this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2024
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Frugal

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Just curious what you guys have been able to score recently.

I don't have anything really good to share, been spending too much. Let me live vicariously (and frugally!) through you!

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Found a cast iron griddle for 4$ at goodwill. I'm stripping it with easyoff and gonna order some lead tests on Monday. No branding whatsoever sadly but very decent shape so not complaining

[–] IonAddis 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The possibility of lead is always what's stopped me from thrifting for teapots. Is there any particular lead test that's best to use?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

None that I can think since 3m discontinued theirs. Just gonna check on what has good reviews for a decent price online. It'll probably be one of those swabbing ones that turn red

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Can bare cast iron have lead or are we talking enameled? Thanks, and congrats!

[–] grue 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I don't imagine it would have lead in it as part of its construction, but it's possible a previous owner used it to melt lead for metal casting or something like that.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Thank you, makes sense

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Honestly I'm not really worried it was used for melting lead since its really shallow and clearly had burnt on grease but 10$ for tests will give me peace of mind.

[–] JackiesFridge 19 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Found a brand new (still with original tags) Duluth Trading Co. "flannel jacket" for $7. It's an oversized, fleece-lined flannel shirt. Nice quality, very warm & soft. The retail tags read $59.99, discontinued/clearance $29.95 with a date of 2013. Discontinued over a decade ago and it finally has a home (and I love it).

They do still sell these, with a few design improvements (side pockets), but they're around $80 now I believe.

[–] IonAddis 12 points 8 months ago

That reminds me, winter stuff is probably on sale now.

[–] I_Miss_Daniel 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Found I can get 5G at home. About half the cost of starlink.

[–] IonAddis 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] I_Miss_Daniel 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The modems are really expensive though, so I've grabbed a cheapish 5g phone instead. Since most traffic goes via my VPN it won't have to track too many NAT sessions so hopefully it works out OK.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The power supply for my FTTP box died last Friday, so I've been doing this while waiting for the company to come and fix the fault later today. I basically forgot it happened because I was able to game, download, stream without restrictions like normal. Only thing is I was hotspotting my primary phone and it's been running hot. But leaves me wondering why I'm paying so much for a fixed connection

[–] I_Miss_Daniel 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Probably for the unlimited data. Best I can find is $au70 a month for 400gb via Belong.

One other interesting calculation is the starlink modern takes 30 watts at idle. Close to $10 a month in power. The phone should use about $2 a month.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Yup, got about 2.5tb of rollover to burn through on amaysim though, barely put a dent in it by the time the nbn guys came around

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Kid's news print "doodle pads" are actually just decent drawing paper for about a quarter of the price

[–] IonAddis 1 points 8 months ago

My mom was a watercolor artist when I was growing up, and it's forever stuck with me how darn expensive art supplies are. Finding a good deal is gold!

[–] ShunkW 11 points 8 months ago

I found a new bar thanks to a friend. I pay $3 for a beer I'd pay $5-$6 at most places.

[–] systemglitch 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

A couple months ago I got a nice leather couch for $320 CAD. I think it could have sold for about 800 without blinking an eye. I have received much praise from the family with how nicely it ties our family room together. I'm very proud lol.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

I got a 50 quid second hand sofa and matching foot rest.

Paid a mate 20 for a pro cleaning and it's basically good as new.

The sofa is like 2k new and the foot rest around 500. Crazy what people get rid of.

[–] Sertou 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Google Fi had an instant rebate offer on the Pixel 7a - $200 off if activated on an existing Google Fi account. I got mine for $300 plus tax. It’s last year’s model, but I’ll still get more than 4 years of security updates on it.

[–] IonAddis 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That's a good deal.

I just got a Pixel 8, but it's not all that frugal since I paid...not the full highest price, but high enough. That said, I plan to hold onto it for the full 7 years of updates--and thankfully, Pixels can be rooted so if I want I can slap my own stuff on there if I don't like what Google's doing a few years in.

I broke my previous real phone about a year ago when I didn't have money to replace it, so I got THE cheapest smartphone in the universe to tide me over--and my god, it was horrible. A year of torture using that thing. I didn't even think a smartphone COULD be that bad--I still think of it as a new technology, cutting edge, so how could any model possibly be awful?--but it was truly awful. Moto G Pure. Don't get one. Awful awful awful. Basically, it just doesn't have enough power to deal with ordinary apps--lots of freezing, lag, etc. Could barely keep one app at a time open. Like, it would choke on ordinary grocery shopping apps. So I'd be trying to apply this or that coupon, and I'd have to twiddle my thumbs in the middle of the aisle like an idiot until it decided to work (or not).

So I think I over-compensated with the Pixel 8 by getting the first flagship phone I've ever had.

...I do use Mint Mobile on the cheapest yearly plan, lol, so I have that going for me.

[–] Sertou 1 points 8 months ago

The Pixel 7a replaced my Pixel 3a which I was running LineageOS on.

I miss LineageOS already and may soon install it on the 7a too.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

Got my kid waterproof hiking boots for 40% off by combining coupons. Helps a lot to save when they grow like weeds and wear expensive adult clothing.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

Technically not found this week, but I recently picked up a cool looking courdoroy dress from a charity shop for £3.75 without having time to try it on and make sure it fit. Wore it for the first time yesterday, happy to report it's awesome!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

A brand new coffee grinder (hand crank) for free, and 15 silk neckties for €1 each.

[–] Juno 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Does the Steam sale count? I got a heap of bargains!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Which of your new games are you most excited to play?

[–] Juno 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Probably Red Dead Redemption 2. A little late, but just getting back into gaming. Got the Portals for like $2!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

I've been meaning to get RDR2 at some point, this sale might be a good chance.

Have you played Portal before? I played the first one years after it was a thing and expected it to be overrated, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found the ending delightful. I still need to wrangle one of my friends into playing the multiplayer campaign for Portal 2

[–] squid_slime 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Bought an oled montitor at a 30% discount. Still feeling buyers remorse though

[–] systemglitch 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] squid_slime 3 points 8 months ago

i dont often spend much at all, i try and live a thrifty life and the monitor is £600

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Not a recent find, but I just realized that I've owned my Instant Pot for 7 years and paid under $99 Canadian for it brand new!

We use it almost daily and sometimes twice a day, and I can only imagine how much time and electricity it's saved us over those years.

Indirectly, it's allowed us to save a TON of money by cooking dried beans instead of buying cans. As a family of vegans, who used to buy dozens of canned beans per week, the savings are substantial.

[–] IonAddis 2 points 8 months ago

I used to have one, and need to get another. They truly are wonderful--so versatile.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

10 free bottles for bottling my homebrew beer. 9 are ready to be re used, 1 needs a new gasket.

[–] lady_maria 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I got a desk on Mac.Bid for $8!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

A desk? Anydesk? Autodesk?

[–] lady_maria 3 points 8 months ago

Nah, it's a generic (already kinda cheap tbh) office desk from "XUEGW". This one

[–] BonesOfTheMoon 1 points 5 months ago

This was last week, but I just joined this community; we have a European food aisle in my grocery store and I realized very quickly that people are wasting tons of money on trash tea when they could buy much more interesting and inexpensive tea from Europe.