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1 - Repairing My Glasses Myself
One of the screws came out of my sunglasses and rather than take them in to be repaired, I bought an eyeglass repair kit for around $7 and fixed them myself. Not only was it cheaper than having someone else repair them, the kit will also come in handy when we're out cruising, our glasses break, and there isn't an eyeglass repair shop to be found.
2 - Repairing My Laptop Myself
When my laptop suffered a catastrophic failure, I ordered a new replacement fan/heatsink and replaced it myself. Although it's a pain to disassemble a laptop, it's very doable if you have the manual. And I saved myself heaps by fixing it myself.
3 - Saying No To A Dish Drainer
We got our current dish drainer off of the free table a while back. It works fine and fits on the counter perfectly, but I've always hated having to clean it as gunk gets stuck in little crevices and is hard to get at. I saw that Aldi had a collapsible dish drainer which would have been a breeze to keep clean. I said no to temptation. Sure it was nicer, but we already had one, which works perfectly fine. By saying no, I saved about $10. Besides, it was made of metal, which is a recipe for rust on a boat.
4 - Bringing My Water Bottle To Lunch
I met up with some friends at Subway for lunch and brought my water bottle with me. That way I wasn't tempted to buy a pop. I not only saved money, but also saved on calories.
5 - Visiting The Library
I love to read and I go through a lot of books each month, so the library is one of my favorite spots. I can check out all sorts of books for free.
What things have you done to save money lately? Any frugal tips and tricks to share? Do you ever fix things yourself?
You can find more links to blog posts from ourselves and others on how much we spend and how we try to save money on this page.
Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!
You can find more links to blog posts from ourselves and others on how much we spend and how we try to save money on this page.
Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!
I always have a water bottle with me. Soda is just empty calories and water is better for you.
ReplyDeleteI've changed out the fan on a desktop and can only imagine the fun of tearing apart a laptop.
I hadn't thought about desktops vs laptops. I wonder if it is easier on desktops?
DeleteI wish I knew how to fix my laptop if something went wrong. Awesome that you can. :)
ReplyDeleteI think replacing a fan is one of the easier fixes to do. Fortunately, I haven't had to try anything more complicated yet.
DeleteGreat post and ideas ~ my late husband used to be able to fix computers ~ wish I could.
ReplyDeleteHappy Week to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
It's a handy skill to have.
DeleteI don't like having a drainboard either - the look of it, the cleaning of it, etc. But I haven't found a better solution yet.
ReplyDeleteI use the library a lot, mostly by requesting books I'm not sure I want to buy. I get to try new authors, new genres, etc., and if I like them, I usually end up buying some of their backlist and/or their next release.
I like the library too for test driving new authors.
DeleteWe have a special draining pad which I just toss in the wash once a week. Works just as well and doesn't get slimy.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the draining pad. I'll have to check those out.
DeleteFor me, buying a boat was the savings. It seems odd, but in Toronto with the way rent is it was far less expensive to invest in something I owned and to rent the slip, and deal with repairs, than renting a room to board in a crappy neighbourhood. Not to mention the slip, and the marina, were far nicer than said neighbourhood.
ReplyDeleteI don't own the boat anymore (it was wood, and I discovered a really bad case of rot that would have folded the boat in half eventually) and I had move up North, but now when people ask me I can tell them that Toronto was expensive enough to make living aboard not only the least expensive option, but the nicest.
I can see that. It seems like more and more people are living on boats as it's cheaper than rent in many cities.
DeleteThose are some great cost-saving things you did. I'm scratching my head over what I could list, and I guess one thing this week would be that I bought seeds and not established plants for the garden. That was a mega saving.
ReplyDeleteBuying seeds is a huge money saver. Not as instantly gratifying as buying established plants, but better in the long term.
DeleteThat's terrific you can fix your own laptop! We have our own eyeglass repair kit too, since everyone is in our household wears glasses. No dishwasher either. I have friends that don't know how we live without one! When the weather is nice, I hang out the laundry to dry.
ReplyDeleteThe eye glass repair kit is great. I'm glad we have one.
DeleteWe haven't had a dishwasher in ages. I'm not sure I'd know how to operate one now :-)
I with you on the water. It's far better than sodas. I rarely have a soda. Rarely. I don't think they are good for you at all. Water is.
ReplyDeleteWe eat at home a lot and that saves tons of money. Eating out all the time can be far more expensive than we know.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
Eating out can be so expensive. That's why we like to save it for a treat or as a chance to catch up with friends.
DeleteI’m too clumsy to mend stuff (though I know a man who can) but i’m very good at going to the library!
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that you're a regular library patron :-)
DeleteAwesome that you can repair all these stuff yourself. I'll be lost!
ReplyDeleteIf you had asked me a few years ago I would never have dreamt that I could do it, but it's really not that hard.
DeleteI carry a water bottle with me all the time, too, and water's the only beverage I order with our meals when we eat out, too. My hubby used to make fun of me for drinking so much water, and then he got a kidney stone. Now he drinks water with all of his meals, too.
ReplyDeleteVery impressive that you repaired your laptop. :)
That sounds like a painful way to learn to drink more water for your hubby :-(
DeleteI'm impressed by the laptop repair, too. I trusted a website and bought the wrong battery last summer. I should have known better than to go by PC brand rather than battery number. It cost more to return and replace, which I think the company counted on, so I bought new elsewhere. My big victory of late was turning a nasty Chinese takeout dish into yummy moo shoo pork with a store bought sauce. Heh... I'm glad you liked the mug inscription I shared! Be well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pain about that battery! I ended up eating the cost of postage to return the first fan I bought (it was the wrong one), but fortunately it was only $5.
DeleteEvery time I read one of your frugal tips posts, I’m reminded I ought to start that tradition as well. But, only willing to post one blog a month, I have way too much stuff to report on and choose from already. :-)
ReplyDeleteMark and I always bring our own water (and lunch) wherever we go, or order ice water. Never any money spent on sodas. Expensive and bad for you. For the occasional dinner out, we order a glass of beer or wine.
As previous sailboat owners and current camper owners, we fix as much as possible ourselves. Thousands of dollars have been saved that way. Like you, I hate cleaning those dish racks, but, they last forever that way!
You guys are the ultimate in frugality :-) I don't drink soda very often, but sometimes it's quite refreshing.
DeleteAnd tasty mixed with rum - our only soda exception. :-)
DeleteI think many sailors would agree with you :-)
DeleteWhat a great idea! Sharing ways to save money … or ways that you saved money, definitely makes it easier and allows savings to happen in manageable chunks rather than being overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteI do have to say, of all the things you did, the one I'm most impressed with is fixing your laptop. That would STRESS ME OUT. My husband's an engineer, though, so I let him handle that kind of stuff. I'd be too afraid I'd break it further.
We took apart a really old computer once which gave me the courage to take apart this relatively new one. I think if we hadn't have done it on the old one first, then I would have felt really intimidated by it. It's actually much easier than it seems.
DeleteGlad you could get your computer fixed! Every time my computer breaks it is always beyond repair - that hurts the traveling kitty big time. If you every get tired of that dish drainer, here is what we do -- pile all the clean dishes in a mesh bag and hang it in the cockpit (an old girl scout trick). It is cheap, you can wash the bag, and it doesn't take any counter space.
ReplyDeleteHanging my dishes up to dry - that's a fun trick! It seems like computers break so much sooner after you buy them then they used to. And it's such a huge expense to replace them. Ugh.
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