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The I **DIDN'T** buy it!!!! Thread

23K views 225 replies 21 participants last post by  marthamfi 
#1 ·
I have been saying for a while that we need a thread to celebrate the temptations that we resist! So here it is! I put it in the money challenges, because sometimes it is food, sometimes it is durable objects, sometimes it is craft supplies and toys... but it ALL costs money.

So I'll go first... Michael's B1G2 scrapbook paper bundles yesterday. I already have a desk drawer full.
Shelf Font Retail Shelving Publication


And then Aldi's had their own version of my FAVORITE cookies... ok, actually, 3rd favorite, but #1 is seasonal and #2 is not available locally... and they are so CHEAP !!!

:cry::cry::cry: Gas Bumper Machine Food Font


TBH, the ONLY reason I was able to resist these is that I decided to get back on the weight loss wagon YESTERDAY...otherwise, these would have been in my cart in a heartbeat and my belly 3 hours ago!!! But still, I'm counting it as a win.

Ok, your turn! Resist and celebrate!!!
 
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#53 ·
Plastic canvas really handy for dividers. I keep making zippered "project bags" and of course the totes to show off the embroidery pieces from various projects. Yes my mom bought us lots of kits and sewing/embroidery stuff when we were kids, kept us occupied. Dresser scarves and pillowcases...We lived sort of in the middle of nowhere but had nice pillowcases - ha ha.
 
#55 ·
Needing to paint all the door frames in the bedroom. There is a new product called Beyond. No prepping. Just paint and it's done. $50 for a quart. Didn't really like any of the colors available. Told dh to tell me how to prep the door frames and I'll use the paint from the baseboards. He said there were a couple of products I could get and it would be a lot cheaper. I think we already of the Kilz. I think what we need is called something like a liquid sand paper. It's under $10. I'll finally get the bedroom finished. Still need a door for the closet. We might be able to get both for the price of the Beyond paint.
 
#56 ·
Saw corned beef at the market today for $9.99/lb. Didn't buy it. I got the chuck roast @3.99/lb instead. I miss the days when they couldn't give corned beef away, I would fill my freezer for .99/lb.

Cheerios, which DH loves, were marked down to 5.09. Regularly 5.99. Didn't buy it.

Canned cat food..... none on the shelf. Selection has been getting worse over the recent few weeks, I try to buy a few cans each visit to supplement what we get delivered, but this was a surprise.
 
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#57 ·
CH- those prices are AWFUL! The Safeway here is advertising corned beef for $1.67/lb through Thursday (and maybe after, but that is when the new ad comes out,) but I haven't seen anything from all their local competitors yet. Really nobody but me likes it, but I put it on the menu 3 times a year and they haven't died yet... 😜
 
#58 ·
Commodity prices fluctuate a lot. I'm hoping they drop if covid numbers keep dropping, and assuming a certain petulant dictator doesn't blow up the world.

I can't understand why cat food is so hard to get. Is it the new toilet paper and people are hoarding now? It seems like it's been a problem long enough now that the issues should have worked themselves out.

Cheerios knock-offs are cheap at Aldi. Husby got a big box a week or so ago. Our local grocery store also has big bags of another brand relatively cheap. We can't see any difference between them and the brand name.

I wouldn't pay $10/lb for corned beef either. I wonder how corned chicken would taste. 🤣
 
#59 ·
SD- it goes back to the availability of metal for the cans. SInce cat food comes in such small cans, it is better for the manufacturers to use the metal they have for bigger/higher profits items. The priority is given to people-food, of course, but even dog food is higher priority, because they tend to pack it in larger cans which is more efficient.

But then, also, yes, once word got out about it, I've heard about panic-buying in some areas... people who don't even understand the situation hoarding dry food (which isn't even in short supply except for the hoarding...)

Re: corned beef... you can pickle ANY cut of beef, not just brisket. I do that some years when I am freaking out about fat and calories. It takes a few days, but depending on the cut of meat you use, it is just as good/better than the pre-packaged stuff, and you can shop the sales to get a liveable price...
 
#60 ·
Shortage of metal for cans makes sense. They seem to have plenty of the treats in bags, and the liquid food and gravy pouches for senior cats.

I don't think DH minds generic cereal or Aldi brand, but we're not there yet. Time to set up oatmeal in the crock pot, though.

I have corned beef left from last year, and I'll give DH the choice between that and the pot roast I just got. I love it but won't be heartbroken if I can't get any. I'll look next week and see what's left. I like to make one in the summer for sandwiches.
 
#61 ·
We looked at corned beef points today at $4/lb, about the same as the past 3 or so yrs. We decided against it. The points are too fatty, and we didn't see the other kind. Tip: Save the broth corned beef is cooked in and use for seasoned broth some other time. Skim fat and strain through cheesecloth before freezing.

We were proud of ourselves for not buying the frozen lemon pie at the grocery store today. Our resistance was aided by the $7 price tag. ON SALE! Uffdah! We came home and Husby used 3 aging bananas to make banana bars which will be frosted with ½ can of closeout $1 frosting. I'm sure we'll enjoy those just as much.
 
#62 ·
Forgot my lunch and breakfast food at home this AM! But found enough in the work cupboard to cover breakfast and am sure I can make lunch work even if it is a bit light. Started on online order at teh local restaurant but delted it and started scrounging. Breakfast was tuna and quinoa...lunch is dark chocolate and ??? Small salad with a lot of vinaigrette maybe.
 
#64 ·
You want to braise corned beef. That is, covered, with some kind of cooking liquid, for a long period. Slow cooker is very good for that but it can be done in the oven, too if you wrap in foil or have the right lids for your pans.

Boiling will get the job done but it still takes all day, and again you have to keep it covered or the water evaporates. The thing with boiling though is the hot water doesn't really cook it any faster than the slow cooker method.
 
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#65 ·
Ok, this one hurts...

I am NOT buying bees this year... or any other year while I continue to live in this neighborhood.

I have been seeing the ads on craigslist, and as much as I miss my funny girls with their big, fat, yellow hammer-pants... I can't keep bringing them here to their doom. Our state has a 50% annual colony loss, and I have had a failure rate worse than that despite doing everything short of keeping them in my house and feeding them candy... I suspect that in addition to our fickle weather that has them waking up on random 70-degree days in January only to find no food and ice storms the next week, that certain "eco-friendly" mosquito control products popular around here... aren't...

To keep myself honest, I got rid of ALL my boxes and frames and such last year when I made the decision, but as I am cleaning up the yard, I have chanced across a tool or two that reminds me, so very sad!!!
 
#66 ·
Z: I feel your pain! Lost the work hive this year(the one we were keeping at work to help with local plants getting re-established). Mice. dang it. And many hives at my house. I will help with the community garden bees to get my bee-fix until I can be home more and establish a better bee yard.
I too am not buying bees this year just to watch them croak.
 
#67 ·
I had two dresses in my cart at Kohls. Looked at them again and realized I have one I haven't worn yet just like the one in the cart. Then decided not to get the other one, even though I really like it. I'll be fine until next year or the year after. I have a few that are worn and need to be retired or figure out a way to fix them. I've already mended one a couple of times and mended holes in a couple of others. Not sure how the holes got in some of them.
 
#68 ·
I caved in today. I had to return some Amazon items and Kohls gave me 25% off. I bought two dresses. I wear dresses everyday, so they will be well worn. I like these new ones better because they have pockets. Also picked up two of the Kohls cares books/stuffed animals for dgds for Easter. If I have buyers remorse, which I doubt, I can return the dresses. I am looking at it as my birthday and mother's day gifts.
 
#70 ·
Jetts, those Kohl's animals and books are a steal. The DGDs will love them.

I didn't buy eggs last week or this week, and found out this morning that we were out. So I ran to Aldi. They still have the best price in town.
 
#71 ·
At the grocery store today, we were eyeing either $7/lb Black Forest ham or $13/lb pastrami to make lunch sandwiches with closeout croissants costing $1 each. Instead we decided to cook some of the $3/lb chicken we were buying and use some of the homemade pumpernickel bread waiting at home in the freezer. We saved a bunch and used up some celery and onion in need of being used, too, cutting down on wasted food. Tasty and frugal all at once! We will no doubt splurge on the other meats some other time, but today we saved.

For giggles, I priced a 1 lb loaf of pumpernickel in the store. $4.69! I don't know what it costs to make the 1.5 lb loaves I make, but it can't be anywhere near that for an extra half loaf. So happy for my $5 NIB bread machine.

I passed up a new cross stitch kit on Amazon, since we have dozens of potential projects in the queue already. But then Husby decided I should have it and ordered it without telling me. 🤣🤣🤣 Do I still get credit for not buying it?
 
#73 ·
It was tasty. The bread makes a nice toast for an open face sandwich. We have tomatoes to use, too, and I used HM hot mustard, HM Spike seasoning, HM pickle relish, and HM dill pickles, too. The more HM replacement recipes I find that we like, the more replacement recipes I want to find. The searching and experimenting make a fun, practical, inexpensive hobby for me.
 
#74 ·
Behold my willpower!!!

ALMOST brought this home-- they would have looked cute in the garden-- especially next to the catnip patch...

BUT I RESISTED!!!* and luckily by the time I looked again, someone else had adopted them... technically it wasn't "not-buying" since they were free, but I did not acquire them, so close enough... I also resisted a whole box of assorted size take-out type containers (black plastic bottom, clear lid) that I know I would have been able to use... but DD14 informs me that I "have a problem" 🤣 so I only took the three biggest ones to use to take extras to sis/niece.

Wood Rodent Bat Small animal food Tail
 
#75 ·
Well done!

We're busily talking ourselves out of going out of town for city wide rummage sales later this spring. We might go to the local ones, but there are never many and we don't have to burn a bunch of gas in the gashogs to get to them. Mom can go if we stay local, and she really misses them. We're still working on purging our household, don't really need anything much, and don't really miss going. I hope we can stick with the 'no' we told ourselves over supper tonight, except for local sales.
 
#77 ·
score jett! well not much to contribute to the I didn't buy it thread but ..got dh to agree that we don't have to see Morbius in the theater cus will come out to Disney which we have. Plenty of other better new movies coming up. so $60 to $80 saved.. depending w kids or not lol and popcorn. Discovered walmart had dh stouffers hot pocket things 9 for $7.97 instead of $12.99 it costs at reg store so got 2. he likes them for work lunches.
 
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