Saved money by doing it myself (sale, items)

[Sarahsez]

What have you done for yourself lately or learned how to do lately to save money?

Tonight my husband and I made beef fajitas. This is a new meal for us to make because I wasn't sure what meat to use. I have a little tweaking to do. The meal turned out good. The savings were worth it.

To eat out, it would cost us (for a family of five) at our favorite restaurant:

fajita platter $15
drink $2.50
_____________
Total $17.50 per person

x5 people = $87.50
20% tip = $17.50
_________________
Total $105 plux tax (I'm not sure of percent so I left it out.)

Our cost to make the meal was around $20 plus tax.

skirt steak $10
tortillas $4
bell pepper $1
onion $1
spices >$1
avocado $.50
lime $.50
sour cream $1
tea $.50
cheese $1
rice $.50
beans $.50

Obviously, we could have had more options at the restaurant that possibly would have either increased or decreased the amount of the bill. I could have easily have added chips and salsa or a mixed drink here at home. I didn't want the calories.

Since were buckling down on budget, we'll still eat out once in a while. We'll reduce costs by making a trip out for trip out for dessert or a lunch trip instead of supper to take advantage of a less expensive menu.

[Listener2307]

Kudos to you!

We have felt the need to buckle down once in a while, and the pride of finding a better, cheaper way of doing things is always nice.
BOL to you!

[KittenSparkles]

I have taught myself how to cut my own hair using YouTube videos. I started with just the bangs and front layers several years ago, and now can give myself a full haircut. It is nearly identical to one I would get in salons. It only saves me a couple of hundred bucks per year, but I like the feeling of being able to do it myself. Of course there are some styles that this would be impossible for, but it works for mine.

[Nov3]

Good question and glad to see you are taking on some new recipes!!

Here is some money saving tasks I do:

1: Make my own house cleaners
2: Automotive repair- brakes- oil changes, Basic auto care
3: Sew.
4: Belong to a co-op for veg garden. (15$ gets alotta food!)
5: Utilize a food warehouse for bulk items- My neighbor and I split the items and use coupons!
6: Summer/fall, Utilize the fire pit for cooking/grilling.
7: Use Breads for croutons and bread crumbs in recipes. Usually our stores put bread on sale at 50-75% if its getting ready to expire, they can be cut up and used for stuffing/filling

[tickyul]

Car and bicycle repair, home repair, cook all my own food.

I do very shoddy work....but it saves me a lot of money and I actually like doing it, most of the time.

[Sarahsez]

Originally Posted by tickyul

Car and bicycle repair, home repair, cook all my own food.

I do very shoddy work....but it saves me a lot of money and I actually like doing it, most of the time.

I try not to do shoddy work, but if I can find a way to make it look good or make it work then I'm good. I taught myself to paint several years ago after buying a house with someone else's shoddy work. Now I try to avoid buying the house with the shoddy work. Not as easy as it sounds.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

I cut my family's hair, give my dogs their vaccines at home (except rabies, which has to be given by a vet), home repair, car repair, cooking, cake decorating, sewing (not clothes, that's more expensive than buying used), pretty much anything I need to do, I learn to do if it's possible.

I can usually tell when I need to have something done rather than doing it myself. For example, I can do the brakes on the cars and put in an alternator or starter (hate doing a starter though). I can't fix the air conditioner myself, and I had a mechanic replace the fuel pump in the truck when it went out.

As far as bicycle repair, I fix most of our bikes myself, but I take my bike to the shop for anything more than a flat tire. I bought my bike new and it wasn't cheap, so I like to have the bike shop take care of repairs or adjustments.

[stan4]

Thing is, it's fun to learn how to do things and then see the awesome finished product. Sense of accomplishment, as well.

[Nonchalance]

Originally Posted by KittenSparkles

I have taught myself how to cut my own hair using YouTube videos. I started with just the bangs and front layers several years ago, and now can give myself a full haircut. It is nearly identical to one I would get in salons. It only saves me a couple of hundred bucks per year, but I like the feeling of being able to do it myself. Of course there are some styles that this would be impossible for, but it works for mine.

What kind of style do you wear? I would love for my hair to look less like a rat chewed it off while I was sleeping.

[TabulaRasa]

I breastfeed and make baby food versus buying formula and purchasing jarred/pouch food.