- I spent all day yesterday writing, and although I had “grocery store” on my to-do list, it didn’t exactly happen. However, I was still able to scrounge up a simple dinner for my husband and myself. Pesto, cheese and bread transformed into grilled cheese sandwiches, and a can of chicken noodle soup finished up the meal. It wasn’t an Instagram worthy meal, but it did the trick.
- I put two of my older son’s used textbooks on Half.com and then pretty much forgot about them. (It took maybe four minutes to list the books.) I woke up today to an e-mail notifying me that one of the books had sold, so I packaged it up and will drop it at the post office while running errands this afternoon. Needless to say, I was able to cobble together free packaging from my stash of used padded envelopes that insist on entering my orbit.
- My thrifted watches end on eBay today, and although only two have bids, I expect that things will change when it gets closer to the end time. (Most experienced eBay users know to not place major bids until the last minute as it increases the price too much.) I’ll relist what didn’t sell and likely change the format from “bid” to “buy it now.”
- I spent a half hour or so last night looking at completed listings on antique marbles, and have decided that it’s time to sell off some of my own antique marbles. It used to be that every antique store had a bowl of old marbles next to the register, and I would always spend a few minutes sifting through them and spend maybe 50¢ to add to my collection. These marbles now sell for a lot of money, so I think I’ll experiment with a few listings to see if I can make some cashola from these dust collectors. I once bought a glass vase of antique marbles from Goodwill for $4 or so, and ended up making over $500 by selling them off. I’ll need to reeducate myself about identification and description terms, but that’s not so difficult. I’ll also need to spend some time cleaning them up, because as you can see in the above photo, they are extremely dusty!
- I submitted another Clark Howard article, then proposed and got approved for two more, I’m working at the hospital tomorrow, I decreased our cable-TV package down to the bare minimum, (it would have cost more to cancel it, as we get a “bundling” discount on our internet) and tonight I’ll help my mother clean one of her guest cottages. (Click HERE to see how this particular “doll house” was Apartment Therapy’s “House of The Day” on Friday!)
Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?
{ 68 comments… read them below or add one }
I am making it a point to NOT grocery shop this week. I got so much stuff last week with a friend stays over that after she is gone, which is tonight, I can get going for at least a week.
The only thing I need to get is milk.
I have a few watchers on one of my most expensive items on eBay. Fingers crossed.
I fixed a few more items from my ‘sewing pile’
Brown bagging work lunches every day and cooking dinners at home. Before my trip to poland in November I am watching every dollar!
1. My husband’s office mate gifted me her Pfaff 230 sewing machine. He offered her money but she refused. I baked her a loaf of zucchini bread as a thank you. I don’t have sewing skills beyond my 9th grade Home Ec class but I’ve managed some Fall themed cloth napkins with hand me down fabric.
2. Spent all day Saturday at my son’s band competition. We packed sandwiches and snacks but splurged on fresh squeezed lemonade. It was worth it after sitting in the Alabama sun for hours.
3. The weather remains hot during the day so we’ve been having lots of sandwich/salad combos for dinner. I did bake a batch of cinnamon rolls Sunday. We will enjoy them all week for breakfast.
4. Rode my bicycle to the store for bread and aluminum foil.
5. Line dried all the laundry and signed up for auto-pay on the phone bill saving $8 per month.
Score on the sewing machine!
$500 for old marbles???? Holy Cow, I need to check into that. I think we have some around the house.
1) I made my errand list up and have ticked most of it off the past few days. Today I picked up frozen, microwavable meals from the Dollar Tree for 3 days of lunches. Since they are meat and potatoes, they are helping me stay on my low carb diet.
2) I switched our car insurance over to the same carrier as our house insurance and saved about $20 a month.
3) I checked the balance on my medical savings account, since we will have a deductible to pay for my husband’s hospital stay. It will cover most of it and our insurance has an out of pocket limit for the year that will save of a lot of money, since he was in there for 4 days and went in through the ER.
4) The earpiece on my eyeglasses broke off, but they are under warranty so $0 cost for replacement frames.
5) The tire pressure monitor came on in the car, so I stopped at the tire shop to have them check it out this morning. None of the tires had the correct pressure in them, so the tech rectified the issue and it cost me nothing. It pays to buy locally from neighbors. The tire shop owner buys furniture from my husband. Win-win.
and you’ll get better gas mileage with the tires properly inflated…another frugal win!
I hadn’t thought of that Dmarie, thanks!! 🙂
I sell on ebay, but marbles are one thing that I don’t understand well enough to price. I have a big jar. If you feel confident about listing them, maybe I can research enough to do the same.
1. I don’t have a Costco card, but I met my friend there on Sunday to use her membership. I was very careful about not buying too much, and talked myself out of the pepitas and dried cherries.
2. Meijer has apples on sale for 49 cents a pound, which is the cheapest they get. I bought two bags of Jonagolds.
3. Walked over to the library and picked out a big stack of books for my 12 year old. He is too lazy to pick out his own books, but will read what I bring home.
4. Someone brought in a birthday cake to the office, which made a nice afternoon treat.
5. AT&T limited wifi usage so that I had to step up our plan one level. They then upped the limits enough that I could downgrade back to the cheaper plan.
I got a book from the library about antique marbles, and that really helped to properly identify what I had.
Thank you for the tip. I will see what our library has.
Katy , the cottage is wonderful. That is my dream living situation – if only I lived on the west coast!
It has been one financial surprise after another here lately. I had to hire a contractor to fix a leak problem that was actually caused by another contractor. This time I hope the situation is fixed for good. It’s a water issue so it’s something that absolutely needs to be dealt with. On top of that I found out today I more than likely need a root canal. This after already scheduling dental work on the other side of my mouth. It’s destressing since I really do take good care of my teeth , but I’m a stress grinder!
Thanks to you Katy and all of the people here I know that I can come up with ways to replenish the now dwindling emergency fund even with a two month lay off up ahead.
1. I guest lectured for two classes this week so that will bring in some extra income.
2. I bought butternut Squash at the local grocery store as my contribution to a dinner with friends. I was shocked by the $12.00 total but I wasn’t sure Aldi would have any. Luckily they did and I got two good sized ones for $2.00 and returned the others immediately to the other store. $10.00 saved.
3. I have continued to walk for exercise and am now only 4 pounds away from my goal weight. These last 5 pounds have been the hardest.
4. I did go out the other night with my co-workers. I did spend about $25.00 total and that was without any drinks the entire night. We went to a casino (not my choice) and I did loose $6.00 (part of the 25 mentioned above) and quit right there. Some others didn’t and boy did they spend money. Let’s just say, It’s something I’d never done and now I know I never need to do it again.
5. I’ve been doing the ususal, making meals, line drying laundry and going to the library.
I hate going to the casino. I’ve gotten roped into that several times. It’s never any fun for me.
I am notorious among our friends for my refusal to gamble. Our money matters to me and losing it, winning it, losing it, etc. is not a fun roller coaster for me. No one has tried to talk me into a casino in years. Instead I talk them into hiking. Better for everyone in every way and we get a lot more talking and laughing out of it.
1. We babysat our friend’s daughter yesterday as part of our ongoing childcare exchange. She had our daughter last week. It saves both our families money and our daughters have fun playing together.
2. We have sanded back our entire lounge and lobby, ready for painting tomorrow. We will also be painting our front door, which is looking pretty poor. Total cost for a two room makeover: $110 plus time and sweat. Our home renos have not been expensive overall but have made a world of difference.
3. We cooked up a big batch of casserole and curry for when we go back to work next week.
4. My sister helped me finish our kitchen curtains. I’m not much of a sewer.
5. Dinner was tacos using chilli from the freezer and shells bought half price.
1. We got free dinner last night because my dad made a big batch of chili.
2. I’m going to a wedding this weekend and wearing a dress I already own. I did buy new shoes because I needed a pair of black heels anyway, but I bought them secondhand.
3. We nixed an idea for a DIY wedding project that would have been cute but would have cost an extra $50-$100.
4. I used a store credit to send a bouquet to my grandma for her birthday today. She was thrilled!
5. I’ve decided not to drink any alcohol during the week, which will save me a good chunk of change.
1. This is a combination fail- win — I was checking my receipts to enter on my budget and found I was charged $13.00 a pound for bulk beans — they were mistakenly entered as an expensive herb. Gotta see if I can get that money back! I wish I’d looked at it sooner. I was in a hurry to meet someone and didn’t check the bill, which I almost always do. At least I finally saw it.
2. I’ve eaten some unusual lunches lately, but I’ve been fed, the leftovers get eaten, and I don’t have to buy anything.
3. I’m returning my library book on time.
4. My electric toothbrush died, and I’ve just been using the freebie manual brushes from the dentist. I’ll get a new electric toothbrush eventually, but not till I find the best price.
5. I hid the dried fruit I made for Christmas baking from my husband. He absolutely will NOT stay out of it. I’m not paying fancy prices for dried fruit when I can make it from my own tree. I also hid the ginger I candied. It’s like having a toddler in the house, but one who can reach everything.
Not sure if this will help you, but I try to shop with someone if I can. I get hubby to deal with loading the conveyor belt while I watch what the cashier enters. We’ve caught mistakes, too! I hope you get your refund. 🙂
Bravo for fighting that writer’s block. 🙂
This week:
1. We are doing VERY well with our home-cooked meals and food budget. It’s quite early in the month, but we’re four days in and I’m really reining in our takeout habit. It’s been very challenging since we’re renovating and can’t cook while working on the house. We’re figuring it out. 🙂
2. I listed a lot of stuff on Craigslist. I’m hoping at least some of it will sell before we move into the house. I listed our old oven, a purse, my entire Pokemon collection, and computer case.
3. Last night we took a break from working on the house and vegged at home. We drank a few cold beers and watched bad scary movies–it was an awesome, frugal night at home. We haven’t gotten to veg out much lately, so it was extra special. 🙂
4. I did an interview this week that’ll pay out $85. Not bad for 30 minutes of work! I plan to invest the money into my blog; I’ll have to sit on it for a little while to figure out the best way to spend it.
5. I washed our clothes with our homemade laundry soap and made a few “free” meals using only pantry ingredients.
Loud cheers to Katy for pressing on through the writer’s block–and I for one am totally looking forward to the big mystery project. (An NCA book at last? I’ll be the first in line!!)
FFT, Miscellaneous Edition:
(1) Katy’s marbles prompt me to comment about my marbles, which have all been dug up around the property here in the process of gardening. Most are too scratched to be worth anything on eBay, I’d guess. But these are Historical Marbles: One day about 15 years ago, two of the “My Three Sons” who grew up in our house in the 1940s and early 50s stopped by with their grown children to ask if they could show the kids around. We not only obliged, but produced our full Mason jar of marbles and asked, “You guys played a lot of marbles, yeah?” Acknowledged. (I retained possession of the jar, however, by mutual consent. Excavation rights and all that.)
(2) Last BLTs of the season tonight, with last 2015 bacon from our 1/2 pig last year, last really good big homegrown tomato, and last homegrown lettuce. A feast!
(3) Generally working on cleaning out the freezer, in anticipation of this year’s 1/4 cow within the week. This year’s 1/2 pig is still about a month away.
(4) Preparing for my presentation at the Literary Society’s annual national conference in DC later this month. I will require, among other things, a couple of magnifying glasses and a lot of bubble wrap–and DH dived into our holdings and found we had enough of both. Trip to Staples saved.
(5) We’re also planning the usual thrifty dodges for the trip–packing water, soda, and sandwiches; staying with friends both coming and going; stashing a lot of granola bars to avoid expensive snacks while there; etc., etc.
(4) Condolences to pattilou on her dental work. I’ve been squirreling away cash in anticipation of at least one crown in November; my dentist has four of my teeth with cracks on the watch list. Isn’t aging fun (not!!)??
Oh dear, did I just do 4, 5, 4? I’m afraid I did. Long day of telecommuting and all that.
Thanks A. Marie. Now I need to ask – “magnifying glasses and a lot of bubble wrap”? I can only imagine what for!
I’m taking some items from DH’s and my collection of British royal commemoratives (one of our *very* few extravagances over the years) for a presentation about our Literary Society’s Author and a member of the royal family. The ceramics need the bubble wrap, and the medals and coins need the magnifying glasses.
1. Walked to Walgreens for 3 boxes of free, after taxes, sale, and coupons toothpaste. Found 8 pennies on the way.
2. Walked to the Asian market to buy head of garlic. I found a quarter on the way and the Asian market had giant pineapples for $1.99.
3. Walked to the ATM and found a dime and 3 pennies.
4. The weather is wonderful, not too hot nor cold. Good for walking any time and no need to run any HVAC.
5. I made a smoothie with fruit I froze before we left town a couple of times this summer. Better late than never,
It’s almost as if someone paved your way with pennies.
1. Since making stops at Goodwill and the Salvation Army recently (and hitting their 50% off days each time), I’ve been wearing a bunch of thrifted outfits lately. It feels great. Ruby, I’m totally stealing your line when I say I’m wearing cute thrifted outfits!
2. I got two free samples at the grocery store (a little square of cake and a peanut butter and jelly cracker – both delicious).
3. On the subject of free samples, my husband went to Sam’s for something and came home with a little package of crackers. I asked him what it was from, and he said the free sample machine at Sam’s. He told me he knew that if he walked by the machine and didn’t get one, his wife would be upset. He knows me!
4. My daughter bought a jacket (not used so not frugal – I know). When we were checking out, I thanked the cashier for giving us the hanger with it since I’m low on them and it was exactly the kind I like. She said, “Oh, do you need hangers?” She gave me all the ones she had under her cash register, and got the ones from the cash register next to hers and gave those to me too! I thanked her profusely.
5. Cut my husband’s hair using clippers, like I’ve been doing for years. But this time, I gave my daughter her first lesson in doing it. Hopefully one of these days I’ll work myself out of a job!
My younger son likes to cut his father’s hair, and actually does a really good job!
Our daughter cuts her father’s hair and does a great job.
Awww, love your mom’s guest cottage. I used to live a block over on Bidwell. It’s a great neighborhood!
1. Made barbacoa beef in the crockpot yesterday. It’s a Chipotle copycat recipe. Took longer than usual to tenderize the meat, so we’re having the “bowls” for dinner tonight.
2. Continuing to organize/clean out/declutter the whole house. Today it was office supplies and the kids’ toy & game closet. If the weather holds, I’m thinking yard sale Saturday.
3. We almost always eat at home, but I was especially uninspired over the weekend. Saturday everyone had a different meal, but we used up a lot of things and everyone was satisfied. Two kids had different kinds of leftovers, son’s girlfriend had (planned) leftover soup I pulled out of the freezer and heated up, husband had (planned) leftover (frozen) chili. I really wanted middle eastern food. Ended up picking parsley, tomatoes, cucumber from the garden, and adding homegrown garlic and green onions for a single serving of tabouli. Rounded it out with Trader Joe’s dolmas.
4. More rain over the weekend so the garden is well watered. Beautiful fall weather means the AC is off, though we’ve needed the heat here and there the past few days. Mostly we layer on sweaters & socks and one of the many afghans I keep stashed around the house.
5. Mended my jeans and a pair of my son’s pants. Patagonia has a great poster that says “Repair is a radical act.” Love that.
1. Found a $1 bill when walking the dog this am
2. My boss offered me great quality Angus Beef at $3/lb – bought 4 lbs.
3. Picking up an extra hour of work tomorrow -and worked today which I hadn’t planned on.
4. My husband is done with his Ryder Cup volunteering so will be home with the dog tomorrow and Thursday while I work – sometimes I put the dog in day care just so he doesn’t spend hour after hour alone.
5. Both my husband and I are working catering events Friday evening and Sat Lunch for my work which will add $$ to our “offset expenses when in DC” account.
1. Our friends brought us a new-to-us and barely used by their previous homeowner pretty stainless wash basin and stainless exterior dishwasher for free. They were going to give it away to replace it with one that matched the rest of their appliances. I took this free one (would retail for about $1300 brand new) and we treated them to a sushi dinner as a thank you (we planned this in our budget). The rest of our kitchen will come together when we have the cash, but we can sell our existing dishwasher for maybe $20 or so. Pretty sweet deal.
2. I listed a sweatshirt my husband doesn’t wear anymore in eBay. It’s Lululemon and that brand always sells very well for pre-worn clothing on eBay. Free to list.
3. Refreshed some Craigslist postings, and added a cat water fountain my cats hated. It was an impulse purchase to encourage my cat with urinary issues to drink more water but I think he was scared by it. The dog drank out of it once.
4. I received a big ($3500) rebate check from the county for a rain garden installment, shoved the entire thing into our emergency fund we are building back up from emergency vet bills this summer.
5. I was sure to check my Just4U coupons before popping into Safeway to grab something. I normally don’t shop there but do on occasion but this time was to track down that nostalgic New York Seltzer that was back from the 80s! The seltzer was on sale, and I picked up a few frozen pizza for about $3.50 each to stash into the freezer, in desperation of those nights we really just don’t want to cook. About 10 times cheaper than ordering delivery.
HEEELP! Katie! I have 4 jars of old marbles from when My Dad did antique dealing.. how do I figure out what each marble is worth..do you just “eyeball it” and take a photo and then post what you think it is, and the buyer has to know his stuff??
I am ready to sell.. one by one if necessary! I can use the extra $$ and don’t have a particular fondness for marbles..This will be my dear husband’s and my project in November.Any other suggestions..?????? Thanks in advance..
I initially got a book from the library when I sold marbles before, which really helped. Here’s a link to one:
https://www.amazon.com/Collecting-Antique-Marbles-Identification-Price/dp/0873417240
I would check and see what your library has to offer.
Katy, while I rarely comment , I read each of your posts with interest and enjoyment. Please know that you are making a difference in the world!!! If the writers block gets in the way, please take a break. Your loyal readers and followers value your perspective and opinion. Take care of yourself but when you feel like writing, know that you ideas and thoughts are appreciated. ❤️M.
The writer’s block is not related to the blog posts, but thank you so much for your kind words.
I live less than a mile from the ocean northeast Florida and things are not looking good. Hurricane Matthew has shifted a little to the west. So today was all about storm prep.
1) Filling up the tank in case we need to evacuate using a gas gift card bought at a discount.
2) Went through the pantry and made sure that I could make 3 – 5 days worth of food. Thank goodness I buy pantry items on sale.
3) Made an evacuation plan. We will go inland to a family members home to escape the storm surge if necessary. Inland hotels and motels often charge exorbitant rates in situations such as this
4) I have a list of things to do and will group these so I can get things done with the least amount of driving.
5) Have my important papers together as well as photos of the house.
6) I said my prayers. Doesn’t cost a thing.
4)
Stay safe! Sounds like you are well prepared!
Saying a prayer for your safety Bee!
Yikes, stay safe!
We have relatives in So. Carolina and my husband just wrote them a note advising the to head to their son’s house. Our thoughts and prayers are with you – congrats on being so well organized, especially with important papers and documents!
Oh Bee, I love your #6. Keep us posted on how things turn out for you with the storm. I’m thinking about you.
Oh my, I will pray for your safety also. Sounds like you are well prepared though.
Bee, speaking from the other side, which just weathered Hermine, good luck, stay safe, and be careful! You probably know this, but the back, dinky roads are the best to travel right now to get to your relatives’ house.
I have relatives in the Daytona, Port Orange area. We may be getting evacuees at our house soon.
Thinking of you, Bee. You’re doing all the right things, as you know. My mother went through three hurricanes during her time in FL (Andrew in 1992 in Coral Gables, and two of the four FL hurricanes in Kissimmee), so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Thank you for all your kind thoughts.
That little house is wonderful! Thanks for sharing the photos.
I finished and sold a baby quilt that I dyed with tea to achieve a vintage look. All fabric given to me. Now I am working on dyeing fabric from what I find in nature. Yesterday I experimented with dyeing cotton fabric with goldenrod and the result was a soft yellow, perfect for a baby quilt.
Lots of walking and swimming now that Texas temperatures are down into the comfortable 80s.
Continuing my goal towards close to zero waste by saying NO to plastic.
Signed up for 2 free online classes, both of which will be beneficial to me.
Life gives if we keep our eyes open!
How cool on the classes! What are they about? 🙂
One is a 21 day meditation experience with Oprah and Deepak Chopra and the the other is a course for parents living with adult children who have mental health disorders offered by King’s College in England.
I’m experimenting with natural dyes too! My first project will be thrifted lace dyed with Polk berries.
Katy– I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that keeps the cable because of the bundling! I sometimes get rid of the cable but then I have to keep the internet for work and I feel like I might as well pay some extra for cable! And, since there’s nothing here in the way of movie theaters (they are TERRIBLE!) I just view that as my entertainment! So, I’m glad to not feel like a frugal failure.
1. The missus and I had a long talk about finances yesterday. She wanted to go to a meditation retreat ($400) and I was of the mind that if she wants to go, we can go but that money will have to be replaced. SOON. Our goal is to have 5K in savings by end of next summer and we currently have $3400. So we are on track and it is an expense we could afford. BUT, I pointed out, we have a yoga room we don’t use that much (it should be used every day) and we could have our own meditation type retreat at home. We have many projects in our new home we need and want to do and those aren’t cheap.
So after discussion we agreed, the retreat will wait till spring, In the meantime, I will get some estimates on home repairs that we want to get going on (woodwork we need to repair) and we will take a walk every day and meditate in that dedicated room everyday. We will save especially for a a tv at Christmas and the retreat in the spring. It wasn’t necessarily a fun discussion but it was important and it was helpful. It’s part of owning a home and I am proud of us for saving and for being responsible homeowners!
2. Windows are open so no money on AC! (Hooray for autumn!)
3. Tacos made at home after my night class last night as opposed to Taco Bell which I often get. Roughly $6 for 12 tacos vs $17 from fast food!
4. I got a three free months of audible (I used to have an account with them but canceled it) with my Prime membership. I got a book on Buddhism for the missus but I got Lolita for myself to listen to during Banned Books Week (this week!) and am enjoying listening to Jeremy Irons read to me. *swoon* THAT VOICE, y’all! That voice!
5. I wanted a book that was nominated for the Man Booker Prize but it wasn’t out in the US yet and when it did come out it was going to be $17. Our library is small and it MIGHT have it, but it also seemed unlikely. I had $7 in amazon gift card and found a copy in the UK that was $7 plus $3 shipping. So, really I only paid $3 by opting to wait a couple weeks longer. (It won’t get here till end of the month and the book is published here October 18th.) I’m proud of this because books (and food) are my weaknesses. So, I’m getting the book but at about 1/5 the cost.
Since I mentioned Jeremy Irons– has anyone seen his documentary Trashed? I need to watch that! Just wondered if you guys had…
I, too, loved *that* voice, until it tried to kill Simba! It’s Scar, for crying out loud. Can’t come back from that, no matter how mellifluous. 😉
OH! I have another couple!
6. The missus cut my hair (as she always does!) and I’m grateful I like my super short hair!
7. Started teaching a new class that will bump up my pay a little for the next three months!
Katy,
The top of this post on your Home page says there are 42 comments, but when I click on “comments” it keeps popping up with only the first 12. I noticed that the last couple days your blog posts seem to be loading hours after you say (on the NCA fb) they’re up. Not sure if it’s just my computer or if others are also having problems. Any idea?
Ok, so this is weird. As soon as I posted that comment, it opened all 40+ comments.
1. Tomorrow’s my quit smoking date, which also means no more beer until I’m confident that I won’t smoke while having a beer. That’s gonna save a ridiculous chunk of cash. I did stock up on gum at dollar tree.
2. Had a few, rare hours alone on Saturday. I cranked up the stereo and worked on my bug in the garage. Felt like I had spent the day at the spa, I was so chilled out.
3. Cleaned out an old bus for my dad, listed it for him on a couple of sites. (We barter labor for bug parts.) Found a swanky old Playboy ashtray in the bus, listed it online. Also found shotgun shells and a partial roll of quarters from the 80’s.
4. Cooked a bunch over the weekend and am loving the ease of leftovers this week.
5. Scored a free craftsman grinder. It works, it was free and I needed one.
Good for You quitting! I have never smoked, but have had many loved ones that have struggled with it. Your loved ones will be so thankful that you’ve made that decision!
I don’t know if I can categorise this as a “frugal thing”: I spent £960 (about $1300) on a structural survey for my new apartment which I want to buy. I found that the basement, which is a luxurious en suite bedroom, is a mess. The poor owners only had it done last year. It doesn’t look or smell damp, but the damp meter readings are off the scale, so it means that their builder has done a really shoddy job for the tanking to have failed so soon. My surveyor says that there are huge amounts of water building up behind the walls’ membranes and under the floor.
It will be in the region of £30k to £50k to remediate, so now I need to decide if I go into negotiations with them or just walk away. I exchanged contracts to sell my own house yesterday and the sale will complete on 21st October.
So an investment of £960 may well have saved me £30-50k. Frugal win? Disheartening, certainly.
As we English say: double bugger.
My personal opinion- walk..no actually, run..away! This could cost you more money than the surveyor predicts just because he can’t actually see the full extent of the damage. Just my opinion which, of course, means nothing.
I’d run like crazy and consider it a thousand pounds well spent.
Run away as fast as you can!!!!!!!!
I’d walk away. If you can afford the major money to remediate, just think that money would buy in something that doesn’t need repairs, or only needs cosmetics. And as someone else pointed out, these are estimates based on educated guesses. It could be much worse when you can actually see the damage. Always disappointing when you think you’ve found the right place.
* Refrained from buying take-out at work all week
* Barely no grocery shopping this week because we are going to my in-laws for 4 days
* Hubby picked crabapples for me to make jelly. Just paying for sugar.
* Skipped bookclub this month (too tired). Not driving there = no gas spent. And no potluck participation.
Frugal fail:
* Barely using the 1000$/year gym membership (already paid in full and expiring in 2 months). Taking many walks outside instead. Feeling guilty about it… Will.Not.Renew!!
Those gym memberships are such a catch 22! I just bought a 10 week one but it’s 100% classes. Makes me more motivated to go because I’m expected to be there and am instructed on what to do.
Katy, I’m always amazed at your ability to find the time and energy to sell things (books on half.com, marbles, table, etc.). I can barely manage to return things that need returning let alone creating more of that by selling. Good for you!
It doesn’t actually take that much time, especially half.com, as all I did was enter the ISBN number and choose a price.
1. Went to a local event that was free, about addressing the drug problem. It was catered! I had a hard time not asking for the leftovers, but I think that particular restaurant gives to soup kitchens, so it didn’t go to waste. I did get a free dinner though, unexpectedly, and learned some things in the workshops.
2. Went through my fall clothes and chose some that don’t fit great anymore to take to consignment.
3. Listed a fancy pair of dress shoes that I’ve only worn once.
4. Using my very generous gift card whenever my friends want to get together after work.
5. Using my coffee gift card to buy coffee for coworkers on a tough day.
I was thinking…the restaurant gift card I got for my bday from a group of friends was so generous…I wondered if they think I’m hurting? I’ve been pretty open about my frugality lately.
re: the drug problem. In our community! Just thought I’d clarify.
1. Went to a committee meeting at a restaurant. Everyone was responsible for buying their own food. Passed on the relatively expensive entrees and opted for a much less expensive dessert item.
2. Costco today with son. He used a birthday gift card to pay for his purchases I enjoyed the free samples and treated him to a hot dog. I purchased nothing.
3. I wish we could have come home at that point but we had to pick up a prescription at our veterinary clinic which was down the street from Aldi so stopped and purchased a number of well-priced items. Saved on gas by batching these errands.
4. Paid hotel bills associated with recently attended wedding – hopefully no fees charged on these purchases.
5. Tomorrow is neighborhood cleanup – will get ride of a non-functioning air conditioning unit – less clutter!
Honestly I could do a hundred frugal fails right now but I’ll try to stay positive.
1. Started a 10 week program , gym 6 days a week. It was pricey ish, but I love it and it has me waking up at 439 am. I feel great, clear minded, and hopeful to get back on a healthier routine long term. Excersise= healthier long term=less medical bills!
2. Taking advantage of the windy hurricane left overs here in Charlotte and opening the windows! I’m trying to go an entire month without AC. It’s hard with allergies though, but I can hack it in rainy weather with lower pollen count.
3. Using a 10 off 50 coupon and getting a discount gift card for gas tomorrow when I go grocery shopping tomorrow.
4. Hung clothes all around my apartment today with the fans on and windows open.
5. Bringing buffalo chicken dip to a friends tomorrow to watch some football. Have some ingredients, and will buy the rest with coupons tomorrow!
So, funny – after looking at the article on Apartment Therapy, it seems like your mom’s place was one we considered when we were looking for an AirB&B rental a couple of years ago. 🙂