What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Used a $20 grocery store reward to offset the cost of some back to school snacks + ingredients for a cake my teen wanted to bake for a friend
-Made homemade protein bars, as a less expensive/high protein option for our two teens
-Pickled all of our garden jalapenos. My husband loves them, and making them yourself is always cheaper. It also clears out three bowls of jalapenos from our fridge, which thrills me as well.

[Anette]

@MaybeBabyMustache
Would you mind sharing your protein bar recipe (your zucchini fritter recipe was so awesome, I am feeling we might like the same things)

[Loretta]

I had my breakfast and lunch paid for by my dining companions.  I bought snacks in large variety packs today so that I can curb my visits to the snack shop at work this week.  I finally mailed off 2 packages to ThredUp for sonsignment.  All in all, a pretty frugal day!

[MaybeBabyMustache]

@Annette - you bet! We discovered these when training for a running relay.

-2 cups quick cooking oats
-1 cup natural peanut butter
-1/2 cup honey
-2 scoops protein powder (we use vanilla)
You can add in chocolate chips, if you'd like. I do a handful, which is a very precise measurement. ;-)

Combine, then I use a wax paper to cover a glass dish. Freeze for an hour, then use the wax paper to pull out the block of bars. Cut into small pieces. You can keep into the freezer, and defrost as you'd like. They freeze very well.

[Dicey]

We're leaving for a five day RV camping trip tomorrow. I started a shopping list this morning for a few things I needed to round out the menu. Then I decided I didn't want to go to the store. I've figured out our whole menu from things we have on hand.

OTOH, we were invited to a charity event last night. It's not a group that's on my radar, but we were invited in honor of a recently deceased friend. We donated $500 in his name. And that's my motivation for being frugal post-FIRE. Oh, and it was a themed event. I got my outfit at the thrift shop where I volunteer. It was comfortable, and DH loved it, so I'm sure it will be worn again.

[Anette]

@Annette - you bet! We discovered these when training for a running relay.

-2 cups quick cooking oats
-1 cup natural peanut butter
-1/2 cup honey
-2 scoops protein powder (we use vanilla)
You can add in chocolate chips, if you'd like. I do a handful, which is a very precise measurement. ;-)

Combine, then I use a wax paper to cover a glass dish. Freeze for an hour, then use the wax paper to pull out the block of bars. Cut into small pieces. You can keep into the freezer, and defrost as you'd like. They freeze very well.

Thank you so much! We shall give them a try.

[Tyson]

Installed a sunshade on the sunroof of my car myself instead of paying someone to do it.  This should keep the car cooler in the sun (and warmer when winter comes), cutting down on energy usage.

[Just Joe]

In the height of fishing season my engine had a breakdown (A Honda!).
A friend was at our marine store (perks to living at the coast) and picked up the parts I needed for $140 and dropped them off. I spent the day replacing the solenoid and the trim control in the tiller handle of a 50 hp Honda.
It took me about six hours, I bet a shop could do it in four. The shop rate is $140/hr.
I'd heard horror stories about taking tiller handles apart before. It was bad, but not too bad. Ok, it was bad. At one point I almost had the linkage put back together in the engine, when I dropped a circlip. I could barely see it in the depths of the innards, no way to reach it.
I took the bag out of my shop vac and jury rigged a tiny crevice tool and shoved it in as far as I could, opened up the vacuum, and there was the clip.

Congrats McGyver! ;)

[Just Joe]

Teenager and I cleaned a couple sections of gutter that were backing up during the recent heavy rains. One had a clogged downspout. We always do our own gutters but I guess each time saves us cash.

Replaced a power window motor on one of our elderly cars. Less than $50. Easy work. No idea what a shop would charge.

Plumbed in the condensate drain for our HPWH finally. Had been using a 5 gallon bucket to gauge how much moisture it was removing from the basement air (a gallon or so per week). The fittings and glue were less than $20 except I had to make a second trip to the hardware store b/c the first T fitting I bought was the wrong size. So, gas money... Twice.

Still... STILL... Still working on our kitchen reno. Excited for the finished product but not enjoying the journey. ;) Its taking so long b/c procrastination.

[oneday]

1. Cheap phone case from Amazon didn't quite fit...the opening for the charging port was slightly too narrow, so got out the x-acto knife and shaved of bits until the charging cable fit.

2. While I had the knife out, wondered if the metal handle could be a stylus. It works! (Blade removed for safety.) Only one the phone, which has a screen protector. I wouldn't use it on a bare screen, as it might scratch. It doesn't work on the computer touch screen which is really what I want a stylus for, but for now I can wait a bit more before shopping.

3. Sewing up the washing machine bag that holds bras. The plastic cage was poking out.

[smisk]

Just wanted to throw it out there, if anyone wants a cheap(er) Washington Post subscription DM me. I realized that my access includes a free bonus subscription and I would be happy to sell it to someone, one year for $75, which is half of what I pay.

[sonofsven]

Filled out an online survey for a $5 off coupon at my local grocery co-op.

[nessness]

Just wanted to throw it out there, if anyone wants a cheap(er) Washington Post subscription DM me. I realized that my access includes a free bonus subscription and I would be happy to sell it to someone, one year for $75, which is half of what I pay.

If that's for online only, at $150/year you are majorly overpaying. If you tell them you're going to cancel, they'll offer you a better rate (you can do this online,  without having to talk to a customer service person). I just did this and secured a rate of $2/month for a year.

[Dollar Slice]

Just wanted to throw it out there, if anyone wants a cheap(er) Washington Post subscription DM me. I realized that my access includes a free bonus subscription and I would be happy to sell it to someone, one year for $75, which is half of what I pay.

If that's for online only, at $150/year you are majorly overpaying. If you tell them you're going to cancel, they'll offer you a better rate (you can do this online,  without having to talk to a customer service person). I just did this and secured a rate of $2/month for a year.

Yeah, the most I've ever paid is $40/year for WaPo.

[tygertygertyger]

We had a great day enjoying the circular gift economy… My brother is loaning me a full size keyboard so I can take piano lessons. We recently found a skateboard swing in its unopened original packaging, so we installed that in a tree in his yard for his kids to enjoy.

Then we swung by my mom’s to drop off some tomatoes, and she gave me a jar of artichokes that she’s unlikely to eat.

Pretty cool day. No money spent and everyone gets to enjoy something new.

[nessness]

I want to paint my chicken coop to help with weather resistance. I'm not picky about color, so I checked out the "oops" paint and scored a gallon of paint in a nice barn red shade for $15, marked down from $58!

[Loretta]

Redeemed a reward for a chicken sandwich.  Then ate a cookie and iced tea with it for a total of $5.

[Freedomin5]

There are always leftovers at company events. The leftovers get thrown out usually. I brought a Tupperware and filled it with food after the event. That will be snack and lunch for DD tomorrow. There was also a company event this evening where a buffet dinner was served. DD had to stay in my office since DH was working late tonight as well, so I loaded up the plate and it was enough for dinner for two. DD ate the fried rice and dumplings and dessert; I ate the fruit and veggies. There’s another event at work tomorrow, so I plan to again load up a Tupperware afterwards. A lot of food gets wasted at work.

[Dollar Slice]

Resisted paying for a taxi to a medical appointment yesterday when there was a transit snafu. It was physical therapy and they're pretty laid back - I was 15 minutes late and it was OK, they just skipped the most basic part of the session which is NBD.

Last night I had a restaurant delivery order all queued up and decided not to order it at the last second. I've been in a lot of pain and was feeling sorry for myself since I couldn't go shopping for groceries or cook anything. I ate something out of the freezer instead.

[SpareChange]

Nearing almost a decade, my electric shaver's battery was showing signs of nearing the end. Found a video on how to replace it, bought a new battery for about $15 on Amazon, and installed it.

[Tigerpine]

I fixed my wife's sewing machine.  It needed a $5 internal part that had deteriorated to the point of disintegration.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Pulled together ingredients for dinner, when I flew back from Tokyo & was super jetlagged. Bonus points, as my flight was 5 hours later than expected & planning even the most mediocre meal felt like a huge win.
-Helped my son make banana bread for a school project, using ingredients we already had on hand. It also used up some overripe bananas from the freezer, which was also a fun addition.
-Was very temped to do takeout tonight, when we are deep into the college application process with our teen. But, managed to find a few things in the freezer & DH made Philly cheesesteaks.

[la Condessa]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

[Dicey]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

Well, that was a fun rabbit hole!

[nessness]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

[Dreamer40]

Due to a family emergency, I had to cancel the international trip I was planning all year only a week before departure. I got credits for most of the big expenses so I can reschedule for next year. But was planning to be out a few hundred dollars for the “nonrefundable” hotels. But I asked the hotels for a refund anyway and got most of the money back! It never hurts to ask.

[Michael in ABQ]

I went to a volunteer training event this morning and was planning to leave before the afternoon session to grab some lunch at a fast food place on my way into the office to catch up on some work. I decided to stay for the free lunch (pizza and salad) so I saved about $10 and got to catch up with someone I hadn't seen in a few years who couldn't make the morning session but was showing up for the afternoon.

[la Condessa]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

Hmm.  I will look into this more.

[Catbert]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

Well, that was a fun rabbit hole!

Yep.  Most interesting thing I've learned in a long time.

[Dicey]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

Yeah, and I never eat raw cookie dough, either. OTOH, freezing them does sound easier.

[GuitarStv]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

Yeah, and I never eat raw cookie dough, either. OTOH, freezing them does sound easier.

I've been eating raw chocolate chip cookie dough on a semi regular basis for a solid 35 years now and never had a problem.  I've also never known anyone who got sick from eating it.  Is it really not a danger, or have I been very lucky?

[Raenia]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

Yeah, and I never eat raw cookie dough, either. OTOH, freezing them does sound easier.

I've been eating raw chocolate chip cookie dough on a semi regular basis for a solid 35 years now and never had a problem.  I've also never known anyone who got sick from eating it.  Is it really not a danger, or have I been very lucky?

I got sick from eating raw cookie dough once as a child, but I'm pretty sure it was a quantity problem, not a food safety problem...

[Taran Wanderer]

Cleaned my own gutters with my $3 plastic spatula from past years.

[Dicey]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

Yeah, and I never eat raw cookie dough, either. OTOH, freezing them does sound easier.

I've been eating raw chocolate chip cookie dough on a semi regular basis for a solid 35 years now and never had a problem.  I've also never known anyone who got sick from eating it.  Is it really not a danger, or have I been very lucky?

I got sick from eating raw cookie dough once as a child, but I'm pretty sure it was a quantity problem, not a food safety problem...

The first time I had Covid, way back before we knew what the heck we were suffering with, I had a craving for chocolate chip cookies. I made a batch and proceeded to eat the dough while avoiding the chips. Seems raw dough is fine, but "raw" chocolate chips, not so much. I remember sitting at the table in my bathrobe, with a puzzle out on the table and a bowl of cookie dough in my lap. It sounds so gross now, but it was comforting at the time.

[Trifle]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

Hmm.  I will look into this more.

I think the USDA is assuming supermarket eggs, which have been washed.  If one is using home/unwashed eggs that might change the decision making calculus.  (Washing removes the natural cuticle a/k/a the "bloom" on eggs.  It decreases the shelf life of the egg, which is why USDA recommends that eggs be refrigerated.  In other countries where eggs aren't washed, they're usually not refrigerated in stores or at home).

[GuitarStv]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

Yeah, and I never eat raw cookie dough, either. OTOH, freezing them does sound easier.

I've been eating raw chocolate chip cookie dough on a semi regular basis for a solid 35 years now and never had a problem.  I've also never known anyone who got sick from eating it.  Is it really not a danger, or have I been very lucky?

I got sick from eating raw cookie dough once as a child, but I'm pretty sure it was a quantity problem, not a food safety problem...

The first time I had Covid, way back before we knew what the heck we were suffering with, I had a craving for chocolate chip cookies. I made a batch and proceeded to eat the dough while avoiding the chips. Seems raw dough is fine, but "raw" chocolate chips, not so much. I remember sitting at the table in my bathrobe, with a puzzle out on the table and a bowl of cookie dough in my lap. It sounds so gross now, but it was comforting at the time.

Breakfast of champions!

[Josiecat22222]

Got paint at local Sherwin Williams and ran into my favorite neighbor... who is a painter. .and kindly put it on his account, saving me more than 50% on purchase price .  So, being a good neighbor was my primary goal, but had the unintended benefit of saving money!

[Catbert]

Waterglassed a half-gallon jar of excess eggs from the chickens to use in the winter when they stop laying.

FYI, the USDA advises against water glossing because of the risk of botulism. I was planning to water glass eggs, but after I read this I decided it wasn't worth the risk and froze some eggs instead.

Yeah, and I never eat raw cookie dough, either. OTOH, freezing them does sound easier.

I've been eating raw chocolate chip cookie dough on a semi regular basis for a solid 35 years now and never had a problem.  I've also never known anyone who got sick from eating it.  Is it really not a danger, or have I been very lucky?

I got sick from eating raw cookie dough once as a child, but I'm pretty sure it was a quantity problem, not a food safety problem...

The first time I had Covid, way back before we knew what the heck we were suffering with, I had a craving for chocolate chip cookies. I made a batch and proceeded to eat the dough while avoiding the chips. Seems raw dough is fine, but "raw" chocolate chips, not so much. I remember sitting at the table in my bathrobe, with a puzzle out on the table and a bowl of cookie dough in my lap. It sounds so gross now, but it was comforting at the time.

Breakfast of champions!

I'm another one who's eaten a lot of cookie dough over many years without incident.  However, I've seen in the forums several times that the issue at this point is really the raw flour rather than the raw eggs.  Still tasty.

[eyesonthehorizon]

Chocolate chips are fine uncooked, like any finished chocolate candy. Consider how many desserts use them without cooking as a topping.

Concur on the raw flour as a pathogen risk. Raw eggs, especially industrial eggs, can be too, but most won’t have an issue. If you ever do, however, it will put you off them for life. Salmonella is an enduring memory twenty years on. I’ll just keep pasteurizing mine before eating any dough.

[KYFIRE]

Gathered seeds from flowers around the house so won't need to buy next year.  The free pollinator seed packets reaped massive amounts more seeds.

[jnw]

I got a covid and flu shot the other day, and Walgreens gave me 2 x $10 store coupons.  My BF got his covid shot as well and got a $10 coupon.  We bought $30 in stuff we needed for like 5 cents.. shampoo/conditioner we like etc..

Edit: all the vaccines were free to us.

[Dicey]

This happened two days ago, but I've been gloriously out of range since then. We're in CO, so I stopped in to the Motherlode Mercantile* while the boys were doing a dump run. I quickly collected a basket with a handle, a wooden charcuterie board, a silicone ice cube tray, a large covered plastic bowl, a good-sized Rubbermaid covered container, and a pair of 3T Paw Patrol PJs, still in the package. When I went to pay (nothing is priced, you just collect your finds and they name a cheap price), it was closing time and busy, so they said, "Just take it."

When i unpacked my stuff, I noticed the basket is a Longaberger (RIP). Once upon a time, someone paid a ridiculous price for it. I plan to use it for toting S'mores supplies to the campfire each night at next week's Magnificent Moab Meetup.

*Located at the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center, aka The Aspen Dump, my favorite place to shop.

[jnw]

I bought $125 worth of goods I normally buy from Amazon at 40% off with the following deal -- I was targeted:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amazon-get-30-off-150-on-amazon-when-using-1-discover-point/

I used 1 discover point and got 40% off.   Also this Q4 discover it cashback rotatating category is 5% off Amazon.com.  So actually got 45% off.

But since this is my first year with Discover It Cashback I get double cashback.. so 10% off not 5%.

So I got everything at 50% off or so.

$135 or so in stuff (with taxes) for about $71, including shipping.

[Raenia]

This was a few days ago but I forgot to post then. We did some drywalling in the basement a little over a month ago, and realized when we brought the supplies home that we'd overbought the drywall - calculated how many linear feet we needed, and forgot that many of the pieces we needed were only two feet tall, so they could be doubled up and taken out of a single sheet. We saved as many whole sheets as we could and kept them until the next time we had access to a truck, and finally last weekend we were able to bring them back and try to return the extras. And they took them back for a full refund! Almost covered the cost of the supplies we needed for the next step of the project.

[oneday]

Hey, neat! I know it's just accounting mumbojumbo, but always a bit fine to get "free" stuff like that.

[Dicey]

Went to the Motherlode Mercantile again on our way to Moab. OMG, so much stuff for $10.  I was buying serving and cookware for the MMoabMers Canadian Thanksgiving celebration. Too much to list. I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.

[oneday]

Got a coupon code for cat food in my email this week. Called the company since the auto ship happened on Monday. Even though the coupon didn't start until Tuesday, they are honoring it for my order and I'll get $13.79 back!

[jnw]

Bought $100 Lowe's gift card from Amazon for $50, by using 1 US Bank reward point -- promotion.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amazon-get-40-off-amazon-when-using-1-u-s-bank-max-15-savings/

[trashtalk]

Made biochar with last year's fruit tree prunings. Fire starter was dryer lint and oily rags. I still need to "charge" it with comfrey tea, but then going to add it to the miniswales in the front yard.

[Trifle]

It's fall!  I'm making homemade vegetable stock from veg scraps I save up in the freezer.  I should get about 4 quarts, enough for two nice big pots of soup.  In the next couple of weeks I plan to make pasta fagioli and also a creamy mushroom/wild rice soup that the family likes.