What did you do today to save money?

[tedhowe]

well the ac power thing on my notebook burned up last night.

I found out I had the choice of ordering one from Dell for about $65, driving to Best Buy and getting a different brand over $100 plus whatever else I'd buy at Best Buy because I always find something in there to buy, or ordering an OEM replacement from an online store $30.

I'd really like to go to Best Buy and get one today, but I decided to use the desktop for a couple of days and stay out of the stores.

Don't get the 3rd party adapters that you can buy at Best Buy or Circuit City for Dells. Most recent Dell laptops have a special circuit in them that detects if it is a Dell OEM adapter or an aftermarket one. If it is not the official adapter, then it will run the laptop, but will not charge the battery (it puts a warning up on screen when you connect the other AC adapter).

The packaging on the Targus and Kingston adapters doesn't explain this well.

 

[jstbcuz]

Saved the last 4 days as I havent been out of the house. Weather is crappy here, with mainly ice. Sunny today, so should melt some of it off the roads. Hopefully the kids will have school tomorrow.

 

[Carrie772]

I saved $1500 today by answering the phone. I (thanks to my ex husband) had an outstanding balance on a credit card. On advice of my CPA I let it go in to collections. The agency called the other day and asked to set up a payment plan, I asked what the cost would be to settle the account. They called back today (a week later) and lowered my balance by $1500 if I paid in full! So now I have 1 card paid off!!!

WOOHOO!

Oh and I also got a call back on a job I interviewed for last week!!!

Congratulations! I am sure that feels good! Way to go! BTW, you may want to take Dave Ramsey's advice, and make sure that you get it in writing it will be paid in full, so they can't come back and say there was no deal made for that amount. Just don't want that to happen to you!

 

[roadtripper]

Hey Anne and Melissa--can I play?? Pick me! Pick me!
We are not compulsive eater-outers, but we have taken the no-eating-out for-a-month pledge, too--our trip to WDW is one month from tomorrow! We do have a 50.00 gift certificate to use on one dark day b/w now and then, but otherwise, it's my nachos (now Dis-board famous ) or something else from the pantry or fridge. Wish us luck!

 

[barbmouse]

Did you post your Famous Nachos recipe?? I must have missed it. I NEED that recipe..please post it (again)! thanks!

 

[roadtripper]

Nachos recipe repost by request: with a few mathematical updates-- I am a history teacher-- math is not my "thing."
I should acknowledge that these are only famous at MY house!
1/3 bag of Price Rite tortilla chips .99 bag= .33
1 cup salsa (from bulk container bought at 3.99)= approx .40
1/2 can of refried beans bought at 2/1.00= .25
1/3 8oz. stick of Empire Spicy Jack cheese bought at 1.49= .50
1/2 c (or so) sour cream (bought at .89)= .23
Total= 1.71 (whoops- I lied-- I think I forgot to add in the sour cream when guesstimating)

Fill a microwave safe plate with tortilla chips.
In a separate bowl, mix salsa and refried beans together, and drop onto chips
Grate spicy jack cheese onto the chips
Cook in microwave for 2 minutes or so, until cheese is melted
Top with sour cream, and other things if desired, if they're hanging around the house (like green and red peppers, onions, etc)
Enjoy!

PS-- The salsa/bean mix is actually good for two platefuls of nachos, so the final cost is UNDER 1.50, if you get stuff on sale.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Since this thread is full of "wallet watchers", do any of you have tips on saving extra money for your next vacation? DH and I would love to go back to Disney, but given our current budget, it's hard to swallow that we might not be able to go back for manyyyyy years... Any tips?

We do save our spare change, and plan to put it all into our savings account when we cash it in. But I just can't think of any other methods, with a tight budget (due to lots of debt we both brought into the marriage), to save for a real vacation.

 

[smiller]

To get to work and run errands today, I used my monthly public transit pass that I got for FREE (had issues with them last fall so they sent me a free one!). I can pretty much get anywhere within Northern Illinois on this card.

Also, my current favorite bathtub cleaner was on sale at Walgreens 2 for $2.99 and I had a $.75 off coupon. Hmm... cleaning the tub doesn't sound too fun right now. But at least it won't break the bank!

 

[24601]

I love turning "business days" off work (well, sick off work) that turn into money savers like today has. In the past month:

$30 monthly saved off the satellite bill by cancelling services we didn't need
$45 monthly saved by transferring my wife's health care to mine (making it a family account - work will pay for it)
$20 monthly saved by changing cell phone plans
$5 monthly (yeah yeah) saved by changing telephone providers

By my math that works out to us saving $100 a month through very simple means, and its also scary to me how much we can "nickle and dime" ourselves. That amount of money is one week's groceries (one really, really indulgent week) for us. We're also in the process of finally getting one bank account set up for the two of us which should save us $20 a month in bank fees.

We've also amended our "no cooking on Fridays" rule so that we're trying to go to places like Wendy's or Tim Horton's for a sandwich instead of a Boston Pizza or even some place more expensive ... should save us at least $40 weekly right there.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

do any of you have tips on saving extra money for your next vacation? DH and I would love to go back to Disney, but given our current budget, it's hard to swallow that we might not be able to go back for manyyyyy years... Any tips?

just save save save. Before you buy anything learn to stop and ask yourself. What do I want more ... to buy (_________ ) or to go to Disney?

Many years ago I read an article by Jane Bryant Quinn. She said that when she was young and had just moved out of the house, she developed a shopping habit kind of as a hobby. She decided one month that she would forbid herself from actually buying anything but necessities. Instead, whenever she was out and about like usual and wanted to buy something...even if it was just a cup of coffee, instead she would write herself a check for that amount and put it into her savings account. At the end of them month, after she saw how much she had "saved," she had a pretty good idea of just how much money she was spending on stuff that really wasn't important to her.

I think that when you are young and newly married, that is a great time to get some traveling in. Travel in the off season when the rates are cheap and enjoy!

 

[ohiominnie]

Needed cat food and litter so I went to Petsmart. Used the $5 off $20 purchase coupon they had emailed me, plus the $1 off coupon that was on the bottom of an old receipt, plus TWO $2 off litter coupons that were on the boxes of litter (which were already on sale ---$12.49 instead of $16.99)

So I got $63 worth of pet supplies for $43!!

Also saved money b/c we didn't adopt the cat that was in the Petsmart adoption area. Very loving, beautiful, 8 mo old cat, but now we don't need to pay extra vet bills or for declawing.

 

[sk!mom]

Since this thread is full of "wallet watchers", do any of you have tips on saving extra money for your next vacation? DH and I would love to go back to Disney, but given our current budget, it's hard to swallow that we might not be able to go back for manyyyyy years... Any tips?

We do save our spare change, and plan to put it all into our savings account when we cash it in. But I just can't think of any other methods, with a tight budget (due to lots of debt we both brought into the marriage), to save for a real vacation.

I'm assuming that you don't have any children so if you are motivated you should be able to pay your debt off fairly quickly if you combine a bare bones budget with increasing your income. Without childcare obligations you could both get second jobs. I know that this isn't fun but it will knock the debts out more quickly.

I can personally say that being debt free is worth the sacrifices that it took to get here.

 

[Weluvdisny]

My family was really in the mood for ice cream sundaes yesterday. But I decided instead to buy the just the 1/2 gallon of ice cream for $1.99. And I already had hot fudge, bananas and cool whip at home. Saved myself about $10!

Also went to eat at McD's in between soccer games and had 2 extra kids with me. I usually would pay for them also but they both had money from their parents and, for once, I let them pay for their own.

No work today for the holiday, so no driving. Just staying home working on my Disney scrapbook from last January.

 

[Debbie]

I have a 22 year old so I realize that $500 is a lot of low wage shifts.

However, to me it is relatively easy for my DS to earn extra $$ for several reasons. For one, he doesn't have childcare or family obligations that keep him from working extra hours to pay for something that he really wants. In the past, when he needed some extra cash he has worked extra weekend shifts to earn it. He has also worked extra shifts during his school winter break to pay for his Spring Break trip. He works at a grocery store and extra shifts were easy to get during the holidays since most people are looking to take off.

Also without a family, it is easy for him to cut his budget to the bone if he's trying to save. He has been known to go a month or two without spending any unnecessary money if he had a goal in mind. This is easier for a single person than it is for those of us with children.

Most people in this age range also have things that they could sell but they don't typically have garage sales. My son could probably raise a couple of hundred just by selling some of his accumulated stuff.

So sorry if I insulted your DD but I do think that $500 could be earned if it is wanted badly enough.

Not disagreeing that your son might be able to make the $500 really easily. My daughter is putting herself through university (5 year course) with just a bit of help from me (I funded the first year, buy books, and pay for OTC drugs if she is sick). She is doing a double major, including 1.5 extra courses + 2 choir ensembles each term and can't work every day of the week, but works about 4 shifts a week on a regular basis. She picks up the extra shifts when she is able. At Christmas she was home for just 4 days so that she could work the extra shifts. Unfortunately, she has been ill all fall and it continues. She's been in and out of the hospital for various things. She doesn't spend a lot of extra, rarely eating out, gave up a couple of the "vices" I don't think she has much that she could sell off (my DS, however, is a totally different kettle of fish )

I guess I'm saying another $500 added to what she needs for next year's tuition, rent, utilities, food. . . . is the straw that broke the camel's back. We all get there sometime. And, personally, I DO think that this is a good financial lesson for her.

 

[raammartin]

• Avoided Starbucks and my other favorite coffee shop
• Used coupons when shopping and bought only what was on the list
• ChaCha'd and made about $6
• Compared cell phone plans and switched to a cheaper one
• Got rid of the text messaging feature on our cells
• Changed from satellite to DSL *since it's finally available in our area*

 

[Carrie772]

I craved and made my own chicken salad for lunch today. So much cheaper than going to my favorite deli and buying it ready-made. Pus, I am in charge of how high-powered the mayo is that goes in it.

 

[HenDuck]

Today, we used our family membership to the museum - free entertainment. Then we went to McD's for lunch, used 2 coupons and a book of gift certificates - paid $0.24 for lunch for 3 of us!

A nice family day for just the cost of gas plus 24 cents. Not too bad.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I can personally say that being debt free is worth the sacrifices that it took to get here.

Thanks for the encouragement! This is our goal in the next five years-to be completely debt free, minus the house (though we want to move, so who knows about all that!). I know this is doable, and after those five years we will have plenty of money for vacations, but waiting five more years some days seems like a lifetime...and really, I know better. I never even took vacations until I was in my mid-20's!

instead she would write herself a check for that amount and put it into her savings account.

This is a good idea...I wonder what DH will this of this one...hmm...

Tonight I am trying to figure out how much balance transfers are to a credit card I have with a zero balance and only a 4.99% APR. Planning to move a small chunk of everything else over to this card....

 

[1of6]

I put back the 3 pack of books written by my favorite author while at Costco last night.

 

[castleview]

Baked Bread!!!

My step mother dropped off some beef stew, so I have bread rising as we speak. Here's dinner! And not having to go to the grocery store means no wasting gas.

Also, finally took down the Christmas tree. No lights!