I am on a jam making kick. 
I made several flavors during the summer. So much so that I filled all my jelly jars. Everybody I know has been getting jam as birthday presents, thank-you gifts, house warming gifts, you name it. I’ll probably get some of the jars back, but I can’t count on it.
With no jars, but recipies I still wanted to make, I froze some fruit with intention to make the jam after I collect more jars.
Since I regularly shop all the area’s thrift stores I’ve learned that Goodwill has the best prices, 20¢ each for all mason jars. I can usually pick up at least one or two each time I visit. Slowly I’ve been building my jar inventory.
Knowing I will eventually be able to purchase all the jars I need at 20¢, I’ll only buy them elsewhere if they meet or beat that price. I do make exceptions though. Jelly jars come in a variety of sizes & shapes. My favorite 2 styles, 4 oz. wide mouthed and 2 oz. regular jars, seldom turn up so when I do see them I’m willing to pay a bit more.
I like the 4 oz. because they are easier to load into the canning kettle and the 2 oz. size because my gift packs can feature a wider variety of flavors when I use them. 
I carry a sales flyer from a retail store with me as a way to determine what a good price is. Monday I found 4 wide mouth 4 oz. jars at St. Vincent de Paul. I pulled out my ad and calculator and found they retail for 66¢ each. SVdP was asking 69¢. By pointing this out to the store manager I got them reduced to 39¢. Like I said it never hurts to ask. I’m well on my way to having the jars I need to make cranberry/strawberry jam.
afrugalspinster 
Good job on getting a great price on those jars! I do like those tiny ones, too. I wind up using them to pack yogurt or rhubarb sauce in lunches, since the lids screw on so tightly, and don’t leak. But I have never seen the small ones at Salvation Army, SVdP, or Value Village. I’ll keep checking, though.
They are rare, that’s why I’m willing to paid a little more when I find them. When I’m using the jars for a purpose other than canning, rather than canning lids and rings I like to use plastic screw on lids either ones that are made to fit the mason jars or sometimes mayo or Peanut butter lids fit. I do this when I make yogurt.
My Jam making friend gets her local deli to keep their empty jars for her and then gives them some Jam as thanks.
what a good idea.
I love those little ones! I like to make candles with them 🙂 I also made personal baby berry cobblers in them for a baby shower once and it was a HIT!
I think I’ll try the cobbler idea next summer. Thanks for commenting.