Five Frugal Things -- An Excess of Asparagus

1) My sister picked up an $8 antique "Porcelier" ceiling light fixture from a garage sale that's an exact match to one from our childhood house. Unfortunately it was missing the sockets and electrical parts. Luckily we'd recently been to Hippo Hardware and suspected they'd be able to help.

I think the total after my $25 store credit was $11, which is a terrific price in the end.

She bought a house in the Bronx a few years ago and while the house is technically not a fixer upper, she and the previous owners didn't share the same taste in light fixtures. As a NYC high school teacher, she doesn't possess an excess of riches, so bargains like this are extra special. It'll go into her bedroom.

Next to be replaced is her dining room chandelier.

I had time at Hippo to wander around the store and came across a shelf of painted glass light shades, similar to what I have over my kitchen sink.

Of course, mine is from my Buy Nothing group.

2) I completed my Powell's Summer Reading Challenge bingo card with hours to spare and drove down to the Powell's on Hawthorne location to turn in my paperwork.

Luckily the store is open until 9 P.M.!

Yes, I'm complete and utter book dork. I may have received my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, but I snuck in an English minor as an excuse to read something beyond dry nursing textbooks.

3) Smoky skies have returned to Portland, but my husband and I still have our handmade Corsi-Rosenthal box to filter the indoor air. Is it an eyesore? Maybe, but clean air is worth it.

Unrelated to nonconsumerism, but I refer to it as the "Rachel Rosenthal" box, which was my great grandmother's name. My dad would appreciate this moniker.

Cough, cough . . . .

4) My youngest is off on vacation with their friend's family, (lucky kid!) which means I have the pleasure to host both Myr and Mama's Little Meatball. They're best friends at this point and not too much trouble.

I will admit that I don't love having "litter box" sneak back onto my daily to-do list. This aspect of cat ownership is the biggest downside. Blegh!

5) I finally used up the entire bag of asparagus that my husband impulse purchased at Costco. This asparagus forward pasta dish was definitely tasty, but I'm happy to see the end of the asparagus.

Now I can put my focus towards figuring out what to make with the random vegetables my sister bought at the farm store on Sauvie Island. She's back in NYC, yet I'm the one with a fridge full of beets, lettuce and corn.

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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