Five Frugal Things

by Katy on October 26, 2015 · 46 comments

  1. I brought home a perfectly good towel that someone had dropped next to the New Seasons Market near my house. It was the second day that I’d seen it, so I figured it was fair game. I washed it in hot water and it’s now neatly folded and ready to either go back to college with my son, or simply serve as a backup for home use. My sister once brought home a washed up towel from the beach that she jokingly calls “gift from the sea.” I’m calling this towel, “gift from New Seasons!”
  2. I earned a massive hourly wage yesterday by being put on-call and then immediately being called back to work, I earned a $25 Paypal gift card from Swagbucks and I’ll be cleaning one of mother’s guest cottages later in the week.
  3. I spent $12 filling the tank of my Prius, which will be the last gasoline purchase for the month. I budgeted $100 and spent only $80 on both cars. It wasn’t that long ago that a single tank of minivan gas was setting me back almost this amount. Love these lower gas prices!
  4. I picked up a stainless steel fork on The University of Oregon campus and will use it for school/work lunches, as I don’t like to send our nice silverware out into the world.
  5. I picked up two gallons of milk from someone in my buy nothing group, and brought her cut hydrangeas from my backyard as a thank you. Click HERE to find if there’s a buy nothing group in your area.

Now your turn. That 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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{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }

Revanche October 26, 2015 at 7:41 pm

I just sent off a massive check to principal only for our mortgage. It will save us nearly twice its value over the life of the loan.
I spent an hour running the math on a 1.5M home that PiC found and liked. At the end of it, I decided we’re not trying to buy it. Instead, I’m going to do another big prepayment next year. Dodged a million-dollar bullet there.

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Katy October 26, 2015 at 8:10 pm

That’s your Lear Jet.

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auntiali October 26, 2015 at 9:44 pm

1. Cut my husband’s hair and save some cash
2. Hubby went grocery shopping and spent only $80. He gets all his fresh fruits and veggies and I don’t do the impulse shopping
3. Got a coupon in the mail from Walgreens for 5000 free points due to a system screw up that they had. I need new batteries for my glucose meter so that’s what I’ll spend it on.
4. Opened the living room curtains to let the gorgeous sunshine in and warm up the house.
5. Hypermilled when I went out tonight on a quick errand.

Did point out to hubby that it’s not economical to buy out of season blueberries for $12.99/18 oz. box. Will introduce him to frozen fruit.

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Katy October 26, 2015 at 10:41 pm

My husband loves the frozen blueberries from Costco.

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A. Marie October 27, 2015 at 2:26 pm

For those who live in blueberry-growing territory and either raise them at home or buy from farmers’ markets, it’s good to know that they freeze beautifully. Just drop them into zip-lock bags; no rinsing, no nothing. I froze a dozen 1-qt. bags (I purchased berries by the gallon at the market) this summer and would have done more if I hadn’t had to save freezer space for tomatoes, beef, and pork.

Also, I have to tell this found-money story: Just after DH and I had seated ourselves for a rare dinner out at a favorite little Middle Eastern restaurant near our local university (we were treating ourselves after a stressful medical appointment for DH), a round-eyed 20-something came up to our table, holding up a $50 bill. “Did you drop this?” she asked. We assured her that neither of us had been carrying a $50 today, commended her for her concern, and told her that (in our humble opinions) she was entitled to keep it. You should have seen the smile on that kid’s face!

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Mand01 October 28, 2015 at 5:24 am

There was a big frozen blueberry scare here in Australia a few months ago. A number of people contracted Hepatitis A from eating raw frozen berries, traced back to imported berries from China. It has kind of freaked me out a bit and stopped me buying them for a while – least until I have gotten over the idea of turning yellow from eating them…

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Laura October 26, 2015 at 9:52 pm

When I was young my grandmother had a beach house in Southern California, and whenever we stayed there, every evening at dusk my mom would walk with us down to the beach to go “beachcombing” for items that had been left behind. At least twice a week we found beach towels, almost always in excellent condition. We would bring them home, mom would wash them and then put them away for a year before she would rotate them into our stock. We also sometimes found money, a pair of flip flops, books, toys, and all sorts of other things that had been left behind. We found wallets a couple of times, but always contacted the owners and got those returned.

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Katy October 26, 2015 at 10:41 pm

I love that you had this family tradition!

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Marilyn October 26, 2015 at 9:54 pm

1. This weekend, while on a walk, came across a moving sale. Bought a large fork – the kind that is 1/2 of a carving set — for 25 cents. Also bought an ice cream scoop for another 25 cents. I can use both these items. There was a free pile which included a number of cookbooks. Took several cookbooks which I will donate to the library for their book sale.
2. I’m doing better at planning meals and organizing grocery shopping. Bought a week’s worth of groceries today for less than $50. Used 8 coupons ranging from 40 cents off (mozzarella cheese) to $1.50 off (a pound of ground beef). So that’s $49 for a week of meals for my husband and myself . I don’t really think I set any records with this, but it’s an improvement for me.
3. The weather has turned a bit chilly and rainy, but so far I have avoided turning on the heat at home by wearing my fleece jacket around the house.

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Bobbi October 26, 2015 at 11:03 pm

1. I finally joined my local buy-nothing group today. Inspired by this blog!
2. I brought leftovers to work today for lunch, and I ate more leftovers for dinner tonight — from a different meal, so I had some variety! It was a busy work day so I didn’t really have time to cook, but luckily I had cooked over the weekend.
3. I just put $78 in savings from a recent 2-day business trip. I am given a $39/day food stipend for out of town trips, and I don’t spend nearly that much. These are solo trips, so there is no socializing around meals, otherwise I would probably join in for the sake of building good work relationships. I bring food from home, or buy groceries at my destination and use the fridge/microwave in my hotel room.
4. Walked the dog and worked out at home for free exercise today.
5. I turned OFF the heat when I realized my older daughter had turned it on when I was out of town. I’m in Portland and it really hasn’t gotten too cold yet.

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Isabel October 26, 2015 at 11:15 pm

1. Had a free laugh! Someone had stuck 25 cents on a table in shopping centre! Friend told me money was stuck on the pavement down the main street!
2. Filled pots for my container vegetable garden and watched my potatoes, parsley and lemons grow! Just have a small garden! Spring!
3. Fixed my clogged DVD Player myself instead of getting a specialist! Nothing too technical! Just required a bit of patience and ispiration!
4. Have started a new book of expenditures daily …. Enjoy this so no hardship! Like this and benefit from being more aware! Improvement !
5. Come from a frugal non consumer background! Parents never forgot The Depression! Father out of work for five years so they stayed engaged!
Have read all the Archives and love reading all the posts!

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Bonnie October 27, 2015 at 1:16 am

Wow a buy nothing group sounds like a great idea! I wish we had those in the UK. We do have Freegle though, a website where you can post things you don’t want, and people can collect them for free – really heartwarming to see people being so generous.

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celina boulanger October 27, 2015 at 4:12 am

1. making do, making do making do….all new to me..
2. avoided eating out on sunday..just had plain pasta and canned sauce.
3. used free coupons for a fall festival from our csa
4. need clothes for teen daughter who is outgrowing EVERYTHING but i am delaying a week or two, she doesnt care if stuff fits awkwardly as long as it is comfortable (aspergers kid)
5.older son is having short pants issues..(must they keep growing) again, delaying he doesnt care he LOVES HIS PANTS (another apergers kid)
6. he needs new shirts too, but hubby “outgrew” his stash of cool tees…so son is wearing them, they are quite large on him he doesn’t care loves them…making do
TOTALLY KNOW I’M PAST FIVE..BUT CHERISHING MY SUCCESSES
7. XMAS made younger son’s xmas pjs with a free pair of Xmas mickey bottoms and took a matching shirt from his drawers and drew pluto on it (the shirt is yellowish) with fabric markers. FREE and no new stuff coming in
8. XMAS my daughter will be receiving my sterling silver charm bracelet i bought, for a failed motivational attempt, to put all her turtle charms everyone buys for her and she cannot wear all at once. FREE, no new stuff coming in

9. really really really want a new bird feeder as both of mine fell over and got stuffed under deck :(…will have hubby, revamp them and fix them..and use 2 L bottles and internet for ideas…i really really want new ones…but i’ll be proud of my decision.

10. LOVE my keurig, but dislike the waste and the price..switched to instant and use the keuring to prep it, and hot chocolate packets.. (yeah i know i can use a kettle but it keeps boiling dry and the microwave gets forgotten too…) so this is a WIN for me…slowly looking at less clutter , less stuff in and not just money saved…thanks guys

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Laure October 27, 2015 at 1:24 pm

You can now buy a reusable cup for Keurig, eliminating the waste and high price of the cups. If you love it, you can use it with whatever coffee (or hot chocolate) you want.

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Betty Winslow October 27, 2015 at 4:12 am

1. Dinner last night was chili left from the church chili cook-off, plus cornbread made from a Jiffy mix we ended up not using.
2. Lunch today is the rest of the chili.
3. Made a crockpot of beef stew for dinner, so I’m not tempted to oder pizza when I get home from work.
4. Our older son is staying with us for a couple of days and didn’t bring enough stuff, so I pulled out the soap and shampoo from the last hotel stay and a toothbrush and toothpaste our dentist gives us with each cleaning, but I don’t use since I have an electric toothbrush.
5. Wearing a sweater instead of turning on the heat, but it’s coming….

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K D October 27, 2015 at 4:35 am

1. I like to have my eyebrows threaded (I have a unibrow and for some reason can’t see well enough to do a good job with the tweezers and I have never tried waxing). I waited for a Groupon deal and combined it with a 20% off promotional code and went through a rebate site to earn 10% back.

2. My husband is away for work for a couple of days. His meeting is driving distance so he packed breakfast, snacks, and water. Hopefully he will receive a per diem for meals.

3. I listed a few items on Freecycle.org that I weeded out of my possessions the other day. Some are already on the porch for pick-up later today.

4. I made a pot of soup before leaving the house yesterday. It’s full of vegetables and red lentils. It used up the last of my salad mix (spinach, kale, and swiss chard) which had seen better days and some carrots that were half frozen.

5. A friend called to ask my advice about Freecycling a dishwasher. Her mother lives on a heavily traveled street. I advised her to put it at the curb with a free/it works sign on it. I really hope they don’t decide to take it to the dump instead.

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Diane October 27, 2015 at 4:40 am

Thanks for the info on Buy Nothing groups. I found one in my South Austin neighborhood!

I like the gas prices too, but am upset that there was no social security COLA due to low gas prices. Those of us on fixed incomes need COLAs to stay afloat in this world today.

I trimmed my own hair, gave myself a DYI mani pedi and made muffins and granola for breakfasts this week.

And then I withdrew $20 from the ATM to treat myself! I’ve been doing this more often these days. It’s a small way I can indulge myself with a lunch out or a movie here and there with friends. It warms my heart and soul to be good to myself.

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Isabelle October 27, 2015 at 5:05 am

* Coming at under 300$ for groceries this month (we do have a big stock pile to complete)
* Doing a mystery shopping mission at a restaurant today, so free lunch for me!
* Picking up some clothes for my kids and perhaps a doll and a game from Freecycle. Will keep the game and doll (after washing) for my DD birthday, and maybe some pieces of clothes for Christmas if in good enough condition.
* Many days of strikes at our school right now (teachers + support workers)… We are managing to do without babysitters so far, asking a neighboor, then taking said neighbor’s kid while hubby works from home, asking grandma… 3 days so far, at least 6 to come + Christmas Holidays + all the other days that school is closed…. It get hard on the parents. And financially, for those who have no option beside private babysitters.
* Started doing extra work to bring in more money until the old house sells. Been on the market for 4 months now, at a cost of 800$ per month…. paying for 2 houses is hard on the bank account!

Have a great frugal day!

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Kim from Philadelphia October 27, 2015 at 5:05 am

At first I misread your post and thought you got a Paypal gift card as
part of your on call pay!
Plus I love “gift from the sea”…very Ann Morrow Lindbergh!

– I posted a duplicate set of brass bookends on Craigslust yesterday. After a little polishing they are looking spiffy- and hopefully will attract a buyer.

– I’ve been working through our freezer and pantry; yesterday I made crockpot pulled pork, rice, and created my own version of cole slaw with what I had in hand (celery, green pepper with apple cider vinegar and a little olive oil). It was actually pretty good!

– my son wanted to augment our Halloween decorations, so we made a homemade ghost that is now floating from a front yard tree. I cut up an old white pillowcase and used a tennis ball, some string, a stick, and a black marker for the eyes and mouth. No money spent!

– we rented “Back to the Future” from
our library instead of the $2.99 on demand rental fee. We popped some popcorn and snuggled under the blanket. He’s growing so quickly- I treasure these moments!

– my son had a practice near this cute neighborhood. Instead of heading to a coffee shop I went on a brisk walk and stopped at a cute little library where I read some of my favorite magazines.

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Kim from Philadelphia October 27, 2015 at 5:06 am

Craigslust-what a typo!!!

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Bobbi October 28, 2015 at 3:39 pm

Haha I wasn’t sure if it was an intentional nickname!!! I might start calling it that now!

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Pamela October 27, 2015 at 6:56 am

1. Lost some weight & needed new jeans so I looked at Goodwill, found an awesome pair for 5.99
2. Stretched pulled pork for two nights of dinner & lunches for today. All w a $6 cut of meat!!
3. Filled my Honda Insight up using my grocery store rewards I get from the shopping I do at work. $10 filled my tank and will last me 10 days usually.
4. Had cappuccino at work (free) instead of stopping on my way in
5. Took a pair of leather pants that split & turned them into little shoes for my daughter 🙂

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Maureen October 27, 2015 at 2:15 pm

Wow, the shoes idea is brilliant!

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Jennifer October 27, 2015 at 6:58 am

1. Last night I made chicken and noodles in the crockpot. I celery and carrots were nearing your usefulness so into the pot they went, along with half an onion I had from last week. It was warm and delicious! And it will be my lunch today!

2. Going into work an hour and a half early today. Remembered to wash my coffee cup and water cup so they will be clean and ready to go today. This week I’m working a total of 17 1/2 extra hours on top of my weekend package.

3. Sold two of my sons sweatshirts via Facebook swap. I usually take a lot
to consignment but these were both very nice so I got the full amount and into savings it went.

4. My son wanted to be a dolphin trainer For Halloween. He’s going to wear his wetsuit, his goggles from his snorkel kit, and carry one of his stuffed dolphins. I bought a whistle and that was it.

5. Wearing my sweats and slippers until I have to go to work. I don’t mind being a little cooler in the house.

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Jennifer October 27, 2015 at 7:44 am

1.I did not stop at the grocery store this morning because I have several packs of super cheap ground turkey in the freezer to make turkey chili, turkey tacos, turkey spaghetti, etc.
2. Brainstorming for my continued quest of turning things I already have into meals…and costumes! My children will be Dorothy and Glenda the good witch for Halloween. These are homemade super cute costumes. The Ruby slippers are ballet flats that actually had holes chewed in them by a dog! Turns out when you put a clunk of glue and glitter in the hole it completely seals it and looks flawless. I was going to throw the shoes away but I actually dug them out of the garbage and went to work. They are bright, sparkly, and beautiful(wished I could post a pic!)!
3.Being proud of myself for cleaning up quite a bit last night instead of sitting on the couch like I really wanted to. Might do it again today…might not.
4.Thinking about putting beans into the crock pot tonight.
5.I didn’t buy a Lear jet but my husband did work on the audio system in one last week so we got closer than normal.

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JD October 27, 2015 at 8:56 am

1. My lunch is the tail end of some veggie soup I had frozen, anticipating a day when there would be no leftovers to bring. Today is the day.
2. Planning a supper using winter squash we bought at the store. It’s an heirloom squash, so I’ll remove the seeds and my husband will save them for planting next year. We do that a lot, actually, with heirloom produce.
3. Went back to an old artist’s book my sister had given me that I never finished reading. This time I’m actually working with it and reading it carefully. I’ve let my art skills atrophy, and I want to get them going again. Never waste a talent, I was taught, and here I’ve been doing it. I already own paper, pencils, and erasers, so this is free entertainment.
4. Enjoying the rain — we’ve been quite dry. This rain means no watering for a while, so that’s good. Here in the deep south, watering is a year round prospect, as something can always be growing at any given time of the year, like pansies, greens and onions, right through the winter.
5. I’m going through my jewelry and selling what I no longer wear. I want to simplify my life, not clutter it up.

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Linda M October 27, 2015 at 10:06 am

1. Backed the car out of the garage as it is raining. We live in the country and it
has been dry and now the car is dusty. It is bound to look better after being in
the rain.
2. We are retired. For lunch I just let my husband pick which leftover he wanted
and then I made my choice and we reheated that in the microwave. We do
plan to have these items and not waste….so we always call them planned
overs.
3. Hunted through some pants I had stored but were too small for me last fall.
I was happy to find three pairs that fit now as I have lost a few pounds.
That is nice as I was needing to replace a couple of pairs that I had been
wearing but were really past looking good enough to go anywhere in.
4. Browsing the internet and books for ideas to make for Christmas gifts. I need
to get started if I want to have the time to get these things made. Did make
jelly and jam when things were growing this summer and have several ready
to use as gifts. Also dried herbs and will make packets of those or some mixes
using those in gifts.
5. Getting ready for the Trick or Treaters. Have lots of Mardi Gras Beads as we
attend a couple 0f parades each year. The kids love getting that more than
mostly candy. I will add a packet of microwave popcorn besides the beads
and the neighborhood kids will be happy.

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Nancy from Mass October 27, 2015 at 10:18 am

lets see,
1. i swept the floor instead of vacuuming
2. we had to buy a new tv since our 25+yo tv died. because it’s an HD, we had to upgrade our set top box. I called to order the new one and talked them down another $25 on my monthly bill! so, new box, cheaper box rental rate and saving money in the process. (we actually bought a tv that was $100 less than i was originally looking at! win-win!)
3. had $20 in shutterfly money so i ordered 2 magnets for Christmas gifts (and a sheet of mailing labels for me using a picture my son and i took while hiking this summer) total cost? less than $4
4. driving this week to a meeting in the city and getting mileage reimbursed instead of taking the commuter rail. this money will go towards whatever groceries i need next month.
5. eating from the fridge/freezer and cabinets for the past week and next 2 weeks since i had hit so many great sales and stocked up. (will only need to buy bread from the outlet tonight for .89 and maybe milk next week).

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stacie m October 27, 2015 at 11:20 am

I love the gift of flowers for the free milk. That must have made that woman’s day!

1) for dinner we are having minestrone soup from the freezer and homemade foccacia bread. It’s my first time making this bread and oh boy, it’s on the rotation now! cheap, easy, tasty…the mighty trio. 😉
2) selling our older girl ducks and a few of the younger boys this week. it’s nice to clear them out before the winter. we’ll just have one boy and three girls of the new batch left (plus my lovely chickens)
3) took a nice walk around the neighborhood today. free exercise…and the foliage still looks lovely
4) got a 20$ check from a radio survey my husband and I completed. Used the money to get some groceries at my local grocery store and big lots. my husband is currently laid off so every little bit helps!
5) got a free book from blogging for books I’ll use for a gift. It’s a great story/adult coloring book, really cute!! and even better for free 🙂 I know my aunt will love it.

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Ruby October 27, 2015 at 11:45 am

Yay! for adding a new remember to Katy’s Lost Towel Rescue. 🙂

1. In a Hail Mary cooking maneuver yesterday, I “saved” a batch of bread dough that would not rise due to defunct yeast in the bread mix package. After giving the dough an hour and half in a toasty spot to just lie there unrisen, I mixed up a pack of rapid rise yeast we had on hand in 1/3 of a cup of hot water and kneaded/squished it into the dough and added a big fistful of bread flour to get it back to a consistency that allowed it to be handled. It was very messy, but it worked, and we have a nice loaf of caraway rye bread to enjoy.

2. The Mister and I spent three hours working on our washing machine/washer drain box on Saturday to avoid calling a plumber. We were not entirely successful, but at least know where the problem is and rigged up the washer to drain into the laundry room sink for the time being.

3. Have two digital library books in progress right now. One is the latest of Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus novels — Scottish detective novel bliss!

4. It’s a small thing, but I’m wearing one of my favorite thrift store outfits today. Sweater, jeans and a nice blouse that cost $4.99 total. Don’t have the heat on, so the sweater is necessary.

5. Visited our local semi-annual consignment sale — a huge event — on Saturday and came home with a pair of new with tags flannel pajama pants for my son for $3.99. That’s cheaper than I could buy flannel and make him a pair, so it’s good.

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Ruby October 27, 2015 at 11:46 am

That should be “member,” not “remember.” *slaps forehead*

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Kim October 27, 2015 at 12:05 pm

1. At work today I packed my lunch, drank the office coffee and took a 2 minute walk to the locally owned grocery store to pink up some locally grown Honeycrisp apples for 99¢/lb. I bought 4 to take home for snacks tonight.
2. Tomorrow the apple sale ends and on Wednesdays the store gives a 5% discount to folks over 55. I will go stock up on apples tomorrow if the ones I bought taste yummy.
3. DH is splitting the huge oak tree trunks we got from my MIL. She had a tree taken down and has a gas fireplace. We have a woodstove insert and love free wood. This will be for next winter after it dries.
4. Signed up for 2 shopper jobs for today after work with 2 different companies. They both involve going into a store, checking the displays, taking pictures and uploading to the company. The 2 different stores are really close to each other and combined they will pay $15. I figured I’d give it a try and with 2 sons in college it all helps!
5. Spent sometime this morning adjusting prices of some of my items on Amazon. Want to move the slow moving stuff and get it gone!

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Charli October 27, 2015 at 12:35 pm

My husband is off at school camp for the week as he’s a teacher so one less mouth to feed and he doesn’t have to pay to go.
Our chickens are laying well so we don’t have to buy extra eggs.
My teenage daughter is growing so fast, but is more than happy to go clothes shopping second hand. She is a saver not a spender.
A work colleague gave me 2 bags of really trendy boys clothes for my son And he loves them.
My work uniforms are getting very tight. I refuse to by another one so am eating less and walking/running my dog more.

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Vickie October 27, 2015 at 12:42 pm

I love the lower gas prices too! I have a Corolla, which gets pretty good gas mileage for a 10 year old car.
1) Filled up with 2.19 per gallon gas at lunch. That should last me all week.
2) Found camo-print PJs for my grandson’s birthday$12 on sale and a nice memory foam mattress cover for his full size bed for $20. Not used, but definitely less expensive at Big Lots.
3) My throat started feeling scratchy last evening, so I opened a capsule of activated charcoal, dumped it in a few ounces of water and drank it – so it would coat my throat. That always helps if I feel a cold coming on or have tummy troubles.
4) A friend sells Premier Jewelry. I agreed to host a party for her, if we could use her house, since I live too far out in the country to attract guests. I don’t need any jewelry, however, if I earn some I will use it for gifts and let her choose any extra for her demonstration kit.
5) I didn’t buy a yacht or a Lear jet!

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Delorise October 27, 2015 at 1:28 pm

1. Found a white (only a small smudge on it) washcloth in grocery parking lot- picked it up. What a great influence you are!! Washed and now in the bathroom. I love free stuff.
2. Talked my friend into Subway instead of a more expensive, less food place and will get 2 meals out of it instead of 1.
3. Picked up free Mahatma rice at Harveys- 14 bags– stocked up for a while. (Got to love those coupons)
4. Waiting for the sun to come out (been overcast here for 2 days now- but need the rain) to wash and hang clothes on the line. Hate to use the dryer unless a necessity.
5. I’ve lost weight so my $1.00 hip hugger jean capris (got at Goodwill at beginning of summer– they are my going out in public capris– should I say my “only” going out in public capris– so have seen a lot of use ) are loose (like just slide on down to the floor) but I can’t quite get into others in my closet so I am lapping and safety pinning. I wear a long top and nobody is the wiser—I refuse to buy even a $1 pair of capris now that we are in the fall. My winter goal is to get into the other capris in my closet by next spring!!

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Bettypants October 27, 2015 at 2:32 pm

1. Sold my wool area rug on CL for the same amount I paid for it about 10 years ago.
2. Someone brought in two huge Costco pumpkin pies at my office today. Then I ate too much pie.
3. Sold an extra duvet set on a local FB site for $10.
4. That’s all I can think of. I suck at frugaling this week.

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Lynda October 28, 2015 at 2:32 am

Bettypants, that’s 4 more than I’ve managed 😀

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Mariana Cisowska October 27, 2015 at 4:32 pm

1. Made ALL breakfasts, lunches and dinners for at least a week straight. I am trying to use all I have in the freezer (I just have a tiny, joint one with my fridge) and pantry before we leave for 2 weeks in November and then 3 weeks over the Holiday break.

2. Went to MoMa for absolutely $0 (me and DH) which means $50 in our pockets. This is due to using my work’s corporate yearly pass.

3. Reusing (disposable) coffee cup this week (again) for when I make coffee in the morning and taking it ‘on the road’

4. Enjoyed time with a friend over a cup of tea last Sunday, rather than Sunday brunch!

5. Read a free kindle book

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Michelle H. October 27, 2015 at 4:54 pm

Love reading everyone’s lists, gives me new ideas along with motivation to keep being frugal.

1. Ate vegetable beef soup for breakfast the past 2 days trying to get it eaten up.

2. Had enough fuel points to get $1.00/gallon off, so the husband and I met at the gas station and filled both cars, along with a gas can for the lawnmower since it was a 35 gallon limit.

3. Stocked up on our preferred brand of frozen pizzas since they were $4 after sale and coupons. Will keep me from being tempted to order delivery on a busy weeknight.

4. Trying to declutter kitchen cabinets, and brought a box of jars to a friend who cans. We both play the drugstore game, so I’ll get something back in trade next time there’s a good deal on something I use.

5. Took advantage of a bogo sale on canvas and paint at a nearby art store, the kids are going to create masterpieces for Christmas gifts for grandparents.

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janine October 27, 2015 at 5:44 pm

1. Bought gas today using rewards card – three cents off per gallon. (trying to drive less as a goal)
2. Agreed to attend a free movie preview (Suffragettes with Meryl Streep) and will take a friend with me.
3. Used a $10 coupon at Office Depot for moving boxes (husband is moving his office) – scored a set of free boxes (buy two sets and get one free!)
4. Made soup from left over veg. and chicken for weekend supper.
5. Scored a free case of Kleenex type tissues from friend who didn’t like their “feel”. Have shared them with family members.

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Chris October 27, 2015 at 6:39 pm

1. Sold a tea cart I’d bought last summer with the intent to repaint – thank you craigslist!
2. Sold a doll house my sister gave my daughter and me nearly 15 years ago – never touched – thanks craigslist!
3. Was in DC to see new grandbaby and ate all meals in. Mostly ate part of the soups I made for their freezer – still lots for the freezer.
4. Got a catering job for next weekend along with my husband – more $$ in the “slush fund” that will be used for next trip to DC.
5. Giant stack of library books – may have to return some to avoid fines – but I’ll re-request them if necessary.

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Susan October 28, 2015 at 5:18 am

Katy, can you do a post about how you get so many Swagbucks? I’ve tried using it to earn points while I do other things on the computer, but it seems all you can do (without spending money or actual hands-on time) is watch videos. At a rate of a fraction of a point per video. How are you earning so much in gift cards from them?!

Thanks!

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Katy October 28, 2015 at 6:29 am

I recommend you look at the site http://sbcodez.com which spells out how to optimize Swagbucks for optimal points.

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Mand01 October 28, 2015 at 5:33 am

1. packed a super fast lunch to take in to work. It was pretty basic but once it is in your belly, who really cares? I read a case while I stuffed it in my mouth, and made it to my seminar tonight as the only person who had actually read it, making me look like a super-prepared star instead of a hastily prepared skiver, which is what I actually was…
2. still studying for my exams. it is midnight here and I have just finished preparing for my final – hopefully EVER – law seminar. When I was much younger, so much younger than today, I didn’t think of the cost of my degrees and stayed at uni too long, frittering time and cash away. Now I think of every dollar this thing is costing me. So I study till midnight even though I have to get up at 6:15 tomorrow morning.
3. Threw on my $20 thrifted suit and my $5 thrifted blouse to go to the office this morning – I felt like hell but I looked fabulous, daaaahling.
4. I will throw that suit back on again tomorrow. With another $5 thrifted blouse, so I can go present my last mock submission to a mock judge. And still look fabulous in all my cheap finery 😀
5. I have not purchased a single textbook this semester, trying to avoid dropping $500. Instead I have been venturing into the library and using online resources, and my tutor gave away a copy of the legislation last week as she needed to update to next year’s version. I nabbed it for free (about $100 worth). It was something I really didn’t want to buy but was inwardly preparing myself for, so yay.

And now off to bed.

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Michele October 28, 2015 at 7:55 am

1. Making a trip to Aldi’s, but have run out of several items I’d rather buy there. No one locally can beat their dairy prices.
2. Having my son’s 16th Birthday party on Friday. He wanted a “bonfire party”. Husband and sons have been working all week to cut up/pick up downed limbs. Win. Win.
3. Making 2 humongous pots of chili fir party. Bulk purchased tomato sauce and dried beans with our home grown beef. Pretty cheap way to feed lots of people.
4. Haven’t purchased school lunch in months. I like my PB and J.
5. Did an inventory of freezer/pantry. Made plan of meals I can make without any additional purchases. On week 2 and no desperation drive-thru yet. It’s so nice to have a plan!

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