Five Frugal Things -- Another Oregon Food Bank Donation!
1) I added up everything that sold for the $100 Goodwill Gift Card Challenge for the month of May and donated $203.11 to the Oregon Food Bank. This brought my total donations up to $738.51.
Here's what sold and profits after eBay fees:
- Hooters T-shirt -- $11.50
- Birkenstocks -- $23.69
- Trader Joe's tote bag -- $19.95
- Sasha doll -- $100 (Sold on Facebook Marketplace, no fees.)
- Portland Gear baseball cap -- $20 (Sold on Facebook Marketplace, no fees.)
- Rothy's shoes -- $27.97
I still have a little more than four dollars on the gift card, which I'm hoarding until I can find low cost items that'll sell for large amounts. Which frankly is always the goal when thrifting!
This list from the back of my day planner shows how I'm tracking my sales. The envelope contains all the receipts. Might not be a techy person's method, but it works for me.
There are probably twenty or so eBay listings still waiting to sell, which'll slowly add to the total. It just takes time for everything to find the right buyers. You wouldn't expect a store to sell out their entire inventory every month.
2) My husband's library card expired after lying dormant for more than two years, so we stopped into the Woodstock branch to remedy that situation. He's now rich with library card goodness and we've doubled our resources.
I checked out up a copy of Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid from the "Lucky Day" shelf for my own reading pleasure. I'm 23 pages in and will definitely be finishing it!
3) I went on the Multnomah County Library website at precisely midnight to peruse the refreshed cultural pass options. I was able to score a Portland Art Museum pass for our upcoming anniversary using my husband's newly minted card. I used my single annual pass in April, (you only get one per year) but he hasn't been to the museum since they did their major expansion.
He may seem like a sporty guy with an intense emergency medical job from the outside, but he actually holds a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree.
Here's a photo of a piece from the David Hockney exhibit, which'll hopefully still be running in August.
And here's a Mark Rothko painting from their permanent collection.
The two free passes would normally cost $65, so it's worth planning in advance.
4) The library was near a Goodwill, so I walked over for a quick loop of the store and picked up this vintage Japanese handmade vase for $3.99. I've thrifted a couple other small Japanese vases through the years, so I gathered them up to display together.
They're not worth a ton, but I love them either way. The skill and craftsmanship to create them is perfection. I probably spent ten dollars for the trio.
5) I sold my $3 Goodwill bins Ikea desk chair for $35 in under two hours. This sale won't dominate the news cycle, ("Portland woman sells thrifted chair for a million dollars!") but that's $32 that's I wouldn't otherwise have at my disposal. It was an enjoyable fast project and kept that chair out of the landfill.
The selling process itself couldn't have been easier, as I simply set the chair on my covered front porch and sent the buyer a link to my Venmo. I've done this at least a hundred times over the years and have yet to burned.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Hi Katy - my response today is a bit of a request. 🙂 I love your 5FT blogs and look forward to them daily(ish). That said, I wonder if you'd be open to talking further about your (early) retirement from nursing and maybe get into some (opaque) financials of how you and your husband make it work on one income.
I have been around since the early days (~2016 ish) and have loved following along while you harnessed your frugal skills to put your kids through college with NO DEBT, retired from a mentally and physically taxing career, and paid off your home. You have been such an inspiration to me.
I know that the FIRE movement has changed over the years, and I'd be interested to hear about your current life and financial goals and/or status. Thanks, as always, for sharing your life with us in the commentariat (as A.Marie calls us)!
I got sucked into buying various supplements on line. After visiting my NP on Thursday I have returned several unopened bottles for a hefty refund.
My newest challenge is two upcoming events (June in Tampa and July in Dallas) My travel expenses are paid for however meals are my responsibility. I always pack snacks and my sport bottle.
My second weekend of houseguests left this morning and I'm trying up. Saved the last cup of coffee that was in the French press. Saved the remains of a smoothie, which I froze, for a good snack on a hot afternoon. Dropped the half loaf leftover sourdough bread into the freezer. Put away all the toys and gathered library books to return. There are at least a few nights worth of dinner leftovers.
FB marketplace sale made this morning. I had enough in my venmo account from FB marketplace sales to give my son money to help with gas for their trip here. I love being able to use money from outside of our regular budget.
Returned an item I had purchased from eBay from a dreadful seller. It may be my last eBay purchase.
We had a plumber out today to repair several small things that were beyond our skills, so I stayed home to keep the dogs and cat calm and did little chores in the non-plumber end of the house.
Used a trick learned from the British TV show "How Clean is Your House" and made a paste of citric acid powder and water to treat a stubborn hard water deposit in the toilet that needed a repair. Let it do its magic while I cleaned the rest of the bathroom and the mineral deposit came off with just a light scrubbing.
Peeled and sliced up some carrots for my husband to have something healthy and crunchy with his lunch. Laundered my very old kitchen curtain. Pulled a few weeds in the backyard between rain storms -- our current weather is very much like Portland but warmer -- and clippered some invasive non-native vines off the fence. Maintenance is frugal!
Ruby,
That show was great wasn't it? And also horrifying.
The level of bacteria some of those families were living with was horrifying. But so many of them did get themselves together and keep their homes clean.
We have the same chair that I found in a free pile last year.
1. I am spending some time at my local library, reading periodicals (and your blog). This is cheaper than subscribing to periodicals!
2. I found 4 redeemable cans on the way here.
3. I wandered through a grocery store parking lot on the way here, and collected four receipts to scan into fetch later.
4. I scrounged the bits of frozen bread from my freezer last night and made bread pudding. It’s cheaper than tillamook ice cream! Has anyone else noticed how fluffy and expensive it’s gotten? I assume that they are whipping extra air into it. (Grumble.) For this reason, I’ll be making alternative desserts when possible.
5. Homemade pizza is on the menu tonight! One of the toppings will be red peppers that I’ll roast in the oven ahead of time and peel. It’s a schwanky tip.
Atmosphere is FANTASTIC!
Irvington yard sale this weekend..what a time to be live and thrifting!
Wow, Katy, more than 700 smackeroos to the food bank?! You rock! Thank you for being the hands and feet of God.
1. I visited a church Sunday, and it happened to be that they had a potluck luncheon after services. So I had a free lunch and met some new, friendly people.
2. Found a penny on the store parking lot. So...I came into some money! And since it was a new shiny penny, I'm sure to have good luck, LOL.
3. Repotted a rosemary plant that had fallen over in its pot. Used a larger pot gleaned from the garage cleanout. Filled it 1/3 of the way up with some fallen live-oak leaves (I keep a leaf pile just for this purpose) to save on soil. The rest of the pot was filled with soil leftover from some small plants that didn't make it, mixed with the potting soil from the rosemary's original container. I watered with rainwater collected in the barrel. So I did not buy anything to redo the rosemary. And since I potted it this morning, which was the day after the "blue moon" (2nd full moon of the month), I'm sure it will grow like a weed. Right now, it's standing straight up and it smells wonderful.
4. Bought the Blue Bell Ice Cream today while it is still on sale. Price goes up tomorrow.
5. Did not hijack our country's 250th anniversary celebration and turn it in to a selfish lovefest for myself, with me making some self-serving incoherent speech being the main activity...who would want to listen to that? (Actually, the USA can only truly celebrate 248 years of democracy since the Orange Ogre Wannabe Dictator took over in January 2 years ago.)
Although I have not seen publicity compared to previous events, (and I may just have missed it), No Kings events are being planned for June 14, traditional Flag Day, and the amazingly healthy person's 80th birthday. The centerpiece of it is "Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment", which will be streamed so all can join in.
Thanks for the info, Heidi Louise. I'm going to our town's Dem hq tomorrow (need to get some campaign signs) and see if a Flag Day protest will be held here. Perhaps I will take the flag that draped Daddy's coffin and hang it upside down in the front window. My Dad fought in WW2, but he did not risk his life in order for this country to be plunged headlong into fascism.
Great idea with filling the pots up 1/3 with leaves. Saves on potting soil and I would think it also offers the plants some nutrition.
I'm so pleased for you that the chair sold so quickly. Your donation to the food bank is impressive.
I have arrived back at my friend's house, and I will make the 2 1/2-hour trip home tomorrow morning. It will be good to be home.
We stayed last night at a Hilton Garden Inn. It was cheaper than the Hampton, but to our surprise there was no complementary breakfast. It was offered for $13, but we passed. I ate an energy bar and orange from my cooler. We did have free coffee in the room as well as a couple of bottles of water.
This is not exactly a frugal fail, but a disappointment. I learned in an email today that we condo owners will be assessed an additional $142 per month for the coming fiscal year (beginning in July) to upgrade the electrical system in our building. I know that it's needed, but I'm feeling pinched already. More belt-tightening is in order.
My sister sent home with me two large bags of clothes to sell. I will send whatever money they bring in to her, but with her blessing I will keep for myself items that fit and that I can use. We are not the same size or style, so I don't actually know how many I may keep!
That's good to know for about places cutting the free breakfast. We were really surprised last year when we took our grandson to a children's museum and stayed in a Drury Hotel - I was looking for one with an indoor pool mainly. I'd promised him pizza in the room and he was all excited for that. Upon check in they explained that the free dinner was starting and each adult also gets two free alcoholic drinks, glass of wine or margarita etc. We're mainly vegan but stretch to vegetarian now and then so there was some items we'd eat but he was all set for the pizza. So I hunted one place down, pricier than expected ... Get back to the hotel room to find he'd decided to get a "snack" with Papa and was in heaven with his cup of soda free from lobby in the mini fridge. Also free breakfast there too. I know it's not nationwide (we're in Midwest) but it was a great price and for two free meals per person in the room, that was a deal.
I think I might prefer a hotel with no complimentary breakfast, since the complimentary breakfasts are so lousy: the waffle, the hfcs syrup, the miniature sugary yogurts, the red delicious apples, the mystery meat, Lipton tea, the omelettes that come pre-made in a bag!
I always feel like I should eat it since I paid for it, but I’d prefer to get something from a grocery store.
We don't usually eat much of the free breakfasts but when on the road we typically enjoy the fresh fruit, toast and peanut butter to stretch the food we pack. I assume all the sweet breakfast foods are made with eggs and dairy so we skip those anyway. If only the ones without breakfast dropped their prices back down haha
1. Hosting a long awaited barbecue this weekend so we stocked up at the cheaper grocery store on nonperishables including fresh condiments, serving trays, and paper towels.
2. Eating leftovers from this weekend for lunch.
3. Hosted a friend for a potluck with community members then we came to our apartment to watch tv and hang out. Cheaper than a bar visit.
4. Friend staying with us for the week bought bagels for breakfast as a treat.
5. Cat sitting for another friend, which helps me build my community and help out!
1. Zested a lemon before juicing it. Used both the zest and the juice in a quick bread. Baked the bread in our toaster oven to conserve energy and not heat up the house any more than necessary.
2. Cancelled Sling TV now that the Stanley Cup playoffs are over; the finals will be on ABC which my husband will be able to watch via our antenna.
3. Husband went to the natural foods co-op to refill our bulk pantry. Economical to do it this way, and no waste as we bring our own mason jars which then go straight into the pantry when we get home.
4. Changed up some recipes that called for rice to use half rice and half quinoa, just for a change of pace and extra protein. Cooked the quinoa with the rice as I find quinoa is hard to corral on its own.
5. Had a skin biopsy done on a concerning spot and said yes to the wound care supplies offered by my dermatologist, even though I had enough at home. No cancer this time, thank goodness.
That is wonderful news on the biopsy. I have a couple spots that need to be looked at too.
I'm glad your skin biopsy came back negative for cancer. It's a scary time, waiting for the results. Happy you had a good outcome.
Thank you, SL and Christine!
1. Finally got the BCBS class action settlement we signed up for four? five? years ago. When I looked at the website a year ago, it said husband would get approximately $4.59 and I would get nothing.
In that wonderfully whimsical way such things work, we got checks for a couple hundred dollars today, more for me than him. Ha!
2. Vacuumed and washed the furnace filter to be ready for AC season, which is close but not quite here yet. Running fans is big help.
3. Watering outside pots to protect my petunia investments. We need rain badly; I cancelled lawn mowing for a week as it is just too dry.
4. Something chomped the leaves on the top of the small oak tree the squirrels planted for me several years ago. I sprinkled it with chili powder and the chewer has not returned. I also cut a few strips from a potato chip bag with a silver lining and tied them to the trunk, as supposedly deer don't like shiny things. That was more to make me feel like I was doing something, rather than because I think it works.
5. Stocked up on some summer foods during Memorial Day grocery sales.
I've heard that a bar of stinky hand soap (Irish spring?) in a mesh bag can deter. Also laundry sheets. Haven't had to try either but the chompers Did visit - leaving chewed lettuce, comfrey bed squashed, and a donation of -er - pellets? The gate is now closed at night, which is enough to deter them (fingers crossed). There's lots of open space for deer so they don't need to exert themselves.
My front garden has fruit trees and grapes growing on the outside fence, so we created additional fence layers that stick out past the branches and that seems to be helping, too.
The best deterrent I’ve tried for discouraging deer, was stringing fishing line taut between from branches of trees to ground . You could also affix to a tall fence.
The deer can’t see the fishing line but when they rub against it it scares them and they begin to avoid my yard.
The best deterrent I’ve tried for discouraging deer, was stringing fishing line taut from branches of trees to the ground . You could also affix to a tall fence.
The deer can’t see the fishing line but when they rub against it it scares them and they began to avoid my yard.
Oops, sorry for the double comment
The fishing line makes sense.
I have had, (I think), success with black plastic forks, tines up, in flower pots to keep things from digging there. The forks are difficult to see and scratchy.
1. Well was appointed to a case by a judge on my official first day of private practice. It will take at least a year or two maybe three to bill and be paid on this case so I understand about patience regarding your Goodwill sales. Still, $$$ eventually.
2. I walked an hour very early this morning in my neighborhood.
3. I took a peanut butter and honey sandwich to work for lunch.
4. I raised the windows when I got home to let the house cool off.
5. I have paid my bills on time including my water bill (which I tend to forget) which is always frugal.
Love the vase display! They work so well together!
1. I took the kiddos down to the hotel pool in an attempt to get some of their energy out. So much for being clever, they got grumpy and caught a second wind once we were back in the room. Go figure.
2. I treated them each to a leftover cupcake from our youngest's birthday party on Saturday. I'm not much for the Bible but I'm pretty sure "thou shalt not waste baked goods" is somewhere amongst the commandments. They're not allergy friendly so I snuck some Graham crackers into a bowl with a handful of df chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. I microwaved it for about 25 seconds and it was a delicious faux s'mores! I think next time I'll nuke it less, the chocolate seized a bit, but it was really good.
3. The kids were grumpy after their treat (go figure, 0/2) so we took to the stairs and did some walking. My youngest is not a fan of walking down steps so we've been taking the elevator but this time she really wanted to go down in my arms (0/3 today on my genius kids ideas). Love that we have some free exercise available, especially out of the heat, but carrying a 25lb child down stairs after 45-60 minutes in the pool is not my favorite way to spend the afternoon. We walked up 4 flights before I called it quits.
4. My husband cleared some more stuff out of the house today and made $215 selling some of our old stuff at a pawn shop. He also paid the water bill on his way back to the hotel, so that was a nice combined errand.
5. I read "The Bullet That Missed" by Richard Osman, part of the Thursday Murder Club series, on Libby. I've really been them so far! Scratches my cozy murder mystery itch without being too dark.
The total in donations you've made to the food bank and the work you've put into this endeavor is remarkable!
1. DH found another eight golf balls on his walking route which goes along the edge of a golf course and driving range. I'm hoping he gives some up to sell at our planned yard sale in July.
2. My former boss asked me to fill in for someone's shift at the deli. The extra $$$ is nice plus she sent me home with a large grinder and a soda. DH and I split it for dinner.
3. I watched two of my favorite movies back to back last night on TCM: Klute and then Play Misty for Me.
4. We received our monthly notification from our electric company National Grid today telling us we used 5% less electricity than our efficient neighbors. Hanging laundry during the 7+ months of good weather definitely helps.
5. Got an 8 pack of hamburger rolls and a 12 pack of hotdog rolls for .50 a package at the grocery store today. Today was the sell by date so into the freezer they went. This is where a large freezer would come in handy but I don't have one so it was a small savings but still a savings.
Katy, what a great job on the Food Bank / Gift Card Challenge! You have a knack for finding interesting things that most would overlook. I love seeing your finds.
1. I feed my two dogs pumpkin puree in their dinner every night, and it can be very expensive, so I looked at buying in bulk online. I found a wholeseller who also sells to the everyday consumer, and by buying 6 100 oz. cans, I save more than 50% of what I pay at the store, with free delivery. We do go through it quite quickly, so hopefully that large of a can won't go bad before I use it all. I may have to also bake with it, and I can probably freeze it in smaller portions.
2. DH and I spend several hours cleaning up a natural gas BBQ that we brought with us when we moved almost 4 years ago. We can't use it at the new house because we don't have gas, and it has sat undercover outside all this time. I was going to give it away, but DH reminded me that we paid probably around $1600 when we got it, and that it should still work fine. I looked it up online, and the new ones are $2000. Sold it almost immediately after listing for $400. Junk out, money in.
3. Received a 7 night Airbnb booking for my cottage this month. I love longer bookings as they mean less work for me. I was getting worried about the lack of business this summer, but things are looking up.
4. My last Airbnb guest had a nose bleed at night, and felt terrible about getting some on the sheet and mattress pad. They did their best soaking in cold water, but were unable to get it out of the pad. They offered to pay to replace it, but I assured them that some hydrogen peroxide would do the trick, which it did, saving me from having to buy a new pad (which I would not have charged them for, as accidents happen).
5. Received some very ripe bananas from my Dad's house, and with some frozen raspberries I found in my freezer, I made banana raspberry muffins, which he loves. He is in hospital right now, and I took him two. He ate both of them, almost immediately. He is an almost 91 year old with an amazing appetite.
After Halloween, people often offer up their old pumpkins. You can make your own pumpkin purée from those for free.
I did grow some of my own pumpkins and cooked and pureed them for this purpose. I found it a lot of work, and would rather buy the canned stuff, if I can get it cheaper.
No wonder your father loves them! Those muffins sound delicious. I wouldn't have thought to mix raspberries with bananas but it sounds like a good combination.
Cheering you on, Katy! It is remarkable this challenge of yours.
Weed whacked the orchard. Raked up the grass and fed the calves. Took a dozen eggs to a quilting friend. Showed her my quilting finds from a moving sale. Gave her one of the books that she just couldn't stop perusing. If I wanna borrow it, I know where to go.
Sold a self propelled mower for $300. Using the money towards setting up the summer snack backpacks distributed at the baseball fields, plus they receive a voucher for hotdogs and popcorn.
Was offered more wood shavings from a custom woodshop, yes please! Great bedding in the coop and barn stalls.
Just learned a group of dairy farmers from my area made an educational trip to Portland. One of the places visited was the Tillamook factory (where have I seen that name???) LOL They also visited a goat fitting...since I'm unfamiliar with that I could imagine taking out tape measures and making new summer outfits for resident goats! Pretty sure that's not what it means but am always glad when farmers keep learning new ways of doing things.
Continue free bird watching. Saw a white hawk Sunday (my first) and notified the NC Bird Club of the rare sighting.
Spent Sunday repotting my rooted plants (cost 0) as I received soil for my birthday and pots came free from a home improvement store
After reading your post I had to look up goat fitting -- grooming a goat for showing them.
Love that collection of mini vases, and congrats on your donations to the food bank!
1) Used a couple of CVS rewards to pick up things we needed. I needed a toothbrush of all things, because I left mine at a hotel & am hoping they find it & send it back. It's an electric one.
2) Made an easy dinner from a recipe video we watched. We liked it & it had plenty of leftovers.
3) Listed a few things from my neighbor who is giving away contents from her parents house. Sold some electronics from that pile on eBay less than an hour after listing.
4) Ordered a few items for a trip, but ended up returning them. Cute, but nothing quite fit right.
5) Had leftovers for both breakfast & lunch
Atmosphere was my favorite book of 2025. Also procured from the library through Libby. Enjoy!
One thing people might want to ask any food bank you donate to is do they ever have to throw away good food on Fridays. If a food pantry doesn’t have enough shelve space or refrigerator/freezer space on Friday they have to discard foods they can’t store properly. It may be possible for you to take some of these items on Friday and save them from the landfill. Many food banks don’t have any income restrictions they are trying to rescue food that stores would throw away. I was at a food bank last Friday that had at least 40 frozen rotisserie chickens and pounds of sliced deli meats and other meat items in huge igloo containers begging people to take all they wanted. They also had a 30 foot table piled high with all kinds of breads, donuts, cakes, and cookies all perfectly fresh and pristine asking anyone to take all they could. I did take a small pack of deli roast beef that I know sells for at least 13 dollars a pound in stores because I could never bring myself to pay that. It made a delicious sandwich.
So you can help food banks by donating and sometimes you can help by taking some of these excess food items.