Five Frugal Things
by Katy on December 9, 2024 · 43 comments
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Our passenger side headlight went out, so my handy-dandy husband bought replacement bulbs and installed them himself. I’m not sure how much money we saved, but I can be happy without the hard data.
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I was going stir crazy at home, so I invented an errand to donate a couple items to Goodwill. I didn’t go into the store and instead called my mother to see if she was up for a spontaneous visit. I returned home to find my son in the kitchen, working on his weekly meal prep.
Oregon in December is intensely dreary and it’s easy to succumb to seasonal affective disorder. Maybe I should consider taking vitamin D to stay above water.
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I started listening to A Novel Love Story, by Ashley Poston through the library’s free Libby app. I allow my sister use my Libby account, (Portland’s library lets you check out so many more books than NYC’s does!) and she’d enjoyed the book, so she left it in the account instead of returning it.
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• I broke the wood and wicker basket that I’ve been using for paper recycling. Luckily it took nothing more than a squirt of wood glue and a couple of clamps to bring it back to life.
• My son needed to pick up a couple specific items at H Mart and dragged my sorry tuchus along. I bought 33¢/bunch scallions and six sale priced mini-cans of coconut milk for just 48¢ apiece. This was perfect as I rarely need the entire can of coconut milk.
• I drove through McDonald’s and got a 50¢ double cheeseburger through their app.
• I used a hair dryer to soften the glue that held the metal piece onto the back of my son’s old cell phone case. We then glued it onto his new case so he can avoid buying a new cell phone mount kit.
• I invited my next door neighbor over for a chat and a catch up. These dates are hilariously cheap as we just bring our own tea to one another’s houses.
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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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{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
Good for you for getting out – sometimes it’s all we can do to tread water.
I have the replacement headlights, but installing them on the Outback involves some hardcore fiddlery and it might be more than I can do in this body, this year. Maybe I’ll try to change the burnt-out one first.
Realized a couple years ago that I too get kind of down when we have a lot of gloomy weather. Started turning on lights when I get up in the morning instead of waiting for sunlight (I get up pretty early) and leave them on for a few hours. It did seem to help, possibly a slight increase in electricity bill but trade off is worth it.
Your burger looks delicious.
Our Honda dealership will replace bulbs for free. You buy what you need at the parts counter and they install. It may not be as cheap as buying elsewhere but it is quick and easy.
1. I washed a load of laundry and hung items on hangers in the breezeway and items on racks in the house. This time of year I am happy to have humidity added to the dry air.
2. We hiked my favorite trail in the state park near our home. It goes along the river which I love, especially when you see/hear it going over rocks. We used our senior passes for admission.
3. I was cat sitting for the neighbors and the door handle came off their storm door. DH found the Allen wrench needed to reattach it and quickly completed the repair.
4. DD went to visit relatives and I sent with her a gift card for my nephew. He is disabled and still receives holiday gifts.
5. I did not pay $5000 to have holiday lights installed by professionals nor $270 for a 10′ tree (and $130 to have it delivered). Both things I read about in my cheapo digital version of the local newspaper.
Christmas Decorating Frugal Edition:
Super excited about today’s Christmas project. Dh and I have reach the inevitable empty nesters question: Do we decorate if we are not hosting and DS is coming home for just a bit of time? DH answer is, NO. Classic simplicity. That doesn’t work for me.
Our negotiating lead to my idea of organizing a “small Christmas” separated from a “big Christmas.” I have been itching to create a more “coherent, designer looking” showcase for family traditional ornaments. As I have curated my wardrobe over the years to ] keep only what I love and looks great, so will I organize my Christmas stuff. The goal is to release what no longer serves and display what is precious.
AI summary of challenge
* On Big Christmas, we will cut down a tree on our cabin lot. Last night we bought a 6 ft pre lit tree for Small Christmas.
* The rules of sustainable apply: Reuse, recycle, make do or do without. I am on a scavenger hunt.
* I have done a little research on getting the cohesive look: For small Christmas, I will select a color scheme and a few cohesive elements like ribbons and maybe matching picks. I am going to scavenger from various sources to get a bunch of one element. We farm 2,000 acres with multiple older generation’s all looking to declutter and who live in a 20 mile area. I have a glue gun and the internet. I am ready to arts and crafts the crap out of this.
* We are probably moving into a 5,000 square foot 1912 renovation in the next few years. I am not ready to do a major toss. This is just “shopping” from multiple closets. Also, the new place will be big enough to have a live tree and the new pre lit small one.
* I have chosen three areas in our current living room to highlight. That is it.
* I did purchase a new “zipnhang” to put a wreath on our door – the only external decoration. Our front door is a piece of art created by a master woodcrafter. We gave him fallen wood from our orchard. As payment, he made a door for us out of one of our walnut trees. The “zipnhang” doesn’t mar the door.
I have one day to do this. In the Mark, Get Set, Go.
Good luck at picking out just as much as you want for your decorations!
I have wreath hangers in my home that I bought on after-holiday clearances and do not use for wreaths. On the bedroom and coat closet doors are over-the-door hanger hooks that hold a bathrobe, the cloth shopping bags, and my husband’s exercise cords. On the side of the refrigerator is a heavy magnetic hook that holds the kitchen broom and dustpan.
You cracked me up with “I have a glue gun and the internet.” You are ready for battle! Enjoy Small Christmas!
Anyone else out there remember Kitty Bartholomew on HGTV back in the olden days? Her signature line was “I’ve got a glue gun and I’m not afraid to use it!”
A. Marie, I fondly remember Kitty and the others who were on HGTV at the outset!
I’m feeling more than grumpy today after reading news of the egregiously ridiculous: a Mets player signed a 15-contract for $765 million dollars, and an article in the Home section included a suggestion for wrapping garage rafters with faux garland for a bit of green in that space. Onward frugal soldiers!
1. Wrapped up gifts for two great nephews using tissue paper and ribbon from my stash. I can’t remember the last decade that I bought any gift wrap, bags, tissue or ribbon – 1990s, maybe? I just reuse what others give us.
2. Put in some long, enjoyable days in the kitchen making things from the fridge/freezer/pantry to use up as many items as possible before we have to clear everything out for the renovation. We should then be able to store anything remaining in the fridge/freezer (e.g., condiments, etc.) at my sister’s and turn off that appliance during our month-long road trip.
3. Suspended our garbage service for the month we’ll be gone, saving $25.
4. Went shopping with my husband at Sierra where we found him a pair of extraordinary gloves on clearance for $10.
5. Benefitted from my Buy Nothing group once again by receiving boxes and packing material (for clearing out areas that will be affected by the renovation), crossword puzzle book for our travels, furniture gliders for moving furniture, and bananas for making smoothies and banana bread.
Wrapping garage rafters with faux garlands?? This reminds me of a joke I always include on some random date in the Bestest Neighbors’ Martha Stewart parody calendar: “Don’t forget to crochet a new roof for the garage.”
Look up this year’s Turner Prize winner.
I saw that. It was hoot: very skilled, but the Turner Prize — really?
Yeah. I think a lot of contemporary art is puerile.
Modern Art baffles me. Someone paid a million dollars, I think it was, for an art piece consisting of a real banana duct taped to the wall. I am not making this up!!!!! It really happened!!! Saw it in the news!! I think we all should get out our rolls of duct tape and grab a banana and see if we can get anything (besides strange looks and a possible trip to the Funny Farm) for our artistic creations…..
The banana is conceptual art, where the concept is more important than the actual physical artwork. (BTW, Lisa, modern art is defined as up the 1970s or so.)
Artist Piero Manzoni was told in the 60s by his father that his work was shit. His father owned a canning factory, so Manzoni began canning his own feces, and selling each for the price of one ounce of gold on the day.
Do I like it? No. But it’s a thing.
As a lifelong resident of FL and CA I can not imagine how SAD impacts those in areas with less light. Even in a perpetually sunny place I find that at this time of year I need to be much more intentional with self care. I hope your outing was helpful!
1. My friend and I have been meeting each evening to walk the neighborhood after dinner. This has been a very non-consumer way to get some activity and social time.
2. I have not purchased or sent Christmas cards in at-least 4 years but as I pulled everything out this year I found a stash of cards and forever stamps. Yesterday I decided to send cards 1 more time. I was happy to find some cards I had purchased at a student craft fair. The kids had crafted them. All are off to the mail now and I don’t plan to send them again. With a single stamp at 73 cents now I just couldn’t justify it.
3. My son has been wanting to start selling on ebay for some time now so we worked yesterday to set some things in motion. I’m hoping it will help motivate some clearing of things around here. My preferred minimalist aesthetic always feels a far reach this time of year with Christmas throughout the house.
4. I had some mail delivered to my neighbors when we weren’t home and walked down to get it yesterday. She gifted me a banana for my son’s current smoothie fixation so I didn’t have to make a store run a day early. I try to group my runs to town. Today I have 4 places to stop all around my son’s dental appointment.
5. I’ve been wearing my favorite house sweater (which has been mended a few times) and cozy house socks (which desperately need mending) to keep warm around here. A friend asked why I don’t get myself something new and I happily explained how satisfying it is to wear these until no longer possible. Besides, they are surely much more soft and cozy than anything new could be.
That burger is making me whimper. No McD’s here.
1. I took a nice walk with two of my daughters yesterday. My middle child lives in the sweetest little town about a half hour from me. We did a little window shopping and enjoying the quiet little downtown area. A non-consumer form of socializing and exercising for us and dogs.
2. I brought my granddog home with me to dog sit. I do this once a week and keep him overnight for his, my dog’s and my benefit. We exchange pet sitting when possible.
3. I’m turning my pre-lit tree on for an hour in the morning when it’s dark and at night for a bit so we get the full benefit of the lights and hopefully don’t wear them out too quickly.
4. I took a friend to the hospital this morning for a procedure. She needed a ride there and back and someone to stay the entire time. I made coffee and breakfast before I picked her up. I took my kindle and a snack. I didn’t buy anything from my favorite local coffee roasters that have a cafe in the lobby even though it smelled so good.
5. I gave my daughter a container of potato soup to use for her lunches. She gave me a bottle of prosecco leftover from her wedding that I will use for Christmas morning mimosas.
1. I did not go anywhere, order anything, or purchase anything yesterday. I sat on the couch and drank tea and read my little library book and it was INCREDIBLE. I have been feeling very run down lately with no real good reason (Seasonal Affect Sisters, unite!) and a day to myself was so helpful.
2. Once I felt rejuvenated enough to get off the couch, I made buttermilk biscuits with leftover buttermilk. They came out SO ugly but tasted incredible. Bonus of the oven warming up the apartment and keeping the heat off for the evening.
3. Brought our car for its inspection to a local spot – charged us $10 cash for the inspection and are just generally lovely. Happy to support the neighborhood garage and not overpay at a chain.
4. Like many of us I was not interested in braving the cold and dark especially with the most recent winter weather in New York. I fell back on my favorite youtube workouts to still get a sweat going and feel better (for anyone looking for low impact, Grow with Jo is very good and doesn’t require you to get on and off the floor!)
5. Spent our quiet weekend petsitting for our upstairs neighbors. We are so lucky to have them! We watch their little cat when they travel and they return the favor for our two screaming siamese cats. It’s great having folks we can trust living just upstairs (and good friends!)
FFT, More Drip Drip Drip Edition:
(1) Mr. Fix-It came over yesterday afternoon and did his best to fix the dripping kitchen tap (see my comment yesterday), but we finally concluded that the entire faucet assembly needs to be replaced. (It dates back to DH’s kitchen renovation in 1988.) He’s checking his extensive stock of parts to see whether he has one that will work for me, and if not, we’ll take a trip to Lowe’s and get one.
(2) Meanwhile, I continue to keep various containers under the drip, and I’m using the collected water to bucket-flush the downstairs toilet, water houseplants, etc. Zero waste here!
(3) And speaking of dripping, the weather here has gone from snow to rain, so I’m leaving the Element outside for the moment to get a free rinse. I didn’t go out too much last week during the snow, so there’s not too much road salt on it to begin with.
(4) I did a round of errands this morning that included a PO stop (I mailed off JASNA BFF’s Xmas box and all the hard-copy cards I’m not hand-delivering) and Price Chopper. At PC, I bought the smallest shank-end half-ham I could find at 99 cents a pound, which will take care of my ham needs for the foreseeable future. The meat I don’t use immediately, and the bone, will be frozen for future soups.
(5) I wound up the errands run with two thrift store stops, where I found bargains ranging from Ball canning jar lids to two books to eight votive candles to a very snazzy set of herb jars. In particular, I was running out of votives–but, as usual, the thrifts came through.
@A. Marie, if your tap is one of the fancy brand names, it might have a lifetime warranty. I had one faucet that started to behave badly, I contacted them for the part and they sent me an entirely new faucet (yes, the whole kit and caboodle). first time I had ever experienced something like that. Can’t remember the brand, one of those midrange varieties starting with a p… (so helpful, I know.)
Likely Pfister.
This morning at daybreak in my neck of the PNW, it was clear and the sun was breaking over the coast mountain range – absolutely beautiful. Fast forward 45 minutes and I am greeted with heavy socked in fog, less than an 1/16 mile clearance. Fed the birds as we have a huge confluence of finches and pine siskins, at least they are happy and fed.
I delivered 3 laundry baskets of clothes to the community closet, 2 closets are cleaned out, 2 more to go!
I have boxed up family heirlooms for the younger family members to go through during their holiday visits.
The great niece and nephew are coming today to decorate our tree and bake cookies. They love coming to the farm with their Grandma – my cousin.
I don’t even like fast food and that burger photo still looks good.
This weekend I cleaned out a closet and baked a gluten-free pizza from scratch with some clearance “cup for cup” GF flour. Today is very drizzly, foggy and I will be glad next week to get into see the doc about my thyroid medication, which definitely needs tweaking.
Katy, I endorse the Vitamin D idea. It makes a great difference in northern latitudes. I take it because I have MS and it’s thought that Vit D helps the body avoid recurrences or at least mitigates them. But we all need more than we get these days living indoors as we do.
I’m rounding up Hanukkah candles from three different places in my apartment, so I don’t panic and have to go searching for more.
I dropped off stuff at Habitat Restore and our local thrift store. All in good usable condition. Both had large signs saying they wouldn’t take dirty or broken things. Both donation areas were overflowing. Sad to see the waste and I was sad I had to add to it.
Making spiced pecans for 2 gifts from pecans my mother gave me. Shared the local honey (with honeycomb!) I won at a holiday potluck as another gift.
Our furnace is dead (only 3 years old!!!). Thankfully it’s in warranty. Sadly its 50 degrees in the house. It’s surprisingly tiring to be cold all the time. Makes me grateful for heat and mindful of others who are don’t have it.
Had a hand work afternoon with a friend. She did a mending job that she had been putting off. I darned a sock. It made me want to start a hand work group.
Sold a 100 ft extension cord that the previous owners of this house had run from the house out to a fountain. So happy to be rid of it.
Kara,
Kind of awful that both places needed to post signs to remind people they don’t want or accept dirty or broken items. C’mon, folks….who wants stuff like that?
1. Accepted a very nice hand-me down coat for my 10 year old. My child is excited because he thinks the teen boy who used to own it is very cool.
2. Ate leftovers last night for dinner and today for lunch.
3. Kept the house at 66. During the day, it is a bit cold, but I have a blanket on my lap. Sometimes I wear a hat.
4. Library books and more library books
5. Bought used DVDs for x-mas present for DD12, per her request
I love your #1. That is so sweet.
1. Strangely, like Katy, we had a passenger light out on our vehicle. My sister had one out the week before and the dealership put a light in for her as part of her oil change. So my husband figured that he could replace our light also. Job well done.
2. My niece sent another box of hand me downs for my grandson. So well appreciated. She told me that some of the clothes might be in rough shape (my great nephew is 8) and I told her to send them anyways. I’ve patched 4 pairs of pants and he’s able to wear them now.
3. The US Air Force Academy puts on several Christmas shows around Denver & Colorado Springs for free. I scored a free ticket for next weekend!
4. My husband and I went out to look at Christmas lights at a Christmas market. No purchases but fun to get out on a chilly evening for a little Christmas spirit.
5. Eating down the pantry, using our library for books (current – Agnes Sharp’s Trip of a Lifetime) and printing, watching our tv by antenna, Brit Box and Netflix. Enjoying our (old ) Christmas decorations. Planning our 2025 budget. Filling out forms for our grandson’s preschool for next year – Colorado has 15 hours of free preschool for 4 year olds.
If you get Netflix, you might want to check out The Man on The Inside, starring Ted Danson. It is about a retired guy who goes undercover at an old folks home to find a jewel thief. It is funny and surprisingly poignant. Half hour episodes, 8 in total if I remember correctly.
100% agree — so enjoyable and amazing cast!
1. Sunday night, the neighbors down the street put on one of their gigantic holiday block parties. They do this for Christmas, Easter, and 4th of July. I had asked off from work and was granted the evening off. The street party/soiree consists of kiddie games, live music, dancing in the street, lots of festive lights, Christmas caroling, cookies and candy, hot chocolate and coffee and food truck meals. (IMHO, food truck prices are outrageous. And the VERY few times I’ve eaten food from a food truck, it wasn’t very good.) So I ate a big meal at home before the party. Left my purse at home and did not spend a penny at the thing, (aside from bringing some bottles of flavored coffee creamer for the beverage table as my contribution to the shindig, requested by the hostess). There was a re-enactment of the posada (where Mary and Joseph tried to find lodging and were turned away), and of course you-know-who came in from the North Pole along with his elves. (Kudos to the grown man who dressed up as Will Farrow’s Buddy the Elf — that took nerve!) I got my photo taken with Santa since it was free. The grinch was there, too, but was behaving himself. They probably had close to 100 neighbors and guests attend, the weather was cool and damp but not unpleasant, and my evening was completely free….except for the coffee creamers = Low-cost entertainment and lots of fun! Oh, and I think I found some takers for that pile of firewood I don’t want to have to pay to have hauled off. (My fireplace is really a gas space heater that doesn’t use wood.)
2. Today (Monday), I went down to the Social Security office and am going to have a nice little “gift” from Uncle Sam every month this coming year. The bureaucrats at SS assure me that our once and future president cannot cut SS for people my age; I’m somewhat skeptical but I pray they are right. But if he does, I think all of us senior citizens will descend on Washington in such numbers, we’ll dwarf the Jan. 6 mob in comparison.
3. I also got off for a weekday potluck dinner that the church ladies are going to have. I was late in RSVP-ing because I wasn’t sure the store would let me off two whole shifts. So it ends up I’m told to bring the dressing (turkey stuffing). I have not had a working oven in eons; was worried how I could pull this off. The Ladies Aid Society (no, that’s not really the group’s name) gals are having both turkey and ham and a ton of side dishes and desserts and homemade bread and some wine, so probably not a lot of attendees will want dressing. Went to the H-E-B (big supermarket chain) and sure enough, they sell premade dressing. Even better: their in-house “Combo Loco” coupons had a buy one get one free deal on the containers of same. As backup, I also got their store brand “Stovetop” dressing mix in case I need to make more; it can be microwaved. So all I have to do is transfer it into a casserole dish, add some turkey gravy and voila! I’m bringing dressing. Sneaky but cost effective.
4. Had the Stanley Steamer people over here, and was given an estimate. Instead of replacing the tile flooring, I can get it deep cleaned and coated with a protectant that will not be slick like wax but will make it look shiny, like a brand new floor, and will last for years. Need the floor sanitized anyway, since my late puppy-dog (may she rest in peace) had numerous accidents during her final illness. Might not be exactly frugal, but since it will enhance the property value without having to put down new flooring in the great room (kitchen and den and eat-in area in kitchen), I think it IS frugal in the long run.
5. Did a massive decluttering and took items to the charity thrift store for other frugalites to buy and enjoy and in doing so, they will support a worthy cause.
1. As I have done every year for the last 18 years, I worked as cashier at my friend’s art show and sale over the weekend. This year I bought two paintings, one for my daughter and her partner for Christmas and one for me. Being somewhat frugal during the year allows me the occasional splurge of original art by a dear friend. My friend insisted on giving me one of her pottery bowls that I wanted to purchase. I enjoyed homemade soup and other goodies and chatted with neighbours and new friends. It’s what I look forward to every holiday season as I’m not a very Christmassy person and I don’t enjoy socializing in large groups.
2. DH put some woodworking in the show and sold 5 cutting boards, and a bandsaw box. All made with scrap wood from larger projects. He was thrilled.
Because I volunteer he doesn’t have to pay the entry fee for the show.
3. Stayed with another friend who was volunteering rather than drive an hour home. She is a wonderful hostess and fed me dinner and coffee the next day, and put me up in her very comfortable guest room. She is a very cherished friend, we have known each other for over 50 years.
4. Sold a nativity set I bought at an online auction. It went quickly.
5. Our addition to our house is almost complete! DH is currently building the closet organizers for our primary bedroom, savings us hundreds of dollars.
Mickey D’s double cheeseburger is sooo much better than a quarter pounder it isn’t even funny.
1 – friend for whom we found a buyer for an item is over the moon. While we didn’t ask for any $, friend did insist we take some.
2 – the item out of our house that goes with the above mentioned item will get us a bucket of wood we can split and be burned (by us or someone else)
3 – remembered another item that goes with 1 & 2 that will leave our house. It is small but will be gone
4 – buyer of #1 might know someone who wants a large item that needs to get out of our house. I’ll have to see what the “going rate is” then make it attractive. Said item is taking up storage space that would free up other storage space. Our storage is not helter skelter by design.
5 – two of the last three of election payments came in the mail today.
I should say for working the election – we’re not getting paid to vote!
Love these posts!
1. Was not affended, but rather delighted that at least one of my birthday gifts was Thrifted.
2. Looked through the Love & Lemons cook book from the library.
3. Fed the cat the drained tuna water. He loved it. Then stretched the little can of tuna by mixing in sale Celery and Pickles.
4. Made bread.
5. Decorated using mostly Christmas decorations we already had.
I should clarify, the tuna with Celery and Pickles was for us humans, the cat only got the water.
1. DH repaired the hood on our birdfeeder that keeps the squirrels off. Gorilla Glue to the rescue.
2. DH and Grandson took the Christmas tree and two tubs of decorations out of an upstairs closet and carried them down the stairs for me. No need to get anything new. Although I love real Christmas trees, the price of them around here has skyrocketed over the last few years, driving me to purchase an artificial one last year. It’s actually grown on me and I like it.
3. SIL saved the boughs he saved off the bottom of his real tree for me to decorate with. And yesterday DH walked to a swampy area to cut me some red berries I add to the greens for a pretty holiday look.
4. DD came over today to hang out. I made scrambled eggs for lunch along with slices of banana bread I made yesterday. Satisfying lunch and no money spent on take out. DD and I are both in agreement it’s so much cheaper to eat at home these days and better for our overall health.
5. I’m planning on going to the free Christmas concert at the library this coming Thursday night, I split a batch of cookies and gave some to my friend for her birthday and some to my other friend’s house for her Christmas party, I’m reading a great book, A Fever in the Heartland by Tim Egan which is surprisingly similar to events over the last eight years and I used a 30% off my purchase of a case of cat food at a pet store.
I somehow find it amusing to use a substance with the word “gorilla” in it as a defense against invading squirrels. Hope it works!
So far, so good with the gorilla glue. No challenges from the squirrels…lol. We’re expecting torrential rain and high winds tomorrow though so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
I’m staring at gloom and mist this morning – SAD is a real thing in Ohio. Vitamin D is a must.
1. A local grocery store has spices B1G1 free. I went through my spice cabinet to see what I was running low on and will stop by to get the 4 I need. It was the only thing I saw appealing in the ad, but I will go by the meat section to check for markdowns – that is how I try to buy all my meat these days as the cost has gone up a lot.
2. I put up my solar string lights on our light poles outside – a little festive but no cost to me. The light poles themselves are already solar powered so we have light along our driveway for free.
3. I made several meals in a row that generated lots of leftovers. I sent meal size leftovers home with 2 of my kids. They were thrilled not to have to cook and I am thrilled that no food will go to waste.
4. I took advantage of some black Friday and cyber monday deals to purchase things we use on a regular basis – dog food, granola bars, face soap. It was nice to get needed items at a reduced price.
5. Our district was phasing out the iPads that had been issued to the high school students. They offered them to staff for $75. I got one for myself as I have been wanting something smaller than my laptop. At this price I couldn’t resist.