Five Frugal Things -- Pepper Grinders & The Periodic Table
1) My husband is slowly, (but surely!) reorganizing our basement and set a piece of pottery out at the curb. A lot of what's down in the basement is Stuff from his late parents, so it's an emotionally laden task and I'm proud of him for facing it.
He's got the momentum going and I know him well enough that it means he'll work diligently until the job's done. He's just that kind of guy.
2) I went to the Woodstock Goodwill to take advantage of the beautiful weather and their Wednesday senior discount, (10% off!) and came home with a pair of items to resell.
This discontinued Mario Batali Vic Firth pepper grinder was priced at $2.99, which means I paid $2.70. It looked brand new and they sell on eBay for around $30. It'll be easy to package up and it's been weeks since I put anything up on eBay.
I listed it for $25.
I also bought this $7.99 periodic table tapestry throw blanket. ($7.19 after my discount.)
It's just so quirky and I just know that someone out there is looking for this specific item. I listed it for $58 as they sell for between $50-$60.
I was tempted to buy this $2.99 Longaberger basket, but some were selling for as low as $16. I see the appeal, but I still left it for someone else.
3) My friend Lise texted to ask if I had any white cotton sheets for an upcoming volunteer craft project. Hello -- she came to the right person!
I ended up giving her the cotton sheet I'd planned on using to make pillowcases, as well as my torn fitted sheet. I still have one LL Bean cotton flat sheet, which is as new as I day it came with the set, so I'll use that one for my attempt to make pillowcases.
I believe that's the perfect example of serendipity!
4) I returned my library copy of Time Loops & Meet Cutes to the Woodstock library as A) it was on my way home from Goodwill and B) I wanted to peruse their "Lucky Day" books, as I'm hoping to score a copy of Yesteryear. You can see that there are over a thousand holds on just 101 copies and I'm hoping to get my hands on a copy before spoilers ruin the reading experience.
Sadly, I walked out empty handed.
5) My husband and I are planning a trip up to Vancouver, B.C. and were able to stack his first responder discount with a hotel's "club" discount for just mildly expensive lodging. We chose this hotel because it's centrally located, but it also includes breakfast and somehow doesn't charge for parking.
I choose not to stay in AirBnbs because I believe they play a role in the affordable housing crisis in many parts of the world.
This will be my first visit up to Vancouver and only my second time crossing into Canada, although I'm not sure the first one counts as I was only six months old!
I would love your suggestions of places to go and things to do. My husband's driven up with friends a couple of times for soccer games, so we're not complete newbies. Thanks in advance!
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Another online sale. It’s not much however every penny counts.
Taking a paid trip to So Cal next week to help a friend dejunk to get his house into shape to sell. I suggested he procure a dumpster. I’m sure I’ll
find useful stuff to donate also
https://foreverlostintravel.com/33-free-things-to-do-in-vancouver-or-almost-free/
Lots of interesting things in this article.for your vancouver trip
1. Received a refund for a watermelon that I bought for my sister at BJs. When she cut it open, it was only liquid for the center 3rd of it. She cut it up for her chickens and goats, so a free treat for them.
2. While there, I filled up my partner's car at BJs, using my BJ credit card, which gets an additional $.10 cents off per gallon. I fill my car up at a different BJ's, which is equidistant between my home and work apartment. It is about $.30 cents cheaper per gallon.
3. On my long commute Tuesday night (3 hours, and the first hour was in the rain), I really wanted a sugar fix. I stopped into a grocery store along the way, and the Junior Mints were $1 each, which was in budget. (AND, my credit card gives me 6% back, so even less!). I also picked up a mystery shop to do during dinner for my long commute tomorrow night, so that will be a free dinner, plus $12 in my pocket.
4. I'm using my mom's Amazon account as she signed up for Acorn's .99 per month sale, allowing me to watch the latest series of Brokenwood Mysteries without paying extra.
5. A friend is using my work apartment this weekend, so that will be an extra $60 toward the utility bill to help cover the extra AC costs during the recent heat wave. It is also a great reason to give the apartment an extra clean.
This might be a frugal fail: I decided not to go into the office, as I figured that I would save money by not driving. BUT, it was hotter than forecasted, so I had to run the AC.
If you want a fun video, watch the chickens and goats eating the watermelon! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Hg6Skf_5JTc
Katy,
May I ask how you make up a bed You said you don't use the flat sheets and I am not understanding how you make up a bed without them....
I do mine with a bottom fitted sheet, then the flat top sheet then a summer or winter blanket then the bedspread or a quilt on the outside. So sleeping between the 2 sheets.
1. Continuing to read a library book.
2. Decluttering project: taking school supplies to Salv. Army for their back to school drive. They also collect teacher materials, which I will happily provide.
3. Drying laundry on racks outside on the porch or in the garage. Free hot air from Mother Nature!
4. Did some yard work early this morning before the heat set in.
5. I just got back from our county's Democratic hq. Bought some more campaign signs, buttons and bumper stickers. I reuse the metal H-shaped metal stakes; I save them from prior political campaigns and from church Vacation Bible School signs. So I only needed the signs, not the stakes.
En route there, I swung by the post office box that our not-so-illustrious carpetbagger Congressman (a Republican who showed the Jan. 6 riot crowd around the capitol building the day before, he's a Trumper through and through) had gotten the post office to install at the request of a certain Fru-gal constituent. I mailed my $250 donation, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, to -- you guessed it -- the Democratic National Committee. My check was dated July 4. Of course, one of my campaign signs is for the congressman's opponent!
I made another eBay sale on my sister's behalf. I took it to the post office this morning, and along the way I got gas at Sam's for $3.77, and a few groceries at Aldi -- coffee, shredded cheese, a Caesar salad kit, fresh mushrooms, and oatmeal cookies. $16. Coffee was the big ticket item. The salad kit was kind of a splurge, too, but as a single person I find it hard to use up all the components of a salad if I assemble it from scratch, and I hate waste.
It was very humid and uncomfortable -- this trip involved some walking -- but now that I'm home and rested I don't need the air conditioning.
We had an earthquake -- the epicenter only 13 miles away, in Lake Michigan! I didn't feel a thing, but others say they did. An unusual event, but not unheard of.
Today I'm wearing a top that came from my sister's pile of things to sell. At first I thought it was too tight, and that I would wash it and sell it after all. But after wearing it for a bit, I feel like it has loosened up and will be fine.
The poop show with my trigger finger surgery is starting to settle a bit. The incision is 99% healed. Fingers still hurt and I can't make a fist but I'm counting my blessings that there isn't infection. Also loving 8 hour days.
Finally starting to make some headway with the mess that is my house. All clean laundry is on the guest bed. Got the used cat litter and a couple bags of garbage out the door.
7 months and 17 days until I retire!! I have one more week of vacation and several federal holidays off between now and then.
I will not spoil you for Yesteryear but I will be very interested in hearing your thoughts.
I lost my comment.
1. I walked this morning for 45 minutes and hopefully can finish the last 15 tonight.
2. I packed my lunch and breakfast.
3. I did my laundry at the cheap place.
4. I did not go to the Farmer’s market bc my neighbor gave me tomatoes and cucumbers.
5. I kept my air off until 2 pm when I got home but I have now caved and turned it on…. Sigh. Mid 90’s with heat index over 105.
Had a Poshmark sale!
Cleared out a closet and listed a few things on Buy Nothing, a few gone already! One is for puzzles, if someone does not claim I will put a few in my LFL, and donate the others to my library.
Donated a few DVD's and paperbacks to my library -- I alternate between donating books back to my LFL, and my actual library (they sell them in their book nook for a few dollars).
Got a bonus work at home day this week due to electrical work being done at my office - happy to save on gas and commute time!
Had to have my car in for an alignment, I dropped it off on my lunch hour and walked home since its only 1.5 miles away.
Your mother used to have Airbnbs that you stayed in. Now they're terrible?
This is what I choose to do. This bothers you?
What is up with all the recent snarky pushback from readers with names that don't seem familiar?
1) Checked my paystub for tomorrow, and my check is much larger now that I've hit my 401k target. I also will receive the last part of my sign on bonus. I won't be staying the full year to get it, and my contract means it will be pro-rated. I will put it all into a HYSA, ready to pay back as needed.
2) Made lunch for DS19 to take to work, and special bonus for DS20, who randomly has the day off from both jobs. This helps me use up more of our fridge items. Finished off the last of the tortilla shells by making DS20 a quesadilla with carnitas from last night.
3) Made myself another yogurt bowl, which is an easy option between meetings & when I don't feel like really prepping anything more substantial.
4) Picked a tomato & some peppers from our backyard garden.
5) Still not needing any heat or AC at this gorgeous time of the year at our house. Enjoying the weather very much right now. Meanwhile, I'm heading to Tokyo on Saturday, where it's going to be mid 90s, chance of rain & a lot of humidity! Less ideal. 😉
Oohh, I love that free pottery piece. Vancouver is a fabulous city. I recommend Stanley Park and Granville Island.
1. Fulfilled someone's request on Buy Nothing for boxes.
2. Fulfilled another person's request for a plastic film canister.
3. A neighbor and her two teenagers heard about my fractured knee and stopped over with a gift of shortbread cookies and a kitchen towel set. They're a lovely family and it was nice to catch up with them.
4. Used the gifted shortbread cookies as part of a cookie tray that I brought to a family gathering.
5. Went to Trader Joe's and bought the $1.99 Joe's O's (a great value for eight 1.5 cup servings; 25 cents/serving), the $3.49 graham crackers (the best taste ever) and a ginormous head of green cabbage for $1.99 (which lasts practically forever). We get a lot of our basics at Trader Joe's for a good price, we avoid the higher priced specialty items, and it's just two miles from our house.
Eat some Chinese food and find out why I think Portland’s Duck House is NOT good Chinese food.
I already know that we'll be filling our bellies with amazing Asian food!
We go to Excellent Cuisine on S.E. Division for Chinese food, specifically their dim sum!