Five Frugal Things
by Katy on February 14, 2019 · 118 comments
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I sold a vintage Griswold popover pan on eBay, as well as a pair of Nike sample shoes. (Nike is a local company for us Oregonians, so speciality items hit the thrift shops pretty frequently.) I also renewed a couple of Facebook Marketplace listings, although I doubt that they’ll sell anytime soon as they’re warm weather items. (A bike, a lawn mower and bike rack.) I worked a 12-hour hospital shift and have two more scheduled this week, although one is just a mandatory on-call shift.
I was able to transfer a couple thousand dollars into my son’s college account, as the next payment is due at the beginning of April, which is just around the corner. March is a five-paycheck month, as my husband and I get paid on alternate Fridays. I cherish these months.
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I picked up a few more items to sell on eBay, including some Pyrex ware, a vintage handmade cribbage board, a Furby and a set of educational anatomy flash cards. I’m trying to only sell things I can make at least $20 from. Plus I only want to spend a couple of bucks on anything that I buy for resale. Not smart to spend $30 to make $50 or $2 to make $8.
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I arranged for a review copy of Gretchen Rubin’s latest book, as well as an extra for a blog giveaway. It’s called Outer Order, Inner Calm, and I’m more than a little excited to dive into it, as Gretchen’s writing is always in depth yet focused and concise. I know the book will provide both inspiration and researched backed data. A lethal combination!
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I got a free 6-pack of McNuggets as our NBA team scored over 100 points, I brought leftover beef stew to work even though SOMEONE HAD PICKED OUT ALL THE BEEF CHUNKS, I took my son to Dollar Tree to pick up notebooks and coconut oil and didn’t succumb to any impulse purchases, (a Herculean feat!) I’m reading a library copy of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal, I sent out all my eBay items with second-hand packaging materials, I listened to the How to Money podcast while driving and I continue to wear thrifted clothing, sleep on thrifted sheets and sit on thrifted furniture.
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I didnât 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  Â
âUse it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.â
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Borrowing âThe Green Emberâ for my daughters to read.
Dad is here for a visit. He took us to Costco for a big cart fill up and a tank of gas. I wish heâd put the money in his retirement, but this is how he insists to find joy.
Bought valentines cards at Dollar store, even though it would have been much easier to buy it at the grocery store.
Sending gifts home for my momâs birthday and my soon to be sister-in-lawâs bridal shower. My truck-driving dad can haul them in his big rig for free. Mom and I often use this free service to send each other stuff. Parking is also free since we live on the edge of the neighborhood to a big undeveloped area.
Went back and forth with our charter school rep. Changes will be in effect for funding next year, but they will continue to pay for PE, piano lessons, and Spanish tutoring. My heart is peaceful and grateful for these opportunities for them!!!
Awwww…. love how your Dad finds his joy. He sounds a lot like my late Dad. When my husband was laid off, my father would frequently show up at my house with a bag or two of groceries. I could go on and on but I guess its the generosity of his heart I miss most.
My husband worked near where my sister lived so we used him as our “mule.” My sister needed something, I sent it with him and she picked it up from his car. I needed something, it showed up on his seat and he brought it home. Worked well.
I brought home goodies for my husband from a class Iâm taking. I have MANY food allergies and canât eat out, so I fill a plate as if I was going to eat, but instead bring it home for him.
I washed two purses and put one away since I need a change. After a while Iâll be ready to use it again. The other purse got a little re-do. It was a thrift store find and Iâd originally converted it from a messenger bag to a tote bag. This time I unfolded the fabric of the straps and backed them with linen from a 25 cent pair of trousers. Now the straps are wider and look so nice.
I made Meyer lemon jelly with the over abundance of juice that we have from lemons on our tree. I usually make marmalade but the rinds of these lemons were not so great.
I bought fabric on sale to make cloth napkins for a housewarming gift for our son and daughter in law. A frugal gift for me to give, and a frugal gift for them to use.
We have been delighting in the rain (so unusual for here) and have made sure that our sprinklers are off. Weâre on metered water, so it will lower our bill. We already have a drought tolerant yard except for food we grow, but even drought tolerant needs some water. We use water (collected while waiting for water to warm up for dishes or showers) for our fruit trees and vegetable beds.
1. Happy Valentines Day to one and all! DH and I decided to do our “serious” celebrating over the weekend and went to Culvers for dinner tonight. We had a coupon for a free value basket so total cost was under $10.
2. Cold wintry weather continues so haven’t gone out much thus saving on gas and impulse buying.
3. Spent time talking to friends via that traditional instrument – the phone. Was able to help friend with a work project. She got free advice and I got a chance to chat with an old acquaintance that I hadn’t heard from in a long time.
4. After our fast food dinner tonight, stopped at the grocery store for eggs. Hundreds of bouquets of flowers remained unsold. Plan to check in over the weekend for anticipated bargain in roses!
5. No unseemly purchases so far this month.
I am so jealous that you had Culvers last night for Valentines Day! Yummie! Had them for the first time last summer while in Rapid City SD.
Well we had them quite a few times while there. And still so much more to try!
See I am on the East coast and they are not this far! đ
Wish they where!
Culvers is a Midwestern chain, which features a combination of fast food atmosphere plus table service along with old fashioned coffee shop food. Good quality and modest prices. DH loves their butter burgers.
They seem to be expanding and are now Minnesota’s number #1 fast food chain operation. Hope they reach the east coast!
ellen, that is so funny! We were in Rapid City last summer too and went to their Culvers! We’re also from the East coast and to go to a Culvers is such a treat. Our son lived in Kentucky for some years so whenever we visited we would go to Culvers. He moved back up here so we were Culver-deprived for a long time. We were so thrilled to see one in Rapid City!
Lol, we are blessed with two (2) Culvers within a reasonable driving distance from our house. We lovvvvvve their burgers and frozen custard.
We have a Culver’s here….near Daytona beach…haven’t been there yet
When I was able to do a lot of traveling I went to Steak and Shake whenever I found one! The only place I found one in Western States was in Las Vegas (so far).
I have fond memories of driving through Der Weinerschnitzel in So. Cal. as a kid (Mom was driving, lol!)
Carole, we found a Steak and Shake last year in the Palm Desert near Joshua Tree! We were so excited!!
I just found out there is a Steak and Shake in downtown Seattle. We never go there but its the closest by far.
1. Working one day this week.
2. Reading a library book.
3. Attended a decluttering program at the library. The speaker was a professional organizer. Interesting.
4. Avoided crowds and had a particularly yummy batch of Beef and Winter Vegetable Stew for Valentine’s dinner in.
5. Tomorrow they are forecasting 85 degrees. I guess the heater won’t come on.
1. I wore thrifted clothes in conjunction with my work uniform all week. Since I started at this job, Iâve worn this combo almost every day and my need to buy any ânewâ clothes has virtually vanished.
2. We have stuck to our budget like glue in pursuit of Operation New Car.
3. Also stuck to meal plan (same reason).
4. Reading books on my kindle (purchased years ago) for entertainment. My plan is to not buy any new books until I have read everything I already own and havenât read (then Iâll just borrow from the library). Currently reading âA Place Of Greater Safetyâ by Hilary Mantel. Itâs good but not as good as her Cromwell books, which are stunning.
5. Made a deal with the teen that they can have some extra clothing allowance but they also have to sort all the bottles and cans for the recycling and they will receive 40%. They can have the clothing allowance, but I also want them to earn some money.
If you like Hilary Mantel, you might enjoy CJ Sansom. Historical mystery series set in Tudor England. Same style of writing and excellent plotting. Also, they are good and long so lots of enjoyment in your future every time you open a volume.
“Educational anatomy flash cards,” Katy? You’re sending my mind to places it shouldn’t be going. Again.
Now, FFT, My Thrifty Valentine Edition:
(1) Another week of winter weather too bad to get out and spend money. I’m getting tired of this, though it does work.
(2) But I’ll be busting loose for a few hours of cheap entertainment today, while DH is in one of his 4-hour cognitive care programs. One stop will be Ollie’s for whatever day-after-Valentine’s candy I can scoop up for my sweet-toothed sweetie, plus a few other things (with a 15% off store coupon).
(3) Another stop will be a thrift store out east of us that I seldom get to (in a suburb that gets most of a wealthier suburb’s donations). I’ve gotten most of the things on DH’s and my “needs” list, but I’m still looking for any winter coat I can find that resembles a certain type of parka Woolrich doesn’t make any more. I miss it badly.
(4) Tomorrow is the monthly meeting of our regional chapter of JASNA (the Jane Austen Society of North America), in the next city over. (And, thank goodness, the weather forecast is good for the trip. We got shut out of the January meeting by Snowmageddon.) The meeting topic is “The History of Chocolate”–and there will be samples of historical chocolate! This meeting required pre-registration and there’s a $5 charge, but it’ll be well worth it.
(5) And I’ll be taking a JASNA friend in the meeting city some things from her mother, who lives in our city. A frugal arrangement for them (sort of like Bethany’s sending stuff to her family via her truck-driving father).
That’s why I added “educational.”
Sorry, but “educational” wasn’t enough for a mind like mine. Next time, try “BORING educational anatomy flash cards.”
I like the idea of only selling things that you can make more than $20 from with one exception: books. I come across many free piles of books in my daily life and it is so easy to scan the isbns using an app and send them out, that it makes it seem crazy not to do it (the app I use will pay out for any card of at least $7.50 I think).
Can I ask which App you use?
Yeah, I’d break that rule for books as well.
Wondering about the app as well? I’ve used Bookscouter, but all of the books I’ve scanned have essentially no resale value (according to them, at least, though I’m happy to donate books, too).
I can never pass up looking at a free pile of books! If I’m not interested in the book myself, I’ll either trade it in at a used book store for cash or credit, or I’ll donate it to a library book sale. I’ve also found luck selling books to Textbooks.com. Despite the name, they do take books other than textbooks.
I have been using sellbackyourbooks.com and find that they sometimes offer more than the textbook sale aggregator says they will.
Thanks. I’ll check it out.
1. Made and decorated regular and gluten free cupcakes for Valentine dinner. Also made chicken and gf pasta soup last minute as hubby had a broken filing and ended up at the dentist at 4pm on Valentines day. Easy to eat:)
2. Went through some closets and took 5 bags to Goodwill and of course got a receipt. Daughter found a $15 Starbucks gift card and $25 Fandango gift card in closet when we cleaned it out.
3. Daughter had a winter dance and Tim Tebow prom to attend and used gorgeous tops we got at a consignment shop paired with black velvet pants as outfits. Her choice not to wear dresses bc it is cold here. My boys went to these dances too and they wore suits, shirts, vests, ties and bow ties they already had.
4. Cooked all meals and packed lunches even when I didn’t want to. So much easier to bring home Chinese food but I didn’t!
5. Bought items at Target that were on my list anyway and got tw0 $5 gift cards that I used for my son’s birthday present bringing the price down to under $10.
Ok…just curious…what’s a Tim Tebow prom?
I am not the OP, but we recently hosted this in our area. See: https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/ministries/night-to-shine
That is wonderful!! I had no idea…tks for the info
Ugh, I posted FFTs and I lost the whole thing due to a reload so I’m out of time to redo. Long story short, I did okay this week.
Crud, I haven’t heard that from a reader in awhile. I thought I’d fixed that particular issue.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I think you haven’t heard it because lots of us started copying, reloading, then pasting. We have accepted as part of the process to participate, lol. I just forgot to do it this time, argh!
I’ve been getting around the problem by copying and saving what I’ve written before I reload. But it’s true that the site is still cutting off comments way before most people can post without copying/saving/reloading.
Yup. I do this, too. I have to copy, reload and paste almost every time I want to comment.
The secret to successful posting is to write things out in Word and then copy and paste them into the comments.
What I’ve found is that it isn’t so much the length of MY comments (which are sometimes l-o-n-g), but it seems to have something to do with how long I’m on the page–usually reading other people’s comments–without reloading. I’ve found if I reload the page before I type my comments I have plenty of time. YMMV
Good to know!
1. I have gluten free buckwheat groats granola in the oven. It’s good for breakfasts and snacks.
2. I found $.26 on my walk yesterday. It was in the grass near the curb. I picked it up while someone was driving away (no shame). That’s the most I have found in 2019.
3. I’ll make money buying Visa gift cards at Safeway. I had a deal to save $15 if I bought 2 $100 Visa cards. The activation fee is $5.95 per card ($11.90 for the two). Also, this quarter Discover is giving me 5% cash back on grocery store purchases.
4. I inventoried my yarn and see that I have enough to craft a lot of knit and crochet projects without buying any yarn this year. I will stay out of Michaels and not look at their emails. I have been unsubscribing from a lot of emails this year and it feels good.
5. Staying the course and only buying a few groceries here and there, staying out of most other stores. Our bank account balance reflects that.
Today I found 61 cents in a parking lot. Someone must’ve had a hole in their pocket, because as I walked I kept finding nickels and pennies. It’s embarrassing how exciting free money is!
1. celebrated valentine’s day over the weekend when my in-laws kept our kids for the night when we went out with friends for her birthday dinner. She and her husband paid for everything including a party limo! We treated ourselves to breakfast out the next morning before picking up the kids. Heaven on earth
2. I had stock piled enough valentines for the kids that we didn’t have to buy any for their classes.
3. Bought each kid a small box of candy for $1 and found two small stuffed animals (tied together) at a thrift store for 90 cents! Cut them apart and gave to each kid. Worked amazing and spend $2 for each kid.
4. I’m trying to be a bit more intentional with Ebay. I have some unused listings that I pay for that just sit empty. My goal is to fill those listings after a new items sells.
5. Not frugal, but I”m traveling to my parents house this weekend. My hubby works all weekend, so the kids and I will travel the 3.5 hours to spend time with them. My mom has cancer so we are being intentional about getting their more often. I do want to treat them to either a meal out or ice cream while we are there.
I love your 1, 2, and 3. Such a nice date night! I buy Valentines clearance after the holiday and put them up for next year, every year. I get my kids non-specific characters. This year Valentines were puppies which are always popular!
Imma quickly try this once more so expect lots of run-ons and typos…sorry!
1. I got up early yesterday and made my family heart-shaped gluten free pancakes as an inexpensive expression of love. I used frozen raspberries I was gifted last summer as a topping.
2. My husband and I went to a restaurant for a Valentines lunch. So much better than trying to fight the crowd after work on Valentine’s Day and the prices are less. I drank water as regular drinks were $3.99!?
3. Took my kids to the dentist. This dentist comes to our business. After striking up a conversation, he agreed to give us free x-rays and price match the dentist that we currently have to drive out of town to see. He also made balloon animals so the kids were elated. We discussed bartering services so I will keep that in mind for future work. The kids got free toothbrushes and toothpaste. He gave my husband and I some as well.
4. The same dentist referred my daughter to a pediatric orthodontist to discuss a retainer. He determined that it would not be beneficial for her at this time. He did not charge us for this consult and fancy x-rays. However, I’m pretty sure this same child will need braces. I can almost feel the breeze of money flying out the window.
5. I’m making my mom a cheesecake for her birthday. The cost of a whole cheesecake around here is astounding…$40 to $50 for a nicer one?!? Not sure why because my cost to make one is $7. I don’t even have a spring form pan. I use a sling I make out of foil, refrigerate after baking, and the cake lifts right out. Also, I will get her a Valentines bouquet on clearance. The flowers at Kroger are as pretty today as they were yesterday.
Jennifer, I feel your pain re: orthodontia. My son has a referral to an orthodontist for (I think) a spacer, because his teeth are too crowded. I anticipate braces, too…..I’m hearing that whoosh of money leaving our house, too. (frowny face)
So. Much. Money.
Our second kid in ortho just got his removed. We are on a 0% interest payment plan with the office and will be paying for them for another 8 months…sigh…luckily the office takes credit cards so we pay the bill off monthly and get some points…
Connie C., I can only hope the ortho we end up going to offers something similar. One of my sisters had her two daughters in braces/orthodontia at the same time. They both cried when it was all done, the braces were off, etc. My sister was baffled by that. (Me, too, quite frankly….wouldn’t that be a good thing??)
My two who had them are boys, don’t know if that makes a difference but no crying here!
Our ortho gives the kids a cup full of all the candy they can’t eat during their treatment when they are debonded. Pretty funny guy!
1. I sold 2 bags of books to the used bookstore for store credit that I will use to buy gifts in future and am gathering items to take to a consignment store next week. I’ll also pick up $25 earned from past sold items while I’m there.
2.My sister has been having some health problems lately. She had agreed to babysit for her youngest grandchild while his folks take a break. I was able to find an uber low airfare to go with her to help with childcare duties and peace of mind for her. I have a free place to stay, get to visit family and do a little sightseeing.
3. My sister-in-law offered up a free pass to spend a day at the Biltmore estate. I offered to purchase her dinner and then we will spend the night splitting the cost. A fun day out with someone who I’m not able to see often enough.
4. Reading library books, watching library DVD’s, and using my subscription to Netflix, eating at home and still trying to “eat down the pantry”.
5. I’m a great goal setter but not a great goal fulfiller. I set a goal to exercise, be it walking or gardening, 4 times per week. I have accomplished that goal for 4 weeks now which is huge for me, and without paying for a gym.
Congratulations on meeting your exercise goal! It is hard to carve out the time 4x a week . Three cheers for better health. BTW, The Biltmore Estate is beautiful and Asheville is a fun place. I also visited with my sister. You can definitely walk a lot while there!
1. Dropped off a large leather crossover bag I love at the shoe repair to be fixed in September — it was coming apart where the strap that it hangs from when “crossed over” bears all the weight. The guy told me it would be $25 as he would have to cut open the lining, turn bag inside out, reinforce strap, and do same thing preventively to other side. It’s an expensive bag ($300 retail, although purchased a couple of years ago for a third of that) so I said go for it. Went back in a month, he apologized profusely and said not done. Went back in another month, same thing. Waited a couple months, still not done, but he promised to have done in a week. Went in yesterday to pick up, done and he apologized profusely and refused any payment. I have my beautiful bag back and will use this place again (he said he kept putting shoes ahead of it and I have had timely repairs on shoes in the past). I didn’t mind as 1) I was using a different bag anyway, and 2) it’s only a few blocks from my work so not too far to stop in 3) saved $25 and 4) have my beloved bag back and useable!
2. Still reading library books and watching Netflix for entertainment.
3. Had a meeting with my Mom and her financial advisor yesterday. Took her a .50 Valentine’s card which she appreciated. And she treated me to Happy Hour after our appointment!
4. Going to the beach for the weekend with a woman friend. Free accommodations, plan to eat most meals in (will get a pizza tonight since arriving around dinner time) and generally do free entertainment (will pay for a yoga class).
5. Have been looking for a super classic (basic) black cashmere sweater. Found one at Talbots on the 70% already reduced price and got a $149 sweater for $40. I will wear for years. Trying to buy less and when I do buy make it high quality classic pieces that I can wear lots and for a long time.
Yes, you will wear the black cashmere sweater for years…unless someone else gets ahold of it! LOL. I had one that I wore for years and even got to the point that I washed it in cold water and a bit of detergent on the gentle cycle instead of dry cleaning it. As it happened, one day DH decided to be helpful with the laundry, threw the cashmere sweater in with a regular load and…
horrors…threw it in the dryer! Yes, it came out looking like it was made for a doll. I never said a word to him to avoid making him feel bad but I still have fond memories of my black cashmere sweater…sniffle.
Ugh, I’m so sorry to read that….I hate when stuff gets mixed up in the wrong laundry pile. Not to make you salivate or anything, but I had a classic black cashmere pullover sweater in college that was thrifted. It was vintage back then, and I’m sure I didn’t pay much for it. That was (coughcough) 30+ years ago….(no way, I can’t possibly be that old….)
That could so happen at my house..
my house too…âŚ.
1. I listed as well as sold a few more things on Ebay. They are small things so no big profit but it’s stuff out of my house. I also reused packaging to ship.
2. My friend received a special offer for discounted tickets to see Dave Ramsey next week. Tickets were $10 vs. $50. I’ve read his books and listened to his radio show but it will be interesting to see him in person.
3. I refilled my printer ink cartridge at Costco and bought gas saving me several dollars.
4. I made split pea or “spilt pee” soup using a ham bone leftover from Christmas and two bags of peas. I was able to salvage enough of some celery stalks from my fridge as well as some carrots. I froze the excess and it should provide many meals for my daughter and I.
5. I applied to another Class Action suit which will pay out a small amount. Again a company sold personal information. When will they learn?
1) I’d spotted an ad a couple weeks ago that a store was going to have live orchids for $10 (Aldi). I told my husband that if I was going to get Valentines flowers, this is what I wanted and I would even pick them out myself. I bought another pot of orchids at the same price 5 1/2 months ago and they are still blooming and lovely! So much pretty for so little cost! And so much easier than I thought they would be to take care of.
2) My middle schooler packs his own sack lunch. I’d offered earlier this week to pack lunch for him on Thursday, which he said yes to, but it didn’t occur to him until Wednesday night that Thursday was Valentine’s Day. I used to pack him creative special occasion lunches for holidays. He forbid me from sending any cute, heart-shaped food, but said I could send him a page of Valentine jokes or bad pick-up lines. He is not into the dating stuff yet. One of his favorites is “Hey, babe, are you an angel, cuz’ I’m allergic to feathers.” He does not use the lines on anyone, just finds them really funny. I didn’t want to start something going around school of using those lines on people you don’t like, so I printed him out a page of funny anti-valentines with Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Grumpy Cat themes and put it in his lunch. It’s his sense of humor. Due to scheduling conflicts, any Valentines stuff at home is being moved a few days later. Probably just a dinner of favorite foods for everyone, steak for hubby, corn dogs for son, not sure for me.
3) Found 2 awesome just-his-taste t-shirts for my son at a thrift store, both looked new, one with tags still on it.
4) Went to a consignment store looking for specific items and when they didn’t have them, left empty handed. Non-spending for the win!
5) On this week’s snow day, worked some educational and non-electronic stuff into my kid’s day, including playing a board game that we’d picked up at a thrift store that combined science and logic (Khet, you move pieces with mirrors on them to try to tag your opponent’s pieces out).
On #5, I left out the lasers. In Khet you move the pieces with mirrors to bounce lasers around the board to tag your opponent’s pieces out.
1. Did my taxes at home in my pajamas for free, thank you TurboTax and I printed out my personal copy of the return on the back side of previously used paper.
2. Sold a nearly new leather ottoman on Facebook marketplace that I just didnât like. I bought it online and return shipping costs and policies were preventative. I got most of my money back out of the sale and in the meantime I found a second hand ottoman that is 1000% better.
3. Keeping warm using firewood from fallen (or removed) trees from our own property.
4. Spent hours shopping online for new homeowners insurance as ours is increasing the premium by $1k (due to new fire danger ratings for our area.) I found a large, well known company that will cover us for close to the old premium price and their car insurance rates will be better than they would have been with the old company once our teen driver is added to our policy. Lots of time online and on the phone but definitely worthwhile.
5. Went out with a friend I hadnât seen in a long time and we sat in the bar area of a restaurant and enjoyed happy hour snacks and drinks. Iâve never done this before so it was really fun and definitely less expensive than if we each had a meal at the same restaurant.
1. We went to a Valentine âs Day tea for people whoâre on the waiting list at a retirement community. The Mister is not enthused about the idea of moving. Itâs not immanent, so I thought getting him more info would be useful. I had to drag him away from a conversation after two hours. He said âIt wasnât awful.â
2. After only two hours because our older dog apparently has a shrinking bladder. Less laundry if we take him out every three hours during the day. The Mister is a night owl and has started taking the dog out one last time before coming up to bed. AndâŚthe Mister gets up with the dogâs first wail at 6:30 and takes him out. This makes me feel so loved.
3. Homemade valentine for the MisterââNo one loves you as much as I do, except maybe the dogs.â
4. At the tea mentioned above, I gave a humorous fifteen minute talk on accumulating stuff and down-sizing. It was very well-received. Iâve seen enough activity newsletters from the many retirement places in the area to realize they all get the same speakers. Iâm contemplating going on the circuit as a paid comedian with a specialty in aging. (I have always been a dork. Why stop now?)
5. Took on a carload of quilting stuff from a friend whoâs down-sizing. Free-cycled three trash bags of batting, gave the African fabric to a refugee who uses it, gave non-quilting fabric to a friend who can use it in teaching, infused my stash with some lovely bright batiks, and have six boxes measured and priced for my guildâs yard sale. Itâs a lot of work to sort and price things, but sorting gives me the feeling of opening Christmas gifts.
I love your #3.
LOL!! You should seriously become a comedian. Your post has given me a much needed chuckle today. I love it!
I’m in the downsizing mode and if I could get hubby to sell our place, I’d happily go for a retirement community. My in-laws have a patio home at a community in south TX. It’s the perfect size and they pay $30 month to have their postage stamp size lawn taken care of by an awesome landscape crew. They love it, I doubt seriously they’ll ever move back north and I can understand why!
The missing beef chunks from your stew reminded me of the woman in my group house who wanted a treat and picked all the raisins out of my raisin bran. She’s now active in state politics, and I laugh whenever I think or outing her. I won’t.
My neverending sewer backup saga is on day three. Its a long story but involves my next door neighbors and it is not pretty. Their sewer lines were apparently tied into my sewer lines 60 yrs ago. Neither one of us knew until yesterday. There are six people living next door in that house and their sewage, according to the city, backed up into my lines and house.The only frugal thing about this us that a friend of mine unstopped both of us for a reasonable price. That is all I have for now… lol
Oh nooo! The only thing I don’t miss about our old house was our location as the low spot on a small shared sewer line. Hubs HATED talking to the neighbors about not flushing baby wipes, etc., and didn’t like me causing conflict in the neighborhood either. So we ate annual clean-outs because if we didn’t, we were the only ones who suffered.
tl;dr: I’ve been there. It sucks. Good luck.
Oh my, I’m sorry Cindy. A similar situation has happened to me before. I have been watching a Netflix show called Horrer Homes and it reminded me of your situation. Having to clean up overflowing shit is bad but having to clean up other peoples over flowing shit is…well…the shittiest. Especially 6 people!!
1. Decided to do my own taxes free with turbo tax after I figured out I’d make out better taking the standard deduction. My accountant’s office had sent out a letter saying to expect a price increase of about 5%, so I figure I saved about $289. It was quicker and easier than I thought it would be!
2. I’ve found several free things to do with my son for the next few weekends. Last week we went to Michael’s to make slime. Tonight we’re going to see a kid’s movie at the planetarium at the university where I work. There’s also a free clock making workshop at Home Depot in a few weeks that my husband wants to take my son to. He also goes to a few toddler groups at the library every week.
3. I’ve been making a few ebay sales every week while slowly decluttering my house.
4. One of my best friends is having her son’s first birthday in a few weeks. I was able to get him a nice gift for $5. I had a Melissa & Doug puzzle I had bought for my son a while back for $5 that I was saving until he showed an interest in his other puzzles. He still isn’t into them, so I’m gifting that as well as a book I got at Marshal’s with a gift card, as well as a Fisher Price kid’s tablet that my son received as a duplicate Christmas gift. I’m reusing a gift bag and tissue paper and I made a card. đ
5. I received a bill from a genetic testing company for the prenatal testing my doctor recommended for $249. Initially, I had seen a claim on my health insurance website, saw the claim was denied and it appeared as though I was going to owe $8000. I researched the company and saw lots of posts from other expectant mothers saying they called the company after receiving an astronomical bill and said they were able to negotiate it down to a couple hundred dollars. However, a few weeks ago I received an EOB saying that I owed nothing. The statement for $249 said if you had an EOB showing you owed a lesser amount, to pay the lesser amount ($0 in my case) and send them a copy of the EOB.
1. Recently switched to Mintmobile and in my area it works just as good as my old cell plan but costs 1/2 as much. I really like that you can prepay for a year and donât have to mess with a bill each month.
2. Started eating low carb and it has strengthened my immune system. It seems pretty ecconomical, just mostly chicken, fish, beef, eggs, and vegetables. I donât do the Keto thing with all the heavy fats, I use olive oil, avocados, and nuts. I make a microwave mug bread with egg and almond flour + chia seeds so I can have sandwiches. I even made a chocolate cake in a mug by adding cacoa powder and stevia.
3. Iâm looking forward to spring so I can grow my own salad greens. I weeded and cleaned out the flower beds this week so Iâm ready.
4. Iâve lost some weight and sold some clothes and got 85 bucks! Any replacements I needed I found at Goodwill or sales at other stores and came out ahead.
5. I liked that idea Katy mentioned about setting an hour aside to do odd jobs you usually put off. So far Iâve taken wall and trim paint and a little eyeshadow brush and fixed any dings or marks on the walls and also cleaned the stove and oven inside and out so it shines.
I feel like things are not frugal in my life this week. I am grateful that I have the means to deal with it, but I am still grumpy. I will work on focusing on being grateful, and see if I can come up with frugal.
1. I took Chipotle to my husband at work yesterday. It is a nice tradition, I get Chipotle (I’m addicted!). I also made a chocolate cake the night before, and chicken-fried portabella mushrooms with cream gravy for dinner the night before. We celebrate when we can because of swim practice.
2. Swim practice was canceled last night, and we skipped practice Wednesday night so my daughter could study for her math test. So no extra driving.
3. All the rain we’ve been having has kept us from turning on the sprinklers. And it’s good for the groundwater. My high schoolers went out and played in the mud yesterday afternoon.
4. The chickens have finally started laying again. I’ve decided that if I have to remind my son to collect eggs, he can buy the feed. I’m tired of feeding chickens and having to buy eggs because the vermin are eating our eggs!
5. If I have to buy a new fridge, at least the most reliable kind is the cheapest…but I really don’t want to buy a new fridge! And I’m pretty crabby that I’m probably going to lose food because it won’t reliably stay cold. I’m waiting for the repairman now, because my usual guy hasn’t called me back in two days. Grrr. A block of ice in the fridge just hasn’t been cutting it!
I got the fridge fixed, for half the cost of a new one. I really need this to last until my kids move out, so I can buy a small fridge!
Yea!
1) Returned a couple of pairs of jeans I’d bought on sale for family members because they didn’t fit. One of them wouldn’t ring up at the sale price that was clearly marked on the tag and the receipt, so I got a full-price refund.
2) Customer service person pointed out that we had “rebate points” on our Kroger-affiliate account. We share the same phone number across 3 generations so I rarely use the rebates or the gas points, figuring either the grandparents or college students need them more than I do, but I made an exception today and got a few bags of on-sale produce for free. Between the return and the rebate I walked out of the store more than $60 ahead of when I walked in. Woohoo!
3) Received a gift card to our Kroger affiliate just before Christmas that I thought had $10 on it. Sent it home with our college student last week to help defray the costs of his current character-building difficulties, and he called yesterday to thank me profusely for the $50, which will last him at least 2 weeks of groceries. Surprise!
4) Spent exactly $3.49 for Valentine’s Day: a bag of candy kisses for the girls’ places at the table. Ate at home with food on hand, and hubs and I decided being in the same place this year is romance enough.
5) Gigantic frugal fail that negates all the rest of it: discovered that in migrating our budget spreadsheets from 2018 to 2019 I broke a few links. It wasn’t immediately obvious because we sold and purchased real estate in December, so all the numbers were different – really, all of them, even car insurance and the like because we’ve changed cities. Upshot is that I’ve been working on a budget that was off by $2k per month – on the expenses side, of course. I’d be frustrated no matter what, but I’m extra super doubly mad that it’s my own error and it took me six weeks to catch it. Now to figure out how to make it work.
1. I’m in the process of selling a dresser on Facebook Marketplace. I wish I had priced it higher since a soon as it listed, the interested potential buyers began to flood my phone – my gauge to know if I priced it correctly. Obviously too low.
2. I found another deposit can…my new substitution for found change which is scarce in these parts.
3. We’ve only spent around $64 for groceries for the two of us so far in February. This is in part due to the Pantry Principle.
4. I’m only buying fruit if it’s under $1 per lb. This week I purchased 3 bananas at .49 per lb. and a bag of Delicious Apples at $1.69 for the 3 lb. bag. We still have a 15 oz. can of peaches bought on sale for .69 a few weeks ago.
5. Keeping ahead of library overdue fees, cooking and eating at home, walking for exercise, found a free app for yoga and staying home to save on gas.
Things haven’t been very frugal around here lately (massive truck repair bill, emergency water heater replacement….ouch!!), but let me see what I can come up with.
1) Have started doing more shopping at Aldi lately….$1.29 pineapples and $2.79 bag of pre peeled fresh garlic (which is cheaper than an equivalent amount of unpeeled garlic at Kroger)? Yes, please!
2) Have been finding pennies on the ground, maybe 5 so far. It all spends.
3) Made a raspberry chocolate chip coffee cake for a Valentine’s week-long pot luck. Everyone brings in items on different days, so free lunch (or breakfast, or dessert) is available all week long. The coffee cake was made with mostly on-hand ingredients, and on-sale raspberries from Aldi.
4) Found a Target gift card in a bag that was in a pile of stuff on my kitchen table.
5) Returned a bag of lollipops to Kroger my hubby bought for a Cub Scout event that weren’t used.
Bonus #6: bought a pair of wireless earbuds that were marked down to 50 cents (from $14.99). I think the wrong clearance tag had been put on the package, but the cashier honored it.
You might want to check the country of origin on the garlic. In China political prisoners are forced to peel garlic by hand. It eventually caused their finger nail to rot off.
Thanks for the information about Chinese garlic. I will be sure to check labels from now on.
Wondering about the app as well? I’ve used Bookscouter, but all of the books I’ve scanned have essentially no resale value (according to them, at least, though I’m happy to donate books, too).
oops, that was a response to a different comment. Sorry.
Ugh…..I had no idea. That’s horrible. I’ll definitely check from now on…..
for the Costco shopper check the large jar of garlic. In Canada we can get the Made in the USA garlic and I too refuse to but any food shipped from China especially garlic. Of course you need to love garlic, its big jar.
A friend of mine buys a big container at Sam’s Club, then subdivides it and freezes it. She says it’s fine to use once it thaws.
I checked my bag of Aldi peeled garlic, but there was no indication of where the garlic came from….just “distributed by Aldi” with an Illinois city listed….?
I’ve been noticing that a lot of foods at Dollar Tree (frozen foods, olives, etc.) come from China, so I always check before I buy.
1. Deposited an ebates check online, applied it straight to bills.
2. Used my ibotta balance to get an Amazon gift card, used it to get a lazy susan I’d been eyeing and never see in the thrift store.
3. Using the lazy susan now to use a weird corner cabinet more efficiently. I think that we pay for the space we live in, so I should use it well. Now there’s nothing in the “way back” of that cabinet to be eventually forgotten!
4. Took home some plants from a shower that were left over as party favors. Re-gifted them as a part of a thank you for our school’s bus drivers during “love the bus” week.
5. Made Tbone steaks I already had in my freezer for Valentine’s dinner. Using the bones to make bone broth today.
Hi to you all!
1. I am dropping off 4 bags of clothes today to the Salvation Army.
2. My friends and I are planning a swap soon. We get together and swap all kinds of things periodically. We also ask for each other to make a wishlist as we are cleaning up. These are so fun. I am thinking of starting a club again at our local library to swap coupons, items, info, do crafts, etc…. We also have a swap annually at our church.
3. My husband overcooks, always has, sigh. But on the bright side, that is enough lots of times for my elderly Dad, and to share with others. I think one of the best gifts too to give when someone is sick or going through something – is a nice plate of homemade food! I know when my disabled husband broke his leg, it surely helped us out so much when others brought us food.
4. I am selling items on a local yard sale. It’s fun. I also buy some items I need or for gifts. I keep a list in my agenda book of names that I buy for – Birthdays and Christmas.
5. My husband is our budget person, but I got tickled with him recently. I said, I’m tired of buying gift bags. Yes I reuse what I get, but I still buy a lot. He said, but Lisa…. they are only $1. Only $1 x 40 or more gifts I buy a year! smile
So my Dad called me one day and asked if I had any use for grocery paper bags. I said yes! I am decorating them and using them for gifts! I made some pretty ones for Valentine’s Day by cutting heart shapes in the bag. I decorated some for Christmas with old Christmas cards. You can also use glue, glitter, markers, stickers, etc… I had left over ribbon too so it was really free for me! I hope this inspired someone to do this, smile. Thank you all for sharing your ideas. They are so helpful!
Our veterinarian hands out pet meds in small brown paper bags with handles. I save them and decorate them for holiday use. The look really cute all fixed up.
Lisa, great idea on the swaps. At a large company I worked for years ago, all the women got together and did a jewelry swap. Everyone brought their unwanted costume jewelry to the conference room. You were allowed to select as many items as you brought in, with the unwanted jewelry getting donated. Most of us didn’t take as much as we brought, so there was lots of donated jewelry. And it was lots of fun!
Feels like Iâve had more frugal fails than wins lately so Iâll try to cobble together a FFT. Before I do that, I want to say that, Katy, reading your post about appreciating privilege really touched me. I am so privileged, as I have a home, good medical care, family and friends who are lovingly supportive, and so much more. I give back and appreciate what I have, but a reminder that there are so many things I donât have to worry about is a reminder to feel gratitude, and appreciate everyone, no matter what. Thank you for that.
Took our dog for a walk, getting free exercise. We havenât done this much lately as weâve had tons of rain in San Diego and are over our annual rainfall in only the second month of the year! Even with the rain, weâve continued hanging our clothes instead of using the dryer (waiting to do laundry when it dries up a bit, like today). In other rain-related news, weâve had our water off for our large garden for 2 months and our last bill was miniscule in comparison.
Have had lots of doctorâs appointments lately (low co-pay so a win) but at the visit with my podiatrist, he emphasized the importance of wearing super supportive shoes to alleviate foot pain from my evidently rare form of flat footedness (I know youâre jealous that I used to wear saddle shoes when I was young!). The last pair of these orthopedic looking running shoes was $170 but Iâm in need of another pair of these as well as a pair of sandals. Not looking forward to spending the money but I keep telling myself that this is really a frugal win if Iâm not in pain and spending money on meds or spending money on shoes that will not help. Another potential frugal win is that the podiatric assistant suggested looking at Nordstrom Rack for a good deal on the ultra-pricey running shoes. Thinking of sandals that I need, I realized that the last pair I bought never fit right and because I got them from REI, I realized that I could return them because of their stellar guarantee and get some sandals that will fit. So thatâs on my list this coming week.
Speaking of returning things . . . During the after Christmas sales, in a weak moment, I ordered several pair of some very on sale cotton long johns. After going through it all, I chose one pair of long john pants that were a third of the price of new and took the rest back to the local store. Iâve had this brand before (Hanna Andersson) and know that they last for years. So happy to get my credit and choose only 1 pair! On the same trip, I also took back a dress Iâd bought and forgot about. I was hungry and remembered a $5 coupon for Corner Bakery so I had a very frugal and filling lunch.
Iâve been helping my sister go through her garage, getting rid of stuff in advance of her move out of state. In one afternoon, we filled up her trash and recycle cans to the brim, throwing away stuff that even a thrift store would not accept. Itâs been a bit tough going through family stuff, as both my parents have passed, so memories came up and made me a bit weepy but I continued on. I brought home 3 boxes of stuff to store for my brother who doesnât have a stable living situation right now but felt good that I didnât fill my car with stuff I donât need.
Feeling very fortunate to have a community of like-minded people working hard to use what we have, make conscious choices in what we purchase, and encourage each other by sharing.
You have my empathy. I ended up with most all of my Mother’s stuff, she passed in 2014. It was hard to get through it and I still have much to go through. It can be overwhelming.
1-Received my e-bates check and quickly put it in savings. Now waiting for DH to receive his.
2-The bread machine is busy today. Three batches of pizza dough made and two of them will go into the freezer for future use. Best part is hubby and kids have done it all, no help from me.
3-Used $80.00 in grocery store reward points and then earned the equivalent of another $27.00 points. I love when it lines up like this.
4-Older DS has been accepted to college, not frugal but we are ready for it. We have been saving since he was a baby and feel that between what he has put away (he has worked a PT job since he was 16), our contribution and the program he has chosen he will graduate debt free. As soon as he finishes his brother begins so there is no letting up on the frugal journey.
5-Was given candy and chocolates from my staff at work which I re-gifted to my hubby and kids. My jeans are a little too snug to be indulging in sweets.
1. For Valentine’s Day dh and I went to Starbucks (the location of our first date) and took advantage of their buy 1 get 1 free offer that day.
2. Watching old Alaska shows for free for entertainment.
3. Submitted a bill to the professional sports organization that I volunteer at to pay the $250 Rugby fee for my ds to play this spring. We found old cleats and mouthguard from my older ds. Boiled up the mouthguard and remolded it for my younger ds.
4. Working/volunteering all day tomorrow to replenish the account.
5. Pulled leftover Christmas ham from the freezer for our dinner tonight. Yum!
1 my birthday is next month, so I made a list of all the places I will get s coupon for free birthday goodies during March. I LOVE my birthday March, because I love free things. Note, I only utilize the actual free things, not the âbuy a steak dinner, get a brownieâ type.
2. Watched a friends dog for 2 nights and made an extra 50 dollars. My bf is 3 months from graduating engineeeing school and we are broke as a joke. Every penny saved/earned is really important. Plus this dog is easy and is my pups best friend !
3. Really needed a pair of running/athletic shoes. Mine were old and making my knees hurt. The only second hand thing I wonât buy is athletic shoes, so I hit shoe carnival. Was able to use a coupon and Bogo 1/2 off with my mom who is in town and get s great pair of Nikes for a great price.
4. My dog loves to be outside on our little apartment porch, but bees love to fly in. Iâve seen other residents in our complex have custom screen doors, but run pretty expensive to use for a rental that we will be leaving in May anyway. Instead, I got a pack of mosquito nets from ikea with a basic curtain rod and hung it with command strips. Acts as a perfect barrier for bugs and was well under 10 dollars.
5. Made coffee at home all week, watched my pup play at the park for free entertainment, work out to free YouTube videos in my living room, and gave myself a pedicure .
Emily, I’m the same way about shoes in general. Unless it’s clear that the shoes have NEVER been worn, I won’t buy them used. And I’ll pay more for shoes than a lot of other things. It’s difficult for me to find shoes that fit well, are extremely comfortable, and are reasonably stylish (or at least not hideous). I don’t do heels anymore, so no need to keep up with the latest styles, lol.
I’m with u Mary….i bought a pair of shoes at Goodwill but brand new w tags….i watch people try on used sneakers…I’m grossed out….
Non frugal for the week is my hubby had a 5th stent put into an artery in his heart. He spent the night in the hospital. I’d rather have this done than him having a heart attack or open heart surgery.
Got my Big Fat Check from Ebates and cashed it and stashed it to go towards my birthday dinner next month. I have a free $50 gift card to Red Lobster and I will add my $22 Ebate money towards it.
Hubby were able to spend some time together. We went for a short ride in the car and he bought me a small bag of M&Ms for Valentines.
Following hubby around and shutting off the lights.
I’m enjoying a library book and some tv shows.
Just found this wonderful blog. I am so happy to read how others save money.
1. Several months ago, my hubby gave up drinking soda so we purchased a Soda Stream to add bubbles to his water. This gets expensive as the canisters of less than an ounce of CO2 cost $16, plus the empty, about twice a month from Target. A few days ago, he found a half full 5-gallon canister of CO2 on Craigslist for $75. This canât be used with the Soda Stream but being a handy guy, and thanks to others on the internet, he has figured a way to make this work.
2. Hubby also won a $100 Amazon gift certificate for completing a survey from our utility company. He used some of this to purchase the tubing and something else he needed to hook up the CO2, spending $31 with free shipping.
3. We both saved items to the Amazon shopping cart and then discussed why we wanted to use the balance of the gift certificate to purchase those items. We bought items we have been wanting but didnât NEED. Onion googles (two to the pack so will gift one pair to a friend), refrigerator storage bin, spare seals for the Instant Pot, mesh plastic bag holder for the garage, etc., with free shipping.
4. Made $3 completing a survey for Pinecone Research. They send emails and you complete some preliminary questions to see if you qualify for the survey. Seems like I get one every other week or so and am paid directly to Paypal. I let these funds add up and use them to buy ebooks or other things online. Such a nice surprise when something I want is paid for without hitting up the bank account.
5. We celebrated Valentineâs Day by going to lunch at our neighborhood vegan spot. The food is good and the prices are reasonable. Lunch specials are much less than dinners. We also saved half of our meals for lunch the next day. Four meals plus tip = $13.
Welcome! I’m happy you found this blog too. Your post made a great addition to the current FFTs. Please keep posting!
Have you checked out the blog at The Frugalwoods? They did a similar major soda stream hack. đ
Had a day of miracles and wonders Friday helping a very pregnant friend get her first-ever car (which was donated to her) repaired, titled, through emissions testing and insured. She is a single mother and not having transportation of her own was making it very hard for her to find and keep good jobs.
The repair shop used coupons to save $68 on brake repairs and a new tire, plus the shop’s soda machine churned out three bottles for the price of one. The manager said, “It does that sometimes.”
The insurance agency knocked $148 off her policy because she paid for six months upfront. We three times found parking in front of a building where we needed to conduct business — very important since my friend is about six weeks from delivering and not in the mood to trek up hilly streets in the rain.
And we found a penny at the car wash while using the free vacuum to spiff up her car. đ
This post warms my heart. Your friend is blessed by your friendship.
1. Discontinued two magazine subscriptions that were automatically renewed at a much higher rate than my original subscription. Savings of $57.00.
2. While cleaning up my craft room, found a baggie with over $100 in it that I had forgotten about. This is money from a yard sale and any additional money raised through the sale of items is part of what we call our âfunny moneyâ which is used for fun things. We are getting ready to take a mini vacation so this will help defray the cost.
3. Starting on a routine to sleep better. Hopefully this will prevent a doctorâs visit and more follow-up visits and prescriptions which will eliminate co-pays.
4. Returning a large amount of cat food which my picky cat wonât eat.
5. Working on eating down the freezer.
My first post, please be kind if I mess up!
1) Eating from the freezer and pantry continues.
2) Returned a pair of sandals I bought that don’t fit. Free return shipping!
3) Took Hubs to a local comedy show for Valentine’s Day. Tickets are normally a price conscious $15 but since I am on the venue’s email list I got them in December for only $10 each! It’s nice to support a local arts place too.
4) Received my Ebates check and promptly made a payment on our home equity loan.
5) Dh used the debit card tied to our Health Savings account for the first time for his co-pay at the eye doctor today. Now I don’t have to file a paper claim!
I don’t think there is one un-kind soul in this group. Great first post!!
Yes! You did great, Connie C.!
Thanks Jenelle!
Thanks Liz B!
Iâm only mean to squirrels who break into my Apartment! đ welcome!!
Lauren, that’s good to know!
lol!!!!!!
1) I drove into town on Saturday and spent about $40 at Aldi stocking up on things we needed for this week. I spent $6 on a pork roast and cooked it in the crockpot with some Spicy Mango marinade & BBQ marinade. I made homemade potato salad, to go with it, so we had pulled pork sandwiches & potato salad for dinner. There was enough left for 2 more days of meals. I think we’ll have pork tacos one night.
2) I’ve been using coupons for lunch, if I eat out, or eating the entrees in the freezer. Trying to stay frugal, but still allow for a few meals out with friends who have birthdays and such.
3) I save so much money using Dollar Tree items. It allows me to use facial tissues, buy cheap pantyliners, buy TeaVive tea for my morning tea and bible study and I can p/u snacks for cheap.
4) I’ve found that I can buy cat food much cheaper at Big Lots. The indoor formula has an added hairball ingredient that helps my long-haired cats stay healthy. I pay $8 for a bag that costs $12 everywhere else.
5) Staying on my supplement routine keeps me healthy. Along with the free flu-shot we receive on Campus each year. I’ve been fortunate not to have anything more than a few allergy issues during this flu season.
I had some frugal fails this week that I don’t want to go into… Here are the positives though.
1). Our chemistry department offers free tutoring for 2 hours, and I went, and it was only 3 people there, so I got a lot of help with topics I’m struggling with and didn’t succumb to paying $20/hr for a tutor for a class I am already paying for. It has been hard to go to office hours for my teacher, as I work during them. The tutor was actually a better teacher than mine, so win, win.
2). Starting new job tomorrow; got the top I need from the Salvation Army for $3.
3). Forgot to buy toothpaste at Walmart, but still have 2 tubes that are “empty” that I just cut up, which will last me hopefully a week.
4).For a friend’s birthday, we had a Harry Potter theme, and since she is an artist, we just drew pictures of us and her. I bought a reference picture from Walgreens and then saved 10 cents by using Retailmenot.com and only paid 22 cents and a trip to Walgreens for the gift ! (She appreciates quality time more, and it was a fun time watching Harry Potter, playing cards, and laughing.)
5.) I didn’t buy a Lear Jet
Not a lot of frugality around here, but I think I can scrape together 5:
1. Took Katy’s Pret a Manger tip and got a free large latte before a meeting on Friday. Between that and opting for the shorter sandwich option, my lunch cost me $3 out of pocket for a $12 value. I love Pret and don’t have it in my city so it was a great treat.
2. Must keep costs down this week in order to enjoy the weekend trip we have coming up with no stress. Forgot my packed lunch at home but fortunately was able to locate a frozen chicken cacciatore tupperware in the office freezer I left a few weeks ago. Thanking my past self for saving food instead of wasting it.
3. Feeling the itch to buy a new ski jacket, which has fortunately been squashed every time by seeing how much a new one costs. I can’t justify a $200 purchase, even if it’s a sale price, when the jacket I have now is fine (and when I say fine, I mean…fine. It fits poorly and has lost its waterproofing & refuses to take any new attempts at waterproofing. Plus, I’m a dingdong and bought a white jacket, so every stain from rubbing on the car to grease from a ski lift shows brightly and will not wash out. But i’m warm and there are no holes, so I’ll stop whining!)
4. Continuing to buy ski lunches with gift cards from my aunt, which eases the pressure to buy the cheapest thing that may not be very filling.
5. Valentine’s day consisted of dinner at home and some cocktails on the couch. Satisfying together time without a reservation is my favorite.
#3 – Several years back, I found a ski coat and snow suit, for less than $50, at a Junior League Thrift shop. They were in great condition. You might check the thrift stores/consignment shops in your area that are close wealthier neighborhoods. They often times have items like that in April and May – since people are Spring cleaning and students are getting rid of things they don’t want to bother packing, when they move after graduation.
Pantry cooking: I made a giant pan of lasagna and a pan of enchiladas, both made using stuff in my fridge and freezer. I ate some for lunch and dinner and froze the rest in pieces for future meals. Still eating fresh oranges from my neighbors tree. So delicious!
Paid bills. Realized that my salary can’t sustain me. Time to look for something new. Not that easy at 62 but we shall try.
Many friends are moving away. Happy for them but it makes me sad. I will miss all of them. My closest friend can’t afford to maintain her home on her retired incomes. I may have to do the same at some point.
I guess that’s all for now. Glad this site is here.
Why don’t u and ur friend move in together….that’s what my friends and i are discussing….
Thought about it…sort of a Golden Girls of the 2000’s? Probably won’t work…I still have kids who may need to come home at some point. Also as we get older some of the gals will need help–some have medical problems. I don’t really want to be in a position where I take care of someone anymore –even just washing someone else’s dishes does not appeal to me. This is probably because I had my kids 20 years apart so I’ve never really had a break from working or taking care of people. But we shall see… food for thought.
1. Continuing to DIY on our fixer upper we just bought. Husband says tiling is like the world’s boringest game of tetris, but he did it anyway.
2. All of our furniture is used, either given to us or we bought second hand. Not counting the mattresses which we got used at a discount mattress store.
3. Because we’re spending so much to repair the house I’m trying to be extra careful with groceries. Eating lots of beans, rice, potatoes and oatmeal.
4.Made some liquid hand soap into foaming g soap, should last longer. I also am doing a trick from my mother in law, I put my dish soap in a hand soap pump, hopefully this will keep us from over squirting soap.
5. I have $13.16 consignment store credit, just got a $3 Amazon giftcard from swagbucks and have 100 more sb.
In the past year or so Australia has introduced a labelling system that tells consumers what percentage of ingredients in a product are from Australia. Itâs really helpful for products like that, where you know it can have problematic origins. So a label on a package of crackers might say âpackaged in Australia from 89% Australian ingredients.â I always check it and I am really pleased they introduced it.
Sorry that was supposed to be replying to the garlic discussion above. Replying on iPad always causes issues I have noticed.