What frugal thing did you do today?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

Did a free exercise/stretching video on YouTube called Yoqi- Qigong for Vitality- Opening the Door of life.” It’s for kidneys, lower back and spine. It’s just wonderful, and only 20 minutes. More frugal than ClassPass or a gym membership and can be done during Covid at any age.
Last edited by AnnetteLouisan on Sat Mar 19, 2022 8:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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JAZZISCOOL
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

RXfiles wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 12:14 pm Cooked a pot of rice and a huge pack of chicken thighs for my lunchs next couple days.
I'm doing the same with chicken breasts today. :beer
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KSOC
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by KSOC »

Wanderingwheelz wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 6:46 pm I rebuilt my 15 year old gas grill today, with new gas tubes, flavorizor bars, and ignition system. As an extra-frugal bonus I got all three items sharply discounted online. $50 in parts beats buying a $650 grill.
My ignition system went out last summer, and I put the replacement part in my Amazon cart. Then I realized the wife had a plethora of Bic Flexible Wand lighters, so I just use that. So I guess that's frugal, and lazy.

Coincidentally, my grill is 15 years old too.
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tooluser
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by tooluser »

Got free large french fries from McDonalds after registering their app on my phone. I liked that I could order ahead and wait in my car next to the entrance and they brought it out. In the few minutes I waited, the drivethru hardly budged - so it was frugal in time too.

I also liked that you can specify exactly and without asking verbally: a straw (California), the exact number of ketchup packets, and a dipping sauce.
Like good comrades to the utmost of their strength, we shall go on to the end. -- Winston Churchill
Mr. Rumples
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

My great niece, age 2 years, 5 months, came to visit all prepared to "help" me in the yard with her little hoe. I had other ideas. I asked her to help me gather gumballs that had fallen from the Sweetgum tree. She put them in the bottom of containers in place of drainage rocks. I then planted a sapling I had been nursing since fall from a cutting - the only one of five that made it, and she watered from the can.

The price of shrubs has really jumped this year. I'm going to be taking a lot of cuttings to root this year.
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AllMostThere
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by AllMostThere »

JoeRetire wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 2:17 pm I took the plastic bags that held the items my wife purchased while shopping, and put them in the container we have for reusing plastic bags.
Eventually, they will line trash containers, be used to carry other items, etc.

Perhaps more "sensible" than "frugal".
When I was working I had my work dress shirts laundered & pressed for $0.99 each. I had a large collection of shirts that I rotated on a regular basis. I would use the large plastic bags the cleaned shirts would come in as trash bags (tied knot in hanger end), so rarely had to buy trash bags. A box of 40 13-gallon trash bags would last us years! Now that I pulled the plug on work, I haven't paid to have a dress shirt cleaned, so we are burning thru trash bags. Not for trash, but for all the work clothes I no longer need as donation clothes bags to Sal Army and St Vinney's. :oops:
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anon_investor
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by anon_investor »

Ate leftovers for dinner... although we did go out for lunch, so maybe net neutral. :twisted:
young danny
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by young danny »

anon_investor wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 9:05 pm Ate leftovers for dinner... although we did go out for lunch, so maybe net neutral. :twisted:
My wife and I (mostly me) are tremendous fans of leftovers- whether it be after going out to eat or any meal time at home. I view it not only from the frugality side but also as if I have left overs that means I liked the meal so much that I want to save it and have it again, so, it’s having that joy twice! Haha.

My wife got a t-shirt for me the encompassed this BH view which says “Cereal all day.” I can have Cereal for just about any meal and not be bothered one bit. I do like it for its simplicity and frugality.

My frugal thing I did on a driving vacation we just had where I took my wife to where I went to college, was when speaking to an academic advisor I know from the college, I mentioned that we were shopping around for college souvenirs and she said “wait one second…what size are y’all” and she gave us three free t-shirts! These three t-shirts will last 10-15 years at least.
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AllMostThere
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by AllMostThere »

This post is sort of a PSA. I utilized a unique benefit of paypal with a recent purchase. I ordered, from UK, a universal display for my DW's Rad e-bike that was supposed to unlock additional power from the controller. This would give additional acceleration and overall improved riding experience. While others have had great experience with the product, I must have received a lemon as it didn't really work for me. I was approved for a refund but had to return the product at my expense. It cost ~ $18 in shipping via USPS w/tracking back to the UK. I recalled a little-known perk from paypal that refunds shipping cost if paypal was used for original payment. Only requirement is that a user must pre-register for this perk in advance, which I did several years ago. I jumped thru the claim requirement hoops of submitting product photos, photos of package with address and receipt. Around 3 business days later I was approved and then couple more days the full shipping cost was credited back to my account. :beer
It is not about how much you make; it is about how much you keep and how well you invest it. - Author Unknown | Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today. - Author James Dean
Ivygirl
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Ivygirl »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 5:03 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 4:58 pm
AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 4:48 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 4:45 pm
AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 3:35 pm Did my own laundry by hand. I don’t recommend it.
You are much braver than I am (unless just a sweater.) Appliances have spoiled me. :beer
I feel for our pre-washing machine ancestors. It strains your back, it’s exhausting and pretty boring with the numerous cycles needed. I need to see if my old laundry service is still in business but I doubt it - most small businesses around here went out of business.
Yes, I agree. I try to think how people 100 years ago or more lived without all of our modern conveniences, iPhones, laptops, etc. I feel relatively spoiled and shouldn't complain when my furnace breaks or can't find my favorite flavor of Gatorade Zero at the store.....not to mention the challenges of the people in the current "conflict" zone (no food, water or electricity.)
A few years ago, after seeing a documentary about how the proliferation of elevators, cars and labor saving devices led to an increase in heart disease, and noticing how my mid 80s parents were healthy and did all their own chores including raking, shopping and taking out the garbage, I decided to start walking to work, but also do my own hair, nails, pedicures and housework, thinking it would save money and also be a mild form of exercise. I even started cooking for myself. Over time I grew accustomed to all this. But I’m not sure it was wise.With the pandemic I added waxing and laundry to the list.

I’m not very good at any of this but I sure have saved money and have fairly toned arms for my age. And character! Woo, so much character has been built, lol.
I'm doing laundry right now with a portable machine I set up in the bathtub. It gives much nicer results for lightweight synthetic work clothing than a regular washer, in that it is easier on the clothes and actually gets all the soap out, and the spinner is so good anything can be hung up to dry. The portable washer is for when I don't want to leave the house or it's not practical to go to the laundromat. And of course using the portable is practically free.

Exercise from chores is great and another real benefit is that I can have things exactly how I like them, and not how the machine likes them. I decide how many rinse cycles and how long the wash cycle should be. I decide when to add things to the wash like bleach or laundry disinfectant. I value that.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by LadyGeek »

Bought some clothes at Goodwill. You can occasionally find quality name brand clothing.

All sales are final. That's not a problem, because I'll return anything that I regretted purchasing as a donation.
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stoptothink
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by stoptothink »

Ivygirl wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 6:50 am
AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 5:03 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 4:58 pm
AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 4:48 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 4:45 pm

You are much braver than I am (unless just a sweater.) Appliances have spoiled me. :beer
I feel for our pre-washing machine ancestors. It strains your back, it’s exhausting and pretty boring with the numerous cycles needed. I need to see if my old laundry service is still in business but I doubt it - most small businesses around here went out of business.
Yes, I agree. I try to think how people 100 years ago or more lived without all of our modern conveniences, iPhones, laptops, etc. I feel relatively spoiled and shouldn't complain when my furnace breaks or can't find my favorite flavor of Gatorade Zero at the store.....not to mention the challenges of the people in the current "conflict" zone (no food, water or electricity.)
A few years ago, after seeing a documentary about how the proliferation of elevators, cars and labor saving devices led to an increase in heart disease, and noticing how my mid 80s parents were healthy and did all their own chores including raking, shopping and taking out the garbage, I decided to start walking to work, but also do my own hair, nails, pedicures and housework, thinking it would save money and also be a mild form of exercise. I even started cooking for myself. Over time I grew accustomed to all this. But I’m not sure it was wise.With the pandemic I added waxing and laundry to the list.

I’m not very good at any of this but I sure have saved money and have fairly toned arms for my age. And character! Woo, so much character has been built, lol.
I'm doing laundry right now with a portable machine I set up in the bathtub. It gives much nicer results for lightweight synthetic work clothing than a regular washer, in that it is easier on the clothes and actually gets all the soap out, and the spinner is so good anything can be hung up to dry. The portable washer is for when I don't want to leave the house or it's not practical to go to the laundromat. And of course using the portable is practically free.
That's pretty cool. I do all the laundry for our family 4, 90% of it is hung dry. I do 3 loads every Saturday, which breaks down to one small load in the dryer (wife demands underwear, socks, and our BJJ gis be put in the dryer).

Don't know that it is considered frugal, but yesterday my wife and kids were out of town visiting her grandparents. I took the day to visit two friends I hadn't seen in a while; put about 40 miles on my e-bike making the trips.
cellisto
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by cellisto »

BJJ huh? Could never get into it. Did about 50 lessons and got tired of being steamrolled by all the blues.

Pulled the onions in the garden this morning and will make a nice base for some fajitas later today.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by WoostaGal »

Pulled some young dandelions from my garden and mixed the greens in with supermarket greens in a rollup.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by hmw »

I cut my son’s and my own hair today.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by stoptothink »

cellisto wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 10:36 am BJJ huh? Could never get into it. Did about 50 lessons and got tired of being steamrolled by all the blues.
Yes, it's pretty much the family sport now. My wife and son have won multiple NAGA tournaments, my son has yet to lose in 2.5yrs when competing in his age/weight group. My daughter is the most naturally talented grappler, but doesn't have the same level of dedication and drive. I am still in recovery from a broken back and have just slowly been getting into it this year (2-3 classes a week); forget blue belts, any semi-athletic male about my size who has a white with a stripe usually has their way with me.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by stoptothink »

hmw wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:00 pm I cut my son’s and my own hair today.
My wife was visiting her grandparents yesterday, she came home to me with a shaved head. My curly mohawk was getting out of control and I am speaking at a professional conference in a few weeks, She was not happy.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by ResearchMed »

stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:04 pm
hmw wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:00 pm I cut my son’s and my own hair today.
My wife was visiting her grandparents yesterday, she came home to me with a shaved head. My curly mohawk was getting out of control and I am speaking at a professional conference in a few weeks, She was not happy.
Careful with your wording... SHE came home with a shaved head?
Interesting.

:wink:

RM
This signature is a placebo. You are in the control group.
stoptothink
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by stoptothink »

ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:11 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:04 pm
hmw wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:00 pm I cut my son’s and my own hair today.
My wife was visiting her grandparents yesterday, she came home to me with a shaved head. My curly mohawk was getting out of control and I am speaking at a professional conference in a few weeks, She was not happy.
Careful with your wording... SHE came home with a shaved head?
Interesting.

:wink:

RM
Wording seems pretty clear to me. Besides, if she came home with a shaved head, I wouldn't care at all.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:11 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:04 pm
hmw wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:00 pm I cut my son’s and my own hair today.
My wife was visiting her grandparents yesterday, she came home to me with a shaved head. My curly mohawk was getting out of control and I am speaking at a professional conference in a few weeks, She was not happy.
Careful with your wording... SHE came home with a shaved head?
Interesting.

:wink:

RM
That’s how I read it first too. :)
Would make a great example for English class.

I didn’t do anything frugal today except made my own meals and coffee from scratch and worked out for free (Yoqi (yoga-qigong fusion) to Get Grounded- YouTube).
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by dratkinson »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:30 pm
ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:11 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:04 pm
hmw wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:00 pm I cut my son’s and my own hair today.
My wife was visiting her grandparents yesterday, she came home to me with a shaved head. My curly mohawk was getting out of control and I am speaking at a professional conference in a few weeks, She was not happy.
Careful with your wording... SHE came home with a shaved head?
Interesting.

:wink:

RM
That’s how I read it first too. :)
Would make a great example for English class.
Ditto. I assumed she was not happy with his out-of-control mohawk, so shaved her head in an effort to get him to tame it.

Though after more thought, I didn't understand has a newly shaved head could affect an existing partially shaved head. Plus, she'd need sunblock or a hat when she went out... so must have been a truly unruly mohawk. The more I thought about it, the more off-the-rails this train of thought became.

Never mind.


I reworked my tax tracking spreadsheet to include a ~$1 state income deduction (Vanguard form: US gov obligation embedded in stock funds (TSM)) that I'd previously ignored as "too much work for too little result". It doesn't materially change my state tax return this year, but it's a small victory that may one year earn an addition $1 state tax refund. Woo hoo. :happy
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by eddot98 »

I replaced the cartridge in the hot water handle of our kitchen faucet because it was dripping - one drop every 10 or 20 seconds. The cartridge was free, Moen lifetime guarantee, and the work took about 10 minutes. It should have taken only 5 minutes, but it hadn’t been changed in a while so it was kind of stuck.
The exhaust fan in our lesser used bathroom has been slow to start for a while. I had watched a YouTube video that showed how to replace a Nutone fan/light combination and it didn’t look too hard, so I took it apart. Instead of replacing the motor, I sprayed some WD40 kind of stuff on the shaft and that fixed it.
Next up - need to take the back porch door off its hinges to take a quarter of an inch off the bottom so that it will fully open and close again.
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

I meditated for free (frugal thing #1) before work to Michelle Reugebrink’s Lake and Mountain guided meditation videos on YouTube. Very, very relaxing and healthy and made me more focused and productive.

I also got free shipping (#2) on Amazon and Walmart (#3), in Amazon’s case by accepting slightly later delivery (I don’t have Prime, #4).
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by sunny_socal »

Fixed our Canon Pixma Pro 100 inkjet color photo printer!

The printer itself is usually not very expensive although it prints excellent photos (ie. same quality as your local photo shop.) The refills are almost as much as the printer!

Anyway we don't use it very often and one day it quit printing. Went through all the 'cleaning' and even 'deep cleaning' procedures, no difference. Luckily we found a YT video that showed how to remove the print head and soak it:
- 8 parts distilled water
- 2 parts alcohol
- 1 part ammonia (we used vinegar)

Place the print head in a glass baking dish and pour the solution over the ink inlets. Let it sit there for a while, then repeat. Throw away the dirty solution when the dish starts to be covered and continue the cleaning. Eventually no more ink will come out. Rinse with distilled water and dry all parts. (Never soak the contact points on the back of the head.) Install, run a few more 'cleaning' cycles. Done!
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:19 pm
ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:11 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:04 pm
hmw wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:00 pm I cut my son’s and my own hair today.
My wife was visiting her grandparents yesterday, she came home to me with a shaved head. My curly mohawk was getting out of control and I am speaking at a professional conference in a few weeks, She was not happy.
Careful with your wording... SHE came home with a shaved head?
Interesting.

:wink:

RM
Wording seems pretty clear to me. Besides, if she came home with a shaved head, I wouldn't care at all.
That’s all well and good; I don’t think Will Smith is a BH member.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by tooluser »

Nothing. I have the day off. :mrgreen:
Like good comrades to the utmost of their strength, we shall go on to the end. -- Winston Churchill
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Nestegg_User »

I helped the economy out: I bought a couple of pairs of Haggar chino jeans...
--- after sale price plus discounts ==> $3.85 each !!!
(or should this go in the "blow that dough" thread ? :P )
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

I saved $900 on a purchase…
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by 59Gibson »

I ate 2 meals today and no snack.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

Decided not to compute my paper wealth loss today, resulting in less food and alcohol consumption.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by djheini »

Did my annual call to the cable company to get the expired promo rate for my internet service put back on my account, bringing the price back down by $15/month. Sadly they got more than a whole month of the higher rate out of me since I had a credit balance after prepaying to max credit card bonus earlier in the year so I didn't notice as quickly as usual.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Marseille07 »

Bought equities on the cheap.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Monsterflockster »

Skipped an MRI for a possible torn rotator cuff. It in my non dominant arm so not throwing fastballs with it anyway.
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

Once, sometimes twice, a year I empty the freezer. Lots of vegetables in there along with bananas (with plain yogurt, they make a sweet dessert). A little bit of chicken. Too many icepacks that I need to reduce (have shoulder issues). Not sure what else will be in there; perhaps a book...when I buy used books at a yard sale they go in there for a week or two, (bedbugs are becoming the bane of libraries and I don't want any of course).
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makingmistakes
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by makingmistakes »

Marseille07 wrote: Fri May 06, 2022 12:38 am Bought equities on the cheap.
Maybe.
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tooluser
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by tooluser »

tooluser wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 8:46 pm
neilpilot wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 7:42 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 6:52 pm
boglegirl wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 5:53 pm
tooluser wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 9:16 am Set a new personal savings record for Costco gas vs my local station of 96 cents per gallon. $4.93 vs $5.89.
I don't understand why in some markets Costco is so much cheaper, and in others, there's hardly a difference. I don't make a huge effort to gas up at our Costco because it's never more than 5-10 cents/gallon savings, so not worth going out of my way or waiting longer than a few minutes in line. This morning I gassed up elsewhere because I'd rather take a beating than wait in the line at Costco gas on a weekend. Gasbuddy told me that I paid the SAME amount per gallon as I'd have paid at Costco. Yet when I drove past the Costco later, the gas line had at least 40 cars in it, backing up into the store parking lot.
The value of Costco is dependent on the area and alternatives. Costco in our area is the same; gas might be 5-cents cheaper a gallon, and food (at least what my family eats) is quite a bit more expensive (per ounce) for the exact same brand than several local alternatives. It doesn't seem to lesson the popularity, good luck finding a spot in the Costco parking lot on a Saturday. In California, where I grew, Costco was (and is, we visit at least once a year) significantly cheaper.
In this area I find that Costco regular is typically only 5-10 cents lower. However there's a much larger savings to be had on Premium, which my DW requires. With the recent rapid rise in gas prices, the spread isn't as predictable.

I stopped buying gas as last May. I can now fill up my EV at home at the approximate equivalent of $1/gal.
I am in Los Angeles, and historically the Costco savings have been 20 to 96 cents per gallon (high point as of today). The non-Costco station nearest me abuts a wealthy area but is not a price-gouging-near-the-airport sort of station. $5.89 was today's regular (87 octane) price if paying by credit, which I do at Costco as well. Mid and High grades were both over $6.00. The station across the street is similarly priced, sometimes a little higher or lower.

I can still save a lot (usually about half the Costco savings) by going a couple of miles to a gas station in a less wealthy sub-part of my part of L.A. So there is definitely a bit of a "local circumstances" thing going on.

I have never been to a Costco in L.A. when the gas lines were anything but long. Even this morning at ~6:30am when the store wasn't open, I was 4th in line (7th car including those at the pumps), with about 10 other lines the same depth. Madness. But I do save some money, and if I repeat it say 20x a year it adds up to a significant amount. Usually I combine it with shopping inside the store, but not today because I thought I could beat the crowds. Nope.
Another new personal record: $1.14 per gallon cheaper at Costco, $5.359 vs $6.499 locally.
Maybe I should switch to percentage instead. The panic at the pumps also seems to have died down.
Like good comrades to the utmost of their strength, we shall go on to the end. -- Winston Churchill
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by vbdoug »

Yesterday:
I purchased a treasury bill as opposed to squandering it on something I do not need.
I charged my E-car at Costco [very low cost] and took a nice long walk.
I went to Home Depot and acquired some wood I will make into a functional gift. They let me have it for free.
Today:
I read my WSJ purchased for a considerable discount on eBay.
My breakfast consisted of Costco salmon and a Walmart energy drink; both purchased in bulk.
I took a 3.2 walk at the South Coast Botanic Garden on their monthly "free day".
I drove there in my 2022 Tesla Model S, that I HAD to purchase since its selling price went up by 20k after I made by deposit.
On the hike I wore my very efficient Walmart hiking shoes and the Hoopla app for my free audio book.
I returned home to my paid-for condo that I have owned since 1979.
So far so good.
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tooluser
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by tooluser »

vbdoug wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 5:01 pm I went to Home Depot and acquired some wood I will make into a functional gift. They let me have it for free.
My most frugal Home Depot "purchase" was to get some wood flooring samples for free, which I used to prop something up at home that was on an uneven surface. The samples had bar codes and I was willing to pay for them but the cashier said "No." ..._
Like good comrades to the utmost of their strength, we shall go on to the end. -- Winston Churchill
lostcoast
Posts: 121
Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by lostcoast »

I unplugged our hot tub and drained it.
Summers is here at last so no need for it.
That should save around $30 a month until November.
neilpilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2015 12:46 pm
Location: Memphis area

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by neilpilot »

Ordered a double oven and dishwasher 6 weeks ago for delivery tomorrow. Today I checked online and the price on each item has dropped since ordered in early April. Called the vendor and arranged for $124 back on DW and $666 back on oven. Not sure if this meets the definition of frugal.
Bama12
Posts: 826
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2019 11:48 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Bama12 »

Used my subway app to get dinner had a $2 reward and got another $2 for using the app.
mancich
Posts: 1219
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2014 2:05 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by mancich »

Switched insurance companies for auto, home, umbrella. Was with Travelers for years, as I received a "discount" for them through my Megacorp. I decided to call a reputable local insurance broker. He shopped around and saved me $1,900 a year! For the same coverage. It definitely pays to shop. :beer
homebuyer6426
Posts: 1830
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2017 8:08 am

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by homebuyer6426 »

Breakfast:
6 eggs ($1)
Coffee (25c)

Lunch:
Peanuts (50c)

Dinner:
Meatballs (from frozen) or chicken thighs, cooked in tomato ($3-5)
45% Total Stock Market | 52% Consumer Staples | 3% Short Term Reserves
harvestbook
Posts: 871
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2017 7:12 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by harvestbook »

BostonButterfly wrote: Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:43 am
harvestbook wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 7:01 am Processed two deer that the neighbor gave me. Had to buy another mini freezer but a net gain.
This is completely foreign to me (and slightly nauseating to be honest). I’m curious...what happens with the parts that don’t end up in the freezer? Bones, skin, etc? How do you dispose of that? Or do you not?
Been away a while. To answer, all meat and organ scraps get ground into dog food, which we make ourselves (rice, meat, veggie blend for the most part.) All bones go into the garden for calcium. Other remaining organs and skin are buried in garden for long-term composting. I believe in honoring the animal as fully as possible, because it's no small thing to me.

This year's frugal thing is to plant more potatoes, cabbage, onions, and tomatoes as I've really fallen in love with making kimchi. Always been a sauerkraut fan but kimchi offers a lot of possibilities and stores very well. I use dandelion root, wild onions, wild ramps, burdock root and other freely available plants as well as cabbage, kale, carrots, garlic, and other scraps like beet stems from the garden. Tangy and healthy.

We also make stinging nettle tea and several types of mints. Planted extra gooseberry bushes this year. Still eating dried apples from last year. Other home fruits include arctic kiwi, two kinds of grapes, raspberries, blackberries, pears, two kinds of cherries, and wild strawberries. My goal has been to be able to eat my yard. Not quite there but taters don't care about inflation!
I'm not smart enough to know, and I can't afford to guess.
tacobellcow
Posts: 91
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2021 2:49 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by tacobellcow »

I bought a $15 3-prong adapter with built in wifi. I connected it to my sprinkler system and if I am traveling or wake up in the middle of the night and hear rain, I can just turn off the system and save water. I had previously tried a water sensor but it never worked, and the wifi-based systems were a few hundred dollars. I was able to get the same functionality for $15 and now the water savings will pay for the adapter and beyond.
michaeljc70
Posts: 10843
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:53 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by michaeljc70 »

tacobellcow wrote: Wed May 18, 2022 8:35 am I bought a $15 3-prong adapter with built in wifi. I connected it to my sprinkler system and if I am traveling or wake up in the middle of the night and hear rain, I can just turn off the system and save water. I had previously tried a water sensor but it never worked, and the wifi-based systems were a few hundred dollars. I was able to get the same functionality for $15 and now the water savings will pay for the adapter and beyond.
FYI - I recently bought a B-Hyve (made by Orbit) for around $60. It lets you control your sprinkler system using an app or smart speakers. You can setup whatever kind of schedule you want. It also can do rain delays and wind delays for watering based on your zip code.
HomeStretch
Posts: 11415
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2018 2:06 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by HomeStretch »

tacobellcow wrote: Wed May 18, 2022 8:35 am I bought a $15 3-prong adapter with built in wifi. I connected it to my sprinkler system and if I am traveling or wake up in the middle of the night and hear rain, I can just turn off the system and save water. I had previously tried a water sensor but it never worked, and the wifi-based systems were a few hundred dollars. I was able to get the same functionality for $15 and now the water savings will pay for the adapter and beyond.
Clever, mind sharing the brand? I have the same issue.
Lalamimi
Posts: 1209
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:22 pm
Location: Texas

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Lalamimi »

Painted my guest bathroom - the shower surround and the vanity/linen closet. Ordered new hardware from Amazon, including one box of "returned" cabinet drawer pulls to save $$. I needed 11 draw pulls, they come in 10 packs.
Geronkas
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:08 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Geronkas »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 7:34 am
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:19 pm
ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:11 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:04 pm
hmw wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:00 pm I cut my son’s and my own hair today.
My wife was visiting her grandparents yesterday, she came home to me with a shaved head. My curly mohawk was getting out of control and I am speaking at a professional conference in a few weeks, She was not happy.
Careful with your wording... SHE came home with a shaved head?
Interesting.

:wink:

RM
Wording seems pretty clear to me. Besides, if she came home with a shaved head, I wouldn't care at all.
That’s all well and good; I don’t think Will Smith is a BH member.
Oh, yes I am! Be careful 🧐
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by stoptothink »

Geronkas wrote: Wed May 18, 2022 11:41 am
TomatoTomahto wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 7:34 am
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:19 pm
ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:11 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:04 pm

My wife was visiting her grandparents yesterday, she came home to me with a shaved head. My curly mohawk was getting out of control and I am speaking at a professional conference in a few weeks, She was not happy.
Careful with your wording... SHE came home with a shaved head?
Interesting.

:wink:

RM
Wording seems pretty clear to me. Besides, if she came home with a shaved head, I wouldn't care at all.
That’s all well and good; I don’t think Will Smith is a BH member.
Oh, yes I am! Be careful 🧐
My wife is a purple belt in BJJ and is more experienced (and better) at muay thai. Jokes aside, she'd look fine with a shaved head and certainly doesn't need me to (physically) defend her.
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