Five Frugal Things
by Katy on May 20, 2024 · 65 comments
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Our monthly internet bill jumped from $68 to $86 per month, so I called customer service and was able to get our bill down to $45. It helps that we’re no longer four people at the house, which makes our internet usage is waaay less than it used to be.
Make the call, get the discount. It can’t hurt to ask.
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Our neighborhood cleanup day was yesterday, so I dropped off styrofoam chunks for recycling and shelving component pieces for the landfill. These came with a curb picked shelving unit. I tried to find them a home through my Buy Nothing group, but sometimes you have to admit that something is straight up trash. It doesn’t help to keep crap in the basement, my house is not a garbage dump.
I brought home nine perfect napkins and two tomato starts. For a dollar!
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I curb picked a glazed ceramic patio stool/table on the way home from the neighborhood cleanup. I’d wanted one for ages, but was always too cheap to buy one. (Plus the whole “buy nothing new” thing!) I’m still figuring out where to put it, but I’m very happy with this find!
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We celebrated our son’s 26th birthday with our traditional Birthday Day of Adventures. Here’s what we did:
• I made homemade waffles and tarted them up with a mixed berry sauce as we always have frozen berries on hand.
• We walked over to Powell’s Bookstore, where my son picked out three books. I paid for them with random gift cards, plus $16 out of pocket.
• We then drove across town to watch a 40th anniversary rerelease of of Hayao Miyazaki’s “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.” A bit pricey at $42 for the three of us, but it was a special occasion.
• Of course we stopped at Starbucks for my son to get a free birthday drink.
• I’d planned on picking up tacos at a neighborhood cart, but they were closed so we scavenged at home for a light meal, as my son and husband had an evening soccer game and didn’t want to be weighed down with a heavy meal.
• We lastly drove through Popeye’s for fried chicken, which is my son’s favorite. Their soccer game didn’t start until 7:30 P.M., so there were limited choices of where to eat after 9 P.M. on a Sunday. $25.99 through the app for a family meal. The leftovers went home with our son.
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I didn’t pay any hush money.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
Good on you for not paying hush money AND loving the napkins!
1. A friend invited me to a clothing swap/brunch. The amount of clothes people brought was shocking. I don’t have a lot of clothes but I had some items my daughter no longer wanted so I brought those. I came home with a bag of clothes to try. A few I’ll keep, I will offer some to a friend that is a larger size than I am, and the others will be donated. I also brought home an unopened jar of Dalmatia Plum Spread.
2. We worked in the yard yesterday. DH is still “chipping” branches for forsythia he chopped down weeks ago. I am using the results as a fine mulch.
3. We introduced DD to the Grocery Outlet a few weeks ago and she liked it more than we thought she would. She took her husband there over the weekend and he too liked it more than anticipated.
4. I made a big pot of chili using pre-cooked ground chicken from the freezer. It will feed us several meals.
5. I found unwanted items on a basement shelf and listed them on Freecycle. They were quickly claimed. I love finding new homes for things.
Those napkins are so pretty!
Did a lot of stay-at-home frugality the past couple of days: inventoried the freezer and used up some frozen sausage and peppers making pizza from scratch; gave both dogs a bath, brushed our fluffy cat and trimmed her nails; mended a ripped up dog toy and turned a pillow sham into a chair cushion cover.
Found a quart of oops paint for $5 at the hardware store that matches our back porch. Took three bags of donations to Goodwill and did not go shopping.
Calling my internet service provider and negotiating my bill is one of my favorite frugal hacks. I’ve been doing it for many years, and they’ve always honored the new customer deal for me. Sometimes it pays to be loyal, especially when I’m willing to make a switch to save. It’s rarely taken me more than 30 minutes with customer support to get them to lower my bill, so the ROI is insanely high!
Those napkins are adorable! That pattern always makes me think of America and Apple Pie. Possibly a picnic too.
1. Youngest granddaughter came over for Breakfast for Dinner in honor of her recent birthday (20!) She requested Swedish Pancakes and I also made her a birthday cake. Her brother accompanied her. We all had a great night celebrating.
2. Hanging all laundry outside. If it rains, I hold off on the washing and wait for a sunny day. This time of year is good for so many reasons.
3. DH and I received our paychecks for working the last election. A nice little side hustle.
4. Surveyed my summer clothes and shoes and saw that I am need of nothing.
5. I found a wreath of silk flowers in the spare room and put it on the back door. I love using things I already own or thrift.
Christine, I applaud your election work. I thought I would do that in retirement but I am very concerned about the current appalling rhetoric and threatening environment.
I can’t say I don’t think about it. At the last election a man wore a F__k Biden sweatshirt in to the pols and was promptly told by the town clerk he had to leave. A woman he was with asked if he could just turn the sweatshirt inside out and stay to vote. He was not a happy camper but he complied. DH told me later the thought ran through his mind that the sweatshirt guy might return with a weapon. Thankfully no.
A concern of mine as well – pretty much what I call magat-ville at too many of our local precincts. What irks me the most is the push for “poll watchers”. Who, IMHO, are sent to minority/known “they don’t for for our side” precincts with the sole purpose of slowing down voting. I’m seriously considering requesting I work at one of those precincts and have half-jokingly told our clerk’s office that I’m thinking about becoming a poll watcher. I’ve committed to the general and am ready in the event we end up with a “poll watcher”.
They are legally allowed to watch the polls but they also legally have to stay a certain distance from the election workers. Good thing because the last thing I want is someone lurking over my shoulder, in my personal space. I, like you, tend to think they are devoted to a certain individual.
My DH has worked as a poll watcher in the past, and he was not sent to a minority/”they won’t vote for our side” polling place. I can also say with certainty that he is not devoted to *any* individual….except maybe myself and our son. 🙂
1. Refilled spice jars at the food co-op for just pennies – 32 cents for thyme leaves, 42 cents for cayenne pepper and 74 cents for chili powder.
2. Received a nice charcuterie basket and a Target gift card for helping kids read in an after-school program. Also attended a root beer float party with the other volunteers given in our honor.
3. Received a Starbucks gift card for helping kids with their fine motor skills at an elementary school this year.
4. Made my first loaf of English Muffin Bread using The Frugal Girl recipe. So easy and delicious. Check out https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/a-very-very-easy-bread-recipe/ The recipe is for two loaves but I cut it in half with success.
5. For lunch one day, I used up items from the fridge to create a cold salad of egg noodles, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives (and some of the liquid), parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. So good.
I LOVE the English Muffin Bread recipe! It makes the best toast!
I had a restorative weekend at the cabin for which I am grateful. I did lots of free self healing things like long mountain walks, lots of veggies, and bike rides to the lake. I feel positive starting the school week.
Frugal wins:
I was willing to sit on the phone for a total of 30 mins to resolve the issue of NOT receiving a month worth of Paramount that I had bought when instead of renting a desired movie, I just subscribed for a month. In the end, I received a refund. Worth it. Thank god for the speaker button on a phone which allows me to do lots of other things as I wade through the process.
We didn’t go to the new Fall Guy movie because the time wasn’t right. I’ll probably still go at some point but instead we searched for lighting and cabinets for the River House. I learned the the Sandstone I wanted was NOT a good choice because it stains. Period. Instead we discover Neolith charcoal tops that are a new material that are fab. Son is a materials engineer and was on board. Should last forever. Didn’t spend a dime and received a world of info.
I have a giant bag of Goodwill items in my car ready to be donated. 4 square feet to be exact. I love thinking I decluttered my house by 4 square feet. triumph.
About two years ago I used a free black and white line drawing of a bday cake graphic and had Walgreens print up 50 foldable cards on one of their holiday sales. They were about .35 cents a piece on glossy paper. Now I always have a quick bday card. i used on Saturday.
Nice to look at donated goods in terms of square footage freed up. Win/win.
Great napkins.
1) The biggest win is I was able to extend a large United credit by four months, which gives us a lot more travel flexibility. Because my ILs are in Iran & the travel situation is very…delicate… it’s hard to plan travel to meet up with them (we meet in another country, & the list of those options is quite limited.)
2) Used a $10 off a $50 purchase coupon at the grocery store, plus took advantage of a few BOGO offers. This grocery store is usually pretty pricey, but I feel like I got a reasonable value for my shopping.
3) Made a huge batch of crockpot carnitas on Saturday. Half will go into the freezer, and half will become tacos.
4) Sold a few things on eBay, as well as sold lights we found in our garage on FB marketplace. The person who bought the lights were thrilled, and we got some cash & cleaned out space. A triple win.
5) Used up items from our garden in our salads (mint, garlic scapes, basil, lettuce).
Crap out of the garage, money in? You know I’m a fan of that!
I hope you will be able to see your ILs. A very difficult situation indeed.
Bee, we were originally supposed to go this spring break, but that’s not an option right now for my ILs given the very challenging travel environment for them. Next year will be more difficult, as DS18 will be in college & has a March spring break, while DS17 is finishing out high school with an April spring break. The travel credits currently expire before a summer trip is a possibility, so I’m going to see if it’s an option to swap things around & get a bit of another extension. DS17 doesn’t want to go without his brother.
HI Planner – if you are so inclined, post your carnitas recipe.
Selena, here’s the crockpot carnitas recipe:
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/crispy-slow-cooker-carnitas/
Easy & delicious!
I have not been very frugal lately, as we are having 600 sq. ft. added to our existing house. Construction is never cheap. But I try.
1. Bought a T-shirt at Eddie Bauer and got $10 off with my rewards coupon. Still not a cheap t-shirt but I love their quality and they last me a long time. Because I used it before May 20, I will be getting another coupon for $10 shortly.
2. So far eating spinach and radishes from my veggie garden. Setting up the raised beds was not frugal, but I get much satisfaction from growing my own. And maybe, just maybe, DH will eat more veggies if they are grown by us. He is a terrible eater.
3. Donated to our local Salvation Army and received a 20% off coupon. I then bought a couple of items for $20 to resell.
4. Every weekend of May my short term rental is booked.
5. Put on hold an expensive (to me) dress for a wedding in June. Went to another store and found one I like better for less than half the price. It will do me for a wedding in October as well. I went back to the expensive store, and found a cover up for the dress on sale for $50, original price was $189. which I would never have paid. And it’s perfect.
My husband has never met a vegetable he likes, aside from potatoes. He does like soup, however, and creamy ones the best. So, I make something like potato soup and add as many vegetables as I can to it and then use an immersion blender to whip them into indistinguishability. They end up giving creamy body to the soup and he gets a lot of vegetables. I also make chili with hidden vegetables, including pumpkin pulp. He knows I do all this so I am not tricking him. I know he is a big boy and responsible for his own health but he does a lot of caring acts for me (like I have not vacuumed or put gas in the vehicle for 40 years), so I figure it is a fair exchange.
Lindsey, your account of “hidden vegetables” reminds me of all the ruses my mother used to employ to “sneak vegetables into the kids,” as she put it. Homemade soup was not in her skill set, but her tuna salad and meatloaf (to name two dishes) often didn’t contain a lot of tuna or a lot of meat.
I make a potato cheese soup and there is lots of carrots in it. My son never realized it until he was an adult because you use an immersion blender on it.
He does like my homemade soup, and I do put as many veg in as I can. So maybe he’s not that bad! haha He loves a potato, broccoli and cheese soup, so I do that but to me that’s not “summer” food. My DH is also very caring, and does a lot for me and our family, so I can’t really complain, but this is my number one pet peeve. And, he is a cancer survivor, so you would think he would care a little bit more about what he puts in his body. But, as you said he is a big boy, and I have given up trying to force him to eat more healthfully.
How fun to go to two different weddings.
Yes, I’m looking forward to both of them. The one is October is local, so no travel involved, but the one next month is in another province, so we have booked flights (on points), a condo through airbnb for 3 nights (my daughter and SIL are joining us), a car rental, and I’m sure there will be a multitude of other expenses. But it’s a much loved nephew’s wedding so I wouldn’t miss it!
1. Like a previous poster, the husband worked the election. (I no longer do it since they moved the location to the back of a store and you have to climb over inventory to use the toilet.) Our elections have been drama free, thank God. We enjoy the money and there is something hopeful in seeing democracy in action, especially when you live in a state that is so underpopulated that elections have often been decided by one vote.
2. Did four gas, one grocery and one cell phone shop, so $160 plus small amount of gas and food. Together they took about an hour and a half to do.
3. Spent hours of the weekend transplanting things that we will be eating in August. It is still in the low 40s at night so our three foot tall raised beds are under domes of plastic built by the husband 10 years ago and still in good condition. They come off at the end of June, when our winds die down. Good free exercise and a reduced food bill, plus food that is fresher than anything trucked up here.
4. Accepted some empty 40-pound sized dog food bags from a neighbor, to use as garbage bags.
5. Made bread.
I love that you’re giving the dog food bags an extra use!
I don’t really have *five* frugal things… I did take a big load of stuff to Goodwill to donate today. I decided to just donate everything rather than try to sell stuff at consignment. The time and gas I would have spent attempting to sell things at consignment is not worth the cash return. I just want everything gone! It is easier to let the extra stuff go and not buy new things.
I’ve given up trying to sell much. I live 8 miles out of town, so people won’t make the trip. So my price point has to be high to not lose money
Sometimes you just need to make a clean sweep!
Congrats of the newly adopted ceramic stool!
Calling the IP fellas this afternoon! I did this with my mom’s supplemental insurance when it was sign up time and they knocked off $18/month.
Neighbor rototilled garden spot, I bartered grunt labor, diesel & heavy duty gloves and 20 ft of corn for him. I took 6 totes of clothes to the community closet, a stack of crafting books to the senior center and 1 set of dishes to the community resource center. I made heart healthy muffins to share with 4 of the neighbors, I shared kale, chard and mixed lettuces.
I weed whacked the county road frontage and planted my wildflowers. By taking care of it myself, it doesn’t get sprayed and then we have flowers for the bees and birds.
The bee guy/friend picked up his hives from the orchard and gave me a quart of honey.
Bought a vintage cedar chest at an estate sale for $40/listed it for $100 and sold it the same day.
At same estate sale, bought a vintage croquet and bocce sets and have them listed now.
Perfect time of year to sell croquet and bocce sets! I’m jealous of your honey, we buy ours at Costco, but I’m sure yours is much much better!
FFT, “Fun Fun Fun” Edition:
When I walked into my Salvation Army superstore this morning, the in-store music was playing something I could actually get down with: the Beach Boys’ “Fun, fun, fun till her daddy takes the T-Bird away.” And I have been having fun; this is the first May of my adult life that I’ve had unlimited time for birding, gardening, and thrifting (my Big Three recreational activities).
Of course, given a choice between unlimited time for these and having DH back with me as he used to be, there would be no contest. But I’m doing OK with what’s available. So here are my FFT for this week:
(1) As I may or may not have noted earlier, I went on a local Audubon Society birdwalk last Thursday in a completely unfamiliar and very lovely nature preserve on the other side of the county. Free joy.
(2) On Saturday, I went first to the plant sale benefiting the local Master Gardeners (of whom Dr. Bestest Neighbor is one). I bought two butterfly weed plants, which I will set out in one of my two wildflower beds as soon as the weather cooperates. (We’re going to have highs in the high 80s/low 90s for the next few days, with no chance of rain before Wednesday evening. Hellooooo, climate change!)
(3) From there, I went to the Goodwill and the Rescue Mission Thrifty Shopper on that side of town. Two pairs of jeans (one NWT) that are actually flattering fits for my aging self, plus a few pieces of Corning Ware and two baskets (most of which will probably go to my young friend with the secondhand-housewares shop). And an unexpected find was a still-in-original-packaging tube of CBD-laced lip balm. I’ll report on any interesting results of using same.
(4) Today’s visit to the SA superstore produced another good haul, including an OXO Lazy Susan (also NWT) that will see immediate use under my kitchen sink–an area that is my house’s Bermuda Triangle. Other finds included a couple of toiletries, a pair of medical scrub pants that will make great gardening pants, and a “Wimbledon Championship Tennis” bag (which I believe may actually have been purchased at Wimbledon) for Ms. Bestest Neighbor, who follows professional tennis avidly.
(5) And tonight’s dinner will be a frittata including spinach (grown in my old Easy Washer tub and protected with a trashpicked fire pit cover from the deer) and green onions (which the deer won’t touch).
I cannot tell you the number of times I have had the husband do something nice for me that I have reminded myself to cherish it because I think of your loss. I hope you continue to feel his spirit every single day.
Now I’m curious about the lip balm. Please do report back!
CBD-laced lip balm. Just wow. That’s what I need, one more thing to drive me to snacking. 🙂
1. Didn’t turn the heat on this past weekend, though it was cold.
2. My husband house sat, the pay from which covered the cost of his new phone-a replacement for his old phone which had been a hand-me-down from our daughter.
3. I picked up free chocolate from Safeway.
4. Put together a frugal graduation gift of English chocolate/snacks from World Market. It’s not the most inventive gift, but different enough to be enjoyed. It’s for a child of a very wealthy friend, I can’t compete on price, but I still want to acknowledge the occasion.
5. Negotiated with the bike shop that does our e-bike service. We have to travel to get there and the usual turn around time for the service would mean going there and back twice. They agreed to do an expedited service (same day) and waive the $49 fee. I have this in writing so I don’t have to re-negotiate each year. I’m pretty pleased about this. Saves time and money.
Free chocolate? Jealous.
One person’s junk is not necessarily another’s treasure. Sometimes tat is just tat even when we wish that we could use it.
After being extremely busy for a month or two, I am settling in and trying to get a few things done. I’m working on my to-do list this afternoon. During the chaos, i have managed a few frugal things.
1. I went to a plant and cutting exchange for Garden Club. I have rooted some Devil’s Backbone and planted some Gerber Daisies. I gave away some Clematis. We also had a nice cover dish lunch.
2. I bought a beautiful Italian Linen Blouse ( NWT) at my favorite thrift store for $10. It still had the Euro price tag on it.
3. When I made my monthly trip to Costco. I brought my sister along. She isn’t a member, but I know she can get some of the things that she eats on a regular basis for much less. She did the driving. I bought what she needed and she paid me back. It doesn’t necessarily make sense for a single woman to buy in bulk. ( I did buy a rotisserie chicken)
4. I sold an item on eBay – an dish towel from Ekelund Weavers of Sweden. Easy to pack, easy to ship.
5. I helped a friend with a garage sale. He is 92 and is considering move. He thinks everything is worth money. Sadly this is not the case. I’m hoping that I can convince him to throw out things that are truly unusable and donate the rest. His wife is currently in assisted-living. She was a scholar of the Bible. He did let me give Bibles away to anyone who wanted or needed one.
Wishing everyone peace, goodwill and prosperity.
Bee, I hear you on your #5. My next-door neighbor is the same way about everything she owns, including the vehicle she can no longer drive. My best hope is that her other close friend and I can persuade her to donate her 2005 Subaru Forester–which now has four flat tires, a dead battery, a “Check Engine” light that used to go on before the battery died, and an expired inspection sticker–to Habitat for Humanity or some other charity before her registration expires in January 2025. (And we’ll probably have to do an Indiana Jones search to find her title and registration documents.) But every time I bring this up, she says, “Well, I might need it someday.” Oy vey!
I donated my 1997 Ford Taurus station wagon to my local PBS station. They arranged for pickup and sale (yes! someone actually bought it!). Easy peasy. But I was a willing donor and your NDN may not get aboard….
I used to work at an NPR affiliate station and we did a happy dance every month when the car donation check arrived. It means more than most people realize.
So many people just can’t let go of having overpaid for their belongings, and finding out that their possessions aren’t worth what they thought is mentally painful.
But the $5 Costco chicken is easily worth at least $5 and then some!
I think the age of my 92-year old friend has an impact on how he views the value of his possessions. Since he hasn’t really made any major purchases since the 80’s- his house is very Miami Vice — he doesn’t understand the modern marketplace. It really wasn’t until the 90’s when fevered consumerism began to take hold in our culture. Suddenly cheap goods were available everywhere as manufacturing headed overseas. When he and his wife set up their home, household items were not purchased at the dollar store, the thrift store or WalMart. They came from a nice department store, and they were relatively expensive in today’s dollars.
It is also difficult from him to understand that the market for things has also changed. How does one explain that a vintage ball cap is worth as much as his mother’s china. But it is what it is. It will change again. My father used to say, “You know you are old when the world quits making sense to you.”
Bee, my mother said a different version of what your father said, when she was in the nursing home where she spent her final year, and a sibling and I were trying to explain cell phones to her: “Stop the world, I want to get off!”
This is an interesting perspective, than you for sharing this.
I have been out of commission on commenting, with unpleasant dental surgery and traveling to visit family but I have been a faithful reader.
1. My husband spotted 2 dollar bills on the ground and pointed them out to me.
2. I saved $50 on dog flea prevention chewies in an instant rebate. One dog gobbled his . The other one had to be tricked into taking it, even though she eats cicadas with enthusiasm.
3. My husband and I went to lunch and split a salad and spaghetti.
4. I consider beets to be a luxury item because they usually are priced at $1 per beet. I noticed that someone in the grocery had sorted beets by size and bundled all the small ones together, the medium together, and the large together. I bought a bundle of 3 giant beets and considered that a bargain.
5. I sold 3 battered, beat up old paint brushes on Etsy . I listed them based on a comment someone made here about people wanting rustic paint brushes for decor. They sold fast and I got a 5 star review.
I love this with the paint brushes!
May I ask how much you got for the paint brushes?
Alison, I listed the 3 brushes for $18. That is cheaper than what I have seen for similar brushes.
1) My biggest achievement of recent days is converting my already existing Capitol One savings accounts into High Yield accounts. It took 15 minutes by phone and will generate a significant amount of interest. The rate went from .30 to 4.25!!!
2) Hanging out clothes in the sunshine – smells great, saves on the electric bill.
3) Inventoried my “aspirational” pots for starting house and garden plants and realized I had WAY more than necessary. They went into a free pile with extra daylilies, fencing and unused tomato cages.
4) Work friends came for lunch so we could look at some books of interest I ordered through interlibrary loan. We typically go out so this saves us that cost and I made a delicious brownie mix already on hand.
5) Leftovers for dinner – current me is grateful to previously cooking me!
That is a fantastic increase in your savings account interest rate, well done!
Thank you!! I really do have you to thank as I started thinking about it when you were discussing the HY Account you were signing up for recently. It got me to go back and check the rates and options and make the switch.
I have been playing the savings account game, however VanCity (the lovely credit union I moved to from the Royal Bank – which is one of the worst offenders when it comes to investing in oil and gas) does these 3-4 month increased savings, then they drop back down. HOWEVER my lovely banking lady (who likes me a lot as I keep sending her new clients, LOL) told me to invest in a cashable GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) – after a month I can take any amount out, if necessary, and meanwhile I get a steady good rate. I don’t mind doing the chase-the-rate game, but my Daughter didn’t want to ‘bother’. As she has quite a bit in her bank account these days, I am going to suggest she investigate… ONWARD with our sneaky frugal ways!
1. I’m in a Facebook group aimed at women over 50 interested in living a healthy lifestyle. There’s woman from all over the world in it. I posted about maybe trying to start pen pals since there’s people from all over. The post had over 250 comments of people interested in it. I’ve since been in contact via facebook messenger with women from Australia, South Africa, England, Wales, Ireland and Canada. It’s been fun getting “to know them”. New connections and learning about other cultures for free!
2. I joined an online social group in my area where people put together events and anyone can go. I went to a ladies dinner last week and am going to another one this week. Didn’t order a drink even though most everyone else did and only ordered a reasonably priced entree.
3. My husband got some lavender and salvia for 50% off for our backyard. My daughter’s friend gave me some green bean and sugar snap pea plants. I planted them in big planters I already had with soil I already had. Hopefully they take off but if not I’m not out anything.
4. Our cuisinart ice cream maker we’ve had for 25 years stopped working. We just discovered it after my husband got all the stuff made for strawberry ice cream. We googled how to fix it and when he tried to unscrew the base one of the screws was completely stripped and we couldn’t get it out. He tried so many things, including having him hold it open as much as he could while I tried to clean out the gunk around the belt. Still didn’t work. Then he went to two different goodwills and Big Lots to see if they had one but they did not. Since we use it all summer we just broke down and bought a new one. Found the same model on Walmart with $20 off and free shipping. Homemade ice cream is worth it!
5. One of our local theatre companies has a thing where for all of their shows they have Wednesday nights be “pay what you want” so there’s not a barrier for people to see theatre. I bought two tickets to see Carol King’s “Beautiful” for a price more manageable than the normal prices.
Sounds like a rich enjoyable life — also yummy!
I have the matching tablecloth to those napkins. My moms from the sixties, many picnics its seen!
Wish I could add the picture of it
1. Doing my own yard work. I love being outdoors, saves money and it’s great exercise. Plus I get to talk with my neighbors as they walk by.
2. Didn’t print out my script for my comedy troupe practice tonight. Saved paper and ink. I down load the script to my kindle app until the script is finalized then only have to print it once. (It’s comedy radio theater so we don’t memorize, we use a script.)
3. Our monthly local Free Store was on Sunday. I took some things we no longer needed/wanted. I got a few things: extra large eyeglass case and a cloth for cleaning glasses that attaches to your bookbag for DS, cute little plastic plates to use for backyard picnics, some small stuffed animals for the dogs to play with and a set of baby stacker cups that my rabbits love to unstack and throw around.
4. Went to an ever other month gathering at a local bar for a book swap and sip sponsored by our local library. Took some books I’m done with and picked up three new to me books. Also met up, with friends there and took my DS along. Great fun with friends and books!
5. Stepped up my game and went back to meal planning and batch cooking. Makes my life easier and saves big bucks. I got sloppy for a while.
1) have been making fresh ice tea daily. Stopped at a local tea shop and bought loose herbal tea that is flavored to try. They have an amazing selection of reasonably priced bulk teas
2) got 2 dozen eggs from a neighbor for $6
3) am trying to use up random vitamin supplements and cosmetics. Have noted that the ones I really don’t like seem to last forever no matter how diligent I am in trying to use them up
4) bought 2 new pairs of summer pants to be my “uniform” and am donating some that no longer fit, flatter or feel good.
5) using up freezer stuff – made easy rhubarb bars from chopped rhubarb from the freezer from last season
I need some “summer pants” too, perhaps I’ll start keeping an eye out.
Love those napkins!
1. My. 96 year old mom came to visit. She receives many gift cards for life events – which she loves – but since she doesn’t drive she doesn’t always get to use them. When she comes to visit I always hatch a plan to use all the ones she has that we possibly can. Success! We managed to use several and got her a few new clothes in the process.
2. My grandsons birthday is in a few weeks. One of his favorite toys are his Dad’s ( my son) old Hess trucks. I went on ebay to purchase 2 for him – ones that he would want- instead of purchasing the “current” one from Hess at $60 per truck.
3. We continue to :
Use our zoo membership
Eat down the refrigerator, freezer & pantry
Love our public library
Take advantage of the beautiful weather right now and visit our state parks
and local parks
Watch our subscription netflix and britbox (Virgin River with my mom and
the new season of Father Brown – her favorites)
4. I was able to score a play kitchen from my Buy Nothing group for my grandson
and now I’m getting ready to list some artwork that I don’t really like anymore.
5. Planned a trip for our anniversary for the beginning of January for a long weekend to the desert. My husband used miles for his ticket – so it was buy one get one free – and I used an Air BnB gift card from my kids to book the lodging. Always great to have something to look forward to!
What a fun place to go in winter, great idea! Warm and dry for the win!
I like the challenge to use up gift cards.
I love the napkins. What a score!