Things you thought would be frugal but arent

[tracylayton]

I used to have a huge vegetable garden and I really enjoyed it. While the quality of the produce was superior to what I can buy at the grocery store, I don't think that I really saved that much money and it was definitely a lot of work.

[whydavid]

home made tacos definitely cheaper.. homemade pizza when i can get a palermos thin sicilian for 2 bucks on sale and just bake it.  there is no way you're saving money making your own pizza i just dont believe it

Well, you don't have to believe it, but it's true nonetheless.

When my wife makes my favorite (pepperoni, cheese, jalapeno, assorted peppers/onions), she can make a large pizza (much larger than a Palermos thin crust -- maybe 2-3x by weight) for just under $2.  Dough costs next to nothing if you make it yourself.  Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, etc. are the real cost drivers, but fortunately it does not take much to give the pizza a great flavor (in any event, we still put more of these things on than most frozen pizzas).

Of course, we'd make them even if it were cheaper to buy the frozen ones.  We like these better and it can be a ton of fun to have some family over and let everyone customize their own pizza.  It helps that they are one of my wife's favorite things to make, too. 

On the other hand, I can see the point that these aren't a huge money saver if you are comparing them to Totino's/Palermo's/other budget brand frozen pizzas.  If our homemade efforts tasted anything like the aforementioned, I don't think we'd bother.

[Monkey Uncle]

Cut-rate cell phone plans.  I know a lot of people on here swear by them, but my experience was a total failure.  Wanted to reduce the $70/mo bill for my college-age son's phone.  He was only using voice and text, and that seemed really high.  Got a quote from the carrier (US cellular) for a cheaper plan.  $45/mo for 500 MB and unlimited voice and text.  Not bad, but not as cheap as the cut-rate guys.  Checked out Republic, but discovered that their network is no good in our area.  Airvoice uses AT&T network, which is good in our area, and they offer a $30/mo unlimited + 500MB plan.  Bought a $58 Alcatel phone from Airvoice and started the $30/mo plan.  The phone never worked.  My son spent most of the weekend on the phone w/their tech support; multiple technicians failed to get it working.  By Sunday afternoon, they were totally out of ideas and basically just told us to call the business office when it opened on Monday morning.  So, we went down to the local US cellular store (on Sunday afternoon) and talked to a real person face-to-face.  Signed him back up using his old phone.  Actually got a $30/mo plan which has unlimited talk/text + 300 MB data.  Not much data, but he doesn't use it anyway.  Now I get to spend part of my day today trying to get my $88 back from Airvoice.

Moral of the story: the cheapest option you can get that comes with real humans and a real store may be better than a cut-rate option that only offers phone-in or internet support.

But the cut-rate guys are good for one thing - I doubt US cellular would be offering a $30/mo plan were it not for the competition.

[ender]

Moral of the story: the cheapest option you can get that comes with real humans and a real store may be better than a cut-rate option that only offers phone-in or internet support.

This has not been my experience at all.

Most in-store people for phones I have interacted with are hardly knowledgeable enough to answer anything other than why I should buy the latest smartphone.

[ketchup]

Most in-store people for phones I have interacted with are hardly knowledgeable enough to answer anything other than why I should buy the latest smartphone.

My mom was looking at smartphones at Costco (just seeing which one she liked the most, in order to peruse a similar older one  later online used), and her response to the doofus behind the counter when he asked her what service she currently used was "Platinumtel." He didn't like that.

[kite]

It sacrilege to mention here, but we didn't find Costco to provide any savings for our household.   In line with what others have said about buying half a cow, it doesn't pay for us to pay for a membershp to shop anywhere or to buy in bulk.  Having lived through Hurricane Sandy has further cemented my resolve that the only things worth stockpiling are cash and loved ones. One saltwater flood will ruin everything.  Spending today's money to buynext month's toothpaste or taco filling doesn't cut it. 

[Monkey Uncle]

Moral of the story: the cheapest option you can get that comes with real humans and a real store may be better than a cut-rate option that only offers phone-in or internet support.

This has not been my experience at all.

Most in-store people for phones I have interacted with are hardly knowledgeable enough to answer anything other than why I should buy the latest smartphone.

The sales person did have a look of surprise on her face when my son whipped out his 3-1/2 year old non-smart phone and said he wanted to re-activate it.  But she quickly got that were just interested in a basic budget plan for voice and texting.  No pressure at all to buy the latest i-whatever.

[ambimammular]

Much of my gardening. We are gone for large stretches during the summer and miss out on the watering or harvesting or pruning. And every year I learn new ways tomato plants can die, blossom-end-rot, dusty mildew etc.

I finally realized I was better off buying leftover tomatoes at the farmers market for my canning.

Now we only plant the kind of stuff that takes neglect: sunflowers, pumpkins, watermelon. It's shocking to see how much they've grown in our absence.

[johnsmithindustries]

Buying a quarter cow.  In this area the only way to get a reasonable price per pound on organic grassfed beef is buying quarter or half cows.  I found only one vendor (we are in a remote-ish location) and since his individual steaks and other meats were wonderful, I figured it would be good quality.  Sadly all the premium steaks in the lot are tougher than nails.  I am afraid to even try the stew and kabob meats. 

The hamburger, roasts, organ meats and flank steaks are pretty good.  But the fancy cuts are terrible.  wah.

That's because it was grass fed. If you want really good beef, you have to get corn fed.

I'll disagree. Corn fed *generally* means better marbling and therefore better taste, and is available to everyone at any grocery store. It's the easiest and cheapest way to a good steak.

But that doesn't mean the best beef is corn fed, quite the opposite. People eat Laura's Lean and others and get burned by a poor product. Cattle were not meant to eat corn, nor be finished in a feed lot and that process really does affect the final product. If you grass feed cattle deliberately (meaning intensive graze on excellent pasture) they have both the marbling to make Prime grades and the flavor to kick the crap out of any corn fed cut.

Source: Cattle farmer by birth

[RetiredAt63]

When I put in a vegetable garden I know I have committed to spending the summer at home. Even then, short term my gardens are in negative finances (boards for raised beds for drainage on heavy clay, soil) but in the long term I expect to break even on cost and benefit on flavor.  If I weren't here I would only have ornamentals, and fruit that bore while I was here.  I know people who have spring/fall gardens because they are away all summer, over the summer their gardens are boring, nothing in bloom.  Works for them.

Much of my gardening. We are gone for large stretches during the summer and miss out on the watering or harvesting or pruning. And every year I learn new ways tomato plants can die, blossom-end-rot, dusty mildew etc.

I finally realized I was better off buying leftover tomatoes at the farmers market for my canning.

Now we only plant the kind of stuff that takes neglect: sunflowers, pumpkins, watermelon. It's shocking to see how much they've grown in our absence.

[JeffC]

I'm going to add to this list: buying cheaper, lower quality versions of the thing you actually want. 

I bought some cheap knives a while back, and they pissed me off every time I used them, which led to me finally giving in and shelling out for actually good knives and donated the crappy ones to the thrift store. Money wasted.

I needed a steel water bottle to use on hikes.  Bought a cheap one on Amazon and guess what? It leaked and then one day the threading just gave out.  Had to replace it, money lost.

Got a cheap blender, burned out the motor after about two weeks. even though it was only 20 bucks, it worked out to about 2 bucks per blending session, which is a lot to pay just to blend up a smoothie.

Now I'm very slowly acquiring the basic things (just coming off a 7 year nomadic spree so I have none of the basic things that most households take for granted), and spending what is necessary for high quality ones because to do otherwise would be wasteful. Lesson learned.

[Ynari]

We bought 1/8 grass fed cow over the summer.  Saved money on great meat (much more expensive than corn fed, though), it fit in the freezer, and would do it again.  HOWEVER, we were eating beef every goddamn day.  Ideally we'd split with at least one other person.

I've been knitting and crocheting for at least a decade, so I've long known that crafts are not for saving money. I get really pissed when someone asks if I can make them a sweater if they give me $20.


Mostly, though, I've found I waste money in the name of "frugality" when I'm not accurate about what I'll use or need.  Like if I buy a large coffee/jug of milk/telescope/amount of yarn but get no more use out of it than if I had bought a smaller one.  Or if I buy a small item to avoid overspending and have to go back and buy another one because I ran out. 

[Bob W]

Chest freezers are typically one of the larger energy sucks in a house.

I have always heard they were rather more efficient than uprights. Can you explain or cite references, please?

Yes, chests are rather more efficient than uprights (all things being equal). However, freezers and refrigerators take up quite a bit of household energy usage (?30%?) and it is better if you can do without them. Freezers use more energy than refrigerators (despite the fact that freezers are better insulated) as they are maintaining a bigger temperature differential.

You probably need to check the real numbers on this one.  I think the average 15 cubic foot model (new) now uses about 30-40 US dollars per year.   If you're saving a dollar on 40 pounds of meat, you've paid for your unit that year. 

[Bob W]

home made tacos definitely cheaper.. homemade pizza when i can get a palermos thin sicilian for 2 bucks on sale and just bake it.  there is no way you're saving money making your own pizza i just dont believe it

Well, you don't have to believe it, but it's true nonetheless.

When my wife makes my favorite (pepperoni, cheese, jalapeno, assorted peppers/onions), she can make a large pizza (much larger than a Palermos thin crust -- maybe 2-3x by weight) for just under $2.  Dough costs next to nothing if you make it yourself.  Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, etc. are the real cost drivers, but fortunately it does not take much to give the pizza a great flavor (in any event, we still put more of these things on than most frozen pizzas).

Of course, we'd make them even if it were cheaper to buy the frozen ones.  We like these better and it can be a ton of fun to have some family over and let everyone customize their own pizza.  It helps that they are one of my wife's favorite things to make, too. 

On the other hand, I can see the point that these aren't a huge money saver if you are comparing them to Totino's/Palermo's/other budget brand frozen pizzas.  If our homemade efforts tasted anything like the aforementioned, I don't think we'd bother.

You're a lucky man.  Our homemade pizzas always come out terrible.    While our "Jack's"  on the spinning pizza cooker deal are always perfect. 

I'd be interested in seeing your budget on this one --  I figure 15 cents in flour,  65 cents in yeast,  35 cents in sauce,  65 cents in cheese,  65 cents in pepperoni,  30 cents in green peppers and veggies.   

That equals $2.75.   (most people would neglect figuring the yeast,  but I find it is needed) (of course prices vary by region as well) 

If you figure time. My Jacks takes me about 3 minutes including throwing it in the basket at the supermarket.   My guess would be that a homemade pizza would be 35 minutes of work time if you figured in the 10 minutes hunting for the items at the store, cleaning the mixing bowl etc.  Over a once a week lifetime of pizza making you would be spending about 1,500 more hours obtaining pizza than we will. 

It always comes down to the question in frugal living whether the time invested is worth the savings in money.   Since most people would be just sitting around watching TV it really doesn't matter I  guess.

[rocksinmyhead]

home made tacos definitely cheaper.. homemade pizza when i can get a palermos thin sicilian for 2 bucks on sale and just bake it.  there is no way you're saving money making your own pizza i just dont believe it

Well, you don't have to believe it, but it's true nonetheless.

When my wife makes my favorite (pepperoni, cheese, jalapeno, assorted peppers/onions), she can make a large pizza (much larger than a Palermos thin crust -- maybe 2-3x by weight) for just under $2.  Dough costs next to nothing if you make it yourself.  Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, etc. are the real cost drivers, but fortunately it does not take much to give the pizza a great flavor (in any event, we still put more of these things on than most frozen pizzas).

Of course, we'd make them even if it were cheaper to buy the frozen ones.  We like these better and it can be a ton of fun to have some family over and let everyone customize their own pizza.  It helps that they are one of my wife's favorite things to make, too. 

On the other hand, I can see the point that these aren't a huge money saver if you are comparing them to Totino's/Palermo's/other budget brand frozen pizzas.  If our homemade efforts tasted anything like the aforementioned, I don't think we'd bother.

You're a lucky man.  Our homemade pizzas always come out terrible.    While our "Jack's"  on the spinning pizza cooker deal are always perfect. 

I'd be interested in seeing your budget on this one --  I figure 15 cents in flour,  65 cents in yeast,  35 cents in sauce,  65 cents in cheese,  65 cents in pepperoni,  30 cents in green peppers and veggies.   

That equals $2.75.   (most people would neglect figuring the yeast,  but I find it is needed) (of course prices vary by region as well) 

If you figure time. My Jacks takes me about 3 minutes including throwing it in the basket at the supermarket.   My guess would be that a homemade pizza would be 35 minutes of work time if you figured in the 10 minutes hunting for the items at the store, cleaning the mixing bowl etc.  Over a once a week lifetime of pizza making you would be spending about 1,500 more hours obtaining pizza than we will. 

It always comes down to the question in frugal living whether the time invested is worth the savings in money.   Since most people would be just sitting around watching TV it really doesn't matter I  guess.

not to nitpick but yeast is more like $0.30-0.40 per pizza if you buy the 4oz jar at the supermarket, less if you buy in bulk at Costco et al. I don't know the prices of the other stuff off the top of my head but now I'm skeptical... :)

anyway, I think what it comes down to is what you're comparing it with, just like your taco example. I am still working on my homemade pizza game, and it's definitely not as good as the local pizza place (which is $22 for a large with the good toppings, yikes) but it is in a whole different ballpark than Jack's/Tombstone/what have you.

[Elderwood17]

We also found the garden to be a low ROI (exception - the fruit trees).  We were buying bushel baskets of tomatoes for five bucks at the farmers market, and peppers for six, which is the price of a couple plants.  But we do enjoy it and there is that benefit.

[Lizzy B.]

I'll concur with the statements about knitting/crocheting being expensive. I used to do a lot more of that! 

I love crafts though-they keep me from getting bored watching TV, so I've started doing crossstich and surface embroidery instead. As with all things, there are frugal and less frugal ways of doing it, but I find that each project takes so long to complete that the cost per hour is insanely low. This only works for large projects, though. For those, the kits seem to be much cheaper than buying all the threads, pattern, fabric, etc., separately.

[RetiredAt63]

No TV here any more, so no place for boring knitting.  Value per hour - knit lace with lace-weight yarn.  Lots of gorgeous free patterns on Ravelry, straight wool (as opposed to blends with alpaca or silk), and you are set!  ;-)  Plus in my case, the extra time spent deciphering patterns, and frogging back where I am short a stitch/have one too many.

I'll concur with the statements about knitting/crocheting being expensive. I used to do a lot more of that! 

I love crafts though-they keep me from getting bored watching TV, so I've started doing crossstich and surface embroidery instead. As with all things, there are frugal and less frugal ways of doing it, but I find that each project takes so long to complete that the cost per hour is insanely low. This only works for large projects, though. For those, the kits seem to be much cheaper than buying all the threads, pattern, fabric, etc., separately.

[Bob W]

My wife!   (just kidding dear)

[Heart of Tin]

No TV here any more, so no place for boring knitting.  Value per hour - knit lace with lace-weight yarn.  Lots of gorgeous free patterns on Ravelry, straight wool (as opposed to blends with alpaca or silk), and you are set!  ;-)  Plus in my case, the extra time spent deciphering patterns, and frogging back where I am short a stitch/have one too many.

I'll concur with the statements about knitting/crocheting being expensive. I used to do a lot more of that! 

I love crafts though-they keep me from getting bored watching TV, so I've started doing crossstich and surface embroidery instead. As with all things, there are frugal and less frugal ways of doing it, but I find that each project takes so long to complete that the cost per hour is insanely low. This only works for large projects, though. For those, the kits seem to be much cheaper than buying all the threads, pattern, fabric, etc., separately.

My brother received a red cashmere sweater for Christmas last year, but decided that he didn't want it and gave it to my mom to donate. Before she could I snatched it up, deconstructed it, and wound up five cobweb weight hanks. So far I have cashmere gloves, socks, and most of a shawl for the price of two sets of needles (size 0 DPNs for the gloves and socks and size 3 circs for the shawl). I still have about half the yarn I started with, too!

Reusing high quality fiber yarn seems to be the cheapest way to keep up with my knitting hobby.

[Spruit]

On the knitting: I buy it via the local Craigslist, second hand and in bulk from quitting hobbyists. Seldom pay more than 20ct t o 50ct per skein. What I don't like or use gets sold again for at least that amount.

[sheepgetlambs]

Knitting works for me because I knit with yarn acquired free or almost free. (Ebay, thrift stores, word of mouth as people see me knitting at meetings and offer their late grandmother's stash, overruns purchased at a woolen mill in Norway when we loved overseas many years ago.) I knit gifts (useful things like dishcloths or mittens, not sweaters no one will wear). I feed my need to have busy hands while waiting for kids at piano lessons or sitting in car while traveling AND I keep our gift budget lower. For example, for Christmas each of our kids' teachers will receive a dishcloth and a blank note journal (purchased for 50 cents each at a mega sale). The first page of the journal will have a handwritten note from the child, thanking the teacher. They are useful, consumable gifts and they accomplish for my kids the lesson I want to teach; gifts should take some thought and effort. They don't need to cost money.

[flamingo25]

Another one for couponing. I tried it for a while but it stressed me out and I ended up buying a lot of crappy food I never wanted to eat.

Knitting is not always frugal compared to buying new clothes but is a relaxing and enjoyable hobby for me. I get a lot of yarn/supplies for free or from thrift shops and ask for it for birthday and Christmas gifts. Also, I knit/sew a lot of gifts. I can make a scarf or hat for under $5 using thrifted yarn. It makes a personal gift for a small cost and also provides me enjoyment in making it.

[SharpM]

You're a lucky man.  Our homemade pizzas always come out terrible.    While our "Jack's"  on the spinning pizza cooker deal are always perfect. 

I'd be interested in seeing your budget on this one --  I figure 15 cents in flour,  65 cents in yeast,  35 cents in sauce,  65 cents in cheese,  65 cents in pepperoni,  30 cents in green peppers and veggies.   

That equals $2.75.   (most people would neglect figuring the yeast,  but I find it is needed) (of course prices vary by region as well) 

If you figure time. My Jacks takes me about 3 minutes including throwing it in the basket at the supermarket.   My guess would be that a homemade pizza would be 35 minutes of work time if you figured in the 10 minutes hunting for the items at the store, cleaning the mixing bowl etc.  Over a once a week lifetime of pizza making you would be spending about 1,500 more hours obtaining pizza than we will. 

It always comes down to the question in frugal living whether the time invested is worth the savings in money.   Since most people would be just sitting around watching TV it really doesn't matter I  guess.

Good discussion.  I started making homemade pizza a few years ago, primarily for healthier ingredients...instead of "100 ingredient" pizza.  I make it about once a week for my family of 4.  And is a great frugal way for parties at our house.  Everyone loves homemade pizza pies with crazy custom ingredients.

I have the process down pretty well.  I can make a large pizza in about 25 minutes from scratch.  Second pizza is done ~12 minutes later.  I have 2 ovens.
Good Costco price resource.  http://naturalthrifty.com/costco-organic-price-list.html

Pricing:
Organic Flour $0.30 (2 cups)  ($10.99/#20)
Yeast $0.08 ($11.28 for 32oz on Amazon) for 128 pizzas/bread whatever.
Salt $0.02
Organic Sauce $0.25
then toppings which vary greatly.

What's great about pizza in my house is the toppings are augmented by what is leftover in the fridge.  Half a red pepper, some squash, lentils, whatever.

--
SharpM

[fiddlercricket]

I'm confused by the posters mentioning knitting/sewing versus buying new.

Isn't there another choice:  buying used?  Where I'm at, I can pick up most articles of clothing between $5 and $20 bucks.  That includes stuff like merino wool sweaters if I keep my eyes open.  The trick is to understand what you need, understand what you don't have spares of but will wear out relatively quickly, and stock up on both when you can find them.

[geekette]

It's a creative outlet - and I knit so I don't kill people, so the saying goes.

[flamingo25]

It's a creative outlet - and I knit so I don't kill people, so the saying goes.

Yup, me too. I don't do it to save money on clothing.

[Self-employed-swami]

Homebrewing 

I ran the math and couldn't see where I could save much money when you can buy good micro-brews for about $1 each if you watch the sales.

Not so in Canada!  Homebrewing saves my husband a lot of money per pint.

[RetiredAt63]

Knitting is a hobby, one that gives pleasure in the doing and produces something that can be enjoyed, just like micro-brewing.  Plus, you knit exactly what you want - if you like the pattern generally but not totally, you can adjust it.  I love hand-knit mittens, doubled - inner pair of fine soft wool for warmth and comfort, outer pair of heavier wool for strength and wind-resistance (it doesn't hurt if they felt a bit too).  When the outer ones get wet, the inner ones are still dry.

Right now I am spinning lace-weight yarn for a shawl - fiber is 70% merino, 30% silk, cost me $20/pound (bulk order) and I will use about half of that.  Spinning this is a joy, and knitting with it will be a joy.  Buying a similar yarn in the quantity I need would have been easily $50-$60.  So in this case I am actually saving a bit of money in trade for quite a bit of time.

I would happily deconstruct a good sweater, but I never see them in the thrift stores - mind you, I don't hit them often, I am not much of a shopper.

[SugarMountain]

A couple of thoughts -- a lot of times while you can buy things more cheaply than make them, the quality is not the same.  Take your taco bell tacos.  For $6 you should be able to make something a lot better than their "Grade D but edible" beef.  Instead of going to the extreme of making your own corn tortillas from scratch, you can by raw ones and fry them yourself.  My wife does that and it's awesome.

[Bob W]

Just sent the boss for Taco Bell!   

I've had this discussion with my 23 year old daughter.  She seems to think that her tacos are great and that home cooked tacos are way better than TB.   She is wrong of course.   And I am usually the one who gets the grocery bill for like $30 in Mexican making dinner supplies when she visits.  (has to make burritos with sauce and a years supply of cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes,  Enchilada sauce,  taco sauce,  taco seasoning,  ground beef and chicken,  wraps (the expensive kind),  olives,  jalapenos, rice,  beans,  taco shells,  guacamole,  etc.

   I'm not opposed to home made tacos but I'm missing the frugal part.   Perhaps if I hand make and deep fry the tacos (like they do fresh at TB)  I could match the price but then I would need to buy a fry daddy and $3 in oil to fill it.   

I'm always a little suspect when one of my adult kids says they make great this or that.   And can you even buy "Cool Ranch" taco shells at the store. 

I do occasionally make beans, rice, ground beef and taco chips.   Not a bad price for that. 

MMMM!  just finished the Taco Bell Cool Ranch tacos.   Well worth the 4 bucks.  (can't pack a taco in the lunch pale you know)

[skunkfunk]

like they do fresh at TB

I hope this is satire. Taco Bell rates just above "edible" and just below a frozen hot dog that you eat fresh out of the freezer without any preparation.

[Beaker]

I needed a steel water bottle to use on hikes.  Bought a cheap one on Amazon and guess what? It leaked and then one day the threading just gave out.  Had to replace it, money lost.

Best thing for hiking water bottles is old Gatorade bottles. Big mouths, very sturdy, lightweight, and if something happens to then they're cheap to replace ($1.50 and it comes with free Gatorade!). I've been washing and reusing the same set for about 3 years now.

That said, it seems like everywhere I go somebody's trying to give me a new steel water bottle. Have about 7 of them stuck in the cabinet after giving a bunch away. I guess it's the trendy giveaway now that everyone has so many reusable grocery bags that they don't actually need to use them more than once.

[minimustache1985]

Homemade pizza again, my cost is about $7 on average which is a more than a frozen pizza in the store, although it works out per serving about the same since my pizza easily makes 4-5 meals and a Digiorno is 3 tops.  Plus it tastes SO MUCH BETTER.  Anything lower quality than Digiorno doesn't enter my kitchen.

Yeast ($0.50, yes I could do better buying in bulk)
Flour/salt/oil/oregano (~0.50 combined)
Cheese ($2-$2.50, 8 oz of pizza cheese mix with mozz, romano, and parm)
Sauce ($1, 2 bertolli packets that come 3 in a box purchased from the bread outlet store- how long does a can/jar of sauce keep after opening?  I can't seem to be able to get any for less than $1 and am only cooking for 2 people)
Toppings ($2-$3, usually red peppers and pepperoni)

I have to agree with Bob on cost if you make tacos with fresh ground beef, but homemade tacos should be planned for with leftover meat- leftover pulled pork especially- so that Taco Bell isn't resorted to (blech!).

[kite]

Homemade pizza again, my cost is about $7 on average which is a more than a frozen pizza in the store, although it works out per serving about the same since my pizza easily makes 4-5 meals and a Digiorno is 3 tops.  Plus it tastes SO MUCH BETTER.  Anything lower quality than Digiorno doesn't enter my kitchen.

Yeast ($0.50, yes I could do better buying in bulk)
Flour/salt/oil/oregano (~0.50 combined)
Cheese ($2-$2.50, 8 oz of pizza cheese mix with mozz, romano, and parm)
Sauce ($1, 2 bertolli packets that come 3 in a box purchased from the bread outlet store- how long does a can/jar of sauce keep after opening?  I can't seem to be able to get any for less than $1 and am only cooking for 2 people)
Toppings ($2-$3, usually red peppers and pepperoni)

I have to agree with Bob on cost if you make tacos with fresh ground beef, but homemade tacos should be planned for with leftover meat- leftover pulled pork especially- so that Taco Bell isn't resorted to (blech!).

++100 on the leftovers.
There's a line in Everlasting Meal along the lines of, "one does not buy the ingredients for [Ribolitta] one has them."  There are dishes we make to use up what is abundant in the garden, cheap and in season at the market or leftover in the fridge.   When there is only enough pulled pork or brisket for one, but there are two people to feed, it becomes tacos.  When there are a few leftover grilled vegetables,  they become pizza toppings, or filling for stuffed mushrooms or twice baked potatoes.   Some leftover meat or vegetables would make sense in a quiche.   I'd never even buy sauce for homemade pizza,  it would be homemade from the day or week before, otherwise we'd have to make do with white pizza.   

[seanc0x0]

Homebrewing 

I ran the math and couldn't see where I could save much money when you can buy good micro-brews for about $1 each if you watch the sales.

Not so in Canada!  Homebrewing saves my husband a lot of money per pint.

I can second that, and I have numbers. These are for wine, as I haven't gotten into beer (yet).

I usually buy wine kits in the $60-75 range, which make 30 bottles. I bought the equipment many years ago and have made hundreds of bottles with it. I think I paid around $40 for everything, so the price of that is fairly small per bottle. Say $0.10 for argument's sake (I've definitely made more than 400 bottles of wine!). Lastly, the corks are around $5 for 30. 

Wine: $2 - $2.50
Corks: $0.16
Equipment: $ 0.10

Total $2.25 - $2.75 a bottle, thereabouts. Compared to the cheapest wines at the Liquor Board stores, coming in the $9-10 range (I've never seen one below $9), that's a pretty significant savings! Booze is not cheap in Canada!

I also make a lot of mead, which costs just the honey, yeast, and yeast nutrient. Usually comes in under $1.50 a bottle.

[BlueMR2]

I've had this discussion with my 23 year old daughter.  She seems to think that her tacos are great and that home cooked tacos are way better than TB.   She is wrong of course.   And I am usually the one who gets the grocery bill for like $30 in Mexican making dinner supplies when she visits.  (has to make burritos with sauce and a years supply of cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes,  Enchilada sauce,  taco sauce,  taco seasoning,  ground beef and chicken,  wraps (the expensive kind),  olives,  jalapenos, rice,  beans,  taco shells,  guacamole,  etc.

That's funny!  :-)

Yeah, it's cheaper for me to DRIVE to Taco Bell, buy a big pack of Tacos than it is to walk to the store and buy the ingredients and cook them up!  We still usually make our own, but I still kind of cringe inside knowing that we could be saving money by going fast food in that case!

[rocketpj]

like they do fresh at TB

I hope this is satire. Taco Bell rates just above "edible" and just below a frozen hot dog that you eat fresh out of the freezer without any preparation.

I had just finished eating a salt laden Taco Bell disgusting meal thing when I met my wife.  Because I was full of salt (and young and frisky) I invited her out for a beer on the spot.  Little did I know I was really inviting her out for a few decades of child rearing and other fun stuff.

The next day my fate was sealed, but I also had awful food poisoning and spent a 12 hour shift in hell at work.

I'd say that was a very expensive taco, but she makes more than me so I guess it was the most frugal taco I've ever eaten.

[dragoncar]

I've had this discussion with my 23 year old daughter.  She seems to think that her tacos are great and that home cooked tacos are way better than TB.   She is wrong of course.   And I am usually the one who gets the grocery bill for like $30 in Mexican making dinner supplies when she visits.  (has to make burritos with sauce and a years supply of cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes,  Enchilada sauce,  taco sauce,  taco seasoning,  ground beef and chicken,  wraps (the expensive kind),  olives,  jalapenos, rice,  beans,  taco shells,  guacamole,  etc.

That's funny!  :-)

Yeah, it's cheaper for me to DRIVE to Taco Bell, buy a big pack of Tacos than it is to walk to the store and buy the ingredients and cook them up!  We still usually make our own, but I still kind of cringe inside knowing that we could be saving money by going fast food in that case!

Don't forget to add "fillers" to the beef to get the cost down. 

Love me some taco bell, but I can't eat it regularly it definitely fattens me up

[mm1970]

You gotta buy yeast at Costco.  At $5 for 2lb, even if we throw most of it away, it's cheaper than at the store.

[weston]

For me it has been pretty much every attempt that I have ever made to save money by taking the "do it yourself" route when it requires any real amount of mechanical or construction skills. I go out. Buy the materials. Spend hours doing my best and in the end spend even more money hiring someone with the proper skills and equipment to fix or replace what I have already done.

I probably have wasted more money in Home Depot than any other retailer over the past 5 years.

[dragoncar]

For me it has been pretty much every attempt that I have ever made to save money by taking the "do it yourself" route when it requires any real amount of mechanical or construction skills. I go out. Buy the materials. Spend hours doing my best and in the end spend even more money hiring someone with the proper skills and equipment to fix or replace what I have already done.

I probably have wasted more money in Home Depot than any other retailer over the past 5 years.

Out of curiosity, which projects have you tried?  Do you think your lack of aptitude is special, or typical?

[weston]

For me it has been pretty much every attempt that I have ever made to save money by taking the "do it yourself" route when it requires any real amount of mechanical or construction skills. I go out. Buy the materials. Spend hours doing my best and in the end spend even more money hiring someone with the proper skills and equipment to fix or replace what I have already done.

I probably have wasted more money in Home Depot than any other retailer over the past 5 years.

Out of curiosity, which projects have you tried?  Do you think your lack of aptitude is special, or typical?

The two most recent were replacing the kitchen faucet and installing a television mount on our family room wall. The most expensive failure was the Great Parquet Floor Debacle of 2002. My wife and children still speak of it in hushed and fearful tones.

 As to whether my lack of aptitude is special or typical...my first instinct is go with special because my mommy always told me I was special. However, as to the real reason. Who knows? I just know that it almost always ends up costing more money.

[nawhite]

The two most recent were replacing the kitchen faucet and installing a television mount on our family room wall. The most expensive failure was the Great Parquet Floor Debacle of 2002. My wife and children still speak of it in hushed and fearful tones.

Ahh Parquet Floors! Run away fast! My house came with them installed so we just had to refinish them but they are SOOO much more work than normal wood floors. They look cool but are not worth it. What went wrong with yours?

On topic, I definitely agree with the gardening and the homebrewing of beer. Way more expensive than just buying on sale. As for pizza, mine comes out about  to about $6 for 2 medium sized pizzas if I do real pizza sauce instead of just a can of tomatoes. I always make 2 at once because the leftovers are great. Around here I almost never see frozen pizza that cheap and when I do, it won't taste anywhere near as good as mine.

I'll also add an e-reader, but mostly because I didn't have the self control to not buy e-books that would automatically deliver to the device. Going to the library or the "Two buck books" store always was more cost effective even if I didn't always get to read the book I wanted immediately.

[weston]

The two most recent were replacing the kitchen faucet and installing a television mount on our family room wall. The most expensive failure was the Great Parquet Floor Debacle of 2002. My wife and children still speak of it in hushed and fearful tones.

Ahh Parquet Floors! Run away fast! My house came with them installed so we just had to refinish them but they are SOOO much more work than normal wood floors. They look cool but are not worth it. What went wrong with yours?

*****

I'll also add an e-reader, but mostly because I didn't have the self control to not buy e-books that would automatically deliver to the device. Going to the library or the "Two buck books" store always was more cost effective even if I didn't always get to read the book I wanted immediately.

   

Could never get the damn things straight. Snapped lines until I was covered with chalk.  They still kept veering off. A few months after that it became apparent that I didn't use enough adhesive for my very humid environment so we started getting peaks and valleys. My kids used to love running up and down the hills in their bedrooms.

My experience with e-readers has been the exact opposite of yours. It has saved me a ton of money in books. My library has an online lending library for ereaders. Have you checked with your library? I probably check out 7 to 10 kindle titles a month. They are all are automatically delivered. Some of the books require a waiting list but I usually have at least a few other titles I can read right away while waiting for the books on the wait list.

At first when I responded I thought you might be from a small town whose library hasn't gone digital yet. Denver most certainly does have a lending library for ebooks. To me the secret is to have 3 or 4 books you are interested in reading in case you have to wait for 1 or 2 of them

[sunnyca]

I used to have a huge vegetable garden and I really enjoyed it. While the quality of the produce was superior to what I can buy at the grocery store, I don't think that I really saved that much money and it was definitely a lot of work.

This.  I used to think gardening was a frugal activity, but after a month, I know better.  But I enjoy gardening and it works as a stress reliever, so I'll keep doing it.

[skunkfunk]

homebrewing of beer. Way more expensive than just buying on sale.

Beer goes on sale? I don't think I've seen many sales that save more than a few pennies.

If you drink craft beer, you can indeed save a bunch of money. Prairie Artisan Ales have some that cost $8+ per 12 ounce bottle! No way I'm buying that. And now that I have all the equipment (probably $600 in equipment including the freezer) I might as well make the other stuff too. This guy brews for $12.25 in ingredients per 5 gallons.

[nawhite]

homebrewing of beer. Way more expensive than just buying on sale.

Beer goes on sale? I don't think I've seen many sales that save more than a few pennies.

If you drink craft beer, you can indeed save a bunch of money. Prairie Artisan Ales have some that cost $8+ per 12 ounce bottle! No way I'm buying that. And now that I have all the equipment (probably $600 in equipment including the freezer) I might as well make the other stuff too. This guy brews for $12.25 in ingredients per 5 gallons.

Well its no $12.25/5 gallons, but our local liquor store usually sells 6 packs of good microbrews for $8.99 and usually has one on sale for $6.99. Every time I've looked at homebrewing, the kit is $150, the cleaning supplies are about $.10/bottle and the bottle caps plus ingredients end up about $0.75/bottle if I'm frugal. So I'd end up needing to store all of that fermenting beer and equipment and my cost per bottle would be just a little lower than the 6 packs from the store (and their beer tastes better). If you get the equipment to keg your own beer, I'm sure its cheaper to homebrew, but I don't want all of that equipment around my house.

[skunkfunk]

homebrewing of beer. Way more expensive than just buying on sale.

Beer goes on sale? I don't think I've seen many sales that save more than a few pennies.

If you drink craft beer, you can indeed save a bunch of money. Prairie Artisan Ales have some that cost $8+ per 12 ounce bottle! No way I'm buying that. And now that I have all the equipment (probably $600 in equipment including the freezer) I might as well make the other stuff too. This guy brews for $12.25 in ingredients per 5 gallons.

Well its no $12.25/5 gallons, but our local liquor store usually sells 6 packs of good microbrews for $8.99 and usually has one on sale for $6.99. Every time I've looked at homebrewing, the kit is $150, the cleaning supplies are about $.10/bottle and the bottle caps plus ingredients end up about $0.75/bottle if I'm frugal. So I'd end up needing to store all of that fermenting beer and equipment and my cost per bottle would be just a little lower than the 6 packs from the store (and their beer tastes better). If you get the equipment to keg your own beer, I'm sure its cheaper to homebrew, but I don't want all of that equipment around my house.

There are ways to save on cleaners and sanitizers mostly involving eBay that I won't go into here, but it's much less than $.10/bottle. $20 of star san and pbw gets me through a year or so.

Last night I brewed a clone of this from a recipe I got from the brewery itself, so should be close, for $.70/bottle in ingredients and cleaning/bottling supplies (I'll get around 53 bottles.) That's a savings of $3.29/bottle at a cost of equipment and several hours time, on a recipe that is heavy on grain and hops. My payback period is short with beers like this. Things like boulevard 80 acre I'm better off buying, though I may make/alter for my own amusement.

YMMV, from the sounds of it you've determined you're better off buying the occasional 6-pack and that's just fine by me. I suggest staying away if you don't want a new hobby, all told it's around 6 hours of work for a batch of beer.

[Heart of Tin]

I used to have a huge vegetable garden and I really enjoyed it. While the quality of the produce was superior to what I can buy at the grocery store, I don't think that I really saved that much money and it was definitely a lot of work.

This.  I used to think gardening was a frugal activity, but after a month, I know better.  But I enjoy gardening and it works as a stress reliever, so I'll keep doing it.

I grow herbs, flowers, and arugula. All three are too expensive to justify buying most of the time and require no special care. Just water, sun, and dirt. Plus my balcony looks so much more homey with plants.