It seems like a lot of us are pretty frugal and don’t want to pay full price for anything. If you found a good deal/steal on something that others might be able to benefit from, feel free to crow about it here.

Sundanceliving.com is having a closing sale. It’s the same company formally owned by Robert Redford. Yes, it still has a lot of western inspired clothing and overpriced (but nice) jewelry. They also have good staples and almost all of the clothing is high quality.
I saw this coming in the spring and think it’s going to turn into a fire sale. Found some nice casual blazers/jackets and t shirts/tanks that have held up well for outside activities. Right now prices are fairly normal with some decent stuff up to 70% off, but If you sign up for emails and texts (I think) you get immediate notice of flash sales. A month ago they had a 1 day flash sale for $29.00 pants/jeans that was a great haul for me. All very nice stuff so I bought 5 different pairs. To my surprise they all fit. None of them are left on the site now. Lots of tops and dresses. The closing was just announced so I think prices will start dropping more in a week or 2.

Walgreens: 2 wick candles that are normally $12.99 are on sale for between $2.49 and $4.99. Lots in the $3.49 range. I bought 4 nicely scented ones for the price of 1.

For expensive items that I will use regularly, like a laptop, a smartphone, and appliances, I will try to strike that balance between price and quality for return on value. I'll wait for clearances on specific models. Items that are dinged cosmetically, but still functional.

I found value by networking and looking in other places. I found the biggest benefits and discounts through work. At work, the company was renovating the gym and refreshing the equipment. It was holding an auction on the old equipment, where the proceeds would go to a local charity. At the same time, your winning bid would qualify for a charitable contribution. I was able to get some good deals while benefiting a good cause. All these other little things that people research and share about benefits, it all adds up.

Also, getting to know more people in the neighborhood and within my proximity. Who to use as contractors and for services.

I appreciate the quality and longevity of higher end items (clothes, shoes, bags, etc.) but not the prices.
These things end up on the secondary market, gently used or like new, at greatly reduced prices.
I find them on the reselling platforms.
I get good prices on services (haircuts, car repair, etc.) by developing relationships with "experts" and I tip well.
The only place I don't seek out aggressive discounts is groceries. I place a high value on quality and healthful food....but I don't eat much, so I guess I save via leftovers.
I use the Upside gas app for gas discounts, although I don't think they are generous lol.
Big user of frequent traveler programs...

BF: I heard that Steve Miller cancelled his tour due to weather.. That sucks!

Pani: Love auctions. That gym equipment one must have been great. I ended up getting home gym equipment for Zulily bit by bit. They folded so I’m glad I got stuff when I did.

Not seeing the effects of the tariffs yet so I’m starting to get fall apparel. The most important thing is liking what I get so I’ll wear it. Zulily didn’t accept returns. I’ve learned to be selective, return stuff and wait on things I want until the seasonal sales hit. I don’t want to have to buy anything at all next year. That’s my main goal.

Hubby and I do our housework for free. Once, we needed a little help. After hubby heart attack, his family descended upon us and finished his tasks for that time frame. Such a deal!

I just got a good deal on cleaning supplies from Amazon. Spend $50 and get a $15 credit. examples: Lysol products, Kleenex brand. The best part is I paid for it with Amazon credits from some recent Presto shops


A little background: I have started ordering certain things from Amazon that I usually get from Wal-Mart (Dishwashing soap, etc.) The items I have ordered have been the exact same price as WM with the added benefit that they were delivered to my door free of charge and I avoided having to get out in the heat and spend money for gasoline. PLUS I have avoided the impulse purchases in the bakery

Wow, ok.. let me see how easily I can out cheap you folks.. lol.

First: Laundry.
I don't buy laundry soap that costs more than 6 cents per load, I'm currently using detergent sheets, because they come in paper boxes, and not plastic. The most recent deal I found was Arm and Hammer laundry detergent sheets. I cut the sheets in half (a neat little 2" x 2" square) because I have a tiny little washer that only uses a maximum of 6 liters of water on the largest load setting. I usually use it on the 4 liters setting. I do NOT use scent beads or fabric softeners; I put a tablespoon of vinegar in the final rinse. I don't use a dryer; I have drying racks attached to walls in the bathroom and dining room for hanging clothes to dry on.

Second: Cleaning products.
I don't buy commercial cleaning products EXCEPT for Dawn Dishwashing liquid. I have a stockpile of various spray bottles and squirt bottles that I've collected over the years. In the "all purpose" cleaner bottle is vinegar, water, and about 1/4 tsp of Dawn. It cleans everything and doesn't leave a soapy residue. In another bottle I make a bug spray, more of a deterrent than a killing spray, but it does kill insects too. That bottle is 1/4 tsp. peppermint oil, 1/4 tsp. cedar oil, 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/4 tsp. Dawn, 1/4 tsp Neem oil (only in the summer), and the rest water in a 24 oz spray bottle.

Third: Paper.
I do NOT buy paper towels. I make rags out of old clothing; I have a collection of probably close to 10 dozen tea towels (flour sack towels). In the way back machine, we used to go to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena every year, I bought ONE roll of paper towels for camping on Colorado Blvd. every year simply because I did not want to lose any of my tea towels. Old bath towels never die; they just get cut smaller with new scrap fabric edging and usually end up as garage rags after they've served every scrap of usefulness inside the house. Newspapers are hard to get here in AL, so I don't use them as often as I once did, but newsprint is NEVER wasted. I wrap food in newsprint, kind of like buying fish and chips in the UK. When we have some that has served all other purposes, I will sometimes use it to soak up fat from fried foods, and then it's used as a fire starter for a trash pit. Printing paper is a premium too, I use about 1 ream every 6 - 8 months, for MS LOAs and such. When paper has been scarce, I've downsized the pages to fit two pages on a sheet, and used half sized LOAs, in black and white ink. That way I can still use the leftovers for other things at home when there are out of date leftovers. For multipage items, like leave behind forms, I just print on both sides, but I probably should reduce the size for those too. Paper NEVER leaves my house, except as LOAs. It all gets shredded and/or burnt on my property after its useful life.

Utilities:
I'm not as conscious of water use as I was in CA. Even when we are currently in a “drought” here in AL there is more random standing water in my county than there is in the entire state of CA. I don’t water plants, not even veggies. The only time I had veggies die from lack of water here in AL was last summer when we had no rain for 8 weeks. Mostly they die from too much water here because I always forget to go out and drain the excess from the seedling trays after the rain stops. I still prefer to use appliances that save water and electricity whenever possible. The new water heater, freezer, and refrigerator are all high efficiency appliances.

Buying stuff:
The new chest freezer is 19 cu ft. Retail price is over $800. I paid $419 at Lowe’s. The water heater wasn’t as dramatic as that, but I saved almost $200 of the retail price at Home Depot. The refrigerator, now 10 years old, I got for free through an electricity saving program in CA. So Cal Edison also made significant energy saving improvements to my home and gave me rebates for changing all the lighting in the house to LED. My regular electricity bill in CA was $25 - $35, depending on the season. Unfortunately, they don’t have those programs here, TVA isn’t cheap, but I still manage to keep my electricity bill around $ 80 - $ 120 most of the year, it’s always higher in the winter because I need more than one space heater to keep the temperature over 60 degrees on some days... or weeks.

That may be enough for now. But I also do not wear makeup, or go to salons, or pay folks to cut my hair. And I’ve yet to pay over $15 for a single article of clothing that wasn’t a bra, and most of those I got for $4 or $5 each too.

Yes, they cancelled the entire tour.....I read his statement with interest.
We're disappointed, to say the least....

oh! MLZ just made me think of a website I've ordered from for quality clothes at unbeatable prices...mostly leisure and athletic...but I love their "hoodies" - great sleep wear in winter. www.32degrees.com

what types of veggies do you grow? my relatives in AL live for the tomatoes and okra

Peace & Savings & The Environment loves it too.

I change the oil in our vehicles. Once fully drained from the vehicle, I pour it back into the ground because that's where it came from. Should another person wish to discover their own crude oil, my advice is to; "Drill, Baby, Drill!"
[www.facebook.com]

I have another frugal piece of advice for route Mystery Shoppers from Steve Martin; "Always carry a litter bag in your car. If it ever gets full, just toss it out the window."
[www.youtube.com]

Not only savings, but the environment loves it too.


Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2025 11:21PM by maverick1.

Does anyone else use the Too Good To Go mobile app? It connects people to bakeries, restaurants and stores that have unsold food approaching its sell-by/best-by date.

It is a good way to try new places and things for a third of the menu price. It is an adventure because you don't know what you will get.

Bare, I like to grow tomatoes, but I never get enough for canning. I end up buying my canning tomatoes from a guy down the street. I love okra, and I've grown okra, but I've never cooked okra.. the chickens usually end up eating it.

My mother in law used to make fried okra that everybody loved except me...no doubt because I was not raised on them and have a Northern palate. To be polite, I used to add a few to my plate...cooking was her great passion in life - and her kids....I think she dipped them in some kind of cornmeal batter, then fried them.
The woman could make a breakfast biscuit however, best I've ever had outside of one place in Savannah.
Her kids loved her chocolate cream pie...crust from scratch....chocolate cream from scratch...no pudding mix for her, no way lol.
They lived near a military base....whenever the general was holding a reception, usually for promotions, he would call specifically for her to make the refreshments.
I brought her some bagels once. She just looked at them lol...
I miss her for a multitude of reasons.
PS/my mom's canned tomatoes made our best chili and spaghetti sauce in the winter.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2025 08:07PM by BarefootBliss.

@jgardn02 wrote:

Does anyone else use the Too Good To Go mobile app? It connects people to bakeries, restaurants and stores that have unsold food approaching its sell-by/best-by date.

It is a good way to try new places and things for a third of the menu price. It is an adventure because you don't know what you will get.

Thank you. I'm planning to give this a try.

Bare, I used to cook like that. I still would except my son took over my kitchen and I can't stand to even go in there now. I don't walk past the coffee pot anymore. the good news is he's learning to be a really good cook, he even made bread on his own for the first time before the oven broke again. I cooked biscuits from scratch every morning with breakfast for my kids before school. Every holiday season I made 60 either pumpkin or sweet potato pies for my friends and family. For about 30 years I baked all of my own bread. My grandma used to tell us that if it's not made from scratch it's not worth eating.

I take advantage of the 200 bonus fuel point offers Kroger runs each month. Often this stacks with 4X fuel points, but if not, I still get the "everyday" 2X fuel points. I normally buy the absolute minimum amount required for each gift card, which usually explains why I might use multiple gift cards with $15 or $25 each on a shop where they are allowed. I make sure to get the maximum of 35 gallons when using fuel points. That's a mixture of gas in the tank and the rest in my containers to use later. My sister and one of my nieces know my alternate ID as well, so they can help redeem extra fuel points. I consistently get gas for around $2 a gallon (sometimes less!) because of this.

@jgardn02 wrote:

Does anyone else use the Too Good To Go mobile app? It connects people to bakeries, restaurants and stores that have unsold food approaching its sell-by/best-by date.

It is a good way to try new places and things for a third of the menu price. It is an adventure because you don't know what you will get.

Too Good To Go is not always that great of a deal, but it's certainly worth trying. Just note you normally need to pick up your order at a given time (sometimes it's only a 10-15 time frame at the end of the day). Consider running other errands to make the most out of what would otherwise be a special trip.

I would suggest trying Flashfood as well. In my area, all Meijer locations and many Giant Eagle locations are on it. (Kroger doesn't use it, but they seem to do fine moving manager's specials at each store to begin with.) Make sure to get a promo or referral code before signing up. Also, if you aren't sure about the quality of certain products a store is offering (like a box of produce), you can always check it out in person first and then place the order while at the store itself.

I'll check out Flashfood.

For TGTG, there is the "surprise" element. I did find one place though that my friend loves and will occasionally pay full price. Enjoys the whole menu. While no deals today, I'll see if anything pops up on the weekdays.

@jgardn02 wrote:

Does anyone else use the Too Good To Go mobile app? It connects people to bakeries, restaurants and stores that have unsold food approaching its sell-by/best-by date.

It is a good way to try new places and things for a third of the menu price. It is an adventure because you don't know what you will get.

I have used this a few times. Our favorite pizza place offers this for 4.99 and it never disappoints. In the box, every time, specialty items like eggplant pizza or some hefty special pizza slice. They also throw in the large pizza rolls that are stuffed with all kinds of different things. They tend it put two of those in the box, different kinds. They give a nice variety compared to other pizza places.

I wish more places would sign up, for us it is mostly bagel places, pizza, bakeries and whole foods but whole foods is kind of far to drive to for me. There are not many of those here.

My biggest savings has come from being an amazon vine member. I was invited to this program 6 months ago. It is an invite only program and you receive free products in exchange for writing honest reviews. However, these products have a taxable value so it is considered income and you will have to pay income tax on it. Many beauty and health items have a zero tax value so I do get many of those. I track my tax value each month and put money aside.

I have received so many great items. For 0 tax dollars, I have received, shampoo, conditioner, hair dye, makeup, skin cleaner, under eye gel pads, shaving gel, the list goes on and on.

For my house, I have replaced many things that needed to be replaced like a shower curtain rod, the shower curtain, the curtain rings, a new faucet for the bathroom, a new faucet for the kitchen, a desk chair, hobby items like paint by number, candles, phone cases, cleaning supplies, paper plates, pet toys, pet supplies, so much stuff.

I try to only order things we have an immediate need for so if I open my amazon app to search for something, I say, wait, I need to check vine first. If it is not there, wait a few days, it usually shows up. Just got my son a new bed frame that he needed, waiting for the mattress to appear.

That has been the biggest help for us. It is basically a 75% discount on any item. But the beauty products are phenomenal and tax free so I order alot of that. I actually have had to stop because I have too much. Need to use some of it up first.

Datagirl, I've heard of this program. Is the program made up of members who order more frequently and leave quality reviews? I heard it's selective. I usually only sign up for a free Amazon Prime trial around Amazon Prime Days.

@paniconmon wrote:

Datagirl, I've heard of this program. Is the program made up of members who order more frequently and leave quality reviews? I heard it's selective. I usually only sign up for a free Amazon Prime trial around Amazon Prime Days.

Actually it is very random and does not seem to be connected to how much yoi order. You will usually get an invite after writing a review for a product. I have done tons of reviews and just got invited this year but others say the only have written a few. The program can be beneficial if you have some self control. I have seen people go crazy and were surprised by their tax bill. Reddit has a few groups for vine. I find it helpful.

This weapon is only for the pesky, murky need vs. want problem, fights back against sales and marketing tactics, and presumes no medical or other absolute justification for some purchases. You know what this means for you. As you run out of your precious must-have 'whatever' product, let it go away. Do not repurchase it. You can live without it or find a better-priced alternative. Yes, you can. Months later, ask yourself whether you still need it or want the precious version. Do you even need or want the less pricey version??

That's my sentiment about ice cream. It's a discretionary purchase.

Yes, but I only buy the quarts with real ingredients. I also have self control as I take MY quart out of the freezer occasionally and eat only about one scoop directly with a spoon. Then right back into the freezer it goes. That quart will last about a month easily.

@paniconmon wrote:

That's my sentiment about ice cream. It's a discretionary purchase.

I tried TGTG today. One of the more popular places has an ongoing deal throughout the day, but not in the closing hours. I believe the surprise bag was yesterday's goods. Anyway, it was still fresh, an assortment of flavors that included a limited-time flavor, and a heaping amount. I was very pleased and impressed.