Five Frugal Things
by Katy on December 16, 2024 · 78 comments
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I’ll be picking up a pair of brand new Apple EarPods from someone in my Buy Nothing group. These’ll serve a stocking stuffer for my daughter who doesn’t read the blog.
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My daughter and I went to Cost Plus World Market to pick up yummy treats for people on my gift list. I try my best to not buy anything new, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t buy edible gifts. (No used food for my loved ones!) I can’t share what I bought as my sister does read the blog.
I signed up for their membership, as it you 15%-off all purchases, although I immediately hit “unsubscribe” as my inbox is cluttered enough as is.
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I walked down to a neighborhood consignment shop as my sister’s birthday is today and I wanted to send something besides the aforementioned food items. My first thought was something small like earrings, but instead I scored a $8 kitchenware item that I know she’s been wanting. Again, I can’t share what I bought, but I think she’ll be very happy with her gift.
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• I sold a Land’s End needlepointed Christmas stocking on eBay for $40.
• I sold a trio of tiny die cast Alaska Airline toys for $15.
• I made a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup as my husband is fighting an upset stomach.
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I’m not gifting any vulgar gold plated apartments in the sky.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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1. I defrosted a container of soup and spooned it over leftover rice for a quick dinner last night. Earlier I had attended a holiday party where a full meal was served and I really didn’t need another large meal.
2. I was on the committee that helped set-up and clean-up for the party and the organizer offered me a stuffed turkey breast as we were finishing loading out and cleaning up. It is enough for two or more meals. I am very grateful for the delicious treat and will plan my meals around it for a few days.
3. A neighbor brought over a gift of fresh fruit and chocolates. I so appreciate their friendship and generosity and will in turn send over my homemade Swedish Tea Ring.
4. The pair of lamps that I listed on our neighborhood Facebook page have gone to a new home and I am glad to have them out of my garage. The piece of furniture that I had posted wasn’t picked up so I am donating it to the Habitat for Humanity Restore. A lot more eyes will see it and I’m sure it, too, will find a new home very soon.
5. I am cutting up another Halloween pumpkin to make my Pumpkin Stew. I will be taking it to a holiday party on Wednesday. I love using my pumpkin decor as the food that they are.
These are Five Tiny Frugal Things:
1. I will be retiring in February due to an idiopathic visual impairment. I met with HR last week and found out that because I was hired before 1994 I qualify for a small health insurance subsidy – I can apply it to co-pays or prescriptions. Every little bit helps.
2. I ordered some Christmas decorations – that I did not need – from Target and they arrived broken. They were plastic but they had been thrown in a box without cushioning and taped shut. I went to the nearest Target and returned them. The process was very efficient!
3. While at Target DH and I looked around for any deals. We saw nothing we needed. Or wanted. I checked on the price of canned green beans as I like to add some to my three dogs’ food for volume. Market Basket, our default grocery store, charges 99c for Libby’s or DelMonte and that’s a sale price. Target’s Good and Gather brand is only 64 cents, the same price as Walmart’s brand. Walmart is a good 15 miles away in heavy traffic and I am glad I can buy them from Target (2 miles away). DH said to “just get two cans” and “see if the dogs like them”.
4. I raided DD28 recycling barrel for cans and bottles. I only came up with 10 this week.
5. Decided not to send Christmas cards this year. Can’t justify the expense of sending cards to people I hear from once a year. Anyone I’m close to I stay in touch with via text or Facebook, if not in person.
1. I’m also a World Market rewards member. They’ve been handing out rewards left and right. They gave me 20% off for ordering a gift for pick up and an additional $10 in rewards that I used. I just used 15% off and $10 rewards last week. I don’t buy from them that often…
2. I ordered some donuts for my sister and her family. They are freezable. They are Ludwick’s sour cream donuts that she is unable to get in Texas and the grocery store here has stopped carrying. Her family loves them and we grew up eating them so it’s the perfect gift. The bakery will ship directly to her. I ordered a case of 6 dozen and they are only $4 a dozen. The shipping was almost a much as the donuts.
3. I met two of my daughters at my MIL house. One had made chili and cornbread. We had a nice dinner. We are trying to pitch in and help my husband’s family with her care. She would not do well in a care home and would hate having strangers in her house.
4. I’m adding leftover cranberry sauce with not very good cottage cheese. It goes surprisingly well together. None will be wasted.
5. I told my mom about the rewards points at Meijer for buying gift cards. She bought all her Christmas gift cards and received $40 in rewards. She was so thrilled, she hasn’t stopped talking about it.
I’m making a list of foods I eat that might go up with tariffs. Then US stuff I can replace it with. I fear I must bid adieu to avocados. I do wonder about coffee and chocolate though.
Good thought, t. You’ve inspired me to make a similar list.
In making my list everything got more complicated.
80% of potash fertilizer is imported and used on foods I like. This potash mostly comes from Canada and they are supposed to get tariffs hikes. And if immigrant farm workers get deported I guess it will raise prices on homegrown food too.
Nuts!so much for trying to avoid calamity. Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we shall die lol.
Since I don’t know what might go up, I am buying extras of a number of items if they are on sale. I figure what I save now can be spent on more expensive avocadoes. Since we have freezing temperatures for many more months, what I cannot fit in the freezer I throw in a plastic tote which is under a huge wood box that used to hold our generator. An unprotected plastic tote will get chewed open by either Clobber Paws or the moose that roam the yard looking for safe places to sleep and stuff to eat.
China produces 80% of the world’s garlic. Who knew!
I would be surprised if it comes to the US, though again, who knows.
We’ll likely still buy avocados. I will be sure to mention the republican tax increase at every opportunity presented. As well as “who did you/have you been voting for?” You can’t fix stupid is all I can say. Will make the call to replace the frig (and switch over to an electric start generator) prior to MLK Day.
Garlic is easy to grow plus you can purchase seed garlic from a state that is not un-American. If you have no space to grow, I suspect you know someone that does. Not sure what zone you’re in but here we plant in the fall and harvest in the summer.
FFT, Happy “Austenmas” Edition:
(1) Today, Dec. 16, is “Austenmas”–Jane Austen’s 249th birthday. (As you can imagine, the entire Janeite world will be going out of its mind for her 250th next year.) But JASNA’s annual birthday gift to the world is the latest edition of its electronic journal, Persuasions On-Line, which is open to all (https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/volume-45-no-1/). I’m proud to say that I played a modest part in producing this issue, as you’ll see if you click on the Editor’s Note. (I’ll gently remind the editor to give me my “A.” before the Marie next time.)
(2) Being possessed of a large meaty ham bone and an urge to make soup today, I of course thought of making one of JA’s housemate Martha Lloyd’s two recipes for split pea soup. Alas, I didn’t have enough split peas on hand, so I went with this recipe (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/240996/lentil-ham-soup/), substituting the ham bone for the chopped ham.
(3) And in affectionate memory of JA, Martha, and the Two Fat Ladies (who cooked with anchovies whenever they could), I put four anchovies into the soup instead of the salt. The final result should be about the same. Anchovies, after all, were the MSG of the 18th century.
(4) I’m now finished with holiday cards/e-greetings and almost all prezzies, so I’ll be moving on tomorrow to the Martha Stewart parody calendar for the Bestest Neighbors. (The basis for this year’s edition, as noted earlier, will be a History Channel “This Day in History” calendar. There’s more than enough room on the cover between “in” and “History” for me to sneak in a “Martha’s.”)
(5) And since I’ve had no luck in collecting Xmas tree clippings off curbs thus far, the BNs have given me permission to clip as many branches off the spindly yew bushes in front of their house as I wish, since they’re planning to have those bushes removed next year anyway.
Thank you for the Jane info. With greetings to Jane, and to my niece, I also add Happy Birthday to Beethoven!
When my sister was in high school orchestra, the teacher ordered a cake for the students for the event, (date is a good guess, popularized by Schroeder in the Peanuts comics). The cake read “Happy Birthday, Bethoven”.
This seems to have been a good time of year for geniuses!
A.Marie,
Did you see the Holiday Mathis astrology column for today (Dec. 16)? I wrote you a message on Frugal Girl’s blog about it, but the celebrity birthday write-up in that column put the spotlight on Jane Austen. Guess it’s pretty good when you can still get publicity two centuries after your passing!
I also failed in the “finding free evergreen clippings curbside” endeavor this year. I usually find more than enough to fill all my empty pots out front. This year I only found enough to do one pot. Oh well.
1. I stopped at Sam’s Club to return a couple of items.
2. I stopped at Dollar Tree to buy some greeting cards. They still have some that are $.50.
3. I stopped at Aldi to buy eggs. At $2.14/dozen they are cheaper there. Aldi is next to Dollar Tree and about half a mile out of my way.
4. I gave away items in the local Buy Nothing Group. It was clutter to us.
5. I will walk with a friend in the morning. She will be working in an office full time starting next month so we are trying to fit in time to be together before that.
I checked eggs at our Aldi last night in hopes they would still be cheaper but they are currently $4.29/dozen. FL. 🙁
Eggs are 4.99 to 5.99 in oregon!
Is this still a high cost from Bird Flu during the pandemic?
And may bird flu not turn into a human pandemic. I read the other day that the pneumococcal vaccine is now recommended for 50 and over. Will be getting vaccine one here soon. While I am rarely out in the public, I have a few high risk peeps I do see. I’d prefer to avoid infecting any of them.
I sold a large lit up Christmas statuary on FBMP for the exact price I bought it for. $80, clutter out.
Purging clothes out of one of my mother’s walk-in closets, making smart decisions and simplifying her choices. She was once a clothes horse! Beautiful designer clothes will go to local consignment store after they are cleaned/steamed and pressed.
A friend re-gifted me a beautiful wool plaid shacket. It is scrumptious, I would never buy something that nice for myself. I gave her a 60″ square quilt in return. We both had mile wide smiles!
Ordered my grain, dog food and cat food by the month from the local feed store for a 25% savings, plus the owner’s son will deliver on his way home. I stopped in several stores price shopping last week and took coffee and cinnamon rolls to the feed store and we made a local deal.
Neighbor brought me 2 ham bones that he found in the freezer, I will cook up beans tonight and take him beans and cornbread.
1. Today, I got the lights on the real Christmas tree we bought and put up in the old giant stand in the living room last week. It is frugal because it smells good, and because I am using this time to sort through our holiday decorations and set some aside to pass along to others. We are fine with four strings of lights, not nine, for instance. We haven’t put up a tree for several years.
2. Got the wreath up outside by the front door, an artificial evergreen one I bought some twenty years ago and redo every year with bows from poinsettias, pine cones, odd ribbons, bells, and the like. I picked up some extra evergreen branches that had blown down and added them for more fullness.
3. Found a very large poinsettia at Walmart that had been partially broken off and was marked down to five dollars. The rest looks ok, and I will cut off the red-leaf-blooms and put them in a vase if I get tired of the giant pot.
4. Presents are pretty predictable: Food and books we know the person likes.
5. Canada Post ordered the workers back in after a month strike. I will still wait a while before I send cards north.
Thank you to whoever mentioned “Man on the Inside” on Netflix, with Ted Danson trying to solve a theft in a senior living home. Husband and I are enjoying it, (though HOW much must it cost to live in that place?).
I also really enjoyed Man on the Indie myself!
Here it cost $8000 a month base for one person, plus anything they have to do for you cost extra.
Today’s movie recommendation comes out on Netflix this Friday. It is called the Six Triple Eight and was writtne and produced by Tyler Perry. I read the story years ago and am so pleased that it has been made into a movie and that the two ladies left alive at the time he started were able to tell him their stories and that the one who was over 100 saw the final edit before she died. Anyway, it is the story of a platoon of black female soldiers sent overseas to take care of a huge mess with the postal system that delivered mail to the troops, which was the only way they heard from home in those days and so it impacted fighting morale if there were no mail or care package deliveries. The platoon was led by a woman in her 20s and she knew no one thought they were up to the task, so she became a force of nature. The article was quite affecting so I think this will be a wonderful holiday type movie of good people doing great things. (Forgive me for being a longwinded one-woman band for this movie.)
Thank you for writing, even a longer post! I read in some Women of WWII book about that group of soldiers who got literally millions of pieces of mail moving and delivered. I am glad their story is being told.
I’ve never heard of that story. As a retired letter carrier, I am very interested in it. Thanks for sharing.
I’m enjoying Man on the Inside also. It’s very light which is what I’m looking for right now.
1. Replaced a faucet nozzle myself! No plumber needed. It actually was a pain but I figured it out. Only cost was a $20 nozzle (the long spouty thing, which had broken off in our kitchen faucet) from Amazon.
2. Made a delicious pot of vegetarian soup for my friends’ annual Cookie Day. My daughter made the sugar cookie dough, my contribution, and they were the best I’ve ever had. (Daughter gets snooty about baking that doesn’t require weighing ingredients.) https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9870/easy-sugar-cookies/
3. Scaled back gift giving, though Christmas dinner is always elaborate, expensive and delicious.
4. My son has inexplicably mediocre scores on the writing portion of the GRE. (He’s applying to law schools.) I am giving him test questions and grading them myself–might as well leverage 35 years as a writer and editor.
5. I bought many vulgar gold plated drones and have enjoyed scaring people with them at night.
wrong cookie link.
https://sugarspunrun.com/easy-sugar-cookie-recipe/
Nothing wrong with going all out with food. Most prefer to not host (read: clean before, purchase, cook, clean after). Our group is small and will likely remain small. We send cards, better half enjoys it (and helps with the process).
#5 Haha!
1. We no longer buy hot dogs, so my husband was THRILLED to win a free hot dog from the Holiday gas station December long daily contest.
2. I won another Reese’s cup, which I will use along with the others I have won this month in the peanut butter and chocolate brownies I am making for a meeting.
3. Accepted five post office shops to be done this week, some in North Pole so a 32 mile round trip. However, they are paying huge bonus if we meet their deadline, plus another $50 if there are no mistakes. So I am busy wrapping any lingering gifts that we need to send for Christmas, since they will go for free. The money was just too good to turn these down.
4. Stopped to pick up a prescription and, for the second time in recent history, found a bag of apples in the bottom of an abandoned grocery cart. It was 27 below yesterday and they were frozen solid so no one was coming back for them. Took them home and they are cooking away for apple sauce. Earlier this week we found that rotisserie chicken. In the past I have found potatoes… getting groceries before I even make it into the store!
5. Clobber paws did not like being left home while we went to my husband’s Christmas concert. He pulled puzzles down off a bookshelf and chewed all the boxes off. Some of the puzzles were in plastic bags and he did not open those but two of the puzzles had pieces scattered all over. Husband turned on a movie and fixed the boxes and then separated out the puzzle pieces he gathered up from the floor. They were two very different scenes, so he could do it pretty easily. I would have thrown them away, rather than mess with 2000 pieces but husband has more patience than I do. (Not sure if we got all 2000 but we’ve put together puzzles with missing pieces before.)
My best ever score in abandoned shopping carts was an enormous box of Duracell AA batteries at Costco.
Why not buy hot dogs if you husband loves them? I love hot dogs too.
Was gonna make chicken Veronique for dinner, but the puppies managed to counter surf the grapes. For heaven’s sake.
@Rose I always heard that grapes were toxic for dogs, hope they’re ok??
@Rose I always heard tgzt grapes were toxic for dogs! I hope the puppies are ok??
@Lindsey – i commiserate.. so glad the puppy phase is over for my dogs…
Toxic to dogs is very vague. Chocolate is supposed to be toxic to dogs but actually it only is for a small subset who have a certain gene. (Meanwhile, my dogs have been given brownies at the vet’s.)
My dogs can digest nails. They just want to know if they’re 8 penny or 10 penny. If they start acting sick I’ll take them to the vet but I am 99% sure they won’t. Don’t worry.
@Rose yes it might depend on the dog breed. My BF’s uncle’s yorkshire died after eating grapes, but then you see videos of wineyard dogs gobbling grapes ♀️
Dogs are perfectly fine, BTW.
@Rose: i’m very glad to read this
He loves them as in he would eat them every day. He has agreed to let me sort of ration meat because intellectually he knows he needs to eat some vegetables and fish and so on (honestly, we live in salmon and halibut heaven and he would never eat them if not for me). I am not a total witch, I do buy them for his birthday, along with those horrible Ding Dongs, another favorite.
It is that warring in my mind of wanting to indulge him completely, but wanting him to live longer for my own selfish desire to have him around.
Lindsey, do whatever you feel you need to do to keep the husband around. If there was something dietary I could have done to keep DH around, I’d have done it in a heartbeat.
Same here!
Lindsey, isn’t there a happy medium? Buy hot dogs and hamburgers (whatever, Ding Dongs) once a month? The rest of the time, vegetables, fish etc.
A little bit of junk once a month won’t hurt him if he eats healthfully the rest of the month. FWIW, I can’t imagine anyone in my stubborn, wilful family eating only what their spouse deems necessary. Buuuuut that’s just my opinion.
My husband is selectively willful. HA! His attitude is that I do 95% of the cooking (he does the dishes, so a great trade off to me), so I get to pick the menus. He goes out with the other ROMEOS (retired old men eating out) once a week. All four have been married decades and all of them say they would go out to eat together even if they hated each other because it is the one time a week that they can order the unhealthiest thing on the menu without receiving a dose of stink-eye from the wife.
That’s hilarious. Good for them.
I’m also glad he has a regular group to hang with. I think middle-aged and older men often have problems socializing with other males (thus the high suicide rate, I think) so it’s great that he has good friends.
My husband would live off fatty meat and cheap, sugary carbs if left to his own devices, although he’s a diabetic with heart issues who knows better. It takes a major effort to get healthy food into him, but is worth all the aggravation.
Rose and Lindsey,
Whenever I’m at Walmart or Target, I look to see if there are any coat hangers left in the baskets on the parking lot, and I grab ’em up. People don’t like those flimsy plastic hangers and leave ’em in the cart. But those hangers are good for tank tops and t-shirts, leaving my heavier, more substantial hangers for other, heavier clothes. The flimsy hangers may not last a real long time, but what the heck? They’re free!
I take the hangers off and ask the checker to reuse them. (You hang tanks and Ts? Wow. Mine are lucky if they’re even folded.)
ROMEO!
lol!!
Lindsay, I just read my husband what you wrote. He is amused.
Sounds much nicer than old retired farts, which is why my mother calls dad’s group.
Let’s see if I can find 5 things…
1. I used a detaching/whitening wash on a bunch of stained white t-shirts – results to be checked in the daylight tomorrow morning
2. I cooked rosemary white bean soup from scratch in the slow-cooker
3. I cut up and froze the prosciutto and bacon I got with the yearly half-pig I buy from my farmer neighbor, the prosciutto was perfect with the soup
4. I went through old paperwork and only kept the important stuff. It feels good to be able to close my $ binder properly
5. I planned meals for the week and made a shopping list for my shop tomorrow, I don’t need much extras as we’ll be away over christmas. The list will help sticking to what I need
Let’s see if I can find 5 things…
1. I used a detaching/whitening wash on a bunch of stained white t-shirts – results to be checked in the daylight tomorrow morning
2. I cooked rosemary white bean soup from scratch in the slow-cooker
3. I cut up and froze the prosciutto and bacon I got with the yearly half-pig I buy from my farmer neighbor, the prosciutto was perfect with the soup
4. I went through old paperwork and only kept the important stuff. It feels good to be able to close my $ binder properly
5. I planned meals for the week and made a shopping list for my shop tomorrow, I don’t need much extras as we’ll be away over christmas. The list will help sticking to what I need
Oooh, you buy a half-pig from a farmer neighbor and get prosciutto and bacon? I’m green with envy!
And I’m enjoying all the other details in your comments about your life in Switzerland. Those of us here in the US are lucky to get the various perspectives from our friends in other countries (you, Sophie in Denmark, our commenter Denise in the UK, etc.).
I concur with A. Marie.
I really enjoy hearing from folks in different countries and what they’re dealing with and how they are managing.
At this point in my life frugality is a hobby.
Previously, it was a requirement and I know when I move into retirement in a few years, it will move back to a requirement.
There are things to learn at different stages of life, different areas you live in urban versus rural, and clearly different countries. I so appreciate everyone sharing.
@ A. Marie, I know it’s a deluxe half pig haha – and the best pork I ever had, I could eat it raw
@ Alexandra too, same it’s fascinating to get glimpses in your lives so far away, thanks to you and everyone for sharing!
1. I took my parents to a Christmas stroll last night at a local museum. It was decorated beautifully and this experience gift is what they preferred over anything else. I planned ahead and scouted out the best free parking options and we enjoyed complementary hot apple cider and gingersnaps after the stroll.
2. I pulled out all of my old teacher supplies and craft supplies and created my niece a book of Christmas activities and crafts to do over the next week. She’s 5 and is always so excited to do them. I previously made her a summer fun activity book as well. This is a great use of my stored materials, and they are dwindling fast now which makes me happy.
3. I also pulled out my son’s older games he has outgrown and wrapped some for my niece for Christmas. One active game that involves gross motor and one card game. They are under the tree and I know she will be thrilled because the first thing she asks for when she visits is for game time.
4. I used some decorative duck tape I’ve had in my craft materials for quite a while to cover an apple lap top box top. It’s being used in my pantry to store snacks.
5. My parents have been Christmas crafting and use my loyalty number at the craft store. I have earned $10 in vouchers (which they told me to spend) and use them for some stocking stuffers- edible goodies we wouldn’t normally purchase.
There are a couple of stores I buy one inexpensive item from once a year and turn down memberships to due to not wanting a tsunami of e-mails.
My son let me know this morning that a friend would be with us for Christmas, which required putting together a little gift basket of consumable items for the guest and buying a bit more stuff for the holiday meals. I had slightly underspent for Christmas this year, so it worked out.
1. Attended a holiday brunch hosted by two neighbors and gave each of them a pretty gift jar of homemade spiced pumpkin muffin mix.
2. Received a nice gift basket of pure maple syrup and sharp cheddar cheese from our contractor.
3. Remodeling is expensive, but we’ve strived to save where we can, like deciding to replace the cabinet/drawer fronts in the bathroom and kitchen rather than tearing out the cabinets (and subsequently the counters and backsplash).
4. During an online order, I signed up for a free 30-day trial in order to get free shipping, saving $7.00. I will cancel before the 30 days are up so I don’t get dinged with a monthly charge.
5, Made the Rosemary White Bean Soup, which I think Katy mentioned here. I substituted homemade veggie broth for the chicken broth and had the rest of the ingredients on hand, making for a very thrifty soup.
1. We had friends over for dinner on Saturday. DH had suggested pizza but I knew I could make a dinner for much less than 2 large pizzas (around here $40). I bought frozen ravioli and made my own spaghetti sauce. I bought 6 sausages, fried them and then chopped them into medallions and added them to the sauce. Caesar salad to go with it. I made a Swedish Almond Cake for dessert. I spent less than $15 and fed four of us.
2. Wearing clothes, especially pants and sweaters, more than once to cut down on laundry.
3. I saved 30% off a case of cat food with a coupon.
4. If my knee decides to feel better, I’ll be going to a free Christmas concert at a local church on Thursday. I saw on FB: We take care of our hearts and lungs our whole life long…all so our joints can fail us. Aaarrrggghhh!
5. The weatherman says the temperature tomorrow will be near 60 degrees before it plunges again. At least for tomorrow we can turn the heat off.
Hope you’re husband get’s better!
1. My husband is smoking up another turkey (88 cents a pound). This will give us lots of broth and meat we can use for all kinds of things.
2. I made waffles for the freezer in an effort to use up yogurt (the Frugal Girl’s homemade yogurt recipe).
3. We are attending a wedding. We’ll all be wearing clothes we already own.
4.We bought a pitcher and lemon squeezer as wedding gifts, but the giftbag and tissue paper are used. I also decided to use a blank card I already had instead of buying a new card.
5. Thinking about trying to clip our cat’s nails ourselves. Any advice out there on this subject?
Is your cat treat oriented? Are both of you okay with being the “holder”? Best time is to start when cat is a kitten but for those who take in strays, not an option. Be prepared to remember where you left off as some times, doing it in “stages” works best. Do you have cat nail clippers?
1. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with family dinner (10 people) at a very nice restaurant. We had one a gift card at a raffle and our son and daughter law paid the difference
2. We brought home so many leftovers to have for the next few days
3. I sold one item so off it goes tomorrow in an upcycled mailer
4. Packing my water bottle and granola bars for a quick trip to So Cal for my work gig
5. Used up holiday cards from previous years. Only cost was postage
Congratulations on your 50th Anniversary! Best wishes for many more in your future!
Yes– Wishing you many more years together!
Kathy, kudos on a half century together!
1. The store where I work suddenly put car chargers for cell phones on sale for 99 cents. They had previously been selling them for more than 10 bucks. Guess what my pals’ stocking stuffers are going to be?
2. Thrift store has LED Xmas lights that are red or green when they burn. They are size C7 which will fit my outdoor lights. Will be taking clear lights out of my patio set and replacing them with Christmas colors. They will go on the front porch. (Yes, I know it’s late to be putting up lights, but….)
3. Big box store has big sale on carpeting so I am seeing about getting the ruined carpet pulled up and replaced. It will be nice to be able to use the (former) Roommate From Hell’s bedroom as my office once more.
4. I was given a plate of food and a plate of desserts left over from a party I was not able to attend. Instead of using paper plates, the hostess used disposable plastic plates that had a fancy design on the edge, and sent my food on them. The plates look like they’re good china — so I’m saving them to use underneath two containers of houseplants, to catch any drips.
5. Rounded up a lot of “how to” books. I no longer have the energy to DIY major home projects, esp. where they require climbing on ladders. Will be taking the books to either Habitat Re-Store or another charity thrift store that specializes in tools and home repair stuff.
1. My husband and I went to our bank for a CD rollover. A few minutes of our time and even though the rates weren’t “jump for joy” rates, it’s still better than no interest.
2. My husband has a history of colon cancer in his family so having frequent colonoscopies is a priority. Then I had a mammogram and am scheduled for a dexascan. Preventative health care for the win.
3. My husband buys a low cost ski pass every year but he was still paying to rent skis. For his birthday he mapped out 4 different used sporting good shops. The first was a locally owned, family run shop and he found what he needed/wanted here. They were fantastic to work with and my husband is happy with his new to him skis.
4. Our best friends kids both live in Asheville and were clobbered by the recent hurricane. Their daughters house was okay but her workplace and artist workplace (she’s a potter) were done in. Their son is in Swannanoa which was devastated – their house is still standing but a complete re-do, down to the studs. is necessary. In fact, they have no road down the mountain from their house. One of the reasons I am frugal is to help out in times of need – so we donated to flood relief for both of them.
5. I –
-used a gift card for a Crumbl cookie and then split it for dessert with my family.
– Listed a tv that a neighbor gifted to us on my Buy Nothing group. No takers yet though.
– Said no to a scam call that told me if I didn’t send money to US Border Patrol for the release of my daughter in Mexico they would send the State Police after me. My daughter was not in Mexico, I knew exactly where she was, so this was just crazy. I feel so bad to those that fall victim to these heartless scammers.
I’m always dying to get one. “Rose Junior??? You have Rose Junior? How do I get her released?” “Oh. OK. I didn’t know I had to contact Border Patrol for my daughter in jail in Mexico.” “Huh. I also didn’t know that the US Border accepted Walmart gift cards as payment.”
or
“Grandma? It’s me, your grandson.” “Oh my god, is this Matthew???” etc. (NB I have no grandchildren.)
I read that the average time for a telemarketer, (not quite the same as a scammer, as there might be a real product involved), is three months. I often want to ask them how their job searches are going.
Rose, the more time they spend with you, the less time they have to talk with someone who might fall for their pitch. That was my theory when the Unification Church members would try to chat me up back when I was in graduate school.
“What did Rose Junior do this time?” “Drugs, again? Ugh. Is my grandson Matthew with her?” “Oh, he is? Do I need to send gift cards for him, too?” “OK, so is this all electronic?” “xyzzmrtsi@aol.com does sound like a US Border Patrol email. I’ll send the gift cards right away. Let me know if you need anything else.”
I too have no grandchildren and have received the same call. As well as “Microsoft” support (I own zippo Microsoft electronics). After about 15 minutes of me telling him I don’t have a computer, he hung up. His “supervisor” called a hour or so later, demanding I tell him what kind of computer I had. Told him the same thing and he too hung up on me.
I keep waiting for the call from the “IRS”. I am soo ready for them.
Jill– I agree; it is just heartbreaking that people fall for the scams. Sending the State Police because you won’t pay to get your daughter out of jail in Mexico?
And because it is embarrassing to admit they fell for a scam, especially sending money to a would-be-lover, many victims don’t report what happened and even try to get their money back, though that seems almost impossible anyway.
I once said to a phone scammer: “You need to find another line of work.”
1. All holiday gifts are wrapped in tissue paper/wrapping I already had and/or a holiday card leftover from old packs. I liked the stuff when I bought it and I like it now, so I’m happy to send this stuff this way!
2. Anything that got mailed is in reused packaging. One required some substantial sharpie-ing to cover up a previous address but once the package is opened no one will care.
3. Was feeling low last night. Ate canned soup out of the pantry and sat on the couch playing video games. No cost and I feel much better today. Beats ordering out!
4. Drinking tea at my desk at work to avoid a coffee run.
5. Heading to get my COVID shot tomorrow after hitting the 3-month post covid treshold to get the shot. Free with insurance and avoiding the cost of getting sick again!!!!
1. I did a mystery shop for dinner with my adult nephew. It was still a few $$ out of pocket, but we did get $80 worth free.
2. I used the credit card with 3% back on dining to pay for it.
3. We were going to take the T (subway) downtown. The T was closed for repairs (if you know about Boston’s MBTA woes, this will not surprise you) and they were running shuttle buses. The ride was free for both of us, both ways, saving around $10.
4. My students cooked a “history of Spain meal” last night and I invited a number of colleagues. One who came brought me a box of her homemade cookies, so these will be my treat up to Christmas. My partner doesn’t really like desserts, and so I don’t make them as I will eat them all. This was a nice, limited, number.
5. Cleaning the work apartment today before I leave for winter break. Another professor asked to use it over break, and she will leave me some money or a gift certificate, so that will be a bit of extra-extra, with limited effort.
1. Learned a new mass transit hack for a destination I go to regularly.
2. Scored a free 2025 calendar that someone set out on their stoop. My senior sons will use this to count down their remaining days of high school.
3. Purchased a year’s worth of henna for my hair at 50% off. I usually stock up when they have 40% off sales, but this was even better!
4. My brother and I agreed that the adults will only exchange funny cards at Christmas rather than gifts. We are all drowning in stuff but need more laughs.
5. We’ve been shopping with the same local grocery delivery company for 22 years. They tend to reward loyalty, which has gotten us some great deals. They had an extra bag of groceries due to a mix-up. The very kind delivery guy offered it to us and I accepted. It contained tomato paste, several boxes of herbal tea that excited our tea-loving kids, some jerky, some frozen fruit, and a few other fun things that we don’t usually get but will all be used.