what did you NOT buy today?

[MyAlterEgoIsTaller]

A new weed whacker, because my old one was broken.  But after cleaning off the crust of mud and grass clippings it turned out it was just that the plastic screw holes are stripped, causing the parts to fall apart, so I tied it all back together by threading wire through the holes.  It will last at least through this tail end of the grass-growing season... if not forever.

[Travis]

My Amazon cart has in it currently: shower curtain because our old one doesn't reach the floor of our new shower, 110v/220v adapter plugs, and a step-down transformer.  Haven't pulled the trigger because my wife thinks she can adapt some hooks to lower our shower curtain three inches and so far we haven't had a pressing need for the electrical equipment.

I did a similar fix just using torn strips of fabric.  It was supposed to be a quick fix until I found something else, but it worked, and I liked the look and color and used it until I moved out of that apartment.

Curtain problem solved permanently. She went to the store yesterday and found shower curtain hooks that were thin enough to fit the loops in the rail and loop around the existing hooks.  The curtain is now only a half inch off the ground. Spent $5 to save at least $30.

[Gerard]

Supermarket ground pork. It's a long story, but on the other hand, it's also boring:

Heavy books in backpack to return to library. Forgot about them till I got to the supermarket. Bought less stuff, because limited room in backpack. Dropped off books at library, food at home. Hmm, if I have to go back out anyway, why not go to Chinatown and get cheaper pork? Hey, it's so cheap, let's get extra and make a big pot of ragu with my discount tomatoes. So now we have enough ragu for 3 or 4 nights of no time to cook, and 70-something meatballs for a dinner party tomorrow.

Okay, now 60-something meatballs. Don't judge me, they're tasty.

[Loretta]

I read a book’s reviews on Amazon and opted to save $16 by requesting it from the library. 

[imadandylion]

I wanted to order pho because I was craving it, but I didn't. I went home fully with the intent to make it, but didn't have all the spices on hand. So I just made a different soup instead with rice noodles I had on hand. Didn't hit the spot, but also didn't spend money unnecessarily, so there's that. This stuff costs hardly anything to make so I really didn't want to spend $15 or probably more with the tip/delivery/service fee/one-item-order-fee/etc.

[Loretta]

I abstained from Starbucks Iced Tea and had free iced water instead this afternoon at work.  Overall I did a pretty decent job at drinking water this week. 

[SmileAllDay]

My wife and I were having 2 beautiful coffees in Lisbon and were tempted to get two more. We decided not to since our goal is to spend less than $30k combined. I know it's not Mustachian to even get one but hey... :)

[FamilyGuy]

Groceries for this week. We are going to use remainings in Fridge and pantry.

[MissNancyPryor]

A new sink sprayer attachment.  The old one was very slow running and can't be disassembled for cleaning.  I was going to spend $9 for a new one but as a last ditch effort I stuck it in pure vinegar for several hours and tried to back flush it and blow it out from both directions (funny image, that).  It is back to 90% good now which is good enough.   

[MissNancyPryor]

Another one-  While getting my free flu shot I was tempted to buy a cute bowl for Halloween candy, $2.99. 

Then I remembered I have bowls.   

[Weisass]

A donut. (I really wanted a donut).

[Dee_the_third]

Walked right past the Halloween candy display.

I think at some point I might give myself permission to make some candy corn trail mix. Other than that, I just remind myself that halloween chocolate is low quality with more packaging waste! Might as well go buy the good stuff.

[parkerk]

Fancy-pants elastic shoelaces for SEVENTEEN DOLLARS.  I didn't even know shoelaces could be that expensive!  I went to the store just looking for regular shoelaces to replace a broken one on some casual runners.  Got to the display, saw the elastic ones and thought, hey, that's neat.  Saw the price and thought, oh hells no. 

Instead I went to the sewing section and got almost two metres of plain white sewing elastic for $2.50.  I used half a metre to lace up both my shoes, so now I have snazzy elastic-laced pull-on shoes and enough elastic to replace them again three times over if they break. 

I am more proud of myself for this than shoelaces probably warrants, but whatever. 

[Loretta]

Wellllllll, after agreeing to buy a new bathtub/shower remodel deal for $18k, I did not buy any clothing or groceries.  I am making a concerted effort to eat the groceries I bought last week and earlier.  I also made 2 pots of iced tea at home instead of purchasing iced tea from a drive through.  A friend took me to lunch. I abstained from buying gas but will probably fill up this afternoon. 

[bmjohnson35]

A mattress.  It's amazing how expensive they are these days.  We narrowed our top picks down to a few models and our top pick was over $6000 for a king size.  We have a queen tempurpedic in another room and it's now 17 yrs old.  It's still in great shape and my spouse loves it.  We don't have an immediate need for this mattress, so we are still weighing our options.   

BJ

[MissNancyPryor]

I didn't buy a draft blocker for my closet door (which has the large attic access portal inside and gets cold, a bad way to lose heat from the bedroom). 

I made one using an old bath towel wrapped around the heavy, 2" diameter cardboard core saved from an area rug.  I cut the core into 2 pieces to match the width of the door and rolled the bath towel around each, sewing it into place so it wouldn't unravel.  It hugs the door closely and slides perfectly along the hardwood floor.  It looks like this from the end:    O_O

It is heavy, plush, and much better than some Chinese garbage found online. I have heard about doing something like this with fleece and pool noodles cut down to shape but since I had saved the cardboard core and had an ancient bath towel I was able to do it for $0 cost.

[Mrs. D.]

For months, I've been thinking about buying a new extra-squishy foam bath mat to cushion my knees when I bathe my kids. Our current one has gotten a little lackluster after years of washing. But, I doubled it over on itself and, voila, I got an extra-squishy mat that's easy on the knees and didn't cost a penny!

[Travis]

Our office chair in the house is already a hand me down and falling apart. One of the arm rests falls on the floor if you put any weight on it. Last weekend someone in our apartment complex advertised a brand new leather reclining adjustable office chair for free. She was going to throw it in the dumpster because she didn't like the size.

[verntc]

Instead of buying a new utility cord that had blown out the female end while charging a generator, we spliced on a new end. $100 in savings.

[iris lily]

I have a new condo to furnish I plan to have fun doing it.

Yesterday  was a big shopping day. I hit my favorite antique store which is very nice. I thought I would expand beyond it and I hit four more. None of the four we’re worth it and I won’t go back to them. So that’s a savings in time for the future, I just won’t bother. They have drek..

I steeled myself to go into the most expensive lighting store we have in the metro area. I remember decades ago I went through there shaking my head thinking who are these people who spend this much on light fixtures?

Well, now I’m one of those people who could easily afford to buy these light fixtures. But I didn’t buy any. There wasn’t anything I Especially liked. Other than seeing a ceiling fan that had clear plastic Blades, Nothing was too exciting. But oh my god that ceiling fan is a game changer for me… It’s life itself… I can now have ceiling fans because it’s practically invisible!

I darted into Whole Foodsv because I happenEd  to be driving by. That’s a place I go into maybe once a year, And only then to point and laugh. Things are too expensive there and they are just odd. I half  heartedly pickEd out a couple of things that would be OK to try. But when I saw the long Chevkout the line, I put them back and left the store. Whole Foods is pretty ridiculous.

Darted into an upscale furniture store. Everything in the damn store is sand colored. I’m not sure if there was one thing that was an actual color color. Everything is gray, greige,  grays tan cream Beige or silver.

UGG who are these people who buy their furniture there?

That whole shopping expedition yesterday was actually very  useful because it confirmed that my usual way of buying home furnishings is OK. I go to one antique store. I buy a few things off eBay. I go to one store for a custom order of a sofa. I scrounge around for chairs. Done.

[cooking]

A horse.

[okisok]

Lunch or dinner out. I met a friend for lunch in the park. She bought her lunch from a nearby place that I really like, but I knew we were meeting and brown-bagged it (potluck leftovers packed in a hand-me-down insulated lunch bag and clearanced Pyrex containers).

I really wanted delivery pizza for dinner. I was craving unhealthy and easy. Instead, I ate popcorn and Pop-Tarts. Just as nutritionally deficient and super cheap :) I did take a multi-vitamin to help a bit!

[okisok]

Anything at Target. I had some returns and some recycling they accept. Went in, did those two things, and got right back out.

[Queen Frugal]

Today I unbought some things, does that count?

Unbought:

$20/m in Verizon charges
$27/m for my RingCentral business phone account
$16/m for my videoconferencing service
$25/m in internet fees
$88/m saved that can be invested!!!

I really should do that once a year even if dealing with the sales people drive me batty. They either don't know squat or they are trying to upsell me.

[Travis]

Our office chair in the house is already a hand me down and falling apart. One of the arm rests falls on the floor if you put any weight on it. Last weekend someone in our apartment complex advertised a brand new leather reclining adjustable office chair for free. She was going to throw it in the dumpster because she didn't like the size.

One of my coworkers mentioned having an office chair that he wanted to throw out because the wheel is warped. I stopped by his house and took it off his hands.  It's a cousin of the one I picked up a couple months ago.

One of the support legs is slightly bend outwards. It's metal. Can I just bang it back into place with a hammer?

[Gone_fishing]

Patio string lights, a chess set (after watching the Queens Gambit) and new pots for my growing plants.  Some of these purchases might still happen another day though....going to think about it.

[HipGnosis]

Printer paper.
Most of what I print is less than a page and just for myself - recipes or list of things to buy or list of things to do, etc.
So, I've been putting full size pages with nothing on the back from junk mail on top of my pack of printer paper.  When I need to print something for myself, I feed one into the printer.

[okisok]

Printer paper.
Most of what I print is less than a page and just for myself - recipes or list of things to buy or list of things to do, etc.
So, I've been putting full size pages with nothing on the back from junk mail on top of my pack of printer paper.  When I need to print something for myself, I feed one into the printer.

I've been doing this for years! I really don't remember the last time I bought printer paper. That's the one positive about junk mail--usually the back is blank and I can run it through the printer. The maybe one time a year I need to print something 'official' or otherwise on a clean sheet, I print it at work.

[jinga nation]

did not fall for any of the Cyber Monday deals. I did look at the offers though, and realized my family didn't need any of it.

I did buy my daughter some new swim equipment as a reward for getting onto a development swim team. None of it was on sale.

[BuffaloStache]

did not fall for any of the Cyber Monday deals. I did look at the offers though, and realized my family didn't need any of it.

I did buy my daughter some new swim equipment as a reward for getting onto a development swim team. None of it was on sale.

This is a great buy regardless of sale. Buying equipment which will help someone continue to exercise and continue maintaining their physical health is the best kind of purchase. Double so when the benefiting person has demonstrated that they will continue to use said equipment for a long time (like in making a development team). Congrats to them!

[Loretta]

I came directly home from work and ate leftovers.  I then had an upset stomach all night, awakening 3 times over 7 hours to go to the bathroom.  Ugh.

I did not buy anything online EXCEPT 5 new bras from a new company and a humidifier from Walmart online. My bra situation is getting dire—I put cash in my bra this morning and by the time I went to use it, it had slipped down to my belt line.

[Ogriv]

An oil-filled radiator.
The central heating in my home doesn't really target my body as I sit here working from home.

However, a blanket and a hot-water bottle might just suffice this winter.

[parkerk]

A second laundry basket.  Used to have two, one broke beyond repair earlier this year.  I haven't bothered buying a new one because I don't like the most common styles that stores carry, so I was just making do with my one basket.  I found one that I liked today but then realized, I've been managing with just one all this time, why not keep up with it?  Literally the only bad part about it is having to make an extra trip up and down the stairs when I'm doing multiple loads, and really that's a benefit in terms of getting free exercise.

It's not like it saved me that much money or anything, but it's definitely a win in my "avoiding unnecessary consumer items" category.

[Weisass]

I didn’t buy anything. No food, or coffee, nothing at all. Felt good.

[Dicey]

Well, I didn't buy anything today, but I did spend $29.00 paying for stuff I bought last year. I volunteer at a thrift shop and we get to run tabs. I cleared my tab today. It included many things*, including a new, with tags on Dana Buchman dress, which I am sure cost well over $29.00 new.

*Let's see if I can remember it all:
New Buchman Dress 6.00
New Yoga Pants 6.00
Cal King Jersey Sheet Set 7.00
New Nordstrom Men's tidy whities 3/5.00
Scrabble tiles from two sets 2.00 (For crafty stuff. I have a big jar of them.)
Decorative bottle .50 (Filled with homemade vanilla for a Christmas gift.)
Puzzle 1.00
Yup, that's it, plus tax.

I'll try to do better tomorrow ;-)

[Focus_on_the_fire]

I didn't buy a vintage necklace on eBay. It was $35. I was thinking of the MMM post about $10 increments and reminded myself that it's these "small-ish" purchases that add up quickly. Instead, I put them in my cart. Let's see if I remember in a month or so.

[Freedomin5]

Lunch. I had brought my meal replacement drink to work today, but it gets a bit boring after a while. I decided to first drink what I had brought, and then if I was still hungry, I could buy some lunch. Obviously, by the time I’d finished drinking, I was no longer hungry, and the cafeteria was closed.

[iris lily]

Today I did not buy a stylish 24” Italian stove for $2500.

My background with home appliances is that I just don’t care about them. I usually let  DH buy our home appliances, or at least I go with him to the store but lose interest after 10 minutes. In the 30+ years we’ve been married, our kitchen stoves have been the most stripped down things we can buy. In fact our last purchase we went up a grade and got a oven with a glass door and a light in it. Fabulous improvement. It felt  quite luxurious!

But as we are entering our senior years I want to have more luxury in my life. I’m renovating a small condo where I want everything to be super nice. I wasn’t really thinking about appliances and just figured I would have DH make a selection that I would finalize.

But then I ran across the cutest, blinged out blue stove from Ilve/ Hallman.  Whoah. Seduced.

I’m not how much of a cook and I’m not buying it for it cooking features, I love the way it looked. In my tiny kitchen it would pop.

But my plan was foiled when DH pointed out it needed to 220 electric service. My condo is in an old building and DH has just finished renovating the kitchen and all walls are newly finished.He did NOT plan for 220 service. This would require ripping stuff out and redoing stuff. UGG. So I’m giving up on this Gorgeous little blue stove. It had brass trim.

[nancy33]

Reading thru this is good! Made me reflect on all the things I considered buying today. Yikes
Didn’t end up buying any of it though. I looked up standing desks, and balance board to use while standing, for my teenager who is STILL stuck at home on online high school due to covid. I lobbied for a new toilet! But my husband replaced some stuff instead for a few dollars. I didn’t feel like making dinner after work and almost ordered take out!! But now I’m eating the dinner I just made.

[Loretta]

I did not buy gas and a car wash today.  My tank is under a half but the wind was blowing quite brutally and so I will wait until it's a milder winter day.  I have nowhere to go really, as I remind myself. 

I did not buy a new hat on AMZ and instead used a bar of Zote on the inner bands of my 2 not-so-great fitting hats and placed them into lingerie bags for a gentle wash cycle.  They are now drying in the wind! 

[BuffaloStache]

My original plan was to buy a new (likely used, new-er to me) car in 2020. With the pandemic, a huge increase in working from home, and the like, that seemed silly to me. I saved over 8,000 mi (almost 13k km!) in driving solely due to working from home more in the last year.

My car is certainly old, but it still works. I think I'll hold on to it at least until I start commuting with any regular certainty again (maybe late 2021/early 2022?)

[Serendip]

Have gone five/six days without buying anything--although this morning I quickly glimpsed at an on-line sale of coats/dresses for a Nordic brand I like..but too much, too much! I've been known to spend $300-400 if I look at their site too long..need to block it.

[RainyDay]

A new TV... yet.  Our 8 yr old TV abruptly died yesterday, so we moved a tiny older TV that was sitting around un-used into the living room.  It's weirdly small, but I HATE spending money on electronics.  I'm not even sure that the broken TV is truly broken...it just stopped turning on. (yes, we replaced the batteries in the remote) 

[jinga nation]

coffee or breakfast. went for an early teeth cleaning. on the way home, had an itch for some coffee and some eggs.

but came home to eat wife's steel-cut oatmeal with choice of toppings, and french press (good coffee... i'm on a craftcoffee.com subscription).

it's been a loooooong time since i bought anything for breakfast. maybe sometime in late 2019. maybe...

[Rosy]

Did not spend 5.99 on a kindle book by my favorite author. I still have plenty of unread books and it is possible I could get the book through my library.

[lazycow]

Have gone five/six days without buying anything--although this morning I quickly glimpsed at an on-line sale of coats/dresses for a Nordic brand I like..but too much, too much! I've been known to spend $300-400 if I look at their site too long..need to block it.

Good for you! Nordic clothes are gorgeous. I have been trawling Etsy as I really, really want a hand knitted Fair Isle jumper. They are so beautiful. But I can knit, and learning how to do Fair Isle colourwork would be a good winter challenge. Sigh. The struggle is real.

[Serendip]

Have gone five/six days without buying anything--although this morning I quickly glimpsed at an on-line sale of coats/dresses for a Nordic brand I like..but too much, too much! I've been known to spend $300-400 if I look at their site too long..need to block it.

Good for you! Nordic clothes are gorgeous. I have been trawling Etsy as I really, really want a hand knitted Fair Isle jumper. They are so beautiful. But I can knit, and learning how to do Fair Isle colourwork would be a good winter challenge. Sigh. The struggle is real.

Ah, knitting that would be a great accomplishment @lazycow! I have been sucker (happily) for certain high-quality, beautiful brands however I am not wearing much besides comfy clothes this year--if I want to spice things up I should just start rotating through the clothes I have.
 Start a 'dress up for dinner' project (dinner at home of course!)

[okisok]

Lunch out and a book. I have pb & j, crackers, nuts, etc at work to eat when I don't have leftovers or forget to pack a lunch.
The book wasn't available at my library and was $12 on Amazon. After a little digging on the public library site, I learned how to sign up for interlibrary loan. It only took about a week to get the book and I read it in a few hours. Had I bought it, I'd be out $12 for only a couple hours entertainment and it's a book I won't read again.

[better late]

Was thinking that I was going to want to replace some of our dishes because they’d gotten so scratched up. I was pretty bummed because I really like these dishes and they are only like two years old and how come they don’t make ‘em like they used to and am I going to buy more of these dishes that just get all scratched up with these grey lines all over them...

...and then I googled grey marks on dishes and learned that they’re not scratches but marks left on the dishes from cutlery. A little Bar Keepers took the marks right off. So pleased.

[lexde]

My SO wanted to go out for dinner (he eats out daily, sometimes multiple times!!) as he was craving pasta. Pasta!

So instead I made a beautiful aglio e olio for dinner. It was simple but delicious.

Also makeup; I have a professional portrait today but my mom has an extra Anastasia eye palette she gifted me! This will last a year easily! (I did buy some foundation after over a year without, new job and all.)