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Nifty Thrifty:  How did you save money this week?  |
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rachelbee
True Blue Farmgirl
207 Posts
Rachel
Carmel
IN
USA
207 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 01 2016 : 11:42:28 AM
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We keep the house cooler than necessary year-round. This is great for our bills in the winter but not so much right now. To help save on utilities I keep the shades/curtains closed during the day, and close registers and doors to rooms we're not using. No reason to keep our storage room a comfortable temperature when we never go in there! Now that we're in a few cooler days we will open the windows at night to get some non-AC airflow.
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Rachel, #6992 |
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13664 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13664 Posts |
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Denise Ann
True Blue Farmgirl
831 Posts
Denise
Shoreview
MN
USA
831 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2016 : 05:55:21 AM
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I saved money by NOT buying the super fancy sewing machine I saw in the shop to have the old machine tuned.....
Denise Ann |
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AuntJamelle
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Jaime
South Bend
Indiana
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2016 : 08:53:30 AM
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On grocery shopping trip today I used a $20 store reward (earned by filling prescriptions with them) and a $10 coupon from buying a pair of new shoes for DS last week!
I'm starting to stock up on non-perishable items for the holidays so every little bit helps! |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7114 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7114 Posts |
Posted - Sep 01 2016 : 08:31:49 AM
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Yesterday at the grocery store I saved over $30. Found 3 pkg of ox-tails in marked down bin. Froze them for broth. Bought 9th rotisserie chicken so it was free - I do like free. Baking potatoes on sale for 59 cents a lb so I stocked up for the month.
Everything I bought at Hobby Lobby was 40% off.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth. |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3957 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3957 Posts |
Posted - Sep 01 2016 : 09:42:38 AM
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I saved $10 on hanging files by pulling perfectly good ones out of the school's trash and cleaning out my own files. I only needed 12 and the cheapest box has 25 in it. Save money for me. Saving the planet for the future.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7114 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7114 Posts |
Posted - Sep 01 2016 : 10:01:47 AM
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Good for you, Marie.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth. |
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2016 : 12:57:56 PM
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I have been scouting out our farm finding all sorts of fruit to pick. I have picked mulberries, rhubarb, choke cherries, pears, plums, and got grapes from my son plus summer apples from a friend. Someone in the area also found currants. I know we have wild grapes in the area too. A person should not go hungry in the summer, with all the fresh fruit there is to eat. I sadly have just made jelly. I am however getting ready to do canned apples and dehydrated apples. My grandkids love running the apple peeler. I think they eat as much as we peel, but a good time. I would like to make some horseradish sauce. I have always been told that it should not be dug up except for the month with Rs. I guess I can start digging. I also have sun chokes but need to find a way to get rid of the gas it causes when eaten. They grow like crazy here. I am trying to get more and more edible plants and trees started around our place and on the creek. I would love to run onto a wild beehive. I would not know how to harvest from it, but have a couple of bee keeper friends.
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2016 : 1:01:02 PM
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| Our grocery store gives out points for the amount of dollars spent each time. Last time I needed milk I went in and used my points. My gallon of whole milk was free. I think that was the first time I can out of a grocery store without paying a bill. Made my day. |
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Needle
True Blue Farmgirl
287 Posts
Judy
Kissimmee
Florida
USA
287 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2016 : 4:57:37 PM
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I've been saving my WM savings catcher dollars for a new crock pot. Finally got to $44.00! went and got a $40.00 crock pot for free! Then I brought it home and made a big pot of yogurt. It turned out yummy!
Farm Girl Sister #6566
The road of life is made smoother when traveled with someone you love. |
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2016 : 4:49:22 PM
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| A girlfriend and I went to an orchard and picked apples. There were yellow delicious, gala, winesap, empire, and others. I could not believe it!!!!!! They were 40 cents a pound and he provided the heavy duty plastic sacks to put them in. I do this every year to start the fall season. I came home with 100lbs of apples. I always keep some, give them away to friends and family and this year I think I am taking some to the food pantry. They have started taking produce. It was so sad to see all the apples that have fallen and the ones that will never be picked. I wish there was a way to utilize the excess. I bet this orchard has 1,000 trees or more. |
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2016 : 7:47:45 PM
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I designed a logo for our local BBQ festival and vintage market. It was a contest and I won 2 tickets to the UP With Smoke BBQ and got to eat free. Saved us $30. Yes $30, probably would not have gone if we would not have had free ticket. There were some fabulous ribs there. Soooooo tasty.
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AuntJamelle
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Jaime
South Bend
Indiana
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2016 : 09:47:12 AM
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I went to the local bread outlet again and picked up four loaves of bread and two packages of English muffins - they're all in the freezer now! Saves me about $2.29 or more a loaf of bread! I can get English muffins at Aldi for about the same price but these were sourdough which was a nice change.
I also used Discover reward points to order some Christmas presents - $0 spent!!! There is a t-shirt that I wanted to get DH for his birthday but the shipping time was crazy - takes weeks! So I figured I'd order it now and we've got plenty of time for it to arrive!
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Mountain Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
806 Posts
JoAnn
Colville
Washington
USA
806 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2016 : 11:16:03 AM
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| It pays to shop around--saw a cute camping bracelet on a Facebook Glamping site. It was $30--way to much for frugal me: ) Googled the description and found the same exact bracelet for $10! |
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AuntJamelle
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Jaime
South Bend
Indiana
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2016 : 10:53:15 AM
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When I filled a script for DS I used a $20 off your next grocery purchase with a new prescription coupon I found laying near a self checkout register a couple of weeks ago. Now I have the $20 + another $10 coupon for the next time I fill a new script!
I also have $13 in other rewards I've earned with Meijer's programs to use this week! Love it!
Went to craft store today to get wool blend felt for several different Christmas gifts I am making and used the $10 off $50 purchase they sent me for my birthday last month too! |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7114 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7114 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2016 : 12:06:38 PM
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Jaime you did good. I saved $18 at grocery store. 8oz pkg snow peas marked down to $1.04. Bought two. The rasp grater I bought a month ago on sale for 1/2 price. I like it so well I bought another one. Each week I get 40 cents off bill for my 8 shopping bags. Five cents a bag. In a year's time that's $21.60.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth. |
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2016 : 11:36:59 AM
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Hit $3 bag day at the thrift store. I really scored. Bought three pairs of jeans for me, a pair of Rockport dress shoes for my grandson, 5 scarves, a 6x8 brown pyrex casserole, 5 shirts for me and some clothes for the little girl I buy clothes for, two pillowcases, and a Michele Bisou purse. They allow you to roll everything up to stick in the bag and it is amazing how much fits in a brown paper bag. Oh, also there was a cool 50s large green tool box outside on the step and bought it for an extra $1. I felt like I had hit the mother load. The toolbox is going in my 1954 pickup with my tools. What a fun day. Tomorrow is 25 cent day. Always gotta hit the Bargain Box on quarter day. All for under $5 with tax. Haven't had that much fun forever.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7114 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7114 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2016 : 1:40:18 PM
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Kem you did very good. The tool box will be perfect in your 1954 pickup.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth. |
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2016 : 6:49:07 PM
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Thank you Sarah, I can hardly wait to fill it and put it in the pickup. I worked on putting down the indoor/outdoor carpeting on the floor of the pickup cab today. I had a piece that was perfect. I had a 3x66" piece left. I was like it was made for the pickup. If we can get the boards in the back of the pickup bed it will be ready to roll. I am so excited. I will post a picture on Mary Jane's once we get it done. It has been a long two years getting it ready. I love it.
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2016 : 10:28:41 AM
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Peeled and cooked the last of our homegrown pears today in simple syrup. They will be part of hubby's lunch he takes to the field tomorrow, along with home grown tomatoes, free bread from a friend, and some ham that was on sale. Oh, also the dessert will be free from a friend. I am really trying to cut down the spending on groceries. I don't know about where you live, but our tiny town groceries are very very high. I have to drive 40 miles any direction to get to a bigger store. It is a killer.
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2016 : 5:37:33 PM
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| Made dried zucchini chips today. Used a voucher to get canned green beans for 50 cents a can. I looked today when I picked them up and they are now $1.49 a can. Wow, that is almost triple to the price I paid. Getting scary. Going to have to look for more bargains and stock up. |
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AuntJamelle
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Jaime
South Bend
Indiana
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2016 : 1:01:06 PM
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Yikes, Cozynana! That is expensive for a can of green beans! I haven't priced them at Aldi recently since I've canned so many of my own, but they were $0.57 a can years ago. I wonder what it is now!
This week I've continued to use grocery store rewards and coupons to save lots - before coupons I saved $21 off our bill!
I so rarely use coupons now, the rewards programs work much better for me!
I also sliced and froze extra fresh mushrooms left over from making dinner - Meijer had a nice sale on 8 oz organic mushrooms - only $1 a pack!
I also pulled from my gift bag stash to be able to take a pretty present to a little girl's birthday party this past Saturday. Whenever someone gives me a gift in a giftbag, I save it and reuse as appropriate. As long as it's in good shape, I mean.
I have a whole Staples paper box full of them stood upright. Some are leftover from my baby shower for DS still! lol
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Edited by - AuntJamelle on Oct 17 2016 1:01:44 PM |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2016 : 08:03:06 AM
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You girls amaze me - you're doing so many great things to save! I'm so excited for and energized by your efforts! You GO Farmgirls!!! :)
I have to confess, I am a little bit self-indulgent lately. I've been adding a little bit of Hershey's chocolate syrup to my coffee in the morning; but it is getting to be so expensive! I think the Costco double-bottle unit for the "Five Ingredients Only" syrup was $8.99!!! Granted, you get larger bottles when you purchase from Costco, but seriously, $4.50 for a bottle of stinkin' chocolate syrup??? The grocery store was selling a much smaller bottle for just a little bit more money, too. After the sticker shock at the stores, I was determined to make my own. This morning, even before I could have breakfast or coffee, I pulled out my little saucepan and made my own:
1 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. vanilla.
Whisk the first four ingredients together over medium-high heat until it boiled. While continuing to whisk, allow the mixture to hard boil for one minute, then removed it from the heat and added the vanilla (This part is important: You MUST remove it from the heat before adding the vanilla. If you add the vanilla while it's on the heat, it will boil over, you could get burned, and you'll end up with a big huge mess to clean. So please be careful!!!). Allow to completely and pour into a container (I used a 1 1/2 pint jar, and it was a little over 2/3 full.). Store in the refrigerator indefinitely. (In our fridge, though, it probably won't last very long! LOL!)
It was that simple. I mean, it took a couple of minutes of my time! And it costs a FRACTION of what the store bought chocolate syrup costs! And what I like best is that I know exactly what goes into the syrup, and I can control the sugar and salt. It's all good to me!
Just as an aside: I really, really, really, really, REALLY wanted to be able to can chocolate syrup, but it’s unsafe to do so. I found the following information at various websites online. Wikipedia says that natural cocoa powder has pH level of 5.1 to 5.4, and processed (alkalized) cocoa powder has a pH from 6.8 to 8.1. Apparently, from what I have read in other articles, the cocoa powder needs to be below 4.6 to safely water bath. So, looks like neither type of cocoa is safe. Real chocolate or chocolate pieces cannot be used because the fats and milk solids in the chocolate would also make it unsafe. One source said that Dutch cocoa powder apparently has less acid than natural cocoa powder, so it MIGHT be safe to water bath, as the acidity would be higher in the finished product; but I am absolutely not willing to give that a whirl and put my family’s health at risk. Making these single batches are easy and last virtually forever in the fridge (if you don’t consume it first! LOL!). If you're interested in learning more about the difference between Dutch process and natural cocoa powder, please visit: http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/08/difference-dutch-process-natural-cocoa-powder-substitute.html
I also wanted to share with you that I saved a little extra money this summer when we purchased our meats from the butcher. I usually buy our pork and ground meat from a friend of the family, but what he doesn't provide, I buy in bulk from the butcher to save. Since I can a lot of my meats, I would much rather have it packaged in big bulk bags or cases, so when I call in my order, I make a point of explaining WHY I would prefer it in cases or bags rather than portioned out. This thrills the butcher, because packaging in bulk makes the whole process so much easier and less time-consuming for him. The bonus is that it saves me a little extra dough-re-mi as well! YAY!
Another way I save money it to make my own cards. I splurged on a special kit when it went on sale to make my Christmas cards (it's Christmas, after all!), but I delve into my craft stash to pre-make all our other cards (birthday, anniversary, welcome baby, thank-you's). It's actually a lot of fun and quite therapeutic for me to let my creative juices flow - I really enjoy it! I haven't had a lot of time to make too, too many; but, as time has permitted, I have gotten about 26 fancy Christmas cards done, and have been making other cards as needed. I just need more time. There never seems to be enough time!
Jaime, I used to be the queen of coupon-ing, until I realized I was buying a lot of chemical-filled junk that wasn't healthy for my family. I think I'm saving much more money the way I am doing things now. The rewards program at our grocery store provides for gasoline discounts, which is really nice. What I buy most at the grocery is milk, eggs, and cheese, and an occasional gift card. I recently learned, though, that milk, which is the bulk of my grocery store purchases, is not part of the rewards program. I was so surprised. The manager said it has something to do with PA regulation, but I still don't understand it. In any event, we still manage to get anywhere from $.20 to $.40 off of our gasoline each month.
One way to accumulate rewards points is to use those gift card purchases to your advantage. I had not heard of this until a year or two ago, so I want to share in case anyone else hasn't thought of this. Whenever we need to make a purchase at a store such as Sears or Lowes, especially for a high ticket item, or for holiday shopping, or baby or wedding gifts, we watch for the sales. When a good deal pops up, we go get a price quote from the store, then head back to our grocery store to purchase gift cards to cover our order (making sure we don't go over - we pay cash for the difference). This way, we earn quite a bit of fuel points for savings on gasoline. We have actually received free fill-ups at the pump this way! Not too shabby!
Happy saving!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Oct 18 2016 08:05:09 AM |
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2016 : 09:33:56 AM
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| I started volunteering at the thrift store again. I had stopped for a year or so, but was asked to come back on board. It is a good deal. I love helping the community and making a difference, but I also like that we get $20 a month free merchandise. I am always on the look out for my family, grandkids, a little girl I buy clothes for, and of course....me. It is such fun entertainment without spending anything. I wish every town could have a little thrift store like ours. |
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AuntJamelle
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Jaime
South Bend
Indiana
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2016 : 05:42:34 AM
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Cozynana - Sounds like you have a treasure in that thrift store!
Nini - I am saving that chocolate syrup recipe! I hear you about not being able to can it safely! I have one Ball recipe for a fruit jam that uses a tiny bit of cocoa powder in it and we like that one - but doing a chocolate syrup, etc. is NOT on my radar!!!
Great point about the butcher too - buying meat in bulk is such a great way to go. We have a really good butcher shop about 25 minutes away from us and I make the drive every 4 -6 months and buy from there because it is such a savings!
And yes - coupons, coupons - sigh! It is a rare coupon that is for something I'll actually buy any more. They exist, but aren't so common!
I do purchase the frozen packages of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry and often I will find a $0.75/1 coupon in their packages which is nice. And once in a blue moon I'll find coupons for fresh produce. Or for the dog food cans we buy, etc. Love the gift card idea - VERY smart! |
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Nifty Thrifty: How did you save money this week? |
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How did you save money this week?
