What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[MaybeBabyMustache]

We've had a very expensive few months, so have been trying to keep spending tight. Leftovers for dinner, free meals at work, driving electric car for one of the commutes, lots of kid activity carpools, etc. In great news, we just received a $200+ refund from our escrow account of a house we sold. . . more than a year ago. Totally unclear why they hung on to the money for that long, but thrilled to have it!

[Linea_Norway]

Free cake at work. One of my colleagues has a daughter who is a cook and who likes to bake cake. They don't want to eat so many calories at home, so the cakes and up here at work.

[stream26]

I fixed the Bosch chainsaw sharpener. Hoping to put off purchase of a new one for quite a while.

Then I made a tp holder from random bits I had around. I was going for functional but it turned out rather nice in a shabby chic way.

[miked]

Fixed my in-laws car (fouled spark plug) and also fixed our bike pump (an internal piece had come loose). 2/2 fixes in one night!

[Bracken_Joy]

SHOULDER SEASON! And no wildfire smoke right now =) And my asthma finally cleared from the last round of wildfire smoke. So all the windows are open and the HVAC hasn't run in days!

Ate leftovers even though I didn't really want to ;)

Thought I needed to repaint a couple rooms to sell. Washed the walls instead, and it turns out it looks a LOT better. I won't need to repaint at LEAST one of them.

[Bracken_Joy]

SHOULDER SEASON! And no wildfire smoke right now =) And my asthma finally cleared from the last round of wildfire smoke. So all the windows are open and the HVAC hasn't run in days!

Ate leftovers even though I didn't really want to ;)

Thought I needed to repaint a couple rooms to sell. Washed the walls instead, and it turns out it looks a LOT better. I won't need to repaint at LEAST one of them.

[10dollarsatatime]

My mom has apparently decided she doesn't like black beans, so she gifted me with a dozen cans.  Dinner tonight was half a can, heated with broth, garlic and onion powders, cumin, and some lime.  Dumped it over a small amount of rice.  Topped with semi fancy cheese, some chips, and some greek yogurt.  Super tasty, very low cost meal.

Working on using up some of the massive amount of tea I own.  (I have a problem.)  But it's cool enough weather now in the early mornings and evenings that hot tea is acceptable!

Also, realized I have access to an ice machine at work.  I will start keeping ice handy for iced tea during the day.

[Dianalou]

Brought lunch and snacks from home to work as usual. Frozen container of chili I made the other day when it was particularly cold and sounded delicious, and it was. Supplemented with some fruit from work.
Also did the grocery shopping for work and earned $1.50 from ibotta and checkout51. Put off going up to the main office (30 miles away) for another couple weeks.
Going on a day trip nearby for my husband's birthday. Talked my husband out of staying overnight or two nights with the two toddlers, it's just not ever fun trying to get them to sleep in a strange place, and a day trip is just as much fun.

[OtherJen]

This doesn't seem like exactly the right place to put this, but it did involve a LOT of saving money. I need to tell someone but several of my off-screen friends are in major to near-bankruptcy debt and husband is teaching a hobby class and won't be home for at least 2 hours.

We have now paid off more than $10,000 of home improvement/car loan and credit card debt since last November. We have $2500 left on a low-interest (2%) car loan, and then we will only have the mortgage (~$56,000). And since June 1, I've lost the 15 lbs that I gained over the last 5 years. I have a big, stupid grin on my face right now.

My dinner tonight will be leftover beans and rice for the second night, a dish so tasty that we look forward to eating it (i.e., not deprivation, despite what Dave Ramsey says).

[jengod]

This doesn't seem like exactly the right place to put this, but it did involve a LOT of saving money. I need to tell someone but several of my off-screen friends are in major to near-bankruptcy debt and husband is teaching a hobby class and won't be home for at least 2 hours.

We have now paid off more than $10,000 of home improvement/car loan and credit card debt since last November. We have $2500 left on a low-interest (2%) car loan, and then we will only have the mortgage (~$56,000). And since June 1, I've lost the 15 lbs that I gained over the last 5 years. I have a big, stupid grin on my face right now.

My dinner tonight will be leftover beans and rice for the second night, a dish so tasty that we look forward to eating it (i.e., not deprivation, despite what Dave Ramsey says).

This is fabulous!!

[clarkai]

I needed new bike gloves for my commute, because windchill sucks. Instead of buying gloves, I paid $1 for a child's jacket secondhand, cut the sleeves off, and attached them to my handle bars. So far, they've worked very well, much better than at least 3 out of 5 pairs of gloves I've tried previously.

[Trifle]

This doesn't seem like exactly the right place to put this, but it did involve a LOT of saving money. I need to tell someone but several of my off-screen friends are in major to near-bankruptcy debt and husband is teaching a hobby class and won't be home for at least 2 hours.

We have now paid off more than $10,000 of home improvement/car loan and credit card debt since last November. We have $2500 left on a low-interest (2%) car loan, and then we will only have the mortgage (~$56,000). And since June 1, I've lost the 15 lbs that I gained over the last 5 years. I have a big, stupid grin on my face right now.

My dinner tonight will be leftover beans and rice for the second night, a dish so tasty that we look forward to eating it (i.e., not deprivation, despite what Dave Ramsey says).

This is awesome.  Great job @OtherJen  !!  This is one for the Celebrations thread methinks!

[OtherJen]

Thanks @jengod and @Trifele ! I took your advice and posted in Celebrations (forgot about that thread). I celebrated a bit myself with a martini made from the bottle of locally made craft gin that we keep for special occasions and a couple episodes of "Great British Baking Show".

[MaybeBabyMustache]

@OtherJen - congrats! Those are some awesome accomplishments!!

It was a standard day at our house:
-Drove the electric car to work
-Ate free lunch at work
-Made dinner from things in the freezer

[pressure9pa]

Realized recently that the free generic prescriptions from our health clinic at work includes daily multi-vitamins and fish oil capsules.  Thrilled to be getting these for free going forward, but upset that I've been spending on these things for 2+ years unnecessarily. 

[Erma]

Rented a high pressure cleaner instead of buying one. As long as the other person doesn't move that will be cheaper for up to 20 years.

[Bracken_Joy]

Was going to rent a powered hedge trimmer, but noticed a neighbor had recently trimmed their hedges well, so I messaged him to see if he has one or rented it. He owns it! And we're welcome to use it. This will save me $28 over a rental.

[mm1970]

Woke up at 5:30 am when the power unexpectedly went out (fan went off, there goes my sleep!)

Skipped the lure of going out for bagels.  Started the gas stove with a match.  Heated up water for tea for the sick hubby and instant oatmeal for kid #1 (and just yesterday I was lamenting that Sprouts was out of rolled oats and I had to make do with instant, ha!)  Drank cold leftover coffee (don't feel bad, it's a regular thing for me).  Gave everyone watermelon that I'd cut up last night.  Gave kid #2 his leftover granola bar with the watermelon.

Was half way through scrambling eggs when the power came on, hallelujah!  So we got to have toast with the eggs.  I even managed to make a lunch salad and a waldorf salad in the dark. 

Oh and husband used a leftover teabag from yesterday.

[OtherJen]

Drank cold leftover coffee (don't feel bad, it's a regular thing for me). 

I used to do this all the time, and it always grossed out the husband. I don't know why. The only reason I don't still do it is because we're now using a smaller pour-over coffee pot and we usually finish it in the morning.

That sucks about the power, but it sounds like you handled it beautifully. Gas stoves are amazing during power outages!

[jengod]

* Side hustle of used-childrens-books arbitrage brought in $40, this will go straight into an investment account

* Picked up $0.10 in spare change on the street

* Found some Adirondack-style plastic chairs on the curb and picked out the two that were in the best shape. Both had small cracks but were in otherwise good condition. Got out my beloved E6000 glue and repaired them today. Very relaxing to sit under our big tree and watch the butterflies in the backyard.

[Kwill]

I forgot to check in online for my discount air carrier flight, and at the airport I was told it was too late to do it on my cell phone. I gave it a try anyway, and it turns out I still had 15 minutes. Saved 55 Euros. It's a work trip, but I don't know that I would have been reimbursed for the late check-in penalty.

Timed an Amazon order to get the free shipping but still have it arrive at an Amazon locker at the right time.

[Imma]

We were having the in-laws over for dinner. They're a bit fussy eaters and actually prefer unhealthy food, so I decided to make a whole chicken from the oven and fries. I always prefer cutting my own fries instead of buying frozen, but I never actually calculated how much cheaper that was! Frozen fries are about €1,20 per kilo. I paid €0,49 for a kilo of potatoes. I have a potato chipper (inherited, so free) so cutting a kilo of potatoes is done in a few minutes.

Then the in-laws cancelled at the last minute, so we're eating chicken for the next couple of days and I will make a large pot of chicken soup from the carcass so that's lunch covered for a few days. I tossed half of the cut fries in the freezer, which I haven't done before, but in my experience potatoes freeze well.

I also went to the store to buy a large folder to seperate my business paperwork from my private papers, and the folder with the pretty colour was only €1 now and they marked down some tea to €0,50 per box so I bought a few of those as well.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Stuck to the shopping list at Costco, and returned an unnecessary item my husband purchased last week.
-Had to replace a bunch of middle school gym clothes, and not all of the sizes fit. So, despite my dread at going to the mall AGAIN (I loathe the mall), I made it happen & returned about $40 of stuff
-Made lunch for the kiddos out of leftovers
-Stayed strong & wouldn't let oldest kiddo get an acai bowl at Costco, as I discovered on Thursday two days of packed lunches that he hadn't eaten & needed to be tossed. Responsibility & consequences & all.

For the rest of the day, plans are:
-Finish cleaning the house
-Picking up a few discounted items at Safeway using a gift card I've had forever
-Returning a pair of shoes I ordered & don't like. I buy one pair of shoes every few years or so, and am still on the lookout for a comfortable pair of flat sandals that I can wear every day. I stand at my desk & walk a lot at work, and nothing has quite fit the bill. I cheaped out with my last purchase, & regret it, as there is no support.
-Something from the freezer for dinner

[Dianalou]

Brought lunch from home/ate some food provided by work
Got a $5 bonus on Ibotta for buying something online through their app (banwlow is my referral code if anyone is interested), so total cash back was $6.50
Only spent $250 at Costco (haven't been in probably a month and this is good for us!) and that included buying some silly microwave food since our oven door fell off and we're not able to bake. My husband at least rigged the door back on so the light inside was off and not wasting energy and we could still use the stove. That saved us going out to eat for sure!

[MountainGal]

Monthly payday already?!

~Saved $75.62 = 22% at the grocery store Friday by shopping the sales and using paper and e-coupons.  The cashier was impressed.  Highlights were a bag of free vegetables, and $1.75 off shrimp.
~Saved .40/gallon the pump using my value card for a savings of $9.51
~Was going to make a HUGE clothing donation this morning giving us a tax deduction, but the place I use is no longer accepting donations.  Back to the drawing board.
~Didn't go watch the game at a local establishment yesterday which saved fuel and expensive drink costs
~Using up what we have in the house instead of buying more.  Discovered cotton balls and Puffs while trying to locate the vacuum cleaner bags yesterday, which will saved approx $3 at Wally World this morning.
~Continuing to trade DH's garden harvest for neighbors' duck eggs and their harvest.  I have what feels like 40 lbs zucchini to process!
~Saved $80 a month this month going forward on my office land line bill by signing up for their new business package
~Going to get a facial and mani at a local beauty school instead of a salon
~Used a gift certificate for a free lunch last week
~Used 2 tea bags over the weekend.  Just 20+ more to go!

[okisok]

Actually went through the cabinets and fridge before buying groceries yesterday. Ended up needing less than I thought, so saved about $30.
Instead of going out to lunch, I deep cleaned my house and grazed on random fridge finds. During the cleaning, I found a package of paper towels and a package of TP I'd stowed away in a very unlikely place, thereby saving another $20 toward a future grocery bill. And I've set myself a challenge of making this paper towel package last the rest of the year.
Had to get some items at the store for work, which usually means using the company card and maybe getting a few Shopkick points while I shop or a few cents on Ibotta/Checkout 51. Today my boss was out of town with the company card, so I got to charge $115 to my rewards credit card, to be reimbursed. Free money!
Got a bunch of dry cleaning plastic bags at work. I tie a knot in the bottom and use them as garbage bags. I'm trying to see how long I can make the box of store bought bags last.

[Imma]

It's not exactly saving, but I ordered an expensive text book that arrived slightly damaged. No major damage but the corner of the (heavy, hardcover) book was obviously dropped on the floor. I don't actually mind, but hopefully I'll get reimbursed for a part of the cost.

Will have to get up really early for work tomorrow and I've prepared my lunch and snacks already, so I'm not tempted to stop by at the grocery store on my way to work to buy unhealthy stuff as a reward for getting up early. 

[okisok]

Woke up wanting to get 'out'. In the past, that would mean 'running errands', which equates to spending money. I came up with alternatives:
Instead of taking my dog to a few hours of doggie day care for socialization, I took her to the big dog park nearby...
Which happens to be right next door to the community garden. I dropped off the compost, and cut some fresh herbs and wild flowers for my kitchen counter instead of buying fresh cut flowers.
There's a Little Free Library across the street, so I exchanged two books for one (decluttering!). While my dog played, I gathered up the damaged toys and random trash and put them in the bin. I even found a couple of cans to add to my stash to sell at salvage.

We both got fresh air, sunshine, and exercise; I left my community a little cleaner than I found it;  and I added some books to the great swap universe. Then I found a penny in the parking lot, so I MADE money instead of spending it!

[nessness]

Ate leftovers for lunch. Walked to Target on my lunch break, rather than driving. Brought a reusable bag. Stuck to my shopping list.

[OtherJen]

Skipped a trip to Target because I’m tired (yay insomnia) and PMSing and there’s no way I’d be able to stick to my list.

For date night, we’re planning to walk to our favorite (and cheap!) neighborhood pub tonight for a drink on the patio rather than going to a fancy place downtown.

[jengod]

* Saved $4 parking on the street versus in the building parking lot at the pediatrician's office

* Found a pink all-metal Radio Flyer tricycle at the thrift, will clean it up and give to DD2 for Christmas, saved $30-45 retail plus assembly time.

* Found a pressure canner at the thrift, saved $70 over new on this model

* Line-dryed a load of laundry

[Dianalou]

Brought lunch from home (same chili that I made and froze the other day), and supplementing with fruit at work.
Have a meal plan for the rest of the week, even though I had to look up how to cook a spaghetti squash without an oven. Forgot about that little setback while at the grocery store.
Finding that losing 30+ pounds really opens up possibilities in the closet! It's like getting a whole new wardrobe that I don't have to shop for!
Filled up the car with gas using rewards points I earn from buying stuff for work.

[Helvegen]

Downgraded my Cricket plan and saved $30 a month.

[Mrs.Piano]

Sorted through natural fiber clothing from the thrift shop’s free pile to see which were suitable for wearing and which to be cut up for weaving rag rugs.  Shared two garments with a visiting friend.

Tutored friend’s middle-schooler in exchange for an equal number of hours of yard work.

[middo]

Brought my sandwich and apple to work again as usual. 

[jengod]

* cargobiked the school run
* harvested a pineapple we grew—it was delicious

[Dianalou]

Finishing up the last of my freezer chili, supplemented with some other food from work for lunch.
Got $6+ back from Ibotta and Checkout 51 from buying grocery items for work
Combined picking up some new library books with another trip down town
Tracked down some ebates credits that hadn't come through yet, that was about $8

[Dianalou]

Finishing up the last of my freezer chili, supplemented with some other food from work for lunch.
Got $6+ back from Ibotta and Checkout 51 from buying grocery items for work
Combined picking up some new library books with another trip down town
Tracked down some ebates credits that hadn't come through yet, that was about $8

[OtherJen]

Husband’s client gave him a couple of drink tokens for an evening festival downtown. We were willing to walk a longer distance for free street parking, redeemed our drink tokens, bought a Christmas gift for $10, bought another round of drinks for $10, and spent about $1.50 in gas for the round-trip. The festival itself was free, the rain held off, and the people watching, live music, and street art were great. Not bad for a fun night out.

[jengod]

* Used no-rush shipping credits to watch a movie

* No driving day!

[Linea_Norway]

We and a bunch of neighbours did some road repairs on our road today, instead of hiring some to do it for us. With 15 people working a few hours, you can do quite a bit, closing holes, moving gravel and cutting trees and bushes.

[Kwill]

Brought a sandwich and tea bag to not-work today. I'm just in the building to try to make progress on a project rather than really being here, but at least I didn't buy lunch this time.

[Zaga]

We found out at the last minute that today was large trash day in our neighborhood, but we managed to get a good sized pile of trash out.  There's no charge for this service, so this saved us renting a dumpster or cutting this trash up small and paying for bags.  A sin all around.

[nessness]

Having a garage sale today. So far I've only made $15, but it's still $15 I didn't have before, and it encouraged me to declutter my house. I'm going to pack most of the leftovers straight into the car to donate, except for a few more valuable items that I'll list on Craigslist.

ETA: Final tally: $31. And a fairly pleasant morning hanging out with the kids.

[jengod]

Invested in an at-home laser-hair removal gizmo after a user on these forums mentioned one they got at Costco. I had laser-hair removal done years ago but after three kids I'm overdue for an update. I don't really have time to go to a medspa since I'm the primary caregiver for my 2yo, and compared to getting multiple treatments on multiple body parts plus gas, time and parking, I should come out ahead.

And yes I could keep shaving with my frugal safety razor but I'm just sick of plucking chin hairs, y'all!

[OtherJen]

Our clothes dryer died a few days ago. Husband pulled off the back panel and found the dead fuse. So much cheaper to replace that than call a repair service or (god forbid) replace the appliance. I love that he's handy with appliances and cars because I'm not.

I made beef-vegetable soup for dinner and used up several items in our pantry, fridge, and freezer (including a random quarter cabbage and a slightly wilted bell pepper and zucchini). Between tonight's soup and last night's black beans and rice, we should have lunches for the next several days.

[Imma]

I cancelled a visit to a friend, which saved me €15 for the train.

Saving money wasn't the reason why I cancelled the visit, but it was the unintended result.

I have also been drinking liters and liters of a really nice tea that someone gifted me a large box of, and had a fancy home-made pumpkin spice latte this morning. A friend of mine bought pumpkin spice coffee syrup only to find out she was allergic to an ingredient in it. I make such nice coffee at home that I'm often disappointed when I drink coffee in a coffee shop (which happens maybe 6 times a year).

[okisok]

Liquid hand soap was on my grocery list--in fact, the only thing. I hated to make a special trip to the store or an Amazon order just for a bottle of soap. While I was cleaning up the bathroom, I discovered a half-full bottle of shampoo that didn't work for my hair. So I filled up the hand-soap pumps with shampoo. Entire grocery list, sorted out with $0 spent :)

[Linea_Norway]

Liquid hand soap was on my grocery list--in fact, the only thing. I hated to make a special trip to the store or an Amazon order just for a bottle of soap. While I was cleaning up the bathroom, I discovered a half-full bottle of shampoo that didn't work for my hair. So I filled up the hand-soap pumps with shampoo. Entire grocery list, sorted out with $0 spent :)

Just in general, it is a good idea to put things on your grocery list before the old product is all finished. This way it can stand on the list for some time until you can shop, while it is not a crisis at home.

But using up a bad shampoo in a useful way is smart.

[Arbitrage]

- Fixed my wife's car.  'Twas a pretty minor thing (battery crapped out), but managed to jump it, drive it to Autozone, and replace the battery in the parking lot.  She was talking about towing and mechanics, so I did have to talk her off the ledge a bit.

- Made another batch of homemade yogurt in the Instant Pot.  Figuring out how the different variables affect the final product.  I think I've got thickening it up figured out, but this batch admittedly is a bit on the tangier side than I'd prefer.  Think maybe I added too much starter yogurt.  Nevertheless, it's perfectly edible and will save me $6.  I'm committed to this approach, so making my own yogurt will be saving me about $150/year, and is more gratifying than dropping money every week on disposable containers of yogurt.  Every bit helps!