Five Frugal Things
by Katy on June 14, 2017 · 95 comments
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I worked the past two days and brought my own lunch, drank the free crappy coffee and then the free delicious tea. I did take my younger son who is home from college out to dinner last night, but we drank water and didn’t order extras. We climbed to the top of Mt. Tabor afterwards to enjoy view and the non-rainy weather.
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I scored some free vintage stacking chairs, which I’ll clean up and sell on Craigslist. They’re not quite prime midcentury level, but they’re likely from the 1970’s or late 1960’s and any money made will be pure profit. I’m tempted to keep them as both of my sons will be living off campus next year. However, they’ll survive just fine with random mismatched chairs. I enjoy a project and find it very satisfying to bring things back to life. I joke with my husband that “all my hobbies make money.”
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I put together a number of eBay and Craigslist listings and although I have yet to sell anything, I have received a number of inquiries that should lead to sales.
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I pulled a Kitchenaid dough hook from an estate sale free box last week, and just now gave it to someone who had asked for one in my local Buy Nothing Group. Perfect coincidence.
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I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.
Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 95 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s so kind of you to give items away that you find! Truly living the minimal waste lifestyle. 🙂
This week:
1. We’ve eaten exclusively at home.
2. I got paid! Finally! I switched jobs and had to wait a month for a paycheck, so it feels good to see those numbers in our bank account. We might even pay off my student loans this month, but we’ll see. 🙂
3. I dried our clothes outside instead of using the dryer. I did admittedly toss them in the dryer for 10 minutes to de-wrinkle them, but it definitely was better than a full one-hour drying cycle!
4. I watched YouTube videos for free workouts.
5. I checked out a movie and a stack of cookbooks for free from my library.
“all my hobbies make money.”
This is my motto! I “can’t afford” a hobby that doesn’t make money. 😉 Put it another way, I prefer not to pay for my fun.
I’m starting to reap the rewards of some of May’s efforts this week: Chase has paid out 2 of the 3 bonuses that I signed us up for, and I redeemed $50 in Swagbucks money, all of which was added to our side income account. I also sent in a redemption for the final Chase promotion yesterday.
I’m already halfway through June, I’d better make sure that we’re set up for a great money reaping July too!
Katy, please post a pic of the afterlife of these chairs. I’m curious to see what you do to them. TY
Wow, great score, Katy. The legs on those chairs are in incredibly great shape!
I am amazed at the free items you find!
1. On that note I picked up a free set of golf clubs for myself today after hearing a stranger mention that she was decluttering a set.
2. My new to me sleeveless blouse and shorts arrived from ThredUp at considerable savings over new.
3. Picked up more books from the library.
1. Made a chicken last for four meals: one day meat with veggies, second day chicken tacos, third day chicken enchiladas, and today, chicken soup.
2. Root maggots have invaded another one of my scallion areas! Lost only one but spent several hours harvesting the others before they are damaged (I had hoped to let them grow another week), chopping and then dehydrating. Did this even though I am feeling under the weather and just want to read and snooze. Ended up with two one gallon bags full to the brim. Great for winter soups.
3. Did my usual volunteer gig with a local kids’ program. They were having a potluck and I came home with items no one (client parents or staff) wanted: a tray of eggplant parm, a tray of celery (not a big hit) and one can of ginger ale. The eggplant was an effort to expand the children’s tastes but as soon as they heard some of the parents saying things like, “Yuck, eggplant” and “Eggplant is so slimy!!” the kids would not touch it.
4. Months ago I filled out a survey on a dog food site. Turns out I won the participation prize—today in the mail I received a huge box of dog jerky. It smells so good I believe I could eat it! The dogs practically gnawed through the box before I rescued it.
5. Using envelopes that come with the few bills we get in the mail for scratch paper, instead of buying a pad.
#5…I use them to make my food lists and put any coupons (that I plan on using) inside.
#5 Me too!
I also make notes to myself and clothes pen them to my purse at night. That way I don’t forget things I need to take with me in the morning.
Future You is going to be very happy with Today You for slogging through and dehydrating all those scallions.
I think William’s right. And thanks to Lindsey and Jennifer for the thoughts about freezing chopped scallions and celery. I do this myself with extra bell peppers from my garden, but the idea of freezing the other two never occurred to me.
I chop up celery and freeze it to toss in soups/stews/stuffing/chicken dressing/meatloaf in the winter. My husband is not a fan of celery so when I buy it, I have to have a plan for the leftovers. I love to chop it up fresh to put in chicken salad for a little crunch or make ants on a log for the kids. Stuffed with pimento cheese is another favorite here. Whew, I am hungry now..lol!
I need to remember to freeze celery, peppers and chopped scallions….I usually end up throwing away celery that goes bad, because we just don’t eat it fresh often enough to use it up. Peppers and scallions tend to get used up more quickly, but nice to do this if there’s a sale, or a neighbor gifts you with their overabundance.:-)
1 – The city just to the north of us does a line-up of free entertainment in their downtown district every Thursday evening during the summer. I reviewed their schedule and made notes on my calendar of the nights that look most appealing.
2 – My son needed a bag to keep toiletries in his suitcase. I found the first aid kit I used to take with me when the kids were younger and we made frequent trips to the playground (and said kids got frequent cuts, scrapes, and bruises). The first aid supplies went back into the bathroom cabinet, and the zippered bag went to my son for deodorant & toothpaste storage.
3 – I downloaded two free e-books from Project Gutenberg and loaded them onto my Nook.
4 – A mysterious piece of plastic cracked inside our microwave oven door, and the door latches quit latching. DH watched a few YouTube videos, did some disassembly, and was able to repair the latches with nothing more than a screw gun.
5 – I’ve been working hard at keeping the kitchen tidy and the dishes washed to make cooking at home easier. Nothing whispers “Go get carryout!” like a pile of dirty pots, knives, and cutting boards in the sink, so I try to de-pile every evening before bed.
You are so right about # 5! Thanks for the reminder.
1. Found $1.82 today: Cha-chiiing!!!
2. Used my $5 Safeway gift card (big Monopoly win!), plus $5 off Bass Pro Shop Safeway Just for U discount to score a gift card for my dad for Father’s Day.
3. Brought leftover roasted veggies for lunch @ work today.
4. Paid cash at ARCO for gas in the hybrid. Cheaper high-quality gas + $0.35 saved on the debit card fee.
5. Family in town from Hawaii, plus local family coming over for dinner tonight to visit the out-of-towners. Frozen chicken into the crockpot for deeelish taco Wednesday.
1. I repaired the places where our bed quilt was coming unquilted. All breaks were on the straight line quilting within a couple feet of the edge. I suspect they happen when I try to get dogs off the bed by pulling on the quilt. 14 breaks repaired. None of the fabrics are worn through yet.
2. I washed the winter bedding and hung it on the lines outdoors.
3. I replanted my beans. Alas, the soil is so warm they’ll probably cook rather than sprout.
4. I did 5120 minutes of aerobic exercise on my $50 one year pass that finished yesterday. Silver Sneakers plan with the county rec centers. We renewed for another year.
5. We drank water. Katy, why do you bother drinking the crappy coffee before going to the delicious tea?
1. House sitting since Friday. Today is he first day I had to buy food..ate leftovers out of the frig or had been treated to meals
2. Sold and mailed items on eBay
3. Sold items to clothes mentor
4. Reading free books downloaded on kindle
5. Bought a combo bar soap exfoliater $3.99 that will last for 30 shaowers. Need to shed my dead skin
1. Bought some coffee at FM, on sale plus a $2 coupon so it was a good deal. When I got home, I realized there was a tiny tear in the package and some of the coffee had spilled. Returned the coffee to FM and got another one. I was a bit worried about this since I have never returned a grocery item to FM. However, they were very obliging – no problem.
2. Doing a thorough cleaning of my house since we are going to have visitors later this month. Finding all kinds of items which I no longer need. There will be a neighborhood garage sale next month, so I will save them for that event.
3. Reading a book called “Teeth” which I got from the library. Among other things, it’s a history of dentistry in the US. As someone who has had her share of dental problems, I am finding this interesting.
4. Continuing to: walk with neighbors for exercise, work part-time for income, read library books and watch library videos for entertainment.
I need to add that book to my “to read” list! I know your pain….I think I’ve paid for my dentist’s last three vacations with my dental bills. Glad I have dental insurance through work, or I’d be in deep, deep trouble. lol
Hi all I am reading a book that I thought some of you might be interested in. I will say I am only about one third of the way through but finding it very interesting.
The name is The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. The book takes place in the biggest waste dump in Cambodia where people live and make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash.
I have been thinking about the gentleman who writes the blog Things I Find in the Garbage. He scavenges things before they get to the dump.
LOVE his blog! Here’s the link:
http://garbagefinds.com
Thanks for the link. I just checked it out and looking forward to reading his archives.
Sounds really interesting….that blog sounds interesting, too. Thanks for sharing! My husband always teases me, because on trash day, I’m always looking as we drive by to see if there’s anything worth taking!
1. Got taken out to dinner at a nice restaurant by a friend that I haven’t talked to in a while. I ordered water to drink, a burger and sweet potato fries for the main dish, rather than an expensive entry, and no dessert, since I was full. She told me I was a cheap date. When I told my husband she said that, he smiled, hugged me, and said, “That’s why I love you!” LOL
2. Went to several garage sales and rummage sales, got 6 prs of like-new leggings, a really cute sweater, and a top, all for $3 total, for my granddaughter, a mug tree and a nice rectangular basket (one for my bracelets, one to corral stuff on the ottoman by my favorite chair), both for 50 cents each, and some like-new children’s books, which will be used for Xmas gifts, that I traded for some peaches. Had several people give me discarded jewelry, which I’ll dismantle and use to make into something else, for my jewelry design business.
3. Almost bought a box of jelly jars to use for the peach jam I’m making this week, but remembered I’d bought a box last yr that I ended up not using. Hunted around till I found where I’d stashed them. Saved money and used what I’d already bought!
4. Checked out some books from the library that I’ve been dying to read, instead of buying them. Had to get them through interlibrary loan, so took a while, but it saved me close to $100.
5. Husband was gone on a business trip and I didn’t have to cook one dinner: went out with friend on night #1, had a potluck book club meeting on night #2 (and my contribution was made from stuff I already had in the house), and ate leftover beans and rice on night #3. He came back today, earlier than expected, and since I hadn’t started dinner yet, decided to take me out to celebrate him getting home, using a gift certificate our church gave us at Xmas as a thank you for leadership service.
1. Betty, that was a sweet story! Over the years my husband has told me many, many times that I’m a cheap date.
1. Spent 3 days caring for my 91 & 92 year old in-laws. Very happy to help out and didn’t have to buy any groceries, just fixed the meals.
2. Between Walmart and Target I found 91 cents.
3. Recovered very worn out patio furniture cushions. They are by no means perfect, but if you don’t look closely they are fine. They will do until I find some the right size on sale (end of summer). Also used an old table cloth for the fabric!
4. Vacuumed the car at home instead of feeding the machine quarters at the car wash.
5. Won 2 movie tickets at a lno party playing bingo.
1. Found gas for $1.80 a gallon. yeehaw
2. I liked my new “ruler” hair cut so much I decided to go shorter. I shortened the ruler to 4 inches and cut my hair 4 inches all over my head. I feel all sassy and short, I even spiked it. oh my.
3. I just keep on being cheap.
That’s great. I’m in California and paid $2.79 this morning, and that’s cheap here.
1. We had a delicious vegetarian cauliflower pasta dish last night that made enough for all four of us to take for lunch as well today. Plus I got the cauliflower on a super special
2. We ran out of bread so I made some, along with some muffins, seeing as I had the oven on.
3. Worked from home yesterday. I’ve negotiated to wfh two days a week, which will save my sanity (primary driver) as well as petrol and time.
4. I did my grocery shopping online during my lunch break. I’m starting to resent the amount of time spent in a supermarket on my precious weekends. That’s time I could be spending in the garden or with my kids. I choose life.
5. We are continuing to use our fireplace to heat our house, and also using the ashes sparingly in the garden and compost. I have a freeloading passion fruit vine that is luxuriant but is yet to flower. Hoping some potash from the woodash will force some flowers and fruit.
1. I used Swagbucks to get an Amazon gift card, which I used to buy some supplies for the dollhouse I am working on. It is a Christmas gift for my niece.
2. I used a Starbuck’s gift card to treat another niece today. It was a joy to see the tired mother of 3 little ones get so excited over a designer coffee.
3. Wrapped a gift for a friend’s newborn with supplies I already had on hand (and had saved from a work event that were heading for the trash). I got the gift for half price and I was able to find something in my gift stash for the new born’s older sister so she didn’t feel left out.
4. Planted cone flower and wisteria in my mother’s garden today. They were both given to me by friend’s.
5. I was able to purchase 7 pairs of designer shoes for 17.00. They retail for anywhere from 125-400. I gave 4 pairs to the ladies in my family, sold a pair to my sister’s co worker, will sell another pair, and I kept a beautiful red pair for myself.
What an incredible find on the shoes!
1. We’re going to the county fair tomorrow. Entry and parking are free, since my son is exhibiting. We’re bringing lunch, and frozen milk to drink with our (shared) cinnamon rolls. I am hoping to buy tags for the dogs, and that’s it. (The tags at the fair don’t scratch off like the ones at the pet store).
2. I just signed up for a community garden swap. A neighbor stopped by and bought peaches off my tree, and she gave me info on the swap. I can exchange peaches and grapes for tomatoes!
3. Hung laundry on the line. Hot weather makes laundry dry quickly!
4. Saved shower water to water my flowers on the porch.
5. The family ate leftover breakfast this morning: leftover muffins, leftover waffles, leftover pancakes. Nothing will go to waste!
I live in southern California also. Where is the county fair? Thanks,
Interesting to hear dates of your county Fair! County Fairs are typically held in late July and early August here in MN. Contests are held with special emphasis on 4H skills and good animal husbandry – and winners may then qualify for the state fair held in late August /early September traditionally ending on Labor Day.
The MN state fair is AMAZING!! One of my sisters lives in St. Paul, and we had the chance to visit and go to the fair with them severl years ago. Loved it.
Our county fair is in mid July, and is a lot of fun…we go every year.
1. It’s my birthday month, so as a government employee, that = bonus payday. I have my budget carefully worked out, including the necessary spending, long term saving, saving for my post grad studies next year, and a few frugal luxuries. I am thankful I have no debt to service!
2. Enjoying some lovely bulk organic beef raised by a friend. Freezer filled for R50/kg
3. Bought a bulk pork pack at a favourite butcher. It was advertised as 11,5kg @ R550. When I weighed it at home it was just on 12kg. Score!
4. Taking my mom and 2 of her friends to lunch on Saturday (her birthday, frugal luxury), but plan to invite everyone back to my house for coffee and home made birthday cake instead of restaurant dessert.
5. One of my son’s teachers became a granny for the first time this week, so I will take out my needles and some wool instead of buying a gift for the baby.
This week is an exercise in mitigating the expenses of a typical (i.e., not especially frugal) 12 day vacation:
1. Hand wash underwear and socks in the sink, rather than via the hotel laundry. It grates on my nerves to pay more to get something washed, than it cost me to purchase in the first place. (PS – I hate washing socks in the sink but I do it anyway.)
2. Rewear clothes that aren’t smelly or dirty. Spot-wash dirty clothes if possible.
3. Ask for a fridge in the hotel room, in order to bring home restaurant leftovers and buy sodas from the grocery store.
4. Stay at hotels that include internet and breakfast.
5. Go to local markets and buy in-season produce. My god are today’s strawberries good!
6. If you want a collection of things from vacation spots, pick an inexpensive thing. I get magnets and Christmas ornaments. A friend of mine likes shot glasses.
7. If you buy a significant souvenir, buy something that the area is known for. Don’t go halfway around the world and buy the same stuffed animal that you could get at home.
8. If you can’t afford the spectacular thing, look for something related. A set of two Chihuly seaforms (go to http://www.chihuly.com/artwork and select “seaforms”) starts at $6000, but the short books (each with DVD) of his exhibitions are $15 new. Old wall calendars well for 50% off or more but the pictures are gorgeous no matter what date is written on the page.
9. It Never Hurts to Ask. At one place we got two free passes and a souvenir book, because a nibling noticed the sign at the payment booth: “What if you’re born in in 1937?” (They’re celebrating the place’s 80th birthday by giving free entrance to 80 year olds.) At another, we got a discount because one of our party was a member of the military. Not the military in the country we’re in, either.
I collect tea towels when I travel to exotic (to me) places. Then each time I use them I smile at the memories.
That’s a great idea, Lindsey!
I get a magnet for my daughter and sometimes for myself and I always get a postcard to keep. A few times I’ve bought a small art piece or craft work for my house.
I like to buy one good piece that reminds me of the place. On our last trip I bought a limited edition signed print by a local artist. It’s framed in our kitchen. On another trip I bought a home turned wooden bowl made from local timber. These cost more than a souvenir- up to $80 each. But it’s all I bought and I get a lot of pleasure from using and seeing them, and from the reminder of those trips.
I’m a fan of the squished penny for a souvenir. Costs very little yet gives me joy to see all the places I have been.
I too collect tea towels. Most are from my travels in the UK as an adult–but I still have one my mother bought at Cypress Gardens in FL on our family trip there in 1961. It’s a map of Florida–with no Interstate routes. Ancient history now!
A. Marie, the mere mention of your tea towel makes me feel nostalgic. Although I was not quite yet born in 1961, I do remember Florida before Disney. Weekends were spent at Cypress Gardens, Silver Springs, Marineland, Weeki Wachee, and on the beach. Now 50 years later and with 17 million more residents, Florida isn’t quite the same. Sigh….. Change is inevitable.
I loved Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs….sigh
We just last weekend went to the Chihuly: In the Gallery and In the Forest exhitbit at Crystal Bridges Art Museum. Awesome!!! We took lots of outdoor photos. Free.
1. It’s my daughters birthday this week as well as mine. We have a couple celebrations to accomodate grandparent schedules. Last night we had take out chicken with grad party leftovers and what was left of the grad party cake with a couple candles in the top. My other daughter will bake a birthday cake for the weekend celebration.
2. Purchased gift certificates from a local high end meat market as Father’s Day gifts for my Husband and Father-in-law. Useful and appreciated.
3. Still eating leftovers from Saturday’s Graduation Party for dinners and lunches.
4.Planning to be out of the house for the electric companies Energy Savings Day. Electricity will cost 8 x as much between the hours of 2-6. I’ll turn off the air conditioning, lights, power off computers etc.
5. Helping my mother and father-in-law with a garage sale. I won’t be adding anything but my father-in-law will give proceeds to my daughters. Mom will feed us and we will spend some time with grandparents.
How is that legal for a utility to charge 8 times the rate for a few hours at anytime? What kind of PR departments do they have to promote that for Energy Savings Day??? Utilities are highly regulated, and I can not imagine this or that it is legal. Takes a lot for an increase.. public hearings etc? Can you elaborate?
It’s absolutely legal, and sometimes absolutely necessary. Regulated industries does not then mean those industries are cheap. I think we all forget- having easy access to electricity- what an incredibly expensive undertaking it is to have electrical power, and it will become even more so for the next few decades.
Electric companies will do just about anything to keep from having to build new plants, which means getting people not to use energy at peak times. If they build for all the hot afternoons when everyone wants to run the AC, they have excess capacity all the rest of the time. That’s a big waste! (especially for coal & gas-powered plants).
My mom was always in a program that let the power company cut our power at peak times, for a big discount or rebate. We don’t qualify for it because we don’t have AC but our electric company offers a similar deal or at least it did a few years ago.
1. I took a batch of salsa over to my neighbor and some to a coworker. Both were very appreciative.
2. The front porch on my new house has the potential to be beautiful, but has been so neglected. I painted the aluminum front door and mail slot with Rustoleum oil rubbed bronze spray paint. Primed the wooden handrails, repainted the wooden steps and trim. I’m getting there.
3. Checked out at Kroger and found someone had left behind a coupon for a free pint of Halo Top ice cream. Don’t mind if I do!
4. Have been carrying out the bucket from the basement humidifier to water my plants.
5. Listed a few items on ebay and the FB sale boards.
Have you tried Halo Top ice cream? I bought some, and it had a weird, sort of crumbly texture….then I found out you need to let it soften a bit before eating it. (I generally like ice cream thst’s still relatively “hard”, so I didn’t do this).I still have it in my freezer, but I’m wondering what anyone else thinks of it.
I had not tried it before this. Oatmeal Cookie was fantastic. I thought Salted Caramel was too sweet. I liked the texture, but I like softer ice cream. Eating ice cream straight from the pint carton seems like a luxury to me, because we usually buy the larger containers and use bowls.
Thanks, Bettypants….will have to try the Oatmeal Cookie. I think I have chocolate chip, or something similar. Will have to let it soften to make it edible. It *is* a luxury eating straight out of the container – hubs and I have different tastes in ice cream, plus when we buy it, we typically get our local frozen custard (Whit’s) – delicious but expensive. So more of a summer splurge.
It is starting to feel like summer in my part of the world!
1) Watered the garden multiple days since it isn’t frugal to plant starts and have them shrivel up. Several direct seeded veggies are starting to pop out – radishes, beans and peas. I love to be in our garden…
2) Ordered three books that have been on the “someday” list from Powells.com as the used books were on sale this week. Also used a credit I had from selling them some books via mail this winter.
3) Last day of kindergarten for DS today! Teacher gifts were homemade lemon bread (with lemons on sale), notecards from shutterfly (paid shipping only), and a reusable lunch bag bought at wholesale. DS wrote notes to all his teachers – very endearing.
4) Getting ready for a big vacation with extended family. Eating up perishables and freezing extra milk. Packing bungee cords and clothespins to hang up damp laundry, bringing small gifts bought at consignment or on sale (picture books, activity books, small lego set) for DS to avoid the gimmes at gift shops. I appreciated WilliamB’s post about making good choices if/when one does buy something.
5) Needed a new bathing suit for #4. Not that I don’t have a bathing suit already, mind you, just not one that fits well. Was delighted to find suits yesterday at JCPenney for 50% off that actually cover more than the barest minimum. If I wanted it all to hang out there, I would wear the suit I already have!
I love all five of yours — very inspiring and fun to read!
BJS – Thank you for your lovely note! You all keep me accountable on days when I would rather not be and I get joy out of thinking “Oh, I’ll have to post *that* on the next FFT…
Finding a bathing suit that fits well and provides coverage in the right places is such a challenge! When I am shopping for one, I find myself wishing that I was 16 again and could fit into anything. But in all honesty, it is the only time that I wish that I was 16. Have fun on your vacation.
Don’t you just love Shutterfly’s freebies/only pay shipping deals? I had postcards made with a photo of one of my son’s art works (sort of a cheerful sun done in bright colors), and we wrapped them around a Hershey’s chocolate bar for each of his teachers for teacher appreciation gifts (he was in first grade this past year, & we included his PE teacher, art teacher, music teacher, etc). Got some lovely thank yous back.
I had the same bathing suit issue – I found one via Amazon at a reasonable price (third party vendor). Costco also had some that were “slimming”/Miracle Suit one pieces, but not in my size. Yay you for finding one you like!
1. No take out even though I am tired and feeling a bit overwhelmed by real life issues this week.
2. Went to a 2-day workshop and found free parking in the BU area of Boston.
3. I brought my lunch and some snacks for both days, water from the water fountain but did have to buy coffee as there was no coffee offered at workshop.
4. Library books and am reserving library passes for free or deeply discounted summer outings.
5. Offering to have our father’s day bbq here on Sunday. I have hot dogs in freezer, some veggies for grilling, hot dog and hamburger buns in freezer and key lime pie ingredients. Others will bring the rest.
1) I went shopping yesterday in a big, beautiful store. I need new running shoes. I could not find the ones I prefer. Yet in a weak moment, I managed to buy 3 blouses that I didn’t really want or need. I returned them the same day. Financial and moral catastrophe averted.
2) I had blood work done yeasterday. :-(. I had to fast. Since I get lightheaded on occasion, I brought water and a piece of fruit with me to eat afterwards. It is so tempting to stop for breakfast. I also did not buy coffee from the nearby Starbucks. I waited until I returned home and made my own.
3) I have been watching Victoria on PBS. I am not sure why I did not watch this before. I am a bit of an Anglophile, so I am enjoying it completely. I have also discovered that it is time for me to brush up on my European History. Time to hit the library!
4) I purchased a dressmakers dummy for $20 at an estate sale. Unfortunately, it did not have a stand. DH made a lovely one for me out of scrap wood. I can now us it to photograph clothing to sell on eBay. When I am done, I will sell the dummy locally for profit. I am very happy to have found it.
5) I had a check come in the mail. This was totally unexpected. The cash is now in savings.
There are few things I enjoy more than getting an unexpected check in the mail – even if it’s just for a few dollars.
Hi Bee,
Look out for Phillipa Gregory books in your library. I find it to be the best historical fiction; starting with the Plantagenets, through to the Tudors. Great characters, and very historically accurate.
C
Thank you. I will see if they are available. I am always looking for a good read.
I have found Phillipa Gregory books at thrift stores, too.
Bee, I recently binge watched the first season of Victoria. I waited forever to get it from the library and it was worth it. Who doesn’t love a good costume drama?
It really is wonderful. I am absolutely in love with Victoria’s little dog, Dash. Lord M is quite something too, but I understand he was really quite the womanizer. 🙂 When I finish mopping and vacuuming I am going to treat myself to the next episode.
This is high up on my watch list. I love British history, and historical fiction (and costume dramas). Loved Indian Summers, and The Crown.
Katy, I have always wondered. If the free coffee is crappy and the free tea is delicious, why do you ever drink the coffee?
Possibly the crappy coffee gives more of a caffeine boost when this is needed? But I’m curious too.
Hahaha! I remember those type of chairs!
1) Hubby & I spent last night at the Marriott Residence Inn in the city for free – due to a free reward I get once a year on a loyalty card. Traveling for work has its perks!
We had dinner at a nice restaurant on the Lake and I got a beautiful pic of the sun going down behind the clouds with the Lighthouse and sail boats in the foreground. Plus the weather was spectacular. Free breakfast this morning – so it was a nice treat!
2) I’m so thankful for my HSA card. I used it this morning at the Doctor. It’s helpful not to spend money out of our checking account for the co-pay and the HSA savings account money taken directly out of my monthly paycheck before taxes.
3) I’m drinking iced lemon water in my bubba thermos bottle. It’s supposed to help flush toxins and it’s calorie free. The bottled water is provided by my employer – very frugal.
4) My co-worker gave me a free water bottle she rec’d at a conference. She said she doesn’t need more of them. I don’t either, but it’s purple and my daughter or granddaughter will love it.
5) I subscribe to the GoodReads monthly email newsletter and use the book list to look up things I’d like to read or listen to on audio from the Library. I love that newsletter. I put a book on hold yesterday from one of their lists.
1. On my Monday morning walk I stopped by the grocery store and snagged two sale packages packages of steak that were further marked down by 50%. One rib-eye and a large top sirloin. $8 total. This will make (at least) 4 meals for two.
2. Instead of buying a container for empty hangers, I found a copper pot in the garage and lined it with a pretty pillowcase, then put the empty hangers inside. Now I don’t have to go searching for hangers on laundry day. Saves me time!
3. Sent back my Nielson Panel equipment. It takes too much time and memory to scan everything (plus they give “points” instead of dollars). Now I can focus on what I really need to do, which is find a new job.
4. Using a markdown, sale coupon, gift card and free shipping, I got a $40 sports bra for $7. Yay Kohl’s!
5. I made up my mind to stop being lazy and list some things on eBay.
1. Sold 2 items on Amazon yesterday and shipped them today. One item was a book I bought for $1 that I sold for $50. I’ve sold 7 items in the past week.
2. Dropped off 5 bags of donations to the charity shop. While there I bought 34 sewing patterns to sell. Cost 2/25¢ so $4.25 oop. I’ll list them tonight while I watch Rachel Maddow on tv.
3. I’ve done 30 marketing, merchandising and mystery shops so far this week.
4. I found $2.63, 76¢ in Euros and assorted foreign coins all in one Coinstar machine. I’ve decided to save the Euros for my trip to Paris I hope to take in a few years. At that point both DSs will have graduayed college and I’ll be mortgage free.
5. Cleaning out kitchen drawers today which were in serious need of attention. Instead of lining them with wallpaper like I normally do, I’m using a product that’s the thickness of poster board but made from white plastic. It was free since it was from a marketing job I did setting up vendor fixtures in grocery stores and was used to protect the shelves during shipment. I saved it from the trash, and now have removable drawer liners that I can scrub clean, when DH leaves the drawer open while preparing food on the counter right above the drawers.
1. I ate my homemade egg salad sandwich, and my homemade stove popped popcorn, along with cheap carrots, for lunch.
2. Last night, I dyed my hair with a $1.85 on sale hair dye. I have been doing this for years and usually use hair dye that costs $3.00 regular price, but this brand was on sale so I bought it. It was fine.
3. My electric bill was $60 in my all electric house, even though it is summer in the humid, hot, deep South.
4. I did my own eyebrows, even though it takes me forever, to pluck and tame…lol.
5. I do not go anywhere after I get home from work. If I need to do an errand, I do it on the way home from work, and only at stores that I pass on the way home (which would be a Dollar General or a grocery store…lol)….that saves on gas.
Hey Cindy, I am also from the deep South. At Sally Beauty Supply they have a wax(GiGi is the name) I use for my eyebrows that costs about $4 but lasts forever. You heat it in the microwave for a minute or so, it melts, then I spread it only on the unwanted hair of my eyebrows by separating them with a toothpick. After about a minute it is dry and pliable and you can pull it off in one big strip. Occasionally, I may still have a hair here or there left to pluck but it’s such a quick process. Waxing isn’t for everybody and tweezing is free but for me the price is right and it’s quick. Good for upper lip hair, too!
Thanks Jennifer!
The exhaustion-isn’t-frugal edition:
1) Long, long days at work and working from home = a few extra vacation days. (Some of those days were supposed to be vacation, but I didn’t claim them since I was working). Saved the gas by not commuting, and when working on what’s supposed to be days off, nobody cares if your hours are odd, so I was able to visit with houseguests during the day and work through the night.
2) Last-minute haircuts before a family celebration were cheap at one of those walk-in places. . . but I remembered that littlest had ridden her bike up there to get a haircut a month ago and hadn’t left a tip. Had the stylist check under our phone number, and discovered they had significantly discounted her cut, too, because they couldn’t comb all the tangles out and had cut it shorter than she wanted. Ponied up an extra $30 in back payment, which still seemed cheap, considering it saved me from the tears and misery had I helped her brush it out at home.
3) Have been cooking and eating at home . . . but with some grown kids home, we’re going through massive amounts of food, and they’re requesting dishes I don’t have ingredients for, so we’ve had a lot of grocery trips. Were I less exhausted, I’d have planned it all ahead and put a menu on the fridge, which often staves off requests.
4) Still cleaning out the rental. We’re paying the grown kids for the work, which is good for them and probably cheaper than a professional. But it adds to the oversight (which adds to the exhaustion). Renters move in tomorrow – we’re almost there . . .
5) Hubs is splitting time between new and old jobs – they’re 300 miles apart, so it’s complicated but he’s opting for frugal transportation (train and driving vs flying) plus it’s the right thing to do to finish out the old job with everything ready to go for the new person, who starts on July 1. He’s in a field where everybody knows everybody, so it matters. He’s getting a LOT of compliments on his work – not sure why none of that happened while he still worked there, as it would have made things a lot happier for him the past couple of years. But the mood boost is significant and kind words are frugal for those saying them, so it works out for everyone.
#1 You went back and paid a forgotten tip on an old haircut? That’s wonderful of you!
“All my hobbies make money!” I love it!!!
1. Since I was able to find the lost library book I was able to request several books and just got a notification to pick them up tomorrow for free weekend reading!
2. We need some necessary repair to our sewer line. The company usually only takes checks for payment but I was able to convince them to let me use my miles Visa to pay for the deposit-every little bit helps!
3. I’ve been looking and looking for a programmable crockpot with the travel clamp lid. The one I was looking at retailed for around 50 dollars but I was able to find the exact model I was looking for at Goodwill for 17.00. The price was a little steep for me but it looks barely used and I’ve been holding off for awhile. No more rushing home to turn the crockpot to warm before everything dries out in the manual crockpot!
4. In a Fitbit challenge this week with family and friends to get the most steps this week. Since we already have Fitbits it is free, and fun to see everyone’s progress. I’m kinda competitive so it is like a game and free entertainment! Plus when I do chores I get steps so it feels like a reward!
5. Past two nights I’ve been cleaning out the fridge and serving leftovers. Still also packing leftovers in the kiddo’s lunchbox.
1. Guest here from out of town. We arranged to have lunch with friends – paid for her lunch. In return she bought me a beautiful charm and a cupcake to take home for DH. I drank water – amazing how much drinks add to the tab!
2. A lot of the usual stuff – husband decided to have me cook breakfast instead of a drive thru possibility this morning, making a careful grocery list for father’s day purchases, menu planning for the weekend, etc.
3. Brought home half (large portion) of my sandwich from lunch which made up part my husband’s dinner plus other leftovers.
4. Rummage, garage and estate sales are on my list for today’s activities. Don’t have anything specific in mind except a hunt for exceptional deals – maybe something to add to father’s day packages.
5. Resisted the urge to purchase fantastically cute pottery, clothes, and jewelry at an upscale boutique we visited yesterday.
Noticed that much of my list is what we didn’t do – passive frugality!
1. Loaded the Free Friday Download to my King Soopers card. I’m not sure whether or not I’ll get it, but if I do, it’ll be free 🙂
2. Have brought lunch with me to work every day this week, and have eaten at home all but 1 night.
3. Walking/running at lunch instead of getting a gym membership. This saves me time (because I get a lunch anyway and can eat at my desk while I work) and money (because I’m not buying a gym membership).
4. Carpooling with my friend to work each day. She’s been picking me up every day for a few weeks, ever since my car was totaled. But, we purchased a car last night, so now it’s my turn to pick her up for a while!
5. Re: #4, we purchased a used Toyota with only one previous owner, great mileage, and in great condition. It was well worth what they were asking and should last us a long time. Buying a car is not frugal, per say, but we went about it as cheaply as possible, and I feel very good about our purchase.
Hi All!
1) Arranged to buy a leather chair + ottoman in Lake Oswego. Gonna ask a friend with a mini van to help move it to my house. It’s a rich burgundy color and will be perfect as a reading chair.
2) I fixed my garbage disposal instead of replacing it. Yay!
3) Carried my lunch and coffee to work.
4) I have restarted going to the gym. There were transport issues last month, then there were murder at the train station near the gym. Because of that evil event, I was reluctant to go back to the gym. But I went back this week, and a lot of the aches and pains from stress, doing work on the house and lack of mobility are starting to go away with weightlifting and using the sauna/steam room.
5) Going strong on the no happy hour/no takeout. With the addition of going back to the gym, I am sleeping like a log for a solid 8 hours a week. No grogginess when waking up and no belly aches.
6) I forgot my wallet at home today- so that counts, right? 🙂
That bent wood chair in the rear with the pink seat may be a valuable one created by the French designer, Thonet! Check for a tag, google it, and don’t change a thing about it if it is. An original in original condition is worth big bucks, but if it’s changed the value is lowered or sometimes nil. I found one once! Good luck!
Sadly, it was thoroughly trashed.
Hey Andy,
I always assumed that Thonet was French (because…all those photos of his chairs in Paris bistros), but found out recently he was born in Germany and later emigrated to Austria. I’d always pronounced his named as French (Tho-nay) but learned it’s actually pronounced toe-net. Anyway, I was researching whether or not some chairs I had were valuable. Sadly, they were knock-offs.
I’m learning a ton from reading this blog, and everyone’s comments. I’ve checked to see if there are any Buy Nothing groups near me – there are a few, but I’m not sure there are any close enough geographically to me that i would qualify.
My FTT:
1. Started clearing out the jungle of weeds and overgrown volunteer invasive plants that have taken over my garden. Frugal in the long run, as I can then plant sone veggie plants, and a friend has promised to share some of her raspberry shoots. Plus, I get fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.
2. I finished drinking my son’s lemonade flavored Kool Aid, mixed from a packet that came home as a small end-of-school-year goodie bag from his teacher. Son had lost interest in drinking it. I don’t usually drink sugary drinks, but it sure tasted good while working in the jungle/garden (see #1).
3)I ordered a new watch band for my oldish Timex watch, from Timex.com. Spent $13, got free shipping and 6% rebate from Ebates.com. Best of all, no time and no gas spent trying to find the right replacement band locally. This also counts as knocking a “niggling” chore off my list….win-win!
4) Stashed some leftover crockpot beans in the freezer…..can be added to soup, or maybe I’ll try making refried beans one of these days.
5) Drank the delicious free coffee and cappucino at work (I do a 50:50 combo). Seattle’s Best coffee, and I forget the brand of cappucino – it’s made from a powdered mix, but it’s yummy. A really nice perk of my job.
I too want to see the finished chairs!
1. My magical alley in our neighborhood struck again. Some nice neighbor had set out some outdoor cushions. Grabbed them and tossed the covers (they were past redemption). I have an old shower curtain with a funky pattern. Will sew two new covers.
2. Had to have a lighting fixture replaced. My handy guy gave me a tutorial while he swapped it out. Hopefully I can do this in the future.
3. It finally rained today! Free garden watering.
4. Filled out two rebates (one for wine and the other for dog meds).
5. Bought an old wooden open topped tool box to refinish into a flower planter at an estate sale for $10. It came with the contents. It was just stuffed with “crap” as the estate lady referred to it. That “crap” has been organized and cleaned. I have put on my curb some duplicate cheaper tools for neighbors to pick through. The Bose speaker wires and cool cabinet pulls are listed that were among the things. Best find in the tool box was a made in england brass musket mould! Holy moley! They sell for quite a bit of money on ebay!
1) One of our Airbnb guests accidentally took home my breast pump, thinking it was her cpap. She promised to mail it back to me. Then a month went by and she stopped responding to my calls and emails. (I’m not currently pumping, so it’s not hugely time sensitive.) I called Airbnb’s resolution number, and they were able to get in contact with her. I don’t think she is trying to steal my breast pump. I just think she is probably one of those people who is totally disorganized and needs a nudge to get things done. I could ignore this and take the loss, but the frugal person in me wants my stuff back.
2) Another Airbnb guest took home one of our iPhone chargers. She has already put it in the mail back to us. In turn I washed and shipped back to her the expensive glass baby bottle she left in our fridge. At her cost of course; if I footed the bill to return guests’ items I would have to add a fee to bookings. Often people leave stuff here, but in almost five years of hosting it is actually rare for people to take home our stuff. And it has always been by accident.
3) There are more Airbnb guests in our house right now while we are spending the week at our country house. Trust me when I say “country house” isn’t nearly as boujee as you are picturing. This ain’t Austen honey.
4) Finally got a quote to fix water damage in our house that happened in the fall. It took us that long to get on the list with our roofer, make repairs, and get the painter over. The quote is only $985. (I’m always extatic when any repair bill in our 100 year old row house comes in under $1K.) But my deductible is $500, so unless insurance has some issue, we’ll only be on the hook for $500. Added bonus is that that ceiling needed painting anyway.
5) I am finally finishing listening to Hamilton! I started the book three years ago, and then got into grad school, and haven’t picked it up since. Fast forward through a third baby, five semesters of graduate work, and comprehensive exams, and I am picking up where I left off. Listening through Overdrive at my library of course.
Wow!! You’ve been a busy gal.;-) Hooray for bids on home repairs that are not as bad as you anticipate. We got a variety of bids to get the exterior of our house painted this summer (a fairly ordinary 10 year old home, and this ia a must-do, not a want)….the first bid, by someone a neighbor recommended, was $12,000 (!!!). Um, noooooo. They clearly didn’t want our business.
Amanda, sounds like you’re being pretty easygoing about this. Not to pry, but … I’m having a hard time imagining how someone could confuse the two – breast pump and cpap. A cpap is usually on the nightstand, yah? But it seems likely that a no longer in use breast pump would not be? I’m less inclined to think it was an accident. Anyway, hope it’s resolved satisfactorily for you. 😀
If she took home your breast pump, do you have her c-pap machine? I’d think she’d be more than willing to get that pump back to you pronto in exchange for the c-pap!
My FFTs are mostly related to food rescue this time around.
1. Cooked up the remains of a couple rotisserie chickens and turned them into chicken broth, chicken noodle soup, and chicken stock, which will be turned into chicken vegetable soup and chicken and rice.
2. In the process of soup making, I diced up 2 bunches of celery, freezing enough for a couple batches of future soup, dehydrating a couple more trays of celery dices and one of leaves and hearts, and, of course, using some in the soups. So nice not to have wasted any of the celery. I even saved the bottoms in hopes that I can plant them and have them send up a little more celery for me.
3. I also turned a goodly amount of carrot sticks into dices for the soup. I still have a bunch of carrots that are getting kind of hairy in the crisper drawer. They will be scrubbed, peeled and diced or sliced. Dices will be frozen in soup sized portions. Slices will be either canned or served fresh – luckily my daughter loves cooked carrots, so she will be doing the canning.
4. I pulled enough rhubarb at the fairgrounds Thursday to make a big stock pot of rhubarb sauce yesterday. Today, I canned all of it in half pints and pints. This stuff is wonderful on pound cake or vanilla ice cream, or just eaten straight. I will give some of it for gifts, and enjoy it all year long.
5. While I was canning, I also tried out my newest pressure canner, a by-the-pound find at the bins! It’s a nice Presto canner, much newer than my old faithfuls inherited from my parents or similar vintage found at garage sales for next to no $$. I like the newer gasket and safety valve on this one, and since I use a weight on the petcock instead of the gauge, I didn’t care that it was missing the petcock topper (can’t think of the official name for it, lol). Presto sells a 3 weight set for about $15 that sits on the petcock, eliminating the need to have gauges checked and replaced if they are not accurate. It’s getting harder and harder to find an extension office that will check canner gauges, and it costs money every time you have them checked, so not only do I know my canner is accurate when I use the weights, but they have already more than paid for themselves, just in the gauge checks I HAVEN’T paid for in the last few years. But, I digress….I canned 4 pints of chicken stock to test out my canner, filling empty jars with water as place savers. Sometimes, I will put a used lid on a jar of water and can the water when I don’t have a full canner, but didn’t this time. I figure if the lid is used and fails, I haven’t lost anything, but if it re-seals, as it often will if the lid is straight, then I have sterile water on hand for wound washing.
Bonus 6. I’ll take the best jar of each thing I preserve to enter in my community fair, andprobably at least the county fair as well. They judge on appearance, not opening the jar, so if it looks nice and uniform and has the correct head space and processing time and method, it’s likely to win a blue ribbon. Each blue ribbon comes with premium money, so for a little extra care and effort, I can make some extra cash, and still have the food to eat this winter. I’ll also enter dehydrated foods and herbs in that department, and fresh herbs in the garden department. I grow a lot of different herbs, most of which I started from a cutting or root and which grow with very little attention or care, so that’s like free money, too! If you are interested in entering your local fair, look for a premium book or look on line. The premium book will give you all the information you need to enter…when, where, how to pick a good entry, any special contests you can enter, etc.
I almost forgot. I also cut up spouting potatoes to plant in my garden. The parts that didn’t have sprouting eyes, I saved and peeled, then made a nice big pan of mashed potatoes. They were a mix of russet and gold potatoes and the mashed potatoes are absolutely yummy. I peeled them thickly in case some of the eyes will still grow. I’ll give them a day to dry and callus the cut surfaces, and then it’s time to plant potatoes. No wasted potatoes here.
1. I started using the xbox app on my phone as a remote instead of the xbox controller. The xbox remote kills batteries faster than anything I have ever seen, and I’m tired of buying batteries! Since we don’t have cable though, we use it for almost all viewing pleasures.
2. Went to the farmers market on Sunday. They do 1 dollar bags of discount produce and it is such a deal!
3. I have been taking advantage of the “electrolyte popsicles” that are free from the little gym at our apartment complex. It’s basically frozen gatorade, but has been a nice cool treat to have during these southern summer days!
4. Used our Hello fresh box that I used a groupon/rebate for. I ended up getting 2 boxes for less than 40 dollars. Comes out to about 3.40 a meal per person, which is great considering how healthy they are!
5. Scored my boyfriend a super fancy new North Face back pack from goodwill for 4.99. They are almost 100 dollars new!
We don’t really have those – I’ve only seen them a couple of times in Australia. We don’t have pennies, so I’m not even sure what the coins are when I have seen them. We don’t have one cent pieces at all anymore.