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I sold a few things including a Scottish wool blanket from the Goodwill “bins,” a pair of Ilse Jacobsen sneakers, a Jonathan Adler mirror, a pair of free box Ugg slippers, a Calphalon skillet and a package of under-eye football stickers. (I picked up around 40 packages of these college branded packets at the Albany Goodwill for around $9.) I have a few Facebook Marketplace items that people are messaging me about, but I know from experience to not count my chickens before they hatch.
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I gave away a set of twin XL flannel sheets, a honkin’ huge bag of working Christmas lights and a certain item that I can’t specify, (umm . . . it was a birthday gift) through my neighborhood’s Buy Nothing Group.
I highly recommend that you click the above link to learn if your local neighborhood has its own buy nothing group. They’re an amazing way to skirt the traditional consumer experience — just neighbors strengthening bonds by gifting wanted and needed things to one another. Sorry, Jeff Bezos.
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I continue on my Extreme Frugal January™ and cooked up a pot of makeshift Tuscan white bean soup. I used a couple cans of cannelloni white beans, (50¢ apiece from the Grocery Outlet) the last of a bag of baby carrots and some leftover carmelized onions. I added kale at the very end and called it good. Which it was.
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I picked up a $2.99 luxe looking box of chocolates as a thank you for my mail carrier who makes extra trips to my house to scan my eBay packages, I spent a few days walking my friend’s dog while she was out of town, I started reading The Distant Hours from the library, I picked up five loaves of normally expensive bread at the Franz Outlet for a buck apiece, I bought a six-foot long iPhone charger from Goodwill for $4.99, (the Target packaging was damaged) and my $3 peace lily is growing a new flower, which is an accomplishment as all the previous flowers had shriveled up after the plant was transplanted.
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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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{ 88 comments… read them below or add one }
1. I spent a day going through my pantry and all my cans, boxes, dried beans, rice etc. and made a list of things I need to use up soon. I organized everything so oldest is at the front. I also made a note to self not to buy any dressings or marinades since it turns out I see those on sale and think I will use them to make quick dinners at home but in actuality I don’t. I had to throw away 6-7 bottles that were over 2 years expired. So, sad to waste but glad for the clarity.
2. I made a corn pudding using an expired can of cream corn, an expired Jiffy cornbread mix and some expired sour cream and it came out great!
3. I found a brand new hard back book in a neighborhood little library that was perfect to add to my daughter’s 16th birthday gift.
4. Hubs and I are going to Maui for a week on Sunday (SO excited) and I loved the idea of getting massages after the long flights but didn’t want to pay resort prices. I found a massage school that does one hour massages by students for $35/hour. Score! I signed us up.
5. I bought two paperbacks used at Goodwill to take with me (I usually get library books or library ebooks but wanted books I could take to the beach). Much cheaper and in line with my buy nothing new year (so far so good on that front!).
Woot woot! I’ve never been #1 before!
We’re going to Maui in July would love info on that school
It’s the Maui Academy of Healing Arts in Kihei, they have a website where you can book (or if you want to book two people at same time they give a number to call). Person I spoke with was very helpful. I’ll report back after next week!
Have fun! Hope you have found some great beach reads. I also take secondhand paperback books to the beach during the summer months. I rather not worry about sun, sand and water.
If you’re staying at a resort hotel, they almost always have a free book swap where you check out your towels by the pool. When you’re done with your books, you can leave them for the next person, and not have to pack them up and take back home. And maybe you’ll find something new to read on the flight back!
1. I got a free kindle book a while ago when I was trialling Prime. It was the first in a trilogy. When I went to get the second and third books, of course they were about $20 each. I searched the Libby app and found the entire trilogy for free. I love that app so much.
2. I’m working a lot so I’m not spending much on anything including petrol. A full tank has lasted almost a month, which is good because I think oil prices are likely to go up…
3. We picked lots of apricots in the end, enough to give some away to family and neighbours and make a batch of jam (using recycled jars), while still leaving some for the parrots. My husband and I spent a day making jam, fermented carrots, kombucha, sourdough, and homemade pies.
4. We are still going well on a less-meat start to the new year. From eating meat daily I’ve cut down to just three times since Christmas. I’m not going completely vegetarian as I have a lot of allergies and an iron deficiency that requires medical intervention (not just supplements), but a careful reduction is working for me. Naturally it means the kids are also eating less meat. It does save money, and I feel like I am doing my bit to reduce my carbon footprint, especially when combined with organic home gardening.
5. I didn’t buy half price Christmas clearance items.
Re iron deficiency: we are vegetarian here, and I use cast iron for cooking, both because it’s awesome and to get extra iron into our diets. My husband donates blood every eight weeks on the dot, and they are always surprised that his iron is so high since he’s vegetarian. It might not sort all your issues, but it might help! (Making a pot of tomato sauce or soup a cast iron pot absorbs a ton of iron from the pot.)
Frugal January is off to a rocky start, but we’re making it work:
1. After a shocking utility bill last month (first time turning the heat on in a new apartment) I convinced ConEdison to put us on their “level payment plan” to be budget friendly even though they didn’t have a full 12 months of data on us. Not frugal, but now we can plan for it.
2. All meals at home this week has been challenging but doable. Focused on long term routine changes to create a healthier, cheaper plan.
3. Flipped hanger update in the closet: wearing a top I 150% forgot I owned today and rocking it. Wearing all the clothes I own is like shopping everyday!
4. Same old: drinking coffee at work, water bottle comes with me everywhere, resisting the siren song of snacks.
5. I did not cave to my deepest desire to look for an apartment with a dishwasher in favor of staying in my rent stabilized, beautiful space.
At last, a new FFT! Happy New Year to Katy and all of our NCA peeps.
Now, my FFT, Adventures with (Almost) No Money Spent Edition:
(1) I took some scrap silver (mostly old/broken jewelry I had no interest whatever in keeping) to an antiques shop on the other side of town that I’d long wanted to check out. The owner gave me $25 in scrap value, which was just about what I was expecting–and the place looks as if it’d be straight out of the Rocky Horror Show if it weren’t crammed wall to wall, floor to ceiling with tschotskes. A real trip! (And I exercised restraint and didn’t buy anything, despite considerable temptation.)
(2) I took some clothes and shoes to my local Clothes Mentor. Although they didn’t accept as much as usual, I still have a healthy credit balance there (even after acquiring a pair of nearly new jeans).
(3) I took two cartons of books to our favorite secondhand-book shop. They accepted 1.5 cartons, from which I got enough credit to acquire a nearly-complete set of the Oxford Illustrated Edition of Jane Austen for my Literary Society BFF, who sorely needs it. (She’s been schlepping around with cheap Signet paperbacks ever since I’ve known her.)
(4) Slight frugal fail: I resorted to our favorite JA-oriented online bookseller to acquire the one missing Oxford volume. But this just gave me a chance to catch up with the family that runs the business (personal friends).
(5) Finally, I’m trying to eat somewhat healthier this month, since I’ve got an appointment and a lipids test coming up with my stern GP in February. Cobbled together a respectable lentil and turkey sausage soup last night, entirely out of ingredients on hand.
Ahhh — one can never regret Jane Austen — in any edition. So much wisdom, so much wit! 🙂
1. Husband was depositing his cart into the designated space when he saw that the cart in front of him had a bag of apples on the bottom. It was 37 below zero out so no one was going to come back for them, and they were partially frozen already, so he brought them home for the compost heap. “The compost heap?!” I exclaimed. Instead I put what was labelled as a ten pound bag of Honeycrisps, no less, into a stock pot and boiled them down. After running them through the food mill, I ended up with several jars of very tasty applesauce. (And who at these temps puts their fruit, protected only by plastic, in a place where it will be exposed to the cold? Produce has to be carefully packed in a suitable cloth bag and quickly taken to the car. At these temps it takes no time for damage to occur.)
2. During the same trip, he asked the butcher if they had any beef bones for sale. The guy said they didn’t sell the bones but he would be happy to give us a box of beef bones for free and, oh by the way, did we want any ham bones? Husband came home a huge box of bones. I took out some, washed them well, and put them in the slow cooker; the rest went to our outdoor freezer, meaning a Rubbermaid tote. (Those things don’t crack even at 50 below! We keep a large one out there all winter. The moose sometimes try to pry off the lid, but to no avail. When the dog smells that moose have been there, he pees on the outside of the tote. Our version of Animal Kingdom.) Beef bone broth being made all night, until the morning, and then I will make ham broth.
3. Found a dime in the dentist’s parking lot and used my cane to pry it up from the ice.
4. Library for books and table puzzles.
5. Friends for dinner. Made eggs and sourdough pancakes, with homemade apple syrup and honeyberry syrup. Extremely frugal meal.
Oh my goodness – #2 “Our version of Animal Kingdom.”
You just made me laugh out loud!
Thanks,
Lea
Lindsey, I love #3 & the creative use of your cane to pry the dime from the ice. The visual image was a laugh out loud moment.
1. Worked the dog show 2 days last weekend in the Palm Springs area. Made $150, stayed with friends. Two free lunches plus a free dinner
2. Went to clothes mentor, Plato’s closet and another local place and have $53 for my effort.
3. Sold 2 books via amazon
4. Friend gifted me a $50 amazon gift card.
5. Kids gave me new bath towels for Christmas so I have a big box to donate to local animal shelter
Your #5…that is such a great thing to do with old towels. I volunteered at an animal shelter here in my town and I can tell you they go through a lot of towels. I think it may be the bleach which is necessary to keep the germs down, but the towels wear out quickly. Kudos to you for thinking of the shelter’s needs.
I’ve had as many as 5 dogs at one time so I know how hard pets are on bedding, etc. Glad to donate and I still have a tub of towels for cleaning, etc
1. Still job hunting. My professional wardrobe is skimpy, so I sent up a plea to the thrift gods and found a very nice navy blazer at the Salvation Army that matches a navy skirt I already had (also thrifted). Got it for $2.40 on half off Wednesday.
2. Our January is not no spend but is one of Severely Restricted Spending. Thus the other evening I pulled some frozen lamb out of the freezer and consulted the Fanny Farmer Cookbook about what to make with it and ingredients on hand. The result was a braised lamb and barley soup that is insanely delicious and used up the last of the unsalted butter, frozen peas and some frozen rolls from Christmas. We had lamb because one week, for reasons passing understanding, Australian lamb was the cheapest meat at the grocery store.
3. Mended a skirt I’ve had for about a decade so that it can join the line-up of future interview outfits. It looks great with a lovely blouse from Goodwill that originally came from Macy’s.
4. Cobbled together a pump from a plastic bottle of hand soap that was thrown away at mybold job and a glass bottle that it fits to make a soap dispenser for our kitchen. When we ran short of liquid soap, I put some Ajax dishwashing liquid in it and it worked fine.
5. Cleaned shower tiles with a mixture of Windex and rubbing alcohol and scrubbed the grout with an old toothbrush.
Wow, that’s a great score on the blazer!
It was! I now refer to it as my lucky blazer because I had a great interview while wearing it.. Got fingers crossed.
Ruby – Fannie Farmer is my favorite! And the old paperback copy I have falls apart in three places – basic muffins, chicken pie as it is known in these parts (chicken and biscuits elsewhere) and white sauce (for gravies and mac and cheese). There is a great picture book for kids about Fannie called Fannie in the Kitchen as well…
1. After all the holiday hoopla it has been nice to be home by myself this week. I have worn the same clothes everyday (no one sees me and I’m not doing filthy work), eaten down the pantry with very little cooking required, cleaned the daylights out of my house and enjoyed reading my library books and watching tv.
2. I have not only been cleaning but also cleaning out cupboards, closets and drawers. There is still a long way to go but have officially gathered enough things to make a consignment store run and just returned from a Goodwill drop off.
3. We have plans to visit friends next week so I have put some leftover “wedding wine” from my son’s wedding by the front door. Don’t want to forget to bring it with us to share.
4. Turned the thermostat down to 66 at night and 69 during the day now that I am the only one here. Well, my husband is here on weekends and he is fine with that. In fact, he’d keep it lower. I just use a fleece blanket when I’m on the couch and dress in layers.
5. Made a Dollar store run and only got what I came for – 2 birthday cards, dish soap and envelopes. Wahoo!
I have had terrible cold over, so I haven’t done much of anything. This was not the way that I wanted to start this shiny new decade. However, if I focus on the positive, I have had some quiet time and haven’t spent much money either over the last few days.
1) I sold 10 items on eBay over the last two weeks which has surprised me. Last year, I did not make a single sale for three weeks after Christmas. I did get an interesting email from one of my customers asking me to please reuse any boxes and packing materials that I could when shipping his purchase. This warmed my heart. Kindred spirits can be found in the oddest places. Of course, this was not a problem. I have a large selection of previously used boxes on hand.
Also on the revenue side, I sold two coats on consignment and earned $60; I moved $20 cash earned from rebate offers from my Ibotta account to Paypal; and I picked up a little work for the month of February at a friend’s business.
2) Since my cold zapped my energy, I been resting more than usual and have been reading my newest library book, The Alice Network. I also use the RB digital app that my library has to download two of my favorite magazines. I have signed up to have these automatically delivered every month.
As I rested, I also watched tons of reseller videos on You Tube and watch Vera on Britbox.
3) I was in the kitchen long enough to put two chicken carcasses and veggies that I had in the freezer into my Instant Pot to make chicken soup. My husband finished it up, strained the broth, and treated our sweet old dog to the bits that were left after soup making. This pup is so spoiled. He starts to get really excited whenever he smells chicken soup and will not leave the kitchen.
4) Before falling ill last week, I bought cards for those on my January birthday list at the Dollar Store. I have 8 family birthdays during the month of January, so this is a huge savings. Although not thrifty but non-consumerist (Is that a word?), I bought my 7-year old great niece two beautiful handmade puppets for her birthday at the end of the month.
5) Although I have spent the last few days in my thrifted PJs, I continue to do all my usual, normal, everyday thrifty things – cooking from scratch, drinking primarily water, and brewing my own coffee. I also have been trying to make the most of the nice weather here in Florida and not use AC or heat on milder days. Sewed a button on a new-to-me designer sweater found at the bins.
Bee, so sorry you have been so sick, glad you’re on the mend.
Bee – I am hoping you are feeling better. And kudos to you for resting more and taking care of yourself. We generally stink at that in our American society. As if there is some prize for being the most worn out/overworked/etc…
On another note, I LOVED the Alice Network. I read it over 18 months ago and still find myself thinking about it. I hope you enjoy it as well!
Thank you, Tracy and Susie’s Daughter!
And yes, The Alice Network is a great read.
Another fan of The Alice Netwoek here. I’m currently reading Kate Quinn’s latest, The Huntress, which is also quite good.
1. After too many nights of playing the “how many meals can we get from this ham” game (ham was free courtesy of a gift card, besides!) a number of packages of ham were dispatched to the freezer. They’ll reappear when we’re not so Freakin’. Tired. Of. Ham.
2. The bone from the above mentioned ham was turned into ham broth. After years of feeling guilty about ham bone waste (neither of us likes bean soup, I’m the only one who’ll eat split pea soup – and I don’t love it enough to eat a crock pot worth of it) someone on another site suggested making ham broth and using it in potato soup. My husband loves potato soup of any kind. And I found the subbing in ham broth for chicken broth in my version of Pioneer Woman’s Perfect Potato Soup made the soup even more perfect.
3. Ordered this year’s half side of grass-fed beef from a local farmer. I love knowing the farmer who raises our beef, knowing her farming practices, and knowing the butcher who processes it. It’s a per-pound price regardless of the cut of beef, and the price for grass fed hamburger is less than even what Aldi charges. Which means roasts are very reasonable – and steak is at an incredible price. And there’s usually a dozen or so steaks.
4. After a three month “drought” the gasoline coupons are once again included with our weekly newspaper. Excepting for the holiday months (gee I wonder why), we normally get 9 “$1 off gasoline” coupons from local gas stations each month – no minimum purchase required. Since our gasoline prices normally are 30 cents or so per gallon higher than where we used to live, I call the coupons “equalizers”. Meaning if we buy 3 gallons of gasoline each time we’re in town and use a coupon, our prices slide in line with much of the rest of the state. Not a huge saving, but it does add up – and I’ll take it!
5. Freezing rain has kept us at home most days – and out of the stores.
1. I brought my $93 grocery bill down to $46 using store coupons, manufacturers coupons and BOGOs.
2. Have fallen back into the wonderful Land of Reading after a busy and exhausting holiday season. I reread my old copy of A Christmas Carol every December but besides that I mostly put books on a back burner until January. I have a few on order at the library and am currently reading Unfollow, a memoir of a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church.
3. Went out to eat for DH’s birthday using a gift card we received for Christmas. Besides that, all meals cooked at home.
4. Our usual day to day living stuff…heat down, thermals on, library books on the bedside table, meals at home.
5FF: It’s a New Year Edition
As I read somewhere in another blog, the holidays are fantastically special, but in part what makes them so is the return to normalcy afterwards.
1. As opposed to taking time off during New Year’s week, I worked extra hours. The pace slowed to the point where I was able to get caught up on all my major job duties.
2. To my shocked surprise, received an invitation to another retirement-related seminar at a now-familiar upscale supper club in an adjoining ‘burb in mid-January. Yes please, to free filet mignon & haddock filet, thank you very much.
3. Switching menu planning from holiday food to focus on bean related recipes as the winter weather sets in. Healthy, nutritious & fugal – what could be better? Even more frugal – I looked at the rescues from DM’s freezer, now in my freezer & particularly focused on two chili mixes that look to energize my routine chili recipe. I prepared one mix – delicious.
4. Due to DH’s impending job change, scurrying to fully utilize current health insurance benefits by making appts. for preventive visits that are coming due.
5. During process of de-Christmasing, I put an unused bottle of Swedish sparking juice away to use at Easter. We also did a bang-up job finishing off the eggnog which does not always happen, as well as multiple leftovers. I used leftover ham in a favorite casserole & froze the remainder. As I was perusing the pathetic holiday clearance items at the big box store while grocery shopping, I stumbled across a favorite gigantic 1# novelty candy (75% off) amid the hundreds of unwanted gingerbread house kits, which was perfect for my annual chocolate exchange with DN (neighbor). I sewed up 2 holes in my gloves during a lull at work. Finally, although I love the many festive lights, it is a great feeling to cut off their power post-holiday. My next electric bill thanks me.
Happy new year everyone.
1. Sent for a $12 Visa rebate for pet supplies.
2. Bought several cans of fruit, tomatoes and cat food reduced because of dents. I have already made a pot of chili using the tomatoes and a reduced produce onion.
3. After trying lots of pizza crust recipes, I found that the one on the yeast package is easy and turns out just right. I certainly will be making pizza at home more often.
4. We don’t usually see free piles around here, but when dropping off the glass recycling, my husband told me there was a box of stuff by the recycle bins that I
should check out. We loaded up almost a full case of bottled water, a very clean, working crock pot, an enormous reusable cloth gift bag and a couple of other items. I will use the water for the bags I make up to hand to homeless people. We will use the gift bag sometime. I don’t need another crock pot but I will find someone who does or it will be donated. None of those items were recyclable where they were left, so I feel like I did a major “save from the landfill”.
5. OK, this is a funny one. I was carrying out a couple of boxes for Goodwill when I saw the shoes my husband was donating. There were 2 identical pairs of new tennis shoes I had never seen him wear. I could tell by looking at them that they would never fit him. His feet are so wide that they are basically square. I thought “Hmmm. Those almost look like they would fit me.” And sure enough, they do. When I questioned him about where they came from, he said he had them 15-20 yrs but never wore them because they were too narrow. Why he had 2 pair of the same non-fitting shoe, I have no idea but they are mine now.
#4 — wow, that is a great haul and LOVE that the bottled water will go to bags you hand out to the homeless — that is a win win win and so kind of you.
#5 — hah! Men!
It’s the “getting back in the groove of life” edition this week:
1) It’s our first week without a nanny. Our kids are 12 & 13, and usually need rides, but our nanny needed more hours. We’re hoping to make it work, even when soccer season starts, because it saves a ton of money.
2) I bought flights for my parents to come over the kids spring break. I used frequent flier miles & saved $368.
3) Sold an item on eBay & reslisted a bunch of other stuff. (I paused my sales over the holidays)
4) Lots of leftovers & no eating out. I made a huge batch of curry on Sunday, froze half, and the half we kept in the fridge still fed us three dinners.
5) The basics. Charging my electric car for free at work, returning things we don’t need, avoiding shopping, etc.
1 – Our New Year’s Day party hostess sent us home with leftovers of a trifle-like dessert (pieces of white boxed cake layered with vanilla pudding and fresh berries). The dessert was delicious, but after a day in our fridge it got a soggy, unappetizing texture. I took a chance and whipped the rest up into a smoothie by adding fruit juice and giving it a whirl in my blender. It was surprisingly good.
2 – I used some old flannel pillowcases to swaddle our ceramic Christmas decorations before putting them back into their storage boxes.
3 – With so much mild winter weather the last several weeks, I’ve been getting my cardio exercise for free by working on several outdoor/yard projects. I call it “yardio.” 😉
4 – I repaired the chipped paint on a white kitchen cabinet door by re-attaching the chipped-off paint chunks with epoxy, then covering the whole area with clear packing tape. It’s not perfect, but it looks a lot better than it did before my repairs.
5 – As I did laundry last weekend, I tossed my liquid laundry detergent cup into the washing machine along with my clothes, each time I measured out detergent. I figure this uses up the very last dribbles of detergent that always cling to the cup.
Jenzer, regarding your #5, I do something similar. I’ll grab a small clothing item like a sock from the dirty pile and swirl it around the detergent cup to soak up the dribbles left in the cup, then toss the sock into the washing machine.
1 Hard to be frugal at the moment as donating cash and food to various bush fire relief funds. A bit of rain today, hope its falling in the most affected areas.
2 Using all food and freezing leftovers so no food waste.
3 Got some lovely shampoo and conditioner for Christmas so have made up diluted batches to use. Hunted out deodorants and toothpaste to use up rather than keep opening new ones.
4 Bought some after Christmas gifts all at greatly reduced prices.
5 Doing surveys whenever i can earning a few dollars which is much appreciated.
Hoping for more rain for you all.
1. I’m letting my hair grow more than usual before getting a haircut.
2. I just asked to join the local Buy Nothing group. I think last time I checked there was not one in our area and I have used Freecycle for years. I have some items to give away.
3. I am reading A Tale for the Time Being, an ebook borrowed from the library. I also stopped at the library on my way home yesterday to get a few books on CD, for use in the car.
4. Like many people, we are working on using freezer and pantry items this month.My grocery trips have been minimal and I have not spent much time in any stores this year.
5. Continuing to walk outside, even in the snow and/or cold. I think fresh air and exercise are good for my body and soul.
I think Fresh Air and exercise are good for body and soul year round too!
1. Using the baking soda/vinegar/boiling water trick to revive sluggish drains.
2. I’m using my diva cup and thinx to manage my cycle.
3. I made a double batch of meatloaf and put half in the freezer. Cooked up a batch of turkey sausage from cheap ground turkey. Homemade muffins for breakfast. Made a large batch of bean/rice/cheese burritos for the freezer.
4. I have avoided doing any after Christmas shopping. We have been eating down the pantry and freezer and will everyone home for break, it is going quickly.
5. I really wanted to order pizza tonight for dinner but I don’t need the calories nor to spend money. I pulled chicken out of the freezer and forced myself to come up with a plan for dinner before heading to work.
Tell us about Thinx! I’ve seen them advertised and always wondered.
Jenelle, I use them as a back up for the diva cup on heavy days and on light days just wear them. I do really like them and I rarely buy any period products now.
1. just added warm, hard boiled eggs to leftover pickle juice for “free” pickled eggs in 3 days
2. squeezed some gifted fancy liquid soaps I will never use into the mudroom soap dispenser for Hubby to use
3. now using bar soaps bought new in the pkg at an estate sale for washing my hands. inexpensive and plastic free
4. instead of turning the water faucet on full blast, practicing turning it on just a trickle when that’s all is needed
5. still working to develop habit of not starting the car until I’m buckled in and ready to go. why waste gas?
Your #1…great idea with boiled eggs in the leftover pickle juice. I’ve done this making pickles using cucumbers but never thought of making pickled eggs with it. I am definitely trying this when my current jar of pickles are eaten.
recently learned that my 80+ year old neighbors add an egg or two to their pickle jars as soon as enough pickles have been eaten for there to be room, so my pickled eggs now share space with their cucumber pickle cousins. *wink*
1. Forced myself to pack my lunch today. I am really tired of a pasta bake that I’ve been eating all day but reminded myself that we are going out this weekend and I need to save where I can! I did add a piece of my favorite candy to my lunch for a small treat. I’ve packed my lunch all week!
2. This really isn’t a cost saving measure for me but I decided not to drive to a work meeting and instead call in from my office. I saved our organization the hotel fee, lunch fee and mileage reimbursement. I guess I saved myself the stress of driving in the snow. I’ve become quite the home body during the winter.
3. While I was dilly dallying around before I started my “drive” to my meeting I hit up the Goodwill Outlet that was on the way. I was able to score a Pottery Barn monogrammed (with my daughter’s name!) laundry hamper, two Magic Treehouse books for my son, a brand new Scout bag (that I pined over while I was in Hershey at a fancy store!), some stuff to sell on Ebay and two sweet pound puppies. Washing took all the grimy gunk off the pound puppies and the laundry hamper. The other thing that i found was a brand new box of Christmas Cards. Goodwill had marked them $12.99! No wonder they were at the bins! Silly Goodwill.
4. Been drinking instant coffee. I know some people think its awful. But for $8 I can make over 200 cups of coffee! Give it a try, you may be surprised.
5. Frugal Fail: CVS notified me a prescription was ready. I assumed it was my free one, so I made the trip and found out it was for my most expense medication. I normally wait until payday to get this one. =(
6. A free show I’ve been watching on YouTube is: Living with the Amish. It’s a 6 part show where some teens from Britain come and spend time with our Amish. It’s fascinating to see the Amish lifestyle that up close. I do live in PA and have horse and buggy Mennonite neighbors but have never seen Amish this up close. Free on Youtube.
Your #4…I have to drink decaf coffee due to a medical reason and DH loves his caffeine. Brewing a pot of decaf or a pot of caffeinated coffee each morning would be a big waste for us. Instead, each of us has his and her own jars of instant coffee. This has proved to be much less expensive than individual k-cups and we love the flavor. I look forward to each morning to having coffee and watching non-cable news with DH.
Everyone hates on instant coffee but it’s pretty good! I love it for mornings when I have to get to the office and get cracking quickly.
Haven’t posted in awhile and not much frugal here but I will try
1. I had a rough Christmas/ New Year. I was sick for an entire month. I got the flu,then pneumonia, then gout in one ankle only to get it in my other foot as the ankle began to heal. I got quite depressed with my situation but it gave me a new outlook. I am saying “no” a lot more and giving myself more grace. I realize I am run down. The frugal part is I could do literally nothing which costs literally nothing.
2. I started off this month eating lots of black eyed pea meals which partially caused my gout. I haven’t had a gout attack for over a year so I though it would be ok..wrong! I am envious of others having inexpensive beans for protein but am finding ways around it. I also have to stop eating spinach due to high purines, which is a favorite of mine. The only frugal thing about gout is no red meat and tons of water which is better for everything. I also found an expired bottle of Vitamin C which helps a lot.
3. Enough whining about my personal health issues…my health insurance went up almost $200!! We are small business owners. Our family health insurance now will cost us almost $1000 per month with a $5000 deductible. I have considered Medashare but have heard conflicting reviews on that. I am talking to others and hoping to find a solution soon. I started a list of pros and cons of each insurance I research hoping the answer becomes obvious soon.
4. I got a huge stuffed toy alligator and other toys marked down 90% from Christmas for my grandsons birthday. I paid less than $10 for the huge alligator, a Jeep that lights up and makes noises, a playdough baking set, and a Melissa and Doug brand wooden shoe that has laces so he can learn to tie his shoes. I am making his cupcakes to help my daughter. I usually make a nice elaborate cake but this time, I’m pressing the easy button.
5. I am continuing to drive my car that is paid for even though I would love an SUV. My car is tiny. My growing kids, their buddies, backpacks, and gear paired with my grandsons car seat is over bearing. Not as overbearing as adding an SUV payment. I look around at the parents with their shiny new SUV’s in the car rider line at school and smile to myself a little.
Please keep my area of the South and many others in your thoughts tomorrow. We are expected to have bad weather over a wide area and it is scary. A tornado damaged my pastors daughter’s house over Christmas break so they haven’t had much chance to recover. So many tough catastrophic things going on here and other parts of the world it gives me pause. Pictures of Australia makes me cry!
Glad you are feeling better, Jennifer! Wishing you well.
Patricia/Fl
Ty! Happy New Year to you! My post seems a big negative now that I reread it but I am looking forward to a great 2020
Don’t worry about sounding negative…we have all been there in one way or another at some time or another! Glad to hear you’re feeling better and cutting yourself some slack. Most of us try to be kind to others…we have to extend that kindness to ourselves, too. Take good care!
Ty!
Feel better! My husband suffers with gout from time to time and swears by tart cherry juice. In any case,
I’m glad you are on the mend.
Bee I have used tart cherry juice in the past and was really guzzling a lot of it this time, too. I realized I wasn’t getting any better and started doing a bit of research. Cherries are on some of the high purine lists!? Yet, other websites recommended them. Have you seen this? I will try to find the link again and post
Wow, I am so sorry Jennifer – I hope 2020 is a much better year for you!!!
I’ve some good reports about Medashares, but I’ve never used one. I hope you can find something that helps.
My daughter has problems with RA and kidney stones, so high purine foods are out for her, too. She swears by Tumeric and actually capsules her own.
BTW – pictures from Australia make me cry too.
I will start back on the tumeric. I had stopped that for awhile, ..actually forgot about it. RA is so difficult, I hope she is doing well. Happy New Year!
1. I took my daughter to Goodwill yesterday, looking for jeans. We didn’t find any that fit right, so we did not buy anything at all. I did find a quarter on the ground!
2. Trying to eat down the pantry. I over-bought a lot of staples: lentils, quinoa, beans, and I am trying to work them into dinner without wearing out my family. So far, so good. I made a lentil-bulgar meal last night out of things on hand, and it was so popular that I will be revisiting it in a week.
3. Carpooled with my husband for a substituting assignment. I got in really early, but it was worth it to rideshare. I brought in avocados to the school secretary, as we have a ton of those on the tree.
4. Picking more avocados today. I will be making some into the Oh She Glows avocado pesto for pizza tonight. The rest of the family will be having white pizza, with leftover ricotta from Christmas lasagna.
5. A lot of the usual: keeping the heat off, drinking tea, picking up waste food from the local food bank for the chickens and dogs (and keeping it out of the landfill!), eating leftovers, baking two things at once, processing produce off the trees for later use. Forcing my family to eat free oranges instead of apples from the store!
I was looking forward to a new FFT because I thought I had a bunch of great ideas, but promptly forgot what I had, and I had to rummage around for a decent list!
I’ve been so overwhelmed by expenses this month that it’s hard to see the frugal wins. Grateful for this blog and commenters for reminding me to see the things we do that make a difference.
1) Mended a huge stack of items between Christmas and the new year, including a pair of middle daughter’s pants that I’d had so long she’d forgotten about them. Since she stayed with us a week longer than she’d planned, and she doesn’t like my unscented detergent, the pants came in very handy.
2) The non-working washing machine actually washed a couple of loads. Littlest daughter ran a load, not realizing we’d given up on it. Maybe the break while we were out of town was good for it? Now the dryer is having problems again, and setting off the smoke alarm. We are definitely going to have to replace them, but every day we limp along is that cost saved.
3) Our beloved ancient dog seemed to have sprained an ankle, which we blamed on the broken elevator at the beach condo. Alas, it is a giant and malignant bony tumor. We are keeping him comfortable with pain medication vs a very expensive and likely useless amputation, and we’re doing all his favorite (frugal!) things while he’s still able to hobble: walks by the river, looking for rabbits, etc. My hipster co-workers, who side eye most family related schedule issues, are fully supportive of my working from home to care for an ailing dog, so I’m saving the cost and hassle of commuting as well.
4) Cooked all meals so far in 2020. Even last night, when Littlest’s schedule meant it would have been so much easier to pick up fast food between activities. But we held out and ate the chicken I’d popped in the oven before we left, even though it was dry and overcooked once we finally got home. Thank goodness for mashed potatoes.
5) Sat in on a training session for energy efficiency engineers at work. It was led by a scientist who had been in nuclear energy early in his career but realized he was part of the problem, not the solution, so changed paths. Per his decades of research, the #1 thing we can do at work or at home to lessen our load on the planet (assuming you’ve swapped out your lightbulbs) is open and close blinds and windows to manage your indoor temps. That’s it. That frugal step can help save the world.
Thank you for the reminder. I’ll try to remember to open my blinds on sunny days to let some of the warmth in.
2. I’m doing the same with the new set of tires I have sitting in a corner. Every day I drive without putting the new ones on is one day of less wear on the new. The things I tell myself, lol.
Thanks for the planet saving tip from the scientist. I already do the blinds and window thing so knowing I’ve been doing not only the frugal thing but the right thing for our beautiful planet is a great feeling.
I am so sorry about your sweet old dog.It is good that the scheduler in your office is so understanding. Thinking of you, your dog and your family. Sending love your way.
I haven’t seen that. I would be interested to look at it if you can post the link. There are a couple of veggies that are good to eat either like asparagus and spinach. Who would have thought Rabat!
1. I haven’t read the Tightwad Gazette before but after reading the many glowing references to it here, I requested it from the library.
2. I made candied orange peels from leftover peels. A delicious treat made from something I would have thrown otherwise!
3. Keeping my grocery bill low with freezer and pantry supplies and leaning on lots of soups and chilis.
4. Watched Mary, Queen of Scots on DVD from the library last night. I’ve wanted to see it and this was much better than renting a digital copy.
5. I wanted to make pouches for rescued joeys in Australia at work with my students in the library’s makerspace. Instead of buying new materials, I’m sourcing donations of old sheets and t-shirts. Students will get a lesson in taking action and reusing materials at the same time!
I have loved The Tightwad Gazette since it first came out as a newsletter. Know that probably everything related to technology will be outdated, but much of her other information is timeless, especially if you can find the overarching message (even if her specifics seem dated).
It has been an interesting mix of good information, nostalgia for the early 90’s (I was in elementary school and absolutely terrified of accidentally making a long distance call), and humor.
1. At a recent restaurant dinner, I brought my “leftover kit” of medium and small containers and filled them with 1/3 of my meal (easy way to lose weight as I tend to eat however much is in front of me) and remaining condiments.
2. Used Craigslist to score a brand new storage ottoman and a vintage pharmacy lamp. Had to laugh at “vintage” as the lamp is likely younger than I am (60). To pay for these items, I plan to list a coffee table that I spent WAY too much money on a couple years ago.
3. Stopped buying dog treats. We now put regular dog food kibbles in a jar and dole them out from there. Our beagle doesn’t know the difference (she snarfs down food without chewing) and it saves money, space and packaging.
4. Received several dozen eggs from a friend’s farm. The girls seemed to increase production after my friend enhanced their coop’s ambience with festive thrift store finds!
5. Replenished spice jars on the cheap by refilling in bulk from the co-op. Bonus: the smaller amounts remain fresh (and used!).
1. I took a nice walk in the woods with a friend which I find to be cheap therapy and entertainment.
2. While I was out I combined some errands. I paid my taxes and bought a dog license at the township office saving myself four stamps.
3. I also stopped at the car wash that was close by. It’s DIY and is significantly cheaper than any of the other options.
4. I paid my taxes in January instead of December. I will pay three of my property tax bills this year giving me a bigger tax deduction. Not sure why but it’s what my CPA has me do.
5. I went for another walk in different woods with the same friend. Afterwards we came back to my house for a cup of coffee. Again cheap entertainment and therapy.
I also stopped at the Library to renew my library cards. All these places are in one small area close to the woods where we walk.
We also carpooled to another township office to turn in some paperwork so we both can be election inspectors again this year. With potentially four elections this year it will be a nice extra bonus of cash.
1. My Mom treated me to dinner at a local restaurant. She had a gift card that covered one meal so the final bill wasn’t much.
2. I have found close to $1 in change in the last few days and $2.00 in bills.
3. The Pyrex lasagne pan that I bought for my mother years ago was broken. Instead of buying a new one, I borrowed one to make a lasagne for a family dinner. I am the only one who ever uses it when I visit so I will continue to borrow one instead of replacing it. The family member I will borrow from is always invited to join us.
4. Organized all of the leftover Christmas boxes, paper and bags and will probably not need to buy a thing for at least two more Christmases.
5. I found two gifts in the attic that I intended on giving to two of my nieces for Christmas. Somehow I didn’t mark them down and forgot I had them. They now will be used for their birthdays.
1. We are participating in the FrugalWoods Uber Frugal challenge. We challenged ourselves to no spend but groceries for 2 adults. Only $30 week! We can only do this as we had a LOT in the freezer/pantry. We were so excited to start, we began in our house on Fri Dec 28 so we just completed our 2nd week. The pantry and freezer are looking a lot lower already than I expected!
2. Enjoying the flexing of frugal muscles. I put a loaf of bread back at Aldi yesterday as it put me over. I have flour so I know if I run out, I can make a loaf.
In the past, I have had the humiliating experience of taking things off the grocery belt when I realized I couldn’t afford it. This, being voluntary, is so much nicer. We remind ourselves to keep our frugal muscles strong because it could happen, a lay off/job loss to any of us.
3. I was given a gift card to a grocery store that isn’t in me budget. I hate to buy things when I know I can find them less other places so kept putting off using it. We decided to use it to buy things on the wish list for our local domestic shelter. We have decided to make them our charity of choice and regularly donate there only.
4. My menu planning has taken a turn in using a lot less meat. I had a fair amount in the freezer but looking at what shredded chicken can do for 2 people for 4 meals is inspiring. Why weren’t we eating this way already? It is delicious!
5. I made pinto beans in my instant pot. I was really on the fence about my instant pot but chicken stock, soup and beans make it a Keeper! Great stuff coming out of it. Excellent tool.
Thanks for always posting the books you’re reading. I check those out, so I can download them if I’m interested and they have them on audio.
1) I attended the Academic Tech expo on Campus yesterday for free. They fed us breakfast treats and a really yummy full buffet lunch. The sessions were interesting and useful and I was able to go home at 2:30 – so huge score on a great day.
2) I used the chicken meat, from last weekend’s crockpot chicken, and made a broccoli, cheese and rice casserole that fed us dinner and lunches for 1/2 the week. I’m making chili dogs tonight, from the turkey dogs I scored at Crest for 99 cents.
3) It’s cold and was snowing this morning, so I’m staying put at home this weekend, except for church in the morning. Saving fuel as much as possible
4) I had to have the propane tank filled, for heating fuel, but I managed to get that done before it was below 30%, so it was a cheaper fuel bill than the last few. We’ve been fortunate that Winter has been mild this year, so far.
5) No planes, boats or gold plated anything bought this week. Hopefully, January will be a very frugal month.
Of course, I’m only about a hundred pages into this book, so it’s not a full 100% endorsement.
1. Went to a professional conference and took my lunch for the trip up and my breakfast for the next morning.
2. Stopped on the way there at a state park to have lunch and a hike.
3. While at the conference, I partook of the free seltzer water and coffee. They also provided a lunch. Because the conference was for work– they do reimburse me for “expenses” to the tune of about $90. I did stop and get dinner at Culver’s on the way home and I did spend $7 on bumper stickers at the state park but otherwise, I’m making some money and had a free night in a fancy hotel PLUS I learned some stuff!
4. Am eating at home today and working on my side hustle of grading essays.
5. Saw I had rewards on one of my credit cards (the only one that still has a balance) and put those rewards toward paying on it rather than use it on some frivolous crap to clutter my house. My goal is to pay off this card this year. That will be a feat but one I am committed to.
Culver’s…my weakness when we travel to areas where Culver’s dot the landscape! It’s probably a good thing there are none in Massachusetts or my commitment to cooking and eating at home would certainly be challenged.
I KNOW!!!!
We recently gave up meat entirely and the veggie burger is less of a temptation and I was super happy to have the fries, shake, and cheese curds.
Still, it’s a good thing it’s a two hour drive minimum in a town I rarely find reason to go to!
(Sorry to post this twice– the first time, it didn’t load and ended up in the wrong thread!)
I’m just going to list one today. I bought a cheaper shampoo for my daughters curly hair. It’s started to dry out and frizz. Before going back to the expensive stuff, I thought I’d try flaxseed gel. Looked up instructions and was told to get hair application bottles. Looked them up on amazon, but decided to combine 2 mustard bottles in the fridge, clean out the empty and use that instead. I’m such a crunchy mama.
My curly daughter combs coconut oil into her hair, once a week or so. It keeps her hair in good condition, and the consistency (at least in non-summer months) makes it easy to apply.
I have naturally curly hair, what I do is only shampoo every third day. The other two days I wet my hair like I’m going to shampoo without using any product. I find if I shampoo every day, it dries out my hair. Also, I don’t use a hairdryer and I don’t own a comb or brush. I just use my fingers because implements will make my hair really frizzy. One of my grand nieces has my hair and she’s the exact same way.
. Managed to score some free items from someone who was moving. A small patio set, a toaster oven, a pretty bent wood/cane chair, and a floor lamp. All things we had to give away last minute when we moved. The lamp needs a makeover, but already grabbed a new shade for 2.99 at goodwill , and will paint and prime it as well.
2. We did really well with meal prep this week. We did grab a snack at a food truck yesterday, and have lunch plans this afternoon, but after just moving we try to say “yes” to every social opportunity to make friends and meet new people. Being strict with the budget during the week allows more wiggle room on weekends!
3. Along with meal prepping , I’ve been sticking to a strict grocery budget. Attempting 60-75 a week. We’ve been getting coupons in the mail (10 off 50) , which I love because most items we purchase don’t have coupons from the newspaper/online. I also found the “clearance” nook at king soopers, which allows for some surprise goodies. This week I grabbed some small gatorades and coconut waters marked 25 cents each, a 1.99 bag of coffee, and 1.99 Hawaiian rolls for boyfriends lunch sandwiches.
4. Our vet recommended us switch are dog from the grain free food he was eating due to the link of heart disease. Scary, but now we can buy the (much cheaper) food from Petsmart/petco, and use coupons!
5. Hit a clothes mentor sale to stock up my posh closet before I start two new jobs, got a free flu shot and had 3 no spend/no drive days this week!
OUR dog** yikes.
Vacation FFT:
1. We had booked a multi-day hotel stay via Ibotta about 7 months ago when Ibotta was offering 8% back to book through them. I had to send multiple messages to Ibotta (complete with a copy of reservation confirmation). After MUCH back and forth, they credited me with $61.00 and change-more than what I was originally owed.
2. We are spending 2 weeks at our home timeshare in Marco Island, FL. Timeshares get a bad rap, but we bought ours resale for very little and have gotten much enjoyment from our visits here, as well as trades to Miami, Scotland, Orlando, Montana, NYC, Fort Lauderdale San Diego and San Francisco. My sister and BIL and niece were here, so we took turns making meals for each other. We also inherited their leftover crackers, bread, mayo, salad dressing and OJ, since they could only stay 1 week and we’re here for 2.
3. We are not doing pricey activities-being on the balcony and gazing at the Gulf or reading at the pool do wonders for my soul!
4. I complained about lack of Wifi on the flight to Florida and United gave my husband and me $50 each to use towards a future flight. We will be flying later this year, so the credit will come in handy.
5. Reading books on vacation that were sourced via Paperback Swap, So far, I have enjoyed the following: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, The Book of Polly, and Everywhere Brave is Forgiven. Loved them all. Now reading Paul Theroux’s Deep South.
1-I scored a large bag of the dog food that we use on our local buy nothing group. The previous pup did not find it agreeable. I paid it forward by posting the freezies in the flavours my kids don’t like.
2-Getting used to the app that our library switched too, and I appreciate the shorter wait times.
3-A friend gifted me some jeans he daughter no longer wears. I am too old (IMO) for the ripped denim look but still found 4 jeans/capris that fit. The rest is going into a clothing swap. My 2020 goal is to embrace thrifting and I plan to buy no new clothes.
4-I found a great set of pans on FB. Older son is getting ready to move out in the next year and has committed to outfitting his place second hand as much as possible. He is my frugal child. I happily spent the 10.00 knowing that they will be used (this is the kid who cooks).
5-Younger son wanted Subway for lunch and was paying the a Christmas gift card, but 1st he asked if had a coupon (I did). He is not my frugal child so this gives me hope.
I KNOW!!!!
We recently gave up meat entirely and the veggie burger is less of a temptation and I was super happy to have the fries, shake, and cheese curds.
Still, it’s a good thing it’s a two hour drive minimum in a town I rarely find reason to go to!
1. Took the leftovers from a bag of hand-me-down womens pants that had been passed among 4 sets of friends to Clothes Mentor and got $9 credit and a $5 off $25 coupon.
2. Been on the look-out for a good deal on running shoes, and found a like new pair of Mizunos in my size for $21. Used my credit and the coupon to get the shoes and a nice pair of shorts.
3. Sold some more hand-me-downs for $8 cash at the children’s resale shop. The rest of the bag will be passed onto a friend.
4. Today is a no-spend day. Staying home and getting started on our taxes, and hopefully a little house cleaning as well.
5. Picked up a shift at my work-when-I-feel-like-it part-time job tomorrow. Will pack my lunch, bring my refillable water bottle, and planning to take advantage of the small gym available for employees and get in a workout before and after work. Been running outside and treadmill will be a treat!
I have a few…..
1. We went to the in-laws to play cards and my sister in law & her family were there too & she made us all homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner, so i didn’t have to make any.
2. I had some wrinkled apples that i was going to give to our chickens, but instead made an apple cake out of them as the girls wanted something sweet for a snack.
3. Hubby bought some stain that he thought he wanted to use on re-staining his gun, but he found another type that will work better, so I returned it to the store for credit since he probably would just let it sit there.
4. One night our girls wanted to get ice cream for snack, so we went to Coldstone where they each had gift cards & used two different coupons for BOGO Free, so hubby & i both got treated to free ice cream courtesy of our girls!
5. I had a meeting one night and thought of grabbing dinner on the way there, but instead ate at home & saved my money.
6. Shopped at Dollar general and the awesome cashier there showed me how to use their app and their digital coupons, plus I used coupons of my own saving $20.51 off a $55 order.
I’m getting constant ads that only disappear for a few seconds when I click the x. It’s interfering with reading and posting. Is anyone else experiencing this? It’s only on this site.