Five Frugal Things -- TastyKake & Dental Floss
1. Kristen from The Frugal Girl walked me through how to fix a couple annoying dysfunctional blog issues, specifically how to add back in the "Archives" link, which is now directly below the search bar.
She also directed me on how get a "previous" and "next" option to show back up. (This'll show at the bottom of each blog post.) I know these missing elements were annoying to blog readers, so I'm relieved to have figured this out.
I'd planned on hiring someone to fix these issues and am happy that it set me back zero-point-zero dollars. Thanks, Kristen!
2. I finally located and sorted through a disheveled pile of vintage TastyKake advertisements, which had haunted my to-do list over the past few months. Why? Because a lovely blog reader, (Hi, Darla!) had offered to send me some of her husband's artwork, and in return I offered to mail out a couple of these Philadelphia regional ads. She's lives in Philly, so I thought she's appreciate them.
My husband's grandparents created the iconic advertising and branding for TastyKake from the 1930s through the 1970s. Sadly nothing was stored in an archival manner, but I did find a few in decent enough condition that we also had duplicates of.
Most excitingly, I found the specific advertisement that matches up with our painting, which oddly has a slightly different cake. Now I just need to write down the measurements so I can start hunting for a thrift store frame!
3. I went to my dental appointment and came home with a toothbrush, toothpaste, three dental floss samples and no cavities.
4. My neighbors went out of town, so I kept an eye on their house and brought in their wheelie bins. We help one another on our block, which is priceless.
5. I sold a small Thomas The Tank toy on eBay, but couldn't locate it as I probably listed it a year and a half ago! Luckily I have my shipping set for three days, although I almost always mail things out the day after purchase.
This problem became an opportunity to tidy and rearrange the eBay corner of my spare bedroom, which was very satisfying. I found a couple items that weren't actually listed, as well as the missing Thomas.
I'm so inspired that I think I'll rearrange the entire room to function a bit better.
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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This blog post contains an Ebay referral link.
1. I was going to go into work for a "town hall" meeting, but realized that I could do my work from home and attend the meeting virtually. This saved me 26 miles of driving/gas.
2. Partner and I were going to go out for breakfast, but instead ate leftover sausage rolls (which I made for last night's dinner & football game [go Pats!]). Then we were going to go out for lunch, but I made chicken sandwiches, using the deli chicken that I got yesterday from doing 2 quick mystery shops, which landed me $10 in deli meat and $18 in cash. Bread was also free from a different mystery shop and I served with a side of carrots, from free farm share.
3. While doing yesterday's mystery shop, I scanned the clearance items and found marked down sausage with sage, which apparently is now just a holiday item. I also grabbed discarded receipts, to scan into Fetch, which rewarded me with 1200 points, as someone bought high protein granola bars.... This is great as I normally only earn 25 points as I rarely buy name-brand items.
4. Frugal circles: there were a few items in a spare farm share (that partner brought home) that we won't get to, so I reached out to friend-colleagues, and 2 folks are getting items. This creates goodwill for free, and helps to avoid food-waste, and helps both of them with their grocery bill. Win, win, win.
5. I have an opportunity to go to France for work this summer. Fingers crossed that this will happen as we shifted our summer vacation plans around that, as we will only have to pay for 1 plane ticket (if that, see below) and will get one night's hotel room paid for. We are also going to a less-visited region (Jura) and lodging is less expensive there. Hopefully, the 2nd plane ticket will be covered with airline loyalty points.
There is just something so great about rearranging a room. A perfect January activity.
So satisfying!
1. I brought home a couple of puzzles from a Little Free Library. They next day I put a couple of puzzles we didn't want in the same Library.
2. DH and I went to Grocery Outlet and Aldi. It's his idea of a date.
3. DH returned a room heater we'd ordered from Lowe's. Vornado replaced the heater that burned out. They honored their five year warranty and it was no hassle at all.
4. We walked in a state park near home. We used our senior pass so didn't have to pay $2 to get in. We were treated to a small sleet & snow squall though there was sunshine when we started and completed our walk. It was beautiful and fun.
5. I have pulled chicken in the Crock Pot. Some will be eaten soon, some frozen, and some shared with a neighbor. I just pulled a pan of GF cornbread out of the oven./
I’ve been home for the last week between my upper respiratory bug and my husband’s back surgery. I organized my closet again prepping for no/low spend year. Then I organized my vitamins and coffee cups. Onto the Tupperware match making party. Such exciting stuff
Late last year I had a a Tupperware( well, Tupperware ish) wedding, and seperated bottoms and tops, putting all the tops into a seperate box.Does anyone have an address for the Bank of Lost Lids and Socks? I have a sizeable investment there I’d like to withdraw! This is working much better for me, the bases nest nicely, in a 500 sq ft apartment , space is at a premium.I know how Sir Edmund Hillary felt when he conquered Everest! The satisfaction is amazing!
Your comment made me laugh! Too true! You have a way with words. 🙂
1. I picked up a dirty and soggy gift card that was in the middle of the road. I have no idea how it got there, but it was literally in the middle of the road. Turns out it was a $25 gift card for a local gas station. Score!
2. I am doing a pantry challenge with the hopes of getting our grocery down to $600 this month. We are in Ontario where food is $$$ and we have a 13 year old boy who eats like crazy. So far we are at $275 for the month and we still have loads in the pantry and freezer.
3. We are fully stocked in cleaning products, paper products and we wont need any clothes or body products until the spring. My son also just got a haircut which I hope will last until his birthday in March!
4. Our house was missing a handrail and one handrail that was up was strangely short. Turns out the downstairs handrail (4 steps) had been installed upstairs (7 steps) and someone my husband found the correct handrail hidden in the laundry room and fixed them. What a relief not to have to fork out money for that!
5. My husband is getting ready to create custom cabinets for our basement laundry room. He is going to use as much salvaged wood and products as he can. Trying to do this on the cheap!
1. Ate all but one meal at home this weekend - that is rare for us.
2. Went for a hike as a part of a winter hiking challenge I've signed up for. The hike was in a free park. We brought the dogs and they really enjoyed it.
3. Finished a puzzle, more free entertainment.
4. Cancelled our HBO subscription.
5. Brought my lunch today. Made a smoothie for breakfast that I drank on my way to work. Drank free tea at the office.
More frugal travel preparations for our winter stay in Arizona:
1. Established a designated space in a basement closet to stash needed items. Over several months, I kept my eyes open for Buy Nothing items that would be useful (like non-glass canisters and toiletry bags that could hold larger quantities) and requested things (like condiment packets and plastic spice jars).
2. Amassed 10 books for each of us (my husband said that's too many and I said it's a good start!), along with puzzles, magazines, and audiobooks from Little Free Libraries, library book sales and Buy Nothing.
3. Followed our custom packing list to ensure we didn't have to make any unnecessary purchases.
4. Documented in-network providers for us and veterinary emergency care for our dog so we're not scrambling if/when anything bad happens and to minimize any costly surprises.
5. Scanned all of the cards that are in our wallets so that we have an electronic version in case physical cards are lost/stolen.
1. I found a dime in the CVS parking lot.
2. While in the store,I got $10 plus .19 off my purchase using my monthly ExtraCare reward and points.
3. I need a cotton fitted sheet for my bed. DH kicks through bottom sheets once a year or so. I've tried mending but it doesn't hold. I don't want a whole set as the top sheet and pillow cases are fine. I'll check the thrift store at my church since I'll be there working on Saturday anyway. Fitted sheets seem to be a hard thing to find used.
4. I made a large pot of 15 Bean Soup from a 1 lb. package of mixed beans I picked up for $2.59. I added chopped leftover ham from Christmas Eve I had frozen to it. It should feed us over the next few days.
5. A friend bought tickets to the Monet Experience in a nearby city for the two of us. She only asked that I give her a ride home after. I offered to buy lunch but she declined. The show was marvelous!
The bottom sheet problem is real! I don’t know how he does it, but my husband also wears out the part of the sheet below his feet. I wonder whether I can find a king flat sheet and tuck it in, and make that my “fitted” sheet? So frustrating.
Check whether his feet are very abrasive, or whether his toe nails need to trimmed more often, both solvable with a little attention, and might, long term, take care of your problem!
He wears socks to bed, so it’s quite a mystery!
Movement of his feet - my better half does this. How do I know - there are times when I feel the movement on my feet. IMHO, nothing you can do about it but rotate the fitted sheet.
I will plant the "suggestion" to him about maybe applying some lotion to his feet. He's pretty good about his toenails.
I've wondered about doing the same with the king sized sheet. It may be something I try if I can't locate a fitted queen sized one soon.
I rotate the fitted sheet - who care where the tag is. This has extended the life of our bottom sheets.
1. Did an epic round of errands while I was in the neighborhood giving a talk for our Master Gardener group. Brought home some free seeds and facilitated many other people getting free seeds.
2. Left things on my doorstep for Facebook marketplace buyers to pick up. One down. Two to go.
3. We have a buyer for our car. I am doing all the distance errands I want to right now to use up the gas that we've already paid for in the tank before we sell it.
4. Sticking with a community college Spanish class which is a pretty cheap way to learn. Plus I get to ride the bus for free, and I get access to student health for free. Also student discounts at the symphony. Had my first class today. I said I was an older student (I'm 52) and one young girl said, "No you're not" which was very kind. When I was young I always looked older than I was because I was very tall. Now people often comment. I look younger than I am. It helps that my blonde hair does not show the white, it just looks like I have lovely highlights.
5. Realized our car insurance had roadside assistance bundled in it, which we have through AAA, so we dropped that portion for a refund. It does pay to pay attention.
1. I got motivated to clean my laundry room/back door entrance today, and it was very satisfying. You wouldn't think there was much to clean, but we do have two shedding dogs and that hair gets everywhere. Plus all the pine needles we drag in on our shoes.
2. I pulled out my tote of yarn and crochet hooks, and made a dishcloth for myself. I want to start some other projects so it felt good to use up something I already had and make something useful.
3. DH continues to pump out the wooden cutting boards, all made from scrap from other projects. He'll give them away to friends and family, and possibly sell some in this year's holiday art show in December.
4. I had an inquiry for an 11 night stay in our guest cottage from a woman on homeexchange.com for this March. I accepted her request and she will accept (hopefully) after she confirms flights, etc. This will give us 1100 points which will be very much needed when we go to book our trip to Germany in the summer of 2027 to attend the wedding of a former international student that we hosted.
5.DD and DSIL will dog/house sit for us when we go to Mexico. I always give them cash for gas, and to get take out, or go to a restaurant, but they still save us money as we don't have to hire a sitter, and I trust them completely to look after our dogs.
That's great that you use your guest cottage for home exchanges!
FFT, January Cleanout Edition:
(1) I've culled four boxes of books plus a few CDs from my holdings, and I've made an appointment to drop these off at the FFL (one of our excellent local libraries, where the lovely Barbara volunteers) on Wednesday. (Barbara, I'm sorry I haven't been able to make it to recent FFL book sales; they've all conflicted with local JASNA meetings!)
(2) My friend Mr. Fix-It was here on Sunday to help me through a few of the usual issues (coaxing balky fluorescent light fixtures in the basement to perform again, etc.). I offered him anything he wanted from my pile of DH's electronic clutter in the basement; he took a few things but advised me to drop off the rest at a local electronics recycling facility (yes, we do have one that accepts dropoffs).
(3) I made a shrimp curry that helped me do a fridge cleanout, since I included some tomato paste left over from Xmas Eve dinner and some cauliflower that's been in there for the last 6 weeks (in a special Tupperware veggie storage container, fortunately, so it hadn't grown too much fur). Delicious, and I'm not dead yet!
(4) A neighbor who's moving out asked me if he could put extra trash and recycling into my 96-gallon carts, and I agreed. From this, I scavenged a couple of deposit containers and a 1992 Rolling Stone 25th anniversary issue called "Portraits," full of great photos of rock legends--which I am currently enjoying but will eventually recycle. (I see online that it's got some modest resale value, but, alas, the back cover is torn off.)
(5) And I haven't provided abundant evidence to the American people that it's well past time to invoke the 25th Amendment. My sympathies to the people of Minneapolis and Portland, in particular.
One frugal thing: have a friend with the same blog theme as you, who is one day ahead of you in googling, "How do you change...." about the theme. lol
The best frugal thing!
Now I have that TastyKake jingle running through my head - "No one bakes a cake as tasty as . . . TastyKake!" (Northern NJ resident here; we have TastyKake too)
1. It's laundry day. I saved $1 by hanging up shirts and leggings. I also took a walk between the wash and dry cycles, and I found three receipts, which I have scanned to Fetch
2. I gathered broccoli, mushrooms, peas, celery, onions and peppers from the fridge and freezer, and cooked them with sliced pork chops to make stir fry. There's enough left for at least one more day.
3. The little free pantry offered up a sweet potato which weighs almost a pound!
4. I picked up three books from our various little free libraries.
5. I agreed to stay with a friend who is getting a hip replacement. This won't actually happen until the second week of February.
Interesting Tastycake ads and the history behind how you have them!!
Being from Pennsylvania I grew up with the brand and still ( occasionally)
purchase them.
1. My husband and I deep cleaned the house in anticipation for a house showing how yesterday! They ended up cancelling last minute which was a bummer but the house is sparkling now and I'm not mad about that.
2. I baked a dozen pumpkin muffins and 3 loaves of bread.
3. Neither my husband nor I were very hungry tonight so we nibbled a bit and saved the rest for lunch tomorrow.
4. I rounded up a few more items that my kids have outgrown. I have a stack of boxes of infant-toddler clothes and items that I need to donate.
5. I've had a massive craving for sweets the last several days and so far have resisted. I'm counting this as both frugal and technically healthy since I'm trying to curb cravings by drinking water. I know that the more water I drink the more I'll have to pee and then my kids will interrupt me so I wouldn't have time to get/make a treat anyways. Solid mom logic.
We’re going out of town on Thursday to visit family, so it’s operation eat-down-the-perishables over here to prevent food waste, which is always frugal!
We had A LOT of lemons to go through, so tonight’s menu was: stuffed grape leaves made from leaves I had frozen from our vine this summer, fresh hummus and homemade pita.
~ Was totally spoiled last night at my husband's winter work party at a country club; open bar and gluten free food galore!
~ Saved $8 with my daughter's Petsmart discount on poochie food.
~ Hung almost all my clothes to dry.
~ Borrowed another book (Murder at Gull's Nest) on the Libby app.
~ Visited a friend who gave us a full container of SEE's hot cocoa mix because she is such a generous soul!
1. I ordered dog food through Chewy and chose the autoship option for 50% off the first order. I'll keep the auto ship but skip shipments when I can find a better deal elsewhere.
2. I had lunch with my friend who does my taxes for me. We shared an appetizer.
3. I used a $5 reward at the pet store to buy my dog her favorite toy.
4. I combined several errands yesterday which included stopping at Menard's for a few items where I took advantage of their 15% off bag sale.
5. My daughter helped me replace an old broken shop light in the basement with a new LED one.
That's so neat that you have the artwork from your husband's grandparents!
And, yes I can relate to lost things. I am working on decluttering my home. Sometimes it is so hard to do. I keep organizing one cabinet or shelf at a time and asking myself, what can I get rid of? It's not the cinematic experience some tv shows make it out to be. But, it is slowly working. I found a two years expired bag of chips in the snack cabinet...I decided it could go in the trash instead of to the neighbors. Exciting times in my home.
Today I invested in myself by purchasing a special edition of Woman's World magazine about different ways to earn income including at home and freelance opportunities that other women are successfully doing. I did check the library, but they did not have the magazine on hand in person or electronically.
While I often focus on saving money, I believe I need to focus on earning more too...
Yum Tastykakes. Childhood favorite.
Another favorite? Having the Archives back!
Thank you Kristen and Katy.
1) Sold a watch on eBay & made just over $100 after fees & such. I have a new savings challenge to be ready when DS18's 529 runs out. We could pull from longer term savings, but I'm motivating myself to save all extra funds to offset how much we need to pull from our longer term savings.
2) Made DS19 lunch when he was home between classes. It saves him money not to eat out, although he wisely used a Christmas gift card for Subway when he needed dinner in a pinch last night. When I make lunch, I'm always sure to use up leftovers. This time it was two hoagie rolls from the freezer, the very last of the coleslaw & more of the buffalo chicken he'd requested earlier.
3) Went through all of our travel credits yesterday & tried to assign them to trips before they expire. It's a hassle when the airline issues a credit in one of the teen's names for example, as we are likely booking the travel out of our account & then it doesn't show up as available without jumping through a bunch of hoops & booking separate reservations. I also called United & got them to give Nick a seat next to me (normally $60 extra, but should have been included with my status) given I was trying to use a complicated credit & we were indeed traveling together.
4) Gave away a bunch on Buy Nothing, which helps my neighbors, cleans out my house, and keeps junk out of the landfill.
5) Honing in on how we want to spend part of our Donor Advised Fund we started at the end of last year. We have a few ideas, but need to vet them a bit more.