Five Frugal Things -- Gluten-free Birthday Cakes & Hostess Gifts
1) We had the kids over for dinner, which included a birthday celebration. Nothing fancy, but I wanted to bake a cake. Unfortunately I didn't have a gluten-free cake mix, but I did have a brownie mix in the cupboard.
Birthday brownies it is!
I also had 98¢ can of Winco frosting on hand, as I'd stocked up when it was on sale. I somehow didn't grab a photo, but my frosted "Funfetti" of brownies were a hit!
My experience is that gluten-free baking mixes are hit or miss, but we were all pleasantly surprised with the results. I'll definitely pick it up again. I texted a friend whose kids have Celiac disease and she shared that their coffee cake mix is also a hit.
2) My sister is visiting for the next couple of weeks and brought an empty Tiffany & Co. satin box as a hostess gift. ("You can sell it!") It came to her a few years ago with some earrings and now I can put it up on eBay to resell!
She knows me well.
3) My sister also brought six unripe tomatoes from her garden, which are currently sitting on my kitchen windowsill to ripen.
I aniticipate B.L.T. sandwiches in our future!
4) My husband spent hours and hours microcleaning/detailing the interior of our minivan to remove the garbage-y scent from clearing out his parents' storage unit. The smell meant we avoided driving this car, so it'll be nice to be able to have it as a second vehicle again.
Click HERE to read my "Garbage is not an inheritance" blog post.
5) A neighborhood squirrel lovingly placed a walnut in my outside spider plant. How'd I get so lucky?
It's hard to get ahead financially when all your money is tied up in walnut.
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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Thank you to everyone who sent packing and moving advice!! All great reminders 🙂
The moving/packing saga marches on! I posted in all my community groups for boxes so we can start packing. The following leads came up:
1. A reddit post in another neighborhood of someone giving away a full packing set from home depot, unused
2. Someone who is moving TODAY who is looking for someone to piecemeal take her boxes (80 of them?!) since she can't store them all
3. A wine store that offers wooden crates from some of their products that are good for heavier items
4. A neighbor who has been hoarding chewy boxes but has realized he doesn't need them
5. Our favorite bar that agreed to store liquor bottle boxes for us to move our home bar and book collection
We have considered also renting the plastic bins to avoid waste, but this puts us on a good trajectory to get started.
My older daughter's favorite part of dessert is frosting and my youngest doesn't care much about cake but they both lose their minds over a good chocolate brownie! The celebration sounds like a success!
1. I had a hold come in from Libby, just in time since I have a lot of work to do and will want something to listen to.
2. We began unpacking suitcases and unloading our Ikea haul today! We got the keys to our new apartment last night and we saved ourselves a pretty penny on the delivery fee from Ikea by picking up everything from the store's "click and collect" option.
3. All of our dishes came through okay! Nothing was broken or even cracked. We had three flights to get from Europe to Ohio and our luggage took a tumble getting onto the hotel shuttle, so I am incredibly pleased!
4. We leave our Airbnb tomorrow morning (hopefully our last Airbnb for a VERY long time) and the klepto itch to see what amenities I can bring home with me is very strong. I don't think there's much that we haven't already used up, but I'll be sure to take a peak before we finish packing in the morning!
5. I reminded my husband that our apartment has a Starbucks machine in the lobby since he's taking a load of stuff over this afternoon. He was very grateful for the reminder!
Bringing tomatoes across the country is a real gift of love!
1. My partner and I have started our vacation - we are currently en route to Quebec province, but are spending 2 nights in BIL's house in VT, for free (they are actually on vacation themselves, so we have the house to ourselves, and save on 2-nights lodging.
2. BIL makes a LOT more money than we do, so it is difficult what to do as a thank you for letting us use his house. I know that there are certain foods that they like having (Nutella, good chocolate, name-brand seltzer) so we purchased them at our local grocery chain (Market Basket) where I know the prices are lower than at their local grocery store.
3. We brought some food with us to eat in Burlington (yes, we know no produce into Canada). This included 2 croque monsieur that I had made for our last night's dinner at home, but I made 2 extra. The milk, cheese, bread, and ham were all free from various mystery shops, I think it was about $2 for 4 delicious sandwiches. Since our original vacation was supposed to be France (before the orange man started a war and caused airline tickets to rocket) this was a bit of a nod to that trip. We also brought food for breakfast, but are splurging on dinners out (that will be paid for using credit card rewards). We are bringing some coffee with us, however (it is okay, I checked) in case our Airbnb doesn't include it, so that we don't need to buy any while there for breakfast.
4. All of the other lodging will be paid for thanks to Chase, who sent me an incentive for $900 if I stash some money with them for 3 months. I'll hit that milestone just when the credit card is due to pay for the lodging.
5. I secured 2 free tickets to the McCord Steward museum in Montreal for Wednesday evening (free from 5 pm onward). Other than that, our favorite activity is just walking around neighborhoods, so that will be a low/no cost activity, other than eating.
Hello fellow Market Basket shopper! I just came home from Market Basket with quite the haul for $106. I don't shop anywhere else except the occasional shop at Aldi's if I'm in the area.
Have a great vacation in Quebec. Yes, unfortunately the Orange Man has ruined many things for many people. You'll still be hearing the French language on your vacation although it won't be in France. Have some poutin (?) for me!
A friend delivered 10lbs of homegrown apples. I gave her a bag of travel supplies (plug adapter, money belts, shawl).
I sold an item on ebay and an item on Vinted.
Being a chair dweller today as yesterday's foot surgery has been surprisingly painful since the nerve block wore off. Thankfully I can still attend my online Spanish class. It cost $79 for 10 lessons, each 90 minutes long. If I attend all 10, I get a refund of $30. I'm going for the refund!
Used the 3 homegrown kohlrabi that I was given to make some slaw. Picked a lot of basil which I'll have dh put in the dehydrator when he gets home. I grow enough basil, thyme, parsley and chives to eat fresh and also dry for a year round supply.
Dh accepted the offer of a ride to work. Builds friendship and saves gas!
This time of year when my morning light shortens is so dang tough on my schedule! I want to keep doing my sunrise yoga group. I have between 4 and 6 that enjoy our get together. Chores are now fully in the dark. Rant over.
Sold a crystal vase. Used Katy's trick turning bubble bag inside out for padding, a shoebox and tape bought for a quarter.
Repotted my spider plant babies. Started some African violets, hope to be ready by next February.
Planted a dozen bay laurel plants from cuttings.
Planted next year's garlic. Braided this year's garlic.
Proofed sour dough overnight, baking now for tonight's community dinner.
I'd written most of this comment prior to your post today, Katy – however I wanted to share that at this moment in time I am waiting for an Apple Pie to finish baking (this is one of the frozen ones that I had made with BB several weeks ago).
DD has a birthday this week, and I am FINALLY going to get down to see my Mom (it has been ages). I suggested to DD that she pick up takeout and bring it to Mom's for an ad hoc birthday celeration I asked her about the birthday cake part of the meal.
I had sent her home with a slice of pie last week, so she got allllll excited when I suggested having apple pie for her 'cake'. A strip of green painter's tape - with PIE!! written on it – was placed on my stovetop so I didn't forget to bake it.
1. Seems like I am being blessed with family, as #2 son came to visit again before he flies to Lyon, France, for a Chemistry conference. He's taking time to see Switzerland and Italy, and wanted to confer with Mom about what he was taking. I thought of those in the Commentariat who have travel lists, as I pulled out my only list to reference. Mine is for a trip to a house on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, so a slightly different mindset (think boogie boards, lots of kitchen stuff, food, and rain gear). However it also had some of the basics like ziplock bags so he wrote a list, and borrowed some ziplocks (HA!)
He also got his not-particularly talented Mom to yet again cut his hair. I thank my father (and me) for his forgiving curls, and himself for his forgiving attitude. It looks better and will serve him well on his trip and the price was right.
2. My Physiotherapist is back from his holiday, yay. I have a litany of small and irritating (uncomfortable) challenges so I gave him a choice, which I regretted for a moment or two (ouchy treatment).
The frugal part was they had a credit on my account from one time when they neglected to run my insurance, so the visit was 'free' as the credit covered my co-pay. There is more credit to use! I have been reminded of all the dollars still available in this year's insurance, so will be planning some other therapies to feel better and take advantage of the funding before it disappears at year end.
3. DD is still planning to go back to school and is working on her letter of resignation.
She was very upset recently because ¼ of the team she is on were suddenly let go (laid off) – and she is feeling some survivor's guilt. Particularly because she is planning to leave herself.
One hard part that she's dealing with is that she WASN'T laid off, she's the only one who would have been happy about it, and the severance package sounded rather good.
I've spent some time on the phone with her helping her process all the big feelings that happen when big things are going on. I'm glad we have that kind of relationship.
4. More jam is made.
5. The kitchen has NO free counter tops. Or table tops. There are boxes of plums and tomatoes everywhere, in various stages of ripe. Overwhelming yet I keep making progress, as I am able. Much is given away, which is wonderful.
I admire the artistic way you arranged the tomatoes. On Sunday I picked up some Fiestaware plates from a Buy Nothing person, picked out the colors I didn't have in my cabinet, then replaced the plates I was discarding and reposted them to the group. I now have a riot of color in my cabinet for no cost.