Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?  (Read 8020694 times)

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14450 on: June 08, 2021, 02:11:36 PM »
I downloaded the Paypal app, and took advantage of a $5 reward. Used it cover shipping for an eBay sale.

DadJokes

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14451 on: June 09, 2021, 09:19:41 AM »
I rode the train to & from work yesterday for the first time in a while. Prior to the pandemic, it was both cheaper and similar on time due to traffic. Traffic isn't as bad as back then, so it's just cheaper now.

Unfortunately, it ran close to an hour late, which soured my mood enough that I probably won't do it again.

Loretta

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14452 on: June 09, 2021, 03:59:17 PM »
Only purchased 3 grocery items with my prescriptions at Safeway this evening.  I am trying out their pharmacy after CVS annoyed me too many times. 

Imma

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14453 on: June 11, 2021, 01:03:51 AM »
Did not order food when I came home unexpectedly late last night and there was no food in the fridge left (groceries will be delivered today) but instead found something in the freezer and waited patiently until it was hot.

Rural

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14454 on: June 12, 2021, 05:09:24 AM »
Did not order food when I came home unexpectedly late last night and there was no food in the fridge left (groceries will be delivered today) but instead found something in the freezer and waited patiently until it was hot.


And you probably got food faster than delivery anyway.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14455 on: June 12, 2021, 08:40:53 AM »
Avoided buying lunch out, when my son was using his gift card at Starbucks. He paid for his own over priced drink, and no lunch out at least for me, despite the temptation

Loretta

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14456 on: June 12, 2021, 11:42:34 AM »
Just returned from my fave thrift store where I bought a couple work dresses for my new position vice buying new from Amazon which would probably be low quality made in China crappola. $29 for sandals + 4 dresses. There is a new eyebrow threading kiosk at the thrift shop but unfortunately the owner was away and it states only accepting appointments.

Freedomin5

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14457 on: June 13, 2021, 01:11:57 AM »
Made my own peanut butter today.

KYFIRE

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14458 on: June 13, 2021, 05:29:13 AM »
Picked up siding to redo shed.  Been trying to find some to recycle but no luck.  Local siding company was selling left over boxes, got all the pieces to do for a fraction of the cost of new.

Imma

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14459 on: June 13, 2021, 07:03:24 AM »
Harvested the last peas and snow peas, then removed the plants. Moved the seedlings to the bed (zucchini, pumpkin, cucumber) and sowed some new things (carrots and beets). Grocery shopped the other day and they were selling dahlia's for next to nothing. Poor plants were dried out, put them in a bucket of water overnight, removed the dead leaves the next morning and they look really nice on our patio now. The pots are nice too and not cheap, so I figured in the worst case scenario I would have some nice pots that match our garden.

Cleaned the outdoor furniture and set up the patio for the summer, found some stuff that we didn't need anymore and put them for free on FB Marketplace. Everything was picked up in a couple of hours. Didn't save me money, but saved someone else money. Painted a wall using paint we already had.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14460 on: June 13, 2021, 07:06:16 AM »
Heading out on vacation, so used the last of the scraps in the fridge for dinner last night. I packed food for myself & my husband for the airport. Packed some snacks for the kids, but did pre-purchase them airline food (their choice - gag), as it will be a long travel day.

lazycow

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14461 on: June 14, 2021, 09:52:45 PM »
Had to go into town to run errands so took a banana and reusable water bottle so I wouldn't be tempted to buy snacks. It works about 90% of the time:-)

halftimer

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14462 on: June 15, 2021, 04:29:50 PM »
Some small savings today. I had lots of fresh herbs leftover from a recipe a few days ago, so I quickly dehydrated them all in the microwave and filled up my spice containers. Used some of the herbs plus some homemade broth and various other odds and ends from the fridge and pantry into a hearty soup for tonight.
Had to buy some new work shirts and was able to get an excellent sale price, then remembered to add a discount code at the end.
And of course, lots of entertainment from the library and from outdoor walks this week. There are almost too many books and movies on hold coming in at once, but we will have 2 weeks off starting soon and lots of time to get caught up.

Jenny Wren

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14463 on: June 16, 2021, 09:20:21 AM »
The sun was out and all three of us got the urge to sit outside on a patio somewhere and eat. As the boy and spouse began debating restaurants, I whipped up a potato salad, cut melon, and made some fancy sandwiches, instead. Went to a local state park to enjoy a picnic by the beach followed by a couple of hours of evening tidepooling. All agreed is was better than an hour on a restaurant patio.

sonofsven

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14464 on: June 16, 2021, 10:14:59 AM »
My dishwasher silverware tray and dish racks were grungy.
When I took them out of the dishwasher I noticed they were REALLY grungy.
Normal cleaning methods were not successful, so I put them in the driveway and used the pressure washer, now they're sparkling.

Dutch Comfort

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14465 on: June 17, 2021, 02:46:25 AM »
Instead of going out for icecream last night, I picked some strawberries from the garden, got milk from the fridge and some leftover icecream from the freezer, put it all in the blender and made a bunch of milkshakes! More healthy and definitely more frugal than going out! A big success. Now I need to include new icecream into my shopping list because I'm sure the two teens will be asking for more of these....... (still cheaper than going out for icecream).


Jenny Wren

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14466 on: June 17, 2021, 04:36:06 PM »
I trash picked while taking out the recycling. There were some fancy magazines in the community recycle bin (Cook's Illustrated and Taproot) that will keep me in light entertainment on the patio this summer. Someone was also tossing out a badly damaged particle board shelf. I didn't need a broken shelf, but I was able to scavenge the plastic pegs that hold the interior shelves in place. We had lost a few in our last move and had been living with slightly wobbly and propped in place shelves for the last couple of years.

MudPuppy

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14467 on: June 17, 2021, 07:57:39 PM »
One of the neighbors two streets over who rides his bike every day offered me some iris divisions while I was out pruning some plants in my front yard, I drove over to pick them up

Freedomin5

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14468 on: June 18, 2021, 03:12:31 AM »
Walked half an hour to the bus stop and took the bus home ($0.40) instead of taking a taxi ($5.00). Reached 10k steps as a bonus.

Loretta

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14469 on: June 18, 2021, 04:13:00 AM »
A friend bought me lunch after I called her up to invite her out on the spur of the moment.  It was a delicious turkey club sandwich.  Then we walked next door to the thrift store where she bought an end table.  I carried it to her car for her.  I bought nothing at the thrift store which is rare for me. 

FragglesRock666

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14470 on: June 18, 2021, 02:50:46 PM »
I haven't done it yet, but I will do it here in a little bit... It's been way too hot to cook much lately, and I forgot to arrange something for dinner tonight before I left for work.  It's just me and Grandpa for dinner (my kiddo is with her dad this weekend and the fiancé and his son are otherwise occupied), so there is definitely a temptation to just order something for delivery.  Instead, I will pick up fried chicken and maybe a side from the grocery store when I stop in to pick up the handful of things we need.  It's still spending money, but it will be much less expensive than take out. 

Raenia

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14471 on: June 18, 2021, 06:22:56 PM »
Took the bus to my dentist appointment.  Much longer ride than train or driving, but far less expensive.  The train costs almost as much as parking in the city, while the bus is only $4 round trip.  Since the appointment was in the middle of the day and I'd taken the whole day off anyway, I wasn't in a hurry and brought a book.

Dollar Slice

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14472 on: June 19, 2021, 05:46:23 PM »
I wanted to buy some supplements/pills to try and fix my poor stomach - couldn't find them in the local store (I try to support local businesses) so I went online - I realized that I could get the exact same price if I bought them from the manufacturer on Amazon vs. from the manufacturer's website, but they counted towards Amazon's "spend $10 on small business, get $10 credit" deal so I bought it on Amazon and got a free $10 to spend there this week.

Then had some other purchases to make on a different website - $74.95 after using a promo (originally $139). Found a discounted gift card on Raise.com (saved almost $7) and realized if I walked to their outlet store to pick it up (they have a "ship to store" option) I could save another ~$8 in shipping fees. It's about 1.5 miles round trip.

Linea_Norway

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14473 on: June 20, 2021, 09:28:33 AM »
DH wanted to book a flight within the country for a summer vacation. A new airline is starting up and selling low fairs with 2 pieces of luggage. DH could bring his bicycle as one piece of that luggage and his bags in another. For really low prices.

cool7hand

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14474 on: June 21, 2021, 04:54:55 AM »
Leaving for a road trip at the end of the week. We've been making blocks of ice in the freezer for the coolers to save money on ice.

Dicey

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14475 on: June 21, 2021, 08:19:07 AM »
DH wanted to book a flight within the country for a summer vacation. A new airline is starting up and selling low fairs with 2 pieces of luggage. DH could bring his bicycle as one piece of that luggage and his bags in another. For really low prices.
Wow! Allowing a bike to count as one piece of luggage sounds like a great deal. In my limited (and not recent) experience, bikes are considered oversize luggage and cost extra.

Dutch Comfort

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14476 on: July 02, 2021, 01:26:26 AM »
Instead of going to the bakery this morning, I delayed it till tonight because I could order a TooGoodToGo package from the same bakery and pick it up tonight. It is a surprise package where you get a minimum of 3x your paid amount in bakery products. The kids think it is an absolute fun way to start the weekend with nice bakery goodies!
So I paid 6 euro and will get a minimum of 18 euro of bakery products! The kids were happy with some cereals this morning and leftovers for lunch instead of fresh bread.


Rosy

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14477 on: July 02, 2021, 05:57:03 AM »
SWEET - $75 credit from my Health Insurance Co. in exchange for uploading my Covid Shots certificate:).
That represents exactly one year's worth of prescription expenses or I can use it for co-pays .....

FREE SUMMER DRINKS
Pitcher of Persian Lime water in the fridge.
Moroccan Mint for the best hot afternoon tea ever.
Passion Fruit - yay Maracuja!
Jasmine and Moringa flowers for tea - so pretty too.

FREE - cooking with fresh herbs, tomatoes, celery from the garden.

MORE FREE MONEY
Coupon Code for $75 bitcoin - free money is always a good thing.
10% off Crypto wallet.
$10 credit on $40 Amazon GC

AMAZON - Prime Day Promos
Used my Amazon Prime card to get 6% rewards on all purchases.
Saved roughly $200 or so on shoes, coffeemaker, laptop and watches - no frivolous purchases at all.
We already knew what we wanted so the extra discounts were not earth-shattering or rock bottom, but I'm happy with the savings.

REWARDS - in cash
One of my credit cards is running an extra promo for restaurants and food delivery.
So far it is averaging out to ten dollars extra cash a month.

Loretta

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14478 on: July 02, 2021, 06:43:09 AM »
I got an automated email that my health insurance co. will give me $75 in FSA type rewards if I prove I got my COVID vaccine.  When I went to the website to provide my documentation it wasn't working yet.  Will try again later. 

I took my chariot back to the tire installer to diagnose the cause of the extreme vibrations over 55 MPH.  I am going out shortly to verify they fixed the problem.  They didn't charge me for the repeat visit.  Other than the vibrations, the tires are a huge improvement over the originals I replaced, and I am feeling good about the likelihood of my chariot lasting me 100K miles plus. 


pasadenafr

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14479 on: July 02, 2021, 06:55:48 PM »
My sister and I were supposed to rent a small house for this holiday week-end, which turns out not to be available anymore (they had some damage after the heat wave). So she was going to rent another one for way more money (last minute booking). I talked to her this morning and convinced her to go camping instead - she has a van that can sleep 3, so all we need to add is a tent for the 2 young adult kids (they do have a tent) and rent a desk at the local shared office for her to work next week.

So this is going to cost me about half what I had budgeted, and several hundreds dollars compared to what the new last-minute booking would have cost. Plus, we all love camping.

Also, not sure if that counts, but: yesterday I got and sold my ESPP shares. I had scheduled two transfers ($5k to brokerage, and $2.2k to my checking account). I was planning on saving $2k for my Xmas vacation abroad, and $200 "to spend". I changed the transfers this morning to send the $200 to brokerage instead. I did a review of my spending YTD yesterday, and this kind of random few $100's coming in are seriously contributing to lifestyle creep. So now they'll just go and start contributing to retirement. My Fun Money category doesn't need more fun.

Freedomin5

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14480 on: July 03, 2021, 02:56:46 AM »
Made my own jam this morning. Jars of good quality jam are usually ~$6 a jar. I spent a bit more than $4 and ended up with three jars.

MountainLakeMama

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14481 on: July 03, 2021, 05:24:19 PM »
I washed/cleaned my own car, inside and out, instead of taking it somewhere to have it done.

Trifle

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14482 on: July 04, 2021, 09:53:42 AM »
I used some basic hypermiling techniques and squeezed an extra ~50 miles out of the last tank of gas.  Saved about $4.75. 

seemsright

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14483 on: July 04, 2021, 06:15:22 PM »
I crushed my pinky in a freak fall while at Yellowstone. I go in for surgery tues. Summer is canceled. I wont be able to bike ride, kayak. So all of our camping will have to be canceled. I am looking at 12+ week recovery time. I am not happy about it. I have no idea how I am going to not do anything after 2020. But such is life. I am looking on the bright side...we will get refunded most of the trips we had planned. I am thankful for our insurance as they will pay for most of this, my deductible is only $300. And we made out really well with our ESPP so our estimated costs are taken care of.

I am working on my attitude. as this really does suck

Dicey

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14484 on: July 04, 2021, 07:24:19 PM »
I crushed my pinky in a freak fall while at Yellowstone. I go in for surgery tues. Summer is canceled. I wont be able to bike ride, kayak. So all of our camping will have to be canceled. I am looking at 12+ week recovery time. I am not happy about it. I have no idea how I am going to not do anything after 2020. But such is life. I am looking on the bright side...we will get refunded most of the trips we had planned. I am thankful for our insurance as they will pay for most of this, my deductible is only $300. And we made out really well with our ESPP so our estimated costs are taken care of.

I am working on my attitude. as this really does suck
Oh, shit! You're right, that does suck. I hope it's not your dominant hand and that you receive excellent medical care. I hope you will be able to do more that you think as you work your way through the recovery process.

Imma

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14485 on: July 05, 2021, 06:45:47 AM »
I crushed my pinky in a freak fall while at Yellowstone. I go in for surgery tues. Summer is canceled. I wont be able to bike ride, kayak. So all of our camping will have to be canceled. I am looking at 12+ week recovery time. I am not happy about it. I have no idea how I am going to not do anything after 2020. But such is life. I am looking on the bright side...we will get refunded most of the trips we had planned. I am thankful for our insurance as they will pay for most of this, my deductible is only $300. And we made out really well with our ESPP so our estimated costs are taken care of.

I am working on my attitude. as this really does suck

Was going to say I got food poisoning and haven't eaten solid food for days, but this is way worse :( Hope you'll feel better soon and your recovery is fast.

Loretta

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14486 on: July 05, 2021, 02:50:44 PM »
I used my 7-Eleven rewards card for a free small icey beverage after a hot and steamy walk through gardens with a friend. Who knew so many apps want to give me free stuff to get me into their business! 

Sugaree

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14487 on: July 07, 2021, 06:59:48 AM »
Self-reported my husband and I's Covid vaccine to the insurance company's rewards portal.  Will get credit of $75 for each, which I'll use to pay for a dental appointment that the kiddo had a few weeks ago that wasn't fully covered. 

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14488 on: July 07, 2021, 08:12:12 AM »
Over the past week or so:
-Packed all of our vacation house stuff in the back of our car vs renting a uhaul (we close tomorrow).
-Bought road trips lunch at Costco, vs anywhere else, saving at least $10
-Signed closing documents while we were in town, vs waiting until we are home, saving $175 on a mobile notary
-Brought home a small number of things we will use
-Used a Starbucks reward to get my son a free breakfast on the drive. I stuck to a packed protein bar & banana, avoiding additional meals out

MountainGal

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14489 on: July 07, 2021, 02:32:11 PM »
@seemsright and @Imma, hope you both recover quickly!

Lately:
~Made a batch of cold brew coffee at home vs buying it at a coffee shop, Walmart, or in bulk online
~Redeemed a free personal size pizza-I made sure to tip on the full tab
~Eating supper and 4th of July leftovers for lunches
~Will pack food from home for an upcoming trip
~Started paying my estimated quarterly taxes online which saves a stamp
~DH and I bought a 1/4 beef and 1/2 pig which will save an enormous amount of money on proteins
~I bought two new pairs of walking shoes for the first time in 20+ years, though I did take advantage of free shipping
~Continuing to use old t-shirts for rags, and using up the remaining bits of lotion and toothpaste before opening new bottles/tubes

Freedomin5

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14490 on: July 08, 2021, 03:07:17 PM »
Made a jar of peach jam and peach passion fruit jam from fruit that was gifted to us. Saved around $12. (jam is expensive here)

Had a homemade smoothie for lunch at work instead of buying lunch. Saved $25 a week.


middo

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14491 on: July 08, 2021, 10:11:58 PM »
Bottled home brew beer.

Dutch Comfort

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14492 on: July 09, 2021, 12:44:47 AM »
Went out for a walk during my son's swimming lesson instead of staying on the outside terrace with a (bought) drink. Win-win since I got some exercise and did not spend money on a drink/ice-cream.

lifeandlimb

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14493 on: July 09, 2021, 11:18:31 AM »
I made my own cervical traction neck hammock to use at home (usually cost about $80) for the occasional neck tightness/pain I get from work. I take a pillow case and fold it in half lengthwise to get a long thin piece of fabric, then I fold that in half the other way. I grab a thin loop of rope or cord and girth hitch it around the ends that meet. Then I tie the rope to a door handle with something solid like a clove hitch, so that the folded pillowcase hangs down about an inch or so above the ground. I lie down on my back and fit the back of my head into the pillowcase gap, scoot a few centimeters toward the direction of my feet, let my head hang for 3-5 minutes, and voila—amazing relaxation for the rest of the day.

reeshau

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14494 on: July 09, 2021, 11:24:38 AM »
This happened a while ago, but I just found out the result yesterday.

DW and I made a rookie ACA mistake: our in-network doctor sent us to the in-network hospital for a new patient lab panel.  Only, the lab inside said hospital is out of network.  So, the bill came to $1,885.  Each.  I checked the lab, but given our insurance (Oscar) has a thin network anyway, I didn't stop to ask the lab who they even were.  (No sign in the room)
But surprise billing is a no-no as part of a Covid bill, and a pending permanent action.  And it has been in Texas since the beginning of last year.  So I called to appeal the denial of coverage, mentioning the lab resides inside the in-network hospital.  I thought it was going to be the beginning of a long slog, perhaps involving a complaint to the insurance commission.

Low and behold, they said yes!  Our new payment: $50.  That was a $3,600 phone call.

It reminds me of the saying: the answer to an unasked question is always no.

Sandi_k

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14495 on: July 09, 2021, 04:12:52 PM »
Wow, well done!!

This happened a while ago, but I just found out the result yesterday.

DW and I made a rookie ACA mistake: our in-network doctor sent us to the in-network hospital for a new patient lab panel.  Only, the lab inside said hospital is out of network.  So, the bill came to $1,885.  Each.  I checked the lab, but given our insurance (Oscar) has a thin network anyway, I didn't stop to ask the lab who they even were.  (No sign in the room)
But surprise billing is a no-no as part of a Covid bill, and a pending permanent action.  And it has been in Texas since the beginning of last year.  So I called to appeal the denial of coverage, mentioning the lab resides inside the in-network hospital.  I thought it was going to be the beginning of a long slog, perhaps involving a complaint to the insurance commission.

Low and behold, they said yes!  Our new payment: $50.  That was a $3,600 phone call.

It reminds me of the saying: the answer to an unasked question is always no.

Dutch Comfort

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14496 on: July 19, 2021, 05:26:23 AM »
Brought lunch to the office today.

DD cleaned her desk and I managed to sell 1 coloring book for a small amount. Others were gone on the Buy-Nothing group, but was happy to have this one sold.

Managed to host a small BBQ party of 6 yesterday out of freezer items! Only had to go out for some fresh salad and fruit.

Saturday, I planned to go to the bakery to get fresh bread. When I finished my chores, it was too late. The kids agreed on a few frozen pizza's instead.



Sugaree

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14497 on: July 19, 2021, 06:46:37 AM »
Combined the tax-free holiday on back-to-school stuff with a gift card that's been in my wallet for at least a year to get a bulk of the kiddo's back to school clothes.  He was pretty much out of underwear that fit.  I've also implemented a one-sock policy where everyone has a single style of sock because I got tired of matching up 3,928 different styles of socks and ending up with at least 50 orphan socks.  The only thing left is shoes and a few t-shirts.  I'm giving him some cash and letting him decide how to budget it.

Jenny Wren

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14498 on: July 23, 2021, 10:34:34 AM »
Yesterday:

* Picked up an unused shower curtain liner from the Buy Nothing group.

* Had a doctor's appointment across the street from the downtown big library. Picked up some library books within my allotted free parking time at the doctor's office so I didn't have to make a second trip tomorrow AND pay for parking. (No ethics worries, I asked the receptionist if it was okay if a left the car there for 20 minutes while I ran into the library.)

* Garbage picked a nice Ikea shelf for the boy's room and two like-new folding chairs. The shelf has a blue stain on one shelf, but the kid doesn't care. We now have enough chairs for game nights and holiday dinners with guests, without having to bust out the camp chairs. Bonus, all of the folding chairs are black, so they even match! I love the annual student move-out dumpster shopping season.

* Moving really let me assess the state of the freezer and pantry. I just needed to pick up a bit of fresh produce this week to round out the stuff that has been hiding in the pantry. A better designed kitchen should minimize the amount of food that gets lost in the backs of cabinets going forward, too!

MyAlterEgoIsTaller

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #14499 on: July 24, 2021, 09:45:25 PM »
Yesterday I got word that I've successfully convinced my company to let me work remotely permanently.  This will save a definite several hundred dollars in gas.  It should also continue to keep my expenses lower for: car maintenance; lunches out; "professional" clothes. 

Also I had corn-on-the-cob-holders on my shopping list, because my CSA said there will be corn starting this week, but I found some holders at a garage sale today for 25 cents.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!