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I started reading a library copy of Peony in Love, by Lisa See. She’s one of my favorite authors, as The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane and The Island of Sea Women are two of the best books I’ve read over the past few years. I’m just a couple chapters in, but this one’s also a keeper!
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I loaded a Fred Meyer e-coupon for 99¢/lb peaches and nectarines and brought home a couple bags of fruit. They won’t be ripe for a few days, but I’m excited for this sweet treat. I’ll likely share with my kids. Still paying with my Red Cross gift card!
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I paid my next door neighbor our biannual share of the garbage service. This is one of my favorite frugal hacks, as we’ve both saved thousands of dollars in the 16 or so years since we started doing this.
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I bought a couple packets of Betty Crocker Reese’s Piece’s cookie mixes for $1.25 apiece from Fred Meyer’s clearance shelf. They’ll be handy to have on hand.
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I’m listening to Jane Green’s thoroughly enjoyable The Friends We Keep through the library’s free Libby app.
Five Frugal Things
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Some free food came my way last week:
1. On Monday I brought home two pears and three oranges from my volunteer gig. No one else wanted them.
2. A friend gave me two cucumbers. I cut one up and put it in a jar with liquid remains from pickles.
3. Another friend gave me two butternut squash, two acorn squash, and a pepper. I will cook the squash in my Instant Pot over the next few days and use the pepper with a pot a chili I will make today.
4. Some items we saved from the landfill (on trash day or Bulk Trash Pickup day) found new homes courtesy of Freecycle.
5. I listed on Freecycle some “barely expired” food items a neighbor was getting rid of (they are foods we don’t eat).
Love that you’re not only saving items from landfill but also passing them on if you can’t use them! Imagine if everybody did this <B
1. Sister came over for lunch and brought a lot of grapes and pineapple that she left for us to finish.
2. From Buy Nothing, I received under-eye concealer for my raccoon eyes and two large jars of expired peanut butter that no one else wanted.
3. Husband spent $20 on a high school fundraiser. He was impressed by the young man selling the card that provides discounts to local businesses.
4. Went out to dinner with friends and limited my order to a $9 salad. Scoped out the menu ahead of time so I wouldn’t be tempted to spend more. Forgot to bring enough cash so I had to pay the 3 percent charge for using my credit card.
5. Asked for plastic newspaper sleeves for dog poop bags from my Buy Nothing group and received 40 plastic bread bags, all from one person. Score!
#4 I did the same a few days ago. Soup + Salad combo and spent almost $15 less than every other person at the table!
#5 Super score! I picked up a grocery order the other day and was initially annoyed that they put single items into plastic bags. I’ll never understand this. I will use them for picking up after my dog though. Bread bags are perfect and I’ll use those as well. Nice way to make use of something that would otherwise be a 1-time use before the landfill item.
My son often brings home expired nut butters from his job and I can confirm that they last WAY beyond the expire date. As in 6 months longer minimum.
Sorry, that was meant to be a reply to the original comment!
Katy, thank you for the book suggestions.
Here are my 5 frugal things:
1) shopped clearance shelves and scored kind bars for 60 cents a piece. Got four. Cliff Bars box of 5 for $3.29. I bought 5 for my husband’s training bike rides. Fresh pretzel bites $1.80 instead of $5.99
2) I finally put the Libby Ap on my phone. So handy to have reading material available when one is waiting in line.
3) I cleaned my bedroom closet and made “outfits”. I used screenshots that I have saved for inspiration. The “influencers” try to tempt me to buy new things, but I shop in my closet. It is so handy to have everything, ready on a hanger, when getting dressed in the morning.
4) Stayed home this weekend. Windows open and we are enjoying the (finally) cooler weather.
5) All meals have been cooked and eaten at home using pantry/fridge ingredients.
1. Been drinking the coffee that I got from the clearance rack ($1.99 for 12 ounces) and I rather like it. I only bought 2 bags, not knowing if I would like it, but now I’m kicking myself for not buying all that they had on offer.
2. I spatchcocked the [on-sale] chicken that I made for dinner last night, which cut down on the cooking time and the gas used. The recipe calls for placing slices of sourdough underneath the chicken while it cooks, and I used some questionable (slightly freezer-burnt) bread that my partner hadn’t properly wrapped before putting it in the freezer. With the smaltz, the bread tasted delicious (as did the chicken). Ate zucchini from the garden with it.
3. We are off to France in a week, and staying with my partner’s college friend for a night. From the winter CSA, they supplement the produce with local artisan goods, and so I found some maple syrup, honey, and jam from last winter that I’ll use as a host/hostess gift.
4. Two people didn’t pick up their sunflower farm shares this week and so my partner brought 2 giant bunches home. I feel quite bougie with 2 large bouquets in my house (value: $62 if I had bought them from the farm, not that I would have!).
5. I’m canning tomato sauce made from the tomatoes that I got from the free CSA box. I’ll can the peaches when they ripen, and I froze most of the corn that was also in the CSA box.
#2 I have also spatchcocked chicken recently- but I had no idea this was the term for it. Thanks for teaching me something new.
#4 Awesome treat! I LOVE fresh flowers.
Whole turkey can also be spatchcocked. My favorite way to cook it. Greatly decreases the cooking time. I leave the backbone on one side….cook’s treat!
Husband ended up in the hospital…3 hours away from home That is a really high charge for a red light ticket! The cost in our town is $50.
1.) The cafeteria was closed, so ended up eating out of the cooler I packed for 2 days.
2.) Stayed a night at the hospital and a night at an affordable hotel. Ate breakfast there and packed a yogurt for a snack later.
3.) Bought a few more groceries and that should get me through the day. Eating blueberries instead of junk from the vending machine. Also bought a protein drink.
4.) Our wonderful neighbor fed our animals and even took our trash to the curb. I hadn’t even thought about the trash.
5.) Definitely didn’t spend much this weekend. Spend a total of $10 on groceries.
I hope your husband is ok!
Wishing the best for your husband. I went through that last September with my husband. Went in an ambulance, I followed. I had no food, no phone charger, until I asked a nurse if they had a lost and found box. Very stressful
Brilliant to ask for a lost and found box! Glad you found what you needed
Lee, sending positive thoughts to you and your husband.
Well wishes to your husband!
@Lee – you can’t put a price on a good neighbor. I periodically help out a neighbor (and have done the trash out/back in – it is a quite a haul to the spot where picked up) as well as “oops, can you set this out of the freezer for me”. Good people have good people helping them.
Lee, I hope your husband heals quickly and is home soon. Be sure to take care of yourself!
1. Cabbage soup, root beer for an ice cream float, beans for a taco, shrimp, chicken in freezer this week for meals.
2. Walked in neighborhood.
3. Nap bc it is Labor Day.
4. Windows open and fans on bc of lower humidity
5. Not driving anywhere. Amy practiced a lot of
Passive savings in The Tightwad Gazette and I tend to do that rather than the more aggressive active savings steps.
Passive savings! YES! I was just looking at my copy of The Tightwad Gazette sitting on my shelf last night. I have quite a stack of library books to get through but I may start pulling it out again for a quick read each day.
Katy- I also share my trash service bill with a family member/neighbor on my street! Such an awesome savings when we can make it work. Here are my frugal 5…
1. Marinated chicken and created skewers for the grill. Our local grocery store charges $7 for 2 chicken skewers. We probably make 3xs that amount for the same cost. My teen grilled enough for us to have dinner the next few nights. It’s so hot here and this saves on heating the house and keeps us from being tempted to eat out.
2. I started reading the library book “The ikigai journey : a practical guide to finding happiness and purpose the Japanese way” and listening to The Day the World Stops Shopping on Hoopla. According to my library account I’m saving $50.99 with the items I currently have checked out, which includes a couple of other books I’m referencing as well.
3. My parents had 2 bags of coffee they couldn’t use. One bag was close to expiration. I gladly took both off their hands and I’m prioritizing the almost expired bag before it goes bad.
4. I spent a couple of hours yesterday sorting through and rotating my pantry, medicine cabinet, and spice rack. I prioritized almost or newly expired items, and found two items I had an abundance of to offer my parents. They are happily taking them and I feel like it’s a fun exchange for the coffee.
5. I went through my tea bags and brewed up some Lemon Orange Black Tea to have with our dinner last night. My teen usually prefers I buy pre-made drinks but he was surprised at how good the tea was. It was left over from a box I received for Christmas. We agreed to shop our tea stash before buying drinks moving forward.
1. We took a day trip to a state park on Saturday. We kept costs to a minimum by just going for the day. We ate at the marina, which was actually delicious sub sandwiches. This helped us avoid driving 5 miles each way out of the park for lunch. Entrance was free.
2.We have been hiking every day – I love to be outside and it’s free entertainment.
3. While I am eating lunch I am cooking up a small pot of pasta to go with the leftover meatball and Alfredo sauce from dinner last week. The meatball (huge) is leftover from my ds’s wedding! The last one from the freezer.
4. Tonight’s dinner will be homemade pizza. I will use tomatoes from my garden as one of the toppings.
5. I noticed my basil plant finally took off and I have enough to make pesto. I just need to buy parmesan which I will do next time I am at the store.
Greed Edition: This weekend my town (6 villages spread over many miles, population under 3k) has a tradition of everyone putting out free piles all at once. I may have gotten a little ahead of my skis. Three good finds: a small laundry drying rack (think underwear and napkins) which I needed as my old wooden one seems to be beyond repair, a pretty cool little bench with baskets under the seat, which I immediately set up in my sunroom, and a pair of Sketchers in my size, almost new. I picked up some kitchen items which I might keep or clean up and donate, along with a snack size Planet Box I gave my sister-in-law, who carries her lunch, a tiny liqueur glass I’ll use as a vase, a brand new fanny pack, and some solar garden lights that don’t seem to be charging so who knows. The day before I found a wooden footstool, something I’d also been wanting as I like to put my feet up when I read.
I left a small upholstered rocker glider that was too heavy for me to lift into the car. It would have needed a slipcover but I was ok with that. Just not eager to throw out my back, so it wasn’t meant to be.
Quite a haul and I’m sitting here feeling like I just sacked Troy. (More to come on the pantry cleanse, which is going to be slow because I’m one person and I don’t eat much!)
Reading this makes my heart skip a beat! Lucky you! Oh, how I love a good free pile.
Li: I hear you! With fall approaching the pickings will be fewer and then nothing all winter so this is the time to indulge. Late season produce and free piles forever!
The solar garden lights most likely need new batteries. A lot of people don’t realize that solar lights have them, but they do. They usually only last about 2 years. There will be a compartment on the light somewhere, depending on the light style. Most hardware stores sell them. They are not your standard battery.
D–thank you. I will check it out.
I just bought some of those peaches. I’ll probably make a cobbler or crumble.
1. I did my “big shop” of the week at Fred Meyer, and I timed it during the clearance golden hour. I got a nice big pile of groceries for $43. Some 99 cent peaches were part of the haul, as well as a package of 4 roasted chicken thigh quarters for $2.52, Lindt chocolate bars for $1.57, dented Rotel for 57 cents, one dozen “grade B” eggs for $2.79 (these are repackaged eggs from cartons that had broken eggs, so you get a combination of brown, white, egglands best, etc), a butternut squash for $1.50, etc… I’m pleased with myself, and sort of sad that the cashier who used to high five my frugal ways is no longer at my store. I humbly submit my frugal ways to this forum.
2. My Roma tomatoes are ripe, and I’ve been stewing, peeling, and canning them. I’ll have enough to keep me in tomatoes until next summer, and they taste better than grocery store tomatoes.
3. I have 3 chickens worth of bones stewing in a crockpot and becoming stock. At this point, most of my freezer is filled with chicken stock.
4. I found someone with a quince tree, who hates quince. I’ve been promised access once the quince are ripe. They make a wonderful paste or jelly and require no pectin! The jelly will make excellent schmancy holiday gifts.
5. It’s recycling day in my neighborhood. With much hoopla and clattering, the canners swarm through overnight and grab cans from the recycling bins. Some people set bags of cans out for the canners, but canners don’t want the glass bottles since they are too heavy. Someone sat on my corner last night separating cans from bottles (clink, clink, clink), and left 40 bottles behind. Next time I go to Winco, I’ll take them along and get $4 towards my purchases.
Awesome score on the quinces! One of the most beautiful fruits in the world!
@Li, consider this your high 5 from me (us)! great savings, you did very very well, you frugal thing, you!
That is quite a haul at your Fred Meyer. We don’t have good bargain grocery outlets out here in the sticks; closest is a BJ’s which I haven’t found to be too great.
Question: I don’t know where you live, but I’m intrigued that you are still getting peaches. Up here ours come mostly from Pennsylvania, and they are pretty much done by August. NOTHING tastes as good as a really good peach. Where do yours come from?
I’m in Portland, and these are Washington peaches.
1. Recently lost some weight (exercising daily and watching what I eat) and needed some new clothes). I’ve been trawling the local thrift shops to get a few things to tide me over until I reach my goal weight.
2. It’s unseasonably cold here, so going out is difficult. Which means we are not spending money on going out.
3. Using a free version of the Atomic Habits app to set up and track my exercise habits. It keeps prompting me to use the pro version, but the free version does everything I need.
4. My outdoor garden is producing not a thing due to the cold, but fortunately we have a greenhouse, which is keeping us supplied with lettuce and spinach and herbs.
5. Boring stuff: cooking vegetarian food at home, reading library books, listening to free podcasts, working out at home on secondhand equipment I’ve had forever.
I left my five frugal things on the previous post, but I do have a little more to add —
This morning I turned on the bathroom overhead light and a bulb popped. I looked up and noticed that another bulb had already burned out. There are three bulbs in this fixture. I checked my stash and found that I had three LED bulbs I never used because they were too bright — but in the bathroom, that’s good. I had to get on a step stool to make the change; my ceilings are high. While I was up there, I scraped some flaky spots on the ceiling, something I had been putting off for too long. Now I can paint the bathroom — I’m going to try to convince my grandson to do it, as he is nice and tall. He will for a price, I think. And he’ll be way cheaper than a professional.
For breakfast, I chopped up some of the free potatoes I got yesterday and pan fried them. Overdid it, so there will be some for tomorrow. Also had eggs and toast; it wasn’t just a potato breakfast.
Several days ago I made a skillet of chicken, black beans, tomatoes and brown rice. It made a lot. Yesterday and today I scooped it into street tacos, but enough was enough; I froze the rest.
The freezer is now pretty full. It’s just a top-of-the-fridge freezer so it fills up fast. I need to start concentrating on using up what’s there.
@Beth W – not that there would have been any issue with a a potato only breakfast in my book!
1. I picked 4 buckets of vegetables from my garden. The weather is beautiful for being out in the garden at 74 degrees. I will work on the veggies throughout the week.
2. I made a dozen chocolate chip muffins and 10 asparagus, bacon and cheddar egg bites for easy breakfasts this week.
3. I did laundry on the cold short cycle and hung it out to dry. Everything got folded and put away.
4. Hubby brought a bag of veggies to his dad and step mom and hung out with his dad for a while.
5.When he was leaving he saw our neighbor and started talking. They had their own BBQ so couldn’t come over. Hubby invited them for tonight. We said just do leftovers. They brought some shrimp, pasta salad and cookies. We added hot dogs, burgers, pickles and salad plus desserts from the night before. Nice and easy.
6. My neighbor and I went through the newest library catalog and picked out a bunch of classes to do together. Hopefully we get a bunch.