Apparently, one roundup of frugal wins was not enough!!!
Last week I shared nine simple ways we’ve saved money this summer… and immediately came up with another list!
Of course I find the “big” wins especially exciting—I have a flight-related story that’s big enough to deserve its own post; stay tuned!!!!!—but the little things matter too. Small savings and avoided purchases (an underrated way to save, in my opinion) add up.
Here are nine more ways we’ve saved money lately.
1. We Got Money From the Bread Settlement
Does anyone remember the Canadian bread-price-fixing debacle?
I don’t understand all the details, but at some point John and I both submitted claims. A year or two ago, I think? And then we forgot about it… until we each got an e-mail letting us know we’d each be getting about $50 in compensation!
Admittedly, this money is connected to years of inflated bread prices, so it isn’t exactly free. But getting $100 after filling out a form and then doing nothing for a very long time felt like a frugal win.
(It’s always worth paying attention to settlements and rebates. Sometimes the applications are tedious and lead nowhere, but sometimes money unexpectedly appears in your bank account!)
2. Cash Back From a No-Fee Credit Card
My credit card doesn’t come with any glamorous perks like free checked luggage or fun welcome bonuses.
It’s just a basic, no-fee cash-back card. But I average about $15 in cash back each month.
Hey, $15 is $15!
That works out to roughly $180 a year without paying an annual fee or doing anything beyond using the card for purchases I’d be making anyway.
(P.S. I did see that there is currently an incredible Chase Sapphire sign-up bonus [*not an affiliate link!], but I can’t apply for one without an American address or bank account. Womp, womp.)
(P.P.S. John’s personal credit card and our corporate card are fee-based and linked to Aeroplan, so we do get in on the credit card flight perks in two different ways.)
3. Free Lufthansa Chocolates
Speaking of airlines, I LOVE the Lufthansa-branded Lindt chocolates they hand out on flights.
John knows this and sweetly (pun intended) saves his for me.
On his most recent work trip, he came home with three for me! I realize three pieces of free airline chocolate are not single-handedly changing our financial future, but it’s delicious, thoughtful, and my favourite price!
4. Lunch Special + Leftovers
Last week, I took Joy out for a belated birthday lunch.
Because we went during the day, I was able to order off the lunch menu, which is considerably less expensive than the evening options.
The portions were very generous; in fact, I couldn’t finish mine, so I brought the rest home and we enjoyed the leftovers the next evening.
Restaurant leftovers are a great frugal win because they also prevent the compulsion to eat beyond fullness simply because the food is sitting in front of you. Doggy bags for the win!
5. The Library Removes Financial “Risk” From Reading
I mentioned free library books in my last frugal roundup, but there’s another angle I failed to discuss: there is ZERO financial risk!!
I probably stop reading at least 25 percent of the books I start these days.
I find it easier to bring home a giant pile, dive into whichever book appeals to me in the moment, and abandon anything I’m not enjoying. This works a lot better than standing in a bookstore trying to predict which book I will “definitely” love.
When the books are free, I don’t feel obligated to finish something simply because I paid for it. I picked up a big stack for Indy and he didn’t end up wanting anything I brought home for him.
The library saves me money, and it also saves me from reading books I don’t like.
6. Going to the Movies on Cheap Night
John took Indy and one of his friends to the movies last Tuesday, which is Cheap Night where we live.
There are certain experiences where changing the timing doesn’t typically change the level of enjoyment; movies are a great example.
We go to the theatre a few times each year, so choosing the discounted night is an easy way to reduce the cost without impacting the fun.
7. Keeping My Ancient iPhone
My iPhone is so old. It’s laggy and I can’t upgrade to the latest iOS at this point. It sucks and my kids make fun of it and I am SO READY FOR A NEW ONE.
Soon, when John upgrades his phone, I’ll inherit his current one. Oh happy day. It’s going to feel like getting a brand-new phone even though it will not, in fact, be new.
This is our unofficial system: when John gets a new phone for work, I inherit his old one, and mine limps off into retirement (we usually resell it second-hand).
Using the same phone for years—and moving devices down through the family instead of everyone buying something new—saves a substantial amount of money.
Frugality isn’t necessarily glamorous, but it also makes me so much more appreciative when I do get an upgrade. Delayed gratification for the win! My phone was working great until about six months ago. I could have rushed out to get a new phone but I’m content knowing a “free” hand-me-down is coming my way soon. (Not exactly free since John will be upgrading to a new phone; he needs more advanced tech for his work, so it makes sense for him to upgrade to the newest version.)
8. Making the Most of Airline Amenity Kits
John was upgraded on two recent work flights and came home with little drawstring bags filled with some travel accessories.
These bags will be perfect for wrapping up Christmas presents. (If they stay in our house, they’ll go back into my gift-wrapping stash to be used repeatedly.)
I’m already using one of the lip balms and I LOVE it.
The unopened lip balm and one of the travel-sized hand creams will go into my gift stash to be used as stocking stuffers. The eye masks are amazing and almost identical to the style I already use. I go through one eye mask a year, usually, so this will prevent me from having to buy any this year.
9. Free Greenery
I already blogged about this, but it’s a great frugal hack. These cuttings from an existing pothos plant were free! And they’re inside a glass pasta sauce jar I rinsed out and ran through the dishwasher.
Okay. I’m off. We have a car appointment which will NOT be frugal (shocks? something to do with the suspension? I’m not sure… I am literally just along for the ride).
I’ll try to pop back tomorrow to discuss our BIG frugal win recently; spoiler alert: it involves a flight cancellation.
Your turn:
- What are some of your recent frugal wins?
- Do you upgrade your electronics frequently, or use them until they’re on their last legs?
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You had some nice frugal wins! I hate updating electronics, so I keep them until they won’t work anymore. I feel like updating means I have to relearn practically everything! My frugal win, I guess, is that I was going to order a set of fancy new markers. Then I realized that I already have SO many markers, and I should just use those. I removed it from my cart and went on with my day. That saved me $20!
Yay, I love frugal wins – even the small ones! They make me giddy every time. I just recently earned $45 cashback (for future use) at Target for purchases that I had to make anyway and it made me feel so smug for remembering to activate those rewards!
I also got some cuttings from a coworker recently and now I have three baby spider plants on my window sill 🙂
I still have an iPhone12 (which seems ancient now) and I just got the battery replaced earlier this year because I wasn’t ready to put down the money for a new one yet.
I also keep my phones as long as possible. Mine still takes updates, so it’s newer than yours. Assuming all else continues to work, I will likely get a new battery for it next year. Much cheaper than a new phone! I am pretty sure I am on my second smart phone. Before that I had a couple of texting phones, which were great, and of course I had no use at all for a smart phone…until I got one and then I was hooked. Addicted like everyone else.
Thanks for the heads up about the Chase card. I’ve been considering that one, it’s one that Birchie recommended on her blog. I’ve hesitated because of the $95 annual fee, and I certainly don’t NEED another credit card. But with a points bonus that high, it definitely will pay off to use that one for a few months at least. Extra frugal win, I had Birchie send me a referral link so she can get a kickback. Cool bloggers FTW!
I love my free plants! My avocado tree was grown from a seed, and my plumeria was a gift from my cousin. She sent me cuttings from her tree. That is only sort of free, because they were really big cuttings and she had to ship them to me. Still, it is blooming and is giving me so much joy!
We went to a birthday party on Saturday, which was a potluck. We have a bunch of potato salad left, so we will be including that in our dinner tonight.
Oh, your bread settlement…I don’t think I’ve ever gotten anything from a settlement before, but Ted got a check for $100 for one a month or so ago, and all three of us filled out paperwork for another one last week. Will we get money from that one? Time will tell!
Hello,👋
I signed up for the bread settlement too. Such a nice surprise to get a cheque in the mail! I’m curious which restaurant you went to with Joy now? Maybe I need to visit.
My biggest saving always comes from online ordering from Superstore. If I go into the store I always end up buying something else that’s not on the list. Last week I went in and bought mojitos Perrier fizzy waters $10 for four…. Way more expensive than the regular bubbly. I did however hide them from the children and very much enjoy each one. 😆
I also keep my phones as long as possible until the battery life becomes problematic. Then I buy a new phone. Phil has replaced batteries on his older iPhones and if that isn’t worth the $$, he buys a refurbished iPhone. I’m a bit bougier about my phones and like to get the 2nd to newest model so I can get all the bells and whistles. Phil does not need that and would rather save the money. When our kids get phones, though, we will be going the refurbished route for sure!
I get emails about being part of so many class action law suits. So I always make sure to submit the claim, which can usually be done electronically. It’s always a pleasant surprise when it settles and I get some money in my venmo account or whatever account I submit during the claim process!