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See item #2 regarding CVS!
1. I used the wifi at the dermatology office to research CVS deals.
I had to get my stitches out (I had a mole removed, not cancerous, thankfully!), and while I waited, I used the free wifi to figure out what to buy at CVS.
(I had a $10 coupon that was due to expire yesterday, so I had to go buy something, obviously. And of course I wanted to buy things that were on sale.)
Anyway, since I’m on Ting Wireless, I try to minimize my data use as much as possible so as to keep our bill low.
2. I used $29 of CVS coupons.
That brought my purchase total down to $1.76.
And I got $5 ExtraBucks added to my account after my purchase. Yay!
$10 was from my monthly Carepass account (so I paid $5 for that), $10 was from a survey I took, and the rest of the coupons were from the app.
Of course, CVS’s prices are too high to begin with, so these savings are somewhat inflated.
Which is why when you deal shop there, you have to focus on your total out of pocket expenditures, not on your “savings”.
3. I made a pot of chicken broth.
My freezer was starting to get stuffed with chicken carcasses, so I took advantage of the cool weather to make a pot of broth.
I couldn’t fit all the chicken bones into a single pot, so I still have two more carcasses in the freezer.
Here’s how I make chicken broth.
4. I filled my tank at Costco.
I had to get a few things in bulk for a camping trip, so while I was there, I filled up my gas tank.
I don’t like to drive out of my way to get Costco gas (it eats up the savings in a hurry), but if I’m there, I will almost always fill up.
5. We figured out a cheap costume work-around.
Mr. FG is dressing up as the Mad Hatter (I’m going to be the queen of hearts!), and his costume didn’t come with the pictured tall boots.
I thought about looking for boots for him, but then when I looked at photos of Tim Burton’s Mad Hatter, I realized he wears low boots with tall stripey socks.
As it turns out, Mr. FG already owns low boots!
So I ordered some stripey socks, which means that the costume footwear situation is now taken care of for only $10.
SWEET.
craige
Wednesday 16th of October 2019
Good point about CVS. I recognize that the prices are higher than they are at somewhere like Walmart, but if I factor in the fact that the closest Walmart is a 20-minute drive from my house and the CVS is next to the metro station near my office, it becomes a savings in both time and gas to shop at CVS. I always buy the store brand and use coupons.
I stopped buying the flavored seltzer (even the store brand, which is cheapest) and instead started making shrubs with fruit from my freezer that I bought on sale and ACV. The flavor is phenomenal and tastes great with a little added to seltzer made with the SodaStream (which of course is not completely free to use, but is cheaper -- and better for the environment -- than buying soda cans).
I set up a nice-looking bookshelf that I got from Buy Nothing in my living room so that I could have a nice place to store all my gardening books. They are my favorite thing to look for at used book stores lately. I got one on lasagne gardening over the weekend. I'm all fired up to use my compost and leaf mold to create my own lasagne garden plots!
Gina
Monday 14th of October 2019
my recent 5FF..... 1. My cousin passed away last fall & my aunt called me up the other day asking my husband to come over and go thru hunting and fishing clothing before she donated it all. Hubby and I went to visit and look thru clothing. Hubby got new with tags Carhartt bibs and a jacket both worth almost $200, a few sweatshirts and some camo hunting clothing. Hubby was thrilled. Plus she gifted the girls and I with a basket she won at a Chinese auction that she really didn't want. Girls and I pulled out a few things we wanted & I listed the rest for sale. Will use proceeds towards Christmas shopping. 2. Coworker ordered treats for her dog & company accidentally shipped her a whole case of them, so she shared them with me and another co-worker who have dogs. 3. A resident in our township gifted a few of us at work with bouquets of flowers because he said we always treat him well. Was a nice surprise! 4. My parents gifted us money on our recent 21 year anniversary that we used towards a special dinner to celebrate. 5. Recently we went to Moe's and were charged extra for buffalo sauce my husband wanted on his chicken plus there service was super slow. I went online to enter complaint and they gifted us a $10 reward for our inconvenience. 6. Our dog food we normally buy was $10 less a bag this week, so i purchased a bag since we need it this week anyway.
WilliamB
Sunday 13th of October 2019
Am looking into Craigslist instead of new, for the large dining table and chairs that I want. I wonder how many dinings-in I need to host, to make up for the cost of buying a table?
Becca
Sunday 13th of October 2019
1. Packed a lunch on our trip to a farm harvest festival so we wouldn’t be tempted to buy food there. Still an expensive day but now a little less so.
2. Made homemade granola bars for school lunches and snacks instead of buying them.
3. Hubby got a bunch of free lunch meat & cheese from work which we used all week. (He is an accountant for a local sub chain)
4. Used our zoo pass and packed lunches for a free day of fun with some friends of ours.
5. Made a homemade robot Halloween costume for my eldest so we bought gray jammies that can be used the rest of the year instead of a costume. It can also be used for the Christmas play when he is going to be a donkey or sheep.
Cathy in NJ
Friday 11th of October 2019
My family did a short vacation at college break. #1 Brought my own sandwiches and snacks for the plane ride. Avoiding airport prices. #2 Ordered water at restaurants. Refilled water bottles to go. I actually have come to want water not soda with meals #3 Took the gift card instead of maid service at hotel. I can clean up after myself. #4 Made a PBJ in room breakfast. #5 Tutored my daughter in her college software class. The prof did not teach how to troubleshoot code so I did. This allowed her to complete the work herself and to keep up with the class. My daughter getting a good grade in a STEM class …. priceless. Realizing my software skills are still relevant … priceless.
priskill
Monday 14th of October 2019
oh gosh i love #5 -- you GO!