What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[jeromedawg]

Grinded some coffee beans I roasted myself the other night, brewed in my Aeropress, and pressed for a delicious cup of coffee. $2.98 for a lb of the green unroasted beans so cheaper and better than going to Starbucks... although we only go to Starbucks when there's a BOGOF and/or bonus point deal, and even then we have over $50 of GCs that we've gotten as gifts. Funny cause I was never into coffee until a few months ago.

[marielle]

Succesfully replaced my phone battery in only an hour (plus research time and watching videos)! Should get at least one good year out of it for only $10. The phone got some slight cosmetic damage on the back but I don't care, it was worth it to get it done faster and I use a case anyway.

Still haven't turned the heat on at home, lowest I've seen is 66 in the morning so it's not bad at all. At work it's 55 indoors right now because the heat is broken so I'm getting used to colder indoor temperatures (gotta see the bright side). It's actually not bad with my electric blanket.

[Hirondelle]

I was crazy busy at work today, so forgot/didn't get to eating lunch until 4 PM. Then decided I wasn't hungry and just wait to go home and use the lunch for dinner (with some additions).

Healthy? Not really. Cheap? Yes. Something I'd do regular? No.

[marielle]

I was crazy busy at work today, so forgot/didn't get to eating lunch until 4 PM. Then decided I wasn't hungry and just wait to go home and use the lunch for dinner (with some additions).

Healthy? Not really. Cheap? Yes. Something I'd do regular? No.

Fasting or skipping meals isn't bad for the majority of people. Humans were designed to be able to do so, and many argue that it's actually good for you (I don't want to make a determination, so do your own research at your own risk). Some people go on frequent one day fasts, some people do week long fasts, etc. My boyfriend actually did a 9 day fast a few months ago. I personally don't think I have enough excess fat to go that long...

[TheWifeHalf]

I keep my dogs on heartworm preventive all year, and being the 15th, gave the monthly dose of an off label medicine. I have been doing it for 20 years, live in a heartworm hotspot, and am confident it's safe and works.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Ate breakfast, lunch & snacks at work
-Charged our electric car for free at work
-Made leftovers for dinner
-Booked a flight for free using a credit (flight changes where the airline modified our trip)
-Found a small jug of orange juice that one of the kids got at a soccer game, and didn't drink. Saved for my cranberry sauce recipe next week. One less thing off of the Thanksgiving grocery list!

[Jaayse]

I was taking out the trash today and noticed a bunch of oranges on a tree at the end of my parco inside the walls of the complex and in a communal area.  I picked one and took it back, it was great!  I now have a source of free oranges for the next few years while I live here.  I highly doubt my neighbors will either notice or care to pick them.

[Hirondelle]

Went to the coffee room at work to get tea, turned out a meeting had been cancelled and they put the whole lunch on our coffee table! Yay! Great free sandwiches :D

(This is the case every week, but only with a handful leftover sandwiches that are gone within 10 mins, so you gotta be lucky to walk down exactly then)

[JLee]

I changed my oil today.  Oil bought on sale earlier this year and a filter from RockAuto (purchased with some other stuff earlier this year).  $25.33 total for 6.5 quarts of Mobil1 5w30 synthetic oil and a Wix filter...good to go for another 5k miles!

[mustachepungoeshere]

Switched my health insurance policy, saved $55 a month.

Switched our phone plans, saved at least $38 a month.

Husband had an optom appointment today to replace his prescription sunnies, which he thought had been left overseas. Cancelled the appointment when something came up with work. Found the sunnies in the car an hour later. Saved $200.

[Mele]

Random leftovers from the fridge for lunch, and I made some pumpkins muffins as well (for snacks and breakfasts).  I had some frozen eggs I needed to use up -- I hadn't frozen them very effectively and they thaw as one rawish-almost solid yolk.  So they don't really work for most recipes.  But I can whip the shit out of them and put them in muffin recipes.  I think I have a few dozen of those left.  The rest I whisked before freezing, which makes them much easier for scrambling later.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-All the standard stuff (breakfast/lunch/snacks at work for free)
-Finally went to the (free) gym & discovered my lost fitbit! My husband was going to replace it, despite my requests, so this is awesome.
-Received a hotel chain promotional email for a chain I rarely go to. Decided to click through to determine if I had any points. Sure enough, not enough to transfer to anything useful, but the points were about to expire & I had enough for a $10 Starbucks gift card. It was the only way to use the points, but I'm happy. Will likely give as a gift for the holidays. Win!

[marty998]

Switched my internet provider. Had a basic pre-paid plan of 12GB for $150 (1 year expiry).

New data plan is 50GB for $130 with 1 year expiry. 90% of my online time seems to be this forum and it doesn't use much data at all.... guess I'll have to blow it looking at real estate porn :)

[mustachepungoeshere]

Switched my internet provider. Had a basic pre-paid plan of 12GB for $150 (1 year expiry).

New data plan is 50GB for $130 with 1 year expiry. 90% of my online time seems to be this forum and it doesn't use much data at all.... guess I'll have to blow it looking at real estate porn :)

Have fun!

[PJ]

Went out with my sister this afternoon.  We tried to go to a local historical site that is supposed to be free this month, but it turned out to be closed.

So we went to the mall - mostly looking for Christmas presents.  Crossed mom off my list, except for her stocking stuffer.  But at least I brought a snack with me...

[Linea_Norway]

Our el cheapo office chair at home stopped maintaining it’s height. It would sink down all the time. So we needed a replacement. In my office we are soon moving to another part of the building and get new desks. I asked if we would also get new chairs, in the hope I could take my office chair home. But no.
Today we bought a second hand good quality office chair from a private person. It was not the cheapest chair for sale, but probably the most robust one.

We also visited a shopping center, because DH needed to have a battery in his watch replaced. We tried to kill half an hour by walking around. Visited the H&M, which had sales on bras. I needed a new bra and got one that fit well for a very low price.

[Hirondelle]

Went to Aldi and discovered that many of the things I wanted to buy at another supermarket on sale were even cheaper there without any special promotion.

[Catbert]

Went to my favorite scratch and dent/over stock store.  They've now added a small refrigerator section.  Got two 32 oz plain yogurts for 25 cents each.  The sell by date is two days from now, but so what?  Yogurt lasts forever.   I usually make my own yogurt, but for 25 cents I'm happy with their non-fat with active cultures alternative.

[Linea_Norway]

Went to Aldi and discovered that many of the things I wanted to buy at another supermarket on sale were even cheaper there without any special promotion.

Today we walked past a several kitchen stores. The cheapest one had a Tefal frying pan for 20 dollars. The more expensive shop had exactly the same pan, down 50% for 24 dollars. We don`t really understand how three of the expensive kitchen stores close to eachother can survive.

[Mrs Hen]

Haven't finished reading the whole thread yet, but already SO inspired!

Today I have done my grocery shopping, and stuck to the list.

Hung laundry on the airer to dry.

Prepared breakfast and lunch for work tomorrow, and put my house keys on top of the containers so I won't forget to take them with me at 6am!

[Kwill]

Bought a yellow sticker container of ground beef today that expires today and made something halfway between chilli and pasta sauce for tonight with other things I had on hand. Filling and comforting over spaghetti.

[mustachepungoeshere]

Froze the overripe bananas for smoothies.

Held off washing yesterday because of the rain, just pegged a big load outside in the sun.

I've been having problems with my iPhone 6 for a couple of months. Finally took it to Apple and they replaced the handset at no charge.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Stuck to my list when buying groceries
-Served everyone leftovers for lunch
-Made tapenade using a giant jar of olives that have been lingering in my pantry for.ever. Used yard basil to round it out. Yum.
-Ran errands in the electric car

[frooglepoodle]

I tend to make lots of little impulse buys at the grocery store when I go in for just a handful of items. So I sent my husband with the list instead!

Sold a pair of uncomfortable shoes on PoshMark for $5 less than I paid for them.

I’m doing the bulk of my Christmas knitting with stashed yarn, saving money on gifts.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I tend to make lots of little impulse buys at the grocery store when I go in for just a handful of items. So I sent my husband with the list instead!

Sold a pair of uncomfortable shoes on PoshMark for $5 less than I paid for them.

I’m doing the bulk of my Christmas knitting with stashed yarn, saving money on gifts.

This is an accomplishment! Way to go. I try not to buy things I won't love, but it happens, particularly with shoes. I tend to buy core shoes (running, and my once every few years pair of flats) at Nordstrom. They are pricey, but you can return after wearing if they don't work out. In the long run, tends to save money.

[frooglepoodle]

I tend to make lots of little impulse buys at the grocery store when I go in for just a handful of items. So I sent my husband with the list instead!

Sold a pair of uncomfortable shoes on PoshMark for $5 less than I paid for them.

I’m doing the bulk of my Christmas knitting with stashed yarn, saving money on gifts.

This is an accomplishment! Way to go. I try not to buy things I won't love, but it happens, particularly with shoes. I tend to buy core shoes (running, and my once every few years pair of flats) at Nordstrom. They are pricey, but you can return after wearing if they don't work out. In the long run, tends to save money.

They were actually a second pair in a different color from one of my favorite pairs of shoes, but turned out just not as comfortable to wear for any real length of time. Luckily they’re a classic style and I got them on clearance so it was easy to recoup most of what I spent originally!

[Imma]

I had oatmeal with water and a mashed overripe banana for breakfast.

[mustachepungoeshere]

I had a bath after my run last night. Instead of adding a splash of body wash to the water, I grated part of a gifted bar of lavender soap and threw those in the bath.

Lovely and fragrant, and a good way to use up a bar of soap I'm not likely to shower with.

[Linea_Norway]

Today I made soup. Used three leftover broccoli stems that I had in the freezer for this purpose. I also found a bag of frozen cauliflour roses that probably came from a cauliflour bought on sale once and that had been in the freezer for quite a while. Added a pack of blue cheese and some stock and spices. Reasonably priced and veggie meal in total, only some cost for the blue cheese.

[Hirondelle]

I went out to buy throw away trash and buy something. Forgot my wallet, so no buying anything.

[jengod]

Line-dried a load of laundry.

Harvested chives and tangerines from the garden.

[frooglepoodle]

Used an inexpensive template from Etsy for Christmas cards, and ordered them from VistaPrint. Not the absolute cheapest option, but a good value.

[Imma]

I found an overripe banana and used it to make healthy banana oatmeal breakfast muffins.

[Bracken_Joy]

I found an overripe banana and used it to make healthy banana oatmeal breakfast muffins.

We have 3 overripe bananas and are using them to make 2 ingredient cookies =)
(Although I actually make them like... 6 ingredient cookies. Banana, oats, dried coconut, and spices- cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg).

[Mrs Hen]

Filled the car with diesel and did NOT buy cigarettes. That's 2 weeks now.

Cooked a roast chicken, made a sandwich  for tomorrow's lunch, and the carcass is in the stock pot ready to make soup.

Ate my prepared breakfast and lunch at work - not so difficult today as there is no canteen at work on the weekend!

[kayvent]

I cut my own hair.

[horsepoor]

Yesterday I took advantage of pre-Thanksgiving sales to buy a boneless ham for $1.34/lb, a fresh turkey for 98c/lb and a frozen turkey for 68c/lb and 5# organic potatoes for $1.98

The fresh turkey will get cut up and the breasts seasoned and vacuum packed to cook sous vide at a later date.  The rest I'll roast, we'll eat turkey and turkey soup, then I'll can a big batch of turkey stock.  Most of the ham will get cut up into portions and frozen.

Today I rummaged through bins in the shop and found a rope and snaps to replace a broken tie rope at the stable, found some clothesline, a smaller snap and an old screw driver that will be used together to measure out riding patterns.  I also cut up an old 4x4 leftover from a rotten fence post and will use it for another purpose out at the barn.  Moved some random crap out of an Action Packer container and will take that out as well to store equipment out of the elements for winter.

Repaired the little shed/locker where I store the chicken feed and supplies using other scrap wood and parts found in the shop.  Will hopefully make it more mouse proof and prevent feed waste this winter and prolong the life of the shed.

Redeemed credit card points for a $50 TJMaxx gift card.  Hoping it will work at Sierra Trading Post as I've had my eye on a specific sweater there for a couple months.

[mustachepungoeshere]

I cut my own hair.

Can you please remind me to do that next time my hair is wet?

For two weeks I've been thinking, I'll cut it next time I wash it...

Oh well, big pony tail it is.

[Bracken_Joy]

Yesterday I took advantage of pre-Thanksgiving sales to buy a boneless ham for $1.34/lb, a fresh turkey for 98c/lb and a frozen turkey for 68c/lb and 5# organic potatoes for $1.98

The fresh turkey will get cut up and the breasts seasoned and vacuum packed to cook sous vide at a later date.  The rest I'll roast, we'll eat turkey and turkey soup, then I'll can a big batch of turkey stock.  Most of the ham will get cut up into portions and frozen.

Today I rummaged through bins in the shop and found a rope and snaps to replace a broken tie rope at the stable, found some clothesline, a smaller snap and an old screw driver that will be used together to measure out riding patterns.  I also cut up an old 4x4 leftover from a rotten fence post and will use it for another purpose out at the barn.  Moved some random crap out of an Action Packer container and will take that out as well to store equipment out of the elements for winter.

Repaired the little shed/locker where I store the chicken feed and supplies using other scrap wood and parts found in the shop.  Will hopefully make it more mouse proof and prevent feed waste this winter and prolong the life of the shed.

Redeemed credit card points for a $50 TJMaxx gift card.  Hoping it will work at Sierra Trading Post as I've had my eye on a specific sweater there for a couple months.

Where'd you find the thanksgiving deals? We tend to overlap on sales I've observed =) And I'm having a heck of a time finding stuff! Cheapest I found was costco for $0.99/lb frozen, or Safeway has like a $0.60someting/lb but only if you buy $50 or more of other stuff =o Even Grocery Outlet and Fred Meyer is failing me!

[I'm a red panda]

Cross country road trip (cheaper to drive than fly, and digs are with us so no boarding), stopped at my sister's for late lunch instead of buying lunch or dinner. (Hotel for breakfast, used points for the hotel.)  Good peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a Topo Chico!

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Found a small turkey breast to make for Thanksgiving vs a turkey, as it's just the 4 of us
-Used up a tub of green salsa that was leftover from a visit with my parents. Made a batch of green chicken chili with it.
-Drove our electric car to soccer & errands.
-Made all meals at the house (no meals out this weekend)

[horsepoor]

Where'd you find the thanksgiving deals? We tend to overlap on sales I've observed =) And I'm having a heck of a time finding stuff! Cheapest I found was costco for $0.99/lb frozen, or Safeway has like a $0.60someting/lb but only if you buy $50 or more of other stuff =o Even Grocery Outlet and Fred Meyer is failing me!

WinCo for the turkeys, Fred Meyer for the ham.

[Bracken_Joy]

Where'd you find the thanksgiving deals? We tend to overlap on sales I've observed =) And I'm having a heck of a time finding stuff! Cheapest I found was costco for $0.99/lb frozen, or Safeway has like a $0.60someting/lb but only if you buy $50 or more of other stuff =o Even Grocery Outlet and Fred Meyer is failing me!

WinCo for the turkeys, Fred Meyer for the ham.

Oh, WinCo! I didn't even think to check there. Good call. I'll be near a WinCo soon I think, excellent.

[marielle]

Currently on a fast, hoping to make it at least 3 days but I don't have a crazy amount of excess fat so we'll see. I'm a little concerned about food going bad in the fridge, but I think I can freeze all of it. I'm seeing the freezer as an option more and more with the help of this forum.

[Road2Freedom]

Switched our Roth IRA and two Rollover IRAs from a Target Fund (.7 expense ratio) to a 3-fund portfolio (expense ratios range from .035 to .17).  Felt awesome doing it and wished I would've learned about it sooner.

Also did the same thing for my mom after speaking with he about it.

[Linea_Norway]

Not saving, but earning. I worked 2 hours 150% paid overtime today. And will be doing more thecrest of the week.

[lexde]

 I left my lunch at home today on accident. Instead of buying, I went home and got it. I hate making the extra trip, but I saved a lot of money driving the 10 minutes rather than buying lunch out. Maybe next time I’ll go without, but I left the house upset today so I didn’t want to be too hard on myself.

[Hirondelle]

Free sandwiches at work, again :D

[Mrs Hen]

Didn't buy cigarettes.

Remembered to take breakfast and lunch with me into work, and actually ate them rather than using the canteen.  Also avoided the morning coffee run.

Made chicken soup from yesterday's carcass and veg and dried beans I already had at home. That's a total of 12 meals from one chicken.

Found an old pound coin (no longer legal tender).  Took it to the bank and they exchanged it for a new (legal) one.

Cooked dinner at home rather than going out to eat with my visiting mother.

Nearly a no spend day, but spent 23p on an onion I needed for the supper - so close!

[MrsTuxedocat]

Bought Christmas presents a grocery store and pharmacy using visa to gain 4% and 2% cash back.