Five Frugal Things -- Frugal Errands Galore!
1) I spent a good chunk of yesterday driving around town in the name of frugal erranding.
First errand was to drop off more brand new art supplies from my late in-law's estate. The high school art department supply room is now satisfyingly full with high quality materials. I remember the art teacher sharing that her supply budget was $0 when my kids were students, so there could be no better destination for all this Stuff!
My husband regularly floats the idea of replacing our 21-year-old minivan with a compact car, but it's amazing how often a big car comes in handy.
I also brought a bouquet of hydrangeas for the art teacher. The two of us are doing symbiotic favors for one another and I currently appreciate her more than ever. If it wasn't weird, I'd gift her a dozen bouquets!
2) The next stop was Dollar Tree, as I love sending my kids home with food, but need some leftover containers that don't require a tracker. On record I'm no fan of plastic food storage, but real life sometimes gets in the way of lofty ideals.
3) The Dollar Tree is in the same complex as Chipotle, so I ordered a kids' meal using the gift card I earned from donating platelets.
$5.70 got me two soft tacos with chicken, pinto beans and corn salsa; as well as a tangerine and drink. The tortillas were hard and dry, but otherwise it was a halfway decent meal. Then again my standards are pretty low when it comes to free food.
Hello, cutie!
4) I had more time to kill, so to I drove over to a nearby Goodwill. I walked out empty handed, although I did look up a couple items, including this wall hook organizer.
Google Lens told me it was an Umbra Estique over the door organizer currently selling for $35. (I think it was $6.99?) I've picked up multiple wire and wooden ball organizers to resell through the years, as they're all knockoffs of the $325 Eames Hang it All and sell quickly.
I prefer to pick them up when they're a buck or two, like this one I grabbed from a Goodwill bin back in February. I gave it to my youngest, who painted the balls red and now uses it in their apartment.
I also looked up this toy helicopter, as it didn't appear as mass produced as its shelf mates. It turned out to be a Green Toy brand that sells at Wal-Mart. (Recycled plastic?) Sometimes discontinued high end toys sell for a pretty penny, yesterday was not that day.
5) Speaking of "Yesterday," I finally scored a Lucky Day copy of Yesteryear, which I've had on my hold list for ages.
You can see that I'm not the only library patron looking to read this book! I've been working hard to avoid spoilers and mostly have, aside from readers having a hard time with an unlikable protagonist. I've been in a reading slump since finishing The Calamity Club and am crossing my fingers that this book kicks me back into bookworm mode.
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 didn't like the protagonist in a way that made it easy to keep reading, if that makes sense!
1. Husband is bulking errands today while the kids are not feeling well and I'm fighting exhaustion. I'm not sure if it's from coming down with their germs or keeping up with their germs. I washed all of my water bottles last night so I'm not drinking out of gross glass while I try and stay hydrated.
2. Husband dropped off three small returns at Ikea, we should get $15-$20 back from it all.
3. He then swung by Once Upon A Child, kids consignment store, that we've been meaning to visit. He found a ton of fun stuff! The only thing good enough to tempt him was a princess costume for our oldest. We'll use it for Halloween but I'm sure she'll wear it about 25 times before then.
4. He picked up a free coffee from the apartment clubhouse on a way to an appointment and then picked up some items on hold at the library and returned things we've read. I'm still working on Time Hop Coffee Shop, I'm not sure if I like it yet but I keep getting interrupted while reading.
5. I'm crocheting some more today but my body is too tired for much else. I'm making decent progress and watch YouTube while I do it so I don't get too bored with the monotony.
I didn't like the protagonist or the book! Don't understand the hype about this one, but that's just me, I guess.
I sold one of my sister's sweaters on eBay, after a dry spell. I was hoping that cooler weather would bring about some interest in her cold weather items, and it looks like that may happen. I packed it in recycled materials, per usual, and dropped it off at the post office this morning. On the same trip I returned two books at a drive-by library bin.
I forgot to take along some outgoing mail to the post office, one of which is my ballot for the midterms. I'm definitely taking that directly to the post office, so some MAGAt doesn't swipe it in the name of election integrity (i.e., only Republicans are allowed to win, by any means necessary).
So tomorrow it's another trip to the PO, which is not my favorite errand, because the parking is a nightmare, and the walk is a bit too long. I may walk to the train station and ride there.
I talked to my son out in Oregon yesterday, the one who has struggled with unemployment. He has been hired full-time as a blackjack dealer at a casino after finishing a training series. He's pleased, despite the irony of not being the least bit interested in gambling. I guess that's good! He's pleased because he doesn't have to uproot his family, the work is not difficult, and he will get tips to augment his pay. And he gets free food while he's on the job! So I'm happy along with him.
I love the blackjack dealer gig. You just never know. I used to work for a Fortune 500 company, and I did the crazy FIRE life so I could retire at 40 years old, now 16 years later I am a librarian!
I have become my grandmother and started washing and saving containers with lids for when I send food to the neighbors. Sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt tubs, etc. Seems to go in cycles where I have a pile of them, and then I'm out again. I use clear containers in my own fridge though, I need a visual of my leftovers.
What a wonderful gift to the HS art department!
I combined errands today, and my husband offered to run most of them. Everything was on the same side of town, so he dropped me at the grocery store and ran the 3 other quick errands while I was shopping.
1. One of my jobs at the library is scheduling our programs and the rooms for them. Our yoga instructor let me know she was going to miss this week's class and slyly mentioned in front of the director that she was sure I was up to substituting for her. What? No! But they convinced me I could, so I did. Let's just say I did a lot of yoga more than once a day leading up to the class. It went great, and I am glad I did it. Free exercise and no cancelled classes.
2. Netgalley approved me for an early copy of Donal Ryan's new book "Where are the kings" in exchange for a review and feedback. About halfway through, and at first wasn't getting into it, but this is one of my favorite authors so I continued on, and now I am glad I did. I can never get enough of free books!!!
3. This week is my first week back from vacation. Oregon you are beautiful!!! I turned back on Vinted, E-bay, and Posh. A few small sales so far. I plan to list more this weekend.
4. I used someone's link to finally get on Fetch. Which gave me bonus points. So far so good.
5. I harvested butternut squash from the garden this week. Enough to use on store for about 3 to 4 months. A fellow gardener gifted me with a bag of cucumbers. There are so many I will definitely be sharing the love with others.
I am reading “An Unfinished Canvas” by Michael Glasgow and Phyllis C. Gobbell, about an infamous murder case in Nashville, on my Libby app. I recommend. I only read non-fiction.
Katy, you are taking a tax credit for these donations, aren't you?
If you need some kind of appraisal statement to do it, just let me know...I see the photos and know values on these. No doubt we can swap my usual fee for something.
Why yes, I am! We actually have recipts for many of the items.
In my continuing quest to declutter/downsize/sell stuff I am not using/don’t need anymore, I sold on FB Marketplace: a pair of large decorative throw pillows, which are way too large for my new-to-me loveseat recliner, $5/pair; two wooden salad bowls (one a gift and never used) plus matching utensils, $5/lot; vintage wooden magazine stand, $5. Underpriced but I wanted quick sales. It is so satisfying to have things gone. The pillows took a few weeks and a price reduction but they finally sold.