Five Frugal Things -- Back at The Goodwill Bins!
I didn't have much on yesterday's schedule, so it was the perfect day to hit the Goodwill bins. My $100 Goodwill Gift Card Challenge sales have slowed down, so it was time for scout for fresh merchandise.
Although I've bought used Sonicare toothbrush handles off eBay, I just couldn't pull the trigger. It could have been sanitized at home, so I suppose it's just selective squeamishness.
I switched up my scheme of buying lightweight by-the-pound items and grabbed this pair of $3 knockoff Eames dining chairs. I've successfully sold this style of chair in the past and know they'll sell for more than $6. Midcentury style furniture sells very well in Portland. They may look a bit grungy, but cleaned up perfectly.
I've got them listed on Facebook Marketplace for $50, but will accept a reasonable offer.
The originals sell for $577.50 apiece, so these ones were a bargain!
I also picked up four baby blanket stuffed animal "loveys," as they sell for around $20 apiece on eBay and weigh almost nothing. I ran them through the washer and dryer and will get them properly photographed this afternoon.
I recognized this pair of goodr glasses, as they're the same brand of sunglasses that the American Red Cross gave out last summer. Again, they weigh nothing, so I spent maybe 15¢ on them. I'll list them on eBay for $15.
I also picked up a few items for myself, although I paid for them privately. so I'll share them in tomorrow's blog post.
I spent $11.36, which means I only have $18 left on the $100 gift card. I feel like there's an item or two that I'm forgetting though. If so, I'll mention them in tomorrow's blog post.
All profits from sales go to the Oregon Food Bank.
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 returned Yellowface to the library and picked up another book I had on hold: Fire Exit. About 30 pages in and it's a good read so far.
2. Market Basket had their store brand 1 pound packages of butter on sale for $1.99. I bought 6 and froze 5 of them when I got home. I stuck to my list for the most part. I deviated when I remembered we needed cheese and then remembered we still had potato chips at home so I picked up a 16 oz. store brand container of sour cream and some store brand onion soup mix to make some dip. When I got home I had some chips and dip for lunch.
3. I put out my Easter decorations which includes a few bunny tchachkes and a couple of door hangings. No need to buy new ones. DH told me he does not want any Easter candy this year as he is trying to lose weight so I won't be spending money there. I, on the other hand, would like a chocolate bunny or chocolate of some kind and let him know. I need to lose weight too but will take Easter off.
4. Spring does not seem to want to come to New England this year so I am still wearing sweatshirts and slippers around the house. My heat is still set at 64.
5. Gas prices are a horror show so I'm still batching errands and going out only when necessary.
I liked "Fire Exit" very interesting. Different from what I expected.
I did not like Yellowface. Will add Fire Exit to my tbr list!
The chairs are a great find!
My goodr sunglasses came from the bins. Why do yours have clear lenses?
I’ve been organizing my linen closet and getting rid of items that I’d be embarrassed to have a guest use. The raggedy towels and sheets are going out. I’ll look for a pet shelter that might want them. I’ve discovered that I pick up way too many cute pillowcases at the bins. I’ll add that to my list of forbidden items, along with Christmas decor, gift bags, coffee cups, thank you notes, etc.
1. Went to our community playgroup today with the kids. As usual, they were fed a generous snack in with a couple extra items to take home, made a craft (an Easter egg and bunny painting using shaving cream), and played outside for a while.
2. We picked up our holds from the library on the way home, saving ourselves a trip later. We've been flying through the books and movies lately!
3. We contacted Pacific Power as they have a low income program that can reduce your monthly bill by 20%. They took our income from last year and it was below their income level! It's much more generous than some other programs so it's worth looking into!
4. Lunch was leftovers and some of the snack from the playgroup. Dinner is a mostly ready, pre-prepped and in the freezer, just gotta warm it up and make a side.
5. I've kept up on my Duolingo and am a little over 250 days now! My husband and I really want to be able to visit Europe some day and be able to speak Dutch to order food, navigate, etc. So this is a fun way for us to work towards our dream and exercise our brains.
Nice the Pacific Power company has a program to help reduce your bill. Especially while raising a family, every little bit helps. It's great you use the library and also the craft/snack program to keep your kids entertained.
Dutch, that's fun! I'm doing French. I've learned I am a poor mimic.
One of my best friends speaks Dutch and has been around Europe several times, sale the Netherlands, and I would love to be able to be able to speak even passably!
Grocery shopped yesterday at local Walmart. Spent $209 which included liquor however no cleaning products, tp, paper towels, detergent or dog food as I made a Costco run 2 weeks ago. Other than dog food we get about 2 months out of the other items
Now have $70 in Amazon rewards from a trial I’m participating in. Used part of that for a new razor, lash conditioner and hair styling product
Still have $$ left
Spring cleaning this weekend
All the throw rugs into the washer and dried outdoors in the sun
One great big frugal thing - Our home is 23 years old. The upstairs hall bath, son's bathroom til he moved out 6 years ago has unpainted maple cabinets, which somehow through the years luckily remained unpainted. But they were scuffed up and very, very dry. You could see the dryness, minor surface cracking and they felt very rough. Typical tile floors with dark grout and woodwork with cracked caulk. I sanded the cabinets (doors and drawers in place since I was not changing the color of the wood) and applied 2 coats of satin poly. They look and feel like silk and we love the natural wood. Scrubbed and painted the tile grout a lighter color and it looks like a new floor. Removed all dried woodwork caulk, recaulked (which I have never done the correct way til now) and painted. Everything is exactly the same except it looks like a new bathroom. Cost nothing - grout paint was purchased a few years ago and I couldn't figure out til now how to use it. Had the caulk and woodwork paint. I am ecstatic!!
That sounds like a job well done.
Sounds like lots of work. Glad it turned out well. Kudos to you!
I love that little Cookie Monster lovey.
1. I went to my bi-yearly dental appointment and paid for it with my HSA account.
2. After my appointment I went to an estate sale with my mom and sister. I bought an extra set of queen sheets for $8. They look brand new. I only have one set of sheets for each of the queen beds in my house. I always just wash and put them back on. I've been on the look out for a nice set. I was just about to buy some new ones.
3. We also stopped at a couple thrift stores. I bought a like new pair of Altra Trail Running Shoes. They were $10. My daughter just paid $120 at REI for a pair on sale. These feel like heaven on my wide troll feet.
4. I also picked up a lidless Pyrex Snapware bowl. It's my favorite square size and I have extra lids that I picked up in the Goodwill bins.
5. Dinner tonight was leftover soup and a grilled cheese sandwich made with Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar, slices of an apple and the remnants of a tiny jar of orange marmalade. It was delicious and I think I deserve a Michelin Star.
I always say I have Fred Flintstone or Hobbit (minus the hair) feet - they are square and flat!
Me too!
⭐
Jill, I've never heard of Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar. Their online description is mouth-watering. Thanks to you, I'll look for it next time I'm in the store, so another star for you!
May you not have small troll feet. Finding wide sizes for size 6 or less is a challenge.
Aww. Thanks ladies for my stars.
Still don't have our car back yet. It's been sitting at the garage since Monday night. Enjoying all of the gas (and money) I'm saving!
Had my appointment with my psychologist this morning. Session went well and we talked about the article I posted the link to. She suggested I make a list of things I want to see/do (a.k.a. "bucket list"). She also suggested making 2 lists...things that are free vs. things that have a fee. She suggested googling "free things to do in Pennsylvania." I knew there were some "free" things, like the Flight 93 Memorial and Hershey's Chocolate World - next door to Hersheypark which will quickly drain your bank account dry. I just didn't know there were SO MANY FREE THINGS TO DO in Pennsylvania. (Try googling "free things to do in _____. [Your state]." There are a lot of farmers markets and state parks; however, there's also museums (such as Mr. Ed's Elephant Museum), historical places (such as Gettysburg), monuments and points of interest (such as Jim Thorpe, Perry Como, and Mr. Rogers), gardens (Allentown Rose Garden, Jenkins Arboretum and Gardens), hiking trails, sports (Little League Baseball which was founded in my hometown of Williamsport), Gravity Hill - there are several of those, "Read Between the Signs in Meadville (an art mural along a PennDOT fence made from old and damaged highway signs) and other "oddities" like The Coffee Pot in Bedford County and Bill Rhoades' House in Hamburg (house decorated with and yard filled with sculptures made from recycled materials). I already started making my bucket list!
For those of you who are "road pickers," I remember something I've seen along the road which could be a way to make money. There is a man who has hundreds of hub caps from cars of all kinds that aren't damaged he picked up along the road. He even has complete sets of 4. Need some hub caps? He sells them. If you've never thought about it, you might start picking up hub caps. I bet they'd sell on ebay.
If you are on Facebook, follow PA BUCKET LIST.
How fun making two bucket lists! I might just follow your lead, and do the same for my state (Ohio). We are blessed with a local art museum that is free, as well as an Air Force museum in Dayton that is also free. My son used to love looking at the planes when he was little - we went there a lot!
FYI - I don't know where in PA you live, but consider putting the National Aviary in Pittsburgh on your "costs money" bucket list. It's fantastic, not very pricey, and you don't have to be a birder to enjoy it. I have a Cincinnati Zoo membership, and the National Aviary has a reciprocal agreement with many zoos in the US - worth checking out, if you happen to have a zoo membership.
Randyland in Pittsburgh is also free! It's a very cool Artsy house/property, turned into a museum...previously owned by "Randy" - that artist - all made with used toys and assorted items that would otherwise be trash.
https://randyland.club/
We have twice rescued those chairs from being picked up with trash. I believe they were sold by Wal-Mart. I have given them away, happy with the satisfaction of keeping them out of the landfill.
After a full year of hunting for the “perfect” kettle, I finally scored a vintage flame colored Le Creuset kettle for $4 at a small thrift store. It was so coated in grease you couldn’t see any of the branding, but I knew what it was
30 minutes of elbow grease + bar keepers friend and she’s back to her former glory and happily living a new life on my stovetop!
Robyn, wow, what a great find! Good for you for bringing her back to her former glory.
I LOVE the chairs!!!
1. I walked an hour in my neighborhood. It was a slow walk bc I am tired but I made
It.
2. I called and reduced my car insurance. I plan to tackle my house insurance tomorrow although at $64 a month it is not too bad I guess.
3. I made dried pinto beans from scratch, homemade bbq sauce, and intend to eat beans and weenies tomorrow along with coleslaw, and potato salad if I get up the energy to make it.
4. I went to the grocery store in the town where I work and picked up cream cheese and bagels for breakfast. I was out of cream cheese. Gas is too high to drive anywhere else grocery shopping. I should have bought it yesterday but I forgot.
5. I am sitting in my front yard and I am going to watch the sun set. I pay taxes on this place so I might as well enjoy it!!!
I had a bagel & cream cheese for breakfast today too! Yum Yum! Bagels are $1.99 each at Panera. I got a sleeve of 6 for $2.00 at Walmart. They are good. (I don't have bakery outlet nearby like Katy does.)
I finally sold something on eBay! It was a Cubs jersey. I priced it at $19.99. The buyer offered $10, but I didn't see it. Then he offered $15, but by then I had accepted the $10! That's okay. It was free to me and I was glad to go through the process and learn how it's done. (I used to sell long ago, but it has changed so much. It's a whole different game!) I printed the label and sent the package off this morning in an inside-out Amazon bag.
While I was out, I went to the main library, where I returned a book and picked up two on hold. Then I went to Goodwill and dropped off the toaster oven I'm donating, and then it was off to Sam's for gas, which was $3.78 a gallon.
I came home by way of the little pantry, where I picked up a fresh bagged salad and a can of sweet potatoes. I had half of the salad for lunch and will finish it off tomorrow.
The afternoon has been devoted to reading and an attempted nap. Perhaps an early bedtime is in order, because last night was one of those frustrating insomniac nights.
I heard on the news that many Frigidaire gas stoves are being recalled. I just bought one last year. I found the recall site and entered my model and serial number. Mine is okay. I guess I'm glad but wonder if I would have gotten a replacement, or payout. I think I'll just appreciate the ease of having to do nothing!
Busy frugal day today.
1. Made a quick small pot of chicken pot pie (the kind with noodles not the crust)for my daughter who has a sore mouth and wanted something easy to eat.
2. Made a quiche today. Was going to need to run out to get shredded cheese but hubby brought home leftovers from a work group lunch that included 3 cups of shredded cheese!
3. The food hubby brought home was from a build your own salad bar so I have salad, croutons, cherry tomatoes, cheese, hard boiled eggs, chicken and black olives. We will have salad tomorrow!
4. I was given a huge bag of salad and dill for the guinea pigs from a local grocery store. I’ll use some of the dill in my egg salad tomorrow and the piggies and bearded dragon will get the rest. There is enough salad lettuce for them for at least five days. What a blessing!
5. Shared banana bread and ginger bread cookies with the friend who gives me the greens for the Guinea pigs. It was also nice to see her and her hubby for a little bit when I stopped in. I love living close to my friends!
6. Stopped by our little free pantry and got a honey bun for daughter, a box of fancy crackers and a small bag of spicy pretzels. I added some ring pops and other small goodies I got on sale for Easter baskets.
1. Thrilled to report that ALL the live oak logs from the fallen part of the tree have been picked up and taken away by neighbors and Craigslist readers, happy to get free logs. I saved having to pay a landfill dumping fee, and also kept half a giant oak tree out of the landfill.( Except for its leaves and brush). It took 2 weeks, and at least as many chain saw chains, to saw up the huge fallen trunk into logs -- but they're all gone.
2. My church buddy came by and sawed off the broken place so it is even with the rest of the tree trunk still standing. Then he painted it with that pruning paint so hopefully no insect infestation. It's quite possible that the rest of the tree is saved!
3. I ordered a refurbished laptop computer for $85 and it arrived today, only 2 days after my placing the order. Thanks, Fedex! Now I can "compute" from anywhere around the house including the patio.
4. Used my free carwash privileges to go through the drive thru. The car needed it bad after I parked under a tree. How was I to know a flock of diarrhea prone birds would roost there?
5. Took my pal out to eat and the restaurant allows seniors to eat from their kiddie menu. Enjoyed authentic Italian lasagna! Just the right amount at the right price.
How do you know which lovies will sell?
Our heat is off, and the windows open during the day. Spring is trying to make an appearance!
The shift tube broke in my truck. This means it no longer goes into park. Dh bought the part to fix it this weekend, but in the meantime, I'm without a truck.
Had a flat on the front tractor tire, while in a deep mud hole. I jacked up the tractor, ufda!!! Pulled off the tire and rim, hoping to repair it. Nope, tire is mushy and should be replaced. $400 later I'm back going, meh. The tire shop is on the way to aldis, so I picked up groceries. I took the car to save gas and avoid using my truck. Went to cheapo store as well. Asked the clerk if they had scheduled delivery days, no, it's weekly but random. I was hoping to time grocery shopping with delivery days. I'm considering going to biweekly shopping to save gas and time. I will need to be more organized if I do.
Dh's work needs a large amount of lumber hauled off( 16 ft 2×6's and up). He will fix my truck, and I'll borrow a gooseneck trailer. We will head after the lumber this weekend. We are cheap dates!
Also an old hydraulic hose blew.on the tractor. That was $160. We are in a thicket of breakdowns lately.
Talking about planting garden, we'll see. Our weekend is filling up 🙂
That's a lot! Our farmers have been so much on my mind the last year. Thank you for everything you do.
We've mostly done a really good job eating what was in the house, with the exception of the planned meal out for DS19's birthday. Even with that, we turned the leftovers into a bonus lunch for DS20 & a dinner for me one night.
1) I brought home the leftovers from the chicken salad & bread I brought to a work potluck. The chicken salad was featured in several dinners, and I made crostini with the leftover bread, which was perfect, as I had just enough mixed goat cheese to make that work.
2) Last night was a true "use it up" dinner, where we cleaned out the fridge when everyone was home unexpectedly for dinner. DH grilled the last of the steak, I ate the last of the chicken salad, I made the crostini above, DH had two pieces of chicken from a previous dinner & I added spaghetti & meatballs to round things out. Everything was eaten with the exception of one serving of pasta & meatballs, which will now serve as someone's lunch.
3) Stayed home & did no driving yesterday.
4) Filled out a request for a free home energy audit, to hopefully save us some money on power.
5) Earned another paycheck by not rage quitting over the absolutely ridiculous week I had.
1.My small town has a thrift store that helps to support a food bank that is located next door to the shop. In the spirit of Katy's GC challenge, I took 2 bags of dry goods to donate to the food bank.
2.Found 4 gal jugs of iced tea in the Dol Gen. They are a week out of date but I have been drinking one. It tastes fine. The food bank does not take out of date items so I am stuck w/ tea. The summers in TX are long & hot. I am prepared.
3. I found a dime while out walking.
4. I bought a new pair of Avia brand athletic shoes. My old New Balance shoes that I curb picked wore out. The sole separated from the body of the shoe. I had to rubber band one to get home. The new shoes were $13 at Walmart. I looked on Ebay, but the prices were higher w/ the shipping costs. Sometimes you have to buy new.
5. I got my 1st SS check this week. I have waited a long time for this. I started working when I was 17 & still work part-time. It is nice to have a regular source of income. I am holding out on my other retirement income so that it can grow more.
Happy retirement.
I'm 66, holding out on social security until maybe 70, but more likely 68.
I do have my pension, and part-time work. Its a physical job, so I figure
will help keep me in shape,