one away since we got the re-usable lids. We probably have at least 50 used k-cups in a box. Those will last us a VERY long time at this rate.
-
Cordless Dremel for doing the dog's nails. Pays off in a month or two.
I've been thinking about this, but don;t want to hurt her. Do I need to get a specific one? I saw a $20 on the Home Depot website?
You don't need a pet specific one. One that has a variable speed that has a slower setting will work. If you go too fast their nails will heat up. With the Dremmel you can go slower and take off a little at a time so I'm not as worried about hitting the quick. You can even do a little over a few days if it's too much for your dog to handle all at once.
I hold the paw with my hand and the nail that I'm working on with my finger so dampen the vibration. My dog use to run away from me and tuck his paws under him when he saw the clippers. Now he lays in his bed and almost falls asleep. Our dog has really thick nails and even walking 1-1.5 hrs everyday doesn't grind them down. So we've save plenty of $ doing it ourselves. It is messy so I lay a towel under his legs and just shake off the nail dust outside.
-
YNAB was $45 and paid for itself after a month, my Wahl clippers were $30 something and paid for themselves after a month (purchased 2 years ago), and most recently I bought a Roku 3. It was $80 with shipping, but as soon as I cancelled cable my bill dropped by $110.
-
Energy-efficient light bulbs (over $50 for entire house)
Cable modem (a little over $50)
Rechargeable batteries
Two warm blankets (keep house two degrees cooler since getting them)
Slow cooker (cheap meals and saves at least 2-3 quick meals eating out each month)
-
-Pourover coffee cone and kettle (can be had for under $50 combined depending on model) has saved me a ton on buying coffee shop coffee. Plus I don't need to leave home or worry about power outages disrupting my caffeine addiction.
-quarterly unlimited bus pass for $33 versus paying $74/month for parking at work, plus commuting costs. And I can use it to get around town anytime, not just for the commute.
-yet another vote for wahl clippers. The GF doesn't like my head shaved so I'm back to traditional, but they saved me hundreds for years, and I still use them for my beard.
ALMOST making the cut at $55:
-wooden gymnastic rings from MDUSA. I work in the S&C industry, and for my money, I cannot think of a single piece of storebought equipment that is more versatile and effective than a set of rings. There is practically no way to break them. And until you can do plaches, malteses, handstands, front levers, iron crosses, and everything in between, you have not graduated from rings. There are movements ranging from absolute beginner to ungodly superman that you can do with one piece of equipment that weighs a couple of pounds and packs very efficiently into a travel bag. They can be hung from anything that bears your weight, including uneven objects like tree branches. You can't do much for the lower body, but the upper half is covered. My ideal Mustachian gym would just be a set of rings, plus a used olympic bar and plates. MAYBE a squat rack if you wanted to splurge.
-
Crockpot #1. Bought it for 20 dollars years ago and still use it weekly. Allows me to make tougher meats delicious.
Small portable lunch kit/ice chest #2. Take my lunch most days to work, keep drinks and snacks in it for kids while driving around town or doing errands. Probably paid for itself in less than a month.
Eyebrow dye #3. Sounds strange but I have dark hair and blond eyebrows and don't wear much makeup so if my eyebrows are blond I look exhausted. Dyed them for years at $15-25 a time because couldn't find a pencil I liked. Invested in the dye from Amazon and now do it myself for probably less than $3 in the comfort of my own bathroom
Library Card #4. Two dollars. I read voraciously. Used to easily spend $100-200 a month on books. Found out I can be a patron of the large county library in addition to city libraries in my area. Never buy a book anymore since I can get interlibrary loans free or very inexpensive and can even download books onto my computer or kindle. Great bargain.
-
Three plastic screwtop one litre containers, $2.50 each.
They're ideal for carrying lunch to work, rather commute-proof, and I usually fill them upside down, nuke for a couple minutes, upend it into a bowl and nuke some more. :)
Saved me plenty instead of buying lunch.
-
Diva Cup (for the ladies) - $30 that easily saved me hundreds and it's only a couple of years in
Wool socks
Cloth napkins
Mason jars for storing bulk goods
free: deciding to try no mascara and cutting my own hair
-
Tortilla press.
-
Thought of one that actually fits the price range. Pressure canner from a yard sale. It was like new still in the box many years ago, and I paid 40 bucks for it. It's a big one, holds a double rack of quart sized jars, so it was expensive even back then to buy new.
-
I'm sure the warm boots with good grippy bottoms I bought for less than $50 have saved me more than $50 in gas money because I'm able to walk to work in the winter. :)
-
+1 for the hair clippers. Well, I guess I haven't saved money with it yet technically, because they cost me $25 and I've cut my own hair twice now (which displaces$10-$12 haircuts before tip). But they will.
$40 bike trailer from Craigslist enables me to bike to a Korean grocery store 13 miles away and haul back loads of groceries (one time I dragged back my body weight in groceries + trailer). But again technically I haven't recouped the costs yet because I've only done this ride three times so far since I don't need to go there that often. All in due time though
That's all that comes to mind at the moment. Unfortunately I haven't used either of these things enough yet to recoup the costs....
I do use YNAB but I got it for free as a student, so that doesn't technically count either. I highly recommend it though.
-
Question about the rice cooker: we currently add rice and water to a pot, bring it to a boil, and then simmer for 20 min and it comes out perfectly. What exactly would a rice cooker save me? Or what benefits are there? I am really interested because so many people swear by them.
As someone else said previously, it's more about the time savings. I mostly use ours for oatmeal, since I can make a large pot that way (which I can't in the microwave), enough for me and my toddler to eat for a couple of mornings, and don't have to sit there babysitting it as I would if I did it on the stovetop. I push the button (mine only has "cook" and "warm", and one of them is always going when it's plugged in) and go get ready for work. By the time I'm done getting myself ready, breakfast is done.
Also, I can add frozen fruit to the pot while it's cooking and it doesn't come out ungodly hot, the way it did in the microwave. I no longer burn my mouth on a regular basis while eating oatmeal.
Lastly, a bunch of people have developed recipes that you can make in a rice cooker, as in whole meals. Takes less time/energy than a CrockPot (not knocking those, I love mine) but again, you don't have to do much work to have a nice meal.
-
If you don't cut into the quick (the blood vessel) you won't hurt her, any more than you hurt yourself when you cut your nails. If her nails are white/clear it is easy to see where not to cut. With black nails it is harder, but doing it every week and just taking a bit off will work. Nail clippers and then the Dremel are probably easiest. If your dog's nails are not too rough when you finish (some are more brittle than others), or you do a lot of walking on rough surfaces, you can skip the Dremel.
General comments - reward, reward, reward - my dog expects a treat every time I do her nails (when we are done she jumps up and runs to the kitchen counter where her treats are) but she doesn't fight me about it, just looks resigned. When you are first starting you could reward after each foot, or even after each nail. Tiny tiny pieces to make the treat last.
If you can hear your dog's nails click on a hard floor, they need cutting. Too many dogs are walking around with their paws at a bad angle because their nails are too long.
To stay on topic, good nail clippers for a dog (scissor type) are usually about $10, plus the Dremel, and I used to pay $6 every two weeks (sometimes every week if her nails were growing fast) when I got it done at obedience class. Not to mention that you can do it in the comfort of your own home, no need to make an appointment and go out (just like cutting our own hair).
Dremel - you want an attachment that will grind off things, like an emery board for the dog. Sort of like these:
http://www.dremel.com/en-ca/Accessories/Pages/SubCategories.aspx?catid=2051 (http://www.dremel.com/en-ca/Accessories/Pages/SubCategories.aspx?catid=2051)
thinking about this, but don;t want to hurt her. Do I need to get a specific one? I saw a $20 on the Home Depot website?
You don't need a pet specific one. One that has a variable speed that has a slower setting will work. If you go too fast their nails will heat up. With the Dremmel you can go slower and take off a little at a time so I'm not as worried about hitting the quick. You can even do a little over a few days if it's too much for your dog to handle all at once.
I hold the paw with my hand and the nail that I'm working on with my finger so dampen the vibration. My dog use to run away from me and tuck his paws under him when he saw the clippers. Now he lays in his bed and almost falls asleep. Our dog has really thick nails and even walking 1-1.5 hrs everyday doesn't grind them down. So we've save plenty of $ doing it ourselves. It is messy so I lay a towel under his legs and just shake off the nail dust outside.
Thank you, I'm going to look into this. I take her about every two months at $15 a pop so it does add up.
-
A mini air compressor. Plugs into the cigarette lighter in my car. It was about $20. I nursed along a tire with an undiscoverable slow leak for far longer than I should have... But that little compressor is so convenient and easy. I am much more likely to check my tire pressure and adjust than if I had to find one at a gas station. I delayed spending on the tire purchase but have definitely saved on wear and tear by keeping things in good working order.
I carried it in my work truck for years. I can't even remember how many times I used it on one of our fleet of trucks, or helped other people out. Sometimes to properly inflate a spare or just to off a tire and get the vehicle to a garage for a patch before it loses too much and damages the rim. So much time and hassle and money saved.
It's one of my go to gifts.
-
- LEDs
- hair scissors
- hair color (every 4 weeks)
- lady cup
- basket for my bike (not amortized yet)
- bread machine
- some books about finances
- food boxes for taking lunch to work, I also use them for freezing leftovers
-
+1 slow cooker. $25 on Craigslist. No takeout.
Resoling work shoes.
Metal water bottles.
-
Clippers for DH's hair. The bonus is he cuts his hair more often than when he used to go to the hairdresser, so he spends less time looking scruffy. The payback time was less than 6 months.
Aeropress for DH at work to minimise his clown latte habit. Ditto with the payback time.
Bunch of screw-top 500ml plastic containers from the Reject Shop ($2 each) - easy and convenient to freeze meals for both of us to take to work for our lunches.
-
Question regarding male shaving. I have to be clean shaven every day for work. I've been using razors for years because I like the close shave, but there is a repeating cost (and my neck is inflamed when I'm done). I've been able to stretch out razor blades a lot longer than the product states, but it still bugs me to drop $20 on blades even if it lasts me most of the year. I've experimented with electric shavers, but I've never been satisfied with the results. Any thoughts or recommendations?
-
I find that safety razors are just as effective as the jillion blade kind. You can get a handle and 100 blades for under 30 bucks. Even if you only use each blade for a week, that's a significant savings. Dry it off and store the blade in baby oil between uses, and it'll never rust.
-
Question regarding male shaving. I have to be clean shaven every day for work. I've been using razors for years because I like the close shave, but there is a repeating cost (and my neck is inflamed when I'm done). I've been able to stretch out razor blades a lot longer than the product states, but it still bugs me to drop $20 on blades even if it lasts me most of the year. I've experimented with electric shavers, but I've never been satisfied with the results. Any thoughts or recommendations?
I've been using these lately:
http://www.amazon.com/Dorco-Plus--Blade-System-Trimmer/dp/B008O82O7C/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1424479273&sr=1-1&keywords=dorco+razor+blades (http://www.amazon.com/Dorco-Plus--Blade-System-Trimmer/dp/B008O82O7C/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1424479273&sr=1-1&keywords=dorco+razor+blades)
Each blade in my opinion lasts longer than most of the competition, they're cheaper than most, plus a package like this gets you 10 of them. These blades are what the Dollar Shave Club tries to sell you at a premium (they buy direct from Dorco). I average about 2 shaves a week, they are the smoothest blades I've ever used and I'm still on the first blade after 3 months (I expect these 10 to last me for two years at least). If the amazon price jumps up try buying them directly from Dorco.
-
Bathrobe and slippers. All winter I wear these over my clothes. It's like being wrapped in a blanket.
-
Question regarding male shaving. I have to be clean shaven every day for work. I've been using razors for years because I like the close shave, but there is a repeating cost (and my neck is inflamed when I'm done). I've been able to stretch out razor blades a lot longer than the product states, but it still bugs me to drop $20 on blades even if it lasts me most of the year. I've experimented with electric shavers, but I've never been satisfied with the results. Any thoughts or recommendations?
Look into old fashioned double edged razors: http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Heavy-Double-Razor-Included/dp/B000QYEK88/
You still have to buy blades, but they're a lot cheaper: http://www.amazon.com/Feather-Double-Edge-Blades-Count/dp/B00AGG3MNU -- These are some of the pricier ones, but they're my favorite. Still only 32 cents per blade.
I would tear up my face pretty good shaving every day, but I get less razor burn than I used to with the new fangled 3-blade type, and a closer shave.
-
For me, one item is a foaming soap dispenser. To use these you typically need 1 part soap to 5 parts water. For the soap I use a cheap, Eco friendly one like dr. Bronners. I can get a whole year of soap for $10 for a family of frequent hand washers.