What small thing did you do today to save money?

[kubiac]

Looking for money-saving lifestyle inspiration! What small thing(s) did you do today to save money?

 

I think these are mine for today:

* Breakfast was overnight oatmeal made in the crockpot from pantry staples purchased in bulk.

* Parked on the street instead of using valet parking at the cafe where I had a meeting.

* Found a like-new box set of all seven Chronicles of Narnia audiobooks on CD for $20 at the library bookshop and snapped it up. Not a necessity by any means, but a fun find just the same.

 

[TechWife]

I used a 55% off coupon for a $2.99 item at AC Moore, bringing the cost down to $1.50. 

 

I used Target Cartwheel when shopping for ds' return to college and saved 10% on underwear and 15% on a hamper. 

 

When we ate out tonight, I ordered a "sandwich" instead of a "platter" and saved $4. 

 

 

[EKS]

I canceled my son's ALEKS account.

[Arcadia]

Hubby brought home leftovers from his company's lunch meetings for our dinner. So no cooking needed and nothing to wash up :)

[Farrar]

Does procrastinated running errands count? I haven't spent that money... yet...

[Rebel Yell]

I dropped off 4 large bags of donations at goodwill and did not go in and spend $50+ on stuff I can live without.

 

But SweetChild and I did spend $5 on coffee while waiting for BabyBaby at karate... I still count that as coming out $45 ahead. 😎

[Tess in the Burbs]

I did not go to the store to get creamer.  So I had no coffee.   Saved money and coffee.

 

I made dinner with food in the pantry.  Something new, but overall well received.  Saved money by not grabbing dinner out.  

 

I wanted to go spend money, but I stayed home.  

 

I needed to put gas in the car, but instead I am testing if the amount of gas miles left is true ;-)

[slackermom]

I was out running errands, and the only parking spot was in front of an ice cream store. It is in the 90s here. I impulsively went in the ice cream shop to buy some for me and dd, but the line was long, and the prices were high. After 5 minutes in line, I decide to go get whipped cream from the convenience store instead, so we could make sundaes at home tonight. So, my only purchase today was a can of whipped cream. Not entirely frugal, but much cheaper than option #1.

[happypamama]

Made egg muffins with sausage and cheese. Cheaper and healthier and probably better than McD's.

 

Made dinner at home. Thank you, Magic Pot, I mean Instant Pot.

 

Stayed out of stores. No impulse buys that way!

[magic]

I gave every member of my family a haircut- saves over $100.  I used rebate apps and coupons to save over $60.  Used McDonalds app to take my 15 year old out to lunch for $3 (buy 1 get 1 free nuggets).

[slackermom]

I am going to give myself credit for not getting take out, given that I often do that when it is way too hot to cook. Instead, I did a quick saute combining leftovers into a rice/bean/veggie tortilla surprise.

[HomeAgain]

Today we had a lesson on reducing waste, reusing, and recycling. The 6yo made predictions on how much water we use, then divided last month's bill to find the daily average. Since 172 gallons was a big number, we talked about ways to cut back, like quicker showers instead of him playing for half an hour and being pokey. He was washed tonight in under ten minutes.

 

That's all I've got for today. It was a no-spend day, too.

[Debbi in Texas]

Teacher in-service is going on right now and there were about fifteen of us at the table at a Mexican restaurant. I ordered a small bowl of beans and water. So, I saved money and calories.

[Twigs]

I ordered water instead of soda at lunch today.

[Tap]

I did returns to 3 stores today and didn't buy anything new! (Hard to fit sizes so we shop online and return to stores what we don't need/want). Returned well over $400 in items. 

 

My doctors office is right in front of some delicious food carts in Portland Oregon.  I didn't stop and buy my dinner tonight.  Usually, I do when I leave that particular office. 

 

and I worked 3 hours of overtime this morning (my day off), so I technically made more than I spent today. 

 

$6 Starbucks + luna bar (my Overtime treat)

$4 chips and soda for my 1.5 hour commute home (still have the chips). I drove our manual car today, so there isn't much I can eat while I am driving. LOL

----

$10 on junk food but I was gone from the house almost 12 hours so still not too bad.

 

[itsheresomewhere]

Made dill pickles, bread and butter pickles and blueberry jam. We are getting the canning pantry ready for winter.

[Garga]

For our annual trip to the local carnival, we only got desserts instead of pizza and desserts and we brought bottled water in a backpack with us so we wouldn't have to buy sodas. DH and I shared a dessert. (Cotton candy.)

 

We also walked the carnival before doing anything else and figured out exactly how many rides we wanted to ride so we wouldn't spend money on tickets we didn't need. After we knew what we wanted to ride, then we bought just enough tickets.

 

And I didn't buy myself chocolate for another day. I want to buy them every day and every day it's a battle in my mind. I won again today. So I saved $1 on not buying Milk Duds. Hope I win the battle again tomorrow. :)

Edited August 12, 2016 by Garga

[mamiof5]

Didn't take dh offer to eat out, instead heated up a dish we had in the freezer

[justasque]

With help from YouTube videos, installed a new battery in my iPhone myself ($12.99, including tools, from eBay) instead of having it done at the Apple store ($79!).

[Ausmumof3]

I used my homemade chicken stock and leftover chicken for lunch.

 

I didn't buy the science kits at Aldi.

[Ausmumof3]

With help from YouTube videos, installed a new battery in my iPhone myself ($12.99, including tools, from eBay) instead of having it done at the Apple store ($79!).

I need to know about this. How hard was it? Did the phone look good when you were done? Did you get frustrated...?

[saraha]

Hung out two loads of laundry.

Didn't take dh up on offer to eat out since it is so hot in the house, and made a big salad instead.

Made freezer salsa.

[Ali in OR]

Home cooking. August is a good month for me to make most of our meals. September and October will be crazy at times with kid activities and we will have to eat out  (or bring pizza home) 1-2 times per week. But for now, lots of cooking at home.

 

[mathnerd]

Cooked dinner (though I do not count that as a small thing!) and saved money and we ate a healthy meal while not using our family's time, gas, eating out budget + tax + tip for the meal tonight.

Also used up a $10 coupon for ordering clothes online from a website which I normally forget to use.

[Ms Brooks]

• I did not go to town.

I did not shop online. 

I made food from scratch.

I picked blackberries

[J-rap]

I've learned how to make entire meals out of one small leftover.  (Lots of random sides served with it, or chopping it up and putting it into a casserole or soup, etc.)

 

When we go out to eat, we stick with water as a beverage.  Also, we have found that we almost always are entirely satisfied with splitting meals instead of each person ordering their own.

 

I make sure to check credit card points, air points, hotel points, etc., every other month or so for offers.  For example, United Airlines points expire, and sometimes we'll accumulate a very small amount of points that are never enough to redeem for a flight and eventually they are just canceled out.  I've learned that you can actually exchange a quite small amount of points through United for a restaurant.com certificate.  I wish I had known that years ago!  Now when my measly points are about to expire, we know we can exchange them for a dinner out!

 

I've also learned that if I buy products through Delta Sky Shop (or something like that -- it's through Delta Airlines), it collects points.  For example, there might be something I need to order on Lands End.  If I first log into my Delta account, I can enter Lands End online through that account.  Then, whatever I order through Lands End actually collects points on Delta.  Delta allows you to exchange your points for lots of things besides flights.  We used to cash them in for Target gift certificates and go grocery shopping with them.

 

Many times places that offer points have random offers where if you take a survey, they'll deposit points into your hotel or airlines account.

 

Instead of running to the store whenever I'm out of something, I try and get by with what I have for as long as possible.  So, if we run out of milk, we might have oatmeal or eggs instead of our usual cereal, and I put a dab of ice cream in my coffee (instead of milk, like I usually do).  This way, I can stretch out what I have at home, and I eventually get to the stuff that's tucked way in the back of my kitchen shelves or freezer that I really should use up!

 

ETA:  I just noticed that you said What small thing did you do "TODAY" -- oops!  Sorry!

Edited August 13, 2016 by J-rap

[creekland]

Breakfast and lunch came directly from our garden, so other than a little oil, butter, and salt, were 100% free.

 

For supper the three of us went to a locally owned restaurant hubby and I had won a $50 gift card to.  Including tip, we spent $14 more than the gift card ($11 of that being the tip), but we're quite content supporting a local owner of a really tasty place AND it got us out of the oppressive heat for a little bit while allowing us not to heat up our kitchen at all.  It felt good!

 

Not sure how to suggest winning the gift card though so others can replicate our savings.  We won it back in a church Valentine's dinner when we were the couple who had made the most moves in our life since being married (12).  Since the gift card was 6 months old, we figured it was time to actually use it!

 

I'm not sure what's on the agenda for today - other than free breakfast and lunch again - or almost free.  I have an awful caffeine withdrawal headache left over from the end of our last trip and don't want to take ibuprofen this morning, so broke into my stash of Mt Dew to take out with me doing pony chores... but considering I buy those in 6 packs for $2 when they're on sale, I'm not breaking the bank.  It's just not as cheap as water or green tea (that I make from a tea bag).

 

 

[Joyofsixreboot]

Took our own water. Refilled at the library. That's pretty dull 😄

[alisoncooks]

We've been eating leftovers when we normally would pick up take-out.

[Pippen]

Used a fan at bedtime to avoid turning down the AC one degree. .

 

Shopped the clearance racks at Kohls and found $10 dress pants for my college guys. Multiple pairs for the one who needs them for work.

 

Reminded oldest to buy book for college courses today, because prices on used books tend to be higher the closer it gets to classes starting.

 

Made a packing list for son who is leaving next week to college out-of-state, so nothing gets left behind and needs replacing/shipping down. He's working two jobs--very long hours---right up to the day before he leaves.

 

[DawnM]

Went to the shoe store and refused to pay even the sale prices.  I want a particular flip flop (leather) and will just wait until Sept or Oct when they are on drastic clearance OR will do without.

 

 

[Ethel Mertz]

Well, this is a timely thread. After years of not having a car payment, we are now adjusting to the shock of having one. I'm staying out of stores as much as possible. We're eating out of our pantry, freezer, and garden for the rest of the month, with an occasional trip to the farmers' market and grocery for milk and bread. 

[G5052]

Can you tell that I've been up awhile?

 

I reminded my son to email a professor to see if he REALLY needs to buy a $350 book or if there are alternatives.

 

I ate overnight oatmeal with fresh peaches from a friend, and my teens made their own hot oatmeal with apples. I drank cold brew coffee that I made in a mason jar.

 

I packaged three books that I sold for the mailman.

 

I wiped down all of the bathrooms with homemade cleaner and an old hand towel.

 

I went out and watered our garden before it got too hot. It's smaller than usual, but I have a bunch of tomatoes and herbs to give away at church on Sunday. I'm going to dry mint later today.

[AmandaVT]

I skipped going to the grocery store to get what I wanted for dinner and instead made dinner from what we already had in the house. 

 

We didn't go to the coffee shop to get iced coffee (me) and a cookie (ds)

 

went swimming at the indoor pool at the gym we belong to rather than pay to swim in the outdoor community pool :-)

[justasque]

With help from YouTube videos, installed a new battery in my iPhone myself ($12.99, including tools, from eBay) instead of having it done at the Apple store ($79!).

 

 

I need to know about this. How hard was it? Did the phone look good when you were done? Did you get frustrated...?

 

It was super-easy.  I watched several different you-tube videos where people changed the battery on the 4s.  I picked up several tips that turned out to be crucial -

1) Have some kind of container to put the screws into.  I used three small shallow cups from single-serve peanut butter; the video guy used an egg carton with the sections numbered.  This is important because the screws are teeny tiny, and because you'll need to remember which one goes where. 

2) Be aware that there's a little part that will become loose when you unscrew one of the screws; notice which way up it needs to go back in.

3) Work on some kind of surface that will cushion the phone and stop the parts from skittering away.  I used a black mouse pad; the video guy used a towel.  It is very, very easy to lose one of the screws.

 

 

Basically, you unscrew two screws at the bottom of the phone (which take either a tiny Phillips or a tiny Apple-proprietary screwdriver; I bought these from the same place I bought the battery).  Then you take the back off.  Then you unscrew two more Phillips screws holding on a little plate attached to the battery.  Then you pry out the battery (using a tool from the took kit).  Then you put the new battery in, line up the little plate, and put in the tiny screws.  (Putting back those screws is the tricky part.  They are TINY.)  Then you put the back on and secure it with the two screws you took off first.  It's not hard.

 

 

 

I usually only take things apart in situations where I don't have much to lose if I screw it up.  I've learned from taking apart other things (my laundry washer, my dishwasher), that you need to be fairly calm and fairly patient.  It pays to watch the video several times, or better yet watch several different videos.  It also pays to take your time and notice details as you go along.  Sometimes I take pictures as I go, so I will have a reference if I'm not sure about something when putting things back together.  I also try to have all the tools I may need at hand before beginning, and as mentioned before, somewhere to put the parts as I remove them, especially if the new parts look just like the old ones - don't want to mix them up!  I play the video again as I go through each step.

 

The taking apart usually goes smoothly, but the putting back together is sometimes tricky, usually because you need to figure out how the part needs to be oriented, and often because it's logistically tricky to get the part lined up right.  And more than once I've dropped a key part into some almost-inaccessible space.  So don't expect because the guy on the video does it in four minutes that it's going to take you four minutes.  It always takes me about four times as long.

 

In this case, the tricky part was getting the teeny tiny screws back in the holes the right way up.  They are very tiny, so it's hard to hold them, and hard to position them without your fingers getting in the way.  I used a pair of tweezers; it took me quite a few tries but it worked eventually.

 

So to answer your question - I didn't get frustrated, because I was well-prepared, took my time, and expected there to be bumps along the way.

 

As to how it looked - perfect!  Once the back cover was back on and the screws in place, the phone looks exactly the same as it did before.

 

I usually only take things apart in situations where I don't have much to lose if I screw it up.  

[Prairie~Phlox]

Last night we grilled brats, when I got done, the charcoal was still plenty hot, so I threw on chicken that I had bought & grilled it for other meals. I just made homemade granola this morning & crushed up herbs that I had hanging to dry. I put green peppers & onions in the freezer for meals & am trying to use everything that is growing in our garden.

[AnnE-girl]

Not today, but Wednesday instead of taking the kids through a drive-through for dinner when I was tired and crabby and nothing we had sounded good for dinner while DH was working late, I made brownies and hot fudge sauce and we had sundaes for dinner. And we finished up some bananas that the kids thought were too speckled to eat, but magically were palatable when covered in ice cream and fudge 😄

[Soror]

Very timely for me, I've not been very good at frugality as of late.  We've had events out several nights but haven't bought anything, just brought our own water. 

 

I went out with my girlfriends the other day and only bought a small salad, then we went shopping and I didn't buy anything- I didn't even hardly look because I knew I don't need to spend anything. I just enjoyed the time visiting I didn't need to buy anything for that.

 

 

I did buy 2 school things- one $2 that my son has asked for forever and another $42 for my daughter she needed something specific and it is not often found used. Otherwise I'm trying not to spend anything at all. A big thing last night I signed dd1 up for tumbling instead of dance and acro (she wanted just the acro but you have to do both there) saved about $400. I don't think I'm going to sign up my 6yo at all this semester saving $300 when it is all said and done. Ds has stopped TKD at $80 a month (he became disinterested and has become more interested in Scouts)

Edited August 12, 2016 by soror

[Ravin]

I drank instant coffee in the office instead of getting a coffee with my two $1 breakfast items at Taco Bell this morning.

[HomeAgain]

I got to the college book store early enough to score a used copy of the much needed anthology he needs for his dual credit course. Saved $10.  Because instead of giving the info to the kids at the beginning of the summer when they all signed up, they got to learn last night, and told they have to have it for Tuesday. :glare: Thankfully the child got smart and took pictures, front cover and back ISBN, of the books he'll need for spring semester last night, too..

[theelfqueen]

We're heading to the park today and bowling later (my niece is spending the day with us and it's her birthday) ...

 

I packed lunches and snacks for the park and printed kids bowl free coupons for the bowling. :)

 

[Garga]

We've recently had to come to terms with the fact that we spend a ton of money on picking up a little something at various fast food places. It's our little luxury, but we were pretty surprised at just how out of control we've gotten with it until we studied our credit card statements this weekend.

 

So today, when I didn't plan my day properly and had to head out of the house at 11:40 when I was getting reeeeeaally hungry for lunch, I heated up some leftover rice and put some butter on it and ate it to take off the edge before leaving the house. Then when I was back at 12:40, I ate a proper lunch. It was really hard for me not to stop and get a sandwich at Burger King.

Edited August 12, 2016 by Garga

[BlsdMama]

I skipped what looked like a *really* good garage sale.  ;)

 

 

 

[MEmama]

It's too hot to cook dinner tonight so maybe we'll just have ice cream. That's cheaper, right?

 

;)

[Guest]

I just plain didn't spend anything. Everything I don't spend is paying *me* in future returns. So I've made a game of saving as much as I possibly can.

[MyLittleBears]

We never use our central air, just open all the windows and use the ceiling fans.

Did not buy a pool pass this year or last. Have done so in past but we never use it enough for it to pay for itself. Pay as you go turns out to be cheaper.

[Guest]

I used two coupons to buy the last of my baby items.

 

I told my son 3 no, we can't go out to dinner. No, we can't go to the movies... {this is an almost daily thing with him.}

[73349]

I made dinner completely from scratch (whole-wheat crepes, some with lemon curd I made yesterday & others with roasted butternut squash and maple syrup).

 

I washed the cleaning cloths and hung them out to dry. I don't remember the last time I bought paper towels.

 

We returned the library book that was due today, avoiding a fine, and checked out more--free entertainment.

[The Girls' Mom]

After I got off work at 1:30, I drove straight to Walgreens to pick up dh's meds and went through the drive through so I wouldn't be tempted to buy something else.  (I was starving).  I went home and ate a bowl of cereal instead of stopping for fast food.

[emzhengjiu]

I'm trying so hard to be more frugal.  We've already cut a lot out of our budget.  Today, I sold some books to Half Price Books, got my money and left without buying anything!  Not much money for the books, but I put it in the fund we keep at home in case we need cash.