Actually I have plastic bolts for my bottle cage bolts (no bottle cage).
As for the dump I do that as well. On top of that I try to watch what I eat a little more closely leading up to a race.
As for the money, some people don't mind spending extra money on things they enjoy. You don't have to like it or understand it.
On a final note, you may want to check your math, it was actually 31 grams.
