Life has been a little full the past five days — attending the Allume conference (see some of the beauties I got to hang out with above? That was after 1 a.m. and we were still going strong!), spending a lot of quality time with my kiddos and husband on either end of the conference since I always miss them so much when I’m gone, and working with my team mapping out some big projects for 2015.
At any rate, I didn’t get a chance to get a How I Saved post up for a few days and this one isn’t from today, but I am still going to count it. 🙂
{I brought home some Scripture tattoos for him from the Allume conference and he wanted to put all of them on so he could be, as he said, “Covered in Scriptures!”}
This is such a simple way to save, but it’s amazing how much it saved. Last week, Silas needed his hair cut. So Jesse got at the little trimmer and buzzed it. It only took him a short while and saved us at least $10-$12! Score!
Last post’s winner of the $25 iTunes gift card was Melinda who said she saved by:
Since I knew I was going to be spending all afternoon at the dentist office with the kids, I went ahead and made chicken and dumplings in the crock pot for dinner in the morning. Planning ahead ensured that we didn’t order take out and spend $60 on dinner. -Melinda
Share How You Saved Today & You Could Win a $100 Target Gift Card
Leave a comment telling us how you saved today. I’ll choose one winner later this week who will win a $100 Target gift card. I can’t wait to hear all the ways you are saving!
I saved today by stocking up on chicken. My daughter works at a retail/grocery store and chicken breasts were on sale for .99 a pound! I stocked up. We now have over 40 lbs. of chicken breasts in our freezer and I’m on the hunt for good chicken recipes. Lol.
I saved by creating my halloween costume from clothes and accessories I already had from past halloweens.
I also saved today by cutting my husbands hair! He also gave me and my daughter’s manicures for our vacation. We saved about $50 with those three simple things and got to spend time as a family!
My girls (age 2 & 5) wanted to be Batgirl & Robin for Halloween. Actually my oldest wanted to be Batgirl and my youngest follows along with whatever her sissy wants.
I looked online at a few places and found costumes of poor quality for $15-25 and when I searched Etsy the prices went from $25-$80. I decided I’d make my own.
I searched for reasonable prices on the supplies I needed and found everything for about $30. I whipped up the costumes in about 5 hours. The girls entered a costume contest in our town and won $50 therefore I made money off of this adventure!
(***I wish I could attach a pic because they were way to cute!!)
I saved today by using the internet at my sister’s house instead of going to some place like McDonalds. This gives my girls a chance to play with their cousins and me to visit my sister also. 🙂
I pulled together dinner at home last night instead of eating out.
We save by having a $100 per week grocery budget. We also tried cutting hair at home. We have since returned to the barber. 🙂 We also rarely eat out and try to find all of the free stuff to do in our town! We are working the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps as quickly as we can!
I was out-of-town for the day, gone from early morning until late evening. I packed enough food from home to avoid buying food while I was out.
I saved by packing my lunch the night before.
Instead of going out to eat at Olive Garden, made a copycat version found on the internet of one of their soups at home!
Movie savings today by attending the Early Bird (first showing) discounted time, using theater email coupons, and using the theater app for additional coupon rewards. Oh, and eating before going 🙂
I saved today by making my own dishwasher detergent and toilet cleaning fizzies. It was super easy and I estimated that I saved about 50% on the detergent. I can’t wait to try it out!
I won passes for a free movie screening for the new Disney movie-Big Hero6-I saw it advertised in the paper and put in code right away-and there were free passes still left-I was very grateful.
I took a shower at the gym today instead of coming home and doing it. It saved gas money too since I had to be out anyway.
My son needed some jeans so we went to the local thrift store & after looking through the racks I found a pair of jeans for $1.99 and also a sweater vest for winter for $2.99. I would rather check out the local thrift stores anytime before heading to the mall where you would pay a whole lot more for clothing.
My kids are in ALOT of activities. I keep snacks in the car at all times. They are in the center console. Granola bars/applesauce cups/fruit snacks whatever I have on hand. I have kids ages 9-15 and sometimes they are STARVING! This stops us from running into a fast food place or getting snacks else where when we are on our way home for dinner or to another activity
When I found out braces were going to cost almost $5,000 for my 12 year old son, I quickly signed up for the flexible spending account through my husbands employer. They deduct a portion from your check each pay period before taxes so we will save close to $800 over the 2 years since we won’t be taxed on the funds for his braces!
My sister in law is in cosmetology school and today was friends and family day. I took my girls up so their aunt could do their very first hair cuts!! It was free! We saved probably $50 🙂
I cut my husband’s hair last week. And since I don’t trust him to cut my hair (it needs to be styled) I will use a coupon for my haircut. Save myself $20-$30 since I only have them cut my hair and leave out all the extras.
I saved $22.75 at the grocery store today buy buying items on sale + using coupons!
$14.75 in coupons
$8.00 in store sales
The plan was to go to the store and pick up a bag of potato chips to go with grilled hot dogs for dinner. Instead, we had potato salad made from two large potatoes left-over from Monday’s dinner. Saved time, gas, and money. Of course the potato salad was much better than just plain ‘ole potato chips!
I saved by price matching at Walmart, then the cashier reminded me to also use Savings Catcher — which saved me another $7! I’m accumulating my Savings Catcher rewards on a gift card to use for Christmas shopping.
We are going to save today by eating up leftovers (love em) which will also save me the time and energy of cooking something and cleaning up afterwards. 🙂 LOL
Crystal, your little boy is so adorable! I love his smile.
Even more I love seeing you with these ladies. I wish I could have joined in all the fun. The jealousy bug bit me hard this weekend!!! 🙂
I saved today by picking pumpkins with my little ones. For just $5 we were able to have a blast exploring the pumpkin patch and this evening we’ll carve the pumpkins. This was cheaper than us all going out for ice cream! We have cute pictures to remember it by, pumpkin carving fun waiting for us after naps, and decorations for our porch. It was totally worth the small $5 investment.
I saved by signing up for the Walmart Savings Catcher and got 3.98 back. I used it the next time I went in, just like a coupon.
We missed you, but I know you were where you were supposed to be!
I making Italian wedding soup from some frozen prepared mini balls for supper that I purchased on sale last week.
I saved today by buying clothes on the clearance rack for my kids for next summer at $2 a piece!
I can’t get over how cute Silas keeps getting!
I shared recently by hosting a costume “sale”. With Halloween tomorrow, my friends and I were complaining on the high cost of costumes that only get worn once. I decided that we should get all our clean costumes together and let our kids “shop” for this year’s costume. It was great fun and the kids had a blast looking and trying on all the costumes. Everyone went home with a “new” costume.
I used my $10 birthday month coupon at World Market to get some stocking stuffers!
I saved money today by using a free babysitter. Does that count? I have a retired friend who I called to watch my boys while I was at a doctor’s appointment. It went well and the kids had fun! I wish I had family nearby for those kinds of things, but good friends work great too!
My daughter’s birthday was coming up and I hadn’t gotten invitations yet but knew I wanted to do photo invitations. I got an email from shutter fly introducing their new Christmas cards and offering 10 free ones. I was able to find a non-Christmasy looking photo invitation within their Christmas collection to use for the party!
I saved this week by taking my sons pictures! My older 2 kids just had their pictures taken at school but my four year old hasn’t had his “professionally” taken for 2 years. After purchasing a nice, used camera a couple of years ago for Christmas I decided to give it a try myself. We walked out our back door, took pictures for 30 minutes and then I used a FREE editing program to edit the pictures. They turned out great and were free!!
I checked out some groceries on separate receipts so my husband and I could both save money with our grocery savings apps!
I saved today by shopping at the commissary, using a list and almost $40 in coupons!
The family and I are working on truly identifying what we “want”, what we “need”, and what is holding us down. We’re cleaning house and making a huge donation pile. It’s saving us in multiple ways: less visual (and emotional!) clutter and a nice little credit when it comes time for taxes next year.
I saved money by doing the Target diaper deal today (buy 2 boxes, get $20 gc back) with a gift card I already had plus Cartwheel coupons for diapers, and then using that $20 gc for a Christmas gift for the kids!
i have always given my 1.5-year-old a haircut. never had to pay for one. he’s got a lot of hair and it grows fast, so i’ve given him at least 5 haircuts already. i also donate my hair, so that i don’t have to pay for a haircut. my husband also cuts his own hair. we’ve never had cable tv; we just use the internet. and we don’t drink a lot of alcohol, so we save a lot of money on that too. i try to pack lunches, so that we’re not always going out to eat. also we use cloth diapers and wipes for my son, so we’ve saved a TON of money not having to buy disposable diapers/wipes every month. i also made my own baby food, so i never had to buy any from the store. we also have a large number of generous ladies at church who have passed down clothes that their sons have grown out of and so we haven’t had to really purchase any clothing for my son which is so GREAT ! i also breastfed my son for as long as i could and used freecycle to get free baby formula. we barely had to pay a cent for baby formula.
I changed my Halloween costume so I only spent $4,
I am redoing my home office including new knobs on all the cabinet doors. Instead of replacing all the hinges in the coordinating color, I just spray painted them in the brushed nickle color.
I saved today by calling all the businesses that I have have monthly bills from, (i.e. Electric, gas, cable, car insurance, newspaper, phone and water bill), and asked them to automatically bill from my credit card each month when due.
PRESTO!! No due dates, checks to write or bills to worry about each month!
This equals more time with what is important to me-MY FAMILY!
Added bonus, points add up quickly for travel and gift cards!!!
Thank You~
Diahann
I didn’t have anything prepared for dinner, but instead of eating out, my husband and I made fried egg sandwiches. We are really trying to use what we have already in the fridge.
We took our daughter to a Fall Festival in a Winnie the Pooh costume bought for $4!!! from a thrift store. It was the exact costume we wanted but $30 on Amazon. Very exciting find!
We saved by finding a great deal at Smart and Final today – boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.69/lb! I bought 2 packages. Making chicken pot pie soon!
I recently purchased the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. By contacting one of his recommened insurance agencies I was able to save $80.00 per month on my auto policy. One phone call saved our family $960 per year. So excited to save money.
I took a soups/stews class offered by my local Pampered Chef consultant last night. We made 7 freezer meals which means I won’t have to figure out “what’s for dinner” for 7 days!!
It cost $25 for the Pampered Chef spices/oils that we used – and I got to keep all of the left over for future meals – so that plus the cost of the food to make the meals.
All in all, by making the meals ahead of time I’ll be saving over 50% on either going out to dinner or ordering out dinner whenever I get home from a long day at work and don’t feel like cooking.
Got some great new recipes to try – got to used some cool Pampered Chef gadgets that I’ve never used and had a good time with new friends.
WIN! WIN!
I guess I have two woolly ways I’m saving today. I’m making mittens from old sweaters and washing wool from our one little sheep to felt for slippers. I hope to sell any surplus to help pay bills.
I made my daughter a homemade “lunchable” instead of buying one.
It’s getting a bit chilly here in Chicago and I decided to just bring the small space heater we have into our office instead of cranking up the heat in the whole house. Love this series, thanks!
We saved last night by eating in – our local store has meal deals – pay for the main items – get everything that goes with it free… plus hubby and I get to eat leftovers today for lunch! 2 meals out of 1!
I saved today by using plug-in wall heaters to heat our bedroom and the children’s bedroom overnight instead of turning on the heating system to heat the whole house, once the sun comes out the rest of the house warms up nicely. Last year our heating bills were sky -high and I’m determined to make a difference this year and so far this year it has seemed to help.
I needed chia seeds for my morning smoothies, so headed to amazon to look for them. They need to be organic and non gmo so sometimes they are rather expensive. I didn’t just buy the first ones I looked at. I looked around and finally found a l pound bag for 10.49. Looked a little closer at the listing and it had a code if you entered it you would get a bag free. Score.
I got 2 pounds of non gmo organic chia seeds for 10.49. ( i usually pay more for that for one pound!)
I found some cute clipart and designed my own invitations for my son’s birthday party that I will print out. Much cheaper than buying invitations!
I saved today by making a dinner menu for the next few weeks and following it.. No more last minuet trips to the grocery store..
We had an academic celebration for one child. Instead of going out for ice cream afterwards, I planned ahead and bought ice cream at the grocery, and we had an at-home ice cream sunday celebration for much less! Plus no stress of being out later than necessary!
I am a SAHM struggling with our finances, so I have started going back to the basics…being prepared. My husband gets paid every two weeks. I started planning our weekly menus two weeks at a time and going shopping as little as I can. For me more trips, mean I pick up more items. So having a plan in advance is helping me rely more on my pantry, than wrecking my budget by going through the drive through. One month down, a lifetime to go, but it has been worth it.
I hate cooking and was so tempted to eat out yesterday but I had made homemade chicken nuggets the night before and froze the leftovers. So we went ahead and had chicken nuggets (again) and orange slices for dinner!
I saved money today by choosing to skip running to Target this week. Every time I go, I always find “extra” things to purchase, so the less I go, the more I save!
Halloween costume – Baseball player. My son used baseball gear he already had, except he needed a shirt. I had received a Amazon gift card for $15.00 about 1 month ago. I bought his baseball shirt for $1.93 – cheapest Halloween costume I ever bought.
I planned ahead at the grocery store so one bag of groceries and one night of cooking not only fed our family dinner and leftovers but allowed me to bring dishes to share at a party this week as well as lunch to share at a playdate I hosted for friends!
Thrift store shopping! For only $38, I got a costume for DS2, a hoodie for DD, winter coats for both boys, 4 pairs of pants for DS2, a pair of PJ’s for DS2, and 2 books, both in brand new condition. One of the books, I think I can use for my business. Score!
Today I am making cupcakes towards a special birthday treat for someone. Also, I was so happy to toss out very little food trash this week, which makes me feel better and less wasteful about using the food I’m purchasing.
My daughter trimmed my hair for me, I used soured milk in my biscuits for our supper tonight, I used only one $1.99 pound of sausage in the sausage gravy for our family of 11.
Next week, I am throwing a post-Halloween costume party for a friend’s child that has had a rough year. Today I made up an invitation graphic to print and then found paper and envelopes for 1/2 price. Then I realized that it would be so much cheaper (and special) to draw simple graphics on the envelopes rather than stamping them on—so the unused ink pad and stamp are waiting to be returned! I returned a bunch of unused project items from the same store and was able to use the credit towards my purchase. Went to a second store to buy a craft item and found cupcake liners and decorations already 50% off. Also, I collected Osage oranges to stack in a bowl—free green “brains” to decorate with (and I like their pine/citrus scent)! I planned this party for the week after Halloween because I knew I’d be able to get a lot of supplies on clearance after the holiday plus it’s another day that the guests can get use out of their costumes!
o saved this week by not buying Halloween costumes. I bought a costume one size up last year after Halloween, and I told my son he could use the difference and take us All out to eat tomorrow for lunch.
We used leftovers for lunch when I really wanted to go to a restaurant 🙂
I ate leftovers for lunch and make double portions of our stir-fry noodles for dinner so that I wouldn’t be tempted to eat out tomorrow night after a long day at Bible study and not wanting to cook.
I saved money today by taking advantage of $0.01 copy paper at Staples, (after rebate). We go through a lot of paper in our home school!
I made peach cobbler for a church function instead of going to the store to buy something to take.
I saved today by finally listing items on eBay. They have been sitting in my closet for almost a year since I planned to sell them. :-/ It only took me a few minutes to list them from my phone before bed. Why did I wait this long?? This time next week, I should be saving money and space!!
I made dinner tonight with peppers from our garden, beef from the freezer (we previously went in with my parents to purchase half a side of beef), and tomatoes we grew and canned ourselves…I cut my son’s hair….I sold another item on ebay. The $$ from my ebay sales is accumulating in a paypal account which I use to buy clothes and homeschool books for our children.
We saved money by finding a much cheaper “new to us” vehicle last week. My husband is busy detailing our current van so we can sell it and get rid of our final debt aside from my student loans! I also just finished making ~30 pancakes for tomorrow’s breakfast and the freezer to save time and make sure we have quick affordable meals at home!
So today I was at Smiths getting a few items with coupons of course. I came to the dairy department and low and behold they had discounted their soon to expire milk to 1.99. Wahoo and having a teenager who thinks we own a cow or something made me snag a few gallons to put in the freezer. Not only was this sweet but from the BEFrugal website I had printed off milk coupons to save 40 cents on a gallon bringing my cost to 1.59 now that is true savings.
I saved 2 ways today:
I had planned on making (would need to buy supplies) or purchasing a fabric covered bulletin board for my craft wall. Instead I put my schedule and a decorative printable in two frames to decorate my walk in a functional way.
Still in a decorating mood, I use a table runner my mom had given me to drape over the blinds in my office. It turned out very pretty and was much less expensive than the “scarf” (I think that’s the name) I bought at JC Penney for my living room years ago!
I saved by buying my son a bag of second hand clothes.
I saved today by staying in town after work in order to attend mid week services at our church, instead of driving home out of town and then back again for church-1 trip instead of 3! 😉
I picked up supplies to make my baby boy’s Halloween costume. Yellow shirt ($3, on sale) + craft paint ($.96 with coupon) = $13 savings for the same shirt on etsy. Homemade Charlie Brown!
My husband and I celebrated our ten-year dating anniversary today! We recently welcomed our second child into the world, and I became a stay-at-home mom to care for our family. Knowing that we would be living on a tighter budget, we saved a bottle of champagne that a good friend gave to us a few months back as a hosting gift for the occasion. To add a romantic touch, I picked roses from our garden and made a card at home instead of spending $5 on sentiments written by someone else. We ate at home after the kids went to bed instead of going out, saving money on dinner and childcare!
I cut both of my boys’ hairs today too!
At our family christmas we bring a table centerpiece to exchange and this year im saving by making an arrangement in an old pair of skates my mom found in her attic and today was shopping with friends n started collecting on sale christmas greens ect. Its costing me a fraction of what a brought arrangement would!:)
My husband called to cancel our cable, and they offered to cut our bill by $30 a month for 10 months, if we stayed with them. We decided to stay since it would be about half price.
I hung my laundry to dry on our clotheslines my husband put in our furnace room. It saves electricity and the wear and tear from the dryer on our clothes.
I bought boys snowpants for myself rather than adult. Waaaaaaay cheaper. Plus we did haircuts for the boys at home.
Today I helped my daughter make her lunch for school which saved both my wallet and her stomach (school food is nasty apparently). I also took my own lunch to work for more savings.
This may sound a little unusual, but our family saved today by going to two “Trunk or Treat” events. Our four kids had a blast dressing up, we had a free family outing, we got to see friends, and we were able to get candy we can put in our Operation Christmas Child boxes (the ones that won’t melt). We love supporting Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child, and it teaches our kids to give when they receive!
We saved today by eating leftovers for lunch & dinner. I stayed home today when I was tempted to go to the store because I was “out”. Also went through my closet and organized gifts to give others.
I cooked up 10 pounds of hamburger and froze it in 1 pound freezer bags. That way I always have a quick easy meal on days I can’t think and don’t want to cook. Saved me from spending money in take out!
I hung out my laundry since it was such a gorgeous day, instead of using the dryer!
My husband’s CD/tape player in his car hasn’t worked for 3 years, which has been quite frustrating. The other day, he was sticking his hand in his car’s tape player when he felt something. Today, he decided to use forceps to try to remove what was in there. The first set of forceps didn’t work, so he proceeded to get longer forceps. What he discovered when he cleared the area was money…$1.05! Not only did he find money, but he was also able to clear the jam in the CD/tape player with the removal of the money. So now we no longer have to spend money to get the player fixed, and we now have $1.05 more to use towards getting a leak in the car fixed! It may seem like a small amount of money, but every penny counts when you’re on a budget – we keep track of every penny, spent and saved!
I saved today by taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and hanging my clothes out to dry instead of using the dryer.
I wanted to send some encouragement cards to a few friends, so I used two sided tape to attach extra photo prints of nature scenes to card stock. Each card costs only 20 cents so I can feel free to send cards often. That is how I saved today.
Today we saved money by the family carpooling, rather than taking separate vehicles, even though it means some inconvenience and waiting time.
Also, eating dinner at home, rather than grabbing fast food. Plus, I found a great price for gas today, so went ahead and filled up the tank rather than waiting until the tank was empty and paying more tomorrow. I’m so proud of our whole family working together to save money.
A friend took me to Salvation Army today for the first time!
What a score…I found a pair of brand new old navy jeans for my hubby marked @ $5. And, today was family day, so every color ticket, except 1, was 50% off! I also found several tops for the kiddlets…11 items for about $22!
I saved by canceling our plans for our 15th wedding anniversary because it would have put us in debt and came up with the idea of a Anniversary in a Box which only cost me $25.00. Saved $275!!
I saved today by rummaging through the fridge, freezer, and pantry to make lunch and dinner….that way we avoided eating our or dipping into next month’s grocery money.
I also just cut my sons hair today and saved $20 for DIY.
I saved by pumping breast milk instead of using formula. Going 7 months strong on this one!
I saved today by packing a lunch for work and not eating out on the way to school this morning.
I saved today by pre-ordering some holiday gifts. Target has been running their free shipping on orders off their website, the gifts were discounted, and I had cash back target gift cards from purchases (like their amazing diaper deals!). In total, I paid $.94 out of pocket. Happy,happy!
Well its not exciting but I packed my lunch and drink for the day so I didn’t have to buy anything out of the work vending machine. Its definitely a money saver!
I saved today by having muffins from the freezer for breakfast with coffee-to-go made at home. Not only is this way cheaper than breakfast drive-through, but I make my muffins gluten free with no added sugar (besides 1/4 cup of mini Choc chips in the whole recipe), so it’s much healthier!!
This morning, we ran out of milk at my house, so I HAD to get some on the way home. I saved by checking the ads and going to the grocery store that had milk on sale for $3.19 (rather than the normal price of close to $4).
I’m definitely feeling old right now getting excited about a sale on milk!
Well, this isn’t just for today, but I spent my lunch hour at work pumping milk for our baby boy. And maybe after we get the kids settled & bottles washed I’ll get some squash puréed for him too.
We saved money by printing off a design for our pumpkin from the computer instead of buying the book of designs.
We made homemade sugar cookies to decorate for Halloween instead of buying a package from the store!
I looked thru the freezer and pantry to come up with something to make from what we had, instead of buying more groceries! Made a stuffed pepper soup! (Found several green peppers in my garden to use also. I didn’t think anything was still growing–win!!)
And, the ground beef I used from my freezer for the soup was $1.29 for a pound!!
We had about 45 minutes between preschool pickup and speech therapy and I knew my little guy would need lunch so instead of going through the drive through, I packed his favorite peanut butter and honey sandwich and some raspberries and took him to a nearby creek with an outside eating area with tables and we had a beautiful outdoor lunch.
My toddler and I made banana bread from overripe bananas instead of buying snacks at the grocery store.
I saved today shopping on Amazon! I needed a new pair of running shoes so I searched for my current shoe (an older model which is cheaper to begin with!). I had a Swagbucks gift card to use along with cash back from my Discover card. I opted for the slowest shipping option which saved over $5. All in all, a pair of shoes that normally costs around $120, is coming my way for $58!
I saved by coming home in between my stops and eating hot dogs instead of picking up something.
I saved today by making chili in the crock pot. I kept adding ingredients until the pot was full. We’ll have enough for tomorrow, too.
I saved by making myself a delicious latte from home with my espresso machine and also making my husband a mocha instead of going to an expensive coffee shop. Much cheaper and just as delicious!
I signed up to bring a snack for my son’s Halloween party. Before going to the store i checked my pantry for inspiration. I found some microwave popcorn and some plastic food safe gloves and decided to make popcorn hands. No extra$$ spent!
I saved in two ways. First by making my kids Elsa and Anna costumes for about $10 each. And I traded babysitting with a friend so each of us get a evening out without the added cost of paying a babysitter.
I’m making a new skirt from a $4 tablecloth from the thrift store… & I just cut my husband’s hair yesterday. 🙂
I saved this week by hemming up my niece’s repunzal costume from last year so that my daughter can wear it for Halloween. That’s at least 15 dollars 🙂
I saved today by couponing for Halloween candy!!
I followed up on a lead about $1 pumpkins at Lowes, buying them online and heading to my nearest Lowes during my lunch break to pick them up. On my way thru the Garden Center, I picked up a clearance mum on sale for half price. I also snagged a fall garden flag because a sign said they were on sale. When I inquired about my pumpkins at customer service, I was told this Lowes didn’t have any and that they had tried to call me. However, we determined she had called the wrong number. I stayed upbeat and, as she was checking the price, I asked if they could do any better on the price of the mums and flag (you have not because you ask not, right?). Sure enough, she cut the cost if the mums from 50% to 75% off and the flag (which wasn’t coming up reduced) to 60%! I was delighted!
I forgot my lunch at home, but instead of going out to lunch with coworkers, (tempting) I ate black bean hummus and tortillas that it made from scratch on Sunday. I meant them for a snack, not a meal, but it was plenty of protein and carbs and did great for me.
I saved by using ground turkey instead of beef for dinner tonight.
I usually meal plan for dinners, but don’t take the time to plan breakfast and lunches assuming it will work out somehow. Well, I got inspired by Gretchen’s posts and decided to actually write down plans for breakfast, lunch, and packed lunches for my husband. I was surprised how much more intentional I was with grocery shopping today! I didn’t get that extra bag of potatoes or some random veggies so that I could ‘throw it together’ for non-dinner meals. And I didn’t scramble last minute with a hungry me and toddler for lunch, keeping me from eating some of the pricier snacks we get as special treats.
We went to the library instead of the bookstore!
My middle school age son is playing basketball this winter and needed some shoes. I checked a local online swap and shop site and found some almost new Adidas basketball shoes listed for just $3! Huge savings!!!
Our sweet little four year-old boy has been asking for a new “food set” for his play kitchen. When his grandparents ask what they can get him for Christmas, I will be suggesting the set because I know they like to give him toys – and there is no sense in our spending the money now when Christmas is just around the corner! So in the meantime, I’ve been gathering and cleaning out yogurt cups, grated cheese and coffee bean containers, cous-cous and pasta boxes, and even empty plastic spice jars for him to “cook” with! He was so excited to see his newly “stocked” kitchen (and he immediately asked me what he should make for dinner!)
For dinner, I pulled a pound of ground beef I’d gotten on manager’s special out of the freezer, some rice from the giant bag from Costco, tomato sauce on sale with a coupon, and made stuffed peppers for the first time. I’m on a self-imposed pantry challenge of sorts, and finding that last pound of beef in the freezer was exciting!
We saved money today by eating eggs from our flock of free-range hens!
We are also cutting are (overdue) son’s hair this week for some family pictures this weekend!
*our*
I saved yesterday (since you counted another time too ;)) by being creative enough with leftovers for my family to eat them. Our Monday roast chicken was Tuesdays lunch as chicken and noodle soup and Tuesdays dinner as chicken tacos. Not bad for a $5 bird!
I cut my son’s hair yesterday and I knew I was going to be on my son’s field trip all day and would be to tired to cook but I make frozen orange chicken and rice and steamed broccoli and made milk shakes at home for my kids instead of grabbing them on the way home.
I saved today by shopping at a different store, I got and offer that means that I will get a $30 gift card if I spend $50 on groceries for 3 weeks. I don’t normally shop at that store, but I really stuck to my list and spent $54, some of which was on stock up items so I was really pleased. The gift card will be used towards Christmas as we have a lot of family coming over. xx
I literally “saved” money by making sure to open all the mail that had been piling up on the office desk and finding a large rebate check that my husband had been waiting for but thought hadn’t come. 🙂
I made a big pot of chicken and noodles so we could have left overs for meals throughout the week. We then took a container of the food to our elderly next door neighbor so she could have a yummy meal to eat.
I saved by staying home all day – no gas money spent, no temptations, no excuses of just picking up “a few things”
I do cut my men’s hair at home, but that wasn’t today. Today I took advantage of the $1 pumpkin clearance at Lowe’s and scored the last 2 at my store. Exactly what we needed.
I saved today by using vinegar in the dishwasher as a rinse agent. So much cheaper!
We saved BIG today! We moved to a new house last year and realized that our HVAC system was over 23 years old…about 5 years past life expectancy for the unit. Eek! We got several estimates and the lowest was about 4000 more than we wanted to pay. I posted on Facebook, begging for recommendations and an old friend contacted me who is in the business and offered to come give a estimate–with a friends and family discount. 🙂 We had to wait longer to have it installed but he did a great job and he came in about 10,000 less than our highest estimate and 4500 than our lowest. Yay!
I saved by using coupons to buy groceries. I also earned over 300 swagbucks that I’m saving to buy Christmas presents.
I saved money today by trading off babysitting with my sister-in-law. I had a college student coming once a week for a few hours but she recently had to step back from that commitment so my sister-in-law and I decided to just switch off days of watching our littlest kids. Saves me $30 a week!!
I read aloud to my child for an average of 3 hours a day. Naturally, we have an ever-growing “library” at home. I’ve been searching for foreign-language & bilingual books online, but price points were beyond my budget. My new budget-saving secret was when I discovered that the children’s librarian has to sell the books that don’t get checked out often (or at all) in order to make space for new books sent. The books I bought seemed brand-new and cost a donation of $0.50 per book. I just take off the taped-on library barcode and (voila!), a $16.95 book becomes a steal! I have had hit-and-miss experiences with thrift stores and consignment sales and the books are most often worn-out or used, but the ones from the library have been a score. Other advantages are:
– I don’t have to return my child’s favorite books after they have been renewed at the library the maximum number of times.
– My child and I can read in the comfort of our own home even after the library closes.
I saved money by programming our thermostat to be a little warmer (4 degrees warmer) while we are away from home!
i saved today by not finding a book i wanted at the library — a book that just released in september of this year btw. how does that save me money? well, since our small town library didn’t have, and couldn’t borrow it from another library either, the librarian said she would just buy a copy for the library and let me know when it was in so i could be the first to read it!
that saved me $15!
score!
We gleaned apples from a local orchard and are making them into applesauce. My whole house smells like apples! 🙂
I finished making my sons Halloween costume, a scuba diver. It costs me $5 for the goggles I got on clearance at Target and .79 cents for the foam I used to make flippers. The rest I already had at home so I figured it saved me at least $10-15 rather than buying a costume at the store.
Today I saved by deciding to go to the gym, where I already have a paid-for 15 month membership (it’s a no-frill gym and cost me $99/year.). Since the weather has been so nice in Maryland this week, I’ve been walking near my house. Today was rainy, so I decided to keep the momentum of my “better health” mantra going by heading to the gym. Hopefully this change will impact not only my current expenses, but in years to come as well!
I had originally decided to go to OKC to thrift and grocery shop. I started driving and realized that I didn’t have peace. So, I talked to my husband and he agreed. We decided to go to our local Sams and shop thred up. We already had our snacks. We had a freezer meal for dinner thawing. I saved time and money by realizing my limitations. 🙂
I saved money today by loading my crockpot with potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, chicken broth, pork roast, and spices. It was delicious and will last us for several days or go in the freezer for later or disguised as a new dish with the addition of green beans and cream of mushroom soup. It was better and healthier than a restaurant meal, because it was mostly veggies. The slow cooking really melds the flavors.
I love all the awesome small steps! It really helps me feel like I’m accomplishing something when the ideas are things I do. We cut the boys hair at home, I’m making more and more from scratch, etc. today I finally got around to a DIY project I’ve been intending for a year- making a draft stopper for our front door! As our home ages it’s starting to have a gap at the front door and it isn’t like people go in and out of their front doors often- just a scrap of fabric the length of the door width about 12″ wide (used a piece from our window treatments for added strength and durability) sewed 3 sides, filled with beans left over from sensory bins and did buy about 4 lbs more and sewed it shut. I can’t quantify the savings yet but with fall finally hitting it can’t hurt to not heat the front yard!
Today I saved by prepping freezer smoothie bags for breakfasts for the next few days. This is so helpful to keep me from buying fast food breakfast!!!
I saved today simply by eating breakfast and lunch at home, although we were busy shopping for used cars then both had to head to work.
We ate leftovers for lunch.
I saved today simply by eating breakfast and lunch at home, although we were busy shooping for used cars then both had to head to work.
The kids are enjoying being creative and are making their own Halloween costumes instead of us buying them costumes.
Each month I cut my boys’ and husband’s hair = $45 savings each month!
I needed to meet with some friends, so I asked them to come to my house instead of going to a coffee shop. I had made pumpkin bread earlier in the week and put out tea.
I have 3 kids – 2 boys, ages 7 & 3 and 1 girl, age 21 months. Outfitting 3 growing kids with each season change is tough. We have saved all of my oldest sons’s clothes from toddlerhood on. So, pulled out the bins of clothing we’ve kept & now my 3 year old son has his entire wardrobe for this fall/winter covered except for 2 pairs of jeans that I’ll have to purchase. Thank The Lord for hand-me-downs. 🙂
We ate all our meals at home and packed snacks for Community Bible Study.
Rather than buy organic applesauce which is quite pricey at the store. We picked 6 Apple voices worth of organic apples off my dad’s tree and canned applesauce at home. The boxes down and so far 30 quart jars of yummy organic homemade, no sugar added, preservative free applesauce! Add to it the memories for the kids of picking, washing, cutting and mushing, and….yummy warm apple juice from the boil water.
I did haircuts at home, too! Five kids AND my husband. Now I can go get a haircut for myself. 🙂
I saved today by making freezer meals for the whole week for my family of 5. We will not impulsively go out to eat because we will have a great homemade meal ready In the crock pot every night .
We scheduled some family pictures to be taken with a friend next month, but wound up winning their session giveaway just for sharing their offer. (Saved $100!) And since we have a new baby girl, after 5 energetic little boys, we just HAVE to do the poses/shots floating around Pinterest with the CIA big brothers and the chalk boards stating “DON’T. MESS. WITH. HER.” Instead of buying (and stressing over) suits for the boys and a tutu for our princess, I asked around and now have suits to borrow for 3 of our 4 boys and a few leads on tutus! Yay!
That should say 4 energetic little boys. 🙂
I’m really particular about making sure my dog treats are made in the USA. Now since I am sooooo budget conscience, I make my own right here in my kitchen!
My aunt gave me 2 giant bags of Fall/Winter clothes! Saved me a bunch of money b/c I don’t have any warm clothing that fits, & now I don’t have to buy any! 🙂
I didn’t eat take out for lunch like I’ve been doing often lately since it’s quick and doesn’t require any prep or planning. Instead I brought a can of soup to work for lunch! My hips loved it and so did my wallet!
Hey there friends! 🙂
My husband & I take every opportunity to save!! We don’t have cable or even netflix. We typically watch our shows on Hulu or straight from the network’s website…best of all it’s fee and usually has limited commercials! We also tend to only rent from RedBox with a free code! Redbox is wonderful and always posts free codes.
We also purpose to budget and take only a certain amount of money out a month for groceries, gas, and personal items. This really makes us aware of what we are spending and helps keep us on budget. It’s a lot harder to “see” yourself spending the cash instead of swiping that debit card.
Just a few things we do to save money! I love this site. Thank you!
My kids always get out of school SO hungry, and it’s just so easy to stop and pick up a snack on our way home. I’ve starting being intentional about having a snack ready at home, so I’m not tempted to stop (with four kids it adds up!) Today I made fresh bars and strawberry lemonade! 🙂
I made supper in the crock pot this morning since my kids will be at activities at different times tonight. Kids can grab hot food according to their schedules. I save money by not running through the fast food drivethrough!
Our refrigerator was not working properly yesterday. Everything in the freezer was thawing out and the fridge was warming up as well. I called a repairman to see if he could tell me what was wrong. He said it would cost anywhere from $200-$800 to repair it. My husband is about to start into full time pastoral ministry and we did not have the money to pay for a new refrigerator or even a repair. So, we prayed, cleaned the dust out of the blower, and defrosted the freezer. As of today, I was able to put everything back in it and it is working GREAT! That is how I was able to save today.
I walked as much as possible to save gas money for the car! 🙂
I packed lunch to take after co op instead of buying lunch out.
Today I went to Wegmans (savings right there as long as you steer clear of their prepared foods) and used their coupons. I also waited until this week to buy our Halloween candy…..because they had a coupon that wasn’t good until now for $2 off exactly the size bag we needed! (I also didn’t over-buy on the candy like I do most other years.)
Made healthy homemade muffins with ingredients I had on hand for my daughters school party tomorrow instead of buying treats at the store!
I saved today by using my swagbucks to help pay for birthday party supplies! My son’s first birthday is coming up and we really wanted to get bounce house or a ball pit but to rent them costs $100s. So thanks to pinterest, I got the idea to make a ball pit! I used my Swagbucks and some Survey points to get Target and Amazon gift cards, I used the Target one to get an inflatable pool on clearance and then used the Amazon ones to order a couple bags of the balls! So now we have a ball to use that cost us nothing!
I made my own bread and I am thawing out a bulk made freezer meal for some awesome hoagies. We bought the hamburger when it was on sale so it is a cheaper meal and so fast to make the day we eat it!
I went to Target today and scoref some good deals saving $35. Also my daughter has to dress up for Bible character night and we are using what we have in hand saving us $15-20.
I collected cereal and cracker size boxes from neighbors in order to send the books requested on paperbackswap without buying any mailing envelopes.
I made my own taco sauce out of ingredients at home instead of runningout and buying some!
I and my 4 yr old son hung up laundry to dry on a rack instead of drying them in the dryer.
I save money on those pricey baby food pouches by buying reusable pouches on Amazon, and making yogurt mixes myself. (Whole milk yogurt + pureed fruits and veggies). We can still have the convenience of food on the go, but MUCH less expensive.
We also save by never buying eggs. Our 8 pretty hens have us covered. 🙂 We have enough for us plus our church’s food pantry.
My kids put together costumes for a trunk-or-treat night using items we already had on hand at home (the only thing we purchased was a $4.00 tail for one child’s cat costume).
I packed my kid’s lunches!!
Today I decided to not use my car (my 1st saving), so I walked the kids to school in the morning, and I walked to pick them up in the afternoon. Because I was not going to shop (my 2nd saving) I bake a big loaf of bread, and it was my kids snack (few pennies per serving: my 3rd saving) and for diner I will serve all the left over and declutter my fridge (my 4th saving)!!!
I saved by not buying snacks for today’s lunch – instead I made a homemade granola last night with oats, dates, walnuts, etc. I think it even tastes better than the store-bought bars!
I noticed that my 2-year-old had outgrown his shoes so I pulled out my box of shoes my other sons have outgrown and was able to find two pairs that fit him. Saved my time going to the store and money of having to buy new shoes.
I saved today by getting a free sandwhich from honey baked ham, sometimes I’ll add a drink and chips, but declined this time, making my lunch totally FREE which I love 🙂
I often bring meals to people that are sick. Instead of buying plastic containers to take food to them, I reuse sour cream or other food containers from the store. This saves me from spending money on items that would be thrown away anyway.
On vacation this week, and I pre-packed daily snacks to save who knows how much to ensure all 4 of us had a quick form of nutrition & allowing us to survive off of two larger meals a day!! This is a big savings for us $$!! 🙂 Thanks for opportunity!! <3
We also do home haircuts for our boys. And my husband cuts his own hair as well! Also I am hoping to save today by making my own chicken broth!
Right now we have musical practice in between school and bedtimes. I’ve been saving money by packing a dinner for my kids some of the weeks instead of going out to eat in between all our evening activities.
I went to the dollar tree instead of Michaels to get supplies – and found things that would have been $10 for $1!
I have a friend who has quit smoking by using nicotine patches(insurance only covers so many weeks so she has needed to purchase them herself). I found some coupons in the mail and searched the sale ads. I helped her save $45.00. I know this is supposed to be about how we “personally” saved today but I was so happy that I could help someone else I just had to share.
The car was due for an oil change, so I did a 3 minute online survey for them, and got a $10 off coupon.
I am slowly mastering the art of saving herbs from the garden instead of losing them all to frost – last year I learned to make basil oil and dry some of the herbs. Today I put up some tarragon vinegar. Unlike the oils, the vinegars can be made with past-their-prime plants!
My friend and I are sharing a babysitter tonight! Spitting the cost between us so we can have a much needed evening out 🙂
I took the kids to the park instead of the children’s museum. Free fun!
I made crock pot stuffed peppers and the red peppers were a bit overcooked. I scooped out the inside to eat and am saving the red peppers to make Roasted Red Pepper Hummus! Turned out perfect! It’s those little things that add up, as you know!
I saved by buying bread, toothbrushes, and bandaids at Dollar Tree. Much cheaper than other stores. Mine also sells frozen food now. I didn’t buy any today, as I wasn’t going straight home, but their frozen blueberries are such a great deal at $1 for 10 oz! They even have a Bible verse on the package, which is awesome!
I brought lunch from home rather than purchasing…that is a savings!
My hubs needs a new Sonicare toothbrush head. I decided that I’ll make it his birthday gift (nov. 20) so I had time to search around for the best deal. Just discovered that BB&B has a good deal + rebate on them, BUT I don’t have the cash to put towards it. We only have $276 to our name and that’s to cover gas & groceries & debt snowball, etc for the next two weeks. Ridiculous. But paycheck to paycheck is our life right now. SO, I got creative!
I discovered on an old CC account that had $30 in rewards. I thought I couldn’t cash out for anything until it hit $50, and because we aren’t using CC anymore I assumed these rewards would just have to go to waste. But, NO! They have their own gift card options for lower denominations! I was able to redeem $20 points for a $25 BB&B gift card!! This will leave me paying ~$5 out of pocket for 3 replacement heads! Woot!
I went to the library and checked out some books rather than buy them at the store.
I realized that we have a bunch of leftovers in the fridge, so nixed the meal plan for tonight and we’ll have a buffet!
I dyed my hair at home; it cost about $8, instead of $65 at a salon.
I cut my little guy’s hair this morning too and plan on cutting my husband’s tonight. That is $30 saved today. Yeah!
I was making a meal for a friend who just had a baby and doubled the recipe so that I could stick one in the freezer for ourselves. I haven’t done much freezer cooking in the past so this was a big step for me. Also, it will come in handy since I’m expecting our 2nd child in just a few short weeks!
I dyed my hair at home rather than the salon.
I saved today by having my dad bring back 11 bags of quinoa from his mission trip. My husband is from Peru, where quinoa in large part is grown, so it’s pretty darn cheap there. When I heard my dad would be making a visit to the mission in Chimbote, again (the city where my husband is from, my dad has been a long-time supporter of this particular mission), I asked him to bring back some commercially-sealed bags of quinoa. (They had to be commercially-sealed to avoid problems with customs.) He was able to bring me back 11 18-oz. bags of quinoa for $30.
I saved today by carving jack-o-lanterns for my 2 young sons from pumpkins that their Grandpa grew just for them. They chose Halloween costumes from hand me down costumes my sister gave me. They have 2 slightly older boy cousins, and this has saved us HUGE on clothing, costumes, coats, etc. Finally, my husband and I made the difficult decision to spend $1600 to repair his older paid off truck, instead of taking on a monthly payment to purchase a newer vehicle. Hoping and praying there are no more repair costs for at least a year! 🙂
We just checked out movies at the library for free and books too!
I made my son’s Halloween costume from a hoodie I had purchased on Craigslist a year ago and $3 worth of felt and jumbo pipe cleaners. It took me less than an hour to cut out spots, ears, and a tail and make him a puppy costume. Since he’s only 1.5, he’s happy enough to dress up in something simple!
wendy’s $1 for 5 frostys is such a sweet treat this time of year. Enjoyed some for lunch.
My most money saving thing this week is preparing full salads with protein for my husband’s lunches using Sam’s whole cooked chicken $4.98 & romaine in a bag for around $3. It is paired with marked down produce from a local produce store and he loves it! I have a salad container which is great with it’s own space for dressing so it’s not soggy at all. The chicken lasts ALL WEEK even with a generous amount of chicken daily. Lastly, my husband is surprised daily as I mix up the veggies, and protein occasionally with left overs from dinner so he’s REALLY a happy and HEALTHY husband! I’m happy for the $$ saved too!
I broke my crock pot awhile ago, today I found a used one for $10.
I have been meaning to start exercising since I had a baby several months ago. Instead of going to a pricey gym and buying a membership (or even buying an exercise DVD I probably wouldn’t use after the first week) and then having to pay for a babysitter, I walked with my cute kid (in a stroller) to a local park where we used the swings! What a great workout!! Plus, it was not only a great way to bond with and spend quality time with my kid- it was 100% FREE!
My husband and I both had coffee at home this morning.
A few things I did to save $$ were:
Make my own Earthpaste toothpaste,
Make h.m. liquid hand soap,
Hang laundry outside to dry, (we don’t have a dryer)~
Made h.m. bread & rolls, and
I always pack my hubby’s lunch for work.
🙂
I saved today by going to Walmart to get my husband his Cokes. Planning to serve leftovers tonight or a quick frozen meal for me instead of going to store for something else for dinner. Used savings catcher too for Walmart-just entered receipt 🙂
Saved in several ways…instead of buying triple antibiotic and hydrocortisone ointment at the drug store, I found them at the dollar store, obviously much cheaper than the drugstore. I made my lunches this week instead of buying out, put ads up for several items to sell that I no longer need. Consolidated my trips for errands to save on gas instead of making a trip here and there. Printed some coupons from moneysavingmom.com and used them to get at least one item for free and another for 50 cents!
I saved money today by pulling out old clothes/rags etc…that were in such poor condition that they needed to be thrown away and used them to stuff the freshly washed cover of our dogs bed (he ruined the foam insert after having an accident) instead of buying (another) new dog bed.
We saved today by doing dishes the old fashioned way…by hand! I am out of my usual homemade dishwasher detergent and with a pile high of dirty dishes and payday a few days away I opted to use some liquid soap I already had and a little elbow grease. It’s only a few dollars saved, but we were able to put those extra dollars towards our church’s Food Drive and purchase more mac n’ cheese!
I drank coffee at home instead of going to Starbucks (like I wanted to do 🙂 ).
My grandmother In law bought my three year old a pair of play shoes to keep his nice shoes nice. He’s only had them about 8 weeks and they are scuffed but still going strong. The bottom started to peel away from the toe so I just super glued them really well and let them dry over night. Now they will last him through the fall until it gets too cold to play outside.
Leftovers! We almost always eat them for lunch instead of making something new. Easy for me, and usually my kids are happy about it!
I saved today by making cookies from ingredients that I already had at home rather than buying a dessert for a party!
Today, leftover soup became breakfast (no special breakfast foods needed). Also, I’ve got sauerkraut fermenting away for a good dose of probiotics instead of getting those little capsules from the store!
I just started a 1/2 gallon jar of sauerkraut fermenting yesterday. My husband is trying to get off of Prilosec. By eating a few bites of fermented sauerkraut with every meal and at bed time, he has cut the Prilosec to every other day with no issues! He’s getting ready to cut it to every 3rd day, and if that goes well, after a month he’s going to go completely off. Fingers crossed! We LOVE our sauerkraut!
i wait to go to the store until i need several items and until someone else needs to go so we can ride together. I also do other things in town while we are there
I re-purposed am oak hook shelf for the bathroom. Painted it teal and spray painted the hooks. It looks awesome. Much less than buying a new one.
My 2 kids and I went to the local tech school for haircuts,$15.00 for all 3of us.I would’ve have paid at least 50.00 or more at a salon. The students did a great job.
Today we saved by going to the library for books (rather than buying some), returning our library dvds on time (no late fees), and resisted the appeal of having lunch out. Eating up leftovers was just fine!
I took newborn photos of my daughter myself today to save money. I felt so guilty when I realized that I wouldn’t be able to afford to spend money on a professional photographer for her newborn photos (like I did for my older two children) without putting it on a credit card. I decided to take my own instead, and got a free ebook on newborn photography for posing ideas. It took many, many shots and a lot more time, but they turned out really nice and saved us $500-$1000 (which is the range we would have had to spend on the photographer we used for our other kids). I just had to get over the guilt of having spent more on the other kids and do the best I could given our current financial situation.
I am saving today and this week by not going to the grocery store and using up our fridge, pantry and freezer foods!
Today I saved by not spending….Sounds logical right? I now use only cash and almost every day I think “Oh I could use (fill in the blank).” I then look at the cash I do not want to spend and most often realize I can do without. It is a want and not a need and I hate parting with cash. I save so much and impulse buying barely happens!
We have 3 boys. My husband gave them all buzz cuts on Saturday. It is a style that works for them and we like the savings. Last night I modified a soup recipe for items that I had in my pantry and didn’t make an unplanned trip to the grocery store.
My daughter loves Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, so today we made our own. The first time we didn’t have quite the right mix of things, but today’s second batch was great!
This isn’t earth shattering, but I did save today by making my own bread crumbs. I had a loaf of bread that was past the sandwich eating stage, so I put it in the oven with a bit of Italian seasoning to brown and toast. When it was done ran it thru the food processor. Only a couple bucks saved, but still a win in my eyes:)
I cut my family’s hair (husband and 5 kids). Also, reused things we had to make 2 Halloween costumes. Love to save money. 🙂
I saved money by packing our dinners to eat in the car rather than stopping somewhere along the way home from my Mom’s to eat! (a four hour drive, just long enough to require a food stop!)
I filled up the car at the gas station with the lowest prices this morning even though we were still at 1/2 a tank. This means we would pay more at an overpriced gas station next time we are out running errands.
I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair since we got married. We also cut our children’s hair. It has saved us a lot of money. I just want to say that it is one of my least favorite things to do. I would never want to do that for a living. The other day I received a coupon for an inexpensive hair cut. I told my husband he should go so I can see how they do it and if I can improve. He refused. It’s been 12 years and now he won’t let anyone else cut his hair. I’m stuck with this job forever!
Brought lunch from home today instead of spending $15 – 20 eating out. It not only saved money, but it’s much healthier too!
I made a latte at home!
I walked away from a good deal on a sewing machine. I don’t have the cash to pay for it, even at the lowered price so I didn’t purchase it.
I also didn’t buy school pictures(which is hard for me to do–I love having pictures of them) but it will be a better deal at a local photography store for a higher quality item.
I went thru my closet and found a few items that either didn’t fit or were no longer my style. I also collected a few household items that were cluttering up my cabinets. I took them all to other mothers (local secondhand shop) and got $9 in credit. I then hit the half off rack and picked up 6 great looking tops for “free”!
As I was going through my winter clothes, I noticed that some of my long sleeved shirts had a few small holes in them here and there. So instead of tossing them out, and buying new shirts I stitched up the holes and now they are as good as new.
I am loving your “How I Saved Today” spotlights! Even before your giftcard giveaway, I have been trying to find one way to save each day. In the past week, I have saved in the following ways:
Thursday: I researched and made my own ointment for nursing my baby from products I had on hand. The ointment would have cost me $85 to have done at the compound pharmacy for (1 Tablespoon each 1% hydrocortisone cream, Polysporin ointment, and miconazole cream)
Friday: Checked out movies, books, and books on CD from our local library for weekend entertainment
Saturday: Shopped for clothing, Halloween costumes, and baby gear at the thrift store and used a coupon paired with their 50% off sale
Sunday: Hemmed and patched up clothing from thrift store and closets to make ready to wear using my sewing machine
Monday: Walked everywhere I had to go (and didn’t spend as much at the store because I could only buy-with coupons- the things I could carry home)
Tuesday: Made my own foam hand soap (I filled the pump container we already had with about 1/5th regular hand soap “bought” for $0.08 with coupons, then filled it to about an inch from the top with water)
Wednesday: Ate from our pantry and fridge and made “leftover soup” for dinner
Anyway, thanks again for all the great ideas, coupon matchups, and advice that you give that saves my family so much money. We, as are many people these days, are financially stretched to our limits and have a VERY limited budget, and what you do means so much to keep my family eating and living well. A heart-felt thanks to Crystal and team!
I LOVE this! Thanks so much for sharing and for your kind encouragement!
Here’s how I’ve been saving my days:
At this point in my life, I cannot afford to pay for advanced violin lessons (which is hard as I had been preparing to become a violin teacher and orchestra musician and wasn’t quite there yet). For awhile, due to the discouragement, I had just put my violin away, something I hadn’t done since I had started playing. But recently, I decided that I could either not practice and lose my playing skills, or I could become my own teacher. I decided on the latter. I’ve been searching the internet for recorded masterclasses of the pros and any tips that can help me. It’s a slow and often discouraging process, but for as long as I’m unable to pay for lessons, I intend to be my own teacher.
I have started saving buying bread at dollar tree, and shopping at Aldi. It has made a huge difference.
I saved on Halloween costumes this year, big time! First, I had a costume from a couple of years ago that I was able to sell on Ebay. After shipping and fees, I made about $75 on it. Then I took advantage of a BOGO half off sale at target and used a $5 gift card I got from a previous Target promo and I had a $10 ecard from Swagbucks. My total for three costumes for my boys came to $26.67 after gift cards. I also had my daughters costume made and given to me by a friend (awesome right?) So considering the money I made on selling an old costume, I had made $54.90 on costumes this year! More money to spend on candy!
I’ve started to cut my son and husbands hair. I have also started to meal plan again ( I don’t like to plan so I had stopped for a while). I love knowing what I’m making everynight. It sounds silly maybe, but it was always a stress for me (deciding what to cook everynight).
Today I used a coupon, I brought my own lunch and I sold an unused item from our basement!
We have a 22 month old daughter and we probably go through more diapers than most because she has very sensitive skin and we are always fighting some sort of rash or irritation, so we change her quite frequently. Target had a special where you could purchase 2 jumbo boxes of diapers, which were on sale, and get a $10 gift card. Since we use so many, I purchased 2 boxes, received the $10 gift card, then purchased 2 more, using the first gift card to offset the price. Then, I used the 2nd $10 gift card towards the purchase of a Halloween costume, and still earned a $5 gift card on this. 🙂
I said “No” to my kids. I deep clean at our local ChickfilA on Mondays and Wednesdays. My homeschooled kids go with me and complete their school work while I work. Usually, one of my kids asks for some chicken minis while they work. So, today I said “no” and saved my money. Trust me, it is hard to say no to chicken minis! Have you tried them?
We had parent teacher conferences last night and I knew my husband and I would be up at the school for 2-3 hours! Three school age kids in 3 buildings…it takes a while…so I put vegetable stew in the crock pot in the morning so that dinner was taken care of when I got home from work and rushed to conferences! It saved us by not giving in and ordering pizza or something on a busy night!
My work offers free zumba classes. I always go to them instead of going to a gym and paying for zumba classes.
I saved by meal planning when I went to the grocery and got easy to fix items so I would save money by not eating out but not to exhausted to cook when I get home from work.
Figured out I could use my George Foreman grill as a panini maker – use it all the time now.
I brought in leftovers to work for my lunch.
My girls always have numerous lidded cups around the house with leftover water in them. After I collected them, I used them to water my potted plants instead of getting water from the tap.
I took the bus to work today and packed my own lunch!
I saved today by making vegetable soup from my summer garden vegetables. It’s all in the crock pot.
I realized I forgot to pick up a can of refried beans for the dinner I had planned. But I realized we did have a can of pinto beans in the pantry. So I found a recipe online to make my own. This saved us the cost of buying the refried beans and the cost of driving back to the store!
I made my own coffee instead of buying at DD! 🙂
My family loves Korean bulgogi, but it can be expensive to make because of the ingredients, one of which is Korean pear, which is about $3 for one pear! Since you only need about 1/4 of the pear, I grated the rest and froze it in ice cube trays so I can defrost and use it next time I make the recipe!
I stopped by our local thrift store to purchase church pants for my 5 year old. This particular store offers store credit for donations and I had forgotten that I had left a donation several months ago which left me with a $12 store credit. I managed to pick up church pants as planned, but also “splurged” and got myself a purse AND cute shoes, too! I love those unexpected gifts from God!
I have two girls, 14 and 6, and I learned a long time ago how expensive all our little beauty treatments can be, (for me as well!), so I also learned how to cut and color hair, (my little one LOVES the semi-permanent streaks in candy colors that we can do since she has long blonde hair), as well as do nails and facials…all that stuff. I groom the dogs myself, (we have 3), and even cut my husbands hair. It saves us a lot of money, and it is especially flattering when we get compliments on hair or nails or makeup and I get to say that I did it myself…as a harried mom I can use all the ego boosts I can get! 🙂
Hello! My family is currently on a tight budget. Our dishwasher broke down so my husband called the company to inquire about repairs. We found out it would be $75+ to have someone come out. So, my husband asked about the specific part. He was able to order the part alone and repair it himself for a fraction of the cost! We are so thrilled and we saved big time!
We went on a cruise last week and boarded the dogs. The Vet initially charged us $86 more than what they had quoted us over the phone. We contacted them and they realized that they made a mistake and refunded us the money. We were also charged $11.50 for drinks on the cruise that we had not ordered. I called cruise line and we were reimbursed the money. If I had not been paying attention to our bills, we would not have known about the overcharges.
I made my kids’ Halloween costumes! For $9 I now have a Hulk and an Elsa ready for trick or treating! And, I also cut everyone’s hair myself, except for my own. It helps a ton when the budget only requires $45 a year for my hair. 🙂
I saved today by making a triple batch of homemade lemonade using lemons from my lemon tree. It will save me money so I won’t have to buy juice and the vitamin C will keep my family healthy!!! So less doctors office copays.
I cut my families hair but I leave my own hair for the professionals… but i NEVER pay full price. I always look on living social and groupon first and use one of their deals- I’ll probably make it to every salon in my county! 🙂
I brought my lunch from home to work so I didn’t have to buy a lunch.
By not spending!
I had Parent Teacher Conferences last night during the time I normally cook dinner. I decided to try putting a roasted vegetable and chicken breast meal together and putting it in the oven at a slightly lower temp. So it cooked while my daughter was at home and when everyone else got home at 7:30 it was ready and really yummy — saved by not buying pizza.
Books and movies and magazines from the library again and again! Can’t get enough! Even got a workout dvd so I don’t have to join a gym or buy a treadmill!
Bringing my lunch to work.
My hubby loves peanut butter cookies with the hershey kisses on top. I have a ton of peanut butter cookie dough in the freezer but didn’t have any kisses at the house and didn’t really want to go out and buy a bag at $2.50+. I found we still had a few full sized Hershey’s candy bars from over the summer that I got with a coupon that was included in a CVS gas card sale for next to nothing. I broke those into the squares and placed them on the cookies like I would a hershey kiss. Not only were my cookies super cheap but I actually liked them better!!!!
Had all meals at home even though it would have been easier to grab something while running errands!
I saved on my weekly lunches by meal planning and taking leftovers for lunch at work. I usually end up buying my lunch at least a couple times but not this week.
This is great! We too cut hair at home to save money. We also rent movies and books from the library since we don’t use cable and want to save a buck at the redbox 🙂 They often have newer releases and it’s always a fun family trip together.
We do our own haircuts too; saves us many $$$$ over the course of the year. We saved by eating mainly from our pantry/freezer this week. Also, I planned soups and other things that don’t use a lot of superfluous ingredients.
I saved by getting every last drop out of the container 🙂
My daughter needed a pricy medication and even with insurance, the cost was going to be almost $200. I was shocked at the pharmacy and told them to hang on to it while I checked on a better price. I called the doctor’s office and they checked for me and had several coupons for that medication from the pharmaceutical company. Using that coupon, which is good for 12 uses or 12 months of the medication, keeps our out of pocket expense at $25 each time we get her that prescription. Sometimes I have to reach out of my comfort zone and just ask! I kept thinking, what if I hadn’t asked? That medication would have cost about $2000 for an entire year!
I save everyday by making my own coffee at home in the morning and having a drawer full of tea at work for the afternoon. having the supplies on hand means I won’t be tempted to run to a coffee shop.
Today I saved by making homemade granola with ingredients I had on hand and I even made a batch and mixed it in a box of plain cheerios that were sitting in the pantry. Also, this week we are eating out of the freezer and pantry 🙂
I would use the Target gift card for groceries!
This is how I’ve saved for the last 12 weeks: cooking on the grill, griddle, crockpot, and in the microwave. We are remodeling our kitchen (ourselves). We haven’t eaten out anymore than normal, despite the fact that I’ve not had a kitchen (at all) for the past 12 weeks!
We took out our entertainment center in our living room that is built into our wall while renovating. I was looking online for something to put our tv on when it hit me. We have an old dresser that would be perfect to sand ,paint ,and changed knobs ( which cost about $5.00 total). Now our tv sits on a cute little pinterest project i’m so proud of. 🙂
Today I saved by putting an extra sweater on instead of turning the house heat on. I’m still warm and our electricity bill will be lower!
I saved by eating all of our meals at home today! Woo-Hoo!
I made my own butterfly Halloween costume last night out of things we already owned! And 2 out of my 3 kids are sporting homemade this year as well. And the baby is going second-hand chic from the local thrift shop 🙂
I’m a college student and my school has a free bingo night about once a month. I went last Wednesday and I won twice! I won a healthcare package with toothpaste, floss, a toothbrush, shampoo and conditioner, tampons, and pads. I also won two winter hats and a $10 starbucks gift card. Now I won’t need to buy these things for the next few months. I also had a blast hanging out with my friends.
Someone gave us an extra-large bag of potatoes. We looked online for a potato soup recipe and were surprised to learn that we had all the ingredients needed.
I knew the evening was going to be busy with both boys having karate and we had to get all 3 kids to our doctor’s office for their flu shot clinic in the evening. I managed to wake up a little early and throw all the ingredients for slow cooker cheesy potato soup in the crock pot. When we were ready to eat I threw some garlic bread in the oven and the soup was done! Saved us from the drive thru line!
My mom has always cut my dads and brothers hair to save money. I have started cutting my brothers hair. They have been nice to let me practice on them so when I get married next June I will be able to start cutting my husbands hair to save money.
My husband made us pizza at home instead of ordering out. He makes the crust perfect!!
Even though everyone is tired of the garden, we are still getting tomatoes and peppers! I used a whole bunch of them to make spaghetti sauce and it was enough for dinner last night (for 7) and lunch another day. And I still have more tomatoes!
I’m saving by planning and shopping for a month at a time. And using last months left over groceries to help with this month.
Last night we got dinner for free! It was the county 4-H awards dinner, and since my son had won some awards he was invited (for free), and I am a volunteer leader, so was also invited and received dinner for free. It was a wonderful evening of seeing all the 4-H members had accomplished over the last year. We stayed a few minutes after and helped clean up. There was left over pizza, and we were offered 2 to take home- dinner tonight!
Take away- we volunteer because we believe in the 4-H program, but it was nice to get dinner for the family.
We had a friend of a friend lose their house to a fire. My sister, daughter & I donated belongings. I feel every time I move I just bring everything with me. I feel like we’ve blessed someone else that would get more use out of them.
I heard about the Target buy one get one free Halloween costumes so I started scoping out my local store. Couldn’t find any costumes in my boys sizes. I was told that I could order online and use the pick up in store method to receive the coupon. I chose the costumes I wanted a dragon for my 1 year old and a Knight for my 6 year old;). When I realized there was no pick up in store option I called online customer service. They gave me the more expensive costume for free as a one time courtesy. I also used my redcard got an additional 5% off and free shipping. Two Halloween costumes shipped to my house for $20.25. The original cost for just the costumes was over $60:) Best savings so far and the costumes are a great value very well made!! Score for this soon to be mommy of three!
I saved by looking up home remedies for a canker sore actually 2 on my tongue from to much salty stuff. Worked like a charm and it was stuff I had at home and didn’t spend $10 on something at the store.
I am making a whole chicken in the crockpot today. We will eat some of it with egg noodles for dinner tonight. After dinner, I will take the rest of the meat off the bones. I will leave the rest of the bones in the pot and add water almost to the top along with some spices. I will cook that in the crockpot all night to make homemade stock (the most delicious ever!) Tomorrow, I will add veggies, some of the meat, and the rest of the egg noodles to make chicken soup for dinner. With the rest of the meat, I will make some chicken tacos and we will have those on day 3.
That’s 3 meals out of one chicken that I bought on sale!
I planned my meals for the week using meat I already had in the freezer – kept our grocery bill LOW!
I was walking with my daughter last night around our backyard and looked over in the garden and we had squash again. What?!?! It’s almost November and we still have squash!! Not just a save but a yummy save since I don’t have to buy veggies from the store this week! 🙂
My daughter was born 10/21/14 and has been in the NICU ever since. We quickly spent way too much money on cafeteria food that was sub par and unhealthy. I’ve been going home once a day and packing myself meals since day 2; saving at least $25+ dollars a day, allowing me to eat healthy meals to help better nourish myself and my daughter, and to cut costs as we anticipate huge hospital bills coming our way shortly.
Hang in there! My son was born at 29 weeks in 2010 and spent 56 days in the NICU. It’s hard, but he’ll be 4 years old in about 7 weeks and he’s doing great. I’m sending prayers for your daughter and your family.
I saved $30 at the post office yesterday just by asking the clerk if there was a cheaper option to ship the package! She gladly reviewed all of my options with me and I went with the cheapest option that still offered me the same amount of insurance and delivery time!
I volunteered at my children’s school first thing in the morning. My husband drives an electric car, and I drive a gas powered one. Instead of driving my kids and then driving back home when my volunteering was done, my husband dropped us off in his electric car and I walked back. It was a quick and easy way to save on gas and squeeze in some exercise.
Decided to make my own “Anna” costume for my youngest. I have a jumper her size that I used to make a pattern on tissue paper that I already have. Went to the thrift store and found a men’s green shirt for $1.18 that I am using to make the jumper, and a light green shirt for $1 to go underneath. I have almost an entire skein of red yarn that I am using to make a wig. Total cost for costume: $2.18. Not bad!
One of the things I found the most frustrating about not having a ton of discretionary income is “never being able to do anything.” WELL….after a little research I found SO many free and afforable things to do in my city. Check out your local state parks website (I personally live in Portland, ME) and enjoy nature for what it is (AND FOR FREE!!!). Also, the art museum in the city has free admission on Friday nights and it is $5 movie night downtown every Tuesday 🙂
My husband & I decided two months ago to stop by coffee from SB. We bought cups, make our own coffee and recycle the cups. We have saved over $100 and it’s worth it.
To save us hundreds of dollars a year, I also cut all my guys hair as well. They all have distinctive hair styles they like, but it is fun 🙂 I cut my husbands, my 10 years old, my 6 year old and 4 year old. Each of them have different texture of hair. I also trim my own hair, but very carefully. I don’t have a degree or went to school for cutting hair, but we this is one huge way we save money each year!
I saved by buying two high quality Halloween costumes from a neighbor…$25 for a knight and a princess that would have cost $80 at the Halloween Spirit store!
I had wanted Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University kit for awhile, but could not afford one at the time. As a Paperbackswap member I saw that there was an audio version of the kit, but that it was unavailable so I added it onto my account as a wish list item. About a year went by and I completely forgot about it and then I received an email letting me know that it was available for me! It was such a pleasant surprise! I recently received the kit in the mail and was surprised at how the kit was still in good condition with none of the books or envelopes being in.
Sorry, the last sentence was suppose to read, ” I recently received the kit in the mail and was surprised at how the kit was still in good condition with none of the books or envelopes being written in.”
I filled up a water pitcher with water from the sink while i was waiting for the water to warm up. I used that water to water potted plants. Not a lot of savings but every little bit adds up.
Tried your baked oatmeal for the first time – jumped the gun on holiday treats and bought some eggnog that nobody liked. Used that in place of the milk and it was delicious! And nobody noticed. Win!!!
I used coupons to save a ton of money on Halloween candy for trick or treaters.
I have been negotiating with my work for the past year to telecommute from my house instead of driving to the office every day. This past week I was officially approved to start working from home! The savings I will receive on clothes, car care, gas, and the tax benefits transitioning to a contract position will benefit my whole family.
This might not be a big deal, but we saved by giving the dog a bath today. It would have cost us around$25 to take her to the groomer for a bath. We bought a great bottle of shampoo for $4 and because she is small, she will get about 10-15 baths. She feels good and it keeps our house smelling nice 🙂
I made a batch of “Starbucks” pumpkin scones. I’m sure I made enough for our whole family (plus leftovers) for the price of one at Starbucks! Plus they taste better!
We save by hosting clothing swap parties with friends and family. I just got both kids taken care of for fall/winter clothing.
I picked the last of the tomatoes off our tomato plants(I love the fact that its the end of October and we’re still getting tomtoes) and made them into pasta sauce and froze 3 gallon size bags of pasta sauce.
We have eaten all of our leftovers and stuck with our meal plan this week. This seems small, but for us it is a big deal. No food wasted!
We saved by also doing haircuts at home
My son goes to a school that is outside the bussing system. We’ve setup a carpool with another family. We’re using an on-line calendar to keep track of who is driving each day as work schedules and work travel change for both families. If something comes up, we can send an e-mail and then change the calendar. We’re saving money, saving driving time, keeping organized, and providing my son with the best fit education for him!
I saved by shopping for halloween candy at our local CVS, used coupons, and extracare bucks to save over 90% on the stuff I had to get anyways
Halloween is coming up in 3 days and I only had half of my daughters outfit. She is going as wonder woman. So I gathered some felt I had around the house and made the tiara and bracelets. In the store and online these items start at $15 and go up to ridiculously high. She loves them and thinks its “awesome” that I made them for her.
We took advantage of some of the free Halloween activities that our community has been doing lately. It gets us out of the house and we don’t have to spend any money.
This week I’ve been attempting to reign in grocery bill by checking out all the blogs from those ladies in the pic! I’ve pulled all sorts of recipes including just middles cinnamon dish, and a homemade bisquick recipe. Mmm yum! I’ve even brewed a homemade cough syrup for some of my sick ones. Those recipes and skills drawn out over years= lots of savings! Thanks for all your hard work ladies!
We swap kids clothing with friends and neighborhood. We received 6 pairs of Old Navy jeans for my 10yr old. That saved us at least $72.00!
I prepared three freezer crockpot meals for the upcoming week.
I picked-up 3 furnace filters for under$5 total at my local hardware store, made two freezer meals from ingredients I had on hand, packed two healthy lunches for my son and me, and we are eating leftovers for dinner!
I always give my kids haircuts at home – saves a ton!
Today I packed a lunch and headed out on my bike to do errands around town. I’m going to a friend’s house for lunch since it is easier than meeting at a restaurant with little ones.
I saved by using a space heater instead of turning on our gas heat in the chilly mornings. Trying to hold off on that as long as possible!
We have multiple activities tonight – musical, hockey, and Scouts, so I’m making chili in the crockpot for a hearty, homemade meal!
We are freezing and eating a lot of leftovers this week for dinner
I had blood work done and because insurance was refusing to cover it I received a bill for $160. A couple of days later I went in for an appointment and asked the office staff if there was anything they could do to help. Just found out from the insurance company that it has been reviewed and my new bill is for $12! Huge savings and all it took was a minute to ask about it.
We made pasta for dinner and instead of adding something new to the sauce, we cut up leftover meatloaf and used it like meatballs. The kids loved it!
We saved today by packing food to take on vacation with us! We packed enough for 3 meals (4 mouths), saving easily $60 +
We did haircuts at home this week too! We also made our own baby food from Aldi produce specials.
We went on vacation last week and somehow still managed to save money by making our own iced coffee each morning in the condo where we were staying. It tastes so much better than the coffee you buy at a coffee shop anyway in my opinion.
We saved by making our own yogurt, 12 qts. We use raw milk which was $5.99/gal. One qt of raw yogurt costs $4.79. So 5.99 x 3 = 17.97 ; 12 x 4.79 = 57.48 so, $57.48 – $17.97 = 39.51 saved! 😉
I cut my husband’s and three sons’ hair and save a bundle every year! Also, I take my two daughters to a beauty school where their cuts are $5 each. I ask for a Senior vs. a Junior to ensure the best cut!
I will confess that I’ve fallen into the trap of buying an almost-daily fancy coffee drink from a well-known coffee chain (ahem). While there’s nothing wrong with those who have the means to do this, we are currently saving for more life-changing goals (plus, I need to save the calories!). I started a count on the dry erase board in my studio (I’m a music teacher) that reads, “___ days without Starbucks”. I’m up to four – which feels like about 50 right now!! 🙂 As an added bonus, my students are loving being able to hold me accountable, as they are all excited to see what the board says during their lessons next week.
I made one extra helping of dinner last night so my husband would not have to eat fast food tonight as he stays late for work on Wednesday nights.
I am continuing to wake up early and pump breastmilk for my little boy! He doesn’t need it now, but it will save us money as soon as my current supply drops or I quit pumping!
I carpooled with my friend to do service to god, I was picking her up todo a nice gesture. but then at the end she insisted on giving me some cash to help pay for some of my gas. The verdict, it saved me some money and I helped her save some as well.
Went through my freezer and pantry today to make note of what I have in there, before I planned meals for next week. Than I looked at Aldi and other grocery store ads to finish meal planning.
My husband stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work so that we didn’t have to take an extra trip into town the next day. Saved on gas money and time!
I used Old Navy cash on a shopping trip!
I modified our dinner plan last night to avoid takeout – learned how to make excellent grilled sandwiches in my George Foreman – I now use it as a panini maker.
I substituted ingredients in a recipe for things I already had–unknown variety of potatoes for russet potatoes, chives for green onions, coconut oil for butter, etc. And I shredded my own cheese instead of paying double for already shredded cheese.
Will be out all day today, but dinner is already made and waiting in the fridge. No take out for us!
We got home late and just had a quick smoothie for dinner instead of take out. Saved money and was healthy!
My girls had to get shots today, so I was of course feeling guilty and was going to take them to get doughnuts after. Instead it was such a lovely day we drove over to the beach and played on the swings and walked. So I saved the money I didn’t have anyway and avoided filling them with sugar!
My day started with waking up to a living room carpet full of dog poop. Not the easy to clean kind either. My dog was sick.Knowing I needed to rent a Rug Doctor I just went online and looked for coupons before I go get one. I found a $5 off one for the machine rental and $1 off for the soap.
I saved today by collecting the water from the shower, while I was waiting for it to warm up, to water my plants with! Thanks for the chance to win! I LOVE reading everyone’s comments. 🙂
I saved by scoring a Lightning Deal on Amazon for one of my son’s Christmas presents. Not only was it a great price, but I also used Amazon gift cards (from Swagbucks) to pay for it!
My son had Monday and Tuesday off from school and we desperately needed a get-away, so we went camping! The site was less than $30 per night, my in-laws provided most of the food, and my husband and I got a break from work while the kids had a blast with their grandparents. Camping is so much cheaper than a hotel, and we didn’t have to spend any money on things to do, since there was so much to explore.
I quit the gym and decided to work out at home.
Harris Teeter had bagged apples marked down to $1.00 last week. I have never seen such a good deal on produce. So I bought 4 bags knowing our family of seven would be able to eat most of them quickly. Some of the apples were looking a little less fresh so I decided to make crockpot apple sauce with them. Everyone loved it, and it made the house smell so wonderful! We used up every bit of the apples and saved a lot by buying marked down produce.
Money is very tight this year so I’m trying to look for ways to purchase gifts without spending too much money. Yesterday I saw a sale on men’s workout shorts. They were 4.99 marked down from 19.99. There are 3 men in my family so I ordered 3 pair for $15 which is less than the original price of 1. 🙂
I saved by using up 3 different types of squash in a soup for my packed lunched this week- its a win win!
I never like to go shopping for Halloween costumes. They are over-priced and most of them are cheaply made. My boys are always asking for new ones and often I just say look in the costume basket and you can wear an old one. But my oldest has outgrown all the ones we have on hand. We are invited to visit with friends on Friday night and they always dress up, so my husband and I would like to wear a costume too. We aren’t very creative and the idea we had to do Jimmy Fallon’s “tight pants” will be too expensive to pull off this late in the game. But I went to Goodwill anyway to see what I could find. I was pleasantly surprised to see the HUGE selection of costumes, wigs, tights, hats, etc. My boys were excited too. After an hour or so of going through all the racks, I found something for myself and all three boys for about $30. Mine was a brand new military/airforce dress costume with a $50 tag on it (I got it for $10), my oldest son (determined to be something scary and we said no way) finally settled on a pair of $3 boxing gloves to be a boxer/Rocky (he will use shorts he already has) and he also got a silly mullet headband (don’t ask!), my youngest found a Star Wars costume that we already have the helmet that goes with it at home (it was 10, but had a big hole in it so I got it for $5), and my middle son found a Ninja top for $4 (he can wear his black martial arts pants he already has). So we all found a new-to-us costume, the younger two won’t have to wear a hammy down (they are happy about that), and we didn’t spend a lot of money. Oh, and I sold a Buzz Light year costume for $15 over the weekend on a Facebook consignment site! So now just to figure out something for my husband.
I buy raw milk because it is so much cheaper ($2). I make yogurt with it and I just started skimming some of the cream off the top to make butter!! I made almost a gallon of yogurt, 3/4 cup of butter and 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk for $2!
I can’t believe you can get raw milk for $2/gallon! We pay $8.50!
Yesterday I made yogurt, pumpkin bread & chicken stock. Filling our house up with the good stuff so I don’t spend so much on store bought items! Plus – it’s healthier 😉
Went shopping on the way home from work, saving a trip. Canned tomatoes were on sale plus I had several coupons, making them less than half price. I bought 15 cans – that should last me a while.
It was a no spend day. For me, this is saving!
I saved today by getting a video game from the library for my kids to play instead of buying it. thx
Today and every day this school year – pack a lunch for the kids. Last year my daughter bought lunch everyday and I would regularly put money in my son’s account so he could grab breakfast or a drink with his packed lunch. This year, I have put no money in their school accounts so if they want something they need to bring their own money – this is why we give them an allowance!
Today I was so happy to save by using Swagbucks to pay for a compression shirt my two year old needed to help ease his symptoms of SPD. By simply taking some time while I’m nursing to search and answer polls, I have been able to purchase so many things we need or want from amazon!
That is weird,my post disappeared! Oh well, I will write it again-this one is my personal savings tip I did today. I am normally very frugal (some have called me a black belt in frugality! Even paid off my house/mortgage early!). I do this off and on-I go through my day and as it progresses throughout the day, I ask myself is this the cheapest I can do this!? Is there a cheaper alternative?
For instance,coffee in the morning(we make our own,but cheaper brand,tea better?-I make my own chai latte even which tastes much better than a coffee stores.people tell me-it is the real thing!). Shampoo vs baking soda? Conditioner vs vinegar(my hair is much softer with vinegar!)? Think what else you could use that you already have in the house!
Like my ice chest was leaking at the water spout on the side-I was eyeing what could fit and saw different water bottles and found one that fit perfectly! So saved me from buying a new one which I would not have done anyway,I am a McGyver of fixing things with things we have around the house that you would not think would be for that part even! It becomes a fun game and some of your experiments as you go through the day may work and some may not and you decide it is better to stick to the old way! But that is okay,you know now…til the next time you think hmmm…is there anything I can use that is a cheaper alternative!?
For instance,worn/torn old towels cut up for my steam mop(replacements are expensive) or I saw Target beach towels after summer for .99-1.99 on sale which I used instead of buying regular bath towels which were more expensive! You can make it into two even out of one!
Oops-when I said water bottles-I mean the screw on caps for the water bottles and I screwed the cap onto the spout! I am just visualizing the water bottle stuck in the spout-lol-nope,the screw cap!
When my husband is working nights, I don’t usually cook dinner for my daughter and I. I just pull leftovers or odds and ends out of the fridge to use stuff up. Our dinner tonight was a hotdog, pickle, cheese, and leftover kale made into a soup with chicken broth. If I don’t have any leftovers or I am mood for a treat, we have popcorn and smoothies for dinner 🙂 This save me a lot of money and time.
Every time I go to Target I beeline to the baby clearance section. They had a basket full of Plum Organics food marked down to $1.04. Since there were so many I was sure they wouldn’t run out. I went home and checked out their coupons and ended up printing multiple B1G1 free for them and then stacked it with a $1/1 they had. Therefore; I was able to get each food for .02. I haven’t started feeding solids but will next month. This was a deal I could not pass up!
Being the PTO vice president, we were hosting a Harvest Fair which they did not have for many years. This school does not have much money to begin with and our funds were low due to the PTO president the year before fraudulently stole the money,so we basically started from scratch and our goal was to spend as little money as possible but create a fun time for the kids.
So, we looked in the old PTO storage and found some games, I collected cans from the cafeteria and bottles and made up our own games-throw the ball at the Frankenstein cans,toss the ring around the bottles, lollipop tree we made,had some of my old games too-we ended up with 25 games. We did it as free as possible! I did find some lighted monsters at Target’s dollar bins to throw.
Our haunted house was awesome and the kids said “cool” as I borrowed one of my neighbor’s special effect props(he had everything-fog machine,characters,etc),we took fridge boxes from Lowe’s or cardboard from Costco and built rooms/maze in black.
We got generous donations from Target for our prizes-21 bags of candy,food items that we sold.etc. This 4 hour event brought in 2000.00 to go back to the school! Other than food items that we bought to sell,we did not spend much at all for the games and haunted house. We were actually overwhelmed bc we did not expect 500 people to show up! It would be awesome to win a Target card for our next PTO event which is going to be Hot Cocoa and cookies with Santa (we were going to do breakfast but I think it may be too expensive,so we thought this may be better). This way many of our families who don’t have money can take pictures with Santa for very cheap (just cost of pictures/entry fee-thinking 3.00-5.00 for the event as we only charged 3.00 for our Harvest Fair and games/haunted house was free after entry fee was paid-great family fun for cheap is our goal!).
We want to bring the community together and offer fun things to do on the cheap that normally these parents cannot afford! So I am proud of what we accomplished thus far(and we did it in two weeks too and featured in the local newspaper!). If we win the Target card (and they were awesome-students made THANK YOU posters for them!), we would use it for the Santa event-great idea! Both the president of the PTO and I are usually cheapies/frugal-so that helps-lol- and we are focusing on building our funds now which we doubled in one day! We want to save,save,save…and make sure it goes back to the schools,teachers and the kids!:)
I saved in a few ways today….I posted some things on craigslist and ebay to get ahead of the halloween crunch (plus we are expecting a baby during the holidays). SInce we live a little out of the city limits, I offered to meet someone in town, sold them my desk, then walked right into the goodwill and got the fixings for my son’s monkey costume and my husband’s man with a yellow hat ensemble! And I still had a few dollars for coffee. Now, the money I budgeted for costumes can go towards our stroller!
I save on mine and my daughter’s haircuts by getting them at the beauty institute..This way both our haircuts cost $5 each…plus a $2 tip…
Another thing I do is instead of buying a $5 birthday card,,i buy a whole pack of
cute blank cards from the dollar store,and write a note to the birthday person in it…I also buy gift bags and tissue paper and balloons from the dollar store…
You just can’t beat the price….
We opened the windows tonite and turned off the a/c!
Recently I decided to quite buying paper towels and to use old towels and cloths instead. Well today it saved big. I have an 18 month old who is learning to use a fork and spoon and 3 year old who is learning to use the potty. Between the two of them I very well could have used 1/4 of a paper towel roll, if not more, cleaning up all of those messes, and instead, I’ll just have a couple items to add to my laundry load that I was already planning on doing.
Sorry, I meant quit.
I am reading this, thinking how I did save today, and I can only think of the ways I should have saved. We went out to buy a birthday present for a friend today, which ended up being something my son really loved as well, so I went out and bought another gift for the receiver. I wrecked my brain with guilt, because we have a very low bank account at the moment, and really couldn’t afford another gift. My son, you see, never asks for anything, and even made me a Christmas list because ‘Santa didn’t bring me anything for Christmas last year’. So how will I make up for this loss today? I can’t, we are already doing so much to save, I haven’t bought any new clothes in two years, we get all our son’s clothes from the consignment store, I’ve reduced our shopping list each week by carefully planning out our meals and we scour second hand toy stores for Christmas gifts. But as I see my son now, sleeping with the gift we were supposed to gift someone else, I see that not saving has its benefits too. It turned out, that the gift was a book about a chameleon, that he used to read with a beloved teacher who left at his school. Reading the book again, was a way for him to deal with the loss, I didn’t know and I am happy I did not say ‘no’ or question his motives. There is more to saving money, and sometimes, not saving pays off too, in different ways. I am glad we have love in our hearts, rather than money in the bank. We make a lot of sacrifices so I can work from home and stay home with my son, but that is worth more than money can buy.
We decided not to buy Halloween costumes this year. I told the kids they could trick-or-treat if they could come up with a costume from around the house. They did a great job! I found a costume that my 10 year old wore that fit my 2 year old perfectly and was able to use ribbon, tulle, a onesie and some felt to make my 1 year old’s costume. The money we saved went to buying tires for my husbands car.
I save money in my two story house by using less electric. Our last child move out in the last yr. so instead of using our heating and air, we run smaller units when we can. And also we groom our own animals, instead paying someone to goom them:) And when I cook dinner I cook enough so my husband has enough for his lunch the next day at work.
I saved today by using my cold-coffee stash in the freezer instead of hitting up the McDonald’s drive-thru. I make the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for iced coffee concentrate, every few months, then freeze it in batches to thaw as needed. Just a few cents per serving compared to $1.50!
I saved tonight by “buying used and saving the difference.”. It was 3 toddler bed sheets for $6…instead the cost of one of those new for that price or more.
Today I saved by making dinner last night for tonight. I knew we had a busy day of sports ahead of us as my daughter had her last volleyball game and my boys had soccer right after. By planning ahead I had pasta ready to go just needed to be warmed up! Saved us $30 on take out!!
As a bonus my husband went to fill up our Tahoe and drive to the Von’s has station and used our .40 cent discount, paid cash and paid .50 a gallon!! That’s huge for our big car!
*drove and *gas and wow I need to go to bed. He received .50 cents off a gallon!!!
I chose not to go out today because we are trying to save money to fix my hubbys broken truck so he wont have to use my car all the time. As long as I dont leave the house and go to a store I am saving money.
I saved today by combining coupons, ibotta rebates app and Walmart’s saving catcher app for maximum savings at Walmart!
I saved today by making soup with leftover baked potatoes and by ordering some things online through ebates, using a coupon code, getting free shipping and using shop your way rewards.
Mine is from this weekend – I took our family (and extended family’s) photos this weekend instead of paying another photographer (I also do photography, but it’s more challenging to do your own family!). A few days before that, I cut all the boys hair to prepare. Three haircuts and the sitting fee =over $250 saved!
I saved huge today by stepping out of my introvert comfort zone and greeting our new neighbors. I baked some cookies and walked over to introduce myself. I explained that we will be moving in 7 months and asked if they would consider selling their boxes. We ended up getting over $500 worth of moving boxes for free! I am undone by their generosity and proud of myself for taking the 1st step.
I bought a coffee at McDonalds instead of a pumpkin spice latte.
My oldest son has class just down the road from my office and at least once a month we usually go to lunch at one of the area restaurants. Today we did things a little different. We talked about it in advance and decided we’d eat at my place. I live 5 minutes from the office and knowing we were going to eat in I made a big batch of taco soup in the crockpot yesterday so all we had to do was heat and eat. It was quick and easy and so yummy and didn’t cost any more than I was already spending for my groceries.
I made a recent purchase at a retail store, and within two days the items were marked down significantly. I returned and ask for a credit between the price I paid and the NEW, lower price…and received $15.50 back!
I went through my gift closet to find out what I actually need to purchase for Christmas presents…I am 1/2 way done, due to sale shopping throughout the year!
My friend and I had a mom-playdate while our kids were at homeschool co-op. We rented a movie from the library, cooked food together for our toddlers and ourselves, then talked through the whole movie while we tackled laundry and our babies played.
Wonderful, refreshing friend time…that was free and productive!
Instead of spending $700+ on World Series tickets, we invited some friends over to watch the game and had homemade snacks.
I love this 🙂
I saved by going to the 99 cent store to get hamburger buns for dinner. Also got some plum organic puffs for my daughter and 2 packs of strawberries. Only spent $4. If I would spent $4 on the buns alone at the grocery store! Plus we ate all meals at home.
Today I used 3 free coupons (at Target, Safeway & Harbor Freight)!! Saved about $12 using those. Plus 4 Barilla Pastas at Safeway for $1.41 after coupons!!
Today I saved by using points I earned from a store to purchase diapers for my son – for a penny! Doesn’t get much better than that 🙂 I always look for “getting something back” for my purchases.
We saved by using a gift card we’d stashed away for the ice cream place tonight on $1.29 Scoop Night. Our entertainment envelope is just about empty, but we we’d saved that card for six months, for such a time as this! 🙂
I saved today by leaving my debit card at home. As I made my own gel using flax seed and water.
Today, my husband roasted raccoon for dinner….he and the kids loved it(said it tasted like a beef roast). I didn’t try it…I had eggs from our chickens so we all saved money on protein for our dinner.
I saved today by making homemade bread crumbs using crusts I saved from my toddler’s pb&j sandwiches. I hate to waste but she doesn’t like the crust so it’s a win/win! Also, I use bread crumbs all the time especially freezer cooking lentil burgers.
I saved today by playing with my kids in the yard instead of driving to a park. The kids get bored of playing on our swing set but I played tag with them, London Bridge is Falling Down, and Ring Around the Rosy. We had such fun, especially Mummy is usually too busy to play with them!
Last weekend we bought packaged beef bones on manager’s clearance at Smart & Final and made homemade beef broth. We canned 7 quarts of broth for only $1.50 total!
That will save a tremendous amount for various soups we’ll make over the next several months!
I was in town which is 1 hr away from home around dinner time. I decided we’d get home close enough to dinner time to eat at home, saved over $15 eating good food we already had at home.
Utah Chick-fil-A’s had a promotion today if you brought in a jar of peanut butter (for the food bank) you got a 8 ct. nugget meal free. So using peanut butter jars from my stockpile we got free dinner on a night when we were going to be on the go and not home for dinner!
I bought my children’s costumes second-hand. One was a $7 ice dancing or ballroom dancing costume that is now a Queen Elsa dress in the perfect shade of ice blue!
I worked on quilts I’m making for our grandmothers which include all the names of their children and grands. All from scrap fabric with my sewing machine. These will be our Christmas gifts to them!
I took some outgrown kids clothes to the consignment store, received store credit and walked away spending 88 cents out of pocket for several winter items my daughter really needs!
I have been cooking from my freezer and have not gone to the market thus far and I have saved tons. I am so proud of myself and the fact that I took the initiative to finally use all of the yummy food in my freezer. Yay for me and my wallet!!!!
I saved at CVS… Between a sale and coupon I purchased Soft Soap body wash for 1.99 and a received a $1 ECB. I then used the ECB and a $1 off 2 coupon to buy two bags of candy for Halloween for $1.76.
I made a birthday cake with a fancy cake pan from goodwill instead of buying one!
I used coupons when I grocery shopped. I am making food for a community event, and I bought three canned spaghetti sauces on clearance for .94 each. Then when I checked out I recieved a coupon for $2 off my next grocery bill. So, I bought 3 jars of spaghetti sauce for $1.
Instead of running to the store for a few ingredients I needed for dinner we substituted with that we had in the cupboards.
Today I used a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon to purchase bags of Halloween candy (the good stuff….Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, etc.). Instead of paying $3.99 a bag, I bought them for only $1.49 a bag!!! Score!! 🙂
I made a homemade card with my sons’ cute little toddler signatures for a baby shower gift rather than buying one. I also decided to clear my Amazon cart and a couple of other clothing retail sites of wish list items so I’m not tempted to spend money! Not spending on things that I don’t really need equals saving to me!:)
I made a birthday gift for my friend by using my sewing skills and only what materials I had at home instead of going to the store for a card or gift. 🙂
I gave my son a haircut at home and I cut up fleece scraps to use in our cloth diapers so we don’t have to switch to disposables while treating a diaper rash.
I made a homemade card with my sons cute little toddler signatures for a baby shower gift rather than buying one. I also decided to clear my Amazon cart and a couple of other clothing retail sites of wish list items so I’m not tempted to spend money! Not spending on things that I don’t really need equals saving to me!:)
I used homemade laundry detergent today and cooked pork chops that I found on clearance for dinner tonight.
I used both a manufacturer coupon and a Target store coupon to save money on the Halloween candy I bought today.
When I started supper tonight, I realized that I was out of a pantry item I always stock (canned tomatoes) that were necessary for the meal I had planned. Instead of running to the store for one item (which would use gas AND cause me to find other things I “needed”!), I just found a recipe that I had all the ingredients for, and we enjoyed some delicious potato soup for supper!
Two things:
My bread maker paddle had an unfortunate run in with the garbage disposal which sent me into panic mode since I use it almost daily. I immediately jumped on Amazon to order a replacement and then paused to see I could make due without. I usually only use the bread maker to make dough and realized I could use my kitchen mixer. This only saved $5-10 but reminded me to think about an alternative before spending money on a replacement.
We decided not to buy new Halloween costumes this year. Usually we spend an average of $20 per child on each of our 3 kids. This year everyone picked a costume based on what we had from previous years, dress up clothes, and anything else in the house. Our oldest was skeptical at first but now everyone is happy and ready for class parties and trick or treating. We estimated that we saved $60 by doing this based on what we spent in previous years.
I spent this past Saturday afternoon stocking my freezer with nine new freezer meals.
Bought a jacket at Target today for a Christmas gift. Used the cartwheel app (20% off women’s outerwear) and saved $8!
Oh!! And then I made vinegar with the apple cores! It’s my first time trying – looking forward to seeing how it goes.
Found “almost bad” tomatoes and apples on the markdown rack at the grocery stores. I dehydrated the apples – is there a better “real food” snack? – and made exactly a gallon of tomato sauce for pizza and pasta dishes.
I carpooled with a fellow to my school 45 minutes away.
I bought hair color at the store and dyed my own hair today. Saved $125.00 for a cut & color (since I didn’t really “need” a cut yet…mostly wanting to cover the greys!).
I’ll be cutting my 3 older kids’ hair tomorrow after their short day of school and I . First Cuts (where I used to take them) is $25/per child plus tip.
That’s over $200 savings just this week 🙂
We also do buzzed haircuts for the boys to save money. Also, our in-laws live very close to us and we eat dinner at their house several times a week. It seems silly, but it saves us so much money on meal costs!
I have been doing a mini “pantry challenge” this week since we had to have some car repairs done. So far instead of spending my normal $80 in groceries I have only spent $25! I have 2 more days to go so I’m pretty excited the money I’ve been able to save.
Just like you, I have given haircuts at home for us all for years. We did invest in a new clipper set which paid for itself in only two haircuts had they gone to a barber.
I got invited to a last minute Halloween party and am making my costume using only things I already have – no buying anything 🙂
I redeemed reward points on huggies.com and ordered a Christmas gift for my son. Gotta love free!!
I hate wasting food and started storing vegetable clippings in a ziploc bag in the freezer. I make my own vegetable broth by boiling water over vegetable clippings and letting it simmer. Once the broth is done cooking, I scoop out all of the veggie clippings. I toss in dried lentils, herbs, noodles and fresh veggies to create a hearty soup. Each batch of soup is a week’s worth of lunches for me and so much cheaper than the store bought soups.
I packed my husband a lunch and a breakfast for his busy day at work in reusable Tupperware so that we won’t be tempted to eat take out. Also, much healthier than take out. I also wanted to buy oatmeal for the last few weeks, but I waited until today. Thanks to krogerkrazy.com posts I got 2 whole boxes for free!
Today I made coffee at home! Last time I went shopping, I bought the syrup like they use at my favorite coffee shop. Even though it was early morning and I had to leave work, I made my own coffee in a travel mug instead of giving in to the temptatiion of coffee drive-thru. And it was just as good!
I saw that our local Chik-fil-a was doing a drive for peanut butter for the local food bank. For every jar of peanut butter you donated (per number of people in your group) they gave you an 8 piece nugget meal free. I got some peanut butter from our food storage and we had a yummy meal. I only spent $.15 to upgrade to a lemonade instead of soda!
I save by taking leftovers for lunch each day.
A few days ago I bought a Minnie Mouse costume for my niece that was on sale from $30 to $24. Today I found the exact same one in the clearance section of the store for $9 because it had a snag in the fabric. I purchased it, returned the $24 one and sewed up the snag. Good as new and less than half the price!
I shopped 1/2 price day at the local thrift store. And I said “no” to many things there, only buying what I needed.
Today I made my sick sister a big pot of homemade soup, and in doing so cooked an extra pot to feed my own family later!
My mom came over and we made a couple of pots of soup to divide up into smaller portions and freeze for another day. I am bound to get sick from these kids at some point and trying to plan ahead! No take out.
I have been keeping a savings journal for a little more than a year now. According to my entry from last year Target had boys athletic wear jackets on clearance. As we were out using a gift card to a local restaurant I saw a Target I have never been to and sure enough the Jackets were on clearance. For $20.16 I picked up two Jackets in my son’s next size and a package of boxers. Saved $40.74 between clearance and the cartwheel app! Living in NJ that is a huge Savings Score!!! Plus showed off my price saving skills to the hubby= priceless 🙂
Instead of ordering takeout or delivery, I made dinner for my family and a family who just had a baby.
I’m getting married in almost exactly two years, I’m only 24 so I don’t have a ton of disposable income, and I don’t want to run my parents into the poor house, so I’ve started earning Swagbucks at every possible opportunity! I’m going to save them over the course of this year and the next, and cash out for amazon and other gift cards to pay for things like favors and stationary and other wedding details that are important to me! It’s more like on-going saving, but I earned 340 Swagbucks today!
This week I was a little short on cash so I cooked meals using only what I had in the pantry and freezer!! Kids had fun helping me “CREATE” meals and we saved a while week of grocery money!! Bonus: we may try this one week out of every month:)
I spent the afternoon freezing cooking with 2 friends. We made 12 meals so on those days when we would go out to eat because we are busy supper with already be done.
I saved money by going to the library and maxing out our video options and borrowing awesome “I Spy” books for my son! LOVE that place!
We had the final football games of the season tonight. Instead of spending $50 at the concession stand for dinner we packed a picnic. The kids loved having our own food, which tasted great, and we did not have to stand in the long line at the concession stand.
I saved today by not buying ice cream at the ice cream truck. My kids wanted it from the truck but I went to the supermarket nearby and bought 6 ice cream bars for the same price of 3 from the truck.
I saved money today by planning my freezer meals to prep. I’m having a total hip replacement in two weeks. This will aide DH by being able to pull out a home cooked meal to feed the family rather than going out.
I saved today by not buying ice cream at the ice cream truck. My kids wanted it from the truck but I went to the store and bought 6 ice cream bars or the same price of 3 in the truck.
Lol, ironically i cut my sons hair today for the first time! Turned out great and now have years of savings:)
I brought items to work with me to store there for this weeks meals: frozen breakfast sandwiches, bagels, cream cheese, canned soup and crackers. I’m not good at grabbing breakfast in the morning or packing a lunch which often means I’ll spend an exorbitant amount in our cafeteria where the prices are very high. By bringing everything with me on Monday (or in this case Tuesday as I was off yesterday) it ensures I’ll have something to eat all week and can direct that money elsewhere. Breakfast and lunch in our cafeteria can easily cost $13 a day. Being proactive saved me approximately $65.
I saved by skipping a Target run, I only needed one thing and who walks out of there with only ONE thing?! And making lunch at home instead of grabbing fast food. Been doing that a lot lately and not only is it saving me money it is better for my health.
BTW I also cut my and my two daughter’s hair at home. My hubby hates it (he thinks pro is the way to go with a lot of things) but it looks good and saves us a ton of money.
We use cloth diapers for our baby girl which could be saving us hundreds of dollars.
Not only that but today I learned how to change out the damages elastics in the diaper! The diapers can cost over $20 to replace and changing the elastics myself only costs pennies!
We NEVER have enough taco meat leftover for the next day. So I stretched it tonight by mixing it with a box Uncle Bens rice and beans. Now we have enough for a 2nd meal tomorrow night (after a LONG day at work!) Saved money 3 fold because we cooked at home, used less meat, AND we have leftovers, so we have no excuse NOT to eat at home tomorrow.
i made homemade bread today!
We just purchased a new home and it needed appliances. I saw that Sears had double the cashback on ebates.com and there was a $35 off $300 purchase coupon code. I bought each appliance separately so I could use the code for each one.
Not only did I save $150 with the coupon code, I’m getting $200 back from ebates next month!
I bought a 15 lb. bag of potatoes. It cost as much as the 5 lb. My family will be having a lot of potato meals. YUM!
I made 18 freezer dinners so meals during the busy holiday season will be healthier, easier, and less expensive.
This year for Halloween I didn’t want to spend an obnoxious amount of money on a cheaply made costume that will be used one time and we will never use it again.. Soo I did some searching on Pinterest and came up with the idea of a scarecrow for my toddlers costume! I used a pair of oshkosh overalls that we already had, a flannel button up, bought a cheap straw hat. will be sewing some patches on the overalls and sewing raffia in the bottom of the overalls!
I made coffee at home instead of coffee out today! Playgroup instead of going shopping while my older child was in preschool. And I have been finishing up my kids diy Halloween costumes with things I find around the house and the dollar store!
I saved by changing my twin sons’ preschool to a different one that costs about $150 less per month.
Today I saved by purchasing craft supplies for the girls I nanny at Michael’s who had their fall/Halloween stuff 70%. They don’t care if we have pumpkin crafts when it isn’t Halloween and I’m much happier with the price when I buy them at the end of the season.
Also, we are purging and I took our clothes to a consignment shop and made $20
I hoard gift cards. After doing the math between making halloween costumes for my kids and using gift cards to but them, I bought two for half off!
I wanted to go check out the thrift store today when I was out but I knew we really didn’t have the extra money right now for that so I drove on by :).
I didn’t leave the house! No spending money on gas or driving anywhere to buy something.
Every Sunday afternoon I prepare my lunches for the week and take them to work each day instead of eating out – saving time each morning and hundreds of dollars each year!
I made homemade toothpaste!
We were out of jarred spaghetti sauce, so instead of running to the store to buy some more, I made some from scratch instead!
Probably had less sodium than the jarred stuff too 😉
I picked up a ninja turtle costume at a yard sale for my son to wear to the church trunk-or-treat. The problem was it didn’t have a mask so I crocheted a matching red ninja turtle mask. My husband has only been working part time so It was a blessing to spend less than two dollars on my sons adorable costume.
I needed 1/2 and 1/2 for a recipe this week. I went to get the Meijer brand, but they were out. I hunted down an employee to check on it for me and sure enough…totally out. No big deal you are thinking, but the name brand was over a dollar more and I am recommitted to our budget after a summer of getting off track (blaming pregnancy cravings) on our grocery budget. I asked if he could price match and he said they doubt they would. I asked at the checkout and the cashier didn’t even question it she just adjusted the price and I thanked her! It pays to ask politely. Score one for the grocery budget 😉
I talked myself out of the $200 winter coat that I thought I needed and instead bought six coats, six hats, and six sets of mittens to give to Coats for Kids (http://www.qcacoatsforkids.org/) for a grand total of $176.00, saving us $14.00 and a whole lot of buyer’s guilt. I did this two weekends ago and since then I’ve been staying home to clean out and organize our home, instead of heading to Target to find something to fill a need.
Should I be selected to win the Target gift card, I will be donating it to my friend’s charity, From Cover to Cover, which provides a book and blanket to elementary aged children. (http://www.fromcovertocoverproject.com/)
We saved today by all taking lunches to school and then ran to Publix to get the last minute juice boxes for one child’s class. While at the register I said to the cashier I believe there is a store coupon for this would u happen to have an extra. To my surprise she did and saved us a $1. Yippee!
Phew! We saved today by packing a picnic lunch rather than eating out when we went to the playground. All the other moms with their McDonald’s lunches made me a bit jealous, but I was SO glad to have our healthier and cheaper option!
I saved today by using an old white sheet my mom had and part of a red curtain for my son’s roman emporer halloween costume. Now to find a gold chord of some sort to use for the tie belt.
I jumped on a chance for a free painting class with my daughter. We spent $10 on dinner at the restaurant it was at, so only $10 for a mommy-daughter dinner and painting date! We had a lot of fun. 🙂
I packed the kids lunches tonight so I won’t be tempted to buy school lunches tomorrow.
I started making 2 robot costumes for my boys (1yr & 2yrs). They will be made entirely out of things we already have! Old boxes, spray paint from a previous project, markers and construction paper!
I used cloth diapers on my toddler.
I cooked 5 meals worth of chicken in the crock pot this morning and then froze 4 of the portions for use in later meals. I get a better price on the meat by buying it in bigger portions and I save by having cooked meat ready for an easy meal on a day that I might otherwise by tempted to eat out.
My daughter will be one 5 days after Christmas so to save money I went to the consignment store today and found 4 of the “most loved toys” this season for a one year old for less than $22 total and they look practically brand new!
My family saved tonight by enjoying time together at a free storytime at a local library. Our son got to wear his costume (bought at a consignment store) and loved running around. For dinner, the three of us ate for free at Chickfila, thanks to two dinner vouchers I’d saved, and our son being in costume. Fun family outing!
I also cut my own hair just yesterday! My husband cuts his own and our son’s.
Also, I made plans today to save tomorrow. A friend wanted to get together for lunch tomorrow to catch up and wondered where I wanted to meet. I offered that we have lunch together at my house. We can save money and our kids can play freely. 🙂
I cut up old t-shirts to use as paper towels. I still use some pt but this cuts down immensely!
We sell farm fresh chicken eggs and I cut my husbands hair tonight. Also went through grocery ad and did coupon matchups with our local grocery store.
We are “eating from the pantry” all week. Only bought fruits and veggies at the store and I am getting creative with dinners to see how healthy and cheap we can eat!
Breakfast for dinner!
Rode our bikes to the library instead of driving
I hung out laundry instead of using my dryer. I don’t know how much that saves me but I do know that the dryer is one of the most expensive appliances to use, so I try to do my laundry on days that I can hang it out if at all possible!
After a weekend full of guests we had lots of leftover bits of food in the frig, so I went through the frig and made all sorts of yummy dinners that I froze for those busy days when I do not have tims to cook. Left over food was saved from spoiling and meals were made for those days when pizza delivery is just too tempting.
A few years ago I signed up for a free Panera loyalty card. I went to Panera tonight and discovered I got to choose any bakery item for free because it is my birthday month. Free chocolate chip cookies always taste really good!
Mine wasn’t today either, but this past weekend I cut my son’s and husband’s hair, too.
Bought clothes for my twin girls from a local swap and sell site…7 long sleeve shirts and a pair of corduroys for $8 total, and I met a neighbor in the process!
The kids and I took our weekly trip to the library to pick out dvd’s. At our local library, one can check out up to 5 kids movies at a time, and keep them for a week. I use this to placate my children so that we don’t have to hit the redbox. If they want to watch a specific movie, we go onto the library’s website and request it, and pick it up in our weekly trip. I know redbox is only $1.50 or so, but it never fails I wind up keeping it for 3 days, so getting 5 movies for free for a week seems like a good deal to me.
My plan was to buy all of the ingredients for pizza in the way home from the store. Because it was pouring rain, I got French bread from a small bakery and made subs with pasta sauce, cheese, sandwich pepperoni, and veggies we already had on hand! I spent 2.00 when I could have easily spent 15!
We ate at home for every meal today – a big accomplishment for our house! We have got to stop eating out all the time for convenience!
We are having a halloween party on Friday. I dug out some of my candy molds to make white chocolate skeleton hands and skulls out of the white choc that we had leftover from previous candy making. Also, made zucchini bread with zucchini that was in the freezer for snacks on Friday so we won’t spend as much money on treats.
We lost our “costume” box in a recent move. I headed off to Walmart to buy a variety of wigs and one face paint kit for my teens. Now they can use their creativity and closets to expand their costumes and it cost me less than $20 for Halloween for 4 kiddos.
I saved today by completely avoiding shopping — even online! That’s hard with lots of great “deals” popping up.
No money was spent today! Stayed home with the girls and my husband avoided the temptation to stop at Walgreens for a pop/snack. It’s a small thing, but it’s a win!
I saved today by eating leftovers.
I combined necessary trips with stops at nearby stores to get items on the sale or need list.
Made dinner for tomorrow night so we won’t end up going out to eat before church.
We saved to day by having leftovers. When I meal plan, I build them into the week with our favorite foods. Saves money, and such an easy preparation for me :-).
Found a used robe at Goodwill to refashion into a Statue of Liberty costume. $8 & a little creativity will be great by Friday! Also made it home to eat lunch instead of eating out.
I cut my son’s hair today too! I’ve NEVER paid for haircuts for our 3 kids and our oldest is almost 6! We’ve also never paid for my husband’s haircuts our entire 10 years of marriage because he’s bald! Who would have thought being bald would save money 🙂 As for me, I get a cut once a year, which will be this Saturday!
I am invited to a Halloween party with some good friends on Friday, and instead of spending $50 on a costume to wear for one night, I will reuse a costume in my closet from years ago. I don’t really like Halloween all that much, so I figure it’s best to save my money to pay off my mortgage instead.
We ate leftovers for dinner.
I packed our lunches to eat on the go today instead of stopping for fast food!
I saved today by cooking dinner at home even though I was so tired after work and would loved to have just gone thru the drive-thru
I swapped babysitting with a friend so that I didn’t have to pay for a sitter while I had four redo fillings put in. Later, I swapped some of my son’s outgrown baby clothes for a custom made pair of baby booties and crochet headband for my new daughter. Savings: priceless.
I had been planning on buying some storage containers for my different flours that I own now that I make my own bread. After checking out various options online and feeling indecisive, I went to the local thrift store for another need (which I found for 50 cents!) and found large glass jars for my flour! I rarely see glass storage containers at the thrift store, so I was amazed and snatched them up 🙂
I saved today by making cold brew coffee at home instead of buying it from a coffee shop. 🙂
I made pumpkin muffins from scratch to bring to a lunch potluck playdate with friends instead of picking something up on the way.
I also worked on our homemade halloween costumes using material I already had on hand.
I saved my prepackaging lunches from leftovers tonight. Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow.
Our microwave decided to stop working yesterday, which was very unfortunate… I cook ahead and freeze pretty much everything we eat, so I microwave food all day long to quickly and easily feed my little ones. Despite being on day 14 of a horrible cold while taking care of my two sick boys, I did not cave in and buy fast food (or a new microwave
Don’t know what happened to the rest of my comment above…
I used our toaster oven to defrost today and will be doing so until we save the $400 (yikes!!) for a replacement over-range microwave.
I used a gift card I purchased earlier in the year to use for a fun lunch out with friends. I happened to purchase the gift card when the restaurant was selling $20 gift cards for $10! So, not only did I pay half the price for the gift card but I was also able to use a coupon with my order! Not going over our monthly budget in the eating out category and having money left on the gift card for another outing at a later time is a win, win, win for me!
I save money by making our own laundry soap.
To entertain my 1 year old, we went to an free open play at his baby gym. Then I dug through the garage for a bin of clothes from my older son. It’s always fun to shop in my own house. The 18month clothes is coming out for a whole set of new clothes.
I met a friend at a coffee shop but resisted the urge to buy a cup!
i made homemade Landry detergent ..it cost me $10 before taxes for at least 6 months of detergent ! And only took me about a half our… So freaking easy! I love it
I made all my kids costumes for Halloween. I used coupons and sales to get the fabric. While it took more time to make them, had I bought them from the store, I would have spent a LOT more money!
I sent my husband to the grocery store to get just the couple things we REALLY needed for this week so I wouldn’t feel the need to do a huge shopping trip.
We have been looking at getting my daughter a nightstand for her room. This morning while running I saw someone had put out with their trash a nice nightstand. It has some marks and words written with sharpie on the top, but my husband was able to sand those out. Now all we need to do is prime and paint it. I can’t wait to see how our trash to treasure project turns out!
I searched the grocery ads to purchase sale items for the freezer. Turkey breast on sale this week for .99/lb. Tastes so much better and way cheaper than cold cuts. I buy smaller ones that will fit into my large crockpot and cook it all day.
I’m splitting a box of apples with a friend to make our own applesauce for the freezer. We waited to get “seconds apples” that are cheaper and work just as well in sauce. Yummy and cheaper to make it ourselves!
i saved today by fixing my outdoor grill ‘ our grill had stopped working I dug out the Manuel watched a few videos and fixed it myself , I also washed all our windows and screens , and shampooed the dog!
We saved by having a no spend stay at home day. I try to do this half the week because it seems like on days we have plans outside of the house extra money is always spent!
Instead of having the sitter come to watch my 2 year old son I decided to give her the day off and spend extra quality time with him.
I combined 4 errands into one trip (with kids in tow), used coupons to save on groceries, got cheap kids meals at Moe’s (where I drank water), got books back to the library to avoid fines, got a great deal on my husband’s prescription meds, used codes to get a free movie to watch with the kids… A full day of savings that total over $70 (a rough guess, but the prescription saved us a lot!).
We saved today by playing in our own backyard instead of going to a fast food restaurant where we would inevitably spend money!
Used the flexibility of my menu plan and switched to an easier meal from later in the week when my hubby called (last minute) and asked us to visit him at work since he had a meeting in the evening. It would be easy to order take-out, but since I had our meals and ingredients for the whole week, I could rearrange and not spend any extra money 🙂
We saved today by my husband changing the alternator on our excursion himself rather than having to take it to a shop! Probably a $200-$300 savings!
This weekend was busier then usual and my niece was visiting us so I didn’t have a chance to do my usual weekly meal plan and shopping trip this weekend. Instead of going to the store without a plan and spending more then I needed to or ordering takeout I dug in our pantry and freezer to come up meals for the last couple days.
I had a doctor’s appointment an hour from home. I knew we’d be getting back near dinnertime, so I put some soup from the freezer in the crockpot. It really saved a bundle when I could have easily been tempted to go through the drive through.
While trying to teach my son colors, I had looked at different things to buy. I wanted visuals that I could use daily. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I drew a template of a paint splotch(inspired by one I saw on his ABC cards), traced it on printer paper, and used markers to fill it in. I then used contact paper that I had to laminate them. I am by no means an artist, but they work! I didn’t make them today, but since he used them today I thought I’d post this. 😉
I saved by continuing to eat from the pantry & resisting the urge to get in the car & go somewhere!
My sister in law took my extra pumpkins to work and sold them- I made $12 without doing a thing! I also traded a friend a few squash for coffee cake (I’m totally eating it for breakfast tomorrow morning!)
Checked out a huge stack of books from the library instead of ordering several hundred dollars of new books for the second quarter of school.
Canceled a work lunch which easily saved me $20+
The way I save money is packing lunch/snacks when we have sports activities on the the weekends. We are gone most of the the weekend and if we paid to eat at concessions or at local fast food places the money we spend would add up fast. An added bonus, bringing healthier options than fast food or concession type items.
My son’s birthday party is this Saturday and today was the day to go shopping for the treats. I saved by only getting what was on sale and what I had coupons for. EX: $0.50 bags of chocolate cover pretzels and $1.50 boxes of cheez-its!
We saved in a couple ways today, we are at the tail end of a home renovation that has completely drained our bank account. There are things we had plan to contract out however with no funds left. We are rolling up our selves and figuring it out. A positive is the letter you get from the usps came with some great 10% off coupons that will help out
I strained my homemade apple cidar vinegar. Its my first time so wish me luck. I’m still unable to smell due to a sinus infection, but my almost 6yr old daughter says it smells like vinegar!
We saved today by switching our cell phone plan to a less expensive carrier. $60/month!
My husband is on vacation this week. Instead of breaking our budget, we opted to stay at home and enjoy quality time. Today, we explored our city by starting a new adventure for our family…geocaching. Free activity and we had a blast!
I saved by continu
I walked to work today instead of driving, saving gas money. I work just around the corner so it’s a short walk, but it’s tempting to drive when I’m tired and it’s chilly outside.
I work at a school so when one of our band teachers had a rip in one of his drum sticks’ bag, he came to me to see if it could be fixed. I offered to sew it for him – saving him and the school money rather than purchasing a new one. It took about me 2 minutes to fix, and I love that I was able to help out. I know it’s not a personal save, but saving money for others is important too. On a personal note, however, I did take a leftover chicken breast that we had grilled last night and made it into chicken quesadillas. It helped stretch the meat budget, and re-purposed some leftovers. And my kids’ made homemade cards for my mom’s birthday today rather than buying her one. She loved them.
I made extra when I prepared dinner tonight and packaged it and froze it for another dinner on a busy night. There was also enough left over after we ate that my husband has plenty to take for his lunch tomorrow.
I was in desperate need for new tennis shoes for work. I wear mine until I start having feet issues due to the shoes loss of support. I really like Target’s C9 brand. Great support, cheaper than brand name. I checked out cartwheel and found a 25% off any shoe for the family. Instead of paying $28, I aid $21 and my feet won’thurt anymore!!!
Today I baked two quick breads, one using some leftover homemade cranberry sauce and the other with some past prime bananas. I also made a quiche with left over cheese ends, one egg and some liquid egg whites. I also went shopping with loads of coupons at ShopRite and was under my planned purchase (just spent $32.00!) and got everything on my list.
I saved today buy painting and fixing an old toy chest instead of getting a new one!
I saved today by painting and fixing an old toy chest instead of getting a new one!
Last week we had appointments all day. My son had to be taken to school, then my youngest had a doctors appointment, then a therapy group after school for my oldest, then soccer for my youngest. I had to pack a lunch for my oldest for school so I decided to pack lunch and dinner for the rest of the family. I was so proud of myself and we easily saved $30 by not eating out for those two meals. Not to mention the foods we packed were much healthier than what we would have eaten at a fast food restaurant.
Planned out my daughter’s costume for trunk or treat using what we already have at home.
I sewed velcro and patches on my husband’s flight suit (he’s in the Air Force). It was a labor of love for my husband (I had to re-do one patch a few times!), but we saved by not paying for professional alterations. 🙂
As a foster and adoptive mom, we have five kids under 8 in our home, so we need to watch what we spend, especially this time of year with the Holidays coming up. I had a major week of savings this week Starting with Trick or Treat on Sunday, Garage sales and Kids used store for costumes, Spiderman, Iron man, Tootsie roll, Duck and a baby butterfly, total cost? Fifteen Dollars. I knew we would be cutting it close for lunch after church, so I thawed out chili from earlier in the week, so we didn’t spend sixty dollars on Mexican food as we do on many Sundays. I ended the day with order some Christmas gift, out of this was a Shutterfly vacation book for grandma, a Shutterfly mug for Grandpa with the kids picture on it, all for under twelve dollars, I saved up some freebie coupons and only had to pay shipping, and then ordered a twenty five dollar gift card for Applebees that I earned on my points from doing reports on bzzagent. I ended up doing a few more reports on bzzagent, to try to earn another gift card before Christmas, and also did a few surveys on Toluna, where I have already earned Twenty five dollars in gift cards from Target, which right now is offering free shipping! I am very please with how much I have saved this week, and so is my husband.
We went to the library and got plenty of books and DVD’s for the next two weeks. Then I went the resale shop and found a still-!n-the-box craft kit for my daughter for Christmas, which saved me at least $9.50!
I saved today by eating lunch at home. I really wanted to pick up some Chik-fil-a but we are paying off debt and could use that money elsewhere.
I stopped at the thrift store first rather than order snowpants online and saved $75 dollars.
Today I bought my boys’ Christmas presents from Amazon using my Swagbucks! And I got free shipping!
It’s not an interesting way to save really, but I saved by eating leftovers instead of going out to lunch. That saves money and gas.
I saved today by harvesting some kale in my garden – a 5 gallon bucket full! Some will be used this week and some blanched and frozen for winter use.
I saved money today by carpooling with a friend to a neighboring city to run some errands! Thank you!!
I saved today by cooking breakfast for me and my husband instead of buying breakfast on my way to work. I also picked up a gift card on the daily deals today using my Verizon smart rewards program. This will add to my Christmas gift stash.
A handful of my kiddos Halloween candy haul secretly got put in their Christmas stocking. As did all their plain MnM’s- for holiday baking- simple and easy savings!
Instead of spending the $5 and $10 Target gift cards I receive for buying laundry detergent, toilet paper, diapers and the like, I stash them away each year until late October. Today I took them all in to customer service and and consolidated them onto one I can use for my kiddos gifts this holiday. Holidays are so much more relaxing when it doesn’t cost a penny out of your pocket! Thank you MSM for your heads up on Target gift card offers, while I was there I got an additional $20 gift card for buying diapers! 🙂
We had been planning all month long to go to the local pumpkin patch. It is something we look forward to every fall, especially because the falls in Florida are nothing like the ones we used to have in South Carolina. We try to pretend that it feels like fall as much as we can. We knew we would have to spend about $25 to get our family of 4 into the patch. We purposely bought two large pumpkins (one at Aldi and one at Sam’s Club) prior to going so we wouldn’t be tempted to pay a premium price at the pumpkin patch. We also saved money by bringing a picnic lunch, bottled water, sodas and juice instead of paying for lunch from the food trucks and local vendors. As wonderful as their meals looked and smelled, ours were far healthier and cheaper (spent $8 on lunch as opposed to about $30 or more). All said and done, we saved well over $35. We even stuck to all of the free rides, climbing the hay bales, and other free activities. My kids still had so much fun that they never asked more than once to do something that cost money (like a pony ride) – they knew it wasn’the worth waiting in line and missing out on all the other fun!
I started a free 5K running app- instead of joining a gym. And found a new-with-tags Fila workout shirt with electronic device pocket at Goodwill with my mother- at less than $3 with her senior discount & preferred customer card!
I cleaned out my fridge today and noticed some things that needed to be used up so I got on pinterest and found a recipe. We made chicken cordon bleu casserole and it was so yummy!!! And then had green beans and fruit and biscuits all from the fridge. It felt so good to know I saved some food from going bad
I made vegetarian tacos for dinner instead of buying ground beef for $5/lb. (and my 4 yr old amazingly gobbled it up and asked for seconds!)
I made dinner at home instead of eating out!
We did haircuts at home today! 🙂
I saved today by turning yesterday’s leftovers into another good meal for dinner tonight. 🙂
Today, I decided to take back two items that I had previously purchased and didn’t need. I then snagged a deal on great value tampons with coupons using the money I just got back. I was pretty satisfied. 🙂
I saved money today by buying cat food with a Petco gift card that I received for doing surveys.
I like to play what I call the grocery store game. I check the ads then check my coupons and see what deals I can get with rebate apps like ibotta, checkout51 and walmart’s savings catcher program. My friend gave me a bunch of $5 off $30 coupons for a local grocery store and today my husband and I competed to see who could get the lowest price for all the groceries we got. I won today but after all of my rebates and coupons he got a ton of groceries for $17 one day.
We decided to try to buy a foreclosure and fix it up rather than get another mortgage.
I finally dug up the potatoes I had planted this summer. I had contemplated just giving up on harvesting them since life has been just so crazy, but tonight after work, I spent about 15 minutes digging up one row 🙂
We are using Life of Fred for our homeschool math curriculum. I had been borrowing the books from a friend who owns all of them. I discovered that the book we are ready to start (after finishing one last week) is the same one my friend’s son is currently using. At first I decided to go ahead and purchase the book we are needing, but felt I ought to at least check our library first. I was super excited to discover that my library has all the Life of Fred books! I requested it and picked it up yesterday. Savings….around $20!
I used a gift card I got from using MyPoints to buy new underwear for my daughter.
I saved money today by skipping the pumpkin patch!
Made the remainder of the weeks dinners and froze them for easy homemade dinners instead of being to eat out this week.
My son has a Halloween party at his preschool and I signed up for party bags. At work we host a fall carnival every year with prizes and other giveaways. I was able to use the left overs from the Carnival to fill all of the goodie bags (and not candy!) great things like crayons, Erasors, hair clips etc that were going to get thrown away (if someone couldn’t take them) because there was not enough to save to give out the following year! I ending up putting together 18 great goodie bags and didn’t pay anything!
I was making a double batch of baked spaghetti and instead of doubling the meat (which would mean 4 pounds of meat), i just used 3 pounds- i know it wasn’t a huge alteration but I couldn’t even tell a difference from the way i normally make it.
I saved today by buying birthday presents for parties my kids would be attending this weekend at Kmart. I had received a “surprise” $12 in rewards and I used that towards toys on clearance that were an additional 40% off! We scored some great gifts for way less than the original prices!
I took my daughter to the park this afternoon for some free entertainment and planned out dinner using what was already in my fridge so that it would be ready to pop in the oven when we got back. Yay for no take-out!
My mom bought our supper. 🙂 🙂
I just cut all 4 of my boys’ hair tonight, major savings there. Plus used leftovers from supper to make my husband’s lunch for tomorrow. My oldest daughter also got leftovers ready for her lunch.
Last week we went to Disney, not exactly a place where you are going to save money. I was reading a lot of blogs and one person said you could ask for large ice water and bring flavor packets (if you don’t want to drink straight up water) and add them to your water. It was really hot there so instead of buying 5 drinks at three dollars a pop 3 to 4 times a day we got ice water and added the flavor packets. We got so many people telling us what a smart idea this was. We easily saved $100 (probably more) just on drinks over the course of a week.
I saved money this week by writing out a simple meal plan on Sunday afternoon. We have an activity planned for every evening this week so it is nice to know in advance what we will be eating each night. Several nights I will double the meal and freeze the other half for a future meal. Other nights I planned to eat something from the freezer which was made a couple of weeks ago.
I got in the car with every intention of driving to the store but decided to stay home instead. There are so many temptations when I’m out. It’s much easier to save by staying home.
I saved today by going into my gift closet for a gift for a friend and her little girl. When I travel, I buy gifts for my family and friends to use for birthdays and Christmas. I love giving unique gifts (always at a good price). I can shop while on vacation and actually finishing my birthday and holiday shopping. I chose a photograph that I bought last summer in San Francisco and used a frame I already had on hand for the perfect gift for my friend, Meg. For her little girl, Madryn, I chose a copy of “The three Little Javelinas” that I purchased at a book signing in Arizona. I have special gifts to give my friend, and I only went shopping in my gift closed!
We collect items all year for the Operation Christmas Child boxes… we try to make as many as possible, today my local HEB had a side walk sale where everything (no matter the original cost) was $.50!!! I was able to get 40 items to round out our 12 boxes for only $20! Two of the shirts I picked up were marked $7 each alone! The total value of the items was well over $100!
I saved today by making my own pumpkin spiced latte instead of driving to Starbucks and spending $5 for one coffee. Mine was delicious, and I had two cups! And I really needed it after being up half the night with a teething baby. 🙁
We ate leftovers for lunch instead of picking up fast food!
Today I saved by making more cloth wipes from receiving blankets. They work perfect for my 10 month old in diapers and my almost 3 year old who is potty training. I haven’t bought wipes for 3 months and the extra I made today means I don’t have to do a load every day to be prepared for the next day!
Packed lunches for the whole family instead of buying them along the way.
I got up in time to get breakfast and lunch ready to take to work!
We live in the middle of nowhere, so today when my husband had a meeting in the city we doubled up so I could do some grocery shopping while there.
I made 4 loaves of bread today and a huge pot of tomato soup. A super-economical meal that makes a ton. Then we took soup and bread over to our neighbors, just because. We love our little cul-de-sac and have the best neighbors.
Last year, I was buying 2 large iced teas and a sausage muffin at McDonald’s every day on my way to work (and often more tea later from Sonic!) There’s something about a straw and disposable cup that makes a difference to me. In June, I bought a case of 32 ounce cups and lids and an iced tea machine, and I have hundreds of straws accumulated from over the years. I know even this sounds like a waste of money, but honest, it’s saved me a ton over the summer. This last month has been so busy that I’ve gotten back in the habit of going by McDonald’s again. This morning, I got on it and made some tea and brought my own again :o) One day, maybe I can make it to reusable cups!
I saved today by making my family lunches for school and work.
I packed a lunch and brought it to work.
I made dinner with what we had on hand instead of giving into my desire to go out. It saved us money and it let me use food that would have otherwise been wasted!
I used some reward points to get a free Starbucks card.
My husband and I really wanted Starbucks but settled for brewing our own coffee at home.
I went to a store to buy a pillowcase for a child’s costume for a fall party we are attending. I decided to pass on paying over six dollars for a costume and go to the thrift store instead for a dollar pillowcase. However, while at the store I found a dress on clearance for $4.00 for another child as well as another marked down skirt. The trip was a win win! Saved by not buying the pillowcase and got some needed clothes for $25.00 off the original price! Total savings: $30.00! It pays to always check out the clearance rack!
Some times I feel self-conscience wanting to be a saver around other people who aren’t. Today some sweet ladies at my husband’s office threw us a baby shower. When they were helping us organize all our special gifts, someone started throwing away all the cute tissue paper and bags. I said kind of sheepishly, we will reuse all of that if you don’t mind saving it. I love saving money. Why do I feel like some times I have to apologize for it?
I saved several ways today, first was repurposing items to create a Halloween costume so I didn’t have to buy another. We also checked out a huge amount at the library. Lastly, I stopped at Kroger to buy pork on sale to make bar b que for a crowd this weekend which was supposed to be on sale. I couldn’t find one with the sale price that was still good through today, so I talked to the butcher. He said this had been happening recently on the days right before an ad change so he very nicely corrected the tag to show the sale price. This made it about $8 cheaper!
I saved money today by eating leftovers for lunch and using coupons at the grocery store.
I printed my coupons for double coupon week at k-mart. I am so excited to get some great deals!
I saved today by rummaging through our craft supply cupboard to find some school supplies that my kids needed replenished. Instead of running to the store to purchase new items, I spent a few minutes searching through what we already had. I found everything they needed, and didn’t spend a cent. 🙂
I saved today by accident. Decided to splurge and go to lunch with a friend who recently left our company. The restaurant was super busy and we only had an hour. A brand new place was opening next door so we decided to give it a try. Well they were having a test grand opening and offering free lunch!! So I took the cash out of my wallet that I was going to spend on lunch today and tucked it away in my Christmas money envelope. So even though the free lunch was an accident I have purposely put away my savings to avoid spending it mindlessly.
I needed to bring a baked item for the school carnival, so I made something at home with ingredients I had in the pantry. It saved me a special trip to the store to buy special ingredients. It also saved me money to bake my own item instead of buying something premade.
I was going to save on a dinner out by researching which restaurants had kids deals on Tuesdays…
But instead, we saved by eating leftovers at home for dinner since my daughter developed a fever today.
Tonight we had a clean out the refrigerator night for dinner!
Won a session of gymnastics on a auction night below value. I was already planning on signing DD up.
i saved money by selling several outfits my daughters had outgrown : )
I saved by making- with the help of my mother-in-law- my kids’ Halloween costumes. I paid $15 out of pocket for two costumes that would have cost me twice that at the store. Not to mention that I think our versions are cuter.
I got out our cloth diapers and started using them again (baby #3!) We hope to save at least $1000 before he’s potty trained!
I saved by eating leftovers for lunch, giving my son a haircut, and getting some videos at the library for the kids (and a book for me).
I made popcorn from bulk kernels, instead of the more pricey microwave bags.
I saved money last Friday when I took my kids to visit Jamestown, Virginia. By printing off & presenting our NC homeschool registration, we were able to get tickets for at least half off. We also packed a lunch and ate outside at the picnic tables in order not to buy food on the way there or back or at the Jamestown Cafe.
I saved by making my multiple cups of coffee in the chemex today instead of buying it at a coffee shop… I saved quite a bundle considering how many cups of coffee I had to drink to stay awake after hanging out with a certain bunch of amazing ladies until 3am every night for 4 days last week. Hehe! 🙂
I walked to the grocery store which saved gas and provided exercise . Plus having to carry everything home makes you think twice about buying things not in your list.
I saved by packing leftovers for lunch instead of going out with coworkers!! This is huge for me when everyone else goes out to lunch!
I saved money today by cooking a turkey. Not only did it make a great dinner, but it will also save me from having to buy lunch meat the rest of the week. I can also use some of the leftovers for turkey rice soup which I’ll make in the crock pot tomorrow!
I’m pregnant, sick, and tired of my own house. Today, instead of walking the mall on this rainy day and tempting myself to spend money, I spent the day at my mom’s 🙂
I went to the farmer’s market and bought fruits and vegetables a little past their prime and then went home and froze some, sorted some, (potatoes – mushy ones out so they don’t rot the rest) and we had salad for lunch because the lettuce was three heads for a dollar and the tomatoes 12 for a dollar.
Packed picnic for family and guests as we visited nearby tourist attraction.
I clustered my errands to save money on gas, packed my son & hubby’s ) lunches & highly encouraged my hubby to carpool, which he ended up doing.
I saved by making six loaves of bread from scratch instead of buying them at the store.
I volunteered for an expensive Lego program so my daughter could attend; it’s free if I volunteer, but $$$ if I drop her off. 🙂
I brought my lunch to work and used my grocery store reward card to get sale prices on groceries.
I saved today by buying a giftcard from a resale Gift Card site. Saved me 15% off a $125 purchase that I have been planning to make for a while now! Yes!!!
We ate leftovers for lunch and supper. No wasted food equals saved money.
Hi, i saved today buy transfering my perscription to kmart and recieving a $25 giftcard. I then used a coupon for some shoes $5 off $5 for my daughter. I also used some more coupons to purchase wipes. They had a lot of clearance clothes so i got my baby 4 onesies, 3 shirts for my son, and 2 shirts for my daughter. Some chapstick with my coupons. And still have $4. Left on it. Love it!
My husband made made bacon cheeseburger macaroni for dinner from left over meat loaf and bacon. It was quick and delicious on an evening when we had unexpected company during the time we usually make dinner.
We saved money by using an old picture frame to create a chaulk board to track our new business inventory. We also cut our children’s hair at home today, too which is why I came to the site. Such great ideas everyone!
I shop ahead usually 6 weeks of meal planning at a time. No running to the store and impulse buying and always knowing what is planned for dinner. this saves me money everyday:)
I bought the supplies for making homemade laundry detergent. Planning to make it for the first time later this week.
Thus weekend I cut my husband’s hair, along with all 3 of my son’s hair! That saved us at least $48 plus tips. Before I left to take my kids to their swim practice today I popped some chicken sausages and corn on the cob into the Crock pot for an easy ready dinner. The beauty part? I got the sausages on sale at Sam’s Club for 3.22 a package (normally $9) and the corn was given to us! That’s a cheap dinner for a family of 7!
I saved by trying out a new recipe for turnips! I had never cooked or even bought a turnip in my life, but they were very inexpensive at the store (and there was a Snap App rebate) so I bought some, cooked them up and the family loved it!!
I had prepped lunch to avoid buying out this week. But i had to run out during my break and ran out of time to heat what id brought. I remembered that I’d saved enough points to get a Smoothie King for free! Liquid lunch for free 99 and healthy to boot!!!
I saved today by using chicken I bought on markdown in the crackpot so it would be ready after a long day and I’d not be tempted to order out. I also saved by checking my receipt at Target and getting it corrected. I was charged full price for 2 soups that had been marked down to $.38 each.
Today, I didn’t buy Tide when grocery shopping – because even at a great $1.99 price – I already had several bottles of detergent at home. Plus, I got a rain check on $1 Craisins so I could stock up later at a bargain price. Both things kept me within my monthly budget!
My son asked to go out for coffee (he likes to get juice & a cookie while I get coffee) and a movie so we borrowed a movie from the library and made cookies and coffee at home. Not only did we save money but we had a memorable experience!
I repurposed my son’s Halloween costume from last year (Yoda) into my daughter’s Halloween costume this year (Princess Leia)!
I had my wisdom teeth out and because we don’t have dental insurance I chose local anesthesia over general and it was significantly cheaper!
I moved an appt around and combined my errands into one trip. So not only was I able to save money on gas, but also time. Win win!
My baby came down with a cold today and instead of running to the store (which is 20 mins away) I made up a batch of homemade cough syrup from home! I happened to have half of a lemon in the fridge, raw honey in the cupboard, and extra virgin olive oil on the counter. A couple mins is all it took and it saved me time and money for gas and store bought cough syrup!
I saved money today by hanging out 4 loads of laundry and using homemade laundry detergent to boot.
I saved by buying our organic lunch snacks on the clearance aisle at the local market.
I made my husband’s grandma’s secret chocolate cake recipe for his birthday tomorrow rather than buying one from the bakery.
Our local Chick-fil-a was having a food bank promotion where, in exchange for a jar of peanut butter, the customer would receive a free meal! I have a stockpile of peanut butter that I got for $1 each, so my husband and I had a cheap date out! $2 worth of PB for a yummy meal that I didn’t have to cook! Winner, winner, chicken dinner (for real!) 🙂
We packed a lunch and went to the park!!!
I made a new meal for supper out of leftovers in the refrigerator. The children did not even know that we were eating leftovers. This was a hit because they tend not to care of leftover.
I saved today by saying no fast food when we were out and about today! 🙂
We saved today by using chicken I cooked up yesterday to stretch into today’s dinner. I’m 38 weeks along with baby number 3, and the temptation to order out for every dinner is overwhelming at this point. 🙂
Slightly over ripe fruit and ice and magic bullets equaled delicious after school snack of fruit smoothies!
I save every single day by packing lunches for my son & husband. Packing lunches is my least favorite task. I. Hate. It. But, it saves money and is healthier for them so I do it Sunday-Thursday nights. Always the night before so there’s no added responsibilities the next morning.
I always joke that when I’m rich we’ll eat out at lunch. That day will never come because it’s too big of a money saver. Now I’m off to make PB&J for tomorrow….
I filled up my van for only $37 using Fuelperks! I also purchased 6 bags of groceries for only $9.15 matching coupons and sales.
Planned our weeks menu based on the sales and coupons I could find for Hyvee. Saved over 45 dollars with coupons and have a plan during our busy week to avoid eating out. And I avoided getting my usual cup of coffee while shopping, saved another 4 bucks. Everything counts!
I saved today by turning a 6 year old Old Navy fuzzy and warm Bat Costume that my son wore when he was 2, and making a cute tutu and hair bow ( I had all the tulle and ribbon from previous projects) I added them to the costume to give it a sweet girly touch for my 2 year old daughter to wear for Halloween this year! Perfect for Michigan Weather! She will be the cutest bat ever! Absolutley perfect Halloween costume Savings!
We made pizza at home instead of going out. My kids love to help chop up veggies, put on the cheese, roll out the crust, and taste the final product. So, a savings of about $15 and entertainment to boot!
I saved today by packing lunch for the kids and myself.
Tues is kids eat free night at our local Chik-fil-A so it’s our one weekly night out splurge!
I racked in the savings on groceries by picking up a ton of “manager special” items. Love those discounted food items at my local Kroger’s. Now to plan out my weekly menu based upon the items I picked up today.
I had a mystery shop at a local restaurant this afternoon. So to save gas I talked the kids into getting some exercise and we walked to the restaurant to meet my husband for dinner. I had planned to do the shop today because Harris Teeter is in the same shopping center and we needed to buy some more strawberries before the sales change tomorrow. 🙂 Every little bit of gas we can save helps!!! And the added exercise was a plus. . . although we did catch a ride home with my husband after dinner.
Today I gathered all the products in my home that either I, or another family member disliked or had a problem with. I called each customer service number and told them the issue(s). After I was done I calculated the savings from reimbursements and I saved $260.00! I did not expect to have such a big reimbursement value but I was very happy! I will never throw away another faulty/bad product again without calling first!
We saved today by eating a freezer meal even though work commitments made eating out tempting! 🙂
I packed my lunch for work today instead of spending money buying it.
Went for a walk on the downtown trail with my dear husband while we waited for the car to be aligned….got some fresh air and didn’t have to pay for a workout! 🙂
We eat vegetarian meals for dinner several times a week. Meat can be so expensive! Last night I made a lentil stew with fresh rolls. It was delicious and there are plenty of leftovers for me to have for lunch for a few days, extending the savings!
It’s been a crazy-busy start to the week – with a kid coming down sick this morning – but since I already planned easy dinners with components I can make when time is free I haven’t been tempted to just get take out.
I prepped food yesterday so that we could eat at home/pack lunch to work: veggies, taco meat, etc. I also resisted a strong urge to buy an ice cream cone. 🙂 Overall, we spent no money today. ..always good!
i have ben using the “free” codes for shutterfly and only paying shipping. Ive gotten mugs, bags, cards, magnets, luggage tag holders etc to use as gifts
We chose items from my stash for my niece’s birthday gifts instead of running to the store.
My husband and I had an ‘eat out the fridge’ left over night. We had a little bit of everything…salad, butternut squash, kiwi, and grilled cheese (one of my husband’s favorites), he loved it and it saved us from eating out. After dinner we went for a walk instead of paying to visit the gym.
I have been looking for ways to save around the house. I bought some reusable napkins and we use those for all meals instead of buying napkins. There was an initial investment in doing this, but it will save my family in the long run.
My husband packed his lunch. And when I took our company out to do their shopping I carefully stuck to my list, avoiding those tempting extras.
For supper tonight we are having Mexican rice bowls which is a fun way to use leftovers up and will make enough for some lunches for my husband.
We bought a bike on Craigslist instead of buying it new.
I’m not sure how well this relates, but I spent some time today working on making a menu and grocery list of a month’s supply of meals that requires only a once a month shopping trip for some friends looking to save money. It saves a lot of money in the long run because you have easy, already prepared homemade meals that are healthy for you and your family. It saves gas money from having to run out to the store every day just to grab something for dinner and lastly it allows you to use your time wisely by being prepared, giving you more time to spend with family and friends.
I’m not sure how well this relates, but I spent some time today working on making a menu and grocery list of a month’s supply of meals that requires only a once a month shopping trip for some friends looking to save money. It saves a lot of money in the long run because you have easy, already prepared homemade meals that are healthy for you and your family. It saves gas money from having to run out to the store every day just to grab something for dinner and lastly it allows you to use your time wisely by being prepared giving you more time to spend with family and friends.
Today my family and I ate from the pantry. No one ate the same thing and it saved money from eating out. We also switched our car insurance to where we have the house insurance so it saved us another 10% off the house insurance. (Every little bit helps)!
Currently we are making our sons squeeze fruit. I buy strawberries, all natural yogurt and bananas, then blend it up fill the bags! We pay next to nothing and we know what our son is eating, win-win!
Turned my skinny jeans into maternity skinny jeans instead of spending $40 on new jeans!
My baby is now 6 weeks old. I decided to ditch the ‘sposies and go back to cloth diapers. It saves a lot!
Today is Tuesday, which means kids eat free at ikea. My kids ate for free and I enjoyed a free cup of coffee there. They also got to play in small land for an hour. All for free!
I saved today by not buying name-brand foods. I did my usual weekly grocery shopping at Kroger. Normally I would purchase name-brand foods because of my coupons, but decided to try kroger brand foods. I’m so glad I did! I ended saving a whooping 15 dollars more then if I would have used my coupons for name-brand foods. So a little extra money for next week budget! Whoop-whoop!
This actually took about an hour over a couple of days but…
I have a skirt I love that the seams weren’t done well so the stitching kept coming out. I re-sewed every seam so now I can wear it again and I’m not tempted to go out and buy a new one.
We went to the Pumpkin Patch today, but first I checked their website which offered $1 off the cost of admission, which saved our family of 9 $9. Not a huge amount, but every little bit helps.
Btw….we also cut our kids hair at home too;)
Blessings!
We ate out of the cupboard instead of buying food. Also I wormed the cats myself instead of taking them to the vet.
I saved today by packing snacks for work, instead of buying something from the vending machine. It was healthier too.
We are in the middle of a move across country. My husband and I saved today by coming up with ways to pack without buying packing supplies. All our clothes and ours kids clothes are the “bubble wrap”. I pinterested ideas for moving and there are tons of great tips on there.
We also brought a lot of nice things we owned to the Goodwill. So, we got a little tax credit. I guess that can count toward saving.
We are also saving by eating up everything in the kitchen that we stock piled, instead of giving it away and relying on convenience food (Which would be so much easier at this point). We actually eat healthy non-processed food. So…this means cooking everything from scratch. Grains from the cubbard and meat and veggies from the freezer.
Instead of the usual dry cleaning for his work shirts, I took the couple hours to wash and press my husband’s shirts. Saved us probably $30.
I searched the internet and found a PDF file to make my sons Steve from Minecraft head for Halloween. It cost me $8 total when it sells for $20 in stores!! #msmsuccess
I used a coupon when I got the oil changed today.
I cut my 3 kids hair and my husband does his. I also color my own in order to save more money. I have also learned to make a lot of things from scratch like granola and bread and different things like that ever since I lost my job. Not only have we cut down our grocery bill but it has helped us eat healthier too.
I made applesauce from free apples and scratch biscuits for dinner.
I went thru the coupons that were in this past weekend’s newspaper and clipped a few that I can use grocery shopping this weekend. They match up with some sales at the grocery store this week.
I only shop clearance foods and use coupons.That is how I plan My Family meals for 4. I also rotate my pantry and freezer and plan meals for the week. I take advantage of my apps use Target Cartwheel, price match and I botta and receipt hog to save money. There are a lot of apps out there to help you save. I gave a few away to you right now. I saved
at Target this year and we are now set for next year. I bought a pool 14X 42 $399.99 sale price marked down half off addition off ended up paying $1.98 with the tax. Bought Hamburger at Target for 89 cents a pound. fresh fruit for 99 cents and bread 99 cents a loaf than with an additional 25% off at register. Christmas is wrapped just waiting for Dec to come. Saved on all of My Christmas gifts to boot.
Today I saved by using our creditcard points for a Old Navy giftcard and combining that giftcard with $30 off $75 and free shipping i was able to buy socks, underwear, and winter stuff for my son!
How I saved today…
1) made homemade baby food, as opposed to buying pre-made pouches.
2) made my daughter’s halloween costume.
3) made a deal with my sister – we will watch each other’s kiddos so that we may each have some much needed “me” time 🙂 without having to pay a sitter. (And the kids get the added bonus of spending more time with family – win, win.)
I started a crock pot dinner this morning so I’d have more uninterrupted time today to work on fixing up some cloth diapers I’m planning to sell to bring in a little extra money. I also had to run to the grocery store to pick up some milk, and I resisted the urge to pick up this or that extra item while I was in the store, and actually walked back out of the store holding only the items I intended to get- that almost never happens! 🙂
I cut oregano and chives from my garden.
I saved the water from the shower to water potted plants in the garden.
Normally I carpool to work with my husband, but the next few days we’re going in opposite directions, so I’m taking the bus and I bought bus tokens = 20% off each ride.
My husband teaches at a junior college, part time, on top of working a full time job. Tonight he’s teaching and I’m going solo as I shuttle the kids from one activity to the next. I just got off work, I’m exhausted, and I will NOT be grabbing something through the drive through. It won’t be a fancy dinner but it will save us $30. 🙂
Today I finished my toddler’s Halloween costume (Woody the cowboy) by sewing a cow print vest. Not only was his costume inexpensive (it was thrifted, handmade, and birthday gifts from grandparents) but it will be much more comfortable than the polyester bodysuit option.
I made my son’s “Fall festival” costume from clothes he already had (this is how we did it growing up- it amazes me how many ‘real’ costumes there are!). I cut his hair the other day too.
I spent the day two hours away from home, in Des Moines with my son while my husband was at a meeting there. My son and I wondered around the city window shopping and, instead of spending money, we were intentional about adding everything we wanted (or in my son’s definition “needed”) to our Christmas lists. Now we have a plan for the Christmas gift season and we saved money! In addition, for his fun time we chose to browse books at Barnes and Noble and spend time at the mall play area instead of expensive activities!
Shopped at Aldi’s bought enough for husbands lunches for the week only spent $16
Today I used my stash of “free” couponsto shop formylocal homeless shelter. I feel good, while they receive great freebies.
I did my grocery shopping at Aldi, so I’m sure I spent less than if I had gone to a regular grocery store.
As an adult still living with her parents, I try to help out where I can. Today I biked to the Post Office (12 min drive by car) to drop off my mother’s mail, after she realized we did not get it to our mailbox in time. This saved us gas for the car and included a bonus of quite enjoyable exercise for myself.
I cooked a big pork roast that we will use for several nights’ dinners! I also got the last few supplies to make my children’s Halloween costumes 🙂 MUCH less expensive than buying them!
With only days until Halloween, I knew I needed to buy some candy, stat! So I decided to venture over to my local CVS, because I knew they had candy on sale, which I could pair would the coupons I had. This is the deal I was able to work out: Hershey’s candy (i.e. Reese’s PB Cups & Kit Kat’s, specifically) = $1.88 each, I purchased two of them and used a $1.10 off of two coupon, plus, I purchased two bags of Caramel Apple Jolly Rancher lollipops for $2 each and used a $1.60 off of two coupon, PLUS, to sweeten the deal, I received a $1 Extrabuck to use on my future purchase!
I do a lot of Amazon shopping, liquid foundation(I now refuse to spend more than 1.50$), almost all of my teenaged son’s school clothes (usually a spine chilling 300$ bill, this year I spent a whopping 80$),
We had what might be the last warm day here in PA so I packed a picnic dinner of sandwiches, fruit and cookies and we enjoyed a fun, free evening at the park instead of a dinner out at a restaurant.
I bought a dress off the clearance rack for $1 and used some material and a sash left over from my wedding to alter it.
I went to Kroger today for groceries for the week. I downloaded ecoupons onto my card which saved me some. Also, I bought generic soda because it was on sale for $2. I don’t like to have a ton of soda around but sometimes it is nice to have plus it saves me from stopping by McDonalds and spending $1 on just one drink and it saves me from my husband stopping by a gas station on his way to work to buy soda.
Speaking of Target…I found boots originally prices 29.99. They were on clearance for $18 add a 25% off from Cartwheel and 5% from my Red Card. I ended up paying under $13.
I do cut my husband’s hair. For today, I joined a local barter group on Facebook.
I also gave my son a haircut yesterday and am planning to give my husband one tonight! They have fast growing, thick hair so they need haircuts every four weeks, and I can save sooo much by cutting it at home!
I made my coffee at home, rather than stopping somewhere to get it.
So if yours isn’t from today… Can I comment with what I did yesterday? It was much better *blush*. Yesterday, my mom watched our kids for free while my husband and I went on a date. On the way, I looked for gift cards in my purse and found over $40 to use at olive garden. after eating for “free” we went to our wholesale club (BJs) and used the coupons I had with me to do a big stock up trip and get us through the end of the year on laundry detergent, toothbrushes, dishwasher tabs etc etc. I saved about thirty dollars with the coupons I had!
I LOVE this! Yesterday’s savings totally counts, too! 🙂
I packed snacks in the diaper bag for our long outing today to ensure that we wouldn’t be stopping at a fast food joint on impulse. We also pulled soup from the freezer for supper instead of eating out on the way home. I was very glad I thought ahead and made a double batch in order to freeze some weeks ago!
We are having leftovers for supper!
I saved today by brewing my own coffee for work instead of buying it.
We ate all of our meals at home today.
I’ve been trying really, really hard not to stop for just that quick – sandwich, drink, snack, etc. Did not stop at Wawa to get a soda or a pretzel or a cornbread muffin. And I drove by there twice today!
Hung coats outside to dry awhile instead of in the dryer!
I decided to make homemade Christmas presents instead of buying big extravagant (or not so extravagant gift cards) for the adults in mine and my husbands families. We are doing Sundae gift boxes that provide all of the ingredients to make sundaes or cones (minus the ice cream but will provide a $5 Target gift card to cover the cost). I estimate this to be a savings of around $200 on our Christmas budget.
We ate homemade chicken noodle soup instead of hitting the drive thru! The broth was even from scratch!
We saved by saving all of our birthday party candy that we don’t like for trick or treaters! We have a lot of October parties and very few trick or treaters – this is doubly good because it prevents me from eating leftover candy!
I make meals for my dog. He gets rice, frozen veggies and inexpensive cuts of meat. I stock up when the food is at rock bottom prices and freeze everything. Anything he doesn’t eat gets saved and tossed in the next meal. Not only does it save money, it’s healthier for our dog!
We ran out of shampoo today and instead of running out to buy more, I put a basket of samples in each shower. I sue samples when we run out of shampoo and soap.
We went to goodwill for Halloween costumes – I found a gorgeous white sparkly dress that’s the start of an Elsa costume, and it’ll look better than those cheap (looking) halloween store costumes! I also get women’s shirts and tailor them into dresses for my daughter.
I used a $2 coupon at Fatz Cafe that I received for doing a survey.
I saved today by bringing breakfast and lunch to work!
Had dinner for tonight planned yesterday. No rushing or running to get an ingredient!
I took some towels and bathroom accessories back to target today. I saved by deciding I didnt really need them.
The weather was unexpectedly warm here the last two days, and so I opted to hang our clothes out on our deck instead of running the dryer. I have no idea how much that saved, but every little bit helps!
I traded in my Kellogg’s reward points for a free Shutterfly book that will be a Christmas gift!
I brought my coffee and lunch to work and ate leftovers for dinner.
We save by not paying for cable. To watch our college football games for free on the internet, we go to a website called first row sports. It is a European website that allows you to watch American football. You have to click on the icon American football in order to watch the college games. When you click on that website, there are other pages that pop up that are annoying, but once you click them off………..then you can enjoy the game.
I cooked dinner when I really, really didn’t want to!
I had to pick up a few things at the grocery store and thankfully I had coupons on hand for a few of the items.
I saved by cashing in my Walmart savings catcher receipts and added it to my grocery money. It allowed me to extend my budget a little and get some small “sweet treats” that weren’t expected! The kids loved that!
Cut my husbands hair and made a double recipe of bean soup and cornbread for the freezer
The only thing I did today was shop at Target~so I saved a little by using my redcard debit card. 🙂 It’s an easy way to save, even if it’s not a lot!
Our apartment complex was having a Halloween fest tonight. Not my first choice, but FREE STEAK DINNER for 4!!
I volunteered to bring clementine “pumpkins” to a Halloween gathering- A bag of tangerines is pretty inexpensive and I’m ensuring to have at least one healthy option there.
I also cut my hubby’s hair, plus my three boys. Two get buzzed cuts, which are easier, mostly. The two youngest I cut their hair with scissors. After watching a YouTube video, it wasn’t so scary. And not too hard, if they sit still. Ha! 🙂
I’m also resisting the urge to get takeout tonight. Threw a couple potatoes in the oven and I’ll fry up bacon for BLTS. It’s been a LONG time day, so something simple like this is good.
We ate left overs instead of eating out.
I saved by cutting hair too! I always cut my husband’s, which saves us about $15 every three weeks. Today, I watched some you tube videos and cut my own hair… Woo hoo!
I saved the leftover green beans and corn from last night’s supper, and froze it. That way I can use it again when I make my homemade vegetable soup. I also qualified for 6 different freebies that will be coming in the mail soon.
I had to run to Walmart for some items (which they didn’t have, bummer) and I had time to kill (dangerous). I picked out a couple of dresses for my daughter–they were such a good price. But I put them back since she doesn’t really NEED them. I did however, buy a mini mouse dress on clearance that I’ll give her before we go to Disney next fall, something I was planning on buying anyway.
I saved today by cleaning my bag-less vacuum cleaner and all the parts to make it run a little longer and better.
Also, reheated some leftovers for dinner instead of eating out.
i saved by eating leftovers for lunch at work.
I receieved a $10 off coupon from three separate stores and I used them all today!! And spent right under $10 at all three stores – got a couple Christmas gifts for free!!
Also hit Bath and Body Works fall sale, plus a free item coupon and a 20% coupon – I got nice gifts for 4 Sunday School teachers for
$20!!
my husband, our new baby girl, & I saved today by eating one of the freezer meals I made while pregnant. & a few chocolate chip cookies we had frozen in dough form too.
I knew my husband wasn’t going to be home for dinner, so I wasn’t going to cook. I was tempted to go grab some fast food for me and the kids but instead we had leftovers!
I cashed in my points from doing surveys so I could get a gift card to purchase Christmas gifts. I also signed up for a mailing list so I could get high-value coupons. I used the coupons to purchase dry goods for a gift basket for Christmas. I am slowly collecting honey, tea, dry mixes, etc. deeply discounted to make a nice gift.
We had a simple supper with food from home rather than grabbing dinner out, which would have been easier since I’m not feeling well. BUT I’m glad we saved that 30.00 tonight!
I cooked 4 of the butternut squash grown in my garden, using the “cook it whole” method I read about here. It’s puréed & ready to go in the freezer to use in homemade baked goods & soup.
I hung a load of laundry on our drying rack instead of putting it in the dryer.
Made chicken soup in my crockpot all day and then my 11 year old daughter made the homemade noodles to go in it when she got home from school. Easy and fast dinner before early school events tonight.
I saved today by going to the grocery store first thing this morning to purchase meat that was marked down. Following your advice from a post months ago, I asked my butcher when they typically marked down meat items. Tuesday mornings. I saved $10 on each package of beef brisket I purchased. $20 for 2. This will make a great, special occasion dinner for friends.
I saved money today by walking past some things in the grocery store that I was tempted to buy. I stuck with my (mental) list and didn’t spend money that didn’t need spent.
I bought three 10 lb. bags of potatoes for .88 cents each and am shredding one bag into potato hash to freeze to use later on, and another to make mashed potatoes in the crock pot to also freeze for later on. Can’t beat convenience and savings!!!
I used a rewards certificate at Hallmark to save on Christmas wrap!
I did not go anywhere, so I saved money I might have spent!!!
My son needs to dress up like a community helper for school tomorrow, so we are using a dress-up Dr. costume we already have instead of going out and buying something.
I drive my kids to school in the morning and I decided to take two extra minutes before rushing out the door to make myself a coffee to go. I knew 2 minutes would not cause the kids to be late but would cost me an extra $2.60ish.
Recently I’ve been calling the manufacturer of items I’ve purchased that were defective or didn’t work for me in some way. In the past I would’ve thrown the items in the trash. I’ve received a $15 coupon for a flash light replacement, a $20 coupon for battery replacement, three coupons for free food storage containers that broke, a coupon for free ziplock bags (the zippers wouldn’t lock on package), coupons for free freezer jars (the lids cracked with first use), a free mop (the handle had snapped in two when wringing the sponge out), & a coupon for a free full size moisturizer. There’s been no wiggle room in the budget, so this has been a tremendous blessing!!
Instead of running to the grocery store when it seemed as though we had “nothing for dinner”. I “shopped” my basement pantry to make up a yummy dinner!
We started using cloth diapers on our baby a few weeks ago, and it’s working out pretty good. We’re saving money by not buying a $40 box of diapers each month and our baby gets to look super cute in all the fun diaper prints!
When we purchased our minivan, we received a deal that included free oil changes at the dealership for the life of the car. I went today to get the oil changed for free. Although taking it to the drive thru instant oil change with 4 kids would have been much easier, by waiting an hour at the dealership I saved at least $45!
I saved today by getting all my coupons clipped and ready for my grocery shopping tomorrow. I love pairing up coupons with sales and stretching my dollars as much as I can. Thanks for all the tips and advice you share on your blog daily.
I finished up and I really mean *finished* up a tube of lotion. It was ‘out’ of lotion several days ago but I cut the bottom of the tube open and have had many more applications from it. I just clip it closed with a clothespin after I get a dab out.
I also needed a birthday card and went by a Fred’s store where brand name greeting cards are always half price. (They have the 50 cent kind, too, but I needed a really nice card.) Anyway, I bought two wonderful $4.99 cards for…$4.99. I used one and will save the other for a future birthday.
I also saw some drinking glasses on clearance that I like and do really need. Instead of buying them, I came home and told my husband they would make a nice Christmas gift for me. He seemed to be paying attention–we’ll see, lol.
I saved the leftover lettuce and tomato from our BLT’s and made a side salad tonight.
We are eating dinner from what we have in our fridge/cupboards. It’s a pathetic meal that I’m putting together. But it’s somewhat healthy and it saved a trip to the gr