Five Frugal Things
by Katy on June 2, 2025 · 86 comments
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I finally sold my pair of Restoration Hardware bar chairs, $100 for the pair. I’d started them at $300, but that was apparently too ambitious, even though they originally sold for around $600 apiece. I thrifted them for just $16, so it was still a tidy profit. I’ve held off on thrifting for resale since listing them, as there’s nothing more humbling that holding onto bulky items that gather dust and clutter your home. Buh-bye!
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I ran out of the thick plastic Safeway bags that my neighbor gives me to use as kitchen bin liners, so I texted her and she dropped off a new batch the next day. It’s hard to get ahead financially when all your money is tied up in garbage bags.
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I garbage picked two brand new bottles of Method brand dishwashing liquid. I’ll keep one and give the other to my friend Lise.
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I stocked up on Tillamook ice cream as it was on sale at Safeway for $3.49 per carton. Excellent price for the very best ice cream! I also hit the clearance shelf and paid 50¢ apiece for two dented cans of diced tomatoes.
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I didn’t garbage pick a Lear Jet.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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1. Made fajita bowls mostly with ingredients received from Buy Nothing.
2. Cooked a use-it-up concoction of tofu, mushrooms, chickpeas, spinach and basil in peanut oil. Mixed it with farro and ate it as a cold salad. Quite delicious. Ingredients came from Buy Nothing, Aldi and our garden.
3. Gave away a Rummikub game and seed packets on Buy Nothing. All were gifts that we wouldn’t be using.
4.Husband subscribed to Sling TV for Stanley Cup games. He’ll cancel afterward.
5. Learned that applying Goof Off with cotton balls or Q-tips is a preferable way to remove gunked on paint. After putting so much Goof Off on rags that would just get soaked in, I figured there had to be a more economical, less wasteful way. I know this isn’t earth-shattering, but we moved into a house where the previous occupants did not tape off anything before painting walls. Removing paint from trim, baseboards and wood ceilings has been a painful process.
MB in MN,
THANK YOU for writing about Goof Off. I did not know such a product existed, but I’m going to high-tail it to the store and get some. My goof-off ex-handyman and his brother-in-law left streaks of blue paint on the white woodwork, and also splattered some ceiling paint on some furniture. I am definitely going to try Goof Off to fix what those goof-offs goofed on! And yes, I’ll use Q-tips. (I have some store brand cotton swabs that have only a minimal amount of cotton on them, hate using them, so this looks like a perfect way to use them up.) Again, thank you!!!!
Goof Off is great. So is Goo Gone.
Since I’m answering you, Lisa, I’ll tell you one more annoying niggle from Deviled Egg Guy. A friend found for me an old, old ice cream sign, hand painted on wood, I think from Cape Cod originally. Some of the flavors were covered with old masking tape, presumably because they were ex flavors. I was using Goo Gone to get rid of the tape, when Deviled Egg Guy gasped theatrically, because hasn’t he told me again and again to maintain original condition on antiques? I said, “I can’t imagine this is worth more than a thousand bucks so how much value am I ruining? Besides, the tape is on my nerves.” Heh.
Yeah, like you owned the old sign all these years. Shame on you, Rose, for taping it up. (I’m being sarcastic here!)
OMG! How do you stand the guy? I would’ve bopped him on his head with the sign! That’d really get on his nerves!
He’s extremely smart and funny and we get on like a house on fire. If he hadn’t been gay and if I hadn’t been married when we met… I keep dropping hints that he should leave me his original Star Trek prop communicator when he dies. It’s fun to play with.
I really do love that sign. It’s huge and heavy–hanging in my kitchen.
https://ibb.co/YTWdkgPQ
As you can see, there’s more Goo Goning to be done. But for the past year I’ve been focusing on cleaning up the myriad ways the two puppies are ruining something.
Rose,
That sign is amazing! I agree, the tape residue needs to be removed, but the rest is perfection!
Scoop of Orangepineapple (??????) for Liz! Ha.
That is earth shattering, figuring out ways to stretch our dollars makes a huge difference in the long run!
MB in MN,
Yes, thank you for reminding me that we have a new, unopened container of Goof Off to use in our son’s bedroom….which we (and by we, I mean me) painted, ummmm, two years ago, and conveniently forgot to go back and clean up the edges of his closet doors, and other things. Ahem.
That’s a nice little profit on the chairs and yay! for getting them out of the house.
My little FFT:
1. Gave my husband and son haircuts over the weekend, saving them $18 each.
2. Used a can of organic pear slices that were 60 cents on the clearance rack to make a pan of pear-mixed berry baked oatmeal. This used up the last of a bag of frozen berries.
3. Read a library book over the weekend.
4. Made refrigerator iced tea in recycled jars.
5. Sewed the binding back on the corner of the cheap but perfect runner rug in the laundry room.
Hooray for taking care of that rug repair, that’s the kind of thing that gets worse when neglected.
Home from a very consumer mini vacation in Napa/Sonoma.
Sold two items while gone. So wrapping them up in upcycled packaging to be mailed today.
Leftovers aka “blue plate special” for dinner.
Inventorying old mothers Hubbard cupboard for shopping tomorrow
Hooray for sales, especially when they’re packaged in secondhand supplies!
Three cheers for the chairs sale!
My Frugal Fail Weekend Edition:
I worked the closing shift at the store Saturday night. Of course, once we lock the doors and leave, everyone sprints to their cars and takes off like a bunch of rockets. I went to my car, and it would not start. Tried twice more. Looked around and everyone had gone.
For once I had my cell phone with me, but it is a new phone and I don’t have anyone’s number stored in it. I know I bought a warranty on my car when I purchased the used car. Couldn’t find the Kia 800 number so I called the dealership. Yes, I knew it was closed but figured their voice mail would give me the 800 emergency number. It didn’t. So then I looked through my glove compartment and the insurance card had Germania Insurance’s 24/7 roadside assistance number. Called it 3x, no answer. The greasy spoon diner across the parking lot was still open, so I went in there. The cook said he didn’t have a car, either, or he would offer me a ride home when they closed. He had a tow truck number. I called it and it just played guitar music. By then it was starting to get dark, so I gave up and walked home. Had to cross two very busy roadways, but somehow I made it without getting flattened. (That’s a miracle in itself!) My route took me by a Mercedes Benz dealership, and just out of curiosity, I looked at the price of the cute sedans that were parked by the sidewalk: $85,000+! Um, I don’t think I’ll be buying one anytime soon. I cut through a fast food parking lot to go on a back street, a shortcut to my home. By then it was dark. Two blocks later I heard a terrifying sound: a pack of big dogs’ barking at me. I thought I was a goner, but luckily, they were behind a fence. Some guy said, “Wonder what those dogs are barking at?” I called out, “It’s just me, I had car trouble and am having to walk home.” The guy was in his driveway, and walked out to the street and offered me a ride. So I met my neighbor Roger and got transportation home. Thank you, Roger. Sunday morning, I planned to walk to church (we’re allowed to dress casual), but when I opened the front door, Snuggles ran out and I ended up chasing him down the street. He finally tired of the game and came up to me and I got him home OK. So I walked to church and was late for our Sunday School class, but all was well. After church, the rector gave me a ride to the store and at closing, a coworker drove me home. I’d been gone all day from 9 to 6, and when I got in, I saw that Snuggles had demolished the hall carpet. I have just called the Kia place and they inform me that if my car trouble stems from the high water I drove through a few weeks ago, it won’t be covered by their warranty. So far the insurance agency has not answered their phone, but I just may be switching from Germania back to my old insurer. Oh, and I got my first roofing estimate for the damaged roof: I could buy another car (a used late model car, not a Mercedes) for what he wants to charge me.
Morton’s Salt is right: when it rains, it pours!
But at least my Sunday was better than one of my customers: he came in and his left side was soaking wet. He bought oodles of paper towels. Said he needed to dry out his car. Seems he left his window open when he drove through the car wash, and somehow couldn’t get it closed. Poor fellow!
I’m sorry. That’s awful whole lot of trouble. I hope it gets better soon.
Oof . . . that’s a lot, I’m so sorry!
That sounds like a day and a half of ARRRGH!, Lisa. I’m sorry.
Lisa, oh my goodness. I hope things look up for you soon.
Boy HOWDY Fru-gal Lisa!!!
What a litany of not-getting-the-required-responses!
However, I imagine writing it down made you feel better (- you probably feel a bit more justified for feeling the big feelings that I am certain you were feeling) and got it off your chest, as it were.
Thanks for sharing. Sometimes we need to see that others have the “Mother said there’d be days like this” kind of days. And you took me along for your adventures, much appreciated.
Those are nice stools. Not my style, but I am very picky about stools. Ones without backs? DING. So much more comfortable with a back.
I never got the salt slogan until a few years ago. Duh, it means that the salt doesn’t clump together in damp weather. Also, Bon Ami? The chick? Hasn’t scratched yet because the cleaner doesn’t scratch and neither has the chick. The cleverness of those old slogans went right over my head.
1. Cheering on my neighbor with hoarder tendencies who has a small dumpster she is filling in her driveway. She is looking to retire in a few years and is starting now. Very happy for her, because, as I said, hoarder tendencies, and cats and dog. She also has a free pile going, and paper for recycling, and had some scrap metal for pickers set out as well.
2. Hauled out the one-use kitchen appliance that makes The Best bacon, the old original George Foreman Grill. Works very well, (just preheat and then start laying in the strips). We had baked potatoes with all the fixings.
3. When searching for the GFGrill in the back of the lower cupboard, found the kitchen shears that disappeared some months ago, probably had fallen over the back of the drawer above the cupboard.
4. Have set a goal to use up the bright green and yellow bottle of Miracle Grow Liquid Plant Fertilizer that my parents gave me many years ago. Uses 7-10 drops in a quart of water. At that rate, I think it will still take many months before it is gone, but at least I have the bottle set out where I will see it when I water my petunias.
5. The spring weather has been wonderful this year and my yard looks nice without me having to do much of anything. I pulled and sprayed two emerging poison ivy vines and marked the spots with yellow flags so perhaps I will remember where they were.
So now big savings moves here, just small comfortable things.
The GF grill is pretty cool for grilling vegetables on, too. Peppers, asparagus, carrots? Yum.
Thanks for the reminder that the George Foreman grill makes good bacon!
I love the GF grill for sandwiches, especially grilled cheese!
Since I haven’t hidden the GFGrill away again yet, I had a grilled cheese with bacon for lunch. I have read about using mayonnaise instead of butter on the bread, wasn’t quite feeling adventurous to try it.
GRILL, BABY, GRILL
Heidi Louise, I’ve found butter and mayo to be equally good for grilled cheese – at least when using Hellman’s or Burman’s (the I-can’t-tell-the-difference Aldi equivalent).
@Heidi Louise – mayo on the inside, butter on the outside.
Heidi Louise,
Three hearty huzzahs for your neighbor! That’s a tough thing for someone with hoarder tendencies to do. A friend at work has a grandma who falls into that same camp – buys and acquires all sorts of stuff – and lately has been boxing things up, and shipping them to her family members. Kyla (my friend) was asked if she wanted a bunch of grandma’s slacks….no, thank you….Kyla is in her early 30s, no way does she want or need old-lady slacks….sure enough, a box full of them showed up at her doorstep. 🙂 Kyla’s parents also received a box, with miscellaneous junk in it, including a *used* incentive spirometer (those breathing/lung expander thingies they give you in the hospital to “exercise” your lungs). Ewww!
Such tactful dilemmas for Kyla to work through. Just say “thank you” and donate or trash the things that the grandma can’t?
@Liz B. – no idea of Kyla’s grandma’s age BUT if grandma was anyway touched by the Great Depression, grandma can’t bring herself to throw things away. My grandpa was that way – okay if we threw it away but he could just not do it.
And really, we should all be reading as much as we can about the Great Depression – damn history is about to repeat itself.
FFT, Weekend Miscellany Edition:
(1) I admired all of Katy’s finds on her previous post (I’m having trouble keeping up with Katy these days!). No such luck for me when I went out on Saturday morning; no piles, and it was raining hard by that time anyway. 🙁
(2) However, the visit to the “boutique” Thrifty Shopper store went very well. I found a like-new pair of no-name but extremely comfy black sneakers (Euro size 41); a NWT sports bra in my (ahem) rather large size; a NWT wooden hors d’oeuvres board with Grad School BFF’s first initial carved on it (will tuck this away for her birthday); and several useful odds and ends. Total $28, which I put on the $100 Thrifty Shopper gift card I bought for $75 back at Xmas.
(3) And I parked a block and a half away from the “boutique” so as not to have to feed a parking meter.
(4) I’ve been consulting with JASNA BFF about what to wear for the opening reception at the JA exhibit at the Morgan, and she says she’s planning to wear about what I’m planning to wear. So no need to buy something new for the occasion. (As Henry David Thoreau reminds us, “Beware of all enterprises requiring new clothes.”)
(5) Finally, I made a “frittata primavera” for dinner last night–using homegrown spinach and green onions, as well as some finely chopped leftover asparagus, some cheese that needed to be used up, and eggs from Ms. Bestest Neighbor’s cousin who keeps chickens. Nom nom nom!
(4)
A.Marie,
I love that Thoreau quote! So frugal!!!!!!!!!!
Well, Thoreau was rockin’ the frugal life out at Walden Pond. But let’s not forget that he had a little help from family and friends: He used to take his laundry (on the rare occasions when he had any) back home to his mother, and he used to drop in at the Emersons’ for dinner on the regular. Or so I’ve been told, anyway. 🙂
Parking a block and half away from the store can also count as a free treadmill workout.
Frittata Primavera. Genius!
1. I’ve been taking some time to try some local social groups and events at no cost to me. This week I attended a group meditation, and a herb social group. Both were great and the social group even provided delicious snacks from the local bakery.
2. I have downloaded the summer adult reading program from the public library, and I’m working my way towards all of the challenges they set. I have registered for two classes as well.
3. I am shopping local produce specials. I just ordered a Tuesday produce box from local suppliers for $12. It includes 9 different produce items. Another local farm has a $10 produce box with completely different contents that I’m also planning to pick up this week.
4. My neighbor had a credit on her Thrive Market account that she had no interest in using. She told me to fill the cart and use it before it expired. It was $92 worth! It’s shipped and on it’s way. So grateful!
5. Another neighbor made my sick dog some homemade bone broth/gelatin treats that are good for his joints. With the cost of quality dog treats today that was not only thoughtful and kind- but frugal for me too!
You are rich with neighbors!
1) I carpooled with a friend to another friends birthday that was an hour and a half away. I drove and she paid for my coffee and parking when we arrived, plus we had a good long time to catch-up on the drive.
2) I made the kids favorite alphabet soup last night, and tossed in a lot of veggies that needed to be used including celery, zucchini, Alba mushrooms and a partially used block of tofu. They devoured it as usual, so far it’s the best way I’ve found to get lots of veggies into them.
3) I’ve lost some more weight so decided to try on some old pants I had that were a bit too snug before, they fit great now so I have some “new” clothes without going shopping.
4) The strawberry plants I bought 2 years ago continue to come back each year and spread and produce, it’s great! I’m not the most attentive gardener but that doesn’t stop them. There’s actually one growing in the middle of our lawn right now (husband mows around it) and it just produced it first ripe strawberry that was delicious (I should move it from the lawn though at some point!)
5) I’ve been doing a free version of red light therapy, sitting outside in the sun shortly after sunrise, it’s been a good way to start the day.
That sounds like a delicious nutritious soup!
My sainted mother, may she rest in peace, was always on the lookout for ways to get more vegetables into us kids–but I wish that she’d have come up with something like your #2 soup instead of some of the things she did come up with. To this day, I can’t look at a salad made with canned tuna, and it’s taken me a LONG time to make my peace with meatloaf.
My mother also was not much of a cook and her meatloaf was a greasy, unseasoned brick. However, I discovered an amazing meatloaf in Cook’s Illustrated magazine many years ago and have enjoyed meatloaf ever since.
I also cannot eat meatloaf due to my childhood experiences with it!
What I like about the soup is the vegetables are in big pieces so the kids know they are eating them and what they are. I have also done the hiding puréed or shredded veggies in food but eventually I want them to know they are eating veggies and that veggies are good.
Lisa, I’ve heard that morning light exposure is also good for regulating our circadian rhythms and improving the quality of our sleep. Thanks for the reminder!
^^^^ Yes re circadian rhythm. Also, if suffering from jet lag, get out there in the sun.
Ah yes, I’d forgotten about that too, I already sleep pretty well but will be curious to see if this helps further!
Great score on the stools Katy.
My frugals are not earth shattering but here goes.
1. All laundry done in cold water and hung out to dry. I even washed some rugs in the bathtub and draped them over outdoor chairs to dry.
2.scoured my outdoor sneakers wit “the pink stuff” and dried them outside, worked great!
3. picking and enjoying salads from my garden. I planted older seeds in some huge pots out my kitchen door and it works great.
4. baking bread, rolls and etc for myself and to share.
5.DD brought me all sorts of goodies from the office she works in. One of the editors makes the recipes from their monthly edition, portions them in really nice reusable containers and brings full servings to all in the office. She brought them on a day when the office had ordered in pizza. So DD brought it to me/my chickens. LOL
I ate it all and it was awesome as was not having to cook and the great containers for reuse.
I know I have said it before but that is the most wasteful group of people in an office I have ever seen. But thankfully they send whatever to whoever and they are good about bringing in unwanted shareable clothes, garden produce and such. But they absolutely draw the line ate eating leftovers. Boggles my mind.
JC
That’s crazy, leftovers are the best!!!
My office might give them a run for MOST wasteful…..I am constantly rescuing things from the trash! Apples with one small bad spot, speckled bananas, chips/crackers just past the “best buy”, cake or muffins that have been in fridge all week, by Friday they are trying to trash them because “they won’t survive the weekend”……..! Of course, its a win for me as I get to take it all home! LOL
Free food from the office is one of the things I miss most in retirement.
When my husband retires from the waste department, I know that all the freebies will be one of the things we miss the most!
The girls in DD’s office all know I keep chickens and many time send things “for the chickens” . Like your office they will not eat anything that is even close to the best buy date. Everything is refrigerated and perfectly good but they just will not eat it. It’s okay , more for us. LOL
@JC – YES!! I happily take home the speckled bananas, muffins/cakes that have been in fridge all week, and “expired” crackers/chips/cookies…! What I don’t eat gets shared with my friends and neighbors!
Nice profit on the stools. I’m thinking about how happy that buyer must be.
1. I vacuumed and put chemicals in my pool. The pool company charges $88 a week for this service.
2. I brewed iced tea in the refrigerator from free tea my daughter gave me. They were throwing it out at her old employer. I’m drinking this instead of soda.
3. I took my usual three mile walk with my friend for free exercise.
4. I’m reading a library book on my Kindle.
5 My mom and I took a nice ride out to a poppy field that a family plants each year in honor of their late son. We stopped for lunch in a cute little café and shared a sandwich.
Jill– I have not heard of a poppy field memorial. It certainly seems appropriate and pretty. How big is it? What do the poppies look like; I mean, annuals that seed themselves, like a wildflower meadow, or perennial plants?
Heidi Louise, it’s four acres and they are grown from seed. Here’s a link to an article.
https://www.woodtv.com/news/allegan-county/memorial-poppy-field-blooming-in-fennville/
That is simply stunning and I love the cornflowers and daisies too.
That’s just breathtaking.
Thank you, Jill! It looks lovely.
And also could be worked into a drive to visit Gwen Frostic’s Studio and Wildlife Sanctuary a bit farther north, where I will someday go.
I’ve never been but my friend really enjoys Gwen Frostic.
Thanks so much for sharing that gorgeous memorial field.
Thanks for the reminder about refrigerator tea. The Portland forecast is trending hot towards the end of the week and it’ll be perfect ice tea weather!
And I’m on my way out to my sunny deck this minute to make sun tea!
That field is beautiful. I’m the mom of a veteran and those things bring tears to my eyes.
Impressed that you garbage picked two bottles of Method.
1. I went for a walk yesterday and curb picked a pretty filthy Little Tikes plastic toy chest. I scrubbed it down with a mild bleach solution and baking soda and it came out great. I listed it on Marketplace later in the afternoon. I also found a canvas picture (to be flipped) and a plastic storage crate.
2. My son brought home a big bag of chocolate chip cookies from work. They had overbaked them, so they were too crunchy to sell. I think the crunchy ones are the best.
3. I sold a Ralph Lauren dress shirt on ebay for $45, which I had bought for $5 from Goodwill.
4. I found a bag of 22 pennies in an old purse. I used them as payment in the self checkout coin slot at the grocery store.
5. Split some hostas yesterday, transplanted some sedum, and gave a blue fescue to my neighbor.
Over baked choc chip cookies with ice cream! Or milk. Yummy.
Or in oatmeal in the proper portion.
Went garage sale-ing on Saturday and got a set of 8 outdoor cushions for free the big 24×24 4″ ones! I got 2 stainless water bottles that I keep filled w/filtered water in the barn fridge.
Free in the box tire inflater, 2 free American flags still in box, Rose food, magnetic led flashlight for the bbq and 2 outdoor decorative pillows.
So fun!
It’s so crazy that people just throw away brand new usable items like the dish soap!!!
1. I borrowed a pressure washer from a neighbor.
2. My family did a yard clean out for a neighbor and were paid well.
3. I set up another lawn job for myself sometime this week.
4. I did a great grocery shopping trip with sales, bogos, coupons etc
5. We are having a festival at work. A coworker gifted me half of a large hot dog. Wow did that taste good! Thanks friend!
1. Essentials only at Costco-no impulse purchases!
2. Having a really good organize, I’ve been able to relocate/reuse several containers to better contain the things that I truly need and use. I have 3 bags ready to donate. Removed some old listings from Ebay and FB marketplace, sometimes the space in the house and in my brain is more valuable than the potential profit on the item.
3. Inventoried the freezer and made a meal plan. I had made some gluten free scone type things and they were less than satisfactory and dried out very quickly. I put them in the blender and made crumbs which I will use to make a GF pie crust. As anyone who bakes gluten free knows, this stuff is too expensive to waste a crumb.
4. Receive the policy for our homeowners insurance. I saw there was a discount for having a certain type of roof. We had our roof replaced last year and I have a call in to the roofers to ask if our roof qualifies. I’m also pricing out the savings of increasing our deductible. Maybe it won’t come to anything, but I’ve found over the years that it’s worth asking.
5. Figured out a good way to make baked potatoes in the solar oven. We put them in, went to the beach, and came home to perfectly cooked potatoes with zero cost for power! Pretty awesome feeling. Until now it’s only been warm enough to use the solar oven a couple of days. And this week isn’t warm enough, but after that I hope to use the solar oven for everything except cake/muffin baking.
The solar oven is so cool.
$3.49 for Tillamook ice cream is an incredible deal! This week it was on sale here for $4.65, which is good for Hawaii and the cheapest it’s been for awhile now. Regular price is $9.49 so while it is my favorite ice cream, I only buy it if it is on sale for a good price. Granted everything here is more expensive and “on sale” doesn’t mean much most of the time.
I’ve seen Tillamook cheese in my area but have never checked if their ice cream is sold. While I have no doubt the cheese is good, there are a number of dairies (read fresh cheese) in my area. I may try Tillamook one of these days but for now, local cheese as well as ice cream.
1. After some initial hesitation, I have become a regular at the neighborhood little free pantry. It is a way for people to share food they are not going to use. Since I pretty much never buy food I don’t use, I’m not much of a donor, but I have gotten comfortable with the idea of taking things I can use. Judiciously, of course. And since I am a retiree who depends heavily on Social Security, I feel I am somewhat the kind of person the planners had in mind.
That said, in the past week I have picked up a salad kit, a box of mac and cheese, a potato, and a can of tomatoes. So helpful when prices are rising so rapidly.
2. At the grocery, I got clearance items — salad dressing for $1, canned green beans for 50¢, and holiday-themed chocolate chips for 50¢.
3. Since I’ve let my Sam’s Club membership lapse, I have been getting gas at Food4Less, Kroger’s discount chain. The price of gas is comparable.
4. Took a 50-minute walk today and found a roll of bags meant for dog poop — I think I can find other uses for them.
5. I did not ask anyone to lie about a “stolen election” in order to apply for a government job.
Yes, you should feel comfortable at the neighborhood little free food pantry.
@Beth W. – I suspect as a (single) retiree, you really won’t miss a Sam’s membership. We dropped our when we had two kiddos at home. And we don’t have a Costco membership either (but I do own stock). From what I’ve read, a Costco membership provides more bang for the buck than Sam’s *if* you can live with what is offered.
The little free pantry I donate to is right outside the senior center. You’re exactly the person who is welcome. Come to think of it, I should drop off some Chunky Soups we’re all tired of.
Thank you, ladies, you have made me feel better!
Costco is too far away, so not even in the running. So far I haven’t missed Sam’s, but I might when I run out of toilet paper, paper towels, and detergent, etc.
@Beth W We have a little free pantry outside of my library, with a fridge – I donate to it a lot, thinking one day I might need it! I feel they are for anyone in the community, so you are okay to take what you need from there, in my opinion- and I see seniors take from ours frequently, and I am glad it is being used! Some people may have reservations going to a food bank and maybe having to fill out paperwork….so this community pantry makes it easy for anyone that needs to use!
Cheryl–you’ve given me an idea! Never occurred to me that a fridge would be useful. Let me see about that for our local one.
And yes, no embarrassment. This is the kind of giving I reeally love.
Who throws away 2 new dish soaps. At least donate them. I’m glad you got them.
1.I got a free pastry from Panera as my birthday reward. I also got a free cone from Baskin Robbins. I love birthday freebies. I still have more to use.
2. I have been picking a handful of sugar snap peas almost every day. They make a great snack.
3.I went to Aldi because I needed a few things like eggs and soy milk because Aldi is the cheapest in my area. I got a cart in the lot, so 25¢ for me. I then found calzones with $1 off stickers on them. That made them $1.29 each. I got 4, 2 for me and 2 for my son. I put mine in the freezer.
4.We celebrated my oldest daughter’s birthday before she went home. We gave her a check so she can go thrifting for stuff she wants. We had a BBQ at my house. I am really lucky that my hubby loves to grill/smoke all the time. We have plenty of leftovers for this week.
5.My daughter borrowed lots of stuff from me to use at my other daughter’s bachelorette weekend. They rented a small house out East for the 5 ladies. They ate out 1 meal and got takeout for another. Otherwise they cooked everything. They did a paint and sip night. The ladies only had to buy the wine. Everything else I had. They borrowed several board games, and a large cooler. I took OD food shopping when she got here from Maryland(she took the train). I gave her our ketchup bottle, mustard and maple syrup. I got back some hershey bars, some marshmallows, some graham crackers, 2 eggs, 2 english muffins, pancake mix, cooked chicken and broccoli that we ate that day for lunch, ½ a burrito that hubby had for lunch today and 2 ginger beers. My YD is GF so she kept all of the GF food.
6.When I was leaving work today my friend gave me a pack of hamburger buns, a loaf of bread and 2 cases of coke zero. They had a family BBQ over the weekend and had a lot leftover. Her mom and I had some of the leftovers for lunch. We will be doing that for several days. There was a lot of food left.
1. Hung out laundry
2. Made 12 chicken croquettes with leftover chicken and stuffing
3. Chicken and rice soup with homemade broth and leftover rice
I mowed my own yard. I did half yesterday and half today. I’m 77.
I dug up a red lily my friend admired and am dividing it to give a start to her for her birthday. Will add a beautiful antique glass vase from thriftstore that I washed and it’s so shiny. It was a dollar
Still finishing my doggy bag from restaurant….penne pasta with chicken and cheese sauce. I got 4 meals out of one serving…it was huge
Bought 14.00 worth of veggies, fruit, watermelon at a cheap place on Buford Hwy…a huge haul
Wow, those stools are such a satisfying project! They came out looking so nice after you cleaned them and then you made a really great profit, too. I love it!!