What frugal thing did you do today?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Minty
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Minty »

My unfrugal accomplishment was allowing a drug copay card to expire, which reduced my copay from $50 to $5. Costco kindly reminded me to renew it (but too late for this refill). So I am out $45, but will save $45 every three months, so long as I don't forget to renew it again.
Core Four w/ nominal bonds & TIPS. Refi Rampage: Purchase: 3.875% 30 -> R1 3% 20 -> R2 2.375% 15 -> R3 1.99% 15 -> R4 1.875% 15
ProsperGoalzz
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by ProsperGoalzz »

I added more rubber bands to my rubber band jar. I must make a ball someday. Maybe when I retire LOL.
stoptothink
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by stoptothink »

quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:39 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:33 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:02 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 11:17 am
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 9:45 am

How’s your back/neck/wrists?

Be careful. The reason companies are willing to spring for all that ergonomic stuff is because it’s cheaper than paying all the worker’s comp claims for neck pain and carpal tunnel. Back in the 90’s, it was an everyday thing that people would have to go on disability because their computer was hurting them. Ergonomic workstations fixed all that.
I've been working full-time at home since pandemic and wife is hybrid. I work in various places - the kitchen table, the couch, my bed (I do have a folding stand), standing at my kitchen counter - and my wife just uses a folding table and cheap chair she got from work in our spare bedroom. I also severely broke my back in a cycling accident May of '20, which is still an issue (fractures are healed, but disc issues and bone spurns probably never will). I am very cognizant of the issues that can arise from poor working posture, but a nice desk, etc. usually doesn't solve that. Our necks and wrists are fine, primarily because we focus on good posture and not sitting for extended periods.
So, you’re saying nothing has happened. Yet.

I’m just saying doctors visits and PT are more expensive than an ergonomic chair and a wrist rest.
I'm just a tad familiar with these issues as much of my education and working career have focused on how the human body moves and corrective exercise. My only point is a nice desk and chair have little influence; your own posture, minimizing sitting at all, your strength/stability etc are a lot more important.
Then you’re more special than 99% of the population. Go forth and prosper with your card table. Let us know how it turns out.
A more comfortable chair just allows you to sit longer in poor anatomical positions. You could not sit at all or at least stand up every 30min, get a few steps in, lengthen your hams/psoas/piriformis, strengthen traps and functionally improve the structures that are impacted by sitting...or buy a more expensive chair that allows you to stay in the detrimental positions longer. I know which one I prefer. Maybe those things are inconvenient if you're in an office, but they aren't when I'm working at home. Companies invest in expensive desks and chairs to keep people sitting longer, not because it is better for their health.
Itster
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Itster »

quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:39 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:33 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:02 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 11:17 am
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 9:45 am

How’s your back/neck/wrists?

Be careful. The reason companies are willing to spring for all that ergonomic stuff is because it’s cheaper than paying all the worker’s comp claims for neck pain and carpal tunnel. Back in the 90’s, it was an everyday thing that people would have to go on disability because their computer was hurting them. Ergonomic workstations fixed all that.
I've been working full-time at home since pandemic and wife is hybrid. I work in various places - the kitchen table, the couch, my bed (I do have a folding stand), standing at my kitchen counter - and my wife just uses a folding table and cheap chair she got from work in our spare bedroom. I also severely broke my back in a cycling accident May of '20, which is still an issue (fractures are healed, but disc issues and bone spurns probably never will). I am very cognizant of the issues that can arise from poor working posture, but a nice desk, etc. usually doesn't solve that. Our necks and wrists are fine, primarily because we focus on good posture and not sitting for extended periods.
So, you’re saying nothing has happened. Yet.

I’m just saying doctors visits and PT are more expensive than an ergonomic chair and a wrist rest.
I'm just a tad familiar with these issues as much of my education and working career have focused on how the human body moves and corrective exercise. My only point is a nice desk and chair have little influence; your own posture, minimizing sitting at all, your strength/stability etc are a lot more important.
Then you’re more special than 99% of the population. Go forth and prosper with your card table. Let us know how it turns out.
I'm the one that started this ... I do appreciate the caution about health concerns, and if things start to hurt I'll take the recommendation under advisement. :) I did actually have an ergonomic chair, a posture chair and a desk I could raise to standing height while at the office, so I'm aware how sitting for hours in a bad position can affect me. But so far, so good with my current setup. I really just meant it to be humorous that I'm still using the cheap table, but probably shouldn't have mentioned everyone else splurging on desks and office items as that had a "virtuously frugal" tone to it. In all fairness, they can more readily accommodate the splurge than I. :)
rtt22
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by rtt22 »

mary1492 wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 4:22 pm We have a basement. Like most, it gets damp and during the summer we need to run a couple of dehumidifiers down there (big basement - full length of ranch house). I can get anywhere from 5 to 10 years out of each, but they all eventually bite the dust. I had 3 broken ones, just sitting, unable to part with them. Over the past week, I watched a bunch of Youtube videos about what might cause them to fail, and how to diagnose/repair. Well, today, I tore one down, isolated the problem, and got it working!!! Temporary fix for today until the $6 replacement part comes in a few days.

One down, two to go.
Curious, what part needs to be replaced?
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tooluser
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by tooluser »

quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 9:45 am
Itster wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 5:20 pm When my team started working remotely during the pandemic, most bought and set up nice desk arrangements with multiple monitors at home. I'm still happily using my $20 plastic fold-away TV-dinner table from Wally's.
How’s your back/neck/wrists?

Be careful. The reason companies are willing to spring for all that ergonomic stuff is because it’s cheaper than paying all the worker’s comp claims for neck pain and carpal tunnel. Back in the 90’s, it was an everyday thing that people would have to go on disability because their computer was hurting them. Ergonomic workstations fixed all that.
As a reference point, my employer (a mid-sized corporation) had professional ergonomic evaluations and would pay for any suggested equipment starting in the 1990s when the carpal tunnel thing really hit. They continued that policy for home equipment use and purchase during the pandemic, and the resulting move to largely work-from-home. So yes: be aware of the potential for repetitive strain injuries, it is cheaper to prevent the injuries, and a good and knowledgeable employer will pay to make your workstation right before any injuries happen.
Like good comrades to the utmost of their strength, we shall go on to the end. -- Winston Churchill
mary1492
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by mary1492 »

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Last edited by mary1492 on Thu Sep 29, 2022 11:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
rtt22
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by rtt22 »

Yes, hang on to those old dehumidifiers! The new ones last only 2 or 3 years, they leak out all refrigerant after about 2 years while the rest of the unit is still in good shape.
mary1492
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by mary1492 »

.....
Last edited by mary1492 on Thu Sep 29, 2022 11:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
vfinx
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by vfinx »

Replaced (DIY) pressure balancing units of showers that stopped allowing for temperature control. The fix worked but I’m a bit suspicious that multiple units broke. They were only 7 years old. Main pressure and water softness have both been verified to spec so not sure what’s up. I managed to get them at a discount from Amazon.
HoosierJim
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by HoosierJim »

Fixed a leaking toilet with the repair kit for $12. Ordered it via Walmart online with no shipping charge and made NO additional trips to the hardware store. Probably a 1st for a plumbing project.

Wondering what a plumber would charge for that repair?
HoosierJim
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by HoosierJim »

Although probably already mentioned on this thread - but if you use any streaming services - there is no reason you need to be subscribed all at once to all of them. We pick one and watch the few things we want then cancel or pause for months at a time. Add that to the $2 per month HULU Black Friday sale and we keep those costs to a minimum. Mark your calendars for 11/25 so you don't forget.
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CenTexan
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by CenTexan »

For lunch, ate leftovers from last night's restaurant splurge.

Also, caught an incorrect price (item was supposed to be on sale for $2.44 less) at the grocery store - after paying the bill - and waited at Customer Service to get it refunded.

And delayed paying my Medicare bill by 4 days so it will appear on next month's credit card statement - thus allowing $500+ to stay in my interest-bearing checking account an additional month! :sharebeer
Broken Man 1999
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

CenTexan wrote: Sat Aug 20, 2022 1:10 pm For lunch, ate leftovers from last night's restaurant splurge.

Also, caught an incorrect price (item was supposed to be on sale for $2.44 less) at the grocery store - after paying the bill - and waited at Customer Service to get it refunded.

And delayed paying my Medicare bill by 4 days so it will appear on next month's credit card statement - thus allowing $500+ to stay in my interest-bearing checking account an additional month! :sharebeer
I have one credit card that is due on the 2nd of the month, and another that is due on the 27th of the month. I can get 55 days (30 days for statement, 25 days grace period) if I charge things just right.

Honestly, there is virtually no benefit to me worrying when to pay, but I always remember how my father always pushed bills out as far as he could unless he received a benefit for paying quickly, as some businesses offered.

Old habits are hard to break, sometimes.

Broken Man 1999
“If I cannot drink Bourbon and smoke cigars in Heaven then I shall not go." - Mark Twain
sandan
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by sandan »

Itster wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 5:20 pm When my team started working remotely during the pandemic, most bought and set up nice desk arrangements with multiple monitors at home. I'm still happily using my $20 plastic fold-away TV-dinner table from Wally's.
No kidding. I was slightly tempted by a solid wood two piece office desk for $50 at a garage sale today. Here I am still using my fold-away picnic table.
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AllMostThere
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by AllMostThere »

Couple of months ago DD had a slight fender bender with her Kia Soul. While stop in a parking lot another car clipped her front end at a right angle and broke the Soul Lower Bumper Cover. As no one was injured and low collision damage, both parties agreed to part their way owning their own damage. I was aligned with this path as it looked like something I could fix. Thought I was in the bonus as I found replacement part on Rock Auto for ~ $40. Excitement was short lived as shipping was $179!!!! :oops: I found same item on Amazon for ~ $130 with free shipping (link below). Part arrived bundled in a ball in small box. At first, I was horrified they would ship this way, but upon unbundling and leaving in the sun the Bumper Cover unfolded perfectly to desired shape. I found a couple of You Tube videos and removed the full front end, head lights and bumper to install the Lower Bumper Cover. Took me ~ 5 hours of clips and screws but mission accomplished. Looks great and other than a few bumper scratches left behind by the other car, it looks great. I bet this would have been a +$1K body shop fix if claimed on insurance. DD is happy and I avoided large collision bill. :sharebeer

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B091J5V11G? ... ct_details
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KneeReplacementTutor
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by KneeReplacementTutor »

I ate an extra sandwich at a church sponsored lunch.
akershner
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by akershner »

HD wanted $15 for 75 landscape staples so I bought 100 ft of 14 gauge wire and made my own. $7 for 150 produced, badaboom.
JediMisty
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by JediMisty »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:29 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:02 pm
stoptothink wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 11:17 am
quantAndHold wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 9:45 am
Itster wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 5:20 pm When my team started working remotely during the pandemic, most bought and set up nice desk arrangements with multiple monitors at home. I'm still happily using my $20 plastic fold-away TV-dinner table from Wally's.
How’s your back/neck/wrists?

Be careful. The reason companies are willing to spring for all that ergonomic stuff is because it’s cheaper than paying all the worker’s comp claims for neck pain and carpal tunnel. Back in the 90’s, it was an everyday thing that people would have to go on disability because their computer was hurting them. Ergonomic workstations fixed all that.
I've been working full-time at home since pandemic and wife is hybrid. I work in various places - the kitchen table, the couch, my bed (I do have a folding stand), standing at my kitchen counter - and my wife just uses a folding table and cheap chair she got from work in our spare bedroom. I also severely broke my back in a cycling accident May of '20, which is still an issue (fractures are healed, but disc issues and bone spurns probably never will). I am very cognizant of the issues that can arise from poor working posture, but a nice desk, etc. usually doesn't solve that. Our necks and wrists are fine, primarily because we focus on good posture and not sitting for extended periods.
So, you’re saying nothing has happened. Yet.

I’m just saying doctors visits and PT are more expensive than an ergonomic chair and a wrist rest.
Years ago, I got frozen shoulders from typing with wrong seating/elevation. In addition to costing lots of money to fix, the PT was excruciating (and I have a relatively high pain threshold). I ignored early warning signs.
I got frozen shoulder years ago, too. The PT was excruciating. I was in tears more than once and unable to sleep from the pain of the PT. It really is not frugal to use substandard desk set-ups. I even bought my own chair at the office (On sale, of course) of the type our h&s expert recommend but the company would not pay for.
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A440
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by A440 »

I put a watering can underneath the condensate drain for our 2nd floor A/C. The water that is pulled out of the humidity in the house provides "free" water for our plants. Yes, I'm paying for the power, but the water is free. :happy
I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds my future.
JayB
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by JayB »

I obtained a price match refund from BestBuy for a tablet that I recently bought. The process took 5 minutes at the store. Reflecting back, I have received price match refunds on every cell phone and computer I have bought over the past 30 years or so. Overwhelmingly, the lower prices have been from the same place I bought the original devices from. The prices have always dropped within the 30 days or so after I purchase the devices. The person at BestBuy said that most people do not pursue these refunds, so that's just lost money for the customers.
Broken Man 1999
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

Yesterday I had all the fluorescent lights in our garage replaced with LED lights.

I will probably never recoup the installation and purchase price via energy savings, but at least no more flickering tubes or changing dead ones. Not to mention how much brighter the garage is now.

Only fluorescent light remaining is in the laundry room. The tubes there seem to last much longer.I'm sure DW will advise me when she wants that fixture replaced.



Broken Man 1999
“If I cannot drink Bourbon and smoke cigars in Heaven then I shall not go." - Mark Twain
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LilyFleur
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by LilyFleur »

JayB wrote: Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:28 pm I obtained a price match refund from BestBuy for a tablet that I recently bought. The process took 5 minutes at the store. Reflecting back, I have received price match refunds on every cell phone and computer I have bought over the past 30 years or so. Overwhelmingly, the lower prices have been from the same place I bought the original devices from. The prices have always dropped within the 30 days or so after I purchase the devices. The person at BestBuy said that most people do not pursue these refunds, so that's just lost money for the customers.
Perhaps you can let the rest of us when you buy a cell phone... we can buy ours 30 days after! :mrgreen: :sharebeer
JayB
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by JayB »

LilyFleur wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 10:30 am
JayB wrote: Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:28 pm I obtained a price match refund from BestBuy for a tablet that I recently bought. The process took 5 minutes at the store. Reflecting back, I have received price match refunds on every cell phone and computer I have bought over the past 30 years or so. Overwhelmingly, the lower prices have been from the same place I bought the original devices from. The prices have always dropped within the 30 days or so after I purchase the devices. The person at BestBuy said that most people do not pursue these refunds, so that's just lost money for the customers.
Perhaps you can let the rest of us when you buy a cell phone... we can buy ours 30 days after! :mrgreen: :sharebeer
I don't know if I can alert you about cell phone pricing :? , but I am about to obtain a second price match on the same tablet today due to special Labor Day pricing. How cool!
mancich
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by mancich »

We're renovating our kitchen (very un-frugal but long overdue and we saved for it). We bought all new appliances during Home Depot's Labor Day sale. A local appliance store had the refrigerator for $99 cheaper. I brought in the ad and Home Depot matched the lower price. A small victory in this expensive renovation. Also, our local power company is picking up our 15 year old refrigerator and giving us $100 for it, part of a program they have to get old appliances off the grid.
carolinaman
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by carolinaman »

I canceled several subscriptions that I do not need and rarely use: Netflix, Amazon Prime, NY Times and Epoch Times. Saved about $500 per year and never miss it. If I could only get DW to allow me to drop local newspaper and switch cable providers, I could save some serious bucks. She only gets newspapers for obituaries.
Californiastate
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Californiastate »

I find no joy or honor in suffering mentally or physically to save money. I save as much as is required by my financial plan. The rest is for my comfort and entertainment. To each their own.
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quantAndHold
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by quantAndHold »

Californiastate wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:47 am I find no joy or honor in suffering mentally or physically to save money. I save as much as is required by my financial plan. The rest is for my comfort and entertainment. To each their own.
Canceling a subscription you don’t use, buying appliances on sale, and getting price matching from Best Buy is suffering? I had no idea.
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quantAndHold
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by quantAndHold »

I spent an hour at a concert venue yesterday morning putting magnetic seat numbers on the seats, in exchange for free tickets (and free parking!) to a concert last night that I very much wanted to attend. They also served pizza, so I didn’t have to pay for lunch.
Broken Man 1999
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

DW's soap opera is moving to a paid tier of Peacock streaming . I signed up for Peacock Premium for $1.99/month instead of $4.99/month.

Sure, it would be even more frugal to not sign up, but Days of our Lives is not a discretionary expense.

Broken Man 1999
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michaeljc70
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by michaeljc70 »

Californiastate wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:47 am I find no joy or honor in suffering mentally or physically to save money. I save as much as is required by my financial plan. The rest is for my comfort and entertainment. To each their own.
A lot of us find no joy or honor in overpaying. I guess it is a matter of perspective. Sure, if I made $200+ an hour I wouldn't spend extra time looking for sales/deals on routine or minor purchases as it wouldn't be a good trade off. It is also hard to break the frugal cycle if you had to do it at one point in your life and now don't.
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LilyFleur
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by LilyFleur »

JayB wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 5:40 am
LilyFleur wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 10:30 am
JayB wrote: Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:28 pm I obtained a price match refund from BestBuy for a tablet that I recently bought. The process took 5 minutes at the store. Reflecting back, I have received price match refunds on every cell phone and computer I have bought over the past 30 years or so. Overwhelmingly, the lower prices have been from the same place I bought the original devices from. The prices have always dropped within the 30 days or so after I purchase the devices. The person at BestBuy said that most people do not pursue these refunds, so that's just lost money for the customers.
Perhaps you can let the rest of us when you buy a cell phone... we can buy ours 30 days after! :mrgreen: :sharebeer
I don't know if I can alert you about cell phone pricing :? , but I am about to obtain a second price match on the same tablet today due to special Labor Day pricing. How cool!
Good for you! I'm still hanging in there on my 2018 Samsung phone and tablet. I splurged last year and bought a Macbook Pro (my previous one was 8.5 years old).
MDfan
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by MDfan »

Broken Man 1999 wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:16 am DW's soap opera is moving to a paid tier of Peacock streaming . I signed up for Peacock Premium for $1.99/month instead of $4.99/month.

Sure, it would be even more frugal to not sign up, but Days of our Lives is not a discretionary expense.

Broken Man 1999
I had no idea soap operas were still a thing. I thought they disappeared years ago.
Californiastate
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Californiastate »

quantAndHold wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:06 am
Californiastate wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:47 am I find no joy or honor in suffering mentally or physically to save money. I save as much as is required by my financial plan. The rest is for my comfort and entertainment. To each their own.
Canceling a subscription you don’t use, buying appliances on sale, and getting price matching from Best Buy is suffering? I had no idea.
Of course not. There is a difference between what you described and living like Hetty Green.
Californiastate
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Californiastate »

michaeljc70 wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:33 am
Californiastate wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:47 am I find no joy or honor in suffering mentally or physically to save money. I save as much as is required by my financial plan. The rest is for my comfort and entertainment. To each their own.
A lot of us find no joy or honor in overpaying. I guess it is a matter of perspective. Sure, if I made $200+ an hour I wouldn't spend extra time looking for sales/deals on routine or minor purchases as it wouldn't be a good trade off. It is also hard to break the frugal cycle if you had to do it at one point in your life and now don't.
Read my first sentence and yours. How are they similar?
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LadyGeek
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by LadyGeek »

The discussion is getting contentious. The points have been made, let's move on.
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andypanda
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by andypanda »

Maybe everyone except me knows this, but I never dealt with can lights before I remarried and moved into her house.

I replaced the 1995-vintage can lights in the house with LED kits an electrician recommended and dropped off. The 9' ceiling height made the ones in the closets and pantry a little difficult to get to without moving nearly everything, but the work itself isn't at all demanding.
Pull down the old ring/lens, unclip the springs, toss it, and unscrew the bulb. Screw in the adapter/short wire, plug in the light/lens/ring, insert the springs in the fixture and slide it up tight. Moving the step stool was the hardest part. I had the 6' ladder in the house and ending up taking it back to the garage.

The front porch and one closet had 8" cans in the ceiling and not 6" and the rings had discolored the ceiling. The ring on the Sylvania RT5/6 65w equivalent kit (uses 8.5w to make 725 lumens, 3000k warm white) didn't quite cover the dirty marks, so I found some Goof Rings on amazon. I ended up ordering a pack of 8.06" and different brand's 8.5" and used all but 2 because we liked the way they looked. It only took one day to get them.

Heck, there's even a company that makes custom sizes and offers different shapes.
Faith20879
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Faith20879 »

Instead of sitting at home and watching TV for the afternoon, we went to our little town's Labor day parade. Of course all our local governments political cadidates were all there handing out freebies. Besides the plastic coins and candies I've also collected enough Hand fans for the next 10 years. :)
Lalamimi
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Lalamimi »

Shopping at Kroger, put the $4.50 peach pie back and got the $2.99 Apple pie that was on the clearance rack.
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tooluser
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by tooluser »

MDfan wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:42 am
Broken Man 1999 wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:16 am DW's soap opera is moving to a paid tier of Peacock streaming . I signed up for Peacock Premium for $1.99/month instead of $4.99/month.

Sure, it would be even more frugal to not sign up, but Days of our Lives is not a discretionary expense.

Broken Man 1999
I had no idea soap operas were still a thing. I thought they disappeared years ago.
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the pennies of our recurring subscriptions.
Like good comrades to the utmost of their strength, we shall go on to the end. -- Winston Churchill
Wannaretireearly
Posts: 4881
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:39 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

Fridge ice maker stopped working.

Used a two prong approach to try to get it resolved asap, via manufacturer directly and Best Buy/geek squad warranty

Resolution:
Samsung resolved the issue after delays coming out. Process and engagement was frustrating but the actual repair and installer was great 👍.
Geek squad could not get someone out, offered a replacement. I asked about paying me out, they agreed and gave me $2800 worth of gift cards 🙃😀.

I’m a happy Best Buy and Samsung customer today.
“At some point you are trading time you will never get back for money you will never spend.“ | “How do you want to spend the best remaining year of your life?“
Wanderingwheelz
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Wanderingwheelz »

Worked out in my home gym I built more than 15 years ago. I’ve never put pencil to paper, but that’s saved me tons on membership fees. Plus, I can play the music I like and I don’t have to wear a shirt or shoes. :D
Last edited by Wanderingwheelz on Mon Sep 05, 2022 4:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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johnny
Posts: 192
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by johnny »

Changed the alternator on my car today. It's an old car, so now on its third alternator. Last time I had it done by a proper mechanic, so I have a pretty good idea what the retail cost would be. I think I saved $600 by using my own labor and buying my own parts.

Definitely a stretch for my mechanical abilities! All made possible by YouTube. :)
EdNorton
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by EdNorton »

johnny wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:57 pm Changed the alternator on my car today. It's an old car, so now on its third alternator. Last time I had it done by a proper mechanic, so I have a pretty good idea what the retail cost would be. I think I saved $600 by using my own labor and buying my own parts.

Definitely a stretch for my mechanical abilities! All made possible by YouTube. :)
If you were charged $600 labor for changing an alternator, you were ripped off royally.
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flyingaway
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by flyingaway »

Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:27 pm Fridge ice maker stopped working.

Used a two prong approach to try to get it resolved asap, via manufacturer directly and Best Buy/geek squad warranty

Resolution:
Samsung resolved the issue after delays coming out. Process and engagement was frustrating but the actual repair and installer was great 👍.
Geek squad could not get someone out, offered a replacement. I asked about paying me out, they agreed and gave me $2800 worth of gift cards 🙃😀.

I’m a happy Best Buy and Samsung customer today.
Did not understand what you did.
You asked Samsung to fix it and asked Best Buy for gift cards?
Wannaretireearly
Posts: 4881
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:39 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

flyingaway wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:42 pm
Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:27 pm Fridge ice maker stopped working.

Used a two prong approach to try to get it resolved asap, via manufacturer directly and Best Buy/geek squad warranty

Resolution:
Samsung resolved the issue after delays coming out. Process and engagement was frustrating but the actual repair and installer was great 👍.
Geek squad could not get someone out, offered a replacement. I asked about paying me out, they agreed and gave me $2800 worth of gift cards 🙃😀.

I’m a happy Best Buy and Samsung customer today.
Did not understand what you did.
You asked Samsung to fix it and asked Best Buy for gift cards?
Contacted both extended warranty (best buy/geek squad) and manufacturer warranty (Samsung) in parallel. Net result is as I mention above.
“At some point you are trading time you will never get back for money you will never spend.“ | “How do you want to spend the best remaining year of your life?“
pizzy
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by pizzy »

Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:30 pm
flyingaway wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:42 pm
Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:27 pm Fridge ice maker stopped working.

Used a two prong approach to try to get it resolved asap, via manufacturer directly and Best Buy/geek squad warranty

Resolution:
Samsung resolved the issue after delays coming out. Process and engagement was frustrating but the actual repair and installer was great 👍.
Geek squad could not get someone out, offered a replacement. I asked about paying me out, they agreed and gave me $2800 worth of gift cards 🙃😀.

I’m a happy Best Buy and Samsung customer today.
Did not understand what you did.
You asked Samsung to fix it and asked Best Buy for gift cards?
Contacted both extended warranty (best buy/geek squad) and manufacturer warranty (Samsung) in parallel. Net result is as I mention above.
Did you withhold info from both companies or just one of them?
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ScubaHogg
Posts: 3573
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Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by ScubaHogg »

Wanderingwheelz wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:39 pm Worked out in my home gym I built more than 15 years ago. I’ve never put pencil to paper, but that’s saved me tons on membership fees. Plus, I can play the music I like and I don’t have to wear a shirt or shoes. :D
Some of the best money I ever spent was on our home gym. By my math the yearly ROI is about 20% compared to my previous gym membership
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Jazztonight
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Location: Lake Merritt

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Jazztonight »

andypanda wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:56 am I replaced the 1995-vintage can lights in the house with LED kits an electrician recommended and dropped off...
We have 9 can lights in our kitchen ceiling, and after watching a couple of YouTube videos I decided I could replace them. I ordered a package of 10 replacement LED inserts and duly replaced 3 of them just as you described. While working on the fourth fixture I noticed that there were "extra" wires coming into the can from someplace and I traced them to the microwave and/or the stove. I thought about it, then decided to go ahead with the replacement... Until there was a giant electrical flash and spark!

I got down off the ladder, found an electrician working on another project in our apartment building, and hired him on the spot to finish the job, which he did for $200. Money well spent as far as I'm concerned!

That was about 4 years ago and all the lights work great, including the three I installed. Better safe than sorry.
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
Wannaretireearly
Posts: 4881
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:39 pm

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

pizzy wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:08 pm
Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:30 pm
flyingaway wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:42 pm
Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:27 pm Fridge ice maker stopped working.

Used a two prong approach to try to get it resolved asap, via manufacturer directly and Best Buy/geek squad warranty

Resolution:
Samsung resolved the issue after delays coming out. Process and engagement was frustrating but the actual repair and installer was great 👍.
Geek squad could not get someone out, offered a replacement. I asked about paying me out, they agreed and gave me $2800 worth of gift cards 🙃😀.

I’m a happy Best Buy and Samsung customer today.
Did not understand what you did.
You asked Samsung to fix it and asked Best Buy for gift cards?
Contacted both extended warranty (best buy/geek squad) and manufacturer warranty (Samsung) in parallel. Net result is as I mention above.
Did you withhold info from both companies or just one of them?
I was transparent with both. Especially after appointments were not honored (expected ppl to arrive, no shows etc).
“At some point you are trading time you will never get back for money you will never spend.“ | “How do you want to spend the best remaining year of your life?“
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