- Okay, this is likely the MOST FRUGAL THING I’VE EVER DONE, so wait for it . . . My sister and I found out that Duran Duran was playing an outdoor concert on the Portland waterfront last night. I drove us down to the area, where we circled the area over and over (and over) again with the windows down. We sang along, we danced in our seats and I worked very hard to not hit any drunk pedestrians. (Of which there were many!) They played Rio, The Reflex, Girls on Film, as well as many other songs, and I got to hear Simon LeBon say “My name is Bon, Simon LeBon.” Sigh . . .
- I took my son to a University of Oregon incoming student event, which included tons of free yummy food. Unlike the other parents, I enjoyed a full free meal that included delicious marinated veggies, gourmet cheeses, meats and tropical fruits. I then used my free work perk bus pass to take myself home while my son met up with his cousin to hunt for Pokémon.
- I brought home two desk lamps from last week’s garage sale leftovers excursion. Unfortunately, they both needed new specialty light bulbs. I went ahead and put them on my curb with signs about how they require new bulbs. It wasn’t worth it for me to buy the bulbs, but it might be for someone else.
- I listed some garbage picked baby shower invitations on eBay, I took notes for a Clark Howard piece, I worked one day, I confirmed that I’m track to work 800 hours this year, which will qualify me for a $1.25 per hour bonus for all of 2016, I updated my online budget and I relisted all my Craigslist listings,
- I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.
Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?
{ 63 comments… read them below or add one }
1. A few of my Meijer MPerks coupons were not taken off my purchases. I stood in line at the service desk with my cart of groceries and requested my $3.00 off which the cashier gave me in cash. Didn’t want to do it as i was tired but it was worth it.
2. Needed mascara and found on Mperks a buy one Maybeline mascara get a Baby Lips for free. Did it and now hidden in my closet for a stocking stuffer. 🙂
3. Paying bills (not really a cost savings) BUT I’m doing Swagbucks on the daughters computer and my phone at the same time. currently only 15 Swagbucks away from earning a $25 Paypal gift card.
4. Just researched what the cost savings will be if I turn down the hot water heater when we are gone during the day and/or at night (depends on how much I remember to do it), going to try it next month to see how much I will save. To be continued next month! I believe I saved about a 1.50 on the bill last month as I turned it way down when we were gone on vacation.
5. Picked tomatoes from my plants in the yard, cut a lovely rose for the house. A few frugal fails this week but that’s life!
1. At my daughter’s first soccer game of the season, there was a table set up with free cleats and shin guards that parents whose kids have outgrown them put out. My daughter didn’t love her cleats (which we had also gotten free from the table at the first game last season), so she tried on some of the other pairs, found one she liked, and put her previous pair on the table for someone else. I don’t know who started this tradition, but I’m very grateful to them. 🙂
2. I used my slightly-older bread for my meatloaf recipe and saved my fresher bread for sandwiches. The meatloaf recipe is from my old, trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that used to be my mom’s. I’ve made meatballs using that recipe about 847 times in my life!
3. Twice now I’ve made beans in the crockpot like you’ve talked about, Katy, and had bean burrito meals from them. They’ve become one of my daughter’s favorite dinners.
4. My husband runs out to our nearby hardware store about once every project or so. The store has recently been having coupons for 20% off of a single item in our local advertising flyer that comes in the mail every so often. Between the two of us, we’ve remembered the last 3-4 times to send him with a coupon when he goes.
5. I haven’t been super-consistent, but when I think of it I’m trying to remember to write the date that I open a jar on the lid. Spaghetti sauce is one example that comes to mind. I just use a sharpie that I keep in my kitchen. Hopefully this’ll cut down on my food waste.
Frugal fail: We accidentally left the basement lights on all night one night. 🙁
We try to remember to date ALL our leftovers as we put them in the fridge after a meal. It’s hard to remember when we ate what a few days later, and I try to make sure we DO throw stuff away if it’s been in there for a questionably long amount of time. We don’t want to make ourselves sick in the cause of being frugal. I try to use leftovers as soon as possible, but sometimes things come up.
Love that meatloaf recipe. I too have an old, trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that I got as a gift at my bridal shower–23 years ago.
Focusing on my fails of late.
-Mis-communication with my hubby regarding purchase of plane ticket.
Him: Here’s $79 one way non-stop!
Me: That sounds Great!
Me 3 wks later: Good thing you got those cheap tickets!
Him: You never confirmed with me!
Ended up paying about $75 more, plus a change fee of $35 for a day change!
-After getting into HS football game free (as a chaperon), my new $30 sunglasses fell out of my backpack somewhere in the stands.
Some days you’re the windshield, some days you’re the bug.
Que sad music.
Hi here ya Kim! Had a $25 late fee charged to my card because my payment went to an old credit card # same credit card name. Had not deleted it from my online payment center and when I called today to get the fee waved couldn’t get it waved, at least I tried. Immediately went into my card payment centered and deleted that old card, lesson learned!
Basically the $25 Paypal card I finally earned today will go towards that, hmp!
How does that Japanese saying go, something like 10 steps forward, nine steps back?
My husband just did this. Accidentally paid the electric bill to the gas company. We haven’t lived in a house with gas service in almost a decade, so needless to say, there was no record of where the payment went. The gas company couldn’t find it. After weeks of phone conversations and time spent calling the bank trying to get an account number to locate the payment, it finally got refunded. We didn’t even attempt to try to get the late fee from the electric company waived. Figured it was our mistake. But you can bet I promptly went and deleted that gas company account from our online payment center!
1. Made salsa with home grown tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, and some onions I bought.
2. Shopped from the freezer to make shrimp quesadillas with my salsa.
3. Talked to a local shrimper and arranged to buy 20 lbs of fresh caught shrimp for 4.00/lb. Could have gotten it a little cheaper, but I paid 50c a pound to have him pop their heads off. I find that tedious.
4. Looking for hotel rooms online for an upcoming wedding, got a decent rate when I realized my hubs qualifies for a senior rate.
5. Shopped at a local produce stand. Got celery, lemons, and a big bag of baby spinach for less than 4 dollars. Wish he stayed open all year!
Wow! #5 sounds like a great deal! Lately in SE Florida, lemons have been around $1 each, believe it or not!
same price in NJ!
FFT, Frugal Block Party edition:
(1) Our block party (which DH and I host; I’m the Neighborhood Watch chair for the block) is a salad/vegetable/dessert potluck, although we turn on our gas grill for folks who want to grill meat or fish for themselves. More and more people seem to be joining us in going vegetarian for the occasion, so our grill wasn’t on very long. Expenditure = much less than one propane tank.
(2) We also spent $8 on ice for coolers so folks could chill beverages, etc. That was absolutely it for cash outlay.
(3) Several years ago, I overbought considerably on picnic supplies (paper plates, etc.) at a warehouse club, and I’m still far from using up the surplus. Not exactly zero waste, I know, but I’m going this route until we use the stuff up.
(4) Borrowed lawn furniture from absent neighbors with their permission, and several folks brought their own chairs, so no worries about seating. And DH did his usual magic in making serving tables out of old doors and sawhorses.
(5) Finally, the party did its annual magic in getting neighbors out and about and talking to each other. Building community = priceless.
Oh my gosh how lucky are you!! I’m seeing Duran Duran tonight here in Vancouver BC so very excited for this concert! Not free though I paid big Canadian bucks for my ticket the day they went on sale.
1. Huge loss leaders at our supermarkets this weekend, so I stocked up. I probably saved $100 and I have a full pantry.
2. I’m taking my change jar into the bank today and using the proceeds to buy our tickets for the annual fair. If we buy them ahead we get a discount.
3. I’m going to trade in reward points for a voucher so I can start buying my daughter’s birthday gift.
4. Worked out for an hour last night in our home gym on our secondhand treadmill.
5. Made red lentil dal and butter chicken from scratch and it was delicious
I saw Duran Duran about ten years ago. My friend from Miami flew to Boston. She bought the tickets as a thank you for staying with me at my house. Very frugal and they were so great.
My massive frugal fail:
I had tickets to see Duran Duran in San Diego with a friend (I’m from the Bay Area). The band changed the date twice and with the second change my friend couldn’t go. I tried to sell or give away the tickets to no avail.
The only bright side is that I hadn’t yet bought plane tickets!
Call the venue. If they changed they date they have to refund you the money.
1. I sold three more things on eBay and relisted items that didn’t sell.
2. I used my PayPal money (earned from selling stuff sitting around the house) to buy a plane ticket for a girls trip I’m taking in October with a friend. It will essentially be an almost free trip. We are headed to Southport, NC and staying with her parents who live ten minutes from the beach. Her mom said we can use her car. They are very generous and will most likely provide food for breakfast and lunch (we’ll take them out to dinner once or twice as a thank you). And my plane ticket was purchased with PayPal money from selling stuff! We were originally going to Charleston but decided that would be a really expensive weekend as we’d need to book a hotel, eat out every meal and rent a car.
3. Went to an outdoor concert with a friend and packed snacks I already had. Plus since I provided the food my friend bought some drinks for us!
4. Used guest passes I earned at the gym to take my kids and their friends to the pool.
5. It’s our 17th anniversary today and my husband picked up some nice steaks and wine and potatoes and salad to have a really nice dinner at home. And the kids are really happy because steak is their favorite food (and man, has it gotten expensive!). Luckily my husband is a great griller and we always like the steaks he cooks more than the ones we get in restaurants!
I live in NC and I’ve been to Southport several times. It’s a really lovely place – have fun!
1. Went with a friend to a new bakery’s open house. I signed up for a drawing and ended up winning $50 (!) worth of breads. First time I have won anything.
2. Rather than buying new pants, I went through some old boxes and found four pairs of pants that I have never worn. That would never happen now, but in the old days I would buy stuff and then just put it in the back of the closet and move the boxes from place to place. I have lost weight so they needed to be taken in first but I have a friend who did alterations in exchange for two bags of her choice of vegetables from our garden.
3. Found a container of old chili in the freezer. Not enough for a meal as it was, but I added some canned tomatoes and spices and a few vegetables from the garden and the husband and I made a meal of it. It helps that I had a loaf of fresh cheese bread from the bakery prize. Anything tastes great with cheese bread, in my experience.
4.Needed to buy something from Amazon so went to Safeway first and bought $200 worth of Amazon gift cards, thus earning gas points—and this week it was double points, so 400 points which means 40 cents off every gallon of gas next time we will up. Went home and entered the gift cards on Amazon and bought my item.
5. My garden is still producing small amounts, even though the nights here are getting colder. So, every night my husband and I go out and pick some vegetables for dinner plus enough for another night. While he is cooking up dinner, I slice, blanch, package and freeze the second serving’s worth of vegetables. Little by little, we are filling the freezer with vegetables for the winter without taxing my energy (I am battling an illness that has required numerous surgeries so far and I really have to plan how I use up my limited energy. After a day of work, I just cannot spend an entire evening prepping and freezing produce—even with a husband who always does more than his share.)
* Did a special day with my girl today. We went to the public pool (free with our annual pass), went to lunch using a Groupon (total paid 30$), went to a recreation center to which we paid for an annual pass so the more we go the cheaper it gets per visit, and went to the cheap movie theater (11$ for both of us) and there was a power outage for a couple of minutes so they gave us free passes for next time to make up for it. In the meantime, hubby brought our other girl to the same recreation center using the annual pass (just not at the same time), and they came back by bus using free tickets given to us.
* Went to a free Quiet Clubbing event with my girlfriends yesterday. Parking was only 2$ (super duper cheap here!)
* I was waiting for a cheap replacement for my broken lunch bag. Finally found one for 1$ at a garage sale.
* Wanted new hiking shoes. My old ones are 13 years old (!!) and little rocks now enters through the soles. So I went and got a new pair of waterproof North Face hiking boots using a 50$ off coupon. Price : 125$. They should last 10 years, at least, so 12.50$/year is more than decent for quality hiking boots. (I don’t hike all that much)
Have a great frugal day!
North Face has a lifetime guarantee on most items. I know they replaced an expensive raincoat whose lining failed (flaked off) in several places with a brand new one. Sometime to consider in pricing as well.
Something to consider…not sometime.
Yes, the cashier told me this. Good to know! Too bad they never informed me of this when I bought my North Face winter boots 4 years ago. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, but still…
Duran Duran…..that makes me laugh. I loved them when I was about 12. I’m pretty okay with paying for concerts but I tend to think that would be the way I’d enjoy that show too– just driving around hearing it for free! (I was always a Nick Rhodes, John Taylor fan myself!)
1. Wanted African food Friday night and it’s pretty cheap (less than $20 for two dishes and the serving sizes are such that it’s actually two meals!) but the place was closed due to lack of air conditioning. We just decided to go home and make nachos.
2. Ate at home the rest of the weekend, as well.
3. Hung clothes to dry instead of using the dryer.
4. Didn’t go anywhere today so no money spent.
5. Emailed about my pay from the freelance job I did– it will be another month before they pay which means I’m going to have to wait probably three months total.
In other news– lightning hit our plug that the tv is plugged into. Fried the cable box but the tv was spared. Am going to get a new plug for the wall and try to replace this week. Kinda scary as electrical stuff is daunting but I want to at least attempt it before calling someone. I don’t want to be a helpless woman!
Simon LeBon is such a dreamboat…that is the best frugal thing EVER.
1. We spent this morning on a hike after breakfast. Free (except for the gas) and our Discovery Pass, which we buy annually for $30 since we are big outdoors people. Otherwise, it’s $10 a day! We definitely make that up every year. We packed a lunch so we wouldn’t be tempted to stop anywhere on the 45 minute drive home for a snack (and I always seem to go unhealthy after a hike!)
2. We spent yesterday cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Made new cleaning solution with vinegar that had been soaking with lemon peels for a couple weeks, and some water to dilute. Cheap, calorie burning, and zero waste!
3. Watching The Fosters on Netflix for weekend night activities. Such a sweet show, totally hooked.
4. Improvising for an forgotten ingredient for dinner tonight instead of making a special trip to the store for a $5 item we don’t normally use, which would also take us past our budget for the month.
5. Only drove the car 3 times last week! Love it when that happens.
the usual frugalities here: always line dry clothes. Eating and preserving from the garden. Offered friends a place to stay while they are in town. NOTE: if any of you are staying with friends while visiting – they are saving you big $$$$. They will most likely be changing beds and doing lots of laundry of sheets and towels when you leave, plus cleaning. Please don’t expect them to cook for you too!. if you do, even if you just stay there, think of all the money they are saving you and take them out to eat every day you are there. And thank them profusely!!
YES thank you for reminding folks about being a good house guest. My house has a separate heat pump/AC unit in the guest rooms, so it costs me more $ when I have guests. Plus the added water, food, paper supplies, etc. I don’t mind, but I don’t like feeling taken advantage of either. Most guests cook at least one meal for us or take us out to eat.
LOL, I share your feelings about being a good houseguest. We recently visited DH’s daughter on the occasion of their first child. (We’re grandparents, oh boy!) They don’t live near a Costco, so we asked for a shopping list. We filled it, along with some random bonus items, which we had fun choosing. The total was almost $400. Sounds shocking, but we stayed there four nights. In Aspen, $400 will buy two nights’ lodging in basic digs, not including food. Ouch, but still a win!
1. I bought salmon, sashimi tuna steaks and cod (cod was on sale, reduced from $12.99 per lb to$7.99 per lb.) Made a coconut and spice fish stew from the cod, and seared the tuna and had it with wasabe and soy sauce and it was amazing. I have had the fish stew for much of the week and still have some remaining. And I ate dinner and lunch home for most of the week instead of going out and spending way too much money.
2. On Friday evening I went to Panera Bread and had an amazing salad for dinner. I used remainder of a gift card that I had in my wallet for a while. So, no outlay of money, and I needed a break from the fish at that point.
3.I listed 4 high end watches on ebay that I have no interest in wearing any longer. They are all so beautiful, but my lifestyle is different living in Florida than it was in NJ. One got sold in a few days time. Also listed a few Dooney and Bourke handbags that I purchased in the last few years. Actually one I had bought at a big flea market that they have every year in Ocean Grove, NJ. It is in perfect condition, in fact it looks like no one ever even used it. (I paid $5 for it!)
The rest were purchased brand new and either not used or used a few times.
4. A Fendi wallet that had been languishing on ebay for months got sold as well… and a pair of J Jill denim capri pants that I know I shall never wear again, as it is a size 6 petite. I am currently a Size 14 and have no plans to ever be that small again at my age! LOL
5. I saw two free movie screenings this week… have a ticket for another one this Tuesday, and used a Living Social voucher to see a movie today… $5.60 for a movie and a medium popcorn. I brought my own Coke Zero in my purse… 50cents as opposed to about $5.00 at the concession counter. Big difference!
1. Friend brought me crabapples. Made 2 batches of jelly. No pectin needed!
2. Wore thrifted skirt, hand-me-down shirt and shoes that were a bday gift to church today.
3. Spent the afternoon on the deck at parents house visiting & relaxing. No money spent for a beautiful day.
4. Reading library books online this week. I love holding a real book in my hands, but appreciate the ease of returning the online version.
5. After spending a couple thousand on dental work this past month between the two of us, we were relieved to learn my husband’s appointment this week will be covered by insurance. Yay!
1. Took leftovers home from dinner at an Indian restaurant Friday night and put them in the freezer for another time.
2. Spent no money yesterday.
3. Cut up melon to make sure it doesn’t go to waste.
4. Haven’t needed to fill up my gas tank this week.
5. Keeping AC off as much as possible.
1. Improvised a dinner dish because I didn’t want to go to the store. It was delicious and my husband liked it.
2 16 extra hours at work this week!
3. Took my son and his friend to the pool today for One the last swims of the season. We are lucky that our aquatic center is open until Labor Day (in Iowa!). Stretching out that pass as long as we can.
4. Was able to turn the air of the majority of the week and open windows.
5. Didn’t leave the house on Saturday. I usually work but it was my weekend off. Ate our meals at home and got caught up on chores. No money spent!
1. I am staying home this weekend. All my friends are away and I am taking it as an opportunity for some serious ‘spring cleaning’. Also, no going out, no money spent. Except groceries.
2. I am precooking meals for the next three days.
3. I got some great deals on clearance at my local Duane Reade.
4. Got some freebies in the mail (that I signed up for 6 weeks ago)
5. Posted a few things on ebay – let’s see what happens
1. Attended a memorial service yesterday – sad occasion but opportunity to see old friends.
2. Went grocery shopping today at Aldi – prices seem to have risen a bit – however, I like this chain because they generally have lower prices than their competitors. (We do have a local market that has better produce prices but staples are much higher.)
3. Appointment to get oil changed tomorrow. Will use a coupon.
4. On my way home I will stop at friend’s house and raid her small garden – she is out of town and has given me permission to collect her veggies.
5. Have menu plan through Labor Day. Use it only as a guide – our food usage isn’t precise and I often am able to stretch a meal ‘s worth of food into leftovers for another day – example: today’s tuna pasta salad and cranberry/nut bread will go into husband’s lunch tomorrow. I’ve never been able to cook precisely so I now “plan” to incorporate leftovers into additional meals.
It’s so wonderful that the great 80’s musicians are still out there playing their heart out for the fans! I loved DD, but never saw them play live! I have, however, caught some of the my other teenage favorites in recent years: Psychedelic Furs, The Church, and a friend bought me a ticket for the upcoming Morrissey concert (can’t wait, but, oh, to have seen the Smiths live!)
1. This weekend we scouted out free events. We watched the performers at Flugtag (I’ll just let you Google that one) fly into the Ohio River.
2. Later, we went to the annual Zombie Walk (this was was not only my 6 year observing or participating in it, but it marks my 6th year living in Louisville. It was one of the first events I attended here in 2010). My boys dressed up and for their costumes we visited St. Vincent thrift store. We were able to find a Hawaiian shirt and madras shorts for my oldest to be a Zombie tourist and the younger one found a grey “HUMAN” project t-shirt and grey athletic pants to be a security agent trying to contain the zombies (or something like it). Anyway, the frugal part is the event is free, I get to spend quality time with my boys, and the costumes are put together “old school” style costumes with cheap thrifted items that can be destroyed with lots of fake blood.
3. While at said thrift store with the youngest, we found a good pair of Nike KD shoes in his size for $3. I would never have known what “KD” brand shoes look like except I also have a 14 year old who is in a certain phase of life regarding shoes and clothing.
4. I also visited the Goodwill Outlet this weekend and nearly cried over all the great vintage items I saw in the bins. I have no time to sell things on eBay or other means and I will only hoard it, so I just looked at it and sadly said goodbye as no one else seemed to be grabbing it either.
5. I did find an old quilt at the GW outlet and I have it tied up outside in a black garbage bag in our 100 F heat (in case any critters are in it) and I will carefully wash it and repair a few small tears! I love old quilts!*
*As an aside, my most frugal quilt find was one I found washed up on an Ohio River island we like to explore. You better believe I carried that heavy, wet, dirty thing home and washed it. It is beautiful and probably circa 1930s going by the fabrics on it!
I love the Smiths as well! Hearing their songs takes me right back to that time in my life.
Oops! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to attach my 5FTs your post! I will say though that I need to really borrow your meal planning action and do this too I have been way to wasteful with food lately. Thanks for the inspiration!
1. We decided to paint our front door and went to the store with a paint chip in hand but checked the mist-ints and found an acceptable color for $1 for a quart rather than the $14 normal price. I can live with a darker color at that savings.
2. Decided not to go out to lunch today and finished up most of the left overs.
3. Planned meals for the rest of the week.
4. We will go to our state fair on Tuesday but bought tickets in advance, will park in a free lot and take a shuttle, have $$ for all fair food.
5.Needed to freshen up the window boxes in anticipation of the wedding we are hosting in 2 weeks – planned on buying some mums at Aldi’s at $3/each and found some at the hardware store for $2/each. That should be the last of the garden work for the wedding. Besides stringing the 10 strings of white lights … I hate ladder work!
I love Duran Duran. Free music….frugal fun … life-long memories. My frugal five include:
1) I was able to trade a pair of lamps and a set of bar stools that I didn’t need for a set of rattan chairs for that my daughter needed for her screened porch. What a frugal win!
2) I worked on Saturday so I added $$$$$ to my savings account.
3) For entertainment this weekend, I enjoyed a day at the beach, read a thrifted mystery and rented the movie Love and Friendship.
4) My life has changed over the last few years; therefore, many of the things in my closet no longer fit my lifestyle. So I gave a few items of clothing to a friend, gathered several piece for donation, and put a few pieces aside for sale. This is a slow process.
5) I did my grocery shopping for the weekend. I looked over the weekly ad and purchased many loss leaders and BOGO deals. Lately, my market has been offering great deals on organic meat and dairy, so I am stocking up as much as freezer space allows. The same grocery also offered discounted gas cards again this weekend.
1. Started back to work this week and worked 2.5 hrs. overtime.
2. Am working on my 5 times a year book review magazine columns, due on the 31st. I get stacks and stacks of books sent to me, in hopes I will use them in my column. I donate the proof copies to our library’s teen program, for prizes, and sell or give away the rest. Boxes of free books = Xmas in the mail!!
3. Wasn’t planning on my sons eating dinner with us today (they are usually either working or out with friends), so stretched the caprese salad I’d planned by adding fresh herbs, chopped yellow squash, more tomatoes, and a half-head of romaine, chopped up and mixed with Garlic Expression. The boys decided they would help their dad make the rest of dinner, while I read, so we had grilled steaks, made with a special marinade, seasoned potatoes, and honey butter crescent rolls. So nice to enjoy their company for once!
4. One of our teachers gave me an almost full large clamshell of organic spring mix, which she didn’t like.
5. Brought home a donut from the leftovers after church today, as a breakfast treat for tomorrow.
1. We went to a garlic and tomato festival and lunch was tomato sandwiches and tomato salad that was given to us while watching a cooking demonstration.
2. a friend shared the tomatoes she bought at the festival because she bought too many.
3. a friend and I made strawberry rhubard jam after the festival. Another friend give us the rhubarb from his garden and we split the rest of the ingredients. I will send some off to my niece and nephew in a package I am sending this week and use some for Christmas gifts.
4. other friends stopped by during our jam making to bring us some pear jam they had made. They left with some strawberry rhubarb in exchange.
5. I also was given homemade vanilla and homemade applesauce.
I had a completely frugal weekend, since my gout decided to act up and I can barely limp around the house. Today was more painful, but still managed to change the bed and wash the sheets. Had just talked to my doctor about medication for this last week, and will be calling tomorrow to tell him I’ve changed my mind and WILL take the pills. Really hurting.
We did take a short ride to the town hall where they were collecting e-waste and managed to get rid of an old TV set we didn’t use anymore. Reminded my dd and she took a computer tower over also.
Didn’t get as much done as I wanted to on the weekend, but came pretty close considering how I felt. Have a mostly unscheduled week, so am hoping to make up for it over the next few days.
Didn’t buy ANYTHING.
Gosh, Marcia: the gout is a killer for pain, so I really feel for you. I hope it improves soon.
Marcia, I have gout also so I do know how terribly painful it is. I wanted to mention a couple things that have really made a difference for me. Frugal people love beans, as do I, but beans cause me and many others to have gout flares. Also, increase your water intake ALOT. This may not help much while your are having a flare but it definately helps prevent them to the point of when I feel the slightest bit of pain I can increase my water intake and it begins to get better. When I am in the throws of a bad flare it seems like an ice pack on the area helps more than anything. Good luck to you and I feel your pain!
My husband used to have very painful gout at least once a month and was told he would be on pills for life .
We did some reading an started on a glass of pure cherry juice a day and has had no gout for seven months it might not work for everyone but it works for him. It costs us about £5 a week but it beats taking pills if it works for you………………tastes nice too. Jessica in Scotland
Hmmm, I should try to do this regularly, too, sure would help to stay more frugal.
So, let’s see if I find five things:
1. Did not buy new bedsheets, also they were on offer and I would have loved them. But I have two really high quality sets already, one on the bed, one in the washing – really don’t need more.
2. Dried my washing on the communal outdoor clothes lines in my new housing – the first summer where I have bedsheets and towels that smell of sun and wind, love it. I am not comfortable with hanging my underwear there, even if other neighbours do that – would you do it?
3. Was invited to a barbecue and brought a dessert where I could use the very ripe mangoes that I had bought on discount, but not yet decided what to do with.
4. Got the new Harry Potter from the library – 1 Euro for reservation instead of 20 Euro for buying
5. Ate at home …
it seems I could always fill my FFT with: didn’t eat out, read books from the library, did most errands by bike and line-dried my washing (as I don’t have a drier anymore), because that is my normal way of life …. but that’s not the point, is it? Well, I’ll see if I find frugal things that are not what I would do anyway
although they were on offer, sorry
I am a big fan of line drying, but delicate underwear lasts longer if dried inside – hot summer sun is hard on elastic 🙂
Good point, Laura!
I was going to suggest hanging sheets on the lines adjacent to the underwear lines, for at least partial modesty.
I’m told that in Victorian times, if you didn’t hang any underwear out it was assumed you didn’t wear any. 😉
Hahaha, good job with the concert!
This week:
1. We bought appliances for our new house and did price matching, which saved us $100! 🙂
2. My dad offered to give us his old couch and love seat for free, which means we don’t have to spend $2,000+ on a bigger sofa. This should get us by for the next 18 months that we’re paying student loans. After that point we can reevaluate to see if a new couch is needed.
3. I cooked a lot this weekend to prep for weeknight meals. I peeled tomatoes for our bisque and did slow cooker pulled salsa verde chicken, which we’ll eat tonight.
4. We made more homemade laundry soap to save money. We also refilled our liquid dish soap with Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap, which has been sitting untouched under our sink for months.
5. Mr. Picky Pincher made a huge pot of gumbo, which we froze for our emergency meal stash.
1. I washed the bed pillows, which I’ve done several times, but this time the stuffing in one of the pillows seemed to roll into a Twinkie and do a 90 degree turn. After some minutes of fighting with it, I slit the case open enough to put my arm in. I managed to pull and tug until it’s now a normal pillow again, no lumps. I stitched the opening shut and it’s ready for use.
2. We had a “servant” fair at church, in which those who volunteer to work with various ministries and missions get their names put in the hat for gifts from local vendors. I put my name in for my usual volunteering efforts and received an email today that I won a $25 gift certificate from one of my favorite boutiques; I love their stuff but I only shop when I get a gift certificate. I’m thinking of Christmas gift ideas to use the certificate on.
3. For my daughter’s birthday this weekend, I baked her favorite dessert, cupcakes, without having to buy any ingredients. She still asks for Mama’s cupcakes, even though she’s in her 30’s now 🙂
4. My husband and I ate lunch at home after church, instead of eating out as we were so tempted to do.
5. I candied my own ginger to use for Christmas baking. I googled the recipe. I’m also planning on trying some pear butter with the pears off our sand pear tree. They aren’t very good for fresh eating, but they cook pretty well.
I had a good laugh at your Duran Duran story and it reminded me of how my husband managed to hear Paul McCartney perform for free. His outdoor concert was at a large park near us but only part of the park was fenced off and ticketed. DH found a spot where he could see and hear everything for free and had a blast.
1. Was at a consignment store looking for a not black but dark neutral skirt and blouse to wear to an upcoming funeral. Found ones that fit and match shoes, etc. that I already have. Then I found a sequin front knit top for almost nothing and wore it to my 67th birthday dinner date with DH. Nice wardrobe additions for little.
2. After getting a bid for painting services, we decided to fix and paint more of the walls/ceilings that need painting before we list our house for sale. We also will lean how to pressure wash and do the fence, deck, etc. ourselves as well as paint the fence. Cut the cost of hired painting at least in half.
3. Sprayed the yard for mosquitoes.
The rest was routine – do our own yard work, use up leftovers, etc. Frugal fail was taking the dog to the vet when she was not doing well. Now I know I could have simply given her a pill that I already have. She has Addison’s disease and has been doing well on her treatment plan for over 3 years so this episode was scary. It has been a learning process to take care of her.
1. Did 15 mystery shops over the weekend. Also got paid $54 for one very involved shop I did last week. College fund! Also continuing to steadily sell on Amazon. Average about 1 item a day.
2. Got a really nice shelf for free from my FB yardsale group. It looks like its made from baseball bats and is solidly constructed. DS#1 can use it for his collection of Baltimore Orioles bobble heads.
3. Grocery store has ham steaks on sale for $2 each but when you buy 4 it takes $5 off. So $3 for 4 ham steaks. Bought 4 as that was all they had but will go back and get more to feed the freezer.
4. DH helped an older neighbor with a home repair on the roof of his home. DH climbed up on the roof and reattached a piece of flashing that had come loose during the wicked storms we had last week. DH came home with a loaf of squash bread made by neighbor’s wife. Who of course is also our neighbor!
5. Bought lots of seeds and gladiola bulbs for 10¢ a package on clearance. I will plant the glads now and save most of the seeds for next spring. I will plant a few types for my fall garden- spinach, lettuce, carrots.
i love #2
I got lots of seeds this week at Dollar General stores. They were on clearance for 2 cents and 4 cents a package. I teach gardening to PreK and K students on a very limited budget so was happy to find these.
Wow, that’s insane!
Lynda,
I also got my seeds at DG but they were out of most of the cheaper seeds so I had to splurge for the ones that were 10¢! LOL!
1) I ate lunch in on Friday and worked out after work, then ate leftovers in the fridge for dinner.
2) Saturday I stayed home that morning doing laundry and cleaning, headed to my daughter’s with a load of stuff for her yard sale next month, went home and ate leftovers again.
3) Yesterday I went nowhere. I used up the last of the eggs in the fridge for breakfast, baked a can of biscuits from the fridge and some bacon I’d bought on the way on Saturday evening.
4) I fixed steaks for dinner last night that my daughter gave me Saturday from a meat sale she hit at the grocers near her. I used up the last of our potatoes, a can of corn from the cupboard and made a salad from what we had in the crisper. Dinner turned out tasty. I didn’t go anywhere all day, so not much gas usage over the weekend.
5) I’m finishing up an audiobook “The Language of Bees” from the Library today and going to the Pilates class at the fitness center this evening.
A very uneventful weekend, but I got plenty of rest!
Wow – I need to edit better, I totally left words out of a few sentences. It must be Monday!
1) My new kindergartner outgrew all his pants over the summer. I pulled out the magic box from his closet- I’ve been buying bigger sized pants all summer at thrift stores. He’s set until his next growth spurt.
2) Yesterday morning I roasted a half a turkey that I scored for $0.99 per lb earlier in the year. There’s the protein for the first part of the week.
3) The tomato glut has hit. I’ve been roasting a freezing tomato sauce as fast as I can.
4) My Dad wanted to take my older son to the state fair. I packed a water bottle and snacks to help keep the expenditures reasonable (and more healthy).
5) The tooth fairy visited our house for the first time. I took the opportunity with my son to open up his piggy bank and divy it up between savings, charity and toy money. He was thrilled to buy a couple of toys at Goodwill and even had some money left to put back in the piggy bank.
Soooo…I am about to spend a lot of money on a three-month yoga teacher training; but that makes these small wins in the past couple of days feel all the better!
1. We found a cheaper option for cable that will save us more than $50 a month!
2. Instead of purchasing a new devotional book to replace the one I just finished, I downloaded a free app that offers the same style of daily devotional (with Bible verses and a reflection), but won’t add *another* book to my shelf.
3. On Sunday morning, we had a new brand of turkey sausage links as part of our brunch. They were just okay, flavor-wise; but I have been eating the leftovers yesterday and today as part of my breakfast. I couldn’t bear to throw them out just because I didn’t love them.
4. Yesterday, I used my Kroger card to save 20 cents per gallon at the gas station.
5. Speaking of Kroger – on Sunday, I had enough in my grocery budget to buy some extra items, which allowed me to stock up on sale products that we’ll make good use of (including our preferred brand of chicken, which was on sale for 50% off!).
Three cheers for in-state tuition, most frugal thing ever.
Love, love, love Duran Duran. I’ve seen them in concert a few times over the years! That’s great you were close enough to see/hear it.