Janssen
- Found a local meat market that has incredible prices (ground turkey and chicken thighs both for 99 cents a pound last week!)
- Parked on the street and braved the rain to avoid paying the ridiculously high parking garage rates in downtown Boston.
- Used two free tickets, my teachers union card, and a library pass to get four adults into the Boston Aquarium for $8 instead of the $84 (!!!!!) it would have cost if we'd just showed up.
- Used a coupon to get free ice cream for a little dinner we hosted on Wednesday night (I know - I am a MAGNET for free ice cream).
- Bought a free pack of Huggies diapers with a coupon I received from a diaper deal a few weeks back
- Checked out art books from the library for my art classes rather than buying them at the store
- Borrowed movies from a friend rather than renting from the Redbox
- Ate veggies as a side dish of almost every meal so I used up my produce before it went bad
17 comments:
So as I read these weekly posts on savings, I have been thinking. I have commented on what I have been doing to save, but in the back of my mind I have also been thinking about all the stuff that I bought that week that sort of canceled out any savings.
Does it matter how great the deal is, if I can do without?
So, I have started thinking about not consuming in addition to saving money on the stuff that I buy. For example, Barnes and Nobel was having a really good sale on former best sellers. The hubs asked if there were any books we wanted to get. In the end, we decided that that we just wouldn't buy any books, despite the fact that they were really cheap. None of the books were ones that we felt we needed to own a copy of. So that is one way we saved money this week.
We also canceled our Cable this week, which gives us an extra $25 dollars every month. It has already made me a lot more productive. ;)
Refrained from buying a sweet new BMW. Again.
Performed well at work, which will hopefully translate into a decent raise.
I brought food with me on the airplane instead of paying RIDICULOUS airport food prices. Now I'm at home and saving lots of money while mom makes all the meals and takes me shopping- yea! Oh, and I used a $50 Jetblue voucher on my flight out here.
Has it really been a week?
The biggest thing we did this week was more my husband's doing... he got his bike fixed up and is now riding to work/school to cut back on gas. Guaranteed (free) exercise too... bonus.
In conjunction: I didn't once use the car (that now sits in front on my apartment all day when I was car-less before) to go somewhere. That would have defeated the purpose of Jeremy riding his bike. But it was tempting.
I actually cut a coupon out of the The Red Plum on Tuesday (usually I glance through it but never actually cut any out).
It's a small thing, but Merrick's point about using vegetables with every meal really struck home. I know my produce occasionally goes to waste because I don't use it quickly enough. Healthy and money-saving! It's not often that those two go together so easily!
I made sure to use up all the produce in my fridge as well. I even tried a new soup recipe for my leftover cabbage...I actually love trying new recipes and it keeps me from wanting to go out to dinner and spend money. My husband also changed the oil, filters, and rotated the tires on our car for much cheaper than paying someone else to do it.
I tried out the baking soda cleaning this week, using it on my bathtub. I also did my homework before reserving a rental car for my upcoming trip to Utah, and saved 5% and got a free upgrade by going through Costco.
I used my $100 Amazon.com gift certificates on stuff for the baby instead of on ME as I wanted to do. I AM keeping the $50 I got for my birthday to splurge on myself though.
Bought each child a necatrine at the grocery store last night instead of buying dinner in the deli, and then went home to cook food we actually owned. They ate them on the way home. (Unavoidable trip to the store right at dinner time, had to feed them something.)
Went through my wishlist at paperbackswap and moved anything that my library had off the list so I wouldn't purchase credits. I've stopped mailing books out and am trying to only use the library and ILL.
Did not turn the a/c on all week, even though we got up to 84 one day! and did not turn the heat on all week, even though it was 46 one night.
Purchased two gift certifcates from Restraunts.com. Used one out for dinner with friends. Went to use the other and the restraunt had gone out of buisness. Normally I wouldn't fret over the $10, but I called them right up and they credited me $10. Returned a dress to Kohl's and got the money back. Shared an entree with my hubby so we saved on buying two. Took an item back to the craft store and used the credit toward things I needed to finish a project (33 cents out of pocket). Used Sees candy gift card that has been sitting in my drawer forever to buy the hubby some candy for Father's Day. Also, made the hubby a photobook from our recent family vacation as a Father's day gift using my scrapbook supplies, so I only paid for the photos (total cost under $5). Fought the urge to go grocery shopping when I know we have 5 nights worth of dinners in the fridge.
I just ordered us much-needed new pillowcases through overstock.com and ebates.
Used coupons while grocery shopping this week and was able to keep the total pretty darn low.
Went 16 hours without power. Granted, that wasn't by choice but it will still make a difference on our electric bill!
Used my $10 gift card at Kohls to buy a Fathers Day gift.
Worked on my budget.
Didn't go to the Farmers Market b/c I didn't have anything specific to buy and I knew I would spend a bunch of money.
Planted a garden.
Canceled the cable television we got for Father's Day because it didn't work out and they were charging us more than they said they would. We got all our money back!!
I stayed at work all day on Wednesday, despite having a migraine so that I could get my 40 hours in for the week. (Oh, the joys of being hourly!)
I did not eat out at all this week which saved me more than 20 dollars.
I said no to a girlfriend who suggested we go get pedicures.
I did not buy new tags for my dogs at the pet store because I can find them cheaper online
I went to the grocery store on the way home from church today instead of making a special trip out there. Also, today for lunch I used all things that I already had!
This week we made all of our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Take THAT no eating out!
I did a photo shoot for a friend to bring in a little more cashola.
Checked out a travel book and a few books on tape from the library for our upcoming weekend trip.
Found a super discounted hotel for the aforementioned weekend trip and we decided to drive down in the morning rather than very late the night before. This plan will take 5 hours out of our trip in the morning (realistically on 2 hours because you KNOW I would sleep in) but we will save the cost of the hotel for the first night.
Talked ourselves out of the “free” HDTV from our TV provider since it would lengthen our contract another year which we are not committed to.
Seth patched his own surfboard instead of taking it to the shop. Thank goodness for youtube videos.
I went to this amazing store called “Art from Scrap” and found a giant old frame and other supplies to make an awesome oversized ribbon board to display photos and art. Estimated retail value 150$. Cost of making it 22$.
We left for vacation this week...so there will be a bunch of vacation savings here. (Meaning they save $$ but really we are spending more than normal.)
* Brought lots of groceries for breakfast, lunch, snacks and some dinners. We have all we need here. If we don't end up eating it all, we can take most all of it back with us.
* Piggy-backed our vacations to Orlando with my husband's business trip to Tampa. We get to stay longer plus we get paid mileage and reimbursed for the hotels on the road here and back.
* Went to our condos presentation. Less than 2 hours of listening to someone give us options (and yes, try to sell us more.)= $75 in Disney Cash to use at a Character Meal in Epcot for the boys.
* Used up our Timeshare Points leftover in our acct. We purchased 4 tickets to a Pirate Dinner show (priced about $120 normally) and 5 Dinner/Movie tickets to Universals CityWalk and movie theater. We will use it to go to dinner at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and see Shrek 3 on Thursday night. Our Cost = FREE
* Stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn on the way down to FL. My husband is a Diamond Hilton Honors member so we receive free breakfasts. With their HUGE breakfast of made to order omelets, pancakes, french toast, as well as, eggs, bacon biscuits and gravy etc. This got us all the way through to an early dinner in Orlando. Hotel was $77/night. Free Breakfast and essentially lunch since we didn't eat.
* Had bought a pitcher from WM to bring to the condo, but didnt' need it. Returned it - instead of just leaving it here.
- Made dinner each night and packed lunches with leftovers. Used up produce before leaving for vacation.
- Didn't purchase a bag of cherries that would have ended up being $8.
- Used ready-to-expire birthday gift certificate for free meal.
- Piggybacked on husband's business trip. Stayed with friends for weekend days and used business stipend for lodging/travel/meals on business days.
- Stalked Southwest Rapid Rewards until a flight opened up on the way there. Continued to stalk and was ecstatic when one opened up for the way back. Canceled originally booked flight to keep in money as Southwest credit, and instead used Rapid Rewards (free) flight.
- Found rental car for $40 for two days including taxes and fees on Travelocity. Husband refrained from upgrading to a convertible even though it was only $25 more. :)
- Packed lunch for the travel day so we wouldn't need to buy stuff on the plane or in the airport.
- Had enough food that we were able to pack lunch to Disneyland. Delicious, healthy, and decidedly cheaper than buying the $8.99 veggie burger.
- Oh, and went to Disneyland for free (!!) because friend works for Disney.
Well, we went back east this week and we stayed with friends in philly- they also fed us tremendously well- so we saved probably 800-1000$ on hotel room/food- I mean seriously! We also drove to NYC instead of oh flying and parked in NJ and took the (FREE) ferry over- parkin in Manhattan- RIDICULOUSLY expensve- in NJ-$7!!!! We also ate fairly cheap on our day trip to NY- surprisigny. Ryan also scored a killer mustang for a rental car for $20 a day- nuff said. WE managed to take what should have been a fairly expensive vacation for a minimal fraction of the cost! also I didn't really buy groceries since we were going ouit of town- so yay!
Post a Comment