What did you do to save $ today?

[freemotion]

I love this thread. It has become my determination to keep it on the "recent posts" category by not letting more than a day or two go by without saving money!

I went to buy more vanilla beans at the discount store today, since I'd made all the vanilla powder into vanilla extract and then decided I wanted some for vanilla ice cream. I'd looked up my previous $5 purchase and it retails for $52! Score and a half!

Then I spotted 5 lb bags of artisan baking chocolate for $10, and the ingredients looked really good, like "non-GMO soy lecithin" and vanilla powder in the 99% cacao unsweetened petit squares. Looked it up online, and they retail for......$72!!! I'd risked my $10 because it worked out to be much cheaper than the Hershey's Baking Cocoa I get at Wal-Mart!

I am back in there tomorrow for another bag....and have been making lots of ice (saved money there, too, won't buy it like I usually do to make ice cream). Imagine the chocolate and vanilla ice cream I will make with fresh goat's milk and fresh eggs!

 

[Hiedi]

What did you do to save $ today?

I stayed at home. I can always save money when I don't go anywhere. That may seem simplistic, but it works for me.

Edit: I will keep reading in this thread to get other people's ideas to save money as well. The 45 pages should keep me busy for awhile.

 

[Beekissed]

Stole my line....I stayed home as well. I find myself doing that as much as possible, whenever I can. My job is on the road all day, so my weekends are sacred and I usually only go to church, but today I was still recuperating from a very, very rough week.

Stayed home, read some on the forums, fooled around with chickens, read some, napped some......daydreamed about projects to finish, gardens to grow, money to save.

 

[lupinfarm]

Well... Yesterday I called a guy who has a roto tiller who does roto tilling because It would have cost more for us to take the trip to Belleville and to rent one from Home Depot, so he comes out from Trenton and roto tills my 33.5' by 21.5' vegetable garden for 40.00, 20.00 of which is just his call out for gas...which IMO is pretty good. Now I have a tilled vegetable garden (and by the way my soil is like freaking butter, it's brilliant) and have started planting properly... potatoes are in, carrot seeds are in, if the rain holds off today I might get to it and put the lettuce and spinach in as well.

And that is how I saved money yesterday.

 

[VT-Chicklit]

I saved money yesterday by making my own rolling composter. DH and I spent the afternoon taking a narrow pallet and turning it into a work table by the garden. We then took a 55 gal plastic barrel and 4 wheel casters and made the composter on top of the new garden table. Total investment:

1 4X4 pressure treated wood (legs) $8
1 Pallet FREE
4 Casters $10
2 Hinges $2
1 Hasp $2
Various Screws Free
TOTAL COST: $22
STORE BOUGHT ROLLING COMPOSTER $100 - $129

SAVINGS: $78 - $107

 

[miss_thenorth]

I made bread pudding from the end peices of the last few loaves of bread, made two loaves of fresh bread, and made granola bars w/o hfcs. Second time I made this recipe. I made a new batch of homemade pancake mix, and made a trail mix for snacks. I planned out the next two weeks menus. I need a nap now

 

[me&thegals]

I saved money yesterday by making my own rolling composter. DH and I spent the afternoon taking a narrow pallet and turning it into a work table by the garden. We then took a 55 gal plastic barrel and 4 wheel casters and made the composter on top of the new garden table. Total investment:

1 4X4 pressure treated wood (legs) $8
1 Pallet FREE
4 Casters $10
2 Hinges $2
1 Hasp $2
Various Screws Free
TOTAL COST: $22
STORE BOUGHT ROLLING COMPOSTER $100 - $129

SAVINGS: $78 - $107

Very cool! That has got to be a great feeling I wish I (and husband) was more clever about creating things like this.

Saturday and Sunday, I made my own trail mix (very easy and same version in the store is quite spendy) and 2 batches of granola. SO yummy! Enjoyed popcorn made from homegrown popcorn last night for supper. Went in with a friend on a bulk cheese order for $2/lb. Also was gifted Egyptian walking onions by husband's aunt and 17 gallons of sunchokes by a friend (most will go to my CSA customers). For entertainment, we watched the baby chicks Made an enormous pot of soup with 2 dual roos that also included our own green garlic, parsnips, parsley from last year and sunchokes. What a lovely weekend!

 

[me&thegals]

I made bread pudding from the end peices of the last few loaves of bread, made two loaves of fresh bread, and made granola bars w/o hfcs. Second time I made this recipe. I made a new batch of homemade pancake mix, and made a trail mix for snacks. I planned out the next two weeks menus. I need a nap now

We'd love the recipe for granola bars if you care to share it

 

[miss_thenorth]

http://www.joyfulabode.com/2008/04/...pe-no-high-fructose-corn-syrup-in-these-bars/

I used this recipe. Just be careful and check frequently. the first time I made it the wax paper stuck so bad- I couldn't get it off. this time, I let it cool a bit, then inverted it, -peeled the wax paper off, and kept flipping it until it was cool, peeling the paper each time. i also let it cool on a rack for air flow.

 

[me&thegals]

http://www.joyfulabode.com/2008/04/...pe-no-high-fructose-corn-syrup-in-these-bars/

I used this recipe. Just be careful and check frequently. the first time I made it the wax paper stuck so bad- I couldn't get it off. this time, I let it cool a bit, then inverted it, -peeled the wax paper off, and kept flipping it until it was cool, peeling the paper each time. i also let it cool on a rack for air flow.

Sounds and looks very yummy. Thanks!