Five Frugal Things -- Cheap Groceries & Dull Endeavors
1. I did my first major grocery shopping trip in weeks, but still only spent $55.46. Nothing too exciting, although I impulse purchased the $2.98 Hatch green chile and a 54¢ container of clearance "Valentine's Day" salt water taffy.
I hid the candy from myself in the basement and will pull it out when my sister and nephew visit in April. We have fond memories of getting salt water taffy from the Oregon coast as kids, so I know she'll enjoy this.
Unrelated to cost, but I just noticed that the "Barkeeper's Friend" rang up as "Friend Cleanser," which is three types of hilarious!
2. I picked my daughter up at the train station and took her to run a few errands. She mentioned that she'd misplaced her hairbrush, so we stopped at a Sally Beauty Supply that happened to be on our route. We were browsing through their different options, which all began around ten bucks. I then spied this one towards the back and you know it became our #1 choice!
Yoink!
3. I occurred to me that I hadn't received the $20 American Red Cross gift card from my last donation, so I scoured my inbox until I located the original email. I once again clicked through the steps to claim my voucher, but this time it went through. I picked Fred Meyer (Kroger) because I'm endlessly practical and boring. Maybe one day I'll choose something fun, but the other options are all corporate stores that really don't appeal to me. At least this way I can get some last minute dinner ingredients.
They'd already sent the link for a $10 gift card, so I now have $30 to spend at the grocery store. Woo hoo!
4. I'm listening to a free Libby audiobook while puttering and running errands. My favorite trope is time loop plot and this book somehow came on my radar. It's a cute YA novel and is serving as a delightful break from the horrors of the daily news cycle.
5. I stopped into the Goodwill that's a few blocks from Winco before doing my grocery shopping, although my only purchases were for others.
My friend Lise asked me to keep an eye out for this specific type of silverware organizer, which she uses when setting up food at volunteer events. This one was 99¢ and although it appears gross and rusty it was actually just gross and dirty! It cleaned up perfectly and she now has the number of these that she needs.
The French press is for my youngest who'd mentioned that they were going to buy one. I encouraged them to hold off, as they're easy enough to thrift. It was priced at $9.99, but this model seems to be priced at $39.99 were I to buy it new.
Both items were 10%-off, as it was senior discount day at Goodwill! You only need to be 55-years-old to be considered a "senior" at our Goodwills, which is lovely benefit of aging!
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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Back from a bucket list trip, so read the below with full knowledge that there were plenty of fancy bucket list (plus combined 20th anniversary/50th birthday) activities as well that were decidedly unfrugal.
1) Ate brunch at the lounge before our flight.
2) Brought home a bottle of wine we didn't drink, and then shared that with my mom, as a thank you for doing a ton of laundry (they came to see DS20 for his birthday, and because they have a goal of visiting all four grandsons in 2026) while we were gone. I knew she would appreciate this particular wine, as it was a unique chardonnay from NZ.
3) Used our Uber gift card credits (purchased to generate gift card rewards) to pay for transit home. We got a ride to the airport, but our return flight would have involved driving in rush hour traffic and some particularly nasty weather. We were happy to save my parents or dS20 getting up early.
4) Shared a couple of lunches while we were on our trip.
5) We needed to check a bag (unusual for us, but our hiking backpacks were long & not an overhead bin item), so I researched perks from my airline status + weight limitations to make sure we could check both bags for free.
On my only blood donation so far, I have had no luck at getting the promised gift card. Makes me less interested in going again!
My friend was visited today by a book club friend, who brought lunch from Panera -- for me, too! She mentioned that she paid with a gift card from giving blood -- but not through the American Red Cross. Something called Verity? She said she has also had trouble getting gift cards from ARC.
My grandson was riding his bike and was attacked by a dog running loose. He was bitten and my son took him to the ER. He was tended and will be okay, but what a scare! Luckily, my son had just gotten insurance through COBRA. His dad's family had bonded together to make the first payment while my son in unemployed. Very expensive! I hope a new job materializes sooner rather than later.
The pot pies I got yesterday at KFC made a hit with my patient. I have been frustrated because her eating habits are so bad. She eats like a toddler! But she had the pot pie yesterday, and today she ate soup and salad and a baguette. So there's hope.
She ordered the sock fitter today from Amazon after conceding that the one she thought was in her attic probably isn't there. I didn't take the bait to go look for it, but another, younger, more limber friend did and came up empty. It MAY be there, but my friend is a hoarder, so who knows where?
Anyway, though she tires easily, she is getting around much better. I will probably go home Saturday morning unless something changes.
In my experience it does take around two-three weeks for the Red Cross gift card email to hit my inbox.
For the heck of it I decided to flip the fuse in the fuse box that was labeled 'dryer' as said dryer hadn't worked for two weeks. While we do have a working commercial dryer in the clubhouse, hauling huge loads of wet clothing over there was becoming a hassle!! THE DRYER IS NOW WORKING!! Everything that I was upset about last week (other than the waking up 15 minutes before I was supposed to be at work ROFLMBO) has worked itself out and I am one happy camper!!
I did that when my ice maker in the fridge quit. Flipped the breaker, turned it back on in a bit! Ice!!!!!
Great feeling
I wonder how much you pay for that sized container of Fage. I have to have the lactose free Fage and that size container is $6.99 in CT. The stores around me don’t carry any other lactose free Greek yogurts. It’s a fortune but I splurge on it every other month.
It was $6.20.
I just bought a French press too! But I got mine off ebay.
1. Made lentil sloppy joes
2. Made the most of an unexpected trip and did errands.
3. Cooked a free turkey
4. Made granola Bars
5. Accidentally grew an onion.
Here's the long version:
https://practicalwalk.com/2026/02/19/frugal-five-20/
It's so nice that you are able to keep a running list of secondhand items to find for friends and family. What a great way to help your community buy responsibly.
So far, I have:
- Washed dishes in my usual manner by reusing the lightly soiled water to soak upcoming dirty dishes and rinse out recyclables
- Avoided using the car all week
- Brought our lunch/snacks on our Vday trip to see the plum blossoms
- Avoided parking fees during said plum blossom trip
- Found a necessary USB plug in for ~75 cents at the thrift store
Did you clean the silverware holder with “Friend Cleanser”?
1. I found my Red Cross gift card today and chose “Chewy” since I have a frivolous item I want to buy for my pet. There sure were a bunch of steps involved in getting the gift card!
2. I’ve been shopping my freezer. Yesterday, I made stew from a piece of elk the neighbor gifted us. It was very tasty!
3. I went out for a walk and came home with three redeemable cans. Two went into my bottle drop bag, and one went into the fridge since it was unopened!
4. My sister-in-law announced that we needed to purchase a new piece of furniture for my in-laws. I said, “WAIT”, and climbed into their attic, where I found a perfectly good solution! All it needed was some dusting, and it made the in-laws happy because it belonged to Aunt Alma, and now they’re happily reminiscing about her!
5. I spied some cheap Valentine’s candy and walked away. Sometimes it makes sense to walk away from good prices when it’s something you don’t need.
Practical and boring by rote is mastery you are. I see some of my kiddos have great difficulty making practical choices....in a whiny voice.."fill in the blank...tastes better, is easier, my friends begged me...."
My cousin brought me another package of mystery meat. As he cleans out his chest freezer, he finds these packages that he wrapped, forgot to label. He brings them to me, I make dinner enough for both households. I treat the mystery like a game. Today's package was a very large package of elk burger. Half was made into mini meatballs in my homemade bbq sauce for a freezer meal and the other half is now a simmering pot of cheeseburger soup. The sourdough bread will come out of the oven in 17 minutes.
I gave him 2 different rolls of cookie dough to put in his freezer. He gives me ocean fish as barter. I have the better deal!
A neighbor planted his Christmas tree fields and had 20 leftover, I planted them around the perimeter of the garden the way my dad used to do. 8 years from now we will start harvesting.
My friend who is a member of a tennis club brought me a bag of 50 tennis balls for $5.
I don't know if it counts as 'time loop' but there is a book, Oona Out of Order, that plays with time that you may enjoy!
Ohh . . . thanks!
Loved Oona Out of Order!
We switched to a French press about a year ago and we LOVE it! It feels like such a fancy way to start the day. We might be biased but we think it tastes better than our old Mr. Coffee pot.
1. Our snack supplies are greatly depleted and my husband was craving something sweet so he made a batch of chocolate chip cookies (df) and a batch of mini MnM cookies. The MnMs were sourced from the leftovers from our daughter's birthday in November, we still have a bunch of candy left!
2. His cravings struck again today and he and our oldest are making soft pretzels now.
3. The final book in the series I was listening to on Libby is available now! I can't wait to settle in and listen later tonight. I stumbled into this series and am really loving it.
4. We have a ton of leftovers in our fridge right now so that's what we had for lunch, and will likely eat various leftovers the rest of the week for lunches.
5. I scanned a receipt on Ibotta and got a whopping $0.10, I'll try not to spend it all in one place. I haven't seen any jaw dropping deals there lately, so I'll take what I can get.
1. We've been watching endless amounts of the Olympics as our free entertainment.
2. We were out of bagels and when I saw they were $5.49 at the store for 6 I put them back and came home and made my own. For probably under $1 I made 8.
3. Dh and a neighbor spent a couple of hours trimming the trees at our other neighbors house. She lost her dh in 2024 and she had gotten quotes in the thousands to trim the trees. They saved her a lot of money!
4. Made an eBay sale.
5. I've stopped drinking alcohol at home. For years I had a glass of wine every night. At some point in January I decided it wasn't worth it for a lot of reasons. I am open to having a drink if we go out to eat or on a special occasion but we don't go out to eat that often. I imagine I'm saving $100 a month or so. Plus all the other benefits.
1. Rode my bike to mail an ebay sale. Had 2 Fb marketplace sales picked up. Finished listing the bundle of stuff I brought back from my son's house.
2. Made GF quinoa granola. I buy my quinoa flakes from Azure Standard azurestandard.com/?a_aid=jWb0sVFU6M
3. We've had 5 days of rain, but today it stopped and was windy. I caught up on the laundry we brought home from our trip and got 2 loads dry on the clothesline. I try not to wash clothes when it rains because I don't use the dryer.
4. Mended my husband's very worn "rough work" jeans.
5. My husband is in high demand as an extra in the car on days that his friends drive to work. The traffic is bad and the carpool lane so much faster. Dh usually rides his motorcycle, but on rainy or very cold days, he accepts the offer of a ride. Saved gas by going with his friends 2 days this week.
On my day off, I:
1. Took some shopping bags to used book store and came home with several free sci fi books and magazines including large print novel and some old Isaac Asiminov mags. The store piles stuff they don't want on their porch and it is all free.
2. Browsed the arts and crafts malls. Got 2 pair of earrings for $4 each, as they were on half price for after Valentine's Day. Clerk almost charged me full price but I called it to her attention. It pays to watch out for these "mistakes"!
3. Got a glass canister to use as a sugar bowl for only a dollar. Not even Goodwill has 'em that cheap!
4. Did I mention that I PAID OFF THE CAR LOAN?!?!?! Over year early so I saved lots of interest $$$$. Still doing the happy dance.
5. Ollie's Outlet has spring flower wreaths for $19, and Kirkland's has the same thing for $59. Guess where I bought mine? Saved even more with a 15% coupon. Although having to buy 2 for a double front door is decidedly not frugal.
1. I used a punch card at my favorite tea shop to get a free tea latte.
2. My youngest, mom, sister and I spent an afternoon watching the Olympics together. My mom fed us a lunch of cheese and crackers.
3. I bought dinner for my kids at Olga's with gift cards I bought at Costco for 30% off.
4. I froze half of my free half gallon of half & half. If half of you understood that sentence than I am half as happy. Ha!! Anyway I wouldn't be able to use it all before it spoils and then my great deal would be half as good.
5. I sold two items on Ebay and listed one new item. I need to get back in the habit of listing.
Jill A...your #4...had to read it twice but I finally got it! Thanks for the LOL...
Thank you. That sentence made my head hurt.
Jill, I half to say that was quite a sentence! 😉
Bwahahahaha!!
Ya did good Katy. Quite the haul for $55!
1) Attended the local library "bad" art night for some down time to do a little creative exploration. It was fun and free. We listened to a classic rock playlist, and it was a nice relaxing time which feels hard to come by these days.
2) A Dr visit this week resulted in big changes to my eating habits. I returned three items I had purchased the day before for a $18 return which I will use on items I can/should be eating.
3) I went through the pantry and the fridge and make a box of items to gift to family members. One family member gifted me two heads of organic romaine lettuce in exchange - which was a nice bonus. Maybe not frugal- but no waste feels good.
4) I don't shop Instacart due to high prices but I have an account from when I had a major surgery and didn't have many options. They sent me a $30 off $50 promotion which I used on a bunch of BOGO deals. I only spent $23 oop on what was likely $40 worth the food (approximating to in-store prices).
5) I've got a large stack of library books I'm working through, and I enjoyed the Hoopla Binge Pass and read some magazines this week.
I hope more people give blood because they can and it’s important. A gift card is relatively new, I’ve given blood for a long time , I know it incentivize people to give but it’s so important to give regardless.
I'm alive because of a blood transfusion. Thank you to everyone who donates.
Well said! I agree. I am a blood donor and don't do it for the giveaways.
1. Brought home two-thirds of a humungous salad from a restaurant. Also asked for covers for the unused cups of salsa so I could take those as well.
2. Husband found a pristine granola bar and chocolate bar on the park trail.
3. Picked up two free jalapeno peppers at the community center.
4. Found two magazines at the Little Free Library.
5. Picking up trash on almost every walk. All that up and down is good, free exercise.
This is the last day at my friend's house. I head home tomorrow. She is getting around well, and friends will be dropping in to make sure she is okay.
Today another buddy of hers brought a spaghetti casserole, chicken noodle soup, and cookies! She has certainly had a wealth of food donations! I believe I will be taking home the soup, as she thinks it contains onions, which disagree with her.
Before the casserole arrived, I went through the McDonald's drive-through. She had a craving and I was happy to treat.
It will be good to get home! I'll bet my mailbox will be stuffed. (It's just a narrow bank-type wall box, and I didn't stop mail.) It's a three-hour drive, which I don't look forward to, but I do look forward to being in my own digs!
Found some money that was owed to my late father, so filled out all the paperwork and mailed it off to Salem today. Only about $100.00 but it's $100.00 that I didn't have before.
Totally cute little buckets on Walmart clearance aisle 37 cents each so I bought 4.
Started shopping my house as I have this problem of buying things, storing them, and never seeing them again. So far, scrubby sponges, SOS pads, Febreze plugins, and Command style hooks have come to the surface AFTER I bought more LOL
Also found a bunch of Luna bars, Kind bars, and other snack type bars (stored in a Christmas tin in the pantry) that I can use for breaks and lunches at work. Shopping my house ROFLMBO.