Five Frugal Things -- Cheap Groceries & Offsite Book Storage
1) I stopped into the Goodwill that's just a couple blocks up from Winco and picked up a Retrospec Baby Walker Balance Bike for just $3.99.
Did I already know the brand and model and that they sell for $49.99? (Plus shipping!) No, but I did recognize it was something different that looked like the kind of thing a financially comfortable parent would buy for their toddler. Google Lens provided the details.
It looked to be in perfect condition, (aside from scribble marks on the wheels) so I plunked down the four dollars. I think I'll ask $30 and likely get it as experience has taught me that high end kid stuff sells fast and easily.
I just need to pull out my trusty can of Barkeeper's Friend.
2) I then hit Winco and filled my grocery cart for $58.78. I pretty much kept to my list although I added some bonus sale items, such as the mangos, tomatoes and peppers.
I did splurge on a 50¢ soda as a reward for running a dull errand. I recently added this to my grocery routine and thoroughly enjoyed every disgusting sip.
I'll get the 10¢ deposit back, which brings it down to a 40¢ indulgence, which is rarity in these economic times.
I also picked up two discarded receipts, which I scanned into the Fetch app.
3) I didn't buy any treats as I knew I'd be stopping by Dollar Tree in the afternoon for Hersey bars. (You might notice that I bought marshmallows and graham crackers at Winco.) My youngest's partner mentioned that they love s'mores, so I decided to haul out the fire pit and schedule a backyard s'more evening.
Sadly they didn't have any tiny Hershey bars, but I did pick up $1.25 bags of ginger snaps and lemon creme cookies that someone on social media recommended. My husband and I taste tested them and indeed they're decent. Not the best cookie ever, but at the level of a store brand cookie that would certainly sell for a lot more than $1.25 these days.
I think I'll stick with my trusty Dollar Tree ginger snaps as my preferred cookie.
4) I made a big pot of orzo chicken soup using a rotisserie chicken that I'd tossed into the freezer when my husband and I weren't eating it quickly enough. It provided enough chicken and stock for a very meaty meal that maybe, just maybe balanced out all the lemon cookies.
Just in time for the 90+ degree days in Portland's forecast! Hot girl summer? No, it's hot soup summer!
5) I went to the library to pick up my holds and added a "Lucky Day" copy of Abby Jimenez's last novel. I finished reading Jeff Hiller's memoir last night, so it was perfect timing.
Having just thrown away hundreds of my late in-law's ruined books makes me extra appreciative that I get access to millions of free books that are stored elsewhere. They don't clutter my life, burden my kids or set me back financially.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
I would like to subscribe if you email posts…but I can’t figure out how…could you add me to your list? Thanks so much.
We're going through the heat and humidity blahs here on the East coast too. No fun but I still part of my day outside because my favorite time of the day is sitting on my deck, reading. In the shade.
1. DH and I are going through our summer clothes and deciding what should be consigned. Clothing we've...ahem...outgrown or simply don't wear anymore are on hangers and ready to go with more clothes to be added. What cannot be consigned will be donated to St. Vincent de Paul.
2. I'm reading The Women by Kristin Hannah, a library book I had on hold. Like Katy says, I'm so happy I don't have to, for various reasons, own all the books I read.
3. My former boss called today and asked if I could work a shift next week at the deli. I said yes. The extra money is nice and they always send me home with a large grinder. No cooking supper next Tuesday night!
4. I purchased a blanket on markdown yesterday for my friend in the nursing home. I also had a 30% off coupon to add to it so it brought the price down to $13 and change. Somehow she's always cold although it always feels warm to me. Everyone is different.
5. I'm joyously celebrating (in my mind) the removal of the Orange Man's name today from the Kennedy Center.
Re: your #5, Christine: That name should never have been there in the first place. Loud cheers.
Agree % with you! Never should that name have darkened the surface of that wonderful institution.
Somehow the red 100 never made it onto the above post to A. Marie. Technology can be so technical...sigh.
Hearty Huzzahs for the removal of that awful name from the Kennedy Center!
Did you hear that David Hockney died? I thought of you when I read that.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15894647/David-Hockney-dies-artist.html
I know, you don't have one -- but dogs LOVE those gingersnaps. Our daughter's dog Jack was besotted with them. Us, we love the chocolate-covered grahams from Dollar Tree...will have to try the lemon 'oreos.'
If you like chocolate and mint, the oven-baked fudge mint cookies at Dollar Tree are divine. They taste like a chunkier Thin Mint.
I'll try them. They sound delicious if you like both chocolate and mint. I do. The price is certainly right.
Soup for dinner and S’mores at the fire pit sounds like a great way to spend a hot Portland day! 😉
I used to regard Goodwill as offsite storage for stuff, or maybe as a “stuff rental”. Things like trifle dishes or extra coolers for parties could be found there, purchased cheaply, and returned one they became a burden to store. Now Goodwill is too pricey!
I have a flowerbed that needs jazzing up, and I found $10 clearance peonies today!
I'll have to try those Dollar Tree cookies. And I love Shasta! Brings back memories.
1. I intended to walk to Walgreens today, since the cold front brought in nicer temperatures in addition to the nasty storms. But my main reason was to get bladder leak pads (sorry about the TMI) -- and I remembered that they don't carry the size and brand I prefer. Last time I tried to get them at Sam's it was also a no-go. So I looked online to see if they even make them anymore, and Amazon carries them, and they had a $3 coupon, so I held my nose and ordered them.
2. Staying home allowed me to finish "Atmosphere" which I recommend, even if you are not a space fan. Now I'm starting Michael Connelly's "Ironwood." Both are library books, if course.
3. My friend in central Indiana lost power after last night's storms and has wires dangling in her yard and alley. Here in Chicagoland, thousands are without power. But I am fine, thank goodness. I am so grateful.
4. I completed making the chicken noodle soup I started yesterday and had it for lunch with a baguette left over from Panera. Tomorrow -- fajitas for sure, because I found tortillas in the pantry.
5. I have decided to slow down and list just one item on eBay per day, because it just feels a lot more comfortable.
I really liked "Ironwood", and the first one with that detective, "Nightshade."
Michael Connelly writes very well, and I have read many of his Harry Bosch, Lincoln Lawyer, Renee Ballard ones, but these are my favorite. Perhaps this detective is a little less overtly violent; I can't watch the movies.
I agree, Connelly is a very good writer. I have liked every book I've read.
Garage sale day! I bought a huge decorative pot for my white oak leaf hydrangea, $5.
A queen sized summer weight down comforter with linen duvet, $3 + $2 for a couple shams. Guest room chic! Ha!
Summer reading books, $.50 each x 9.
While we were out and about we filled up the Little free libraries scattered about. Got rid of a bankers box of books.
I took a bunch of clothes and mom's shoes she no longer wears to a friend's garage sale.
A dressy summer top and cute summer linen pants for $1 ea.
Finishing up my mini trip to Tampa. I did carry on which saved $$. Friends treated me to dinner at a Cuban restaurant.
Took advantage of airline free water and snacks.
Sold an item while I was gone so I’ll get that package out on Monday
1. Between Posh and eBay I had 5 sales this week. I have a stash of things to list, but I am just not motivated to get it done. But I will!
2. My husband is having a huge 3 day garage sale. He has a barn which is as big as our house, and he's doing a Swedish Death clean in there. He has sold about $2100 worth of stuff. Some of it came from his parents estate, and it is great to see him ready to let go. I set up one little table of my stuff and it has earned me $71. I try to stay minimal so I don't have a lot of extra stuff.
3. I took yesterday off to help with the garage sale. I won't be losing any hours at the library, because as luck would have it they needed a volunteer come in after hours to be with the artists who are painting a mural in our children's room. I quickly raised my hand. I can catalog in peace and quiet.
4. My garden has started to kick in. I harvested my first squash today, and enough snap peas for a stir fry. I still have plenty of lettuce too.
5. Our neighbor brought us chicken dinners tonight. There a local festival "Poultry Days" in our county, and he wanted to support it, and he knew we were tired from the heat and the sale. So blessed with a good neighbor!
What a thoughtful neighbour!
We've got some heat coming too, Katy! Well, hot for us. I'm doing some preemptive watering to ensure that the garden survives.
1. Wonder James came today for my ongoing yard work (lawns, weed whacking) and some of the many upgrading jobs I come up with.
He pulled all the darn bindweed and horsetail from under the solar panels, which needs doing several times a season.
He moved most of my 'chicken-eaten hostas” down to the field in their pots. They will get watered by my system, and will be away from temptation for the Chickens. The pots do need weeding, which will be my job once I feel better.
He brought about 8 large pots of Canna lilies up from the big greenhouse, where I have been encouraging them to start growing for heavens sake. He put them where the hostas had been, then went on a “side quest”, and pulled much of the bindweed that is in that section of the house gardens. I worked alongside him for that project, and am very happy that progress has been made. There is so much bindweed!! James tackled the climbing rose part of the quest, he is a hero and braver than I am, for sure.
I'm still feeling rotten, however I wisely wore gloves when I went out to 'supervise' – a good thing because I can't avoid pitching in or weeding or moving pots … I tried to take breaks, somehow they weren't long enough to really rest.
2. James put all the pulled weeds into the truck (in small batches in separate tarps to make my life easier, so I don't slip and fall and break my arm again) and I did a garden waste run (free) then picked up another truckload of compost (not free). The truck is finally going in to get its front end repaired, so I won't have it for several weeks. Getting all the truck-requiring chores done has been on my mind.
James helped me empty the new compost on the existing compost pile, down in the field. My Garden Buddy and I will be moving it, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, to the sections of the garden that are begging for more nourishment. The Ex who built the beds when we first moved here did a grand job of improving the soil, now it is my job and I am still learning.
3. I've previously mentioned that #2 Son is moving out (sob!).
I decided that it would be a good idea to clean up the junk that has languished in front of his door. There were lots of dirt-filled pots that I had removed from the growing room (which is in the workshop below his suite) and left outside for several winters, as well as random items not put away in their proper homes.
I sat on a low stool, took the top layer of maple leaves and propellers off each pot, then dumped the dirt into a couple of big pots. Some of the little pots were garbage, some were worth saving. I even found a squirrel planted hazelnut tree, which I promptly transplanted into one of the emptied pots using my newly saved dirt!
When I was done, I'm pleased to say that I put everything into its rightful place, and Wonder James used the leaf blower to tidy it up further. I did ask myself why we didn't clean this area up years ago? It looks great now!
4. I'm still feeling cruddy, and the garden keeps tempting me. Luckily for me we have had quite a bit of rain in the last week so the regular watering pressure is off for a bit as the soil is nice and wet. I did need to water the big greenhouse, which isn't a physically demanding job so I figured I could at least do THAT. It's a pleasant chore especially with some podcasts cued up and playing in my ears.
Turns out that I also pruned all of the tomatoes. ALL of the tomatoes. I staggered back to the house at 6, full of joy for a big job done, and a few aches and pains for (again) overdoing it.
The tomatoes are doing well, and a number of them now need to be 'tied up' (I hang string from above and twine the tomatoes up the string as they grow). That is another big job, there's always something to do out there.
Hope you feel better, Ecoteri! I got tired just reading about your and WonderJames' completed chores.
The chicken soup in Katy's picture looks like the chicken soup I made. My soup had rice in it instead of orzo. My broth was made from a chicken carcass & stored in the freezer until I needed it.
1. I wanted some bagels & found a 6 count package (Walmart brand) for $1.37 at Walmart. The name brand bagels were $5 & $6 dollars for a 6 count package.
2. I use my Sip Club subscription almost every day at Panera. I get an iced coffee, ice tea, or hibiscus tea. This is one of my little luxuries.
3. I found a $5 off a Hallmark purchase coupon at Walgreens. I got 2 greeting cards. No out of pocket expense. These will go in my card stash for future use.
4. I got a GC for Walmart using Fetch points. I have used the funds for groceries.
5. I am wearing clothes I already own. No need for more summer items. I did buy a good bra from Amazon (using GC dollars I already had on the site). Some things are difficult to source 2nd hand. I find it worthwhile to buy good quality shoes & bras. The cheap ones are not comfortable or supportive for my body.
Here here re the bras, Texasilver - I've found what works, is comfortable, and whenever I go a different route it is a waste of money. Investing in what works for MY body is why I am frugal elsewhere.
I am glad I live close enough to my surviving parent to be able to ensure the 60+ years of "stuff" (of which has a lot of value) is not deteriorating. And said parent is forthcoming re: finances and has been for a number of years. All I can say is it will be quite the estate sale even after all heirs claim items.
My 96 year old mom did so much decluttering before she moved into her condo, and now she is giving things to people when they visit rather than waiting until she is gone. her two granddaughters spent time with her and her jewelry box and came away with some nice treasures (mostly costume jewelry). I seem to end up with two armfuls of things every visit, then need to do my own divesting when I get home, LOL. But it is easier in small batches, for sure. (anyone want some microwavable slippers?)
Our son is starting his clinical counseling internship and wants to make his office a bit more inviting (currently it's a storage room and it has no window). He likes art and I had kept a pair of canvases that our oldest had painted when we staged our last house to sell. The canvases originally had paintings my mother had done in art class. I was happy that I had saved those canvases, neatly tucked out of the way, for such a time as this. Having moved continents 3 times in my 53 year life, and taking nothing but what we could carry each time, I'm very particular about preserving my children's memories and also distributing them in a timely manner. I will source any further items he needs for his office from curb finds or my Buy Nothing group.
We received a bag of homegrown plums from our neighbor. I will make plum jam and give a jar to them.
I disputed a charge with my credit card, and called an insurance company who have been withholding money that we have requested 3 times in writing. This is probably the sixth call and I will prevail.
I dropped off 4 pairs of kids cleats (free to me) at Play It Again Sports for $20 store credit. Sometimes they give cash, but right now they aren't.
I at GF ramen with leftover chicken, shredded kale from the garden and sliced carrots. Filling and easy.
I had an office once without a window -- even worse, it was painted gray -- and put a huge poster of Monet's The Artist's Garden on the wall. It made the room feel like summertime.
Agreed on the books! I am annoyed when I have to buy a book on eBay instead of getting it through the library because then I have to figure out what to do with it whe I'm done reading.
I love just being able to return books right back to the library.
Can you ask your library to do an interlibrary loan from another library so you do not have to buy the book from Ebay?
We could in Colorado...at least in Douglas County. (We live in Costilla County now, where the library is still stuck in the Eighties. So I'm not sure here.) Ask your local librarian, if you can't figure it out on the library website.
(Katy, I LOVE being able to read so many frugal posts each week! Thank you; I know these take a lot of work.)
That mini bike is so cute!
1) Made dinner from freezer stuff - fried rice & shrimp
2) DS19 asked for a smoothie & dinner, between activities. I took that opportunity to make a smoothie out of yogurt, protein powder, an incredibly over ripe banana & some frozen fruit. For dinner, I used two leftover hamburger buns & some sliced cheese & turned those into grilled cheese sandwiches.
3) Got paid & my check was bigger than usual, thanks to maxing out my 401k.
4) Remembered to turn off my eBay sales for when I go on vacation.
5) I will meet a friend this morning for a walk around her neighborhood, which will be a nice free activity.
I wish I could do soup in summer, but I can’t bring myself to eat it once the temps get above 75 (which feels like 150 degrees to this PNW girl)! Our leftovers usually end up in salads or wraps in the summer, instead.
1) Harvested yet more rhubarb. Some will go into strawberry-rhubarb scones, the rest will be dehydrated as rhubarb “candy” for snacking or winter baking.
2) I realized that the tags were almost two weeks expired on my little truck. In my defense, it has been with the mechanic for the last 6 weeks! Renewed online, no late fee because I caught it early enough. I usually have them mailed because the licensing places used to charge a service fee to get them in office, but they must have got rid of the fee because the cost was the same! So I picked them up from an office by work on my way in, thus ensuring I was properly tagged and less likely to be pulled over and ticketed this weekend. Counting it as a frugal, because tickets are costly!
3) Cleaned up around the neighbors’ sawmill, and discovered that all the sawdust had turned into rich compost. Dug it into our compost pile that will go on the gardens this winter. We’ve been helping him out, as we live in a house on the same property and he is struggling with some health issues right now.
4) My lips chap easily when I am working outside, but I was out of the fancy beeswax lip balm I had purchased at the farmer’s market. I melted down some beeswax, stirred in a bit of olive oil, and poured it into the empty balm container. Works perfectly and cost nothing because I already had the ingredients.
5) We spent our Friday evening at home, eating a snack dinner on the deck, drinking a cheap Rainier beer, and watching the wildlife in the yard. We saw a couple of deer, several bunnies, 5 ravens, countless robins, chickadees, and other songbirds, a couple of very fat squirrels, an hummingbird, and a great horned owl. Much more interesting than TV or anything we would have saw if we had gone out for the evening!
Nature is the best entertainment! Lucky you seeing all that wildlife in your own backyard, especially the Great Horned Owl. I've seen one once in my 67 years and I've never forgotten it.
I feel it is important to comment in regard's to your in laws ruined books which, I grant, is sad. You said books "don't clutter my life, burden my kids or set me back financially." However, If people don't buy books, authors do not get supported. If author's cannot make a living writing books because their only sales are from libraries' minimum orders, many will stop writing. Many great novels will never be written. A great author must still eat just like a great musician must sell music beyond minimum recordings that are then too often pirated.
Yes the library is essential for a democracy because it supports the creation of an educated public without regards to economic status. But as retired teacher who has a certain amount of discretionary income, I buy the first run hard copies of authors I love. then I donate those to said library. Your in laws supported countless authors. That is a good thing in my opinion.
I'm another one who's in the minority about buying books vs. checking them out from the library. For one thing, my tastes in books are a bit esoteric, and I cannot count on getting these through my not-so-great local library system. For another, I have a good many JASNA friends who have written books recently and whose work I choose to support. So I don't buy books often, but I buy them consciously and intentionally.
And P.S. to preceding: I'm not worried about disposing of my Jane Austen-related books when the time comes. The team of a mother and two daughters who run Jane Austen Books (https://www.janeaustenbooks.net/) are personal friends, and I'll be calling them in to liquidate my collection when I move to an apartment or to assisted living. If I don't live long enough to do this personally, I've left instructions for my executor.
My late Aunt Florence, a child of the Great Depression and very thrifty, used to say the same thing. She was an avid reader and appreciator of all genres up until her passing (at 92), and would make a point to shop at her local independent bookstores. Although on a fixed income, she made an effort to support musicians, authors, and independent bookstores. Thank you for your comment.
Bravo, Mary Ann! Well said!
When I was a newspaper reporter in Central Florida, I learned that most "successful" authors (not the few million-dollar best selling ones, but regular writers) may earn only enough $ to buy a used car. IF they are lucky, that is. So little money from all that work! So sad!
I buy lots of books - as a recovering alcoholic, I claim that they are much cheaper than drinking! It is the best way to shut my kids up when they comment. I buy used books at our local store (and take lots back for store credit - all my used books end up at half the posted price because I have a LOT of store credit). I ask them to keep an eye out for a lot of books. However, I also buy new. My internal rule is that if it is a blockbuster, I'll wait for it at the library. If it is a book by an author I admire, know isn't going to sell a lot of books, and isn't part of a mainstream big book business, I order it at my local independent book store . And I wait, because of course I have more books to read than anyone ever will finish!
I do, occasionally, go through the piles and shlep a box of 12 to the local bookstore. that's how many they will take at a time. And I support the LFL that are in my neighbourhood. I loved the comment someone made a few days ago about emptying a banker's box worth of books in various LFLs. I'm going to put some in my car right now!
Ecoteri, I too am a recovering alcoholic. Thirty three years ago I climbed out of that hole. Books are a favorite part if my life now.
Ecoteri, I love reading your post and look forward to reading them.
Thanks Sandy S. I sometimes think that I am posting a bunch of blather, but writing down what I am doing (and sharing) seems to be a very good thing for my mental health!
Ecoteri, I, too, am a fan of your posts! And reading that you are a person in recovery makes me even more of a fan. Blessings.
Today, I am recovering from the shock of getting a nasty letter from the IRS. (I agree with Snuffy Smith in the comic strip who calls them the INFERNAL Revenue Service.) I'm on the hook for over $1000 more, and I just paid twice that much for some dental work with more dental bills to come.
I got a Nelson DeMille novel, "Wild Fire," from a Little Free Library a week or so ago; this morning, I sat out on the patio and finished all 422 or so pages of it. Quite the thriller, complete with a James Bond-type villain. Although it was set in 2002, it covered a lot of things about anti-terrorism and the Middle East troubles, making it quite relevant for today. It also made me quite uncomfortable knowing that there is a lot of fact in DeMille's fiction.
Funniest line in the book was where the protagonist commented about women's shopping habits; he wondered if the ladies on the Titanic delayed getting into the lifeboats long enough to shop the ship's stores' "Going Out of Business Sinking Sale" first. LMAO!
The book is going to be returned to a LFL very soon. Great summer reading if you like detective stories; the 007-type/protagonist in this story was a retired NYPD detective and his FBI agent wife. My only criticism is why did the publisher print it in such little bitty type? I had to read Wild Fire in small chunks due to eye strain, even with my glasses.
OOO, I am so sorry about your nasty unexpected additional expense! Just when you're already ouching from the dental bill. Commiserating with you, Fru-gal Lisa
Ecoteri, I agree. Getting whacked by the Infernal Revenue Service and the dentist in the same week = double jeopardy. My sympathies to Lisa.
I love the idea of “storing things…at the store.” My dad had a ton of stuff in his house but my husband and I are starting to help him shed a little. He has requested that we don’t take away so much that his house has an echo - ha!
1. I’m doing a second pour over of my morning coffee into mason jars for when I have an iced coffee craving. Free is a lot better than the $7 at Starbucks!
2. I bought a blow up kayak for $160. We love going to our local provincial park, but renting a kayak costs $30 a pop! My husband has ordered a blow up paddleboard so we can travel down the little river or zip around the lake. Fun!
3. I am finally back on a reading jag again after a long hiatus. Sitting in our back porch sipping a free iced coffee and reading through my book stack is going to be a high priority this summer!
4. My son has been saving up for AirPods and the day finally came to get them. There was a discount at Walmart so I went to Best Buy to see if they would match it. (I avoid Walmart like the plague) They did! My son was so proud to have saved up his lawn mowing money for this purchase.
5. Our little garden has sprouted all kinds of lattices, herbs and kale! We spent about $30 on the little plants and are ecstatic to be eating what we grew. Next year we are going to start from seeds and try to grow a lot more food!
We've just gotten through a heat wave here in the Northeast. Now that I've lost 145 pounds I don't tolerate the AC as well. Think of me wearing a sundress with a sweater over it.
1. Hubby found another plastic storage tub at a neighbor's trash pile so he picked it up for himself.
2. Loving our gas sipping Hybrid Honda CRV.
3. Got an estimate of benefits from Medicare and 90% of my doctor's visits were covered with no money out from me. Hubs and I have Plan G as a Medigap addition.
4. We had a "I don't know what's for supper" night so I went through the freezer (on top of the fridge) and pulled out frozen pork pot stickers and heated them up. There is a lot of food in there we need to eat up.
5. Have quite a few phone calls to make on Monday. My natural gas bill is way over normal and it's 90 days past due. What? I thought I had it on my checking account to take out the amount. I'm on the budget plan.
I think we have the same Medicare-plans, and are quite pleased with it. Yes, we pay monthly premiums and deductibles, but not a lot. Coverage has been very good. And compared to the complaints my relative in Canada has about her tax-paid care, it is excellent.
I hope you can hold on to your new habits and keep your weight loss goals! That's quite a life change!
Those ginger snaps would be delicious in a s’more, in place of graham crackers!
We use the store brand version of Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies for smores. Sandwich a toasted marshmallow in between and yum! A friend recommended this as a cheaper alternative and we prefer it.
Katie can you share the recipe/ingredients that you used to make the Lemon Chicken Orzo soup????