Five Frugal Things -- Organized Toiletries
1. I sold the thrifted desk organizer for the $100 Goodwill Gift Card Challenge, although I took an offer of $22 and then noticed a crack in the plastic when I grabbed it off the shelf. I contacted the buyer with photos and she accepted a $5 refund and while it was far from a brag worthy sale, it's still an extra $13.13 for the Oregon Food Bank!
2. I pulled out our bins of toiletries, medications, first aid supplies and such to reorganize. Unsurprisingly this was a bigger project than anticipated. Our 112-year-old house didn't come with clever storage, so anything we've configured is all smoke and mirrors.
I came across a lot of expired bottles and tubes of goo to throw away, which helped. It was all well organized, but it's still better to not hold onto anti-fungal cream that expired in 2020.
How is this frugal? I found a surprise backup package of masks, which was mildly annoying as we recently bought a fresh supply. Oh well . . . they're now stored in a clear container and I doubt we'll need to buy any in the near, (or even far) future. Everything is now attractively organized and everything should be easy to find.
It's an extra layer of satisfying as all the organizational bins were either thrifted or garbage picked -- and they mostly match!
3. I made a pot of black bean chili and added a handful of T.V.P. that I bought from the Winco bulk bins last year. This gives the texture of ground meat without having to go out and actually buy any.
4. I finished listening to Oona Out of Order and started listening to The Cat Ate My Gymsuit through the library's free Libby app.
5. I didn't start a war to distract a nation away from my sexual crimes against children.
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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I've wondered what you do when you notice a a flaw too late. I was listing today and I caught a flaw I didn't see before, luckily before I pulled the trigger. I decided not to sell the item. It was pretty iffy, anyway.
I'm glad to hear that you sometimes discover expired products hiding in your storage! Happens to me more often than I'd like.
I had a pretty typical day. I walked at the community center, I checked out a book, I put away a lot of things that were, for some strange reason, not where they were supposed to be. I also caught up on my financial spreadsheets and found I am still solvent.
And I found a penny! That's about it.
Love your food bank donation project! Glad you sold it regardless of the crack.
1. Walking for exercise and instead of driving given the lovely weather we have been having.
2. Focusing on more vegetarian dinners. Only 2 of us so any dinner is pretty cost effective but we can try harder.
3. Hubby canceled a service contract for our new car so we will get significant money back.
4. Dropped off a couple of items at a charity thrift store and didn't buy anything. Not buying is more frugal than getting a good deal.
5. Not spending $$$$$$$ on a war to shore up someone's fragile ego and also causing so many unnecessary deaths and suffering.
1. We have a thrift store in my small town that supports the local food bank. I have a box of donations to drop off.
2. I forgot my lunch last week. I had to buy food in the facility cafe. I ate only 1/2 as the portion was big. The next day I made chx taco salads w/ the leftover food. Enough for the husband & myself.
3. Treated myself to a 99 cents (plus tax) iced coffee at McDonalds. A cheap luxury.
4. I used a 40$ coupon off a 75$ online purchase at a local grocery store. I have never ordered groceries online before. It took forever for the employee to locate my order when I picked up the items & the store forgot one avocado. I think the savings made the trip worth it but it was more work than I imagined. I'd rather go to the store & get the groceries myself in the future.
5. The garage door would not raise. My husband raised it manually & then repaired it. (I leave for work at 5:30 AM so not a convenient time for it to stop working.)
Long time reader (15 years!), first time commenter! I borrowed Oona Out of Order on Libby after seeing it in a recent post and it’s been so great to listen to. Just wanted to say thanks for brightening my commute with a good audiobook rec 🙂
I had to call 911 today! I had run an errand and arrived home to see a huge moving van in front of my house and about half my giant oak tree downed and lying in the street blocking traffic.It was a van owned by some kind of fly by night moving co. -- they didn't even have an address or their full names on their biz card they gave me. The driver apologized and said he didn't turn the truck so that it dodged the limbs hanging over the curb. He was nice but not the man in charge.About that time his boss drove up and exited his vehicle shouting at me, saying I was violating the law by having a tree that could clip the roof of a 13 foot tall truck. He demanded I pay for damage to the commercial truck and trailer. I told him that the city had trimmed the overhanging branches last month and therefore the limbs were indeed within legal limits. He was very belligerent, very scary, shouting he will make me pay --so I went in and phoned the police nonemergency number. No answer in 3 minutes. I called a friend to come help me, and he said call 911, so I did. The truck was speeding off by then. Illegally leaving the scene of the accident! But the jerk boss remained. Police came and told him his driver was at fault, and let him know my neighbor had a ring camera and they were going to view the video. Boy, did that jerk change his tune! He backed down, stopped claiming he knew the law and would sue me for damages. The officers got him to agree to hire someone to clean up his mess on Monday. Officers also got the city arborist to come and city crews immediately got the huge limbs away from blocking the street and my driveway. By then my friend had arrived and it ended up the arborist was interested in hiring his company to do some cleanup in the local woodlands.
Anyway, the frugal part is I got the cops and city to help me so I did not have to pay anyone for damages I did not cause. Even better, I got the professional arborist's advice about tree care at no charge.
Wow, the nerve of some people! I'm glad that the police in your area were so responsive and helpful.
You DO have adventures at your house, Fru-gal Lisa! I'm glad you called 911! and that you won't have to pay for the repairs. I hope the tree recovers!