- I’d defrosted a large container of turkey soup, and had already served it a couple times over the course of a few days. I went ahead and prepared a pie crust and simply ladled the solid parts of the leftover soup into the crust to transform it into a turkey pot pie. We gobbled it up! (Sorry.)
- I needed a book as research for an article and was able to check it out from the library. I also renewed all my books online, which saved me a trip since a book that had previously failed to renew finally did. Hooray for libraries!
- I was able to refer a friend to a consumer opinion panel that I’m doing and now we’re going to carpool. This doesn’t save me any money since I’ll be driving, but she’ll now pocket an extra $125 and I’m happy that I was able to share my weird money making hacks with a pal.
- I updated my Every Dollar budget, as I do every few days. I’d always thought that I didn’t need a written budget as I’m not an impulse buyer, but I was wrong. I absolutely love being able to look on a single document to see what we’ve spent and earned, which bills have been paid, etc. It’s played a huge role in putting maximum money aside for my sons’ college funds.
- We finally used up a 12-pack of horrific single-ply toilet paper left behind by one of my mother’s guest cottage tenants. (I swear it lasted for at least a decade!) I was happy to knock this item from our budget for awhile, but I’m even happier to welcome my beloved Trader Joe’s 100% recycled content double-ply paper back into our lives. We took one for the team people, we took one for the team.
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.”
{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree that sometimes the cheapest TP is still no bargain.
My 5frugal things:
1) I used the drive thru pharmacy pick up window so as not to be tempted by the (still available) Christmas clearance that I don’t need.
2) I cooked up a package of bacon a few days ago that will be finished today, meal 3, for a BLT dinner.
3) Breakfast finished off a lovely cream cheese Danish that was gifted to us over the holidays.
4) I turned down the heat this morning and turned on the oven to bake off an oven full of potatoes and an acorn squash on its last. The potatoes and squash will be cottage fries, snacks, and side dishes through the week.
5) Doubled down on my gas use and too the dogs for a run right by the pharmacy. We all got exercise (in 13 degree weather) and no extra fuel spent.
Have a great week!
Bad toilet paper is the pits! We use the Scot and don’t mind it but I think I might try the Aldi.
1. Had jury duty yesterday and made $40 even though I wasn’t chosen.
2. Had to eat out lunch so I went to Subway and got a footlong veggie for $6 and skipped the drink (I had coffee I brought) and chips.
3. Was tempted to eat out last night but just had a taco salad with items that I had on hand.
4. Read on my book by Lawrence Wright last night and didn’t watch tv. Saving electricity!
5. Am going to get up as soon as I get done writing this post and make banana nut bread because I have old bananas and I want something sweet!
Aldi’s changed the packing on their TP recently. We like the 4 pack of 2 ply. It has a plain white label and it’s like $0.65/pack. Make sure you get the 2 ply. Accidentally go the single ply when the packing changed and took one for the team. I think the Aldi paper is comparable to Trader Joe’s. We use both.
Using up that toilet paper was definitely taking one for the team. We buy store brands, but always two-ply, and my husband, the king of delicate tushies, does not complain.
The frugal five:
1. We’re having a few days of mid-winter thaw and did not have to use any heat in the house yesterday.
2. Made a quick trip yesterday with a list to Save-a-lot for produce and to Dollar Tree for more of the excellent $1 per five lb. bag of all-purpose flour and cartons of organic soy milk. Did not deviate from the list!
3. Washed a load of cleaning/kitchen rags and my apron and dried it all on the clothes drying rack.
4. Am using a can of soon-to-go-out-of-date pears as the fruit on top of my morning cereal. I’m the only person in the house who likes pears, so it should get me through four or five breakfasts.
5. Using an old mop bucket (the top is cracked and splitting after 30 years of use) to soak dirty cleaning rags. Our front-load washer does not have a soak function, but the bucket works fine and I just empty the whole thing into the washer when it’s time to launder the rags.
1. Ate leftovers for lunch instead of eating out while on a shopping trip. 2. Whole family eating leftovers tonight (they will love me! 3. Finishing a quilt that is made all from scrap fabric and fabric from previous curtains. 4. Didn’t find my daughter a second-hand coat (love when kids outgrow things in the middle of the season!) but found a really nice one for over $100 off in the clearance section! 5. Enjoying audiobooks from the library while working from home.
After a very expensive plumbing repair we permanently switched to single ply at the recommendation of our trusted plumber. Our bottoms have gotten used to it! We prefer the Up brand from target over Scott.
Just to touch on this subject more, the plumber that fixed my mom’s septic tank says rid-x is useless. He said all it does is just give him a thick concrete like layer to dig through before he can begin to clean it.
(1) Made a beef stock yesterday from our weekend pot roast leftovers plus a few more bones stashed in the freezer.
(2) Am just about to make beef barley soup, with reconstituted dried mushrooms and the very last of the leeks from the 2015 garden (these were dug up during the January warm spell and have been held in our unheated basement since then).
(3) DH and I have been enjoying muffins baked by the neighbor for whom DH does weekday noon dog-walking. Mine are good, but hers are better–and neighborly sharing is better still.
(4) Am gladder than ever that DH and I dumped TV altogether last year, now that we’re moving into Phase 2 of election madness with the caucuses/primaries. Not only has this saved a ton of money; it’s kept our blood pressure within normal limits.
(5) Now enjoying a Groundhog Day thaw, so I’m going out to harvest a few hardy greens for the soup!
Must be beef stock week! We made two batches as well
1. This past weekend I made lemony lentil and greens soup, roasted garlic tomato soup and some baked oatmeal in preparation for the week. In the process I used up the last of my onions, a couple of nearly questionable lemons, 1/2 lb lentils, several cans of stewed tomatoes my mom gave me a while back, the last of my rolled oatmeal and a couple of bananas that were nearly fermenting on my counter. Success! Plus, you know, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner 😀
2. My friend is nesting and trying to get EVERYTHING out of her house. She’s selling me her barely used bread maker for $10. Picking it up today and I’m super excited about it.
3. I haven’t been able to crochet in weeks due to tendonitis BUT I’ve spent a good amount of time reading ebooks from my library instead.
4. Wore the doc martins I bought at the thrift store for $7 about a decade ago while running errands in the rain this past weekend. There’s something extra special about having dry feet! 😀
5. As much as I’m enjoying my books, I REALLY miss crocheting. But I haven’t bought any supplies for new crafty hobbies. I’m getting a little twitchy though! I miss it!!!!!
5. Can you do something with your hands that is similar but won’t irritate the tendon. Adult coloring book maybe?
1. Packed my kids lunch using Sunny-D which was Kroger FFD for a drink.
2. I’m shopping around my home for a new toothbrush holder. My daughter broke ours beyond repair by accident.
3. I have been foil highlighting my own hair for many years at home by rigging up redneck style bonnet type hairdryer by blowing warm air under a plastic grocery bag secured to my head with a regular hairdryer(yes, I know this is kinda weird).I have searched thrift stores for an old fashioned table top dryer with no luck so I finally purchased one on Amazon for $40. This is a good investment because doing my own hair saves me so much money. Also, I’m actually pretty good at it. Another plus is my daughter is in cosmetology school so I can get free haircuts soon, yay!
4. I ate leftover baked sweet potato fries from last night and a plain ham sandwich with mustard and no cheese( forgot to bring some to work)for lunch. That was hours ago and now I am starving but I didn’t eat out.
5. Got 20 cents off per gallon of gas from Kroger so of course I filled up my car.
I use a mason jar to hold our toothpaste and toothbrush. May daughter has one and I have one. I have lots so when the ones we are using get really gross I just swap it out for a clean one, and clean up the ones we were using when I do the dishes. It works really well. I have the blue colored jars so they match my bathroom but the clear glass ones would work the same.
I use a souvenier mug for our toothbrushes. When it gets dirty I switch it out for another mug.
Do you mind sharing your lentil soup recipe? It sounds delicious.
Hate single ply toilet paper!!!!! Yeah, it might be cheaper initially, but when your guests use twice as much, that’s not cheaper!!!!
I find the worst for toilet paper wasters are friends who are used to using the cheapest toilet paper, so they need to use large handfuls of it. Then they come to my place with the nice plush paper you need to use much less of, but still grab handfuls of it from habit.
1. Tripled a meatloaf recipe and put the 2 extra in the freezer for future meals.
2. Returned my book on cd to the library today and picked up 3 more. Helps so much with the boredom in the car after I quit smoking.
3. Finished my February meal plan and did my monthly grocery shopping.
4. Hung a load of laundry on the clothesline this morning before work to take advantage of the unseasonably warm temps we are having.
5. Planning a trip to Goodwill later this week to hunt down some materials for a sewing project I’m planning.
#2 — excellent idea and go you for quitting!
Awesome that you found a way to enjoy your drive and cut the boredom! Enjoy your new life of freedom! 🙂
1. used up mushrooms purchased for $1 sale on friday…mushrooms, onions from the fridge and a veggie sausage cut up, sauteed together and eaten with leftover rice for my lunch. i love my work from home lunches!
2. put in a load of laundry using free laundry detergent that was gifted to me
3. cut open 2 (yes 2) Curel lotion containers my men have thrown out over the last 2 months and used a dollar store rubber scraper to scrape out every last bit of lotion – got about 4-6 ounces from the containers! Used an old moisturizer container to store in.
i thinks thats it today.
btw: my plumber told us to not use premium toilet paper for our low flow flush toilets since the paper was too thick. we use scotts soft or a store brand that is similar to scotts soft. i have 2 guys who use way too much toilet paper to ask for trouble!
I accidentally purchased single-ply several weeks ago. My husband has not complained. However, when I asked him to sto at the store last week, he purchased a 24-pack of 2-ply extra soft TP. He is a man of action!
My frugal five:
1) I had an appointment today. While in that part of town, I stopped at two thrift shops where I purchased five, much-needed shirts for my adult son. The same son got bleach on a pair of good black jeans. I bought some Rit dye and will be making them as good as new.
2.) While doing some household shopping yesterday. I was able to combine store coupons and save $6 on this month’s dog food purchase. I also was able to use my CVS card again for 20% off an OTC that was needed.
3) I picked up a little side job on Friday. I will be able to bring my lunch, coffee and water as well as car pool with a friend.
4) Food preparation and planning seem to be a part of everyday. I am planning my menu for the rest of the week so I can use up bits and bobs. I am making a coconut and banana baked oatmeal. I made a jar of quick pickles. I froze some veggie soup to eat later. I am also soaking pinto beans to fix in the crock pot tomorrow. (Unfortunately, I did not find them as inexpensively as Katy did. In the city that I live in, a 2-lb of pinto beans is $2.69 rather than $1. Amazing!)
5) I read the NCA online for inspiration.
The second sentence should read, “However, when I asked him to go the store last week….”
I feel your “pain” re the TP. My husband walked out last week with a roll of the newly purchased in one hand and the previous one in the other. I goofed.
1. This is use up things in the frig season apparently. Same husband thawed the strawberries he had asked for and then decided he didn’t like them. We now have berry oatmeal muffins to eat.
2. Would really like a Fitbit but am using an online tool to track how far I am walking when I am outside. Estimating the inside distance.
3. I did not cook the eggs I was hard boiling long enough so the dog is happy to help eat them!
1. Have someone coming by this afternoon to buy 3 reusable training pants that I had bought and then forgot to use when potty training my son. I’m selling them for half what I was asking but I had to repost them 3 times on Kijiji so I’m happy someone is taking them.
2. Made chicken stock with a carcass I found cleaning out my freezer and my veggie scrap freezer bin which was getting full.
3. Found the manual online for my bread machine which I stopped using years ago and have a loaf baking now (I’m not a baker person so this will be a treat for us)
4. Not frugal for me but brought a bunch of movies to work and left them in the free pile in our lunch room and overheard a few staff excited about what they found. These were ones that Deja View didn’t want to buy off me last week
5. My supervisor brought me a spring coat and snow pants for my son that her’s had grown out of. I had told her about the Compact and now we have been discussing all of our fun thrift finds and encouraging each other. She talked me out of buying a new cat carrier last week and then I found one at Salvation Army the next day
And a bonus for today: dinner is in the slow cooker and our after-dinner entertainment will be the library where my 4 year old son is allowed to play on the Ipad they have (we don’t own a tablet so he looks forward to library night).
Snow day here in Iowa! So, I enlisted my son’s help.
1. 5 loaves of banana bread baked. I had bought a bag of overripes at the grocery for 99 cents and stuck them in the freezer. 1-2 loaves for us, 1 for my sister and 2 for school conferences. Making a batch of breakfast cookies with the last 2 bananas.
2. Using frozen blueberries I’ve had for awhile to make my son muffins.
3. Got gas at Sam’s Club last night, 10 cents cheaper than anywhere else in town.
4. Reading free Kindle books from BookBub!
5. Cheap and easy dinner tonight: spaghetti. And any leftover noodles will go in the freezer for my son to have for another lunch.
1. I’ve almost lost the weight I put on over Xmas. 400 g to go and I will back where I was. But who’s counting 😉 My clothes are all fitting properly again, thank goodness. If I didn’t shift it I was looking at some expensive wardrobe changes.
2. Come under my food budget this month by strict menu planning and use of leftovers.
3. I don’t use an app but I have stuck to my written budget like glue.
That’s about it. Not five for today.
Single ply loo roll, who buys that? Even on a budget I couldn’t do with my lovely soft loo roll. So glad you’re back to comfortable roll xx
1. I had some gardening equipment I no longer need so gave it to a friend. As a thank you she brought over two casseroles she’d made. Unexpected, but most welcome.
2. Cancelled a magazine subscription and received a refund.
3. Found two old towing bills (former vehicle!) and submitted them to insurance, even though they were old. Received $50 for each tow, so $100 I did not expect to get.
4. Borrowed books from the library. I have a lot of trouble not buying new books as soon as they come out, so this is a victory for me. I have to admit that I manage to do this only because my husband asks me to give him the titles of books I am interested, he then looks them up on the library computer system we access from home and once a week he picks them up when he attends his weekly meeting at the library. If the library does not have the book, he asks them to get it through inter-library loan.
5. Groomed one of our dogs. Because he is a giant breed, it costs us $100 if we take him to a professional groomer, so this is a big savings. I’d rather take him to the groomer because in order to do it I have to get naked and get in the shower with him and then hold on to his collar with one hand while I wash him with the other; there is no way to do this and stay dry so I finally just gave up and started doing it naked. It is like wrestling with a rhino and both of us end up exhausted. He is a wonderful dog who has never, ever destroyed anything or peed in the house, but on a walk once he thought he was walking across a large puddle and it was a pond. He went under water and panicked and my husband had to go into the water to push him out. Ever since then, he hates water so washing him is torture for both of us. Usually my husband does this, as he is bigger, but he is away this week and the dog really needed a bath.
Um…swimsuit?
Nah, I think naked is the way to go here. No need to dirty up more clothing that she will have to wash plus she can get her shower in too, maybe, when the dog is done. The mental picture from a huge soapy dog and a soapy naked woman struggling in a shower is pretty wild.
Aww, poor thing, with the pound! Way to go on finding a way to bathe him that works for you.
Pond…geez…swypo
1. I cooked a batch of dried kidney beans in the crock pot and froze them to make chili and red beans and rice later.
2. I’m going to make banana bread to use up those bananas my husband didn’t eat after insisting he wanted them.
3. Enjoying something I never thought I would — home canned fish, given to me by a co-worker. It’s made with a little jalapeno in the liquid, and it’s delicious, people. I’ll probably bring her some banana bread!
4. I need a box of some kind to put my pet supplies (supplements, treatments) in. My old box was a shoebox and it got soaked the other day in a laundry room accident. I refuse to buy a new box and I don’t have any other shoeboxes, so off I go to the thrift stores.
5. I’ve started trench composting. Digging isn’t fun, but this is easier than trying to maintain a compost pile with all the varmints around here.
You can get boxes at your local shoe stores, possibly. My mom and I needed boxes a couple years ago and our local Shoe Show was generous with what they had extra.
Thanks, I hadn’t thought of that. We only have one shoe store in this burg, but I’ve never thought about what they might do with boxes.
I hope they can help you out! 🙂
1. Had 3 vegetarian dinners in a row using what we had in the pantry (the rest of the family were not impressed, but they ate it!)
2. Decided to do my own version of Extreme Frugal February. No spending on anything but food essentials, bills, and kids’ regular activities (which are minimal anyway). Avoiding op shopping will be the hardest, but $2 here, $2 there on books, wool, various other bits of crap adds up.
3. Eating leftovers for lunch. Leek and potato soup, mmmm.
4. Going for lots of lovely long beach walks with friends.
5. Still washing my hair with bicarb/rinsing with cider vinegar. Going on for 4 years now! And getting my daughter to cut my hair (it’s wavy so no need to be precise).
5.
1. I work at my local library, so getting books and DVDs to take home is not a chore. I also walk to work every day, walk home for lunch and walk back and then walk home, so I get 40 minutes of walking outside every day! Of course being on my feet 8 hours at work while shelving, pushing 300 lb carts, and serving library patrons also builds muscles. I have maintained my 125 lb new figure for almost 4 years. Yay.
2. Day off today, did all my laundry including towels and bedding in 3 loads, and mostly dried out on our little screened in back porch on a rack. We rent a condo and are only allowed to have the rack out until 6PM, so it goes in the tub to finish if being out in the FL sun doesn’t get it all dry.
3. Had leftover soup for lunch.
4. Watching a library DVD for entertainment while folding laundry.
5. Earned $4 this week for hemming pants for two co-workers. I only charge $2 to do a hem. Cheap, but I get lots of repeat business, which keeps me in pin money for my thrift shop days. My entire wardrobe was purchased from thrift shops, as I went from size 14 to size 6 and besides taking the pact, I really cannot afford the prices in stores. Besides, I refuse to support Communism. Made in China? No thanks.
I will use any toilet paper if given for free!! I am cheap that way.
* Bought low-gluten breads (5) from the reduced rack, for 9.97$ total. Normal price : 36$. They are in the freezer
* Ate a lentils shepards pie made for a cheap price of 0,85$ per portion.
* Planning a girls night this Saturday involving something cheap or even free like going skating or playing board games
* Bringing my girl to an educational play offered free by the city for free
Have a great frugal day!
I love your Every Dollar Budget concept, which I am going to do. I, too, am very frugal but I’m sure I will find some impulse spending there I was missing. Thanks for the consistently awesome tips!
Take care,
Freda
I don’t have 5 frugal things to share today, but I would like a post on these surveys, consumer opinion panels, etc. that several of you participate in to earn extra cash. Share the info, please!
Sign up for 20/20 Research. It’s a good one for online research groups. And I used to check craigslist ETC section for local focus groups. A fun way to meet people and earn cash.
Craigslist gigs as well.
1. Used free restaurant napkins with dinner tonight. Did Swagbucks while making dinner and periodically while at work today, just passed 1,500, 2,500 here I come for a $25 Paypal! Nice to have two screens at work so I can slide it over and reduce it down, not noticeable at all and I only change it once in a while so not super distracting (set it on watch videos).
2. Got gas and saved 11 cents a gallon by using gasbuddies.com to see who was the cheapest instead f driving around.
3. Got a call from the bank today – they did mess up my mortgage tax statement and had left $1800 off the taxes they reported!!!! Goes to show check your tax statements thoroughly. They have to re-print and re-send all the statements out again or I can go online to get it.
4. January budget came out spending $400 less than planned, yeah! Going to work on my February budget some more and pay all the bills that i can tonight. This always stops me from spending “extra” as my checkbook tells me its gone, I use online bill paying so will actually go out closer to the due date. Saving several dolloars on postage as well. 😉
5. Have to work the next three days 12 hours each day. Cooked so daughter and I will have leftovers to heat-up/pack for work (Lemon Butter Dill Tilapia and Spinach Quiche leftovers). Planning to eat all meals from the fridge/pantry, no fast food until our weekend go out to dinner meal we look forward to.
6. Working wrestling sporting events for school Friday night and Saturday am for extra cash.
7. Finished reading The Martian last night (checked out from the library), now I am ready to watch the movie. Lots of science that was WAY over my head (pun intended) but did enjoy it. Yup, have it requested from the library or will wait until it comes to Redbox and use a free movie code. 😉 How do they make any money??? I only use their free codes or maybe spend a $1.00 a month total if its only a $1 off.
If the bank is having to reprint and send all the statements out again, then your attention saved a lot of people a lot of money. Good for you!
Thanks Kathleen, lets hope so.
1. I cut my own hair, thanks to Heather in L.A. telling me in comments about the Cosmo Cut. Thank you again Heather! 🙂
2. Scored another $25 ecard, which I bought a WM GC with, and will use to help buy ingredients for Superbowl Sunday cooking and other groceries.
3. We stuck to our commitment of no eating out during the month of January and we’ve made the same commitment for February. 🙂
4. I’ve been staying home lately so we’ve only been using one car, which is saving us gas dollars.
5. We’ve been laughing at a lot of the 50 top Superbowl commercials on TV and with laughter being good for our health, we’re working on future savings.
1. Treated son to a drive-through burger today because he was off work due to a snowstorm. Used a coupon for his meal and limited myself to a $1 item.
2. There was some trouble with his paycheck routing numbers so stopped at the bank and got it cleared up.
3. My husband has agreed to pick up library books for me thus saving me gas and time.
4. After burning the bacon I was frying to add to a casserole, (the dog loved the few salvageable bits) found some extra meat and veg in the frig, added it to the dish, and it came out well.
5. February must be banana bread baking month because I also had over-ripe fruit that turned into a great loaf of banana-oatmeal bread.
1. We ourselves are using up the last of the bargain basement TP I bought. We will go back to our other brand. LOL I didn’t mind it, but hubs is more sensitive evidentally.
2. Hubs needed new flannel work shirts, so I happened upon an amazing sale and got 6 shirts for under $9.00 a piece when the retail price was $34.00 a piece.
3. Made way too much pasta for supper (spaghetti) the other night, so I kept the cooked pasta, added in kitchen and some teriyaki sauce and had my own “chinese” noodle dish the next day.
4. Scored a free rotisserie chicken from the store the other day for buying some rice seasoning packets I was going to buy anyway.
5. Used the rotisserie chicken for 5 meals…..free chicken!!!
1. Went to the bank that offered $150 if you opened a new checking account with them and took out the money I had parked there as well as the $150.78.
2. While running errands I did them all in a circle. My town is only 2 square miles but I do it that way. I still have an almost full tank of gas from over a week ago.
3. Got a book from the library that I ordered on inter-library loan.
4. Cooked dinner. It was not impressive…
5. Hubby went to a car dealership this weekend to listen to their spiel and got a free $15 Target gift card.
Happy frugalling everyone!
1-taking leftovers for lunch at work everyday
2-still using travel mug for my tea and avoiding the drive thru
3-freezer and fridge and cupboard clean out time so not buying groceries until its all gone
4-crazy mild winter for Southern Ontario so saving on heating costs and still hanging laundry outside
5-keurig finally bit the dust so using a kettle and thrifted French press for my wife’s coffee
Have a great frugal day
Scott toilet paper is the worst. I bought it once and never again. My husband bought a giant pack of it last month. He’s using it in his bathroom. I refuse.
1. Bought a Kinect sensor and 8 Xbox games for $25 on a FB board yesterday. We are going to play all the games and then I will list it all on ebay.
2. I went for a walk at lunch yesterday and will definitely go again today. We’re having an unseasonably warm snap.
3. Filled out the paperwork to max out my Simple IRA contribution for 2016. My employer offers a partial match, which I appreciate.
4. My 11 year old asked how my parents can afford to travel when “they don’t make any money.” They are retired. 🙂 I seized that opportunity to talk to him about the importance of saving for retirement.
5. Getting busy at work and will work some paid overtime this week.
I don’t know– I didn’t like Scot at first but I got used to it because everything else feels so linty and makes me feel itchy. I don’t know how folks use the soft linty paper.
I guess that’s why they make so many different brands and types of products.
Still plugging away at reducing my expenses, especially monthly bills. In the past 10 years of ultra frugal living I have reduced my monthly bills from 9 down to 6. And by summer’s end I’ll have one more credit card paid off.
Finally have my FREE Google fiber totally installed and using. I took my TWC equipment back, canceled my service and am out of TWC’s clutches for ever more, I hope!
We are suppose to be getting Google in my city soon and I cannot wait to say goodbye to TWC. 🙂
It is so fast compared to TWC. Just a joy! Hail Google fiber.
1. Have delicious leftovers packed for lunch at work today. A pork tenderloin for less than $4 from Aldi, and I will get 4 meals out of it.
2. A snowstorm kept me inside all evening yesterday. I enjoyed a favorite TV show and worked on Swagbucks while I watched.
3. Canceled an insurance policy that is no longer needed and am getting a small refund.
4. Enjoying a book from the library that my book club is reading.
5. Attempted to use some things I already owned to redecorate my bathroom, but I didn’t like the result. I’m confident I can find things at a secondhand store instead, and plan to stop by today on my way home to see!
I bought some 1-ply on sale, without realizing it. Not much savings and I don’t like it, but I’m using it up. Only 5 more rolls to go! :-/
1) I ate my breakfast mix at work this morning, although I REALLY wanted a Braums egg & bacon biscuit. Saved about $3 by staying on track.
2) I’ve decided to start buy 2 of every staple item over the next few months, until I have about 10 of everything stored up. I think I’m going into prepper mode.
3) I trimmed a roast last night and stacked the meat and veggies in a dual layer in the crockpot and put it on, before I left this morning. Hubby has Wednesdays off and this way dinner will be ready before I get home.
4) I took the fat trimmings from the roast and boiled them, then poured the juice and cut up the fat into the dog bowls this morning over their food. I try to feed my farm dogs fat in the Winter to keep them warm.
5) I didn’t buy a Lear jet or a Yacht.
Frugal deal for yesterday – went to Kwik Trip gas station to buy some milk and use my filled punch cards for $1.- off a gallon milk. I had two punch cards so I bought 4 half gallon bags. The half gallons were $1.09 each so I ended up paying $2.36 per gallon of milk. And I got 4 more punches on the new card. Yes please and thank you!! It is the Gallons For Gallons program -punch cards are at the registers.
1. Soaked white beans that expired in summer 2014 and my mom cooked them. We have been eating them all week.
2. Went to a language study at the U and got $20 cash. I want doing anything profitable that day, so I went. Parked in a free place and walked the 15 to and from, so that was my exercise.
3. While at the U, I saw a flyer for a health study. I’ll be going with my dad tomorrow and each of us will get a Target gift card for $50. Pretty good for 90 minute sof work.
4. Heard back from a mock jury duty research study. I answered a few more questions. I hope I get picked, because they pay $125 and give you dinner for four hours of my time. That’s more than twice my hourly pay at work!
5. Got to work early to do some paperwork and got 12 extra minutes. 🙂
1- Yesterday I made a huge batch of black beans in the slow cooker. I froze three baggies (2 cups in each) and the leftover cup I put in a pot of vegetable soup that is cooking in the slow cooker now.
2- I was able to hang a few loads of laundry outside on the line on Saturday and Monday for the first time in a long time.
3- My husband brought home from work two small container of yogurt and a string cheese stick.
4- I hard boiled eggs at the beginning of the week for everyone to eat with lunch for their protein.
5- I went thrift shopping over the weekend and was able to buy a few new with tag cloth napkins, a few books for myself, a few books for the kids and two shirts.
6- Over the last week I watched this show on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jOxdUF6vcw
If you are interested in how people lived during 1940’s in Britain with rations, bomb shelters ect you should check it out. It was very entertaining.
Thank you so much Amber for this link. Just finished it and it was wonderful.
Really puts things into perspective.
Another great series is Coal House at War and Coal House – a BBC series.
I might just to just go and watch them again. I agree, it really puts this into perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aICzcTUd-go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93RHoIkWAdM
The show looks great. Years ago we watched a few similar shows on PBS, but they replicated earlier time periods.
I bookmarked to watch tomorrow. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Just a couple for this week.
1. I’ve brought lunch to work for three days running.
2. I’ve been bringing my own coffee as well.
3. No lear jet this week.
It is amazing how long 1-ply lasts. I hate it along with the rest of America, although I don’t seem to have a problem with it in public restrooms. Good talk.
1. Again, most of my frugalness resolves around food prep. Have shopped from the pantry / freezer. I am lucky to have a husband who loves taking leftovers to work (he says 90% of his colleagues spend $15-20 per shift on food! Eeek!)
2. Husband went off to the movies on his own. Ticket was $11 (cheaper than big chain cinemas) and I packed him a small bag of treats using lollies and choc given to us. He filled his water bottle too.
3. I am going to the movies with a friend on the weekend. I got tickets for $10 and on my rewards card I saw that I have an offer for a free large popcorn. Planning to park car 10 min walk away from the shops and walk. I refuse to pay parking fees when visiting a shopping centre and spending $. Hear that, Westfields?!!!
4. Picked lots of cherry tomatoes and basil from the garden. I use lots of my garden herbs in my cooking; basil, rosemary and thyme. I also cut spring onion as I need it and it regrows.
5. Spending time x stitching and watching Netflix (free 30 day trial). Gave up diet soft drink this year and saving a lot of money (I was a huge consumer of the stuff). Drinking water from the tap instead. Cheap and healthy!
1. I found $5, which I immediately put in my wallet and didn’t spend until I needed parking money. I don’t have a found change jar, but I still try not to spend money frivolously.
2. Used some old burdock that was in the fridge to make a macrobiotic recipe (that stuff lasts forever). Double win–it’s a blood cleanser and very good for you! Also cheap at Asian markets.
3. Still haven’t cut my hair, it’s been almost five months! Just putting it up. I will get it cut soon.
4. Picked up a new tutoring client, which will bring extra money in. I still plan not to spend more until I’m out of debt.
5. I didn’t buy a Lafite-Rothschild wine this week.
1. Hubs bought the super rolls of tp from Costco, they are less $ per square foot. I think they end up costing less because it’s so dang gone hard to roll it out!
2. Used leftover chili to make taco salad for dinner.
3. Local wine store had an inventory clearance sale, 70 percent off. Got a few bottles, will save one for an emergency gift.
4. Taking leftovers to work for lunch
5. Using gift cards for a local coffee shop to use when meeting up with friends. No cost, getting my girlfriend time in!
Oh, your comment about about Taco Salad with chili made me think of how Wendy’s used to have (maybe they still do, but I never go) taco salad with chili and I loved that! I haven’t had it in forever! I have chili all the time, and taco salad, too, but I usually do the topping as either lentils taco meat, walnut taco meat or if I’m feeling like a big spender, Morningstar meat crumbles.
Yes, I think I see a pot of chili and a taco salad coming my way this weekend!
Katy, maybe you could do a post with what to make with leftovers. You know, like “if you make this…then make this with the leftovers” post. We could all add our ideas to it.