Five Frugal Things
by Katy on September 30, 2024 · 59 comments
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I used THIS LINK to order four free Covid-19 tests for my household, then ordered additional ones for my son and sister. (My daughter had already ordered hers.) I like to keep extras on hand for those inevitable “is this a cold or something worse?” moments. A box with four tests cost $28.88 on Amazon, so these three test kits will save my family $84.64.
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My son and I went to Winco Foods yesterday, which was a sorely needed trip for me. Unfortunately I had a fair amount of food waste last week due to being away from home, but everything got composted and today is a fresh start. I stuck to my list and took advantage of their bulk bins to buy onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt and cumin. I used the calculator function on my phone a couple times to compare prices (were 12-packs of eggs a better price per item than the 18-packs?) I steered my son towards store brands on items that made no difference such as corn starch and only succumbed to a single impulse item, which were chocolate wafer cookies at 78¢ per package.
I took a quick detour past the clearance shelf and grabbed two $1.99 bags of Nestle mini chocolate chips, which were a good enough deal to stock up on. Remember when I scored 44 bags of 10¢ Bailey Irish Cream chocolate chips and them sold them for $10/bag on eBay? I keep hoping to come across a similarly amazing deal, but that day has yet to be repeated. Sigh . . . .
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My friend Lise came over last night and we sat on the porch and caught up on each other’s lives. We indulged in some chocolate wafer cookies while she knitted and I grabbed a series of progressively warmer layers from the house. I’m no fan of hot summer weather, but I adore the longer days. I kind of hate that 7 P.M. is now too dark to walk around the neighborhood, but such is life.
A lot of people think that socializing with a friend requires going to a coffee shop, bar or restaurant, but that can be a barrier due to finances, time restraints or simple overcomplification of life. I like to keep things generally simple, which works well for me. I might not be in the know on Portland’s genuinely fantastic restaurant scene, (there really are endless amazing places to eat!) but I’m content with the occasional food cart taco and my debt free life.
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I spent a bit of time transplanting a laughably root bound prayer plant and then planted up some random rooted starts from my kitchen windowsill. I ended up with many more starts than I needed, so I offered up the extras in my Buy Nothing group. I have someone stopping by in the morning, but there’s enough to gift to more than one person.
I love when my frugality allows for others to save money, as I really do want everyone to have the opportunity to save money whenever possible!
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• I found a dime on the floor at Costco last week, but it was in a heavily trafficked area. I stood to the side for maybe 30 seconds until it was clear to pick it up. Free money, people!
• I scanned all my receipts into the Fetch app*, which slowly earns free gift cards to corporate grocery stores and such. They have a deal right now where you get 1000 free points when you sign up through my referral link.
Edit: I guess this link doesn’t work.
• I renewed all my Facebook Marketplace listings this morning. It’s fun and impressive when something I curb pick sells immediately, but most items take awhile to find a buyer. This is a normal part of the reselling process and I just know to be patient.
• My neighbors put another Bonne Maman jam jar into their recycling bin, which I promptly brought home to wash up for reuse.
• I scored a four-pack of orange and yellow peppers from Fred Meyer’s $1 clearance shelf. I ate one that night in a quesadilla and then sliced and froze the other three for “Future Katy.”
• I snipped off a half dozen or so spider plant babies for one of the buy nothing people.
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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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{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
The last time we ordered Covid tests they never arrived. However, our insurance company allows us to get 8 tests per month from Walgreens or CVS. Hubby got his last week; as there are only two of us in the house I will wait and pick mine up down the line.
90% of the time when I meet up with friends, we go for a walk in our neighborhood, or a hike at the adjoining nature preserve. A free workout + bonus friend time? Sign me up. I did three of those last week, and my steps are also looking great. 😉
1) Used up absolutely ancient carrots in a crockpot chicken & dumplings recipe (one of my faves). I rinsed the carrots, and they smelled fine, so in they went. I’m the only soup eater in my house, so I made enough for a couple of meals, & froze the rest in single serving containers for easy lunches.
2) Sold some stuff on eBay & relisted a bike on FB Marketplace. I find bikes bring out the biggest negotiators, and I really dislike that part of selling, so I’m giving myself a huge pat on the back for getting this listed & dealing with all of the crazy shenanigans.
3) I really wanted a turkey sandwich on sourdough with sharp cheddar. Thought of stopping by a deli when I was out running errands. Instead, I bought everything I needed to make my own at the store. It was about the same for the ingredients as the sandwich, but so far, I’ve made three sandwiches & another grilled cheese for DS17. Cheaper would have been finding something to eat at home, but this was a good compromise.
4) We allow our home to be a study destination for DS17 & his friends, while they are all studying for their AP classes. They love the library, but it closes early some days. By studying at our house, they avoid having to buy something at a coffee shop or restaurant.
5) Continue to eat from our garden: tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, herbs. And, the pomegranates are almost ripe!
Not sure if this was frugal–last Monday we drove to southern Maryland to a produce auction. It was organized twenty-some years ago when the Old Order Mennonites decided to stop growing tobacco and switch to produce. Farmers drove their horse-drawn carts through a gap in the auction house. One paid by the item but had to buy the whole lot. Last year I got 32 long-necked pumpkins someplace else. We had eaten them all by mid-April. So I bid on a lot of 42 winter squash–and won. We schlepped them all home, and I weighed them as Bill brought them into the basement. They average 15 pounds compared to last year’s five and the lot included 46 rather than 42 squash. I have 682 pounds of delicious winter squash. It was time to call women I know who feed large families, hungry neighbors, or the homeless. I rehomed 15 of them yesterday and invited women to come back when they need more. I paid only 30 cents per pound at a time when winter squash run $2-3 per pound in stores.
Other than that same old, same old–drinking water, cooking at home, reading library books, and meeting my fabric needs by helping sort donations for my guild’s yard sale.
Mary in MD, that’s a wonderful story about the squash! You’ve spread a circle of blessings far and wide.
Where is the auction? My daughter lives in Maryland. Is it a regular thing or just a one and done?
It’s the Loveville produce auction, slightly southeast of Leonardtown. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through December. They have a website she can check out. Big lots and there is a small lot auction as well. I would have picked up cabbage, but the Prius was packed.
Thanks
Wow, I always wanted to go to one of those auctions, what a steal on the squash! Are they all the same or different?
I have at least 200 squash (squashs?) from my garden this year – couldn’t believe how many grew, some are kind of weird (what IS that plant) but pretty, so may become decorations.
Got 5 big cinderella type pumpkins and three lovely big white knobbly pumpkins, as well as a multitude of acorn, red kuri, baby pumpkin and medium pumpkin, delicata, plus a selection of dark green and light grey and blotchy and … names to be determined when I re-read the packages… I am now like the zucchini growers, looking for open car windows, LOL.
How do you like to cook your squash? Recipes appreciated!
* as for sharing your bounty with families you know, that is what the deal-finders do – let their friends know!
I think I have Boer, Musque de Provence, and New York cheese squash. I typed out my killer recipe for them last fall in these comments. Robin Robertson’s VEGAN ON THE CHEAP’s peanutty pumpkin stew.
I bake them at 350 in halves if I can get them open, whole if I can’t. The ones with tan skin I chop in big chunks and bring to high in my pressure cooker, then turn off the burner. I use my immersion blender to puree them still in the cooker. Eating the skin isn’t a problem, but some people find green flecks off-putting.
1. Used a package of gluten-free pizza dough mix to make two big batches of Italian herb flat bread. It came out quite nice. I cut it into single servings and froze it for my husband’s future meals.
2. My son accidentally bought a package of chicken sandwich meat he was never going to eat, so I chopped it up and used it with some last bits of frozen veggies, homegrown cherry tomatoes and rice to make a very tasty little casserole.
3. Rearranged our pantry to get some bulk purchased food from the clearance store off the floor.
4. Decluttered the pan shelf in the kitchen and found some items to donate, as I just do not bake desserts much any more.
5. The wind that came through from the hurricane tore loose a section of our bamboo fence, which I repaired with some bungee cords and filled in a spot where a bamboo cane shattered with straight sticks cut from some shrubbery. The giant catalpa leaves blown all over the yard got picked up and laid over some muddy areas to keep down the mud my dogs track into the house.
Glad you’re okay after the hurricane and only the fence needed bungee cords to hold it together. Don’t know what we’d do without bungee cords and duct tape!
Bungee cords are one of the most useful things. Right now one is holding my folded up clothes drying rack up off the floor so the puppy can’t chew on it and another is a divider in the metal mesh document holder on the side of the fridge. The uses are near endless!
We need to replace the bamboo fence, but everything is so freaking expensive. Thst’s going to be a project to save up for.
Used up the last of the hello fresh discounted meals.
Now making comprehensive shopping list
We each get our $40 quarterly HABA allowance from United Healthcare so making a separate list for Walmart
Sold 2 items via FB both happened to be dog show friends. Delivered 1 to a local
dog show I happened to be going to. The other I’ll deliver at a show in the future
I really prefer going for a walk with a friend or just sitting on the front porch with a glass of wine rather than dinner out. My daughters, mother and sister have a girls night out once a week. I’ve said I wouldn’t mind if girls night became a bottle of wine with takeout and then help each other fix something or do a project around the house. Anyway here’s my FFT.
1. After many, many years of shopping for a new kitchen table and chairs I finally bought a set off of marketplace. It looks like it belongs in my kitchen and although it’s 25 years old it looks almost new. The only thing is I also had to take the china cabinet too. I don’t need another one and although it’s beautiful I’m not sure whether I’ll keep it. Right now I have the bottom half placed in my great room. I might sell it on marketplace or keep it in my basement for my next house.
2. I picked up a few ball jars on a free table while I was out of town. My daughter slammed on the brakes when she saw the free sign. That’s my kid. My other daughter took home a very cool vintage lamp. We are all very enthusiastic about free piles.
3. I finished a library book on my Kindle and started another. I’m most of the way through The Stone Girl by Dirk Wittenborn. It’s kind of dark but I can’t put it down.
4. My daughter is returning to her previous work schedule M-F which means I’ll be dog sitting for her a few days a week. Her husband stayed with my dog while we were out of town. I’ll also keep their dog while they are on their honeymoon. My oldest daughter and her husband will be gone for three weeks and my mom will keep their dog for them. It sounds crazy but it all works out.
5. I’m eating leftovers from an event I hosted at my house. All leftovers were divided and shared with whoever wanted them. I had several out of town guests that stayed with me which was a significant savings.
I’m also included in girls night…insert eye roll.
Some of my best time with my friends and family are when we go for walks in the neighborhood or do yard work. Maybe that makes me boring, but I’m ok with it.
1. Due to Hurricane Helene, which missed my area of Florida I was afforded a paid day off of work and some much needed down time. My son scored two days off school which he was able to make up some work.
2. I forced myself to look at sales adds and use Ibotta and some other apps when organizing my grocery list. The savings didn’t feel large, but I believe they add up. I can now cash out $23 in ibotta money.
3. I scanned my receipts into Fetch and Shopkick to also work toward giftcards in the future. I have stopped using Receipt Hog, a similar app, I scan but it doesn’t register the receipts. I tried!
4. I am considering going back to doing a sidegig delivery service. I signed up for Ubereats and realized I had to update my phone. I deleted over 2 gigs of data and updated only to find out that my model iphone will never udpate into ios 16 or higher which leaves me out of the Ubereats app…..back to the drawing board on weird sidegigs I can do to make more money.
5. I cooked from home for the last four days with us going for icecream twice. It felt nice to cook at home…..and a bit time consuming. But yay for eating what we already have at home and packing lunches.
1. I too ordered free Covid tests and shared the news with my daughter and my sister.
2. The New York Times offered to upgrade my digital subscription to full access for the price I was paying ($1/week) for one year. Since this extended the time period I would pay that amount by several months I said yes. I noted the cancel date on my calendar. It is nice to have access to recipes and other things.
3. The grocery store had an offer to save $10 on groceries when you spend $50 on a certain gift card. I decided that was the cheapest way to obtain nutmeg. The nutmeg rang up for more than the shelf price so I received it for free.
4. I made a big pot of chili and used canned tomatoes that most needed to be used and low sodium beans I’d bought on clearance.
5. While we were in the Midwest we ate lunch at Culver’s and took the survey to receive free frozen custard.
Oh Culver’s! My fast-food weakness! Lucky I live in New England where there aren’t any or I would be there more than is healthy for me or my wallet. When we travel to an area that has Culver’s, we always make sure to pop in for something delicious.
Culver’s is quite prevalent in my area. Their food is well worth the price. I like it that they and another locally founded “fast” food restaurant will raise prices rather than skimp on quality.
I was gifted a prayer plant in 2003 and it’s still living, having been re-potted a few times. Interesting when the new leaves start to open. You can actually hear them if things are very quiet – scared me the first time it happened. LOL!
This is not frugal, but it makes my husband happy and that makes me happy: we bought an upright freezer with drawers that you pull out. So, now we have a drawer for meat, one for chicken and fish, another for…well, you get the point. His back has been hurting him and he would get so frustrated and in more pain trying to rummage around our chest freezer, so I would not ask him to get anything out of the chest freezer and things would get freezer burned. He is thrilled and, thus, so am I. It is our Christmas gift to each other because, really, we could have stumbled along the way we were. It is so wonderful to have things organized and easy to access.
To compensate for this not frugal thing, I:
1. made myself list 10 items on eBay. Four have already sold! Turns out antique jewelry is a hot item. This alone paid for 75% of the freezer cost.
2. Took several bags of things to Good Will. Made sure to get a tax receipt.
3. Did 2 more post office mystery shops that were a longer drive from the house but were being paid with a bonus more than large enough. Another 3% of the freezer paid for.
4. Sent off a birthday gift with one of the post office shops, and a sold item with the other one. This saved me about $20, so more of the freezer paid off.
5. Took the chance and waited for an oil change mystery shop to have a bonus attached because no one wanted it. $160 paid for the oil change we get at the start of every winter, plus some cash. More of the freezer paid off. Only about $40 left to go and the freezer will not have taken anything out of our savings to pay for it.
Lindsey, the freezer sounds like an excellent use of your money. May you and your DH have less back pain and less freezer waste as a result.
The arthritis in my back was why I bought a small upright freezer to replace our little, very old chest freezer. The new freezer has fixed shelves, but I measured carefully and found baskets to fit at Dollar Tree that pull out so easily.
Your new freezer sounds wonderful and I’m sure your DH’s back will thank you both. I never saw one with pull-out drawers…how very convenient!
Lindsey, this made my heart sing. I love reading about the love you and your husband have for each other, the organized freezer you now have, and all of the ways you found to pay for it.
I’m so glad you got a new freezer that works for you and I like how you’re paying for it. That is awesome.
1. Had some expired (with no extended dates) COVID test kits, so I opened them and recycled as many papers and boxes that I could before tossing the rest. Ugh, I hate waste.
2. Thanks to Heidi Louise’s tip, I ordered free COVID tests from our government.
3. Fed the exterior painting team chocolate cookies I received from a friend and Gatorade that I had received as part of a random take-all Buy Nothing post. I was planning to serve the painters lemonade and chocolate chip cookies, so the timing of the gifts worked out great. Now I can give those cookies and the lemonade to the landscape crew that will be here for three days. Among other things, they will be placing the 70+ boulders that came with our property within the new landscape and for rock walls needed for better drainage. The previous homeowner had the boulders in a pile in the backyard for years and never got around to using them.
4. Saved $1,200 in landscaping costs by moving rocks and plants ourselves and giving away other items on Buy Nothing. Not to mention free workouts! Also brought a carload of rocks to a dear neighbor and used the smaller-size rocks as fill where our driveway has washed out. Used part of the $1,200 savings to buy another tree and expand a planting area.
5. Attended an economist’s presentation at our financial advisor’s office and received a free lunch. Which is ironic since it was economist Milton Friedman who said, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Brought in papers for shredding as the office provides that service for free.
@MB in MN – technically your lunch was not free. Time is our most precious resource and you spent time. My micro econ teacher had a true/false test question “If lawyers didn’t charge fees, their services would be free”. False – you’d have to spend time due to the demand of the lawyer’s services.
But I do consider free shredding a good deal. Disappointed my go-to local bank has no shred day planned for the rest of this year. A local non-profit offered shred services but I think that went by the wayside during Covid. I should call and ask. I don’t mind paying.
FFT, Freebies Galore Edition:
(1) On my usual early a.m. stroll through the ‘hood, I came across several interesting finds. The first = two grocery bags full of books in the recycling containers of a nearby apartment complex. The bags were so full that I wasn’t able to get them out of the containers, let alone carry them home on foot. But I reached my “picking stick” into one bag and fished out one book–which turned out to be a nice paperback translation into English of Virgil’s epic The Aeneid?!? (As Mrs. Rachel Lynde says in one of the Anne of Green Gables books, “You’re never safe from being surprised till you’re dead.”) So I’m planning a predawn return tomorrow to this site with the Honda Element and will persuade the bags out of the containers by whatever means.
(2) This one’s for you, texasilver: My next surprise came at the local Dollar General’s dumpster–which is usually kept locked, but which was unlocked and open this morning, with a heaping helping of clean, undamaged, and within-date foodstuffs (mostly cereals and crackers) on top. Fortunately, I had a clean backup bag with me, so I loaded it with a family-size box of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, a box of Ritz crackers, and two boxes of Nature Valley “blueberry muffins” bars (new to me, and I look forward to trying them). And I’m going to take the Element around there tomorrow too, in the hope of scoring more stuff–although this may be chancier.
(3) On the set of Depression-era brick steps connecting the main drag below us (where the Dollar General is) with our cul-de-sac at the top of the hill, I found not only more NY State deposit bottles and cans–which were what I was really looking for in my (1) and (2)–but a good solid steel made-in-USA pry bar. I scooped that up immediately, both on general principles and in case whoever left it on the steps was planning to use it for petty crime.
(4) One of my later morning errands today was a stop at the pop-up thrift shop run out of a disused bowling alley on Monday mornings only by a local Catholic church, in aid of its food pantry. In addition to my purchases (two Chico’s tops, a pair each of Lane Bryant and Martha Stewart brand jeans, and four skeins of yarn for my next-door neighbor’s close friend, for a grand total of $10), I took a just-past-sell-by date package of Thomas’s English muffins from the free bin.
(5) And I’m about to head over to the link provided by Katy for the free COVID tests. Thanks, Katy, and let’s all be prepared!
A. Marie, I just want to say that you seem like a very good and caring person and I always enjoy your comments here and on The Frugal Girl.
Holy Smokes!! I cannot believe the Dollar store bounty. We do not have one of those in Fairbanks, and I have never been to one when we go Outside, so when people talk about the great deals there I am envious. But to get them for free from their dumpster!!
I do have a dumpster story. I once picked up my mail from the post office (there was no delivery to the cabin I was living in, back in the hills) and as I was leaving, I stopped at the open dumpster in the back of the post office to throw away junk mail. Just as I flung some in, I realized I had also thrown in a check for an article I had written. The dumpster was nearly empty so I could not possibly reach the check…I decided to climb in to retrieve it. As it turned out, I was a lot more athletic in my dreams than I was in reality. I could not get out. I finally had to shout for help and eventually this guy peered in and asked me if I was okay. I did not answer with sarcasm, as he was my knight in shining armor. He stood there a minute and said (and I will never forget this), “Miss, getting you out of there is going to be a two man job. I’ll be back.” I was in my 20s and as thin as I ever was going to be…He was good to his word, returning with a real bruiser of a guy who had been drinking. The post office was three doors from a bar, so he probably went in there and grabbed the nearest big man. They tried, heroically, to yank me out by my arms, to no avail. Finally the bigger one said, “I think I can push her ass up and if you can finish pulling her out.” It was very humiliating to have this guy help me put a foot up on the inside brace of the dumpster, and then he put his back against my rear and with a lot of groaning hoisted me up enough that the other guy and I, working together, could pull me out. I was filthy and there was a moment when we thought the inebriated fellow was going to have to be rescued, but eventually it was all over and I went home to wash my clothes. So, when I hear of you and others going into a dumpster, I know that not even bars of gold could tempt me back into one of those things.
Lindsey, just to clarify: I have climbed into a few dumpsters back in the days when I was young and agile, but not this time. I simply reached in with my picking stick and retrieved enough items to fill my clean bag that way. I no longer take witless chances.
But that’s quite a ripping yarn about you and the check and the two rescuers (one sober and one not so much). Count me in among the many fans who think you should write an autobiography, in addition to the Adventures of Houndini and Clobber Paws.
Frugality inspires resourcefulness! Whatever method you need to employ to retrieve your foodstuffs is a good one.
What a great story!
I’ve done a lot of trash picking but never actually crawled into a dumpster. I was shocked a couple years ago when we were staying at the shore in a house with a bathtub. I decided a long soak with exfoliation would be a great vacation activity. When it was time to get out, I couldn’t. By the time the Mister got back, the water and I were both very cold.
That story made me laugh so hard!! I could see it in detail in my mind!! You really should write a blog or book
You made me smile A. Marie! You never know what treasure a Dol Gen dumpster will contain.
A. Marie, those giant size boxes of Raisin Bran sell for $6.99/box in my area (SW Ohio), so I’d say you got a great deal with the other things you snagged!
Thanks Katy and Heidi Louise for the tip about the Covid tests. Like A. Marie, I’m headed over to the site after I finish my FFTs to order some.
1. While out walking with DH, I saw something in a familiar shape in the dirt by the side of the road. Turned out to be a quarter, dirty and almost unrecognizable, but I brought it home, cleaned it up and into the found change jar it went.
2. I found a deposit can on another walk with DH. Only worth 5 cents in my state but I wouldn’t walk by a nickel laying on the ground, so I grabbed it.
3. Like Jill A and others here, I much prefer hosting guests at my house or going to others’ houses for get togethers. It’s not only for the savings but because we can sit around and eat, drink and talk until the cows come home and nobody cares. In a restaurant, there’s always the old side eye from the waitress or hostess who want to keep things moving. I understand in that business time is money which is why I prefer socializing in other ways. Walking is a great way to socialize and get steps in, I find.
4. Speaking of…we had a couple we’ve been friends with for years come over on Friday night for the above-mentioned way of entertaining. DH wanted pizza so we bit the bullet, ordered two and sat on the deck gabbing and talking for five hours! They brought beer and we had seltzer (store brand) on hand. Great time.
5. Reading a library book: The Witches Daughter by Orenda Fink. Great book if you like memoirs.
1. I did another mystery shop with a *relatively* good payout of $22 to eat a hot dog and some fries, and it was in the neighborhood of several errands.
2. Almost stuck to my list at the grocery store, but I did purchase a $2.50 container of dolmas (for 10). I’ll have a couple for my lunch “on the road” and it will keep me from stopping somewhere. Like Katy, I also did used Fetch to get all of my 25 points, as I rarely get anything more due to lack of name brand purchases.
3. I stopped into the more expensive Stop & Shop to pick up 3 items from FlashFoods, which I notice now charge a 5% processing fee (lame). While there, I bought 1 loss leader and picked up a free jar of Chosen Mayo (who would pay $8.67 for a jar is beyond me, but I’ll happily pay $0.00).
4. I signed up for my free Covid and Flu shop. I hate getting shots (or anything with a needle) but this will means 20 points toward the 200 points that I have to “earn” to get 10% off my annual cost of health insurance.
5. I did a survey for Nielson’s of my media usage. It took less than 5 minutes and I got a $10 gift certificate of my choosing.
Loved your 5 FFTs. It’s the small and medium savings that can really add up. And I agree…$8.67 for a jar of mayo sounds like highway robbery.
While I consider mayo on the bottom of the food pyramid, I really can’t believe $8.67 a jar is far superior to anything else on the market. We did try Duke’s, not bad but I would not put it above anything other mayo I’ve consumed.
1. I made a hashbrown casserole, using up some eggs and cream that needed to be used. Now I have several breakfasts ready in the freezer for when I need something quick.
2. I cancelled my Walmart+ subscription. I had tried it for a month, and I did use it enough in September to make the cost worthwhile, but I don’t want to keep paying for it long term.
3. I bought only items that were on sale at Kroger. I was pretty pleased with some of the deals I got, especially a $0.39 chocolate bar from a fancy brand that normally would be out of my price range.
4. Same old, same old otherwise.
1. I also ordered the free Covid tests and they are en route to us now. Our library also had free tests, so I was able to get one more box there.
2. Had a free trial week of Paramount and when I clicked cancel on the last day, they offered me a free month. I watched Mayor of Kingstown and Yellowjackets, but there’s not a lot I’m tempted by.
3. Attended the fall rummage sale at a local church. I think it’s one of the few places left that still has items priced at a nickel and a dime. I found a few things for myself, and a bunch of good stuff to resell, including a vintage leather Coach purse for $3, and brand new LL Bean boots for $2.
4. I had a poor experience at Kroger, and sent an email when I got home. They apologized and gave me a $15 store credit.
5. Not a frugal win for me, but I created one for someone else. I found a wallet in the street on my morning walk. I tracked down the owner online and they picked it up later that day, and sincerely thanked me.
That’s how you and I differ, as I love all the StarTrek series!
Thanks for letting me know about the Covid tests. I just ordered more.
1. We were supposed to have a yard sale Saturday and Sunday but it rained all day Saturday so we moved it to Sunday and Monday. My daughter and FIL both set up tables too. My son had to work but gave me a few things to sell. Between all of us we made over $700. The truck is full of leftovers and we are dropping it off tomorrow morning at our church thrift store.
2. I cooked in the crockpot both days to avoid takeout.
3. We gave several items to our neighbor that she was interested in for her grand kids. She brought us bagels as a thank you. Yummy.
4. A fan my FIL was trying to sell didn’t, so I kept if for our guest room.
5. My daughter and I did a fall deer painting class that was free at the library. I picked up 2 new to me puzzles while I was there. I dropped off 1 in return.
1. Got my Covid shot today. I had already gotten a flu shot where I work, but they don’t have Covid vaccines. For that, I went to a CVS located inside a Target store. My Medicare card allowed me to get the shot free, no copayment, and I asked them about coupons; I’d read where some stores give you freebies for getting your vaccine with them. The pharmacist was just going to let me walk off without one, but since I spoke up, I got a coupon for $5 off a $20 purchase, good for 30 days.
2. We have new neighbors and they came and brought me some home-baked loaves of bread. He’s a home chef.
3. Signed up for more substitute teacher gigs.
4. Cut up more limbs and brush and put them out for garbage pickup. Hid them in 2 huge contractor’s bags which I put in the bottom of the regular trash can. Came home and they’re all gone….or at least THIS weekend’s batch was gone. Slowly but surely I am getting all the brush hauled off without paying the landfill fee to dump them. City Garbage Dept. only picks up brush twice monthly, so I have to get creative about disposing of same.
5. Went to the bank to check on my finances. All is well.
1. Many years ago I gave my niece and her husband a dresser when they were first starting out as newlyweds. 12 years later she offered to give it back. I accepted as I have been saving to buy a new dresser for my new primary bedroom which will be in my addition, which isn’t quite finished. So now I can use that money elsewhere.
2. My cousin who lives on a nearby island had me over for two days, taking me out for dinner one night (which was lovely) and cooking for me one night (also lovely). He picked me up from the ferry terminal so I didn’t have to pay for my car. I also have a discount card for the ferry which saved me about $4. We went for a walk to a beautiful beach and had a picnic lunch from leftovers, some of which I had brought from home. It was a wonderful mini vacation for me.
3. Dh managed to remove two bathroom windows (without breaking them) which we can now sell.
4. Picking my own dahlias for a bouquet to decorate my Airbnb cottage whenever I have guests.
5. Gave my friend’s 88 year old mother some kale and cherry tomatoes out of my garden, and she gave me a jar of her strawberry jam.
1. While doing some citizen science collecting water at a creek, found $8 in loonies ($1 coins) and twoonies ($2 coins). Took all but one, as they were sitting on a rock in the middle of a creek that was going to flood the next day. Whoot, $7 for the found money jar that I didn’t have until now.
The next day, when back for another citizen science collection, I noted that the coin was gone, although the water hadn’t yet risen that far. It will be a mystery to me why those coins were there in that lovely neat pile. (down a very slick steep route – not a path, more like a slide, hold on to trees and hope you don’t misstep. Who would GO down there?)
2. Made fajitas with chicken legs I had cooked in the instant pot (bones back in the pot for broth), and discount purple and yellow peppers, as well as a couple of sad onions. I have made up a spice mix that saves me time when making mexican food, so the meal came together quickly with rice from a discount bag bought (ahem) a while ago. Homemade tomatillo salsa and some tortillas I had picked up on discount, I was in heaven.
3. Had a not-frugal 4 days as I flew a long way up north in my province to ask for signatures so that my political party will have a candidate in that riding for the upcoming provincial election. After two full days of talking to a LOT of very nice people, I successfully collected the required number of signatures (went out for insurance signatures, just in case) and completed the applicaiton with 1/2 day to spare. I am now the ‘paper’ candidate in that riding – where I have not a hope of being elected, due to some pretty divisive politics up there, however people who are looking for an alternative to the big two will have a choice on their ballots. Democracy for the win! (kind of…). My flight and hotel and car rental were paid, and I was very careful with the meals I purchased to save the party money – the hotel had a very good breakfast for free so I ate well in the morning then did without until evening. So glad to be home, though.
4. As mentioned in a comment above, I harvested a LOT of winter squash with the help of a young friend. It was SO much fun, and a lot of work – my lawn tractor trailer was full 4 times! I lent a pickup truck bed’s worth of squash to another young friend who needed them for his work (they were doing a photo-shoot) and I gave him two huge stalks of multiple sunflowers when he came over – might as well share them when they are perfect, eh? The remainder of the squash were washed with the help of Wonder James, and put into my grow room, resting on Bread Trays for air flow and under lights for curing. (best gardening hack – old bread trays are useful for so many things)
5. Got a huge load of firewood delivered (not frugal), and while Wonder James was stacking it in the woodshed/hayshed, he had to temporarily pull out the haybales. He came and knocked on my door with his shirt front bulging out – he had found a hidden chicken nest, and presented me with 18 eggs! GAH.
Then, when I went out to check on things, I saw that he hadn’t brought in the nest I knew about (another 16 eggs) and THEN he started pulling eggs from between two bales.
I think I have 8 dozen ‘found and questionable’ eggs! The birds had been suddenly unproductive about 2 weeks ago, so now I know where they were laying, instead…ANYWAY, I am using these eggs by washing them, ensuring they are lying flat while in the water (indication of age, if they float one end up they are older. Not BAD per-se, but older)/ Any ‘good’ ones I am breaking one-by-one into a small bowl before using, and they are all fine.
The dog gets the partial floaters, if there are any. I am researching frozen quiches…
6. Oh, and if I haven’t mentioned it, I am now a grandmother of a lovely little boy – born August 30th. Was a last minute caesarian, so Mom and Dad were in a bit of shock, however this kiddo is just about the easiest baby one could imagine, so they are having a break there as mom recovers (and struggles with some issues). Both Mom and Dad caught covid, so I haven’t seen the baby for a week, hope to change that tomorrow, now that I am back from my travels
Congratulations Grandma!!
Fair play to you for spreading the plant love!
5 frugal things:
* The cauliflower in Lidl has a price per piece and there just happened to be a piece in the box that was double the size of all the others so I did of course buy that very one! 🙂 There was enough for a side dish for one evening and for cauliflower cheese soup for the day after.
* I attended several free talks as part of a local festival.
* Somehow managed to rip my pants on the car and promptly mended them.
* Found a beautiful handmade pottery dish and set it aside for the Christmas presents stash.
* The teens declared a packet of grapes that I had gotten as “too soft” so I suggested they freeze the grapes and have them as a frozen snack. They didn’t love them but they ate them!
fwiw, I was curious and clicked on your Fetch referral link but it didn’t work for me: “app_not_found.” Thanks for all your frugal five posts, Katy. Wishing a very speedy continued recovery for your mom…
@Dmarie, I had the same problem, thought it was ’cause I am in Canada?
I just tried it and had the same problem and I’m in Colorado
1. I mentioned getting a chest freezer in the last edition of 5 frugal things…but didn’t elaborate. It was $199 from a local grocery store and the store added $199 worth of coupons for free items to my account. Lots of snacks/treats…ice cream, pizza rolls etc.
2. I grabbed a gift for a birthday party from my “gift closet” – it was a board/card game I had gotten for free after a rebate. I put it in a recycled gift bag and used recycled tissue paper also. & My son made his friend a card.
3. I got a free jar of mayo from the local grocery store. It’s not something we’ll eat, so we’ll donate it to my son’s flag football food drive next week.
4. I have my bi-annual mammogram later today. Yesterday afternoon I got a call from my doctor’s office asking if I want to have my visit directly after the mammogram to save myself another trip to their office in a few weeks. Yes please!
5. I have a book on hold at the library that was recommended to me for my son (who is a history buff)