Five Frugal Things
by Katy on February 23, 2019 · 110 comments
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After tremendous complaining, whining and stalking of Facebook Marketplace, I finally found a couch to replace the one my cat destroyed in December. Sure, some might classify it as a love seat, but it’s actually pretty big, and at the low low cost of fifty bucks it’s definitely on budget. I’m just crossing my fingers that neither of my cats mistake it for a litter box.
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I was able to use a frequent buyer punch card to get a free entree at a local restaurant, which represented five lunches out with my father. Thanks, Dad!
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My eBay sales have been a bit stagnant over the past week, as all I sold were a pair of napkin rings and some paper Fiestaware napkins. However, I took it as a opportunity to organize the corner of the spare bedroom where I store the eBay supplies, and discovered a half-dozen or so items that somehow hadn’t been listed. Nothing that’ll sell for a tremendous amount, but still worth the effort. Plus, the area is much less of an eyesore, which is a win in my book.
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I dropped off a book at my local Little Free Library, and later took one which I gifted to a friend, I made dinner from scratch when all I really wanted was to get takeout, (please note that this is a daily struggle) I packed leftovers for work lunches, I bought two Container Store organizing bins at Goodwill, which I then used to organize my kitchen towels/rags, (weirdly excited about this one as they fit perfectly into my narrow pantry and utilize the vertical space in a way that the previous bin didn’t) and I’m getting a free beveled-glass full-length mirror from my friend Lise.
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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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We just deposited our Costco cashback to be sent straight into savings and sold a pair of storage containers that we’ve had for years and no longer need. I also taught JB to roll quarters and we came up with two whole rolls of quarters! We then spent that equivalent on groceries ($19) which will make a few meals for three people.
I am sorting old books to be sold on “Hoot of Loot,” a website just for teachers selling texts and teaching supplies. I am going to be thrilled to turn the “loot” from my former career in to cash.
I also looked at my new(-to-me) stovetop. Got it late last night. I was the first to respond to a craigslist ad offering a glasstop range for your counter; it was $30. I said I’d buy it and went to meet the fellow last night at a convenience store parking lot. I had cash in pocket, but when he arrived, he said his kid had cracked the top, but he’d still give it to me. So I didn’t have to pay a dime. Thought that was real nice of him!
I looked at it just now in the daylight, and it appears the crack may just be a cosmetic thing; it is fairly small. At worse, it may de-active only one-half of one burner. (It has 8 rings arranged in 4 burners, and I think maybe just one of those rings would be affected by the crack.) Anyway, I gambled and took the thing home where — if it works — it will replace my 1964 oldstyle built-in range which is ready for the junkyard. My friend says those things are simple to install. And I got it for free! Now, if I can just find an oven!
I’m afraid this is being penny wise and pound foolish. I wouldn’t use that cook top on a bet. Google “danger of using cracked glass top stove.” I found this: “So is it safe to use a ceramic cooktop that has cracked? The simple answer is no! If the cooktop has a crack in it, the homeowner should not use the cooktop at all. The smallest of cracks can cause dangerous problems. Electrical shock could occur if food or liquid were to spill over onto the crack. The use of cleaning solutions could be an important factor in electrocution as well.” And when they say electrical shock, don’t think it is a tiny little shock. One of my stove top elements burned out once while I was browning ground beef in a frying pan. A BRIGHT blue light lit up my kitchen as electrical current shot up from stove to ceiling blowing a large hole all the way through my fry pan! Please, please be aware of risks!
Even if it doesn’t work, check for a recycling area in your town. I’ve been given cash for “trading in” an old oven. And even just scrapping it for metal will give you money! So worthwhile in the end just may have to make a few calls 🙂
Put that old stove on Facebook Marketplace, there’s quite a hot market for vintage stoves.
1. The Mister asked me to replace the broken zipper in his down coat. I declined, having worked with down before. However, I found a fix for a non-zipping zipper on Google. Using a plier I pressed the sides of the slider together lightly. Voila!
2. I over-roasted a kabocha meant for a potluck. I used it to wrap dog meds for the next two weeks.
3. I made a not-so-good potato-based dip. It worked well as a stuffing for poblano peppers.
4. I carefully washed both our down jackets with good results.
5. My canned salsa is a little bitter, so I’m using it in casseroles rather than plain.
6. The buttonholes on my house sweater were coming unraveled. I repaired them with purple embroidery floss and buttonhole stitch.
7. I overspent for luscious yarn in 2001 and knit a complicated shawl. I enjoyed every minute of the four months of knitting, but have only worn the shawl twice. I sold it at the retreat I went to in Jan.
8. Found a sauerkraut crock with the water seal feature on Craig’s list for only $30. Bought it.
9. Aldi’s is dangerous for me. Very cheap, but the nuts are irresistable.
I have a non-zipping zipper on a favorite old fleece jacket of mine. I can’t put a zipper in and to have it repaired by someone else would have been too costly so the jacket is now permanently zipped up and has turned into a pullover jacket!
9. Their fancy cheeses are also irresistible
Also regarding #9 Aldi’s chocolates are fabulous and their Easter candy is always so cute!
1. Weirdest garbage pick of the year: I was having a bad day and used my wheelchair to go to the end of the driveway to drag back the garbage can (husband is out of town and the dogs don’t fetch), but I was too early so garbage had not yet been picked up. Across the street and down two houses, I saw what looked to be a neat pile of empty 50-pound plasticized paper dog food sacks, waiting to be picked up by the garbage truck. It was 21 below and tons of snow but the electric wheelchair and I made it across the street and brought home 19 sacks that are perfect for use in my bathroom and kitchen trash cans. I don’t like plastic covered paper but these were going to the dump anyway so at least this way they get another use before being discarded. Saves me from buying liners for my trash bins.
2. Also dog related: when people move out of northern Alaska in the winter, it is almost as if they get up one morning, decide they have had enough and jump on the next plane with whatever they can carry, selling off everything else at fire sale prices. I sent husband to one of those desperation move sales last week and he came home with twelve 40-pound bags of dog food, for which he paid $5 a bag. Our Dane and Irish wolfhound consume 150 pounds of food a month, and their food averages a dollar to $1.50 a pound, so 12.5 cents a pound from this garage sale is a HUGE savings.
3. Same sale: 41 cans of tuna at 10 cents a can; on sale this generic brand sells for 88 cents a can. This guy must have loved tuna, as husband said this didn’t even make a dent in what was for sale but after buying the dog food, this was all the cash he had (and this last-minute garage sale was only taking cash). We eat tuna about three days a week, so this is a good deal for us.
4. I picked up a small grant editing gig this week, so another $350 in savings. Well, $345, since I used $5 to buy a bagel and schmeer at a locally owed bagel place. After I finish work on a grant, which I loathe even though I am pretty good at it, I have a mantra: Must. Reward. Self.
5. Friend and I both enjoy making Indian food but often we cannot locate the spices locally. This month we coordinated an Amazon purchase of a lot of spices, none of which come in small sizes through that vendor. As a result, we were able to divide the spices in half and she has Prime, so both of us saved. Also, I paid for them with an Amazon card that I bought at Safeway, and she reimbursed me for her half, which gave me points toward a lower fuel price. This morning with points I accumulated over the last month, we filled the tank for 40 cents off a gallon.
Frugal fail: I decided to try a home repair project and while using the power drill managed to get it caught in my sweater, with my finger on the trigger now trapped in a whirling drill. By the time I was done fighting to extricate my hand and shut it off before drilling another belly button into myself, I totally ruined a very nice sweater. I console myself that it was cheaper than an ambulance ride to the emergency room.
Glad you’re ok Lindsey. Tools and even kitchen gadgets can become scary. My step grandmother got her fingers got in the beaters of an electric mixer and the result was devastating…broken fingers…and she was a pianist.
Oops…fingers “caught” in the beaters.
My cousin got her hair caught in an electric mixer. She had to have surgery. She was 5 at the time. I always were my haired tied up when cooking for this reason.
Wow! Other than the fail, those are all fantastic! I’m especially envious of your dog food deal! We have 2 medium/large dogs plus a cat who go through a lot of food.
Oh wow! I’m glad you didn’t hurt yourself, too!!
That savings on dog food is AWESOME! I use the bags for our horse feed to recycle stuff in – since they are plastic I can just throw the bag and everything into the recycle bin. SCORE!
Vickie, they’ve just started reminding us here in Upstate NY (because China has pretty much stopped accepting recyclables from the US) that a lot of plastics, including bags, shouldn’t be put into recycling bins. (Or #1 plastic clamshells, or a lot of other things I was previously recycling.) That’s why I took the plastic dog food bag out of a bin in my #5. I can reuse this for several weeks as a bathroom trash bag, and then just put it in the trash when it gets too bad to reuse any more.
Mostly I have been getting ready to move this summer so I have made it a point not to buy a lot of stuff so I don’t have to move it.
Today, however, I did buy some lettuce and spinach seeds and onion sets that I am going to use for a container garden. I love fresh vegetables and figure that I will be able to save more than I saved in the cost of the seeds by growing my own, plus I won’t have to worry about packaging or how far my salad had to travel to get to me. (Plus who knows how it was handled and if the person handling it had washed hands!) Later I will be planting cherry tomato plants in the same pots so I’ll have a complete salad!
In addition, I stocked up on baking soda today and plan to use it some for cleaning. I have been debating whether to use it or food grade DE to make my own toothpaste. (DE is less abrasive.) I will be using the baking soda to clean my refrigerator.
Another frugal thing I am doing is I have heard that coffee grounds work great for removing smells from the refrigerator. I have started putting the coffee grounds from my coffee maker into a glass jar and put it in the refrigerator. Every day I add more to it. When the jar is full, I’ll add the grounds to the plant containers for fertilizer.
This reminds me of a story from many years ago….I work in a hospital. One day, a patient in the ICU had had, um, quite the odorous output that apparently had been cleaned up – but the smell was lingering. A savvy unit coordinator suggested using “used” coffee grounds from the kitchen or cafeteria (there’s always plenty to be had). They brought some to his room, laid it all out on a big towel and put the coffee ground -laden towel under his bed…a short time later, the smell was gone. That was the first time I’d ever heard of that – it works!
1. Had a giant jar of honey with a teeny amount left that would be impossible to get out. Finally got around to brewing a cup of tea and pouring it into the jar, shaking it and enjoying a nice sweet drink.
2. Avoided getting takeout for at least a week using things we had at home. Last night cooked up a package of beans with their seasoning mix, threw in a little orange and lime juice, and caught up on No Reservations on Netflix.
3. Made lunches at home this week, or brought a sandwich and a piece of fruit with me.
4. Visited my mom for her birthday and brought a whole pile of classic books–two of them were a regift and two were used. She appreciated them and doesn’t much mind if they’re new or not.
5. Some bananas and pears were about to go bad, so I made banana pancakes with pear sauce. Then used some of the leftover pear sauce to make oatmeal raisin cookies. Yum!
Something so weird just happened. My computer stopped typing and starting reading what I had typed back to me. I’ll try again.
The struggle is real Katie. I succumbed to temptation and bought lunch for DH and myself at Burger King. I did use a coupon knocking $5 off.
1. The youngest two grandkids came over for their weekly supper with us. This almost always includes grilled cheese sandwiches or bacon & eggs or sausage and pancakes. They are so easy to please. I also popped them homemade popcorn and baked them peanut butter cookies. A frugal and fun night.
2. I found a nickel while out walking. I did, however, have to leave several deposit beer cans because I forgot to stuff a bag in my pocket for them. I’ll go back soon and hopefully find them still there.
3. I bought half price Valentine candy at my friend’s bookstore for DH and myself for a dessert tonight.
4. I sold a dresser and a bag of St.Patricks Day party items on FB Marketplace.
5. With my doctor’s guidance, I was able to discontinue an OTC med. This will save me about $14 every 5 weeks.
Yay a new FFT!
1. Taking a layered greek hummus appetizer to sister-in-law’s for Oscar party tomorrow night, made hummus using canned garbanzo beans bought on sale with coupon for .40/can, and other things on hand, so .80 out of pocket instead of $4-6 (and I made A LOT).
2. Also made baba ganoush when I found eggplants on the red net bag produce sales rack at Freddy’s, will take that too.
3. Used 1/3 of my Goodwill gift card from Christmas to buy 3 picture frames at .99/each and a darling linen Madewell top for $13, thanks Mom! Now I want summer to come so I can wear the top! Seems brand new. Similar tops from this brand retail for $80 or so.
4. Hubs and I went out for Happy Hour at our favorite Thai restaurant Thursday after work. We each had a bottomless diet coke and several yummy dishes for under $40 with tip. We don’t eat out much so this was a treat, and at happy hour prices we got to sample 5 dishes. Luckily we don’t drink so that helps!
5. Kept today’s grocery shop for the coming week to $78 by planning ahead, shopping sales and using coupons and buy 5 get $5 off special. Also kept track of cost as I went using calculator on my phone which helps dissuade impulse buys. 4 big bags of groceries, including 6 pounds of meat and lots of fruit and veggies so happy with this. Also stocked up on canned tomatoes and beans at Freddy’s as they were on sale and had a coupon so got them for .40/can. Have definitely gotten much better at keeping the grocery budget down over the last several months. Every little bit helps as I hope to retire a little early (at 60) in the next couple of years!
Have you watched all the Oscar contenders? Do you have a favorite?
No haven’t seen all of the nominees but really liked Roma and loved Bohemian Rhapsody (even though the critics didn’t). Roma is available on Nexflix. I still want to watch A Star is Born, just haven’t gotten to it yet. Also saw and liked Vice — Christian Bale was amazing. Was on my way to Green Book when I got called in to a work emergency so will probably wait to see that until its on one of the streaming services… my husband and daughter did go and thought it was very good.
Agree with Tracy – Yay! a new FFT!!
Love to read everyone’s comments! Great inspiration!
Katy, I love your new couch/love seat. The sitting room looks great!
I really like that book case (cart?) to the right of your couch!
I like the phone. It’s real and working?
We still have a landline, and only use the throw-away phone for traveling, with a very cheap very old plan.
Great week !!!
1. Went to a gas station grand opening. I went early to get in line. I packed my breakfast and wrote some cards out to pass the time. 13 gallons of gas at 76 cents a gallon made me giddy all day.
2. Made a huge pot of beans for the freezer. I. Going to try them as a sandwich filling in a hoagie with cheese and salsa.
3. My grand nephew was elected class Secretary and to celebrate I took him to the local library and let him play computer games.
4. Went to a farm share food distribution. It was near the end of the event and I received double of things. I’ve already put together bags for family and neighbor s so nothing goes to waste.
5. I have a 5 off 30 coupon for aldi s but having problems doing a list for thirty dollars. Checked the expiration date and I still have another week to put one together. If worst comes to worst I can always find room for toilet paper
FFT’s Pageant edition
1. My daughter’s Tiffany dress we got for $90 from eBay was still too long after we tried on shoes. I’m not that great at sewing. I was anxious because it has layer upon layer of irregularly-patterned chiffon ruffles. I was able to take it up a bit and it’s perfect. I am more of a ‘hem some blue jeans’ kinda mom.
2. I decided against buying pageant shoes. She has a nice pair of white leather shoes with a small heel that are practically new. I’m sure they will not be seen anyway.
3. I got a bottle of light pink nail polish at the dollar store that will match the dress perfectly. We will have a mini-manicure the night before. She has been scrubbing her lips with a warm washcloth and Vaseline nightly to get rid of the peely chapped lips we seem to continuously have.
4. I am doing her hair myself. We are going for a more natural look with big beachy kind of waves. Hopefully, I can pull off something that resembles that. I have watched a few you tubes so I’m just gonna try to channel my inner beautician.
5. I made the photogenic entry pic myself as I said in a previous post. I really feel like it looks great. I got it developed at Walgreens for free with a promo code. I have read that some judges frown on nonprofessional head shots that are printed at drugstores. I think they are beautiful and so does my daughter so we are going for it. She has a beautiful smile with cute dimples. Hopefully, they will see all of her personality that I think comes through when I look at the pic. I am biased, of course.
Update- We did not win but she did make the top 10 out of 27 girls, so that was a win in my book. Lots of the girls had tons of makeup on, including the winner. I just can’t do that to my 6 year old so I have no regrets. Also, I got her a gorgeous bouquet of a dozen red roses for $4.99!
That is so wonderful that she did so well. Congrats to you both! And good for you for not putting make up on her. It always looks weird and there is nothing more beautiful than the naturally happy and confident face of a child.
Exactly..thank you, Ruby!
I’ve never had a problem with chapped lips, but this winter was a screaming exception. I couldn’t figure out what was causing it and kept reapplying the EOS Lip Balm egg I’d received at Christmas. I finally switched back to my old tried and true lip stuff, and the peeling went away. Perhaps she’s using something different that could be the culprit.
Congratulations on a fine and frugal showing!
Thank you! My oldest daughter says the same thing about the EOS egg. Someone suggested O’keefes so we may give that one a try if the plain chap stick doesn’t work. She licks her lips at school and when I’m not looking. If I’m not there to make sure it’s applied, it doesn’t happen.
My daughters found EOS dried their lips and we already live in a dry climate.
https://www.today.com/health/eos-lip-balm-caused-blisters-rash-lawsuit-claims-t67016
Here’s some info.
The best stuff for chapped ANYTHING which was recommended by a Doctor when my sister was 3 (we are now… several decades older) is Bag Balm. It can be found at Walgreens or CVS and it’s absolutely amazing. I’ve never had a cracked lip heal so fast. It comes in a large tin, but I’ve also found squeeze tubes (cvs discontinued and I bought them all) and a very tiny tin up by the registers. I’ve mostly found it on the bottom shelf — in varying sections of the store — but you can google it and see what it looks like to help find it. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE.
Update – there’s a coupon when you sign up for their email list on their website!
Lauren, I’ve heard about Bag Balm, but never tried it. You have spurred me on to try it!
Your living room looks lovely with the new little sofa, Katy.
Here in the super rainy South, where we have had rain all but 4 days in February, I am faithfully packing my lunch, breakfast, coffee and drinks to work from home. Wearing cute thrifted stuff every day. Avoiding stores because who wants to get out in the constant downpour? The Mister and I bathed and groomed our three little dogs and trimmed the cats’ front claws. Scored a couple of free e-books for reading by the fire and have done some mending — cheap entertainment all around.
FFT, Frugal in Spite of Myself Edition:
(1) On venturing into our local LL Bean store in search of something else, I made an impulse purchase: a pair of men’s slip-on snow shoes in the men’s size I wear, for 25% off the existing sale price. However, on wearing the shoes around the house for a couple of hours, I realized this relationship wasn’t going to work. Happily, thanks to LL Bean’s no longer unlimited but still very generous return policy, I got the refund on my credit card with no problem. $70 retrieved.
(2) After dropping DH off at cognitive care on Friday, I headed out, fully intending to take advantage of our local Thrifty Shopper chain’s 50% off all clothing sale plus a BOGO deal at our famous local hot dog stand. Well, everyone else had the same ideas, so I ended up not getting any of these things because the lines were so long. Sigh…but, given our recent weather, it was good just to get out of the four walls anyway.
(3) Have been reheating/reusing/reconfiguring leftovers all week. No more food waste around here than I can help. (I did throw out a half jar of fancy jam I found in the fridge, once I read the label and realized it had a 2014 sell-by date. Yowza.)
(4) Now that we’ve finally finished all the leftovers, I cooked two small organic chickens (obtained at a markdown) for dinner, and invited our widowed next-door neighbor over for dinner. This gave all of us some much-needed social interaction (see #2 above re: getting out of the four walls) and a chance to catch up on both local and global gossip.
(5) And re: Lindsey’s #1, I’ve been using a similar dog food bag (plucked out of a neighbor’s recycling bin, where it didn’t belong anyway) in my bathroom wastebasket for 2 weeks now. (I empty it into the outgoing trash each week.) But Lindsey wins this one hands down, for both quantity obtained and effort expended.
There’s so much sugar in jam, I’d eat it as long as it didn’t look/smell funky. I’m still working down a supply of home-canned plum jam from about the same era.
Diane, this jam was partly dried out, and the sugar in it had coagulated into big lumps. Not absolutely funky, but not at all appealing either. I composted the jam and saved the 1/2 pint canning jar.
1. Our passionfruit vine is producing hundreds of fruit. My husband froze the pulp in ice cube trays for later.
2. We had a heap of fruit that for some reason my kids weren’t eating. I stewed it up and we had it with lunch today.
3. I’m doing some work on my side hustle this afternoon. This year I have expanded my work in this area significantly, just by word of mouth. No advertising, but the work has come in fairly regularly.
4. I divided two rhubarb crowns into seven new plants.
5. I went thrifting and got a ‘new’ skirt for work.
1. Yum, I’m jealous of your passionfruit! I’ve been binge watching cooking shows on Netflix and they have been putting layers of passion fruit concoctions on everything. Passion fruit in the US right now is yuck.
The Great British Baking Show, perhaps? I love that show! Passion fruit curd for the win!
Yes, I love that show! I also just binge watched the Zumbo baking show.
If I had access to big-city takeout options, I’d struggle daily too.
My FFT:
1. Last Friday I needed to draw cash from the bank. We do business with two different banks in town; I picked the one that has free “customer appreciation” coffee and cookies on Fridays.
2. Our library just acquired an Instant Pot for patrons to check out. I’ve been very curious to try one, so I will definitely take advantage of this. My sister swears by hers.
3. We made a major household purchase in December. I used my Citi credit card to pay for it, and uploaded my receipt to see if I could get a Price Rewind (Citi will monitor prices for your item for 60 days after you purchase it, and they’ll give you the difference if they find a lower price). I ended up with a $30 statement credit for just a bit of effort.
4. Our homemade sparkling water set-up konked out on us the weekend DH was out of town. I waited for him to get home and help me troubleshoot instead of buying more LaCroix to get us through those few days.
5. I inventoried our chest freezer today. We bought a quarter of beef last summer, and I’d never taken the time to count up all the different cuts/packages we got with our bundle. Now I have a list taped to the freezer lid that will help me with meal planning.
Your library let’s you check out an Instant Pot — is there nothing that libraries don’t do? That’s great!
Agreed..this is so neat to try before you buy!
1. Enjoyed a Costco trip with my Mom and she bought our 1.50 each hotdog meal. Loved it. Passed up lots of stuff I didn’t need.
2. Went out to dinner with our home for the weekend college son and spent 1 minute looking for a coupon in retail me not to save $9.
3. A gardener brought in some excess zuchinni to work and I made a zucchini pizza casserole.
4. Worked an hour or so on my 2nd job- In my Pjs on the couch!
5. Still under budget for groceries this month.
Not a lot of frugal going on here but I will try.
1) Found cans of organic pumpkin puree for $0.49 each.
2) Ds worked this afternoon. He is saving for a scout trip this summer. The more he saves the less I have to pay.
3) Dd needed new underwear and bras. We hit Marshall’s and found 8 pairs of panties and 2 bras for $30.
4) Cooked from scratch all week, even when I didn’t feel like it.
5) Earned enough in Ibotta rebates to cash in for a $20 gift card. I use this to fund my Starbucks dates with my dh.
1) My husband purchased a piece of equipment we needed used but in excellent condition and at a great savings. Double bonus: my husband has taken this model engine apart before and can work on it himself.
2) I left the thrift store with only 1 item, which fit well and had been on my wish list.
3) My son finished his last library book last night. Today we went to the public library and got 4 more books by the author he’s currently hooked on and 1 by a new-to-him author.
4) A grocery store with a current great sale price on a couple items we use was only 1/2 mile out of the way on the way home from the library, so we stocked up on those two items at half off normal price, saving $30.
1) Had to kill time before meeting up with a friend to carpool. Chose to go work in a public library instead of in a coffee shop.
2) Meeting in-laws in Portland ME in March and will go to the art museum. Groupon was having a sale on admissions tickets, so I was able to purchase 2 tickets for $15 instead of $18 per person.
3) Convinced my partner to go out for lunch instead of dinner.
4) Ate leftovers from a failed cooking experience all week even though it pretty much sucked.
5) From New England, but did not spend any money at a “spa” in Florida, saving money on lawyer’s fees (and public humiliation).
Your #5…good one! I’m from New England too and was pretty shocked by the news about the “spa”. Can’t he think of better things to do with his millions?!
Exactly!
A friend took me out for lunch. Her husband and my family ate lunch at the house and flew kites.
Sold an ice cream scooper we weren’t using on VarageSale.
Getting free teacherpayteacher worksheets for remediation for my kids.
Ordered Sound of Music off EBay. If you’re going to buy a dvd, their prices are a fraction of new.
Friend told me of free ways to download and stream books, movies and music from the library
I hosted a “Volleyball in the Snow” party st my house. There was mostly snowy ice but here’s how I rolled:
1. Used my China plates and some I borrowed from work. No paper here.
2. All cloth napkins for this event.
3. Borrowed the volleyball net again instead of buying one ( recommended by my husband ).
4. Also borrowed badminton racquets since we only have 4.
5. Invited attendees to bring non perishable food items for a local food pantry in exchange for a chance for a door prize.
6. Said door prize was items I had in the house : a candle, a smiley face rubber jar opener, and wine glasses my SIL brought from VA for this prize.
Such a great idea for a party! And the door prize threw in some extra excitement. I use my dishes and glasses I have on hand for get togethers too…unfortunately, I don’t yet have enough cloth napkins but I’m working on it.
I like the new couch. It looks very comfy.
1. My dog peed on my down comforter. I was able to wash it at home. It leaked feathers everywhere and I found a couple holes which I was able to repair so it should last me a few more years.
2. Daughters and I had our weekly dinner together at my Mom’s house. She made sloppy joes and I made some au gratin potatoes which used up some potatoes which were sprouting. It was a frugal and fun night.
3. Sold another small item on Ebay. Every little bit helps.
4. Found some rolled change in a file cabinet that my husband used.
5. Did my laundry which I hung to dry on drying racks adding some moisture to my house. I cleaned the house using my homemade cleaning products. I freshened up all my dishcloths and towels by boiling them for 10 minutes using a big pot that belonged to my grandmother.
I also forgot. I found an old vacuum cleaner in the basement that my daughter took to school with her for her apartment. It only works on bare floors but that is all she needs it for. It should last the next couple years until she lives in a more permanent home.
Your living room looks great!
1. We’re continuing to furnish our house with all used items (excluding mattress). We just bought a washer for $150 and dresser for $75. Your couch sounds like a great deal! My son also picked up 2 games at thrift stores, one for $3 one for just 10 cents! We also got a food processor and waffle iron.
2. We just got a new seal for our fridge. This should make it run much more efficiently.
3. Husband helped us avoid the temptation of eating out yesterday by making breakfast for supper (using our new to us waffle iron).
4. Leftover waffles will be today’s breakfast.
5. I have about $3 on Ibotta, $13.16 store credit at the consignment store and over 100 swagbucks.
The couch is perfect in that room! A great find & at a great price.
My FFT for the last fortnight…
1) It has been unseasonably warm and rainy in North Florida. I hope this does not mean a hotter than usual summer. It certainly has meant weeds and bugs all through the winter. Using the power hour concept, we have been getting the flower and herb beds in shape this week — working an hour a day, every day. I cut back the ivy and have several pieces rooting to be used in the garden pots which need to be reworked. There will not be a need to buy more now. I also cut a bouquet of Gerber daisies and made an arrangement for the table in the entry hall.
2) I too have been cutting back on food waste and trying to bring down my food bill. I have been using up the items that have been sitting in my pantry and freezer. I made chicken stock from 3 carcasses and a bag of veggie scraps. I used 3 overly ripe bananas and almond flower to make GF banana bread. I added flax seed and flaked coconut to a batch of granola. I cooked a pound of black beans in my instant pot. I defrosted two mystery items. Unfortunately, we cannot figure out what they are. Not sure what to do about them. They are a source of conversation. I have begun labeling this diligently.
3) I dropped off a bag of things at the Goodwill this week that I was no longer using. I couldn’t resist going in to look around. Although there were thousands upon thousands of items that I did not want or need, I found a treasure. I bought a nearly new All-Clad 12″ French skillet for $4. I have wanted one for quite sometime and such a bargain! That was the only money that I spent all week.
4) It was my older son’s birthday, and he asked me to cook his favorite meal. So we celebrated at his home which was much nicer — and thriftier– than going to a restaurant. Both my son and husband travel a great deal for business and get tired of eating out all the time. They prefer my cooking which is both an honor and a curse.
5) Of course, I did many of the usual things. I brewed my own coffee, wore my thrifted clothing, drank primarily filtered water, sold a few items on eBay, read library books, did dollar-store Sudoku, used my YMCA membership, shared thrifted books with a friend, and watched streamed TV. Thank you all for the wonderful television suggestions!
Congrats on the All Clad skillet! That was a very frugal use of $4.00. You will enjoy cooking with it for years to come!
Thank you! Good cookware makes a difference. I have used it 2x already! Now if I can only find the Dutch oven that have been dreaming about. 🙂
Keep dreaming! Sometimes it works out! I once found a 12-inch cast iron skillet at a yard sale – heavy as heck but I had been wanting one for YEARS. The sellers threw it in for free when I bought some knives (also cheap as dirt). They were selling things they’d bought at one of those storage-unit auctions and wanted to get rid of the heavy stuff so they wouldn’t have to carry it to wherever they were going next.
We still use it almost every day.
Almost all my cookware (a mix of Revere Ware, cast iron, Calphalon, and All Clad) has either been acquired for free from relocating or dear departed relatives and friends, or purchased at thrift stores. Like KJD509, I too once got a 12-inch cast iron skillet for free–in my case, from a Canadian woman who was married to a Southern man and never quite got the Southern fascination with cast-iron cooking. As an expat Southerner myself, I don’t have that problem. 🙂
We struggled this week but here it goes:
1. A friend wanted to get together for a meal. I suggested a walk instead since it was relatively warmer and I was starting to go stir crazy – we had a great time.
2. I’ve started a new job and I’ve had a few friends and coworkers who took me out for meals as a celebration – time with good humans and free food!
3. I needed to make a Pom Pom for a hat I crocheted (first one I’ve made!) and the pattern suggested purchasing a plastic pom maker. I used YouTube and figured out how to make one with cardboard I had in my recycling bin.
4. I found 6 pennies in the hallway of our apartment.
5. We got invited to a dear friend’s wedding this fall and offered to do their wedding photography at no charge as our gift. Along the same lines, we’ve spent $0 and very minimal time on advertising my partner’s photog business and he’s already booked 4 paid weddings, an engagement shoot, and a corporate event for 2019.
What a thoughtful and amazing wedding gift!
Thank you Tracy!
1. Entire family came down with a horrible cold each on a different day. I stayed in bed for the first day but only caved in once for a meal out. That day my husband bought a large sub and we split it 3 ways. I made all the other meals for the week.
2. Was gifted 2 lbs of lunch meat and made omelettes, sandwiches, wraps and breakfast burritos. Using up the last tonight in scrambled eggs and cheese.
3. Gifted 2 large cars of Jif peanut butter. Just running out of peanut butter so this is perfect. We always have 2 jars going since one must be gluten free. No dipping knife from one jar into the other. Even a knife can carry gluten from the bread into the gluten free jar so we are very careful. Two sons have Celiac disease.
4. Gifted 3 large oranges. Zested one and made orange/cranberry muffins with juice of the orange plus some left over dried cranberries languishing in my cupboard. Made fruit salad with the other and 2 iffy apples. One large orange for another day.
5. Got a $14 haircut instead of a $60 Deva cut. I have naturally curly hair and have splurged in the past for a hair cut, Deva cut, for my hair. No more. With the money I saved I was able to get a pair of Sketcher’s shoes with a 30% off coupon for almost the exact amount I saved by getting a cheaper haircut.
I also have naturally curly hair. It took a long time to find a person who could actually figure out how to cut it correctly. (If it’s not cut correctly, it stops curling completely and I look like a drowned rat). Now I go in about every eight weeks for a haircut and it only cost me $32 plus tip. And she knows exactly how to cut it to keep my curls curling. (My curls are kind of banana curls that are shorter and look like stretched out phone cords…you know, when they are stretched out, they curl both ways). It’s hard to find a good stylist for curly hair.
My five frugal things….
1. Called my grandma and had a nice chat with her – also about the fact that we both are contempt with what we have in live and our low-need in consumerism. It’s so great she’s still so fit at her age. Lovely 30 minutes of family time.
2. Spent half the day at a fancy gym with a long-term friend. They had a free try-out offer, so we took a class, went for a swim and into the sauna. In between enjoying healthy-ish snacks we brought with us.
3. Re-arranged my balcony which is facing the windows of the building opposite of it. Put up a screen my parents were going to dispose off and my brother dropped off at my place. First time the balcony really feels cozy. Now I just have to wait for summer to come around the corner.
Also threw out a hideous piece of furniture that I always hated but needed the storage. Decluttered enough to keep my crafting supplies elsewhere now. Rearranged some of the other furniture. So new room, new balcony at no cost at all.
4. Enjoyed wine and talk with one of my flatmates in the newly arranged room. I always asked to meet at her room before as I didn’t think mine was giving you a hygge feeling. Which it now does. Some more rearranging and I will be thrilled. During the process of decluttering I passed on a few things another one of my flatmates can use. Saves her from buying new and me from storing things “just in case” or carrying them to the free pile.
5. Walked past a free pile the other day. Picked up three black shirts in a hurry as I was already late for meeting friends. Two I love and will keep – of the shirts, not the friends. I am keeping all of the latter. The third shirt along with a couple of other things I donated to refugees as my bouldering gym has a permanent collection going on so I could just leave them there at no extra hassle for me
1. Used over-ripe bananas and ingredients on hand to make a chocolate chip banana bread and brought it to work.
2. Bought a pack of perfect peppers picked from the reduced shelf.
3. Always, coffee from home, my own water bottle, lunch and snacks from home and buying gas at lowest priced station near campus.
4. All groceries were bought on sale this week.
5. Found a quarter
Katy-your new sofa and living room look so comfy and cozy!
Rebecca…your #2…is your nickname Peter Piper?! LOL. I couldn’t resist!
Christine, hahahaha! No but proud of that sentence! 🙂
Loved your arrangement – reminds me of home and my comfy thrifted couch!
1. Not feeling well coupled with truly Artic weather has inhibited my buying impulses.
2. DH and I split a large take out sandwich. Beverages and chips were on hand.
3. Due to work and health issues we have again postponed our annual trip to Florida.
4. Visited the discount produce market. Shared large bag of apples with son and scored some low priced bakery goods on the discount table.
5. DS#1 and I agreed that I would be more diligent in sending excess food out to him. Both of us bemoaned the food waste of our households.
1. Adapting recipes to use up what I have on hand and avoid extra trips to the grocery store.
2. Husband was notified of amounts of annual bonus and raise. Earmarking for annual property tax savings account, emergency fund, Roth IRAs, and vacation account.
3. Ran the ice maker’s cleaning cycle. Good ice at home keeps me from stopping for an iced tea or iced coffee while I’m out.
4. Menu planning and making grocery list. Running low on staples.
5. Warmer temps here will bring the heating costs down…hope the mild temperatures last awhile before our Texas summer AC costs ramp up.
Okay, this sounds weird but I get SO excited for your blog posts. Sometimes,, when I cannot sleep, I just think of my “5 frugal things “. Well, here they are :
1.) I went to a thrift store with a friend and ended up being too picky to get anything. At least I didn’t settle for something that was almost there and maybe if we had more time, I would’ve been more lucky.
2.) still cutting up my toothpaste to last a little longer- kind of a mess though
3.) I never bought an extra chair or pillows to simply fill up space in my fairly large room for 1 and still wear socks with holes in them as they’re cute and only I notice the holes which don’t bother me.
4.) just need my other professor to finish my recommendation to submit scholarship application! Hopefully, I’ll get it, but am looking at more.
5). Free entertainment AKA the stimulating process of learning new thought provoking information.
It’s not lucky if you don’t really like it. In the end it’s not what you save it’s what you spend that counts – good on you for not buying anything if you didn’t like anything.
Many years ago I attended a charity silent auction with a friend and her husband. I genuinely didn’t like anything up for auction. My friend bid on lots of items. Every time her name was called she would yell “I won! I won!” Her husband was tearing her hair out trying to explain that she hadn’t won anything, she’d just spent the most money. So luck is a state of mind.
1. I earned $30 in credit card reward points and redeemed 40cents off per gallon of gas at Kroger this week
2. My mother in law visited and brought my kids a ton of snack foods (which I do not usually buy, but my kids so dearly love) and we also saved money on postage by remembering to give her the birthday present my kids picked out for her
3. Made frito pies and frozen pizza for out weekly junk food night at home
4. Finally received our tax return and plan to act responsibly with it:)
5. Received a free prom dress for my daughter at a local church event. My daughter had a lot of fun trying on 12 dresses…me not so much!
I LUV that yellow phone on the wall. (maybe I should buy (ahem…find one for free, one and let my kids play with it)
1. Found an extra $5 when I went to pay my son’s cub scout’s annual dues. I save each pay for these dues and over-saved that small amount.
2. My son’s cub scout pack celebrated the boys’ achievements at the Blue & Gold dinner last evening. My husband and I had to pay for dinner but both my kids meals were free. I think we got our money’s worth because my son ate three pieces of cake and we were allowed to bring a to-go container full of leftovers home. (no judgements please, the cake slices were super small!)
3. Found about $1.50 in change on the ground by a parking meter. I’m not sure if someone was paying it forward or not…but I used it to pay for my parking meter and then added the remainder to my change cup in the van.
4. With hesitation, I stopped forcing myself to go to church on Wednesday evenings. This ended up being too long of a day for the kids (7:30am-8:15pm away from the house) and it was starting to wear on them and me. The frugal part is that we don’t go our for dinner before or spend the money on gas.
5. I had thoughts about running to costco for their wonderful blueberry muffins. Thinking better…I found a blueberry muffin mix in the cabinet and decided they would do.
Just got back from a not so frugal family vacation, and am getting back on top of things. (There were a few frugal measures, but not many).
I have been thinking a lot about finance, though, and think I need a kind of business plan — or at least some guidelines like Katy’s to help define what I will pick up to resell to make sure it is worth my time.
I watch as many youtube videos as I can from other resellers to learn brands and what sells the best.
1. I had to visit town hall last week to confirm my residency for my son’s preschool registration. While there, I dropped off my excise tax payments for our cars, saving a stamp.
2. I’ve been trying to find a free event each weekend to take my son to. It helps him from getting stir crazy since it has been too cold to play outside. This week was a birthday party for my best friend’s son. The food was delicious and she sent us home with leftovers. My son had a great time and slept great afterwards.
3. I sold a book on ebay that had been listed for over 2 years. Only a small profit after shipping, but the book was going to be added to my next Goodwill trip, so I’ll take the .22 and another item out of my house. I also sold two other items for a profit of almost $16. Not bad for stuff I got for free.
4. I got a free $5 Starbucks gift card for downloading the my sprint rewards app (and for having my wireless service with Sprint).
5. I redeemed my swagbucks for a $25 Amazon GC. I also got paid out $15 in Walmart GCs for taking some surveys on a Walmart panel.
6. I redeemed freebie coupons at Bath & Body Works for a free wallflower refill and a mini hand cream. I bought two additional wall flower refills and used up a gift card that had been in my purse for months. Out of pocket cost for the refills was .09.
7. I got a package of 24 diapers to use and take a survey on. Free diapers and a $5 payment once I take the survey.
Not eating out is a struggle for me, too. Especially when I’m tired and not feeling well.
1) I managed to make a tamale casserole for dinner last night. I knew hubby would be hungry after work, but I didn’t feel like eating or spending time in the kitchen. I used the frozen Chicken Tamales I bought at Aldi, poured two cans of Chili Con Carne over them – bought for 50 cents each at Walls. Diced up some onions and put those and a good layer of grated cheese over the whole thing. He ate two plates and has plenty left for lunch and possibly dinner tonight.
2) I stopped at Walls Bargain Center on Saturday and bought several things. Mostly food stuff. They have great markdowns on everything and I hadn’t been in there for a few years. I controlled myself, I think I spent maybe $40.
3) I spent the same amount at Aldi and now we’re set for the week on food and probably for the month on everything else.
4) I finally remembered to call and get an eye appt and a dental appt scheduled for this week, before they move me to the OKC Campus next week. I can used my health savings account for the visit charge.
5) I returned an audiobook to the Library last week and checked out 2 more and a Debbie Macomber book I hadn’t read yet. I’ve got to figure out how to set-up audiobook setting in my car, so I can listen to books off my phone apps. My work commute will be double what it was – 3 hours round trip to and from work, starting next week. Those apps are going to come in handy!
Vickie, will be thinking about you as you commute. I didn’t mind commuting when I was younger, but the older I got it just seemed like such wasted time, and so frustrating this time of year when you leave home in the dark of morning and get home in the dark of evening.
Thank you, Kathleen!
I will only have to bear it for a few years. I’m eligible to retire next year, but I’m trying to get in my 20 years, so they will pay most of my health insurance premium. If I can make it past January of 2021, I’ll be free!!
1) Redeemed my Swagbucks for two gift cards.
2) Figured out how to use the debit card tied to our health savings account so I don’t have to pay up front and get reimbursed.
3) Submitted a withdrawal to our son’s 529 plan for a book he needed to buy this semester.
4) Applied for a scholarship for our son through our union which we received in the mail this week. It’s based on grades and full time status only so it was easy.
5) Applied to class action law suit settlement check to the principle on our cottage.
Frugal fail of sorts is the fact that I did our taxes and we owe quite a bit this year to the feds. Sigh. We are in a weird situation with sons that have graduated from college but still live at home and that created the perfect storm.
I use TurboTax and did figure out a few mistakes I made that I corrected and at least brought that total amount down. Upside is the refund from our state taxes will go to cover a part of what we owe the feds.
1. Finished my nieces veil, one week before the wedding. I managed to drop it off on a previously scheduled visit with my sister-in-law, so I saved a drive.
2. My washer is broken, but my friend offered to let me come by and use her washer and drink tea. I’ll bring her some avocados to say thank you.
3. Best Buy will be fixing the washer for free under the extended service plan. I usually don’t buy those, but it was certainly worth it this time!
4. My daughter is on a dairy test, so we avoided eating out this weekend TWICE because eating out with no meat and no dairy is just to challenging. I hope we wouldn’t have been tempted the first time if we had gone out the second time, but we were still virtuous twice. I made yummy vegan cake instead.
That’s all I can think of right now. I’m feeling pretty discouraged lately, as ebay isn’t selling and I’m not getting called to substitute teach and my decluttering business isn’t really taking off. I’d really like to pay off the mortgage early! But this too shall pass, and I’ll keep holding the line.
Right there with you on feeling discouraged, Roberta. You’re right of course that it will pass, but yeesh it doesn’t feel like it in the midst of it, does it?
I wonder if the time of year has something to do with not only the lagging online sales but our moods in general. The end-of-winter-blahs seem to be upon me. Hopefully the hour we’ll gain at the end of the day in a couple of weeks will change this.
I definitely have a case of the winter blahs! Spring is around the corner!
Yes, this time of year is just so bleak in most of the US and everyone just starts to be in survival mode. I hear it all around me. I am really looking forward to spring to get out of the blahs too.
1. Still eating mostly a Keto diet so mostly eating at home as it’s easier. This was definitely reflected on our last CC Bill. Going to continue with this for awhile.
2. Shopping in my closet for clothes that will fit now that I’m down a size. Thrilled when I find something that was too small, that now fits, or is even too big.
3. I’m learning Spanish, so went to the library to find novels in Español for practice. Found a few. They will help with practise, also watching Netflix in Spanish.
That all for now. Frugal fail: some one hit my newish car, damaged it and didn’t leave a note. My deductible with be $300. I’m sure the damage will be a lot more than that, but at least that’s all I’m paying.
Oh, Alison, that stinks about your car!
1. Cancelled plans meant an open weekend for skiing (do all my winter FFT include skiing? Yes, yes they do!). Opted for an overnight stay paid for with credit card points to take advantage of free lift tickets. Total savings OOP=$245.
2. Made the most of leftovers and snacks from home for food during the weekend instead of insisting on eating every meal out. Leftover pizza made an excellent dinner on the way home from the mountain.
3. BF had a need for a new ski jacket + mid layers as his are not keeping him warm or dry anymore. Convinced him to walk out of the ski shop after purchasing a sale coat and make some athletic wear purchases at Marshall’s instead. Nothing short of a miracle–I made it out of there just buying a running belt for my phone for $6, and he got some good deals as well!
4. Living out of the freezer & pantry until Friday in order to keep my hands off the credit card or my savings account. February is a short month, but was somehow still expensive!
5. I know I’m in a groove when I get the impulse to shop–and nothing seems worth the money! Feeling content and grateful for the things I have right now–happy in my clothes and happy with my home.
Okay, while the rest of you admire Katy’s couch (which is super cute!), I’m swooning over the wood floors. Mmmmm they are lovely.
1) We’ve been landlords for 15 years, with a few odd properties that took a lot of work to keep rented. Last week we advertised the current property – a small, cozy apartment with a great view – for the first time and we have 3 qualified applicants with great references, all ready to move in tomorrow. Nobody argued over price. Nobody complained about the paint. The process of selling a previous rental to acquire this one was complicated, expensive, and annoying, but wow, it is so much easier to manage. I think there’s a frugal lesson in there.
2) No eating out even though I have been IN A MOOD. Littlest complained about dinner last night, which was the very last straw on my mood, so she is in charge tonight. Her budget is “pantry.”
3) Watched and waited when the dog was ill. He has, um, excreted a number of items that explain why he was feeling poorly (paint rag, part of a sweatshirt, something very large in the middle of the night that I think I’m glad I couldn’t see in the dark) so we are back to daily walks or runs. He’s happy, I’m happy both to have given sore ankles a rest and to be back at it, and the budget is happy to have avoided an unnecessary vet visit.
4) Received a statement from a forgotten health savings account from a previous job. Hubs thought he couldn’t access it because he no longer has the work email that provided access, but he spent five minutes on the phone, was sent a debit card, and has been able to bring all of our medical and mental health charges current. Felt like free money!
5) Unpacking, organizing, cleaning, reorganizing the new place without buying anything, and working even on cold, snowy days to keep emptying the dang storage units. Listening to free music apps (in spite of the ads) while doing so. Unwinding afterwards with Netflix and library books instead of the first run movies the kids really want to see. It’s slow, but in theory we’ll get there.
Great post. Congratulations on your real estate savey!
We also have – ahem – a dog with tastes that are not compatible with his inner workings. Share your pain on that one. Glad you avoided an expensive vet bill – been there – done that.
And I’m swooning over the woodwork in Katy’s house! Reminds me of my grandmother’s house.
My Dane once pooped out my favorite bra! Another time, half a sock; we never did find the other half.
Our dog chews on pretty much anything he can get – mostly small toys, but also socks, tissues, rags, clean or dirty clothing….we’ve found some interesting colors of dog poop in our back yard.
1. I signed up to auto-renew our COSTCO membership. and earned a $20 COSTCO Cash card.
2. I must travel to New England for a family wedding shower (with one of the brides maids). W just joined AARP (more than ten years after becoming eligible at age 50). I was able to save 10% on a hotel room that is right where we need to be. Travel will be using Southwest points (earned with our credit card).
3. We walked up to the grocery store and found $.34, a penny here, a dime there…
4. My husband eats gluten free but he loves bread products. He was hankering for something new to eat for breakfast. I baked a double batch of corn bread and a double batch of muffins. They’re gluten free, in the freezer, and ready for quick breakfasts.
5. I’m keeping the heat low, eating at home, crafting a birthday gift, and reading and listening to books borrowed from the library. I realized that I have hand-me-up purses that I should try to sell on eBay: a Vera Bradley and a leather Coach, both with matching wallets.
1. Figured out we can spend $30 to $40 one time and get a tv antenna so we can cancel HULU at $12 a month.
2. Won four tickets to the Home and Garden show next weekend. Something we wouldn’t do if we had to pay for it.
3. Developed a bad cold so didn’t leave the house for three days and didn’t spend any money.
4. Received notice from the electric company that the new time of day rate will not increase our bill because we are so careful about use.
5. Have continued to be very good about using up foods we buy when grocery shopping so none is wasted.
That’s really great on the electric thing. Our company here in Louisville is awful and greedy. I continuously use way less than a home average to mine and we all saw a huge increase recently. No incentives to use less here.
1-this feels like it should be all 5 of my frugal things. After almost 2 yrs off work DH has landed a job. Thankfully I have a good job and we are frugal so we made it through this with no debt. We managed to save for our retirement and pay off my car loan over these past 20 months.
2-Already planning with the kids for meals and getting to their school/jobs & sports practice as this is the 1st time in about 8 yrs DH has worked in an office. Prior to this he was a remote worker so it’s an adjustment for all of us. But since the kids are 15 and 18 we will manage.
3-took advantage of my local little free library to get rid of a few books and found several my mom will enjoy.
4-Loving my Libby library app. It make the commute so much more interesting with an audio book.
5-All this snow means not leaving home to spend money. I had 13 no spend days this month, not bad for a 28 day month.
Congrats on your hubby’s job Julie, that’s awesome! Very impressive that you managed to save whilst living on only one salary…
Congrats on Hubby’s new job! Yea!
Thanks, this blog helped a lot with the encouragement and flow of great ideas.
I’m late to this party, but here we go…
1. I am no spending except on essentials and ongoing home projects. I also have been eating from the pantry and now it’s habit and I can’t even think about going out somewhere to eat.
2. Forcing myself to not waste food by planning meals around contents of refrigerator, pantry, etc. This is proving to be a great money saving trick!
3. I received a small bonus from work and my tax refunds. They are nestled in my savings at the moment waiting on their next purpose.
4. Meeting with an electrician a friend recommended this weekend at the rental house I have been sitting on for far too long. It is time to sell it and get it off my back and hopefully make a little money.
5. I planned a super frugal trip to Canberra, AU to meet a romantic interest (we were matched up by a mutual Australian friend that is in the states at the moment) and we hit it off wonderfully. We have been distant friends for some time and I thought it was time (in light of my cancer crap) to meet. However, I came to my senses and did not impulsively book the trip. I want to live my life fully, but I have some stuff to get off the shit-list first. So, I guess I’ll consider this frugal since I am not going now. 🙁
6. I wanted to read a couple of books suggested to me and I cannot stress enough, like many of you do, how wonderful the library is. I will say I spent $15 to become a Friend of the Library, but I think it is a small price to pay for all the books, movies, music, events and other benefits it provides. I was even able to print off my house’s PVA for free there (it would have cost me $10 to do it from home). Support your libraries! 🙂
Regarding your #6…I went to a free class on vegetarian and gluten free cooking recently at my local library. DH will be attempting the Appalachian Trail starting in April and I plan on eating strictly vegetarian while he is gone. This class was perfect timing in that I learned so much in that 2 hours that will help me attain my goal. I’m not going gluten free as gluten seems to have no effect on me. But I was thinking similar thoughts…how great is this library?! Not only for books, movies, DVDs, but the free classes can be life changing if not very interesting. I’m with you. And that $10 you saved brought your Friends dues down to $5. Not bad!
Gina, what’s a PVA?