What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[gtaus]

You made her day. I often went out of my way for customers who took the time to show appreciation.

I was in Harbor Freight today looking for that small ammo box that I was going to buy to put my seeds in for storage. The main shelf was empty, but sometimes sales items are displayed in multiple places. The store manager was there, so I asked him if they had any more of those ammo cans. He told me he would look for more in the back room, and after a few minutes came back and said that they did not have any in the back. Then he said that they might have some in another display spot because they are on sale this week. He found another 20 ammo cans up front in the bottom of a shelf.

I ended up buying the ammo can, and on the way out of the store, I called out his name and thanked him for helping me find the item I wanted. He smiled and said something like "You're very welcome." I know he appreciated the extra shout out thanking him for his efforts. You know, it's not a big deal, but I know this manager and sometimes he has a personality deficit lately. I am hoping that using his name and thanking him for his help softens him up a bit, not only for me, but other customers who shop at his store.

Sadly, this manager used to be much more friendly when the store first opened up last year. I think the job has been wearing him down, probably has to deal with too many problems, and along the way has withdrawn from the customer service he used to provide. I can understand that. I hope a friendly shout out and thanking him by name helps him.

 

[CedarLane]

My instructors also suggested using juice from pickled beets in the same manner. Then the pickles come out with a nice reddish color. I love pickled beets with hotdish, so now I will save the juice and make a batch of egg with it.

The only pickled eggs I've ever had were made with pickled beet juice. I like the color.

 

[CedarLane]

Save your canned vegetable and fruit juices.

My cooking instructors are always telling us to save the juice from canned vegetables and fruits. You paid for it, so don't dump it down the drain!

The vegetable juices can be frozen in a container and then used as stock for when you make soups or stews. I did that when I made a soup. Boy, the soup had so much more flavor with the frozen vegetable juices then just adding water!

We typically drain our fruit juices into a glass, put it in the refrigerator to cool, then drink it later. My favorite is pineapple juice.

I should save more of my veggie juices. I always do if I have extra chicken or beef broth.
I do save my fruit juices and either drink them. They can also be used as the liquid for jello or jello salads.

 

[gtaus]

I should save more of my veggie juices. I always do if I have extra chicken or beef broth.

Exactly. All that frozen veggie juice is gold for chicken soups or vegetable soups. I think it adds more flavor to the soup then just using plain water.

I do save my fruit juices and either drink them. They can also be used as the liquid for jello or jello salads.

Oh yeah, forgot about that. Sometimes I make jello with canned fruit cocktail. I will drain the fruit juice into a measuring cup and add water to bring it up to the required amount for making the jello. I use it in the 1 cup of cool down water, not the 1 cup of boiling water initially used to cook the jello. I think using the fruit juice back into the jello adds richness to the flavor. Now, if I have jello made with just water, it seems too "lite" for me.

Like my instructors always tell us, you paid for all that juice, don't dump it down the drain!

 

[gtaus]

If you store seeds in the freezer, putting them in individual bags is a great idea. Take the bag out of the freezer, and let it come to room temperature before opening. Once it's at room temp, condensation won't form on it.

This is a trick photographers use with their equipment. Out in the cold with the camera, then about to head into the warm, moist indoors. Put the camera in a sealable bag, take it inside, and let it come to room temp before opening the bag. No condensation forms on the camera, it's all on the outside of the bag.

Well said, @Sally PB. You just need to know how to prevent damage by condensation. Thank you.

 

[gtaus]

Yesterday I mentioned that I was going to buy a small .30 caliber ammo box from Harbor Freight for storing my seeds...

I did buy one ammo box today. The box I bought did not have the "Bunker Hll" logo painted on it. Just plain green plastic. So, if you were thinking about getting one of these but did not want that logo on the box, I can tell you that my box did not have the logo. Personally, I like it better without the logo because I'm going to use it for seed storage.

And, not to be accused of being a spokesperson for Harbor Freight, I compared their box and price to the .30 ammo box sold in the guns department at our Fleet store. They sold the Plano brand ammo box for $9.99. The boxes look and feel like the same plastic material, so you might as well save a bunch of money and get the HF boxes.

Here is the Plano box on Amazon, for comparison...

So, hats off to HF for selling this ammo box for $6.00 less on a $10 item than the other stores. I don't know how they do it.

 

[jpalmatier83]

Yesterday I mentioned that I was going to buy a small .30 caliber ammo box from Harbor Freight for storing my seeds...

View attachment 3623005

View attachment 3623006

I did buy one ammo box today. The box I bought did not have the "Bunker Hll" logo painted on it. Just plain green plastic. So, if you were thinking about getting one of these but did not want that logo on the box, I can tell you that my box did not have the logo. Personally, I like it better without the logo because I'm going to use it for seed storage.

And, not to be accused of being a spokesperson for Harbor Freight, I compared their box and price to the .30 ammo box sold in the guns department at our Fleet store. They sold the Plano brand ammo box for $9.99. The boxes look and feel like the same plastic material, so you might as well save a bunch of money and get the HF boxes.

Here is the Plano box on Amazon, for comparison...

View attachment 3623009

So, hats off to HF for selling this ammo box for $6.00 less on a $10 item than the other stores. I don't know how they do it.

Things that aren’t going to matter if you’re storing seeds, but may if you’re storing ammo.

Looks like HF doesn’t have the four extra gussets (2 on each side) the Plano does. That will actually make a difference if your filling the box with 500 rounds of .30 cal ammo instead of seeds and then stacking.

Also, looks like HF may have a steel clamp instead of brass. This may eventually lead to corrosion but n the HF that the Plano won’t have.

Also, HF is on a sale price instead of a regular price. That may actually be a loss leader to get you into the store to buy other things.

I also can’t see what the sealing surfaces look like, but I’ve seen some ammo cans that use cheap plastic gaskets instead of rubber. Work fine for a bit, but ultimately don’t last.

I’ve got no issues with HF. Buy stuff there from time to time. But, at least on this item, that may be how they sell them cheaper. And they’ll still probably work fine for short term seed storage.

 

[gtaus]

Is it frugal to buy something you don't really need right now?

Every time I go into town, about once a week, I check out Home Depot for Clearance items. You never know what you might find.

I once got a $150 microwave for $25.00. That was a great deal. Often times I have picked up tools or tool accessories as much as 75% off.

My theory is to buy things at those clearance discounts even if I don't need it right away. Most of those great buys will be put into use soon enough, or I will make sure I use them to build something. I love stocking up on supplies, like grass trimmer line that sells for $15.00 but on clearance for $1.50. Don't need it today, but will need it soon enough.

Today, I came across the Ryobi 40v 14 inch brushless chainsaw that was on Clearance, originally $229,00. marked down now to $115.00.

OK, I already have one Ryobi 40v 14 inch chainsaw, but this clearance price on this new chainsaw was too loud for me to ignore. My old chainsaw is still working just fine, but it is no longer under warranty. If it dies, I would have to replace it with a new chainsaw, probably at the current price at that time. So, does it make frugal sense to buy a new chainsaw that I don't need right now?

I should mention that I am a veteran, so I got another 10% off the Clearance price of $115.00, making the cost to me at $103.50, plus tax. Every little bit of discount helps. I also used one of my credit cards that gives me 1.5% cash back on purchases, so I saved more money there, too.

This new chainsaw comes with a 5-year warranty. So, I know I've covered for that period. That has value to me. Essentially, I have a chainsaw under warranty for about $20 per year.

Since the new chainsaw is the same as the old chainsaw, and the battery and parts are interchangeable, I can use the parts of a broken chainsaw on the working one. For example, a replacement chain for this chainsaw costs $21 at Home Depot, and a replacement bar sells for about $25.00.

Super frugal upgrade...

Ryobi has now come out with 40v 18-inch chainsaws. I contacted Ryobi support and asked them if the 40v motors on the 14 and 18 inch models was essentially the same and if I could upgrade my 14-inch bar and chain with and 18-inch bar and chain. They told me the motors are essentially the same build and that I could upgrade to a longer bar if I wanted. I just so happen to have an 18-inch bar and chain combo hanging on my rack in the garage.

Here is what the Ryobi 40v 18-inch chainsaw currently sells for....

In the end, I will end up with a $300.00 Ryobi 40v 18-inch chainsaw for less than $110.00 after I upgrade this 14-inch chainsaw with a longer bar and chain. FWIW, I purchased an 18-inch bar and chain combo last year at our Fleet store on Clearance for about $5.00. Super deal at the time, and another instance where I did not need it at the moment. But I knew I would use it in the near future. That time is now.

To answer my own question, I find it very frugal to purchase some items at deep discounts and clearance sales even if I don't need it at the time. I always have a small fund of "disposable" money for those type of deals. I believe it has saved me lots of money over the years.

 

[gtaus]

Things that aren’t going to matter if you’re storing seeds, but may if you’re storing ammo.

Looks like HF doesn’t have the four extra gussets (2 on each side) the Plano does. That will actually make a difference if your filling the box with 500 rounds of .30 cal ammo instead of seeds and then stacking.

Also, looks like HF may have a steel clamp instead of brass. This may eventually lead to corrosion but n the HF that the Plano won’t have.

Also, HF is on a sale price instead of a regular price. That may actually be a loss leader to get you into the store to buy other things.

I also can’t see what the sealing surfaces look like, but I’ve seen some ammo cans that use cheap plastic gaskets instead of rubber. Work fine for a bit, but ultimately don’t last.

I’ve got no issues with HF. Buy stuff there from time to time. But, at least on this item, that may be how they sell them cheaper. And they’ll still probably work fine for short term seed storage.

Those are some excellent considerations. Here is what I can tell you.

The HF ammo box does not have the four extra gussets on the outside that you mentioned. I agree that might make a difference if actually used for carrying heavy ammo, but won't matter for my seeds. There is some molding on the inside of the HF box for support. I do not have 500 rounds of .30 cal ammo, but I filled the HF ammo box up with 4 cans of corn, about 4.5 pounds, and it held fine. My packs of seeds will never get that heavy.

The HF ammo box has a steel clamp, not the rust free brass clamp like on the Plano box.

The HF ammo box has a rubber gasket like the Plano box.

I don't know how much the differences cost, but for my application, I don't need a super strong box or a rust-free brass latch for a box that will be stored inside the house. Certainly, those cost cutting measures might add up to a cost savings for HF.

I don't mind buying the loss leader and leaving the store. That's the only item I bought at HF today.

Stores don't usually make money on me with their loss leader items. I call it being frugal. I have the power to buy the loss leader item and leave the store guilt free.

 

[gtaus]

Taking advantage of Military Discounts on holidays...

Our local Fleet store periodically offers veterans discounts on certain holidays. This Labor Day, they are giving an additional 10% off on most purchases, including sale items. I try to work on a list of supply items that I know I will need and use but never go on sale. Then I buy them with that extra 10% military discount offered on certain holidays. It's a sweet deal for items that never go on sale normally.