What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[crocheted_stache]

I'm looking for something specific for a friend who's hosting a charity event at her home. In just about 90 minutes, I visited five thrift shops. I did not find what she's looking for, but I also did not purchase a single thing. Score!

They were also on the way home from a doctor's appointment, so no wasted gas.

At this point, I don't spend much time scouring thrift shops or garage sales. I tend to reach into the Internet, instead. If an ask on Buy Nothing came up empty, I'd probably check Nextdoor. My BN group also encourages lending and borrowing.  I've borrowed and lent various things for one-off occasions.

[crocheted_stache]

I forgot to mention the other day that I attended my fourth event this spring-summer in my free Buy Nothing dress and shoes. I'm happily re-running them for different occasions with different groups of people.

[10dollarsatatime]

Had a substantial dental bill.  Asked them if they offered a cash discount to avoid credit card fees.  No, but they did give me a 10% discount because insurance didn't pay on it (maxed that out at the specialist's office).  So, saved several hundred dollars.  I brought them a check anyway so they didn't have to lose 3% to that credit card fee.

[crocheted_stache]

Collected some furnace filters from a Buy Nothing neighbor who ordered the wrong size. They should be good for a few years. Also, as ever, biked the commute and the collection run.

[Frugal Lizard]

I postponed a physio therapy appointment. I made it 6 weeks ago when I was really needing frequent help with pain management. I am doing much better now. I am now going to go on the wait list each Wednesday. If a last minute appointment comes up and I am hurting, I will take it. My next booked appointment is Sept 4th.
 

[Dicey]

Worked a full shift at the Thrift Shop today and bought nothing.

[aloevera1]

Cancelled next two acupuncture appointments. I am at the max covered by insurance and I don't want to pay for it out of pocket. It's fun and supposedly useful but not THAT much.

[Sibley]

Yesterday I finally got my act together enough to go to the new bank and get a sheet of starter checks. Goal being to give the appropriate account number to the check printing company so I can get checks for $15, rather than ordering through the bank directly which would be $50ish. I have satisfied the check printing company, so those checks should be showing up in about 2 weeks.

Also deposited the check from the dentist. The insurance flow is a bit weird with them, I pay then I get reimbursed by insurance. But it's not necessarily 100% reimbursement. I can request reimbursement for the net amount from the flex account through work, it's automatically deposited by the company and is use it or lose it. I'll get about $20 from that.

Edit: mathed very wrong. Getting $60ish from the HRA.

[crocheted_stache]

Poured white vinegar into the rinse aid dispenser on my dishwasher. My dishwasher is very insistent about having something in there. It lights up an "add rinse aid" error, and while it's empty it refuses to run the "eco" cycle (which I think reduces the heated dry time and cuts the total cycle time by about half an hour).

I used the sample of rinse aid that came with the dishwasher, and it left my utensils feeling weirdly oily, so I never bought a bottle. Vinegar may not do much, but at least it's not doing something I don't like. I haven't had trouble with water spots or haze, either.

Also, I get to feel like I'm sticking it to the dishwasher rinse aid racket.

[Sandi_k]

Vinegar is caustic for seals, so don't use it too often...

[Taran Wanderer]

Vinegar is caustic for seals, so don't use it too often...

Since caustic means basic (pH above 7.0) and vinegar is acidic (pH below 7.0), wouldn’t vinegar be acidic for seals?

[Dicey]

Worked a full shift at the Thrift Shop today and bought nothing.

I was going to post that I did it again, but I actually worked a bit of a split shift. This morning, I bought 2 - 1000 pc. puzzles, still in their packages. I'll donate them to the Library's Holiday book sale, where we will price them at $8 each. Best of all, since they're NIP, I won't have to do them to make sure they're complete. Yippee!

[Dollar Slice]

I bought a subscription to a concert series this summer for the first time that I thought I would enjoy. I have decided not to resubscribe, it was a few too many shows and the audience was very weird. Several interactions with strangely hostile/aggro men. It was chamber music, like string quartets playing Mozart and Beethoven, so you truly do not expect people to be aggressively hostile. Really turned me off. Anyway! That's $120 saved for future Slicey.

[crocheted_stache]

Vinegar is caustic for seals, so don't use it too often...

Since caustic means basic (pH above 7.0) and vinegar is acidic (pH below 7.0), wouldn’t vinegar be acidic for seals?

I pour in maybe a half cup every few months, so I believe that the only seals in it's contact with are the ones on the rinse aid dispenser itself. The rest of the machine gets in in tiny quantities and therefore low concentration. Anyway, it's been working fine the last 10 years, and I'm inclined to just take my chances.

[Sandi_k]

Vinegar is caustic for seals, so don't use it too often...

Since caustic means basic (pH above 7.0) and vinegar is acidic (pH below 7.0), wouldn’t vinegar be acidic for seals?

I meant caustic as in "Capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away", not in a technical chemical sense.

[Freedomin5]

Instead of paying $50 for DD to go to the paint-your-own pottery place, we went to the dollar store, and she chose a $3 wooden box. She spent a fun evening painting her box with acrylic paints that we already have at home left over from another art project.

[Frugal Lizard]

We brought sandwiches with us for our Friday road trip lunch.

[crocheted_stache]

Talked DH and myself into cooking last night. (We are decent about doing batch cooking on weekdays; less great about any "real" cooking on weeknights.) We used up some bell peppers and a foot-long zucchini from the garden. We know full well how sneaky zucchini can be and they still get by us sometimes.

Anyway, proper dinner achieved, and leftovers left over for a lunchbox each.

Also, I baked bread this weekend.

[Gerard]

Out of morbid curiosity, what was the total distance and time for this trip, one way? I totally get doing a trip like that just for the sightseeing/amusement value, but the logistics sound slightly worse than here, if that's possible, and sometimes people need to go places to actually get there. I find I can bike most trips under about 10 miles in less time than transit would take, especially if there are connections.

Oh yeah, this trip was totally optimized for everything other than time and convenience (scenery, gaming the transfer system, and not riding home in the heat/humidity with a heavy backpack). I'm finding that this is an un-advertised advantage of retirement -- you can choose to turn a half-hour dull or ugly trip into an hour-long pleasant one.

It's about a 15 km one-way trip. If I was optimizing for time, I would bike out and train/bike back, or hop off the train on the way home from my mom's, do my shopping, and hop back on the train.

Your 10-mile (16 km) bike vs. transit calculation sounds about right to me! And I 100% agree with you about connections/transfers.

[Dicey]

I'm in a medical study and I'll be at the hospital all day today for testing. Last night, I deliberately made something that would make a yummy leftovers lunch today. I will also pack a few snacks and plenty of water in reusable bottles.

[Dollar Slice]

Used a $5 off coupon to buy a couple of things I was planning to get anyway. Saved $10 total.

I did some batch cooking to fend off temptation to eat more expensive convenience foods or take-out on the three nights I was going to be too busy to cook this week.

[Dicey]

I'm in a medical study and I'll be at the hospital all day today for testing. Last night, I deliberately made something that would make a yummy leftovers lunch today. I will also pack a few snacks and plenty of water in reusable bottles.

I'm updating this post to add that my appointments are in two places in the same huge medical center. Instead of moving my car, I decided to walk. En route, I passed an ice cream store, a bakery, a Boba Tea shop, a food park, and an organic grocery store. Even though I had plenty of time,  I didn't stop at any of them. I've eaten my yummy lunch and I still have a Kind Bar from Costco in my bag. I'm saving it for after the PET scan.

[Freedomin5]

Instead of buying frozen dumplings at $2 for 12 dumplings, I bought $5 of ingredients, which is enough to make 60-70 dumplings.

[reeshau]

My neighbor was telling me about a reflective window film that they put on the inside of their windows.  Reflects heat and adds some privacy also.  Unfortunately I don’t have brand name for you.

One thing to be careful of:  this will often void the warranty on your windows, because they taking on the reflected heat.

[BECABECA]

Replaced the cabin air filter myself instead of paying for an auto mechanic to do it. Easily found a compatible filter online, watched a YouTube of the process on the same car model, and knocked it out.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I just answered a five-question "slang quiz" to get a $5 off coupon for Great Clips, where my teenager and I usually get our cuts. (My 12yo doesn't cut his hair at all lately and my husband does his own.)

[crocheted_stache]

Polished off the last of the bread I made last weekend. Time to make the next batch soon.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Remembered that DH had an award that included a $1000 credit at a shopping portal. Just $1k cash would have been more convenient, but hey, better than nothing. Chose a Christmas gift for my sister, DH got a piece of luggage he's been monitoring prices for months. And, had 90 credits left & picked up some cute Le Creuset tapas dishes. I figure if I don't like those, I'll sell them on eBay or FB marketplace.

[Frugal Lizard]

Washed my own windows at the back of the house. I have realized that living on a natural area means that windows don't stay clean for very long. So I just do an okay job myself instead of paying a lot for a great job that lasts about a week before the start looking dirty again.

[Runrooster]

Breakfast - ate the fourth round (3-4 servings each) of homemade bean sprouts
Lunch  - ate the sixth serving of idli (dumplings made from rice and lentils - made 48) and sambar (soupy lentils and veg - 16 cups).  Two servings left. Work has a busy week every month, and I've taken to making this dish.  Its warm and comforting, takes about 2 hours to make enough to last all 3 of us a week, though inevitably my parents find other things to sub in.
Dinner - made spanakopita in pie form, using about $6 worth of ingredients.  It's not that healthy, but my Mom is able to eat it so I make it every few months.  Should get 3 more meals for my parents out of this.

Misc - picked up huge salad kits for $1.25 each, second week in a row. 
- Been eyeing a fancy brioche bread marked $8.50; found one on the day old rack for half price.
-Eating a higher carb diet because my pantry is full of beans, pasta, oatmeal, cereal, rice.  Once I eat it down, I won't replace much.

I worked for 3.5 years in a medical practice that required me to wear scrubs.  I have 5 pairs. I don't care much what I wear off work now, and these are super comfortable, with lots of pockets, and hide stains.

[crocheted_stache]

Biked to the library and one other errand.

Three meals cooked with foods from fridge, pantry, and garden. One of these produced some leftovers for another day.

[Loretta]

I visited the car dealership and found a helpful young dude with a high tech air pump to top off my one tire that doesn’t stay at 42 psi for whatever reason.  Free. 

I saved a smidge of money by shampooing my long haired cat then giving him a haircut to help with his matting situation.  He’s still handsome. 

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Made a salad for lunch out of items in the garden + leftovers. I've been buying bagged salads for years, but growing my own lettuce has made me a convert. I love it!

Also, adjusted insurance coverage to drop unnecessary fees for an older vehicle.

[Dollar Slice]

I have been aggressively eating down the produce I overbought at the farmer's market on Saturday so I don't waste any food or money (it is that time of year when everything just looks so good... and it's so healthy for you! how can I say no?).

I pointed my daily walk towards the grocery store I normally dislike, because they were having a really good sale on Cabot cheddar cheese - the best price I've seen in years in my area. I bought six of them in various types (shredded, sliced, etc.). Froze some for later.

[Taran Wanderer]

I pointed my daily walk towards the grocery store I normally dislike, because they were having a really good sale on Cabot cheddar cheese - the best price I've seen in years in my area. I bought six of them in various types (shredded, sliced, etc.). Froze some for later.

Remember that good cheddar like Cabot will last for at least 3 months in the refrigerator if unopened, even if it’s sliced or shredded. Chunk will last (and get better) for a year or two or more. Freezing doesn’t do terrible things to it, but it will have some negative impact and it may not be needed!

[Dollar Slice]

Remember that good cheddar like Cabot will last for at least 3 months in the refrigerator if unopened, even if it’s sliced or shredded. Chunk will last (and get better) for a year or two or more. Freezing doesn’t do terrible things to it, but it will have some negative impact and it may not be needed!

I'm just freezing the shreds - the texture is impacted some but it will be melted anyway. Shredded cheese tends to be more of a winter usage for me (heartier, oven baked foods) but sliced cheese is great for cold sandwiches and fruit plates and etc. in the summer.

I live alone so I will probably still be eating this in 2025!

[Taran Wanderer]

Gotcha. The way shred is used it’s unlikely to be as noticeable, and due to all the surface area, shred is more prone to mold, which freezing will prevent. Go for it!

[aloevera1]

Started using up a stash of accumulated little hotel shampoo bottles. I used to store them just in case I travel to hotel that doesn't offer shampoo (happens outside of North America). However, it makes no sense to keep on buying it when I probably have a couple of months worth of shampoo at home...

[Runrooster]

Dyed my hair at home, saves about $75+ vs a salon.  The salon looks better, but I just think of the missed spots as highlights, LOL.

Took home leftover bagels and scones from a work meeting, after everyone else ate what they wanted.
Threw a couple extra donuts that someone brought in to work in the freezer, at the end of the day.

Saw a deal on veggie sausage - picked up 8 for 1/10 of the price.  Also, 2 bags of shishito peppers for 1.50.
Ate half a large bag of salad - on sale -  instead of paying for mini salad bags.
Used grocery store points to buy my Mom's $20 OTC medicine - on sale for the same price as the drugstore.

Debating how to use the other grocery store points - have about $70 worth, expires in 2.5 months.  It's a pricier store, but close to us, so I usually shop the loss leaders.  They had the best price on fresh pomegranates last year - I may have spent $70 on those alone! But I'm not sure they'll come in stock by the end of October.  I also made a list of things I don't usually buy but can splurge on.  A few items were fresh fish; I can't cook that at home (the smell bothers my Mom) but I think the meat dept guy will steam them for me.  I'm currently trying to use down my pantry supplies (including 20 cans of fish), so I may just buy non-perishables like toilet paper and paper towels. 

[crocheted_stache]

Breakfast: oatmeal with applesauce from last season.
Lunch: leftover-taco-stuff quesadillas.
Dinner: mushroom teriyaki burgers. We made something the other day that didn't use many of the mushrooms in the fridge. It occurred to me to try making these after ordering them in a restaurant. They don't take much more doing than just burgers. I mostly only have burgers in restaurants anymore if I'm on the road, but I sometimes make them at home because when I want a real meal but something easier than going out.

Amusement: biked to the library, found a book to check out, and dawdled my way home the "scenic route," taking photos along the way.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Signed up to volunteer for our soccer club next weekend. Three hours gives us $100 credit toward competitive soccer fees. I'll be handing out uniforms in a park.

[BECABECA]

Saved $80 on Friday by taking public transit home from the LAX airport instead of a rideshare. Unfortunately, this is typically very impractical, as it took 3 hours longer than rideshare would have, but I had nowhere to be, it was a nice weather day, and it was interesting to see it in contrast to the wonderfully efficient public transit I enjoyed all across the world over a year of travel. Maybe one day it’ll be practical here and not just for people who have no other transport options.

Yesterday, instead of paying the $80(!) to park at a concert venue, I went online and researched near-ish free street parking, easily found a free spot and walked a pleasant mile to the concert. Afterwards I had a nice walk back to the car in the time that everyone else was stuck in the traffic leaving the venue. (I would have absolutely opted for public transit instead but I didn’t have 6 extra hours to devote to getting there and back (see above)).

[crocheted_stache]

Saved $80 on Friday by taking public transit home from the LAX airport instead of a rideshare. Unfortunately, this is typically very impractical, as it took 3 hours longer than rideshare would have, but I had nowhere to be, it was a nice weather day, and it was interesting to see it in contrast to the wonderfully efficient public transit I enjoyed all across the world over a year of travel. Maybe one day it’ll be practical here and not just for people who have no other transport options.

Yesterday, instead of paying the $80(!) to park at a concert venue, I went online and researched near-ish free street parking, easily found a free spot and walked a pleasant mile to the concert. Afterwards I had a nice walk back to the car in the time that everyone else was stuck in the traffic leaving the venue. (I would have absolutely opted for public transit instead but I didn’t have 6 extra hours to devote to getting there and back (see above)).

Please consider getting involved in making the improvements you want to see. It can be an simple as stopping at a booth at a city event and filing out a survey, and as involved as running for public office. (I haven't chosen to attempt the latter yet, myself, but I'm well past the occasional survey.) At least here, the decision makers take transit rarely if ever, often only for the photo op. They rarely experience spending hours by bus going a distance that would take less than half the time by car.
 
I stayed home today, mostly recovering from a busy week in time to brace for the next one. Three home meals happened, with a little garden veg. A little housekeeping happened, too. DH made progress in the garden.

[Frugal Lizard]

MIL bought DH some pants. They are too long so I will hem them myself with the hand me down sewing machine my step mother's 97 year old mother no longer uses. Hopefully I have the right colour of thread in my well stocked sewing box from my late Grandmother.  I don't understand why my MIL still buys my 56 year old DH's clothes. It is what it is.

[aloevera1]

Did not go out yesterday. Instead, had a great cheap feast at home. Had an amazing evening at fraction of a cost.

[Dicey]

I am cleaning out a house that belonged to a hoarder who developed dementia. The bulk of the items will go to the thrift shop where I volunteer, but the primary goal is to keep as much as we can out of the landfill. The dumpster comes next Monday.

I am also working on an event for a non-profit next month. I have been able to source a number of items for that event, which will become part of the thank you gifts for that event. I have an adequate budget, but I really scrimped on the catering menu. Sourcing all this free stuff means I can serve better food and still come in under budget.

Note: I'm not doing this by myself, but I an spearheading the effort. We quickly figured out that too many people in the space just creates more confusion. 

[GuitarStv]

I am cleaning out a house that belonged to a hoarder who developed dementia. The bulk of the items will go to the thrift shop where I volunteer, but the primary goal is to keep as much as we can out of the landfill. The dumpster comes next Monday.

I am also working on an event for a non-profit next month. I have been able to source a number of items for that event, which will become part of the thank you gifts for that event. I have an adequate budget, but I really scrimped on the catering menu. Sourcing all this free stuff means I can serve better food and still come in under budget.

Note: I'm not doing this by myself, but I an spearheading the effort. We quickly figured out that too many people in the space just creates more confusion.

Been there.

It's a surprisingly intimate thing to do.  Rummaging through that trash is like walking through history and the hoarder's mind.  If it's anything like the place that I was cleaning, make sure to keep your respirator on.  Lots of mold and mice droppings hanging out below the upper layers.

The most mustachian thing about it was thinking the whole time "I will never let this happen to the place I live".

[Gerard]

The most mustachian thing about it was thinking the whole time "I will never let this happen to the place I live".

Based on my recent conversations with people in my stage-of-life cohort, we're all chanting that same mantra. I share people's desire to avoid wasting something with a scrap of value left in it, but I need to remind myself that the mistakes are all made (and avoided) at the time of buying or not buying something, not fifteen years later.

I've had some success at the buying level by expanding the "one thing in, one thing out" idea into "If I buy this new thing, what thing that I currently possess will I get rid of to make room for it?" I think maybe I need to also come at it the other way around: "If I keep this barely-useful thing, what new thing(s) will I scrupulously avoid buying until this one is used up?"

[Dicey]

I am cleaning out a house that belonged to a hoarder who developed dementia. The bulk of the items will go to the thrift shop where I volunteer, but the primary goal is to keep as much as we can out of the landfill. The dumpster comes next Monday.

I am also working on an event for a non-profit next month. I have been able to source a number of items for that event, which will become part of the thank you gifts for that event. I have an adequate budget, but I really scrimped on the catering menu. Sourcing all this free stuff means I can serve better food and still come in under budget.

Note: I'm not doing this by myself, but I an spearheading the effort. We quickly figured out that too many people in the space just creates more confusion.

Been there.

It's a surprisingly intimate thing to do.  Rummaging through that trash is like walking through history and the hoarder's mind.  If it's anything like the place that I was cleaning, make sure to keep your respirator on.  Lots of mold and mice droppings hanging out below the upper layers.

The most mustachian thing about it was thinking the whole time "I will never let this happen to the place I live".

This isn't a typical situation. The house is a rental that has recently been lovingly updated by the owners. The tenant had only lived there for a couple of years, so the baseline is unusually high. There is a ton of unopened stuff from Costco. Yesterday found 5 unopened bags of pistachios neatly arranged on the top shelf of a cabinet. The newest least outdated bag expired on 3/23.

As for your quote, +1000.

[Spruit]

Today was a frugal day! First dropped off my son at daycamp by bike, then switched to car because we had loaded it full with stuff to give to the thriftshop. Got a coupon from the thriftshop and got myself a boatload of work-appropriate clothes for about 50 euros. And some decorations and presemts for my sons upcoming birthday party and Sinterklaas, and some kitchen utensils... okay sounds like a spending spree, but all items I had on my list for a while.

Spent the afternoon baking cookies with my kids using up stuff from the back of the pantry. Since it was really nice weather, the electricity price was nicely low too.

Used up rocket and leeks to make a rocket mash with feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, and walnuts from the back of the pantry.

Sew on a few buttons on a favourite dress.
Transplanted some cuttings for more garden plants.
Canceled two subscriptions that we will not be missing.