Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?  (Read 8020989 times)

NV Teacher

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6750 on: August 07, 2016, 10:25:35 PM »
Used several leftovers and made a delicious chicken pot pie for supper.  It's a double win, a tasty dinner and a clean fridge. 

1967mama

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6751 on: August 07, 2016, 10:40:45 PM »
*found 2 x 10oz boxes of organic baby spinach near expiry date for 99 cents each - also it was 5% off today

*2 great finds at a thrift store - a brand new, large sports team banner for my son's birthday and a new pad of meal planning pages, desk sized, to help me get more organized - used a 20% off coupon since we also made a donation - total spent: $8

*pulled meat out of the freezer for the next 2 days of meals (meal planning! yay!)

*watched lots and lots of Olympics with the kids this weekend in HD with our antenna! That $30 device is one of best frugal purchases in years! #cablefree

*daughter made chocolate covered popcorn with the kids today as a special, fun treat. Practically free compared to what you'd pay at a shop in the mall. Just cocoa, corn syrup, etc.

*adult kids who still live at home both made bag lunches for work tomorrow. They do this most every week. So proud of them.

*used up leftover green beans in our beef and veggie stir fry tonight. Made homemade stir fry sauce and a big pot of basmati rice.


mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6752 on: August 08, 2016, 01:25:00 AM »
I listed an item on eBay and bids are already up to $409.

Prairie Gal

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6753 on: August 08, 2016, 06:44:04 AM »
- I opted to make cupcakes from stuff we have at home instead of buying a mix (which would have made me stop at a store with both kids) or buying cupcakes (at $30-50 a dozen).  A short google found a recipe with stuff I already had.

I recently made cupcakes for my niece's baby shower with a $1.50 cake mix, a container of icing (also $1.50 I think) and decorations from the dollar store. Under $5 for 18 cupcakes.


The hell you say.

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered cupcakes from Sam's club.  $15 for 30 cupcakes and the lady even put little plastic batman rings on them for free.  I mentioned it to my SIL and said "you can't beat that!"  Her response was, "you could have made them at home".  Ah yes, I could have. But I am not good at cooking or baking, and the stress it saved me was worth the $15.

With the price of baking ingredients these days, I don't know if I could make cupcakes at home for cheaper than that price. Butter, eggs and milk are crazy expensive right now.

I did notice that our local bakery sells decorating ingredients for wholesale prices. I might try them next time I have to decorate a cake.

Kitsune

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6754 on: August 08, 2016, 06:46:02 AM »
Got it together at 9:30 PM last night and used vegetables from the fridge, leftover corn, and herbs from the herb garden to make salad for lunches tomorrow and Tuesday for every adult in the house. The call of bed was strong, but it took 5 minutes and will save 40$ for 2 days of lunches.

For the curious, the salad I made was this: https://food52.com/recipes/12928-dilled-crunchy-sweet-corn-salad-with-buttermilk-dressing

And based on preliminary tastes, OMG I highly recommend it, assuming you have the ingredients (I did which is why I chose to make it). That buttermilk dressing alone is WAY better than most I've made. Yum.

On a more significant note, my daugher's daycare is closing for a week at the end of the month, and she has grandparents lining up to take her for 4 of the 5 days (seriously, they've been calling and asking me to keep her home from daycare so that they could spend days with her this summer - I'm totally gonna take advantage of that willingness while daycare is closed!) It saves me or my husband from taking a week off unpaid (800-900$ is what that would have cost us) AND we get to not pay for the week at daycare (125$). Best unexpected daycare closure EVER. :)

NV Teacher

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6755 on: August 08, 2016, 07:29:28 AM »
Took care of an ingrown toe nail that has been bothering me for a few days.  Painful to do but glad it's behind me.

sis

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6756 on: August 08, 2016, 08:15:21 AM »
Took care of an ingrown toe nail that has been bothering me for a few days.  Painful to do but glad it's behind me.

By yourself?

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6757 on: August 08, 2016, 10:32:37 AM »
Took care of an ingrown toe nail that has been bothering me for a few days.  Painful to do but glad it's behind me.

By yourself?

There is something about cutting a "V".

Moonwaves

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6758 on: August 08, 2016, 11:18:31 AM »
Took care of an ingrown toe nail that has been bothering me for a few days.  Painful to do but glad it's behind me.

By yourself?

There is something about cutting a "V".
There's an old wives' tale about cutting a "v" (because nature abhors a vacuum and if you cut a "v" shape in the centre of your nail it will pull in from the sides to close up the v as it's growing again, in case anyone hadn't already heard it) alright. I even tried it after one of the nuns in school told us about it because I was a paranoid 14-year-old and thought I was getting an ingrowing toenail. Turned out I just had shoes that were too tight.

NV Teacher

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6759 on: August 08, 2016, 11:46:37 AM »
Took care of an ingrown toe nail that has been bothering me for a few days.  Painful to do but glad it's behind me.

By yourself?
Yep.  It wasn't too bad and I've done it before. 

TravelJunkyQC

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6760 on: August 08, 2016, 12:08:14 PM »
Took care of an ingrown toe nail that has been bothering me for a few days.  Painful to do but glad it's behind me.

By yourself?
Yep.  It wasn't too bad and I've done it before.

Ugh.... I'm not usually queasy but... ouch. Perhaps because my partner has more than once taken it upon himself to remove his entire ingrown toenail with a flat-head screwdriver and a pair of pliers.

Please tell me you were safer than that.

NV Teacher

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6761 on: August 08, 2016, 01:33:30 PM »
Took care of an ingrown toe nail that has been bothering me for a few days.  Painful to do but glad it's behind me.

By yourself?
Yep.  It wasn't too bad and I've done it before.

Ugh.... I'm not usually queasy but... ouch. Perhaps because my partner has more than once taken it upon himself to remove his entire ingrown toenail with a flat-head screwdriver and a pair of pliers.

Please tell me you were safer than that.

Clean tweezers and a razor blade are my go to tools.  If the job required a screw driver and pliers I'd be making an appointment to see the doctor.

AlwaysLearningToSave

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6762 on: August 08, 2016, 01:51:02 PM »
This weekend I decided to move our wireless router to a different location to improve wifi performance in other areas of the house.  Did so and it didn't work.  Called customer service and found out that the phone company only "activates" one outlet for DSL when they install it, but for $6 per month they can have a workman come out to activate all the outlets in the house.  My bullshit detector was going off-- how can they only activate one outlet?-- so I declined the offer.  Did some googling and went out the phone box and moved the wires around to make it connect to all phone jacks in my house, moved my router, and went about my life. 

The super annoying part?  All the changes I made were in the "Customer Access" side of the box-- to the wires I own.  The company had taken the affirmative step to disconnect the one jack they "activated" from the rest of my house's lines and then isolate it with a filter for DSL.  All I did was return the set up to how a normal house should be wired. 

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6763 on: August 08, 2016, 04:02:04 PM »
This weekend I decided to move our wireless router to a different location to improve wifi performance in other areas of the house.  Did so and it didn't work.  Called customer service and found out that the phone company only "activates" one outlet for DSL when they install it, but for $6 per month they can have a workman come out to activate all the outlets in the house.  My bullshit detector was going off-- how can they only activate one outlet?-- so I declined the offer.  Did some googling and went out the phone box and moved the wires around to make it connect to all phone jacks in my house, moved my router, and went about my life. 

The super annoying part?  All the changes I made were in the "Customer Access" side of the box-- to the wires I own.  The company had taken the affirmative step to disconnect the one jack they "activated" from the rest of my house's lines and then isolate it with a filter for DSL.  All I did was return the set up to how a normal house should be wired.

Win!

I had a similar annoyance last week.

Called the power company after we moved apartments within the same building.

I was told there would be an $11 fee for checking the meter at the old place and an $11 fee for checking the meter at the new place.

*annoying buzzer sound*

Try again.

Inaya

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6764 on: August 09, 2016, 07:26:08 AM »
If the job required a screw driver and pliers I'd be making an appointment to see the doctor.


I'd be making an appointment to see a mechanic...


Free breakfast this morning. They cleaned all the "expired" food out of the vending machines and left them out for anyone to take. Of course "expired" rarely means anything... and that's particularly the case with preservative-chocked vending machine fare. Got some Sun Chips, a roll of mints, and a package of "Mrs. Freshley's Glazed Blueberry Donut Sticks"--which leave an interesting film on the top of my mouth. But hey, free food!

Kitsune

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6765 on: August 09, 2016, 07:42:10 AM »
Last night, I noticed that some peaches were starting to go mouldy, so I cut off the 'going bad' bits and improvised a peach and blueberry cobbler (scented with lemon zest, nutmeg, and almonds - seriously delicious, and super low-sugar, since the peaches themselves were so sweet).

FYI: if you're out of butter and want to bake, using a bit of cream instead actually makes a really light fluffy cobbler. Who knew? Yay improvised baking.

No food waste, AND breakfast this morning. Win/win.

sis

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6766 on: August 09, 2016, 09:03:42 AM »
I posted a whole bunch of stuff for sale on a local facebook group.  So far this summer I've made $75 selling stuff on there.  Here's to hoping I make a bit more.

TravelJunkyQC

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6767 on: August 09, 2016, 09:09:30 AM »
It was yesterday after work instead of today, but: went to the new bulk-store for dry goods, the bulk fruit/veggie store for those, and then the big grocery store for the outer perimeter items (orange juice, milk, eggs, cheese). Got about 2 weeks of *better quality* food for 100$. And they're all in the same strip mall, so no driving everywhere. Win.

SoccerLounge

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6768 on: August 09, 2016, 08:51:39 PM »
I ate a pot pie I made myself for lunch, and then ate cornbread and pimento cheese I made myself for dinner. (From scratch, because as Kriss Kross said back in the cheesy-ass '90s, boxed baking mix / pre-made pastry is wiggity-wiggity-wiggity-wack.)

1967mama

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6769 on: August 09, 2016, 09:05:18 PM »
*baked two dozen (plus 4) chocolate chip muffins. 3/4 of them went into the freezer and the rest were for fresh eating
*made a loaf of French bread for dinner and started another batch in my ice cream pail for the fridge
*made Caesar dressing for our salad
*cooked a chicken from the freezer for dinner
*scored 3 cucumbers from neighbours garden. Son is looking after their cats and watering gardens and they said to pick and eat anything that is ripe. This is a 10 day job so we will likely benefit from more ripe veggies
*using pool pass for kids second day in a row - we've been 54 times since it opened in March so payback has been quick and its summer right now - will use more in winter
*hardboiled eggs for sandwiches tomorrow

Eucalyptus

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6770 on: August 09, 2016, 09:40:39 PM »
Last night bought fuel...carefully timed it to fill my tank low. Used 4c discount from supermarket, and bought 6L of milk in store to spend at least $5 to get another 4c. At 63L I basically got fresh milk for cheaper than powder.

This morning I woke up realising I forgot to prepare my Rolled oats by soaking the night before. I do this from time to time. Sometimes in a rush like this I'll drive past the local McDonalds and buy some hashbrowns and coffee. Managed to maintain the willpower not to and made it to work. Had copious coffee and a big early home made lunch instead.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6771 on: August 10, 2016, 05:24:43 AM »
Bought new black leather flats for work.

Last time I bought a pair (same brand), they were $150 down to $125.

Tonight they were marked down plus I had reward points to cash in.

I ended up splitting the transactions, using my saved reward points on the first pair, then used the reward points earnt on the first pair towards the second pair.

Saved $134.

Kitsune

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6772 on: August 10, 2016, 06:05:14 AM »
Today, I have a doctors appointment, an ultrasound, and a series of blood tests.

5 years ago, I got a job offer in the US, and chose to stay in Quebec.

As a consequence, thank you Quebec residency, my out of pocket costs for all pregnancy-related healthcare will be the 50$ I paid for 2 months of anti-nausea medication.

Oh, and then year-long maternity leave.

RetiredAt63

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6773 on: August 10, 2016, 06:33:14 AM »
^ It does make a difference.  This summer I had 2 doctor's appointments, my tetanus and pneumonia vaccinations, bone mineral density scan, knee x-rays, mammogram and Pap smear and blood work.  Total cost - one small prescription (mostly covered by insurance) and some calcium and Vitamin D supplements.

SomedayStache

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6774 on: August 10, 2016, 06:56:17 AM »
A few months ago I had a doctors appointment, some blood tests, and an ulstrasound.  For which I got to pay ~$1500.

If only we could choose our country of birth.  I guess there's always moving, but only if my whole circle of family and friends can move with me!

engineermom21

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6775 on: August 10, 2016, 08:05:40 AM »
Brought my oatmeal to work for breakfast...I eat the same thing every morning, and I still look forward to it.  Cheap and delicious!

Cooked some pasta last night for lunch today so I can use up some leftover chicken and pesto in the fridge from dinners earlier this week.  Yay for no food waste!

Made my cup of tea from a free sample I got in the mail.  Love being able to try new flavors this way.

Decided not to go to the grand opening of Costco today, mostly since it's going to be super crowded and I would rather wait until next week when the hype has died down a bit.  This is really more of a delay in spending, rather than saving money, because I love me some Costco.

Have two mystery shops after work - one at a grocery store, which helps save money on the monthly grocery budget, and another at a shoe store, which will net my toddler a free or very cheap pair of shoes.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6776 on: August 10, 2016, 09:22:56 AM »
Well, we bought a house (that's not really the money savings, haha).

-Former owner had sprinklers set to run once per day for 10 min. Switched to 3 times per week for 15min. I still need to verify the water level, but considering there was moss growing in the lawn in August with their old settings... pretty sure it'll be plenty. Better for the grass anyway, deeper less frequent watering encourages a better root structure. And the town we move to charges out the nose for water (ironic, since we're on a river and live in the PNW...) so we're making moves to reduce water consumption.

-Swung by ikea when I was in Portland yesterday. A few needed items: bath mat, silverware drawer organizer, knife block, (totally not needed beautiful mirror for our mantle, ahem), drawer liner. Came to $165, and the cashier told me there was a coupon I could google for $20 off of a purchase $150 or more. Thanks cashier lady!

-My new local Buy Nothing Project group is pretty much dead. Last admin left without notice. So I'm taking up the mantle and trying to get it active again. This will save money in the long run presumably, but that isn't the motivation, but it is a nice side effect.

-Husband and I are going to be buying a reel mower. Bonus: plenty are barely used available on craigslist. Less maintenance, no gas cost, then the non-money benefits like less pollution and noise.

-T-minus 5 days until my husband and I give up drinking. Saving money isn't the goal, but will certainly be an appreciated side effect.

-Used a promo, a referral code, and a coupon to get 5 hours of house cleaning for our last place (rental) for $60. Well worth it. The guy did an incredible job. Then I went over a couple areas he didn't cover (outside mainly) and had the walk-through. I had also shampood the rugs before moving. We're getting full deposit back. And because we had already paid before we got our house offer accepted and put in notice, we will be getting 1/2 month rent back as well. Expecting a check for $2,245 within the next 30 days. Delightful.

4alpacas

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6777 on: August 10, 2016, 09:28:13 AM »
*baked two dozen (plus 4) chocolate chip muffins. 3/4 of them went into the freezer and the rest were for fresh eating
*made a loaf of French bread for dinner and started another batch in my ice cream pail for the fridge
*made Caesar dressing for our salad
*cooked a chicken from the freezer for dinner
*scored 3 cucumbers from neighbours garden. Son is looking after their cats and watering gardens and they said to pick and eat anything that is ripe. This is a 10 day job so we will likely benefit from more ripe veggies
*using pool pass for kids second day in a row - we've been 54 times since it opened in March so payback has been quick and its summer right now - will use more in winter
*hardboiled eggs for sandwiches tomorrow
I'm always so impressed with your lists, 1967mama!

I'm coming in a lot less impressive, but we've been in using things up mode because we have two trips close together.  For lunch this week, I measured out a cup of quinoa, 2 cups steamed vegetables (from frozen vegetables), and a can of tuna.  I made a vinaigrette, and it's actually a pretty tasty concoction!

For breakfasts, I did break down and buy a loaf of sprouted bread yesterday.  So I had toast and eggs this morning. 

For our flights tomorrow, I will pack an almond butter and jam sandwiches with a half a dozen hard-boiled eggs. 

We also switched our dog to less expensive food--Taste of the Wild to the grain-free Costco brand.  Our dog loves the new food, and I love saving ~$10/bag. 

1967mama

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6778 on: August 10, 2016, 11:02:21 AM »
Thanks,
4alpacas!

And good idea with the quinoa! Sounds delish!

Gerard

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6779 on: August 10, 2016, 11:45:37 AM »
Rode my bike to/from a conference today, even though it's stinkin' hot out.
Found super-cheap ground pork at the No Frills (discount grocer) yesterday and made a big batch of almost-chorizo.
Cool shower and fan instead of AC.

Moonwaves

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6780 on: August 10, 2016, 01:29:44 PM »
All this talk of hard-boiled eggs has inspired me. Haven't had that for ages but I do have a few eggs I need to use up and I'm getting bored of scrambled, which has become my standard breakfast. I have bread so that along with the eggs will be lunch sorted for the next day or three.

sis

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6781 on: August 10, 2016, 03:38:12 PM »
I sold some candle holders that I hadn't been using.  Trying to get rid of stuff before our move.  Every little bit helps!

Kwill

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6782 on: August 10, 2016, 04:01:53 PM »
Made my lunch for the second day in a row. Trying to get back into it.

Tonight I rescued a desk that some leaving tenant had abandoned inside the entrance to my building. Also recently rescued a 3000 W transformer that a leaving tenant had left and promptly used it to make rice in my rice cooker from home. Then today I used the leftover rice to make fried rice.

Played Pokemon Go without data by walking around buildings with wi-fi.

jengod

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6783 on: August 11, 2016, 02:19:20 AM »
* Took the bus to my midwife appointment, saving $10 and stress over driving there and parking in the lot.
* The Sprouts Market circular advertised whole fryers for $0.69/lb so purchased four (the maximum amount) for the freezer.
* Received $0.20 credit from Sprouts for bringing my own bags, as usual.

Squirrel away

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6784 on: August 11, 2016, 04:15:27 AM »
Yummy Mexican leftovers for lunch.:)

I hung up the washed laundry instead of using the dryer.


I'm a red panda

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6785 on: August 11, 2016, 08:52:37 AM »
There are meetings at work all week and they are being catered, breakfast and lunch.  Although the lunch leftovers usually get put into the fridge here and set out for other workers, the breakfast just gets tossed.

A friend and I brought a bunch of freezer bags and we've collected leftovers all 4 days this week. I now have tons of yummy breakfast foods stocked in the fridge/freezer at home. (And yes, we do eat them.)

1967mama

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6786 on: August 11, 2016, 02:46:17 PM »
That's awesome, iowajess!

Today I:

*made a loaf of French bread and started another batch for the fridge

*had hubs stop at Costco since he was going to be in the area - gave him a small list of the things I wanted from there that are cheaper than anywhere else

*ate some healthy pb fudge I made last night (stevia sweetened)

*family ate leftover turkey hash for lunch

*opened windows and put on whole house fan instead of a/c.

*using dollar store reading glasses instead of ones from optometrists office. I don't need a prescription, just magnifiers. I'm so mad at myself that when I first needed them, they sold me some for $30 a pair. Now I have multiple pairs in multiple locations around the house and in purses for a dollar or two

*did a deep freezer inventory and clean out  this morning. Now have room for two sides of beef we will purchase in October (big family)

*making sure to use 1-2 whole chickens a week from the freezer. We purchased 60 in July from our farmer friend.

*teens at free youth group event this afternoon where they also get free unlimited soft drinks:-)
Bad for health but teens love it and it's a rare treat.

*sooooo happy with our OTA antenna from Best Buy. Kids watching hours of Olympics every day in HD for free

*was reading someone else's case study and realized how dumb it is for us to have Amazon prime.
ETA: Glad I checked! Prime was about to renew October 3/16! Cancelled FTW!

« Last Edit: August 11, 2016, 02:50:37 PM by 1967mama »

horsepoor

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6787 on: August 11, 2016, 08:56:39 PM »
Grabbed about 5# of free pears being offered by the owners of the stable where I'm catch riding.

Bought a $2.99 breakfast burrito and had half for breakfast and half for lunch.  Not cheaper than packing a lunch, but still pretty inexpensive.

Walked from the mechanic's shop to work after dropping off the truck.  Didn't save me money, but saved some gas from their shuttle car, and I got some exercise.  Resisted Starbuck's on the way and warmed up some of the cold brew I have stashed at the office instead.

Remembered my Shout wipes and treated my jeans after said burrito leaked into my lap.  Hoping they won't stain.

Persisting on DIY-training my horse.  Will probably be getting on her this weekend.

Moonwaves

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6788 on: August 12, 2016, 07:29:29 AM »
Brought hard-boiled eggs to work for lunch. Also a couple of banana and coconut muffins I threw together yesterday to finish up the bananas I had bought.

Last night, I finally attacked some veg that had been sitting around for a little bit too long. Chopped and peeled everything, added some oil and my current favourite smoky chili spice mix and roasted the whole lot. That, added to rice, means dinner for today and tomorrow is sorted. And I won't be leaving behind stuff that's just going to go off while I'm working away from home next week. All meals are provided at the summer school I'm organising so next week should be low-cost. Only have to pay minimal amounts for a drink or two in the evenings, if I feel so inclined. Will bring the rest of the muffins in case I feel like having a snack inbetween times (that way I can avoid the vending machines).

And this morning I donated blood for the first time here, so got a mid-morning snack for free and they even pay €20. Always nice to get a little something you weren't expecting.

Kitsune

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6789 on: August 12, 2016, 07:32:42 AM »
I wanted some books Amazon was listing for 120$ total, and my library couldn't get them. And then I checked abebooks : delivery included, 35$. Done, and thank you. :)

Serve&Volley88

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6790 on: August 12, 2016, 08:08:09 AM »
On a whim, I entered a local radio station's contest to win tickets to a concert. This is one I wanted to go to, but I recently spent $150 on tickets for two other shows and couldn't justify dropping another $100. I routinely overspend my "blow money" category as it is and I'm forcing myself to make those hard choices.

Got an e-mail informing me that the tix are mine! Going home after work to make some dinner and then my girlfriend and I are off to the show. 

dignam

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6791 on: August 12, 2016, 08:09:10 AM »
I've made about $230 in the last week selling electronics I haven't used in a year or more.

Squirrel away

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6792 on: August 12, 2016, 08:21:53 AM »


Last night, I finally attacked some veg that had been sitting around for a little bit too long. Chopped and peeled everything, added some oil and my current favourite smoky chili spice mix and roasted the whole lot.

I did that last night with some garlic and olive oil. I made lunches for a few days and my house smelled amazing afterwards too.

Ceridwen

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6793 on: August 12, 2016, 09:05:33 AM »
- The power plug for my daughter's white noise machine (for sleep, we live near very loud train tracks that run all night) suddenly stopped working last week.  It's been running on batteries ($$$) while we worked on a solution.  I was just about to give up and order a new one, when I figured I'd try calling the company to explain the situation.  2 minutes on the phone with a very polite rep, and a new one is being mailed to us, for free!

- Planning my son's birthday party (his first "real party" with friends - turning 5) and I found an adorable instant download template on etsy, on sale for $1.50.  A bit fiddly to work with, but I'm happy with the result, and it should cost less than $5 to print them.

- Just got back from a long 2 week work trip, and I'm really happy with how I saved my meal per diems.  Bought myself some yogurt, granola and fruit for breakfasts in my hotel room (spent $10 and can claim $17 per day), and ate frugally for lunch and dinners.  Biggest savings by far were from not ordering alcohol at the restaurants, which is my biggest weakness.  Instead, I kept a $10 bottle of wine in my hotel room for the occasional evening drink.  I probably made around $300 on the trip.

Kwill

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6794 on: August 12, 2016, 03:00:01 PM »
I saved about £200 by checking a couple more websites after finding a flight that seemed good. I should have checked the baggage policy, though because Wow air apparently only allows one small carry-on. No free ordinary carry-on bag. Wow! Now I'm plotting how I can pack for about 12 days, including attending a friend's wedding, with just a school-sized backpack. I think it will involve using Dropbox and a thumb drive instead of bringing my laptop and dressing in warm layers for the flight. I'm trying to remember if I left anything useful at my parents' house where I'll be staying.

kristinB

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6795 on: August 12, 2016, 03:03:42 PM »
the other day, we ate in for our anniversary instead of going out.  i made homemade ice cream for dessert using the two-ziplock-bag method, and it was so yum. 

1967mama

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6796 on: August 12, 2016, 03:33:34 PM »
*not using the a/c today -- even though I'm too hot (trying to be stoic about it!)

*burgers on the grill for dinner -- hubby bbq'ing for me. We only have 2 buns from the freezer but a huge loaf of homemade french bread from last night. Littlest 2 kids will get the buns; everyone else gets open-faced on french bread

*didn't buy Hunter boots at online sale (thus saving money!)

*using up the ham we bought for sandwiches at lunch - on french bread, of course;-)

*reading the forum for motivation and ideas - cancelled my Prime membership when reading a case study (this was definitely low-hanging fruit for me - how did I miss this?!)

*listening to the free radio (surprised to read, on aforementioned case study, that people pay for online music subscriptions)

*went to the beach with the kids last night - splashed in the waves for free - found a beach with no parking fees - saw whales

*making nice cold smoothies this afternoon to beat the heat

*unvolunteered from a job at church this fall - realized I'm Just. Too. Busy. with my large family and found we were buying convenience foods, etc when I did this volunteer gig once a week from January to May. I enjoyed it while I was there, but was really feeling stressed/depressed the rest of the week. Nice idea for when I'm older and in a different season of family life.

Edited for clarity
« Last Edit: August 12, 2016, 03:35:36 PM by 1967mama »

Thinkum

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6797 on: August 12, 2016, 05:31:44 PM »
Felt like buying take-out, but cooked instead. Panko crusted Ahi Tuna steaks with cauliflower stir fry. WAY cheaper and MUCH tastier. In addition, I also made some pineapple popsicles for desert.

mm1970

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6798 on: August 12, 2016, 05:48:42 PM »
Yesterday: made chocolate pudding because I felt like a little something sweet

Today:
Walked the big boy to camp.  They get free lunch today since it's the last day.
I am meeting the girls tonight for dinner and a movie.  Long ago I was a regular blood donor, and would exchange "points" for movie tickets.  Not so much anymore.  But I rarely go to movies, so I guess I'm okay paying the full $10.50.

But they chose a place for dinner...a brewery.  Everything is on the pricey side ($12+), not to mention the beer. So...I brought my own dinner and will eat before I go.  Then either (1) nurse a beer or (2) nurse an appetizer.  Not sure which.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What small things did you do TODAY to save money?
« Reply #6799 on: August 12, 2016, 11:02:02 PM »
My eBay item sold. $676!

Catching up with friends tonight - they're cooking.

Had my biannual haircut today. (Not so much saving money today, but the other 10 months of the year...)

Picked a recipe to use up some of the I'm-ready-for-the-apocalypse stockpile of tinned tomatoes.