Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 8417162 times)

SEAK · « **Reply #14300 on:** February 06, 2021, 05:35:12 PM »

My family of four needed sandals for our upcoming Grand Canyon rafting trip. Instead of buying new sandals we bought used Chaco Sandals from REI and saved 50%. Really liking the REI Used Website, some great deals on there!

MudPuppy · « **Reply #14301 on:** February 06, 2021, 05:38:23 PM »

Had all three meals for free at work.

seemsright · « **Reply #14302 on:** February 06, 2021, 07:09:06 PM »

This week I am using up all of the random in my fridge. Tonight we had mushroom miso soup with a side of rice and kimchi. We will also have sourdough pizza using some sourdough starter a friend gave us this last week. I will make a dinner with some cabbage that is in the fridge. Some kimchi fried rice using leftovers.

My goal is to have a empty fridge by the end of the month. We have a ton of pickles and the like that need to be eaten up

Freedomin5 · « **Reply #14303 on:** February 06, 2021, 10:35:56 PM »

DD wanted to have afternoon tea at the cafe. Instead of paying $8 for a pastry, DH found a pack of chocolate wafers in our pantry and DD had “afternoon picnic tea” at the playground.

MyAlterEgoIsTaller · « **Reply #14304 on:** February 08, 2021, 08:57:57 AM »

Fixed the latest crop of tiny cracks and rust spots in the finish on the side of my refrigerator by sealing banana stickers over them with clear nail polish. It's an old, ugly fridge but working fine - I wonder if it will last long enough for me to eat enough bananas to solidly cover that whole side.

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #14305 on:** February 08, 2021, 10:21:35 AM »

Put on an (at home, just our own family) Super Bowl "party" yesterday, using basically everything from our fridge/freezer/pantry. I picked up a frozen (on sale) pizza & a baguette. Everything else we already had on hand. We had quite a feast, for a very reasonable price ($5).

I made my own onion dip, which I've never tried before & it turned out great. Easy, cheap win.

Dutch Comfort · « **Reply #14306 on:** February 09, 2021, 01:55:35 AM »

Instead of buying a cake, I'm going to make cupcakes with my DD for her birthday today. I just checked and everything we need is in the kitchen cupboard, so saving money not buying the cake!

MyAlterEgoIsTaller · « **Reply #14307 on:** February 09, 2021, 07:51:04 AM »

The thermometer on top of my wood stove stopped working, so I was going to order another one, but then I figured there was nothing to lose in trying to figure out how to fix the old one. Turns out there's just a little coil of metal that expands when it gets hot, which moves the dial, and that coil had just fallen out of the slots that keep it in place. The first time I put it back together I put the coil in upside down and it made it run backwards. But there were only so many configurations to try before I got it right.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #14308 on:** February 10, 2021, 06:29:56 AM »

I found an empty soda can with 2 Norwegian crowns return money. So I pick up garbage and get a little money in return. I also picked up a piece of plastic without return money.

Poundwise · « **Reply #14309 on:** February 10, 2021, 09:22:32 AM »

Reached way down into the chest freezer and came up with a ziplock bag containing the bone of a picnic ham that we used to make barbecue pork buns two years ago. Added another small piece of pork butt, slow roasted in the oven with herbs and onions, and the result was some fantastic pernil for dinner! I have not been to the grocery store in three weeks but surprisingly we are still eating well, with the help of our Misfits vegetable box and a weekly milk delivery.

MyAlterEgoIsTaller · « **Reply #14310 on:** February 10, 2021, 01:49:39 PM »

Several months ago I ordered some over the counter medications from wearecabinet.com (I had a good promo code at the time, and it avoided a trip to the drug store.) Today I got a package from them that I didn't order, and at first I thought "oh no, I must have inadvertently signed up for some auto-refill thing." But it had a card in it that said that, because I am one of only 10 customers from my state, they sent me a free travel kit full of 8 bottles of various pills, a chapstick, and a couple bottles of hand sanitizer. So that was nifty. First time I've managed to save money/get free stuff by being a customer from a state with hardly any customers. I wonder if I can somehow work this angle with other companies...

Loretta · « **Reply #14311 on:** February 10, 2021, 02:02:34 PM »

Made a rare in-person trip to Safeway for groceries this morning. Only saw about 4 other customers there. I had applied all my justforu digital coupons beforehand. I have a relative staying with me so I'm trying to keep us both fed and in coffee!

Tonight I plan to organize my main 2 cabinet shelves in my kitchen before dinner because they get out of hand and it helps me to see what I actually have to work with. Will save me money and I plan to make some tea with the wide variety of tea bags I find in there.

Trifle · « **Reply #14312 on:** February 11, 2021, 05:48:51 AM »

I've been doing pretty well saving on food costs. Not easy with two teenagers that eat like horses. (I honestly don't know where the food goes. They're both slender). We haven't eaten out yet this year, and I've been large-batch cooking about three times a week so there's always good food in the fridge.

okisok · « **Reply #14313 on:** February 11, 2021, 04:24:17 PM »

Got to go into work later than usual today. Used the extra am time to throw some leftovers into the crockpot for a made-up soup: leftover ham that had been in the freezer since the holidays, a can of veggies, a half cup of quinoa, chopped onion, and some herbs. It cleaned some stuff out of the pantry and freezer. If I'd just cooked those items as a plated meal, it would've made one serving. By adding water and bouillon, it makes four meals. And my whole house smelled wonderful as soon as I opened the door when I got home.

Ran errands in a complete circle to get them all in one trip and in under an hour. Including a return for $15.

Loretta · « **Reply #14314 on:** February 12, 2021, 03:36:16 AM »

I'm going to return a couple things to Amazon. One is a fleece sweatshirt thing that is very boxy with a neck opening that lets the wind down your neck--and when I wore it yesterday I found a hole in the shoulder seam that my finger could fit through. The downside is that one my cats loves fleece things and will be extra extra cuddly when I'm wearing this sweatshirt. Sorry, Kittikins.

I'm also saving gas and covid exposure with a Telehealth appointment at 0900 with my gastroenterologist. This appointment has already been rescheduled once from when their building had to close for a week for a "deep clean".

I cooked dinner at home last night for Mom and me: tortellinis w/ marinara, baby carrots, and a delicious pistachio pudding with mini marshmallows. The tortis were like 99% noodle and 1% sausage filling unfortunately and they made me ill.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #14315 on:** February 13, 2021, 10:56:51 AM »

Our yearly mushroom club 2 day symposium is digital this year. So I can watch it from home, saving on train tickets. It is also a quarter of the normal price, as they don't need to rent a building and order catering for 2 days. The far away living members save their plane tickets and hotel.

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #14316 on:** February 13, 2021, 12:22:48 PM »

Used a combination of a manufacturer's coupon, a sale, & iBotta (a grocery app) to get two boxes of tea for $1.80 ($.90/each) - a total of 38 bags. I drink a lot of tea, particularly when intermittent fasting, & the tea helps me feel warmer & keep the house a bit colder.

Imma · « **Reply #14317 on:** February 14, 2021, 03:24:23 PM »

We are such frugal freaks, we don't have a kitchen trash can. Instead, we just hang trash bags from a hook in the corner of the kitchen. We have a very small galley kitchen and there's just no space for a normal sized can, there are doors on either side of the kitchen and a trash can would block them.

I've had my eyes on a very particular model that would fit our kitchen ever since we moved into this house (almost 6 years ago) but at €160 I was never going to buy it. The colour I prefer has long been discontinued but it's still sold in a variety of other colours. Well, I managed to find the trash can in my favourite colour on a secondhand website for a fraction of the new price! Shipping is €13 but that's no problem. I'm just so happy I finally found it for an acceptable amount of money.

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #14318 on:** February 14, 2021, 03:47:25 PM »

@Imma - that sounds like a very satisfying purchase & a great frugal story of "keep an eye out for what you need, and eventually it will turn up."

I had "fridge" salad today, which is pretty much all of the random stuff we haven't eaten, on a bed of lettuce, with tomatoes from the garden.

Also helped my teenager with a bike that he bought, fixed up & sold. He made $145 after buying parts, so is very proud of himself. He's also learning great skills & spending time during COVID wisely (e.g. not on the computer gaming), so it's a win/win.

Loretta · « **Reply #14319 on:** February 14, 2021, 04:15:27 PM »

Ate food from the fridge, took a long nap, and researched various home improvement fixes on the internet.

Arbitrage · « **Reply #14320 on:** February 14, 2021, 05:24:34 PM »

Car battery died (completely) yesterday. We knew that it was probably on the ropes, after our mechanic had tried to get us to replace it last spring. It was still under warranty, and I certainly wasn't going to pay someone a couple hundred extra bucks to replace my car battery.

It was a bit of tight fit because of where the car died in our garage, but I managed to pry the thing out, load it in my backpack, bike over to Autozone and get a warranty replacement free of charge. Installed it myself as well, naturally.

Also biked to the library to drop a book off, and the grocery store to pick up a couple of things for my home-cooked dinner tonight. The day would've been a complete win, except that my son yanked on the shower curtain rod until it broke, so we had to buy a new one of those.

Freedomin5 · « **Reply #14321 on:** February 14, 2021, 06:03:01 PM »

Buying a fancy rainbow My Little Pony birthday cake for DD’s birthday would have cost almost $100. Instead, I borrowed pans and cake decorating tools from friends, and made my own fancy cake, and then purchased decorations online. I made a test cake this week to figure out the type of cake and type of frosting that we liked best. Saved $50.

Imma · « **Reply #14322 on:** February 15, 2021, 02:23:52 AM »

Quote from: MaybeBabyMustache on February 14, 2021, 03:47:25 PM

@Imma - that sounds like a very satisfying purchase & a great frugal story of "keep an eye out for what you need, and eventually it will turn up."

I knew you guys would understand! "Normal" people will only hear "you deprived yourself of something for 6 years!1!" and don't understand the satisfaction of finding the exact thing you want for a fraction of the cost, and still in a near-new shape. When the colour was discontinued I figured that's a sign that colour is going out of fashion, and it would only be a matter of time before I found it on the used market. People will try to sell an expensive thing like this instead of throwing it away.

We had food delivered from a local restaurant last night. We don't usually celebrate Valentine's Day at all, but with the pandemic, we're craving celebrations. I noticed instantly that my portion was way too large for me, so I figured out which part of my meal would be most easy to reheat and set that aside. Tonight I'll reheat the chicken breast on the grill and eat it with some potatoes and vegetables from the fridge.

Dutch Comfort · « **Reply #14323 on:** February 15, 2021, 07:45:56 AM »

Had a good weekend!

- Made 2 cakes from scratch (and I had all ingredients on hand....... did I mention my kitchen cabinet is way overstuffed.....) this weekend. No need to buy (and still have leftovers for tonight....... chocolate brownie cake, here I come)!
- Sold the old ice skates from DS (too small), bought a pair of used ice skates (right size) for the same price as the ones I sold and he had fun with those! No need to buy new and cash in = cash out!
- Sold 1 children's book and 1 pair of trousers on Craigslist. Stuff out, cash in.
- Brought my lunch to the office today.
- Have enough leftovers from this weekend to make a few lunches this week. Need to check the fridge tonight to setup a plan!

cool7hand · « **Reply #14324 on:** February 15, 2021, 08:37:38 AM »

Bought a replacement headlight bulb to save the money on a mechanic.

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #14325 on:** February 16, 2021, 08:16:32 AM »

Son originally wanted fancy cupcakes for his birthday, but changed his mind & opted for homemade. Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting are made & look great. We've already given some away, because none of us need 18 cupcakes.

Wanttobehome · « **Reply #14326 on:** February 16, 2021, 09:48:28 AM »

Freecycled -received candles, candle holder, wall hanging and plant pot
Changed to LED bulbs in lamp - reduced timer times on lamps as the days get a little longer.
Changed hinges on door, instead of replacing whole door or getting a workman in. Did it myself..... OK supervised.
Use a rarely used rubbish bin to collect water - instead of buying a water butt.

okisok · « **Reply #14327 on:** February 16, 2021, 06:13:25 PM »

Got to WFH this week, so haven't driven anywhere. Eating out of the pantry and freezer.

Realized my electric teakettle was purchased over 10 years ago for $3 at a thrift store and still makes a delicious cup of tea that helps keep me warm. My current favorite teabags are from the Dollar Tree, 20 bags for $1.

Wearing two layers of clothes to keep the heat as low as possible while staying home.

Journaling and writing letters as hobbies instead of spendy things.

Keeping a list of items I 'need' to order instead of just blithely putting things in my Amazon cart with 1-click checkout.

Dutch Comfort · « **Reply #14328 on:** February 17, 2021, 05:40:47 AM »

Picked up a tennis racket from the Buy Nothing group. Went there by bike! Now I can join DD when she plays!
Still finishing the gifted tea..... no need to buy in the next 2 years I think.....
Instead of buying, I cracked some walnuts and hazelnuts myself. They were already dried and kept in a box in the shed, but I finally took them out and cracked a bunch, put them in an airtight container and now I have healthy snacks on hand (and realised that I still have enough nuts to crack for the next couple of weeks/months)!

Loretta · « **Reply #14329 on:** February 17, 2021, 06:17:55 AM »

I filled out an online form for my health insurance company that should net me $75 in rewards to use on medical expenses in the future.

Mailing get well cards that I received for free to an older family friend who is in the hospital.

I showed my mother how to deposit a check online using a bank's app to hopefully prevent her from wanting to visit her brick and mortar bank so often during the pandemic, which doesn't save me money but could save her gas and exposure.

Tester · « **Reply #14330 on:** February 17, 2021, 11:40:49 AM »

Last week, not only today:
Saw that Mint identified 80 usd of subscriptions.
Cancelled them.
Today: saw that I paid 20 usd for some prime video subscriptions.
Found them and cancelled 36usd/month worth of subscriptions.

So saved 115 usd/month in the last week.

Feels good, especially as we are approaching 500k net worth after starting from zero 6 years ago.
I can now say I am really lucky.

oysters · « **Reply #14331 on:** February 18, 2021, 01:08:53 AM »

Been holding off a bunch of hobby purchases lately... proud of myself. All for bushwalking. My current gear will suffice a little longer.

Veggie garden is going really well now. Making sure I get at least a couple of meals out of it a week, including tonight.

Aiming for lots of rice+lentils+veg meals the next few weeks.

cool7hand · « **Reply #14332 on:** February 18, 2021, 07:21:47 AM »

Changed out what turned out to be a $6 dollar headlight. In mechanic markup and local labor rates, I suspect I saved about $75.

Sugaree · « **Reply #14333 on:** February 18, 2021, 09:18:42 AM »

While waiting on my (free through work) vaccine today, I did a study on mTurk that earned me nearly $10.

ZsaZsa · « **Reply #14334 on:** February 19, 2021, 06:08:39 PM »

Found a bag of already cut small quilt pieces in my trunk. I got them free 30 years ago helping a friend clear out her fabric hoard. I started sewing them into a quilt for granddaughter #3 since they are random prints in all her favorite colors of lavender, purple and plum. I'm making a basic nine-patch pattern, and will wait till I have a good 50%off coupon at Joann Fabrics to purchase the batting. In just two days, I've got 72 squares finished.

Loretta · « **Reply #14335 on:** February 19, 2021, 06:19:35 PM »

Quote from: ZsaZsa on February 19, 2021, 06:08:39 PM

Found a bag of already cut small quilt pieces in my trunk. I got them free 30 years ago helping a friend clear out her fabric hoard. I started sewing them into a quilt for granddaughter #3 since they are random prints in all her favorite colors of lavender, purple and plum. I'm making a basic nine-patch pattern, and will wait till I have a good 50%off coupon at Joann Fabrics to purchase the batting. In just two days, I've got 72 squares finished.

Ah quilts! Those colors sound lovely!

Imma · « **Reply #14336 on:** February 22, 2021, 10:31:14 AM »

I had some leftovers from dinner yesterday, just enough for 1 person. So I took half a can of tomatoes from the fridge, a can of chickpeas from the pantry and suddenly we had dinner for 2! Plus Mr Imma is actually not eating it at home but taking it into work and microwaving it there.

We've also planned a special dinner for tomorrow on his day off, but since we're good cooks we're just going to cook at home. Just wrote down a grocery shopping list for tomorrow and the special dinner requires less than €5 of ingredients.

Rosy · « **Reply #14337 on:** February 23, 2021, 05:39:33 PM »

1. The UPS for our computer quit working.
Mr. R. took it in to work, changed the battery and got us a huge company discount on an even better battery.
DIY - free labor. We got the UPS for free from his work as they were changing their setup a couple of years ago.
Approx savings $35

2. I wanted a fabric mask suitable for our hot climate and noticed a mustachian recommending one they liked with a link.
I ordered a black one but when it arrived it was a set of three for what I thought was the price of one.
Accidental savings $10.95

3. Saw a NYT article about the proliferation of fake masks KN95. I looked up the only recommended distributor of the approved manufacturer 'Powecom' on bonafidemasks.com and found you can buy small quantities for a very reasonable price.
(Amazon is having a hard time shutting down fake offers they manage to make it appear so authentic.)
Safe and secure - priceless!:)

4. GARDENING
Tomatoes
Made my first batch of tomato sauce with fresh ingredients from the garden with garlic chives, tomatoes, peppery African Blue basil and parsley.
The Cherry tomatoes are disappearing into Mr. R's lunch bag and Sunday omelets.
I got six mystery tomatoes - volunteers from the compost pile, transplanted into pots - all producing like crazy.
Celery
Thinned out the Celery plants without a problem - now I have triple the harvest! We love celery - great for dips and snacks, in soups and with roasts.
Kale - Red Russian Kale
Wow - the Kale turned out beautiful, blue leaves and crinkled red leaves - attractive and tasty.
Will definitely plant more in the autumn.
German Chamomile
Looks like I will have a bumper crop for Chamomile Tea:).
Mint(s)
One can never have too much mint, but the finest mint for tea that I have found so far is Moroccan Mint.
My favorite remains good old Spearmint for ice tea and Chocolate Mint for cooking.
Found a mint mix seed packet online - giving that a try in a shady spot as part of my spring plantings.

Spring gardening has commenced - I will be seeding more veggies, herbs and flowers.
It feels good to be active outdoors.

5. Cooking and grocery shopping
The usual - home cooking, coupons, store deals and BOGOs.

Made a fancy dessert with chocolate mousse, Tia Maria (coffee liqueur - my Valentine's gift), fresh strawberries - they are in season in Florida and home-made whipping cream. Delish - served in a fancy wineglass.

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #14338 on:** February 23, 2021, 06:00:55 PM »

Used iBotta (a grocery app) to save $.10 off of my almond milk purchase. Small savings, for sure. I also used $14 of grocery store rewards for my transaction, and shopped sales. It's a more expensive grocery store generally, but five minutes from my house & very good social distancing. I was able to use rewards, sale prices & the minor $.10 savings to bring the cost to a very reasonable level.

Sandi_k · « **Reply #14339 on:** February 23, 2021, 06:59:57 PM »

Resisted the lure of the $1 McDonald's coffee after my lab work this morning. Since I had to show up having fasted, that meant no morning coffee. The McDonald's is right across the street from the lab building.

Instead, I returned home, to make my dark French Roast coffee in my own coffeemaker, for less than $1, and with about a 20 minute delay....

trashtalk · « **Reply #14340 on:** February 23, 2021, 09:02:58 PM »

Someone put a dead ficus houseplant out for trash pickup; I stopped and brought it home. The dead tree went in our brush pile, the soil went in the vegetable beds, and I used the huge container to pot up a different tree seedling.

Loretta · « **Reply #14341 on:** February 24, 2021, 04:31:57 AM »

I deleted the Amazon app from my devices and cancelled Netflix, as I feel like I've watched everything good on it while I've been off work for surgery. As the weather improves and now that I'm fully vaccinated, I need more motivation to get outside in the sun and walk/live. I am sick of sitting in my livingroom. Getting rid of Netflix should help with that.

Rosy · « **Reply #14342 on:** February 24, 2021, 08:44:47 AM »

Quote from: trashtalk on February 23, 2021, 09:02:58 PM

Someone put a dead ficus houseplant out for trash pickup; I stopped and brought it home. The dead tree went in our brush pile, the soil went in the vegetable beds, and I used the huge container to pot up a different tree seedling.

Now that's what I'm talking about:) - high five!

Dicey · « **Reply #14343 on:** February 24, 2021, 08:55:34 AM »

Quote from: Loretta on February 24, 2021, 04:31:57 AM

I deleted the Amazon app from my devices and cancelled Netflix, as I feel like I've watched everything good on it while I've been off work for surgery. As the weather improves and now that I'm fully vaccinated, I need more motivation to get outside in the sun and walk/live. I am sick of sitting in my livingroom. Getting rid of Netflix should help with that.

Funny, I always feel I should take more advantage of our Netflix account. I don't even pay for it either, it's my Bonus Kid's account.

Dutch Comfort · « **Reply #14344 on:** February 25, 2021, 05:58:24 AM »

Instead of ordering take-out for Saturday, I will make my own Char-Siu Bao, chinese grilled pork belly and Spring rolls (+ some side dishes...). Ingredients cost around EUR 50-60, but will feed 7 (+ leftovers). Cannot order quality take-out (and have leftovers) for that amount (bonus: I love to cook, so trying a recipes is always good fun for me!).

Tester · « **Reply #14345 on:** February 25, 2021, 10:07:07 AM »

Just turned off 5 lights which were just not being used.

Hadilly · « **Reply #14346 on:** February 25, 2021, 12:15:40 PM »

Went on a walk with a friend. Found out that their father has been essentially day trading their retirement/investment account. He also sold a lot last year because he was worried about a crash and thus missed the entire recent run up. Ouch.

I suggested they read the Collins stock series and told her about my incredibly boring portfolio. So, I may not save money, but I sure hope my friend will in the future!

Dutch Comfort · « **Reply #14347 on:** February 26, 2021, 03:58:32 PM »

Quote from: Dutch Comfort on February 25, 2021, 05:58:24 AM

Instead of ordering take-out for Saturday, I will make my own Char-Siu Bao, chinese grilled pork belly and Spring rolls (+ some side dishes...). Ingredients cost around EUR 50-60, but will feed 7 (+ leftovers). Cannot order quality take-out (and have leftovers) for that amount (bonus: I love to cook, so trying a recipes is always good fun for me!).

The pork belly just smells gorgeous, spring roll stuffing is set..... Char-Siu will hit the oven tomorrow morning. Got lazy on the buns and bought ready-to-heat buns at the asian store.
Total ingredients were a little more expensive (Total, including drinks will hit EUR 100, but got good quality meat.). But still way cheaper than dining out for 7 persons.

Big plus: found 10 euro during my walk!

Imma · « **Reply #14348 on:** February 28, 2021, 04:54:06 AM »

Got a massive bag of clothing from my sister. They're worn, I remember her wearing quite a few things, but they look as good as new. Sister lost weight so she's not going to need them anymore. A few things are perfect for work - I'm supposed to go back to the office in June and I hardly have any office clothes left. I also lost a bit of weight so my work clothes from a year ago don't fit anymore.

sonofsven · « **Reply #14349 on:** February 28, 2021, 06:16:14 PM »

I went fishing to save money on my huge salmon bill.

News:

Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 8417162 times)