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I sold a McCarty Pottery Studio vase through an auction on eBay for $86 and change. This should have been an impressive sale as I’d picked it up at Goodwill for a mere $3.99, however the winning bidder never paid. I went ahead and waited the four days that an eBay buyer is allowed to
jerk me arounddelay payment and then relisted it, this time for $125 as a “buy it now.”It sold in two days for $125 and they paid immediately!
Puts me in the mood to do some thrifting!
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I brought home a nice assemblage of items from random neighborhood free piles:
• A large still shrink wrapped faux-stone resin planter which I immediately filled with a fern from my scrappy parking strip. I’d been wanting some potted plants for my deeply shady backyard, so this was a perfect zero-dollar solution.
• A pair of outdoor cushions for the Adirondack chairs that my husband made a dozen or so years ago. My neighbor had invited me over for tea last week and I’d noticed how her padded chairs were infinitely more comfortable than my hard wood ones, so this was true kismet.
• A bizarrely nice antique end table that needed nothing more than a good cleaning and wipe down with some Restor-A-Finish. I am flush with fussy end tables, so this one went up for sale on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
• A paper bag full of random CDs that I let my son and his friend rummage through. The couple dozen that were left will stock my Little Free Library. -
I spent a good chunk of time last Sunday meal prepping a variety of different dishes for the week using what I happened to have in the fridge, freezer and pantry. I know that other people employ this practice as part of their normal routine, but boy-oh-boy was it a huge undertaking! (So many pots and pans to wash!)
However, it was fan-freaking-tastic to spend an entire week knowing that delicious dinners were at the ready and that I didn’t have to burn even a single brain cell wondering what to make for dinner! I do see that it would get progressively simpler over time were I to repeat and streamline the process, so I think I’m going to continue with this experiment.
Here’s what I made/prepped:
• Two and half pans of enchiladas. (1-1/2 went into the freezer)
• A big pot of black bean chili.
• Washed and chopped a ton of broccoli.
• Asian-style marinaded chicken thighs, which then became a chicken and veggie rice-noodle stir fry.
• A lasagna-style pasta bake, as I didn’t have any gluten-free lasagna noodles, but did have gluten-free penne.This may not seem like a huge amount of work, but since I took almost no short cuts (cooking black beans in the Instant Pot, making my own marinara sauce, etc) it was labor intensive. Luckily I had enough backlogged podcasts to keep my brain engaged.
I call this kind of endeavor “doing a favor for my future self.” Thank you, Katy!
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I’m rooting more stems from my father’s prayer plant, I used a fully stamped “frequent buyer card” to get five free loaves of bread from the Franz bakery outlet, (this card only need five stamps to fill up, which is easy since they double stamp on Tuesdays) I’ve been moving plants around my yard to freshen it up rather than buying anything new and I chose a new bundle of novels from my county library to read.
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I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 60 comments… read them below or add one }
1. It’s garage sale month in the town I live in. I scored 5 pieces of frankoma pottery for $5. Already sold one piece so I’ve made $.
2. At garage sale scored NWT pajamas $5 I’ll gift to my daughter in law for her birthday in August.
3. Scored new in box fitness and sleep monitor for $3
4. Treated to lunch on Saturday, dinner on Sunday and lunch on Monday
5. Culled closet only to discover 3 new with tag items don’t fit. I have several items for consignment store tomorrow
1. I cut the husband’s hair.
2. Husband cut my hair. Not as good as the salon, but I don’t have to drive there, listen to annoying music the entire time, and don’t have to make small talk.
3. Harvested the first two cukes out of the greenhouse. English cukes at the grocery are running $2 each. My transplant cost me $2.50 and I have used some water to keep it alive. So, my transplant has paid for itself now and the rest of the summer is profit. Plus they taste better…
4. Harvested scallions. Last time I costed it out, starting them from seed I ended up paying one cent a scallion. They have already paid for the seed packet and watering, so the rest of the summer is profit.
5. Filled out a state survey and made a $10 Amazon card for about 2 minutes of time.
I loathe salon small talk!
I hate the music and the small talk. I go to a silent salon where no one speaks English. I cut Bill’s at home–he’s the kind of guy who will ask if he has time to get a haircut Saturday at noon when we’re due at a wedding at 1:30. No, no, no.
1. Like Lindsey, I cut my husband’s hair. With electric trimmers it is quick and easy.
2. I stopped in Costco on my way home from running errands and just picked up the few items on my list. We love their gluten free pizza and I seem to do okay eating Organic Dave’s Killer bread.
3. We attended a free outdoor concert Sunday evening. They hold them all summer long.
4. I will loan our beach umbrella to a neighbor that is going away for the weekend.
5. I did not shop during Amazon’s Prime days. I avoid Amazon when possible and Prime makes it so easy to order just one little thing.
I love Dave’s Killer Bread!
Great job on selling the vase and on your Sunday meal prep. I do a Sunday cookfest for my lunches and my husband’s meals, and it is always worth the effort.
My Frugal Five: Found 4 pennies in a washer at work. Cleaned out the dorm kitchen at work and gleaned five bags of unexpired food for the food bank. Finally got around to sewing some new towels and face cloths out of cotton flannel — so nice! Washed and line dried a tablecloth and the bathroom curtains. The latter item is made from fabric bought at a neighbor’s yard sale. Earned $15 in gift cards through Fetch Rewards.
FFT
1. During Southwest Airlines’ sale last week I was able to get 14,000 points back in my account for our trip to Florida and $242 in our travel bank for the return trip
2. We took a trunkful of donations to Savers. My husband filled the carriage with books he will never read and I bought nothing for myself. Savers has become insanely expensive- at least in Massachusetts
3. Sold something on our local FB yard sale page – $5
4. Gave away plastic flower pots in our Buy Nothing FB group
4b. Gave away some Halloween ornaments in the same group.
5. Continue to make half caff cold brew in my French press
1. I’m using a free app to track calories and did exercises using no equipment, just ideas from Pinterest.
2. Today was a meatless day, bean and rice burrito bowls for lunch and then the leftovers for supper.
3. I’m trying to swap more fish for beef and chicken (fish is cheaper here).
4. I accepted a friend’s offer to make a skirt for my daughter. She used fabric I already had on hand.
5. Haven’t made any big purchases recently.
Do you have any posts on your advice for buying and reselling used items???
https://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/how-to-use-ebay-to-create-extra-cash-in-your-life/
I hope this helps!
1. DH found a penny and a nickel while hiking a section of the Appalachian Trail.
2. I went to the Salvation Army Store to check out their furniture section. I’m still looking for a chair to replace the one in my living room that finally fell apart. I didn’t see any chairs that interested me so I browsed the .99 clothing section. Quite a few of the pieces were very nice but I really didn’t need anything so left empty handed. I try to keep the difference between need and want in the forefront.
3. I bought a bag of potting soil at the pharmacy using a $4 earned point credit I had. I need to pot an ivy I received for Mothers Day from a friend that is still sitting in a small container of water. I will also use it to pot a spider plant baby for my grandson’s room.
4. A friend mentioned she had a bunch of office work clothes she didn’t need anymore due to her dieting and losing weight. She cautiously asked me if they were my size. YES! I told her I would happily take them and what I don’t want will be donated to my church’s thrift shop.
5. I recently finished reading a library book “The Babysitter”. True story about a serial killer on Cape Cod in the 1960s. Yikes! Our family was frequently there in the 60s. If you like true crime, it’s a good one. Next library book is “My Remarkable Journey” by Katherine Johnson, about her life including pioneering work as mathematician and a woman of color on NASA’s first space flights. I’m working at the library on Friday at the Friends of the Library book sale, my way of giving back a little for the enrichment and pleasure the library gives me.
Wow!! Great sale. I guess that was meant to be. You’ve got to love Ebay.
I’ll try to my best to list my frugal things but I feel like I’ve been bleeding money.
1. I’ve been thrifting and going to garage and estate sales. I’ve managed to pick up a lot of inventory for Ebay and I’ve been selling quite a lot. The struggle is getting it all listed. I’m trying to do a bit each day. My daughter helped me organize my Ebay storage and packaging materials so it doesn’t take up as much space which was a huge help.
2. I had used up all of my free bubble wrap, peanuts and packaging paper. I put out the word to friends that I was looking for packaging materials and small boxes. Some friends gave me a container full of smaller boxes, a huge box of packing peanuts and another box of bubble wrap. It helped them out too because they aren’t very mobile and they had been meaning to donate it to UPS so they were happy to have me come pick it all up. I also got a nice visit in while I was there and it felt nice to spend time with friends.
3. My daughter cut my hair and I cut both of my younger daughter’s hair. It turned out pretty good. I’m happy with our home haircuts which we started doing during the pandemic. I wish I’d tried it sooner. So many years of paid for haircuts. Ugh.
4. I picked up a nice pair of capri’s for $1 and a couple of nice bath towels also $1 …I’m in need of clothes and with three kids in the house now we needed a couple more bath towels and they can go with my daughter and her boyfriend when they move out. I also picked up some things for Ebay at the same garage sale. Their prices were fantastic.
5. My lawn tractor broke down. It’s about $500 – $600 to fix it, plus the cost of having it picked up for repair. The good news is it’s not as bad as I imagined. I hired someone to mow my lawn and he only charged me $50 which is great for such a huge lawn. My daughter needed a root canal…trauma from wearing braces for so long. It was $1050…the good news is it wasn’t as bad as I was imagining. My van which I’ve been storing in case my other car craps out was throwing a lot of warning lights. Apparently all the lovely mice that live in my fields decided to make a feast out of the wiring harnesses which are discontinued….. The good news is they only charged me for an hour of their time to tell me that I’m best off junking it and if that’s what I do than I guess I have one less car to repair.
Sorry, I guess I’m a little long winded today.
The same thing happened to the wiring harness on our ten year old Dodge Journey except it wasn’t mice, it just wore out. I was disappointed as I wanted to drive it longer but as in your experience the mechanic said we’d be better off junking it with the harnesses being discontinued.
I’m sorry that happened to you too. It just feels wrong to junk something that still runs. It blows my mind that they would discontinue something that obviously is still needed. I’ll never buy another Dodge that’s for sure.
You and me both. Never.
If anyone has trouble with rodents chewing up wires/cables under the hood of vehicles. You can put moth balls in old socks and place under the hood. It works. I was told by a mechanic that now days wire has soy in it and maybe the rodents are attracted to it.
Good to know! Sounds like an easy, frugal solution.
Thanks. We will be trying that.
1. Someone gave us a queen memory foam mattress via freecycle. I can hardly believe how much better I’m sleeping, how easy it is to be pleasant, and how I don’t fall asleep in the afternoon.
2. A couple of lightweights who’ve been sleeping on the ground were happy to get our old mattress.
3. We had been given some socks with cuffs too tight to be wearable. I cut the cuffs off, hemmed the edges, and now have bed socks to keep my toe nails from shortening the life of our bedsheets.
4. The handout with our CSA share suggested using the chard in lentil soup. I find most lentil soup too bland, so I used my chard in an Indian dal. Quite delicious.
5. Cut the Mister’s hair. And toenails. It’s getting hard to do my own, must find a friend who will trade doing one another’s. The Mister is not adept at this sort of thing.
6. Helping a friend clean out another friend’s house. She wanted to toss all opened food, but I brought five boxes home. Have freecycled two and will be opening “The American Museum of Odd Vinegars.” He had ten kinds of vinegar. We’ll offer vinegar flights in the museum cafeteria.
If you haven’t tried it, consider making a shrub with some of the vinegar. It’s a very old-fashioned, refreshing summer drink.
https://food52.com/blog/13831-how-to-make-shrubs-aka-drinking-vinegars-without-a-recipe
Mary, haha. But I’d come to your museum and indulge! I probably have 8 kinds of vinegar here and have to make myself turn away from “exciting-looking” vinegars at shops! The Mustard Museum in Wisconsin was pretty cool
A mustard museum? One of my other passions. I realize how out or it I am when people discuss wine or beer. No one is impressed by my wide knowledge of vinegar and mustard.
June is garage sale month where I live
1. Scored 5 pieces of frankoma pottery for $5. Already sold one piece.
2. Bought new with tag pjs for my daughter in law $5. I’ll give them to her for her birthday in August
3. Scored a exercise/sleep tracker new for $3
4. We were treated to lunch on Saturday, dinner on Sunday and lunch on Saturday.
5. Canceled subscription boxes (causebox, bark box, fit/fab/fun, hello fresh)
1.) used a $500 travel gift receipt from a flight 2 years ago (sometimes, if you sit in a spot no one wants, you get money from the airline).
2.) Not anything new, but I’ve been frequenting the library – having extra time to get back into reading. Also have been using their study rooms when I need to get out of the house.
3.) Fought the urge to buy a new swimsuit to swim laps. The one I have now works just fine.
4.) Starting the process of selling my car for a good price before I move to the city , where I’ll be dependent on public transportation.
5.) have been trying out lots of new recipes, but surprisingly have most of the ingredients at home. I’m experimenting with them, so that I can get better and quicker at making them.
Avery, what is bringing you to live in the city? Just curious
1. Free stuff: Husband has informed me that our local library has large selection of free books. He selected a couple for himself and I plan a visit soon.
2. DH also gifted neighbor several plastic pots for her plants – still have lots to get rid of!
3. Storing lots of equipment and clothes for son whose condo is undergoing complete remodeling due to leaking pipes from upstairs unit. Free to him. Hoping for it all to be finished soon and I can reclaim our back bedroom.
4. Free entertainment – large ‘weed’ bush along driveway is home to a family of sparrows located outside my porch window.
5. Expensive lifestyle is back. Gas bills are increasing. (price plus more driving) Socializing is up and running; wedding gifts, meals out and fundraising requests are back at a pre-pandemic pace. To counteract these pressures, I am also meal planning – made a vegetarian lasagna for tomorrow’s dinner to avoid last minute dash for fast food after a meeting. Used up cottage cheese and vegetables that soon will be in questionable condition for fresh eating.
1) 4 more days left until I leave my job of 21 years. No more health impacting stress, sleepless nights, dealing with office drama. No more $ spent on coping with my work week.
2) Husband had a quarterly meeting with his department head today and he got a raise.
3) Several recent doc appointment co-pays, but finally some good news and no more visits to the cardiologist! Tears of joy that day. Seriously though, stress can impact the body in very bizarre ways.
4) First meal at a restaurant since Feb 2020 and my friends picked up the tab.
5) More coins found, mostly dimes.
I left a very stressful job the end of January. Best thing I ever did! The years of frugal living we have embarked upon gave us a really solid foundation for living on one income. It also took us down to no car as I had a company car. We bike everywhere now. The old saying either have time or money. Well I have a lot more time to bike places. I’ve been building up a small side business and it’s growing. But the lack of stress from that job has been such a game changer. Congratulations in advance on taking this step. Making your mental health a priority is a wonderful gift
WTG both of you. My last toxic workplace job was 6 years ago. I took social security at 62 and never looked back.
You can’t put a price tag on your health.
I left my stressful job as a labor and delivery nurse two years ago without even a moment of regret. I still have nightmares about that place which cements how mentally healthy it was to step away from it.
I left my practice as an OB/GYN and noticed that the migraines, the chest pain, and the diarrhea all stopped. Nothing I could buy (except maybe groceries) makes life as joyful as sleeping 8 hours in a row most nights.
Katy, I am so happy for you that you remain content with that decision. I am a long time reader and a Katy Wolk-Stanley Superfan, wondering if the reselling gig is your “main job” now and you are officially retired from the traditional working world? Just curious…. hope I don’t sound too nosy! Thanks for all of your inspiring lifestyle tips.
My reselling has petered out lately, and I need to get back on the ball if I want to make more money. However, we’re able to live comfortably without this income, as our expenses are pretty low due to my non-consumerism. It’s more bonus money than anything.
I have zero regrets about leaving my labor and delivery nursing career as the stress of it all was killing me. And if I have get tempted to dip my toe back in, my frequent work nightmares can remind me of what I’m missing.
Tell me about stress, I retired 2 years ago, but go in on an on-call basis. But I am my mother’s sole caregiver – due to that stress, in Oct I had cardiac issues myocardial infarction) and extremely low blood pressure (72/55). Thank God no damage to the heart or arteries. I was told to start giving myself “me time” daily.
Debi, I had very similar health issues I completely understand. I got the all clear, no damage, call us if you need us good news! I gave my notice the day after MI was brought up. Since that day I now sleep every night all the way through for the first time in years and without the occasional Benedryl.
Thank you all for sharing your stories
We’re back from a decidedly unfrugal vacation, but still a few wins to report, now that we’re getting back into the swing of life:
1) Reviewed the hotel bill, found an inaccurate charge & had it corrected.
2) Bought lunch for the kids at Costco, when we gassed up the rental car for returning at the airport. Much cheaper than other options, both on the gas & lunch front.
3) Sold a few things on eBay when I unpaused my listings
4) Went through the kids board games, and found 8 to donate, and a few to see if they are worth selling. Listed the games on Buy Nothing yesterday, and they are already gone.
5) Used up a bunch from the garden: zucchini, Greek basil, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, jalapenos.
1. Took an impromptu daytrip to Duluth. Brought my own coffee and enjoyed using a restaurant gift card from friends. We splurged on ice cream and popcorn from the local vendor while waiting for ships to arrive/leave.
2. Opened a tube of defective sunscreen (gross, dried out texture). Company is sending replacement.
3. Found a successful use for the plastic glue that failed to repair our cracked washer door. This time I used it to plug up a leak in the outdoor watering hose.
4. Went to a “seconds” pottery sale at a local potter. Although I didn’t really need anything, I was happy to support him.
5. Received free tomato and pepper plants from my sister-in-law.
1. Had friends over for a luncheon. Worked on it being as frugal as possible with as many ingredients that I had on hand. So great to have a wonderful visit.
2. I have a room that I need to clean out. Friend from #1 took a print, a quilt and a pan for their college graduate who is moving into their own apartment.
3. I paid of my car loan
4. A friend is coming over to watch the baseball game on Saturday night. We are going to grill sausages and eat popcorn like we were at Fenway Park. Red Sox vs Yankees. GO SOX!!!! Cheap fun…..
5. Am working on refinancing my house while mortgage rates stay low. It’s such a pain in the neck. I know it will be worth it in the end though.
Congrats on paying off your car! What a wonderful thing to celebrate!
Thanks so much. It is a lovely relief!
Congratulations on paying off your car!!
Thanks so much. It feels so good.
1.Sent some clothes to ThredUP for the first time and some have sold.
2. My internet bill went up by $20 a month so I called and was able to get it lowered back to what I had been paying.
3. Called Moen to get free replacement parts for my kitchen sink and a friend gave me parts to replace the guts of my running toilet. Despite having the parts my plumbing bill was $500. I almost fell over! Hopefully I will eventually make up that money by not having leaking/running parts.
4. Scored some free strawberry plants on my Buy Nothing group.
5.Listed a bunch of things on Marketplace and Craigslist.
6.Started to price and put aside things for a yard sale. Question for the group – I’ve never had one before and was wondering if July 3rd would be a good time to have it or do you think the holiday weekend isn’t a good time?
I wondered how long it took for ThredUP to process your kit? I sent one to them in mid-April and it has not yet been processed. The current processing date is mid-July.
Bee, It took about two weeks after I mailed it for them to mark the kit “received”, then another three weeks before it was marked “processed.” They got it at the beginning of May and had it processed by the end of May. I’m waiting to see if the other pieces sell before I cash out.
Thank you for letting me know. They must not be using a first in first out inventory system. It is been nearly 3 months and my items have not been checked in.
I look for yard sales on holiday weekends, and there are fewer, which might bring more people to your yard. Advantage of the 3rd is that it is right after payday for many people.
I think the date doesn’t matter as much as having really good signs so people can find you easily.
Thanks Heidi. I never thought about the fact that the date was right after a payday. I do need to work on some signs.
I think where you are holding the yard sale matters on a holiday weekend too. We had two holiday weekend sales at my mother’s house on Cape Cod when she getting her house ready for sale. We chose the 3 day Labor Day weekend and the 3 day Columbus Day weekend(Massachusetts holiday) and the customers swarmed her yard. I believe the fact that the yard sales were in a resort area where many people travel to on their 3 day weekends definitely helped her pull in over $1000 each weekend. Best of luck with yours.
I’ve had many yard sales, and the weather seemed to be what determined how many came to the sale. Really hot and humid weather or rainy weather will bring hardly anyone. Nice temp and low humidity plus a typical day off (Saturday, Sunday) brought lots of people. Also, scheduling it at the same time as other sales or events near you helps.
1) Sold numerous clothing items on ebay.
2) I have a friend who I pay for mowing my large yard and snowplowing. Since I don’t want to snowplow (don’t have a truck and plow) and yard is 4 acres to mow, my friend and I bartered for my long drive to be plowed – gave him my 10 year old snowblower and a walk behind mower in exchange to plow this upcoming winter (charges $500 per season).
3) The ex-fiance had stolen my chainsaw 6 years ago, but he had forgotten 2 Milwaukee brad nailers – worth $350+. I may use this as a bartering for next summer’s mowing or sell.
4) I had a huge oak tree limb fall in a windstorm. Did not hit anyone and just missed the house.
My plow and mower guy heats with wood, so he cut up the limb for free in exchange for the wood.
5) A friend getting rid of bulk green beans, blackberries and 10 lbs of loose potatoes. I will be canning some beans and potatoes.
1. Canceled our home phone number, as my husband has finally gotten his own mobile phone. Home phone cost more than monthly cell service. This freed up an outlet where we like to charge our phones, so less competition for the good charging spot!
2. Replaced enormous entertainment center with a free one off Craigslist. I’m trying to sell the old one, but even if I give it away free, it gives us more space.
3. Worked at the food bank, and they gave us five boxes of spoiled food for the chickens (and some damaged meat for the dogs).
4. Going out today with my husband. We ate lunch at home first. We’ll be visiting the beach and walking, and fitting in a trip to the library for REAL books.
5. Went to a minor league baseball game. Ate a picnic dinner beforehand, and it was beautiful! Tickets were only $7 a piece where we sat, $20 each one row over, and much, much more for major league. Plus, it was bring your dog night, and we enjoyed meeting lots of nice dogs.
1. Instead of something grand, chose a small, nearby town for a very short runaway with my husband, first since Covid and much needed with 4 kids!
2.We stayed at a Airbnb, packed our own cooler for about half our meals, and supported local folks for the rest. We just walked around the town square, poked into thrift stores and visited the local sights on our own time. Watched Andy Griffith reruns at night and were very boring, which was wonderful!
3. I found several nice pieces of clothing that were on my “need it” list at the thrift stores and was reminded why I like to buy clothes secondhand – not being limited by the current fashion trends! Trying to find a pair of dark wash bootcut jeans without distressing? Fuggetaboutit. But I could get lots of ones with holes the size of my arm and built-in booty lift in the new stores.
4. Found 8 new cans of Illy brand coffee for my dad’s birthday, $1 each.
5. Bought about 25 skeins of beautiful, quality yarn @ 25 cents each, all different weights and colors for making hats and baby booties for our local mission and crisis pregnancy center. For anyone else out there with an abundance of acrylic yarn (like Red Heart) that’s not as soft as you’d like, I’ve found after researching it that washing the finished product (like a crocheted hat) with fabric softener and then running it in the dryer with a dryer sheet will make it MUCH, MUCH softer. Of course use gentle cycles and cold water so colors don’t run and use your best judgment on combining darks and lights. I found it turns itchy yarn soft and comfortable, and I love being able to rescue otherwise unusable skeins.
1. Was my daughter’s 43rd birthday last weekend. She needed nothing, but wanted to eat in a restaurant, so she had a free birthday lunch at Red Robin, I paid for my meal, and drinks. Very reasonable, and we enjoyed our time out together.
2. Still going to the food bank every other week for milk, fruits and veggies.. They have had an excess, and I have saved so much, makes my grocery budget smile.
3. Just admit I hit up Amazon prime day. I signed up for 4 free months of kindle unlimited, and have it marked on my calendar to cancel a week before. Our library in our little town is still by appointment only, and I dislike making plans ahead.
4. We are in the beginning of an extreme heat wave, so went out and picked everything in the garden that is ready. Snow peas and broccoli for stir fry this weekend. Some raspberries, last of the asparagus, and cut all my spinach down low. Fed the spinach to the goat, and my 6 sheep as a treat.
5. Taking last year’s frozen veggies out to the hens for treats .veggie popsicle kind of.
Forecast is 108 on Sunday. Lord let us in the pnw, live through it.
Yesterday afternoon my hubs went to Walgreen’s and got my prescription as well as 3 twelve packs of my soda. Diet A&W Root Beer for $12.00. Price is great seeing as it is usually going now for $6.00 for a 12 pack. We got that for free as hubs used my Walgreen’s points to pay for it.
Sent my sister a free Hallmark card after she had her Mohs surgery. Squamous Cell skin cancer but fortunately the doctor was able to get clear margins with one thin piece off her head. Her sparkling staples looked pretty. She has silver white hair and a very pink scalp.
Hubs repaired two automobile fobs for daughter. He had a battery for one and gently ease the fob open. The he got another battery and put together her second key. I helped by lending my trusty old metal nail file to make it easier to open the fob cases. I think massive amount of cash were saved as it’s expensive to get a new fob at the car dealership.
My wrench showed up on my car’s dashboard which means it needs maintenance and I know I need an oil change. Used to be you could walk right in but now they are saying you have to make an appointment now, due to covid.
Back to bed for now.
Unfrugal is that dh and I went on vacation to Savannah for our 25th anniversary. I tried to keep it frugal while also doing things we have never done because it was way too expensive to pay for 6 (us + kids) on previous trips.
1. Used hotel points for 1 hotel night.
2. Brought a case of bottled water to avoid buying water.
3. Stayed right downtown until the rates jacked up for the weekend and then headed home a day early. This also helped break up the drive.
4. Picked a massive amount of peas from my garden before we left and a small bowl full when we got back. I pulled the peas today and will replant for a fall crop of something. I have so many tomatoes growing. I am trying not to get my hopes up though as the animals love to steal them.
5. Made homemade frappuccinos for an afternoon treat with the coffee remains from this morning, chocolate ice cream bought on sale and milk that expires today. Dh washed his car, mowed the grass, and I weeded. Also munched on black raspberries growing wild in our yard. When we tackle household jobs ourselves we save money!
I went to my work conference at the beach, which is paid for including lodging. I was free every evenings after CLE, so swam and took beach walks. I would never pay for a hotel or condo at beach bc they are outrageously expensive, so I really enjoyed this. Took youngest and he cooked for me
1. With things reopening I am taking advantage of all the gift cards that have languished in my bedroom for the past year and a half. Up first was a trip up the Empire State Building for a touristy afternoon, then a haircut at a local salon, courtesy of gift cards from family.
2. Breakfasts, lunches and coffees continue to be all at home, in particular in service to having the opportunities to eat and drink with friends again. While going out is rarely a frugal experience, being able to do so in-budget has been an absolute joy.
3. I’m a bridesmaid in a wedding next month and the shoe request was nude sandals. Given that my dress is floor length before adding heels, I asked if a pair I already owned were dressy enough or if the bride had something else in mind. She was happy with the shoes I already owned–and we picked out a pair of earrings to go with the dress from my existing collection. Very thrilled to not be buying anything new for this and to avoid purchasing things I won’t wear again!
4. I’m down a pants size (hooray!) and that means my clothes from last summer fit well again. I celebrated by buying a new pair of shorts off poshmark at a deep discount to round out the clothes I already own.
5. Keeping the AC as low as is tolerable and all the lights off to reduce our strain on the power grid during this heat wave. Grateful for this well-insulated and all-tile apartment that stays pretty cool even on hot days.
I will need to work really hard for five, but here we go…
1. Our daycare is closed the week after 4th of July, so I was struggling to find childcare. My adult nieces are going to drive 3 hours to help me out. I do plan on paying them, but its still cheaper than the cost of daycare.
2. Looking around my house I found a few toys (one LARGE doll house and one small one) that my daughter was not playing with. I posted them to our buy-nothing site and within minutes people claimed them. I like getting this stuff out of the house.
3. I’ve also claimed a few items on the buy nothing site…like two new pairs of earrings. I needed a few new things to change up my work jewelry.
4. Resisting the urge to spend $. We are scraping the bottom of the barrel this week and I’ve had to tell myself “No” to many items. Its funny how my mind has changed. I used to “just put it on the credit card” and now I don’t even remember I have a credit card!
5. Taught my children a lesson about tax. My hubby promised them a few dollars each for the pool snack stand. Here we are charged tax on “made” food, so they had to understand that their total would be $2.12 not $2…boy that didn’t go over well.
Jenelle, your #5 made me laugh and I even read it out loud to my husband. Reminded me of our niece’s reaction to taxes being taken out of her first paycheck as a teenager. She was so miffed.