Five Frugal Things
by Katy on March 26, 2019 · 51 comments
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I sold a Thule bike rack that I picked up at Goodwill a couple of months ago. It took awhile to sell, but I wasn’t worried as people simply don’t buy outdoor equipment during the winter months.
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I saw that the Supercuts training center was in session this week, so I called to make appointments for me and the kids. (I would have also made an appointment for my husband, but he’s working all week.) We’ll tip $5 apiece, but they’re still tremendously cheaper than any traditional salon or barber shop. I follow them on Facebook, so I always see when they’re available for services.
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I brought home a free cute welcome mat to replace a useless rubber one that neither worked to absorb water nor to scrub the bottoms of shoes. It was in front of a neighbor’s house with a “free” sign, which is my favorite price. The useless rubber one? I’ve already set it out with a “free” sign.
This is an example of “make it do,” as I’d been wanting a better welcome mat for a year or so. I figured that I’d come across one at Goodwill, but mostly only found seasonal ones. (The idea of having a welcome mat that gets switched out for specific holidays does not appeal to me, as I’d rather have a single neutral item instead of multiple ones that are needlessly bought and stored.) The ability be patient with this need meant I was able to replace the old one without spending a penny.
Patience a key component to a successfully frugal life.
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I make a huge pot of chicken soup from a mostly uneaten rotisserie chicken, I brought home a free jumbo-sized bag of bubble wrap from a local shop for my eBay sales, I drove my minivan through DEQ (Depart of Environmental Quality) to reregister the car and somehow didn’t get charged extra even though it was a week past the deadline, and I made grilled cheese sandwiches for my daughter and her friend so they wouldn’t get hungry while out and about.
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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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Wanted another scooter for my kids so they don’t have to keep sharing. Found one on OfferUp for $3. A Razor with light up wheels.
Did a Costco run today. Got two rotisserie chickens. Will be making chicken broth when we’re done with them. Need to be getting some bone broth in for the upcoming gastric bypass surgery.
A warm day here. We jumped into the swimming pool. It needs some TLC clean up, but safe.
New kids moved into the neighborhood. My kids and theirs are best friends already. Every evening we’ve played at the neighborhood park. All stuff we have already, and kids aren’t sneaking boredom snacks.
Husband has been out of town this week and last. We haven’t eaten out once and we usually do 3-4 times when he’s gone. Been buying hamburger patties in bulk at Costco and it gives me that yummy craving without the excess cost, and I’m not throwing out the extra bun from a fast food joint since the surgeon said no grains.
I sometimes throw out buns since I can’t have gluten. I don’t do it often but I can’t save them because they are saturated in ketchup/mustard. I have tried ordering without the bun but they never get it right. I put my hamburger patty in between a few pieces of whatever lettuce is on sale and add all my other favorite condiments etc. Going bunless doesn’t even bother me anymore. However, I have not lost a single pound. Being over 40 is no joke!
Yeah, we I’m on the doorstep of 40. My thyroid already went caput.
1. Put a deconstructed treadmill and 2 bikes out for metal pick up yesterday. By today everything was gone, picked up by happy junkers. No need to call the trash company for a once a month metal pickup – which is included in my property taxes along with trash/recycling pickup.
2. Called newspaper yesterday to cancel the digital issue of my daily newspaper that I was being charged for. It’s been going on since January and I haven’t had it stopped or been refunded. Customer service rep suggested calling my cc company and I did as that was my next phone call. Got my cc cancelled, money refunded and new cards sent overnight.
3. Made my annual deposit into my IRA account.
4. Called about rolling over a very crazy IRA account into my main one. Must fill out paperwork.
5. Kept the heat low today in the house.
1. This month more mystery shops were available than usual and many times I crammed one in at the end of the day, even when I didn’t feel like it. Yesterday I totaled it up and it was $375 plus over $100 in products such as gas and meals.
2. Cashed in a rain check that got me six bone-in turkey breasts for $1.23 a pound, which is unheard of around here. Managed to cram five into the freezer and cooked the last one.
3. Opened a box that had been sitting around in the basement since we moved into the house a decade ago. Inside was pure wool tartan plaid I bought about 15 years ago, from a tiny woolen mill in Scotland. Nine yards of it! It was in perfect condition. I don’t sew, so I have no idea why I purchased it, nor how much I paid for it. I sold it on eBay for $20 a yard, which I consider profit since the material was not making me any money in the basement.
4. In the same box was a Mason jar stuffed with buttons from my grandmother, who had been a professional seamstress. I was going to throw them away but a friend told me they would sell on eBay or Craig’s List. She was right, for $15!!
5. We keep eating the pickles I canned this summer, even though they are a bit garlicky. A dozen jars of dill pickles represents a lot of gardening and canning work, so I am not about to throw them away.
4. That’s a great profit on the buttons. If you have ever looked at the cost of buttons they can be pricy for just one! There were probably some cool vintage ones in there considering the age.
My son was on spring break this week and while we didn’t do anything exceptionally extraordinary, we did have a pretty good amount of fun.
1) We watched a couple Back to the Future movies (he’s a fan).
2) He built a cardboard model of the clock tower in the movie.
3) He did some baking (adult life skills training).
4) He did a TON of reading (I’d checked out a list of requested books ahead of time for him).
5) Yard work got done including renting a piece of equpment that both takes a lot of storage space and hopefully won’t be needed again for years.
6) Played video games he already had.
7) He and I went to a bargain matinee in a movie theater, only $4 total including my ticket, he was free, and a soda for him!
8) On Friday my husband needed to go 2 hours out of town, which placed him only 20 minutes from a location of interest to all of us, a train museum, so we all went and spent the day together and made the fuel do double duty. There weren’t any train rides running (the schedule is more limited until Memorial Day Weekend), but we got to see the museum, which is new since we were last there, and look at the trains on display outdoors. Road snacks and lunch were packed from home.
9) Stopped at a secondhand video game store on our out of town trip and son found a Wii game he wanted for only $3.
10) Stopped at a thrift store that I rarely go to. It’s not close to home, but I had to pass it today. Left the 2 potential impulse purchases there and bought only a DVD all 3 of us will all enjoy. Half price, under $1!
Sounds like a great spring break.
1. I sold two more items on Ebay. I shipped them with reused packaging. I printed my own postage and the my mail person picked them up for free during my normal pick up.
2. I ordered free Priority mail boxes from the post office for future Ebay sales as I’m running out of larger boxes.
3. I had my free tire rotation done at Costco. While there I got the cheap gas saving at least 20 cents a gallon. I also picked up lotion and soap as both had the coupons on them. I’m not out of either yet but I might as well get them during the sale because I will need them eventually.
4. While at Costco I filled up on the free samples instead of getting a hot dog while I waited for my car to be done.
5. I did laundry and hung it on racks to dry. Fed the bees Fondant made at home by my daughter with sugar, water and vinegar instead of buying a sugar block at the bee supply store.
Are you a beekeeper?
Yes. I took some classes with my daughter last year but the bees are hers. They are in my backyard though so I end up doing a lot of the upkeep.
That is really interesting. How many hives do they have? Do they produce a lot of honey? I have so many questions! 🙂
We started with one and split them into two because they were getting too big. It looks as though one may have died over the winter. We’ll be able to open them up once the weather gets a little warmer. First year beekeepers rarely get any honey because the bees are just getting started and they need it for the winter. We had a very strong colony so my daughter was able to get a couple gallons of honey though. It’s not cheap to start out and we feed our bees so we went through dozens of bags of sugar. It would be cheaper to buy honey but it’s an interesting hobby.
1. My daughter has moved home after 2 1/2 years abroad. She got a job immediately so we are sharing a car. Some people would be bothered not being able to shop or get out and about but I am perfectly content to stay home and clean and clear clutter. (We live in a rural area so it’s too far to walk anywhere) I think that comes from living a frugal lifestyle.
2. I used leftover rotisserie chicken to make white bean chicken chili and quesadillas and made homemade banana muffins.
3. I earned $29 from a local consignment store.
4. My sister in law won tickets on the radio for a concert and she asked me to go. Great show. My daughter and I went to the local arena to attend the NCAA basketball March Madness practice – which was free. I’m not a basketball fan at all but it was fun to see the practice and attend the fanfest (free food and games)
5. We have been enjoying Netflix (my daughter has us binge watching all the Marvel movies available) and reading my library books.
1. No spend day yesterday.
2. Taking bus to and from work today.
3. Traveling to DC for a work conference tomorrow. Will be mostly busy with the conference but trying to squeeze in a few fun and free or low cost things. On the list — a long walk to see the Mall, monuments and Tidal Basin (lucky in that cherry blossoms are supposed to be peak this weekend), a visit to the Phillips Collection and a visit to the National Portrait Gallery (both were on my list on my last visit but didn’t get to them with all the other things we did). Will try and come in under the per diem for food and entertainment.
4. Submitting receipts today to my health savings account, hate tasks like these but necessary!
5. Found out I had somehow signed up for a $4.99/quarter translation app on my iPhone, probably when I went to Italy in October. Didn’t even know I’d done it, immediately cancelled.
The Phillips Collection is amazing! It has a wonderful gallery of Braque’s and Picasso’s works. However,Renoir’s Boating Party is a must see and makes even the shortest visit worth it. So beautiful!
If you have time you may want to add the Hillwood Museum, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Estate, to your list. It is off the beaten track near Rock Creek Park, but has an impressive collection of decorative arts and extraordinary gardens. Hillwoodmuseum.org
I love the National Portrait Gallery! It has a really cool atrium with tables where you can sit and eat, and you can bring in food from the outside. At least you could the last time I was there. Just up the block there’s a Chipotle and China Town. Yes, the cherry blossoms are supposed to be at peak this weekend and the weather will in the 60s! Spring is here!
Thank you Bee and Kim. I’m leaving for airport shortly and am excited! Taking tangerines and almonds to avoid airport food.
1) Our 17 year old stand up freezer died this weekend. Hubs and I spent some time comparing prices and got a great replacement at a good cost AND they took the broken down freezer.
2) Saved the wire bins from the broken freezer in hopes they would fit the new one. They did not. Placed them on top of our garbage the night before pick up and a metal picker took them.
3) Ds22 has some dress shirts that were stained. I worked repeatedly with a stain remover and store brand oxy clean (both from the Dollar Tree) and was able to get four shirts clean enough to wear alone. Two will need to be worn under a sweater or jacket. I have one stubborn red shirt I am still working on.
4) Ds19 asked me to get a mystery stain out of his good sweatshirt. The Dollar Tree items above worked on that too!
5) Cashed in my Swag Bucks points for two gift cards this week.
1) Mailed out a book that someone requested from paperbook swap.com. I will have a credit coming in once they receive it.
2) From previous paperbook swap points I have, I ordered two books and that party is sending me a third book at no additional point or postage.
3) Meeting an individual on my way home from work who purchased an item I had on the local FB buy/sell/trade site. It was material my mother had purchased when she did crafts (so they are getting material, some lace, and a few knitting needles at the cost of $55). Out of her house and mine now that she resides with me.
4) Brought lunch all week to work.
5) Stopped before work yesterday and picked up a few food items that we are low on, so no extra shopping on my time off. I live in a rural area, so making an extra 80+ mile trip one way on a day off work makes no sense.
1. Made up a huge pot of black beans, then made them into patties and froze them for quick meatless meals.
2. Made a grown/foraged greens salad to go along with my made from scratch dinner (young dandelion greens, purple dead nettle, and violet flowers are all in season and I added them to the sorrel and carrot greens I grow in the garden to bulk up the salad).
3. Finished dispersing the free tree much I got delivered to my house by a local tree trimming company.
4. Used duct tape to repair the dog’s cone of shame. We will have another 2 – 4 weeks in the cone, and it probably won’t last that long – but if i can extend it a bit longer I probably will only need to buy one more (note I have a permanent fabric one, which was a great investment for someone with several special need rescue dogs, but this sweet girl is deaf and freaks at not having peripheral vision – so for her it’s the see through plastic).
5. Will be making and freezing pesto out of the garlic chives that have gone crazy on the side garden bed.
1. Froze more eggs for winter.
2. Making fritatta for dinner tonight, with more eggs, nettle from the yard, a wealth of sweet potatoes and whatever else doesn’t get out of my way.
3. I mailed off a box of books for ebay in a recycled box. I was amused that my Churchill books were being mailed in an electric kettle box. It felt extra-British.
4. Found a pair of jeans for my husband on ebay (I have been unable to find his brand/size in thrift shops.) Ebay was offering a $3 coupon, so I used it!
5. The rest is just boring: hanging out laundry, not going anywhere, not spending money.
How do you freeze eggs?
Crack the eggs into a container and scramble them up. Then I pour the scrambled eggs into a silicone cupcake holder, put those on a cookie sheet, and freeze them until solid. They come out of the silicone holders so easily! Then into a (reused) ziplock in the freezer. My husband tried some, said they work fine for scrambled eggs, so I’m freezing as many as we can’t eat.
Most sites say use ice cube trays, but the eggs stuck, and I have to do to cubes to one egg. With the cupcake holders I can do 1:1.
1. My BIL fixed our 17-year-old clothes dryer. It’s good as new! Cost: 6-pack of beer. With all of the rain in the SF Bay Area, we won’t be drying clothes outside until July!
2. Found $0.51 while assisting my BIL with lint clean-up of the dryer.
3. Drinking free coffee and sparkling water at work.
4. Ways I’m staying healthy, which can equal a frugal life of wellness: using a standing desk, walking 30 minutes before work, running 2 miles after work.
5. Bringing left overs for lunch.
Since they say things come in threes…after the dryer quit, our garage door opener is kaput and the oven is overheating/burning food. Grrrrr!
I’ve never tried this myself, but I know that oven temperatures can be calibrated somewhat easily.
https://www.hunker.com/13408953/how-to-calibrate-oven-temperature-on-whirlpool-ovens
Oooh, thanks. I’ll give this a try. A friend is repairing the garage door opener as we speak; my frugal (YouTube) repair hacks just couldn’t get it to work.
I need the trifecta of cheap repairs to compete the cycle! 🙂
FFT Mexico trip:
1. Instead of driving our minivan into Mexico, my father-in-law came to pick us up at the border, so we didn’t need to pay any paperwork for our vehicle.
2. One of our main reasons for coming was dental (and to visit the in laws). Since our insurance doesn’t cover dental, we come here for way cheaper dental work.
3. While here my daughter and I got our hair cut, which is also way cheaper here.
4. Most of the fun we’ll be having here, is just enjoying time with family, a few restaurant meals are planned and a picnic at the park, but nothing too expensive.
5. Didn’t buy a lear jet to fly in Mexico in. 🙂
That sounds like a great trip! I love the combination of knocking unpleasant stuff from your adulting to-do list while also enjoying time with family!
So neat that you are able to get your dental done in Mexico. We have spent so much on dental this year.
My in-laws live in Mission TX and get all their dental work done in Mexico. I think it’s because Medicare doesn’t cover dental. If we live close, I’d do the same!
It’s awesome that you combined your family vacation with getting stuff done like that !
1) I needed a few personal care items. However, I noticed recently that many of the things that I use regularly were getting more expensive. I spent sometime reading labels and discovered that many of the store brands were manufactured by the same companies as the named brand items that I usually buy. However, they were nearly half the price I bought the store brands and save about $30 on shampoo, conditioner, soap, dental floss and fluoride rinse.
2) I borrowed two additional tables and a tent for the vintage flea market that I am participating in this Saturday. I have a friend who already owns these items and is happy to share. I brought her lunch as a thank you. I only need these items 2x a year, so I really do not want to lay out the cash for them or give up space in my garage.
3) I am currently making turkey soup out of a carcass that has been lingering in the freezer. A northeast’r is blowing, and it’s a little chilly. So soup will taste good this evening. I just finished eating leftovers for lunch and will be making some GF muffins to use up some overly ripe bananas. I try to use 100% of the food that we have on had.
4) I have been listening to the thriller, The Woman in the Window, that I downloaded from one of the library’s sites (RB). It is keeping my mind engaged as I do some work around the house. I have been easily distracted lately, and I really need to focus on spring cleaning.
5) I am propagating some perennials using cuttings from my yard. I split a pot-bound fern into two. I extended a flower bed and moved some azaleas that weren’t happy where they were. I used the grass that came up when extending the beds to plug some areas that are a bit bare after winter.
Bee re your number 1, I have largely given up any name brand cosmetics and toiletries in favor of store brands and have frankly found the cheap ones to be just as good. And they are SO MUCH CHEAPER! Likewise I went from a hairstylist at a premium salon who was very expensive for my cut and highlight and have been going to a gal that is less than half for a couple of years. One of my (wealthier) friends admired my hair and when I told her my “secret” she switched from her very pricey stylist to my gal and she likes the results way better!
1. Got my tax return today and immediately put it in my savings account. Slowly growing money for the security deposit for our next apt.
2. Lunch still going strong on leftovers. Dinner menu includes the last of the leftover chicken with pasta pomodoro with some shriveled tomatoes that could use some love.
3. Going strong using the gym that I am now paying for. I can’t stand paying any memberships so for this one to be worth my while, I have to be there at least twice a week. Going well so far!
4. Slowly turning the heat down on, well, everything! The sun coming in the windows is keeping our building nice and warm during the day.
5. Finally getting used to never leaving the house without food with me. It’s gotten much easier to eat a pb&j one-handed while driving, or have a “second lunch” right before leaving work instead of eating out later. Much better than skipping meals and turning into a monster–a monster that almost always requires chicken wings.
1. I’m currently experiencing a flare-up of dyshidrotic eczema on my feet, so that’s limiting the amount of places I can go, because shoes HURT. Crummy way to save money, but it works!
2. I found my husband a $2 marked down pack of chicken legs. I don’t eat meat and he’s cool with eating vegetarian most of the time, so finding something like this for so cheap is kind of a treat for him. He has plans to fire up the grill this weekend.
3. I read a book on mending this past week and now have some ideas on how to save a set of sheets that my cats’ claws poked holes in, plus I’m going to fix a few other items. I just have to find a time when I’m not so tired!
4. I have a stack of library books waiting for me to read, plus I was offered two review copies of books by their authors, and I won two books in online giveaways this month, so I’m pretty flush with reading material right now that didn’t cost me anything out of pocket (well, the library is pre-paid, and it’s worth every single penny).
5. A few weeks ago, I bought a music book at an everything-you-can-shove-in-a-bag-for-$5 book sale. It would normally retail for about thirty bucks, and it has a ton of great songs in it that will be great for my piano practicing. Hours of entertainment/musical frustration for very little money!
1. I put books on hold at the library after a friend told me about a talk she attended the other night.
2. I washed our bed sheets and put them back on our bed. Except when switching between flannel and non-flannel this is my regular routine. I own fewer sheets and don’t have to spend time folding them.
3. I friend washed some shirts that shrank and no longer fit her. Two of them fit me and I’ll pass along the one that doesn’t. Free clothes are my favorite.
4. A friend treated me to lunch, followed by a trip to walk around the lake at a local park, and a stop at Sprouts. At Sprouts I grabbed an ad and purchased sale produce.
5. I’m drinking decaf and herbal tea instead of Vitamin Water. It’s a lot cheaper and no plastic is involved.
1) Combined leftovers from our beach weekend in new ways and ended up with a giant Caesar salad topped with crab cakes (adults) or chicken strips (kiddos). Unexpectedly delicious dinner on a day that looked like it might be pretty blah.
2) Son home on spring break is going to the Japanese Garden today with his grandmother because she has a membership and can take him as a guest. He changed his schedule to accommodate hers, for both significant savings and some one on one time with Grandma. Plus he took public transportation to meet her. A win all around!
3) Exercising my patience muscles while waiting on books (mostly recommended here) from the library. There are a couple where I’m in the 300s on the waitlist. Turning books in as soon as I’m done with them so other poor folks don’t have to wait quite so long.
4) Stupid (but much beloved) dog waited yesterday until we’d walked past another dog on “his” waterfront path to pull, leap, and bark his territorial claim. In the ensuing flurry he injured one front, um, is that a wrist? No contact with the other dog, just a lot of stomping his front feet in a way that I guess is supposed to be intimidating, but he has a perpetual goofy grin so he’s not very scary. In the past year I’ve only been out for a walk or run once without him, and I was followed by a creepy guy in a truck. But regular intense exercise keeps me sane, and I didn’t want to spend $4 per half hour to swim laps. So I ran alone at lunchtime today, with plenty of other folks out on the path trying to beat the rain, and all was well.
5) No Lear jet, no gold-plated anything, and no pulling funding from the vulnerable while furnishing another yacht.
1. I noticed that the cashier didn’t ring up the raspberries I got at Aldi. When I went back to him to let him know he just gave them to me. Yippee, free fruit. I was thrilled because I was treating myself to them. I usually don’t buy them because they are too expensive.
2. I had an eBay sale
3. The strap on my cooler bag that I use for grocery shopping broke. I didn’t have the proper needle for my sewing machine to fix it. Luckily, the machine we have at work does. I brought it in and fixed it there. No new bag and no new needle.
4. I finally made myself call my cell provider and ask for a reduced plan. I was able to reduce my rate by $25.00.
5. I used my free birthday meal coupon from a locally owned restaurant. I had leftovers so I got two meals for the price of a tip.
I did have to spend quite a bit of money today because my iPad mini was on its last legs. I still had the very first iPad mini that was on the market. It could no longer do updates and it has slowed down tremendously. It also would get into a website and bump me off and I had to reload constantly. Since I use it more than my, even older laptop, it was time for an update. I used the money I made on eBay sales, my cash back from my credit card and the $38.00 I got for a trade in on my old iPad to purchase the new iPad mini 5. I’m quite happy at this moment because everything works! I also love that I was able to make my Siri voice be an Irishman. I love a good brogue.
1) I had a $10 reward at Eddie Bauer – the outlet is in another town. My dh’s car was acting up, so we had to take it to the shop in said town. Hit Eddie Bauer while there and found a top for work on sale and after the reward it was only $8.
2) First warm day here so I got the whole family out to do yard clean up. Watched several yard service trucks go by and smiled at how much money I was saving.
3) Had to go to the grocery store for milk and grapes ($0.88 a pound!). Ice cream was 3 for $10 and I got a $3 reward back. Ice cream for at least 2 weeks as a reward to the kids for working hard = much cheaper than taking them out for ice cream.
4) Submitted for 2 rebates totaling $5.
5) Got our screen protectors replaced for free from our local Verizon store. Paying the $35 for one there was totally paid off! We have had them replaced several times on each phone for free.
1. Used a $10 coupon and DS#1 contributed $25 from a gift card towards an expensive traditional family birthday meal.
2. Baked birthday cake at home. although restaurant provided free dessert for my husband. Cake will serve as dessert for several days.
3. Returning from Florida vacation, DH and I had a late lunch, then shared a bag of snacks in lieu of expensive airport/airline dinner.
4. Stocked up at the discount grocery – bought offbeat condiments and snacks for a bucketful of luxury items for DH’s birthday that we usually don’t stock.
5. Looking forward to spring – although parts of our town are expected to flood, our neighborhood is high and fairly dry. Weekend will be spent cleaning out the debris the snow mercifully covered up for months!
1. Saved leftovers and money this week because work has provided two lunches. It’s unfortunate that no one is able to take the leftovers home (catering company policy) because I see the waste.
2. We have begun the spring cleaning on our camper and found that those little bugger mice pooped all through it. After many dirty words…we got to work. We are about half way through cleaning and then onto putting everything back together. Frugal fail in some ways because we had to rewash everything…but a frugal win because the mice ate nothing. No need to replace any bedding or towels. (I’ve heard other horror stories)
3. My daugther’s daycare supports the leukemia and lymphoma society every year by asking the kids to collect change. We decided to skip this year because of our finances but also because we are donating to other causes. Sounds awful, I know.
4. Very thankful that two new perscriptions totaled $7! (could have been way worse)
5. Trying with all my might to remember the reasons why we do the things we do for our finances and to recycle appropriately. My mind races with questions of “why can’t we just be like normal people?” “Why am I mending this blanket again?” “Why can’t I just through a piece of paper away in the trash without feeling guilty” I guess this is now my lifestyle!!
Your #3…that doesn’t sound awful at all. There is no use donating to a charity only to put yourself behind in your own finances. I had to stop contributing to a favorite charity I gave to for years and I’ve also had to cut back on what I give to my church…drastically. No sense going into the red. And your #5…I find myself thinking similar thoughts…only to gently remind myself why I do all this frugal stuff.
I also share your feelings. An occasional treat/luxury makes me feel better plus as Christine says, a reminder to myself about the reasons behind my frugality. Charitable and political donations are also part of my guilt, but you do what you are able. There are a multitude of good causes, but going beyond your resources just isn’t always a good idea.
Your #5 is why I come here. I don’t have Facebook, so when I come here I feel more…normal. Other people in the world are willing to do the work to fix a neglected paintbrush, rather than just buying a new one. Other people are willing to freeze eggs. It’s good to have an online community that supports your values if you don’t have a real-world one.
1) I kept my granddaughters over the weekend. We packed a picnic lunch and went to the lake. There’s a nice playground at one of campgrounds. They played, then we took a walk. Got back in the car and headed for the Marina, so they could see all the boats. There was a really cute LOVE sculpture made from an old tractor tire, dock logs and old boogie boards. I snapped some pictures of them on it and plan to print the best one off and frame it. Free fun!
2) My daughter gave me a really nice pair of running shoes she bought online, that didn’t fit properly. I had given her a pair someone else gave me last year, they were new and fit perfect. Now I have some good shoes to walk in on Campus.
3) Since our new CIO moved me to our City Campus, I cancelled my gym membership at the other Campus center. It saves $10 a month and I’ve joined a group of coworkers who walk on this Campus, so free exercise and savings too.
4) I’m hoping I have enough groceries in the freezer so I don’t have to do much shopping this weekend. If I can get by with only buying breakfast food and a few other supplies, that will save gas and food money.
5) We’re supposed to have cold weather again this weekend. I keep hoping it will get warm enough to ease off the propane. I unplugged the water well heater and keep the thermostat on 65 F, so maybe my electric bill will go down for awhile before Summer sets in.
I love these posts!
1. Been trying to use coupons whenever possible for eating out, services or items in the store. Need to get better, but I have been saving a little at a time. I guess it all helps.
2. Finally got a refund from a medical bill i paid in error (my employer pays our high deductible on our plan) after 5 months and over 5 phone calls. Persistence paid off.
3. On a nice day, hubby and I and our girls washed both our vehicles and detailed them ourselves saving $.
4. My car needed a new muffler. Hubby is a mechanic & ordered the parts and did the work himself saving about $280 plus he saved $16.75 with a coupon code when ordering the parts.
5. A co-worker gifted me two long links of smoked sausage which i used in our dinner a few nights ago. Helped save a little $ on ingredients as that was the only meat in the dish.
6. Our cable tv remote is on the fritz. I searched on their website for a replacement remote and they wanted $20. I called them and told them the issue and they’re sending us one free of charge. Have had the same remote for almost 14 years now. Savings of $20
7. In the mail today, I received a class action lawsuit check for $18.82….was a nice surprise!
1. Went to the library and got a couple of movies (The Favorite, Mary Queen of Scots) and a tv show (Hannibal Season One) to entertain me over the coming week.
2. Stopped by Aldi while I was there and got $10 worth of necessities. (Green onion, mushrooms, cilantro, and soy milk)
3. Did my bill paying yesterday– avoiding late fees!
4. Went to a lecture on campus today on The Bell Witch. While it wasn’t the best lecture I’ve ever been to, it was interesting enough. It was free and I learned something so that’s a win-win! (Less good was that the guy tended to ramble and kept trying to sell his books to us. Not that I mind supporting authors but, you know– mention it, then move on, don’t spend the first 15 minutes telling me what your books are about.)
5. REALLY wanted to stop at a drive thru on my way home but I did not. I came home and had left overs.
Nothing sexy or glamorous here…but the little stuff adds up!
1. Just ordered a $100 VISA card through our credit card’s rewards program. Have made some major purchases and charged them on our card to earn the rewards points (cc is paid in full each month). Card will be used for miscellaneous expenses for our 8 day bus trip to Branson, Missouri (which is already paid for).
2. Having back problems and have been putting off buying a cane. Husband found a cane at the local landfill. It is a Hurricane (as advertised on TV) and only needs the handle glued back on.
3. Continuing to put holds on books from the library. At the price of books now saves so much money!!!
4. Really wanted take-out pizza this evening for dinner but decided to make meatloaf, au gratin potatoes and peas. Much cheaper as everything was on hand (why not use what you have).
5. Didn’t buy gold-plated toilets or anything else gold-plated!!
1) Put my tax refund right into my brokerage account ($1k)
2) Got a free bag of litter from Chewy. My last delivery had a ripped litter bag and I sent them some photos. I still used the litter since it was clean in the bottom of the box but I also got a $25 bag of cat litter for free. ($25)
3) Didn’t spend any personal money during my work trip. Avoided any treats or drugstore buys. (This is usually about $5-10)
4) Moved everything I need to declutter (sell or donate) to one set of shelves so I can start dealing with it. Hopefully this will mean $$ in my future. I’m aiming for $80 of revenue per month, just to keep things moving out of my apartment.
5) Renewed my library book to avoid a fine. (usually about $5)
Some were small wins ($30 outside of the tax refund) but hopefully I can start selling stuff soon and stay within budget. I’ve been tracking my budget and I’m more on top of spending than I have been in a while.
1.) I worked a long waitress shift.
2.) On that same day, I house sat and then the next day (Friday) I did as well. This was a win win, as I wasn’t tempted to go out and spend money at a restaurant on a Friday night, and I was able to get work done, and get paid.
3.) Instead of buying earphones for my computer (my other ones broke), I realized that you can rent the nice ones in the library! I’m not grossed out… I think they clean them. Also, I have consistently been checking out the Organic Chemistry solutions manual so that I can check answers to problems in my book that I have worked out. I’m really utilizing our library services.
4.) I’m buying a used bed and mattress that are in good condition for me to move off campus which will be cheaper. I continue to wear my favorite jeans that have a hole in them- maybe I’ll patch them up when I have a moment.
5.) I didn’t buy a Lear Jet, cute hipster glasses, new jeans, a dress, or any event t-shirts.
I don’t remember ever reading about your daughter and I’ve been a reader for a while.