Five Frugal Things

by Katy on September 5, 2015 · 62 comments

Red Rose Tea

  1. My husband and I had two more spent Timbers soccer tickets featuring coupons for free Ikea meals. This meant it was time for another romantic afternoon date for Mr. and Mrs. Ms. Non-Consumer Advocate! We sipped our free coffee thanks to our Ikea Family cards, and happily munched our way through chicken and fries. We slowly walked through the showroom floor and left without buying anything. I found a dime on the ground.
  2. I took two boxes of unopened hair dye that had been left at one of my mother’s guest cottage to the consignment shop. I also rounded up a few extra things to maximize the profit/decluttering opportunity. (A classic, yet mildly pornographic nightlight and a choker that always made me feel like I was being murdered.) I was handed $7.50 in cash, which went into my college fund jar. (Keep in mind that this shop is two blocks from our house, so this errand takes next to no time from my life.)
  3. I taught my husband the concept of hypermiling with the Prius. I’d been noticing that the car was getting poor gas mileage whenever he’d been the one to drive. Chill out, lead-foot!
  4. I noted that Safeway had my beloved Red Rose Tea on sale as part of their Just4U e-coupons, so I loaded it onto my loyalty card and headed over to the grocery store. I also loaded a $3-off-$20 coupon and bought bananas and 10-lb bag of Calrose rice. I now have 300 2.6¢ tea bags and we’re no longer out of rice! Yes, my life is both exciting and gripping, I can see why you read this blog. 😀
  5. I was able to get a promo code for a free Redbox movie by texting HEB to 727272, which I used to reserve the movie Woman in Gold. Unfortunately, the kiosk wouldn’t accept my American Express card, so I called the customer service number. They credited me two movies, which means I’ll be able to get another DVD for free!

Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }

Nathalie September 5, 2015 at 5:10 pm

I love that your romantic date with your husband is a completely free meal and “window shopping” without buying anything and that you found money to boot!

A romantic date with mine is when we go to the county dump together, hahaha. No chance of us spending money there either.

Nothing exciting to report on my end today. Cooking at home, mending things (superglued my meat cleaver back together), making cleaning products (although the lemon basil countertop cleaner I made ONLY smells like vinegar so I’m disappointed), entering my physical activity in Walgreens’ Balance Rewards for Healthy Choices and earning points towards a $5 Balance Reward pretty soon (to be applied to my next purchase, I get cereal and eggs there quite often when they’re on sale), earning Swagbucks and Bing Rewards, reusing/recycling/upcycling all that I can. Not exciting but very rewarding!

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Katy September 5, 2015 at 5:13 pm

I need to register my husband’s fitbit to Walgreens, as we get a number of prescriptions there.

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Bettypants September 6, 2015 at 4:23 am

The date to the county dump made me laugh.

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Mand01 September 5, 2015 at 5:11 pm

1. Went to our grocery outlet store, and stocked up on coffee pods for work, Earl Grey tea for my husband, cup noodles (also for him, he loves them), canned organic borlotti beans, dove soap for me, hand wash, and a few other things.
2 then we went over the road to the supermarket that had amazing loss leaders this week and bought a big pile of fresh strawberries, chicken, coffee, and some other things that we needed. We are entertaining today.
3. This morning I made strawberry jam from the strawberries I got for .98c a punnet, I’ve never made strawberry jam before. It tastes amazeballs and it was very easy. It cost probably what store bought would have but was fun to make and tastes much better, plus only three ingredients.
4. I sliced the rest of the organic oranges my brother gave me, and they are in the dehydrator as we speak.
5. Made pancakes for my husband for Fathers Day. I never buy those mixes. Had some Soda Stream soda water left over, so replaced half the milk with that and they were much nicer, so that was a win because it would have gone down the sink and I saved a cup of milk.

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Diane September 5, 2015 at 5:18 pm

You will really enjoy Woman in Gold. Definitely a film worth watching….very well done.

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Marilyn September 5, 2015 at 6:01 pm

I also liked “Woman in Gold” very much.

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Katy September 5, 2015 at 6:08 pm

If I can get the damned kiosk to spit it out for me!

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Karen September 6, 2015 at 5:48 pm

I am reading the book the movie is based on: the Lady in Gold by Anne Marie O’Connor. Fascinating, and I got it from the library.

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Juhli Newkirk September 7, 2015 at 3:33 am

Thanks for mentioning that there is a book. I just requested it from my library.

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Maryanne September 8, 2015 at 2:25 pm

I have to chime in about “Woman in Gold”. Very interesting story! My hubs and I really enjoyed the movie.

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Lindsey September 5, 2015 at 5:34 pm

1. I finally achieved my two and a half year goal of losing 150 pounds—my doctor scared me by saying I was going to die and I needed gastric bypass surgery. I told him I would do it myself and he uttered the fateful words; “No one ever sticks to a diet for that long.” When I went to see him this week, he apologized for that remark—when really I should have thanked him because every time I wanted to give up, I remembered him saying that and I grew even more determined to make him eat his words (see, all things still lead to food for me!) And, of course, there was the fact that my insurance would not cover it and we could not spare that much money. Do or die became my new motto.

2. I spent the last month digging in my closet and altering all the clothes my amateur skills allowed. A few things I wrecked but mostly I finally am wearing things that fit, instead of clothes that bag all around me. And I took in the pants I have been wearing with giant safety pins gathering the waists so they would not fall off me. I was really tempted to just buy all new clothes, but then I thought of the money I’d waste giving away old clothes and buying new ones and resisted.

3. A friend of mine has chickens and my husband and I grew a boatload of potatoes. I gave her 50 pounds of them in exchange for the promise of two dozen eggs a month for the next six months.

4. The same friend has some old hens she is going to dispatch. I learned how to kill and process chickens from my grandmother so she is going to give me three processed chickens if I spend Labor Day helping her finish off the 15 chickens slated for departure. My husband has agreed to help, so the chore won’t take as long—he even borrowed a plucker from a workmate.

5. With harvesting most of the garden and sewing, I did not have time to make and can a year’s worth of spaghetti sauce, like I usually do. So I froze my excess tomatoes and will just make the sauce as we need it. I don’t like doing it that way, as it takes up valuable freezer space but I simply didn’t have the time or energy for one more task.

The final frugal mention belongs to my husband, who hand grated our zucchini harvest so that we ended up with 8 gallon bags of shredded zucchini and one quart canning jar of dehydrated shredded zucchini.

One non-frugal thing: I ordered an immersion blender this week. I have wanted one for a long time and I didn’t feel like trolling garage sales. I got tired of making soups and then messing with the hot liquid by trying to pour it into the blender in order to make it seem creamy without adding cream.

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Brandy September 5, 2015 at 5:54 pm

Congrats on your weight loss!! Losing that much weight is NOT easy, kudos to you for doing it the natural way! AWESOME!!!

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Katy September 5, 2015 at 6:08 pm

Wow, that is so impressive!!!!!!!!

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Mel September 5, 2015 at 8:08 pm

Congrats on sticking with your goal and seeing it through to the finish!

I am also someone who held out on buying an immersion blender and finally caved about a year ago. However, I now question why I waited so long as I truly love it and it is one of my most used kitchen items!

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Katy September 5, 2015 at 8:20 pm

I’ve had the same immersion blender since 1992-sh and I use it probably twice a week!

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Jill A September 6, 2015 at 3:53 am

Congratulations!! That’s amazing.

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Bonnie September 6, 2015 at 4:44 am

Congrats on the weight loss!

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Nathalie September 6, 2015 at 5:21 am

Wow, Lindsey, what an inspiration! You’re my new hero 🙂

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Mary September 6, 2015 at 6:46 am

You’ll love your new slim figure and new way of eating. Congratulations. I want an immersion blender too. May get one since everyone seems to like theirs so much.

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Ellie September 6, 2015 at 10:13 am

Woo0hoo – great job on the diet!

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Isabelle September 6, 2015 at 12:12 pm

150lbs, wow!!!!! I need to lose half of that and can’t seem to get to it…. Good job!,,,

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Kathy M September 6, 2015 at 3:08 pm

Woohoo! Good for you on your weight loss and all that you have accomplished this weekend.

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AFS September 6, 2015 at 6:33 pm

Congratulations! Very Well done! What an accomplishment. I’m proud of you (and we’ve never met)

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Lauren September 7, 2015 at 6:07 pm

Amazing job on your weight loss. I bet you’re loving the “new” you!

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MsSF September 8, 2015 at 5:37 am

Wow, I am so impressed with your weight loss! Way to go! It is amazing how one comment can change your life sometimes.

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Phyllis September 8, 2015 at 8:40 am

Lindsey,
You are a rock star. Congrats on the weight loss. You can do anything now!!! Send your doctor a thank you note. Drs don’t get many of them and I bet it would mean something to him.
If I were you, I wouldn’t count the immersion blender as a non-frugal thing. It’s a great tool and I think sometimes electronics are best bought new or from someone that we know. I have a couple nca losses by buying electronics that didn’t work.

Onward and upward!

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Randi September 5, 2015 at 5:40 pm

My frugal accomplishments day include:

– Not leaving the house
– Doing some surveys for points (future cash)
– Called an insurance company for a quote so I can redeem their complimentary $20 Shell gift card
-Eating less than desirable leftovers.

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Jenni September 5, 2015 at 5:46 pm

I think it’s pretty amazing that you have a consignment shop that takes hair dye. Never heard of anything like that in Denver!

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Katy September 5, 2015 at 6:17 pm

I wouldn’t have thought about it, except that I’d noticed a couple boxes they were already selling.

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Kate September 5, 2015 at 6:15 pm

Most of my day was consumed by having a yard sale. I didn’t make an extraordinary amount of money, but I managed to sell or give away several large things that I would have had to pay to dispose of at the dump. Queen-sized(and really heavy!) aerobed with a tiny hole? Free and gone. Banged up exterior doors? $2 each and gone. Yay!

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Alison September 5, 2015 at 8:34 pm

Started back at work this week after 7 weeks off.
– took my lunch everyday instead of going out and buying it, except for the one day we had a meeting and lunch was provided.
– grabbed some dishes from a moving neighbour that were on the curb, not for me, but for the lunchroom at work.
– showed my international student how to hang her clothes on the drying rack, instead of using the dryer.
– eating up leftovers instead of making something new each night for dinner.
– have not bought any “back to school clothes” for work. Have plenty I can wear.

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A. Marie September 6, 2015 at 1:20 pm

Re: “grabbed some dishes…,” one of my BFFs who is on the board of directors for a shelter for battered women did something similar last week: There was a cleanout going on at a house near her (the executors had already had multiple estate sales and were just moving stuff out to the curb at this point). BFF muscled in and acquired a lot of dishes and other household items for the shelter. All the fun of trashpicking and doing good at the same time!

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Revanche September 7, 2015 at 11:35 am

That’s so thoughtful of your BFF to actually save useful things and redirect them. Triple boon 🙂

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Monica September 5, 2015 at 8:46 pm

1. Paid a friend to cut my hair for half the cost of the local salons plus we got to catch up.

2. Used a $10 Kohls gift card, money saved and a Visa gift card all earned from surveys has paid for back to school expenses so far. We’ve maximized those dollars by shopping clearance & using coupons.

3. Used consignment store credit to buy items for resale & back to school clothes.

4. Used Google survey rewards credits to watch Mad Max Fury Road.

5. My oldest DD made banana bread as a thank you for our neighbor giving us tomatoes.

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Bobbi September 5, 2015 at 10:24 pm

1. Cooked at home all week, and used our leftovers for lunches.
2. Exercised at home today with a workout DVD and a dog walk.
3. I needed a new sports bra, something I don’t want to buy used. I found an excellent one at TJ Maxx for $9.99. The TJ Maxx price tag said “Compare at $19.99” but the original manufacturer’s price tag was still on the bra, with a suggested retail price of $38.99. So I feel like I got a very good deal!
4. Watched a movie on Netflix tonight.
5. No plans to leave the house tomorrow, which feels like a special treat after a busy week! I’ll walk the dogs around the neighborhood, but otherwise I’m going to stay at home and cook, work on a few minor house projects, and relax. Extra bonus: won’t spend any money.

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Lucy September 6, 2015 at 4:10 am

Exciting, gripping, and inspiring!

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Bettypants September 6, 2015 at 4:33 am

1. My mom brought me a bunch of raspberries, which I froze for smoothies. I struggle with the texture of some fruits, and have found the smoothie to be the answer for more fruit/veggie intake.
2. Got a $20 coupon for filling a prescription at Meijer yesterday. I already get my meds filled there, and am always on the lookout for these coupons.
3. Sold two random books on ebay for a $13 profit.
4. Finally sold the last of the Barbie Hallmark ornaments. I had bought a lot of them locally and sold them individually on ebay, making just over $80 in profit, which I was very pleased with.
5. Found a hanging exterior porch light on clearance for $31. Ours was dirty AND broken and should have replaced over a year ago. Installed the new fixture and am a little ashamed of how much better it looks. Should have made that little fix a loooooong time ago.

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marleen September 6, 2015 at 6:34 am

1. my husband and I switched vehicles this past week since he had longer distances to drive and my car gets better mileage.
2. I did a complete inventory of foods on hand so that we can start using things up and buy less at the grocery store this month.
3. I made a list of meals that could possibly be made with the foods we have on hand so I have an idea what I can put together as soon as I get home from work and avoid the temptation to go out to eat.
4. this weekend I’m taking a shrunken wool sweater and making it into a pair of pants for my little grandson. My daughter prefers soft wool for him as it eliminates the need for a diaper cover for his cloth diapers.
5. found some stalks of celery in my crisper that were drying out, so I put them in a glass of water in the refrigerator to re-hydrate them.

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Christa N September 6, 2015 at 8:49 am

Katy,

What is the name of the consignment shop? I’m about 30 minutes outside of Portland and would love to make a trek to this shop one of these days. I’ll even be in Portland today to meet up with someone who is purchasing something I was selling on craigslist. 🙂

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Isabelle September 6, 2015 at 11:39 am

* The in-laws are in town and wanted to go shopping (yesterday AND today). Went with but didn’t buy anything (and found it unpleasant, overwhelming and quite boring. Yes, I dislike shopping!)
* Reading books from a free pile
* Waiting for shows to come out on Netflix instead of buying the dvds
* My husband and daughter got treated to a restaurant meal yesterday
* Worked out at my cheap gym this morning (120$/year)

Have a great frugal day!

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meg September 6, 2015 at 12:52 pm

Hi Katy,

I read your blog all the time because you are such an inspiration to me to live
a more frugal life. My husband and daughter just laugh at me when I try to keep
costs low. Today I was treated to a coffee at Dunkin Donuts, a found a hair tie
on the ground and I am trying to choose a replacement for our countertop that
won’t be too expensive as it is going on cabinets that are at least 20 years old.
But they need to be replaced as the seam in the middle of the sink was never
sealed and it is coming apart. Thanks for your blog. It’s great!

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Ruby September 6, 2015 at 1:14 pm

The date to the dump is wonderful!

1. Went through the crisper drawers in the fridge washed/peeled/chopped various things so that they’re easy to eat or went into the freezer for future consumption.
2. Made a pot of potato soup and used my immersion blender to make it creamy. Had the soup for lunch with some homemade tea and a slice of homemade rye bread. So good!
3. My husband and son repaired the back porch today. It’s a temporary fix until we can afford a real carpenter.
4. Bought my husband a pair of dress shoes on sale (he needs them for job interviews) and also got to use my shopper’s reward points, so I saved 25 percent on the price.
5. Stopped by the Salvation Army and bought two beautiful silk ties (also for the job hunt) for $4. Carefully hand-washed them and hung them on the drying rack with the fan blowing on them. They look brand-new now.

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Rachel H September 6, 2015 at 4:12 pm

Prayers for a job for your husband.

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Ruby September 7, 2015 at 7:58 am

Thank you.

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robbie @ mom hats and more September 12, 2015 at 12:53 pm

Yes, I hope he finds a position that helps your family and brings him joy soon.

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Reese September 6, 2015 at 1:25 pm

One of the hardest mind-set changes I’ve had to make is about finding clothes/hair ties/other items outside and bringing them home. I was brought up to believe that these things were dirty and full of bugs. I’ve brought home a sweater and a scarf. But was looked down upon by my ex husband (then husband) and my grandmother for doing so!

I think there’s a stipulation that only poor people, or desperate people, will do these things. It’s sad that more people aren’t open to the idea. If it’s perfectly good to use, why not use it? At least it will get a second run at life if I pick it up. Otherwise it could be destined for the landfill!

Frugal things today:
1) I made my own iced coffee. Brewed a cup. Made the ice myself. Put a splash of coffee creamer that I got on sale in it.
2) I brought three bananas to work to munch on. I know it seems like an awful lot of fruit, but it keeps me full and I figure fruit is far better than the work vending machine.
3) I got notice that I won an auction on eBay. My cat ate two pair of my heels (I know…. I couldnt believe it either), and I needed to replace at least one of them. I found the exact same pair on ebay (no longer sold in stores), but saw there was a “OFFER BID” button. They were listed for $49.99, but I bid $35.99 and it was accepted. Far cheaper than brand new, AND cheaper than the listed price!
4) I work at my local library, and stopped in our book sale room this morning. I found two high-altitude baking books for .25 cents, and one whole wheat one for .25. Finally rounded out the $1 in change I already had in my purse with a taste of home no-bake desserts one. I have a lot of options for desserts and treats to bake myself at home! (I always see ones like the taste of home at the register lines in grocery stores. This one has a price tag of $4.99 on it. I got a great deal!)
5) I didn’t buy a learjet.
5)

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K D September 6, 2015 at 2:54 pm

Katy, your previous post (about the Boston Cream Pie yogurt) reminded me of
an Amy Dacyczyn article about the “Wow factor”. She weighed how much something and its associated cost meant to her versus a more expensive option. So if the cheaper yogurt rated a 6 and cost $.20 and another flavor rated an 8 and cost $.39 the cheaper yogurt was the better buy. I think she compared the higher price (in this case the other flavor yogurt was 95% more expensive but it was not rated 95% higher in quality so not worth the money). I can’t find the article in the book but I believe that is what she called the principle and I tend to think that way, almost subconsciously, at times.

1. We have been doing work around the house and yard. We trimmed a bunch of trees so it is easier to mow. We cut and bagged the branches and the county will pick the bag up next week (part of the service we receive via our property tax).

2. We met friends at an outdoor music concert, in a restaurant parking lot, last night. We ate before we went and we had already brushed our teeth so we did not even buy beverages. Free entertainment (if you could call it that) and catching up with friends.

3. I have been reading a lot on my Kindle, books that were $0.00 when I “purchased” them.

4. I opened a savings account with Discover bank. Not only is the interest rate much better than at the credit union, but we will receive a $50 bonus soon.

5. My husband washed our cars at home yesterday. Usually he likes to take his to a car wash but he decided it would be cheaper to wash at home. I told him it probably was just as quick as well.

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Amanda September 6, 2015 at 4:09 pm

1. We managed to eat out of the cabinets all weekend and never had to leave the house to go to the store.
2. Our weekend renters left apples, a watermelon, lemons, avocados, soy milk, and unopened yogurt. The soy milk went into sandwich bread. I’m going to make lemon squares with the lemons.
3. We tend not to eat the heels of our sandwich bread. All summer I made them into crutons for my salads. Now that greens aren’t as fresh and time isn’t as abundant, I let a few go stale and ground them into bread crumbs in the food processor. They will go into this weeks’ meatballs.
4. With school starting this week and the seasons changing, it is time for fall wardrobes for my little guys. I went through their drawers and pulled out all the summer stuff that has gotten tight. I then went through my stash of hand-me-downs and goodwill purchases to replenish what I took out. I came up with a list of a few things they still need, which I will take to the goodwill tomorrow. I’ll probably have to buy new tennis shoes for my oldest as I have had slim luck finding any in good shape at consignment stores, but I should be able to find him a winter coat.
5. I noticed in the paper today several sales featuring bedroom suits. I never thought about it, but the whole idea seems so strange to me. Why on earth would one’s dresser need to match one’s night tables? Our bedroom furniture is a mix of hand-me-down and Craigslist, although I did buy a bookcase brand new from ikea last year. It works great for us, and I have about -10% interest in spending several thousand on a set of bedroom furniture.
6. I’ve been listening to Dave Ramsey lately, on your recommendation, Katie. Hearing about all the crazies out there and their bad decisions makes me appreciate my husband all the more. As I’m the one who goes to the grocery store he pretty much spends nothing in our household unless he buys gas or pays a bill of which I am already aware. I don’t agree with Ramsey on everything, but I couldn’t agree more on the importance of being on the same page. I’m so blessed.

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Lynn D. September 6, 2015 at 5:26 pm

Here’s a good tip for the heels of bread. Make a sandwich, but turn the crust side of the heel into inside of the sandwich. This is especially nice if you are packing a lunch. The crust will not get soggy from the filling, but will soften just a little. I fooled my kid with this trick for years!

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cc September 7, 2015 at 3:09 am

That is a great tip. I don’t mind the ends so usually eat them myself. But its a great tip for someone who says they don’t like them. Thanks for sharing.

Your tip is my you learn something new everyday item.lol

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Drasa September 7, 2015 at 5:21 pm

Another tip – I am celiac and never want to waste the expensive gluten free bread (when I buy it) – so whenever I have heels or broken pieces, i save them in a ziploc in the freezer. I make stuffing’s and stratas out of it when I have enough!

Love your tip too Lynn! I try to get rid of the heels when I make grilled cheese’s as I figure you can’t tell the difference when it is grilled.

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Carol M. September 9, 2015 at 5:34 am

Good point about the bedroom set. It’s crazy to think how much people spend that could be used for other things. It only makes sense if you have a lot of money…we, too, have unmatched furnishings.

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Melissa September 6, 2015 at 4:28 pm

Hi Katy,

I have been reading your entire archives so I guess that was frugal – certainly inspiring!
1. I bought hair clippers from Aldi this week and cut my boyfriend’s hair – something that his sister used to do but getting there and back was always such a pain!
2. Was given a $200 Westfield giftcard by one of my bosses (I know!!!!!) just “because” so am saving it towards a tablet later in the year.
3. have been eating from the pantry/freezer so only buying essentials
4. Got a couple of fabulous pieces of clothing from the op shops this week – used my half off voucher so each were only $3 (including a leather jacket!)
5. My boyfriend has been collecting aluminium cans on his walks so we can get the extra cash – it’s not much but it all helps!
6. An extra one! I found an American penny whilst I was at the op shop! I’m in Australia so seemed appropriate that I add this one!

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Robin September 6, 2015 at 6:45 pm

We are having a frugal Labor Day weekend

1) yesterday we had my brother and his family over for dinner. While we did buy stuff to grill and some avos for guacamole. I made the sausage buns using the Frugal Girls French bread recipe – the buns rocked

2) today my husband cleared out the veg beds and dug in compost from our compost bin, getting ready for Fall planting.

3) my kiddo really likes the 365 ritz cracker knockoffs from whole foods so I figured I’d try and make them, found a recipe, took no time at all and he loves them. I was on a roll so I also made tortillas, English muffin bread, pita bread and bolognese.

4) called around to find the cheapest place to get my car serviced, turns out it’s at the Acura dealership – huh

5) It’s supposed to be in the 90s this week so we will head to the pool for some cooling off fun, we already are members of the club (not frugal, but it’s a worthwhile expense for us) and I will bring our drinks and snacks.

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Sharon September 6, 2015 at 7:01 pm

My five frugal things:
1) I bought marked down bananas and mozzarella cheese. That’s it. This is all I needed to make what I have on hand work for the week. ( bananas for lunches and cheese to made flat breads and tomatoes into pizza).
2) A neighbor works for a coffee roaster in town and she gave me 6 pounds of coffee been! No need to buy coffe!!
3) I have taken inventory of my teas. I do not need to buy tea… Or cocoa or cider mix all winter! I am set on the front of hot drinks.
4) My teen had a coupon for $15 off pizza. The order was $16.05. As I pulled out my wallet, she said “I’ve got this”! Love it!
5) I have decided to carry a large bag on my morning walks this week to collect wood for a campfire while camping this weekend… Free fire wood!

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Vickie September 7, 2015 at 9:52 am

1) I took the granddaughters to the Children’s Museum yesterday to play for about 3-4 hours. I packed water and chips for afternoon snacks, which tided us over until dinner.
2) I bought a whole hen at Aldi’s on Saturday morning and popped in the crockpot to cook. We’ve had 2-3 meals out of it already and I’m going to use what’s left to make chicken salad this evening.
3) I buy orange juice concentrate for about $1.19 a can and mix it in a container with a screw on lid that can be shook to remix what’s settled, after it sits in the fridge. Much cheaper than the premixed, mega sugar-added stuff that hubby used to buy for convenience sake.
4) I’m trying to find a glass infusion pitcher, for a decent price, to make infused water to drink. I lost more weight when I was drinking cucumber water, but I need something that encases the fruit & veggies in the pitcher. I think I found one on Amazon pretty cheap.
5) I didn’t buy a yacht or lear jet, but I get to enjoy the party barge included in our rental cabin at the lake this weekend. We pitch-in to rent a house or cabin when we go with hubby’s family every two years for a family vacation. It works out pretty good when you divide the price four ways. Much cheaper than a hotel and much more fun. I’m going to put my feet up and enjoy a margarita or two on our 5 days at the cabin, next weekend.

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Diane C September 7, 2015 at 10:57 am

Not sure if I can get to five, but I’ll try.
1. Taking a bookcase and lamp to the consignment store today. If the stuff I took last week sells without markdowns, I’ll earn $500.
2. Going to a free Labor Day Concert in the park today. All six of us will take one car.
3. Made everything for the picnic from scratch with items from the pantry and freezer. Grilled Chicken, Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad, Broccoli Salad, and Deviled Eggs. Friends are bringing one more veg and Angel Food Cake with Strawberries for dessert. Of course, we’ll all be drinking water.
4. Batch cooked beef in the crockpot for a month’s worth of Taco Tuesdays yesterday. Scratch black beans are already in the freezer.
5. Breakfast was a sleeve of Pillsbury crack & bake biscuits from the 99 Only store with homemade plum jam, plus yummy Aussie-style Yulu Yogurt (3/$1) from Grocery Outlet. “Fancy” weekend breakfast for 4 for $2.33 out of pocket. Win!

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marie September 7, 2015 at 7:47 pm

I saved $300 on a beach house for the labor day weekend. Truth is I wouldn’t have paid $300, but our friend didn’t have anyone renting this weekend, and they didn’t want to go. He know’s I love it there, and we only spent money on gas to get there.
I will be sending them a thank you card.

p.s. too show how fast I can get ready to go, husband called to tell me about it at 4 p.m, and , we were on the road by 5:30 .

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Jill September 8, 2015 at 8:11 am

I have been decided non-frugal lately! After months scouting the second-hand shops (Goodwill, Southern Thrift, etc.), I was unable to locate a small filing cabinet in good, non-smelly, non-rusty condition. So I had to buy one new (as a side note, why are filing cabinets so expensive?!). I took the opportunity to get a “pretty” one, since it was the same price as the boring one and just as well made.

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Carol M. September 8, 2015 at 2:15 pm

1. My father gave me his old car, a 1999 Acura in great shape. No car payments…woo hoo!
2. I drove it from Colorado to California. I brought food along the way, which saved me the cost of two meals.
3. My mother gave me $10 for “coffee” on the road. Yes, I’m an adult, but it makes her happy to do this for her only child. I spent it on a diner breakfast.
4. I only bought one coffee and one Subway meal for the rest of the way. $10 total for the whole road trip.
5. On the flight out to Colorado, I brought Subway with me, saving the cost of an airport meal by a few dollars. I also used a “free drink” ticket to get a glass of Chardonnay on the plane.

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Carol M. September 8, 2015 at 2:17 pm

And nonfrugal…this is the last time I do a road trip without planning gas stops. When I was almost out of gas (like every other Californian) I stopped in a little town that knew they were the only place for miles. They charged $4.69/gallon, and I filled up for about $60. Ugh. Would have gone better towards something else.

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Joy September 12, 2015 at 6:29 am

Gotta take my walk of shame….it was a LONG week at work….the kind of week when I came home crying more days than not! Last night, I simply did NOT have it in me to think about dinner. I searched a coupon code and order PapaJohn’s delivery (which I think is pretty gross, but the rest of the family likes). The delivery guy was so fast and polite, I tossed in an extra $2 to his tip. Sigh….FAIL!

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