What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[marcela]

Yesterday I got called into a last minute donor tour and my lunch ended up being the smoothie we got at the cafe pre-tour. Saved me from eating my leftovers so I was able to stretch that out a little further. Those will be lunch today. Commencement is this weekend so Friday dinner and Saturday lunch are covered via events as well. Possibly tomorrow's lunch?

Dinner last night was corn on the cob bought on sale. We're trying to eat down our perishables as we'll be out of the country for 2 weeks. Went over grocery budget for the month, but the last trip will last us very long into June. Should average out in the end. 

Got off my butt and returned two items that I didn't really need, saving us $17. I put in a request for a receipt search at one store so I could get full price back for a bolt of fabric I bought for my sister's shower that we didn't use.

[AlwaysLearningToSave]

I ordered a year's supply of contacts (which I plan to stretch to at least a year and half, probably two years).  But since I have an astigmatism in one eye and not in the other, I bought two boxes of one kind of contact and two boxes of another kind.  The website was confused by my order and made it appear as if I would not qualify for the mail in rebate for purchasing a year's supply of contacts.  I started a chat session and explained the problem and the helpful person told me I qualified and emailed me the form.  Three minutes invested resulted in $40 saved!  Also shows the power of questioning things and asking for what you are entitled to receive.

[Inaya]

Got a BOGO offer in the mail from Qdoba (Chipotle competitor). We've been trying to cut down on eating out, but this gave us an inexpensive way to do so.

Forgot to eat my salad for lunch on Tuesday, so that became yesterday's lunch. Having a team lunch today, so today's salad becomes tomorrow's lunch.

[4alpacas]

I made breakfast at home.  Packed my lunch and snacks. 

I used a homemade moisturizing bar (copycat recipe for a Lush bar) this morning. 

[Kitsune]

I am halfway through painting the 2 sets of French doors on the back of the house.

Total cost: 40$ materials, probably 3-4 hours total

What the factory that made the doors wanted to charge to have them installed in black: 400$ PER DOOR.

Excellent hourly savings. :)

[Shinplaster]

We have a trip to meet our soon to arrive grandbaby in August.  Travelzoo just alerted me that the hotel we are staying in has a flash deal going - just rebooked, and saved $200.

[Kitsune]

We have a trip to meet our soon to arrive grandbaby in August.  Travelzoo just alerted me that the hotel we are staying in has a flash deal going - just rebooked, and saved $200.

Congrats on both the savings and the grandbaby! :)

[Kwill]

My sim card didn't work in my new-to-me smartphone, and my current cellphone company wants £10.20 to send a replacement sim for the same number. But then I wouldn't know until I got it if it would work. So this evening I ordered a free sim card from a different company, and if it works out, I can port my number over, also free. The pay-as-you-go rates are comparable, and I was considering switching anyway. If this doesn't work, I might have to return the phone, which would save more but be a bit sad.

[Shinplaster]

We have a trip to meet our soon to arrive grandbaby in August.  Travelzoo just alerted me that the hotel we are staying in has a flash deal going - just rebooked, and saved $200.

Congrats on both the savings and the grandbaby! :)

Thanks!  It's the first grandbaby, so we're pretty excited.  I always watch hotel rates - even if you are a rewards member, they don't automatically tell you if the rates drop.

[athiker10]

Bought shelf stable almond milk-2 quarts for $3.00. Maybe not the best price, but it beats the fresh half gallon that always goes bad if I buy it.

[jengod]

Replaced a burned-out compact florescent bulb with an LED. I think our electricity conservation efforts may be paying off, as per the most recent electric bill. Whoo!

Your daily average electricity usage (kWh):
2 Years ago: 13.41 Last year: 6.93

[Thinkum]

Made vegetarian burritos out of some leftovers instead of being lazy and ordering pizza. Very tasty dinner, healthier, and saved some loot. Score!

[Ceridwen]

Tonight is my son's first t-ball game of the season.  In order to save on gas, I've packed a cooler with our picnic supper and left it in the trunk so we will go to the park right after daycare, eat and get changed there, then play his game.  This is instead of driving home from daycare, eating a rushed supper at home, and driving to the park for the game.  Fingers crossed that the cooler does it's job! I've never left it in the car trunk for this long so I'm a bit nervous...

[choppingwood]

I live in a very small town (under 1000 people). I've been trying to source as many purchases as close as possible to where I live, to avoid the $32 drive to the city.  I went to the next town over (a $12.00 trip) to see if I could buy light hiking boots at a Mark's Work Wearhouse. I had checked out their footwear online and was pretty sure I could find something. Found good quality boots, at 33% off. Saved $60 on the boots and $20 on the drive.

[Bracken_Joy]

Asking on Buy Nothing Group for curtains, instead of just going and buying some. (Need curtains for our bedroom, since it's starting to stay light after we go to bed). Looks like I already have a few people offering spare curtains! Love my community. Not a rich neighborhood, but a very, very generous one.

[Rural]

Did an online ed tech consult for a gift card.


 Turned down an invite to copresent at a major ed tech conference next week. I'd like to go, but it's fly in one day, fly out the next, and it's in Vegas, whereas I'm much closer to the East Coast. Would've been more than 24 hours  of traveling in 48 hours, and it's just not worth it. Plus they weren't going to pay me anything.  The conference would've been a great deal of fun, and I do believe in the value of the software I was going to present on, but it just would've been too much. It's a shame, because I've never been to Vegas.

[Dollar Slice]

Doctor wanted me to try special orthotic for a painful joint problem. (Nevermind I already spent $300 on custom orthotics last year. No, now I need a different kind.) They had some in the office for $80 per foot. Insurance doesn't cover it, of course. I didn't really like the way it fit/felt so I said I would think about it, then went home and looked online where I managed to find some that look much better for $85 a pair (not per foot!). So, about half the price. Had to pay shipping but still saved $60+.

Also got a $50 coupon for the new medication my other doctor wanted me to try. Brought it down from $135/mo to $85/mo. (That's the co-pay with "good" insurance. Rawr.)  I am waffling between being angry at having to spend this much every month vs. being happy I can save $600/yr with these coupons.

So - spent about $180 on medical crap. But made an effort and saved $110. Having shitty genes is expensive... :-/

[Tyson]

Doctor wanted me to try special orthotic for a painful joint problem. (Nevermind I already spent $300 on custom orthotics last year. No, now I need a different kind.) They had some in the office for $80 per foot. Insurance doesn't cover it, of course. I didn't really like the way it fit/felt so I said I would think about it, then went home and looked online where I managed to find some that look much better for $85 a pair (not per foot!). So, about half the price. Had to pay shipping but still saved $60+.

Also got a $50 coupon for the new medication my other doctor wanted me to try. Brought it down from $135/mo to $85/mo. (That's the co-pay with "good" insurance. Rawr.)  I am waffling between being angry at having to spend this much every month vs. being happy I can save $600/yr with these coupons.

So - spent about $180 on medical crap. But made an effort and saved $110. Having shitty genes is expensive... :-/

I too need Orthotic inserts.  I've been very happy with SuperFeet Blue for $35 off eBay.

[Dollar Slice]

I too need Orthotic inserts.  I've been very happy with SuperFeet Blue for $35 off eBay.

I appreciate the recommendation, but I'm unfortunately way past that kind of thing. The condition I have generally ends with multiple surgeries. My feet hurt so much that I have to take my shoes off at work because just sitting at my desk with shoes on (ultra-cushioned running shoes with custom orthotics molded to my feet...) causes throbbing pain from my sole to my shin. I don't really think these new ones will do much for me, but it's that or surgery, so I'm giving it a shot.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Was thisclose to ordering a test prep guide from Amazon when I realized I could download literally the exact same thing from my public library. Where I work. As a librarian. But it's kind of a hidden feature! I had totally forgotten about it.

Bonus: does not create a physical book that will be obsolete in a couple of years anyway.

[4alpacas]

Returned two things to the store. 
Took my watch in for a replacement battery.  Since the battery died so quickly (less than a year), the store replaced the battery for free.
Baked zucchini bread from a zucchini a coworker gave me.
Tried a new recipe for dinner

[Kwill]

I still had cheeses and a couple chorizo slices left from a picnic ages ago. This morning I used the last of the chorizo and broke up one of the little cheeses to make egg-mcmuffin-style sandwiches with English muffins and fried eggs. So tasty and filling. I had cheese and crackers again yesterday for lunch, and this was a nice change. Now that I'm down to a handful of individually wrapped cheeses, I think I will take a break from trying to use them up.

Later I'm heading to the public library to get some light reading for the weekend and turn in last week's books.

[HappierAtHome]

Grocery shopped carefully to avoid overbuying or wasting money.

Batch cooked our work lunches for the next week.

Baked bread (seed and nut loaf) for cheap, tasty, nutritious breakfasts.

[Kaydedid]

Craving a Starbucks frappacino this AM.  Whole milk+ice+vanilla+stevia+instant coffee+blender+2 minutes and boom, frappacino.  Bonus, it was much better on blood sugar levels since it was sugar-free!

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[Thinkum]

Craving a Starbucks frappacino this AM.  Whole milk+ice+vanilla+stevia+instant coffee+blender+2 minutes and boom, frappacino.  Bonus, it was much better on blood sugar levels since it was sugar-free!

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I love coffee and have all these things, more or less. Thanks for the reminder! I'll have to make one later today.

[Kaydedid]

Craving a Starbucks frappacino this AM.  Whole milk+ice+vanilla+stevia+instant coffee+blender+2 minutes and boom, frappacino.  Bonus, it was much better on blood sugar levels since it was sugar-free!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I love coffee and have all these things, more or less. Thanks for the reminder! I'll have to make one later today.

You can also do a peppermint mocha by subbing mint extract for the vanilla and throwing in some cocoa powder.  Haven't done a caramel one yet, but I bet those Torani (sp?) syrups or something similar in caramel flavor would do the trick.

[hiker_girl]

I bought 6 cute blouses for work for $5.58, several of which were from Ann Taylor and one was from Nordstrom.  The total came up to $63.96.  I used a $20 credit from Schoola and a 60% off coupon to reduce the price by 91%. I'm usually a size small or a medium, and I was careful to order only mediums to increase the chances that they would fit, since purchases are non-returnable.

Here's my referral link: you get $20 and I get $20.
https://www.schoola.com/stitch?ref=cp-3X5l8h14B

There are other referral links on MMM too, all for the same amount. You can only use one, however.

Use coupon code TAKE60 to get an additional 60% off.

[csprof]

Craving a Starbucks frappacino this AM.  Whole milk+ice+vanilla+stevia+instant coffee+blender+2 minutes and boom, frappacino.  Bonus, it was much better on blood sugar levels since it was sugar-free!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I love coffee and have all these things, more or less. Thanks for the reminder! I'll have to make one later today.

You can also do a peppermint mocha by subbing mint extract for the vanilla and throwing in some cocoa powder.  Haven't done a caramel one yet, but I bet those Torani (sp?) syrups or something similar in caramel flavor would do the trick.

You might try this:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/05/how-to-make-caramel-without-melting-sugar.html

Truth in advertising:  I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds absolutely brilliant to do. :)

tl;dr:  toast sugar in the oven @ 300F for about 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove, throw through the blender or food processor to break up the clumps.
Store airtight.  You now have a nice container of caramel-flavored sugar for use in any
way you desire.

I'm skeptical that it would work with stevia, alas - for that you probably need a
commercial "caramel-flavor" sugar-free syrup that gets to leverage the magic of
modern flavor chemistry.

[Kaydedid]

Craving a Starbucks frappacino this AM.  Whole milk+ice+vanilla+stevia+instant coffee+blender+2 minutes and boom, frappacino.  Bonus, it was much better on blood sugar levels since it was sugar-free!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I love coffee and have all these things, more or less. Thanks for the reminder! I'll have to make one later today.

You can also do a peppermint mocha by subbing mint extract for the vanilla and throwing in some cocoa powder.  Haven't done a caramel one yet, but I bet those Torani (sp?) syrups or something similar in caramel flavor would do the trick.

You might try this:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/05/how-to-make-caramel-without-melting-sugar.html

Truth in advertising:  I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds absolutely brilliant to do. :)

tl;dr:  toast sugar in the oven @ 300F for about 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove, throw through the blender or food processor to break up the clumps.
Store airtight.  You now have a nice container of caramel-flavored sugar for use in any
way you desire.

I'm skeptical that it would work with stevia, alas - for that you probably need a
commercial "caramel-flavor" sugar-free syrup that gets to leverage the magic of
modern flavor chemistry.

Thanks for the link!  I've got some insulin resistance, so sugar isn't completely banned (but it's a rare indulgence).

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[10dollarsatatime]

Worked a pageant over the weekend.  In principle, they aren't my favorite thing, but they are a fun gig.

They feed everyone really well.  And then there are leftovers.  So in addition to not having to pay for my lunch/dinner both Friday and Saturday, I also was sent home with leftovers. Lunch today will be chicken Alfredo, grapes, and watermelon.  I've now got a stash of mixed nuts, trail mix, and skittles at work, and I have a bag of einstein bagels, and another of edamame.  I was going to do some batch cooking today, but it seems it won't be necessary for this week...

They also give the crew a stack of discount cards.  I've got a couple of free massages, free orange julius, and free haircuts.  Also a few discounts to places I might actually eat.  And a few more that I'll leave out at work for others who will use them.

[Rural]

 Now I want to work pageants…


I discovered the wonders of diet A&W root beer last night at a bonfire at a friend's house. I've never tried one, assuming that they'd be nasty, and they aren't. So, now I have a root beer problem. To fix this, instead of buying diet root beer with all its chemical foulness, I picked sassafras  stems in the woods today for tea (which I'll sweeten with some stevia leaves)  plus bonus file powder.  I'm cheating by making tea from the stems instead of digging the sassafras roots, but then that's the way I've always made it. Easier on me and on the plant.

[Kitsune]

Went foraging for elder flowers and made cordial. Made ramp butter out of the rest of the ramps we picked a week and a half ago (freeze in logs, slice off a piece and let melt over fish or steak...) Got rhubarb from the yard and made rhubarb pie for dessert.

While foraging for elder flowers, we went to the back of the family property (hundreds of acres) in the car to a spot where there used to be a lot of farms in the last 1800s, and we found a few abandoned apple and pear orchards in full bloom. I dropped a google maps pin so we can go back and find it in fall, and again in spring next year to graft some branches onto rootstock if the apples are good. If they're over a hundred years old and holding up...

Also found chestnut and walnut trees nearby. :)

[jengod]

Went foraging for elder flowers and made cordial. Made ramp butter out of the rest of the ramps we picked a week and a half ago (freeze in logs, slice off a piece and let melt over fish or steak...) Got rhubarb from the yard and made rhubarb pie for dessert.

While foraging for elder flowers, we went to the back of the family property (hundreds of acres) in the car to a spot where there used to be a lot of farms in the last 1800s, and we found a few abandoned apple and pear orchards in full bloom. I dropped a google maps pin so we can go back and find it in fall, and again in spring next year to graft some branches onto rootstock if the apples are good. If they're over a hundred years old and holding up...

Also found chestnut and walnut trees nearby. :)

<3 <3 <3  All amazing!

[Ceridwen]

- Sold $30 worth of misc baby items on varagesale

- Didn't need much beyond produce and milk for our weekly groceries, so walked to our local market instead of driving to the big grocery store

- This one has DH thinking I've really gone over the edge: The side of DS' overnight pull-up (training pants) tore when he was putting it on last night so I gave him a new one, and once he went to bed, I stapled the torn one back together.  Those suckers cost $0.50 each!

[TravelJunkyQC]

My sister is having a baby soon (my first niece or nephew!), and, while I'm in no way spendy for myself, I really adore treating those I love. I've had this urge to buy tiny baby clothes for the new little one. However, I resisted, and last night I finished crocheting a beautiful baby blanket. For about 30$ worth of yarn, I had a relaxing activity to do in the evenings for the past few months, and came out with a gift worth several times more for the new parents-to-be. I'd say I saved a fair bit :)

[PMG]

Made a 2.99 return to target yesterday.  It wasn't worth the trip on it's own, but I brought it along on my travels because I knew spending the weekend with my family we would end up at target... And we did. 

[esq]

Returned two bags of Aldi organic veggie chips.  They were nasty.  Husband bought them instead of the regular veggie chips.  He said they were out of the regular.  I say he was probably looking in the soap department.

[Kaydedid]

 Now I want to work pageants…


I discovered the wonders of diet A&W root beer last night at a bonfire at a friend's house. I've never tried one, assuming that they'd be nasty, and they aren't. So, now I have a root beer problem. To fix this, instead of buying diet root beer with all its chemical foulness, I picked sassafras  stems in the woods today for tea (which I'll sweeten with some stevia leaves)  plus bonus file powder.  I'm cheating by making tea from the stems instead of digging the sassafras roots, but then that's the way I've always made it. Easier on me and on the plant.

Not sure if you're aware, but sassafras is classified as a carcinogenic substance, which is why it isn't used in commercial root beer any more.  Via Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, "Sassafras is classified as a carcinogenic substance. It caused liver cancer in laboratory animals; the risk of developing cancer increases with the amount consumed and duration of consumption."  I use it for potpurri, but stopped making tea out of it due to the above info.

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[horsepoor]

Had leftovers for lunch and dinner, along with a big salad of garden greens.

Waited until getting the mail tonight before hitting the feed store - which paid off because the $10 off coupon was in there as expected.  Hoping for a second one in the Val-Pak coupons this week as well.

Made sure DH had my REI member # since he was going there to look for a hat.

Set up box fans in the windows to blow in cool air since it's going to be in the 80's tomorrow and headed for 100 by the weekend.

Cooked beans in the Instant Pot to make a nice bean salad with tomorrow night.

[KMMK]

This isn't just today, but an ongoing thing:
Now up north here we're at less than 5 hours between sunset and sunrise, so it's only ever darkish, mostly light out while we are sleeping. We have plastic blinds that came with the apartment and boyfriend suggested we could buy curtains, as the blinds barely reduce the light. Being frugal and a minimalist, I didn't see the point. Just one more thing to buy, put up, get dirty - no way.
Plus we already have a solution to this problem - we both sleep with a black T-shirt over our eyes. It's cheap, it works well, and with much less hassle than trying to block all the light from the window.

What really amuses me is that when we moved in together, we both owned exactly 1 geeky, "fat", black T-shirt. His is XXL because he lost over 100lbs last year, and it's the one piece of clothing that didn't make it to the thrift store. And it says: "Rogues Do It From Behind". Mine is XL because it was a gift. It's from 1994. My sister bought it for me at a garage sale last year. It's a T-shirt that was put out by a local TV station announcing/celebrating (?) the season finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation. (My beloved childhood show). Funny that it was just sitting in some person's house for 20 years. And my sister knew I had to have it, as she's a big fan too.
At some point we also swapped shirts, so I only use his rogues shirt and he uses my ST shirt.

So yeah, repurposing at it's finest.

[lhamo]

FINALLY was able to snag something useful from freecycle -- got us a Weber Smokey Joe barbecue set.  I was going to get one before we moved into this apartment, but then found out they didn't allow charcoal grills.  No problem with that in the new place, though.  It showed up at the perfect time -- I picked it up on the way to a talk this evening, and dropped it off at the new place on my way home. 

I also got comped a ticket to the event because I know the speaker -- score! (Saved $5).

And followed my cousin's suggestion to have our meeting on Friday at Starbuck's -- so I can use that gift card I bought way back in January (still haven't used it up).

[csprof]

I read through an old mmm forum thread on dropping comprehensive & collision:

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/rule-of-thumb-for-dropping-collision-and-comprehensive/

and in the end, decided not to, because after reading through my policy, I wanted to keep the collision for times when I'm renting a car.

But I noticed that I had excessive first-party medical/death benefits in excess of the state minimum (they'd pay $10k of our medical bills;  state requires $5k;  had $5k of lost work benefits).  Silly and unnecessary.  Cutting it only saved about $3/month, but it was a very easy $3/month, and once gone, it stays gone.  So I'm glad I read my policy in horrible detail.

That thread, however, is a great one if you haven't stumbled across it, and the real reason I'm posting this -- several insurance industry folks chimed in with great suggestions.

[Primm]

My coffee machine died last night. So, CC in hand, I went shopping for a new one today.

But I couldn't do it. So I lashed out and bought 2 French presses (one for a single cup, one for when there are people here) for a grand total of ... $15. Thank you K-Mart!

[GeekyGirl]

I brought lunch yesterday and took a bigger two-parts sandwish so I spent 9 EUR for two days instead of having regular lunch at 10 EUR per day.
My employer offer coupons of 8 EUR ((something some employers offer in France, lunch coupon), so I just spent 1 EUR for two days Lunch.
Pretty good huh .... New employer doesn't offer those coupons and this was my last one  so I'll have to bring lunch and pay 0 from next week. We'll see how that works.

[Dollar Slice]

Doctor wanted me to try special orthotic for a painful joint problem. (Nevermind I already spent $300 on custom orthotics last year. No, now I need a different kind.) They had some in the office for $80 per foot. Insurance doesn't cover it, of course. I didn't really like the way it fit/felt so I said I would think about it, then went home and looked online where I managed to find some that look much better for $85 a pair (not per foot!). So, about half the price. Had to pay shipping but still saved $60+.

For better or worse, the place I ordered the orthotic from contacted me to say their supplier was having issues and they were out of stock for a while. Canceled that and bought a cheaper (probably inferior) pair elsewhere with coupons and free shipping and etc. for only $34. Assuming they work, that will put me at a $126 savings over the original.

I'm having a hard time believing that steel insoles are going to make my feet hurt LESS, but...

[PMG]

Picked up carrots and hummus for tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch. We'll be walking all over Paris and there will be lots of great food options... And that's the problem!  I've got to spread out the indulgences. This cost me about $5US and will be two good meals. No refrigerator, but it should be fine for overnight.

[StarBright]

An oldie but a goodie: I need brown sugar for baking, but it was hard as a rock. Bought one apple, cut it into pieces, and put it in a container with the sugar. The sugar is now soft again, all ready for baking with.

I've never heard of this - brilliant!

I always have hard brown sugar and extra apples laying around the house. Thanks!

[Gerard]

Well I would have said depp.  I had no frame of reference when I moved to Ontario - what is a 7-11?  Listening to students use 3 languages in one sentence does things to the brain (I taught CEGEP for many years).

I love that you discuss a word that nobody outside Quebec recognizes by using another word that nobody outside Quebec recognizes. :-)

[Alf91]

Washed out a couple of plastic bags to reuse.

Sliced up some cucumbers and put them in the pickle juice left in the jar after the pickles were gone - haven't done this one before, we'll see what happens. I love me some pickles.

[Dollar Slice]

Sliced up some cucumbers and put them in the pickle juice left in the jar after the pickles were gone - haven't done this one before, we'll see what happens. I love me some pickles.

Just bought some pickling cucumbers yesterday for this very thing. I've done it before, it works great.