Five Frugal Things -- $5 Empty Jam Jars & a City of Roses
1) My husband and I stopped by New Season Market for a late night treat and I have to share a few of their offerings.
Local blackberries for $5.99, which makes my foraged free blackberries taste that much sweeter.
You can almost taste that big shiny one!
A "Knife sharpening event" that charges $12/knife makes me appreciate my free RepairPDX sharpened knife.
Empty jam jars that cost $4.99 - $5.99?!
When I can pull free used jam jars from a neighbor's recycling?
Crazy. (This is me posting rage bait!)
2) I started in on August Lane, by Regina Black, which is already an enjoyable read. I gave up quickly on my last book as it was kind of dreadful, but this one's a keeper.
I've already hit "five in a row" for my Powell's Summer Reading bingo card and am now setting my sights on "total blackout." (Luckily, their summer program goes until December 31!) Each of these reading accomplishment earns a $5 Powell's gift card.
I completed my library's adult summer reading program, which means I've earned a free tote bag. I don't technically need another tote bag, so I might just get a photo, but leave it for someone who actually needs it.
It was satisfying to hold myself to a daily reading habit and fun to color in the petals.
3) My daughter tripped over my charging laptop and tore the end piece off the cord. (Somehow the laptop seems unscathed!) My husband suggested that we stop by Best Buy to grab a replacement cord, but my goal is to support local businesses whenever possible.
I've taken our iPhones into a local shop called iChihuahua for services such as battery and screen replacements in the past, so I called to ask if they sold charging cords. The owner let me know that he had one to sell, so my husband and I swung buy to pick it up. $20 out of pocket and I'm back in business!
Was this the cheapest option? Unlikely, but I like that my money went to an ethical small business instead of a corporate entity.
4) We took a detour through the Ladd's Addition neighborhood on the way home and pulled the car over when we realized that their rose gardens are at their peak.
Ladd's Addition is a Portland historic neighborhood that features four rose gardens placed equidistant from a center garden. It's designed to discourage drivers from cutting through the confusing streets, but I've lived in Portland long enough to navigate the confusing angles.
It's a beautiful place for an after dinner stroll any time of year, but ethereal at midsummer.
These photos are from just one of Ladd's Addition's four rose gardens.
Every rose more beautiful than the last.
There's a reason why Portland is called "The City of Roses!"
5) My husband and I are watching Ride or Die through my sister's Prime Video account and although neither of us love it, we somehow keep clicking "next episode." I appreciate the focus on the power of women's friendship, but it seems kind of dumbed down.
I'm spoiled from watching shows like Shetland and Broadchurch.
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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It is truly hard to beat Broadchurch.
Yes!
LOVE Shetland. And Foyle, plus his similar British buddies. And for the other side of the story -- Raffles!!
We're watching COLONY right now, which seems uncomfortably modern. (It's a futuristic 'the aliens are here' drama, complete with collaborators and double agents.)
Love Shetland and Foyle's War! I keep seeing pop-up ads for the latest season of Shetland, though, and our PBS station hasn't aired it in a few years, so I'm trying to figure out how to catch up.
1. My partner and I have been drinking homemade iced tea, made with a random assortment of teabags, including some that were given to me.
2. Yesterday and today, I've had chicken salad (no mayo) with olives and capers. The chicken was from a discounted rotisserie that I shredded an froze. Thawed, it had a bit of a odd texture (a bit like what I imagine sawdust to be like) but I'm eating it again today, otherwise it would be binned (partner refused to eat it). Eating it over a salad made with lettuce, cucumbers and radishes (from free CSA mystery box) and "dented" red peppers. I quickly cooked up some homemade potstickers for my partner, to keep him from pressuring me to go out for lunch. Breakfast was eggplant with burrata, as we have a glut of eggplant from the CSA boxes.
3. The temptation to go out to lunch was because we were out running errands, which included gas from BJs, birdseed from OSJL (using gift card), free food from OSJL (thin Oreo cookies, Brownie bites, and -- my favorite! -- salty licorice) - this is a promotion that you get a gift certificate for the exact same amount as the food (which we then use to buy birdseed).
4. We then hit 2 additional grocery stores (they are 5 minutes from each other) to do 2 mystery shops at the deli counter, which will net me $16 plus $10 worth of deli meat, as my partner wanted sandwiches for work this week. We grabbed extra receipts, and one was worth 3,000 points on Fetch.
5. Partner is also doing a mystery shop for a delivery of groceries today. For this shop, we have to purchase certain items, including baby formula, which I've already arranged to give to my cousin who recently had a baby.
The town I live in has a Shakespearean rose garden that I've always meant to visit. I will assume the roses are in bloom now, and I have promised myself that I will visit it tomorrow!
1. I am chilling out beside a fan, reading a library book, and digesting some very frugal bean soup. Soon I will treat myself to a few inexpensive Dollar Tree cookies.
2. I cut open the seven various coffee pods I picked up from the free pile and mixed the grounds in with the coffee I already have.
3. The gift I bought at Goodwill the other day is a Japanese lusterware creamer, very cute, with a lovely little Geisha on the front. This morning I washed it and scraped off the Goodwill label, and all the goo the label left. It's now in my gift stash. It won't go to its new owner until November.
4. I found a science project growing in the back of my fridge. Cucumbers that I thought I'd thrown out long ago. They're in the freezer now awaiting final elimination when I next take out the garbage. This is a frugal fail, actually.
5. That's all, folks!
I am reading a library ebook “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed. I almost quit it early on but stuck with it and am so glad I did because it picked up pace and interest for me. I’m hooked and I am speed reading to see how it turns out. Reading via my library is free and easy with the Libby app and ebooks.
I thought the movie based on this book was pretty good. Same title. Probably streaming somewhere.
I found it. Will watch.
I wish my library would do an adult summer reading program! I might suggest it.
When I followed the Powell's link just to check it out, it says the program ends August 31, not December 31?
"Same" about Shetland and Broadchurch (and Wallander, for that matter). Need more of those!
Have you watched the cleaning lady yet? I jist finished season 1 and i love it
We did not get far in Ride or Die. We have shifted to the PBS show The Mountain Detective. It's not amazing but better.
1. I downloaded several audio books from the library. I recently returned some unfinished duds. I also picked up a physical book while I was near the library.
2. We have been eating eggs for dinner once or twice a week. They are inexpensive and versatile.
3. I cut both a cantaloupe and a watermelon and shared some with a neighbor. The rinds went into the compost bin.
4. We found tiny ants in the living room. I put out my borax, sugar, and water mixture. It seems to keep from year to year and does a good job of taking care of the problem within a day or two.
5. I met up with a friend and we crocheted (for charity purposes) while we caught up.
FFT, AAA to the Rescue Edition (mostly simulcast from today's FFT at The Frugal Girl):
(1) When I was about to head out yesterday for a visit to NDN1 in assisted living, the Element wouldn't start. I called AAA, which got not one but two guys (one was a trainee) here in 20 minutes. And I'd bought the previous battery from AAA and it was still under warranty, so I got a new one for free. For me, the AAA membership is worth every penny. (Also, guilty confession: I discovered after the guys left that I'd somehow tripped the *rear* dome light on--frankly, I didn't even know there was one!--and this was probably what ran down the battery. Mea culpa.)
(2) When I did get out to see NDN1 this morning, I took her a small bouquet of flowers from the garden (my "Cut and Come Again" zinnias and my yellow yarrow). This keeps up a custom from when she used to live here, and it gives her pleasure.
(3) I made 8 pints of refrigerator pickles Saturday (pints are in more demand than quarts this year), using my still overabundant garden dill and the little "bulblets" from this year's garlic. Instead of cutting off the scapes, I leave those on, and the garlic continues to mature the bulblets as it cures in my attic. The bulblets are very useful not only in pickles, but in broths and stocks.
(4) I saved as much rain as I could from Saturday's two good hard thundershowers here, and am hoping to do the same this afternoon. We're not expecting the type of storms that may be affecting the eastern midsection of the US, but we should still get some rain.
(5) The friends who raise my annual 1/4 steer have alerted me that the 2026 steer will be processed and ready for delivery about the first week of August, so I'm doubling down on clearing out my upright freezer in the basement. I do have to hold the whole order here till the friends with whom I share the beef at my cost can pick it up, so I need the freezer room.
(Bonus 6) And I didn't make a complete fool of myself trying to horn in on Spain's victory celebration after the World Cup final. I can't do better than Seth Meyers here (I regularly consult the NYT's "Late Night Roundup," which is a great service for those of us who can't stay up past 9 pm ET): “Now, you might be saying, ‘Surely a team of World Cup-winning Spanish footballers were equally excited to share the stage with the winner of the FIFA Peace Prize,’ but it seems as though that wasn’t the case. In fact, Rodri, the captain of the Spanish team, tried to usher [You Know Who] off the stage so they could start celebrating: ‘OK, Grandpa, time for bed. Milk’s on the night stand.’” 😛
The winner of the FIFA Peace Prize! It's like handing over a lollipop to a toddler who stomps his feet and pitches a fit because he didn't get one but his little buddy did.
I have never seen those decorative jelly jars for sale. Ball canning jars yes but not regular jars.
1. I don't have any foraged blackberries to eat. I have been eating foraged mangos for the last 2 months. I have frozen some to enjoy when mango season is over.
2. I went to a free chair yoga class here at the local public library. While there I returned a book I had checked out 2 weeks ago.
3. My cake I made w/ cake mixes bought on sale last Xmas turned out well. I used a spice & a white cake mix. I wanted to mute the spice taste. I added shredded carrots, sunflower seeds, and a cup of leftover pureed spiced apples. I baked it in a tube pan. It was moist & flavorful. The church members enjoyed a slice w/ their coffee.
4. While at the library I saw the blood mobile. When I donated in June the center was out of tee shirts. It is too soon for me to donate again. I asked the attendant if I could have a tee shirt as I could not get one last month. She nicely said yes. This one has a vintage VW bus on it & is a khaki color. Just my style!
5. I hand sewed a belt pack that sprung a leak. I stuff too much into the belt pack & it tears. I washed it w/ a laundry load & it's back in service.
Great Job on the shirt Katy!!!
My 5 frugal things never seem to change much but here goes.
1. garden produce being used as it comes in. Sauteed zucchini, carrots, onions, garlic done in a tiny bit of saved bacon grease pushed to one side of the skillet and a piece of salmon sauteed/poached in the pan juices on the other side....it was deluxe and enough left for another meal. All seasoned with homemade lemon pepper seasoning.
2.probably should have been number one but made a jam jar of homemade lemon pepper seasoning.
3. soaking, cooking, portioning and freezing pinto beans for use in lots of things.
4. also made a small amount of red beans for red beans and rice, seasoning red beans with garlic, onion and threw in some chopped pepperoni because I have it and didn't feel like cooking bacon.
5. made a loaf of sweet yeast bread with chopped dried apricots and the last of a bag of walnuts. IF I need an afternoon pick-me-up a slice of toast will do the trick.
*bonus Did not make myself look like a shit stain by crowding the awards platform at the World Cup or adding more tariffs to a neighboring country helping to fight the wildfires in our country.....I could go on and on but we all know what he has done.
JC
1. While we were gone for a few days, our housecleaner cleaned our home. Before we left, we turned up the AC. Since we like to have the house cooler for her, I used the HVAC app on my phone to turn the temperature down the morning she cleaned and then turn it back up after she was done. Pretty wild.
2. Shopped my kitchen for something to corral a few seasonings and a cruet bottle that we keep out on the counter. Thirty plus years ago, I would have been thrilled to put that on my "To Buy" list, but now I just want to use what I have.
3. Our suburb has started free food scrap pickup as part of our garbage service. We receive 120 food scrap bags annually. At the processing center, robots separate the special bags from the regular trash. This will save us from making special trips to the compost drop-off site.
4. Saved $10 off at Target for purchasing $50 worth of health and beauty items. My husband's OTC eye supplement costs $40 so this was a nice offer.
5. Splurged on frozen pineapple coconut bars at Trader Joe's, although at $3.80 for 6 bars, that's a frugal treat. We indulged on a 96 degree day and sang the lyric "If you like pina coladas" like goofballs.
Those roses are so beautiful!!!
Katy, Have you seen Happy Valley on Britbox? Really strong female character.
I foraged enough blackberries to make some blackberry syrup to pour over vanilla ice cream. There weren’t many ripe ones in my secret patch, but I think there will be plenty after a few days of hot weather!
I picked green beans, zucchini and tomatoes from my garden. I picked plums from my tree. I rarely purchase produce at this time of year. That’s an especially good thing this year with the bug going around.
I’ve had good luck finding replacement cords at the bins.
I didn't know Portland was called the City of Roses but I can see why. Gorgeous flowers and I would imagine walking close to them, the scent is heavenly.
1. My boss gave me 18 eggs from their chickens and I had just purchased two dozen on sale for .99 dozen. So I am swimming in eggs. DH and I ate six of them for breakfast this morning. We're having company for dinner on Thursday night so I asked them "Do you both like egg salad?" A resounding YES so we are having egg salad sandwiches, potato salad and 3 Bean salad.
2. I found my sewing kit where I had conveniently put it away (ha!) so now I can sew the button on DH's shorts.
3. I went shopping today at Market Basket and bought chicken leg quarters for .99 lb.
4. I brought two dresses to the consignment store but was told they have stopped accepting summer clothes for the season. I do have $16.50 in credit there for my items that have previously but nothing caught my eye. I'm specifically looking for decorative suns and moons for the side of my shed but they didn't have any. I will hold out until I can find some secondhand ones.
5. I gave DH a haircut with the buzzer.
...previously sold...
Empty jam jars.......hmmm
All mine are food related:
1. Made granola bars
2. Made a cottage cheese/egg bake
3. Made oven roasted okra from the garden
4. Made oven pancakes to use some blinky milk
5. Bakes 10 pounds of potatoes, turkey meatballs and chicken thigh/legs
My family can't complain of hunger now....at least not for a few days.
More detailed version here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/07/22/frugal-five-all-about-food/
Elizabeth Kata’s Patch of Blue was about a girl who was blind, I read it in the 1960’s , so all I can say is that my teenage self enjoyed it! Not sure if that’s how she spelled her name!
Coral, I recall that A Patch of Blue was made into a movie in the 1960s starring Sidney Poitier.
$5.99 each? For blackberries?At that jam jar price, I’m sure some of us could make a mortgage payment with jam jars. Lastly, Anita Heiss is an Aussie POC, whose books reflect her heritage, , some historical, some urban romance.
OMG, I love Broadchurch! I guess I should watch Shetland then. Thanks for the recommendation and the roses.
BTW, I saw very large jars of Bonne Maman jam at Costco and thought of you. Large, as in I've never seen such a large jar from them. They will make great storage jars for those ah, bulkier Winco bulk items, so keep an eye out for them!
Katy, your shading of the petals is so pretty. You certainly was hit with the artsy stick.
The farm adjacent to ours burned over 50 acres. Thanks to the 4 fire teams, the wildland fire contractors, the Oregon forestry team, the 2 huge helicopters filling up from our ponds and neighbors ponds. The power company shut our power off for safety and we sat outside on the front porch watching debris and embers fall all around us. 100 degrees! What a very long day. Felt so helpless! It is now 50% contained.
I can't wrap my head around those jelly jars. Crazy.
Blue Gate: that sounds incredibly harrowing! Glad you're okay and hope your neighbor recovers quickly. We had a grassland fire in the neighborhood a couple years ago and it's indescribable the feeling of helplessness.
We got doused by the helicopters and a water tender truck parked in our driveway all night. They used drones to monitor the fire all thru the night. Our power was restored shortly before midnight. The neighbors that were evacuated parked at our community gathering spot, we had a donated truck mounted diesel generator powering the cooling center.
I washed the air filters again this morning and the air purifiers are running, my house smells like a walk in bbq. So grateful to every responder.
Try putting out some bowls with 1 cup white vinegar for 24 hours. It chemically neutralizes the smoke smell.
Wow, BFG, what an awful experience. I'm glad it was no worse for you and yours, but I send my sympathy to the folks on the farm next door.
Oh, my, that is far too close for comfort - I'm so glad you are ok, and yet now the what-ifs probably are running through your heads. That burnt smell is so very hard to get out of a house (and out of your nose) - I wish you and your filters a productive day of air cleaning!
Those are some photogenic blackberries! Great job on the reading program!
1. I finished Filthy Rich Fae, which apparently is the first of two books! I have about 6 weeks to go until I'm first in line for the next book but it did take a few months to get the first one so I'll take that as a win.
2. My husband and daughters went for a walk and to a new park today. They played for quite a while before he convinced them to leave.
3. On their way back my husband wanted chicken and onion rings but stayed strong since we have both in the freezer!
4. I made peanut butter granola bars which I always forget are incredibly easy and always a big hit with my kids.
5. We made skillet pizzas last night and used up the sauce I made and saved the last time we made pizzas. My kids wanted to help and ate more than usual! They had a lot of fun "decorating" their pizza so I think we'll make it a more regular occurrence.
"Endeavour," the prequel series to the famous "Inspector Morse," also is very good. It's set at the beginning of the 1960s and also is fascinating for getting the social changes of that era just right.
I've managed to let go of all of my subscriptions for streaming. I decided to update Paramount Plus through the Roku Channel, and it went through on my now exes card. I let him know and offered to pay but he said not to worry about it. Thank you ex....
Anyway, it seems to have unlocked a bunch of live streaming channels including shows I really enjoy like Dateline, Murder She Wrote, and Forensics Files, where the shows stream 24 hours a day. The only down side is you cant pause them or start from the beginning. Anyway, I'm enjoying it. I mostly fall asleep to tv and never watch for very long.
The blonde actress in the still photo you posted was also in Ted Lasso, and I really enjoyed her in that show. Would like to see her in more things.
Our local foodbank is always seeking donated reusable bags (for clients to pick up food). Might be worth getting the bag and donating it.
Not sure how this meshes with your vision for not acquiring new items if not necessary, though. Even if you’re not holding onto the bag.
I'm on Day 3 post tooth-pulling and so far I haven't left the house or driven anywhere. So that is frugal. (If the oral surgeon says its OK to eat Blue Bell Ice Cream, do the calories count?)
Received a big packet in the mail from a charity. Inside were greeting cards featuring winter scenes: snow, polar bears and penguins. Messages say to chill out. If only I could! It is 102 degrees F. outdoors today on my patio thermometer and it's only 1:15 p.m. It'll get even hotter later on. So I think if I sent those greeting cards to anyone around here this week, I'd get charged with mental cruelty! (How 'bout I save the cards for January?)
Meanwhile, the local TV news showed some highway marquee signs posted today by the Texas Dept. of Transportation, those high tech electronic signs that they change/update to show different messages. After the temperature flashes (90 to 100 degrees F or higher all over our state; morning lows in the 80's), the next screen says "That's the temperature, not the speed limit!!! Slow down!!!" ROTFL!