How did I save money today?

[Meerkat]

Son told me today why his lady's youngest has taken to call me Granny today.
It's because I have neat toys and let her play with them with adult supervisoion.
My neat toys are an old fashion "Reel mower", this does two things:
1. Burn soff excess energy of hers.
2. Sets boundaries of what I will allow.
Plus whether or not she knows it or not she is picking bits of weed knowledge too.

Plus teaching them the satisfaction of working and getting it done.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Actually I have the Reel mower because I use it to cut leaves finer for mulch, compost.
And I get my steps in for exercise too.
I don't do anything unless it's a multipurpose reason.
The reel mower doesn't use gasoline, so that's one expense don't have need for.
It runs on my power and thinks it does better job on the grass and leaves.
I mow the leaves several times to get them fine enough to be used as mulch, grass clippings goes into composter.
Win, win as far as I'm concerned.
Bought the reel mower at auction for a buck several years ago.
Also got got a Fisher Price toy version for quarter at the same auction.
Most young people don't even know what it is or what it is used for.
Go figure.

 

[Terri9630]

Making a large homemade cheesecake with juice from gifted lemons saving $69.48 over buying the equivalent quality in the local cheesecake shops.

How much are cheesecakes over there??!

 

[Sewingcreations15]

@Terri9630 if you don't want a cheesecake with minimal artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and chemical list that reads longer than your arm here the only place you can get a good cheesecake is from the cheesecake factory which actually has lemon juice and normal ingredients in them - https://www.cheesecake.com.au/our-cakes/baked-cheesecakes and their cheesecakes are 1/3rd the size of the ones we make here.

We can get frozen ones in the supermarkets ranging from $6.25 - $10 each for a 400g one but the list of chemicals in them is astounding and here is a link -https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/search/products?searchTerm=cheesecake .

I prefer to steer clear of foods with an overload of additives that are no good for me as my family and I have a history of reacting negatively to them. Sulphites in particular are a problem as I am an asthmatic and they can stop me breathing and I turn blue. You never know just how much sulphites, preservative (220-228), they put in either as it is never stated so I stay away from it entirely if I can.

 

[Amish Heart]

Got a big frozen turkey for 77 cents a lb

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Busted today on our no spending challenge 3 days short of our 21 day best ever effort to date, darn and drats . We were digging over a garden today and guess what we struck ?, and it wasn't oil it was water, and DH put the hoe straight through a high pressure rain water tank pipe.

We found that the 3 rainwater tanks are indeed linked with a high pressure hose running under very shallowly in the garden bed we were digging . We had to go and get pipe fittings to fix it and another gate valve and a joiner so now all the 3 tanks run independantly with a gate valve for each as we put in another one in the line where they joined for the third tank. We now have it pumping from the rainwater tank on ground level . While we were there in town we did a little grocery shopping and picked up deli ham , rump steak and a cooked chicken for dinner as we were completely had it since we were baling water till we found where the heck the leak was. Thank goodness that is over is all I can say .

The positives from today and money savings is -

- We had a plumber out to give us a quote to link the 3 rainwater tanks together for $1249 and we don't have to do that now so with the fittings we purchased today that was a saving of $1188.47. He must have known they were linked because he looked so we think he was just trying to rip us off personally or genuinely didn't know .
- In petrol we purchased in total 6 jerry cans full, 5 x E10 and 1 x 95 premium unleaded for the machinery and used a 4c per litre discount docket from buying our groceries last time saving $5.54 on usual prices. We used $97.50 from DH's past gardening earnings where we take out money each job for fuels etc.
- In the grocery department we purchased on special 2 x pkts wheat biscuits, grapes, oranges, capsicums and hot dog rolls on special saving $6.36 on usual prices.
- For meat we found on super special 3.84 kg of rump steak for $9 kg (usually $23 kg) saving $53.76 on usual prices and 2.054kg of champagne leg ham also on super special for $9.99 kg (usually $17 kg) saving $14.39 on usual prices.

 

[Meerkat]

Busted today on our no spending challenge 3 days short of our 21 day best ever effort to date, darn and drats . We were digging over a garden today and guess what we struck ?, and it wasn't oil it was water, and DH put the hoe straight through a high pressure rain water tank pipe.

We found that the 3 rainwater tanks are indeed linked with a high pressure hose running under very shallowly in the garden bed we were digging . We had to go and get pipe fittings to fix it and another gate valve and a joiner so now all the 3 tanks run independantly with a gate valve for each as we put in another one in the line where they joined for the third tank. We now have it pumping from the rainwater tank on ground level . While we were there in town we did a little grocery shopping and picked up deli ham , rump steak and a cooked chicken for dinner as we were completely had it since we were baling water till we found where the heck the leak was. Thank goodness that is over is all I can say .

The positives from today and money savings is -

- We had a plumber out to give us a quote to link the 3 rainwater tanks together for $1249 and we don't have to do that now so with the fittings we purchased today that was a saving of $1188.47. He must have known they were linked because he looked so we think he was just trying to rip us off personally or genuinely didn't know .
- In petrol we purchased in total 6 jerry cans full, 5 x E10 and 1 x 95 premium unleaded for the machinery and used a 4c per litre discount docket from buying our groceries last time saving $5.54 on usual prices. We used $97.50 from DH's past gardening earnings where we take out money each job for fuels etc.
- In the grocery department we purchased on special 2 x pkts wheat biscuits, grapes, oranges, capsicums and hot dog rolls on special saving $6.36 on usual prices.
- For meat we found on super special 3.84 kg of rump steak for $9 kg (usually $23 kg) saving $53.76 on usual prices and 2.054kg of champagne leg ham also on super special for $9.99 kg (usually $17 kg) saving $14.39 on usual prices.

Last time we found a good deal on meat we bought 65lb.s and canned it. That was a few years ago.

 

[WVDragonlady]

Between specials, discounts and coupons I saved $29.31 today at the grocery store.
I bought 10lbs of chicken thighs for .88lb and I had a coupon for $2 off any meat purchase so I only paid $7.19 for the chicken
Seedless red grapes were on sale for .99lb with a $25 grocery purchase, I bought 5lbs and with bonus savings and a coupon I only paid $2.28 for them
5lb bags of red potatoes were a BOGO so I saved $4.99 on those when I bought 2. Can't believe potatoes are $1 a pound now ( whoa)
Yellow onions were 2 bags for $5 and I plan on dicing them and freezing them. I spent the money and bought an onion dicer.
Had a coupon for $3 off total grocery bill over $30.
Another $11 and I'll have enough points to get .10 off a gallon of gas at the store pumps

 

[Meerkat]

Between specials, discounts and coupons I saved $29.31 today at the grocery store.
I bought 10lbs of chicken thighs for .88lb and I had a coupon for $2 off any meat purchase so I only paid $7.19 for the chicken
Seedless red grapes were on sale for .99lb with a $25 grocery purchase, I bought 5lbs and with bonus savings and a coupon I only paid $2.28 for them
5lb bags of red potatoes were a BOGO so I saved $4.99 on those when I bought 2. Can't believe potatoes are $1 a pound now ( whoa)
Yellow onions were 2 bags for $5 and I plan on dicing them and freezing them. I spent the money and bought an onion dicer.
Had a coupon for $3 off total grocery bill over $30.
Another $11 and I'll have enough points to get .10 off a gallon of gas at the store pumps

You did hit the jackpot today WVDragon,

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Staying home, eating out of freezers, refrig, and pantry.
Used big hunk of grocery money to get car relicensed.
But got money in savings, checking accounts, all the bills are paid.
And have Bingo and date night money for tomorrow night from last week winnings.
And figure to pay off another good size bill next payday.
So that payment money will go into savings.
Which will be a savings of over $200.15.
Am so stoked about that beings paid off.

 

[Meerkat]

Staying home, eating out of freezers, refrig, and pantry.
Used big hunk of grocery money to get car relicensed.
But got money in savings, checking accounts, all the bills are paid.
And have Bingo and date night money for tomorrow night from last week winnings.
And figure to pay off another good size bill next payday.
So that payment money will go into savings.
Which will be a savings of over $200.15.
Am so stoked about that beings paid off.

Do you have a special fellow MoBook? We use to play bingo even took trips on busses to other states 25 years ago. Haven't played in 10 years though. Hubby likes to play Bingo,cause he wins more than I do.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

No, not anymore.
He cancelled out wedding .

 

[Tank-Girl]

Today paid the electricity bill as soon as I got it with money put aside for it.
It was $20 less than I had allowed for so that extra money will go towards
My car rego.

Haven't brought any groceries because the pantry and freezer are still full.
Unpacking the freezer to find what I'm after is interesting considering the
Freezer tetris I needed to do to fit everything in.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Went into town today to have my birthday/ and our wedding sealing anniversary day lunch so decided to stock up on a few things while we were there in the large town and purchased on special -
- 3 x 200 pk multivitamins, 2 x 40 pk fabric bandaids, 1 x 400 ml 20 vo 6% peroxide and 2 x 80 pk probiotic tablets saving $35.55 on usual prices.

Carrying on from yesterdays plumbing dilemma we also saved a further $160 on a call out fee and labour for a plumber to fix the pipe we ruptured and install the gate valve for the third rainwater tank.

Good news is now we have an absolutely freezer full of meat, our medical supplies are now all stocked up again and we can start our no spending days again for a while.

 

[Amish Heart]

I'm playing freezer tetris with our meat, too. And there's that great chicken sale today, too. So I'll get it anyway and stick it in the preschool freezer.

 

[angie_nrs]

I'm playing freezer tetris with our meat.

Never thought of it like that before, but I soooooo totally get it!

 

[WVDragonlady]

Never thought of it like that before, but I soooooo totally get it!

I've been doing it for years and never knew what it was called! lol!!!

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Never thought of it like that before, but I soooooo totally get it!

I thought everybody done this periodically.

 

[timmie]

oldest daughter came
and relieved us some of my freezer food . was really stressing me out .now we have to get back into canning especially meats.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

When we went shopping and to DH's physiotherapy appointment we saw a large ironbark tree around 10 minutes from home that had fallen after being hit by lightning in a rest area on the side of the road. Today we thought we would go and cut it and got around 1 cubic metre of free firewood saving us $240 on current prices. Probably have the same again in large logs of firewood left in the tree to cut next week. Currently we have a lot of kindling so we are not in need of that but the bigger logs that burn for longer we can always use.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Spent $20 today for tomorrow.
Bought pancake breakfast tickets for my local VFW annual fundraiser.
Bought enough tickets to feed oldest son, granddaughter, his lady and her 3 children.
Her daughters and my grand daughter eat free under age of 7.
So bought 4 tickets for $20, it's all you can eat so might get that boy's hollow leg filled up.
Pancakes, sausage, milk, juice, coffee all for $20.
And it's for a good cause, supports my local post too.
I'll be there cooking at 7 am.
Then I will work a booth at the local festival so somebody else can eat, bathroom run, take their kids on walk around .

 

[LadyLocust]

I've been pretty busy so haven't been on here very much. We moved closer to town just before Christmas (Dec 22nd actually.) Since moving here, we haven't needed hubby's old commuter car which was mine bought new in 2002. It had about 338k miles on it, was in less than perfect condition cosmetically, but ran great. We sold it for $500 and dropped the insurance which was just due saving $297. A total of $797 . Also, since it has been above freezing finally, I have been able to turn the furnace off during the days while we are gone and our power bill went from over $300 to $140. I am hoping to lower it more yet, but have had to turn the furnace on in the evenings for the past few night. I am keeping track of our usage so can monitor our activities vs. power.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Day 3 of not spending any money today .

@LadyLocust good that you have reduced your electricity bill by so much and @Tank-Girl great to hear that your bill was also lower and you were able to allocate that money elsewhere in your budget too.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Day 4 of not spending any money today.

We also saved money by making a 1.8 kg double batch of homemade coconut and choc chip biscuits for the week saving $11.83 over buying them in the supermarkets.

 

[timmie]

i have lots of no spend days . but if i find a good price on something i am most definetely gonna get as much as i can.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Spent my last $20 filling up the car.
Could Could I have waited to fill up till next week when oldest son got paid.
Maybe, but I don't like to let the car get less than quarter of tank especially if my dad doesn't feel good.
So filled upthe car just to be on the safe side.
Son said he will give back my $20 next week when he gets paid.
Son noticed I have question mark before day of doctor's appointment and asked what that meant.
Told him if I can't find the money for transportation by that date, I would cancel doctor's appointment.
To me that is logical, angered sons that I would cancel doctor's appointment because I didn't have the money to go.
It normally takes 6 months to get appointment.
So son are loaning me the money to go to doctor.
I will give the money back as soon as I can.
Don't like borrowing money for doctor appointments and such.
If I can't afford to go, I don't go.
I pay my own way.
They say that I am obsessive about it.
Maybe I am, but that little tidbit has been thrown into my face a few times when I let someone pay for dinner or something.
When my relationship ended, decided right then and there, nobody pays my way anymore.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

@timmie I do that too if I see a good deal I stock up on groceries.

@MoBookworm1957 we are the same and it is the best way to be is independant so we see your point.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Day 5 of not spending any money today .

We also saved money by -

- saying yes to a secondhand 6 burner bbq in good condition and a large 6 - 8 ft long table for free that we picked up today. I will use the large table for a cutting and sewing table in the sewing room and will give it a nice coat of paint or varnish on the top.
- We cut another 1.5 cubic metres of firewood from our storm damaged one we saw on the side of the road saving $360 over buying it in.

We got some local knowledge on where to go to cut firewood and now have two locations we can cut firewood from. This afternoon we took a drive there to see what we could find and have a few trees lined up to cut.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

cooking at home.

 

[timmie]

didn't go anywhere.