Five Frugal Things — Bins, Mugs & Bags
by Katy on September 23, 2025 · 27 comments
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I pulled a Bob’s Red Mill mug from a free box. They recently closed their retail store, which is a huge bummer as it was always fun to shop from the bulk food section and then get lunch from their cafe. In the actual building that’s on all their packaging! Sigh . . . .
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I used the IKEA bins that I curb picked a couple weeks ago to help my youngest move houseplants from their old apartment to their new one. They worked perfectly for the task and then stashed neatly back into the basement, as I’m still figuring out how best to use them.
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I made sure to get enough money to take advantage of the 25¢/gallon cash discount at my favorite gas station. Sometimes the discount is as much as 45¢/gallon, but I’ll take what I can get.
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I grabbed a couple thick plastic bags from this Safeway recycle container to reuse as kitchen bin liners.
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I took a friend who recently moved to Portland to the recently opened Albina Library to get their very first Multnomah County library card!
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
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{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
1. I picked up a small cooler from a free pile. My youngest took mine with her when she moved.
2. I bought five pair of Smartwool socks at an estate sale for 50 cents each. I normally wouldn’t buy used socks but I’ll make an exception for good wool socks.
3. I made dinner for my middle daughter last night. She helped me move my pool furniture and some planters into my shed.
4. I moved a few volunteer plants around to fill in some spaces.
5. I’m reading a kindle library copy of Funny Story by Emily Henry.
I just want to say that that is some expensive gas. I just bought gas from Costco in Virginia for $2.76/gal. Yes, it’s Costco. but would still be under $3.00 at a regular station.
And I was just thinking that was cheap gas but then I live in California lol.
Thankfully we no longer live in California
Gas today is Central Oklahoma $2.31/gal
That’s about what we pay in Australia – between $1.69 and $1.79 AUD per litre (3.78 litres per gallon) for just regular non fancy petrol. Fancy petrol is about $2.49 a litre here
That’s a really good idea to take plastic bags out of that container, gives them one more use before they end up in landfill.
* I sold a branded stuffed toy on Vinted and shipped it in a box that had previously contained multiple packets of gluten free pasta. Also sold a hoodie and shipped it in re-used packaging from an order that I received recently.
* Myself and my husband went on a short break to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We ate out three times (we never ever go out for meals so this was a huge treat for us!) and cooked in the holiday rental three times.
* I forgot to bring shampoo and conditioner and used the handwash soap at the holiday rental to wash my hair with, it was fine! I had expected that the soap would completely dry out my hair but luckily it didn’t.
* Paying it forward: I gave apples from our garden to various friends. I also gave a box of marbles that were still kicking about the house to a friend that works with children (she is self employed).
* The same friend that I gave the marbles to gifted me grapes from her garden. Delicious!
FFT, Grad School BFF’s Visit Edition:
(1) During a friend’s visit, of course, there’s always somewhat more spending than usual. But I did try for frugalities whenever possible (especially as I was in the middle of a modest cash flow crunch). Plus, GS BFF generously treated me to two of our meals out; she said she’s celebrating the acquisition of two well-paying clients (she’s an executive coach).
(2) BFF also went out to dinner with other friends on two evenings. I don’t know these other friends well, so I declined those invitations with thanks.
(3) Free activities included a visit to the little Stickley furniture museum located on the top floor of a local library that used to be the old Stickley factory. We also visited DH’s grave, on a spectacularly sunny fall day. BFF agreed that DH (whom she did know well; we were all students together almost 50 years ago) is in a “happy place.”
(4) On Sunday afternoon, BFF, I, and two other friends/neighbors visited my former neighbor who’s now in a local nursing home. (This is the British lady who, as a schoolgirl, sent a wedding present to the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947.) She turned 92 last Friday, so we four took her cards and a fancy cupcake, wore party hats, and made a fuss over her in general. We all enjoyed it thoroughly.
(5) And on Sunday evening, the four of us were joined by another friend for a potluck dinner. I made what I call “Not Your Mama’s Meatloaf,” since it includes BBQ and Worcestershire sauces. (I used 1.5 lb. of hamburger from my 1/4 steer and 1.5 lb. of meatloaf mix I found Reduced for Quick Sale not too long ago, plus two large slices of Panera tomato/basil bread from a loaf that JASNA Panera gave me.) BFF made a tomato and cucumber salad, and the other three brought mac and cheese, an apple cake, and wine. Again, a splendid time was had by all.
@A. Marie – nursing home visits are roller coaster IMHO. Some residents are more engaged than others. Even home visits for those not so engaged are not easy.
1. I am babysitting my grand-cat while my son’s family takes my oldest grandson to college. The school is all the way across the country, and he is a freshman. I hope he will not be too homesick. Anyway, they provided me with cat food and litter supplies. I already had some pellets that were not used.
2. For several days I have been eating carrot cake for breakfast. It’s not the most nutritious, I know, but the recipe made a lot, and it will be eaten one way or another. Today, after one more serving, I will put the rest in the freezer.
3. My swipe card for the gym was wearing out. They don’t provide cards anymore, assuming that everyone wants to use their smartphone to check in. I learned that if I brought in any defunct card with a bar code, it could be converted to work with the gym’s system. I had an old AARP card converted, and then I trimmed it and punched a hole so I could carry it on my key chain. This saves me from having to carry my phone while working out, which I don’t like.
4. I have stopped putting any socks in the dryer. Some cannot be machine-dried, and rather than trying to remember which is which, I let them all air dry. I believe this will contribute to sock longevity.
5. Updated my budget spreadsheets and realized I should stop any spending for the rest of the month in order to meet my goals. This will necessitate two things: my grocery spending will be limited to the credit I have on my Medicare Advantage card, and when my friend comes to visit this weekend, I will prepare food at home rather than go out to eat. I’m sure she will be agreeable to that.
Carrot cake for breakfast is my favorite.
What a great idea to replace the swipe card at the gym!
Beth, carrot cake for breakfast makes sense. To me, cake, muffins, scones, etc. are interchangeable; cake just seems to have a worse reputation and needs a good PR firm.
It’s so true, carrot cake is a lot like muffins! Except, of course, for the yummy cream cheese frosting!
1. Went to Dollar tree. At the stores around here some items are $1.25, some are now $1.50 and some were over $3. But it was the cheapest place to get some brushes for the DIY large canvas I’m doing.
2. Made the most delicious beans and green recipe, which I served over rice and added sausages for my husband. Cooked the dried beans from scratch, and they were free because a friend had grown them. All the greens came from my garden- kale, collards and Swiss chard
3. Replaced some of the rotted wood around my raised beds with free bricks from a friend.
4. Hopeful for a buyer to show up as scheduled this afternoon for a FB marketplace item. Listed one more item, a free table that I’ve polished up with a bit of restor a finish
5. My recently cleared driveway has become cluttered again but this time with a load of gravel that was free. I guess it’s with having it on the driveway for a little bit, but it does wear on me. We need to cover some pathways in our backyard and we’ll use the gravel for that.
1. Hallelujah! We are supposed to have a cold front blow in tonight or Wednesday. (Monday and today/Tuesday, the first 2 days of fall, our highs are in the mid to upper 90-degree F. range.) Getting out the blankets and airing out or washing some long-sleeved shirts and sweatshirts that smell a bit stuffy from storage. Air drying the laundry, of course.
2. Eating down my pantry and freezer so I don’t spend very much on meals.
3. Signed up for some senior citizen free lunches. Which are actually sales pitches. Which I will say “no” to. But I will enjoy the free meal at a fancy restaurant. I’m also looking forward to a community lunch at my church; cost of meal, $3.
4. Cleaning out closets and “remixing” my outfits. Mix and match = a frugal fashion skill! Results in “new” outfits, or rather new combinations of what I already have, and I didn’t pay a dime for any of them. Mix and match = maxing out your wardrobe.
5. Taking teacher T-shirts and/or school spirit shirts to Goodwill, a few at a time, for the 20% discount coupon. Also shopping there on Tuesdays (for necessities only, don’t need new clothes, see #4) bc senior citizens get 20% off that day anyway.
Cleared a few items out of closets today to go to the thrift store. Did some comparison shopping and discovered that the over the counter meds we needed were actually cheaper at the grocery store. Also found our dogs’ favorite treats on sale there — saved $3 on that item.
We had some bits and bobs of vegetables and leftover ham in the fridge that I turned into a pot of soup. Made DH a pot of gluten-free spaghetti with sauce made from our garden produce augmented with half a can of fire-roasted tomatoes from the clearance store.
1. Going to a church function with food tonight. I enjoy going and I enjoy the food.
2. Was treated to a nice dinner this weekend.
3. Have not grocery shopped in over a week. Trying very hard to make it to the end of the month at or bellow my grocery goals.
4. Was sent a $5 off 30 coupon for Publix, and a $10 off 60 coupon to Aldi. Will try and utilize them both with lists of needs.
5. Spent $20 returning transponders for EZ pass this weekend. I have had them for two years, get charged a monthly rate for non use, and then have to refill every so many months. Finally cutting this off. If there is money on the accounts I will be refunded up on them receiving the transponders.
@Ashley B – I’ve never heard of a fee for non-use on an EZ Pass – interstate or something else?
Canned 100lbs of grapes into grape juice, some will go into holiday baskets.
Helper demoed patio cover, replaced a rotten board and then put the gutter covers on that side of the house. They are the ones Costco sells, but I got 3 boxes at a garage sale for $10 ea. He was really happy as he does the roof maintenance.
Used my free pile picked caulking gun to caulk before painting the house.
Oregon’s gas prices are pretty high because the refinery in Washington was offline for a bit. We have one of the highest gas taxes in the union. California, Washington and Hawaii are highest.
I purchased 3 wool blend sweaters for $2ea and came home and cleaned out my cedar chest and took a laundry basket worth of clothes to the community closet.
Carrot cake for breakfast, yummy!
1. Over the last 10 days I’ve received over $100 in class action settlements.
2. I sold $20 on FB marketplace and $23 at resale store
3. Signed up for free flu, pneumonia shots at CVS I’ll get a $10
off $20 coupon which I’ll use for skin care
4. Used aisle to get a gourmet jar of mayo for $1 and a BOGO bag of popcorn
5. Goal is to stretch our hair care products, personal care products out to end of the year. We will each get $40 from United healthcare to use in October plus our $10/mo activities reward. We can do it
For years now I have used half the recommended quantity of household a personal products with satisfactory results. Disclaimer! I am not a mechanic, don’t play muddy sports!
1. I had a prosperous day scavenging. I picked up a load of fresh produce from a Nextdoor Neighbor post. There was a large number of carrots, 8 large spaghetti squashes, 2 heads of cabbage, 2 lb. of dried cherries, 5 lb. of bartlett pears, and a few cans of veg & fruit. We had carrots at home, so I donated the carrots to the homeless shelter. I also gave them a head of cabbage, some of the squash, & the canned goods. No way for us to eat all that produce.
2. My husband trashed picked a huge quantity of cleaning supplies from a Dol Gen dumpster. Pine Glo to clean floors, dryer sheets, dishwashing soap, bar soap, etc. I gave a good bit of the cleaning supplies to the shelter also.
3. On the way home from the veg pick up I passed a Dol Gen. The dumpster was overflowing. I found 4 bags of Dunkin Donuts ground coffee (3 were French Vanilla one of my favorites), a cannister of Maryland Club coffee, 3 bags of Chips Deluxe cookies, and an energy drink.
4. I had to go to school to return something, so I was fairly close to the veg pick up. That saved some gas.
5. Put a large quantity of discards on the porch for an Operation Kindness pickup. They are a charity that helps find homes for pets. Happy to declutter & to help animals.
I was weary at the end of the day from all the to & fro in the 100-degree heat. I’m ready for a fall cool down.
So kind of you to share your finds with a shelter! Good karma coming your way I’m sure 🙂
Your finds in the dumpster are amazing! I am inspired to check out our Dollar Tree dumpster, if it is accessible.
TY for kind words. Now that I am semi-retired, I have more time for scavenging. The dumpster diving is hit or miss. Some weeks or months I find nothing. Some stores lock their dumpsters. Sometimes I hit the jackpot. In the US so much is thrown away that could benefit those who have little. I know what I donate is a drop in the bucket. If everyone would give a little, then perhaps the poor could have what they need.
I love the Bob’s Red Mill mug. What a cool find.
I agree, although I’ll likely pass it along as I hardly need more mugs.