- I walked to the grocery store to pick up milk and scored a 2% gallon that was marked down to $1.49. I would have bought a few extra for the freezer, but I don’t exactly have the upper body strength to perform this Herculean feat. Maybe I should develop a Crossfit-style class where the frugally inclined schlep full gallons of milk. Hmm . . . that’s actually not such a bad idea.
- My husband and I are in a five-paycheck month, (three for him and two for me) so I was able to transfer a BIG chunk of money into the kids’ college fund. We’ll be more than ready by January when the next payment is due! In fact, it will be fully funded by the end of November, which means we’ll be able to put extra aside for our younger son. (Oy vey . . . I am not looking forward to next year’s double college payments!)
- I’m putting my full focus into budgeting this month and am pleased to see that with a week left to go, we’ve only spent $300 on groceries so far. And since I budgeted $400, there should be enough leftover to splurge on a restaurant meal when we take our younger son for a program specific college tour on Monday.
- I’m treating my mother to a movie matinee this afternoon as her birthday gift. This experience-not-stuff gift will set me back a budget-friendly $8 which includes the candy!
- I cleaned one of my mother’s guest cottages, I ended up spending only $25 on my replacement purse, I sold that weird fireplace screen for $5, I sat in my car and read magazines during my son’s soccer practice to minimize excessive driving, I served leftover black bean chili with quesadillas for last night’s dinner, I returned a $71 box of printer ink and immediately deposited the cash back into the credit union, I stayed out of tempting thrift shops, I found a 1943 steel penny on the ground at the credit union, but also two quarters from under the coin counting machine and I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.
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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{ 68 comments… read them below or add one }
do your boys help pay for college?
in Ontario where i’m from it is common..and uncommon for parents to pick up the tab…
here in Virginia i find it the norm to pay..to even borrow in the parents name to pay for kids’ college
I just have the one in college right now and he’s spending his own money on expenses and textbooks. We cover tuition and room and board.
I guess it depends of your personal entourage I live right across Ottawa and I know a lot of Ottawa students that get their university paid by the parents.
I think it depends on income levels. I live in Ontario and paid half of university and my parents paid half. I paid my own expenses by working part time. My husband’s parents paid for his – but he also had grown up working (without pay) on the family farm.
That’s quite a lot of frugal-fu you have going on there, Miss W-S.
I am new to your site and love it…..I have found my peeps!! 🙂
My Five frugal things….
1. Still haven’t figured out how to save or repurpose my jeans that ripped, but thanks to some great ideas shared here…I will figure it out. In the meantime, I repaired several shirts for my husband…little hole in the collar, little holes in the cuffs. They are ready for another couple years of wear.
2. Needed a couple new towels, we received towels for wedding presents 18 years ago and they are getting thin. Those were some good towels from JCPenneys. Had a Gift card from my birthday, plus a store coupon. Scored new, big, fluffy towels for nothing out of my pocket.
3. Sold a couple things on FB yard sale site, no buying, just selling. Money being set aside for anniversary dinner out November 1.
4. Volunteered at the skating night, which I was going to be there anyways, and my kiddo got in free. Bonus…money we planned to spend, we didn’t have to.
5. Enjoying some gorgeous weather and have opened all the windows. I love not running the AC/ heat and sunny days mean I don’t have to turn on lights until 6pm. Hello lower utility bill.
I sew, and jeans that are no longer wearable have many uses: patches for knees if you have kids. I have patched my own inside the thighs, but I’ve also lost some weight so they don’t wear out as easily there as they once did. They also make great potholders—I make potholders using old towels or old ironing board covers for inside stuffing, then put a couple of layers of denim on the outside-You can make them patchwork like, or just a simple piece of fabric and then stitch diagonally across in both directions so the insides keep from shifting. They can be as sloppy or as neat as you like and have time for! I usually end up burning them up one way or another eventually anyhow. I also like the ones made with cotton loops on the kids looms, but I have to make them myself these days–my granddaughter is 23 and has more important things to do than make me potholders. When I sew them, I do tend to make them one and a half to two times as large as regular pot holders–gives you a better grip and less chance to burn yourself.
Genius! And another source of Christmas presents- jean potholders! My husband’s jeans are on their last legs (ha ha) and now I have some ideas for them! I’ve got rags galore for the stuffing.
Pinterest search “repurpose old jeans.” Jackpot!
You can see how I upcycled a pair of jeans here:
https://afrugalspinster.wordpress.com/2015/03/20/another-grocery-tote/
If you can’t/don’t mend them there are lots of possibilities for your jeans on the web
I feel your pain – my last college tuition payment will be in December after 9 years of kids in college with 4 years of 2 kids in together.(And yes, they worked through college and got scholarship so I realize I wasn’t the only one paying.) Oy vey is right! Let the celebrations begin! Woo-hoo! On a happy note, the two oldest are gainfully employed and on their own with no money from the rents – can only hope that for the youngest now.
Very impressive!
Yay, Jill!
My five things:
1- went to Aldi’s today for groceries. This is a store where you bring your own bags, bag your groceries yourself, and there are awesome deals! At one time I never went in there, didn’t really know what it was about, now I’m glad it is a regular stop. Lots of organic options too, for cheap.
2-planning for Christmas. I’m tired of giving the same old stuff to everyone, like dad gets a hardware stop gift card, etc. Planning what I want to make everyone now so I can get started. This weekend the plans are for soap making, body scrub-hoping to enlist the kids to do this one!, and kahlua making- if I can find a good deal on vodka. One batch of vodka makes 4 quarts, which equals 4 gifts.
3-already ordered my Christmas cards! I love doing the picture ones of my kids, usually do the one hour thing around Dec.20, hurrying to get them out. This year, no rushing. At least not with buying them, we will see how we do at getting them out! I always get a deal, but got the deal and a head start on these.
4-tonight we are entertaining ourselves at home. My kids’ school is having try outs for “The Lion King”, and my girls have never seen it! We bought the movie years ago but they thought it was boring- probably because no princesses in it, so they never watched more than a few minutes one time. Now we can make up for that purchase by watching it tonight and having popcorn right here at home.
5- I bought black out fabric (on sale)about 6 months ago. Never made the curtains. Bought curtain rods(again, got the cheapest) a couple months ago thinking it would get me to do it. Going to do them now and let my girls make their own. They love to sew and this gives them the chance to feel pride in their work, practice this skill most kids their age don’t have, and it is super easy. And it will be nice to see my good intentions turn into a reality!
1. I found more than a dollar in the CoinStar yesterday, including a silver dime and quarter (which I gave to my husband).
2. I stopped at Aldi to buy butternut squash ($.99 each this week) and golden delicious apples ($1.69/3 pounds this week). I have applesauce cooking in the crock pot. I also threw in some “seen better days” pears, some pawpaw from the freezer and a bag of frozen cherries. When it’s done cooking I’ll add a bunch of ground cinnamon.
3. I passed along to a friend $10 off $50 purchase coupons to a grocery store I do not shop at as well as my extra set of grocery ads.
4. Lunch was some leftover pasta sauce (with meat) with the last bit of pasta in a bag.
5. Dinner will be banana chocolate chip pancakes. I’ll make a triple batch so I can freeze leftovers for future breakfasts for my husband.
1. Lunch was the last of the butternut squash/sausage lasagna I made for dinner Tu. (The squash pasta sauce was a seasonal buy at Aldi, I bought 5 jsrs since we like it so much and it’s only in the store for a couple of wks.)
2. Made apple/pear sauce in my crockpot, from fruit given to me by several people. Got enough apples left to make several apple crisps for the freezer, too.
3. Made a crockpot of white chicken chili for the chili cook-off on Sunday, so it will have time for flavors to meld before then. Used stuff I already had in the freezer and pantry. Will make cornbread muffins later and a cake, also with pantry stuff. No trip to the grocery store + using up stuff = NCA win!
4. Picking up the remaining bears tomorrow that my GF made for me out of favorite clothes from my late parents, which will use up stuff I couldn’t bear to get rid of and also completes my Xmas shopping for the kids/grandkids. They’ll each get a bear designed especially for them, for $20 each, which is cheap for a handmade bear and a load of memories.
5. Looking forward to reading The Use-It_up Cookbook, which I got from the library today. I have my own use-it-up system of recipe titles on index cards, one for each ingredient (sour cream, egg whites, buttermilk, cream cheese, tomatoes, etc.), but am always looking for more recipes to add to it.
OH, what a great idea your #5 is! I’m gonna get right on that project!
1. Haven’t left the house today. No gas used.
2. Hubby made tuna salad so I’ll probably have that for dinner.
3. Guy came to clean out and check the furnance. Proper care of HVAC system helps cut down on repairs.
4. Doing laundry – running one load in cold and will hang to dry in the basement.
5. Kept lights off unless I needed them. Gorgeous sunny day here and I made time to sit at my kitchen table and admire the view of the neighbor’s tree that has turned yellow. Yellow against a blue sky = soul lifting.
My things today are pretty much the same as auntiali’s–except substitute my split pea soup (made from remains of this fall’s first ham) for her DH’s tuna salad in #2, and our meeting with a rep from a local housecleaning service for her meeting with her furnace guy in #3. (My DH and I have finally agreed that having the housecleaning service come once a month may be a graceful concession to advancing age. Believe me, kids, you’ll understand this when you get there.)
And, hey, Katy, you shoehorned about 9 or 10 things into your #5. Isn’t that cheating??
Nope. 😀
“Maybe I should develop a Crossfit-style class where the frugally inclined schlep full gallons of milk. Hmm . . . that’s actually not such a bad idea.”
Or you could develop a Crossfit class where you’re paid to run the class and they schlep heavy deals home for you. Double dip! 🙂
I’m triple-dipping on some purchases we have to make for the baby: using a CC (w/rewards, not carrying a balance of course!) to buy gift cards through a site that rewards me with points for purchasing gift cards from them, AND getting bonus points for purchasing X number of cards. Many wins rolled into one!
1. Date night last night with my husband was steaks from the freezer and Netflix. We both crashed out on the couch, but the intention was there
2. I’ve been making iced tea to take to work. I find I crave something sweet in the afternoon and that seems to be enough.
3. Keeping my iPhone limping along. It’s an iPhone 5 and it’s starting to break down, but I don’t want to replace it. The last software update made things worse, but I’m persevering.
4. Menu planning with my youngest child. I got her to sit with me and help me figure out the next two weeks worth of dinners. I do this each fortnight but it was great for her to be involved.
5. Keeping up with my savings plan even though I want to spend money on a new phone, or a vacation, and things for the house. I’m following the Dave Ramsey baby steps. It’s so tempting to just blow a wad of cash on something like travel or a new phone, but I’m being disciplined.
I have an iPhone4 and I do not do the updates!
Me neither. 4S and I never ever ever ever do IOS updates.
I’m the same as Katy: My iphone 4 is fine (well, the top button broke a long time ago, but there are workarounds to that) because I don’t do the updates. Many apps are now too advanced for my operating system, so I just can’t update them either, no problem. Works great for calls, texts, and and internet.
What’s up with that last update? I hear lots of people having trouble after installing it. My iPhone 5 is running fine after a long-overdue battery replacement. (Knock on wood.)
Alas, too late she cried!!
Katy, when I was a broke college student taking a fitness class, I made a 16-pound barbell out of two milk jugs filled with water and fastened to an old wooden mop handle. Your milk jug frugal fitness course isn’t far off from that. 😀
1. Decluttered two bags of stuff and took one to the Salvation Army and one to the Humane Society thrift store. I looked around both stores, but didn’t buy anything.
2. Will also be coming in around $300 on the grocery budget this month. Six months ago it $560, and I’ve been whittling it down every month.
3. Mended a set of flannel sheets for my son and repaired the collar of a blouse for myself.
4. Last week I made a curtain from fabric we had on hand and assembled a custom rod from a couple of old curtain rods for a window that’s slightly more than 9 feet wide by 26 inches high. I wasn’t satisfied with how the curtain was hanging and today dug around in our “fix-it” box for some old curtain hardware to rehang it. Also used some copper spray paint (leftover from another project) to paint the rod and scavenged hardware so that everything matches. Cost for this project was just a couple of hours of my time.
5. Decided that liquid hand soap is a manufactured need and we won’t be buying it any more. I bought soap dishes and bar soap at Dollar Tree, put them beside each sink and called it good. The family is happy with the change.
I bought a foaming soap dispenser, and I just “refill” it using a couple squirts of dish soap plus water. Works perfectly!
And this tip is why I started following your blog. . . That jug of soap from Costco lasts FOREVER this way.
for #5 of Ruby’s post..if i am not mistaken, if you do prefer liquid..(we do here…arg…they just get nasty…) you can put soap in water in the bottle and shake it and it will turn into liquid…double check online though
I’m keeping the dispenser in the kitchen because that’s where my hands are most likely to be really grotty, and will just refill it with diluted dish liquid.
I refill mine by kitchen sink with 3/4 water and 1/4 dish soap, and the added bonus is that it works great when hands get greasy doing food prep.
Personally foaming hand soap (which I always refill w/ water & Dr. Bronners if not in kitchen) and shower gels are a worthy expense for me as they do not leave soap build up that bar soaps do, so way less scrubbing shower/tubs and sinks. I’m with A. Marie above that some expenses in housecleaning balance out the more my age waxes and my energy wanes.
Thanks to everyone who mentioned refilling the foaming soap dispensers with the diluted dish soap and water mix. I tried making my own liquid soap following an online recipe using grated bar soap and it was a disaster. Filled my pump using dish soap and water last night and it works perfectly!
In one of my frugal fits, I tried this. It turned into what can best be described as gloop and was pretty unusable. The proper fluid soap has another type of soap to keep it liquid and fabulous. I think this might be possible with the addition of glycerin?
Probably better, easier and cheaper, to just use the dish-washing liquid and water combo or shampoo and water. I use eco cheap dish-washing liquid to wash my hands all the time in the kitchen and they cope fine with it. I don’t know why I didn’t think to use it in the bathroom for my hands diluted. Very clever!
1) Was decidedly unproductive until 10 am or so. Willfully unproductive even. Saved money by not doing much and absorbing Vitamin D by resting in the sun.
2) Decided to get up and go for a walk in the sun. Considered spending 80 cents on a takeaway coffee and was talked out of it. Decided the landfill didn’t need another cup and I didn’t even feel like coffee.
3) Made what I describe as “weird oat cake things” which kept me full for not much.
4) Read the bacon controversy filtering around the internet. Decided the risks were greatly overstated. Ate my dinner of bacon and eggs cooked to perfection from grass fed pigs, locally produced. Didn’t have to go out for dinner, step dad cooked it. Did a good job.
5) Would have bought a Lear Jet, but who needs one, when they can be quite content sitting in the sun, doing nothing much?
1. Ate all dinners at home with my husband this week. I can’t say all meals because I went to lunch once with an old friend and was treated!
2. Had bought tickets for Taste of Home Cooking School (really a demo,not a school) a couple months ago to treat granddaughter. She couldn’t go, so I took my sister to use the ticket. She is a widow and it gave her a night out, and even though she doesn’t cook a lot, she does have lots of grandkids and great grands that visit and eat!
3. We each got 2 free issues of magazines plus some coupons in our “goody” bag that night.
4. Made a loaf of banana bread-to have a sweet in the house and also to use up frozen mashed bananas. My freezer and cupboards are all overflowing and I’m trying to use some pantry items just to stop stuff from falling out when we open the doors. Think I’m about there now!! Also have overflow on basement shelves–sales have been great lately.
5. Dinner tonight was ALL leftovers except the drinks. Carrot puree soup, goulash, green beans were all from earlier meals this week, plus the goulash got the rest of the hot pepper cheese I grated the night we had it the first time. Cider was the drink–it was BOGO this week.
How did you manage to score your purse for $25 instead of $30? Sounds like a screaming good deal!
My hubby & I found a $5 bill on the ground this week – just as I was thinking that I would never do as well as Katy with finding coins and bills!
The woman realized it was not in the perfect shape she’d thought it was, so she only asked $25 for the purse.
A hearty congrats on the robust college savings and your under budget grocery budget. You are a hustler, Katy ( in the most wonderful way!)
I have never, never, ever seen marked down milk in the grocery store. Aargh!!
Baby, I am hustling all day long!
Milk was a little on sale this week and there was 25 cent coupon on it! Otherwise it’s almost never on sale here!
It seems like the milks are clearance priced maybe 1/4 of the time. I have to be flexible about which percentage I buy, but so what?
1. I went by the jockey lot today for the first time in a couple months. I bought a nut cracker ( I’m picking free pecans next week) for fifty cents.
2. Also bought a House of Miniatures Lyre back chair kit for fifty cents. I listed it on ebay for $9.00
3. Cashed in $15 worth of coins at coinstar. Between my coupons and the coinstar cash, I paid 3.13 for $26.00 worth of groceries.
4. In a really rare move that may have something to do with a dream about numbers last night, I purchased a one dollar scratch off ticket and won $5.
5. I did not buy a Lear Jet.
* Went to the thrift store and only got a new-looking pair of winter mits for DD for 1$
* Planning on not buying more groceries until the end of the month. Only used about 300$ out of our 500$ budget in october.
* Date night tonight. Did some errands (yah, I know, very romantic!), went out for supper using a Groupon (total out of pocket : 24$)+ free babysitting.
* Borrowing magazines from work and getting books from a free pile
* Selling 2 dvds box sets I got last Christmas for 40$
* Bought 2 gluten free breads at half price. Still expensive at 4.50$ each, but better than 9$! Hubby is gluten intolerant and hates all the other commercial breads. Fortunately, he doesn’t eat bread very often.
Have a great frugal day!
1. Talked waitress into using retailmenot info (instead of coupon) for $2.99 savings on the all you can eat soup and salad for lunch at Olive Garden, then I brought the rest of the salad home for dinner.
2. Gleaned apples from local orchard, love those Jazz apples!
3. Bought some clothing on 50% off clearance at Old Navy, then resold to Plato’s for 3X price paid.
4. Went to a movie tonight on free tickets and didn’t buy popcorn…that was hard.
5. Didn’t buy a Lear jet.
1. My oldest DD cleaned out her closet which gleaned several bags of clothes which will be consigned or sold online.
2. DH cleaned his stuff in the basement & has a small pile of items that can be consigned or sold.
3. Earned $12 Paypal & $13 Amazon gcs from doing surveys.
4. Made dinner at home though the pull to dine out was strong.
5. Added another layer of clothes instead of turning up the heat.
1. Got a screaming deal on more beef roasts. We do a lot of roasts in winter to help keep the living room and dining room warmer, as some odd remodeling choices made by previous owners left these areas unheated!
2. Switched to a different supplier for some farm stuff and get more product per bag for a cheaper per bag price.
3. Traded in our smaller recyling bin for a larger one, as the new supply comes in paper bags instead of plastic. No charge for the bigger bin. Thinking I may be able to go to a smaller garbage bin now, which would be a liitle savings.
4. Washed clothes in cold and hung them out (yay for pollen season being over).
5. No dining out or take-out all week. Hubby and I are both easily tempted.
We spent the first 4 days of this week on a NYC vacation which wasn’t frugal but was lots of fun! We did do a lot of free things including museums and the Staten Island ferry and balance more expensive meals with very inexpensive ones. Since we have been back –
1. Hubby is almost done fixing the leak and rotten wood around the greenhouse window in our sun porch. Handyman skills are frugal.
2. Making rosemary white bean soup using homemade chicken broth and frozen cooked dried beans.
3. Mended a top.
4. Raked leaves myself instead of hiring people to do it like almost all of our neighbors.
5. Only rode on someone else’s jet (Southwest) instead of buying a Lear jet.
What a great time of year to be in NYC! And smart to let someone else take the financial hit on buying the plane.
Katy
1. Thrifted Halloween costumes for the whole family.
2. Sold some thrift store finds for a $150 profit
3. Saved all the herbs that were being pulled from the work gardens, they completely filled my car.
4. Didn’t stop by Starbucks (which shares a parking lot with my kids daycare & has a drive-thru) when I forgot my commute coffee at home.
5. Menu planned for the up coming week using things we have in the freezer, will only need fresh produce for this upcoming week! YAY!
Sometimes I feel like I am penny wise and dollar foolish as it pertains to saving and trying to be thrifty. We have a nice income, but I am still aware of trying to save money where we can. So we cook at home, use coupons, do not buy a lot of extraneous “stuff”, etc. Then a huge expense comes along, and I realize that sometimes you just can’t win. All 3 of my children live out of the area, one across the country. He can’t take too much time off work, so he is planning on coming home Thanksgiving week. Price of airfare? $750! And that is a “deal” traveling slightly off times and days. My other 2 are also coming home, but they can drive or fly waaaay cheaper. And the kids want to see each other, as much as I want them home for a holiday. There is no way around it. Travel is super expensive, especially holiday time. So my cost conscious way of life flies out the window when it comes to seeing my kids. Thanks for letting me vent.
I think it is because you are “penny wise” that you can afford to be somewhat “pound foolish” when it comes to your children. We enjoy being frugal where we can and also enjoy treating our kids and grandkids. It evens out.
My theory is save on the things I can so i can spend on the things I need, or just really want. I imagine having the whole family home for the holidays is priceless.
1. I made a nice profit last month buying Proactiv locally and selling it on ebay. Someone listed an identical set of three for $10 (same price I paid last time) so I gleefully snapped it up.
2. I used to frequent a local resale store about once every two weeks. But recently the owner was rather rude to me over a small matter, so I’m done shopping there. I have been walking on my lunch hour instead.
3. Yesterday there was a church rummage sale within walking distance, so I hoofed it over and found a pair of Merrell running shoes (to sell on ebay), a Lia Sophia necklace (to sell on ebay), a pair of earrings (for me), and a wooden cheese board (which I have specifically been looking for). The ladies there set the prices and she said “How does one dollar sound?” Sounded great to me.
4. Thredup (online resale store) is offering $20 coupons to new customers, so I created an account and bought a dress for $6.
5. FINALLY sold a large glass hurricane votive that I had listed on a local FB sale group. Paid 50 cents for it a rummage sale last year and sold it for $7.
My 6yo daughter received the coolest birthday invitation ever!
Inside says : ” Your presence is my gift. If you want to offer me a birthday present, I would be happy with a draw from you or a game you no longer play with”. I might just steal this idea for my own kids birthdays!
My daughter didn’t want to give one of her toys, so she made a draw and we went to Goodwill to get a puzzle and a small book for the low price of 0,50$! Cheapest birthday gift ever. And we had fun doing the puzzle to make sure all the pieces were there before wrapping it.
That is a lovely invitation and idea, we will have to borrow it when we get to the age of birthday celebrations with friends.
What does it mean a draw from you does this mean a drawing ?
Ahay, yes, drawing. I’m french
1. Our dog needed a rabid shot this month to get her 2016 dog tags. We somehow managed to get away from the vet only paying the $16 vaccination fee. I have yet to meet a vet who doesn’t pile on tons of other services before you even know what’s up, so I consider this a major victory.
2. My boys went to a birthday party this afternoon and came home with goodie bags. As they have tons of crayons I confiscated the brand new boxes that came in the bags. They will be stashed until next year’s back to school supplies list comes out.
3. We need a new washer in our second home, but we didn’t have time to look today. I think we can make it through the weekend without washing clothes. I know I will need to get a new washer soon, but I am very happy delaying the inevitable spend.
4. We found out for sure last week that our next baby (due in one week!!!!) is a girl. She will be wearing the hand me down blue onsies of our sons, but of course the fun of a girl baby is all those adorable outfits. We bought two cute footed onsies at my favorite consignment store (and we found a pair of Pumas in our oldest’s next size–a major score as it is impossible to find second hand boys kicks in good shape). And a family friend posted on Instagram that she had a “ton” of girl baby clothes for $20. These two purchases plus all the baby blue outfits I have should get us through at least until I have more time over the summer to scour Goodwill for her next year of wardrobe or we need to pick out the cutest bathing suit ever.
5. We’ve been beautifully disciplined this semester planning our meals and avoiding restaurants and last minute grocery store runs. I have to say not just the prices but the pleasant atmosphere at Aldi makes me actually want to shop there instead of avoiding the grocery store. Our grocery frugality has helped offset the fact that the appliances seem to be taking turns breaking down.
1 went out for lunch with my daughter got Chinese food lunch special for $5 there was enough rice left from my meal to serve my husband and I for dinner that night.
2 got chicken breast,stewing beef,roasts steaks all marked down reduced.
3 got rid of 3 bags to Diabetes foundation
4 ate and used up all veggies that I bought this week and had no food waste.
5 making dog cookies instead of buying them
1-3. There was sort of a cascade barter thing going on at my house. I’m not sure of all the nitty-gritty details (because some of it I wasn’t involved in), but it started with my old truck which had been declared “unrepairable” by the mechanic, and it ended up with me getting a brand-new 6-core computer, a lease agreement for the use of my dad’s truck, and 100 pounds of organically-raised meat in the freezer! I think some swaps may still be going on, but my part of the cascade is done with.
4. Dug potatoes. Wound up with about 2 bushels, which isn’t bad given how small the patch was and how late they were planted. Bad news is, almost 2/3rds of them were damaged in some way, so I’m kind of scrambling on my day off to get those ones cooked and put away before they spoil. Already made mashed potatoes, cream of potato soup, fried potatoes, baked potatoes . . . Right now I have some hamburger thawing so I can make stew with some of them, and gravy for the mashed ones.
5. Part of that hamburger is also going toward taco filling. I almost never eat mexican because of my food allergies, but I’ve had a craving for almost 2 weeks now. So, I’m making a taco filling that won’t make me suffer, and I’m even making the tortillas from scratch. Half white flour, and half home-grown corn flour! I’m making enough for 4 servings, 3 will go in the freezer for lunches.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
1. Scored 2 pieces of new Fiesta in the past few days- a white teapot at a charity shop for $3 and a blue butter dish for 75¢at a yard sale around the corner. I collect original Fiesta but I will use new Fiesta serving pieces.
2. Went to the Amish Market yesterday and while waiting at the meat counter they announced ground beef was now buy 2 lbs. get 1 lb. free. Bought 6 lbs. which worked out to $2.86/lb. for really high quality freshly ground beef. My freezer is happy!
3. Stopped at the charity shop that every other Saturday marks all clearance clothes to 50¢. Got DS#1 a Lands End polo in a beautiful turquoise color.
4. Picked up 3 nice size blackberry plants from a fellow Freecycler.
5. Took a meal to a friend who just got out of the hospital from surgery last week. She lives about 30 minutes away so I stopped at Lowes on the way to check out their mums. Lowes is about 20 minutes from me so I was happy to combine trips. Mums and pansies were 50% off lowest price so 5 mums, 2 planters of pansies and a marked Oops paint sample for $14.
– Cut my husband’s holey t-shirts into strips and made dog toys for Christmas presents. I even taught him how to braid and he made a little one for our cats. Thanks to Marcia’s suggestion, I see denim potholders joining the gift-giving efforts!
– Turned some free apples and pears into a crisp for a dinner that we shared with our neighbor. He brought pumpkins for the boys and helped them carve one. Good memories.
– Found two new bras for $14 a piece at a consignment shop. Score!
– Volunteered at my church’s children’s clothes closet and picked up a winter sweater vest for my older boy, and some Halloween PJs for the younger.
– Turned leftover balloon-style french bread into French toast and dried bread crumbs. I won’t buy that bread again, but it didn’t go to waste!
1) My daughter and I took the kids to The Castle in Muskogee this past weekend for their Halloween Festival. We’d planned a trip to San Antonio to celebrate my grandson’s upcoming 18th birthday, but they had flooding due to the hurricane. The Castle trip was much closer to home – 2 hours vs. 8 hours of travel. We narrowed it down to a one night stay and I used my rewards card for the hotel.
2) I brought my hubby leftovers from our lunch on the way home yesterday, so I didn’t have to cook last night. yay!
3) Due to the trip this past weekend, we are limiting my grandson’s party to a celebration with family at my daughters house. I’d bought him a PlayStation 4 at the pawn shop last year and he wants a game we can use his Gamestop rewards on.
4) I’m finishing up another audio book from the Library. Love using my Library card!
5) I didn’t buy a Lear Jet, either.
1. Since I buy only raw milk, I’ll never find a deal like Katy’s, but I found a dealer who charges 1/3 less per gallon than what I had been paying. I never waste it. If I see I’ll have excess milk, I make kefir or yogurt. The last dribbles go on the garden- plants LOVE raw milk, either sweet or soured.
2. Found 36 cents.
3. Found my brand of vitamin on sale and bought two. Two smaller sizes on sale were less than the large, normally more economical size, when pricing per capsule. I’ll certainly use them.
4. Sewed a couch cover to protect the sofa from my pets, who not only jump on it (cats) but rub along the sides (dogs). I prefer to sew without a pattern for many things, so I just pulled a tape to figure the yardage and it turns out I was correct. I had looked in vain for a cover that would completely cover the sofa and which would not cost so much. Any cover I found having a color and fabric I could use always cost almost $100 or more. I found this fabric on sale, and I already had thread in that color.
5. I found four items at TJ Maxx that I had been wanting, for pretty good prices, but I put them all back. I didn’t really need them, just craved them, and I was only there because I was waiting on someone. The lure of the glittering kitchen items almost had me!
Made salads for dinner from kale, and other fall herbs from my garden with tomatoes we picked before the freeze. That were still green. Bought boneless pork chops half price, froze some and then used some for dinner in the crockpot with mushroom soup (on sale) barley, quinoa for dinner. Enough for two nights leftovers. Bought parts of my children’s Halloween costumes at goodwill to make at home versus buy new costumes. Got my hair trimmed at home, weather getting colder forced the task from out on the patio to the kitchen. My guy did a great job on my bi-monthly trims, that saves me hundreds a year. Got my car inspected and while oil changes at home save money, I needed tires which I had planned for, but was still a hit to my budget. Car is paid for, so no monthly payment. Saving money not buying a new car, not as much as you save not buying a Lear jet, but a decision not to be stuck with monthly payments.
Have you ever mystery shopped? I got a 35.00 dinner for free last night. It only took me about 30 minutes to write it up today.