- I worked Sunday and brought leftover chicken curry soup for lunch. (For those who asked for the recipe, I simply added chicken to this recipe, although I didn’t puree it.) Of course I drank the free coffee. I was hungry on my way home from work, but remembered that I had a banana that I’d never had a chance to eat. In a 12-1/2 hour hospital shift I usually get a single 30 minute break, so I’m exhausted and starving by the end.
- I used up the last of a bottle of white wine to assemble one of The Pioneer Woman’s chicken pot pies. I hardly ever drink alcohol, so finishing a bottle of wine usually involves incorporating it into a recipe. I know this makes me a freak, but I’ve come to terms with it. 🙂
- I love the hilarious music from the TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, so I decided to check if my library had the first season’s soundtrack. Not only did they have it, but it was on Hoopla, which meant I was able to immediately listen to it on my phone through the Hoopla app. And since I was already on the library website, I put the second seasons of Outlander and Masters of Sex (Showtime series about Masters and Johnson) on hold as well.
- A neighbor is organizing for people on our street to put Black Lives Matter signs in our yards, and I put in an order for one. The more that people order, the less each sign will cost.
- I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a gold plated apartment in the sky.
Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?
{ 74 comments… read them below or add one }
1. Finally sold my vintage stove on CL. I’ve had it listed for months. It’s heavy as heck, so any buyer would need to bring help to load it. We have our house listed for sale and that stove is the #1 thing I wanted to get rid of.
2. I bought 3 wooden dog gates for $10 each. I didn’t really want the third one, but it was quite nice, and I was already there to buy the 2, so I took them all. Sold that one for $35 today on CL.
3. Picked up two free boxes of granola bars from Kroger
4. Ordered a Free People cardigan from an online consignment store. It arrived yesterday – it’s beautiful and a perfect fit. Always nervous about what the condition of items, but I have received some wonderful things.
5. Accumulated $3.99 in my Google Rewards account from surveys – just enough to buy Monument Valley.
I’ve been off sick this week. I spent yesterday lying on the couch, bored and the day before watching docos on Netflix. I’m feeling a fair bit better today so I’m hoping to move off the couch and do something useful, then back to work tomorrow. Thank goodness for paid sick leave.
1. ‘Free’ documentaries on Netflix. And I started watching The Crown last night, which is excellent.
2. I’ve reduced my meat intake by about 90%. I will have to see how I go with that, as my doctor told me yesterday that my iron levels remain low. But eating meat didn’t seem to boost them much either.
3. I ate the last of a beautiful tabouli I made using our homegrown parsley and mint, with some Haloumi that needed to be used up. The tabouli was the best I’ve ever eaten, I think because the herbs were so fresh.
4. I have been able to give away lots of kale and herbs from our garden as we have so much of it. One of the things I love about gardening is being able to share with others.
5. Last night I was walking to bed balancing my cup of tea, book, and phone and dropped my phone on the stairs, where it bounced down two stairs and on to the tiles. The screen didn’t smash and the phone still works. My husband lost a brand new phone after it fell onto that unforgiving surface this year (we buy our phones outright- no contracts or payment plan, so goodbye $350!). It was just dumb luck that mine survived, but I choose to take it as a frugal win!
We have an Otter Box case for our phones. And my husband uses them at his work also. Guys have dropped it from silos and the phones were fine. Go check them out! 🙂
Yes! They are expensive but I have had children frisbie my phone at brick walls and no damage. Worth the cost!
We use otterbox for the ipads in my severe special ed classroom — indestructible!
I’ve had severe anemia, best help for me has been Floradix Liquid iron+herbs. Has been a literal life saver.
Loved Floradix when I was anemic after birth.
Thank you- did it upset your stomach?
Do you cook in cast iron? Switching to cast iron increased our iron intake in my family. If you simmer something in it (especially something acidic, like tomatoes) the food absorbs iron from the pot. And I hear you can get nice pan from Craigslist 😉
We do have a Le Creuset pot but of course that is enamelled cast iron. Maybe I will look out for one. Thanks!
1.I made another sweet potato pie last night with my easy no-roll pie crust. Someone asked for the recipe and I will put it at the bottom here as I never got around to it yesterday. The simple process and ingredients make it frugal and also makes a delicious pot pie.
2. I fought off the urge to go out to eat for lunch and just ate a handful of almonds instead. Well, a little more than a handful, they were delish!
3. I picked up my $3.50 Edward’s pecan pies up from Kroger to stash in the freezer for Thanksgiving and Christmas(Can’t buy pecans for this price or I would make homemade) They also had a nice sale on butter paired with coupons. I picked up a few extra to get me through the holidays. I also picked up my Hershey’s chocolate free Friday download to use as a nice stocking stuffer.
4.I took my kids to Chuckie Cheese for a birthday. I despise that place but I found 2 gold dollar coins on the floor. Turns out they look very similar in size to the coins used in the machines there so if you must be in that terrible place be on the lookout.
5.I have a coupon from kohl’s for $10 off a $10 item so I am keeping a close eye out for a nice gift for someone to use this freebie on.
No Roll Pie crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1 heaping 1/2 tsp of salt
3/8 tsp baking powder
7 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/4 cup cold water
Mix all the dry ingredient together first the dump in the wet ingredients and stir with a fork until evenly moistened. Press into pie pan.
P.S. Let it be noted that I have left out the baking powder and it turned out exactly the same. I have also substituted melted butter and had equally great results. I make a nice edge with my thumb/forefinger just like any other fancy pie crust. Good luck and enjoy!
Jennifer, What temperature and how long do you bake your “No Roll Pie Crust”?
Oh wow, sorry that is important! 350 degrees is the temp. You bake them as long as it takes to bake your pie. For instance, last night I just filled with the sweet potato filling and baked at 350 for an hour. You can pre bake it for a few minutes, too, if using runnier filling but so far I have never experienced a soggy crust. Thanks for asking about the temp!
more runny, sorry for my grammatical errors!
The actual recipe is on the King Arthur flour website if anyone needs better directions but that’s pretty much it. Enjoy!
I have a freezer full of butter!! Even the generic stuff has been close to $4/lb here. So when Sprouts just ran a sale for $2.50, I’m well stocked!
I am definitely going to have to try this one, Jennifer. Mine is pretty different with only 4 ingredients. I’ve used it for 40 years, and my mother used it forever before me. Note: I don’t sift the flour, but I do use a wire whisk to kind of fluff up the flour in the canister before measuring.
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 c minus 1 Tblsp vegetable oil
1/4 c water
dash of salt
Place all ingredients in pie plate and mix with hands just till combined well. Pat out to cover dish interior plus enough at rim to flute. I never prebake, and it is always done when pie is baked…just bake at temperature according to pie filling recipe you are using. If I need a top crust, I double recipe and roll half out between wax paper for the top.
I asked for the recipe, so thank you very much. I’m going to try them both this weekend, as I just bought KA flour on sale last week. I’ll bet these recipes will make me wish I’d bought more, lol.
KA Flour is on such a good sale here right now, I realized I have to stop buying it despite the price! It has inspired me to make some Christmas cookies to take to Thanksgiving at my inlaws since we won’t see them at Christmas. Justification for the stockpile I think! 🙂
Diane, I have used several different types of flour with this pie crust with good results so use what you have.
I don’t sift either I just whisk it. This recipe seems to be very forgiving. The main difference I see is 1/2 cup less of flour in yours. I think that would be fine because I usually do have a little extra crust leftover.
These weren’t necessarily “frugal” but they were non-consumer… We have donated and sold a lot of stuff, but there are still some things I’d like to get out of our house. I hate giving things that I don’t think will sell well to Goodwill.
To that end… :
1. Returned hangers to the drycleaner
2. Donated some dress-shirts and sweaters from my late brother-in-law to a charity that helps the homeless seek employment – they said they needed that size.
3. Donated my late brother-in-law’s winter jacket to a charity that helps homeless men on the street.
4. Found out that some chairs I no longer need and a mirror I do not need are eligible to be donated to a local organization that helps low-income families furnish their homes (The organization has really strict standards, and I wasn’t sure whether the chairs were too big.)
5. Reposted a winter jacket and some other items from my daughter onto craigslist.
Good for you finding some great organizations to donate to! I always feel good about donating items that go directly to people who need them, instead of being shoved on the sale floor at Salvation Army.
1. Went out for lunch with husband – had to bring some information to his office so we went out for an inexpensive lunch – $6 for soup and salad! Usually he takes a packed lunch so it was a treat for both us.
2. On the way home stopped in at Costco to check out possible Xmas gifts – escaped with buying nothing at all. The holiday season is expensive and I like to shop carefully and competitively for the best prices.
3. Shopped at Aldi for non-perishable foods for holiday food drives. We are asked to bring groceries to at least three events during this season, and we like to give as generously as possible.
4. Raking leaves, cooking from scratch, and reorganizing my house as an answer to my depression over the election. Also trying to be amused with overheard conversations among people discussing what they hope, fear and believe will happen now!
1. I’m meeting a friend for a cardio hip hop class on Friday when the class is half price.
2. I’ve been wearing my only pair of yoga pants to work out in and feel good about it. I got them at GW years ago and they are still hanging in there!
3. Bought a huge bag of baking potatoes from Costco in preparation of Thanksgiving, and we’ll also be having baked potatoes for dinner (easiest dinner ever!).
4. Made a small succulent garden in a pot for a friend as a gift instead of buying something like flowers that don’t last very long.
5. Still driving our 13 year old Highlander that we bought new at below dealer price – it was a loss leader (common up in LA). When I think about a new car, even though I’d like one, the idea of a car payment keeps me driving this old thing. I may spring for a detailing service to spiff it up but that, along with new tires we got last week, will keep me going for a good long time.
That’s what keeps me going with my car as well. I feel a sense of peace knowing our cars are paid for. I’m saving up now with a plan to replace mine in three years. I never want a car payment again. When my husband’s car died last month I briefly toyed with a loan but we decided to pull money out of savings instead. It hurt but it was worth it.
Here’s a trick that always helped when the new or even new used car Jones hit. First, chose the imaginary car, then calculate the sales tax. Next, check the internet to figure the registration costs. If I really need a jolt, I add in the first year’s estimated depreciation. Once I have that big, fat number, I figure out a better use for the money, which is always a snap to do. Finally, if I’m still not cured, I estimate how much I’d have to gross to net that figure. Works like crazy.
This technique, along with Mand01’s suggestion, has saved me buckets of money over the years.
You lucky girl! A person who drinks very little alcohol saves so much money! I don’t have that problem 🙂 We still try and keep it on the cheap though. We went just over 2 weeks without eating out and then finally broke down last night and had a costco hot dog because of a really grueling day at our business. Including two dogs, shared fries with gravy and two pops a cheap fast food meal at $8. Not the healthiest but we eat pretty healthy at home. Also bought another portion of our big Spring trip to Greece on my credit card which I instantly paid off with cash that was ear marked for this. Went to the grocery store only for some loss leaders and true necessities and bought nothing that wasn’t on my list!
I was once told by a nutritionist that, in his view, there’s no such thing as junk food, only a junk food diet. Glad you enjoyed your CostCo treat!
1) Breakfast in and coffee provided at work. I need to replenish my supply of oatmeal and cream for my coffee.
2) I had some cash last night, so put $10 in my car before I went home. The price is $1.95 per gallon in many places around me now.
3) I finished one audiobook and starting on another. I love author James Herriott, so listening to his books on audio makes me smile.
4) Going to the gym again today. If I workout 3x per week, that’s cost of 83 cents per workout. I feel better if I stick with my exercise plan.
5) I used my Amazon Prime account to order a Mermaid Costume for my youngest granddaughter, that my daughter is getting her for Christmas. The two-day shipping is free and it cost less than $14. My daughter had me transfer the funds from her checking account to mine. I had it shipped to my office address, so we won’t have to worry about the package getting stolen after delivery.
I can’t believe it’s so close to Christmas already!
Vickie
Your number 1 had me puzzled at first: why does this woman need oatmeal for her coffee? Then the penny dropped!
In my defence, it’s nearly 9.50 pm here in England and I’m tucked up in bed…long day!
1. I’m wearing my “new” Goodwill shoes today. I hope whoever that lady is that wears the same-as-me narrow size in good brands, and who donates her shoes before they are showing wear, keeps on doing it for a long time!
2. Pulling together a list to order lunch in for the whole work crew this Thursday — it’s company paid lunch, because we have a mandatory lunch-time meeting. We are ordering from the lunch counter at our local independent bakery, so I am ordering a yummy gingerbread man along with my lunch. I’m a kid about gingerbread men. I have my manager’s approval for a cookie, no problem.
3. I’m making a pot of split pea soup for supper in the crock pot. We are attending a veterans’ appreciation program at our granddaughter’s elementary school at 6:30 p.m., and this will keep me from grabbing take out after I get off work. Our granddaughter said my husband had to come because he’s a veteran and “he needs to be recognized!” She’s a sweetie.
4. Our new little stevia plant is thriving under the grow lights. The organic grower said to plant it in the ground next spring and it will be ready to divide into more plants by next fall. We hope to end up with a nice bed of stevia to use as sweetening and to make stevia tea.
5. I mailed off a rebate form for my purchase of a year’s worth of my new contacts. I’m not sure what I’ll get, but I believe it will be $60, if I read the form correctly. It’s never been less than $35, and that’s fine, too, if that’s what I get. It all helps.
1. After the ridiculously expensive stacker dryer that came with the house up and died (and a stackable is a necessity; I have no room for side by side washer and dryer) I decided to try going dryer-free. I normally hang dry (either outside on the clothesline or inside on racks) everything except sheets. I just can’t handle the wrestling match of hanging king sheets on the umbrella clothesline (okay I don’t want to), and inside…um, no, that won’t work either. So I did my twice monthly trip to the laundromat to dry two week’s worth of sheets that I washed at home. $1.50 twice a month is so much cheaper than buying a new dryer. Bonus: someone had left coupon flyers in the sitting area (I don’t get the newspaper, so no coupons) and two of them were for products I actually use. This will save me $1.75, so it was like drying the laundry for free and then some (in my mind, anyway).
2. A trailhead is only a few blocks from the laundromat, so my husband and I enjoyed free exercise by taking a hike in the gorgeous woods. Free exercise and great company – with no additional driving required.
3. One of the refrigerator doors broke a while back, and I finally got tired of putting my hand on the inside of the door to guide it closed. The part it needed was only $5, postage included. It arrived today, and now we have properly working refrigerator doors. We now have to remember NOT to put our hands out to guide the door closed. I’ll gladly take that learning curve.
4. Will be reading the latest issue of “This Old House” magazine tonight. I love free magazines, and we have a subscription to several of them courtesy of reading articles, doing quizzes, etc. on recyclebank.com. Plus I’ve really learned a lot of good info on that site.
5. Despite thinking we’d have no problem using up the 2.5 pound bag of spinach I bought at Costco, our plans this week may make that unlikely. I blanched most of what remained, and froze it for later. I really, really hate to waste food.
I hang my wet clothes on hangers in the closet or a shower rod and let them dry.
I dry my king sheets on a rack inside. I fold both in half and hang one on each side of the rack. I use a ceiling fan to speed drying but a floor fan would do the same. Cost of running the fan is net to nothing. Set the floor fan to blow thru the rack from the short side.
I never thought about folding the sheets to fit on racks and using a fan to speed drying time. Since we have three sets of king sheets, I may give this a try in the family room on the lower level. That room doesn’t get much use in winter (we live in a “vacation area” and most of our friends and family visit in nice weather). I’ll keep this in mind to try this winter, when blowing, blizzard-y snow and sub-zero temps make me NOT want to go to the laundromat.
And it never occurred to me to hang clothes on hangers over the shower rod, either. Like the family room, the guest bathroom doesn’t get a lot of use in winter.
Thanks for the ideas!
I don’t know if you can get these in the US but they are a treasure! Hang your clothes on the racks as normal, then put your sheets over the top (like a tent) and leave plugged in overnight- bingo, dry clothes and only pennies per hour to run it. The sheets over the top trap the heat so clothes dry more quickly. And in summer, I don’t plug it in and just use it as a normal airer:
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/21736/Dry%3ASoon-3-Tier-Heated-Tower-Airer
It folds down to about 4 inches in depth for easy storage, too.
Found it on Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/VonHaus-Clothes-Foldable-Electric-Laundry/dp/B015ND58O6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479329350&sr=8-2&keywords=Heated+clothes+airer
Feel like it’s only fair that I comment on something other than politics, because I read all posts and comments daily and have come to think of many of you as neighbors and community. Not feeling particularly frugal today, but here goes:
1. Had 1/4 of my teeth cleaned yesterday. I’m double-covered with dental insurance, so after a long introductory appointment and the first 1/4 cleaning two weeks ago plus yesterday’s appointment, I still didn’t owe anything.
2. Saving gas today by working from home.
3. Simmering turkey bones on the stove while I’m home so we’ll have enough gravy next week. We buy a cheap small bird ahead, thaw it, refreeze the breast and some of the dark meat, then roast the bones and the bits of meat that stick until they’re very dark. Use them to make stock, which we freeze until next week. Everybody loves gravy, so this way we don’t run out and have to eat leftovers dry.
4. Our neighbors have decided to build an elaborate rock wall between our yards. We offered to split the cost of a fence as the existing one was falling down – didn’t bother me, the kids climb through to play – but demurred on the wall. They’re going ahead, so we’ll have an edge to the yard but we won’t be contributing.
5. Have been resisting replacing my broken blood pressure monitor. The dental hygienist took my bp before she got to work and was appalled, so this afternoon I’ll be coughing up the sixty bucks. Hubs points out it’s a lot less expensive than either a visit to the ER or an overnight in the hospital – alas, we have the data to confirm that. So I’m trying to convince myself it’s frugal in the long run.
#5 ) You and your good health are ALWAYS worth the investment! 🙂
Took me two posts but now I get (and chuckled at) the gold plating. 🙂
1. Planted bartered tubers (iris for amaryllis bulbs from my very over crowded pots) received from a Freecycle contact just before the weather is supposed to turn more seasonably cold.
2. Leftover Mexican food from weekend party for dinner. We served “build your own burrito bowl” – 2 pots of beans & mole pork made in crock pot, rice, chips, Spouse’s homemade tomato & tomatillo salsas & assorted toppings. It was a big hit, fed a crowd and flexible for all tastes including vegetarians. Leftovers have been frozen or repurposed into salads, omlettes, etc.
3. Thrifted an odd sized poster frame for $.89. Son moved into own apartment and has beloved unframed posters. Will be an on-going project to find used frames.
4. Retrofitted 2 broken suet feeders into 1 functional squirrel-proof unit.
5. Made apple crisp from Co-op discount bag of organic apples. Several still left for eating. They don’t look cosmetically perfect but are still delicious high quality organic produce.
Ah, Outlander. Such eye candy—Sam Heughan, and Scotland both. 😉
I think my mother force feed me peas or beans when I was little, so the idea of lentil soup makes me shudder. Could you please explain what the different kind of lentils are, and how they taste different? Thanks AnnW
1. Signed up for a new HSA account through work to save on medical expenses.
2. Received a CVS coupon for candy or a drink up to $2, will use for candy for a stocking stuffer.
3. Booked three cat sits for over Thanksgiving which will help make up for three days off with no pay. Booking sits for Christmas same deal to help make up for not getting paid.
4. Received $14.50 off groceries last night at Meijer’s through their rewards program.
5. Ate all meals at home accept for treating daughter to a Culver’s concrete mixer – salted caramel pumpkin pie which is like eating pumpkin cheesecake in a glass, yum!
6. Signed up to work sporting events at school to earn extra cash for those non paid days off.
7. Earned a $5 Starbucks card through Bing will give to daughter for Christmas and close to a $25 PayPal through Swagbucks
1) I have some food allergies. This evidently makes me a good Guinea pig. A friend who works for a health food distributor often gives me food items in exchange for my opinion on the products. Some are a little odd, but tasty. Seaweed chips are not something that I would have ever bought on my own. have picked up six big boxes of food on Monday. There was more than I could possibly eat. She told me not to worry just share with others . So kind.
2) Stopped at the thrift shop today. I was able to get warm clothing for every member of the family. For $42 dollars I purchased a man’s down vest and cashmere sweater. Two woman’s merino wool cardigans, a woman’s cashmere sweater and a lovely top. Not too bad.
3) Made fried rice from leftovers. I love my old wok.
4) Sold 2 more items on eBay and turned down a low-ball offer.
5) This is National Recycling Week. To mark this event, Staples was acting as a recycling drop off point for office and electronic equipment. I brought in an old printer that no longer worked. I was rewarded with a $10 off a $10 purchase coupon. I used this to buy eBay packing materials.
I’m on maternity leave currently and it’s giving me an opportunity to tackle some projects.
1) Sold a brand new set of dishes we received but did not need.
2) Used the funds to purchase a like new Keurig that someone else did not need. I received what feels like a lifetime supply of coffee pods at my baby shower, and I am currently researching the reusable pods to use once these finish up.
3) Made acquaintance with a local dairy farm that bottles in glass bottles. Each has a $2 deposit, but the cost of the milk itself is comparable to other milks. They also sell in a number of sizes, and since we’re not big milk drinkers I can customize the purchase to our needs eliminating future food waste.
4) I started to downsize my fairly massive wardrobe. I have a friend who is a very active cosplayer and is purchase a fair portion of the wardrobe. She is getting a great deal, and I’m happy to see my clothes being used by someone who loves them. The rest is going to a local Rockabilly/alternative consignment shop.
5) Making dinner from my pantry and some yummy organic spinach from the farmers market. Total cost to make will be about $2, and we’ll have plenty of leftovers. I love buying in sale in bulk!
1. My kids invited their cousins for a sleepover and my first reaction was to go buy pizzas and rent movies! Instead, the kids said they’d be just as happy with homemade pizza and rewatching their cousin’s favorite movies in Netflix and Amazon, score!! Add in a few clearance glow sticks (.24 per pack) from Walmart for after-dark trampolining and everyone was happy.
2. Three out of five weeknight meals have been meatless or vegan over the past week, and so tasty that none of my meat eaters even noticed.
3. Donated a bag of craft items, shells, corks to the local kindergarten teacher. Cleaned my closet and supported the school.
4. Caught a cold right when I should have hit the grocery store, so we had a few days of creative meals cleaning out the freezer.
5. Brought two side dishes to a family dinner and came home with at least as much leftovers, but a greater variety.
1. Listed some things that didn’t sell on eBay on a local Facebook sale site. Currently waiting for someone to show up tonight to buy one of the items.
2. Had a free lunch today and yesterday. Yesterday was a luncheon following our newcomers meeting. And today was a potluck at a friend’s. I brought some lemon poppy seed bread (I had had the mix for a while) and didn’t need to buy anything else for it.
3. Have been lighting my fall pumpkin scented candles each night for ambience. The candles are almost finished. I’ve been doing a good job with actually using (or selling) the bunch of candles that I’ve had for years.
4. Trying to make space in my freezer for the Thanksgiving turkey. We’ve been eating stuff from the freezer for dinners and lunches for the most part. Hopefully will have enough space when I go shopping in Friday to get the turkey (at 50% off at Meijer!).
5. Have been doing a good job of getting Christmas shopping done and a number of items wrapped already (using paper bought after Christmas the past couple years). I don’t have much purchased for my kids or husband but got almost all done for the rest of the people that I buy for. A number of things I bought throughout the year when I found tings in sale. Then I kept a list of what I had bought for everyone so I didn’t forget!!
1. My dog’s leash broke and my usually not very frugal husband just tied a knot in it and walked on!
2. Cobbled together lunch and dinner from dribs and drabs of leftovers, freeing up space in the fridge.
3. Like another poster I stayed home from work today (pulled something in my back) but saved a 60 mile each way trip. I rested and will be back in tomorrow; also grateful for paid sick leave and good coworkers.
4. Added another blanket instead of turning on the heat, it would be dumb to cancel out the saved gas money on a higher electric bill 🙂
5. Using up unsuccessful baked oatmeal for dog treats. Dogs are not frugal but their excitement over failed cooking experiments is priceless!
1. Walked to a pharmacy to get my flu shot today. Discovered that this particular pharmacy would not take my insurance. The pharmacist said “It’s only $25.00 without the insurance.” I chose to walk to another pharmacy which took my insurance. Got some exercise and save $25.00.
2. Stopped at the consignment shop and collected a $44.00 check for clothes I had dropped off in August. I will put this money toward finishing up my Christmas shopping.
3. I hung laundry on the clothes line outside probably for the last time this season. Will be using the indoor racks from now on.
4. Spent some quality time with my nieces which is free exercise for me. They play hard and expect me to participate.
5. Spent some time online looking for free things to do and adding them to my calendar so I won’t forget.
1. Our hundred year old row home strikes again. Three ongoing plumbing issues that we have put a band aid on have finally demanded attention. We received a $1300 quote (gulp). Found an internet coupon for $50 off and went to a big box store for all the parts for a total savings of $475. The mark up on plumbing parts is insane.
2. We have converted our unused english basement to an airbnb property. We advertise free cookies with a stay. I clipped coupons and used them in conjunction with the holiday sales. Batch cooked cookie dough (atleast 12 dozen cookies worth) for the freezer. Slice and bake as needed – cookies came out to 4 cents each (not counting electricity).
3. I recycle my personal printer cartridges (and the ones at the office) to Office Depot. They currently give a $2 credit to members per cartridge. Good for my budget and the environment.
4. Cut up some on their last legs sheets and towels for cleaning rags.
5. Ebayed some lavendar oil to make cleaning solution at home that smells nice! Using old Windex bottles, too.
1. Found grandson’s Christmas gift at Ross for $3 less than Amazon plus the “Tuesday Club” discount–Melissa & Doug brand!
2 .Cleaning out freezer and eating some items that are past their prime, but still edible.
3. Cleaning out refrigerator, tipping bottles upside down to get the last drop of some items.
4. Hanging laundry to dry inside.
5. Need to replace a couple of windows, first 2 bids were very high, hoping third time is the charm…
1. Found out I can use shredded paper instead of leaves in my compost. Less stuff to landfill.
2. I am bound and determined to drain the hot water heater myself. This should be interesting.
3. Found a locally owned pet store that has lower prices on food than the chains. How do they do that? Saved 10 bucks a bag.
4. Watching my purchases so I don’t bring home a lot of packaging is going well. So much less recycling and trash and I like the way it costs less and tastes better to cook from scratch.
5. Ha. Wondered if I could water the shrubs and trees and stuff with bath water. Yup, I sure did.
1. Sewed the dog a new bed for half the price of a pre-made dog bed.
2. Bathed dog before he slept in new bed. No groomer fee.
3. Made three meals from tonight’s leftovers to freeze for husband to take to work.
4. Happy you mentioned Outlander, Katie. When I checked last week, my library still didn’t have Season 2. After I read your post, I went and checked again, and I am #1 on the reserve list! 🙂
5. Paid all bills before due date. No late fees.
1. I made a casserole from some frozen broccoli that I bought that didn’t steam in the bag (hubs makes the steam kind..not a chef, but he heats things well). I used chicken from the freezer, rice and cheese. Well, I didn’t pay attention to the broccoli so it melted. We ate the green mush anyway.
2. Declining most invitations in favor of going to bed early. Haven’t felt well.
3. Plan to inventory my lotions, soaps, beauty products etc. since the freezer inventory worked so well.
4. Going to a family wedding, which costs $$$ but using ebates and points to get a cheaper hotel room, was moderate on the gift (opted for something personalized instead of a big check), and will eat smart for lunches.
Frugal Fail: Need an MRI, was shocked at the cost estimate. That’s my Christmas gift to me, told hubs no gifts.
I hope you feel better soon.
Thank you 🙂
1. I invited a long-time friend to come over for lunch yesterday. I served her favorite soup ( leftover from dinner the night before), fresh fruit, hummus and baby carrots. She brought cookies she’d just baked. We had a nice long visit.
2. On the way home from work today I stopped to buy items that combined sales, coupons, and Saving Star rebates. Items purchased included Sargento cheese, Finlandia butter, and Suave body wash.
3. I asked at work if I could fax a small document to a 1-888 number and they had no problem with it. That saved me time and money.
4. I dropped off some excess canned fruit, cookies, and spread to a “friend” I made on freecycle. She is close to my route home on Wednesdays.
5. I stopped at Aldi yesterday and 3# bags of gala apples were $1 (small apples), a 3# bag of small potatoes was $1, and my beloved butternut squash was $.99. I also bought chocolate chips, as they were marked down a bit, for the season.
Make sure you get estimates from many places. I recently listened to a podcast where they called 20 different facilities in a 30 mile radius and prices ranged from 1300-7000.
Do you mind sharing the podcast? I haven’t found an NCA-like frugality one I like yet.
I picked up some free fabric from a friend (she is not a sewer so she devoted to rid of it while decluttering).
Met with a friend after work last night. We chose to sip tea instead of ‘grabbing a bite’.
There will be a free lunch at work today (yes!)
1) Refilled my old spray bottle with 1/2 h20 and 1/2 cheap vodka plus four drops of lavender oil for my “windex” alternative. I use it on stove top, surfaces, the inside of DS’s lunch bag (ick) and windows. Also works well to clean price stickers off books etc. My mother in law gave me the idea and it uses up an old bottle vodka we inherited from a party ages ago.
2) Cleaned up the garden today – put away tools and the odds and ends used for row markers etc. Composted the jack o lanterns into the squash end of the garden. I can’t find our good garden clippers and looked diligently in the grass. Hoping they will turn up inside.
3) Dear Wife has been away on business so meals are kid preference based – spaghetti, pizza, chicken tenders and fries – all from pantry or freezer.
4) Re-potting houseplants this morning since I am already grubby from the garden. I keep thinking of Katy’s quote about things that have no specific time often don’t get done. (This is a poor rephrasing…) So I am trying to do them!
5) Sent hand me down boys dress up clothes to a friend with a 1 year old for the holidays and sending a cookbook I no longer use to another friend today. It feels lovely to literally send good things out into the world!
1. We went to Spec’s last night to stock up on beer. We paid with cash to save about $10 on our whole purchase, which was nice. This isn’t related to saving money, but I also found a beautiful bottle of Limoncello. I plan to get sparkling water and make hard lemon “soda” with it! It’s also delicious chilled and in a glass by itself.
2. Our dinner plans didn’t work out last night, so we cracked open the emergency pizzas instead of buying dinner.
3. I signed up for library reminders via email and received one today. Which is good, because I would have forgotten and faced a library fine!!!
4. I bought paper bags to dry the herbs I harvested from our yard.
5. I was in a “we have nothing to eat around here” mood this morning. Instead of stopping to buy breakfast, I made a bean and cheese burrito and dealt with my prissy-ness.
* Finally making space in the freezer (using what is there) to fit in the kale from our garden. We thought we would lose some but I think not after all.
* Using my gym membership. Did 2 aquafit classes back-to-back this morning. Will not renew said membership (1000$/year!)
* Re-watching old episodes of King of Queens on YouTube
* Used Airmiles to get 10$ worth of free groceries
* Still drying clothes on the line. The cold will soon put a stop to this, but until then…
Have a great frugal day!
1. Bought more minutes for my tracfone and used a code for an extra 60 minutes. That saves me about $7.
2. Stuck at home with no car, so no gas spent and no money spent.
3. Found a travel pillow at menards for $4. I’ve always wanted one, but didn’t want to spend the money. It also comes with a $2 rebate. So the total will be $2. If they have any left I might pick a couple up as gifts.
4. Cooking out of the freezer and pantry for the most part.
5. Forgot to get meat out of the freezer yesterday, so I made two pizzas instead of having my husband pick one up. Delicious and there are leftovers.
1. found 2 pairs of pants for my son at a consigment shop, a hilfiger sweater and a brand new Vera Bradley wristlet for me (mine was old and torn) for less than $24.
2. Been ‘taking one for the team’ and eating up freezer stuff the guys don’t want.
3. price shopping turkeys and hams since i am hosting my family (20 people) for Thanksgiving. I have a $7 off coupon from a store that is not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. if a turkey will be cheaper there with the coupon – they win my money.
4. each day i have baked a loaf of quickbread (cranberry or banana) to help heat the house. i leave the door open after taking the bread out and every little bit helps.
5. won ANOTHER award from work last week so i used it to get an amazon ecard. on black friday, amazon has their stick on sale so i am buying 2 and cutting the cable cord!!!! (will save about 70 a month!)
Thank you for ordering a BLM sign!
1. Dog sitting until Saturday. I pick her up . She is teeny and particular, but I love having a dog around. Serious emotional support happening.
2. Going to a free wine and app night at my apartment complex tomorrow night. Invited a friend.
3. Friend asked me and my boyfriend to join them for all you can eat sushi extravaganza event. 50 dollars a person! I suggested we all cook dinner instead, so that’s what we are doing!
4. Getting a much needed hair cut and color. It has been 6 months at least. Bought a Groupon when there was a 20% off, and will have them add on some highlights if need be. Still will probably put me over 100 with tip, but without the groupon it would be 2x.
5. My co workers and I are doing thanksgiving lunch on Friday. I’m bringing stuffing (mix that I already have) and a pie. I don’t know if that’s frugal but I’m excited!
About drying sheets – doesn’t the Pioneer Woman put damp sheets right onto the bed and they are dry by bedtime.
Frugal things:
1. Got a free turkey breast from grocery store for Thanksgiving
2. Had a doctor appointment today and batched all my errands.
3. Dh has submitted the FSA info to his work so we’ll have that tax free money to use.
4. Have to have a medical procedure done and it will be free as I’ve met my deductible for the year. Have some doctor appointments made too.
5. Dh and I haven’t been out to eat or had a pizza in 2 weeks.
I can only imagine that would result in mildewy sheets and mattress here in Oregon.
1. I checked out another audiobook from the library for my commute.
2. I have twice this week resisted buying new work pants in my favorite style. I have enough work outfits to last me through the week, so I don’t need more.
3. I have been down but have been self-soothing in free/cheap ways– calling family and friends, re-reading Harry Potter, and listening to podcasts.
4. I did not feel like cooking tonight, but instead of ordering takeout, I assembled a simple breakfast-for-dinner skillet using potatoes, eggs, and cheese I already had on hand. As a bonus, I was able to use up some leftover salsa to spice the skillet up.
5. I participated in Glennon Doyle Melton’s annual Holiday Hands to get some grocery help for a friend in need. I am not currently in much of a position to help, but it was great to be able to connect my friend with a little boost to help her out of her financial hole.
Reading Harry Potter is a perfect way to pick yourself up.
I know I’m a few days behind here but I just wanted to post some frugal things and as I write this, this is the newest FFT.
1. I finally canceled Netflix DVDs as we rarely if ever watch them.
2. Called about my student loan consolidation. That will take my payments from about $1000 a month (PANIC ATTACK seeing as I only make about that!) to about $100.
3. Got a free gift at Harbor Freight Tools so I could store my knives a little better and saved 20% on gloves that I needed for yardwork.
4, Stopped a yard sale and the Missus found a couple of plates she liked and they had a grid notebook that I have been wanting. The lady just gave it to me– I had been debating buying one for well over $10.
5. Took my cat to the vet– I have always liked my vet but I just think they have gotten very expensive and while they were always the more expensive option they gave great care and very friendly service. The service is not friendly now from the staff and I find I am consistently charged in ways that I wasn’t charged before and these charges aren’t explained to me. So, I have started to look around at other vets to find out who is good and to begin to take steps toward building a relationship elsewhere. I hate to change but I also have not been impressed the last few times I went there.