Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 8512211 times)

OmahaSteph · « **Reply #5450 on:** January 25, 2016, 09:48:37 AM »

Weekend round-up:

-Got my eyes checked for the first time in about 4 years and between benefits and money set aside in HSA, I didn't pay a thing, but got new glasses and new Rx sunglasses. Less than $5 left in FSA so that's the max I'll lose if I don't use it (can only go on eye or dental since I also have an HSA).

-Didn't drive anywhere Sunday - stayed in and made a large batch of sour cream enchiladas that were dinner, and also lunch for the rest of the week.
-repaired DD's skirt (sewed)

-got pulled over by military police but avoided a citation (I swear I stopped at that four-way) and he also pointed out that my out-of-state registration expired several months ago (holy shit!). He didn't call the county police (thank you, thank you, thank you) but warned me to get it taken care of right away. (Sir, yes sir!) So he saved me an expensive ticket there. Will have to pay for new plates and registration this week, but it could have been WAY WORSE.

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5451 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:08:43 AM »

Quote from: horsepoor on January 24, 2016, 06:12:40 PM

Sold a juicer on Craigslist. I snagged it on clearance for $100 and flipped it for $150, so $44 made after sales tax

That's GENIUS! Well done!!

Tamster · « **Reply #5452 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:11:08 AM »

This weekend was a quiet, stay at home weekend for us. The snow storm Saturday gave me the incentive to putter and get things done around the house in case we lost power (not a huge deal, we do have an easy start generator). I also mended oldest son's sweatpants (third time, different hole), caught up on reading, and tidied up. After dinner, we went for a walk around the homestead and admired the snow and wind and brought wood in for a fire. A nice, cozy home weekend.

This morning I turned the heat down (after the kids left for school) and snuggled in my Selk Bag. I finished one cross stitch gift and started another. Had apple and peanut butter for lunch and my second cup of tea. I leave in a bit for the dump and Walmart before I get youngest after school.

I lowered the price on my dresser and matching night table on Craigslist and local yard sale page - I hope they sell. I don't have enough to fill the dresser (and use my closet). Plus, it would be cleansing to let it go to a new home --- ex and I had the matching set gifted to us when we got married.

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5453 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:11:11 AM »

- didn't buy Starbucks this morning
- brought breakfast, lunch and snack to work
- will have homemade bread for dinner tonight

= No spend Monday! Yay!

Oh and I traded the change from the big cookie jar for 2 shiny new $20 bills and put them in my savings account. :)

Threshkin · « **Reply #5454 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:11:15 AM »

Quote from: misshathaway on January 25, 2016, 06:36:30 AM

Took the sludge that's left at the bottom of a solid tuna can after dumping out the tuna and fed it to the cat instead of throwing it out with the can. Happy cat, less stinky trash. With compounding, second million saved by 3016.

3016! ERE to the max!!

peppermint · « **Reply #5455 on:** January 25, 2016, 11:10:34 AM »

Went to a clothing swap yesterday, offloaded a bunch of clothes I don't wear anymore and got some nice new-to-me things, including a pair of athletic leggings in great shape which I really needed!

Trudie · « **Reply #5456 on:** January 25, 2016, 12:51:59 PM »

(1) Didn't roll thru drive thru at McDonald's for a $1 breakfast burrito (after doing expense tracking I realized how much this was running me per year) and ate an Aldi english muffin with PB at home;
(2) Boiled a whole chicken, saved the meat, saved the broth

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #5457 on:** January 25, 2016, 01:04:10 PM »

Noticed the tuna we like to buy (wild planet) has an instant manufacturer rebate at costco right now, so I bought 12 cans (2 packs) even though it wasn't on the list this time... we will go through it, and may as well save $8 while we do!

Held off on getting gas until my costco trip, saving $0.25/gal even over the very cheap station I normally go to. $0.50/gal less than most stations around.

DH's employer is switching health plans and may be swapping to an HSA set up, so I've been researching all that stuff. No direct savings there, but being well informed always sets you up to save in the future!

Begonia · « **Reply #5458 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:19:56 PM »

--Left my wallet at home.

--When I got home, upon refilling my cell phone plan online decided to downgrade to the $29.95 from $39.95 plan. Yay.

Green_Thing · « **Reply #5459 on:** January 26, 2016, 12:22:43 AM »

Didn't buy bagels and cream cheese because we already have naan bread and cream cheese in the fridge. Enjoyed leftover pho from scratch. Amazingly delicious. About $15 in fancy organic beef makes four servings, half the price and twice the goodness of the restaurant stuff, and no msg. And saved energy by cooking it in the pressure cooker. Hung my clothes to dry on the line. Turned down betting on the football pool at the office. It's a good day!

Bradfurd · « **Reply #5460 on:** January 26, 2016, 05:18:46 AM »

Over Saturday and Sunday, performed three huge shifts of shoveling 36" deep snow by hand to clear out my entire (approx 60ftx60ft T shape, 10 ft wide) driveway. I got up early both days, got a phenomenal workout, and was done before most of my neighbors with blowers and tractors.

flan · « **Reply #5461 on:** January 26, 2016, 08:15:13 AM »

realized yesterday was no-spend. YAY.
wanted to play old PS2 game we did not own. Instead of buying for $13 on eBay, we asked in-laws for BIL's old Wii console + games to play the Wii version instead. $0 instead of $13.

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5462 on:** January 26, 2016, 10:39:13 AM »

Day 2 in a row of no spending.

NO starbucks
NO bagel
NO takeout for lunch (brought my own)
NO afternoon coffee

And also: moved some cash around to reduce interest on my debts that are being paid off. Strategy adjusted which is saving me a few month of interest and I should be debt free in exactly 1 year. Woot woot!

lunahsol · « **Reply #5463 on:** January 26, 2016, 01:29:03 PM »

Quote from: Mermaid3011 on January 26, 2016, 10:39:13 AM

Day 2 in a row of no spending.

NO starbucks
NO bagel
NO takeout for lunch (brought my own)
NO afternoon coffee

And also: moved some cash around to reduce interest on my debts that are being paid off. Strategy adjusted which is saving me a few month of interest and I should be debt free in exactly 1 year. Woot woot!

Great job! Eliminating those "little" things makes a huge difference over time :)

Mine for today:
* homemade lunch (and dinner) brought with me for the day
* free work coffee
* no extra driving
* found a penny on the floor
* I need two money orders - found a store nearby that sells them for 79 cents (rather than 99 cents at the post office)

La Bibliotecaria Feroz · « **Reply #5464 on:** January 26, 2016, 01:49:58 PM »

I started logging my eating into MyFitnessPal.

If I actually limit myself to that number of calories, it will be a double frugal win--I'll spend less money on food I shouldn't be eating AND I won't have to buy new pants!

OmahaSteph · « **Reply #5465 on:** January 26, 2016, 02:31:10 PM »

I think this is my favorite thread. Love checking it to see what people are up to :)

Tonight I'm making homemade carrot cake cupcakes with browned butter cream cheese frosting (by request) for my son's birthday instead of spending $35 on a store cake.

Brought leftovers for lunch.

Dinner will be a greek spinach tortellini (meatless) salad I made last night and has been marinating.

SO moved to 2nd shift so my gas consumption will go down by more than half PLUS I gain two more hours per day with my kiddos and not on the road.

Been faithfully collecting tax documents and researching deductions to squeeze the most out of this year's return. (Did you know you can deduct attorney expenses used to collect alimony (taxable income) in arrears? And if you move for a new job, your moving expenses are deductible, as well.)

Vanguards and Lentils · « **Reply #5466 on:** January 26, 2016, 02:50:21 PM »

Today was quite productive on the saving front:

My lunch out was Taco Bell; by using a gift card I bought at 30% off, and ordering through their mobile app for a 25% off promotion, I spent $1.67 on a very filling lunch.

I did a mystery shop for my grocery store, earning $10 + a $15 reimbursement. Made sure to only stock up on my usual staples (milk, frozen fruits and vegetables) so that I'll effectively receive $25 for filling out the survey.

I sent out two textbooks I had bought over a year ago for the purpose of reselling. After my purchase price, amazon seller fees, and postage costs, I profited $150.08.

I go approved for another checking account. Will receive a $150 bonus after meeting the requirements.

Kitsune · « **Reply #5467 on:** January 27, 2016, 08:10:31 AM »

Quote from: OmahaSteph on January 26, 2016, 02:31:10 PM

Tonight I'm making homemade carrot cake cupcakes with browned butter cream cheese frosting (by request) for my son's birthday instead of spending $35 on a store cake.

That sounds WAY better than store-bought cake. Yum!

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5468 on:** January 27, 2016, 08:30:07 AM »

Another NO SPEND Day for me. :)

Breakfast was ricepudding with frozen strawberries, lunch will be basmati rice with chili con carne, snacks are brought from home too and coffee at work is free. Yay!

Juslookin · « **Reply #5469 on:** January 27, 2016, 12:12:20 PM »

Dinner tonight will be leftovers. I can't even remember when we ate out last. I've been using the cold, dark winter to cook more. Ready food = no eating out.

Also, I realized that we mainly eat out when we're all out running errands. I'm on my fourth week of running errands myself on Thursday after I eat. Win-win, nobody is tossing extra stuff in my cart (DH, I'm looking at you 😀) plus we're not eating out.

I also pulled my soap and shampoo hotel samples out of the closet and we are using them up. We both travel for work and have tons of the, could go for months

JLee · « **Reply #5470 on:** January 27, 2016, 06:19:34 PM »

Skipped packing lunches two days in a row, knowing we had vendors in the office...scored free lunches both days. :D

eliza · « **Reply #5471 on:** January 27, 2016, 08:53:55 PM »

Quote from: OmahaSteph on January 25, 2016, 09:48:37 AM

Weekend round-up:

-Got my eyes checked for the first time in about 4 years and between benefits and money set aside in HSA, I didn't pay a thing, but got new glasses and new Rx sunglasses. Less than $5 left in FSA so that's the max I'll lose if I don't use it (can only go on eye or dental since I also have an HSA).

-Didn't drive anywhere Sunday - stayed in and made a large batch of sour cream enchiladas that were dinner, and also lunch for the rest of the week.
-repaired DD's skirt (sewed)

-got pulled over by military police but avoided a citation (I swear I stopped at that four-way) and he also pointed out that my out-of-state registration expired several months ago (holy shit!). He didn't call the county police (thank you, thank you, thank you) but warned me to get it taken care of right away. (Sir, yes sir!) So he saved me an expensive ticket there. Will have to pay for new plates and registration this week, but it could have been WAY WORSE.

Wooh! You are blowing my mind here. I thought you could have an FSA or an HSA, but not both. Is there a way to get both? I have an HDHP and HSA, but will need some expensive dental work in the next few years.

PMG · « **Reply #5472 on:** January 27, 2016, 09:29:57 PM »

Pity party time.

MWF are crazy intense and I don't have time to eat enough. Today packed extra and spread it out thru the afternoon. Even had a cup of tea at 4. But by the time I got home at 5:30 I was done. Couldn't put words into sentences! I used to work 14hr physically intense days. Now I can make it through 9 hours of class and meetings? I suppose back in those 14 hr days I had a kitchen prepping 3 solid meals. Tonight I skipped a networking event I'd been looking forward to and sat on my couch and and watched cat videos.

And when I complained to my brother he mentioned he likes KIND bars. So I looked up a copycat recipe and made something similar. I'll pack a couple Friday along with lunch. Definitely better brain food than the walnut pear bread I had today.

On the bright side. I've been soda free almost 5 weeks. (That drop in caffeine and sugar can't still be affecting me can it?)

Lots of whining. The money saving is in planning ahead and finding better things to eat to help remedy this exhaustion and avoiding on campus purchases.

Dollar Slice · « **Reply #5473 on:** January 27, 2016, 09:56:11 PM »

Quote from: PMG on January 27, 2016, 09:29:57 PM

And when I complained to my brother he mentioned he likes KIND bars. So I looked up a copycat recipe and made something similar.

I'd love to get a copy of any recipes that turned out well :-) My mom really likes those. I saw some at the store the other day, on sale, and I thought it was a really good price until I realized it was the price PER BAR and not PER BOX. Ouch.

Urchina · « **Reply #5474 on:** January 27, 2016, 10:03:12 PM »

No spend day today -- whew. I think I'm going to designate certain days of the week as "shopping days" and keep my non-emergency expenditures to those days only. Does anyone else do this? How does it go?

I've been working on eating what we have during this winter -- need to eat down the freezer and pantry to get ready for summer produce. This means getting a little creative, but it's working fine so far.

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #5475 on:** January 28, 2016, 06:44:34 AM »

Noticed my gas reimbursement didn't get included on my last paycheck, so I followed up with the office. $75 there.

A pair of dress socks that were too tight/small for DH work well as compression socks for me. Actually have more compression than one of my real pairs of compression socks. At least $10 saved there, since I was about to go and buy more.

DH and I did our monthly splurge Tuesday: took our dog to get a nail trim, and while waiting, went to our favorite place. Instead of getting 2 lunches and 2 drinks the way we used to, we each got a drip coffee ($1.75 per, with free refills) then split one drink. A good way to pass a couple hours and still feel like an indulgence.

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5476 on:** January 28, 2016, 06:53:30 AM »

Quote from: frugalparagon on January 26, 2016, 01:49:58 PM

I started logging my eating into MyFitnessPal.

If I actually limit myself to that number of calories, it will be a double frugal win--I'll spend less money on food I shouldn't be eating AND I won't have to buy new pants!

That's an awesome idea and I think I'll join you with that!! Have to also dig out my fitbit again and start counting steps!

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5477 on:** January 28, 2016, 06:55:07 AM »

Quote from: lunahsol on January 26, 2016, 01:29:03 PM

Quote from: Mermaid3011 on January 26, 2016, 10:39:13 AM
Day 2 in a row of no spending.

NO starbucks
NO bagel
NO takeout for lunch (brought my own)
NO afternoon coffee

And also: moved some cash around to reduce interest on my debts that are being paid off. Strategy adjusted which is saving me a few month of interest and I should be debt free in exactly 1 year. Woot woot!

Great job! Eliminating those "little" things makes a huge difference over time :)

Mine for today:
* homemade lunch (and dinner) brought with me for the day
* free work coffee
* no extra driving
* found a penny on the floor
* I need two money orders - found a store nearby that sells them for 79 cents (rather than 99 cents at the post office)

HIGH FIVE!!!
My colleagues don't get it... they still walk down to Starbucks even though our floor has free coffee. But hey... once I buy some Starbucks Stock I'll be encouraging them!

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5478 on:** January 28, 2016, 06:57:10 AM »

Quote from: Mermaid3011 on January 27, 2016, 08:30:07 AM

Another NO SPEND Day for me. :)

Breakfast was ricepudding with frozen strawberries, lunch will be basmati rice with chili con carne, snacks are brought from home too and coffee at work is free. Yay!

Going for a no spend week (apart from spending 12 bucks at the Money Mustache Meeting last Tuesday).
Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks are packed and same is already in the office fridge for Friday. Lookin' good!!

HairyUpperLip · « **Reply #5479 on:** January 28, 2016, 07:14:34 AM »

Quote from: lhamo on January 20, 2016, 12:49:39 PM

Resisted the urge to hang out at a coffee shop while waiting for my school tour to start this morning -- sat in the car and browsed the forum on my phone instead.

Just throwing in some two cents -

Next time, if you feel like going in to sit/relax, just do it and order a cup of water or whatever. I love getting "Trenta" cups of water from Starbucks. Price is $Free.99 of course.

Loretta · « **Reply #5480 on:** January 28, 2016, 07:26:19 AM »

I finished signing up for Paribus. I shop a lot on Amazon and it should be beneficial. Here is my link if anyone's interested: https://paribus.co/i/4BTLwb

I procured some insulated curtains to go over my drafty-ass windows. Here's hoping they work.

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5481 on:** January 28, 2016, 07:28:30 AM »

Quote from: HairyUpperLip on January 28, 2016, 07:14:34 AM

Quote from: lhamo on January 20, 2016, 12:49:39 PM
Resisted the urge to hang out at a coffee shop while waiting for my school tour to start this morning -- sat in the car and browsed the forum on my phone instead.

Just throwing in some two cents -

Next time, if you feel like going in to sit/relax, just do it and order a cup of water or whatever. I love getting "Trenta" cups of water from Starbucks. Price is $Free.99 of course.

Yup!!
And if you don't feel like water and are willing to spend a tiny bit: Go with the smallest drip coffee or tea. If you stay at the store and pay with your Starbucks Card you get free refills. Much cheaper than buying the larger cup!

Jakejake · « **Reply #5482 on:** January 28, 2016, 07:53:17 AM »

Quote from: PMG on January 27, 2016, 09:29:57 PM

I used to work 14hr physically intense days. Now I can make it through 9 hours of class and meetings?

Meetings kill me. A 1 hour meeting leaves me way more drained than a 3 hour bike ride!

This is over the last couple weeks, but we are clumsily removing legacy old people bills from our life. We got our phone set up on the ooma and once our phone number ports over we are cancelling that bill. We got all the bits and pieces to rewire my kitchen tv off the internet (lame to have one, I know, but it keeps me company when I'm doing dishes), and we are about to cut cable. Then we have a promotional offer to get just internet at $25/mo through wide open west for a year, it's a huge drop from internet + cable + landline. I still need to double check whether we're better off dropping the internet also though, and just running our cell phone as a hotspot and streaming tv / surfing the web on our laptops that way.

Also - getting quotes this week to lower home and auto insurance.

And I've successfully retrained myself to go back to making bread in the bread maker instead of buying the markdown loaf at a dollar a week. I have a bunch of canned unground whole wheat from a y2k survivalist who gave it away on craigslist (!), so the bread is basically free if I make it myself. And with the craigslist vitamix I got, grinding the flour takes 2 minutes.

lpb0306 · « **Reply #5483 on:** January 28, 2016, 09:55:19 AM »

My husband and I walked the two train stops (15 mins) instead of taking BART ($2.25 per person, so $4.50). Sharing lunch instead of buying two plates.

OmahaSteph · « **Reply #5484 on:** January 28, 2016, 10:15:47 AM »

Quote from: eliza on January 27, 2016, 08:53:55 PM

Quote from: OmahaSteph on January 25, 2016, 09:48:37 AM
Weekend round-up:

-Got my eyes checked for the first time in about 4 years and between benefits and money set aside in HSA, I didn't pay a thing, but got new glasses and new Rx sunglasses. Less than $5 left in FSA so that's the max I'll lose if I don't use it (can only go on eye or dental since I also have an HSA).

-Didn't drive anywhere Sunday - stayed in and made a large batch of sour cream enchiladas that were dinner, and also lunch for the rest of the week.
-repaired DD's skirt (sewed)

-got pulled over by military police but avoided a citation (I swear I stopped at that four-way) and he also pointed out that my out-of-state registration expired several months ago (holy shit!). He didn't call the county police (thank you, thank you, thank you) but warned me to get it taken care of right away. (Sir, yes sir!) So he saved me an expensive ticket there. Will have to pay for new plates and registration this week, but it could have been WAY WORSE.

Wooh! You are blowing my mind here. I thought you could have an FSA or an HSA, but not both. Is there a way to get both? I have an HDHP and HSA, but will need some expensive dental work in the next few years.

YES. You can have both, HOWEVER, if you do have both, you can only use the FSA for vision and dental expenses. Because my basic dental is covered by my dental insurance, I only set aside enough in the FSA for glasses. If you knew you needed major dental work, you could get a quote and then set that aside in an FSA. Just be sure to use it all. :)

lunahsol · « **Reply #5485 on:** January 28, 2016, 10:49:47 AM »

Taxes done and plan in place for where the refund will go (various savings/investment goals).
Free gym tonight.
Red lentil curry in the fridge for lunch. (Made in 15 minutes this morning in the Instant Pot - ha ha! #secretweapon)

JLee · « **Reply #5486 on:** January 28, 2016, 01:01:48 PM »

I scored free lunch again today. That's probably the last time for a while, though - time to start packing them again.

Kwill · « **Reply #5487 on:** January 29, 2016, 05:33:29 AM »

I took a reusable bag when I went to buy groceries, which I think saved me 5p. Whatever a "p" is. I just moved to the UK yesterday. Buying groceries today will save on the tourist food prices, though I am giving myself permission to eat out more than I usually would, at least for a week or so.

Friar · « **Reply #5488 on:** January 29, 2016, 06:39:31 AM »

Quote from: Kwill on January 29, 2016, 05:33:29 AM

I took a reusable bag when I went to buy groceries, which I think saved me 5p. Whatever a "p" is. I just moved to the UK yesterday. Buying groceries today will save on the tourist food prices, though I am giving myself permission to eat out more than I usually would, at least for a week or so.

"p" stands for "pence" - the correct equivalent of a cent in the UK.

Mermaid3011 · « **Reply #5489 on:** January 29, 2016, 10:46:48 AM »

A colleague from another office/town was visiting. Instead of meeting her at the cafeteria we had free coffee on our floor and sat in a collaboration area with comfy chairs - just as nice, quiet and private and didn't spend a cent!

also again: brought breakfast, lunch and snacks, didn't buy Starbucks. Happy!

Kitsune · « **Reply #5490 on:** January 29, 2016, 05:49:40 PM »

I made an open-face egg sandwich for lunch (homemade bread, fried egg, leftover tomato, on-sale avocado slices, home-grown sprouts). YUM.

And then for dinner I made pizza. Total cost to feed 3 people: about 5$. It tasted amazing.

Cooking: the hobby that keeps giving.

11ducks · « **Reply #5491 on:** January 29, 2016, 09:52:49 PM »

I needed a nice outfit for my mothers upcoming wedding - I am playing music in it so I need to look presentable (more than my usual hobo-chic), and I didn't have a nice non-work dress, so I bit the bullet and went to buy one. Found a beautiful, flattering dress at the second-hand store for $20, which I can wear again for my sisters winter wedding in October (will add a wrap, different jewellery and hairstyle to change it up). I dug around and found the pair of heels I bought for $3 last year (they were on mega clearance, are beige and relatively comfortable, so I knew I'd need them sometime!). Also pulled out a necklace/earring combo I was given more than 10 years ago - it was pretty tarnished and hadn't been worn for ages. I googled and found a home method for cleaning silver jewellery (heating salt and aluminium) which worked wonderfully, leaving the jewellery clean and new-looking. The whole outfit looks lovely, perfect for a formal occasion, and only cost $20!

Also, i really wanted a coke zero at work (they are sold in the fridge in my staffroom), but resisted and drank my water instead. $1 win!

C. K. · « **Reply #5492 on:** January 29, 2016, 10:23:35 PM »

1. Today I saved on future therapy bills by FORGIVING MYSELF for eating at a restaurant for two days in a row.

2.Winter Storm Jonas saved me money on a short trip to Broadway. SHOWS WERE CANCELLED that weekend.

3.I rewarded myself by DOING A JIG when I met some savings goals this week. I did this in lieu of buying something as a reward.

4. My Amazon Prime membership gives me the chance to listen to HAMILTON:A MUSICAL at no extra cost. The impulse to buy the cast album is quelled for now.

5. Today, I placed an indefinite moratorium on reading posts in a Broadway Facebook group. You really feel the need to go to these shows, pay tons of money for impromptu purchases of cast albums, tickets, lodging, etc., because everyone in the group is either excited about the show or working as a cast member. I still really want to go and they have put the fire under me, but I will think through everything first.

halseyskates33 · « **Reply #5493 on:** January 30, 2016, 11:12:14 AM »

Shopped at Aldi total $26.50 for a weeks worth of food. Free book from my manager. Also used coupons to get 2 free bags of chips and 2 boxes of Celestial Seasonings tea for $1.25 each.

Treated myself to a Redbox movie with my leftover grocery money for the month

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #5494 on:** January 31, 2016, 05:10:30 PM »

Did not buy coffee even though I was right next door to a starbucks, and there was no line, and it smelled sooooo good.

Got new scrubs and compression socks today. Did it in 2 transactions: 1st using the 20% off one-item coupon I had, and a gift card (from christmas) for the whole amount. Second with my 10% off lifetime loyalty card, with the remainder of the christmas giftcard, and a visa debit giftcard I won from a work drawing. Made a little bit of work for the poor cashier, but splitting it into 2 transactions let me get the 10% on the other 2 items, otherwise it wouldn't have stacked. Saved ~$5, and another ~$6 for going out and using the 20% off coupon that expires today.

Used the little bit of overage from the visa giftcard to buy 2 5lb weight plates for our home gym, so they only cost $2 out of pocket.

Kitsune · « **Reply #5495 on:** January 31, 2016, 05:55:24 PM »

Went through our pantry and cleaned everything and made sure that everything was in airtight containers so that the f-ing moths that got into the arborio rice don't get into anything else.

Heated the house with wood off our land, instead of paying for electric heat. Spent the baby's nap time sitting in front of the stove reading a library book, so, double-whammy on the effectiveness of the wood stove!

Asked the library to acquire 3 Ebooks so I can read them; the first two are now available and in my account.

Spruit · « **Reply #5496 on:** February 01, 2016, 05:10:02 AM »

Turned a couple of battered pumpkins into soup for a week's worth of lunches. I have declared February no-bread-for-lunch month.
Turned some mini soda bottles I collected while walking the dog into mini cloches for the garden.
Biking to work even though wind is howling at 6 BFT, pushing my comfort zone a little.

esq · « **Reply #5497 on:** February 01, 2016, 11:30:37 AM »

Quote from: Jakejake on January 28, 2016, 07:53:17 AM

Quote from: PMG on January 27, 2016, 09:29:57 PM
I used to work 14hr physically intense days. Now I can make it through 9 hours of class and meetings?
Meetings kill me. A 1 hour meeting leaves me way more drained than a 3 hour bike ride!

This is over the last couple weeks, but we are clumsily removing legacy old people bills from our life. We got our phone set up on the ooma and once our phone number ports over we are cancelling that bill. We got all the bits and pieces to rewire my kitchen tv off the internet (lame to have one, I know, but it keeps me company when I'm doing dishes), and we are about to cut cable. Then we have a promotional offer to get just internet at $25/mo through wide open west for a year, it's a huge drop from internet + cable + landline. I still need to double check whether we're better off dropping the internet also though, and just running our cell phone as a hotspot and streaming tv / surfing the web on our laptops that way.

Also - getting quotes this week to lower home and auto insurance.

And I've successfully retrained myself to go back to making bread in the bread maker instead of buying the markdown loaf at a dollar a week. I have a bunch of canned unground whole wheat from a y2k survivalist who gave it away on craigslist (!), so the bread is basically free if I make it myself. And with the craigslist vitamix I got, grinding the flour takes 2 minutes.

Glad I'm not the only one who does this. My little lightweight HP Stream laptop, playing Netflix (we cut cable), keeps me company during many painful housekeeping/personal care chores, including cooking, vacuuming, and doing my own nails.

OSUBearCub · « **Reply #5498 on:** February 01, 2016, 11:47:31 AM »

Forgot to boil eggs and prep salad for work lunches yesterday. Today, I grabbed a can of ready-to-eat soup (couponed for $1) and packed bread to toast at work. It turned out to be a lovely lunch.

This will be put into heavy lunch-rotation! :-)

lemanfan · « **Reply #5499 on:** February 01, 2016, 12:36:32 PM »

BND. :)

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Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 8512211 times)