What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[horsepoor]

I found $10 in the long grass when I took the dog out to potty. It was a nice surprise.

Wow, I am off to check the catbox.

+1 :)

I found a dime in the CostCo parking lot today.  Unfortunately, I spent significantly more than that.

I've been decluttering and spring cleaning today.  Consolidated lots of partially used, similar products into one container to hopefully get used up.  Cleaning and personal care products will be much more streamlined from here on out.  I mixed together:  4 kinds of dog shampoo; 3 kinds of conditioner; various hand soaps; various surface cleaners.  Going through all my stuff and tossing/donating things is good motivation to not buy useless crap.

[HappierAtHome]

I have a double batch of lasagne sauce / bolognese cooking in the slow cooker right now.

The lasagne will be eaten after long days of painting our flat when we need to pull a meal from the freezer.

I used my new, awesome food processor to slice mushrooms (buying pre-sliced mushrooms is a weakness of mine).

Made a double batch of chocolatey protein balls for us to have as afternoon snacks throughout the week, avoiding the expense and potential weight gain from buying other treats.

Making almond butter and oat flour myself, cheaper than the shop bought stuff.

Subbed cashews for almonds in a few dishes as cashews were on sale this week.

Didn't buy flax meal when I found it for a high price. Found it somewhere else soon enough at a reasonable price instead.

All of my things are about food as usual :-)

[ShaneD]

Couldn't finish salad from dinner last night (pork chops and biiiig salad of spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, red onion, feta, olives, walnuts, pecans), so having it for breakfast. Contemplated throwing it into the microwave to make a hot melty veg dish, but since texture is still fine, just freshened up with a spritz of lemon.

Also ordered a couple more consignment bags and going to Scotchguard a couple pair of shoes.

[nico demouse]

Made a big pot of red beans and rice, using a ton more of the veggies from fall I still have stored (carrots, onions, celeriac) before they get soft. Made enough for dinner, lunch, plus a dinners worth for the freezer.

Spent a little time managing the local organic frozen fruit CSA that drops at my house once a month in the off season. In exchange for this, I get a free share. Works out to about $20 worth of fruit a month in the off season. Totally worth it.

Shopped the bulk bins at the pet store for the training treats we use. Bulk bins have the exact same treats as they sell prepackages but for $2.50/lb vs $5-6 for 8 oz. At that price, I think it's even cheaper than making my own. :)

Wrapping up a bulk buy for plant starts I organize every year with some local friends. I'm able to get the starts I need at wholesale prices. (Most of my plant starts I do myself at home, but not these particular ones.)

And, listed a few more things on eBay/CL.

[horsepoor]

Fixed the only jeans that fit me right now (I've recently lost 35 lbs, but have 20 lbs more before my closet full of old clothing fits again). The riveted on button came off, and the jeans were thrifted, so it wouldn't have been a big loss. Didn't want to buy more jeans, though!

Here's the fix I came up with, in case anyone else ever suffers this issue: I took an old debit card and cut out a plastic washer. Slit it from the outside to the center hole. Pushed the rivet shaft through the jeans at the hole where it tore loose, then slipped the washer around the shaft on the inside of the jeans, using the slit in the washer. Works perfectly, just make sure to sand down the edges of the plastic washer to avoid tummy irritation. If I had any teflon washers on hand, I may have used one of those instead.

Came here to thank you for posting this, which gave me the idea to use a similar thing to fix the broken light switch on our range hood today.  The switch had pushed back inside the hood, and it turned out that this was because the cheap plastic plate that was holding it in place had broken off.  It was tight quarters, but I was able to use a little piece of an old credit card with a small hole punched in the middle to attach it to the protruding screw, plus some Gorilla Glue, to hold the plate in place.  We'll see how long the fix lasts, but in the meantime, I have light to cook with, so thanks!

[1967mama]

Staying at a vacation home loaned to us (free!) and did the following:

- made lunch with food brought from home
- spaghetti sauce simmering on stove for dinner with beef from my freezer at home
- whole chicken from home thawing in fridge for tomorrow's dinner
- drinking lots of mugs of tea that were available to us here in the home
- going to the free skating rink this afternoon - brought our own skates from home, so no $$ outlaid for rental skates
- watching sports on cable (bonus! we don't have cable on home - just an OTA antenna
- keeping the fireplace on and getting nice and toasty warm! not overheating the place by any means. Just nice to enjoy the warmth and coziness!
- had bought some activity books, story CD's etc for the kids at home at a 50% off, closing out sale of a bookstore
- vacation home has a big box of crayons, felts, paper, etc that is brand new for kids to use! bonus!
- great place to recuperate from a rotten head cold! I think at home I'd feel more like I should be doing things, while here I just feel like I can veg out! yay!

[MoneyCat]

I'm feeling a little under the weather today, so I stayed indoors and relaxed while watching a Major League Soccer game from the season-long streaming package for which I paid a one-time fee of only $63.  The package offers over 200 games, so it's well worth the price for me instead of paying a monthly cable bill for pretty much the same thing (although I also get some games on free over-the-air television.)  I also baked a new loaf of wheat bread with the bread machine.  All in all, it was a spend nothing day and I have had many of those days lately to the benefit of my Vanguard account.

[shawn77777]

Was kinda cold in the house today so I did a leg workout and been warm ever since lol.

[Better Late Than Never]

I have a gift card for a store I will never go to that has been sitting around sitting on my desk for three years. I just sold it to one of those online gift card buying sites. I'll be getting a check for $18.88.

[MsPeacock]

Transferred another credit card to a zero interest card. Only have one card that still has interest and it is nearly paid off. Will transfer that one if I have room. Now I have a year to pay,down the debt w/o interest piling up. Saves me hundreds per month!

Eta. They are all now 0% cards. What a relief. Now just press on with my snowball. Down to only 3 cards also, which is much easier to keep track of.

[Susan]

Baked some coockies with leftover eggwhites, always a shame to throw them out.

[choppingwood]

Was kinda cold in the house today so I did a leg workout and been warm ever since lol.

That is funny. The room I work out in is right beside the thermostat, so that would make sense for me too....

I looked at the recurring payments section of my Paypal account and deleted a subscription that charges $7.20 per month.

[morning owl]

Today I planted some tomato seeds indoors, and baked some rye bread. It turned out really well! I hardly ever bake bread so I will make every attempt to keep this up. It doesn't last as long as store bought bread, but it's definitely cheaper, healthier, and it was fun to make.

[firelight]

Made delicious vegetable soup (my first) with left over veggies. Had it for lunch yesterday and breakfast today. Will have it again for lunch or dinner. Cost $0

Given how easy it was to make soup, I'm thinking to add it to our regular meals. Getting my fridge cleaned up is a good bonus too!

[horsepoor]

Burning a bunch of brush instead of hauling it to the dump. 

Decided to combine the feed store run with my commute tomorrow instead of making a separate trip.  Will also drop off stuff at the thrift store and get my truck's oil changed at the same time.

Inquired about an item on Craigslist, then started having second thoughts about buying it, but turns out it was already sold, so I guess someone else did something to save me money.  :) 

The furnace has been off for a week, and I'm thinking I can keep it off if we just do a fire on the nights when the forecast is for low 30's.

Yesterday, gave my dog a bath so he can get clipped soon.  $50 saved vs. paying a groomer.

Listed a couple items on eBay yesterday too.

[2ndTimer]

Saw a new mystery by an author I like on Amazon.  Immediately went to the public library website and put a hold on it.  Discovered that author has written two other books I haven't read and one is available RIGHT AWAY.

[shawn77777]

Well wokeup cold this morning and after a banana hit my chest workout courtesy of my Bodybeast DVD(dang it tougher than any of the others).  Kept everything unplugged when not in use, did not eat out all weekend and hungdry all my laundry this wknd!

[thef0x]

At grocery outlet:  put back avocado oil $13.50 (I can melt coconut oil if a recipe requires liquid oil and eat cheap $0.50 avocados), smell-erasing plugs that were $1.50, and milk since milk doesn't really agree with me anyway -- I've been trying DIY yogurt but it's not any better really.

Also:  walked to the gym ($0), squated 315lbs 3 times in a row without a belt (PR, priceless), then walked to grocery outlet and then walked 2 miles home with all my groceries (fast because it was painful!).  Got a solid workout in today!

Invited a friend for evening plans and instead of going out for beers, cooked a cheap chicken thigh saag and really nailed the recipe -- fresh grated ginger and whole cardamon pods are the way to go!  It was full of super healthy added fats, spinach, broth, and spices!  My homie loved it and I feel amazing.

Eating some super cheap tangelos from grocery outlet to celebrate a great day.  Damn I love grocery outlet!  $43 has never felt so heavy :)

[4alpacas]

after a banana hit my chest workout courtesy of my Bodybeast DVD

Banana what?

I packed my lunch, breakfast, and snacks. 
I filled up my water bottle at the drinking fountain, and I realized I've had my Nalgene for over 5 years (and use it every weekday). 
I made two cups of tea at work using my fancy loose leaf tea.
I received a large dark chocolate bar from a coworker as a gift because I loaned her my international adapter for her work trip last week.  Another coworker (on the same trip) brought me a Kinder Egg (with TOY!) for taking notes at a meeting for him.
I put a bucket in the shower to catch water for my new tomato, pepper, and squash plants. 

[lunahsol]

Yesterday, used the remains of a 79 cent loaf of bread to make croutons . . . which are jazzing up the salad for today's lunch.  First time making homemade croutons - they rock and otherwise, the bread would have just been tossed.

[swick]

Another coworker (on the same trip) brought me a Kinder Egg (with TOY!) for taking notes at a meeting for him.

Your co-worker likes to live dangerously! (uhh assuming you are from the US)

I've been bulk cooking and packing  lunches and dinner for hubby's insane work schedule for the last couple of weeks. Besides some OT we'll be plowing into our RRSP's were coming out with over 200.00 worth of grocery credit :)

[CheapskateWife]

We had our first harvest of asparagus at dinner, and oh my goodness, it is so much better than anything I've had at the store.  These are 2 yr old plants, so the stalks are sparse but very tender....so delicious, and these things should provide us with delicious asparagus for years!

[Candace]

As part of my lunch, I ate pickles whose "sell-by" date was at least a year ago. I figure they've been, well, pickled and in that liquid ever since. That was over three hours ago. So far, so good. I could have thrown them out, but I thought they were still good and still think that. So why waste them?

I feel a little embarrassed posting this. Did I go too far with the old pickles?

[Cookie78]

As part of my lunch, I ate pickles whose "sell-by" date was at least a year ago. I figure they've been, well, pickled and in that liquid ever since. That was over three hours ago. So far, so good. I could have thrown them out, but I thought they were still good and still think that. So why waste them?

I feel a little embarrassed posting this. Did I go too far with the old pickles?

You're fine. Sell by date is different than eat by date. As long as they didn't smell funny you will live*

*I am not a doctor

[ShaneD]

As part of my lunch, I ate pickles whose "sell-by" date was at least a year ago. I figure they've been, well, pickled and in that liquid ever since. That was over three hours ago. So far, so good. I could have thrown them out, but I thought they were still good and still think that. So why waste them?

I feel a little embarrassed posting this. Did I go too far with the old pickles?

You're fine. Sell by date is different than eat by date. As long as they didn't smell funny you will live*

*I am not a doctor

Keep in mind that botulism is odorless.

That's not to say your pickles are going to kill you, Candace: pickles by their definition are high-acid and therefore unlikely to be tainted. If jar was sealed and undamaged, you should be fine. As a general rule of thumb, though, the smell test shouldn't be one's only defense.

A pretty good infographic that's specific to canning but helps with the basics so applicable in the wider world: "How Not to Die From Botulism."


[Edited for clarity.]

[Cookie78]

As part of my lunch, I ate pickles whose "sell-by" date was at least a year ago. I figure they've been, well, pickled and in that liquid ever since. That was over three hours ago. So far, so good. I could have thrown them out, but I thought they were still good and still think that. So why waste them?

I feel a little embarrassed posting this. Did I go too far with the old pickles?

You're fine. Sell by date is different than eat by date. As long as they didn't smell funny you will live*

*I am not a doctor

Keep in mind that botulism is odorless.

That's not to say your pickles are going to kill you, Candace: pickles by their definition are high-acid and therefore unlikely to be tainted. If jar was sealed and undamaged, you should be fine. As a general rule of thumb, though, the smell test shouldn't be one's only defense.

A pretty good infographic that's specific to canning but helps with the basics so applicable in the wider world: "How Not to Die From Botulism."


[Edited for clarity.]

Thanks for the link. Want to start canning this year or next.

[ash7962]

As part of my lunch, I ate pickles whose "sell-by" date was at least a year ago. I figure they've been, well, pickled and in that liquid ever since. That was over three hours ago. So far, so good. I could have thrown them out, but I thought they were still good and still think that. So why waste them?

I feel a little embarrassed posting this. Did I go too far with the old pickles?

You're fine. Sell by date is different than eat by date. As long as they didn't smell funny you will live*

*I am not a doctor

Keep in mind that botulism is odorless.

That's not to say your pickles are going to kill you, Candace: pickles by their definition are high-acid and therefore unlikely to be tainted. If jar was sealed and undamaged, you should be fine. As a general rule of thumb, though, the smell test shouldn't be one's only defense.

A pretty good infographic that's specific to canning but helps with the basics so applicable in the wider world: "How Not to Die From Botulism."


[Edited for clarity.]

Also liked that link, it was super informative.  I kinda want to try canning but probably won't do it until I've got a house and grow some of my own fruits/veges.  Still, that answered some of my initial questions!

[ShaneD]

Canning is great. Intimidating at first, but once you get started, really easy. The biggest pain, IMO, is sourcing and storing the jars and lids (empty or full).

I'm a fan of the old Ball Blue Book as a starting point: http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Guide-Canning-Freezing-Dehydration/dp/B000F1H4EO . The Internet has all kinds of useful info now, but I was glad I started with a well-tested source (it's decades old) so I wouldn't have to worry as much about getting any percentages right. Easy to branch out from there.

[2ndTimer]

Damn I love grocery outlet!

Me too f0x.  Just came back from there with a stack of $1.00/lb. Kraft Colby Cheese.

On my way home stopped at Goodwill and found a duvet cover.  Since I normally wash Goodwill purchases multiple times when I get them home, I am doing all my laundry today.  The duvet cover went through the wash with the jeans, now it's in the wash with other bed clothes and in half an hour or so it will go through one more time with the underwear.

[Zikzin]

Colored, cut my own hair, total cost $6.75 for a box to hair dye. Cleaned and painted my own nails, cost $2.75 nail polish.

[1967mama]

9 year old son wanted a treat so we made fudge ... well, not real, old fashioned fudge, but still a tasty treat!

Easy recipe for a 9 year old:
1) Melt 2 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips over low heat.
2) Stir in a can of sweetened condensed milk and 1/8 tsp. of salt.
3) Pour into parchment line 8x8 pan.

Husband is cleaning out the garage and we are finding all sorts of things for the giveaway pile. Truck comes on Wednesday to pick it all up (for free!).  Makes me want to NOT buy more stuff!

[Better Late Than Never]

This isn't exactly a savings, but sometimes it pays to open your junk mail. I had a letter from some sort of survey company, and it included a $1 bill. I always open junk mail to see if the contents need to be shredded, so it was a nice surprise to find money inside.

[GardenFun]

Finally nailed the recipe for no knead homemade bread using whey strained from homemade yogurt.  It's all about the 5's:  5 minutes of work, 5 cups of flour, 5 repeats of "mmm" when it comes out of the oven! 

[BlueMR2]

- Disassembled & reassembled the side of my car to check the crank pulley myself (instead of paying a mechanic $400 in labor).
- Rode my bike to the mailbox to pay my bills instead of driving a car.

[thef0x]

No heat for 10 days. 

Cooked a $50 of chunk organic grass-fed beef neck.  Total cost:  $0



Godmode.

[lunahsol]

*  Resisting getting my hair cut even though it is looking sort of awful (gotta love that "growing out" phase - lol)
*  another homemade lunch
*  dinner will be provided at an event I am attending tonight

[firelight]

My husband took lunch to work. This is a big deal since he drops $15 a day for lunch for the past 12 years.

I made it super easy for him - even packing spoon, fork and snack. And got his input on what he wants to take for lunch everyday. This means more cooking and planning for me but I can change our dinner based on it.

If he can stick to it, we'd save over $300 a month. Saving it $15 at a time.

[ShaneD]

Today:
* Discussed moving location options with spouse.
* Solicited a couple of clients.
* Ate simply.
* Refrigerated a couple of unused tablespoons of condiments from lunch to use tomorrow.
* Opted not to go grocery shopping.
* Now up to more than 130 LPs to sell/be rid of.

Tonight:
* Investing uninvested money.
* Making dinner from what's in the fridge/freezer/cupboards.

[Rural]

Gather wild spring greens for a salad with supper tonight when I got home.

[thef0x]

Had canceled subscriptions for services I no longer need -- mostly stuff from living abroad.  They tried to charge me for them anyway.  I got them refunded.  $28 saved.

Been minimum 10 days since I've turned on the heat!

Found out that electricity is cheaper than gas so I'll be using my pressure cooker and slow cooker more regularly instead of the oven!

My projector light has been bugging pretty hard recently.  Sometimes I just turn off the projector and turn her back on and she works.  Still, I probably either need to replace the bulb (risky) OR buy a new projector...

OR I just take it all apart, dust everything with a can of computer air, and see how she does.  We'll keep trying until she's really, truly, completely, dead.  Then instead of buying a new one, I'll just buy a $60 replacement bulb! 

Whoop! 

[PMG]

sipping bulk mint tea out of a honey jar to use up the last bit of sweetness.  Wrapped up in a blanket, burning a couple thrift store candles.  Haven't had heat on since the 9th, except for a little when I shower...  It was 48 in the house when I got home one night last week, but I knew the outside temp was supposed to be close to 70 the next day, and it was already close 10 pm so I crawled in bed and bad assed my way through the cold. 

Those things are really habitual.  The bigger money saver today was getting my friend/coworker to cut my hair.  I haven't had a real hair cut in several years.  I've been trimming it myself but even with the pony tail methods and all that I've had a hard time getting nice layers.  I think she did a decent job. I'll return a favor one day soon.

Another friend was commenting that she needed to pick up more washing soda and borax for her laundry soap and I stopped her and told her I'd share.  I'm planning to move in about 6 months, so I separated out more than enough to last me that long into cottage cheese containers and I'll give her the rest.  Did that save me money?  Perhaps not today, but she is a friend who returns a favor, or picks me up at the garage when my car needs work.  I am also so glad to have less to move and less to worry about. Less is more is my long term money saving plan.   

I also picked up a couple grocery store giftcards to take advantage of chase cash back rewards that end this month.

I started parking in the far corner of the bottom lot at work.  It is a few hundred feet less driving and more walking and includes two flights of stairs.  wooh!

I charged my laptop at work (while I was doing legitimate work on it), but I do often try to bring it home charged. 

Going in together with the laundry soap friend for a gift for another friend who's having a rough time.  We'll just bit getting a gift bag full of goodies together, but I volunteered to bring a giftbag from home.  I'll supply some tissue paper and ribbon too to make it fun.  (The more I use, the less to move...)

Connected with the farmers market about setting up a booth this year to sell some of my sewing and some of my excess sewing supplies.  Still considering if it will be worth the time investment and gas, but I at least have the information now to decide. 

I'm also working my way through scanning a lot of personal photos on the scanner at work during breaks.  They don't mind and I am making quite a dent.  I plan to be finished and free of the weight before my move. 

[Susan]

Made croutons of some old bread.

[swick]

Making some Tuscan Tomato bread soup for supper tonight to use up some leftover stale bread and and the dredges of a massive (too big to be practical) can of tomatoes.

Cleaned out the crisper drawer and made some fresh juice using an ancient and very effective juicer I was given. Carrot and fennel with some fresh squeezed (from totally dried out) grapefruits. I was really surprised by how much juice they still had inside! side note: found some lettuce and fresh herbs that I had stuck in those "green" produce bags that you see on TV. They were given to me, and I was skeptical - but over a month later they were still usable and crispy! Clearly I need to get better at cleaning out the fridge.

Hubby called from work and said he wanted to go out for dinner last night. I asked him what he felt like having and he said "chicken strips and cesar salad" it's a pretty easy meal so I pulled it together and added some fresh homemade garlic bread for bonus points.

[mm1970]

after a banana hit my chest workout courtesy of my Bodybeast DVD

Banana what?

I packed my lunch, breakfast, and snacks. 
I filled up my water bottle at the drinking fountain, and I realized I've had my Nalgene for over 5 years (and use it every weekday). 
I made two cups of tea at work using my fancy loose leaf tea.
I received a large dark chocolate bar from a coworker as a gift because I loaned her my international adapter for her work trip last week.  Another coworker (on the same trip) brought me a Kinder Egg (with TOY!) for taking notes at a meeting for him.
I put a bucket in the shower to catch water for my new tomato, pepper, and squash plants.

I know, right?  had to read that five times.  I think it means:

after I ate a banana, I did my chest workout with Bodybeast DVD

[4alpacas]

after a banana hit my chest workout courtesy of my Bodybeast DVD

Banana what?

I packed my lunch, breakfast, and snacks. 
I filled up my water bottle at the drinking fountain, and I realized I've had my Nalgene for over 5 years (and use it every weekday). 
I made two cups of tea at work using my fancy loose leaf tea.
I received a large dark chocolate bar from a coworker as a gift because I loaned her my international adapter for her work trip last week.  Another coworker (on the same trip) brought me a Kinder Egg (with TOY!) for taking notes at a meeting for him.
I put a bucket in the shower to catch water for my new tomato, pepper, and squash plants.

I know, right?  had to read that five times.  I think it means:

after I ate a banana, I did my chest workout with Bodybeast DVD

Thanks for decoding the message.  I thought his DVD threw a banana at his chest. 

[2ndTimer]

Celebrated the Hub's return from business travel with "breakfast out", that is I cooked my version of the standard two eggs, etc. breakfast you buy in a hotel restaurant.  I admit that I was showing off how much better it is when I make it with home made bread and fresh ground coffee.

[1967mama]

2ndTimer,

What a coincidence! I came here to post about our special brunch today! Its my son's 12th birthday, and he requested this meal:
eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, croissants and orange juice!

I commented to my husband that it tasted just like a fancy breakfast at a hotel!

Edit: typo

[Stachetastic]

I stopped at the YMCA on my lunch break today to start a family membership (face punch worthy?). I wanted to enroll my son in swim classes and they cost $55 per month. Well, we can buy a full family membership for $63/mo, so that was easy. Anyway, as I was filling out the paperwork, the lady at the desk told me they are starting a promotion next week that waives the $60 joiner fee. So she encouraged me to come back next week and save the $60. I thanked her profusely.

[Joggernot]

Cut my hair with a Flobee.  Detailed the inside of my car myself.  Made a couple key chains and bottle toppers to sell at a craft faire. 

Tried to repair my vacuum and discovered that one of the parts that destroyed itself was not available from Bissell, so had to buy a new vacuum (small face punch, but I do the vacuuming and we like a semi-clean floor) because we have seven indoor cats (all rescued) and with the amount of fur flying caused us to name the hairballs rolling around the floor.  The biggest one forms in one specific spot, and we named it Herman.  Yes, Herman gets removed periodically, but magically reappears after a couple days.

[ria1024]

Tried to repair my vacuum and discovered that one of the parts that destroyed itself was not available from Bissell, so had to buy a new vacuum (small face punch, but I do the vacuuming and we like a semi-clean floor) because we have seven indoor cats (all rescued) and with the amount of fur flying caused us to name the hairballs rolling around the floor.  The biggest one forms in one specific spot, and we named it Herman.  Yes, Herman gets removed periodically, but magically reappears after a couple days.

Ah, cats.  My not-mustacian purchase of the week is a little $50 carpet spot cleaner, when I already have a big carpet cleaner in the house.  But one of the cats has decided to grace us with hairballs 3-4 times a week, and getting the big carpet cleaner up the stairs, then cleaning all the pieces after using it, then having them drying on my kitchen counter while the big machine lurks in the kitchen . . .

In mustachian news, I made little seedling pots out of the free newspaper that we get once a week, and started another round of garden veggies and flowers for the garden this year.