Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 7432666 times)

horsepoor · « **Reply #12400 on:** January 17, 2019, 01:51:27 PM »

Refinishing some of our wooden furniture that is looking a bit worse for wear

Rural · « **Reply #12401 on:** January 17, 2019, 04:24:52 PM »

Went to the dental school in Grad School City to avoid having to get a full-price crown and learned I don't need a crown at all, just a filling.

Also took the bus to the dental school to avoid having to pay parking and saved at least $4 despite the round-trip bus fare.

Dollar Slice · « **Reply #12402 on:** January 17, 2019, 08:03:48 PM »

Remembered to cancel a credit card I've had for a jillion years before the annual fee kicked in. It used to be worth it for the rewards, but they torpedoed the value of the rewards last year so I wanted to get rid of it.

Also, I've been sick for the last 9 days, so I have spent no money except at the grocery store since last Thursday.

Greyweld · « **Reply #12403 on:** January 17, 2019, 08:07:16 PM »

cut our own drywall with the saw and saved $150 the plumber charges for a "drywall cutting fee."

jengod · « **Reply #12404 on:** January 17, 2019, 10:22:27 PM »

* Replaced our broken front doorknob ALL BY MYSELF. I know this seems like small potatoes but I’ve never done a doorknob before and it was stuck shut in a very awkward way. Saved a handyman fee.

* Roasted green coffee beans purchased in bulk for $5/lb.

* Rolled my own old-fashioned oats from bulk-purchased groats.

Dicey · « **Reply #12405 on:** January 18, 2019, 12:45:11 AM »

I have a helluva cold. I haven't left the house or bought anything today. I mustered enough energy to make dinner. I found a recipe for Turkey Tetrazzini and I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I made that. I figured the baking would kill any germs and had bonus kid make a salad. I really don't want the rest of my household to get sick, too.

Threshkin · « **Reply #12406 on:** January 18, 2019, 10:48:14 AM »

Quote from: jengod on January 17, 2019, 10:22:27 PM

* Replaced our broken front doorknob ALL BY MYSELF. I know this seems like small potatoes but I’ve never done a doorknob before and it was stuck shut in a very awkward way. Saved a handyman fee.

* Roasted green coffee beans purchased in bulk for $5/lb.

* Rolled my own old-fashioned oats from bulk-purchased groats.

How do you roll your own oats? Does is require special equipment?

10dollarsatatime · « **Reply #12407 on:** January 18, 2019, 10:50:20 AM »

Found an All-American 921 pressure canner at the thrift store yesterday! Paid $30. Retails around $300. :) I have a 910, so the 921 will allow me to do batches more than twice as big! That's half the time with the stove on in the summer, when it's already stupid hot in the house.

10dollarsatatime · « **Reply #12408 on:** January 18, 2019, 10:51:27 AM »

Found an All-American 921 pressure canner at the thrift store yesterday! Paid $30. Retails around $300. :) I have a 910, so the 921 will allow me to do batches more than twice as big! That's half the time with the stove on in the summer, when it's already stupid hot in the house.

35andFI · « **Reply #12409 on:** January 18, 2019, 08:04:53 PM »

Moved out of my parents house and rented a room in a shared house closer to work.

44 mile each way driving commute is now a 2.5 mile bike commute each way!

OtherJen · « **Reply #12410 on:** January 18, 2019, 08:23:06 PM »

Cooked Thai food at home instead of buying take out.

jengod · « **Reply #12411 on:** January 18, 2019, 09:17:11 PM »

Quote from: Threshkin on January 18, 2019, 10:48:14 AM

Quote from: jengod on January 17, 2019, 10:22:27 PM
* Replaced our broken front doorknob ALL BY MYSELF. I know this seems like small potatoes but I’ve never done a doorknob before and it was stuck shut in a very awkward way. Saved a handyman fee.

* Roasted green coffee beans purchased in bulk for $5/lb.

* Rolled my own old-fashioned oats from bulk-purchased groats.

How do you roll your own oats? Does is require special equipment?

Yes to special equipment (if you can do it manually I haven’t figured it out).

A couple of years ago I bought this German-made grain-flaker attachment for our KitchenAid mixer. (There are also stand-alone grain flakers and grain mills but the attachment made sense for us.)

I like slow-cooked groats for breakfast but many recipes (including oatmeal cookies) call for rolled oats. I felt stupid buying and storing two forms of the same seed so I bought the flaker. I assume you could also do “rolled barley” or “rolled wheat” but I haven’t tried.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BGW3GQZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xrQqCbN7C2NAB

middo · « **Reply #12412 on:** January 19, 2019, 12:07:59 AM »

I'm catching a budget airline today, so to save some money, I made myself a sandwich for dinner. Except I left it in my sons fridge.

Looks like I'll arrive hungry.

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #12413 on:** January 19, 2019, 10:42:21 AM »

Yesterday I realized that my eggs were getting ready to expire. I was going to make boiled eggs but decided to do something different. I found this method on line to make poached eggs to eat the next day. They say some restaurants use this technique.

Bring a pot of water with a glug of white vinegar to a boil

Crack one egg at a time into a cup.

Swirl water a little and gently drop in one egg. Time for 3 1/2 minutes.

With a very large slotted spoon, remove egg and gently drop into ice water.

Continue with rest of eggs you intend to cook. Move each cooked, cooled egg into another storage container filled with ice cold water. Once all eggs are cooked, cooled and moved to the storage container, put eggs/water in fridge overnight.

When ready to cook, bring a pot of water to a gentle boil, no vinegar this time, and add eggs. I just added two eggs while the bread was in the toaster. Time eggs for one minute. With slotted spoon, remove and put on buttered toast. You should have nice runny poached eggs. Mine came out perfect.

I did poach each egg one by one the day before so as to make sure each egg cooked exactly 3 1/2 minutes then chilled in ice water.

Not sure if anyone is interested in this but it was a fun experiment that came out with a good ending!

Loretta · « **Reply #12414 on:** January 19, 2019, 02:36:06 PM »

Let’s see, I’ve stayed home all day as I’m still recovering from surgery and getting my sea legs back under me. No internet purchases have been made today. No food has been ordered. Last night I hung up some wet clean laundry in the bedroom to add some moisture to the dry winter air, while I had parts of my humidifier soaking away in a de-calcifying effort.

I’m doing the Frugal Woods challenge and I’ve been spending the afternoon looking at old transactions. I spent so much on crap food this year, it’s a great thing I had this surgery! Also, I’ve been going over what I paid for gas and cat food the past year and trying to find ways to get those costs down.

OtherJen · « **Reply #12415 on:** January 19, 2019, 04:02:02 PM »

Shoveled my own damn snow instead of paying a neighborhood kid to do it.

horsepoor · « **Reply #12416 on:** January 19, 2019, 09:00:15 PM »

Homemade pizza for dinner with homegrown pesto, garlic and tomato sauce.

Found some old fabric and made it into a curtain for the laundry room and hung it with some curtain rings that have been in storage since we moved.

Dicey · « **Reply #12417 on:** January 19, 2019, 10:19:14 PM »

Ugh, this cold is hanging on like a barnacle and I'm out of cold meds, so I slogged to Target for more. I wrote out a list of five items and that's all I bought. I gently but firmly refused their kind offer of something called a Red Card, and got the hell back home safely. One of the five items was a grocery item. I must say, I am shocked at their grocery prices, as I have noted somewhere else on the forum. Crazy! I am so spoiled by the plethora of less expensive places I have access to and am not too proud to avail myself of.

Trifele · « **Reply #12418 on:** January 20, 2019, 01:59:16 AM »

Cooked up a delicious bean and ham stew in the crockpot for dinner. The hambone came from our Christmas ham, and the dry beans were ones I grew myself several years ago. So cheap and so wonderful.

That ham provided us with something like 5 family meals. And now after our stew the bone will go to our chickens, who will love picking off the last tiny bits of fat and meat.

2Birds1Stone · « **Reply #12419 on:** January 20, 2019, 03:34:00 AM »

A lot of times when we are busy and hungry on the weekends we will go for a "cheap" meal out which still costs $25-40 for two people. Yesterday we opted for a $4.99 BJ's rotisserie chicken. Not only did it make for a great dinner, but we have enough leftovers for 1-2 lunches each.

LWYRUP · « **Reply #12420 on:** January 20, 2019, 06:58:31 AM »

Had a friend over and we made tofu spring rolls and tofu pad thai. Way cheaper than going out. Way cheaper than babysitters.

We made a huge pile of leftovers. My friend left with three spring rolls and a dinner sized serving of pad thai for tomorrow. I snapped up three tupperware bowls for lunch Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday. My wife did the same.

Could have saved easily $150 compared to babysitter, eating out, stuffing our faces, little to no leftovers.

jengod · « **Reply #12421 on:** January 20, 2019, 03:15:35 PM »

Quote from: blinx7 on January 20, 2019, 06:58:31 AM

Had a friend over and we made tofu spring rolls and tofu pad thai. Way cheaper than going out. Way cheaper than babysitters.

We made a huge pile of leftovers. My friend left with three spring rolls and a dinner sized serving of pad thai for tomorrow. I snapped up three tupperware bowls for lunch Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday. My wife did the same.

Could have saved easily $150 compared to babysitter, eating out, stuffing our faces, little to no leftovers.

Nicely done!

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #12422 on:** January 21, 2019, 01:03:14 AM »

DH will travel to Sweden for work, by car. He will shop groceries there. Especially meat is cheap.

While he is away, I want to to some bulk cooking.

jengod · « **Reply #12423 on:** January 21, 2019, 03:17:41 PM »

* USE IT UP: Some blackberries were drying out in the fridge so turned them into a cobbler and finished that off today

* MAKE DO: Canceled an order for a specific $8 mounting bracket because I found one on a top shelf while digging around for another piece of hardware

* INSOURCING: Installed two rails of hooks for our reusable bags; the hooks were bought on clearance when Orchard Supply Hardware was going out of business.

* INSOURCING: Finished installing the cup hooks under the cabinet, used up some nail-in cable clips and some saved wine corks to problem-solve.

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #12424 on:** January 21, 2019, 05:57:09 PM »

-Filed my expense reports, so I'll be getting reimbursed for work travel quickly. I can use a corporate card, but booking specific purchases on my own credit card yields rewards.
-Chased down a flight credit with an airline
-Made lunch out of things lingering around the fridge
-My husband washed our cars, which were filthy after driving through the snow/graveled roads
-Making a big dinner, and leaving a plan for leftovers next week when my husband is again alone with the kids while I travel

Zamboni · « **Reply #12425 on:** January 21, 2019, 08:05:09 PM »

We have tickets to a show and decided at the last minute to take our son. When we looked online, we learned that student rush tickets are very cheap at the door on the day of the show. Since there are plenty of seats left, that is how we will get our extra ticket. :-)

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #12426 on:** January 22, 2019, 01:41:20 AM »

I walked to work today and will work back in the afternoon.

We ate cabbage yesterday, which is cheap. DH thought we ate it because it was cheap, but I just picked it for reasons of varying our diet.

Unique User · « **Reply #12427 on:** January 22, 2019, 05:48:14 AM »

DH brings home the shampoo bottles and soaps he uses in hotels, he uses so little shampoo that the bottles are usually mostly full. This weekend I rounded them all up and using a funnel I emptied them all into a larger bottle, it filled up one huge bottle.

horsepoor · « **Reply #12428 on:** January 22, 2019, 08:54:54 AM »

Since I'm still furloughed, I'm headed up to the stable to clean stalls all morning since the usual cleaner is out sick. We didn't discuss payment, but hopefully I'll get a few bucks knocked off next month's board.

Our master suite has this odd dressing area that my husband uses - in classic 70's style, it has these weird little "windows" next to the open doorway, and light bounces off the closet mirror through those windows, right into my face. So I'm using some remnants of the tongue and groove pine from the barn door I just built to fill in the windows and block the light.

Just refinished our Lane cedar chest, and it is in need of new hardware. I found some knobs laying around that will work, and at least for now, I'm going to just spray paint the old drawer pulls with a nickel finish since the drawer is bored at an unusual spacing.

Frugal Lizard · « **Reply #12429 on:** January 22, 2019, 12:58:30 PM »

Didn't leave the house yesterday. But - made a really nice super with what we had.

Arbitrage · « **Reply #12430 on:** January 22, 2019, 02:09:20 PM »

Yesterday, kept the kids busy all day and had a fun 'family day' at a minimum of cost.

- Morning at the climbing gym (we have a membership for one kid that gives one free pass per month to take the other kid). The annual pass cost us $100 at a special rate, vs. the normal price of $32/session/kid. So far, we've gotten a total of ten visits in three months, so I can't complain too much.

- Home for homemade lunch after DW had to stop by work (which is adjacent to the climbing gym) - grilled cheese sandwiches and some odds and ends/snacks purchased at Aldi.

- Afternoon hike in a nearby nature preserve that we'd never been to. I had decided to stop whining about the lack of outdoor opportunities nearby (buried in the concrete jungle of LA County) and seek out what we do have. Managed to get us outdoors in the hills, where we didn't see another person for 2+ hours. Kids were loving it; it reinforced how much fun they can have outdoors with the simplest of things (dirt, rocks, sticks, climbing hills).

- Made dinner at home in the Instant Pot. Yummy greek chicken/rice/veggie dish.

- Watched half a movie on Blu-Ray at home with the kids.

Spent a bit in gas to make this day happen, perhaps 1.5 gallons, but all in all was a success, and seemed to get into DW's head how nice it might be to be retired with the kids still young; truly convincing her to FIRE is an ongoing process, so this is a personal win.

SimpleCycle · « **Reply #12431 on:** January 22, 2019, 04:01:21 PM »

I cleaned out the freezer a bit and made pineapple cherry muffins with some pineapple I found in there. Pulled out some peaches and will make a peach crisp when they are defrosted.

Discovered we are out of brown rice so had to switch up dinner. Making minestrone soup instead with stuff we have.

OtherJen · « **Reply #12432 on:** January 22, 2019, 04:08:24 PM »

Did the weekly grocery shop entirely at Aldi and the wholesale produce market. Molasses was the only thing I couldn't find at either store.

Gerard · « **Reply #12433 on:** January 22, 2019, 08:31:38 PM »

Stayed home! Made kakavia and mayo from stuff in the fridge/freezer.

Dollar Slice · « **Reply #12434 on:** January 22, 2019, 11:57:14 PM »

Noticed a charge on my credit card that I didn't authorize. Contacted the company to see what was up and it turned out to be a recurring annual charge (eyeroll... FFS!) because they decided that me spending $20 one time meant that I should just be automatically charged every year forever without warning. Yikes. Anyway, I convinced them to refund my money and cancel everything.

Also did the math on a membership I bought a year ago and decided it was worth re-upping for this year.

letsdoit · « **Reply #12435 on:** January 23, 2019, 11:38:16 AM »

made two returns, a pain,
for a total of 9$. it's the thought that counts

horsepoor · « **Reply #12436 on:** January 23, 2019, 08:19:38 PM »

Cleaned stalls again today, so that's $55 off next month's board.

Horseshoer screwed up his scheduling so he knocked $30 off my bill, plus he was able to re-use the special shoe he made for my horse so another $30 saved there.

Imma · « **Reply #12437 on:** January 24, 2019, 01:50:25 AM »

We are eating all the food in the freezer this week since we couldn't get the door to close. Of course there's a reason why some things stay in the freezer for months while other things are used up really quickly - any type of food that you can just throw in the microwave and eat as a complete meal is gone soon. Anything that we're not sure about what it is gets pushed to the back.

We have been eating some interesting combinations but so far it has all turned out to be nice food. I wasn't sure what was in one container, but it turned out to be delicious homemade tomato soup. I still have a bit leftover that I will have for lunch with toasted old bread.

TRD · « **Reply #12438 on:** January 24, 2019, 01:53:51 AM »

Quote from: Dollar Slice on January 22, 2019, 11:57:14 PM

Noticed a charge on my credit card that I didn't authorize. Contacted the company to see what was up and it turned out to be a recurring annual charge (eyeroll... FFS!) because they decided that me spending $20 one time meant that I should just be automatically charged every year forever without warning.

I had this happen to me. cc company reversed it but I still don’t know what it’s for and that bugs me. It’s a recurring annual fee of $20 but it’s the first year of the renewal and I have no idea what it might be. Annoying.

TRD · « **Reply #12439 on:** January 24, 2019, 01:53:21 AM »

Quote from: Dollar Slice on January 22, 2019, 11:57:14 PM

Noticed a charge on my credit card that I didn't authorize. Contacted the company to see what was up and it turned out to be a recurring annual charge (eyeroll... FFS!) because they decided that me spending $20 one time meant that I should just be automatically charged every year forever without warning.

I had this happen to me. cc company reversed it but I still don’t know what it’s for and that bugs me. It’s a recurring annual fee of $20 but it’s the first year of the renewal and I have no idea what it might be. Annoying.

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #12440 on:** January 24, 2019, 09:27:59 PM »

Made a delicious home made tomato soup. Healthy and low calorie. Had in it, carrot, onion, tomatoes, red bell pepper, garlic...other stuff.

jengod · « **Reply #12441 on:** January 24, 2019, 11:00:41 PM »

It was 75F (23C) today so put two loads of laundry out to dry on the clothesline.

middo · « **Reply #12442 on:** January 24, 2019, 11:01:56 PM »

Installed a window from scatch in the laundry. Cost around $100 all up. Gotta love diy.

Spruit · « **Reply #12443 on:** January 25, 2019, 03:24:02 AM »

The shoulderbelt of my leather messenger bag snapped yesterday. The thing was worn through, but I don't want to buy a new bag just because of broken part if the rest is still decent. After thinking about replacement parts for it, I remembered my Dad has a similar bag in the attic somewhere - not used for decades and he's happy to part with it.

I'm staying home sick today. Not fun, but it does save on fuel and dog walker. Counting small blessings.
Dinner will be something soup-y probably.

jengod · « **Reply #12444 on:** January 26, 2019, 11:16:14 AM »

Returned two unused items to Michael’s for $9.

Imma · « **Reply #12445 on:** January 26, 2019, 11:35:30 AM »

We're trying to eat most of the food in the house and today I made a nice curry with ingredients from the pantry / freezer (spinach, chickpeas, onions, tomato sauce) that we had with rice. The recipe is usually enough for 4 people, but today we were both hungry so we ate most of it already.

We didn't have to buy any of the ingredients, so technically we didn't spend money at all, but it's a very cheap dish anyway. I think I originally found the recipe on budgetbytes years ago. I've cooked it for many guests and so far everyone has loved it. It's both gluten free and vegan, so it's suitable for many people.

jengod · « **Reply #12446 on:** January 26, 2019, 10:10:53 PM »

INSOURCING: Installed safety latches, dishtowel racks and storage baskets today without hiring a handyman or babyproofing service.

USE IT UP: Started my first-ever batch of apple cider vinegar.

LWYRUP · « **Reply #12447 on:** January 27, 2019, 07:49:16 AM »

Friday: cooked and ate at home all day
Saturday: cooked and ate at home all day. Friend came over for brunch.
Sunday: will cook at eat at home all day. Another friend over for dinner.

Went to gym. Read books. Read about cooking. Will cook meals for work lunches today.

Sold $5k worth of Ibonds at 0% and will re-buy them at the new 0.5% fixed rate. That'll be an extra $20 this year. (Not much, but they are just the most conservative part of my bond allocation.)

Ducknald Don · « **Reply #12448 on:** January 27, 2019, 08:03:39 AM »

My wife cut my hair, which she has been doing every month for the last 8 years. Savings so far 8 x 12 * 15 = £1440.

Imma · « **Reply #12449 on:** January 27, 2019, 08:16:32 AM »

Will have dinner alone tonight and will eat yesterday's leftovers. I'm preparing for exams this whole weekend so I don't expect to spend money on anything.

News:

Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 7432666 times)