Five Frugal Things -- Organized Toiletries
1. I sold the thrifted desk organizer for the $100 Goodwill Gift Card Challenge, although I took an offer of $22 and then noticed a crack in the plastic when I grabbed it off the shelf. I contacted the buyer with photos and she accepted a $5 refund and while it was far from a brag worthy sale, it's still an extra $13.13 for the Oregon Food Bank!
2. I pulled out our bins of toiletries, medications, first aid supplies and such to reorganize. Unsurprisingly this was a bigger project than anticipated. Our 112-year-old house didn't come with clever storage, so anything we've configured is all smoke and mirrors.
I came across a lot of expired bottles and tubes of goo to throw away, which helped. It was all well organized, but it's still better to not hold onto anti-fungal cream that expired in 2020.
How is this frugal? I found a surprise backup package of masks, which was mildly annoying as we recently bought a fresh supply. Oh well . . . they're now stored in a clear container and I doubt we'll need to buy any in the near, (or even far) future. Everything is now attractively organized and everything should be easy to find.
It's an extra layer of satisfying as all the organizational bins were either thrifted or garbage picked -- and they mostly match!
3. I made a pot of black bean chili and added a handful of T.V.P. that I bought from the Winco bulk bins last year. This gives the texture of ground meat without having to go out and actually buy any.
4. I finished listening to Oona Out of Order and started listening to The Cat Ate My Gymsuit through the library's free Libby app.
5. I didn't start a war to distract a nation away from my sexual crimes against children.
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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I've wondered what you do when you notice a a flaw too late. I was listing today and I caught a flaw I didn't see before, luckily before I pulled the trigger. I decided not to sell the item. It was pretty iffy, anyway.
I'm glad to hear that you sometimes discover expired products hiding in your storage! Happens to me more often than I'd like.
I had a pretty typical day. I walked at the community center, I checked out a book, I put away a lot of things that were, for some strange reason, not where they were supposed to be. I also caught up on my financial spreadsheets and found I am still solvent.
And I found a penny! That's about it.
Love your food bank donation project! Glad you sold it regardless of the crack.
1. Walking for exercise and instead of driving given the lovely weather we have been having.
2. Focusing on more vegetarian dinners. Only 2 of us so any dinner is pretty cost effective but we can try harder.
3. Hubby canceled a service contract for our new car so we will get significant money back.
4. Dropped off a couple of items at a charity thrift store and didn't buy anything. Not buying is more frugal than getting a good deal.
5. Not spending $$$$$$$ on a war to shore up someone's fragile ego and also causing so many unnecessary deaths and suffering.
Juhli, "Not buying is better than a good deal." Hear, hear!!! I need to embroider that on my wallet! Esp. when I go into a thrift store ... Other than donations, I am giving that up for Lent.
1. We have a thrift store in my small town that supports the local food bank. I have a box of donations to drop off.
2. I forgot my lunch last week. I had to buy food in the facility cafe. I ate only 1/2 as the portion was big. The next day I made chx taco salads w/ the leftover food. Enough for the husband & myself.
3. Treated myself to a 99 cents (plus tax) iced coffee at McDonalds. A cheap luxury.
4. I used a 40$ coupon off a 75$ online purchase at a local grocery store. I have never ordered groceries online before. It took forever for the employee to locate my order when I picked up the items & the store forgot one avocado. I think the savings made the trip worth it but it was more work than I imagined. I'd rather go to the store & get the groceries myself in the future.
5. The garage door would not raise. My husband raised it manually & then repaired it. (I leave for work at 5:30 AM so not a convenient time for it to stop working.)
Long time reader (15 years!), first time commenter! I borrowed Oona Out of Order on Libby after seeing it in a recent post and it’s been so great to listen to. Just wanted to say thanks for brightening my commute with a good audiobook rec 🙂
I had to call 911 today! I had run an errand and arrived home to see a huge moving van in front of my house and about half my giant oak tree downed and lying in the street blocking traffic.It was a van owned by some kind of fly by night moving co. -- they didn't even have an address or their full names on their biz card they gave me. The driver apologized and said he didn't turn the truck so that it dodged the limbs hanging over the curb. He was nice but not the man in charge.About that time his boss drove up and exited his vehicle shouting at me, saying I was violating the law by having a tree that could clip the roof of a 13 foot tall truck. He demanded I pay for damage to the commercial truck and trailer. I told him that the city had trimmed the overhanging branches last month and therefore the limbs were indeed within legal limits. He was very belligerent, very scary, shouting he will make me pay --so I went in and phoned the police nonemergency number. No answer in 3 minutes. I called a friend to come help me, and he said call 911, so I did. The truck was speeding off by then. Illegally leaving the scene of the accident! But the jerk boss remained. Police came and told him his driver was at fault, and let him know my neighbor had a ring camera and they were going to view the video. Boy, did that jerk change his tune! He backed down, stopped claiming he knew the law and would sue me for damages. The officers got him to agree to hire someone to clean up his mess on Monday. Officers also got the city arborist to come and city crews immediately got the huge limbs away from blocking the street and my driveway. By then my friend had arrived and it ended up the arborist was interested in hiring his company to do some cleanup in the local woodlands.
Anyway, the frugal part is I got the cops and city to help me so I did not have to pay anyone for damages I did not cause. Even better, I got the professional arborist's advice about tree care at no charge.
Wow, the nerve of some people! I'm glad that the police in your area were so responsive and helpful.
You DO have adventures at your house, Fru-gal Lisa! I'm glad you called 911! and that you won't have to pay for the repairs. I hope the tree recovers!
Oh my goodness, what an experience! I'm sorry you had to go through it. Some people are just beyond belief. I'm glad you stood your ground and got help.
I'm glad that 911 responded promptly (in my area, they don't always). And I'm glad that you and the cops got the jerk boss to back down. Good for all of you!
A.Marie, ecoteri, Beth andBeth W., Thank you all for your support. Needless to say, I was quite shaken.
Today we had a hard rain so no new action. At least my driveway was cleared so I could put the car in the garage=>no hail damage.
Oh, dear, you have reminded me it is time to sort the bathroom drawers. We were looking for some supplies and only found the multiple packages of travel immodium (never need it at home) and no cold medication at all. Time to clear things out, make a list, and stock up
1. We had my Mom trying out a new care worker from the publicly funded Health Authority – we still pay a fee but it is lower than what she currently pays for the private service (by a considerable amount) and we can keep the visits shorter – the private service is for 3 hours a time and that is a bit long, for Mom.
I gather it went well. Sister and I will start the process to change things up with the Private workers so they only come once a week, and the public workers twice a week. We'll end up with three days rather than two, and pay less that we do right now! My cousin and I will each cover another day.
2. I skipped my 'day' this week after a very extended hospital adventure (visiting the surgeon to get the OK on using my arm, takes ages to get the x-ray sorted), and then three necessary errands. Mom was very content to not see me and told me to take the week off, she was pretty fussy that I was there twice last week, as she knows it essentially uses up a day. I'll be back next week, but it was frugal for me to not do that long drive.
3. I got my Grandson for a few hours in the afternoon, on the so-called 'regular' day that I was committed to in November; however his starting daycare, plus Christmas, plus my broken arm plus, my terrible cold all conspireded to delay the start of this adventure.
This week the stars aligned and I picked him up from daycare, we had a few hours outside (more staring at chickens, then a pretty long walk for a little boy) then back home to his parents. This is frugal for my #1 son as he is trying to build a business since he lost his job, and the 20 hours a week that GS is in Daycare makes it a challenge to get things done (don't we all know how THAT feels?)
I also got GS for the second 'regular' longer afternoon – it was rainy, however we bundled up and got outside anyway, twice - including some longish walks and chicken staring.
He is not eating much as he currently only has front teeth (the molars are coming, his rosy cheeks inform me), so I tried mixing a bit of protein powder into the applesauce that he will always devour. Success! And then he had hummus - both on fishy crackers and by the spoonful - so I am feeling good about getting some good growing food into him.
4. We discovered that the darn chickens had hidden another nest of eggs; I am currently researching gluten free crepes to use them up quickly. Wish me luck!
5. I got another session in at the gym with my trainer – am finding it a big effort to get through the hour, but we laugh and she knows I am doing my best. I expect it will be about a month of regular attendance before I am really back to where I was in Mid December – and I am going to give myself grace while also commit to doing all the right things to make it happen quickly.
Love all the chicken staring! 🙂
You're such a good grandma. I love the chicken staring too.
1. I rode my bike 4 miles today running errands, including only the 3 loss leaders I had on my list from Safeway.
2. I picked up free date sugar from a Buy Nothing member, and some clothes from a free pile
3. I took the large snaps off a stretched out cardigan from a free pile and then I tried out unraveling the yarn. It actually went quite well and I have enough yarn to knit a gift. It is slightly time consuming but I was tired and actually enjoyed sitting and doing this. I have a cashmere sweater that I'm going to unravel next. It is not wearable so I have nothing to lose!
4. Watered seedlings with water caught at kitchen sink.
5. Sold a bag of baby toys. Have a buyer lined up to come tomorrow to buy a rocking chair I'd bought on FB marketplace. A nicer and free rocking chair was given to us so I'm selling the FB marketplace one. We keep a rocking chair on hand for when grandchildren visit.
Kara, you might already know this but you can connect the ends of cashmere or other wool yarn without a knot. Wet an inch or two of the ends, overlap them and roll them briskly between your hands. The heat and friction will felt them together and you can keep knitting without any knots.
Cheers! Candy
Thank you! I didn't know that!
Does not work with acrylic yarns.
1. I found out last night that the Grocery Outlet near us, and several others in the area, are going to be closing. The going out of business sale starts tomorrow so we will shop there today to see what they have. I don't love crowds so I'd rather pay their regular prices today than deal with a crowd tomorrow.
2. A co-worker loaned my husband a 1000 piece puzzle. There is no reason to buy puzzles new.
3. I finished reading Charm City Rocks, borrowed from the library.
4. Meals at home, meals at home, meals at home. Not only are they cheaper but they are healthier and I feel better.
5. This weekend I will help DD with her income tax returns. I shared my TurboTax Premier with her and will let her use the one state return that is included. We can file with the state through their website for free.
1. I'm continuing with my experiment on Vinted where I'm posting one item to sell every day to see if this really boosts sales. It does seem to help indeed, I've sold most of what I put up. The prices on Vinted are low, low, low - but I don't mind, everything I'm selling is unwanted or no longer needed and it reduces the clutter in our home. Looking for items to sell has also helped take stock of our belongings.
2. I also bought a few pre loved things on Vinted last week: a replacement for the cutlery holder for the dishwasher (2 Euro plus 3 Euro postage), an adorable 925 sterling silver necklace (3.60 Euro plus 3 Euro postage) - this is a present for a family member, 2 hair clips of a kind that I just cannot get in the shops any more (2.30 Euro plus 3 Euro postage). Vinted is like charity shop shopping only you can look for what you need rather than having the usual mixed assortment in the charity shops. -- 1 Euro = 1.16 $ --
3. Heating oil prices have skyrocketed thanks to the war on Iran. We are running rather low but it is getting warmer already and we will make do with the portable electrical radiators (bought in Lidl, they are brilliant, they heat up a room really fast) which we bought last year. They were really inexpensive at 18 Euro a piece. We got them to heat several rooms where the radiators are no longer working at full capacity. The heating system is old but as we are renting nothing will be done about it by the owner of the house unless it stops working completely. I prefer to heat electrically to heating with oil anyway. We may just put one of the Lidl electrical rads in front of all the existing ones. There are 8 radiators in the house and we have 2 of the Lidls rads already. They are no longer in Lidl as spring is on the way but they will definitely get them back in in autumn.
3. I cleaned chewing gum off a Tupperware container with sunflower oil. Worked a treat!
4. Our library now offers a free streaming service as part of the library membership! The selection is not that good but I very rarely watch TV so it's very much good enough for me.
5. After weeks and weeks of rain the weather has finally turned a little bit more sunny and I can line dry the laundry again at the moment. I am like a headless chicken at the moment, trying to catch up with the laundry!
My old house has a lot of storage if one is tall, but I'm only 5 feet tall and the top shelves might as well be in Anarctica. So we do lots of clever things with Dollar Tree wire shelves inside cupboards.
Yesterday I borrowed a free seven-day binge pass for BBC programming from Hoopla and enjoyed several Season One episodes of Call the Midwife. Also been listening to an audio book series through Hoopla since January and am up to the tenth book.
Ruby, I'm with you on those top shelves. I've shrunk from 5'5" to 5'3", and I'm getting as much stuff off top shelves as I can. My sense of balance on a stepladder was never good and hasn't improved with age.
I didn't know Hoopla had BBC passes! Thanks!
And this reminds me to check the library for museum passes, too.
Great job on the storage organization! I still have a hotspot I need to organize in my kitchen and I know how I want to do it, but it requires a small shelf for a dead space between a cabinet and a window. I can't bring myself to buy a shelf, even secondhand, when I know I will have a million free choices out on the curbs around campus during college moveout in a few months...
1) We had fancy charcuterie for dinner last night, which is our Friday tradition to use up leftovers and enjoy small amounts of otherwise expensive yummies (a container of fancy olives is cheap when it is spread out over 8 meals, for example).
2) I tucked some leftover homemade biscuits from a biscuits and gravy dinner into the freezer before they went stale. There was enough for a second dinner, so future me will be grateful for a quick meal starter or side.
3) We didn't go out to start our weekend. Instead, we played a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit (thrifted years ago), then spoiled ourselves by going to bed early and binging a few episodes of "Parks & Rec."
4) I gave the son's girlfriend a lift across town so she could pick up some books she bought off Facebook marketplace. She's been coveting the boxed edition for a few years (Sarah Maas books), but it is well over $100. She found it on marketplace for $20, so I was happy to help her be frugal.
5) I signed up to volunteer my time feeding people instead of bombing them.
1) Leftovers for dinner, and bonus points for adding some ravioli that was just past the expiration date but still good.
2) Paid an expensive medical bill on my rewards credit card bill, and then reimbursed myself from my HSA. While not ideal, still the best of an expensive proposition, by earning rewards. 2026 is the year I said I would pay out of pocket to resolve a couple of lingering health issues, and this is just one part of that.
3) Picked another one of the many green onions for dinner, and will replant the bottom part, keeping the cycle going.
4) went through the credit card rewards offers & saved a few to our account. We are very likely to use the TurboTax one, but they also have a year membership to a meditation app I like, for free. I like free.
5) Going to CVS to pick up a prescription, and saved a $3 off of anything coupon to my account. I will buy DS18 a few candy treats to go with his cash birthday gift. College kids need cash more than anything.
My son gets an extra family membership for SAMS CLUB he gave to us today! I can get gas for JUST $3.69 today!! I also like to buy one $5 chicken per month.I can eeke out about 5 meals for the 2 of us.. of all the meals, ,my husband loves my chix. noodle soup the most!
I am not a big box store s hopper.. have never found it to be all that frugal for a family of 2.. but I’ll take it for the chicken, the gas, and I like a cheap hot dog date once in a while!!
This reminds me of my recent efforts to organize pantry ingredients and spices. It isn’t frugal to be so disorganized that things get lost and expire! One of my worst offenses is getting little bags of stuff from the Winco bulk area and forgetting what they were or how old they are. If the bin number is written down, I can google it. It’s still more effective if I write the bin number plus what it is, plus the date, when I bag it up AT WINCO.
Bathrooms are another story. They get out of hand, even for people like us, who don’t have lots of “product” and elaborate skin and hair care routines. I can’t imagine what’s hiding under Kristi Noem’s bathroom sink!
Li, I'm kind of regretting your last sentence about Noem's bathroom sink. What's imagined cannot be un-imagined. 😛
I’m picturing a 5 gallon tub of foundation. Haha.
To paraphrase a famous quote from Dolly Parton, it must take a lot of time and money to look that fake.
@Li -- this made me LOL, and I will add a giant spatula for her to apply it.....or just smack her with..LOL!
This has been a good frugal week:
Borrowed my first audio book via our library app Libby. I have bought lots of audiobooks via audible but have recently realised that I can't pause or cancel my subscription without loosing access to all my audiobooks (which I do listen to a lot on repeat because they help me sleep). What a rip off! Trying to minimise my audible use now.
Had an "Oddbox" delivery - it's a UK thing where you buy lots of fruits and vegetables that are either the wrong size for the supermarkets or the farmer simple have too many. This saves the fruit/veg from landfill. Very happy with my first delivery - tasteful fruit and veg and mostly from local farmers, which was pleasing. AND it was very good value.
Picked up rosemary sprigs for drying from a neighbour.
Picked up two Christmas-themed jars from outside somebody's house. Will come in handy next Christmas for gifts of cookies.
Picked up a large vase (outside another neighbour's house) and some birch boughs (outside our local park). I will cut the birch boughs to size and decorate them with coloured feathers in the Swedish Easter tradition and bring as a hostess gift to a book group dinner tomorrow.
Am quite picky with my handcreams yet this is something I am gifted quite often. I now use them for body lotions instead, works well on dry winter skin.
That's it this week I think....
I have never heard of that Swedish Easter tradition! My mother was Swedish and I was brought up with many Swedish traditions but not that one. Are the feathers decorated in specific colors? I would love to make this for Easter. Thank you!
I imagine it has something to do with the Easter witch!
You sort of tie colourful / dyed feathers (yellow/green/pink) on to branches which you place in a large vase. Lots of people also have them in a large jar outside their front door. You should be able to google examples. I am actually Danish, we hang painted wooden eggs on bitch branches, that’s what I will have in my own house.
Fellow Dane here too...my father's side. Thank you for the description of the feathers. I will google it too.
That is a nice tradition. In my family we cut pussy willow branches and forsythia and hang mini wooden eggs painted in bright colors. This came from my 2x Great Grandmother from The Netherlands.
I mainly have the same old frugal things I always have...pack my lunch, no/buy low/buy, shop the freezer/ pantry, etc. Thinking back on my week I realized I did help other be frugal though.
1. I showed 3 patrons at the library our free seed library. They had no idea they could get up to 10 packs of seeds free.
2. Someone from the local DAR chapter called me for tips on starting a book club. (I oversee the library's book club) She was completely shocked when I told her the library could source copies of books for all members of her club for free.
3. A library patron asked me about puzzles for check, which we normally don't do, but we had a stack headed to the book sales so I used generic bar codes to check 3 out to her. Free for her and circ for the library.
4. Our village lost its only grocery store a few years ago. A co-op has opened on one of our side streets call the Market on High. I walked there on my lunch and purchased some local honey, and other miscellaneous. I am grateful they are there, and I love supporting local.
5. One out of the ordinary frugal thing is I kinda badged my husband into going through the boxes of books he has sitting in the barn. Send $30 worth to Thriftbooks. Thanks again to the person who mentioned Thriftbook buybacks on here.
I was the one who put on about Thriftbooks. I can hardly contain myself when I find things like that. Credit towards buying more books is particularly awesome. I feel it's something that makes the world a better place. Here's a link to Thriftbooks for anyone else wanting to check it out!
https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/?code=Qisa%252fheXHJRn79dyaVxccQ%253d%253d
Over $13 added to the food bank. That's fantastic!
1. I'm having company tomorrow. Today I'm making some homemade desserts with what I have on hand...toffee bars and a Swedish Almond Cake.
2. Tomorrow is a big potluck among friends and neighbors at my house. It's Italian themed. I'm making my favorite, eggplant parmesan. Others are bringing sausage and peppers, sausage pie, Italian soup, lasagna and lazy lasagna. Potluck takes the financial burden off and still allows for a group of people to get together and did I say, eat?
3. DH and I incorporated a deep spring cleaning into cleaning for the potluck.
4. Still doing all the little everyday things that add up to a big thing: hanging onto our $$$. Left the oven door open after baking for the BTUs to help heat the house, cooking at home and eating a lot of chicken and turkey to avoid buying much beef, watching movies on TCM...all Oscar winners or nominations of some sort, picture, actor, supporting actors, actresses, supporting actress, cinematography, music...all have been notable in celebration of the upcoming Oscars, reading a library book: Yellowface, batching errands as much as possible, cruise control set at 64 on highways, keeping the daytime heat at 64, nighttime at 60.
5. I am not intent on starting WWIII.
1. Watched The Last Showgirl via temporary Hulu subscription. Recommend.
2. Watched The Children Act via our temporary Netflix subscription. Recommend.
3. Renewed annual vehicle registration online and paid via checking account debit rather than incur credit card charges.
4. Watched an online zero waste / natural living presentation. Very motivating.
5. Found an empty glass miniature vodka bottle on our walk. Washed it and saved it for making my own extract.
" I didn't start a war to distract a nation away from my sexual crimes against children." This. Thank you!
Katy you do not need to toss the expired health and beauty items. My SIL has advanced degrees in pharmaceutical medicine. She has told us that there was a long term 10 year study of medications and over the counter meds. It was determined that As long as they are stored in a cool non damp climate and remain sealed they have an extensive shelf life. RX meds tetracycline and nitroglycerin should not be held after their expiration date.