What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[2ndTimer]

Yesterday I cleaned out and reorganized my 14 year old horse trailer to make it more functional and all around nicer.  That ought to keep me from dreaming of a shiny new trailer for at least another year or two.

Also cut my hops plants down and picked about 8# of hops off of them while watching Back to the Future. I think they run about $15/lb, so that's a pretty nice payback.

Stayed home all day and didn't spend any money.

How do you know when they are ripe?  I ask because I planted a hop plant back when the Hub was brewing beer but before we picked any he decided that it made him fat and cranky and stopped.  Now that it's making hops, I would like to offer them to another brewer on Freecycle but don't know when to pick them

[galliver]

I am a brand new sewer - so yay me!

Seamstress! Or new at sewing! You are not full of sewage! You are a worthwhile human being! :) :)

[horsepoor]

Yesterday I cleaned out and reorganized my 14 year old horse trailer to make it more functional and all around nicer.  That ought to keep me from dreaming of a shiny new trailer for at least another year or two.

Also cut my hops plants down and picked about 8# of hops off of them while watching Back to the Future. I think they run about $15/lb, so that's a pretty nice payback.

Stayed home all day and didn't spend any money.

How do you know when they are ripe?  I ask because I planted a hop plant back when the Hub was brewing beer but before we picked any he decided that it made him fat and cranky and stopped.  Now that it's making hops, I would like to offer them to another brewer on Freecycle but don't know when to pick them

The cones should feel kind of papery, and there should be yellow pollen starting to travel down the little "leaf" pieces of the cone.

http://www.realbeer.com/library/authors/moen-a/hgrown3.php

[frompa]

I also harvested a ton of hops today.  As they are already vine dried, I put them right into the freezer for use in making the next few batches of beer. And I picked a pile of cayenne peppers and hungarian paprika peppers, all drying slowly in the oven as I write.  AND, I got a good start on my next wood working project (making a bookcase), utilizing the fully-equipped wood shop at my local community college so I don't have to personally own all the crazy expensive heavy equipment.  What a fine use of a late September day!

[1967mama]

2ndTimer,
Congrats on the meal planning ... I have yet to succeed at that! Shall try again.

Made broth from chicken bones, and turned it into a great soup for dinner with 1 cup of leftover chicken, lots of veggies and some leftover wild rice/quinoa mix.

[Squirrel away]

- I decided not to have a morning shower yesterday and today. I have a hot bath or shower in the evening anyway so I thought I'm not really dirty.:D

- Homemade meals all day.

- I'm going to spend some time today dreaming looking at the houses online in the coastal area we want to retire to.:)

[2ndTimer]

2ndTimer,
Congrats on the meal planning ... I have yet to succeed at that! Shall try again.

Made broth from chicken bones, and turned it into a great soup for dinner with 1 cup of leftover chicken, lots of veggies and some leftover wild rice/quinoa mix.

I found it was easiest if I plan by the meal instead of the day.  So first I do the Hub's lunches (just a question of what kind of sandwiches), then the Hub's breakfasts (he gets up early during the week), then dinners, then my breakfasts and lunches (which are usually leftovers from dinner.)

[Public Hermit]

Drove 55MPH instead of the usual 70MPH to work in order to stretch out fuel economy!

[2ndTimer]

Walked to MacDonalds for their promotional free coffee.  They are doing it for two weeks, presumably to get me in the habit of going there.  Little do they know, that as soon as the promotion is over I will be walking to the library instead.

[mm1970]

Opted against spending money, does that count?  My hubby gets a bonus every year, and he saves most of it.  But he really likes being able to buy gifts for himself, me, and the boys with some of it.

So the boys got their toys (almost anyway, the older child has to work to earn part of his).  He really wanted to get me a Jawbone UP 24 (like a fitbit). I'm really into health and fitness - like to record my exercise and eating habits.  Plus I sleep like crap and it has a sleep tracker.

After reading the reviews I opted against it.  They don't appear to last very long, so why buy a $120 electronic gadget that lasts less than a year and does things that I can do manually?  I can use google maps to figure out how far I just walked.

So anyway next week we are getting our roof replaced and getting gutters added to the house.  I said "my gift will be being able to leave the front porch without getting drenched in a rainstorm!"  If it ever rains.

[1967mama]

Crockpot full of dried beans is now cooking. Will bag up for "instant" beans later from the freezer.

Decluttering - hope this saves me money in that my house will be less cluttered so I can find the things I have instead of having to go out and buy them again! grrr

[SF Semi-Mustache]

Worked from home.  Saved me bus fare (even if I bike I have to bus up the hill home), and I ate a warm lunch of scrambled eggs over toast instead of eating lunch out.  Which I still do far too often, even though I'm getting better. 

[Astatine]

Made enough of dinner (feta and roasted vegies pasta) to freeze two lunches for work.

Bought bones from our local butcher to make bone broth (thanks in part to the inspiration in this thread).

[Squirrel away]

- Leftover tomato and chili soup for dinner again. I'm loving this homemade soup at the moment, which is lucky as I make big batches at a time. :D

- Free exercise at home by just stretching on a mat and then using my mini trampoline.

[Setters-r-Better]

I vacuumed my air filter to make it last longer lol

Good idea!  I never thought of that!

[CheapskateWife]

4 yr old Garbage disposal seemed to die this morning.   Prior renters had lost the "unjamming" tool, cobbled together the right driver bit with a socket wrench to free it up and hit the reset button.  Good as new...can't say the same for the penny in the disposal that led to the jam in the first place.  DH thinks it is now official, I am a MMM badass.

[richcatpoorcat]

Over the past 3 days experimented with weighing the coffee I use in the french press.  Discovered no taste benefit using 1.25 oz vs 1.00 ounces of beans for 32oz water.  If coffee is 10$/lb:

1 pot x 1oz x 62.5 cents / oz x 300 days = 187$/year on coffee.  (~65 days a year not making coffee for one reason or other)

That's versus

1 x 1.25 x 62.5 x 300 = $234

Saving approximately  $47/year.

This is exactly what I have been doing as well. Was wasting so much coffee/money

[2ndTimer]

Made cous cous.  It will sit in the fridge and be good weekend food.  The vegetable I have a lot of in the garden right now is Italian Parsley so I used about a cup of that.  The stems are almost thick enough to pass for very skinny celery.

[2ndTimer]

Over the past 3 days experimented with weighing the coffee I use in the french press.  Discovered no taste benefit using 1.25 oz vs 1.00 ounces of beans for 32oz water.  If coffee is 10$/lb:

1 pot x 1oz x 62.5 cents / oz x 300 days = 187$/year on coffee.  (~65 days a year not making coffee for one reason or other)

That's versus

1 x 1.25 x 62.5 x 300 = $234

Saving approximately  $47/year.

This is exactly what I have been doing as well. Was wasting so much coffee/money

Wow, I never thought of this. 

[Threshkin]

Free salmon heads for dinner last night.  We have some friends who run a restaurant and we help them out from time to time.  Every few months they give us a bunch of salmon heads from their sushi prep.  We bake the heads, eat the meat and then make fish soup from the bones and fat.  This is some of the best stuff on earth to eat!

[OSUBearCub]

Free salmon heads for dinner last night.  We have some friends who run a restaurant and we help them out from time to time.  Every few months they give us a bunch of salmon heads from their sushi prep.  We bake the heads, eat the meat and then make fish soup from the bones and fat.  This is some of the best stuff on earth to eat!

This is pretty hardcore!  I'd share this one in the Badassery forum! :-)

[Threshkin]

Free salmon heads for dinner last night.  We have some friends who run a restaurant and we help them out from time to time.  Every few months they give us a bunch of salmon heads from their sushi prep.  We bake the heads, eat the meat and then make fish soup from the bones and fat.  This is some of the best stuff on earth to eat!

LOL, I don't consider this hard core at all.  Just good eating.
This is pretty hardcore!  I'd share this one in the Badassery forum! :-)

[galliver]

Called my bank to get an account fee waived (only $10, but stupid). Because of changing jobs (same job, different institution), my monthly paydate got moved and my first paycheck had issues, so I didn't have a direct deposit in my last statement period, hence, fee. But I asked nicely and they waived it. Thanks MMM forums for teaching me to call and ask nicely for things. :)

[southern granny]

Made a large pan of homemade vegetable soup using leftover roast, potatoes, and carrots.  Added my jar of "freezer soup" veggies, and a jar of home canned salsa from the tomatoes we grew this summer.  It was delicious.

[sheepstache]

This is ongoing but I had a tube of lip balm that had "run out" meaning it was too much trouble to get any out when I was carrying it around in my pocket. But by keeping it standing up on my desk I've gotten one or two uses a day out of it for several months.
(This was after I'd had a paperclip splint taped along its side for 6 months because I was worried it was getting bent too often in my pocket and the tube would crack. This is good lip balm and I am committed to it.)

4 yr old Garbage disposal seemed to die this morning.   Prior renters had lost the "unjamming" tool, cobbled together the right driver bit with a socket wrench to free it up and hit the reset button.  Good as new...can't say the same for the penny in the disposal that led to the jam in the first place.  DH thinks it is now official, I am a MMM badass.

A moment of silence for CheapskateWife's lost penny...

[jengod]

Took in some recycling (we are blessed to live in a bottle bill state) while waiting for my kid to finish an activity. Another lady didn't want to wait in the line for the machine so she gave me hers. I combined the redemption value "coupon" and a store coupon and came home with 2# of apples, five cans of beans and a .50 profit. Plus contributed to cleaning up our streets (I'm not to proud to take cans out of the gutter or a trash can--that's .05 and .10, people!)

[horsepoor]

I cut open a big bottle of lotion and scraped out what was left - probably about half a cup - and stirred it into my unmustashian jar of Body Shop Grapefruit Body Butter.  Saved the bottom of the bottle because it will work perfectly as a pen holder in my horse trailer. 

[1967mama]

Made split pea soup for dinner from chicken stock I made and froze in the summer. The chicken was cooked a few months ago and appeared on top of Caesar salad. But it was far too hot to eat soup the next day so I did the bones into stock in the crockpot and froze it. So easy today to put together a delicious soup. I use the split pea soup recipe from the Moosewood cookbook.

[2ndTimer]

I cut open a big bottle of lotion and scraped out what was left - probably about half a cup - and stirred it into my unmustashian jar of Body Shop Grapefruit Body Butter.  Saved the bottom of the bottle because it will work perfectly as a pen holder in my horse trailer.

Horsepoor:  I am doing something similar to extend my spendy Rose Argan Body Butter.  The smell is so intense that it flavors a whole lot of cheap stuff.

[thedayisbrave]

Was able to have a no-spend day yesterday despite being fairly busy/active (people think 'no spend' equates to sitting at home).  Ate for free at work, went running at the local lake, and then went to a concert.  I've become friends with this particular musician and he asks for volunteers to work for him at the merch table so I got a free ticket in. 

[Squirrel away]

- Made a batch of soup to have for lunches for the first half of the week.

- I received £125 from our bank as it was the incentive they used to switch to them. It's First Direct if anyone from UK is interested.

[tracylayton]

1. Instead of going out to dinner for my daughter's birthday, I cooked a nice family dinner at home complete with wine and homemade pineapple upside down cake. She's a vegetarian, so I planned the meal around that. We all had a great time carrying on actual conversations (which would have been hard to do in a busy restaurant) and probably saved $50.

2. The temps have been dropping into the low 60's at night. I open up the doors and windows in the morning and trap all the cool air in the house, so I don't have to run the AC.

[Albert]

We all had a great time carrying on actual conversations (which would have been hard to do in a busy restaurant) and probably saved $50.

Funny that you say that. Yesterday was a rare night out in town for me with former colleagues.  One of them I hadn't seen in 10 years (she lives in Canada). A lot more money spent than would be "mustachian", but we had no problem whatsoever holding conversations for close to 7 hours straight.

Today is spend nothing day as I'm just about to leave for a fancy dinner payed by the company. I expect the bill to be close to 2,000 $ (for 21 persons), but who cares? :)

[Threshkin]

Took in some recycling (we are blessed to live in a bottle bill state) while waiting for my kid to finish an activity. Another lady didn't want to wait in the line for the machine so she gave me hers. I combined the redemption value "coupon" and a store coupon and came home with 2# of apples, five cans of beans and a .50 profit. Plus contributed to cleaning up our streets (I'm not to proud to take cans out of the gutter or a trash can--that's .05 and .10, people!)

I used to do this way back in the 70's when I lived in Oregon.  Outdoor parties were the best!  I could collect a couple hundred dollars worth of cans and bottles in a couple of hours just by wandering around asking groups if they would give me their empties.

[2ndTimer]

Nibbling leftover BBQ as I write.  Making a mental note to BBQ everything I can find next time we fire up the grill since the leftovers are so good.  Made a double batch of Bourbon Chicken sauce.  It didn't take any more time or clean up than a regular batch and I will freeze the extra.  Didn't have any apple juice so substituted the juice and some of the fruit from a 25 cent past-sell-by date can of pineapple.  Put the rest of the can in the fridge for homemade pizza later this week.

I am working at making one three legged chicken bought and frozen earlier this year last an entire week for two people by cooking it different ways.  The plan is Bourbon chicken twice, pad thai once and BBQ chicken pizza once.  Then leftovers on Friday.

[sheepstache]

three legged chicken

Please explain.

[swick]

three legged chicken

Please explain.

Utility Bird?

[Oltmanh]

Made popcorn the old fashioned way...almost free, then dinner tonight.   Resisted temptation to go to the store for more interesting choices. 

[peppermint]

Prepared chicken in the crockpot and put it in the fridge so it'll be ready to plug in and cook all day tomorrow.
Roasted a pile of veg for the week's meals.

[Breaker]

Here is a tip that I haven't seen here. 

Dry wet shoes by putting them in front of the refrigerator.  The Fridge is running all of the time and warm air is always blown out from under the door, so may as well make use of it. 

Skipped buying take out for supper tonight, nothing sounded good.



 

[McGeens]

Visited a sick little friend in hospital. Took her a care package of homemade play dough, thrift shop books, bunch of lavender flowers from the garden, homemade fruit salad. She was pleased, and it'll give her some entertainment while she recovers. Total cost under $3

[2ndTimer]

three legged chicken

Please explain.

Utility Bird?

A three legged chicken is a grocery store tray containing a whole cut up chicken plus one extra leg and thigh.

[NinetyFour]

Here is a tip that I haven't seen here. 

Dry wet shoes by putting them in front of the refrigerator.  The Fridge is running all of the time and warm air is always blown out from under the door, so may as well make use of it. 

You can also stuff crumpled up newspaper in the shoes.  The paper will absorb the water.  You may have to remove the soaked paper and repeat the process once or twice.  I do this when I am out on hiking trips and need for my wet hiking boots to dry out before the next hike.

[karaishere]

2. The temps have been dropping into the low 60's at night. I open up the doors and windows in the morning and trap all the cool air in the house, so I don't have to run the AC.

We do this in the morning and evening too. I love how easy it is to avoid running the air during the fall!

[karaishere]

Lately I've been meal planning and meal prepping like crazy. We are wasting less food, going out to eat less, and eating healthier. I could get used to how easy this is becoming!

[OSUBearCub]

three legged chicken

Please explain.

Utility Bird?

A three legged chicken is a grocery store tray containing a whole cut up chicken plus one extra leg and thigh.

Is this a regional quirk or something a specific chain does?  I think it's fascinating; I just can't imagine why a grocer would randomly throw in an extra leg and call it a "thing" lol  I would love to know more about this!

[cowboysgirlfriend]

Successfully trained the other half not to use the dishwasher, but to do the dishes in just a few inches of water in the sink.

[sheepstache]

three legged chicken

Please explain.

Utility Bird?

This fails to assuage my concerns.

A three legged chicken is a grocery store tray containing a whole cut up chicken plus one extra leg and thigh.

Whew.

Lately I've been meal planning and meal prepping like crazy. We are wasting less food, going out to eat less, and eating healthier. I could get used to how easy this is becoming!

I know, right?

[OSUBearCub]

three legged chicken

Please explain.

Utility Bird?

This fails to assuage my concerns.

A three legged chicken is a grocery store tray containing a whole cut up chicken plus one extra leg and thigh.

Whew.

And that was the point I shot coffee out my nose at the office.  lol

[Louis the Cat]

I took a peach I had started yesterday that had a terrible texture but was perfectly edible and a mango that was molding, trimmed the mold and other issue areas and threw it all in the food processor with 2 lbs of plain yogurt and a little agave nectar. My 3 year olds proceeded to demolish all but maybe 1/2 a cup for lunch...