Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 3512501 times)

Prairie Stash · « **Reply #600 on:** March 23, 2014, 04:33:12 PM »

I went through the grocery receipt last night as I exited the store. I caught an error, went back to get it fixed.
It turned out the store had forgotten to take down a sale tag, 2 days earlier. What I thought was on sale was actually suppose to be at regular price, so I was wrong. However store policy said that if an error occurs I get the product free, so they gave me $6.00 (The items price). I was the first person, after 2 days to notice (they fixed the tag right away).

I also returned 2 carts, not mine. Each cart had a quarter in it, this chain requires coins to unlock the carts. I'm up $0.50 on that too. A very small thing indeed :)

Zaga · « **Reply #601 on:** March 23, 2014, 08:37:45 PM »

Asked a coworker for an old newspaper, used the pages to make origami plant pots, and started my yellow tomato, red tomato, and sweet red pepper seeds for my garden this year in a "greenhouse" made of a white basin and plastic wrap. These are heirloom seeds too, so I will save seeds and be all set for next year!

The rest of my plants I will direct seed when it gets warm - kale, romaine, zucchini, and spaghetti squash.

homehandymum · « **Reply #602 on:** March 23, 2014, 10:04:14 PM »

Cooked dinner, even though we had a baby staying in the house last night and I am a brain-dead zombie today from the unaccustomed night-crying. I was really tempted to ask DH to bring takeaways on his way home, but just got on with assembling dinner instead.

1967mama · « **Reply #603 on:** March 24, 2014, 12:07:13 AM »

Good for you homehandymum! I bailed on dinner on Friday night when we had company with 3 kids stay till after 5 and I emailed and asked him to bring home dinner. Felt badly for doing it but felt like I didn't have it in me to cook. On the good side of things, we stayed out of stores today and enjoyed time on our sunny front porch drinking tea and watching our kids play. It was a nice and relaxing way to spend our Sunday!

Squirrel away · « **Reply #604 on:** March 24, 2014, 03:39:14 AM »

1. I have delayed buying more groceries for a couple of days.

2. I'm making up a batch of bean chili to have over the next few days. I will eat leftovers cold sometimes, I don't know if that makes me weird lol.

3. No spending today, but luckily (ha) I have enough housework to keep me occupied.:)

ketchup · « **Reply #605 on:** March 24, 2014, 09:13:26 AM »

Ate leftovers last night, finally got a new library card yesterday, rode my bike 4.3 miles to the train station this morning, and will arrive home to a crapload of homemade bone broth in the slow cooker.

Threshkin · « **Reply #606 on:** March 24, 2014, 09:58:17 AM »

Working from home again today. I have gone to the office once in the last three years. Gotta love the "bunny slipper commute" as one of my coworkers put it.

Sitting inside watching the snow fall is so much better than driving in it!

Zaga · « **Reply #607 on:** March 24, 2014, 03:32:16 PM »

Submitted for a reimbursement through work for an association I belong to. Nice that work will pay for something I would do anyways!

RootofGood · « **Reply #608 on:** March 24, 2014, 07:58:05 PM »

Gave my daughter $90 cash* for her 9th birthday. I wrapped it up in an old Aldi's sales paper. Saved money on an envelope, fancy gift bag, or wrapping paper.

I also gave her a Lite Brite toy (remember those from the 1980's?). $2 at the thrift shop visit a couple months ago. Her response: "OMG this is the awesomest toy ever. This is incredible. You can create anything you want, and we can draw our own patterns." I totally forgot you were supposed to buy blank patterns for the toy (at $6 per pack back in the day). Now her little sister wants her own Lite Brite. I'm not sure if they even make them any more.

* After giving her the cash, she collected it and some more birthday money and piggy bank money and gave me a total of $200 to deposit into her bank account. She says she's saving up for FI, as she doesn't want to work forever. Sorry folks, she won't be paying for your social security for very long.

Squirrel away · « **Reply #609 on:** March 25, 2014, 04:59:04 AM »

I'm saving money by not using the washing machine by staying in my nightclothes all day.:0

swick · « **Reply #610 on:** March 25, 2014, 08:10:35 AM »

Good day for small things:
- Opted not to buy a coffee on the way back to work. Didn't take a cab home when I forgot something I needed for one of my lessons (I walk everywhere and lack of sleep and cold weather made me deeply consider it, even though I never would)
- Wrote an email that took me 2 minutes and saved me 700.00 that I had been putting off
- Discussed the merits of buying chicken wings for supper in a sleep induced stupor - Husband was awesome enough to make a stir-fry instead.
- Got Hubby's parents to call us back - They have a cheaper long distance plan then we do.
- Ongoing - been having lots of small discussions at our house lately about FI, spending priorities, future plans etc. Taking a big topic and chunking it down into very small manageable pieces and getting lots of insights - slowly realizng that everything is a "small thing" :)

tariskat · « **Reply #611 on:** March 25, 2014, 08:42:49 AM »

Quote from: RootofGood on March 24, 2014, 07:58:05 PM

Gave my daughter $90 cash* for her 9th birthday. I wrapped it up in an old Aldi's sales paper. Saved money on an envelope, fancy gift bag, or wrapping paper.

I also gave her a Lite Brite toy (remember those from the 1980's?). $2 at the thrift shop visit a couple months ago. Her response: "OMG this is the awesomest toy ever. This is incredible. You can create anything you want, and we can draw our own patterns." I totally forgot you were supposed to buy blank patterns for the toy (at $6 per pack back in the day). Now her little sister wants her own Lite Brite. I'm not sure if they even make them any more.

* After giving her the cash, she collected it and some more birthday money and piggy bank money and gave me a total of $200 to deposit into her bank account. She says she's saving up for FI, as she doesn't want to work forever. Sorry folks, she won't be paying for your social security for very long.

Your daughter is beyond awesome. I hope hitting the angsty teen years doesn't faze her!

payitoff · « **Reply #612 on:** March 25, 2014, 10:04:40 AM »

delayed buying groceries here too., second day im using what's in the pantry for kids morning snacks and lunch in school.

going2ER · « **Reply #613 on:** March 25, 2014, 11:33:17 AM »

I was incredibly nervous doing this, but I washed my down filled jacket at home. It is white so has already been to the drycleaners twice this year, and they didn't do such a great job. I think I held my breath the whole time, but it turned out better than the drycleaner did and looks great.

szmaine · « **Reply #614 on:** March 25, 2014, 04:11:21 PM »

Ate from food stash at work for breakfast and lunch, even though my mind gibbered at me that I could afford a treat because it was a hectic day and I forgot the lunch meat in the fridge over the weekend and would normally have ditched it without even checking if it had gone bad or not...
I did not listen to the gibbering excuses.

NeverWasACornflakeGirl · « **Reply #615 on:** March 26, 2014, 05:27:04 AM »

Wanted to drive to work and pay for parking since it snowed overnight and was very cold this morning, but I took the bus! Parking = $7, plus gas and wear and tear on the car. Bus = free because I have some old bus passes that I hadn't used in a long time, plus I had the $ taken out of my check pre-tax to pay for the passes. :-)

mbl · « **Reply #616 on:** March 26, 2014, 05:31:20 AM »

Needed a new pair of sneakers for working out.
Was way overdue. Shopped at some brick and mortar stores and found a style that fit well.
Found it on ebay, new, for 1/2 the price.
Paid for it with money in my PayPal account I made selling things on e-bay.
OOP = $0!

EricL · « **Reply #617 on:** March 26, 2014, 07:29:42 AM »

I drank tap water instead of buying bottled water. Stupid, I know. But 9 of the 10 places I've lived had bad tasting tap water. So buying bottled water became a knee jerk reaction I now have to remember to fight even now that I live in a place that has decent tasting tap water.

tmac · « **Reply #618 on:** March 26, 2014, 11:58:32 AM »

I just finished making a batch of low-sugar, whole grain oatmeal cookies which will last a week or more for the five of us. It probably cost about $2 to make. The equivalent amount of granola bars, which we used to buy, would have cost $20 or more AND we would be eating much more sugar, salt, etc.

Exflyboy · « **Reply #619 on:** March 26, 2014, 12:16:30 PM »

Sold this!

Actually I sold it a few months back and put the money in my Vanguard index fund account.

MissPeach · « **Reply #620 on:** March 26, 2014, 02:10:10 PM »

Quote from: RootofGood on March 24, 2014, 07:58:05 PM

Gave my daughter $90 cash* for her 9th birthday. I wrapped it up in an old Aldi's sales paper. Saved money on an envelope, fancy gift bag, or wrapping paper.

I also gave her a Lite Brite toy (remember those from the 1980's?). $2 at the thrift shop visit a couple months ago. Her response: "OMG this is the awesomest toy ever. This is incredible. You can create anything you want, and we can draw our own patterns." I totally forgot you were supposed to buy blank patterns for the toy (at $6 per pack back in the day). Now her little sister wants her own Lite Brite. I'm not sure if they even make them any more.

* After giving her the cash, she collected it and some more birthday money and piggy bank money and gave me a total of $200 to deposit into her bank account. She says she's saving up for FI, as she doesn't want to work forever. Sorry folks, she won't be paying for your social security for very long.

The do make lite bright. I saw it in a toy store recently. It's a led version now so it's not quite like it was in the 80s with the giant hot light bulb.

1967mama · « **Reply #621 on:** March 26, 2014, 02:16:16 PM »

Making buns for big party tomorrow instead of buying them -- I'm actually about to do this this afternoon, so writing it down here will force me to do it and not bail and send a teen to the store to buy them for me! haha

homehandymum · « **Reply #622 on:** March 26, 2014, 07:31:52 PM »

After looking for products to help my daughter learn her times tables - and even putting one into the online grocery cart - I decided to actually use the flash cards that I already have, and definitely drill her daily for 3 weeks before I even consider spending money on it. And I found some free online games for multiplication facts too.

FrugalInTraining · « **Reply #623 on:** March 26, 2014, 09:09:04 PM »

Brought a packed lunch today, even though my office was celebrating a birthday and ordering BBQ - I had to fight off last minute temptation to join in but I held firm.

I still contributed for the birthday cake, though: $2.

Squirrel away · « **Reply #624 on:** March 27, 2014, 05:13:30 AM »

I will only spend £10 today but it is on a essential household item.

rocksinmyhead · « **Reply #625 on:** March 27, 2014, 06:51:14 AM »

Quote from: RootofGood on March 24, 2014, 07:58:05 PM

Gave my daughter $90 cash* for her 9th birthday. I wrapped it up in an old Aldi's sales paper. Saved money on an envelope, fancy gift bag, or wrapping paper.

I also gave her a Lite Brite toy (remember those from the 1980's?). $2 at the thrift shop visit a couple months ago. Her response: "OMG this is the awesomest toy ever. This is incredible. You can create anything you want, and we can draw our own patterns." I totally forgot you were supposed to buy blank patterns for the toy (at $6 per pack back in the day). Now her little sister wants her own Lite Brite. I'm not sure if they even make them any more.

* After giving her the cash, she collected it and some more birthday money and piggy bank money and gave me a total of $200 to deposit into her bank account. She says she's saving up for FI, as she doesn't want to work forever. Sorry folks, she won't be paying for your social security for very long.

your daughter sounds amazing, it sounds like you've been an awesome influence, and I LOVE LITE BRITE!!!

payitoff · « **Reply #626 on:** March 27, 2014, 11:46:04 AM »

forgot to add that i had maintenance turned off A/C in my office, i dont like the cold, and when it gets too hot, i just open my door and the A/C from the unmustachian room blows in, my co workers think im weird for not having A/C and "its sooo hot in your office", well maybe if they stop wearing sweaters in the office they'll know its not.

crumbcatcher · « **Reply #627 on:** March 27, 2014, 01:22:22 PM »

I bought honey and whole wheat flour instead of buying a loaf of Dave's Killer Bread. Those two things were about the same cost as one loaf of bread. I already have yeast and other ingredients at home, and a bag of flour will make at least four loaves.

DKB is so good, but it's wicked expensive. I have been teaching myself to make my own bread, which is satisfying as well as cost-saving.

PMG · « **Reply #628 on:** March 27, 2014, 03:27:55 PM »

Quote from: 2wakefulFlea on March 27, 2014, 11:46:04 AM

forgot to add that i had maintenance turned off A/C in my office, i dont like the cold, and when it gets too hot, i just open my door and the A/C from the unmustachian room blows in, my co workers think im weird for not having A/C and "its sooo hot in your office", well maybe if they stop wearing sweaters in the office they'll know its not.

I admire this. I am assuming you don't pay the power bill for your office, so it isn't saving you any money personally, but it is being responsible for use of resources. Your great grandchildren will benefit from your choice.

NeverWasACornflakeGirl · « **Reply #629 on:** March 28, 2014, 05:28:47 AM »

Quote from: NeverWasACornflakeGirl on March 26, 2014, 05:27:04 AM

Wanted to drive to work and pay for parking since it snowed overnight and was very cold this morning, but I took the bus! Parking = $7, plus gas and wear and tear on the car. Bus = free because I have some old bus passes that I hadn't used in a long time, plus I had the $ taken out of my check pre-tax to pay for the passes. :-)

Took the bus again today, even though my experience last time was not that great. The ride in was fantastic, but the afternoon ride back home was hot, crowded, and loud. Hoping that it will be better going home today. When I was mentally whining about taking the bus today and thought about driving in, I kept thinking about the bed pan and catheter!

Squirrel away · « **Reply #630 on:** March 28, 2014, 05:39:57 AM »

No spend day.:)

HappierAtHome · « **Reply #631 on:** March 28, 2014, 06:09:52 AM »

Tonight I've cooked a creamy vegetable pasta bake to use up the veges from last week's shopping trip that were sitting in the bottom of the fridge.

Also, making a vegan chocolate cake for my BIL's birthday, because it meant I didn't need to buy more butter or eggs.

Primm · « **Reply #632 on:** March 28, 2014, 06:24:54 AM »

Totally not deliberate, but I left my transit card at home, so I should have had to buy a ticket at the station. But when I got there and tried to use my card in the machine it wouldn't accept any cards. So I and about 5 other people ended up with a free ride home, because I work 12 hour shifts I finish after the manned ticket window has closed. :)

garion · « **Reply #633 on:** March 28, 2014, 10:43:19 AM »

This was actually yesterday, but:

Went out for lunch with a bunch of coworker's to celebrate a coworker's upcoming baby. I was planning to pay for myself and her (we're pretty close), but an older woman who earns a lot more than the rest of us unexpectedly paid for all of us. I suppose that's not something I DID, but it was nice :-).

After our workout, went to a pizza place with fiance to pick up our CSA basket and avoided the temptation to stay and eat pizza for dinner. Instead, went home and made black beans (soaked the night before) to mix with some rice/beef/cabbage leftovers to eat in corn tortillas for dinner. Put out a load of laundry to dry instead of using the dryer, and put on some broth in the slow cooker before I went to bed.

And my fiance got a raise yesterday! We joked about how we were celebrating his raise by stretching out leftovers...

CentimentalFreedom · « **Reply #634 on:** March 28, 2014, 10:55:01 AM »

Switched my $300 phone plan to skype plans. (Saved about $250).

tmac · « **Reply #635 on:** March 28, 2014, 11:39:39 AM »

My son broke my daughter's only bedroom lamp last week. He was required to give his to her until we could replace hers -- he's discovered that getting dressed in the dark is fraught with peril.

I've just come home from the Goodwill with a $3 lamp which we will smarten up using basic supplies already at home. So I saved the money I would have spent buying a new one, and my daughter gets a fun art project. :)

horsepoor · « **Reply #636 on:** March 29, 2014, 11:19:56 PM »

Made applesauce out of a bunch of apples that were getting kind of pruney down in the "root cellar."

Cancelled Amazon Prime.

Stocked up on $10 off $50 Lowe's coupons for some house stuff we'll be needing shortly.

Avoided stopping at Starbuck's even though we were cold from doing yard work in the rain, and I still have a gift card from Christmas.

swick · « **Reply #637 on:** March 29, 2014, 11:42:22 PM »

Finished teaching a Kids Spring Break camp. An additional 700.00 in our pocket and 500.00 ready to go to the Canadian Medical Relief Organization for their next medical aid trip to Syria. As part of our gallery show, we issued a challenge to our community to match a 500.00 donation we were going to make - and they did! But I didn't want to blow our budget so took the extra work to come up with our side of the donation :)

Also planned a great dinner at home for tomorrow night using pantry and freezer foods as a "date night" as we haven't seen each other much this past week.

Ohh and after cleaning up from the kids I found 35 cents :)

Squirrel away · « **Reply #638 on:** March 30, 2014, 03:05:03 AM »

Decided not to buy more groceries, I felt like getting some more fresh fruit and veg but I will wait until later in the week and just eat what I have in the house.

Quote from: horsepoor on March 29, 2014, 11:19:56 PM

Cancelled Amazon Prime.

I'm thinking of doing that too as the price will be going up.

nikki · « **Reply #639 on:** March 30, 2014, 03:34:59 AM »

I looked more critically at my grocery list and cut it down to only two items: eggs and cat litter. When I got to the store, they were out of cat litter! So I just got eggs.

I've been spending a lot of money on food lately, and while I've been eating insanely well and enjoying it immensely, I know I can have the same level of satisfaction with less spending.

NeverWasACornflakeGirl · « **Reply #640 on:** March 30, 2014, 07:13:26 AM »

Quote from: swick on March 29, 2014, 11:42:22 PM

Finished teaching a Kids Spring Break camp. An additional 700.00 in our pocket and 500.00 ready to go to the Canadian Medical Relief Organization for their next medical aid trip to Syria. As part of our gallery show, we issued a challenge to our community to match a 500.00 donation we were going to make - and they did! But I didn't want to blow our budget so took the extra work to come up with our side of the donation :)

Also planned a great dinner at home for tomorrow night using pantry and freezer foods as a "date night" as we haven't seen each other much this past week.

Ohh and after cleaning up from the kids I found 35 cents :)

Wow -- that is so cool! You rock!

horsepoor · « **Reply #641 on:** March 30, 2014, 09:19:29 AM »

Quote from: Londoner38 on March 30, 2014, 03:05:03 AM

Decided not to buy more groceries, I felt like getting some more fresh fruit and veg but I will wait until later in the week and just eat what I have in the house.

Quote from: horsepoor on March 29, 2014, 11:19:56 PM

Cancelled Amazon Prime.

I'm thinking of doing that too as the price will be going up.

They will give you a pro-rated refund if you want your cancellation to be effective immediately. I really haven't been using mine for books or streaming, and figure that I'll think more carefully before buying without the free shipping. Of course, you can re-subscribe at any time, so it saves just to let it lapse for a few months at a time. Mine auto-renewed in January and I don't think I've used it once since I'm trying to go all MMM, but at least I'm getting $59 back.

tariskat · « **Reply #642 on:** March 30, 2014, 01:41:24 PM »

Sewed a button back onto boyfriend's shirt. Making soup from left overs and some burger I bought along with the other quarter of a cow from the farmer, so I can eat awesome dinner before meeting friends out for our Walking Dead finale!

NearlyThere · « **Reply #643 on:** March 30, 2014, 02:01:38 PM »

Ate at my own restaurant today instead of splurging on a mothers day meal for the entire family.

Thankfully my mum likes our food.

Saved approx £150

warfreak2 · « **Reply #644 on:** March 30, 2014, 02:35:29 PM »

Repaired my computer's corrupted Windows registry by restoring it from a backup. Mostly time saved by having the backups in the first place, but also money saved by finding instructions and doing it myself.

lizzzi · « **Reply #645 on:** March 30, 2014, 04:28:45 PM »

Instead of going to grocery store, made a Sunday dinner from leftovers, and planned out dinner menus for the oncoming month.

Squirrel away · « **Reply #646 on:** March 31, 2014, 06:35:04 AM »

Eating at home all day. Had vegan hot dogs for lunch and going to have vegetables and rice for dinner. They accidentally delivered me a Chinese sauce with my shopping so I'm going to use that as it was free. My husband put the food away so I didn't notice or I would have returned it.;)

Low spend day. I spent £3 on a kindle book but I will read it later tonight.

Quote from: tariskat on March 30, 2014, 01:41:24 PM

Walking Dead finale!

I thought it was really good. :)

Fireman · « **Reply #647 on:** March 31, 2014, 06:44:39 AM »

Quote from: Londoner38 on March 31, 2014, 06:35:04 AM

Had vegan hot dogs [/snip]

I'm sorry, what? :)

Squirrel away · « **Reply #648 on:** March 31, 2014, 06:47:45 AM »

Quote from: Fireman on March 31, 2014, 06:44:39 AM

Quote from: Londoner38 on March 31, 2014, 06:35:04 AM
Had vegan hot dogs [/snip]

I'm sorry, what? :)

It was hot dog buns, vegan hot dogs (they taste the same as meat hot dogs as my husband tells me) with fried onions, ketchup and yellow mustard on top. Yummy!

rocksinmyhead · « **Reply #649 on:** March 31, 2014, 06:55:12 AM »

vegan/vegetarian hot dogs/corn dogs are one of my favorite fake meat products! I mean hot dogs don't even taste like real meat so if you think about it it's a match made in heaven.

we didn't go out to eat all weekend (made killer beer battered fish tacos with on-sale basa on Saturday night, and one of the most amazing brunches I've ever had yesterday!), we both have lunches brought from home today of delicious bean soup and homemade bread (and I just finished eating breakfast, an english muffin and banana brought from home augmented with the jar of peanut butter I keep in my desk), and I rode my bike to work today. these are actually all things I almost always do... but sometimes I feel like I am failing at this whole frugality thing so it's nice to remind myself that every little habit counts!

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Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 3512501 times)

payitoff

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