sammich bags for collecting, then to paper plates for drying, then back in the baggies if there's a ton of seed, otherwise I always save the packets when I'm WSing, so I have plenty of packets to use. I have mailing labels to stick over old commercial packet pictures. Then they either get tossed in a grocery bag, or maybe they end up in alphabetized freezer baggies, or maybe if I'm REALLY good, they go in the cool wooden thingy that my DH made me that has wooden slats A-Z to keep them organized. But it's just as easy to play in a paper bag ;)

I know I'm not saving money in the short term. I've only had my community plot for three seasons, after a long break from gardening. My start up costs were "re-start" up costs. And still, I'm building soil, learning what plants work well in this microclimate, finding my way… I'm not taking the least expensive route. I have to say that the other benefits mentioned ARE a cost factor. We pay dearly here in CA for organic produce with the water shortage, and it's only going to get more expensive. But I know I am not gardening efficiently enough to maximize the space for production and savings. If I concentrated more on actively succession planting and intercropping, I would. I think over the long term, I will save money eventually. In the mean time I am content to save on therapy and anti-depressants.

I've also had very good luck with Sears. Probably it depends a bit on your local store's manager, volume of the store, etc. I was thinking today of taking a picture of the very slight dark circular line around the handle of my DW that caused it to come to me at, dunno, something like 75% off its retail. My local Sears is so small and so happening (while somehow managing to be the sleepiest store you've ever set foot into. It's just when they are selling it's something else again) that when they decide something has to move I swear you could get them to pay you to remove it. They are big enough to seemingly not even care about whether and how much money they happen to take off you personally. It's really a bit weird in some sense. I'm not complaining, mind you. My point is mostly: YMMV.

we quit buying Christmas presents at least 10 years ago. I just said enough is enough. We never knew what to buy and all we were getting was things we didn't need or want. Examples like hot chocolate and candy, blankets and throws. I was tired of making the retailers richer and me poorer. Bah Humbug! I don't care if people call me a scrooge or not. We travel 3 hours and we came home with a bunch of stuff to carry in the house that we didn't need or want, and didn't know where to store it. DHB is asking what we need and we told him nothing. We can't think of a thing we need. We help our children out throughout the whole year when they need it. That is the way I save money. I had to make and bake some things for a craft fair and church bazaar tonight. I went to thrift stores and bought containers, bows, plates, ribbons and other things I needed. One of the stores even had 1/2 off between 2 and 4 every afternoon on everything. I bought things for 12 cents. I also bought some things at Dollar Tree where everything is a dollar. That way we can sell the things for less too.