Four Frugal Things — Free Nutter Butters & Cheap Eggs
1) I drove across town for a scheduled appointment to donate platelets, only to learn that the Red Cross was understaffed and and I’d either need to either switch to whole blood or reschedule. My preference is platelets as standard donations tires me out, but decided to roll the dice since I was already there.
Of course I accepted more than my fair share of Nutter Butters. The volunteer at check-in even handed me extras when I joked that I was “Just here for the Nutter Butters!”
The good thing about donating whole blood is that that it takes less time and only requires a single venipuncture, which are both positives. Of course I wore my Red Cross Pac-Man socks, which at this rate will last until my last dying breath as I only wear them while donating.
The Red Cross will send two $10 gift card in a week or so and I’ll get to choose from hundreds of different corporations. I’ll likely pick Chipotle, as you can stretch them by ordering their bountiful kid’s meals, but it’s still fun to look at the all the options.
2) I stopped at Safeway on my way home, as they had $1.49 half-gallons of milk with a digital coupon. I took a minute to scan the weekly circular on my way in and discovered eggs priced at just 77¢ per carton. Limit four.
Yeah . . . that’s a stock up price!
I also grabbed $2.99/pound butter to throw into the freezer. Unfortunately I couldn’t find my “club” card, so the cashier ended up scanning the flyer to load the sale prices. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I’d paid full price on the milk. The difference is only $1.30, but still annoying since milk is what got me in the door to begin with.
3) I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning devouring Emma Brodie’s Into The Blue, which was a fantastic read from start to finish! I guess I wasn’t too tired from my blood donation after all!
Next up, (I think) is Kaliane Bradley’s Ministry of Time, which I got a couple chapters into when it first came out. I remember enjoying it well enough, but think that I wasn’t in a good reading groove at the time. I see it recommended often enough to give it another try.
The book was shelved as a “Staff Pick,” and you can’t argue with a librarian who tells you that “You’ll fall into this book like the world stopped existing.” Like scientific research, I believe that we should trust the experts!
With library books, there’s zero risk in trying out a book that might not be the right fit at the right time. Especially as Portland libraries no longer charge late fees.
4) I visited with my mother and stepfather and brought along the propagated plant from my NYC sister. It’s now thriving in its Free Box flowerpot and was a welcome gift.
Free plant + free flowerpot + free potting soil (leftover from Fred Meyer’s Fuchsia Saturday) = my kind of gift giving!
Of course I didn’t leave empty handed, as my stepdad plied me with gluten-free animal crackers for my daughter, plus the offer of some only slightly expired tofu, which I declined.
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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1. I had a successful craft sale. But vendors and shoppers were both scarce. It may not happen next yr. That would be sad after so many years.
2. I saved .90 cents a gallon on gas with grocery points.
3. We took 3 boxes of towels, blankets, and pet accessories to animal control. We enjoyed seeing the cats and dogs but I wanted to bring them all home.
4. We had to replace our main refrigerator. The price was painful but the delivery went perfectly. The battered $50 yard sale fridge that lives on the back porch saved us from any food loss.
5. I sold an item that had been listed for a while.
6. My new glasses were totally covered by insurance. Free vision!
Thanks for the book recommendation. I’ll add it to the list.
1. My daughter and son-in-law installed a new mailbox for me. My old post got run over by the snow plow a couple years ago. My daughter and I cobbled it back together but now it’s rotted and wobbly. My mailbox was pretty dented and no longer waterproof after it’s own run-in with a vehicle and has been bent back into place and reused for many years. It was time.
2. I took the kids out to lunch as a thank you. I used discounted gift cards to pay the majority of the bill.
3. I sold several more items on Ebay.
4. A friend gave me a pile of boxes she collected from her job as well as some packing materials.
5. I used my McDonald’s rewards for a free McChicken. I also used my Biggby rewards for a free drink.
1. I gave a pile of bubble wrap to the consignment store where I sell. They pounced on it because as the clerk said: They need wrapping with the Christmas season approaching.
2. While there, I picked up my check from last month’s sales, $30 and change. Into savings it went along with our two checks from a class action lawsuit, each for $39.
3. We received our paychecks from working the midterm elections.
4. I made a couple of pizzas with tortillas, leftover spaghetti sauce, shredded cheese and parmesan cheese.
5. My friend gave me a crossword puzzle book and a gift card to the indy bookstore I frequent for passing on my newspapers (mostly free) to her when I’m done.