Five Frugal Things
by Katy on November 18, 2024 · 64 comments
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I decided to reorganize the closet in our spare bedroom, which led to giving away two board games and a cycling backpack through my Buy Nothing group. I needed a few extra organizing bins/shelves, but remembered that I had a stash of curb picked wire grid component pieces that would do the trick. I also nabbed a small bin from a shelf of DVDs, which created enough storage for everything.
Oddly, I’ve curb picked this type of organizing cube system thrice over the years and love them as they can be configured in so many different ways. The key is to use zip ties to assemble, which keeps them structurally tighter than the actual doohickies that come with them. Does everything match? No, but that’s not a goal for me as this is hardly a visible area.
There’s just something so satisfying about a freshly organized space, especially when it’s able to be achieved without spending a dime!
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My son texted asking if I wanted to go thrifting, as he wanted “to find stuff to sell.” You can guess my answer. He picked me up and drove us to the Goodwill on S.E. 52nd, off Woodstock, which I suspect prices their furniture lower than other stores, as their store has a smaller footprint and they need their furniture to sell quickly.
My son quickly found a West Elm arm chair for just $29.99 and gave it a quick inspection, realizing that there was was enough potential profit to be worth the thirty bucks. I also found a $4.99 vintage lighting globe for him to flip.
We then drove over to Lounge Lizard to sell the globe and were rewarded with two ten dollar bills. “Finding stuff to sell” isn’t always so successful, (or immediate) but it’s pretty awesome when it is!
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I stopped at the library to return one of my copies of After Annie and pick up two new holds.
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• I found nine raggedy wet pennies in the Lounge Lizard parking lot.
• I didn’t buy anything for myself at Goodwill.
• My son photographed and listed the chair within an hour of bringing it back to the house.
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I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 64 comments… read them below or add one }
That chair!
1. Took my clean supply of elastic hair bands that I find on walks and used them to corral cords and cables.
2. Attended free classes at the library.
3. I am a volunteer reading tutor to four children. They provide free humor and wonder every week!
4. Took advantage of an early Black Friday sale and 24-month financing to fund the replacement of our rangetop, washer/dryer and water softener.
5. Offered up many items on Buy Nothing. Received some uniquely flavored Trader Joe’s crackers that no one else was biting at (haha) and lots of bananas. I peeled all of them, put them in a big bowl, mashed them up and portioned into four pint-size mason jars for the freezer. Speaking of bananas, I am 65 years old and just learned that monkeys peel them from the bottom rather than the stem!
I agree, the chair is very cute.
Thank you for the monkey trivia, very interesting.
Katy, how proud are you that your son inherited your thrifting gene!!! He learned from the best!! Also, I love the art on the tp package!! Have a great day
He’s not as die hard as I am when it comes to thrifting, but he does like a bargain.
1. I will do my own eyebrows today saving $15.
2. I am using the “broth” from the collard greens I made yesterday to make split pea soup with ham from the ham hock that was cooked with the greens.
3. I’ll freeze half of the split pea soup for later this winter
4. Hanging a few loads of laundry out to dry today.
5. Sold something yesterday for $20 that I trash picked for free.
I love split pea soup with ham, yum! Smart to freeze half for later.
Congrats on your $20 sale, not only did you make a few bucks, but you saved something from the landfill. Double win!
Love that chair.
This morning we woke up to the first snow of the season! Just a dusting, it is so pretty. Making a pot of freezer carcass chicken veg soup and crusty bread.
I fed 9 very hungry adults yesterday and the biggest reward is seeing grown men fighting over the last morsels.
I must go make hummingbird food, the hummers are buzzing the window asking for breakfast.
Interesting mental picture, juxtaposing men cleaning out the bowls and hummingbirds tapping at the windows for their share!
I love snow, how nice to get that cozy first snow of the winter!
I guess I need to ask what you cooked for so many appreciate hungry adults.
Never mind, I just read your comment from the previous blog post. Wow!
Good Morning, Coaches.
Had a nice Sunday with hubby up at our cabin in the Sierra Nevadas. I paid full price for our lunches, matinee tickets to Conclave ( which I really liked.), and included popcorn and candy. I don’t take such splurges for granted.
We don’t have internet or tv up at our cabin so we play card games and went walking the rest of the weekend.
I am still new enough in retirement to adore a free Monday up here. Normally I would get up at 5:00 am and be back down to school by 7:30 for work. What a luxury time is. I am grateful for the frugal practices and perseverance that got me to this stage.
I love card games, maybe I need to sabotage our home internet.
Those metal shelving cubes are held together with just zip ties? I’ve had some of the brackets break and my shelves are very wonky.
Yes, just zip ties and they work great!
I too use the zip ties on those wire grids. I often make them into tops for my Guinea pig cages.
Guys, I’m a wet mess today, so I’m going to sit this one out. DH’s best friend from high school called this morning to let me know that his wife died over the weekend of ovarian cancer (a fast-moving and brutal case, as best I could make out through his and my tears). This friend was one of DH’s *very* few friends to stay in touch from time to time through DH’s Alzheimer’s, and his pain is mine.
I’m so so sorry to read this, sending you a big virtual hug.
How sad! Peace be with you all.
I’m so sorry for you and your friends loss
A. Marie, I am so sorry.
Joining the others in thinking of you, A. Marie.
I’m so sorry for your loss, A. Marie. My husband stayed in touch with a friend who had Alzheimer’s and it was not easy, but he did it anyway. The other friends all drifted away. So sad. Your husband’s best friend must be very kind.
So sorry to hear of this loss, A. Marie.
Thinking of you – and your friend. I am glad to hear their/your friendship endured a sad chapter – that is special indeed.
@A. Marie – he was A friend. IMHO, friends are there thru thick and thin, not just the good times. While it doesn’t make it any easier, fast isn’t always a bad thing (provided ample pain medication was provided – the main thing I was hyper vigilant about during the end of my mother’s life). Be sure to pick up the phone/email/text as needed. The circle as I call it is what gets us through whatever it thrown at us.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Being robbed of time to process together is one of the hardest parts with precipitous illness.
1. I walked to the grocery to buy a couple of items. I used self check and discovered a previous customer left change in the coin bin. Hello found change jar.
2. I used my library card to checkout the Wall Street Journal digitally for three days. There were a couple of articles I wanted to read.
3. I bought generic athlete’s foot cream.
4. I hung a few potted plants (annuals I wa gifted in the spring) in our screened in breezeway. Frost was predicted and I would like to see them survive a few more weeks. So far, so good.
5. We discovered more hiking trails that are new to us at the state park a few miles from our house. One of them can be accessed from the next door suburb so you don’t have to wait for the park to open to use it.
Thanks for the idea of using the library card to check out the Wall Street Journal. When I hit paywalls I’ll remember to try that!
That chair is awesome and the closet looks very nice.
1. My daughter and I took a dinner of rotisserie chicken from meijer, with roasted potatoes and carrots made at home to my MIL’s house. There were enough leftovers for the three of us to have a second meal.
2. I used a $1 off coupon for the chicken.
3. I brought a Rummikub game that was missing pieces and used it to complete my MIL’s game which was also missing pieces. The game was purchased at a thrift store to complete another thrifted game for my mother. If you can follow all that, good for you. That’s two games saved from the landfill. Afterwards we played a game.
4. I went to an event to support my niece which was a four hour drive away. I booked a hotel and used my Expedia points for a discount.
5. My niece’s boyfriend bought dinner, my mom bought me lunch as a thank you for driving her and paying for the hotel.
As a board game enthusiast I love the Rummikub landfill saves! My copy is probably 30 years+ old and came from a thrift store. I have great memories of playing with my Oma before she passed.
My in-laws (my children’s Oma & Opa) taught us how to play. It’s a fun game. My mom loves it now too.
We love Rummikub.
My sister’s house flooded on the lower level several years ago. She lost all of her games. My favorite thrift store sells used games for $1. I would sit in a corner and make sure all the pieces were there for several games that needed them. Other games like Apples to Apples I bought because it doesn’t matter if some cards are missing. My nephew and sisiter were very happy.
@Jill A – may the leftover Rummikub pieces complete one or more sets.
Love the chair. Can’t wait to see how much he gets!
A. Marie please accept my condolences. Cancer is awful.
Borrowed a water trough and feed trough from my Dad. Saved $500
Refinanced the farm. Saving $1000/month!!!
Hit myself in the mouth with a log chain tearing out old fence. My teeth are fine, thankfully!! Had 2 embarrassing blood blisters on my top lip. I looked diseased ):
My pliers slipped while building new fence to replace the one I tore out. I jammed barbed wire into my knuckle. I think it hit bone. I thought I was fine so I kept working but by night it was very uncomfortable with pain into my elbow. Cleaned and soaked the hand. Applied antibiotic cream, took Tylenol, and some oral antibiotics we had on hand. My hand is back to normal. I will continue the meds through Friday. Saved copay at urgent care.
Used a gift card to contribute to lunch with my coworkers. We go to the grocery store and cook up a big lunch when we work weekends. It helps break up the monotony of 3 12 hour shifts in a row. Sat was pork chops with stuffed potato skins. Sunday was kabobs. I brought steak from home and bought the vegis.
Did not buy a king ranch dually pick up.
$1000 a month! Good thing today isn’t 5 tiny frugal things! Congratulations.
I love that you and coworkers cook a meal together. Makes it so much nicer to work such a long shift.
You get the biggest savings award for the week. Congrats on saveing $1k a month on your mortgage. That is huge.
Congrats on the refinancing, and OUCH on the refencing! My goodness, both taking out and putting in, I am wincing at the mouth and the knuckle. So glad you soaked and antibotic-ed yourself, I trust that if you are on a farm you keep your tetanus shots up to date? It is surprising to me how quickly another ten years goes by, and welp, there I am needing to get another booster. But puncture wounds on a farm are no picnic.
Your lunches with co-workers sound like a lovely way to eat and share together. I often am envious of that kind of job-energy…I was never lucky enough to have that kind of a working environment, but I would have jumped at the chance!
Have you had a recent tetanus vaccine?
1. Went to a bookclub/girls’ weekend (started 30 years ago!). One friend, who lives in Mystic, CT hosted, so free lodging. I brought extra dish soap & all purpose cleaning from surplus (free mystery shop) and acorn squash (free CSA) to share with friends. They gave me soup, soppressata, and hand-me-over clothes in return. We ate all meals at home, except for one lunch out, and at lunch, we all drank water.
2. We went to a local cider mill & got some free tastes of hard cider (it wasn’t very good) and we were going to all get apple cider donuts. One friend (who is equally frugal) noticed that they had bags of apple cider donut “seconds” (ones that were a bit small or wonky shaped). The bag of +/- 10 donuts were $3.00, as opposed to $1.50 PER donut! I bought a bag of seconds, shared with friends and had enough left to bring to my parents’ house for snack and breakfast.
3. I noticed that my friend was having us put all seltzer cans into general recycling so I asked if I could take them to return (CT is now $.10 per can, so it adds up quickly!). She said that she also had some in the large bin outside, so I rummaged through that as well, and will return all for $.
4. My mom uses pain patches with lidocaine for her back and recently paid $13.00 for a box of 6 at CVS. I was able to find them at Walgreens Buy One, Get One 50% off, with a coupon for 20% off regular-priced items, which brought the average price down to $6.50 per box. I bought out the entire supply, used FSA money (pre-tax), and purchased online so I could get 2% back from Swagbucks.
5. I went to the food co-op for some bulk spices and didn’t use a twist tie since it is priced by weight and I figure I might have saved a penny! Then, picked up some food via FlashFood.
1. I planned my grocery shopping for three stores and grouped my outing with stopping for gas, as the club membership I use to save, was on the way home.
2. I used coupons I received in the mail from companies I requested them from. I coupled them with sales where possible (before expiration). I used rain checks from previous BOGO deals to purchase a couple of items I’ll need for holiday baking. I’m purchasing a few things each grocery run as frugally as possible.
3. I stopped by a fast food restaurant I had a gift card for and had a free sandwich while I was out. I used the app to order and earned points towards another free purchase. It’s just about the only way I eat fast food anymore. Rare but appreciated on a long afternoon of errand running.
4. I noted on my calendar the dates of an upcoming gift card sale. I planned to purchase one before the holiday and if I wait until 12/24 I can get 20% off, print it and put it inside of a home made card just in time for Christmas.
5. I put several books on hold at the library and enjoyed a free audio book from Libby while I was out running errands.
Christina, I’m impressed with your #2. Could you elaborate on how you request and receive coupons from companies? Thanks!
I go to the websites for companies that make products we regularly purchase and ask if they provide coupons to loyal customers. I include my name and physical address. I almost always receive a response- sometimes with news that they don’t provide coupons, but often with either a digital coupon or a promise of a coupon in the mail. Some companies will tell me how often I can reach out to request. I have saved quite a bit of money coupling the coupons with sales. Most of the time they don’t expire for up to a year so I hold them and use them at the most opportune time. Sometimes they will send coupons for free products which usually expire more quickly and I use those right away.
This is genius. Thanks so much!
That chair is so cool! And great quick return on the light globe and the 9 pennies.
Today I made a double batch of marinara sauce with sausage and peppers, half of which will be lunches for a few days and half will be frozen for another day. It was made with sale ground pork sausage and clearance shelf canned organic tomatoes.
Also bought a carton of blueberries on sale at Aldi and used half of that plus a can of juice-packed peaches to make peach-berry baked oatmeal for breakfasts. The peaches were obtained with a buy one, get one coupon from the local grocery store.
This morning while at Aldi I had to buy a snack to share at a meeting later this week and picked out some lovely German butter cookies that were $1 less than first choice I thought about.
Going to book club tonight with two bought on eBay John Steinbeck paperbacks. They were part of a buy two, get one free offer, so I have a free copy of The Constant Gardener to enjoy later. $9 and free shipping for three books is a deal.
Bought the puppy a new toy at Ollie’s Outlet today — an impulse purchase of $4.99 to add to her collection of stuffed foxes. She immediately chewed a hole in it and I sewed it up right away with the last of a spool of orange thread given to me long ago. She is so funny and will lie on top of the toy to try to hide what she’s done. Little rascal!
I’m so sorry for your loss A. Marie. I have a significant disease and I am appreciative of every day that I have.
1. I added blackout/thermal lining to 2 sets of curtains. My grandchildren coming spurred me on to do this-I should have done it 5 years ago. But better late than never.
2. Rode my bike to UPS store to drop my sister’s birthday present, picked up the freebie at Safeway and bought one thing at Dollar Tree. Scanned my receipt to Fetch and the freebie gave me 375 points!
3. Planned all the meals for next week (4 extra people all week). I can do one big shop and hopefully not have to run to the pricier grocery stores last minute.
4. Our library Discover and Go program has free tickets to some attractions and I got 2 free tickets to a museum we will visit next week. I told my daughter in law and she got 2 free ones as well. That saves us $24 on admission. Because she receives WIC, the museum offers a discount on the remaining tickets. So the outing that would have cost $96 will now only cost us $24!
5. Propagating some of my raspberry canes. One can never have too many free raspberries.
1. My library had a big cart of puzzles for $1 each, so I bought the vintage Where’s Waldo one. Spent two days working on it to find it was missing NINE pieces. What kind of monster donates incomplete puzzles? Bright side, my son still thought it was fun, and I went up and checked out a couple from the actual library collection.
2. I had bought a couple skincare items from Kohls, and needed to return half my order. My coworker offered to do the return for me, as there is one near her house. I have run errands for her in the past and it was so nice to have someone offer to return a favor.
3. Kroger has 8 pounds of big russet potatoes on sale for $3.77. I stopped on my way home and bought 2 bags.
4. Picked up a water bottle at Goodwill on Wednesday for $2.99, and sold it three days later for $22 on ebay. Also sold a Christmas decoration for $5 I had trash picked, and a fleece jacket for $15 that I had found abandoned at a park.
5. Met my friend at a hiking trail on Sunday, instead of catching up over lunch.
That would be so frustrating to be missing so many pieces!
Great price on potatoes!
I love the chair.
1. I am eating leftover chicken noodle soup for dinner. I used the end of a box of elbows and the end of a package of egg noodles in it. I always toss whatever is open into soup.
2. I garbage picked the top of a dining room table on my way to work this morning. It is solid wood. Hubby will use it for a future project.
3. I dropped off a beer glass and a cutting board (both new) to the library for them to do etching on. They will both be Christmas presnts. I also dropped off books and got new ones for me and my client. I picked up my daughter as she lives on the way. She also got more books. Her car is in the shop.
4. I have been adding a 1/4 cup of pumpkin to my dogs food each day since I cooked a huge pumpkin and she loves it.
5.I brought lunch with me to work like I do everyday. It’s crazy to think how much people spend buying lunch everyday.
RE: Your #5 — I bought cafeteria food at the cafeteria maybe once a year over the 24 years that I was a hospital nurse. I saw many employees going there every day, plus grabbing espresso drinks throughout the day. These were often the lower paid employees and it was a difficult thing to see. I know everyone’s home life is different, but still.
I try to remember that a lot of the businesses I like to patronize once in a while wouldn’t be there at all without others’ spending. And, as you mentioned, there are so many reasons someone with fewer internal and/or external resources might seek comfort away from home. It’s hard to watch kids spending money they don’t really have, because they don’t have the perspective to know how many problems a decent savings account can prevent. I remember being a low-paid, overworked kid and what a difference it made to have something nice in the middle of an otherwise unrelievedly awful day, even though I had the example and skills my parents shared to minimize it.
1. Stocked up on dog food, which cost over $100 and thus I got a free turkey at Fred Meyer.
2. This was also a mystery shop so $18 of the bill was paid by that.
3. Did another mystery shop this week, picking up onions. Our entire Thanksgiving dinner is free because I planned ahead and with every mystery shop, I picked up one or two things I would need. I did get the bread for stuffing over a month when at the end of my volunteer shift at the food bank there was extra artisan bread available.
4. Two books and two puzzles form the library.
5. Went to a breakfast meeting and brought home a leftover donut for the husband.
You’re just so clever with all the practical mystery shops!
Why isn’t your post shareable? You suggested that if we liked what we saw to share it.
The closet looks great!
1. I did my grocery shopping at the store that I earned a free turkey at. A $30 turkey is now in my freezer for next week.
2. I had to fast for blood work today and made sure to pack a breakfast to eat afterwards on the way to work.
3. Subbed some heavy whipping cream for milk in my homemade waffles tonight. I have been struggling to use it up before going bad and this helped.
4. Made a homemade quick bread for our breakfast this week.
5. I was craving a steak and was cooking for 1 this past weekend. After taking my ds out for a coffee date in his town I spotted a butcher across the street. I got a delicious steak to make at home for exactly $4.44. It was a special treat for me at drastically lower cost than going out to eat and getting a steak.
Thanks, I’m enjoying how easy it is to access everything in the closet again.
You sound like a clever cook, I like how you treated yourself with a $4.44 steak!
1. Sitting at work drinking my brought from home protein shake
2. Getting top value out of my gym again – had fallen off but I pay for access to classes 3 times a week and I’m back in action!
3. Attending a friend’s cocktail competition tonight- it’s free to go and down the street from work. It’ll be a fun night at no cost to us!
4. Traveled home yesterday and avoided spending money at the airport by using a lounge free through DH’s credit card. Got a cocktail and enough snacks to tide us over until we got home.
5. Also spent the day working from our hotel lobby yesterday, which was complete with wifi, desks, and a sparkling water station. It was so comfortable and a relief to not have to try and find a cafe to sit in or a coworking space at $25 a day.
Hotel lobbies can be excellent “chill out” spots, plus they great for people watching.
Shout out to the Apple boxes! They’re just too good to recycle in the bins. I have one now that I’m mulling over where it will be used.
I actually did recycle a couple of Apple boxes, these ones are for the laptops we currently own.
1. I accepted an offer to get Walmart+ half off. I added up the amount I spent in the past year on delivery and shipping charges from Walmart, and it was over $150. So I figure that paying $49 for a year of free delivery will save me at least $100.
2. I asked for and got a refund on a bottle of orange juice that had a hair in it – gross.
3. I signed up for a new survey site and have been making a little money in my spare time. I made $21 on my first day.
4. I’m still making my own bread and snacks because buying the ones I can eat is too expensive. Also doing the usual things, cooking meals at home, eating leftovers, drinking mostly water, using what I have.
5. I had to buy supportive shoes and insoles to fix my foot problems. I found good prices on Amazon and used a gift card plus credit card points to help pay for them.
Bonus 6. I’m using YouTube videos to learn exercises that help relieve foot/knee/hip/back pain for free.
Plus you get a free subscription to Paramount+, which is cool if you like all things Star Trek!
Woo hoo for $21!