What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[Michael in ABQ]

A few seconds before confirming an order on Amazon for $80 worth of gifts for Easter I asked my wife if we really wanted to get our kids Easter presents. In the end we decided to go ahead and later purchase a basketball and a couple of other sports time items we were going to get to encourage our older kids to play outside. But we agreed our two younger kids didn't need another couple of plastic toys when my wife just spent most of the day putting away a multitude of other toys. We decided that some candy on Easter was more than adequate and introducing gifts would take away from the true meaning of celebrating Jesus's resurrection.


However, I'm still very close to spending $125 on a map holder/ planner/ accessories for my second job in the Army to replace using a document protector and clipboard.

[Imma]

I remember always getting socks (the knee high type) for Easter as a little girl, but I didn't know getting Easter gifts were a thing outside of my family. I think it does indeed distract from the real meaning of Easter, so good of you to not start that tradition @Michael in ABQ ! There are plenty of frugal family traditions that you can start that are also fun and much more in line with the meaning of Easter.

I am not celebrating Easter at all this year, which is a great way to save money but not much fun. We used to have massive family celebrations when I was a kid and now I don't even have much family left, let alone people who want to celebrate Easter. My partner is away over the weekend. I don't go to church a lot but I think I will go this year so it doesn't totally feel like a regular week.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

My kids (ages 8 and almost 7) don't believe in the Easter bunny and we're not a religious family, so we generally just give Easter a miss.

Things the children believe in:
-A fairy who buys their teeth
-an old man who brings presents all over the world
-Thor
-Zeus
-baby Jesus
-Heaven, which they are pretty sure is in Greece (on Mount Olympus), and is where our departed cat has gone to hang out with Zeus et al.

They are unsure whether baby Jesus could lift Thor's hammer. They are pretty sure he would be WORTHY, but... he's a baby.

They draw the line at an egg-laying bunny who brings candy. That is clearly ridiculous.

Returning to the topic of the thread, I made a list and am sending my husband to the big semiannual children's consignment sale in search of the children's summer clothes and whatnot. I personally have to work, but he is game, although he has been an official parent for only 7 months and has never shopped for children's clothing before.

[horsepoor]

My kids (ages 8 and almost 7) don't believe in the Easter bunny and we're not a religious family, so we generally just give Easter a miss.

Things the children believe in:
-A fairy who buys their teeth
-an old man who brings presents all over the world
-Thor
-Zeus
-baby Jesus
-Heaven, which they are pretty sure is in Greece (on Mount Olympus), and is where our departed cat has gone to hang out with Zeus et al.

They are unsure whether baby Jesus could lift Thor's hammer. They are pretty sure he would be WORTHY, but... he's a baby.

They draw the line at an egg-laying bunny who brings candy. That is clearly ridiculous.

This is hysterical.

Today I bought a feed store gift card at Fred Meyer.  That way, I'll get 5% back on my credit card, plus 4x fuel points.  Probably about $18 in savings, assuming I use the fuel points to fill my truck (20 gallons).

Also, planted onions and potatoes.

Dug up two volunteer bunchgrasses from the front yard and put them in a pot for a fundraiser basket thing at work.  Sadly, I didn't have a pot I wanted to give away, so I did spend $4.50 for that, but still pretty cheap compared to what others are probably going to spend for this.

[Imma]

Returned a few items of clothing to the store. I hate clothes shopping so much that in the past I might have kept them even though they're not perfect for me, but I know I'll never feel truly happy and comfortable in them, so they must go back.

[Spruit]

I've spent a good bit of the day (and yesterday) repurposing wood from our demolished  attic. It's all good pine without any signs of woodborers, suitable for making a double compost bin for the garden. Right now my muscles feel a bit sore from carrying and cutting it to the appropriate length so it's been good exercise too.

Otherwise, a non-spend day. Canceled an unused subscription to save me 50 euros a year.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Breakfasted on leftover bagels that I acquired while staffing an informational table at an event that had wildly overpurchased bagels for their attendees.

[Rosy]

Since we were gifted some fabulous homemade blackberry jam - I made pancakes yesterday and saved some of the batter for round two for Sunday Brunch.

It was harvest day in my "potager:)" - made a big batch of spring kitchen-sink soup (throwing in whatever I had on hand, using one third of the Swiss Chard I harvested this morning. Made a side dish of Swiss Chard with onion and bacon and will serve it this evening topped with cheese.
Third batch is in the fridge waiting to be sauteed later.

The pepper plants are taking off and I have been using them in my cooking, this morning I brought six big peppers from the garden and chopped them up - they freeze really well. Set the first red hot chili pepper on the window sill to dry.
Of course, the "first" of any of the herbs and veggies are always so exciting - yay, they made it:).

Bundled up a huge amount of Rosemary to dry early in the week along with some lavender. I use them in cooking, sachets, and for gifts. Shared some with a friend who is not a gardener, but she brought me some fresh eggs from her beloved chickens.

The lettuce is not liking our hot weather so I harvested some for a salad tonight. Still have some more in the shadier part of the garden.
I was happy to see one of my dill plants is finally beginning to grow and look fat and happy.

Instead of buying new plastic garden chairs, we scrubbed our old ones - we don't have that many parties anymore, so these are just extras anyway. Ten chairs - lots of elbow grease:)

Organized my garden stuff really well last year - saved me money - no duplicate buying of overpriced specialty fertilizer for palms, azaleas, citrus and orchids.

Found some killer deals on garden lanterns on clearance - perfect for our birthday garden party.

Saved money and time on planting this year since the zinnias, cosmos, and pineapple mint self-seeded themselves generously, although I pulled out all the pretty lipstick red tropical salvia seedlings - thinking they were weeds:) - bought two new plants for $4.95 each - shoot!:)

Discovered that I can grow lavender from seed here in Florida - learned a bit more about the varieties and which are best for aromatherapy. Also discoverd a great place for weirdo, I mean "rare" herb seeds online - so I plan to have some fun with that.
At first I had $100 worth in my cart, but managed to stick with my planned budget of $25 to $30. - THAT WAS NO SMALL FEAT!:)

Looking forward to doing a few garden art projects this year - made 95% from what I have on hand. I did cave and buy some cool looking floral wire at the dollar store - fancy wire - easy to work with and will not rust. You can't do any better for just one dollar - sweet deal.

[mountain mustache]

rode my bike to work. packed a lunch. same ol same ol! Didn't spend any money at all today. sweet!

[11ducks]

My DS (14) and DH (36) both definitely still believe in Easter 🐣  🤷🏼‍♂️

We make baskets with rolled up towels, they get a chocolate bunny 🐰 each and a couple of bags of candy (eggs are so expensive, but bags of chocolates etc are on sale atm). Costs maybe $30 (including choc bunnies for the nieces/ nephews).

I’ve been on a blissful holiday this week. Ways I saved were

-booking a cheapish family place with a pool, DVD player and wifi- bringing along old movies from home

- researching free activities to do here- we’ve had a beautiful morning walking the national parks 🏞, time at the beach 🏖  window shopping and fishing at the river and swimming in the pool.

- the place we booked had a kitchen, so I’ve brought a few days with of nice snack foods and easy lunch / dinner fixings - still feels like a treat but is way cheaper than eating meals out!

- visiting the library beforehand to get a big pile of new releases to keep us sane on the long drive!

Having a few days away from our usual intense physical sports training has felt like a lovely break,
Im feeling revitalised and ready to get back to it!

[okcisok]

Made a dog treat out of an old flavorless bone and some homemade beef broth. I put the bone and the broth in an plastic tub and froze them. She licked and chewed the frozen broth to get to the now-flavorful bone.
Needed a copy of a receipt to mail with a form. Instead of driving into work on my day off or going to the copy place and paying for one, I asked the front office of my building if they wouldn't mind making me one copy. She was happy to do it, and I got in a little walk in the sunshine and got another small, nagging thing off my to-do list.
Made a call to my bank to get money transferred out of an old non-interest bearing account and into my regular account. Combined with my tax refund and a work bonus, I'll fully fund my 2019 IRA!! Woot!! Not a small thing, but sometimes the multitude of small tasks necessary to accomplish a big task are what hold me back. I made the calls, filled out the forms, redid my budget, checked my accounts...all small things that added up to one BIG thing.

[Alfred J Quack]

I know this is minor but made my breakfast at home and made coffee at work.  Sometimes I'm rushing in the morning and don't have time to make it so I end up buying it and feeling guilty.

If it works, than it aint stupid (or minor).

Was late so put my cereal in a container and grabbed a near-empty carton of milk to eat it at work.

[heiding]

Saved:  The other day I did some research online - made a call or two and ended up with a new deal for electricity (same company) - 15% reduction, and gas - 30% reduction.  That coupled with a much cheaper sim card is going to hopefully save around $1,000 per year.  I will also switch my home and contents insurance to a different bank. Same cost but twice the cover.

I found out online (I had some sick days last week, so was able to spend more time researching cost-saving measures!) that if I refill my bus card via the website I will save 5% or about $100 per year.

I didn't eat lunch today, not hungry for some strange reason - saved a good $5!

My colleague has gone off coffee and gave me her left over coffee bags - free coffee for the rest of the week and next week - lucky!

Not saved: The day before yesterday I potted up a geranium cutting which I'd taken from my sister's garden a few months back.  It had been in a glass of water for a while so it could take root.  was so happy to see it in a nice pot.  Today I went outside to say hello to it - it was gone, not the pot, just the plant!  I noticed a bit of a mess on the deck, the watering can was tipped over, some cuttings were all messed up.  Then I saw some possum poo and realised it was those buggers. Nicked my geranium!

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Drove our electric car to & from work, & had free lunch & snacks at work.

[Buffalo Chip]

Brought lunch to work, biked to work, bought discount tickets for a vacation we’re planning.

[Hirondelle]

Not only today, but more a thing of the last 2-3 weeks. When I was crazy busy at work I sometimes got lazy and got a coffee ($1 pre-9 AM). Now I've got a bit more time and mental energy and don't have to go in at weird hours anymore, so I cut the emerging habit.

Also wasn't hungry for lunch yesterday, so ate it for dinner instead.

[Sugaree]

My 4-or-5-generation-old phone has been acting squirrely lately.  Online research tells me that it's probably a battery issue.  Luckily, I picked this particular model because it was the last of the Galaxy phones to have a removable back.  Hopefully a $15 battery will keep this one going for another couple of years.

[MountainGal]

Recently:
~Saved 22% at the grocery store using paper and e-coupons
~Saved .60 per gallon at the pump using the store value card
~Saved at least $40 yesterday since Kohl's and BBB didn't have what I was looking for
~Earned $6 by returning empty ink and toner cartridges to Office Depot
~Saved $20 or so by not picking up fast food on the way home last night.  Ate leftovers instead.
~Bought 4 BOGO t-shirts and a tank top yesterday
~Continuing to save time and money by receiving my RX 3 months at a time via mail order

[nessness]

I'm traveling for work and only spent $7 of my $62 per diem. I picked a hotel that has free breakfast and free "social hour", which served enough food for dinner, so all I bought was a sandwich and cookie for lunch.

[Sugaree]

I'm traveling for work and only spent $7 of my $62 per diem. I picked a hotel that has free breakfast and free "social hour", which served enough food for dinner, so all I bought was a sandwich and cookie for lunch.

I always try to get into a Homewood Suites when I have to travel for work.  They do breakfast every day and dinner four or five nights a week.  I usually scavenge enough bread/peanut butter/jelly/honey/bananas to cover lunch too.

[Lichen]

The sun was out, it was above 60F, and I spent too much of the day in a lab class. I wanted to sip iced lattes, wander about outside, then sit on the patio of a favorite taphouse and stuff my face. Instead:

~ I made my own fancy iced coffee at home for a few pennies.

~ I convinced the spouse to wander around a natural area nearby with me so I could crawl around on my hands and knees looking at flowers and bugs (I'm perpetually muddy from April-November....)

~ I came home and made a convincing copycat of the Thai peanut sauce flatbread a fave pub serves. So we sat on our own patio and stuffed our faces. No beer, but more ice coffee was a suitable replacement. **Bonus** the recipe was quick (I used pitas for crust, "grilled" the pizzas on a griddle instead of using the oven, and pan fried the tofu instead baking), so I also discovered a quick, cheap, and easy recipe that won't heat up the house this summer.

[Tom Bri]

I built a solar cooker. It did cost me about $20 in materials, mainly spray paint, but it should last 5 years or more, like the last one did. We use it almost daily if it's sunny out. Sort of like this:
https://www.greenoptimistic.com/solar-oven-cardboard/#.XLiIouopU0g

[JTColton]

As I get closer to retiring from the military DW and I have been trying to slash expenses. Adding things up annually really puts it in perspective for us. We can just about cover expenses with my pension alone, goal is a +10% cushion.

This week was pretty good.

Cancelled my Prime membership =$120/yr savings ($10/mo)
Got rid of $95/mo 250 Mbps internet in exchange for the $39.99/mo 60 Mbps plan =$660/yr savings ($55/mo)
Combined insurance with my spouse and upped deductible to $1000 =$552/yr savings ($46/mo)

Total annual savings $1332

I think we can easily get this up to $1500 by downgrading our cell plans and doing some utility hacks. Next task is our food budget...

[Rosy]

I built a solar cooker. It did cost me about $20 in materials, mainly spray paint, but it should last 5 years or more, like the last one did. We use it almost daily if it's sunny out. Sort of like this:
https://www.greenoptimistic.com/solar-oven-cardboard/#.XLiIouopU0g

Awesome tutorial - thanks @Tom Bri . Looking forward to giving this a try.
Out of curiosity - what changes did you make that required spray paint?

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I do a lot of the same things each week, but routine helps me with frugality.

-Leftovers for dinner
-Entertaining at home vs out when possible. Including a good bottle of wine still keeps the cost lower.
-Drive solar car to/from work
-Free breakfast, lunch & snacks at work
-Free books off of the freebie table at work, including kids books. My kids like to sample new series, and this is useful if te library doesn't have it yet.

[Tom Bri]

I built a solar cooker. It did cost me about $20 in materials, mainly spray paint, but it should last 5 years or more, like the last one did. We use it almost daily if it's sunny out. Sort of like this:
https://www.greenoptimistic.com/solar-oven-cardboard/#.XLiIouopU0g

Awesome tutorial - thanks @Tom Bri . Looking forward to giving this a try.
Out of curiosity - what changes did you make that required spray paint?

Paint the outside of the boxes black and the inside white or silver. The base on the inside should be black. All designed to reflect heat in and hold it. The paint also helps waterproof the boxes. My last design lasted about 5 years and the boxes are still fine.

[Hunny156]

Late last year, I bought a mini stepper to help keep my knees and hips fluid and mostly pain free - I have fibromyalgia and it sucks.

I used it a ton, and needed to apply WD-40 on a weekly basis to keep things smooth and squeak free.  I did notice some of the plastic parts were wearing from use.  Last week, I heard a crack while I was stepping away, and it was a piece of plastic that could not be repaired.  Sucks, but the net cost to me was under $10, so I got my money's worth, and also proved that this is a tool I will use on a daily basis.

So, the search began for the Buy it for life option.  Which I found, but the $350-$425 price tags were hard to swallow.  Nothing used to be found on Ebay, Craigslist or FB marketplace, but the manufacturer had refurbished units available on their site every few days, at $225 w/shipping.

I waited a few more days, looking for better deals and giving myself time to decide if this was a want or a need.  As pain started to come back, it confirmed it was a need, but still, $225, ouch!  So on a whim, I e-mailed the mfg and asked them if they could do better, or if they had a sale coming up.  They were nice enough to give me a $50 coupon code, so $175 was easier to swallow, and I went ahead and made the purchase.

It pays to ask for a discount, worst they can say is no!  And now I have something I will be able to use for a long time to come - even the refurbished model has a 5 year warranty.

[Buffalo Chip]

Did mostly my normal stuff. Biked to work, brought lunch, didn’t pay someone to mow my lawn. Also washed the car by hand where I usually go to the automat. Saved $7 in quarters and it looks pretty nice! Only spendy thing was new blades for the weed whacked. Chose to buy at Lowe’s for a couple dollars more as they had them in stock. Poor planning on my part but beats a lawn service!

[Pennycounter]

Had breakfast at home and ate leftovers for lunch.  Made coffee at work. Making dinner out of the freezer :)

[okcisok]

It was done for me, but my awesome workplace is buying my dinner tonight, AND gave me a free one year transportation pass! I had looked at buying one so that I could do more walking/biking/transport commuting, but it was cost prohibitive. Now it's definitely saving me money! My boss looked at me strangely when I blurted out the exact dollar amount of the pass, since I had researched it. I was so excited he gave me two, plus a handful of day passes. Now DP and I can travel all over the city for FREE for the next 365 days!!

[middo]

My daughter convinced my wife they didn't need to eat out for lunch today.

[11ducks]

Found out today that I’ll be working during an upcoming government event - I applied months ago, after it popped up during my regular searches for side hustles. It’s one long days work but is on a weekend (won’t interfere with my regular job), and it will give me an extra few hundred dollars to bundle away into my stash! Every bit counts!

[Imma]

I'm preparing an early Easter lunch today. The fancy part baked bread I bought was on sale and had 35% off on top of that because the expiry date is this weekend. The chocolate eggs were also €1/bag a week before Easter. They've been on the shelves since February so it's time to get rid of them apparantly.

[Linea_Norway]

Today I started making my own trekking food. The commercial brand we used to buy is getting very expensive, even for single portions. I make double portions for much less money.
Today I bought a pile of vegetables, and some very low fat meat.

[Imma]

Bought my dinner through the Too good to go app, where restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores sell leftovers for 1/3 of the price. It's always a surprise what you get, because of course they don't know in advance what will be leftover. I will be eating sushi tonight from a fairly new place that I haven't tried yet, for €4,99. I'm home alone this weekend and need to get a lot of work done so I always make sure to arrange dinner beforehand so I won't be distracted.

Of course it's still more expensive than rice and beans, but very cheap for a take-out meal. The portions can be huge sometimes.

[Bracken_Joy]

My in laws were trying to get everyone to go to their house for Easter. The thing is, they live over 3 hours away, and ALL their kids and their spouses live in the same city! Why would six of us and a dog drive 6 hours round trip, requiring 2 cars, and use all that gas, when they could just come here? So we suggested it, and they (grudgingly) will come here for it. Since we definitely would have been one of the drivers, and there's zero chance we would have been offered any gas money, it's a money savings. (Plus now I won't be in a home with cigarette smoke and cats, both of which I can't breathe around).

Other savings: walking everywhere as usual. Quit therapy, because the guy still really wasn't clicking for me, and why throw $20 a week at something that just isn't working? I've also got only one more acupuncture session, then I'll stop going. Into my second trimester soon, and don't need the symptom control help etc anymore. Been hosting friends a ton- lovely frugal types, so a lot of potluck style and no booze needing to be served or anything like that.

Husband finally admitted his gym shoes are dead, so they're being retired and the new shoes are in circulation- we got them around thanksgiving from 6pm on a black friday sale, stacked with a $10 off coupon because they had messed up an order on my shoes the week before. Same model too, and his last ones lasted over a year and a half of HARD use. Rare for him, so I'm happy to have a backup on deck!

[Lichen]

Today we are going to a free Earth Day festival, and then heading to a no-fee conservation area to hike, geocache, and pick up trash. I just packed our lunches and filled a water cooler in the trunk so there will be no need to spend anything while out. We'll come home afterward for a cozy date night by grilling some quick-to-make pesto and ricotta pizzas, made on pitas, and binge watching the newly discovered "Happy." (I heart Patton Oswald!)

We are planning to be out of the house for 12+ hours, but we shouldn't have to spend any money!

[2Birds1Stone]

SO wanted a pack for thru-hiking the AT in the future, and a 9 month trip to EU/SE Asia next year. I scored a barely used one for $100+ less than new would have cost.

[MoolahLula]

This morning I made myself some nice cups of coffee with the free pod thingys that Disney World uses.  When I was there in Oct the cleaning ladies left both me and my friend a ton of the free sachets.  It works perfectly in my Freecycled 1 cup drip coffeepot.  And that taste definitely takes me back to the happiest place on earth :)

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Over the weekend:
-Dropped family off at the airport, saving on Uber charges
-We did order take out (planned), but rather than using a delivery service, my husband was able to pick it up in time. Saving about $15.
-I was planning to do a long run at a trail today with paid parking, but found another option that doesn't require driving or paid parking
-No Easter gifts for the kids this year. My parents got them plenty while they were here, and the kids need nothing. Instead, I made a deposit in their college savings accounts.
-Leftovers for dinner last night, and for lunch as well
-Read two more free books off of the freebie table at work

[horsepoor]

It's time to deworm the horses.  The product I use in spring was $16.49 at the feed store, but I found it online for $11.95.  The stuff I use in the fall was also cheaper, so I bought it all at once to get free shipping.  Saved about $22 for the three horses. (don't worry, I spend PLENTY at the local feed store ;) ).

Making pizzas for tonight and tomorrow with a recipe that uses up extra sourdough starter.  Topping them with homemade BBQ sauce and pesto from last summer's garden.

Pretty sure I've found a relatively cheap solution for a first saddle for my young horse (they grow and change a lot, so saddles are always problematic).  If it doesn't work out, I've also located a couple saddles in the UK that I can import and try, then probably turn a profit re-selling if they don't work out.

[mustachepungoeshere]

I visited my grandfather for Easter. I took him four bottles of wine I'd been given, and he gave me half a kilo of his gorgeous homegrown tomatoes.

Having a cheap day today. Cold-washing and line-drying my washing, pottering around home, Netflix, and my Easter bunny.

[Lichen]

We're getting ready for a major move. So today we spent the day purging 70% of our belongings from the living and dining room and setting them out for a morning donation pickup. We then packed away half of the remaining items.

The market here is hot right now, so we aren't putting in too much effort with staging. We did a bunch of minor repairs on our own (touching up paint, replacing some cracked switch covers, that sorta of thing). Then we used things we already own to stage the two rooms.

I considered treating the fam to ice cream as a thank you for spending a sunny day inside helping (At an average of $5 a cone, that would be $20). Instead, I swung by the grocery store and picked up a box of store brand ice cream bars for $1.99.

[MoolahLula]

I filled up a box of clothing I can no longer wear to send to ThredUP.  I had surgery in December and I’m down from a size 22W to a 12 in dresses.  As many bariatric patients say, I wish I had done it years ago.  If anyone would like to take advantage of a discount, here is my ThredUP referral code that gets us both a $10 credit.  http://www.thredup.com/r/MSW3QB 

[mountain mustache]

biked to work, ate packed lunch, bike home. Spent $0 today and yesterday. My new goal is to spend $0 on work days, leaving my two days off as my grocery/randoms shopping days. Tomorrow is an exception as I have a dental filling to get. But other than that, I've been just leaving my wallet at home when I leave the house for the day.

[Imma]

Our bathroom fan has been acting up and I don't know how to fix it. After Easter we'll have to spend money to get someone to repair it, but to get rid of the noise I just turned off the electricity in that part of the house (it's one of those fans without an on/off switch, it runs 24/7). That means the hot water heater is also switched off. I turn the electricity back on to shower, but due to the noise that's a really quick shower. It's a small thing but will likely save a few cents in electricity and natural gas.

[Roadrunner53]

My dog has a very serious illness and is on a bunch of medications. He takes this one medication that costs me around $155 a month. Thru a friend, her friend has a dog who is also on this same medication and same dose, no longer needs them and offered them to me! Very happy! It is only one months worth but is a lot of money saved!

[MaybeBabyMustache]

biked to work, ate packed lunch, bike home. Spent $0 today and yesterday. My new goal is to spend $0 on work days, leaving my two days off as my grocery/randoms shopping days. Tomorrow is an exception as I have a dental filling to get. But other than that, I've been just leaving my wallet at home when I leave the house for the day.

We also try to spend $0 on work days. Slightly different scenario, as I drive the kids to school about half the time, but I drive the electric car, charge for free at work, and get lunch/breakfast/snacks/drinks for free at work as well.

[marty998]

Having a cheap day today. Cold-washing and line-drying my washing, pottering around home, Netflix, and my Easter bunny.

This is describing my day today, minus the Easter Bunny.

No that is not you seeing me walking down to woolies buying lots of cheap bunnies......

[Dollar Slice]

Had some great sales at the grocery store. Stocked up on a bunch of stuff and saved about $22. And I waited until today to buy a little Easter candy so it was all half-price :-)