Five Frugal Things

by Katy on August 22, 2019 · 74 comments

  1. I’m in New York visiting with my sister and her kids for a couple of weeks, so my side hustle opportunities are a bit diminished. (I did switch my eBay listings to a three week handling time so I can continue to sell.) Not too much is flying off the shelves at the moment, although I did sell a Dr Doom Funko Pop bobble head for $65, which is not too shabby considering that it was jumbled inside a large $4.99 bag of collectible figures.

    My niece and I collected free magazines from a nearby business for collaging, and I set aside a small stack of vintage Modeltec magazines and quickly listed them on eBay. I’ll delete the listing if they don’t sell before I’m scheduled to fly back to Oregon as I don’t relish lugging heavy stuff through the airport, but I figure I might as well attempt to squeeze a few dollars out of this trip.

  2. I accompanied my sister and niece into the city yesterday to pick out school supplies and a new pair of shoes. We hit Muji, Staples and Dick Blick for school supplies; and then Marshall’s, Modell’s and Designer Shoe Warehouse for sneakers. I rarely shop at traditional stores, so I felt like a visiting alien.

    “Beep boop . . . take me to your sneakers.”

    I did force them to go into the Goodwill thrift shop on 14th Street, and ended up buying myself a pair of like-new Uniqlo jeans. Unfortunately they ended up fitting incorrectly around my lumpy belly, so I handed them over to my un-lumpy sister as a hostess gift. I should have tried them on in the store, but I was feeling lazy.

    Rookie mistake!

  3. My son and I went into the city together on Tuesday and wandered around a bit after we hit a guitar shop that he’d been wanting to visit. We passed the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) and stopped in as A) It was free, B) We both like Project Runway and C) It was free. (Have I mentioned that it was free?)

    Their current exhibit is titled Minimalism/Maximalism and is a very interesting examination of the ebb and flow of fashion, and how the minimalism and maximalism aesthetics relate to one another. A reflection and reaction to culture and era. What is considered luxury is largely perceived, which is an interesting notion to mull over.

    It’s a small exhibit, and worth stopping into, but not to make an entire day of.

  4. I’ve been carrying my thrifted HydroFlask water bottle in my purse, I’ve picked up five pennies and a dime, my sister and I split entrees at two different restaurants, my friend Jennifer gave me a Carolina Herrera purse to sell, I’ve been taking the subway and walking for transportation and I staved off hunger with a 25¢ banana from a 23rd Street vendor.

  5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet and I won’t be visiting any vulgar gold-plated apartments in the city.

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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{ 74 comments… read them below or add one }

Bethany August 22, 2019 at 7:41 am

Went to my Wheel of Fortune audition. Will find out in 2 weeks if I get to play. I’m not holding my breath as millions apply, ten thousand get to audition, and only 600 are chosen. I was nervous and I’m sure it showed. But I told my kids I wanted them to learn two things from my example. Finish what you start and if you have an opportunity that takes you a step out of your comfort zone, go for it.

Packed protein drinks for the day and water and made it there and back with nothing spent but a little gas and a small parking fee.

Packed sandwiches and snacks for my family so they could enjoy the San Diego Zoo while I headed in the other direction.

Zoo said our charter school ordered us the wrong passes. They had to upgrade them. It cost $10, but they gave us keeper passes instead and it allows us to ride the air tram and the bus unlimited for the year.

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Karen August 22, 2019 at 9:52 am

Crossing my fingers that you get your chance on Wheel of Fortune! I’ve often thought of trying out for Jeopardy! but….I get nervous thinking about it!

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Connie C August 22, 2019 at 12:01 pm

Go Bethany!

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Christine August 22, 2019 at 1:15 pm

Best of luck with Jeopardy! Please keep us posted.

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Roberta August 23, 2019 at 6:35 am

Check with the zoo, but the Keeper Passes might give you free parking to the Wild Animal Park as well. Definitely worth it, as I think parking there is over $15 now!

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Bethany M August 23, 2019 at 7:18 am

Yes, I think you’re right about that! Spur of the moment we’ve decided to head out there tonight after my husband gets off work so we can see the nocturnal animals all active. Excited to try something new!

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Joy August 24, 2019 at 6:35 am

Hopefully, you will get selected for Wheel of Fortune! Be apprised of any state and federal taxes you might have to pay on winnings. Frankly, I don’t know the rules now, but some years back, people were really shocked about what they owed. It may be they take the taxes out before paying a prize. Best of luck !

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Kathy August 22, 2019 at 8:03 am

1. Sales have almost come to a screeching halt.
2. I’ve been home for past two days with stomach flu. Good news is I’ve subsisted on a diet of water with crystal lite drops, rice and crackers
3. A book I requested from library is in. Hopefully I’ll be well enough to pick up tomorrow
4. Paid majority of bills on line
5. Worked my admin gig

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Christine August 22, 2019 at 1:19 pm

Oh Kathy! Two months seems to be too long for a stomach flu. Please get yourself checked by your doctor if you haven’t already. DH caught something on the Appalachian Trail by having to drink unfiltered water from brooks (he forgot his filter on top of a mountain and there was no place to buy a new one) and he was sick for 7 weeks with what seemed like a stomach flu. Unidentifiable, but sloooooowly got better.

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Joy August 24, 2019 at 6:38 am

A friend just got back from the AT, Christine, and he has lots of stories. Last year he broke his ankle and went back this year to finish. It sounds like fun, but sleeping out in that wild area is definitely not for the faint of heart.

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cathy August 24, 2019 at 10:44 am

Christine, I think you’ll be happy to see you misread Kathy’s post. She said she’s only been sick with stomach flu for two days, not months .

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Christine August 25, 2019 at 2:00 pm

Oh my goodness! I guess I did! Those speed reading classes I took in high school have not always worked out for the better. Lol.

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Jennifer August 22, 2019 at 8:22 am

1. I risked my life and trash picked a wood baby doll crib off the side of a busy street. It’s so cute but needs lots of work to restore. I am patient(sort of!) and have all the supplies, so I am getting it done. Will sell in the upcoming market for my church.
2. I saved two plastics containers that cheese dip came in to use for my kids lunch. As a side note, the cheese dip was a reduced item so it’s doubly frugal!
3. I made a piece to hang on my wall in the bathroom to hang towels on out of old wood from the deck we are tearing up using three iron anchor hooks that I got at a yardsale for $1. I have been waiting for the perfect way to use those hooks. Looks expensive but was dirt cheap.
4. I found a carnival cruise line ball cap with a mermaid on it in a parking lot. I washed and it looks brand new.
5. I am carrying my yard-sale water bottle with me and am drinking water and kicking my diet Dew habit….again. How many times have a said this same thing in these blog comments? Yes, I have a problem. My name is Jennifer and I am a dew-aholic

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Angel August 22, 2019 at 11:12 am

My name is Angel and I have a Diet Coke addiction that I would like to kick too. I will try again once the supply I currently have it gone (5 more bottles).

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Connie C August 22, 2019 at 12:04 pm

I am Connie and I am a Diet Coke addict. I have no current desire to stop. ;–)

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Jennifer August 22, 2019 at 3:19 pm

I don’t want to stop but I do think I don’t feel as well when I drink copious amounts, lol

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Jennifer August 22, 2019 at 3:17 pm

So darn hard!

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Gina August 22, 2019 at 8:42 am

my FFT….big or small….

1. My found change for the year total isn’t impressive, but I still continue to pick up loose $. I recently found a quarter.
2. Had to work a senior picnic at my work & was rewarded with some extra food to take home as well as a tub of vanilla ice cream and toppings. I served that to my dinner guests last night. Also, got a gift card as an extra thank you for our hard work at the picnic from our boss.
3. I received a Kohls $5 birthday reward via email. I ended up buying 2 new bed pillows and shipping to store. Spent $1.70 OOP.
4. Found a old phone at work which nobody claimed for a few months. They said to throw it out, but I first removed the pop socket off of it & gave to my daughter who happily accepted.
5. I am having foot surgery next week, so instead of asking insurance to cover a foot scooter, I asked around and am borrowing one from my sister-in-law, saving myself and my insurance company $. Hopefully i will only need it for a very short time.
6. My mother-in-law graciously offered to take our girls school shopping for clothes. She took all the other grandkids too. Bless her heart. I should only have to buy each girl a pair of shoes & odds & ends.
7. Most recently used a card we earned perks on for a free large pizza.

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Bee August 22, 2019 at 9:03 am

1. eBay has been really slow. I sold just one item last week and I took a low offer on it. However, I still made money on it —not much—but profit is profit. I have also spent some time organizing the storage on the items that I have for sale as well as my packing materials. My collection of secondhand boxes has grown much too large. I have stopped collecting them until sales pick up.
2. I found a brand new roll of packing tape by a stack of boxes at the curb. I brought it home with me. Since packing tape is expensive and something you can’t reuse, I was happy to find it.
3. I applied for a rebate for flea and tick medication that I purchased for my dog. I also filed a claim for reimbursement for new water filters for my refrigerators. (Part of the warranty). I am watching my Ibotta account getting larger a dime at time and using digital coupons at the grocery store.
4. I ran across a good deal on clothing at a downsizing sale. Two exceptionally nice dresses and 5 men’s shirts for a $1 each.
5. I have been doing all the usual things — drinking primarily filtered water, eating simple meals at home, cooking from scratch, enjoying library books and streamed TV. I just returned The Library Book which I just can’t seem to finish. I will check it out from our library again in a few weeks. I read before bed and I have been running this month. When I finally settle in, I doze off after a page or two.

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Isitaneedorawant August 22, 2019 at 9:27 pm

Bee I listened to The Library Book while doing errands over a couple of weeks. I enjoyed the story line but know I wouldn’t have kept at it if I had been reading and not listening.

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Elizkat August 27, 2019 at 9:59 am

I read it but found it pretty boring. Only my insistence on finishing every book I start got me through it.

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Mand01 August 27, 2019 at 1:04 pm

Mate, life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy unless you’re being graded.

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Bee August 28, 2019 at 5:55 am

I am glad to know that I am not the only one who has found this book a bit challenging. It is on every book club and must-read list on the internet.
The author’s story lines are interesting, but her books are not page-turners. I read another book she wrote called, The Orchid Thief. However, it is a book I read over several weeks, a chapter at a time.
I agree that life is too short to read bad books. I only discovered this recently. There are just so many books and just so little time.

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Katy August 29, 2019 at 3:11 pm

I guess I’m a true library nerd, as I found this book to be 100% gripping.

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Jenny August 22, 2019 at 9:30 am

1. I spend very little on food since it’s just me and I still have a freezer full from when there were more people to feed and I stocked up on meats. I just buy salad stuff, yogurt and other dairy. This wasn’t how I planned for things to be, but I look for the good!
2. Taking care of so many health-maintenance things, which seems expensive now, but I hope will be the right and frugal long-term answer.
3. I choose to pay a trainer once a week for exercise, because I know me, and if I’m not scheduled and accountable…
4. I went on a wonderful vacation, which I booked and paid for ahead of time except for a few small expenses which I put on a credit card for the points and have the money set aside to pay. It was GREAT!
5. For fun I do free and cheap things. There are SO many I don’t have time for a fraction of them!
I have a LOT of things to put on e-Bay and sell in other ways, including many vintage magazines kind of like yours! You inspire me!

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Su Mama August 22, 2019 at 2:09 pm

“This wasn’t how I planned for things to be, but I look for the good!”
A very good motto, Jenny — one that many of us could adopt!

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Dusty August 23, 2019 at 4:22 am

Hi…the last sentence in #1 really hit home with me….i was scammed and lost everything…while it certainly wasn’t easy…reading this blog helps me to figure out how to survive…..i have a safe place to live…not the most beautiful place but that’s ok….i have a car…again..not the most beautiful but that’s ok….i have survived this awful experience and continue to because i too look for the good…thank you

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Christine August 25, 2019 at 2:04 pm

I’m so sorry to hear this happened to you. Your outlook and attitude are very inspiring though, I must tell you. I guess the human spirit can take a lot more wear and tear than we think it can. Best of luck to you and I’m glad you have a safe place to live and a working car. Keep on looking ahead.

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Dusty August 27, 2019 at 5:32 am

Thank you for the kind words Christine

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Lindsey August 22, 2019 at 9:37 am

1. Two mystery shops, bringing in $65
2. Was first in line for three new books at the library—years ago I would have just bought them!
3. Had half a zucchini, two potatoes, 3 scallions and three small breakfast sausages lounging around in the fridge. Made hash for dinner to use them up and it actually tasted pretty good. Husband suggested we put it in regular dinner rotation.
4. I have had a six foot stuffed giraffe sitting in my living room for about a decade, a gift that made me laugh except when I had to move it around for one reason or another. We were having our furnace serviced for the winter and the guy saw it and offered me $100 for it! He said his kid loves giraffes and would be over the moon for it. I grabbed the offer. We are downsizing and I was contemplating putting the giraffe in our next garage sale and I never would have gotten $100 for it.
5. A friend is dating a butcher. He brought her a huge bag of beef bones for her dog and she gave me half, about three crock pots full. My new dog is large enough that he would splinter the bones and end up needing surgery…they looked clean but I washed them off anyway and am on the third crockpot load of bone broth. We will share with the dog by putting some on his dry kibble. Friend says boyfriend brings her bones about once a month so if I want I can have a steady supply.

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A. Marie August 22, 2019 at 3:32 pm

Loud cheers for both your #4 and #5, Lindsey. Glad you rehomed the giraffe at such a good price. And I look forward to hearing more about the new dog. I recall that your earlier “gentle giants” included a Great Dane and an Irish Wolfhound; is the new dog as big as these?

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Lindsey August 23, 2019 at 10:32 am

No, A. Marie, he is small–about 70 pound lab/golden mix from the animal shelter. He is a loving good boy, but I am still having a hard time not comparing him to my big boys. We just felt that getting older makes it harder to handle a giant breed. My husband is older than I am and I am frequently in a wheelchair, so something smaller was called for. After a lifetime of giant breeds, it is hard to make the adjustment to both the dog and to the idea of losing yet another thing as you age.

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Lisa M. August 24, 2019 at 9:48 am

It is so interesting about your past giant breed dogs & how your 70# dog seems small. We adopted a 15# dog from the shelter 10 years ago as we felt she was a good size for our townhome. Even our neighbor’s German Shepard is too large for the space we have. It goes to show that all comparisons are relative & that there is a place for canines of all sizes.

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sea August 24, 2019 at 11:20 am

Dog size is in the eye of the beholder! 🙂 Our last rescue was around 35 lbs. and seemed plenty big. After she was gone for about 4 years, I decided it was time for a new dog. We were visiting new neighbors, who had a 60 lb. dog that seemed “giant” to us, I mean really huge! Now our new dog is just slightly bigger than our neighbor’s dog, who seems so small to us now!

Ruby August 25, 2019 at 10:24 am

I love big dogs, but always felt we needed a size I could pick up and carry in an emergency, so we never had one over 35 pounds. We are slowly down scaling the size of our dogs as get older. The youngest is 21 pounds, and that’s a good size. She feels light as a feather compared to her 26 pound sister.

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Amanda August 22, 2019 at 10:19 am

I know what you mean about retail stores! I walk into a “normal” store and am always struck by how weird it is that there are multiples of the same thing and that there are so few different pieces.

1) I took the time to call about a billing mistake on our sons’ summer camp charges. If I had missed it it would have cost us $120.

2) We paid the final invoice on our porch renovation in cash this week. An excellent contractor and careful choices meant we only spent $21K of our $25K budget. We could have done it cheaper if we had done the work ourselves, but if we tried to do that in reality we would still have a falling down front porch. It occurred to me today that most people probably pay for these things by cashing out home equity. Now that it is all done I am so happy that we sucked it up and waited until we could save the cash. The leftover cash goes to our next savings goal: a new truck.

3) I went to Costco yesterday and only bought things on my list. I also brought my own sandwich so as to avoid the temptation of the $1.50 hotdog that I always regret when it does happen. I spent $175, but this was my quarterly Costco run, so I don’t think it was too bad.

4) On the way to Costco I stopped at a local university to pick up a book I need. I though about just ordering it from Amazon last week, but those are also decisions I tend to regret.

5) Monday I stopped at my favorite children’s consignment store and bought a few more pre-owned cloth diapers in the size I need. I think a few more will round out my collection and *gulp* finish us out on cloth-diapering babies. I am so glad cloth diapering has become more of a thing. I didn’t really have any friends who did it when we had our first in 2010, but now it is the cool thing to do.

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Christine August 22, 2019 at 1:27 pm

I was like a dinosaur when I used cloth diapers back in the 80s. After I heard about the floating Pamper island I wouldn’t have it any other way. Not to mention all the $$$ I saved diapering three kids.

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Ruby August 22, 2019 at 1:46 pm

I was a dinosaur too in 1990. Disposables were 10 cents each back then and I could not bear the idea of pitching money in the trash and adding to the couty’s trash burden. Saved a ton of money and it was not that hard since we had our own washer and dryer,

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karen August 23, 2019 at 2:27 pm

I even took my cloth diapers back in the 80’s to the beach for the week. It started to smell up the cottage and my DH put the bag on the deck and told me never again. When we traveled we would have to go with disposables.

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AuntiAli August 26, 2019 at 3:31 pm

I was the really odd one out when I had my son in 1991. Every other stay at home mom thought I was weird. But I had to for my peace of mind and because I was helping the environment. The real driving force was how much money I would save using them cause I was a stay at home mom on a shoe string budget. I wasn’t going back to work to pay for Pampers.

Stephanie August 22, 2019 at 11:03 am

Hurray for twenty-five cent bananas!

1. Fruit is on sale this week, and fruit is one of the few things my daughter can take for kindergarten (nut-free classroom, and I’m MORE than happy to comply with that and keep everyone safe, even if it means no baked goods for snack. Lunch is okay, though, since there’s a special nut-free table). My house looks like an orchard exploded.

2. My husband’s co-worker heard about the new native flower garden we were wanting to put in and is gifting us a ton of plants from her own garden to put in, including milkweed. I’m so grateful!

3. We picked up a sizable load of bricks from a Buy Nothing group to use in said native plant garden.

4. My daughter is in kindergarten now, and with the school only being a mile away, we’ll be walking so long as the weather holds- which means an excellent form of free exercise for me (by lunchtime, I was at almost 13,000 for the day).

5. I too didn’t purchase a Lear Jet! We’re twins!

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Midwest Beth August 22, 2019 at 11:44 am

1. Shopped sale fruit items and used a $3 coupon if purchased $9 produce. Received a $15 rewards check in the mail from Kroger which I used for groceries.
2. Washed clothes on quick wash setting in cold water to save on utilities.
3. Networked through a friend and found a full time job I believe – fingers crossed.
4. Got a free 8X10 photo through Walgreens which I will use for my Dads Memorial party this weekend and bought a nice frame at the Dollar Tree.
5. Watched Us and Venom on DVD’s, listening/reading books from the Library and using Overdrive and Hoopla apps. Using the Lose It free app to track food and exercise, EveryDollar free app to track spending, just turned air off again today and still collecting rain/shower warm up/rinse water to use in the garden.

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Christine August 22, 2019 at 1:12 pm

1. I stopped at the Dollar Store on the way home from work to purchase two birthday cards at 2/$1 and remembered I had a coupon for buy two Bic items and get $1.50 off. Bought a pack of 10 pens and a bottle of White Out for .50 plus tax. My cards and 2 large cans of cat food brought the total to $3.72. The Dollar Store parking lot is my new found change goldmine. I rarely walk through there without finding money. Today it was a dime.
2. Wearing thrifted clothes, old clothes and “hand me downs” from friends to work and no one notices anything except they look ok because I do receive the occasional compliment.
3. I highlighted my own hair for the umpteenth time. I can handle $10 for the highlighting kit compared to the over $100 bill I used to get in the past. My hairdresser still charges $12 a haircut…no wash or blow out…I can do that.

4. Going to a Hummingbird talk at the local library in the near future. A friend is accompanying me so should be a fun night as we are both interested in birds.
5. Still have not bought meat or done a major grocery shopping in over 3 weeks.

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A. Marie August 22, 2019 at 2:49 pm

FFT, NYC Comes to Upstate Edition:

(1) As noted in an earlier comment, my Literary Society BFF came north this past weekend for her annual dose of Life in the Country. Never mind that DH and I reside within the limits of our Upstate NY city; we might as well be in the boonies, given our numerous garden beds and our numerous wild critters. It’s a far cry from the Upper West Side. And having a friend here who truly gets it about DH and what he and I are going through = priceless.

(2) Last Saturday, DH, BFF, and I drove over to the next city to the west–where we met up with another Lit. Soc. friend for our by now traditional “Ladies of August” triple birthday celebration (all three of us have b’days in the second half of August). Numerous thoughtful but frugal gifts were exchanged. Also priceless.

(3) We all then proceeded to the home of our Lit. Soc. local chapter’s founder, where we found her in good spirits at age 93, and appreciative of the cherry tomatoes from my garden and the birthday cake (courtesy of LS friend #3’s mother) that we’d brought along. She also encouraged us as usual to take whatever we wanted from her outbound bookshelf, as she has been doing a version of “Swedish death cleaning” well before she ever heard about the concept. Three hearty huzzahs for our founder!!

(4) On Sunday, BFF, DH, and I went for lunch at a cafe run by a local nonprofit, and then went to a new local museum telling the story of the settlement of this area from the Native American POV. Quite a change from NYC museums for BFF; educational for us all; and, at $4/each senior citizen admission, inexpensive.

(5) Finally, while DH was in his Monday cognitive care program, BFF and I did a “Thelma and Louise” out to the Salvation Army superstore, a local antique shop specializing in Arts and Crafts stuff (BFF is a Stickley fan), and Wegmans. It is a truth universally acknowledged that all out-of-town visitors who know about Wegmans demand to be taken there. Even BFF’s local Whole Foods looks like an armpit by comparison.

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Cheryl August 22, 2019 at 8:11 pm

You are right! I live in a small town outside of Rochester, NY and everybody wants to go to Wegmans when they come to town. lol! (Even Cher when she was here for a concert!)
Wegmans actually does an amazing job. My Mom managed the deli at Marketplace back in the late 80’s. Danny Wegman actually wooed her away from another chain. Only the best. 🙂

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Dusty August 23, 2019 at 3:56 am

I went to high school in Rochester…when i go up for reunions a group of us always go to wegmans…we have a great lunch and catch up…..

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Connie C August 24, 2019 at 4:32 am

lol on Wegmans. We are in lower central n
NY and took my sil from SC there. Oh she was in love!

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Vickey August 24, 2019 at 5:04 am

Makes all the difference in the world when employees are happy, doesn’t it? Wish more employers would see the light.

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Connie C August 26, 2019 at 11:57 am

So true, Vickey, so true!

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Carla August 24, 2019 at 5:47 am

Sounds like a wonderful time with your BFF!

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Jill A August 22, 2019 at 4:39 pm

1. My freezer side of my refrigerator has died and I’m waiting for a good deal until I buy another. Meanwhile I’m listing the pieces and parts of the freezer on Ebay and will do the same with the fridge side once I’ve got a new one.
2. I’ve sold a few things on Ebay this week. Nothing spectacular but it all adds up. One sale was some miscellaneous parts from a pool robotic vacuum that no longer works and is just taking up space in my shed.
3. My daughter is moving back into her college apartment. We made a trip to take some items using my hybrid to save gas. While there we sold some books to the book store in her college town that sells both new and used books. Most of the books they accepted were from the library book sale we went to where they were selling books for a dollar for an entire paper grocery bag full. My daughter filled the bag part way and I added books I thought we could sell making them basically free.
4. My daughters mattress pad for her apartment bed is falling apart so I swapped it for one off my other daughter’s bed who doesn’t live at home anymore.
5. I took my daughters and dog to the dog beach on Lake Michigan. We had a wonderful time. Admission was free and we packed a lunch and refillable water bottles.

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Jennifer August 23, 2019 at 4:05 am

1. I thought my refrigerator died so we got a new one at Lowe’s in the scratch and dent section. It has a few dings that aren’t noticeable because they are up against a wall. We paid $800 for a nice, French door, ice maker in the door, stainless steel model with the freezer in the bottom. It sells for $1600 at Lowes currently. Also, it had a spot for a second ice maker to be installed in the bottom freezer….fancy! My husband ordered the second ice maker and installed it himself for $49. The model with the second ice maker sells at Lowe’s currently for a whoppinging $1800, on sale! I wasn’t sure if I would like a freezer in the bottom but so far so good. Coincidentally, my old fridge started back working after letting it thaw so we moved it into the back of the house for a secondary fridge/freezer. The ice dispenser had become rusty looking so I taped it off and sprayed painted the inside black with some paint I had on hand. It looks like new! A fridge repairman recently told me fridges today are built to last only 10 years!?!?

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Jill A August 23, 2019 at 8:12 am

My refrigerator only lasted 6 or 7 years. I’ll never buy another Samsung anything. The customer support is awful. Nobody repairs them. They sent a Dish Repair person and a long story but ended up being a huge hassle.

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Roberta August 24, 2019 at 6:27 am

I agree about never buying another Samsung. I had a warranty on the washer, after the recall, but they wouldn’t come out to fix a problem without a $100 service fee. On a full warranty! I did not pay, and now I have my sister-in-law’s old washer.

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Jennifer August 26, 2019 at 3:54 am

I forgot to mention the other day, research your fridge Ice maker filters(if needed) before you buy. Some come with a rfid chip inside that disables you ice maker until you replace. I don’t replace mine as often as recommended so this would be a deal breaker for me. Also, as you well know, Samsung has the most expensive filters.

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Jill A August 28, 2019 at 10:54 am

Thanks for the tip. I will look into that.

Linda August 22, 2019 at 11:21 pm

Our electric kettle gave up the ghost yesterday. Had it many many years so it didn’t owe us anything. Good day to break because I have a card for a 10% discount on Thursdays at a Hardware store in town. Every little helps!

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LB August 23, 2019 at 6:28 am

1. Drove to Aldi on a day I had to move my car. It’s 15 min driving but 40 on public transit-so frustrating! Stocked up on some pantry essentials and enjoyed their sale on avocados.

2. Had a frugal day at The Met Tuesday. Paid what I wanted (NY residents can do that!) and paid $5. Brought my lunch to eat in the great hall after.

3. Picked up my NYPL library card! Most excited for access to CulturePass, which gives free access to museums. Changes my perspective on what I’ll go to when I’m not paying for it.

4. On a road trip to DC today. Stopped at a rest stop for the bathroom, a knife to cut the sandwich I brought in half and some sugar for my so-so coffee. Picnicked in my car. Full, happy, and got to watch all the travelers with dogs playing nearby.

5. Spending the weekend helping a friend recover from surgery. Currently looking for a gym that does a free trial for a few days to have an option while I’m down there.

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Susan from Cincinnati August 23, 2019 at 1:52 pm

I love the way you are frugal even in NYC
1. Used a Target gift card I received from my last purchase, got on sale items, scanned each product for additional savings and then used Target card for 5% entire order. Only bought items on my list!!! saved over $10.
2. My kids are going to a free outdoor concert tonight. They will order food to go at a local pizza place and use their own money to pay along with a coupon I have.
3. Continue to declutter and finding all kinds of things including unused gift cards.
4. Made sure my gynecologist is still in network since her practice was bought out by large hospital system. She is so I will get best use of my insurance.
5. Made ice coffee at home instead of buying Starbucks……………..

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Mand01 August 23, 2019 at 4:41 pm

1 I had homemade muffins for breakfast. Yum. And cheap.
2 Kids & I made pizzas for dinner. Homemade pizzas are so much nicer and healthier and cheaper than takeaway.
3 I turned down a contract the other day. Due to frugal living and saving hard I now have the freedom to turn down work that doesn’t suit my family and lifestyle. I have to say, it felt bloody great.
4 Reading books on Libby, watching shows on the free SBS on Demand app (great channel here), and listening to free podcasts for entertainment.
Also have our Netflix account and watching shows on that.
5 Even in Winter, we still hang washing indoors, and just finish it off in the dryer.

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Patricia Koernig August 24, 2019 at 1:41 am

Love your number 3. Freedom!
Go team go!
Patricia/USA

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Roberta August 24, 2019 at 6:37 am

1. Worked at a substitute teaching job, on the second day of school! Unexpected to say the least.
2. I applied to sub at my husband’s school as well. We can drive in together, and have lunch together, and my driving son can get my daughter to school if it’s one of her days to attend.
3. I made dinner for my niece and her husband, even after subbing (science class, with two labs, with cleanup!). I was beat, but I turned down my husband’s offer to buy pizza instead. That would have missed the point of working if we spent the money on pizza instead!
4. Even forced myself to drive over to a friend’s house to pick figs. We enjoyed them after dinner, with a wheel of brie I got at grocery outlet.
5. I made a “shrub” for the first time. Fruit vinegar, made from fruit scrap vinegar that I made, with strawberries added for flavor, simple syrup and still (or sparkling) water. So yummy, fancy and cheap!

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Betta from daVille August 24, 2019 at 6:41 pm

I love shrub! Nicely done.

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kris August 26, 2019 at 7:49 am

What is considered luxury is largely perceived, which is an interesting notion to mull over.

**I love this. We specifically bought a small fixer-upper that we could renovate and have paid off within 5 years. It’s nothing fancy but everything is new and to our taste and the best part is in less than 2 years, it’ll be paid off. THAT is a luxury to me, not the square footage.

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Christine August 26, 2019 at 8:02 am

Agreed. Smaller houses are easier to clean and cheaper to heat, too.

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ouvickie August 26, 2019 at 8:09 am

1) I ate a free apple fritter from the box of donuts donated by a co-worker. It was delicious, but overload on my stomach. I’ll probably skip lunch, which saves an entree for another day.
2) I made a grocery haul over the weekend – Big Lots (for monthly staples); Aldi (for weekly food); Firelake (for items not available at Aldi). I spent about $80, but most of it will last for at least 3 weeks.
3) Hubby’s birthday was Saturday. Instead of eating, I made him one of his favorite dinners. I bought some frozen tamales and baked them with chili and cheese. Made Spanish rice from a box and bought him a frozen Sara Lee Coconut Creme Pie – his favorite. He loved it and he’s making use of the leftovers – YAY for less cooking!
4) Since I’m having digestive issues, I decided to forgo lunch and dinner yesterday and made myself a smoothie with a banana, Aloe Vera juice & Mango Carrot juice. I ate a Gala apple with some PB – but the apple & PB were overload. I may be going on a smoothie fast for a few weeks. That should save some money.
5) I found another quarter at Aldi, left in the basket coin slot. I filled my car with fuel this morning for $20. I LOVE the lower gasoline prices!!

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ouvickie August 26, 2019 at 8:11 am

#3) is supposed to say “instead of eating out” – LOL! I can tell it’s Monday!!

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Jenelle August 26, 2019 at 11:54 am

1. The local miniature golf place is moving in a few weeks and this Sunday was free! Great (and free) back to school celebration with the kids. I even offered to buy them both ice cream and they declined. So we went home and drank water for free!

2. Had lunch provided today at lunch. I was so excited to not need to pack.

3. My kids started back to school today and went to costco yesterday to get snacks for their lunch boxes. Low and behold the snacks they wanted were on sale. Can’t beat 36 packages for $5!

4. Lovely friend from church gave me two bags of hand me downs for both of my kids!

Frugal Fails #1: Got sucked into the samples at Costco and bought a few of the products! (We will be eating those tonight for sure!)

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Alison August 27, 2019 at 11:07 am

Why does each entry end with “I didn’t buy a Lear Jet and I won’t be visiting any vulgar gold-plated apartments in the city.” 🙂

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CatherinefromFrance August 27, 2019 at 12:04 pm

Hello !This a kind of joke !

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Mand01 August 27, 2019 at 1:02 pm

The gold plated apartment is a reference to President Trump

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CatherinefromFrance August 28, 2019 at 12:27 am

O my God on thaïs blog I learn something every day !

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CatherinefromFrance August 28, 2019 at 12:28 am

*this blog naturally

Bethany M August 29, 2019 at 8:55 pm

Cooked up a crock of beans. Made some baked beans and snuck in a little pumpkin for vitamin a and potassium.

Clipped an ice cream coupon. Usually we have fruit for dessert, but company is coming for a few days. That brand of ice cream was on sale too!

Froze a bunch of banana chunks for smoothies and blended the peels with water to feed my plants. They love it!!

A friend noticed our faux recliner in the saddest shape. We were waiting until tax return to replace. They offered us their leather recliner in good shape. Hubby broke down the old one so it would fit in the trash bin in two weeks of service. My friend delivered and moved our old one. Some kind of friend!

My neighbor gave me a metal “family” banner that a client didn’t want. I had the perfect spot for it in the hall.

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