Five Frugal Things -- Back to Life as Usual
1) My house guests have flown back to Iowa and New York, so I'm spending the day getting the house back in order. Multiple loads of laundry, a quick walk to the grocery store for milk and eggs, and a bit of a nap -- a reset for the house and my wellbeing.
I'll have done six loads of laundry by the end of the day!
It's been two weeks since we last experienced our normal life, as our Seattle trip butted up against my sister's arrival. My husband and I have a happy home life and we enjoy our home and each other's company, so it's nice to enter an era of boring homebody life.
2) My nephew made a huge batch of ginger snaps for his sister's care package. I showed him how to use Pirateship.com for discounted postage and provided all the packaging supplies.
He also treated us to a huge batch of French toast, using the $1 loaf of brioche bread that I picked up from the Franz Bakery Outlet last week. I always wing it when making French toast, but he used a recipe from the Joy of Cooking, which apparently is the key to success.
3) My sister and I hit the main Goodwill and I found a dime.
I spent $9.99 on a photo album that was filled with Star Trek mementos, including this poem booklet from DeForest Kelley, aka "Doctor McCoy" from the original Star Trek series. It's definitely worth more than ten dollars, although I can't find an unsigned one. The signed ones seem to sell for around $175, so I'll probably price this one at $75.
It's hard to research it without getting Sesame Street results!
I love this era from the Star Trek movies when their collars looked like stacked paper coffee filters. You see it too, right?
5) My sister and I found this message on a telephone pole and I snapped a photo, which I later texted to a couple friends. It worked, as it gave me the opportunity to catch up with people.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
I love your last one, Katy!
1) I've been struggling with sack lunches for myself. I like to have a hot ham and cheese when I am at home, but I can't really do that on campus and cold lunches haven't been doing it for me. Then I remembered there's a microwave in the building I am in at mid-day. I made a batch of ham, cheese, onion, spinach, and mustard "hot pockets" using the recipe I use for pizza crust. Perfect -- freezable, quick packable, and they also taste nice cold!
2) I altered some clothing items I purchased at a "by the pound" thrift store that specializes in textile crafting (fabric and yarn). I added side gussets into a cute black cherry-and-polka-dot shirt that had no shape and was a bit tight. I added lace trim to the hem of some capris that cut off at an awkward place at the knee. Finally, I sewed up the gaping button strip and turned a pretty flowy floral top into a vneck. I also added some trim to its hem because it was a bit too flowy.
3) Made the NY times no-knead loaf for our breakfast toast this week.
4) Stopped by Fred Meyers to take advantage of the fuchsia event. I went with a friend that was buying A LOT of plants but had no interest in the soil deal, so I brought some pots of mine that needed soil and she got those filled. I gave her my free tube of toothpaste coupon in thanks, since I currently have 20 tubes of free toothpaste at home (they send me the coupon every month).
5) Treated the family with a $1 half-dozen of day old donuts, that I picked up at Fred Meyer's while getting my pots filled with soil. I also grabbed a pack of 10 pork chops for $4.33 on clearance (repackaged and frozen as soon as I got home), a loaf of multigrain bread for $1.50, the big Asian salad mixed kit clearanced for $1.74, and a $1.50 clearance bag of mixed zucchini and tomatoes.
2)
Love the view in the first photo! Amazing!!
1. I walked an hour at the cemetery.
2. I cleaned my house.
3. I did not start up my car today and other than my walk, I did not leave my property.
4. I ate fridge leftovers, made coleslaw, and made homemade hash browns, which is just real potatoes peeled and diced and fried in a cast iron skillet
on top of the stove.
5. My favorite, I took a nap on this fine Saturday day!!! I feel we (well me) live stressful lives and a nap when we are exhausted works better than meds!
Those were the best Star Fleet uniforms ever!
1. Took some hardback books to the used bookstore to trade. None of our local stores pay cash. Could only get credit for a Dan Brown title because he's coming out with a new one soon, the clerk said, but would I like to donate the others? Uh, no thanks. I can take them to Goodwill for a discount coupon...but I didn't tell the clerk that. Though I might check to see if Thriftbooks would want 'em.
2. Hit the thrift store that gives books for free. No Dan Browns but I found some Scholastic titles. Which were promptly taken to the inner city LFL that I support.
3. Needed a solar yard light. Habitat ReStore didn't have any. But I got a switch plate cover for 27 cents.
4. Frugal fail: plastic clock that I put up on the patio window with tape fell and broke.
5. Will try salvaging clock parts so I can repair another, cuter battery operated clock that quit running.