What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I made blondies and cut up some extra celery and carrots that I had at my house instead of buying cupcakes and a veggie tray for work potluck. (I did buy an extra container of hummus. I know I can make hummus but my kids won't eat homemade so I don't keep the ingredients around.)

It was all so much fresher and better. Believe it or not, almost all the veggies got eaten!

[middo]

I remembered to cancel our Amazon Prime as school holidays are over and we won't need it for another 10 months.

[crocheted_stache]

I have a certain plastic food box that I got at a garage sale years ago. It's been so long I don't remember, but I probably paid 25¢. I've used it every day since then unless it's been in the dishwasher, because it exactly fits the block of cheese I like to get. That means the last decade at least has been free of plastic wrap and other messy and disposable approaches to reclosing my favorite cheese.

The past year or two, it's started to crack. The part that's cracking is on an exterior rim, so it's still airtight and functional, but I've been hunting for the replacement for a while, and nobody (including the original manufacturer, anymore) seems to make anything that size.

Yesterday, I spotted the very same container, intact, on my Buy Nothing group, and requested it. One short bike ride later, and I'm good to go for another decade if I'm gentle.

[Dicey]

I have a certain plastic food box that I got at a garage sale years ago. It's been so long I don't remember, but I probably paid 25¢. I've used it every day since then unless it's been in the dishwasher, because it exactly fits the block of cheese I like to get. That means the last decade at least has been free of plastic wrap and other messy and disposable approaches to reclosing my favorite cheese.

The past year or two, it's started to crack. The part that's cracking is on an exterior rim, so it's still airtight and functional, but I've been hunting for the replacement for a while, and nobody (including the original manufacturer, anymore) seems to make anything that size.

Yesterday, I spotted the very same container, intact, on my Buy Nothing group, and requested it. One short bike ride later, and I'm good to go for another decade if I'm gentle.

Love this. Gold star for you!

[eyesonthehorizon]

@crocheted_stache - Wonderful economizing. This is the sort of thing that proves that it’s actually a lot more pleasant to live in a way that produces less trash.

I’m currently steeping a chicken carcass a second time for weaker stock, which I’ll probably use to enrich some rice Mexican style to go with refried beans & some kind of enchilada or sweet potato tacos. The breast meat was already used up for several chicken sandwiches on homemade bread & a pizza, the thighs & other pickings for a huge chicken & vegetable curry. I also need to wake the starter for another loaf as we’re at the heel of the last one, but I haven’t done it yet.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I've made a few small improvements this week:

-Canceled my Netflix subscription - $15/month = $180
-Paused DS16's gym membership, as he's currently playing two sports - $15/month, for at least 4 months = $60
-Canceled one of our travel credit cards - $95

[Dollar Slice]

I remembered something I was going to return and had forgotten about in the throes of a bad run of migraines last month. I checked the cutoff date and I have some time, so I just submitted it online and got the prepaid shipping label so I can send it back this week. About $55.

Saved the price of a concert ticket a few days ago by observing what a total zoo the line was. A relatively famous musician was doing a sort of on-the-down-low show at a tiny jazz club, and I guess word got out. I showed up really early (no advance ticket sales, first come first serve) and there was already a line down the block. I could have gotten in, but I have a pretty low tolerance for idiots and I couldn't see myself paying money to spend the next two hours in a room with all the people in that line, LOL. So I held my friend's place in line for a couple of minutes so he could go get a cold drink, kept him company for a few minutes (he got there almost two hours early) and then went home.

[Raenia]

Yesterday we went out to see a movie (good lord movies have gotten expensive!) and the sound wasn't working during previews. They finally got it working and started the film half and hour late. Saw the whole film, and got free passes for the inconvenience. Bonus, we didn't have to listen to all the adds/previews!

Now I have an MPP that there's nothing else coming out that we're looking forward to seeing, but the passes don't expire so we'll save them until there's something we would have wanted to see anyway, rather than seeing something marginal just because we have the passes.

[eyesonthehorizon]

Yesterday we went out to see a movie (good lord movies have gotten expensive!) and the sound wasn't working during previews. They finally got it working and started the film half and hour late. Saw the whole film, and got free passes for the inconvenience. Bonus, we didn't have to listen to all the adds/previews!

Now I have an MPP that there's nothing else coming out that we're looking forward to seeing, but the passes don't expire so we'll save them until there's something we would have wanted to see anyway, rather than seeing something marginal just because we have the passes.

What a perfect experience! Time for settling in & conversation. In my experience most movies always started half an hour late due to the length of the previews, so not much loss there unless it was really riveting stuff in the preview roll.

[radram]

I am a bit late to reply. I am returning to MMM after a break of a few years. No real reason why.

Feta freezes WONDERFULLY. In fact, all cheese freezes well, but I only freeze cheese if it is already shredded or if I start to see mold in the unopened blocks.

Only downside of freezing cheese for me seems to be that it tends to crumble instead of slice. But that is exactly what you want with feta!

I bought 2 full size bricks about 8 weeks ago for half price in the discount bin of GFS, chunked them into smaller blocks, and then pull them out one at a time as needed.

Went to the costco business centre (restaurant supply) for the first time. Good scores on bacon trimmings and feta in large volumes. The internet says you can freeze feta. I hope that's true.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Went through my Fetch app (it's a coupon/receipt/shopping app where you upload your receipts & earn gift cards) & verified whether all of the gift cards had been used. Marked all that had been used, so they stopped showing up. Discovered a $25 Safeway gift card and a $10 Nike gift card that hadn't been used. A bit of organization, and I've "found" $35 that I would have otherwise forgotten about.

[Dollar Slice]

Got a three month membership to MoMA for free (usually $110/yr). There was a promotion in the New York Times where they were giving away a limited number of them and I snagged one.

[NV Teacher]

At the beginning of the school year I buy six pair of basic black pants when they are on sale.  About half way through the year they start to fade a bit but other than that they are in good shape.  Today I spent $7 on some black dye and the next time I wash them I’ll add the dye and be good to go for the rest of the year.

[Dicey]

We're hosting guests tomorrow night and I'm looking to hit the Easy Button without breaking the bank. Instead of going to the closest or next closest grocery store, I drove a couple of blocks further to a Grocery Outlet. I got what I needed and bought a few other items to stave off the need for a Costco run. I spent $83. No way would I have gotten through Costco for that amount. I'm calling it a win, because they had a local favorite ice cream treat (It's-It) in stock, so I won't have to actually prepare a dessert. I'm sure they'll be a hit. I also grabbed a non-dairy, vegan cheesecake for the person who is lactose intolerant. It was only $3.99, so I splashed out.

[Dicey]

Got a three month membership to MoMA for free (usually $110/yr). There was a promotion in the New York Times where they were giving away a limited number of them and I snagged one.

Winner! Well done!!

[Dollar Slice]

Got a three month membership to MoMA for free (usually $110/yr). There was a promotion in the New York Times where they were giving away a limited number of them and I snagged one.

Winner! Well done!!

MoMA gives you $5 guest passes with the membership, too, so I can bring friends for $5 instead of the $30 door price. Big savings for everyone!

[Dollar Slice]

This is really my weekend for good freebies. There was a concert I missed last year because I wasn't feeling well, and they're restaging it next month bigger, better, with more famous musicians and for 4x the price. I was bummed, not worth the money to me. Missing it twice. And... I just scored a pair of free tickets!

[lemanfan]

You really are the queen of concert tickets!

[eyesonthehorizon]

FREE? Okay, that is awesome.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Had a really busy day, and packed a lunch to eat during DS17's soccer game. Nothing fancy - turkey sandwich & an apple.

[Dollar Slice]

You really are the queen of concert tickets!

FREE? Okay, that is awesome.

Everyone's gotta have one superpower, right? ;-)

I messed up my back this week, so I've been trying to take a lot of gentle walks this weekend. I walked to two different grocery stores to check out all the sales. Found my favorite pasta on sale, my favorite mozzarella on sale, and my favorite good-but-not-expensive cheese on sale in both sliced and shredded form (usually I only find block cheese on sale, so this is a treat for me with my nerve-damaged hands). I foresee some sort of mac and cheese in my future.

[Loretta]

I’m currently reheating some leftovers at high temps to see if that will make the texture better.  425 or 450 in the oven for 8 min is risky and crispy! 

[Newday]

I picked up some free seeds from the local seed library and now I have pretty much all that I wanted to try growing this year.

I also have some seeds from almost 7 yrs... not sure how much viable they are ... I will have to dig up those and see if they are ok by sprouting them in wet paper towels.

[crocheted_stache]

I picked up some free seeds from the local seed library and now I have pretty much all that I wanted to try growing this year.

I also have some seeds from almost 7 yrs... not sure how much viable they are ... I will have to dig up those and see if they are ok by sprouting them in wet paper towels.

Today has been our planting day for a lot of the seeds we saved from previous years and a few we buy because we know what we're getting that way and they're still cheaper than buying as seedlings.

[crocheted_stache]

Refilled the small sink-side bottle of dish soap from the giant Costco bottle.

Refilled the spray bottle (saved, well rinsed, and relabeled from a laundry stain remover that was used up) with a dish soap solution that I use for any cleaning that does not require something stronger or special-purpose. It's mild, not streaky, and nearly odorless, and costs next to nothing. I apply it liberally to dissolve crud so I don't have to scrub as much.

Laundered the pile of cotton terry towels (also a Costco product) that I use in place of paper towels for most cleaning. I'm sure they have paid for themselves many times over in paper towels not purchased, even with the occasional heavy-duty laundry load. They're also more absorbent and less prone to shred or dissolve than paper towels.

[Freedomin5]

I used a coupon to save 10% on groceries.

[crocheted_stache]

Cleaned out the drain filter on my washing machine, after yesterday's cleaning towel wash load, and scrubbed the slime out of the door gasket. This saves money by (hopefully) prolonging the useful life of the machine and preventing water all over the floor.

Ate homegrown fruit, both previously canned (oldest first, from 2022) and fresh.

Cooked jambalaya, including leftovers for future lunches, to use up what was left of some celery and a bell pepper from a previous week's groceries.

Collected some seeds to try growing from a flower we planted.

Appreciated the flowers from a rose we planted as a bare root several seasons ago, which we chose for our garden together rather than observe a gift-giving occasion in the usual, marketed-for way.

[Taran Wanderer]

I didn’t even know there was a washing machine filter that might need to be cleaned until our washing machine stopped draining. Now it’s on a periodic cleaning schedule. Good job doing yours in advance!

[crocheted_stache]

I didn’t even know there was a washing machine filter that might need to be cleaned until our washing machine stopped draining. Now it’s on a periodic cleaning schedule. Good job doing yours in advance!

Mine's on an irregular schedule, but I try to get to that and a tub clean after washing the cleaning cloths, because they shed fuzz. It went too long once or twice and the consequence seems to be a puddle, which I don't really want upstairs, even though it stayed on the vinyl floor.

Today's thing: ate the last of the leftovers from last week before they went too long.

[ChickenStash]

I fixed my couch this weekend, keeping me from having to hunt for a replacement. The center cushion collapsed and was unusable. I flipped the couch over and found two of the spring hangers' staples pulled out of the frame so half the cushion wasn't supported anymore. I grabbed a few screws from "inventory" and shot them through the hangers into the frame. Good as new.

I've had this couch for 20 years now and it's starting to look a little worn but no rips and still comfortable so it's nice to have it soldier on for a few more years.

[eyesonthehorizon]

I fixed my couch this weekend, keeping me from having to hunt for a replacement. The center cushion collapsed and was unusable. I flipped the couch over and found two of the spring hangers' staples pulled out of the frame so half the cushion wasn't supported anymore. I grabbed a few screws from "inventory" and shot them through the hangers into the frame. Good as new.

I've had this couch for 20 years now and it's starting to look a little worn but no rips and still comfortable so it's nice to have it soldier on for a few more years.

I love having “inventory” to fix things as they arise. The main unspoken tendency in this thread is a suffix: “... instead of buying something new.” Inventory often means not having to buy at all, it was salvage or spare from some other project.

Today is going to be about patching a few things before the holes fray, prolonging the life of perfectly good garments.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I was laid off three weeks ago, but have 8 weeks while I'm still employed with my company. We receive benefits for a small reimbursement for personal classes, lessons, etc we want to take. I verified that I'm still eligible in my current status, and submitted a receipt today for my gym classes. I get $70 back, or $35 after taxes. I can do one more of that class (based on billing cycles) before my employment ends, as well as getting $45 or so back on my pickle ball lessons.

[midweststache]

Rookie mistake: we have an Alexa device at home and we did not have a security pin for purchases on it. So our kiddos asked for a song and somehow started an Amazon Music subscription.

I cancelled it, activated purchase pins on the account to prevent this from happening again, and took two minutes to call Amazon for a refund on the $5.99 subscription charge. Savings of $6 today and infinite headaches in the future!

[crocheted_stache]

My Thursday was about as routine as Thursdays go, so I'll mention that I haven't paid for a roadside assistance plan in many years, saving (checks) somewhere in the neighborhood of $65–$125 per year for at least the past decade. I bike most places, anyway. I maintain my car and avoid running on fumes. I carry a spare tire and jumper cables, which I know how to use. (Okay, I'd have to look up again who's on first for the jumper cables, but I would get the job done.)

I also keep the number in my phone for the credit-card-affiliated, pay-per-use roadside assistance dispatch. I've never needed to call it, and I'm wondering if anyone else even knows of its existence, or has tried it.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

A neighbor had a box with free citrus fruit (from their trees) out this morning. Picked up four tangerines on my way home from a hike.

[Sandi_k]

My mom used the Kindle linked to my account to by a 9-book trashy series. Totaling $84.

I contacted Amazon CS after I was blocked from returning books 6-9 as “accidentally purchased.”

I also unlinked 1-click ordering for both my and her Kindles; she’s done an occasional purchase - which I didn’t mind at 3.99 or so - but no way am I spending that kind of money when she has 2.000 books already in my account.


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[Villanelle]

I hosted a women's group I've recently joined.  How is that saving money, you ask?  Especially because I bought food, coffee, and paper goods for the event? 

I'm building community. The organization is philanthropic but also leans in hard on the concept of a sisterhood, and supporting one's fellow sisters.  I think that especially as someone without children (and not even nieces and nephews), having a robust community is incredibly important, both emotionally and--to bring it back to the thread topic--financially. 

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I hosted a women's group I've recently joined.  How is that saving money, you ask?  Especially because I bought food, coffee, and paper goods for the event? 

I'm building community. The organization is philanthropic but also leans in hard on the concept of a sisterhood, and supporting one's fellow sisters.  I think that especially as someone without children (and not even nieces and nephews), having a robust community is incredibly important, both emotionally and--to bring it back to the thread topic--financially.

I think you are right! Well done!

My MIL does have children but as she has been recovering from a broken leg, she has also leaned heavily on her neighbors. Think about the value of someone who will come over and take your garbage out- it would cost so much $$ and be so much trouble to hire someone, but if you have created goodwill...

[WayDownSouth]

I hosted a women's group I've recently joined.  How is that saving money, you ask?  Especially because I bought food, coffee, and paper goods for the event? 

I'm building community. The organization is philanthropic but also leans in hard on the concept of a sisterhood, and supporting one's fellow sisters.  I think that especially as someone without children (and not even nieces and nephews), having a robust community is incredibly important, both emotionally and--to bring it back to the thread topic--financially.

I think you are right! Well done!

My MIL does have children but as she has been recovering from a broken leg, she has also leaned heavily on her neighbors. Think about the value of someone who will come over and take your garbage out- it would cost so much $$ and be so much trouble to hire someone, but if you have created goodwill...

I'm sure you didn't intend for it to be read this way or for it to sound funny but.....

[crocheted_stache]

I hosted a women's group I've recently joined.  How is that saving money, you ask?  Especially because I bought food, coffee, and paper goods for the event? 

I'm building community. The organization is philanthropic but also leans in hard on the concept of a sisterhood, and supporting one's fellow sisters.  I think that especially as someone without children (and not even nieces and nephews), having a robust community is incredibly important, both emotionally and--to bring it back to the thread topic--financially.

I think you are right! Well done!

My MIL does have children but as she has been recovering from a broken leg, she has also leaned heavily on her neighbors. Think about the value of someone who will come over and take your garbage out- it would cost so much $$ and be so much trouble to hire someone, but if you have created goodwill...

Community is its own kind of capital that can be accumulated, after a fashion.

Places tend to recover from natural disaster damage best and fastest when there was a thriving community before the disaster. Somehow, you never hear that from the preppers who think their oatmeal stockpiles and their personal armories are the way to survival.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I hosted a women's group I've recently joined.  How is that saving money, you ask?  Especially because I bought food, coffee, and paper goods for the event? 

I'm building community. The organization is philanthropic but also leans in hard on the concept of a sisterhood, and supporting one's fellow sisters.  I think that especially as someone without children (and not even nieces and nephews), having a robust community is incredibly important, both emotionally and--to bring it back to the thread topic--financially.

I think you are right! Well done!

My MIL does have children but as she has been recovering from a broken leg, she has also leaned heavily on her neighbors. Think about the value of someone who will come over and take your garbage out- it would cost so much $$ and be so much trouble to hire someone, but if you have created goodwill...

I'm sure you didn't intend for it to be read this way or for it to sound funny but.....

LOL.

[crocheted_stache]

Not exactly saving money in the coupons, use-up-leftovers, or cancel-the-cable sense, but today I made sure two paper checks from myself, to myself, got all the way to where they were going. One was a refund of an overpayment, which I almost didn't see come in because it was attached to some other papers I wasn't planning to study (again) too closely, and because I didn't know I had overpaid. I did decide to scan the paper as a backup, at which point DH (who's the scanner wrangler) noticed the check. It's now been found and mobile-deposited.

The other was one I sent to top off my HSA contribution for last year. I paper-mailed it, because there wasn't a clear way to do the transaction online, and I just logged in and found that it arrived and was correctly credited toward last year's contribution limit. If I see a feedback button again on that institution's website, I will suggest they improve the online options to make that work better.

[Dicey]

I needed some books of a specific size to make centerpieces for an upcoming Charity Gala that benefits the library. We have two libraries in our city, and two Friends groups. I called the president of the other group, as they were having a book sale today. She let me come in right before the chaos of the Bag Sale and take anything I needed.

Here's the significance of this: we thought we were going to have to spend a little money to get Plexiglas of a certain size. That is, until I figured out that a hardback kid's book (like a Dr. Suess book) would work just as well for ZERO dollars.

Seventeen themed centerpieces fashioned out of materials we have on hand, plus some scrounged books, for the win!

Here's a prototype. The kids' book is underneath, supporting the open one. When the event is over, we'll close them up and they'll go back to being ordinary books again. In other words, no books will be harmed in the making of these centerpieces.

[crocheted_stache]

In other words, no books will be harmed in the making of these centerpieces.

I admire your ingenuity, and I may have to steal this idea if ever I end up in charge of decorating for one of our library events. Much as I cringe when I see destructive book-based crafts*, however, there are way too many books that are worthless at this point. You do library book sales, so I don't have to tell you. If any older textbooks or encyclopedias sell during the bag sale, it's probably for decorative purposes.

...Says the person who has already decided on a few books to take in and donate, but hasn't yet pulled them.

*Do an image search on "book purse craft."

[Freedomin5]

Instead of throwing a big birthday bash for DD at an indoor kids playground or restaurant, we spent $50 on an Easter basket craft and 2kg of chocolate eggs, invited everyone over to our place for homemade cupcakes, and then sent the kids downstairs to the grassy area outside our condo for an Easter egg hunt. The kids had a blast while the parents chilled out and chatted. We also splurged, spending $50 on pizza and poke bowls for everyone.

[Jade]

We didn't think we had much more we could save but then decided to get rid of the BBC TV licence (£169 p/a) and I'm coming off my medication for fibromyalgia which will save about another £100 a year as an added bonus.

[eyesonthehorizon]

@Dicey - saving charity money is even better than saving personal money. And those are fun!!

In other words, no books will be harmed in the making of these centerpieces.

...
*Do an image search on "book purse craft."

Oh no. Ahahaha. Maybe if I get good enough at these I can recoup my old textbook costs. Thank you for passing this along.

[Sugaree]

I didn't realize that we had librarians here!  I may need to pick your brains about a project that I've been kicking around.  I live in deep south MAGAstan (Alabama) and our libraries are under attack right now.  I've got a small group who are trying to figure out the feasibility of stocking a bunch of the little free libraries with the books that are being banned from the public libraries.  We just aren't sure how to source the books without spending a fortune. 

[eyesonthehorizon]

I didn't realize that we had librarians here!  I may need to pick your brains about a project that I've been kicking around.  I live in deep south MAGAstan (Alabama) and our libraries are under attack right now.  I've got a small group who are trying to figure out the feasibility of stocking a bunch of the little free libraries with the books that are being banned from the public libraries.  We just aren't sure how to source the books without spending a fortune.

Not sure about sourcing as suggested, but consider including flyers with information about the various libraries which are offering free memberships (usually to people under the age of 26, I think?) for unfettered digital access to books to nationwide borrowers. There were at least five the last time I checked. Maybe to avoid drawing desecrators’ attention you could just frame it as “need something you didn’t find here? Try these Public Libraries” & include access information below.

[crocheted_stache]

I didn't realize that we had librarians here!  I may need to pick your brains about a project that I've been kicking around.  I live in deep south MAGAstan (Alabama) and our libraries are under attack right now.  I've got a small group who are trying to figure out the feasibility of stocking a bunch of the little free libraries with the books that are being banned from the public libraries.  We just aren't sure how to source the books without spending a fortune.

Not sure about sourcing as suggested, but consider including flyers with information about the various libraries which are offering free memberships (usually to people under the age of 26, I think?) for unfettered digital access to books to nationwide borrowers. There were at least five the last time I checked. Maybe to avoid drawing desecrators’ attention you could just frame it as “need something you didn’t find here? Try these Public Libraries” & include access information below.

Not a librarian, just a supporter and citizen advocate. I'm afraid I don't know how to magically make hard copies of books cheaper. I don't think library books are usually cheaper, anyway. With the book jackets, labeling, and cataloguing, library books cost more than the same book at the bookstore. What's cheaper about library books is that the library buys them once and then circulates them to many people.

For online access, however, here are a couple things you could publicize. Maybe a QR code or URL on the little free library?

Brooklyn library, among others, has a program to provide online access to teens all over: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/books-unbanned

The Internet Archive has an Open Library site, where they've scanned and digitized many physical libraries and many discarded and secondhand books. The results are available for download if the thing is old enough to be public domain and for online borrowing if it's newer. I think they deliberately hold off on some of the newer stuff, but it's often very good for older stuff, including out-of-print books. https://openlibrary.org/ or also with a bunch of other fascinating stuff like old records and radio shows at https://archive.org/

Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle blurs the line between genius and crackpot, in a good way. His mission, as he puts it, has long been to "lock the doors open." He's about as anti-censorship, anti-book-ban as they come.

Good luck, hang in there, and don't underestimate the power of telling kids someone doesn't want them to read something, to get them to read that thing—or anything, really. (There's a quintessential clickbait headline, "Secrets [the government/the banks/big companies] don't want you to know!")