How did you save money today?

[sampa]

I thought it would be nice to create a thread of ways you have saved money. Tips possibly. Freebies or coupons. As a single, especially food, things can get pricey when there's only one income and the savings are usually for family size meals.

 

[sampa]

I'll start off ...
Tip: National Pizza Day is tomorrow. There are places that are offering discounts or free pizza February 9.
Bertucci’s: Whether you want to dine in, carry it out or have it delivered, since National Pizza Day falls on a Tuesday, take advantage of Bertucci’s BOGO offer. Valid on Tuesdays, buy a brick oven pizza and receive a brick oven pizza for FREE.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse: Is it a pizza? Is it a cookie? Who cares? On Tuesdays at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse you can get a Pizookie for just $3. And since Feb. 9 falls on a Tuesday this year, consider it Pizookie day.

Blackjack Pizza: Just in time for National Pizza Day, the Triple Topper Deal is back at Blackjack Pizza. For just $13.99, get a large pizza with up to three toppings when you use the code TT at checkout.

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza: On Feb. 9 only, in honor of National Pizza Day, buy two entrées, with two beverages and get two FREE entrées at Brixx Wood Fired Pizza.

Chuck E. Cheese: Celebrate National Pizza Day at Chuck E. Cheese with their new Two for Tuesdays. Get two large one-topping pizzas for $22 every Tuesday, including Feb. 9.

Cici’s Pizza: For a limited time, get two large one-topping pizzas at Cici’s Pizza for just $5.99 each when you order online.

Dominos: Snag a great carry-out deal on Feb. 9 at Dominos. For just $7.99 each, get either a three-topping pizza or 10-piece wing deal when you order online and pick up at the store.

Einstein Bros. Bagels: Extending National Pizza Day by a whole week, Einstein Bros Bagels is running a $5 Family Pizza Bagel Box special. That’s 50% off the regular price. From Feb. 9 through Feb.14, get four classic cheese and four pepperoni pizza bagels (eight bagel halves) for $5.

Little Caesar’s: This online-only special from Little Caesar’s ends Feb. 28 and it’s a good one! Get one large round three-topping pizza for just $6.99.

Marco’s Pizza: Want to try something totally new in 2021? Ditch the crust and try Marco’s Pizza’s new build-your-own Pizza Bowls. Choose up to four toppings for just $7.99.

Where to Get Free Pizza on National Pizza Day

I'm sure there's more, this is just from one site.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I save money by living a generally spartan, minimalist, no-frills, lifestyle (now where did I put that rag, er, shirt).

 

[DragonFox91]

I'm not a big spender. People encourage me to spend more.

 

[public hermit]

I'm pretty frugal, but have been telling myself I need to use coupons. I have the saving them part down. I just can't seem to get myself to remember and use them, lol. Good thread. I'll be watching.

 

[sampa]

I'm pretty frugal, but have been telling myself I need to use coupons. I have the saving them part down. I just can't seem to get myself to remember and use them, lol. Good thread. I'll be watching.

I used to have a problem with using them some years ago when I was tight on free time. I developed a system that helps me. I have folders 3 folders in my passenger card door. One is for stores, another is for food & grocery and another for automotive or other. The envelopes I get for bills and never send, I save those and put coupons in there.

I no longer do the Sunday paper coupons, but use what I get in the mail. I have two main grocery stores I bounce between (more than that is too much in the beginning). Kroger and Meijers (for those of you familiar). Before I go into any store, I sort out what I'm going to use before I go in and clip digital coupons through my smartphone before going in. Any expired coupons I run across, I throw on my passenger floor (usually I throw out trash at the end of my trip or a fueling station). Hope that helps.

On a side note, I've added Target as they have some good digital deals every once in a while on Starbucks or household essentials.

 

[public hermit]

I used to have a problem with using them some years ago when I was tight on free time. I developed a system that helps me. I have folders 3 folders in my passenger card door. One is for stores, another is for food & grocery and another for automotive or other. The envelopes I get for bills and never send, I save those and put coupons in there.

I no longer do the Sunday paper coupons, but use what I get in the mail. I have two main grocery stores I bounce between (more than that is too much in the beginning). Kroger and Meijers (for those of you familiar). Before I go into any store, I sort out what I'm going to use before I go in and clip digital coupons through my smartphone before going in. Any expired coupons I run across, I throw on my passenger floor (usually I throw out trash at the end of my trip or a fueling station). Hope that helps.

On a side note, I've added Target as they have some good digital deals every once in a while on Starbucks or household essentials.

That does help. I use Food Lion. They give me coupons as I leave. If I put an envelope in my truck door, I can put them in there and then go through them before my next time at the store. That eliminates taking them into the house where I invariably forget them. Great idea. Thank you.

 

[sampa]

That does help. I use Food Lion. They give me coupons as I leave. If I put an envelope in my truck door, I can put them in there and then go through them before my next time at the store. That eliminates taking them into the house where I invariably forget them. Great idea. Thank you.

Glad that helps. Here are some of the folders that I use. I use sturdy plastic ones. You'll have to let me know in the next couple months how this works out.

 

[public hermit]

Glad that helps. Here are some of the folders that I use. I use sturdy plastic ones. You'll have to let me know in the next couple months how this works out.View attachment 294669 View attachment 294670 View attachment 294671

I'll do that. I'm going to put an envelope in their now. We'll see.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The stuff I buy seldom has coupons.

 

[TenthAveN]

I generally just try not to outspend my next paycheck. Though I had to buy my textbooks and pay for counseling, among other things. I was not successful for this two weeks.

 

[Freth]

I retired at the end of June last year. Before retirement, I made $46k more a year than I receive from my monthly pension payment. I know that even what I make now with my pension is more than the average person makes, so I've been blessed for sure and I don't take it for granted, not for a moment.

I planned ahead and paid off most of my debt and saved back a bit of money before I retired. Doing so allowed me to settle into retirement comfortably and live off of my pension. Once the last of my debt is paid off (two vehicles), I will be able to save back the extra money I'm not used to having every month.

I save money by eating vegetarian. People tend to think being a vegetarian is expensive, but it doesn't have to be. You don't have to buy fancy meat substitutes, you can make your own. The produce section of your grocery store has a large variety of cheap food that makes huge meals that will last a week.

Here's what I buy at the grocery store.

• Fresh vegetables that go a long way, like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes and onions. I also get baby spinach for salads. I also buy frozen vegetable packets for quicker meals.
  
• Fresh fruits that provide natural sugars. Apples, bananas, dates.
• Mixed nuts. I also use nuts in various recipes for amazing flavor. Peanut butter with just peanuts in it.
  
• Beans. Canned beans (rinsed and drained), for quick recipes. Dried beans, stored in case of emergency and rotated.
• Canned tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, etc. Versatile for making chili and tomato-based soups. Also, vegetarian sloppy joe using prefab spice packet mixes or canned. Spaghetti sauces and pastas (limited).
  
• Vegetable broth, for making soups of all description. I put together spice blends, which I've grabbed from soup recipes. Smoked paprika and liquid smoke for smoke flavoring. Lipton onion soup mix for various recipes.
• Pepper gravy packets and vegetables/meat substitutes make great "biscuits and gravy" over bread or white sloppy joe.
• Tortillas for making quick wraps with beans, spinach, onion, salsa.
• Ezekiel bread.
• Various whole grain breakfast cereals. My favorites being bite-sized wheat biscuits, oats, CoCo Wheats. I use almond milk.
  
• Frozen blueberries for breakfast cereals.
• Frozen meat substitutes of various types, if I can afford it.
• Whole wheat flour and corn meal for quick bread recipes, like flat breads, corn cakes, pancakes and similar.

Some of these options are expensive. Most of them are not. A pot of soup stretches for upwards to a week and most the combinations of these things will give 3-5 meals easy.

You don't have to buy a lot of processed foods to eat healthy and live on a budget. Eating cheap doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor. Eating vegetarian doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor.

I grew up in a denomination that encourages vegetarianism. I ate a lot of meat substitutes when I was younger and learned recipes for making my own vegetarian foods. My family and church has a rich history of tasty recipes and I have several cookbooks I can pull from.

The other day I made a cottage cheese loaf. So good!

Those are ways I save money.

 

[dqhall]

I retired at the end of June last year. Before retirement, I made $46k more a year than I receive from my monthly pension payment. I know that even what I make now with my pension is more than the average person makes, so I've been blessed for sure and I don't take it for granted, not for a moment.

I planned ahead and paid off most of my debt and saved back a bit of money before I retired. Doing so allowed me to settle into retirement comfortably and live off of my pension. Once the last of my debt is paid off (two vehicles), I will be able to save back the extra money I'm not used to having every month.

I save money by eating vegetarian. People tend to think being a vegetarian is expensive, but it doesn't have to be. You don't have to buy fancy meat substitutes, you can make your own. The produce section of your grocery store has a large variety of cheap food that makes huge meals that will last a week.

Here's what I buy at the grocery store.

• Fresh vegetables that go a long way, like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes and onions. I also get baby spinach for salads. I also buy frozen vegetable packets for quicker meals.
  
• Fresh fruits that provide natural sugars. Apples, bananas, dates.
• Mixed nuts. I also use nuts in various recipes for amazing flavor.
  
• Beans. Canned beans (rinsed and drained), for quick recipes. Dried beans, stored in case of emergency and rotated.
• Canned tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, etc. Versatile for making chili and tomato-based soups. Also, vegetarian sloppy joe using prefab spice packet mixes or canned. Spaghetti sauces and pastas (limited).
  
• Vegetable broth, for making soups of all description. I put together spice blends, which I've grabbed from soup recipes. Smoked paprika and liquid smoke for smoke flavoring. Lipton onion soup mix for various recipes.
• Pepper gravy packets and vegetables/meat substitutes make great "biscuits and gravy" over bread or white sloppy joe.
• Tortillas for making quick wraps with beans, spinach, onion, salsa.
• Ezekiel bread.
• Various whole grain breakfast cereals. My favorites being bite-sized wheat biscuits, oats, CoCo Wheats. I use almond milk.
  
• Frozen blueberries for breakfast cereals.
• Frozen meat substitutes of various types, if I can afford it.
• Whole wheat flour and corn meal for quick bread recipes, like flat breads, corn cakes, pancakes and similar.

Some of these options are expensive. Most of them are not. A pot of soup stretches for upwards to a week and most the combinations of these things will give 3-5 meals easy.

You don't have to buy a lot of processed foods to eat healthy and live on a budget. Eating cheap doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor. Eating vegetarian doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor.

I grew up in a denomination that encourages vegetarianism. I ate a lot of meat substitutes when I was younger and learned recipes for making my own vegetarian foods. My family and church has a rich history of tasty recipes and I have several cookbooks I can pull from.

The other day I made a cottage cheese loaf. So good!

Those are ways I save money.

Walmart has cheap groceries.

I got an Instant Pot pressure cooker. I soaked beans overnight or longer changing the water sometimes. I cooked beans 45 minutes. The cooker turned itself off when time expired. The cooked beans were not hard, same as canned beans.

I made gluten free cornbread without wheat flour. I cooked sliced apples in my pressure cooker and poured them over the top of my corn bread crumbles. I refrigerated the remainder using them in a few days.

I cooked steel cut oats. After they were cooked I added a frozen banana and frozen berries to cool it down. I bought eight or more bananas and once they were ripe I peeled them and put them whole or in sections in plastic storage boxes into the freezer.

 

[HisGraceAbounds]

I have always lived a rather acetic lifestyle, so saving money is pretty easy for me. It took years to learn how to do it properly, but now it only requires discipline.

The biggest place where I must watch my spending is food. I'm alone, so cooking is rare (I can only eat leftovers so frequently), and I find myself drawn to convenience items. Pricey. Not good for me. I have food at home if I'd get off my lazy butt and cook it.

 

[sampa]

The stuff I buy seldom has coupons.

What do you typically buy?

I planned ahead and paid off most of my debt and saved back a bit of money before I retired.

This is great advise, esp for those 10-15 years from retirement.

I save money by eating vegetarian.

Yes, I've heard that eating meat 2x a week can cut cost. That's typically what I eat. Grassfed beef and free range chicken may be more expensive, but health wise the benefit outweighs the cost.

Here's what I buy at the grocery store.

Great list!!!!!! A lot of what I eat, but I eliminated most bread.

I got an Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Nice tips!!!!

 

[bèlla]

Planning is my primary strategy for savings. I eat and shop seasonally and focus on quality over price. Food and cleaning products with no additives is healthier. I’ve shifted to natural fibers for clothing and linens. And I source things directly when possible.

Sustainability is the goal but I have a long-term approach. I’m not frugal and my discretionary spending is greater due to low expenses. I don’t have a mortgage, car note, etc. Or routine requirements like smoking. That frees up resources.

I make tradeoffs too. Last year I decided to give up Starbucks. I couldn’t justify the refined sugar (I like cold drinks). I switched to a French tea brand in its place.

I don’t believe in penny pinching but living within my means is a must.

ETA: Buying in bulk helps depending on the item.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

 

[dqhall]

What do you typically buy?

This is great advise, esp for those 10-15 years from retirement.


Yes, I've heard that eating meat 2x a week can cut cost. That's typically what I eat. Grassfed beef and free range chicken may be more expensive, but health wise the benefit outweighs the cost.

Great list!!!!!! A lot of what I eat, but I eliminated most bread.

Nice tips!!!!

I ate canned sardines or clams once every three days instead of meat. There is the B-12 and Omega 3 I need. Ground flaxseed cooked with oatmeal provided ALA.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

What do you typically buy?

Low fat milk, wwbread, bananas, apples, oranges, potatoes, organic carrots, Smucker's peanut butter, organic eggs, organic half 'n half, canned tuna and salmon, frozen fish fillets, whole grain crackers, low sodium canned soups, boneless/skinless chicken breasts, some cheeses. These make up my main diet.

The prices on these items don't fluctuate much although occasionally some will be on sale cheaper. I don't even look at the coupons as my stuff is rarely featured.

 

[TenthAveN]

There was a time when I would buy a guitar approximately every 3 months, and I almost always split them into 3 payments. So for a period of time almost every month there would be a payment. I don’t think I’ve bought a guitar in at least 9 months.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

There was a time when I would buy a guitar approximately every 3 months, and I almost always split them into 3 payments. So for a period of time almost every month there would be a payment. I don’t think I’ve bought a guitar in at least 9 months.

Are you a dealer or a collector? That's a lot of guitars.