Five Frugal Things
I'm switching ad networks for the blog, which required me to update the blog template, which was long due as I've been running the same one since 2008. I'm still tinkering with it, specifically I want to move "recent posts" up to the top, switch out the titles being in all lower case letters, (what, why?) and somehow add "archives" back in. Also, I need to add a "subscription" button, which is annoyingly showing up on the mobile version, but not the web version.
Here's what I need -- I want your feedback on both the functionality and visual aspects of the blog. Thank you in advance and back to business as usual:
Five Frugal Things!
- I cut hydrangeas from my backyard to make bouquets for both my mother and a friend who's been helping with the blog updates. They turn from blue to green and burgundy this time of year, which I think is actually prettier.
- I visited with my mother and ended up helping her declutter an area of her living room. I came home with another mug to slot in my neighborhood's free mug exchange.
- My husband and I ran into one of his work friends and we walked with him to our that mug exchange. The two of us then walked around the neighborhood for an hour or so to take full advantage of the sunny Portland weather. Once again, I am world's cheapest date!
- My husband's been receiving promotional emails from Skamania Lodge since we stayed there last January. (Check out the view from our room!) They're normally out of our price range, (we used credit card points last time) but they sent out a $99/night offer, so yeah . . . we reserved a couple nights in January for my birthday. Seriously, check out their normal pricing:
Frugal me previously figured out that they'll bring a free microwave to your room, plus there's an awesome taco cart and grocery store the next town over. I also learned that they have Keurigs in the rooms and a free coffee station for guests next to the check-in desk. This'll keep us on budget and out of the their onsite restaurant.
- I might be #cheapaf, but I'm not cheap enough to take this abandoned brassiere home. It wasn't my size.
Great deal on the lodge. Normal hotel rates are crazy and that's before they add in the various taxes and fees.
1. DD was having problems with her clothes dryer. DH checked to see if there was lint build up and was there ever. He cleared the easy to reach lint and will buy a new vent hose to make it safer and more efficient.
2. I was walking in our neighborhood yesterday and ran into a neighbor that loves books. We walked together for a while and caught up on our lives and also exchanged book title recommendations. I placed a couple on hold at the library.
3. We are scheduled to have our old concrete patio replaced (not the least bit frugal). DH removed the wood from the steps that go to the patio from the breezeway so he can repurpose. Otherwise it would be destroyed.
4. I put together a bag of clothes for someone that is helping needy people through her organization. I had hand me up items and a few other things I just didn't need. I'd rather give with a warm hand than a cold hand.
5. Speaking of warm handed (while alive) giving I will make donations to both the large food bank and our local suburb aid organization today. People in our area are suffering both from federal government job losses and the loss of SNAP funds.
Love the new layout! Good luck on working out all the kinks!
I'm not getting the email notifications I normally would. Do I need to resubscribe? I love the new format. The recent posts at the top would be good. Is it possible to have the reply to another person's post bigger and at the bottom of their post?
1. My mom came over yesterday. We sat on the front porch with the dogs and enjoyed the sunshine. I made a pot of jasmine tee and we bundled up in warm blankets and had a nice afternoon visit.
2. I'm giving the last of the rotisserie chicken to my daughter's dog who has a sad tummy.
3. I sold a couple more items on Ebay and listed another. I'm still working on listing the small pile of items I have accumulated. Two of the items I sold recently were easy to list and ship. They sold quickly and I made a really good profit, so I guess I should be working a little bit harder on this goal.
4. My mother sent me home with a bag full of cleaned fresh vegetables that were more than she needed. Thanks Mom.
5. All the usual stuff....
Still bugs to work out on this new site: when I went to write this comment, the title bar dropped down and obscured what I am typing. There was no easy way to scroll up past it, so I could not see if I had any errors. My workaround: I went back up (blindly) to what I figured was the start of my entry and hit return to drop the first line down (whew, no typos). On the other hand, it IS a crisp banner. The blog titles are crisp. The photos are good and clear. The text size for the content seems to have shrunk, though, and almost minimizes what you are writing about. Just some thoughts!
On a non-review-the-style note, I have enjoyed your observations and humor and content for years. Please keep it up! I get out to the greater Portland area all too rarely to see my children/grandchildren and I told my husband after we were out there this July that I felt I should have cruised the Goodwill on SE 82nd to see if you were there so I could run up to you and RAVE about you!
I wonder how much the layout is affected by type of device. I find the type bigger than before, working on my lap top at 125%, and don't have any problems with other lines creeping down over what I am typing.
I still like the blue logo with the four jars!
I agree, I like the new layout
Move the "recent posts" section to the top and you're gold.
Yes!! Love that that is in the works! Great job overall. Looks like it took some work!
Ditto to what MW says.
...and Bonnie's comment.
I'm with MW, Bonnie, and Fru-gal Lisa. The recent posts should be at the top--but, otherwise, I'm on board with the changes. My aging eyes particularly appreciate the larger type size.
Yes, yes, yes. Well done Katy! It is a huuuge undertaking.
I'm of the opposite thinking - posts should be in chronological order by date/TS. Font size can be addressed via browser.
I am of the opposite thinking - oldest to newest (FIFO). Font size/page viewing can be adjusted by one's browser.
Love the new format!
I think the bold headlines of each blog topic overpowers the pretty picture/logo of your canning jars and I LOVE THAT LOGO!!
Love love love your blog..faithful reader for a loooong time!!
Love the idea of moving recent posts up to the top of the page. Thank you for whatever tedious (painful?) work you have to do to keep this blog going. It is the only one I have kept since its inception!!!
PS the brassiere beneath the leaves ... you'd think someone would have noticed that go missing! Wonder what the story was.
Maybe the neighbor’s dog stole it off clothesline? Ha!
@Kathy in FL That was my guess too! Once upon a time we were 'that' family with a canine cleptomaniac. Neighbors knew who to go to to look for errant shoes (his special favorite). 🙂
A long time ago, DH and I knew a British couple who owned a Labrador with a penchant for the wife's "knickers" (= underpants in the US). During a party they were giving, the Lab proudly pranced out into the living room waving a pair of knickers. Hilarity ensued.
TMI warning: My post-college room mate had a cat who would dig in the bathroom waste basket for used sanitary pads and parade his "kill" around the house. We quickly found a small trash can with a secure lid!
What a great deal for your birthday getaway!
The bra reminded me of a recent conversation with friends. We were discussing where we drew the line at being frugal. (We all share a frugal mindset.) One woman works at a local hot springs with lodging and much of her and her husband's clothing comes from items people leave behind (My husband and I have shared in this bounty as well.) One man said he drew the line at used underwear. The hotel worker's husband said "Most of my underwear comes from Name of Hotel. That's what washing machines and Lysol disinfectant are for."
I definitely noticed, and thumbs up. I'm a fan but kept missing your posts til I found blogtrotter, which sends your posts to my email. But they're displayed so small, I click through and read on your site - which is fine, it'd be ludicrous to complain about a click. But now I don't have to 🙂
Katy, I appreciate all of your work redesigning (and maintaining) this blog. Additional suggestions:
1) Align the commenter's name on the left margin with their comment. This would help visually and would make it easier to spot replies to comments and follow a thread.
2) When replying to a comment, would it be possible to have "@name" automatically fill in at the beginning?
3) Identify the two dates appearing at the top of each post. For example, "Published: November 2. New Comments: November 3." (I think that's what those dates indicate.)
4) Consider removing the "Hey, I'm Katy!" section from the main page since "About Katy" is already clickable from the banner.
I liked having a note of the number of comments appear next to the article on the home page, without having to click the article, so I would know if I had read them all or if there were new ones.
Good point, Heidi Louise. Count me in on that one.
Katy, I noticed that the Reply button to a comment is in different locations depending on the device. When I'm on my phone, the Reply button is below a person's comment. When I'm on my laptop, it's up at the top next to the commenter's name. Mentioning it in case you want the location to be consistent across devices.
Love the new layout - feels so clean and fresh! I will say I have always loved the "newsfeed" format so I agree with your desire for recent posts to pop up first.
1. Spent a lovely weekend in town, avoiding any hotel or toll costs (although maybe I would have felt differently if I had gotten as good of a hotel deal as you locked in!)
2. It was the NYC marathon this weekend! We posted up near a brewery that opens their restrooms to spectators. Minimal spending to enjoy the day cheering runners on.
3. Also very frugal - I did NOT run this year 🙂 saving money on energy gels/fuel, electrolyte tablets, compression socks, race entry, and orthopedist visits.
4. Went to a friend's Halloween party this weekend that insisted they did not want folks to bring food and drinks but instead bring canned food for the local food pantry. We brought a bottle of wine we had already as a hostess gift and two cans from our pantry for a total cost of $0 out of pocket for a lovely evening.
5. Attended a local clothing swap on Saturday. I gave away a few pairs of shoes that have never fit quite right and they got snapped up. I walked away with two lovely sweaters and a work top to supplement my winter wardrobe. I hope they do another one soon!
But would you have taken the bra if it was in your size? l'd have been tempted!
That's a great deal on your hotel, enjoy your birthday trip! That view is gorgeous.
A major advantage to being retired is having the flexibility to take a trip when it's cheaper, rather than having to plan around your work holidays. Hubs and I are headed out on a birthday celebration trip tomorrow, even though our birthdays were months ago.
My frugal 5:
1. Called to cancel my introductory 8 week newspaper delivery before the expiration date so it doesn't auto renew and charge me the full price.
2. Meal planned this past week to use up stuff before we leave. Grandma is staying with the kids while we're gone, but I know from past experience that anything fresh is not likely to get used.
3. Made an apple pie to use up some apples that had gotten a little soft, already had a pie crust in the freezer I'd picked up on clearance last month.
4. Used the peels and cores in a recipe I found online for apple tea, but which we thought tasted like a hot apple cider. Super easy and delicious, will definitely do again. Used crystallized honey instead of brown sugar to sweeten it.
Husband teased me that it was the most delicious boiled garbage he'd ever had.
5. Picked up a jug of laundry detergent on clearance at the store, was able to stack half off clearance with sale, coupon, and ibotta cash back to bring the price from $16.99 to 99 cents.
Michelle, thanks for the tip for making apple tea (aka boiled garbage). Sounds delicious!
Michelle, can you direct us to the online recipe for the "boiled garbage"? Given the current prices for apple cider in my neck of the woods, I'd be curious to try it.
Love your husband's sense of humor!
But...
Did you hit him over the head with a rolling pin? Or the frying pan?
LOL!
The blog is looking good!
1. Had about two dozen trick-or-treaters, the little kids being the cutest. The most creative costumes were two pre-teens wearing black turtlenecks and pants, masks, etc., yellow-and-orange safety vests, and diamond tiaras and necklaces. They were the Louvre Heisters.
Put the leftover Halloweens pencils and tiny notebooks away for next year.
2. Moving my flower pots under cover so hopefully they don't get rained/snowed in and freeze and crack over the winter.
3. Son's electric fan cover slipped off. I took it apart and cleaned out hair and dust before putting it back together. Electric fans don't always follow the "righty-tighty, lefty-loosie" rule. Sometimes, the parts are screwed on in the reverse way.
4. Need to make another batch of laundry detergent, using up strange bars of soap I grate in the salad shooter. I follow The Prudent Homemaker's recipe for that: She's back to blogging!
5. Prowling the grocery aisles very carefully for bargains, mark-downs, and things to stock up on. My regional grocery chain was bought by a larger group, and the bigger chain has a senior discount one day a month. That hasn't come to my local store yet, but I will keep asking. The baggers already know me because I bring my bags, not as common as it should be.
Heidi Louise, thanks for the heads up that The Prudent Homemaker has started blogging again. Will check her out.
Thanks for letting us know the Prudent Homemaker is blogging again.
Forgot to write-- Those lamps in the picture with the hydrangeas are fascinating! Is that a mirror so it looks like a matched pair? I must have seen something similar at my grandparents', but not in pastels.
Long time fan here, to say for me the new layout feels very clunky, and was a bit of a harsh change. but others may be seeing something different, so maybe it's my browser? I'm on Chrome on a desktop. I see the categories (with the circle photos) in 2 lines at the top, under the banner, then your bio, and that's it for the screen. I have to scroll down to get to Latest Posts. Not a fan at all of having the first screen not show posts at all 🙁 Once I click on a post, the categories move to a column all along the right side, which works fine. If you could work some magic to have the categories always be on the side, I think it would be much more welcoming; it would be good to see both the latest posts right away, and the categories on the side.
thanks for checking with your adoring audience Katy! 🙂
Love the new format. I subscribed even though I already read your posts every day. What a great deal on the hotel room. I love experiences for presents. I asked a neighbor for his old feed tubs and he gave me 10. They are great big black tubs that cattle minerals come in. I am going to share with my step daughter and use them for raised bed gardening. My pepper plants in the garden this past season did not do well, so I am going to try this. I will have to punch some drainage holes but still the perfect price to try out. My husband and I went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate our anniversary three months ago. We were waiting to we had to go to a dr appointment in the city. We came home with extra rolls and 5 bags of roasted peanuts for free. We had the best server that offered them free.
I'm curious why you're switching ad networks? I know you had MV before. Just wondering where you are going?
I had SheMedia before, but was informed by Kristen, aka "The Frugal Girl" that I was being underpaid. We'll see how this pans out.
Katy, I hope you get a big, well-deserved raise!
I'm not a huge fan of the new format -- unless you can figure out a way to make the newest post front and center. And easily noticed.
But I am also a dinosaur in these matters, and don't like having to adapt. Which I CAN do. So don't mind me. (But I would like to be able to pick out and read the newest post more quickly.)
Here's a wondering question -- if the abandoned bra WAS your size, would you have taken it home??
We just went to Utah and back (9 hours drive each way) to buy a new-to-us Highlander Hybrid. Why the extra work? Because it sold for nearly $1000 less than the versions in Denver. Unfortunately, our puppy -- who normally is fine in the truck -- had two diahrrea and one throw-up session on the way there. While we were cleaning the truck (and him), puppy #2 decided to make a break for it. We were out in the boonies, pitch dark outside, and only by the grace of God managed to coax her back in. Not fun.
I am looking forward to an appraisal work session, a doctor's visit and a trip for meeting on the weekend. Oh joy. LOVE the Skamania Inn, and would book a few nights in a heartbeat at that price. Unfortunately, Colorado is a bit too far away.
Agreeing with comments above, once the most recent post is back to appearing at the top, this format works for me! Even so, having to scroll down to the recent post isn’t going to stop me from reading, this is the only blog I read!
1) Our new dishwasher was not installed correctly so it came loose from the counter and would tip forward when the racks were out. It was very irritating and I worried it was damaging the dishwasher. We called the company we’d bought it from who had installed it and got no response at all, via phone, email, repeat attempts etc. I guess they aren’t concerned with getting repeat customers once they have your money. My husband said he’d just fix it, but his sense of urgency didn’t quite match mine and more weeks passed. Finally yesterday I watched a YouTube video on how to install it, went to the hardware store where the kind employee helped me find the correct screws, and came home and fixed it. It was actually not too difficult and it’s so nice to use it now without it tipping forward.
2) I have a really chaotic work week this week so am relying heavily on the freezer for meals. I pulled out a frozen baked ziti I had previously made for dinner tonight. I also plan to pull out a frozen soup and biscuits for another night and if it comes down to it, I also have an emergency frozen pizza in there. Next week should be a more relaxed week so I can use it to replenish the freezer with more meals.
3) I’m trying to get my son to read more chapter books. Right now he will only read graphic novels, which is fine to an extent, as any reading is good practice, but he won’t even consider books without pictures, he just opens them and immediately closes them when he sees the wall of text. I found an old kids chapter book in the little free library by our house, it was 10 true stories where animals rescued people. I told him he needed to read one page, just to practice but he got into the story and almost ended up reading the whole book! He also enjoyed telling us what happened in the stories which is another good skill. So glad to have finally found a chapter book he likes and for free at that!
4) My son outgrew a pair of jeans so I promptly moved them into my daughter’s drawer. They are only 2 years apart and fairly close in size so usually as soon as he outgrows something, I can give it to her right away without needing to store it somewhere else. This really only works more with pants through, as she prefers to wear pink, purple, cat and unicorn shirts and dresses, and there aren’t any hand me downs of those from her brother.
5) I made a green curry yesterday that used a huge amount of produce: rainbow chard, Bok Choy, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, basil, cilantro and a lime. I portioned it out with some brown rice I already had cooked and froze them to use for work lunches. This prevented food waste from all the veggies and prevents purchasing lunch at work.
Reader Lisa,
I used to teach reading along with English/language arts, and in some of the in-service training we got, we were given all kinds of tips to help the reluctant readers start reading more. Graphic novels, as you've learned, was recommended practice. (These are books in comic book form, for folks unfamiliar with that term.) Another good trick was discovered in Iceland, I think it was. Very few TV shows are produced there, so they have subtitles in their language instead of voiceovers -- ie, a show produced in Hollywood would have English-language sound (which few Icelanders understood) so you'd have to rely on reading the subtitles to know what was going on or what the actors said. Guess what? Their kids' reading scores were incredibly high! Studies were done and it was found that the kids eagerly practiced reading when they watched TV.
My point is, if you have a TV set that has the capability of showing subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, turn the volume down and make Junior read his favorite shows. I'm not even sure if you have to turn down the sound, but getting him to read the dialog would help him, if this study is correct. Just an idea!
Yes, good advice! We do keep the subtitles on, although the sound is also in English. We also found that counter-intuitively video games really improved his reading. Specifically, Minecraft, because there are 100’s of items to use in the game and he was very motivated to learn to read so he could find the item he needed or spell it out in the search bar.
I’ll have to check out the Skamania lodge! We are trying to do more “fun” things with our free time.
1. I went to Fred Meyer and used a $20 off coupon from my husband getting his flu and covid shots at their pharmacy. I love that deal because there’s no minimum purchase required for redemption.
2. I’ve been binging “The Restaurant” on hoopla. It’s like a Swedish Downton Abbey.
3. I’m continuing to find great cool weather clothing that I thrifted and tucked away over the summer. Today I’m wearing a cozy corduroy shirt I found at the bins. It’s like Christmas around here.
4. I walked my ballot to the mailbox and found 10 redeemable cans on the way. Seven were in one spot, where I think someone might have cleaned them out of their car. Free money! It’s surprising that I found these since the canners have been extra aggressive lately. Sometimes I go on long walk and find nothing!
5. I continue to worry about the SNAP situation, which is a shameless manufactured ploy to find something horrible to blame on the democrats. I hope everyone is smart enough to see through it, but people aren’t smart enough to see Trump for who he is (a fascist), so I won’t get too hopeful.
Hi Li, Isn’t the Restaurant awesome! Just a heads up as you progress through the seasons that they should be viewed in a bit of a mixed up order. I think 1&2 are okay, but then it jumps around a bit so you can watch things happening in the right time order. Google should help you figure out the correct order!
Weird! Thanks! I’ll check it out. I’m still on season 1.
FFT, Erin Go Braless and Other Things Edition:
(1) First, I'm in complete sympathy with whoever tossed her bra into the undergrowth in Katy's #5. I'd do the same with all of mine if I didn't occasionally need to look respectable in public. And this reminds me of one of the art exhibits JASNA BFF and I saw at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore: a giant sphere made up of 18,000 (if I'm remembering correctly) ancient bras. Now that's visionary!
(2) In other news, I got my ample rear end down to City Hall this morning and applied successfully for the senior citizen exemption on my property taxes. The bad news is that this won't start kicking in till July 2026, but the good news is that I will eventually get 50% off those taxes. Woo hoo!!!
(3) I also swung through the post office and dropped in my application for a re-cut check for my NY State inflation refund (see yesterday's Four FTs for the full story).
(4) My last stop was my Salvation Army superstore, where I dropped off two boxes of general donations plus a bag of donations for the SA's food pantry. And I'll be making an online donation to the local food bank before the day is out. The SNAP situation can't be ignored.
(5) After all these exertions, I've given myself the rest of the day off, except for making a batch of Leah Chase's Gumbo. I've put out the word about this to all my gumbo-loving friends (Dr. Bestest Neighbor, my yard/snow guy, and my eventual executor--with whom I had a productive chat about my estate planning over the weekend). I expect them to start coming out of the woodwork any minute now.
@A.Marie, I was pleasantly delighted to discover that I automatically could get a steep discount on THIS year's property taxes as this is the year I turn 65 - so when I went to pay my farm taxes I think it was under $200. This is almost criminal, and I could even choose to divert that amount until such time as I sell (an option available to anyone over 55). I don't need to do that, and I could find the money. My house insurance, on the other hand, has increased an amazing amount so the savings on the property tax is just being thrown into the sad hole the insurance has made in my savings...
I like the new font and layout! I haven't received your new blog post email in ages. I guess I need to resubscribe.
That is a funny story about the abandoned bra!
I found a toboggan knit cap & a muffler outside a dumpster. I took them home & washed them along w/ several sheets I found. These will go in the donation box. I figure someone can use these discards. If I found the bra it would have been washed & put in too. (Just like everything else, bras are expensive.) I did find a nice Talbot's brand knit top in my size. It was washed, drip dried, and is now in my closet. It was white & black Nordic type print and will go nicely w/ black jeans, pants I already have.
Those lamps w/ the aquamarine shades are lovely in the post's picture.
That is a funny story about the abandoned bra!
I found a toboggan knit cap & a muffler outside a dumpster. I took them home & washed them along w/ several sheets I found. These will go in the donation box. I figure someone can use these discards. If I found the bra it would have been washed & put in too. (Just like everything else, bras are expensive.) I did find a nice Talbot's brand knit top in my size. It was washed, drip dried, and is now in my closet. It was white & black Nordic type print and will go nicely w/ black jeans, pants I already have.
Those lamps w/ the aquamarine shades are lovely in the post's picture.
1. I curb picked some metal/glass stand on Friday and sold it yesterday for $50. Happy about that.
2. Spent some good time working in the garden yesterday. Vitamin D for me and manure/compost for my rhubarb and raspberries. My food garden is a great bonus in our lives. I grow a good amount of food on a very small lot. As I worked I thought that the food I grow doesn't make us recession-proof, but it does make us more resilient.
3. Did a Costco shop for the basics-chicken, fish, carrots, cheese, cat food. All the Christmas stuff is out and it makes me feel overwhelmed and cranky. I would like to not shop between now and December 26.
4. Was given a lot of free Fuyu persimmons today. I like them, dh doesn't. I buy apples for him.
5. Working on handmade gifts for fellow community garden volunteers.
Blogs are a lot of work, and having to update a layout is a royal pain! Truly appreciate your work here. Be well!
Love the new font and background. It’s so much cleaner and bigger! I can read it easily. Like others have mentioned, I would appreciate the new post(s) closer to the top. I do like the side-by-side position of the posts. It makes it easy to go to a recent, but earlier post.
Frugal activities include:
1. Free flu shot this morning. Because of allergy shot protocols I have to stagger my vaccinations. I’m good now!
2. Set up flu shot on the heels of physical therapy. Am doing pre-habilitation before TKR later this winter.
3. Came home and made coffee after flu shot rather than treat myself at drive thru.
4. Am getting ready to put out Thanksgiving decorations. Not buying anything new/used. Am going to go through my stash and see what can be given away.
5. This is our week for extra trash pickup. Am going to take advantage of that!
Casey,
Thanks for posting about your Thanksgiving decor. You've encouraged me to make a trip into the attic and "schlep" mine down.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I feel like it's the "middle child" of holidays and doesn't get the attention it deserves. Stores have had Christmas stuff out since the summer and "reels" have been posting Christmas ideas with little thought of Thanksgiving.
Katy and posters here are so encouraging and help me share what I can, be more thankful and consume less.
Hello All, Off topic but hope you can help. I’ve tried subscribing to the email postings, receive the “success! Check your email for confirmation,” but never get a confirmation email. It’s not in my spam folder as I’ve looked there several times. Any other fixes to try? FB has stopped showing me group posts in my feed for some strange reason and I miss my fix from the NCA.
I often dislike change, but of course have to roll with it. I'm sure I'll get used to the new format.
Frugals...
1. I went for a walk and found a large curb alert at a neighbors house I know. I scored three partial bottles of shampoo and conditioner as well as an unopened box of parchment paper. There were several boxes of food, I brought those to a different neighbors house who has no fear of expiration dates.
2. My oven coil broke, but when replaced did not turn on. I had a technician come the oven relay shorted out, they have to see if they can get the part....the saga continues but I am trying to fix it instead of replace it.
3. A neighbor gave me cloth for a craft I am working on at work.
4. I did yard work this morning which made my yard look nicer, gave me some exercise, was free, and makes my house that much nicer to walk up to .
5. A neighbor got fruit bogo and gave me one. It was a nice gift.
I really like the crisp look of the new format, which is much easier for me to read.
The frugal things: DS is coming down with a cold and bought fiery Chinese takeout for his supper, which is his version of the chicken soup cure. He never eats the white rice and gave me the carton, which I turned into a delicious rice pudding with cinnamon and raisins. Also grabbed the Rubbermaid-style takeout dish and lid from the trash and washed it.
Used a coupon to save $2 off cat food today.
"Did" the cat's hair, which involves wiping her down with a pet wipe followed by intensive combing, as she's a Maine Coon mix and has enough fur for at least three cats. Getting her slightly damp first makes the fluff stick to the comb.
Gave our old dog a manicure with the nail grinder.
Vacuumed out my car with the Dirt Devil hand vacuum (seriously my favorite house cleaning tool) and washed the reusable filter afterward.
Rinsed out a jug of dish detergent for recycling and poured the slightly soapy rinse water into a spray bottle to use for cleaning.
Only thing I noticed today...I keep you on my front page and instead of the bookmark stating "Non Consumer Advocate", it now says " Use it up, wear it out...." Not a complaint, just noticed it today.
Will I pick up a bra at GW bins? Yep, if they are in good condition. Even sizes I don't wear, I donate to the community closet and the women's shelters. Hard no on the knickers.
I too, love hydrangeas this time of year.
Cleaned out the coat closet, took the men's to the veteran's halfway home and the women's to the community city closet.
A friend's daughter gave me many ski coats, she gets several new outfits per year from her competition sponsors. These will be saved for the community giving tree.
Resurfaced the cat tree scratching post with coarse coconut fiber jute rope.
Love, love, LOVE the larger font size! Great job!
It took me a minute to find where to start writing a new post, as opposed to replying to one.
Today I got a call from the dentist's office. Seems I had a 9 a.m. appointment I forgot about. (Oops! My bad!) They had a cancellation for 11, could I get there? I said yes, and when I went down there, got more bad news that I can't really pay for. They said they'd work with me re: the cost of a crown (actually to replace a very old crown that's already there), but it's in the back, so I just may let it wear down on its own and then have 'em pull it. I started crying in the money lady's office and felt really embarrassed. Esp. as she offered to pray for me. (Of course, I accepted, didn't want to hurt her feelings. But I don't need her to PRAY for me, I need someone to PAY for me!)
Last night, I was trying to hang up some clothes on a drying rack and it broke. Taped it together and just used the rods that were not broken. This was one of those folding drying racks and it was either trash-picked or obtained second-hand. I absolutely refuse to pay the $20-30 they charge at Wallyworld for these!
After the dentist, I went to Salv. Army store hoping to be lucky like Katy was and find a suitable curtain for my bedroom. No luck there, but I saw another drying rack! Just like it, except the rods' plastic covers were blue instead of white. Didn't want to spend the $6 on the price tag-- but the clerk said no it's only $3, it's half price today. So I got it. God provides!
Oh, and the dentist gave me a travel packet that contains a new toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss. Any freebie I can get, I am happy to take!
Howdy! Best of luck with all of the new blog quirks. I appreciate most of the changes. I agree that putting the recent posts at the top would be best. As someone who can sometimes only catch up with my fave blogs every once in awhile, I would love to bring back the ability to go from the post I'm reading to the previous post via an arrow or link at the bottom of the post. I don't want to miss anything, even if it's been a couple of weeks since the last time I could get here!
Yes, I am with you, @Heather - I often would log on after a week or so and gaily start at a post, read it all, and use the "previous" and "next" post links at the bottom. I would love to see those again.
And of course I am interested the archives that Katy is working on reviving.
*
I struggle with all the apps that provide things by algorithms and make chronological harder to find, so anything that can be done to provide old-fashioned types like me with a chronological option/ access would be great.
I do love the large font in the comments.
Katy's actual POSTS seem to not be as large a font as the comments...
I'm going to take some time to get used to the new design, on the principle that I might just be crotchety and resistant to change. I found the old design simple, attractive, comfortable to read and easy to navigate; the only irritant was the large, flashing ad at the bottom right, but that's a small price to pay. There are no ads showing today, so not sure how they will integrate with the new design. The new typeface may not be kerning correctly in my browser, and the contrast feels greater due to the larger, bolder type and headings. I think your tweaks are spot on; the banners and bits flying around and resizing don't feel like an improvement, but again, may be crochety.
Frugal things:
1) Having a full pantry and freezer means having more time and resources to spare when needed. Much of my attention is on supporting neighbors preparing for threats to SNAP. The situation is infuriating, and many who want to help do not seem to understand the scale of the disaster if this is not fully resolved, or what will be needed to offset it. The shutdown is also compromising my bonus kiddo's efforts to relaunch her education/career now that her medically fragile babe is stabilized. It's all just terribly cruel and stupid.
2) I picked up a free pair of fashionable new jeans at a brand event - just in time, as I'm hard to fit and my best pair just split. I will pay to get them taken up, since the hem needs to be preserved. Also, thrifted two Vermont Country Store night tees for $2.50 apiece, a $1.49 dress that looked odd on the hanger but is a cult brand that will sell for $100 on eBay; and one of my favorite discontinued Anthro mugs for $1. They are getting harder to find, and like to break, but tea tastes much better in them, so I am building backstock. I also went to the thrift twice and bought nothing.
3) Stocking the freezer from fall sales, clearance (Breyer's vanilla for $2.25 minus a $1 coupon, lamb for $5/lb!) and will be helping hunter friends process venison. I brought a return to Aldi for the Twice as Nice guarantee (refund + replacement) and applied the refund to their GF cheesecake sampler to split with my son, who was finally diagnosed celiac and is healing well - meaning that my "NCGS" has been celiac all along, even though I passed the blood test. Big batch of Instant Pot black beans for DH's chili and other meals.
4) The dryer's not heating. We're both dealing with a lot of pain and fatigue right now, and not fit to do a repair or lug around used units. So, for the time being, bringing laundry to my son's to socialize. This time I was able to help him get ready for a Roto-Rooter visit, their fourth. It appears the slumlord investors who sold them this house concealed a drain problem that contributes to excess clogging. They are buying a power auger to handle clogs themselves until they can afford to get the drain relined or rebuilt. Expensive, but less than another call.
5) I didn't hold an extravagant Gatsby party while starving children for leverage to cut healthcare that disproportionately serves my own supporters.
Lots you are trying to balance here, Mati!
If you have an electric dryer, check your fuse box. The fuse for the heating element and the fuse for the tumbling element are two different connections for our dryer. If the heating one tripped, it will still spin, without heat.
And if it had been your size? Just trying to find out if it would've jumped over the frugal line from nope to yup.
I like the new look of your block - the images are very fresh and current -
but am desperate for the archives. ♀️
You've got some gems in them there archives.
Debi
I like the new look but it will take me a minute to fully get used to it.
I refuse to wear a bra but probably would have picked it up, washed and donated it.
I should clarify by saying I will wear a bra for weddings and funerals, otherwise I usually wear a camisole with built in "shelf". I have some decent sized boobs but have always hated wearing a bra.
1.I am ripening the last of the green tomatoes spread on newspapers in an unused room.
2.as a family we just made and canned over 80 pints of salsa....
3.fed the "Melted" carved pumpkins to the chickens.
4. got firewood delivered before winter pricing
5. family working together to move leaves....I love living in a woods but taking care of leaves is a huge job.
JC
It's interesting that people seem to see such different things in the update. It appears to me that the new platform is a bit of a challenge for those on laptops and desktop computers, but much better for those using smartphones. I access this site on my phone, and the previous format was very difficult. Tiny print, columns crammed to the side, ads encroaching everywhere, but most infuriating, where you are trying to type.
For me, this is SO MUCH BETTER!
Now for my five frugal things -- I am home from my trip to my son's house. The trip home was a bit of a challenge, but here is how I saved:
1. I pretty much avoided airport food, except for a bag of popcorn (horrendously overpriced). And that was not a snack, it was dinner. My son took me out for breakfast before dropping me at the airport, and I also picked up some discount Halloween candy bars to stash in my purse. Not exactly healthy eating, but better for my wallet.
2. I didn't spring for online entertainment -- I read a book.
3. My flight arrived at my home airport after midnight. I toyed with the idea of a hotel room (so exhausted!), but my local son was gracious enough to pick me up and take me home.
4. I got lots of exercise going from gate to gate in huge airports. Quickly.
5. Altogether I found 36¢ on my trip!
4.