What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[Step37]

It turna out that our el cheapo dish washing soap does not work well. Unfortunately I bought 2 bottles at once, so we'll have to use it for some time ahead before I can buy the proper brand again.

Linda, maybe you could use up half the bottle of the cheap dish soap, then combine with good stuff so it's better? You'd still use it up, but it would be less painful:)

[mustachepungoeshere]

Got a $10 iTunes gift card from our telco. Some sort of customer loyalty reward.

[neonlight]

Cleaned my unit yesterday instead of calling the cleaner. Saved ~8USD.

Was at business partner's place and they bought lunch and tea, so saved maybe ~4USD.

Had broth for dinner, so save ~1USD.

I felt cheap.;)
 
PS: Not in US, price are cheaper.

[Linda_Norway]

Walked to work again.
Repaired my handbag yesterday evening so that I don't need to replace it yet.

[neonlight]

Walked to work again.
Repaired my handbag yesterday evening so that I don't need to replace it yet.

Norwegian cities are so scenic it's a waste not to enjoy it slolwer :)

[Linda_Norway]

Walked to work again.
Repaired my handbag yesterday evening so that I don't need to replace it yet.

Norwegian cities are so scenic it's a waste not to enjoy it slolwer :)

I live and work outside a city. But I am taking the most scenic of the possible routes. About 1/2 of my route is through a green area, while the other half is along normal roads.
But you are right, cities like Oslo have some nice scenic areas.

[SweetLife]

Made my own tea (coffee is up to $2.00 a large at Tim Hortons ... ever since they raised their prices - for the second time this year- I stopped going) ... bring milk from home.
Made banana muffins from scratch ... brought one for snack
(Face punch worthy) Drove to work today - but I get off at midnight and I am a little freaked out riding my bike home at night at midnight. (In fact when I walk home I get a little freaked out... )

[pbkmaine]

Made my own tea (coffee is up to $2.00 a large at Tim Hortons ... ever since they raised their prices - for the second time this year- I stopped going) ... bring milk from home.
Made banana muffins from scratch ... brought one for snack
(Face punch worthy) Drove to work today - but I get off at midnight and I am a little freaked out riding my bike home at night at midnight. (In fact when I walk home I get a little freaked out... )

Safety first! No punches needed.

[dreams_and_discoveries]

Washed the car - my neighbours do tend to stare, as my car is in banger territory, and my running clothes/clogs outfit was a bit strange...

[neonlight]

Walked home from museum, took me an hour but it's exercise and mustachian  :)

[Jaayse]

Took my car to a new car wash in town that had sent me a free coupon since I live close by.  I needed to wash it in preparation for shipping it overseas (my work is moving me to Europe).  I took full advantage of their vacuum since mine broke about a month ago and even though I had to press that little green button at least 12 times since it didn't run long, my car is the cleanest since I got it almost 9 years ago.  All for free.

[Linda_Norway]

Friday afternoon I took leftover apples home from work and made chunky apple sauce that we used as vegetable at yesterday's dinner.
Today I picked a lot of edible mushroom. After cutting away the larva infested parts, there are still enough left to have 3 trays full to dry. And we have a bunch of cantarels to have for dinner tonight.

[FrugalAussie]

We won tickets for a local concert and so thought it would be a good idea to go into town and have a restaurant dinner before the concert.  After having a think about it we then decided to buy some seafood and cook a special meal at home - Italian style Mussels with Pasta.  5 serves = $10, $2 per serve so a huge saving as eating out in Australia is VERY expensive.  The same meal (a larger serve that we would have overeaten) + 2 beers would cost approx $70.  We still went into town early, brought hot chocolate and drank it as we walked through town.  Lovely!

Unfortunately I left the headlights on (we have a 14 year old car), we returned to a car that wouldn't start so had to then spend $20 on a taxi ride. Thankfully we got help to jump start the battery the next morning so not such an expensive mistake.

Spent well over an hour fixing our fence in the hope it won't fall down!

[jengod]

* picked up $0.07 in a parking lot

* cut my son's hair

* returned two pairs of unneeded backup tights for $18 refund. (It's been years since I bought hosiery and wasn't sure I had the sizing right but the first pair worked fine.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[llorona]

Read a book from the library that presented a new concept: My time is worth exactly zero unless someone is paying me for it. So, this weekend I got off my lazy bum and:

-Plucked tomatoes and made a large batch of sauce to freeze
-Traded some of aforementioned tomatoes with a neighbor for squash and cucumbers
-Picked up ugly fallen apples from the tree, cut out the bad parts for compost, and placed sliced apples in fridge for snacks
-Rescued basil from the bottom of the fridge, blended it with some walnuts lying around, and made two jars of pesto
-Denied DH's request for ice cream and made bread pudding from a half loaf of rock hard bread
-Sliced remaining bread into slices, brushed with olive oil, and popped in the oven until brown
-Harvested, chopped, and froze green onions
-Lasagna layered fruit/vegetable scraps and brown material (leaves, kraft paper, etc.) in a raised bed (saves money on compost & fertilizer)

[mustachepungoeshere]

I made my first vegetable lasagna on the weekend. It worked out much cheaper than a traditional beef lasagna, and was such a hit I'll definitely be making it again.

Also scored another free clip-top jar from work. Am now drowning in jars. I tried to give some to Marty but he just looked bewildered at my very generous offer.

Oh well...

[jengod]

Read a book from the library that presented a new concept: My time is worth exactly zero unless someone is paying me for it.

What is this book? I am intrigued!

[Snow]

Cooked and canned a small batch of red currant jelly. I haven't done that in years and it felt so good to revive gran's old recipe. Got to call her and make her happy by asking about it as well. Red currants have technically been blacklisted in Norway now because they go rogue, and where I live it's easy to see why!

[llorona]

@jengod: The book is "Eco-Thrifty: Cheaper, Greener Choices for a Happier, Healthy Life" by Deborah Neimann. It didn't have much information that would be novel to Mustachians, but that one particular idea about time and money struck me.

[Trifele]

Had a no-spend weekend, staying home and working around the house.  Pre-made my lunch for today and tomorrow at work.  DH fixed a broken window on our farm truck with some $35 plexiglass he bought online.  Looks great and saved us big bucks over taking it to the repair shop.   

[Raenia]

This weekend was a nice stay-in, no spend weekend.
 - made a batch of canned peaches
 - made a test batch of pickles
 - went to the library and picked up some books
 - got my SO his new library card
 - watched a movie for free off amazon prime

[Linda_Norway]

We are already half way August. First today, thanks to reading the title of this thread, I remembered to buy my free Samsung Kindle deal. As I don't travel 2 hours a day by train anymore, I don't read as much as before. So these free Samsung deals now cover a good part of the book I am reading. It also prevents me from browsing the Amazon site, which always makes me want to buy new books. No, I don't do library. In Norway libraries don't support Kindle books, otherwise I would get them there.

[Bracken_Joy]

-Husband had to replace his work computer, but the old one isn't *that* bad. For his work it was beyond dead- blue screen 4-10 times per day. But he wiped it and restored it and we're trialing it as a 'new' computer for me. This one is only ~18 months old, whereas my computer is going on 6 years old =)

-Checked out books from the library. (Which reminds me, I need to return one today or get a late fee).

-After our cilantro bolted, I let it stay until the seed pods browned. I'm now drying them over boxes and will collect the coriander seeds. Not sure if I'll just use them to re-seed next season, or if I'll use some as spices- would need a way to grind them.

-Realized my dryer can dry larger loads then I thought, for the same amount of run time. (Yes, yes, I know, line dry. I hang some things, but it's just not worth it to me most of the time- winter it's too humid, right now there's too much smoke from wildfire, spring DH has seasonal allergies. Always feels like a losing proposition compared to a quick tumble! haha)

[kaypinkHH]

Had a road trip this weekend:
-Packed food for a road trip vs buying convenience/take out. Felt like a BOSS with my picnic basket and pre-made food.
- Used old gift cards to buy starbucks on route, but bought less than normally would, and used a refillable container.
-Stayed with friends for free
-Did a free walking tour instead of a fancy bus tour thing
-Drove the prius to save gas

[Trifele]

-After our cilantro bolted, I let it stay until the seed pods browned. I'm now drying them over boxes and will collect the coriander seeds. Not sure if I'll just use them to re-seed next season, or if I'll use some as spices- would need a way to grind them.

Not sure if the texture would be as fine as you want, but I have processed coriander by putting it in a bag and smashing it with a rolling pin. 

[Bracken_Joy]

-After our cilantro bolted, I let it stay until the seed pods browned. I'm now drying them over boxes and will collect the coriander seeds. Not sure if I'll just use them to re-seed next season, or if I'll use some as spices- would need a way to grind them.

Not sure if the texture would be as fine as you want, but I have processed coriander by putting it in a bag and smashing it with a rolling pin.

Oh, now there's an idea =) What did you use it in?

[sw1tch]

-After our cilantro bolted, I let it stay until the seed pods browned. I'm now drying them over boxes and will collect the coriander seeds. Not sure if I'll just use them to re-seed next season, or if I'll use some as spices- would need a way to grind them.

Not sure if the texture would be as fine as you want, but I have processed coriander by putting it in a bag and smashing it with a rolling pin.

Oh, now there's an idea =) What did you use it in?

I just grind mine in a mortar and pestle.  They are awesome in curries and other Thai dishes.

[Bracken_Joy]

-After our cilantro bolted, I let it stay until the seed pods browned. I'm now drying them over boxes and will collect the coriander seeds. Not sure if I'll just use them to re-seed next season, or if I'll use some as spices- would need a way to grind them.

Not sure if the texture would be as fine as you want, but I have processed coriander by putting it in a bag and smashing it with a rolling pin.

Oh, now there's an idea =) What did you use it in?

I just grind mine in a mortar and pestle.  They are awesome in curries and other Thai dishes.

I don't have a mortar and pestle, haha.

[Catbert]

-After our cilantro bolted, I let it stay until the seed pods browned. I'm now drying them over boxes and will collect the coriander seeds. Not sure if I'll just use them to re-seed next season, or if I'll use some as spices- would need a way to grind them.

Not sure if the texture would be as fine as you want, but I have processed coriander by putting it in a bag and smashing it with a rolling pin.

Oh, now there's an idea =) What did you use it in?

I just grind mine in a mortar and pestle.  They are awesome in curries and other Thai dishes.

or an old coffee grinder.  Tip:  Husbands get grouchy when you use their coffee grinder to grind spices. 

[jordanread]

I don't have a mortar and pestle, haha.

I thought you got one once you crossed the state line? I think my idea of what Oregon is is probably way cooler than what it actually is.

[Bracken_Joy]

I don't have a mortar and pestle, haha.

I thought you got one once you crossed the state line? I think my idea of what Oregon is is probably way cooler than what it actually is.

Well, Portland does send a string of Tibetan prayer flags via bike messenger as soon as you have a Portland address. I live in a far less hip part of the state though ;) Think less "microroaster and microbrews" and more "rye fields and partial sets of teeth".

I do have a manual coffee burr grinder, but I don't think I will ever go long enough between cups of coffee to use it for anything else. Plus I wouldn't want to risk flavor changes!

[Trifele]

I don't have a mortar and pestle, haha.

I thought you got one once you crossed the state line? I think my idea of what Oregon is is probably way cooler than what it actually is.

Well, Portland does send a string of Tibetan prayer flags via bike messenger as soon as you have a Portland address. I live in a far less hip part of the state though ;) Think less "microroaster and microbrews" and more "rye fields and partial sets of teeth".

I do have a manual coffee burr grinder, but I don't think I will ever go long enough between cups of coffee to use it for anything else. Plus I wouldn't want to risk flavor changes!

Yeah, exactly.  I don't have a mortar and pestle, and I wasn't willing to contaminate either my cocktail muddler or the coffee grinder.  :)   So rolling pin it was.  I used the crushed up coriander in some chana masala, and also another Indian dish that had spinach and carrots -- can't remember the name of that one.  It was good. 

[mustachepungoeshere]

Completed the online process for my toll cashback. $23 coming my way.

[marielle]

I don't have a mortar and pestle, haha.

I thought you got one once you crossed the state line? I think my idea of what Oregon is is probably way cooler than what it actually is.

Well, Portland does send a string of Tibetan prayer flags via bike messenger as soon as you have a Portland address. I live in a far less hip part of the state though ;) Think less "microroaster and microbrews" and more "rye fields and partial sets of teeth".

I do have a manual coffee burr grinder, but I don't think I will ever go long enough between cups of coffee to use it for anything else. Plus I wouldn't want to risk flavor changes!

Yeah, exactly.  I don't have a mortar and pestle, and I wasn't willing to contaminate either my cocktail muddler or the coffee grinder.  :)   So rolling pin it was.  I used the crushed up coriander in some chana masala, and also another Indian dish that had spinach and carrots -- can't remember the name of that one.  It was good.

I buy my Indian spices (cumin, coriander etc) in bulk bags and grind them in my blender. Works well! Just make sure the cup and blade are 100% dry.

[Bracken_Joy]

I don't have a mortar and pestle, haha.

I thought you got one once you crossed the state line? I think my idea of what Oregon is is probably way cooler than what it actually is.

Well, Portland does send a string of Tibetan prayer flags via bike messenger as soon as you have a Portland address. I live in a far less hip part of the state though ;) Think less "microroaster and microbrews" and more "rye fields and partial sets of teeth".

I do have a manual coffee burr grinder, but I don't think I will ever go long enough between cups of coffee to use it for anything else. Plus I wouldn't want to risk flavor changes!

Yeah, exactly.  I don't have a mortar and pestle, and I wasn't willing to contaminate either my cocktail muddler or the coffee grinder.  :)   So rolling pin it was.  I used the crushed up coriander in some chana masala, and also another Indian dish that had spinach and carrots -- can't remember the name of that one.  It was good.

I buy my Indian spices (cumin, coriander etc) in bulk bags and grind them in my blender. Works well! Just make sure the cup and blade are 100% dry.

Hmm, I do have a tiny bullet blender, I'll give that a try! Thanks.

[Sun Hat]

I harvested, blanched and froze about 100 x 1/2c servings of kale! No scurvy for me this winter!

[mc6]

Last night I got a refund for some medicine that UPS lost and I returned to AMZ some clothing I no longer need. 

[mustachepungoeshere]

My lip balm has passed what most people would consider empty, but it's still going, using a cotton bud to get the last of it out.

(Strictly for home now. I carry a new one with me.)

[1967mama]

Almost completed first batch of homemade kombucha

Made 2 pans of parmesan cheese and garlic flatbread - kids loved it - drizzled one with homemade balsamic reduction and feta

Using up fruit and veggies that are languishing in the fridge

Made a spaghetti sauce in the crockpot today

Treating a minor medical issue with essential oils and coconut oil that I have on hand rather than running to the store to buy premade products  - seems to be working

[mustachepungoeshere]

Made 2 pans of parmesan cheese and garlic flatbread - kids loved it - drizzled one with homemade balsamic reduction and feta

That sounds amazing! Can I come to your house?

[Alfred J Quack]

20kilo bag of rice was discounted by 5 euro, bought 5 bags. We use about 1 bag per 2 months, I think.
My wife also bought 2 bags without informing me so she gifted one to our new neighbors who look after our kids sometimes :D

[geekette]

The pump on my 40oz conditioner always quits pumping long before it's out (combination of a too short "straw" and too thick liquid).  After days on its side, and days upside down in a glass, I drained out about 5 oz. of conditioner - over 10% of the original bottle! 

[Dollar Slice]

The pump on my 40oz conditioner always quits pumping long before it's out (combination of a too short "straw" and too thick liquid).  After days on its side, and days upside down in a glass, I drained out about 5 oz. of conditioner - over 10% of the original bottle!

Ha, I wonder if we use the same kind. I've been fighting with mine for weeks. I mixed some water into the dregs, to thin it out/bulk it up for the straw to work better. It's also easier to pour out once the pump really finally gives up. But I've gotten a good extra month out of it so far.

[Sun Hat]

I switched my checking account from one that charged $15.95 CAD/mo for unlimited transactions to one that is $3.95 CAD (or free if I maintain a $2k balance, which I like to do anyway) for 10 transactions /mo. This means that I'll have to switch to using my credit card more (paid off every month), which means more cash back to boot! Between the two, that'll be over $20/month in savings!

Also, I have some applesauce reducing to apple butter on the stove. I picked the apples yesterday for free off of city land, and will can a whole bunch of apple butter later today. As a non-monetary perk, my house smells amazing!

When the sauce is done, I may have to nap to recover from such arduous multi-tasking!

[Cromacster]

a vice of mine is Zevia soft drinks.  Usually $4.50-$5 for a six pack.  I usually drink them as a treat on weekends or if I get an urge for something sweet.

I was browsing instacart for the first time and wholefoods listed the price as 1.19/6 pack for one flavor only.  1.19 is usually the price when they sell by the can.  I ordered 10 and figured worst case I get 10 cans at a little higher price, best case I get 60 cans for a ridiculous price

So instacart shopper showed up with 8 six packs!  The store only had 8 in stock.  First order was free delivery so after a generous tip it was about $15 (0.30/can).

Now I just need the self control to ration them as I usually do.

[Bracken_Joy]

-Divvied up a 25lb bag of rice into smaller containers. Bonus: many of the containers are leftover glass jars from spaghetti sauce.

-Canned some salsa verde, using tomatillos from my garden. 8 pints last night. Will be doing dill pickles from our cucumbers soon (tomorrow?).

-Biked for an errand instead of driving. The wildfire smoke has been limiting my biking lately, but it was clear enough this morning.

-Cooked ahead of time for my husband's work trips the next few days.

[Inaya]

Cancelled our water service. Husband primarily uses it, and he'll be out of town for school for a while, so no point in having it around. I can order my fizzy water elsewhere without renting a water cooler or paying a delivery fee.

[Dollar Slice]

Cancelled our water service. Husband primarily uses it, and he'll be out of town for school for a while, so no point in having it around. I can order my fizzy water elsewhere without renting a water cooler or paying a delivery fee.

When I read that first sentence, I was afraid this was going to be some mustachian-gone-wild post where you decided you didn't need to get tap water piped in from the city any more because you were collecting it in rain barrels and doing all of your showering at work or something... :-)

[geekette]

The pump on my 40oz conditioner always quits pumping long before it's out (combination of a too short "straw" and too thick liquid).  After days on its side, and days upside down in a glass, I drained out about 5 oz. of conditioner - over 10% of the original bottle!

Ha, I wonder if we use the same kind. I've been fighting with mine for weeks. I mixed some water into the dregs, to thin it out/bulk it up for the straw to work better. It's also easier to pour out once the pump really finally gives up. But I've gotten a good extra month out of it so far.

This is Pantene, and I tried to mix in water once, and it really didn't mix well.  The pump itself is fine, it's just that it doesn't go all the way to the bottom, and the stuff is so thick it won't "fill in" around the straw, so the pump sucks air. 

They changed their formulation ("new and improved" made my hair feel dreadfully limp), so I got a refund and have switched.  This is the dregs of my last good bottle, so I didn't have a new one to slowly drain it into. 

[Dollar Slice]

The pump on my 40oz conditioner always quits pumping long before it's out (combination of a too short "straw" and too thick liquid).  After days on its side, and days upside down in a glass, I drained out about 5 oz. of conditioner - over 10% of the original bottle!

Ha, I wonder if we use the same kind. I've been fighting with mine for weeks. I mixed some water into the dregs, to thin it out/bulk it up for the straw to work better. It's also easier to pour out once the pump really finally gives up. But I've gotten a good extra month out of it so far.

This is Pantene, and I tried to mix in water once, and it really didn't mix well.  The pump itself is fine, it's just that it doesn't go all the way to the bottom, and the stuff is so thick it won't "fill in" around the straw, so the pump sucks air. 

Ah. Different brand, same exact problem with the pump. I accidentally stocked up on it twice when it was on sale so I have about a 4 year supply of these bottles. I'll probably develop some really high-end bottle-emptying methodology by then. I wonder if my dad would let me borrow his centrifuge at work...