Five Frugal Things
by Katy on February 22, 2025 · 19 comments
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I bought a three-pack of quality used hand towels at Goodwill for $4.99. I probably could’ve spent the same amount (or less) on low quality brand new ones from Schmeff Schmezos, but my dollars are my power. When we thrift we divert usable items from the landfill, we put a dent in the overmanufacture of consumer goods.
Buy used whenever possible and think twice before you hand your money over to a billionaire!
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I finally sold the last of my five CathrineHolm enamel bowls, which I’d thrifted for two bucks apiece. I got $6o for it and it was a dream to box up as it was both small and non-breakable. My eBay sales are few and far between lately as I haven’t been thrifting very much, which made this sale extra satisfying.
I made a simple Instagram reel about thrifting the bowls, which went viral with over a millions views, which I’ve yet to repeat. Unfortunately, I wasn’t monetized at the time.
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I wasn’t even slightly frugal while my sister visited from New York, but our dollars went to locally owned iconic Portland establishments.
• ¿Porque No?
• Elephant’s Deli
• Horse Brass Pub
• Dan and Louis Oyster Bar
• The Heist food carts
• Berty Lou’s Cafe
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• I used secondhand supplies to mail out my eBay package.
• My youngest mentioned wanting to read a certain author, so I put four of his books on hold at the library.
• My husband and I continue to watch old ER episodes through my parents’ HBO account.
• I bought a pair of $9.99 jeans at Goodwill, only to bring them home and realize they fit oddly. (Hard pass on a droopy crotch!) I’ve stapled the receipt onto the price tag to make sure everything is in place for a successful return.
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I don’t have to take a financial loss selling my Tesla, as I never would’ve bought one in the first place.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Who owns those spanky black and white wingtips? Ever since the 80s I’ve been crazy about those shoes. I’ve owned all white, white and navy and am currently on black and white. I guess wearing the same classic clothes for 30 years (as in my beloved light blue leather blazer, which gets trotted out twice a year at most in spring, because it’s usually too cold for it, and then it’s too hot. Then again, still, blue plus white or white and navy, possibly with a pleated skirt, always with two-tone brogues, IS spring to me.)
I understand there is going to be a nationsixe boycott Feb 28 of Amazon, Walmart and all the large corporations who are kotowing to the orangeman Its ok to shop small businesses that day but not the big chains, including fast food joints
Nationwide
I’m on it!
Fru-gal Lisa, I’ve seen that in addition to the nationwide economic boycott, there will be several other boycotts after that to take aim at specific corporations. Don’t forget that Walmart owns Sam’s Club and Amazon owns Whole Foods. There’s an article on CNN that says Walmart is warning of a slower 2025, which will be bad for the economy. I haven’t read it because it’s behind a paywall, but I suspect that if a lot of Americans switch their shopping from these behemoth stores back to small businesses, 2025 will be bad for the corporate economy, but maybe less so for our local businesses. One can hope!
I’m looking forward to the 28th, when I can speak my mind with my wallet and be part of something big. I will be spending my time and money that day at my friend’s indy book store. If I need groceries, it will be at one of two family owned stores in my area. It feels good to be doing my own small part but has the potential to send a huge message to the new and unimproved Robber Barons. Collectively, we can do this!
Cathy and Christine,
Yessssss!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Dropped off another load of newspapers, toilet paper rolls (stuffed with straw they become toys for rodents), and cleaned and de-labeled medicine bottles at the animal shelter. Gets out clutter and although it is a small recycling gesture I feel good about it.
2. Am not renewing two magazine subscriptions that I started many, many years ago. I am now past the demographic they are geared to…farewell another part of my youth and middle age. Saves me about $30 this year.
3. Received a bag of lemons as a good customer award. Juiced them for future lemonade (which I drink instead of pop now), took as much zest as I could grate off, and put the husks down the garbage disposal to improve the smell. I think I got as much as I could out of that freebie.
4. The Dane came to us flinching when anyone came near his head. He finally stood still for a kiss on the forehead. Now he wants kisses on the forehead and asks for them by thrusting that anvil of a skull toward our lips. Yesterday he missed and cracked the husband’s glass frames so hard the arm fell off. Husband found an old pair of glasses that he kept around for parts, and Frankensteined a wearable pair of glasses. Saved us money. But I have to confess I hate it when he manages to dig out something he has been saving for 30 years and then triumphantly crows about his forethought in not having thrown it away. Finding one thing a year that he can use from his garage stash keeps him from getting rid of tons of things he will never use. Good thing he is so loveable.
Re: #3. I just discovered the trick of stacking lemon slices in a mason jar, adding water to about 1/2 inch from the top, and freezing it. When I have a gathering, I defrost it slightly and dump it into my glass beverage dispenser. Voila! Sliced lemons and ice in water. Wish I’d thought of this earlier in my life. I’ll never let a lemon go to waste again.
1. Didn’t have the canned tomatoes I thought I had so I improvised a tomato soup using Trader Joe’s Creamy Tomato Basic Pasta Sauce mixed with milk.
2. For my husband’s trip, I brought him to and from the airport and then did the same thing when he came home. We’re about 30 minutes from MSP so it was cheaper than an Uber ride or extended parking.
3. Diluted whole milk with some water to extend it. Whole milk is the same price as the other milk, so this way I’m getting extra product for the same amount of money.
4. Packed a lunch to eat when I was out on an errand marathon.
5. I didn’t buy a chainsaw.
Couple frugal fails:
1. Prepped some food items for my husband’s out-of-town trip, including transferring some peanut butter and butter into small containers so that he wouldn’t have to buy those items in larger quantities at his destination. TSA allowed the butter but not the peanut butter, saying there was too much of it and that my husband would either have to take some of it out or dump the whole thing. Had I been there, I would have used my finger to scoop out enough to make the container allowable. But I wasn’t, so my impatient and miffed husband dumped it all. Aarrgghh, such a waste of peanut butter and the container itself.
2. I left a light on in our garage for 24 hours.
LOVE the two-tone wing tips!!!!!
1. So far have had a very fun and free weekend. Last night I went to a “pajama party” a friend hosted. Come in pjs, bring a snack, hang out with friends. She even put together cute little goody bags for us all! And today was a book club where we had a great discussion about “The Lincoln Highway”. The host loves to cook so he made Fettucine Mio Amore that is mentioned in the book! Now home and cozy on the couch with my husband watching “Nosfaratu” on Peacock, which we get for free through our phone contract I think.
2. I messaged someone on Facebook marketplace about a jacket I didn’t really need but wanted and it was a good price. When I asked her more questions about it, I decided I already had a number of jackets and didn’t need to buy another one just because it was a good brand priced well.
3. I got a pair of LL Bean waterproof booties a couple years ago for Christmas. I hadn’t really worn them because I didn’t like the look of them as much as I thought I would. But I still hung onto them. Yesterday I got them out and wore them both yesterday and today. I decided there was no real reason to not be wearing them. And if I was going to keep them, I was just going to put them to use. Silly to have just let them sit unused.
4. Have come up with a plan for a low spend for myself this year. I spent some time thinking about my values and what seemed worth spending money on and what didn’t. And it’s been helpful in evaluating potential purchases (like for instance, helped me realize there was no reason for me to spend money on a jacket when I don’t NEED a jacket).
5. Have been listing a Tiny Little Joy each day on my social media of a picture of something small that I really paid attention to and felt joy (seeing yellow berries against the white snow, the sun making a rare appearance through my window, watching my dog roll around in the snow, etc). It feels like a small act of resistance.
Oh, and I darned three more socks! It’s weirdly fun!
1. Ibotta had a deal at Stop & Shop for Garelick cottage cheese (reimbursed $3.74) and a Kinder chocolate bar ($1.69). However, the cottage cheese was $3.69 and the chocolate was on sale for $.99, but Ibotta reimbursed the total amount. That, plus my 6% back meant that I made $1.02 in profit by buying them.
2. I stopped in at Ocean State Job Lot to buy cookies to serve as part of the dessert (see #3). I went to pay (with a gift certificate that I got for 40% back on all purchases the week before) and it scanned at a higher amount than the price on the shelf. MA laws mean I got the cookies for free and save that gift certificate for another day.
3. Partner who works at a CSA pickup had a customer not pick up 3 boxes: produce, mushrooms & citrus, so partner could bring them all home for free. Part of the 10 pounds of citrus (grapefruit, satsuma, kumquats, blood oranges) are now citrus compote, to top panna cotta for a dinner party tomorrow night. We dried the shiitake mushrooms and powdered the lion’s mane mushrooms (the latter of which I will add to soups and braises, etc).
4. I realized today that BJ’s membership offers a discount for teachers (as well as first responders, nurses, etc), so I sent in my information to be verified to get a discount rate of $25 rather than $60, saving $35 annually.
5. I almost bought some cut flowers for the centerpiece for tomorrow’s dinner party but instead chose to use the remaining citrus in a bowl. We are having Italian, so the blood oranges look particularly appropriate.
1. I enjoyed my birthday Thursday and received some flowers and had a picnic with my husband for our outing. I took advantage of my free Sbux but I am cancelling the app now because of their DEI position. For shame! No more from those dudes. Luckily, we have Dutch Brothers, and they also have an app and give birthday freebies, and you don’t have to have it on the actual day.
2. I have been revamping my back yard. I have had to buy soil, but I bought from Lowe’s instead of Home Depot, because I appreciate their politics more than HD. I had bought some marked down lumber in December, so saved about 75% of the cost for my new planter boxes. I’ve been laying out the new ones this weekend.
3. I bought some used wine barrels for planting in from a super nice young dude in Wine Country (Sonoma), for $35, which is the best price I could find. I only need to drill the water holes myself (I didn’t want to pay an extra $10 per barrel for the holes. Think about that — buying holes???)
4. About to go get my free birthday pizza from Papa Murphy’s, which is take and bake. They gave me $16.99 off the price, but with tax and tip, this pizza cost me about $10. So it’s free-ish. Cheap is good!
5. I have been painting my new beehive setup; I got low cost frames via Craigslist and my locally owned A-to-Z Hardware, which also has a nursery and beekeeping equipment. I painted the exteriors with paint I already had, a roller and tray I had, and then I stenciled some bees on the outside using a previously used stencil and some spray paint I already had. It looks adorable (white boxes, black bee stencils, and a metallic copper lid — looks very bougie).
6. I bought a very long canvas curtain at the thrift yesterday and I already have a curtain rod that will fit this doorway. I need to put up the rod so we can close off that open doorway to upstairs, which sucks all the heat upward. It will save us some money not to heat the whole house.
Julia,
I curtain off parts of my house, and it is absolutely amazing how much warmer the lived-in areas are!
@Julia — it sounds like we might be “neighbors” or at least possibly neighboring counties. Are in Sonoma??
1. I had a coupon for $1 off two Pillsbury cake mixes or cans of frosting. I knew the Dollar Store had Pillsbury cake mixes for $1.25 each. I picked up two of them and ended up paying .75 a box.
2. I used one to make a cake for a friend who has a birthday this week. She had DH and I over to her house for lunch and we had the cake for dessert.
3.DD has a birthday next weekend so the other mix will be for her birthday cake. I make my own frosting with butter, confectionery sugar, Almond extract and a little milk.
4. My indy book store friend gave me an advance copy of a set on and around the Appalachian Trail, Heartwood, which I’ve been enjoying.
5. I did not romp about on stage with a maniacal grin on my face wielding a chainsaw.
…copy of a BOOK…fast brain, slow fingers here or maybe it’s the other way around…
1. I made breakfast burritos for the week using sausage bought from a local farm, and eggs bought from a friend with backyard chickens for $4.00/dz. Win/win for us both.
2. My husband and I braved the cold and shoveled our driveway ourselves.
3. After being snowed in most of the week was I tempted to go out for dinner last night but served leftovers instead.
4. Continued reading library books for entertainment.
5. Continuing to postpone unnecessary purchases. I am not a federal employee, but my job is federally funded and I’m the main breadwinner in my family. Fortunately we have an emergency fund and my husband’s job should be secure, should the worst happen