Five Frugal Things

by Katy on September 5, 2016 · 67 comments

  1. My family indulged in an evening ofย Popeye’s takeout when my sister’s family was visiting. (They had a $5 deal which included two pieces of chicken, two sides and a biscuit, so it really was an amazing price!) I have a ton of leftover whipped butter packets as well as various “dipping sauces” including buttermilk ranch dressing. I used three of the ranch dressings for tonight’s salad,ย which causedย my younger son flipped out from how delicious he thought it was.ย I’ve been using the butters for scrambledย eggs, and will likely have enough to last a couple more weeks.
  2. I took my sons to see Kubo and The Two Strings this afternoon. Because we chose a matinee in a local theater, the priceย was only $7.50 per ticket, plus we were able to walk from the house. The movie was beautiful and since Laika is a local production company, I was supporting a hometown business.
  3. I cleaned one of my mother’s guest cottages yesterday and brought home an almost full canister of Hershey’s cocoa powder. The chore itself was particularly odious, soย my mother tipped me an extra twenty bucks.
  4. I submitted another Clark Howard article and proposed three new article ideas.
  5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.

Now your turn. What frugal things haveย youย been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

โ€œUse it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.โ€

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{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }

Patty September 5, 2016 at 9:51 pm

I LOVE five frugal things!!! Thanks for doing these.

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Denise September 6, 2016 at 12:17 am

Is it dangerous to ask what merited the $20 tip??

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Su Mama September 6, 2016 at 10:41 pm

Oh Denise, you really, really don’t want to know!

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Mand01 September 6, 2016 at 1:25 am

1. Was just gifted a head of organic broccoli from my daughter’s school garden. Yum.
2. Brought my own tea and lunch and snacks to work today.
3. My outfit was thrifted except for shoes and brooch.
4. Felt a bit crappy but went to work anyway. I wasn’t contagious, just overtired and allergy-ridden. I have the sick leave but I prefer to save it for when I really need it. Once I got there I picked up, demonstrating that often it’s the thought of doing it that is hard rather than the actual act itself. Saved a day’s sick leave for a proper emergency.
5. Tonight’s dinner is a pasta bake made over the weekend and frozen ahead, and a salad made from our homegrown rocket.

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Emily September 8, 2016 at 8:03 pm

Totally feel you on this one! My allergies have been unbearable this week. I’ve also felt like garbage but made it to work anyway. Getting there is most of the battle!

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Bee September 6, 2016 at 4:14 am

1) My FFT always seem to include food. We had a low country boil on Saturday night (shrimp, sausage, corn of the cob, new potatoes and carrots). We made the leftovers into hash for dinner last night and even added a little cabbage that needed to be used. It was really good. Love leftovers! I also roasted the poblano peppers that came in my farm share this week. I had never done this before. Easy and yummie. I made sweet potato pancakes for breakfast out of some leftover from dinner earlier in the week.
2) My husband and I spent part of day yesterday helping our son tile a bathroom in the house that he is renovating. DH has skills! This is not particularly frugal for us, but it will save DS a bit of money.
3) We went to the beach to relax after working. The water was rough because Hermine is still churning in the Atlantic, so we didn’t swim. We still walked and enjoyed the salt air. I love the beach, and it’s free.
4) Inspired by this blog, I have gone through the house and gathered up about 50 items to sell. I photographed 10 or so this weekend and will list them today on eBay. A little extra $$$$ would be nice, but I would like to clear the clutter.
5) I spent $9 thrifting this weekend, but that was it! I did not buy gas, groceries, or dinner out!

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K D September 6, 2016 at 4:59 am

1. I stayed home yesterday. I caught up on stuff around the house, did some yard work, and took a nap.

2. I did go out last night to meet with some friends that do charity knitting. I finished a scarf that used scraps of yarn and it will help keep a seafarer warm this winter.

3. I had some very mature bananas so I made banana bars. I added a bit of shredded coconut because that sounded good, and it worked well. They’re not too sweet so they’re good for breakfast and snacks.

4. I am finding pennies and dimes occasionally while I am walking errands.

5. I did not buy a Toter (the trash can of choice in our neighborhood), we’re still using a trash can we bought 25 years ago.

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NaiveOrBrave September 6, 2016 at 5:22 am

Number 5. There is a thing like “trash-can-fashion”?!

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Denise September 6, 2016 at 1:29 pm

I confess to having succumbed a few years ago to a “simple human” obsession…kitchen and bathroom bins. Here’s mine for the kitchen (I still love it):

http://www.simplehuman.com/40-litre-butterfly-recycler-brushed-stainless-steel
and my bathroom one:

http://www.simplehuman.com/10-litre-semi-round-step-can-fingerprint-proof-brushed-stainless-steel

Oh dear.

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Gina September 6, 2016 at 11:10 pm

I was tired of lusting over a Simple Human kitchen bin and gave in to the temptation about 10 years ago. It was pricy for a trash bin and I felt a bit ashamed of my splurge. But here we are still together 10 years later and still in love. I’ve not wrestled once with tying up a trash bag in these 10 years (priceless!). It’s tidy and handsome and sleek and I’ve never had a days regret. Same story with my Dyson vacuum. Sometimes the splurge is the frugal win if it does the job better/more efficiently and looks good if it has to be on display.

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K D September 7, 2016 at 8:22 am

I did buy a Simple Human kitchen wastebasket after a kitchen remodel (the previous one still had the Caldor sticker on it and they closed in 1999) and I love it but for putting the trash at the curb every week I’m happy to use our “mature” trash barrel.

Gina September 7, 2016 at 5:11 pm

Oh yes, I splurged on the inside trash bin, but not the outside bin. I just sit the plastic bag at the curb. I only have one bag of trash a week and couldn’t justify buying a bin to sit outside for a couple of hours each week. I sit my trash out the morning of pick up – due to raccoons who love trash day…and they are experts at undoing those expensive trash bins. Good for you still using your 25 year-old bin. If it isn’t broken…is my motto. I couldn’t care less what the neighbors are using!

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Gina in KY September 6, 2016 at 6:36 am

Wake-up Call Edition

1. Instead of spending money at the theater, I rented a couple of enjoyable movies from the Redbox. Basically, this is $3 vs $21. My sons and I particularly liked ‘Batman vs. Superman’.

2. I remembered to return movies to Redbox on my way back from dropping off my sons to their father (we share custody). I drive right by the McDs in my neighborhood which has a Redbox (saved myself from fees or extra trip miles).

3. This is where the “Wake-up” calls comes into play…I was hit and almost ran over by a car in the McDs parking lot last night. It’s a long story with a speeding car, timing of my walk across the parking lot, a scream and a flash of life before my eyes, but suffice to say that besides being grateful not to have been injured (or killed!), I realized I have no Plan B for emergencies. I do not have family in the city I live in and I have never given anyone a back up key to my house. I am now working on a card to put in my vehicle and my wallet just in case I am in capitated and no one knew what to do with me and a spare key for a friend who could come care for my dogs. Fortunately, I learned this lesson frugally!

4. I spent Sunday cleaning and purging my kitchen of unnecessary items, old food, and reorganizing the storage plan. I smile every time I go in there. It really cleared my head and now I hope that I will be less wasteful of food items.

5. We found a 50c piece in the street this weekend!

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tonya parham September 6, 2016 at 7:35 am

So glad you are okay!

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Gina in KY September 6, 2016 at 7:58 am

Thanks! Excuse my typo: incapacitated. lol

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pattilou September 6, 2016 at 4:52 pm

Glad you are ok Gina. You are so right to be ready for emergencies, especially when you don’t have family close by.

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Bee September 6, 2016 at 8:10 am

I am glad you are ok. That must have been terribly frightening. I have a suggestion regarding this specific situation. Many states have an emergency contact program that can be accessed through the DMV. You simply enter your emergency contact information and it is attached to your Drivers License. If something happens, an authorized emergency responder has the names and phone numbers of two trusted contacts. I have done this for myself as well as my husband, children, single sister and MIL.

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Gina in KY September 6, 2016 at 12:10 pm

Wow, thanks! I had no idea about this option and am going to look into my state’s DMV. This would solve a lot of the issue!

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Deb September 6, 2016 at 4:48 pm

Another option is to have an “ICE” listed in your cell phone contacts….it means “In Case of Emergency” and if a first responder checks your phone contacts, that is the person he/she will call.

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Gina in KY September 7, 2016 at 3:29 am

I have a lock on my phone and wonder how they would be able to get to my contacts. This ran through my mind too the other night. I heard there is a way to bypass the lock in the event of an emergency, but can’t figure it out on my phone.

Sharon September 7, 2016 at 9:18 am

You can also do a screenshot of your emergency contact info and use that as your screen saver on your phone. Instant info in an emergency.

Gina in KY September 7, 2016 at 11:35 am

Great idea! I’m glad I posted about this issue! Thanks to all of you!

Gina September 6, 2016 at 11:20 pm

Glad you’re okay Gina. I’m in the same situation with no back up plan. I was reminded of it this weekend when I was leaving a hot yoga class and took a nasty fall slipping in someone’s extra large sweat puddle. Luckily just two badly bruised and swollen knees. But if I had broken something or needed surgery, I have no plan for someone to look after my pets. Thanks for sharing your story…I need to follow your idea of the info in the car and extra key.

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Gina in KY September 7, 2016 at 3:28 am

Oh no! A pool of sweat-ick! I’m glad your injuries weren’t worse, but they sound bad enough! Sending you speedy recovery wishes!

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Gina September 7, 2016 at 4:37 pm

Thanks so much Gina! The swelling is completely gone in one knee and almost in the other and just huge ugly bruises that will fade eventually. I was really lucky. Hot yoga is a sweat box, and some people don’t bring towels so they just leave these huge puddles on the floor. Totally Ick! Hope all is well with you after your scary incident!

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Beth September 6, 2016 at 7:38 am

Overall, I’ve been pretty spendy lately, but I do have some things to post about:

1. Went through the nursery this weekend and sorted through all of my son’s things (he’s 6ish months old). Organized what we actually use and put those things back into his room. Sorted the rest into piles for trash, donation, or storage (for clothes that no longer fit or clothes that don’t fit yet). The nursery no longer looks like it got run over by a baby factory, I was able to sell a few items for $2, and I was able to get a handle on what we have to avoid needless spending in the future.
2. Found baby jeans at GAP for $6 each. This may not seem frugal, but the one item of clothing that he wears consistently are a pair of dark denim jeans that someone gave us for free. They look like adult jeans and they work for both dressy and casual looks. I’ve been keeping an eye out for a similar used pair in a bigger size for a while now (because babies grow) but haven’t seen any, so I broke down and went to the mall. $6 per pair! I bought a pair in the next two sizes. He’s set for the next 6 to 12 months!!!!
3. Stopped and got a gallon of milk at the store on my way to work this morning. For the price of one latte, I now have an entire two-weeks worth of milk for my free work coffee. This is especially frugal because I was initially going to stop and get the latte ๐Ÿ™‚
4. Found a water-proof blanket, two shirts for me, and a reusable bag, at the Goodwill Outlet for $1.85. Also found a dollar on the floor, so my total cost was eighty-five cents!

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tonya parham September 6, 2016 at 7:45 am

1. Bought some marked down “fancy yogurt” for .59 (half price) but when I got it home and we tasted it, it wasn’t very good. So, today, it went into a smoothie!

2. I got up this morning and did yoga at home. (I love this house– having a dedicated spot for yoga, something we searched for when home hunting, has been so good for me! Everytime I go do yoga it pleases me that I’m not spending the money on a class! At our previous house, there was no room! So either a class or a gym was required.)

3. I could do groceries but really, I think just working on the food we have here is a better plan. I’m an over buyer– always. And this is certainly true of food.

4. Am making my third Blue Apron meal for lunch today since I have class tonight. I’m gonna do it a couple more times as I have found it enjoyable and effective in keeping me eating at home. However, part of my enjoyment was it cost $10 and I knew it normally cost $60. so it’s definitely a limited time, I think.

5. I’m going by my library before class tonight to pick up books they are holding for me.

(I think most of the time my FFTs are: food, library, food, library, food. But since food and books are things I love most, it makes sense!

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Gina in KY September 6, 2016 at 8:06 am

I am such an over-buyer too. Having a grocery outlet store here in Louisville makes it even worse. It’s like a scavenger hunt and you want to try the weird things you find. I cleaned my kitchen and pantry this weekend and I realized one person (with kids only part time here) and a vegetarian to boot just does not need 5 bottles of BBQ sauce at any given time. :O

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Michelle September 7, 2016 at 6:52 am

Gina: What grocery outlet are you talking about. I grew up in Louisville and live in Bardstown now, but am in Louisville every weekend for church.

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Gina in KY September 7, 2016 at 11:39 am

HI Michelle-it’s called B & E Salvage Co. and is located at 8645 Preston Hwy, Okolona, KY 40219. It’s not far from the Gene Snyder exit. I warn you: It’s addicting to shop there!

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tonya parham September 7, 2016 at 9:50 am

HA! Are we the same person!? I was at Kroger over the weekend and bought 4 bottles of Baby Ray’s because it was on sale for $1 each!

I’ve determined other than milk and maybe eggs, I’m not going to the store for 14 days!

I can do this!

(Aldi is my weakness!)

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Gina in KY September 7, 2016 at 11:40 am

LOL, I often think “me too” when I read your posts! ๐Ÿ™‚ I love Aldi’s too. I have been making myself stay out of the grocery stores for the last week. Sending you moral support-you can do it!!

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Bee September 6, 2016 at 12:27 pm

Good food and good books are among life’s great pleasures!

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tonya parham September 7, 2016 at 9:51 am

Ain’t that the truth!?

What more could I need? I just need to be a little less “hoarder-y” with both!

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Mrs. Picky Pincher September 6, 2016 at 10:37 am

1. We’re closing on our house this Thursday (eek!!!) and are using a big Lowe’s promotion to save a lot of money on our paint. We were going to buy paint this weekend anyway, so it was great that we could take advantage of the sale! After it’s all said and done, we’ll save about $50.

2. Our home comes with an oven and fridge. Since we’re remodeling, we have no need for these appliances. We’ll end up selling them on Craigslist to make some easy money. Woohoo!

3. I got a great haul at Clothes Mentor this past weekend. For $65, I got 3 pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, and 3 pairs of shoes. My little shopping trip was funded by selling a game console on Craigslist, so it didn’t cut into the budget at all. And now I have snazzy winter clothes on the cheap. ๐Ÿ™‚

4. This past weekend I harvested tuna (also known as “prickly pears”) from my in-law’s yard for free. It was a pain to process them, but in the end I was able to create a cup of tuna syrup. I like to pour it on top of my homemade cheesecake. Yum!

5. My in-laws also gave us a free dozen of free-range eggs from their chickens.

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Denise September 6, 2016 at 1:34 pm

Good luck with the closing and the house move.

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Alexandra September 8, 2016 at 11:16 am

I love your WIN at Clothes Mentor. I found out they offer free Personal shopping. This is a such a win for me. You sign up on line and tell them what you are looking for. They call you and set an appointment. I arrived and must have had 40 items waiting for me to try on! SUCH A TIME SAVER. As i tried on things the gal got a feel for my style and grabbed some more! I left with three full outfits including shoes.
THEN they added a 10% discount because I used the service. SCORE!

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LisaC September 6, 2016 at 2:33 pm

1. Made free soup with things from the freezer: round steak, herbs frozen from the garden, and lots of veggies that I froze when we had leftovers. Threw in some barley and one potato. YUM
2. Ran a yellow light, saved gas. (ok, not smart, but this blog is entrenched into my thinking now and I really thought oh, this could be a frugal five!)
3. Got some more green tomatoes when more friends found out I was making salsa out of them. I’m kind of over the salsa making, but can’t stop accepting free food!
4. Using old padded envelopes to ship ebay items.
5. Sold some souveniers on ebay.

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Isabelle September 6, 2016 at 3:59 pm

* A friend gave us 3 pair of Keen and Reebok shoes for our daughter (from her daughter).
* Went for a walk with the kids and bought milk on the way back (instead of driving there)
* Squirrel made a mess on my roof. Hubby been working for the last 3 hours, trying to fix the hole. Hope it works!!
* Cooked lots of food yesterday (stuffed peppers+extra stuffing, rice, pasta, meatballs, apple sauce, potatoes). Should last the whole week. I love leftovers!
* Picked-up the maximum shifts I could this week (I work on call/casual)

Have a great frugal day!

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lauren September 7, 2016 at 3:20 pm

Can we just make it canon that squirrels in general are totally not frugal. The woes we’ve all had from them and shared on this blog are tremendous.

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melanie September 7, 2016 at 4:09 pm

we don’t have squirrels here in NewZealand… I find it really interesting to read about their capers and would never have considered half of the issues they cause!

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Gina September 7, 2016 at 4:48 pm

Amen! Squirrels and Racoons are determined to destroy my home. I have constant repairs due to these little varmints. But my home is set in the woods so I suppose I asked for it when I moved into their neighborhood.

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Marion September 8, 2016 at 9:10 am

Squirrels: fuzzy tail tree rats

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Betty Winslow September 7, 2016 at 7:05 am

1. One of my sisters-in-law and I get together for prayer every Wednesday morning. She’s a very frugal gal, but also generous. Todat she gifted me with part of a bag of potatoes she wasn’t going to be able to use up and a certificate for $4.40 for Menard’s, since we shop there 1-2 x a mo. and they don’t.
2. Earned a $25 Amazon gift card this morning for signing up for a 30 min. phone interview about plant-based dairy alternatives – and it actually only took 20 min.!
3. Scored a $14.99 box of SAT flashcards at work and am counting them to make sure all 500 are there before listing them for sale.
4. Used some left-over hot dog buns (soaked in water) for binding in last night’s meatloaf and for garlic bread with the other night’s butternut squash and sausage lasagna. The left-over garlic bread, slathered with left-over sauce and cheese, will go in the toaster oven for lunch!
5. Got a bag of too-large-for-her clothes from a friend (who got them from another friend) and pulled out a cute top for me, one for my daughter, and am selling the rest on FB.

One NCA fail: left a large bowl of leftover beef stew in the frig too long, thinking one of the boys was going to eat it for dinner, and had to throw it out. ๐Ÿ™

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Vickie September 7, 2016 at 7:13 am

1) I ate celery & PB for dinner last night.
2) This morning I went by Value Foods and bought breakfast food to keep here at work – oatmeal, blueberries and half & half for my coffee. I picked up an 88 cent Lean Quisine meal for lunch.
3) I’m dropping off a book and an audiobook back at the Library, since they are due tomorrow. Avoiding late charges.
4) I’ll bring in my water thermos and fill it with the filtered water provided here at work and head to the gym after I get off work.
5) We pay an extra $239 each month on our mortgage (rounding it off) in order to have it paid off when I retire in 5 years. It will be nice to be completely free of debt during retirement.

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amanda September 7, 2016 at 8:58 am

1. I picked the ripe tomatoes out of the garden and didn’t have time or the urge to can them so I turned them into soup for dinner. Enough was made to last 3 dinners!
2. My co-worker brought in some gleaned blueberries, so I took a couple containers home to my family.
3. A friend gave me a bucket of tiny yellow plums.
4. A neighbor invited us over to harvest their plums and apples that were weighing down their trees. I ended up canning 60 quarts of plums in syrup and will be saucing the apples.
5. I found a double hot plate at Goodwill and used it while canning the plums. It kept the syrup hot, since I use 2 canners and they take up large amount of real estate of my stove, making it unsafe to heat up syrup.

Almost frugal: I visited Goodwill with an eye out for something to resell. I found a brand new (I thought) Vitamix blender for $99. I thought about it and went back only to discover that it was a Ninja blender. A quick search on the ‘net came back with brand new ones on sale for $79 at Target! Glad I waited and double checked!

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Marcia September 8, 2016 at 10:38 am

60 quarts of plums is a lot of work, and a lot of free food!! Good for you.

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Kim September 7, 2016 at 10:17 am

1. Sold 5 things on Amazon over the holiday weekend and then another yesterday! Shipped the 5 yesterday and just packed the other for my mail carrier to take today. I’ve been selling since 2012.
2. Dinner last night was a pork loin from the freezer that I bought at Target in July when I found lots of meat markdowns. The $4 off sticker meant $2 pork loin. I served it with mashed potatoes, canned green beans and Aldi asparagus. Yummy and plenty of leftovers.
3. Went to the Orioles game on Sunday with the corporate seats from company DH works for. Regularly $87 each. DH didn’t sleep well the night before and really didn’t want to go so I asked my older neighbor who is a big fan and former season ticket holder. He was thrilled to go and insisted on driving, paying parking and buying all food! We had a great time!
4. Hanging laundry out on the line.
5. Planting my fall garden a little at a time. The seeds I either had or recently got at Dollar General for 10ยข. Peas, sugar snap peas, lettuce and spinach are planted and the peas are already sprouting!

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JenniferK September 7, 2016 at 1:13 pm

I do enjoy reading and learning from Five Frugal Things but admit I’m disappointed that quite often the fifth thing is “didn’t buy a Lear jet” so usually it’s only Four Frugal Things :-/

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Susie's Daughter September 7, 2016 at 2:20 pm

Some days you just have to take your frugal wins where you can!

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Katy September 7, 2016 at 5:52 pm

Luckily, there are always HUNDREDS of frugal things from readers, so I see no cause for complaint.

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LisaC September 8, 2016 at 1:31 am

The “didn’t buy a Lear Jet” reminds me to think think think before buying anything I don’t need.

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Mand01 September 8, 2016 at 4:38 am

Also – it’s a joke, Joyce (as we say in Australia)!

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Lindsay September 7, 2016 at 1:27 pm

1. Got four big bags of groceries for my fiance and me for the week at Aldi for $45. All healthy stuff, too!
2. My dad passed on a bunch of yellow peppers he received from a friend’s garden. I’ll use them in a big batch of fajitas.
3. Continuing to stock my classroom library frugally. Some lovely friends donated books (some new, some that were sitting on their bookshelves waiting for new homes). A friend who works for a literary agent is going to send some books by authors her agency represents. I also hit up Salvation Army on a sale day and got a bunch of great books for my students. I’ve been sending thank you notes out of my thrift store greeting card stash.
4. I am now working in a school with adequate funding, so I have had to spend MUCH LESS money this year on classroom supplies.
5. I renewed my library books to avoid a fine.
Frugal Thing/Fail:
6. I was planning on hosting our rehearsal dinner at a free venue and self-catering, but the more I thought about it, the more overwhelmed I felt. Instead, we’ve decided to support a small local restaurant with our rehearsal dinner. I am pricing a few different options to try to be as frugal as possible.

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Susie's Daughter September 7, 2016 at 2:26 pm

Lindsay – on #6 – We looked at MANY different options before we landed on a similar decision. Rehearsal dinner was at a little cafe near the hotel where most of our families stayed. Buffet style sandwiches and salads and great desserts. I don’t regret it a bit since it allowed us to focus on the people who were there and not the details. Two of our best friends served as hosts – greeting people and making sure everyone had a seat and things were going well. We are still grateful for their help 9 years later!

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Lindsay September 8, 2016 at 4:14 pm

Thanks for the encouragement! I think it will be worth it.

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Amy Jo September 7, 2016 at 3:32 pm

Most of my thriftiness has been towards updating my wardrobe (very much needed) lately:
1. I received 3 compliments at church for a crochet yellow (see through with lots of holes) sweater I wore over a tank top with pants on Sunday. Sweater and tank: $2. Pants were already in my closet.
2. I haven’t wore a pair of jeans in years. But I bought a used pair from a friend recently, well worth the money. I spent $5 on them and they fit like a glove. Hubs said they were super cute. ๐Ÿ˜‰
3. I got a gorgeous deep purple Ralph Lauren sweater for this fall…..$2. Tried it on last night….adorable!!!
4. I have my church outfit picked out for this Sunday already. ๐Ÿ˜‰ A empire waist shirt that really accentuates my curves, and a knee length flippy black skirt. Skirt was from my closet, and the shirt was on a swap and I paid $4. I adore this top……..but I wouldn’t have loved it so much at $30!
5. I shopped my closet this weekend. ๐Ÿ˜‰ I cleaned it all out, and put back only what I adore. Found a cute top I haven’t worn in years….forgot all about it. Looks new, and fits. YEAH!!! FREE!
6. I have several of the items that I don’t like or don’t fit on a local FB auction site. I have most items listed for $2. The money I make will go into a few more items I need to finish up my fall wardrobe. ๐Ÿ™‚

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melanie September 7, 2016 at 4:20 pm

Good for you on number 2!! He, he!

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Seetonya September 7, 2016 at 4:20 pm

1) Worked from home today.
2) Made tonight and tomorrow night’s dinners.
3) Paid the last payment on our car. Paid that sucker off two and a half years early by making double payments.
4) Carpooling to an event.
5)

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Jackie September 7, 2016 at 5:04 pm

After your #3, you don’t need a 5th FFT… congrats on the double payments and paying the car off.

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rebecca September 7, 2016 at 4:39 pm

1 brought coffee and lunch to work.
2. I accidently backed into my parents garage door. I thought it would cost a ton of money to fix. While it is $120 out of my monthly budget, it is a HUGE relief that it is not more than that.
3. Watching US Open for entertainment.
4. Having grad students over for tomorrow’s seminar. It will be in the 90’s and the room assigned on campus has no air conditioning. I will give them hummus, crackers, cheese and grapes that were all on sale.
5. That’s all I’ve got right now.

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Lindsey September 7, 2016 at 9:43 pm

1. Talked myself off the pizza cliff twice this week, making something from the cupboard instead.
2. Accepted four free bagels from a friend.
3. Traded dill from my garden for a pan of chicken enchiladas—we each thought we got the better deal, so win/win.
4. Checked out books rather than purchasing them.
5. Made a dessert for a potluck from things I already had and brought home some main dish leftovers other attendees did not want (?! I secretly thought they were idiots—we will eat off these leftovers for at least a week. Spaghetti, chicken stuffed crescent rolls, deviled eggs, more spaghetti and mashed potatoes (great for potato pancakes!) The poor organizers expected at least 100 people and only about 20 showed up so there was lots of food left and I waited until close to the end because I didn’t want to be greedy, but when only I and the club president were left I took what was available.
6. Found a one dollar coin in the coin cash-in machine. Must have been rejected because they are so unusual and the previous user must not have checked the machine for remains.

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Marcia September 8, 2016 at 10:54 am

1. Earned a $25 Amazon gc this morning after doing a survey–used up points I’ve accumulated a while back and haven’t been tracking lately.
2. Had to drive my husband to take his car into shop today and two places to stop on the way home for stuff he needed. Waiting for them to call to pick it up. In the meantime, I did tomorrow’s laundry and didn’t do today’s grocery shopping. But I also paid the couple bills I had so far after balancing my checking for August. Have to accomplish SOMETHING instead of sitting around all day. Now there will be time for grocery shopping tomorrow.
3. Not sure about dinner because this car shop is 45 minutes away, but we have NOT been out to eat this week, so one stop is in the budget.
4. Having foot doctor’s office check with my insurance to see if they will pay for the $88 brace he suggested. Until then, an Ace bandage is doing just fine. I need to wear something for a couple weeks and see if it helps my tendonitis. I’d rather skip the physical therapy if possible. It’s not only the co-pay, but it’s pretty boring too! I have done it a couple times before.
5. No Lear Jet for me either.

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Alexandra September 8, 2016 at 11:24 am

1. cooked chicken breasts in crock pot with water and onions. Got 2 jars of chicken stock and lots of shredded meat for this weeks meals.
2. SKipped ordering from HelloFresh instead found one of their vegetable hash recipes and made it with ingredients on hand.
3. Made soup with a little chicken, a little veggie hash and soup stock!
4. Let go of gym membership and been doing crossfit type videos on youtube
5. Been practicing only going to grocery store on Friday, payday. For 6 weeks, only broke down once! REALLY making us use it up or go without. Very creative endeavour.

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Bee September 9, 2016 at 1:00 pm

I love to cook chicken in the crockpot this way and freeze it. Shredded chicken is the start of many good meals.

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Tammy September 9, 2016 at 3:57 am

1) The weather hasn’t changed, but I wanted more of a “fall” look in my wardrobe. I tried everything on in my closet, took everything out that was super summery and/or didn’t fit right, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I have a good capsule wardrobe. I do need a few basics but otherwise I’m set till the weather does change.

2) I so did not want to cook dinner last night but I did.

3) I went to the library and picked up some DVDs for my daughter to watch. Free entertainment! While I was there I also got a DVD for myself to watch while my husband had some friends over to watch last night’s football game.

4) We have one car right now and instead of taking my husband in to work so I’ll have the car if I feel like it, I’ve only been taking him in if I truly need the car. This week and last week it was only once per week. That saves quite a lot of gas.

5) I surely did not buy a leer jet this week! Or last week either. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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Emily September 9, 2016 at 12:38 pm

1. Took a last minute babysitting job this weekend. Overnight in a huge house on a lake. It will be easy and great extra cash. A family I sit for regularly gave my name to a friend whose usual sitters were busy. I’m appreciative of the opportunity!

2. My poshmark account has been on fire lately so it has been great extra cash.

3. Going to a friends tonight for taco dinners, drinks and a movie. Fun and frugal. I had some stuff on hand already so not a huge expense!

4. Cashed out my saving star and Ibotta for some extra cash towards my student loans.

5. Can’t think of anything else!

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