Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 4990346 times)

nico demouse · « **Reply #7900 on:** December 30, 2016, 07:43:54 AM »

Post-Christmas is the time every year I go over all our bills to see if there are places we can cut.

Prompted by a post in this thread, looked at our Netflix plan. Didn't realize we were somehow subscribed to the more than one screen plan. Downgraded our plan, saving $2/month.

Cancelled a subscription box for our dog (I know, I know) that I really enjoy but will do without. They send more toys than she destroys and I think I can get treats and chews cheaper anyway. $19/month savings.

Realized I can pay for an app subscription annually rather than by the month. I need the app for my work, so it's not something I can just cancel all together. $10/year savings.

Baking brownies today so my husband can take them to a party. He didn't want to ask me to make something and was going to buy something to bring. But we have ingredients on hand and I like cooking.

Looking at our electricity use, trying to decide if real time pricing could save us money. I think it could, but I'm hesitant to enroll as the electric company requires a one year commitment.

rachellynn99 · « **Reply #7901 on:** December 30, 2016, 08:53:35 AM »

Quote from: nico demouse on December 30, 2016, 07:43:54 AM

Post-Christmas is the time every year I go over all our bills to see if there are places we can cut.

Prompted by a post in this thread, looked at our Netflix plan. Didn't realize we were somehow subscribed to the more than one screen plan. Downgraded our plan, saving $2/month.

Cancelled a subscription box for our dog (I know, I know) that I really enjoy but will do without. They send more toys than she destroys and I think I can get treats and chews cheaper anyway. $19/month savings.

Realized I can pay for an app subscription annually rather than by the month. I need the app for my work, so it's not something I can just cancel all together. $10/year savings.

Baking brownies today so my husband can take them to a party. He didn't want to ask me to make something and was going to buy something to bring. But we have ingredients on hand and I like cooking.

Looking at our electricity use, trying to decide if real time pricing could save us money. I think it could, but I'm hesitant to enroll as the electric company requires a one year commitment.

I did that a few days ago and saw that somehow I had signed up for the HULU package that included $4 extra for "no commercials". We watch it very infrequently anyways, so I cut that out.

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #7902 on:** December 30, 2016, 01:54:47 PM »

-DH ripped another pair of jeans. Instead of buying the same jeans, which fit very well but are all fashionable, for $55 (I can usually find them on sale for that, down from $85-90 normally), we returned a sweater I got for Christmas and won't wear, and combined that with a gift card left over from our wedding. We bought him a kinda ugly but very thick pair of jeans for $18 (normally $30) that he'll use for work. He can wear the fashionable ones for daily life, ugly durable for work. If they work out, I'll go get him more with the remaining GC balance. We also picked up some propane for our camp stove at the same time. Still have $23 worth of GC.

-Eating Christmas hosting leftovers. Taking the "junk" food stuff we don't normally eat with us to the ILs for new years.

-Getting very excited for the Frugalwoods Uber Frugal January challenge!

mustachepungoeshere · « **Reply #7903 on:** December 30, 2016, 01:57:57 PM »

Quote from: nico demouse on December 30, 2016, 07:43:54 AM

Cancelled a subscription box for our dog (I know, I know) that I really enjoy but will do without. They send more toys than she destroys and I think I can get treats and chews cheaper anyway. $19/month savings.

I am shocked that this is a thing.

$228 a year on dog toys?

My pair had a seemingly endless supply of tennis balls, small stuffed animals, fresh beef shin bones and liver chews, and $19 would have kept them in treats and toys for a year.

Good job cancelling it, I guess.

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #7904 on:** December 30, 2016, 02:00:31 PM »

Quote from: mustachepungoeshere on December 30, 2016, 01:57:57 PM

Quote from: nico demouse on December 30, 2016, 07:43:54 AM
Cancelled a subscription box for our dog (I know, I know) that I really enjoy but will do without. They send more toys than she destroys and I think I can get treats and chews cheaper anyway. $19/month savings.

I am shocked that this is a thing.

$228 a year on dog toys?

My pair had a seemingly endless supply of tennis balls, small stuffed animals, fresh beef shin bones and liver chews, and $19 would have kept them in treats and toys for a year.

Good job cancelling it, I guess.

Beauty boxes are also a thing- basically, the shitty samples companies used to mail you, or people would steal from hotel rooms, only now you get them monthly and have to pay for it!

A frugal friend and I decided if we were ever tempted by one of the "box" services, we would just agree to mail each other shit monthly- same surprise, way cheaper. We briefly talked about a DIY-stitch fix type deal, but never pulled the trigger on it.

I'm a red panda · « **Reply #7905 on:** December 30, 2016, 02:58:34 PM »

Quote from: mustachepungoeshere on December 30, 2016, 01:57:57 PM

Quote from: nico demouse on December 30, 2016, 07:43:54 AM
Cancelled a subscription box for our dog (I know, I know) that I really enjoy but will do without. They send more toys than she destroys and I think I can get treats and chews cheaper anyway. $19/month savings.

I am shocked that this is a thing.

$228 a year on dog toys?

My pair had a seemingly endless supply of tennis balls, small stuffed animals, fresh beef shin bones and liver chews, and $19 would have kept them in treats and toys for a year.

Good job cancelling it, I guess.

Tennis balls (which are unsafe when ingested) and stuffed animals are destroyed in seconds in this house. We subscribe to bark box because their tough chewer toys last at least a week or two. Finding similar toys in stores are like $15 each, so 2 toys and some edible treats are a good deal for $20 a month shipped. Plus variety keeps the dog from getting bored and this bored dog gets destructive.

(Other dog can make a single rope last years, but now we can't have ropes either because the new dog eats the strings and it's unsafe...)

nico demouse · « **Reply #7906 on:** December 30, 2016, 03:53:29 PM »

Quote from: mustachepungoeshere on December 30, 2016, 01:57:57 PM

Quote from: nico demouse on December 30, 2016, 07:43:54 AM
Cancelled a subscription box for our dog (I know, I know) that I really enjoy but will do without. They send more toys than she destroys and I think I can get treats and chews cheaper anyway. $19/month savings.

I am shocked that this is a thing.

$228 a year on dog toys?

My pair had a seemingly endless supply of tennis balls, small stuffed animals, fresh beef shin bones and liver chews, and $19 would have kept them in treats and toys for a year.

Good job cancelling it, I guess.

I agree it's ridiculous. The toys last way longer than the stuffed animals I find at thrift or the pet store, though. She tears through one of those in about ten minutes. These toys last months. Hence no need for the box anymore.

RamonaQ · « **Reply #7907 on:** December 30, 2016, 04:20:41 PM »

I cleaned out my purse and found a coupon for a free meal from Noodles & Co that expires tomorrow. That's what I'm having for dinner right now.

1967mama · « **Reply #7908 on:** December 30, 2016, 04:27:38 PM »

Called health insurance to inquire about why they hadn't paid an expense that is clearly listed in the description as payable. They are looking into why it wasn't paid - their mistake.

Huge batch of turkey stock ready to be bagged after cooking all night in 2 crockpots.

Tried using my kids cheapo Walmart hair gel on my curls after showering today instead of my fancy salon gel that is almost empty. Waiting for hair to air dry so the verdict is still out on this one. Would be a huge win. $18 for fancy pants gel.

Loaf of French bread rising for dinner to go with leftovers.

Got our annual natural gas usage report and we were FOUR CENTS over from last year. Pretty happy about that but I actually couldn't believe my eyes that it was 4 cents!

Drinking lots of tea from my cupboards. NOT buying any tea till it's gone! Ridiculous how much tea we have!

Cancelled a $119/mo fancy pants service - always had guilt about that one so I'm glad it's gone!

Library books have come in on Origami - kids got paper packs for Christmas

I'm a red panda · « **Reply #7909 on:** December 30, 2016, 04:33:37 PM »

Went to the store to get Diet Coke for new years eve. $6 for a 12 pack so I balked. No way. We bought generic root beer for $2.50 instead.

Kitsune · « **Reply #7910 on:** December 30, 2016, 05:54:33 PM »

Did groceries - between meal planning and sales shopping, we wound up 40$ under budget, and that's INCLUDING 2 fancy meals (1 for guests) and a bottle of bubbly for NY. (For the record: budget is 150$ for a family of 3, and includes 3 gallons of milk at 6$/gallon, yay Quebec milk prices...)

Have eaten at home or brought lunches for every single meal this month - no restaurant bills for us!

horsepoor · « **Reply #7911 on:** December 30, 2016, 06:33:17 PM »

Stopped by the gym office while working out today and asked if they could suspend my membership for two months while I'm out of town. Took 3 minutes to save $36 (yes, my gym is cheap)

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #7912 on:** December 30, 2016, 07:09:08 PM »

Eating leftovers for dinner... made a fancy charcuterie platter. Also had popcorn and hummus. Will follow up with some butternut squash. A weird dinner, but all these things were brought and left over the holidays (except the popcorn kernels) so it's a free dinner! And no food waste. Plus, we feel very fancy. (Although I'll admit, I'm currently wearing flannel PJs, so less fancy that I could be feeling!)

mustachepungoeshere · « **Reply #7913 on:** December 30, 2016, 07:22:38 PM »

Quote from: Bracken_Joy on December 30, 2016, 07:09:08 PM

Eating leftovers for dinner... made a fancy charcuterie platter. Also had popcorn and hummus. Will follow up with some butternut squash. A weird dinner, but all these things were brought and left over the holidays (except the popcorn kernels) so it's a free dinner! And no food waste. Plus, we feel very fancy. (Although I'll admit, I'm currently wearing flannel PJs, so less fancy that I could be feeling!)

I'm making a charcuterie platter and baking pumpkin for a salad (along with half a dozen other dishes for NYE party) and I would kill to be somewhere cool enough to wear jammies.

Summer in Sydney and a day in the kitchen. Delightful.

Edited for typo.

Matt (Semper Fi) · « **Reply #7914 on:** December 31, 2016, 12:22:23 AM »

I built my own weight bench for bench presses, dips, etc. Used an old 3/4 inch shelf from a closet remodel for the plank, and an old foam pad for the backing. Bought vinyl, 4" x 4"s, metal brackets and screws for a total of $30.00. The bench will literally hold tons, so I know it will be strong enough for 300 lbs of weights, plus my 280 lbs. Looks pretty good, too. If I had bought all of the supplies brand new, it would have run me around $45.00 to build the bench.

frooglepoodle · « **Reply #7915 on:** December 31, 2016, 06:47:30 AM »

In the past few days:

Made homemade chicken stock using the old stockpot my mom gave me when we visited at Christmas.
Purchased ingredients for enchilada sauce at the international market instead of the commissary. Had extra filling so I made another small pan of enchiladas for the freezer.
Thawed a loaf of egg bread leftover from Thanksgiving to make mixed berry bread pudding for breakfast.
Took my car to an independent mechanic recommended by a friend instead of the dealership. Wheel was bent from hitting a pothole at 40mph, so I asked lots of questions so I'd know how to handle it myself if it happens again.
Watched Minimalism documentary on Netflix with DH and started decluttering.

MissPiggy · « **Reply #7916 on:** December 31, 2016, 12:15:16 PM »

Saved >$100 from cancelling my festival ticket to a NYE party + $30 for a taxi home. Had dinner with the family at home and a low key and early night instead.

Turns out there are benefits of having jetlag!

Mezzie · « **Reply #7917 on:** December 31, 2016, 12:22:28 PM »

My sister introduced me to some shopping rebate apps. Of the four she showed me, two seem worth the time invested: the first gives cash back for certain purchases (I got $2.50 back for grocery shopping yesterday without buying anything I wasn't already planning to, plus a $10 bonus for my first shopping excursion with the app) and will deposit the money into my Paypal account once I earn $20. I figure if I get $1 rebate/week (which looks likely), it'll add up to two free grocery trips/year. The second gives points for entering stores and scanning items (and more points for buying items, of course). I get my glasses made at the mall, so as I waited for my eye exam, I got a bunch of points by scanning items in nearby stores. This one doesn't give cash; instead it gives gift certificates to useful places like Target for a few hundred points (I earned enough for two Target cards in less than an hour but didn't cash in). The big unlikely prize is a Vespa for almost two million points. I totally want a Vespa.

I understand that both are tracking my shopping habits and that both are trying to get me to be aware of/purchase items I wouldn't have thought about before. Nothing so far has looked tempting, so I'm safe for now. The fact that I'm tracking all my spending for the next few months should keep me from being overly influenced, but if I find myself making impulse buys, the apps will go. If it isn't pure profit/savings, it isn't worth it.

choppingwood · « **Reply #7918 on:** December 31, 2016, 03:15:51 PM »

Didn't buy gas for the car at all during the month of December. Still have a quarter tank left.

Gas cost 78.4 cents per litre at the end of November. Today it is $1.02 and tomorrow it goes up to $1.07 because of new carbon tax.

3.785411784 litres per American gallon, if you were wondering. The dollars are Canadian. $1.34 Canadian dollars per American dollar, if you were wondering that too.

horsepoor · « **Reply #7919 on:** December 31, 2016, 03:41:00 PM »

Washed a bunch of slacks. One pair said Machine Wash Cold and the rest said Dry Clean Only, but all had nearly identical fiber content. They all came out fine. $20+ saved this time around, and I have to wear slacks for work every day for the next eight weeks, so more money will be saved by avoiding dry cleaning the entire time.

Found an unused set of small containers that I was saving to store seeds in, and filled them with a set of herbs and spices to pack and take while I'm on detail. Also bringing along small containers of fish sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, coconut oil, teas and nuts that I have on hand to minimize what I have to buy while I'm away from home.

Making chili with leftover beef roast, home-canned beans and shredded squash I've been working my way through. DH is out of town, so it should last me a few nights for dinner.

Decided that Amazon Music provides plenty of streaming content, so cancelled my Pandora trial before getting billed for the first month.

Supposedly have a buyer for the ski jacket I never wear since I gave up on my skiing attempts.

nico demouse · « **Reply #7920 on:** December 31, 2016, 03:49:08 PM »

Fun and free New Year's Eve themed event for the kiddo at our library. We walked there and back, which is our habit.

Needed to replace the strings on my instrument. When I owned my own instrument, I would order the strings online and put them on myself. This one is a rental, and I wanted to compare the shops cost to ordering online. Turns out they will replace the strings for free.

Made lunch from some food that has been languishing in the freezer. No one else likes it, I'm not thrilled about it, but would rather have it eaten than take u space in the freezer just to be thrown away later.

Got my flu shot, which insurance covers at no cost to me. Usually I would get it done at my Drs office, but saw that Target gives you a gift card for getting it at their pharmacy. Makes no difference to me where I get it, and the gift card can be used on necessary things later.

1967mama · « **Reply #7921 on:** December 31, 2016, 04:33:41 PM »

Cooked a batch of black beans in InstantPot that had soaked overnight

Cooked up 1/2 a box of sausages from deep freeze and scrambled eggs for lunch. Fed the family nicely.

Drinking lots of tea at home.

Half way through reading a library book on personal finance.

Making humus for afternoon/Appie snacks and then pizza for New Year's Eve with the fam. Bought two bottles of non-alcoholic grape juice

*Fixed iphone typos

jengod · « **Reply #7922 on:** December 31, 2016, 04:55:34 PM »

Unclogged a sink without calling a plumber.

Replaced two shower heads with low-flow models while I was on a plumbing rampage.

Cleaned some existing low-flow faucet nozzles and shower heads with vinegar to remove built-up calcium deposits from our very hard water.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Kitsune · « **Reply #7923 on:** December 31, 2016, 04:59:56 PM »

Made "luxurious" NYE dinner tonight for myself, Husband, and child: raclette. All in all, with all of us stuffed on melted cheese and fresh vegetables and excellent charcuterie, we spent a grand total of... 15$. I love luxury when it comes at that price. ;)

Also planned tomorrow's NY family dinner. Appetizer: arugula, pear, goat cheese, and blackberry salad with balsamic. Main course: roast pork loin in garlic, with roasted caramelized vegetables and potatoes, and a side-salad (all of us are craving vegetables). My parents are bringing wine, my sister is bringing dessert. Total cost to feed 8 people 2 main courses of a 3-course dinner: 23$, or slightly less than 4$/person.

Food is my love and my downfall, but really, this is surprisingly reasonable for holiday meal costs.

mustachepungoeshere · « **Reply #7924 on:** December 31, 2016, 10:35:35 PM »

Emailed a company to get an extension on a $50 gift card that expired a few days ago.

It was only dated with the expiry month so I didn't realise it had lapsed, but the company gave me an extra 30 days.

Squirrel away · « **Reply #7925 on:** January 01, 2017, 02:59:18 AM »

I have lots of food in the house and I'm trying to eat less so I will draw up a meal plan for the next week.

Lots of tea stocked up too so I will try to drink only tap water and tea during the day.

Gerard · « **Reply #7926 on:** January 01, 2017, 10:44:28 AM »

Quote from: horsepoor on December 31, 2016, 03:41:00 PM

Also bringing along small containers of fish sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, coconut oil, teas and nuts that I have on hand to minimize what I have to buy while I'm away from home.

Make sure that fish sauce is really really really well packed and protected. Don't ask me how I know.

horsepoor · « **Reply #7927 on:** January 01, 2017, 11:00:35 AM »

Quote from: Gerard on January 01, 2017, 10:44:28 AM

Quote from: horsepoor on December 31, 2016, 03:41:00 PM
Also bringing along small containers of fish sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, coconut oil, teas and nuts that I have on hand to minimize what I have to buy while I'm away from home.

Make sure that fish sauce is really really really well packed and protected. Don't ask me how I know.

Oh yeah. I sealed the bottle with electrical tape, and they'll all be bubble wrapped inside a zip loc bag. I can only image how impossible getting that stench out of fabric would be.

MrsTuxedocat · « **Reply #7928 on:** January 01, 2017, 11:28:01 AM »

- Stayed home for NYE and drank a bottle of wine that I had already purchased.

rachellynn99 · « **Reply #7929 on:** January 01, 2017, 11:53:32 AM »

Prepared breakfast and lunch at home. Dinner will be at home also tonight.

Gathered eggs from our chickens.

frooglepoodle · « **Reply #7930 on:** January 01, 2017, 12:30:01 PM »

Hiked at a state park - free for New Years Day. We could have hiked closer but it was one I'd been wanting to visit. We packed PBJ sandwiches for lunch.

NYE dinner was short ribs, squash, spinach, rice, and a bottle of sparkling wine someone else had brought to brunch months ago. We had flourless chocolate cake for dessert and we're asleep by 10, it was awesome.

Later we'll be putting up some simple shelves to keep things out of our toddler's ever-growing reach and organize my craft area that is taking over the craft/office/laundry room.

1967mama · « **Reply #7931 on:** January 01, 2017, 08:50:14 PM »

*we were invited to a lovey brunch at some friend's house and they insisted we bring nothing for the potluck! Brought some homemade craisin granola and regifted some tea as a hostess gift

*printed a coupon for berries that was in my
Inbox

*using up as much fridge food as possible before shopping

*planning bean burritos for dinner tomorrow - pulling wraps from the freezer for this that were bought on sale and beans I did in the InstantPot yesterday. Easy filling: Mix equal parts beans, cooked rice and grated cheese + salt/pepper/cumin. 1/2 c filling per wrap. Bake uncovered 25 minutes. So delish!

Matt (Semper Fi) · « **Reply #7932 on:** January 01, 2017, 11:04:22 PM »

Cancelled my wife's long-term disability insurance that has cost us almost $200.00/month, since we found out she can get it through her employer for free.

Dollar Slice · « **Reply #7933 on:** January 01, 2017, 11:25:26 PM »

I need very particular shoes (which, though expensive, have turned out not to wear well) due to a medical condition, and I finally broke down today and ordered another pair because the previous ones are starting to hurt where the lining/padding has disintegrated. I checked a zillion websites and tried all different combinations of coupons and sales before finally figuring out a combo that would save me $36. I couldn't get that price in my first choice of color, but I still like the color I got better than my last pair.

Now I have to figure out if there is some preventative measure I can take to keep them from wearing out in that same spot so quickly...

mousebandit · « **Reply #7934 on:** January 01, 2017, 11:39:00 PM »

I'm trying out an overnight oats recipe, and did meal planning, so when I'm working out of town the next few months, with 4 kids in tow, I will be able to save $$$ on food.
I also scrutinized my mint transactions, and found a monthly charge I didn't even know about, so I can get rid of it.

soccerluvof4 · « **Reply #7935 on:** January 02, 2017, 05:06:35 AM »

We took our younger 2 to a indoor soccer game which we do once or twice a year. I was able to get tickets for less than half price and they got a free-t-shirt. We stopped at the dollar store on the way down for snacks so saved a boat load there and i parked about 6 blocks away and saved the 25$ on parking plus got alot of extra steps in for the day! realistically cost me a 1/3 or less than most people that go to the game.

Kwill · « **Reply #7936 on:** January 02, 2017, 06:42:00 AM »

Just got home from Christmas travels yesterday and managed to make dinner and breakfast from items in the pantry and freezer. Dinner was actually around 1 am this morning so it counts for today. I was so tired and jet lagged I went to sleep soon after walking through the door.

I had also walked home from the station instead of taking a taxi. It wasn't entirely intentional -- I was expecting to find a bus. Apparently buses don't run on New Year's and taxis charge double, but there weren't any signs explaining that.

Mezzie · « **Reply #7937 on:** January 02, 2017, 08:38:49 AM »

Opened a Vanguard account because it has lower fees than where I currently have my IRA. It'll be a few days before I can do anything with it, but it's a step in the right direction.

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #7938 on:** January 02, 2017, 11:15:09 AM »

Kicked off Uber Frugal January (thanks frugalwoods!). Did a snow shoeing trek with DH. Did not buy coffee for the drive home. Only money spent so far in the past 2 days is gas for the car.

Made plans to eat down fridge and freezer.

SingleMomDebt · « **Reply #7939 on:** January 02, 2017, 11:27:33 AM »

I did not succumb to going out for breakfast because I was out of a particular staple item.

Kitsune · « **Reply #7940 on:** January 02, 2017, 11:40:17 AM »

Was planning on going to an old friends party next weekend, despite the drive and expense, aise we use to be very close and I miss them and I'm not going to reliably see them after giving birth. Last night, said friend, and their roommates/new friends, ganged up on someone in a FB argument because that person claimed that biological sex existed as a more-or-les-general binary (lots of men, lots of women, some intersex people making up a percentage of the population). Apparently acknowledging the existence of biological sex is bigoted and transphobic and generally worth fighting? (Note: the person was very clear that sex =\= the social construct of gender or most things socially associated with gender. The argument was over whether biological sex EXISTED. Like... there's open-minded, and then there's brainless?)

I... decided that I live 2 hours away, and I'm NOT interested in driving 4 hours, including gas and wear and tear on the car, in order to spend an evening with people who will call other people names in response to a statement like "biological sex differences exist". I let Old Friend know I wouldn't be going, best of luck, also I'm very busy these days and won't be seeing them much, cheers. 40$ gas not spent. Wine party contribution not needed. An evening and 4 hours of driving not spent.

I've decided that, instead, I'm going to spend 2$ on mulled cider ingredients and spend that time sitting in front of the fireplace with my husband, enjoying the peace and quiet before the second child comes along next month. Somehow, that seems a lot better than spending $ to spend time with Tumblr activists. Ugh. Escape achieved. 60+ dollars not spent. Time is miiiiine. Nonsense is avoided. Good lord, welcome 2017.

I'm a red panda · « **Reply #7941 on:** January 02, 2017, 11:55:47 AM »

Canceled my Walmart Beauty Box subscription. It's only $5 quarterly, and the samples are fun - but I just don't need them.

10dollarsatatime · « **Reply #7942 on:** January 02, 2017, 12:48:44 PM »

Made a big frittata using up older eggs. Ate a quarter of it, and froze the rest in portions for my upcoming whole30.
Made both clarified butter and ghee from bulk costco butter. So much cheaper than buying the stuff.

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #7943 on:** January 02, 2017, 01:14:52 PM »

BIL came over to work with DH at our house, rather than going into the client site- saves on gas. I served up leftover chili, along with sides of brussel sprouts and rice for a cheap lunch.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #7944 on:** January 02, 2017, 02:31:11 PM »

Came back from a visit to a relative who wanted to empty his house. Drove back with a car full of a good sewing machine, zippers, fabric en enough wool for a sweater. And a surf board.

4alpacas · « **Reply #7945 on:** January 02, 2017, 05:17:13 PM »

Defrosting curry for lunches this week (bulk cooked several weeks ago)
Making brown rice in the instant pot
Cooked large breakfast instead of going out to eat
Had lunch at a friend's house instead of meeting at a restaurant for lunch
One for a walk with a friend and had tea instead of spending money going out

Went to the grocery shopping
- used a coupon for a free item
- baking cookies as a gift

1967mama · « **Reply #7946 on:** January 02, 2017, 06:44:55 PM »

*Used a gift card for lunch at a restaurant with a friend. I chose the restaurant (wink). Drank only water and tried to keep my
Meal on the cheap side.

*Made bean burritos for dinner - did the beans from dry in the InstantPot a few days ago.

*Decluttering like crazy

*Eta: made a quick batch of peanut butter cookies while the oven was hot!

horsepoor · « **Reply #7947 on:** January 02, 2017, 06:47:13 PM »

Stayed home all day, raked snow odd the wood stack and carried more firewood up to the house. It's been so cold, with teleworking I've already burned through more than we used all last winter, so the stack under the deck is almost totally gone.

frooglepoodle · « **Reply #7948 on:** January 02, 2017, 06:51:19 PM »

Went grocery shopping and only bought the items on my list - no snack foods, no beer or wine, no impulse items. $80 and we're good for the week with pantry items and things we already had on hand.

In the kitchen:
Made a double batch of meatballs for dinner and frozen half after browning. The bulk of the work is already done and it's another easy thing in the freezer for a night when I don't feel like cooking.
We discovered sourdough waffles as a means of reducing food waste, since they use the "discard" unfed sourdough starter and I can substitute 50/50 whole milk and whey (strained from homemade yogurt) in place of buttermilk.
Another batch of homemade yogurt is in the Instant Pot tonight. Milk was on sale at Aldi for $1.25 this week so the cost savings over store bought is even greater than normal.

Worked out at home.

Removed a name tape from a worn out uniform shirt of DH's and sewed it to a pair of pants that needed one.

mustachepungoeshere · « **Reply #7949 on:** January 02, 2017, 07:20:56 PM »

Used up the last of the NYE leftovers.

Defrosted some frozen lasagne sheets to make pappardelle for dinner.

Filled a water bottle and carried it with me while out running errands today.

More cold-wash, line-drying. (I can't believe how much washing I've done these Christmas holidays. Between travelling, having guests, having people over for NYE... thank goodness for hot, dry weather.)

Business as usual tomorrow. Back to work...

News:

Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 4990346 times)

SingleMomDebt