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I Sold a number of random things on eBay, including:
• A Penguin Soda Stream machine that I picked up for $14.99 and sold for $110.
• A fireplace remote control that I bought for $3.99 and sold for $40.
• A vintage wool coat that I bought for $14.99 and sold for $125
• Some vintage Revere Ware pots and pans. Here and Here.
• A Laika Animation studio hoodie. I paid $6.99 and sold it for $39.
• A few more Halloween costumes, including Buzz Lightyear, Assassin’s Creed a Scream movie parody mask and a Star Trek dress.
• A Girl Scouts patch that I found in a Goodwill Outlet parking lot and then sold for $4.
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My post-graduate son is living at home as he gets his adult life off the ground. However, his bedroom doesn’t match his status as a 23-year-old man. Specifically, his twin trundle bed — which was perfect for middle school sleepovers, but not his current adult body. Keep in mind that his room is teeny, so the only option was to upgrade to a full/double bed, as a queen would dominate the space.
Normally I don’t buy anything new, but “mattresses” are on my exception list. I do my best to support locally owned businesses though, so we drove over to N.E. Portland’s Mattress Lot, (not sponsored) where my son proceeded to lay across a dozen or so beds before deciding on a $400 traditional inner-spring mattress.
I’d put up a request for a full-size bed through my Buy Nothing Group, and got a offer for a free Ikea frame pretty quickly. A single wood support piece did need a repair, but my husband worked his magic with glue, dowels and pocket screws.
My son gave the bed a rave reviews for his first night’s sleep, so all that’s left is to offer up his old bed on the Buy Nothing Group.
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I needed a new pair of comfortable warm slippers and my research led me to LL Bean’s $79 Wicked Good Moccasins. I began searching on eBay and found a like-new pair in my size for just $20 plus $9.99 shipping. However, this specific pair had a small tear in the suede. But you and I both know that I’m fearless when it comes to mending. Literally fifteen minutes of work fixed the slippers and I’m now cozy as can be!
Click HERE to see the before and after.
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I picked up some free bubble wrap and flexible styrofoam sheets from a nearby store for my eBay sales, I’ve been continuing to cook 100% from scratch since returning from NYC, my son picked up some free McNuggets as our NBA team scored over 100 points, my mother brought over some books for my Little Free Library, I fell down a Frugal Fit Mom YouTube rabbit hole and have been picking up a few food items from Dollar Tree, (corn tortillas, frozen peppers, ginger snaps, dry beans, seasoned salt) and my friend Lise and I have been socializing by pairing our dull errands as our rainy Oregon weather doesn’t lend itself well to nice long walks.
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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 }
Such fun to read about your sales!
I have only tiny moves here. Bought a half-dozen eggs instead of a dozen, thus saving three cents. We use few eggs, and they last a LONG time in the refrigerator, like several weeks.
Picked nasturtiums that got knocked over by heavy rain.
Meeting with financial advisor tomorrow and will start researching long-term care insurance for husband and self. Not something I really want to think about, yet it is likely we will need it in the next 20-30 years for at least one of us.
Put Halloween napkins in the napkin holder for decoration. If I see paper napkins I like at yard sales, often a quarter a pack, I will buy them and pretend I am decorating my home.
Put away sandals and pulled out proper shoes to wear with socks for the next several months, as well as long-sleeved t-shirts.
I got a chuckle out of your “pretend I’m decorating”, Heidi, thanks!
I remember when you had to finally retire your other slippers, so great deal on getting the cozy L.L. Bean pair. And that is a great price on a mattress!
My Five Frugal Things:
1. Decluttered the sewing closet, which had become a catch-all, so I can actually get at my sewing things and, you know, sew. Which saves us a lot of money. My son claimed a sheet of egg crate foam from the closet to make his aging mattress more comfortable too, so that was money he didn’t have to spend.
2. Had some foodstuffs that needed to be used up. Turned three very ripe bananas into banana-bran muffins. Put the last of some strawberries and grapes and the last of some yogurt together to make parfaits for my lunches.
3. Our local grocery store just finished a big remodeling and celebrated with putting lots of pantry goods on a screaming good sale. I stocked up like any smart frugal person would.
4. Enjoying some super-cheap music CDs from Goodwill. A whole stack of them costs what one album does new.
5. My spider plant made lots of baby spider plants this summer. These make wonderful gifts when potted in cheap or free terra cotta pots.
1. Found a dime
2. Picked the last of the green beans from the garden & when we weren’t eating them fast enough, blanched and froze them to add to soup.
3. Made several Etsy sales and thrifted several more items to list.
4. Instead of buying a fresh pumpkin, I put my Goodwill fake pumpkins out on the porch for another year.
5. The car really really needed a good cleaning. I usually do that by bringing the vacuum outside and doing it myself. That leaves me with aches and pains as well as dissatisfaction with the result. I called to see what a professional clean would cost. When they heard about the hair from both a long haired and a short haired dog, they quoted $200 for a 1 1/2 hr clean. Husband and I took the car to a car wash and spent $5 on their vac. Then I used a lint roller on the mats before washing them with the hose. Still not perfect, but the best result I have ever gotten .
Katy, what did you use to polish the Revere Ware? I don’t usually get mine quite so shiny.
1. Made an incredibly yummy chicken chile verde with tomatillos given to us by neighbors and my homegrown garlic and herbs. Did have to buy chilies and chicken.
2. Received a cute embroidery kit from someone in my Buy Nothing group. She even offered to deliver!
3. Had a great video call with cousins in the UK via zoom.
4. Added another patch to my favorite (only) jeans. I love visible mending.
5. Reading, reading, reading. Lately everything has been e-books, borrowed from the library and downloaded to my Kindle.
I too love visible mending. I recently patched the booty of my beloved (and only pair) of jeans.
I’ve used ketchup successfully on my revere pans. I just slather it on and let it sit for a bit. If it’s really bad, might need two applications.
Not Katy, but I cleaned up my 1989 Revere Ware a few months ago with Barkeeper’s Friend on the stainless steel and a combo of white vinegar, a lemon half and salt on the copper. Gave it a good wash with Dawn dishwashing liquid and hot water when I was finished scouring and it looked lovely.
We have mineral rich water and doing things like boiling water for pasta or to cook hotdogs leaves a white mineral line in the Revere pots that I have to scrub out periodically. Can’t beat Barkeeper’s Friend for that.
Bar Keeper’s friend is a copper cleaner, and works a dream on Revere Ware!
I am ashamed to say that the copper bottoms of my pots were particularly gross and needed the extra oomph of some acid and salt. They may not have been shined since 1989!
I’ve used extended vinegar soaks to get mineral deposits off glass baking dishes. I have a jug of vinegar reserved for that use, and re-use it, pouring the vin thru a filter when I pour it back into the jug to extend its life.
But I second, third, fourth the magic of Bar Keeper’s Friend when I don’t want to wait!
Bar Keeper’s Friend, baby! I buy the powdered one as the liquid comes in plastic, which I try to avoid.
Thanks!
You’ve done really well selling Halloween costumes, Katy. Good for you!
1. DH found a dime and I found two pennies. Still under $2 for 2021 but it’s fun to see how much we find while on our walks and in parking lots.
2. I called my dentist office and spoke to a very nice, very polite young man about being double charged for one of DH’s appointments. We went back and forth a couple of times but he finally was able to understand the double charge and corrected it.
3. I sold a boat a neighbor was going to throw into his dumpster. We had originally planned on using it but soon realized without a motor to run it and a trailer to haul it, it was going to sit in the backyard. I sold it on FB Marketplace for $300. The money was split up evenly and went directly into three savings accounts: Emergency, Christmas & Birthdays and regular savings.
4. I spoke with my financial guy about moving $$$ from an underperforming investment account to a better performing one.
5. We’re batching errands to save on gas for the car. I keep the cruise control set at 64 on the highway to conserve gas. We still share a car…not too hard as we are both retired and even when we worked it was at the same place, same hours. The house is cooling down but the thermostat is set at 60 and I have heard the boiler go on only once. I finished my jigsaw puzzle from the library and I have a book on hold there to pick up when I return the puzzle. We’re eating all meals at home since we have drastically cut back on our carb consumption. DH’s blood sugar has been elevated recently and I’m joining in with him for moral support and the possibility of losing some weight (We both have lost {some}…yay!). I painted some rocks for Halloween and hid them on a nearby trail. Hope some kids find them, although adults seem to find joy in finding them too.
1) Went to an area close out store and found an 8-pack of LaCroix pamplemousse (2nd favorite flavor behind coconut) for 25 cents. And 3 bottles of Pellegrino for 25 cents each for my husband.
2) Another close out store, packets of sustainably wild caught (and all the other emblems from wildlife resource management certifications) salmon for $1 each (exp Nov 2022). Currently $5.99 a pouch at Sprouts, I bought the box as I am on a salad kick and these are great to add in.
3) 2 more free loaves of fresh baked sourdough from my work.
4) Loads of pesto from the basil plant (shrub!) in the garden we had to cut before the first frost. I had been in favor of walnuts, but my husband insists on pine nuts. He caved and we made a batch with bulk bin walnuts ($1 vs. a pack of pine nuts for $5.99) and he can’t taste the difference.
5) Despite my new-ish a job in a bakery, I’m back to my pre-pandemic size. I was up 2 sizes after the stress of broth my husband and I working in healthcare last year. Trip to the Goodwill and I found the most perfect pair of pants. The length! The cut! The wide, roomy legs! I have another pair of hemp Patagonia pants (also a GW find) which is was able to do a slap dash cinching at the waist with a needle and thread and they fit well.
Pepitas are also really good in pesto and are much more reasonably priced than pine nuts. My husband can’t tell the difference with them either.
Thank you for the tip Alysen. I’m originally from CA and with water being a vanishing resource, I’m not always keen on walnuts so I appreciate the suggestion.
I am working 2-3 days a week as a substitute teacher. Sometimes four days. We are so short-staffed, I’ve been picking up extra classes as well. This makes me tired, and I have to work harder to stay frugal. Especially since I now “deserve” to get pizza when I’m tired, and I can afford it with the extra income. Still, I’d rather have the money then the pizza!
1. Mended my old wool hiking socks again. I’ve asked for new wool hiking socks for Christmas, but the mends will get me through until then.
2. Making Katy’s red lentil soup for dinner tonight, and fresh bread. We’re getting rain down here, which is unusual and lovely.
3. Spending quiet time in class knitting socks for my dad for Christmas, and using a used notebook to write my book in. I need to write longhand, and I’ll edit online.
4. Still managing to hang dry laundry, despite the schedule!
5. Gave away a twin bed and an entertainment center on Craigslist. They didn’t sell for money, but now we can park in our garage again (especially in the rain!).
Bonus: We rescued three chickens from the local egg ranch. They were no longer productive enough, and were no longer going to be maintained. Since we’d been talking about increasing our flock, we grabbed these girls for the same price as chicks. In a week and a half they’ve given us two eggs, which isn’t great. So we’re economizing on eggs right now.
BTW, Katy, what’s your son studying in grad school? We’re working on college apps here (a group project, with editing), so college is endlessly fascinating to me.
He’s not in grad school. He just graduated with his bachelor’s and and figuring things out.
Best of luck to him! This has to be a hard time to be transitioning.
He’s a hard worker and should land on his feet. He just had a promising job interview this morning, so we’re crossing our fingers!
1. The catalytic converter was stolen from our 2005 Prius. The Mister said we should just buy a new used car. After checking prices he/we opted for a used converter and a shield meant to prevent another theft. $900. Less than a used car.
2. I started a knitting project in 2016 that went off the rails about 2/3 done (2017). The pain had faded enough that I was able to rip it out. I started over—using the same (already paid for) pattern and yarn and what I had learned from my mistakes.
3. The project is from a knit designer I love, but each pattern is about $6. I suggested that a book of her patterns would be the perfect Christmas/birthday gift this year. I have reason to believe it’s on the way.
4. One of our best holiday exchanges was the year we each got to retire one garment we hated from the other’s wardrobe. It helps that we have differing yet awful taste in clothes.
5. We rented a house at the shore with friends for a lovely week. We (I) prepared most meals on site. I jarred the spices for six separate meals, so I didn’t have to bring much with besides what we ate.
6. Our repaired 2005 Prius got 54 mpg on the trip to and from the shore.
7. Biggest hit—we are all four enamored of Tana French’s mysteries. Last year there was a kerfuffle as three people traded one book back and forth. So I checked out two copies of each of three of her mysteries. Large type can be checked out for nine weeks.
I am stealing the idea of retiring one garmet we hate from each other’s wardrobe!!!
Did your insurance not cover the theft? Ours was stolen last summer and our insurance covered both the replacement and the anti-theft cover.
If one has only liability insurance (like us) then catalytic converter theft is usually not covered. They are so expensive to replace; good suggestion to buy one used, but hopefully not stolen from someone else’s car. We park on the street in NE Portland so it probably is just a matter of time before it’s stolen, sadly.
Our car is so old that we only have liability insurance. We wish we had bought the shield that our mechanic installed before the converter was stolen. Bill did check to see if our homeowner’s policy covered the theft. No.
Nice job on the Halloween costumes!
1. On earning money – Found a dime! Reluctantly my dh and I both worked the Michael Buble concert. This would not have been worth it, except it was the same night as a professional football game. Therefore the group shares profits and we were guaranteed $150 – more if sales are high enough. $300 minimum for easy work at a boring concert.
2. While we were at the concert we had a tornado come through our town and more specifically my neighborhood. Seemed to skip around and there is lots of damage around, but our house was spared – thank goodness as my dd and dog were home alone hiding in the basement. Nothing to do with our efforts, but definitely frugal to not get hit by a tornado.
3. Processed a pie pumpkin that cost $1.49. Roasted the seeds, pureed the pulp. Got enough for 2 batches of muffins and 2 ice cube trays of puree to add to batters and smoothies.
4. On the shopping ahead for the holidays front – I bought 2 sets of PJs for my mom and MIL for Christmas at Costco. Of course they are now on sale for $4 cheaper. I will stop in next time I get gas and get my $8 refund.
5. I put together a fun fall care package for my dd and her roommate. I gave it to them when they were home with it labeled to open this week. Saved $12 in shipping.
What did you do with your son trundle bed?
I put it up for offer on my Buy Nothing Group and a man came and picked it up this afternoon!
1. My Ebay sales are going strong in the last quarter of the year. I’ve been selling lots of odds and ends including some beautiful vintage Christmas ornaments. There’s always a few things that I would love to keep for myself but I’m selling them because I’d rather have the cash.
2. I’ve found some things for my daughter and her fiance at estate sales for their new 140 year old house they’ve bought – a nice ladder, painting supplies…
3. I’m helping my daughter and fiance paint their new house, pull up the nasty old dog pee soaked carpet and padding and pull staples and tack strips from the floor. We’ve put it all in bags and they are slowly adding it to their garbage can instead of paying to take it to the dump. Frugal for them. They bought me dinner to thank me for all my help.
4. I finally turned the heat on because it’s becoming unbearable but the furnace doesn’t run much since it’s still set pretty low. I’m wearing my warmest fleece pj’s (while I’m home) and using the nice Pendleton wool blanket my oldest daughter and her husband bought me for Christmas.
5. I’m walking with a friend for free exercise and mental health as having a good friend to talk to is great therapy. I called the dentist about the bill they sent me and gave them my daughter’s insurance info for billing.
Pulling staples and tack strips is a heroic assistance!
I’ll be honest..I kind of think they should make a medal for parents who will do anything to help their kids get ahead including sitting on a dirty hard floor that reeks of dog pee and twisted into uncomfortable positions trying to pull staples.
Is that medal redeemable for a shower and a massage?
I like how you think! (Which, of course, is why I’m here.) 🙂
Frugal Fall
1. $70 from consignment sales
2. Hello Fresh made errors on 2 of my orders. So I am getting 2 weeks of meals free
3. Mailed a birthday card/gift from my stash
4. Reviewed health care coverage (Medicare) and will be going to a Medicare Advantage plan next year. Big $$ savings
5. Packing breakfast/lunch the 2 days I work.
I have a few minor things to report….
1. We have been gifted a dozen eggs 2 different times by hubby’s co-worker
2. I’ve tried to be more intentional in using coupons at store or on takeout. Lately I’ve saved $14
3. My daughter and I ran to Walmart for a few items one night and noticed that all their pumpkins (any size) were all marked down to $1 each, so I picked up 5 and she got 3. Saved at least $2.88 on each. When we are done with them, we will cut them apart and put in the woods for the deer to eat. The seeds especially are good for them as they’re a natural dewormer.
4. Still trying to play the game of how long can we wait before turning the heat on in our house. The last time I paid attention has been since 10/19/21.
5. We went to a party and a friend sent us home with a package of hamburger buns that we turned into mini pizzas for a snack.
6. Our neighborhood is having a Halloween parade on Halloween afternoon and I checked at goodwill for costume supplies.
7. A local farm that I buy produce at has closed its doors for this season but posted online that they had some bins of pie pumpkins and squash for the taking for free so as not to waste. I stopped yesterday and got a whole bag of acorn squash to cook and freeze for baking and to also share with family.
Yum, I love acorn squash!
Katy and all – it is great to read about everyone again. Thank you for making this community possible!
1) Buying chicken on sale and using beef broth from home for our venerable girl who is approaching the rainbow bridge for good dogs. I’m considering her to be on “dog hospice” and whatever we can do for her quality of life right now is meaningful.
2) Preparing our short term rental condo for longer term renters. Regular income is great and these are lovely people to have as neighbors for a while. Also a huge win for me to not have to clean it multiple times a month.
3) In prep for #2, I winnowed the dishes, linens, furniture and other flotsam and jetsam of the condo, culminating in a giant free pile on a recent sunny day. Most of it went. The remainder goes to local branch of national thrift store today. We are not paying to store stuff we no longer need and someone else can use it!
4) Combined all the leftover toiletries from condo that couldn’t be given away into my famous “toilet freshener”. I use odds and ends of liquid soap and shampoo to “swish and swipe” as FlyLady says. Rooms smells better, toilet is cleaner and soap is soap is soap. (And I disinfect weekly 🙂
5) Used Staples Rewards for a birthday gift for DS of new colored pens and drawing pad. Still have more ink to recycle from lock down!
I think all animals go to the Rainbow Bridge. Most did not get to pick their humans nor choose the life they lived. Thank you for being a responsible pet owner.
Selena, Thank you for your note. She let us know that it was time to go on Thursday and she died peacefully (it seemed to us) in her bed in the back of our car in the sunshine of our vet’s yard within moments of the injection. She was an unending source of love and we were blessed to have her. And I think you are right about all animals and the Rainbow Bridge…
My heartfelt condolences on the loss of your beloved dog. And agree, every bit of special care at end-of-life is so very well deserved. Dogs bring an incredible amount of love into their owners’ lives; we as flawed humans can’t remotely approach their steadfast loyalty & devotion.
I’ve done all the usual stuff of reuse and repurpose but this week the most frugal thing I have done is list 23 items for sale on eBay or FB Marketplace. I have had them sitting in the corner of the living room for about six months, as I loathe the process of listing. I finally told myself I got nothing to eat that day unless I got everything listed…I did not eat until 8 pm. But I have already sold four items.
1. I was not paying attending backing car up and I brushed along a telephone pole, whereby my bumper cover unhinged. It was going to be several hundred dollars to replace at the Subaru dealer, but my local mechanic bolted it on. It is not a pretty fix, but I’m driving this baby into the ground (150,000 miles thus far) and it was $25 so I’ll take this as a frugal win for a stupid mistake.
2. No heat ’til trick or treat! And, the cats are much more loving.
3. A random cat has been letting himself into our house as he has decided that we are his local soup kitchen! And boy, does he eat. We finally found the home that he belongs to (he is supposed to be an indoor cat) and were able to trap him saving a potential huge amount in cat food. His human gave us a big bag of food against our protests.
4. Our freezer is packed, so really just shopping the loss leaders right now.
5. Packed a lunch to have on our outing (with our park pass) to avoid eating the $38 box of fried clams. Promptly forgot cooler at home. Waited until we got back home for a late lunch. #hungeristhebestsauce
I absolutely love number three. Those furballs are wiley little guys, aren’t they? We own two cats, both of whom volunteered to live with us and charge their meals to us. One of them was loving from the first day he came to live here, but the other one has been chowing down here for close to two years and still won’t let us pet her. We think our address is passed around the cat community.
1. A long time friend invited me to bring my lunch to her house. She ate her leftovers and I ate mine. We had a nice visit while she watched a preschooler for a friend of hers.
2. The weather has cooled so I’ve dug my cold weather clothes out of storage. At the beginning of the season they’re a nice change. I don’t have an extensive wardrobe and I spend very little time and money on clothes. I do however buy shoes that are comfortable, my old “Irish clodhoppers” need that.
3. I walked everywhere i went today. On a walk for exercise early this morning with my husband, to/ from a yoga class, to/from the grocery store to buy on sale yogurt (on sale, a promotion to save even more when you spend a certain amount, ab there were a couple coupons attached to some it of), and to/from my friend’s house.
4. I needed to make a baked good for an event. I made oatmeal raisin cookies since I had all the ingredients and the raisins needed to be used soon. I froze them since I don’t need them until the weekend. Since I had the oven on I also made two pans of GF corn bread. We had some for dinner and I’ll freeze the rest for future meals.
5. I continue to read and listen to digital books borrowed from the library. We borrow TV series on DVD as well as stream from hoopla for some of our at home evening entertainment.
The leftovers date is amazing!
I love Frugal Fit mom! There’s also a Frugal Fit dad Youtube channel, her husband. Different topics, same energy.
My 5 frugal :
– Going on a Pantry challenge all November. Will only buy fresh produces, eggs, dairy and bread the whole month. The rest will be pantry/freezers/fridge stuff.
– Brother in law will replace my car brakes. I only have to pay the parts. Will offer him a gift card as a thank-you
– Daughter wanted a chair for her bedroom. The one she had her eyes on is 40$tx at Walmart. Went to Value Village and found a similar one for 10$. Just needs a wash and a bit of repairs and it will be good to go! Was also looking for a lunch box. Cheap new ones go for 10$ and good ones for 30$+. I found a good (new) one for 3$!
– While shopping for a Panini grill for a Christmas gift, I had the urge to get one for myself. But it’s bulky and costly, so I passed. What did I find at Value Village yesterday? A one-serving panini grill for 7$! It’s in my lunch box today, ready to be used 🙂
– While shopping for a new matress for the guest room, we stopped at the big comfy recliners and couch and I kind of fell in love with a set. A 3000$ set….. I seriously considered it for a little while, sat on it, took mesurements… then went home to sleep on it. The day after, the urge was gone. I already have the furniture I need. Not new and not as comfy, but paid for and good enought.
My husband recently lost his job, and although he will receive a few months severance, I definitely entered panic mode. The rising costs of things definitely has increased the anxiety around being a one income household.
1. Sold a designer sweater I thrifted for a nice 60 dollar profit. Also sold some nail polishes that were gifted to me that are just not for me.
2. put together about 15-20 articles of clothing that have been (mostly) thrifted to take to a consignment shop. I need to steam and look over each piece, but hope to make 300-500 dollars.
3. decided to forgo Halloween festivities with the exception of trick or treat. No costumes or decorations, just candy. My therapist self reassures me that there will be some sensory kiddos who appreciate a “normal” looking house with costumeless faces on a night that can otherwise be terrifying and overwhelming.
4. Created a few new recourses for boom learning and sold a few games this week. Hoping to progressively grow this into a larger income stream.
5. Made my own veggie stock for the first time with scraps I had frozen over course of months. I’m actually quite impressed! it’s flavorful and something we buy often in fall and winter. I only wish I was able to compost the scraps afterwards for even more wastelessness!
So sorry to hear about your husband’s job.
Sorry to hear about the job loss can you really make 300 in selling 15 pieces of cloths?
I have never commented on here before but love reading what everyone else has to say. My husband has COPD and is on oxygen as needed. His great lung dr today gave us 2 free samples of his inhaler. These are $175 apiece as he’s in the “doughnut hole”. Later we went to Walmart to get a prescription and were able to get our covid booster shots. On the way out, I found a penny.
I love medication samples!
1. Bought all Halloween candy on sale.
2. Haven’t purchased anything in about a week
3. Didn’t drive my car for 4 days and saved some gas
4. Scraped the inside of my body lotion bottle to get the most out of it. I did the same with a mayo squeeze bottle.
5. We’ve been having a Nor’easter here so lots of branches down. I may seem like the crazy neighbor, but I have been picking up a bunch to use for kindling.
“Warm crazy lady” is more like it!
We had a long weekend away while my parents stayed with the kids for our anniversary. It was overall not frugal at all, but the time together was priceless. We had a few frugal wins along the way:
1) Stocked the freezer with easy to bake cookies for my dad (a snacker) & made a loaf of zucchini/chocolate chip bread
2) Made dinner on Sunday night, after we got home from the airport. Bonus, the dinner used a lot of ingredients I had on hand, and I substituted some of our garden jalapenos for the can of chiles the recipe called for.
3) Picked our first pomegranates from our tree! We planted it when we moved into our house, and this is the first year we’ve had any fruit. We all love pomegranate, so this is an awesome win. Also, it’s quite pricey, so the ROI on this one is very substantial.
4) Received my bi annual performance review at work, and got strong marks. This means a bigger bonus, salary & equity. It’s worth all of my smaller frugal wins throughout the year, although I enjoy the small stuff, and it helps keep me focused on the bigger things as well.
5) Went to the office (first time since COVID) to do a few things, & got free lunch & donuts to take home. I’m not a donut person, so shared them with my parents & the kids.
I really love receiving free things that I can give to someone to enjoy. 🙂 I bring home treats from work and freeze them for my husband, who is always happily surprised.
Glad to see you posting again, Katy! Hope you had a wonderful time in NYC.
1. I have been obsessing over a top I saw on Nordstrom Rack’s website but I could not justify buying even at their discounted price. With some patience, I found someone had listed the one I wanted on Poshmark for half price. Very excited for it to arrive to spruce up my zoom calls!
2. I feel like everyone is diving head first into fall this year, which I love, so last time I visited my family I popped over to the local cider mill for some tiny pumpkins and gourds to decorate. They’re so cute and I love that I can compost them once they get tired. Bonus points for supporting local!
3. We have been in COVID quarantine after an exposure. All meals cooked at home except for two takeout nights (one was my fiance’s birthday, stuck in the bedroom recovering, poor guy!) in the past 10 days. For most folks this is your norm but we eat out often, so it’s been a lesson in eating everything in the fridge! Honestly I think I picked up some good habits, outside of the bag of reese’s pumpkins I impulse bought and managed to eat all of 😉
4. Reassessed amount I was putting into retirement and made the decision to up my contributions for 2022. Maybe doesn’t feel frugal in the moment but knowing it will be there when I need it feels like a relief.
5. Proud that we will make it to November without turning the heat on (written with two cats keeping my feet warm!)
I think putting money into retirement is one of the MOST frugal things that you can do! Money making money and lowering your tax base.
1. Left a gift basket on a friend’s porch for her bday: homemade banana muffins, jalapenos from my garden, and some candles I had in her favorite color. Used a card and some birthday napkins I already had.
2. Made a list with my husband of things we like at Costco. We’re going to refer to it when he drives an hour away to his doctor’s, which is where Costco is too.
3. When switching my clothes around from summer to Fall, created a “maybe corner”. I started this last summer and it keeps me from getting rid of things until I’m sure.
4. I really wanted a sweatshirt with pockets and a kindness theme. Sold a purse on ebay and make exactly enough to buy the sweatshirt. Makes me happy when I wear it.
5. Found boneless chicken thighs for 59 cents a pound! Bought 5 dollars worth and froze it. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it, it wasn’t near expiration or anything. Now I’m researching good recipes to use it. Made chicken barley soup last night with veggies that were past their prime.
Recycle your pumpkins!
During the entire month of November, drop-off locations will be available around the Tulsa metro accepting unwanted or unused gourds, squash, and pumpkins.
All items dropped off will be composted by Full Sun Composting to reduce food waste.