Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?  (Read 8020860 times)

Tyson

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3023
  • Age: 51
  • Location: Denver, Colorado
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11400 on: June 10, 2018, 02:17:17 PM »
-My previously reported husband saving our heat pump wasn't the whole problem. (He did fix a major thing, though). But, we were able to get a family friend out, and he gave us the friends and family price for the coolant and work. Ended up being $500 for a fix that would have easily been $1500 without. It should buy us a couple years with our current system, and then we'll replace the whole unit.
-Trying to switch back to dairy half and half for my coffee, after using non dairy products for a while. We'll see what my gut thinks of the change, but the price difference is huge, and my stomach won't handle black coffee.
-Instead of using pricey dog treats to train our puppy, we've just been cooking up chicken. It's easier for her to eat, anyway.

Try making cold brew coffee.  It's way less acidic than regular coffee so you might not need a creamer to tame it for your stomach.

Rural

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5051
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11401 on: June 10, 2018, 05:22:31 PM »
-My previously reported husband saving our heat pump wasn't the whole problem. (He did fix a major thing, though). But, we were able to get a family friend out, and he gave us the friends and family price for the coolant and work. Ended up being $500 for a fix that would have easily been $1500 without. It should buy us a couple years with our current system, and then we'll replace the whole unit.
-Trying to switch back to dairy half and half for my coffee, after using non dairy products for a while. We'll see what my gut thinks of the change, but the price difference is huge, and my stomach won't handle black coffee.
-Instead of using pricey dog treats to train our puppy, we've just been cooking up chicken. It's easier for her to eat, anyway.

Try making cold brew coffee.  It's way less acidic than regular coffee so you might not need a creamer to tame it for your stomach.


Also, rice milk is dead easy to make and is cheaper than dairy milk when homemade: https://zerowastechef.com/2014/06/04/no-cook-rice-milk/

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11402 on: June 10, 2018, 09:21:18 PM »
-My previously reported husband saving our heat pump wasn't the whole problem. (He did fix a major thing, though). But, we were able to get a family friend out, and he gave us the friends and family price for the coolant and work. Ended up being $500 for a fix that would have easily been $1500 without. It should buy us a couple years with our current system, and then we'll replace the whole unit.
-Trying to switch back to dairy half and half for my coffee, after using non dairy products for a while. We'll see what my gut thinks of the change, but the price difference is huge, and my stomach won't handle black coffee.
-Instead of using pricey dog treats to train our puppy, we've just been cooking up chicken. It's easier for her to eat, anyway.

Try making cold brew coffee.  It's way less acidic than regular coffee so you might not need a creamer to tame it for your stomach.

I do make cold brew, but it takes an obscene amount of grounds.

-My previously reported husband saving our heat pump wasn't the whole problem. (He did fix a major thing, though). But, we were able to get a family friend out, and he gave us the friends and family price for the coolant and work. Ended up being $500 for a fix that would have easily been $1500 without. It should buy us a couple years with our current system, and then we'll replace the whole unit.
-Trying to switch back to dairy half and half for my coffee, after using non dairy products for a while. We'll see what my gut thinks of the change, but the price difference is huge, and my stomach won't handle black coffee.
-Instead of using pricey dog treats to train our puppy, we've just been cooking up chicken. It's easier for her to eat, anyway.

Try making cold brew coffee.  It's way less acidic than regular coffee so you might not need a creamer to tame it for your stomach.


Also, rice milk is dead easy to make and is cheaper than dairy milk when homemade: https://zerowastechef.com/2014/06/04/no-cook-rice-milk/

Creamers tend to be way thicker than milks are, and stabilized so they don't split when they hit hot liquid.

alewpanda

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 319
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11403 on: June 10, 2018, 09:32:32 PM »
Hubby let me cut his hair!  We were in a rush because he wanted it cut before church, so I haven't cleaned up the neck yet, but a quick run over with a razor and a #1 guard was fast and doesn't look any different than the buzzes that he typically pays for....

He seems open to it being a regular thing.

alewpanda

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 319
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11404 on: June 10, 2018, 09:31:44 PM »
Hubby let me cut his hair!  We were in a rush because he wanted it cut before church, so I haven't cleaned up the neck yet, but a quick run over with a razor and a #1 guard was fast and doesn't look any different than the buzzes that he typically pays for....

He seems open to it being a regular thing.

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5304
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11405 on: June 11, 2018, 08:00:02 AM »
-Magically had $.99 saltines on hand for a bout with the flu yesterday
-Got a $10 credit for a camp, after I was charged the wrong amount
-Sold the kids old Pokemon cards/accessories on a local family swap. Giving them the money for an upcoming vacation, but all of the stuff is out of my house!

Reader

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 495
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11406 on: June 11, 2018, 08:07:35 AM »
i resisted a latte. $5.50 saved.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11407 on: June 11, 2018, 01:08:59 PM »
Hubby let me cut his hair!  We were in a rush because he wanted it cut before church, so I haven't cleaned up the neck yet, but a quick run over with a razor and a #1 guard was fast and doesn't look any different than the buzzes that he typically pays for....

He seems open to it being a regular thing.

I have been cutting my hubby's hair for almost 25 years. The electric razor cuts the hair, but I always need to cut around the ears with sissors. And I do the neck with a sharp razor blade and shaving gel.
We are on our third electric razor device. Still saving lots of money over the years. I have also let my hubby cut my own hair, with sissors.

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5304
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11408 on: June 11, 2018, 03:07:34 PM »
-My preferred airline has a price matching offer. I regularly put in our flights to see if the price has dropped. Today I saved $52 by price matching
-Listed sports equipment the kids don't use on our neighborhood swap
-Leftovers for dinner
-Hit the $500 gas savings milestone on our electric car. (Don't pay for charging - we get free charging at work)

Jenny Wren

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 753
  • Location: PNW
  • Just another dharma bum
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11409 on: June 11, 2018, 04:09:32 PM »
It is MsL's birthday is today, but we are spreading it over three days and also trying to celebrate in the spirit of the nonconsumer advocate's birthday day of adventures:
-Yesterday she and I went on a hike and did some geocaching with a group of friends. Afterward, we cashed in an $8 birthday coupon from a local pub that was for an appetizer and a pitcher for the two of us. (Cost: $10 including tip)

-Today we are making a fancy dinner at home for our family of four. Steak fajitas (tofu fajitas for me and eldest boy) and garlic roasted asparagus. Plus, a store bought birthday cake because I just can't emulate the extra sugary frosting she adores so much! (Cost: $18)

-Tomorrow three of the four of us are going kayaking, then we are stopping for after kayak treats using MsL's birthday freebies from the mall food court -- she has two different coffee freebies, a root beer float, a cinnamon roll, a scoop of ice cream, and a cupcake coming her way. Plenty to share three ways ;) (Cost: Just gas, since we are only using no purchase necessary birthday coupons and already own the kayaks).

Overall, this was much less expensive than the usual family dinner out + obligatory gift, and a lot more enjoyable than a short 2 hour dinner celebration.

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5304
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11410 on: June 11, 2018, 04:12:14 PM »
@Lichen - sounds like a fabulous birthday to me! And, my husband buys me cupcakes 2x/year. That, and a nice bottle of champagne is all I want for a birthday (and, Mother's Day). I try to avoid sweets, but there is an incredible bakery near us, and I get a few cupcakes, and then go back to my healthier ways.

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5877
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11411 on: June 12, 2018, 05:14:14 AM »
@Lichen -- You're a hero!  What a fabulous birthday celebration.  Love the three day aspect.

Hirondelle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1598
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11412 on: June 12, 2018, 05:49:21 AM »
On Sunday we went to see the new house of a friend and instead of going out for lunch we all brought something to have a beach-picknick. Friend and me still went out for dinner though, so savings were kinda lost there as we probably wouldn't have done that if we'd been out for lunch.

Also got cheap train tickets that allow me to have 3x round trip travel all throughout the country for €12 each time!


Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11413 on: June 12, 2018, 07:42:48 AM »
Walked to work and will walk back very soon.

Arbitrage

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1404
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11414 on: June 12, 2018, 04:52:05 PM »
Yesterday: found a rip in one of my nice work shirts (custom fit; I have a body type that is far from what any manufacturer would ever mass-produce).  My first thought was, "darn, now I have to buy a $60 replacement."  However, I considered that the tear is in a fairly inconspicuous location on a sleeve, and MIL is handy with a sewing machine.  We'll see how it turns out, but at least for now I haven't bought a new shirt. 

Also fought the urge successfully, again, to grab some quick & easy food out for dinner, and scrounged for what we had in the kitchen.  Changing this habit has saved us about $150/month for the past couple of months.  We weren't big spenders on food out, but it has still added up to a substantial monthly savings.  If I could get my wife to kick her unfortunate, newfound lunch habit of eating out, it would save a similar amount or even more.

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11415 on: June 12, 2018, 05:03:53 PM »
-Trying to use up some 2-3 year old seeds. Trying to be clever about it- I'll harvest greens early as baby greens for salads, before the beans get too tall and it gets too hot. The radishes should be out before the tomatillos cover that area, etc. 2-3 year old seeds don't have very good germination rates, but I already paid for the seeds, have the soil, and water those beds. May as well try for some free food!

-Costco had Ranier cherries for $5.50/lb. Even though I *really* wanted some, strawberries were $1.50/lb. Strawberries it is. I'll go out later this week and help me mom and her neighbor harvest some cherries. Not Raniers, but free.

-Giving up drinking again for a couple months for my second IVF cycle. Admittedly, saving like $100 when you're spending $17k feels like nothing, but it adds up! And then obviously the health considerations as well.

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11416 on: June 12, 2018, 05:51:25 PM »
Yesterday: found a rip in one of my nice work shirts (custom fit; I have a body type that is far from what any manufacturer would ever mass-produce).  My first thought was, "darn, now I have to buy a $60 replacement."  However, I considered that the tear is in a fairly inconspicuous location on a sleeve, and MIL is handy with a sewing machine.  We'll see how it turns out, but at least for now I haven't bought a new shirt. 

Also fought the urge successfully, again, to grab some quick & easy food out for dinner, and scrounged for what we had in the kitchen.  Changing this habit has saved us about $150/month for the past couple of months.  We weren't big spenders on food out, but it has still added up to a substantial monthly savings.  If I could get my wife to kick her unfortunate, newfound lunch habit of eating out, it would save a similar amount or even more.

Good on MIL fixing your shirt. I hope it turns out great! If it were a female shirt I might suggest a sew on applique to cover over the rip. I worked for this company who gave us all fleece jackets with the company name on the left upper shoulder. I got laid off and was a bitter biach to say the least. I liked the jacket a lot but was NOT going to wear it since I got laid off! Screw them! So, I bought this American Flag applique and sewed it over the company name! Hahaha, I have been wearing it since 2011!

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5304
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11417 on: June 12, 2018, 08:30:46 PM »
-Repurposed a dinner leftover that none of us really loved, and turned it into something better with a little creativity.
-Standard stuff: drove electric car, lunch & breakfasts for free at work
-Bonus. Didn't know the kids camp this week came with lunches, so free lunches for the kids as well!

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11418 on: June 13, 2018, 12:15:19 AM »
Walked to work and will walk back again in the afternoon.

Imma

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3193
  • Location: Europe
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11419 on: June 13, 2018, 11:14:55 AM »
Had a day out with my grandma for her birthday!

- Bus day ticket to her town (€6)
- Simple lunch at grandma's place
- Museum tickets for both of us (€12)
- Free coffee and tea in the museum as a way to apologize for some maintenance work they were doing
- Had a nice long walk around town together
- Had an ice cream (€4, but her treat, she refused to let me pay)
- Ended the day with a cup of homemade soup.

Then she called the entire family in the evening to tell how much fun we had, and she later told me she couldn't sleep from the excitement that night. That's €18 extremely well spent :)

I am working a LOT of overtime this week and when I get home for work I drink a cup of tea, check my e-mail etc, and then go to bed really early. There is 0 energy for cooking or preparing food and we don't have a cafetaria at work, so I basically bring a whole bag of grocery store food every day. Still, I'm trying to get my food as healthy & cheaply as I can. I have brought a few ready-made salads 35% off, I bring a lot of fruit, yoghurt, knackebrod. I try to resist the kind of sugary treats I feel I "deserve" for working so hard. The good news is that I'll earn €250 in overtime this week alone. So even if I spend €10 or €20 more on food than I normally would, I still end up ahead.

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5304
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11420 on: June 13, 2018, 12:04:26 PM »
@Imma - LOVED the story about your grandma, & her corresponding excitement. Made me very happy :-)

As for me, price matched another flight & earned $3.99 back. We travel a lot (and, I cover my parents flights when they come to visit to take care of the kids), so there are plenty of flights to stay on top of.

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5304
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11421 on: June 13, 2018, 12:39:56 PM »
@MaybeBabyMustache, your post inspired me to price match a flight I have coming up and I was able to get it down $60! Now adding a note on my calendar so I use the credit before it expires.

Thanks!

@marcela - excellent! So glad it worked out

Imma

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3193
  • Location: Europe
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11422 on: June 13, 2018, 01:46:40 PM »
@Imma - LOVED the story about your grandma, & her corresponding excitement. Made me very happy :-)


It made me very happy too :) I try to take her out as often as I can. I'm so lucky to still have her and that she's still fit and healthy and up for new things (at 85!). She's old enough to know that money doesn't buy happiness so we have frugal fun. 

Jenny Wren

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 753
  • Location: PNW
  • Just another dharma bum
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11423 on: June 13, 2018, 09:49:14 PM »
DS13 wanted a haircut. He despises haircuts, so his normal mode has always been to grow it out to mid-back then get it cut really short about once a year. Of course, now he is 13 and is starting to care about appearance (although he denies it). Showed me a picture of what he wanted. Googling revealed it to be called a shaggy cut. 20 minutes of watching Youtube videos, then an awkward 45 minutes of cutting of several inches of hair in the requisite choppy manner resulted in a near perfect haircut (I was informed it was exactly 2 cm too short ::eyeroll:: )

Also, no spend day thanks to sating my ice coffee craving with homemade ice coffee!

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11424 on: June 14, 2018, 12:00:07 AM »
DS13 wanted a haircut. He despises haircuts, so his normal mode has always been to grow it out to mid-back then get it cut really short about once a year. Of course, now he is 13 and is starting to care about appearance (although he denies it). Showed me a picture of what he wanted. Googling revealed it to be called a shaggy cut. 20 minutes of watching Youtube videos, then an awkward 45 minutes of cutting of several inches of hair in the requisite choppy manner resulted in a near perfect haircut (I was informed it was exactly 2 cm too short ::eyeroll:: )

Also, no spend day thanks to sating my ice coffee craving with homemade ice coffee!

Well done, teaching yourself a new skill with youtube.

Mezzie

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 816
    • Mezzie Learns
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11425 on: June 14, 2018, 03:29:47 AM »
Finally got my picture taken so I can renew my reduced-fare (disability) public transit card.

FreshPrincess

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 73
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11426 on: June 14, 2018, 07:05:06 AM »
Typed, printed, signed and mailed with a stamp the formal letter requesting my PMI be dropped off our rental property.  I don't know why that was so annoying to me and I kept putting it off, but I finally did it.

Cool Friend

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 535
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11427 on: June 14, 2018, 09:56:49 AM »
Really did not want to cook dinner last night, and thought about how nice it would be to order sushi delivery, since I've been good about not ordering delivery.  But then I realized I had a whole bunch of vegetables and roasting them doesn't take much more effort than washing, chopping, and tossing in olive oil and spices, so I made a big batch and it came out deliciously if I may say so.

MountainGal

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 756
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11428 on: June 14, 2018, 11:50:16 AM »
Saved $200 by catching a duplicate charge on our will/final docs invoice.

Didn't stop for fast food after a meeting earlier this week, though we ended up eating at home at 8:30 PM.  Savings $15-ish.

I'm going to pack a lot of what we currently have in our fridge and pantry for an upcoming wine-related excursion for DH's BD.  Savings approx $12.  I bought a few items last night, but received 20% off my grocery order.

The one thing I do to splurge on myself is get my hair done.  I'm going to space the appointments out further.  Savings $360 a year.

Continuing to use up leftovers from the freezer and the pantry stockpile.

Going to put .52 into my piggy bank tonight.  :)

Threshkin

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1088
  • Location: Colorado
    • My Journal
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11429 on: June 14, 2018, 01:30:09 PM »
Going to a presentation this afternoon.  The local college research dept head is talking about how they work with local small business to turn their research into products with global impact.  Free beer and heavy appetizers.  Lunch and dinner combined!

This is a monthly event, different topics each month, usually interesting. Been going regularly for about two years now.

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11430 on: June 14, 2018, 01:34:56 PM »
Score! Finally found a pressure washer to borrow. Renting was nearly as expensive as buying, and we really didn't want to buy. So for a little labor help we get to use it free (loading and unloading so the owner can use it on their place, then loading/unloading for our place). We don't even have to pay for the gas unless we use more than they have left- they're moving soon and don't want a gas canister sloshing around.

Hula Hoop

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1762
  • Location: Italy
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11431 on: June 14, 2018, 02:01:00 PM »
This is my kids' first week of summer vacation so first week at summer day camp.  The day camp charges 5 euro per kid who eats lunch there but kids can also bring a packed lunch instead.  So I packed lunch for both kids all week and tried to make it yummy and interesting so that they wouldn't want the 5 euro lunches.  Saved 50 euros this week plus the cost of the food for the packed lunches so probably around 40 euros.  If I keep this up all summer it could end up being quite significant savings.

Jenny Wren

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 753
  • Location: PNW
  • Just another dharma bum
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11432 on: June 14, 2018, 08:57:11 PM »
Must stay motivated :)

- We're planning to switch our phone plan, only concern was data on my phone because it's the main music streaming device for road trips, of which we have several this summer. Was checking to see if there were any Spotify discounts. Ahem, yes! $4.99 a month for students plus it comes with basic Hulu. We were already paying $7.99 a month for Hulu (we have no cable or Netflix). I get downloadable playlists for in the car and we keep Hulu while paying $3 less a month. No Brainer!!

- Had my last final today and am done with school until next quarter. Fought the urge to celebrate the beginning of summer with a night out. Instead, made dinner at home and puttered in the garden. Will make popcorn this evening and celebrate summer low-key on the couch by catching up on The Orville.

- Graciously accepted some cuttings from my botany professor. Potted them up using pots and soil I already have (sterilized first).

- The control board went out on our oven. It's $110 for a new one. This isn't the first time it has gone out. Our oven is old-ish (probably late 90s). Need to research options. Don't feel like dealing with it at the moment, so not going to rush to replace or repair. We have the stovetop, a microwave, an electric wok, an electric griddle, and a slow cooker. We have time to make an informed decision.

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11433 on: June 15, 2018, 02:19:00 AM »
Lichen, I think I would invest that $110 into a new oven. For the approx. age you have given it is 20ish years old.

Reader

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 495
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11434 on: June 15, 2018, 08:34:14 AM »
i used baking soda on some black gunk on my iron as it's as good as new. yay, no need for a new iron (4 years old and going strong)

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11435 on: June 15, 2018, 08:43:03 AM »
Lichen, I think I would invest that $110 into a new oven. For the approx. age you have given it is 20ish years old.

Depending on the type of oven, you could also see some reduction in electricity costs. We replaced a 26 year old oven/stovetop. Went for an induction top, and it has a convection oven. With convection, it draws more energy, but cook time is reduced by 25%. And induction has near perfect heat transfer. Ultimately, we were happy we swapped the oven vs repairing it. Supposedly (too many variables for us to have measured this though) the improved insulation on ovens also means there's less heat loss, so they're more efficient on that front, too.

Of course, you have to run the numbers for your own situation =) But just worth looking into. Remember things like "scratch and dent" returns to places like Home Depot, and coupled with gift cards like from Cardpool, you can save a fair chunk of cash. There's also a veteran's discount if that applies to you or a family member, that can be a path to take as well. Or Craigslist if it's robust in your area.

Jenny Wren

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 753
  • Location: PNW
  • Just another dharma bum
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11436 on: June 15, 2018, 09:32:00 AM »
Lichen, I think I would invest that $110 into a new oven. For the approx. age you have given it is 20ish years old.

We might. Since we are selling the house next spring, we will be taking the path of least expense in the end just so there is a working oven in the kitchen. That's part of the reason there is no rush. We'll keep an eye out for new/used/scratch & dent (Thanks Bracken Joy for the reminder!) over the next few months, for sure. It's summer, so easy to live without an oven for a few months!

Mezzie

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 816
    • Mezzie Learns
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11437 on: June 15, 2018, 01:08:37 PM »
I spent 45 minutes on the phone with my cell phone carrier and ended up with more than I asked for: I wanted 2GB more data/month for no extra charge; I got 4GB more and a $20/month deduction on my bill. It took some decent haggling, but it turned out to be time well spent!

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11438 on: June 15, 2018, 01:47:49 PM »
Driving to our cabin, a long drive. I was very thirsty. Found out I had 5 liters of water in a tank. Put some in a bottle and drank that. For dinner we bought a frozen pizza instead of buying a burger at a gas station.

Jenny Wren

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 753
  • Location: PNW
  • Just another dharma bum
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11439 on: June 15, 2018, 03:56:56 PM »
Driving to our cabin, a long drive. I was very thirsty. Found out I had 5 liters of water in a tank. Put some in a bottle and drank that. For dinner we bought a frozen pizza instead of buying a burger at a gas station.

I've gotten in the habit of keeping a 1 gallon water container in the trunk at all times spring through fall (it would freeze in winter). It's so handy to always have a drink available or the ability to wash mud off (as happened recently when I stepped into a marsh and sunk in up to my hip while on a hike). I refill it at least once a week, we use it so often!

Jenny Wren

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 753
  • Location: PNW
  • Just another dharma bum
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11440 on: June 15, 2018, 09:12:57 PM »
Today:

- DS2 informed me that he was down to one wearable pair of shorts. Thrift shop had nothing in his size/style (he only wears cargos). Came home and went through his closet, pulling out a few old pairs of long cargos where the knees had seen better days. 20 minutes on the sewing machine and he is now set for summer!

- Car is due for an oil change. $70....found a groupon to a local garage with great reviews -- $45 for two oil changes, must be used within 12 months. Didn't buy any of the over priced "extras." Even if we end up only using one we come out ahead.

- Walked up to Safeway to pick up the free 16oz jar of organic peanut butter that was on offer through the app. Picked up nothing else. Yay, free fancy peanut butter! *Bonus round, found two pennies and a working (non-climbing) carabiner on the sidewalk during the walk.

Rural

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5051
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11441 on: June 16, 2018, 06:26:21 PM »
Cable company quoted $3200 to get internet faster than our 650K DSL (not a typo) up here. But they would lay the cable for free if we trenched the line to bury it. So I hiked the side of the mountain with the contractor who buried our power line today - $1600 max. That's better. Have a call in to the guy who put in our water line, too, though, and he may come back with less.


Meanwhile, first quote to pave our drive was $50K (also not a typo). So we're shopping for used 4wd tractors, preferably with a front loader bucket. We'll also need a scrape blade, but we have that already. Still waiting on other paving quotes - gravel likely would not stay on our slope.

littlelykke

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 95
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11442 on: June 17, 2018, 09:42:30 AM »
Cut my own hair! With help from these two videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EjFCbrrD5I&t=623s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byjEXpYNRNk

Saved 25 euros and the result is better than last time I went to the hair dresser (which gave me the idea of trying this myself). Happy!

Imma

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3193
  • Location: Europe
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11443 on: June 17, 2018, 10:43:22 AM »
This spring we've added a small lawn to our garden. It's time to mow now, and we couldn't find a good used push mower anywhere. I did some research and we picked out the mower we wanted, then waited for father's day discounts. The local store had 25% off all tools today, so even though they uplifted the prices by 5% last week that's still a 20% discount. After the discount it cost €64. We also got a free tape measure thrown in which looks like it's of decent quality (it says "my dad is my hero" .... ) . The store is only 300 meters from my home so I carried the box home. Was stopped by two guys in the street telling me that's not a woman's job.

I haven't really saved any money, because I've bought something, but it's the best option we could find after a few months of looking around, and it's a push mower so it doesn't need petrol or electricity. Our lawn is quite small, it's just a small corner of the garden where we can put a table and chairs and sit outside in summer.

In the past we would bought the absolute cheapest item, but these days we care more about quality. This one was €10 more expensive than the very cheapest option, but it looks much more durable.

Dollar Slice

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9598
  • Age: 46
  • Location: New York City
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11444 on: June 17, 2018, 11:47:22 AM »
Complained about an overcharge and got $90 refunded.

Jenny Wren

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 753
  • Location: PNW
  • Just another dharma bum
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11445 on: June 17, 2018, 12:00:04 PM »
Cut my own hair!

I did the same thing yesterday! I have long hair, so it's easy. Just trim the bangs and then I use the ponytail method to cut the split ends from the back.

Also:
-Finished eating down the fridge in advance of our trip. What's left can be either taken with us or safely frozen.
-DIYed some bookmarks and a card to send my young nephew for his birthday. We see him in a few weeks and I have a book to give him as his present, so will save shipping and present present when we see him (this way I can also enjoy the giving part in person! <3)
-We cheaped out on date night last night since we are going on vacation tomorrow. Homemade ice coffees and did some Geocaching along a bike trail in town. Finished with a beer at home and binge-watching old DS9 episodes on Hulu. Very lovely and chill - not to mention inexpensive. Hard to believe a few months ago we were dropping $50+ on Saturday entertainment.
-Swung by the library to pick up a couple of vacation reads!

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11446 on: June 17, 2018, 12:03:49 PM »
*almost* stupidly spent way more money than we needed to. Sometime, somehow, in our move and subsequent dogless time, we lost the hardware to our baby gates. Well, now we have a puppy. The laundry drying rack worked temporarily, but she's getting big and bold enough she now just juggernauts through whenever it suits her. We tore the house apart looking for the hardware, and no luck. Gates but no hardware. We *almost* went and bought a new gate. Until, duh, I realized that I bet we could find replacement parts! $10 later, and they're on their way from amazon. Phew. $30 saved.

(Although I'm still mad the hardware is missing. We're very organized people and don't own all the much... no idea how they could have vanished!)

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5877
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11447 on: June 17, 2018, 12:14:46 PM »
*almost* stupidly spent way more money than we needed to. Sometime, somehow, in our move and subsequent dogless time, we lost the hardware to our baby gates. Well, now we have a puppy. The laundry drying rack worked temporarily, but she's getting big and bold enough she now just juggernauts through whenever it suits her. We tore the house apart looking for the hardware, and no luck. Gates but no hardware. We *almost* went and bought a new gate. Until, duh, I realized that I bet we could find replacement parts! $10 later, and they're on their way from amazon. Phew. $30 saved.

(Although I'm still mad the hardware is missing. We're very organized people and don't own all the much... no idea how they could have vanished!)

This exact same thing happened to us with the hardware to our patio table after we moved.   We looked everywhere for it, and finally gave up many months later and bought replacement hardware.  The week after that we found the bag of hardware at the bottom of the car's glove compartment.  Murphy's law.  Bet you'll find your hardware now.  :)

Hirondelle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1598
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11448 on: June 17, 2018, 01:48:01 PM »
Cut my own hair!

I did the same thing yesterday! I have long hair, so it's easy. Just trim the bangs and then I use the ponytail method to cut the split ends from the back.

+2!

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #11449 on: June 17, 2018, 02:27:53 PM »
Cut my own hair!

I did the same thing yesterday! I have long hair, so it's easy. Just trim the bangs and then I use the ponytail method to cut the split ends from the back.

+2!

Any words of wisdom on trimming bangs? I trim mine and have mixed results. One time good another bad and sometimes I have a glass of wine and sometimes that is when I sometimes do my best trimming! LOL! I have done the method where I have taken the bangs and twisted them by hand then trimmed the bottom. It comes out pretty good.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!