What small things did you do TODAY to save money?

[Frugal Lizard]

I found some extra ceramic tiles and glued them to a piece of wood from the stockpile and made a non-combustible extension for our new wood insert. Hopefully this little four-inch strip of ceramic will satisfy the requirements for the W.E.T.T. certificate.

The Canadian standard is 18 inches. Our hearth is only 16. The American standard is 16. Our house is in Canada. Hence the little hearth extension for the cost of joint filler and glue.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Not quite today but this weekend- my husband had overplanned the weekend and was too tired to make "snacky dinner" for the Oscars. He suggested ordering something. I said, how about you let the adolescents make the pigs in blankets* and I'll make the cauliflower? (There were also cheese and crackers and some sausages that I just blackened in the skillet.)

*Literally this just involves cutting crescent rolls into smaller triangles and wrapping them around the pigs. Well within their abilities.

Added bonus: If we had ordered a pizza or something, we would still have had to eat the snacky food another day. This lets us have healthier food instead.

[41_swish]

I went to the dentist, but the twist was it was a med school dentist. I knew someone who needed a patient, and I went as their guinea pig.

It was slower than normal, but $25 for a cleaning and exam with no Xrays.

[Freedomin5]

Made enough food for lunch for the next couple days. Made a quick run to Decathlon to shop their end-of-season sale. Bought a winter coat for $50 (which would've cost well over $150 in Canada), a windbreaker for $30, and hiking pants for $15. Going to ship it all to Canada using my company's shipping allowance.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-Made a big batch of chicken stir fry, to use up a bunch of veggies that had to go before they went bad
-Menu planned, to ensure we don't waste food & eat what we have

[Serendip]

Didn't stop at the store to 'pick up a few things' and instead will make-do with leftover dinner and things I can rummage out of the fridge.

[41_swish]

I rode my bike to the grocery store and to the park to play tennis!

[Dicey]

Uh, never left the house. Didn't order anything on line either.

[crocheted_stache]

I purchased my next bike tire. I'm planning to keep riding on the old one for now. It's holding air, and holding up, other than a gouge in one spot, which I'll monitor.

The bike shop had exactly one in stock in my bike's apparently unusual size. Whether because they weren't selling that size much or because it's a non-standard color, it was marked down to $15, which is a pretty good deal. I can ride on one funny looking tire for a few years.

[midweststache]

We needed to contribute to a classroom basket for KIDDO2's school, so we found some popcorn kernels we were gifted but will never cook up in the pantry and used a GC to pick out some fancy popcorn toppings. We did end up paying for one of those "pop in the microwave" makers, but overall we were able to contribute for pretty cheaply. (We're very happy with this school but the amount of 'additional contributions' like this that are expected throughout the year is... a lot. So excited to finally have both in public schools next year!)

I feel kinda crappy, so I'm WFH today which means I'll save on transit costs and my once-a-week lunch out. I will go in later this week, but it will be after a big cook night so I'm planning on taking leftovers with me.

[nessness]

The local international market had 27 pounds of apples for $9, so naturally I bought a box. I'm making a big batch of crock pot applesauce today, and plan to make apple butter later this week. I might make some more applesauce to can too but I need to get some bottled lemon juice to safely water bath can it.

[GuitarStv]

The local international market had 27 pounds of apples for $9, so naturally I bought a box. I'm making a big batch of crock pot applesauce today, and plan to make apple butter later this week. I might make some more applesauce to can too but I need to get some bottled lemon juice to safely water bath can it.

Apple crumble every night for a month!

[nessness]

The local international market had 27 pounds of apples for $9, so naturally I bought a box. I'm making a big batch of crock pot applesauce today, and plan to make apple butter later this week. I might make some more applesauce to can too but I need to get some bottled lemon juice to safely water bath can it.

Apple crumble every night for a month!

My kids would be thrilled!

I underestimated how much 27 pounds of apples is when I bought them. It is 50 large apples. That is a LOT of apples. I think I'll give a few to every friend I see over the next couple weeks.

[ChpBstrd]

The local international market had 27 pounds of apples for $9, so naturally I bought a box. I'm making a big batch of crock pot applesauce today, and plan to make apple butter later this week. I might make some more applesauce to can too but I need to get some bottled lemon juice to safely water bath can it.

Apple crumble every night for a month!

My kids would be thrilled!
I underestimated how much 27 pounds of apples is when I bought them. It is 50 large apples. That is a LOT of apples. I think I'll give a few to every friend I see over the next couple weeks.

Some people get gassy when they eat a lot of apples. Looking forward to updates on the MPP thread.

[GuitarStv]

The local international market had 27 pounds of apples for $9, so naturally I bought a box. I'm making a big batch of crock pot applesauce today, and plan to make apple butter later this week. I might make some more applesauce to can too but I need to get some bottled lemon juice to safely water bath can it.

Apple crumble every night for a month!

My kids would be thrilled!
I underestimated how much 27 pounds of apples is when I bought them. It is 50 large apples. That is a LOT of apples. I think I'll give a few to every friend I see over the next couple weeks.

Some people get gassy when they eat a lot of apples. Looking forward to updates on the MPP thread.

My dad used to bring me a bushel of apples (~45lbs) from his farm every fall when I was university.  For some reason, the idea of trading them to other people never clicked in my brain and I ate them all.

[41_swish]

I know it's small, kind of the point, but I rode my bike to work, the grocery store, and gym.

[crocheted_stache]

I know it's small, kind of the point, but I rode my bike to work, the grocery store, and gym.

A photo has made the rounds poking fun at people using the escalators up to a gym entrance. You can find variations in an image search. I think it's at least as absurd to drive to use a stationary bicycle, but it's so commonplace that nobody ever questions the huge parking lot around the gym.

Today I did my laundry so it would have time to dry hanging up and won't need to be done during the rain that's predicted later this week. Sheets and towels get a head start in the tumble dryer during the cooler season.

[fuzzy math]

-I spent 20 mins getting my bald tires their pro rated warranty at the tire place. $45 back on a new set.
- Did 2 mystery shops (son did a 3rd). Got some food, some gas, a shirt and some pay for the shops.
- Picked up a penny and a dime off the ground.
- Got some bonuses on my receipt cash back apps.
- Have kept the house at 68 degrees for over a week, even though it feels a lot colder these past couple days.

[Freedomin5]

Booked 6 attraction tickets for DD and her friends for her bday. Used a coupon on an app to get one free admission ticket, then used promotions to get 50% off all the other tickets. Saved $150.

[Chaplin]

We've wanted to add a greenhouse to our vegetable gardening efforts for a while. I was sure there must be some older gardener no longer using their greenhouse and willing to let us move it rather than us needing to buy or build a new one while an old one goes to the landfill when a property is sold, but we hadn't found such a connection yet.

One day after mentioning this idea to a neighbor he had us hooked up with someone in exactly that situation. Now we just have to do the the work to move it. Still, saving money on the greenhouse and then later on the increased veggie production is a big win. Even without the greenhouse we had a huge crop last year so hopefully we can push further into the winter with frozen and canned produce and avoid buying out-of-season or from the US.

[ChpBstrd]

Plus: Rode the mountain bike to and from work instead of taking the car. Great cardio workout.

Minus: Discovered my road bike had a flat, so I had to use the mountain bike. So I have a flat to fix plus the urge to own more bikes just in case I ever go to the shed and find two flats at the same time.

[41_swish]

Plus: Rode the mountain bike to and from work instead of taking the car. Great cardio workout.

Minus: Discovered my road bike had a flat, so I had to use the mountain bike. So I have a flat to fix plus the urge to own more bikes just in case I ever go to the shed and find two flats at the same time.

I always find that riding my bike to work is a very pleasant start to the day. My car commute is fine, but riding my bike when it is cool in the morning is a nice start to the day.

[GuitarStv]

Plus: Rode the mountain bike to and from work instead of taking the car. Great cardio workout.

Minus: Discovered my road bike had a flat, so I had to use the mountain bike. So I have a flat to fix plus the urge to own more bikes just in case I ever go to the shed and find two flats at the same time.

I always find that riding my bike to work is a very pleasant start to the day. My car commute is fine, but riding my bike when it is cool in the morning is a nice start to the day.

Me too.  The screaming, the honking, the adrenaline rush of near death experiences . . . who needs to waste money on coffee when you can bike in Toronto?

[RetiredAt63]

Are you even a real Canadian, buddy, eh?

Citizenship has been revoked for less.    ;-)

[partgypsy]

Needed to scan images that are just a tad too big for my scanner..fed ex was going to charge approximately 120 ($2 per scan!) Asked around my community and someone came through with a solution.
While not free, instead of paying a workman, me and kids tackled a yard job. I still paid them but it was less money and we all got some exercise (pulling up 1/3 brick patio, redoing the base to raise it, re-laying it.

[41_swish]

Plus: Rode the mountain bike to and from work instead of taking the car. Great cardio workout.

Minus: Discovered my road bike had a flat, so I had to use the mountain bike. So I have a flat to fix plus the urge to own more bikes just in case I ever go to the shed and find two flats at the same time.

I always find that riding my bike to work is a very pleasant start to the day. My car commute is fine, but riding my bike when it is cool in the morning is a nice start to the day.

Me too.  The screaming, the honking, the adrenaline rush of near death experiences . . . who needs to waste money on coffee when you can bike in Toronto?

It makes me feel something, you know?

[nessness]

Refillled my jar of cumin with cumin purchased in bulk from Winco. It only cost 51 cents - much cheaper than it would have been to buy a new jar.

[41_swish]

It always amazes me how much cheaper bulk spices are. I wish I lived near a Winco, because they have an amazing bulk section.

[Freedomin5]

Instead of ordering dinner in, I made avocado toast using ingredients we already had on hand.

[crocheted_stache]

It always amazes me how much cheaper bulk spices are. I wish I lived near a Winco, because they have an amazing bulk section.

In the absence of a true bulk section, try any ethnic market if you have one. In general, look for spices sold in bags or larger containers (Costco, restaurant suppliers) rather than little bottles/jars. If you love the little jars, get them the first time and refill from bags.

I've also done the thing before where the 1/2 oz thing of spice cost $7 while a pound of the same spice costs $15 or $17. I needed a quantity somewhere in between, so I bought the pound and gave away a few little jars (saved from whatever else) to other Buy Nothing members. It still saves money, assuming I needed any amount more than 1/2 oz, and I figure maybe it puts me first in line when someone has surplus garden produce or some other item I might like.

[41_swish]

Instead of ordering dinner in, I made avocado toast using ingredients we already had on hand.

I thought avocado toast was like the entire reason millennials were doomed, haha just kidding

[Freedomin5]

Instead of ordering dinner in, I made avocado toast using ingredients we already had on hand.

I thought avocado toast was like the entire reason millennials were doomed, haha just kidding

I should start a new trend. How to FIRE on avocado toast. Seriously, avocado toast costs me like, $1 to make.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

We are staying at a hotel that has a casino, so I always check our rewards app for any freebies that appear. Sure enough, had two dining credits between the accounts. Used one to pick up takeout for the four teens we have with us. DH & I used the second one for ourselves.

Brought lots of snacks & drinks for the room as well, because feeding a bunch of teen skiers is no joke.

[Frugal Lizard]

Yesterday I made a double batch of gluten free granola. And turned 2L of milk into yogurt in the instant pot.

The yogurt is a huge money saver now that the large tubs of Greek yogurt are $8.00 bucks with probiotics. Gluten free granola? Don't know what it would cost because I have never found it in a store. It is not cheap (gluten free rolled oats, sliced almonds, pepitas, hemp seed, shredded coconut, dried fruit) but it is satisfying with some plain Greek yogurt.

[crocheted_stache]

Instead of ordering dinner in, I made avocado toast using ingredients we already had on hand.

I thought avocado toast was like the entire reason millennials were doomed, haha just kidding

I should start a new trend. How to FIRE on avocado toast. Seriously, avocado toast costs me like, $1 to make.

The problem, as ever, is paying whatever it costs in some snooty cafe or restaurant. Also, the older generation that dispensed that advice came of age in a different economy and ratio of available income to housing price.

I don't often put avocado on toast, but I bet I could make some of the best and most economical avocado toast around. I get avocados mostly from neighbors' trees. One hangs over our fence, and a Buy Nothing neighbor has an avocado tree that's loaded again this year. DH and I bake bread from scratch. We didn't get around to baking last weekend, so I guess today's the day.

[41_swish]

I think the whole avacado toast thing was just something stupid for boomers to latch on to. Sorry that a home was only 2.5X your salary back then and now its 5X my salary... I guess I will enjoy my breakfast in the meantime

[ChpBstrd]

Instead of ordering dinner in, I made avocado toast using ingredients we already had on hand.

I thought avocado toast was like the entire reason millennials were doomed, haha just kidding

I should start a new trend. How to FIRE on avocado toast. Seriously, avocado toast costs me like, $1 to make.

The problem, as ever, is paying whatever it costs in some snooty cafe or restaurant. Also, the older generation that dispensed that advice came of age in a different economy and ratio of available income to housing price.

I don't often put avocado on toast, but I bet I could make some of the best and most economical avocado toast around. I get avocados mostly from neighbors' trees. One hangs over our fence, and a Buy Nothing neighbor has an avocado tree that's loaded again this year. DH and I bake bread from scratch. We didn't get around to baking last weekend, so I guess today's the day.

Apparently there are now cold-hardy avocado trees that can allegedly withstand temperatures down to 20F. Anyone have experience trying to grow these? https://www.plantingtree.com/products/cold-hardy-avocado-tree

[sonofsven]

More a time than a money saver:
A screw fell out of my glasses when I was running my boat and landed on the deck; luckily it didn't fall overboard!
The screw was lost; I figured my optometrist would probably fix it for free, but I went through my old glasses and found a screw that fits.
Yes, I have hoarder genes.

[alewpanda]

- DH worked a church's monthly food pantry.  The stable stuff gets used in later months, but the expired and perishable stuff has to go.  Volunteers can take them or they get tossed.  He came home with a truck bed full of stuff to distribute.  We shared with neighbors, another pantry that distributes a day or two later, friends, and livestock (less than good produce).  We still ended up with probably $100 worth of bread, chips, tomatoes, strawberries, tortillas and ice cream to use ourselves.  We have made soups, frozen strawberries for smoothies, eaten wraps/tacos/ect for a week, and have bread frozen and waiting. 

- Cut and hemmed a pair of pants that the 4YO put a hole in.  They were getting short anyway, but still are big in the waist...so summer shorts it is!

- Found salamanders in the flooded basement.  Googled and *taught* a free homeschool lesson on salamanders.  #lifeislearning

- Used AI to create a chicken coop plan that maximized the leftover wood from a fence we tore down a few years ago.  Saved half the cost of wood.  In that vein, chicks have been impossible to get our hands on...but a friend has an incubator.  Shes incubating 20 or so eggs and we will get 6-8 chicks out of it.  Its free, but we will certainly make sure to make a thank you "offering"....cookies perhaps? 

- Used scrap wood to create the supports to hang a solar panel on the shed, rather than running power out there.  Hoping it allows us to charge battery operated tools off of a battery without dragging them to and from the front of the property.

- Been cutting down a lot on alcohol and other "beverages".  Best to just drink water....and unsweetened coffee, cuz...coffee.  Hoping its cheaper and better for the waistline.

- Chicks are expected to hatch in 10ish days.  Used a christmas gift card to buy chick feed, seed potatoes and a new rake handle at fleet farm.  Drilled small recycled containers at chick height to the sides of the homemade brooder rather than buying a small feeder.  Shredded brown paper from amazon boxes for the "bedding".  Not buying bales of straw till we get to the big coop hopefully!

[Frugal Lizard]

started a fresh batch of alfalfa sprouts.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-I've been making some really eclectic meals to use things up & avoid takeout (and food waste).
-We have a very dedicated volunteer lettuce that keeps cropping up in various places. One version of it is in a pot (how thoughtful), so I was able to cut the first spring lettuce to use in a salad last night.

[PMG]

I used the last single serving on jam from a case I bought for easy lunch packing 2+ years ago when my kiddo was an infant. Hooray! They were definitely out of date but just fine. I have some also outdated packets of the gelatin you use to make jam. Perhaps it’s time to use them up making jam instead of buying some. I bought them back when I was optimistic that we’d have enough of our own strawberries and wild berries to make jam with, but now I’d just have to go with frozen fruit.

[Loretta]

Between cars and appliances on the fritz I spent a lotta dollars today but here is how I saved:  I walked over and redeemed points for a delicious free Jersey Mike's sandwich with plenty of healthy veg and protein for my late lunch/early dinner while I waited on the tire shop to work their magic. 

Now I'm baking some brownies for a good warm rich evening treat. 

[Dicey]

We bought a two-drawer base cabinet at IKEA, because we couldn't find anything used that fit a very specific space, and because we had a time deadline. The actual cupboard box, drawers, legs and handles were in stock, but the drawer  fronts and sides had to be ordered. We saved a few bucks by omitting the kickplates, because the exposed legs will work fine. It still turned out to be damn expensive, coming in at about $400. Ack!

This morning, we realized we didn't need the sides we'd ordered. We ordered a roll of 30" wide, thick black contact paper for $26.11. We will return the side pieces, which cost $130.39, for a net savings of $104.28. Bonus: the contact paper will arrive before the sides are scheduled to.

Now to source a nice scrap of butcher block...LOL, we called around after scouring ND, CL and FBM to no avail. DH remembered we'd seen some at Restore a while back. I called them and they did indeed have some new Acacia wood butcher block countertops in stock. Problem was, the person I was talking to had no earthly idea what "butcher block counter tops" meant, and kept telling me they didn't sell blocks. I used a lot of words and even more patience, guiding him through his own store, until he finally figured it out. Alas, the prices he quoted me were substantially more than the big box stores sell them for. Whomp, whomp.

[crocheted_stache]

I cut DH's hair and beard at home today and he made us pancakes for breakfast. Next up: clean the bathroom a little more thoroughly than just sweeping up the hair.

[41_swish]

I need to find someone to cut my hair. A haircut runs me $30 plus a tip it sucks haha

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I need to find someone to cut my hair. A haircut runs me $30 plus a tip it sucks haha

I have a friend who barters her husband's services as a stylist in exchange for their neighbor doing their taxes!

[GuitarStv]

I cut all the hair in our family.  It's pretty easy to learn to do.  Oddly, I found doing my wife's hair was much easier than my own and my son's (only need scissors for hers) since professional haircuts for women are typically more expensive..

[crocheted_stache]

I cut all the hair in our family.  It's pretty easy to learn to do.  Oddly, I found doing my wife's hair was much easier than my own and my son's (only need scissors for hers) since professional haircuts for women are typically more expensive..

I keep mine pretty simple, and I've never paid anyone to cut it for me. My mom has done it, DH has done it. I just need the frizzy part along the bottom trimmed now and then so it's even. From the times as a teen that someone else braided or otherwise handled my hair, I don't think I'd enjoy the "pampering" part that came with a salon experience.

[crocheted_stache]

Also today, DH cut the grass/weeds in the back yard with an electric mower and cooked yummy dinner with leftovers for tomorrow.