- I photographed and then listed two Marimekko items for eBay last night. One was a duvet cover with sham that I picked up at Goodwill, and the other was a brand new pair of groovy Marimekko Converse sneakers that my sister gifted to me. Sadly they were the wrong size, so off to a new owner they’ll go. (Update, the duvet cover already has a bid at $49.99!)
- I helped my mother clean one of her guest cottages and added the money to the ol’ college fund. I’ve cleaned twice this month and will do one more next week. I’ll work on a Clark Howard piece this afternoon and work at the hospital both Wednesday and Saturday. I get paid Friday, which will be #4 of 5 paychecks this month between my husband and myself. We pretty much depleted our college fund earlier this month, but are filling it back up as fast as can be.
- I put a load of towels into the washing machine last night in order to take full advantage of the warm weather clothesline opportunity. I might be able to get two loads on the line today if I start early enough. (Update, the weight of the towels snapped my clothesline and now I have to wash my white towels all over again. However, I left them on the ground outside as I just can’t deal with it right now . . . )
- I talked to my next door neighbor about borrowing her power washer, which I’ll use for our backyard rock wall and the concrete in front of the house. I’ll wash her short driveway as a thank you.
- 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.”
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s awesome about the $49.99 bid on the duvet cover!
1. Had my morning coffee and oatmeal at home, and packed leftovers from dinner last night for today’s lunch at work.
2. Found some nice bargains at Grocery Outlet last night on things I wouldn’t normally buy at full price: $.50 coconut milk yogurt, a box of 7 Clif Builder bars for $7, and other things I can’t quite recall. I mostly cook from scratch (or try to) so these vegan convenience food items are a treat for me.
3. I sorted through my clothes to “shop” for the recent warm weather. Sandals! How I’ve missed you! I’ve lost weight the past year, so I donated a bag of clothes to Goodwill, and then shopped there for several t-shirts that fit me better now.
4. This is a big one: I’m getting married next year. I tried on wedding dresses at two used wedding dress stores recently. It gave me a good idea of what looks good on me, but I didn’t find anything. I figured I’d keep dropping in over the next several months to check out their inventory. But then I found a dress on eBay that is just what I want, in great shape and within my budget, fits with my “nothing new” buying philosophy, so I ordered it! It arrived and it fits. Hooray! It was a big expense ($500) but I had budgeted that for my wedding dress (and that is a fraction of what the dress cost new), and I am very happy to check this off my list.
5. I was in a mall with my fiance recently because he had two errands there: dropping off a pair of trousers to be mended, and replacing a watch battery. These struck me as particularly NCA things! We didn’t spend any money there besides for these two things.
Hooray on the wedding dress. You are very smart to take advantage of the used market. It’s not like anybody ever wears them out!
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!! So cool you found your dress on ebay…I am sure the $500 is a blessing to it’s original owner also. There is very little I hate more than this ridiculous “trash the dress” ritual that is popular now. It makes me want to scream. There is NO reason a beautiful dress should only be used once.
1 – Stopped at Goodwill today to try to find a small flowerpot for a houseplant I was given that has–inexplicably–not died despite the fact I’ve had it for 5 months now. Didn’t find anything, but had a nice laugh over the fact that someone had donated a Salvation Army mug to Goodwill.
2 – Have a huge roast in the crock pot. It was on my shopping list to make a pork roast this week anyway, and was quite happy to find one substantially marked down.
3 – Decided to return a pair of jeans I picked up a couple weeks ago. They fit okay, but not great, and I’m making a concerted effort to only have clothes I really enjoy. “Almost fit right” jeans do not fall in that category.
4 – Declined to buy anything this morning while meeting my professor for his office hours. He holds most of them in a coffee shop, but I refuse to feel obligated to buy something just because that’s where I’m forced to meet him.
5 – Parked several blocks away and walked to the meeting so I didn’t have to pay for closer, metered parking.
1. Actually took advantage of a money back guarantee for a product that didn’t work as advertised. Small check but a win.
2. Instead of running around town trying to find navy shoe polish I ordered it online. My navy loafers look like new now.
3. Donated some items and entered them into Itsdeductible. We are getting ready to move across the country and I expect this year’s tax deduction to be in a range that requires documentation.
4. Had grabbed the wrong version of a product at the grocery store and returned it when doing weekly shopping.
5. Slowly weeding the yard and spraying weed killer where I can. No yard service for us.
I think investing in a new clothes line would be a prudent purchase and good for your sanity. <3
I agree, but I had to at least try to rejuvenate what I already owned.
I started working this morning on my almost free patio. My SIL redid her patio and had a bunch of almost new pavers left over, so we traded her some stuff we weren’t using anymore. I have several wheelbarrows of gravel leftover in the backyard from another project, and we live close to a quarry where in the past I’ve purchased a truckload of sand for $15. I’ve got several hours of digging ahead of me, but it’s good exercise and I’m looking forward to using the finished product this summer. I’m cooking a pot of beans in my “retirement grease” for my lunches this week.
Grocery budget was getting pretty slim this month, but then I checked my freezer and found a whole turkey I had forgotten about – thank you, holiday sales. So I will be thawing out that bad boy to finish out our meals for the month.
The weather here is quite warm and I’ve used the clothesline several times.
I went to gw last week and bought a few new clothes for myself. And I found two old sheets in some really fun prints – only 0.99 each so a cheap way to get fabric if you sew. I think I’m going to make aprons out of one and cloth napkins out if the other.
My husband and I often yell “my retirement grease!” to one another. Glad to know we are not alone in our dork-dome.
1. Making homemade tomato-lentil soup with ingredients on hand.
2. Free dinner tomorrow night for volunteering. Husband will accompany me at no cost other than the gas to drive across town.
3, Trying to figure out a way to string a clothes line on back patio. I have a small rack that helps but is not enough.
4. Bought two oriental serving sets on clearance – $20 marked down to $2!. Will include a gift certificate to an oriental restaurant as a wedding gift this fall.
5. I am starting to count my no-spend days every month to give myself a sense of accomplishment.
I love the idea of the oriental serving sets and a dinner gift voucher as a wedding gift! Also like the idea of recording no-spend days!
Sorry about the towel situation. Seems like despite our best effort shit sometimes happens. I can relate as I just threw away most of the contents in my fridge because my daughter left the door open all night.
1.Brought my lunch and made my kids lunches for the past 2 days. We are eating leftovers from the camping trip we had this past weekend. So we are eating on the cheap.
2.Gonna dive deep in the freezer to come up with meals for dinner for the rest of the week. I’m avoiding the grocery store this week. I’m trying to lose weight and the clearance section of Easter candy almost got me last time.
3. Trying to think of ways I can hang more clothes. I lack motivation.
4.I didn’t buy a Lear jet.
5. and I didn’t book a trip to the Florida Keys
I put everything back into the wash, tied some strong looking clothesline onto what was left and it’s now hanging again on the line. And yes, shit happens.
My best friend and I installed wire shelves in my laundry room. I just stick hangers in there with wet laundry when it’s delicate and don’t want to use the dryer. Another option could be an indoor clothes line, or tension rods. In a pinch, over doors, but make sure you’re not cooking anything smelly.
1. I am slowly selling the scrapbook supplies that I listed on eBay. Your post reminded me of some other things that I need to list.
2. I vended at a bazaar last weekend, but barely made what I spent in booth fees and tolls. I took my own lunch and drinks, so I didn’t spend anything extra out of pocket. I did make some new contacts, so hopefully that will translate into more sales.
3. Brought lunch and my quart mason jar of tea every day to work.
4. Found a quarter on the ground, gave it to my 6yo. She’s saving it for a gumball.
5. No Lear jet for me, but I’ve been urging my hubby to renew his pilot’s license and start giving flying lessons.
1. Called corporate customer service for a certain grocery store due to my coupons being refused for clearance merchandise. I had been doing a store audit on Friday when I found 3 boxes of hair color marked down on the clearance shelf. Bought them, went home and pulled the coupons since the store will let you bring back the coupons and get credit. On Saturday I went back and the associate said the policy doesn’t allow coupons on clearance and refused to credit them to me. Corporate confirmed I was correct and said they would call the store. A little later I received a call back from CS who told me to ask for the store manager when I went in and it would be taken care of. When I got there she gladly processed my coupons which gave me back $7 so free hair color and she gave me an envelope with my name on it. I opened the envelope when I got in my car and found a $10 Gift card inside. Free food and hair color!
2. Picked some of my daffodils since it is getting quite warm today on the East Coast. They were grown from bulbs I got on Freecycle. This evening I will be digging up some of my hostas for another Freecycler. The circle of life!
3. I also hung out laundry on the line- a load of throw rugs that take forever to dry in the dryer.
4. Shipped 2 items I sold on Amazon and have 2 store audits to do which will net me close to $40. College fund!
5. Received Redbook and Good Housekeeping magazine in the mail yesterday. I have free subscriptions through a rewards company. I just got an offer for a free subscription for Flying magazine which my husband loves to read. We will be ready if we decide to buy the Lear Jet! Actually a friend from church is a pilot so we will pass them on to him after DH lives vicariously by reading them.
I’m so glad the grocery store came through for you! I’ve had the same problem when using coupons on clearance merchandise, but they’ve always honored them when I tell them how the first time they made no problem. Sometimes you just have to ask. 🙂
Mandy, you know you’re truly frugal when you go to Goodwill for new clothes. 🙂
1. I altered a thrifted too-big dressy blouse on Saturday, a chore that tested my skill at both sewing and at biting my tongue, since it was so difficult I wanted to swear loudly at the top of my lungs a few times. It’s not quite perfect, but it fits very well now.
2. Money is really tight this week and we were craving a little something sweet, so last night I made a small pan of blondies. They are yummy!
3. Have achieved 14 days of absolutely no spending this month.
4. One of our dogs has an elbow that spontaneously dislocates and pops back into place, with an after-effect like having sprained it. Our vet gives us enough medication for her that we don’t have to bring her in every time this happens, which made me very grateful this week when we could take care of her at home.
5. Continued every day doing a bunch of small frugal things: packing my lunch and a thermos of tea from home, wearing mostly thrifted yet very nice clothes, eating leftover homemade soup from the freezer with homemade bread for supper, hanging laundry on the drying rack, and cutting back to one cup of coffee in the morning to save money. Persistence is the key!
1. We were out of yard waste bags so I walked to the grocery store to buy more (I knew they’d be more expensive than at Home Depot but that would have been a drive). I found almost $3.00 which more than made up for the extra $1 cost of the bags.
2. I always check my credit card bills. Yesterday I noticed that Amazon did not give me credit for a return. I called and they corrected the mistake.
3. We received our state income tax refund. It’s not a lot of money but into savings it went.
4. I have been hanging laundry outside. I have a large drying rack and several hooks in the breezeway. I do not hang towels and sheets.
5. The weather seems to have consistently warmed up. On Sunday we rotated our bed and used non-flannel sheets to make the bed. I realized I have no idea how long it’s been since I last bought sheets, I’d guess ten years or more.
1. My first crop from my garden (bok choy) will be ready to pick today, so I will make a vegetarian curry for dinner.
2. I won free movie tickets, so hubs and I are going to the movies tonight. The movie is supposed to be terrible but that’s ok. It costs $20 a head to go to the movies here, so we don’t go often.
3. We’ve finished painting our kitchen. For such a small amount of money it has made an enormous difference. It looks exactly as I’d pictured it in my mind.
4. Despite a kitchen turned upside down, I didn’t cave to takeaway once.
5. I bought some apples that looked great but were mushy in texture. I cut them up and baked them with cinnamon and ginger for a baked apple purée. Ive packed it in the freezer for lunch box snacks.
1. Neighborhood wide yard sale was last weekend. I’ve been looking for a bench to sit in our garden for years, found one for $15 that is super sturdy.
2. Was going to sand and paint a rattan swivel chair. Found a brand new looking replacement for $5 at one of the sales. Put the old one out by the curb with a free sign, it was gone in an hour.
3. Eating from the freezer this week, bought no meat at the store.
4. For a friend’s birthday, I wrapped a pretty candle that I’d bought on clearance and stored in my gift closet. She loves it.
5. Made a fresh tasting meal from ingredients in my freezer: tortillas with leftover mango salsa, baked shrimp and a little bib lettuce (leftover from a salad). Wow that was a great Spring recipe! All from leftovers. 🙂
Mango salsa and shrimp is a delectable combination!
It must be the spring weather. I have been terribly unfocused over the last couple of days. I haven’t been spendy. However, I haven’t been particularly resourceful and thrifty either.
1) I havent spent any money so far this week. I know that we are only two days into it, but I look at it as an accomplishment anyway.
2) I am home alone for a few days, so I ate leftovers for dinner. I will do some investment cooking tomorrow to have later when I am not up to preparing dinner.
3) For entertainment, I have walked the dog and visited with a friend. I am reading another $1 book from the thrift shop. I watched free and wonderful PBS – Father Brown, Grantchester and the Antique Road Show. I will watch Call of the Midwife later in the week.
4) Since I have been unproductive for the last two days, I made a to-do list for tomorrow that includes working on my budget and balancing my bank account (also cooking as mentioned above). Now hopefully I will to-do it.
5) Although I didn’t sell anything myself, I helped a friend sort and sell some antiques and collectibles that she inherited. Good karma.
I love the term “investment cooking”. That is a sophisticated phrase!
I love #3. Not thst you broke your clotheline…sorry to hear that…but that you couldn’t deal with it at that moment. Sometimes stuff is just tooooo much. Go, go Katy. You are my hero!!
I looked at it and simply walked back into the house. Enjoy my mal-coping. 🙂
1. Cleaned out my garage today and listed a whole slew of things on local FB sites.
2. Dragged a long broken garden bench out to the curb, and my neighbor immediately said she wanted it.
3. Listed two big stacks of plant pots on Freecycle and already had them picked up.
4. Bought a very nice bird bath for $10 on a local FB site. It was just good luck that I was the first one to see the listing, as a large line formed after my comment.
5. Listed a t-shirt on ebay that my son loved …. until I cut the tags off. Then he proclaimed it was too geeky to wear to school. Hopefully some other geek finds it on ebay.
1. Frugal day of fun with my kiddos: instead of doing something that required an admission price, my kiddos and I spent the day with my mom. She made us a delicious lunch, and we visited the farm of a friend of a friend, where a baby calf is in residence. Seeing baby animals gives my 3 year old the biggest thrill. And it was a free day!
2. We have a tiny 12×9 foot bedroom and the armoire that I brought from our previous residence was simply too monstrous for the space (the room
is so small that the armoire is all I have for my clothing, while my husband uses the teeny-tiny closet for his clothes). We checked Craiglist and found a lovely white dresser that will work much better. It will fit more nicely in the room and the mirror above it will serve to make the room feel a little larger. It was very inexpensive, and just needs a coat of paint.
3. Found a bottle of the vitamins my kids take for 50% off!
4. Major score at Goodwill today! My kids both were in need of summer clothing… They’re growing like weeds and the folks who have been blessing us with awesome hand me downs for the last few years have petered out. I had realized yesterday that I would need to get summer clothes for both of them… I checked goodwill today and found tons of shorts, t-shirts and sundresses! And several pieces had the days’a 50% off color. Plus k used my 20% off card.
5. I really wanted a few bird feeders to pretty up our backyard/deck. I checked goodwill first but unfortunately they had nothing. I checked dollar tree next and found two cute feeders for $1 each. I’d like sone nicer wooden ones, but it’s a start. Now I just need birdseed, which they didn’t have!
I have been there with the towel situation. Sometimes it is good to just walk away for the moment.
My 5:
1. I had to work on a rental property that I inherited after a divorce (a house owned by me pre-divorce so I guess I was stuck with it). Sounds wonderful, right? Not so much, while everything was tied up in court red tape the house was destroyed by a very bad tenant. It was also broken into after the eviction and all the copper pipes stolen. It’s been a source of stress. Why is this a frugal addition? I ended up rolling up my sleeves and doing the first project myself this past weekend (with the bf’s help) which was to replace the privacy fence along the alley (ripped out by tenant and left house exposed). I was able to reconfigure the fencing so that no new sections were needed and this saved mucho. I plan to sell this house as I no longer live in the same city with it and landlording is hard if you can’t be vigilant. 🙁
2. Eating from the freezer and ‘fridge this week (and next).
3. Loving the blessed “free days” (as someone on the NCA FB page called it). Currently, there is no need for furnace or air conditioning. I am going to try to extend these days out as far as I can.
4. Picked a bag of clover, dandelions and chickweed on my daily walks for my four backyard hens. They continue to return the favor with 3-4 eggs a day. I share them with friends and family.
5. Finished the library borrowed _The Man Who Quit Money_. I highly recommend it. I also thank the commenter on NCA that suggested it (sorry I can’t remember who it was)! If I was 20 years younger, I would have liked to go to Moab and live simply and close to the land. I’m afraid at 45 I am stuck in the middle aged rat race and will now have to work hard and wait until my free-wheeling senior years to experiment with a money-less life-style. 😉
oooooh that’s terrible about your towels!
1. My clothesline is made out of that vinyl (??) stuff and is cracking. I will go to the website and get directions on how to restring, and go to the store to get the new line. This line is retractable since it is right over the bonfire pit and would melt if left out when a fire is burning or we have company back there. Restringing is more frugal than buying a new one.
2. I froze the loaf of bread I made to make Focaccia for our party which had to be canceled due to my husband getting ill.
3. I cut up and froze the strawberries I got on sale at the store since some had mold on them already.
4. Found an old leather coat of mine in the closet during decluttering. My daughter is putting it on ebay. Cross your fingers.
5. Didn’t buy a lear jet either.
Sorry about your wash line Katy! Mine is also a series of pieces tied together! I’m praying it lasts!!!
1. I used scrapbook supplies I had on hand to make a card and envelope for a gift voucher I was giving for a birthday present.
2. I have decided to give ‘experiences’ as gifts instead of a lot of things. So vouchers for massages, mani pedi’s etc. I found a voucher that gives 2 children access to a play park that has childminders and a whole variety of things to do for just R49 (a discounted price) – that about $3.50 – So my little niece can enjoy that for her birthday with a friend, while her mom enjoys coffee with a friend.
3. Hubby went into the optometrist yesterday and asked about the price of lens fluid and ended up getting a bottle for free. Turns out we had loyalty points that we had not used up yet!
4. I accepted an invite to a bring your own picnic and 2nd hand books to sell event. So I’m hoping to sell some books and earn a little money for my emergency fund.
5. I’m attending a 50th birthday lunch on Saturday with the theme ‘Denim and Diamonds’ – I was trying to figure out what to wear without spending money on a new outfit, since I only own 1 pair of jeans and they have seen better days and a denim jacket passed on to me but worn very little. I searched through some boxes of fabric in my garage and found some lovely black fabric. Thinking of making a tube top maxi dress and pair it with the denim jacket over? I have some pretty silver sandals and will borrow silver jewelry to wear with it. Will add some diamante stones to the cuffs and collar of the jacket. Hope that works out!
1. I won’t have time to get to the grocery store until early next week, so I am getting creative with meals for myself by using up what I have on hand in the fridge and freezer.
2. Free lunch at a work event today
3. Bought unnecessary party decorations and will be returning them on my way home from work today.
4. My phone case has been splitting and is barely holding on. I am waiting until my credit card rewards points come in to replace, so I will be very careful with it until the end of the month.
5. After I moved earlier this year, I gave my leftover boxes to a family member. A friend is moving in the next two weeks, so I contacted my family member to see if she had some of the boxes left. She quickly unpacked a few and I was able to pass several boxes and a big bag of packing material along to my friend.
1. I’ve packed my lunch of leftovers as usual, and will eat it as usual. I have some co-workers who pack leftovers then leave them in the work refrigerator to rot while they go out to eat. They do this repeatedly. Weird.
2. I have hung all but two loads of laundry on the line this past seven days. I just can’t hang the bedspread or the couch pet protector cover — they are too heavy for me to even lift to the line. I have whites hanging outside now while I’m at work.
3. The lunch I packed is 7 bean soup made entirely from dry beans — it’s so much cheaper than using canned beans. The seasoning was smoked neck bones given to me for free by my local-farm pork supplier. She’d never had them processed this way and wanted someone to try them for her. I always volunteer to try new things for my eat-local suppliers. These are delicious.
4. I have a bottle of hand lotion with just a dab left in it, but I couldn’t face Katy if I threw it out. I brought it to work and bang lotion out of it after washing my hands in their industrial hand cleaner. It’s too heavy of a bottle to cut open.
5. My husband is bartering for some work to be done at our house. He is selling his motorcycle that he can no longer ride due to health issues, and is willing to accept a small amount of cash plus the work done. We have used this guy before to do work for us, in fact we helped him start his own business after he was an apprentice, and we can trust him to do us right.
1) Worked on installing dripline in the raised beds so that we can water more effectively and efficiently this year. April has been so dry that we’ve already had to start watering!
2) Did the math and realized that ordering diapers online from Target’s website was cheaper than going to Target if I factored in the mileage to/from Target. That doesn’t even include the value of my time or any avoiding an impulse purchases at Target!
3) Uploaded my grocery store receipt to the Checkout51 App as you can enter the receipt from one grocery shopping trip over $60 per month for a chance to win $500. Haven’t won yet but it takes almost no time to upload the receipt.
4) Received an unsolicited homeowner’s insurance quote from a local insurance salesperson. The paperwork said that if I called them to talk about the quote, they would send me a $5 gift card to Dunkin Donuts. Still trying to sort out whether I’m making an apples to apples comparison of their rates vs our current insurance but the $5 gift card showed up in the mail today!
5) Had to pay a medical bill. Called them and split the payment so that I could use up a visa gift card with a random amount left on it. Also made sure they’d mail me a receipt for FSA and/or tax purposes.
I’ve not been near frugal enough this last couple of weeks, eating out far too much because I am spending 8 hours a day on the computer grading. On the one hand, this income is much needed because not only do we have a trip planned overseas and the money will help cover some of the expenses, the money is also covering the cost of our home inspection ($350) and the earnest money ($250) we have to put down to buy our new home. The house payment will be about $150 less than our rent so it’s a good frugal decision long term but it’s a huge and somewhat frightening step.
I am reminded how when we choose to work 40 hours a week, other things slide like cooking and eating at home or mowing our own yard, etc. I’m gonna see if I have five things but I’m not holding my breath this time….
1. Used up the last of the frozen oranges in a smoothie yesterday (I’d bought and froze them 3 months ago when they were reduced to a dime each!)
2. Found a cat sitter for my cats when I am going to Italy. This isn’t necessarily frugal when you consider it’s $300. But, she will stay here for three weeks while I am gone, give the diabetic cat his shot twice a day, and scoop the litterboxes every day. I think that’s a good deal and FAR less than boarding the diabetic cat. I also feel better that the seven of them won’t be here all alone for three weeks. Plus, she will feed the one feral cat we have that lives outside.
3. Traveled to Nashville for training for a summer job. They paid for my mileage, provided overnight lodging in a VERY NICE hotel, and gave me food the next day. I have to do it three more times and I hate to say it, but it was actually a lot of fun! (Isn’t work supposed to be a drudge???)
4. I mowed my back yard. (I need to mow the front now!)
5. I decided when we move, our home is only going to be furnished with things that are part of The Compact. I’m getting rid of some stuff here that is just cluttering my life, but I refuse to be in a rush when it comes to our new house. The missus and I both love stuff from the 1950’s and 60’s so we will be on the look out for things from that period. We were both born in ’72 and the house was built in ’65, so this feels right to use. We’ve discussed that we aren’t just putting things into the house to fill empty space– if a space needs a chair, then we will wait till we find THE RIGHT CHAIR for that space.
I got five– that was tenuous and I really had to reach on a couple but I’m feeling good about it!
No, your five are great. Very unique and inspiring!