What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[Dicey]

We're hosting 10 friends at our house tonight. I'm making dessert and an appetizer from supplies on hand. Most of the table snacks were purchased at deep discount or are leftover from Christmas. I'm out of decaf coffee, but a friend will bring it and I'll repay her with pantry staples. Cheap fun!

[snowracerh]

Made venison snack sticks (25 lbs) with $60 of input costs. Made lefse, changed my own oil, sharpened 3 saw chains.

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[NV Teacher]

Had a six hour drive today.  Ate two hard boiled eggs at home, brought a few crackers and a granola bar to snack on.  Stopped for gas and got two junior cheese burgers at Wendy’s. Made it to my destination and I’m currently making taco soup with items from the freezer and pantry.

[Chaplin]

Had my son 3D print a new handle for a snow shovel as I broke the old one. The 3D printed one is probably stronger! Material cost was $6 (we made one that wasn't quite right and made a second one).

[Exflyboy]

DW not feeling good and wanted me to pick up some Sudafed. Right next to the Sudfed was the grocery stores own brand.. I check the ingredients which were identical except there was no acetaminophen (Paracetamol in the UK). No problem as we have bucketfuls of acetaminophen at home and it was 36 tabs for $3:99 vs $8:49 for 24 tabs of Sudafed.

[crocheted_stache]

Canned another dozen jars of applesauce. Our tree is nearing the end of its season, but plenty of fruit is still good. We are kind of hoping it takes it easy next year so we can use some of this abundance.

[EchoStache]

DW not feeling good and wanted me to pick up some Sudafed. Right next to the Sudfed was the grocery stores own brand.. I check the ingredients which were identical except there was no acetaminophen (Paracetamol in the UK). No problem as we have bucketfuls of acetaminophen at home and it was 36 tabs for $3:99 vs $8:49 for 24 tabs of Sudafed.

Nice job.  Next time you aren't in a rush for them, order (from Amazon or whatever) and you can reduce price from about $0.11/tablet to $0.04-$0.05, or another 50-60% cheaper.

We try to buy our common meds in bulk such as acetaminophen, allergy tablets, cold medicine.  Costco or Amazon usually works well but not sure what options are in UK for buying cheaper in bulk vs convenience packs at grocery store/pharmacy.

[Raenia]

DW not feeling good and wanted me to pick up some Sudafed. Right next to the Sudfed was the grocery stores own brand.. I check the ingredients which were identical except there was no acetaminophen (Paracetamol in the UK). No problem as we have bucketfuls of acetaminophen at home and it was 36 tabs for $3:99 vs $8:49 for 24 tabs of Sudafed.

Nice job.  Next time you aren't in a rush for them, order (from Amazon or whatever) and you can reduce price from about $0.11/tablet to $0.04-$0.05, or another 50-60% cheaper.

We try to buy our common meds in bulk such as acetaminophen, allergy tablets, cold medicine.  Costco or Amazon usually works well but not sure what options are in UK for buying cheaper in bulk vs convenience packs at grocery store/pharmacy.

Just FYI, Amazon has a pretty big problem with counterfeit pharmaceuticals. I'd stick with Costco or other stores with reliable supply chains.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I'm in charge of hosting a party for my son's soccer team. They will be making posters for senior night. I ordered the supplies I needed at Michael's, and found a 25% off coupon to go with my order. Saved a bit off the total.

In other small news, I bought sparkling water for said party, & didn't get the discount when I uploaded my receipt to Fetch. Wrote in & received the $4 back for my order.

[Loretta]

I took advantage of Jersey Mike doubling points today and my next hoagie sub sandwich will be freeeee :)

I suspect this promotion was to draw in all the frozen customers who’ve been holed up at home. 

[EchoStache]

I took advantage of Jersey Mike doubling points today and my next hoagie sub sandwich will be freeeee :)

I suspect this promotion was to draw in all the frozen customers who’ve been holed up at home.

Serious question....how much money did you spend on eating out at Jersey Mike's to get a "free" sub?

Looks like $9 or so for one sandwich with no drink or other items!  So if I spend $108 eating out for a sandwich(12 sandwiches), I can get a "free" sandwich.......assuming I don't spend a lot more for drinks, chips, cookies etc.

Sorry, I do LOTS of super face punch worthy things with lots more commas and zeroes behind them, but this still deserves a facepunch for the "saving money" thread.  :)

[EchoStache]

I spent $100 to become a member of a Farm Bureau which gave me a $400 discount on my auto insurance premium!

My insurer also changed their paid in full discount program.  I paid in full for the year and saved $390. 

Net result, almost $700 saved on my day off with less than a half hour of effort.   :)

As an added benefit, the Farm Bureau membership discount applies for all household members, so my two other young adult children, who have their own separate policies, will get a nice discount on their insurance policies as well.


So probably closer to a $1,000 savings for the household.

[Josiecat22222]

I spent $100 to become a member of a Farm Bureau which gave me a $400 discount on my auto insurance premium!

My insurer also changed their paid in full discount program.  I paid in full for the year and saved $390. 

Net result, almost $700 saved on my day off with less than a half hour of effort.   :)

As an added benefit, the Farm Bureau membership discount applies for all household members, so my two other young adult children, who have their own separate policies, will get a nice discount on their insurance policies as well.


So probably closer to a $1,000 savings for the household.

@EchoStache- did you have to switch to insurance with Farm Bureau or do you have a policy with a different agency which gave you a discount?

[Chaplin]

A favorite product of my wife's is $10 per jar at all the local grocery stores. There's one store 15km away that has it for $8, so I biked out there and bought five. Fortunately this isn't a product that we use more of if we have more in the house, so it's a real $10 savings, and I got some exercise too.

[EchoStache]

I spent $100 to become a member of a Farm Bureau which gave me a $400 discount on my auto insurance premium!

My insurer also changed their paid in full discount program.  I paid in full for the year and saved $390. 

Net result, almost $700 saved on my day off with less than a half hour of effort.   :)

As an added benefit, the Farm Bureau membership discount applies for all household members, so my two other young adult children, who have their own separate policies, will get a nice discount on their insurance policies as well.


So probably closer to a $1,000 savings for the household.

@EchoStache- did you have to switch to insurance with Farm Bureau or do you have a policy with a different agency which gave you a discount?

No, sorry for the confusion.  The name of the agency is "(My anonymous state) Farm Bureau".  Not Farm Bureau the insurance agency.  Not insured with Farm Bureau the insurance company.  It's an organization primarily intended for farmers but anyone can join.

[GuitarStv]

I spent $100 to become a member of a Farm Bureau which gave me a $400 discount on my auto insurance premium!

My insurer also changed their paid in full discount program.  I paid in full for the year and saved $390. 

Net result, almost $700 saved on my day off with less than a half hour of effort.   :)

As an added benefit, the Farm Bureau membership discount applies for all household members, so my two other young adult children, who have their own separate policies, will get a nice discount on their insurance policies as well.


So probably closer to a $1,000 savings for the household.

@EchoStache- did you have to switch to insurance with Farm Bureau or do you have a policy with a different agency which gave you a discount?

No, sorry for the confusion.  The name of the agency is "(My anonymous state) Farm Bureau".  Not Farm Bureau the insurance agency.  Not insured with Farm Bureau the insurance company.  It's an organization primarily intended for farmers but anyone can join.

I don't get why the insurance is cheaper.  Are farmers better drivers?

[EchoStache]

I spent $100 to become a member of a Farm Bureau which gave me a $400 discount on my auto insurance premium!

My insurer also changed their paid in full discount program.  I paid in full for the year and saved $390. 

Net result, almost $700 saved on my day off with less than a half hour of effort.   :)

As an added benefit, the Farm Bureau membership discount applies for all household members, so my two other young adult children, who have their own separate policies, will get a nice discount on their insurance policies as well.


So probably closer to a $1,000 savings for the household.

@EchoStache- did you have to switch to insurance with Farm Bureau or do you have a policy with a different agency which gave you a discount?

No, sorry for the confusion.  The name of the agency is "(My anonymous state) Farm Bureau".  Not Farm Bureau the insurance agency.  Not insured with Farm Bureau the insurance company.  It's an organization primarily intended for farmers but anyone can join.

I don't get why the insurance is cheaper.  Are farmers better drivers?

HAHA no idea. They basically said pay $100 and we’ll give you $400, plus another $100 for both of your kids. Ok.

[Gerard]

It's an organization primarily intended for farmers but anyone can join.

I suspect there are a bunch of things like this, if we look around. Our family has a membership in a museum two hours from here, just because it gets us into museums here in town (and all across North America!) for free. And I'm considering getting a basic-level membership in CAA (the Canadian AAA) because it gets me a discount on train tickets and one free road bike repair a year. And I know that in a lot of towns, tourist attractions will give you a discount if you have a transit card (even if you just have the piece of plastic with no passes loaded on it).

Hmm, this feels like it might deserve a blog post or something...

[Frugal Lizard]

I got the chest and upright freezers defrosted. When putting all the frozen food back into the freezer, I realized it could, if extremely carefully packed fit in just the upright. The chest freezer is now unplugged and clean. We shall leave it in the house until we are confident that we don't need it any longer. It is not energy star rated so it probably was drawing a bit of electricity.

Hopefully I can manage the frozen foods better so I can't discover 4 bags of frozen cranberries next year when it is time to defrost again.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I cancelled my Washington Post subscription before it renewed. Then they offered me another year for $60 (half price). I mean, I am all for paying to support journalism but also if I can pay half, that's even better.

[Dollar Slice]

I cancelled my Washington Post subscription before it renewed. Then they offered me another year for $60 (half price). I mean, I am all for paying to support journalism but also if I can pay half, that's even better.

My Chase credit cards have been offering 20% cash back on the Washington Post lately, which is nice since the discount offer they gave me last year was month to month. Every little bit counts.

[Roadrunner53]

I recently needed to replace my water tank from the well. It was still under warranty. The installer told us that a new tank would have been $2800 but with the warranty we were only charged $900 with tax and labor. It only had 6 more months left on the warranty and we really expected nothing. Apparently, this company changed hands and the old one didn't take credit cards only cash or personal check. When the guy presented the bill, he said he took credit cards so we got bonus money on the visa. Not a lot but love my bonus bucks! It is the Costco Visa card and get the reward check in February each year.

[Serendip]

Cancelled a subscription that I haven't been using and the rate had gone up to 8.99/month. Was procrastinating since previously you had to call the company but thankfully it is easier now and can do it on chat.

[midweststache]

- Had DH call our Internet provider to negotiate a recent raise in our rates; got our rate slashed by 50%. Saved $540 this year because he made a six-minute phone call.
- Traveled for work this past weekend. Spent under my per diem on food, so I'll make ~$60 in per diem reimbursements from this trip.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Just got back from an exhausting work trip this afternoon. Tempted to order takeout, but scrounged around in the fridge/pantry & opted for a sandwich.
-Remembered to use a $20 promo code before it expired

[Dicey]

I recently bought a $100 B&N Gift Card for $75. I used it to buy puzzles, which I will donate to the Friend's Holiday Book Sale. B&N is having a BOGO, so I got 10 puzzles. Problem is, only four were booked with the discount. I finished the order anyway (chat was unavailable), because it's the end of the sale and inventory is getting low. Now I'm on hold, trying to figure out what happened to BOGO #5. When I called (couldn't find any answers on the website), the disembodied voice informed me that the wait time would be "less than 30 minutes." It's been 14 minutes so far...good thing I'm retired.

[crocheted_stache]

Picked every morsel I could off what was left of our last Costco rotisserie chicken and made soup, also using a little garden veg and some stuff that wasn't getting fresher in the fridge.

Biked about 12 miles, partly with some other volunteers.

Dispatched DH with a container to collect edible fruit that's fallen from our fruit trees and ate some with him, before the wildlife gets it all. That was yesterday. We may attempt to dry or otherwise preserve some today.

[midweststache]

We purchased a treadmill and some accompanying workout gear for our home. (A planned expense that we saved for.)
We found a local box store where we could do in-store pickup rather than paying $200+ shipping.
We realized our minivan wouldn't QUITE fit the treadmill, so we'll rent a truck from a nearby UHaul for $25-30, depending on total mileage.
We put the purchase on a credit card that had a 2% cash back option for this box store, which will cover the cost of the truck.

So a $200+ savings for ~1 hour of inconvenience.

[EchoStache]

We purchased a treadmill and some accompanying workout gear for our home. (A planned expense that we saved for.)
We found a local box store where we could do in-store pickup rather than paying $200+ shipping.
We realized our minivan wouldn't QUITE fit the treadmill, so we'll rent a truck from a nearby UHaul for $25-30, depending on total mileage.
We put the purchase on a credit card that had a 2% cash back option for this box store, which will cover the cost of the truck.

So a $200+ savings for ~1 hour of inconvenience.

Depending on whether you've opened it and discarded the packaging, and depending on how much you paid, don't rule out scouring FB Marketplace.  There is probably not a more common piece of fitness equipment that is available used, in like new condition other than for hanging clothes, for a small fraction of the new price.

I purchased a Schwinn Airdyne(air bike) for ~$200 that had been used one time.  They last a lifetime and cost ~$700.

[midweststache]

We purchased a treadmill and some accompanying workout gear for our home. (A planned expense that we saved for.)
We found a local box store where we could do in-store pickup rather than paying $200+ shipping.
We realized our minivan wouldn't QUITE fit the treadmill, so we'll rent a truck from a nearby UHaul for $25-30, depending on total mileage.
We put the purchase on a credit card that had a 2% cash back option for this box store, which will cover the cost of the truck.

So a $200+ savings for ~1 hour of inconvenience.

Depending on whether you've opened it and discarded the packaging, and depending on how much you paid, don't rule out scouring FB Marketplace.  There is probably not a more common piece of fitness equipment that is available used, in like new condition other than for hanging clothes, for a small fraction of the new price.

I purchased a Shcwinne Airdyne(air bike) for ~$200 that had been used one time.  They last a lifetime and cost ~$700.

Agreed. However, the used market in our area (major urban city) is both cutthroat and, at the same time, rife with scams and/or stolen property resold on the marketplace.

I've had a lot of success in my BuyNothing group, but we knew with a purchase like this we'd be better served to simply save for the workout gear.

[EchoStache]

I cut my own hair, and have done so for many many years.  My Wahl clippers weren't cutting very good, so I googled how to sharpen them.

Took the blades off, sharpened on a stone, cleaned, oiled, put back together and good to go.  The 2nd set that I had given to my son had stopped working altogether(made noise but blades wouldn't move).  We cleaned and sharpened that one too, good as new.

A tip I found helpful is to color the surface being sharpened with a sharpie.  Sharpen until all the black is gone, no spot missed.

[Dicey]

DH and I are working on a repair project at the library. I had to go to the hardware store for DH. It was past noon and I was hungry. On one side of the hardware store is a Whole Foods, on the other, a bagel shop. Instead of grabbing two sandwiches for $25+ at WH, I got two multi-grain bagels, toasted with butter, for $4.50.

Good thing I did, because we worked into the late afternoon.

Extra credit: We are doing some repair work on the shed the Friends use to store their Book Sale inventory. DH has scrounged most of the materials, so the job's going to come in at less than half what we guesstimated. Best of all, he's providing the know-how and labor for free.

[Dutch Comfort]

Had some leakage in our house. Ordered a mechanic from the heating company, since we thought is was the heater and we have a contract for this. It was not the heater, but the mechanic told us what we should have replaced. DH went to the shop and bought a replacement for the leaking part and installed it himself (with the help of YT). Only 10 Euro spent instead of hiring a private mechanic for EUR 50+.....

Asked a former colleague to come over to help us with our home-wifi system since he is an IT-nerd and offered to pay him for his service. He declined and was happy with a free home-cooked meal instead.

[Freedomin5]

It’s Chinese New Year which means that many people are out of town. This means that produce at the local expat (expensive) grocery store moves more slowly, so many things are marked down. Bought perishables that were close to expiry for a hefty discount. Spent $8 on a day old loaf of brioche, day old multigrain bread, and fancy cheese. We are going to eat fancy these next few days.

[Dollar Slice]

It’s Chinese New Year which means that many people are out of town. This means that produce at the local expat (expensive) grocery store moves more slowly, so many things are marked down. Bought perishables that were close to expiry for a hefty discount.

That's great. I haven't been doing well on groceries lately as the stores near me for the last week or two were having sales aimed at Superbowl parties and Valentine's Day. Lots of "family size" chips, heart shaped cakes, and high-end steaks and lobster. Not really what I need!

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I've sporadically checked those lost property websites, and finally found a $40 one in a state we lived in ten years ago. It was a hassle to track down the right documentation, but got it all sent off over the holidays. Got the money back this week.

[WayDownSouth]

I've sporadically checked those lost property websites, and finally found a $40 one in a state we lived in ten years ago. It was a hassle to track down the right documentation, but got it all sent off over the holidays. Got the money back this week.

A couple of those sites are awesome. I check all my friends and family too, have found owed money that was eventually recovered several times over the years.

[Roadrunner53]

Well, this is a weird way to save money but I order from a company that sells veggies and other items and they ship them to me. I get them once a week. This week, I opened my box and it was someone else's order. I contacted the company and they fully refunded me of close to $100. The order I got was probably worth around $140. There were a couple of things that I do order but the rest not typically. The company basically just let me keep the produce and other stuff. I am not super happy but i got a refund and have a bunch of things I will use up. I had to throw out one thing that had been frozen and was damaged. But the rest of the stuff was in good shape. I am looking up recipes to use up some of the stuff I never typically use.

[oneday]

Before ordering a serial-to-HDMI cable adapter from Amazon, I turned the monitor that I trash-picked over. There is indeed an HDMI port. The serial cable that came with the monitor is unnecessary as I have a spare HDMI cable. Not adding a need to manufacture new items is a bonus.

[Freedomin5]

Instead of paying $70 for a new battery for my iPhone X, I bought a $9 external battery pack. If that doesn’t work, I’ll buy a $20 battery phone case. It’s a phone case with a slim battery pack built into it.

[pasadenafr]

My super expensive vacuum cleaner stopped completely stopped charging a couple of months ago - it was dead when I came back from vacation, and stubbornly stayed dead. It was very obviously the battery, but I couldn't find a first-party battery (what is it about these manufacturers that don't sell parts for their products older than 2 years?! Modern vacuum cleaners are the new printers.). I don't use it that often because I have a robot vacuum too, and hated the idea of buying a whole new one, given both the price and the fact that it would work perfectly if I could find a damn battery. So I decided to go ahead and tried one of the cheap third-party batteries on Amazon.

Well, so far, it works, and it cost me $39 as opposed to several hundreds. My next vacuum cleaner will hopefully not happen within the next few years but if it does, it will most certainly *not* be a Dyson (it will also be a cheap one).

[crocheted_stache]

My super expensive vacuum cleaner stopped completely stopped charging a couple of months ago - it was dead when I came back from vacation, and stubbornly stayed dead. It was very obviously the battery, but I couldn't find a first-party battery (what is it about these manufacturers that don't sell parts for their products older than 2 years?! Modern vacuum cleaners are the new printers.). I don't use it that often because I have a robot vacuum too, and hated the idea of buying a whole new one, given both the price and the fact that it would work perfectly if I could find a damn battery. So I decided to go ahead and tried one of the cheap third-party batteries on Amazon.

Well, so far, it works, and it cost me $39 as opposed to several hundreds. My next vacuum cleaner will hopefully not happen within the next few years but if it does, it will most certainly *not* be a Dyson (it will also be a cheap one).

If I ever stop being able to keep my trash-picked vacuum running and decide to throw real money at a replacement, I'm going to dig through this forum's buy-it-for-life thread and perhaps others on the web, and see if I can figure out what the "pro" model really is. I will prefer something that has a cord rather than a battery.

[Green_Tea]

Miele.
I run an inherited one from my grandmother.

On topic: planning a hiking trip for the weekend.

[Dicey]

One of our bedrooms has an exterior door. It's a single French door, with single pane windows, brrr. A new one is $1500 at Home Despot. DH found a brand-new one on FB Marketplace for $150. We spent about $35 on gas, and due to horrendous traffic, $43 on dinner. The sales tax on $1500 at HD would have been more than what we spent getting it. We should also save quite a bit on utilities with the new double-paned French door, hooray!

[FrugalShrew]

One of our bedrooms has an exterior door. It's a single French door, with single pane windows, brrr. A new one is $1500 at Home Despot. DH found a brand-new one on FB Marketplace for $150. We spent about $35 on gas, and due to horrendous traffic, $43 on dinner. The sales tax on $1500 at HD would have been more than what we spent getting it. We should also save quite a bit on utilities with the new double-paned French door, hooray!

Wow, that is an amazing find--and single pane to double pane is SUCH an upgrade!

[getsorted]

My super expensive vacuum cleaner stopped completely stopped charging a couple of months ago - it was dead when I came back from vacation, and stubbornly stayed dead. It was very obviously the battery, but I couldn't find a first-party battery (what is it about these manufacturers that don't sell parts for their products older than 2 years?! Modern vacuum cleaners are the new printers.). I don't use it that often because I have a robot vacuum too, and hated the idea of buying a whole new one, given both the price and the fact that it would work perfectly if I could find a damn battery. So I decided to go ahead and tried one of the cheap third-party batteries on Amazon.

Well, so far, it works, and it cost me $39 as opposed to several hundreds. My next vacuum cleaner will hopefully not happen within the next few years but if it does, it will most certainly *not* be a Dyson (it will also be a cheap one).

If I ever stop being able to keep my trash-picked vacuum running and decide to throw real money at a replacement, I'm going to dig through this forum's buy-it-for-life thread and perhaps others on the web, and see if I can figure out what the "pro" model really is. I will prefer something that has a cord rather than a battery.

Just a plug -- Riccar vacuums are US-made, reasonably priced, and highly repairable. I've had the lowest-end upright, plug-in model for over a decade and it still works great despite me having a house full of hairy beasts. Bought it because two elderly janitors told me it was their favorite, and the vacuum repair guy told me he loved working on them. I believe they are the only vacuum made entirely in the US, although some of their canister models use a Mitsubishi motor. If you're cool with a cord, they are a great option. Rarely see them advertised, but always see them sold in commercial vacuum repair shops.

[Sandi_k]

We have a Riccar as well - bought it from the local vacuum store about 20 years ago. We had already burned out a couple of Sears-purchased vacuums, so we want to the specialty store, and bought what was recommended. It was ~ $220, circa 2002, so it wasn't cheap. But it wasn't crazy expensive, either.

It's been great for dust, carpets, and cat hair. DH has had to disassemble it once very 7-8 years or so, to really clear it out. But relatively easy to do.

Three thumbs up.

[midweststache]

My super expensive vacuum cleaner stopped completely stopped charging a couple of months ago - it was dead when I came back from vacation, and stubbornly stayed dead. It was very obviously the battery, but I couldn't find a first-party battery (what is it about these manufacturers that don't sell parts for their products older than 2 years?! Modern vacuum cleaners are the new printers.). I don't use it that often because I have a robot vacuum too, and hated the idea of buying a whole new one, given both the price and the fact that it would work perfectly if I could find a damn battery. So I decided to go ahead and tried one of the cheap third-party batteries on Amazon.

Well, so far, it works, and it cost me $39 as opposed to several hundreds. My next vacuum cleaner will hopefully not happen within the next few years but if it does, it will most certainly *not* be a Dyson (it will also be a cheap one).

I was gifted a cordless Dyson hand-held by my parents when we moved into our new house as a housewarming present. It was very expensive and I was very grateful. A year later, the battery crapped out and we did the same thing - bought a new one 3rd party on Amazon - and it's lasted us 18 months and counting.

The same thing happened to my sister (she and her husband bought a house around the same time we did), and when her Dyson crapped out she just bought a new one. $40 vs $300 for the same vacuum.

[Exflyboy]

I stop by my local Harbor Freight as they had a "free" multi bit screwdriver. Not a tool I would use on a continual basis but to keep in the kitchen drawer to save me hiking out to the shop in the Oregon rain when I have a thing to do in the house.. Score!

And no I didn't buy anything else.. Thats a record for me..:)

[MaybeBabyMustache]

We're attending a sports banquet at school this week, and I'll have no time after work to make/prep a dessert. I considered ordering something, but the cost was wild. Made a double batch of brownies for $5 or so, and will freeze until the banquet.