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Thread: May Frugals!

  1. #1
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    May Frugals!

    I had to buy supplies at Home Depot today for an upcoming home project, as well as some smaller items for our carpentry class. I had $300 in gift cards from credit card churning sign-on bonus rewards. Since I was spending more than $300, clerk asked me if I wanted to open an HD cc and I would save $50 on my purchase, so I did, and I also got a coupon for $25 off a future purchase. My out of pocket was $28 for a $378 purchase.

  2. #2
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rosarugosa View Post
    I had to buy supplies at Home Depot today for an upcoming home project, as well as some smaller items for our carpentry class. I had $300 in gift cards from credit card churning sign-on bonus rewards. Since I was spending more than $300, clerk asked me if I wanted to open an HD cc and I would save $50 on my purchase, so I did, and I also got a coupon for $25 off a future purchase. My out of pocket was $28 for a $378 purchase.
    whoah that is youuuuuuge!

  3. #3
    Yppej
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    Impressive Rosa!

    I price shopped the supplier portion of my electric bill saving 2 1/2 cents per kilowatt hour over the default renewal rate.

  4. #4
    Senior Member flowerseverywhere's Avatar
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    DH talked to our insurance agent after our bundled plans went up $200. We ended up saving $500 per year. He does this every year and we would be paying thousands more if he just paid the bill.

    I saved a ton of money too. I rented a long arm quilting machine one day and quilted two quilts. I have quite a few friends who have big machines and I’ve been having some envy. This cured me from wanting to spend $15,000 to 25,000 which I was too cheap to do anyway.

  5. #5
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flowerseverywhere View Post
    ...
    I saved a ton of money too. I rented a long arm quilting machine one day and quilted two quilts. I have quite a few friends who have big machines and I’ve been having some envy. This cured me from wanting to spend $15,000 to 25,000 which I was too cheap to do anyway.
    That's a good compromise--why spend all that money and sacrifice space unless you're going to make a business of it? Renting would be the way to go. I think the largest quilt I ever made was about 2' x 2', so fortunately that's one extravagance I don't need to pursue.

  6. #6
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Spent a few days in VT, and realized how important ambient lighting is. The ceiling fan lights in the cabin were SO garish. Not pleasant at all. While shopping for DIL's shower, I looked at lamps to buy, but couldn't find anything I liked well enough to spend the money.

    After the shower I was driving home to VT home, wishing I had more pleasant ambience, and while driving through one of the small towns late on a Sunday I was surprised to see that a second-hand store was still open. I went inside and found a matching table lamp AND floor lamp for $30 for the set. I asked for free bulbs, and he gave them to me.

    Bought them, plugged them in, and enjoyed a lovely evening in my little cabin, watching the old 1980s movie with Diane Keaton, Baby Boom.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

  7. #7
    Yppej
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    I am going over budget, but under income. Last month I paid my homeowners insurance for the entire year to get a discount. This month I had chimney repairs done which luckily came in under quote, but unluckily are supposed to be under warranty but the roofer wouldn't fix it and the Better Business Bureau isn't getting anywhere with him though the process is not done yet. He told me take him to court but I have so little time off at my new job. I may try another route.

  8. #8
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    We haven't gone to a restaurant since Sunday! That's HUGE for us

  9. #9
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    Picking up some frugals this month:

    - Finally moved our home/auto/umbrella insurance to another insurer. Between some smart upgrades in coverage and the "new customer welcome discount" we'll net out around $400 less in insurance costs this year. In the simple living department, we went with an independent insurance agent so when it comes time in 2-3 years to shop insurers again, we still will have good odds of staying with this agency.

    - Looked at refinancing our mortgage because (not frugal) we're paying mortgage insurance each month on a loan that's well below half the value of the house. Turns out it's a "feature" of the mortgage and it cannot be removed. But, over its life, a re-fi would cost three times as much as the PMI, so we'll just bump up our additional principal payments and get it done without spending on appraisals and closing costs and the like.

    - Now that the freezer is empty, I've been tossing new bargains in there.

    - The furnace is off for the summer and the auxiliary heater in the bathroom has been unplugged. Let the lower utility bills commence!

    - Got a check for a class action lawsuit settlement (Harbor Freight). Not sure how it worked out, but I don't think I spent as much at HF as the check was written for, so ... ??

    - Our last bag of dog food was the "free" one we get after purchasing 11 bags. It's not the cheapest stuff around but it keeps the little bucket of need happy and healthy. And I have a coupon for the next bag.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by flowerseverywhere View Post
    I saved a ton of money too. I rented a long arm quilting machine one day and quilted two quilts. I have quite a few friends who have big machines and I’ve been having some envy. This cured me from wanting to spend $15,000 to 25,000 which I was too cheap to do anyway.
    I was quilting my own small stuff but sending out my big stuff and then after taking the LA class, doing my own. Problem? I had to burn a vacation day every time I wanted to do a quilt. After the 4th day in a year, I got frustrated. I'd been saving all bonus $ from my employer. So I spent it all on a mid-arm. (far less than your $15k)

    My breakeven on doing my own was less than 5 years from sending them out. 9 years later? I have quilted 184 quilts. Yes, that includes tablerunners and baby quilts but OMG am I so very happy I bought my Babylock Jewel.

    I can quilt at 3am. I can quilt at 7pm. I can quilt on Sunday (the shop isn't open on Sunday). And during the week it was only open 10-5. Not a single vacation day burned. (I'm required to take 8h. OT exempt law requires all or none).

    Not a moment of buyers' remorse on this expenditure!

    Not a moment's regret!

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