Five Frugal Things -- Funky Rosé
1. I accepted a $110 offer on my second H. Moser & CIE thrifted Christmas sweater, as the holidays are growing closer and I wanted to get it sold in this bubble of time. Not as fun as the $200 sale of her sibling, but still not too shabby considering I paid $7.99 apiece for them.
2. I stopped by the "Dented Vegetable Store" (Daily Deals Market) on my way to Costco and bought a bag of absolutely random food items. This included a $1.20 cauliflower, a $3 pillowcase of spinach, (see below, it really is the size of a bed pillow!) a bag of sliced mushrooms, 20 Kind bars and three $1 bottles of TÖST non-alcoholic rosé. Total cost was $13.88.
My husband and I beta tested the rosé last night, thinking if it might be worth returning to pick up a couple more bottles, unfortunately it wasn't to our liking.
3. I then drove over to Costco, where I picked up $2.50/pound butter and a $4.99 rotisserie chicken. Of course I had to graze the "Costco dim sum," which served as lunch!
The samples were sampling and I accepted ham, chicken sausage, chips with guacamole, a tiny wiener wrap, cheese, broccoli, waffle, pretzel chips and yes -- chocolate.
4. Dinner last night was rotisserie chicken over sautéed spinach, flavored with the Newman's Own's "Steak Seasoning" from the Fred Meyer clearance shelf. I have a feeling that we'll be eating a lot of spinach over the next week, which is okay with us as it's one of our favorite vegetables!
5. I also sold the vintage waffle iron that I listed on eBay a couple months ago. Creating the proper size Frankenbox just about broke me, but I eventually prevailed. (I'm able to scavenge enough shipping supplies to never have to buy any.) I dropped it at the post office, as it was too bulky for the normal porch pickup that I normally arrange through the USPS website. It's important that the mail carrier not absolutely loathe me!
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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1. I altered a bamboo shirt that I'd picked up for free. It now fits and is cute.
2. Had free fun making 2 cards that I'd seen on Instagram. Supplies all scrounged for free
3. Read 2 new books (from a free pile) to my grandson, which delighted him. He read 4 library books to me with great gusto and expression. He's 4 and reveling in reading literally everything.
4. Gifted neighbors homemade chocolate shotbread. Their kids let to our cat in and out when we are away. We are thankful.
5. Taking rhubarb crumble to a potluck this evening. I still have rhubarb in the garden so this dish costs me almost nothing.
Today was sunny so I ran some errands before going to work this afternoon.
1. Paid another payment + whopping big amount of extra principal on my car payment. (Which really isn't due until Jan. 1.) At the rate I'm going, that sucker will be 100% all mine before March. Then the only debt I'll have will be writing checks for the new roof, and that one will be done by September.
2. Went to a new independent insurance agent's office to compare car insurance rates. I think I got a pretty good rate (see below*), but I am going to research on what customers say about that company's service before I write the check.
3. Today's lunch was two leftover kolaches (Czech-style hotdogs) that my coworker gave me last Sunday. (Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?)
4. Frugal fail: lost my card entitling me to a $5 discount at the (not-so) cheap haircut place. So I had to pay 19 bucks + tip for what used to be a $6.99 haircut.
5. Got a free calendar from the credit union, and a free candy bar from the insurance place.
*Oh, and this is encouraging: the insurance agent said her 16 y .o. daughter loves to go thrifting bc "she doesn't like to wear what everyone else is wearing." And "she can find some unique items at Goodwill." Agent also mentioned throwing away some advertising items from her husband's employer, because they didn't like caps and shirts and items that display the store logo. I told her don't throw away something perfectly good, donate 'em to Goodwill and ask for the 20% discount coupon. She didn't know about that, but is going to have her daughter donate the unwanted bling next time she goes shopping. (Maybe that's why she looked harder for me a good discount on the insurance, ya think?)
I'm always impressed by your eBay sales! And the grocery shopping wasn't too shabby, either.
I was packing up a gift to mail to a friend and realized I didn't have any brown mailing paper. I was going to sacrifice a grocery bag, and then -- brainstorm! What about that big split gift bag I put in my recycling bin yesterday? It was nice heavy paper, perfect for mailing. Plus it was Christmas-themed. I have to say it made a cute package.
I am giving my local kids and grandkids Christmas tins in place of stockings. I've been looking around for little things to put in them. Things that won't make them roll their eyes. It's not as easy as I thought it would be! So far, I've set aside candy, socks, playing cards, an ornament, a shower cap, pistachios, and lip balm. I've been warned off of gift cards because the kids don't use them.
I'm continuing to decorate the house with frippery I've had for ages. So far, aside from one pack of tissue paper, I've bought no gift wrap or decorations.
Now that it's cold weather I've set up a station in my condo where my boots sit on tray next to a basket of gloves, scarves and hats. I've added a rag to wipe the salt off my boots when I come in. It looks like winter is not only early, but here to stay, so I might as well be ready for it.
I stopped by the little free pantry and had a nice conversation with a man from Jamaica who was helping out hurricane victims back home. I took a loaf of cinnamon bread, some hamburger buns, and a taffy apple, which was a fun surprise!
But enquiring minds want to know ... did you take advantage of the bulk candy deal or are you made of steel?! Or maybe the Kind bars were buried in there?