Five Frugal Things -- Gluten-free Birthday Cakes & Hostess Gifts
1) We had the kids over for dinner, which included a birthday celebration. Nothing fancy, but I wanted to bake a cake. Unfortunately I didn't have a gluten-free cake mix, but I did have a brownie mix in the cupboard.
Birthday brownies it is!
I also had 98¢ can of Winco frosting on hand, as I'd stocked up when it was on sale. I somehow didn't grab a photo, but my frosted "Funfetti" of brownies were a hit!
My experience is that gluten-free baking mixes are hit or miss, but we were all pleasantly surprised with the results. I'll definitely pick it up again. I texted a friend whose kids have Celiac disease and she shared that their coffee cake mix is also a hit.
2) My sister is visiting for the next couple of weeks and brought an empty Tiffany & Co. satin box as a hostess gift. ("You can sell it!") It came to her a few years ago with some earrings and now I can put it up on eBay to resell!
She knows me well.
3) My sister also brought six unripe tomatoes from her garden, which are currently sitting on my kitchen windowsill to ripen.
I aniticipate B.L.T. sandwiches in our future!
4) My husband spent hours and hours microcleaning/detailing the interior of our minivan to remove the garbage-y scent from clearing out his parents' storage unit. The smell meant we avoided driving this car, so it'll be nice to be able to have it as a second vehicle again.
Click HERE to read my "Garbage is not an inheritance" blog post.
5) A neighborhood squirrel lovingly placed a walnut in my outside spider plant. How'd I get so lucky?
It's hard to get ahead financially when all your money is tied up in walnut.
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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Thank you to everyone who sent packing and moving advice!! All great reminders 🙂
The moving/packing saga marches on! I posted in all my community groups for boxes so we can start packing. The following leads came up:
1. A reddit post in another neighborhood of someone giving away a full packing set from home depot, unused
2. Someone who is moving TODAY who is looking for someone to piecemeal take her boxes (80 of them?!) since she can't store them all
3. A wine store that offers wooden crates from some of their products that are good for heavier items
4. A neighbor who has been hoarding chewy boxes but has realized he doesn't need them
5. Our favorite bar that agreed to store liquor bottle boxes for us to move our home bar and book collection
We have considered also renting the plastic bins to avoid waste, but this puts us on a good trajectory to get started.
My older daughter's favorite part of dessert is frosting and my youngest doesn't care much about cake but they both lose their minds over a good chocolate brownie! The celebration sounds like a success!
1. I had a hold come in from Libby, just in time since I have a lot of work to do and will want something to listen to.
2. We began unpacking suitcases and unloading our Ikea haul today! We got the keys to our new apartment last night and we saved ourselves a pretty penny on the delivery fee from Ikea by picking up everything from the store's "click and collect" option.
3. All of our dishes came through okay! Nothing was broken or even cracked. We had three flights to get from Europe to Ohio and our luggage took a tumble getting onto the hotel shuttle, so I am incredibly pleased!
4. We leave our Airbnb tomorrow morning (hopefully our last Airbnb for a VERY long time) and the klepto itch to see what amenities I can bring home with me is very strong. I don't think there's much that we haven't already used up, but I'll be sure to take a peak before we finish packing in the morning!
5. I reminded my husband that our apartment has a Starbucks machine in the lobby since he's taking a load of stuff over this afternoon. He was very grateful for the reminder!
Bringing tomatoes across the country is a real gift of love!
1. My partner and I have started our vacation - we are currently en route to Quebec province, but are spending 2 nights in BIL's house in VT, for free (they are actually on vacation themselves, so we have the house to ourselves, and save on 2-nights lodging.
2. BIL makes a LOT more money than we do, so it is difficult what to do as a thank you for letting us use his house. I know that there are certain foods that they like having (Nutella, good chocolate, name-brand seltzer) so we purchased them at our local grocery chain (Market Basket) where I know the prices are lower than at their local grocery store.
3. We brought some food with us to eat in Burlington (yes, we know no produce into Canada). This included 2 croque monsieur that I had made for our last night's dinner at home, but I made 2 extra. The milk, cheese, bread, and ham were all free from various mystery shops, I think it was about $2 for 4 delicious sandwiches. Since our original vacation was supposed to be France (before the orange man started a war and caused airline tickets to rocket) this was a bit of a nod to that trip. We also brought food for breakfast, but are splurging on dinners out (that will be paid for using credit card rewards). We are bringing some coffee with us, however (it is okay, I checked) in case our Airbnb doesn't include it, so that we don't need to buy any while there for breakfast.
4. All of the other lodging will be paid for thanks to Chase, who sent me an incentive for $900 if I stash some money with them for 3 months. I'll hit that milestone just when the credit card is due to pay for the lodging.
5. I secured 2 free tickets to the McCord Steward museum in Montreal for Wednesday evening (free from 5 pm onward). Other than that, our favorite activity is just walking around neighborhoods, so that will be a low/no cost activity, other than eating.
Hello fellow Market Basket shopper! I just came home from Market Basket with quite the haul for $106. I don't shop anywhere else except the occasional shop at Aldi's if I'm in the area.
Have a great vacation in Quebec. Yes, unfortunately the Orange Man has ruined many things for many people. You'll still be hearing the French language on your vacation although it won't be in France. Have some poutin (?) for me!
A friend delivered 10lbs of homegrown apples. I gave her a bag of travel supplies (plug adapter, money belts, shawl).
I sold an item on ebay and an item on Vinted.
Being a chair dweller today as yesterday's foot surgery has been surprisingly painful since the nerve block wore off. Thankfully I can still attend my online Spanish class. It cost $79 for 10 lessons, each 90 minutes long. If I attend all 10, I get a refund of $30. I'm going for the refund!
Used the 3 homegrown kohlrabi that I was given to make some slaw. Picked a lot of basil which I'll have dh put in the dehydrator when he gets home. I grow enough basil, thyme, parsley and chives to eat fresh and also dry for a year round supply.
Dh accepted the offer of a ride to work. Builds friendship and saves gas!
This time of year when my morning light shortens is so dang tough on my schedule! I want to keep doing my sunrise yoga group. I have between 4 and 6 that enjoy our get together. Chores are now fully in the dark. Rant over.
Sold a crystal vase. Used Katy's trick turning bubble bag inside out for padding, a shoebox and tape bought for a quarter.
Repotted my spider plant babies. Started some African violets, hope to be ready by next February.
Planted a dozen bay laurel plants from cuttings.
Planted next year's garlic. Braided this year's garlic.
Proofed sour dough overnight, baking now for tonight's community dinner.
I'd written most of this comment prior to your post today, Katy – however I wanted to share that at this moment in time I am waiting for an Apple Pie to finish baking (this is one of the frozen ones that I had made with BB several weeks ago).
DD has a birthday this week, and I am FINALLY going to get down to see my Mom (it has been ages). I suggested to DD that she pick up takeout and bring it to Mom's for an ad hoc birthday celeration I asked her about the birthday cake part of the meal.
I had sent her home with a slice of pie last week, so she got allllll excited when I suggested having apple pie for her 'cake'. A strip of green painter's tape - with PIE!! written on it – was placed on my stovetop so I didn't forget to bake it.
1. Seems like I am being blessed with family, as #2 son came to visit again before he flies to Lyon, France, for a Chemistry conference. He's taking time to see Switzerland and Italy, and wanted to confer with Mom about what he was taking. I thought of those in the Commentariat who have travel lists, as I pulled out my only list to reference. Mine is for a trip to a house on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, so a slightly different mindset (think boogie boards, lots of kitchen stuff, food, and rain gear). However it also had some of the basics like ziplock bags so he wrote a list, and borrowed some ziplocks (HA!)
He also got his not-particularly talented Mom to yet again cut his hair. I thank my father (and me) for his forgiving curls, and himself for his forgiving attitude. It looks better and will serve him well on his trip and the price was right.
2. My Physiotherapist is back from his holiday, yay. I have a litany of small and irritating (uncomfortable) challenges so I gave him a choice, which I regretted for a moment or two (ouchy treatment).
The frugal part was they had a credit on my account from one time when they neglected to run my insurance, so the visit was 'free' as the credit covered my co-pay. There is more credit to use! I have been reminded of all the dollars still available in this year's insurance, so will be planning some other therapies to feel better and take advantage of the funding before it disappears at year end.
3. DD is still planning to go back to school and is working on her letter of resignation.
She was very upset recently because ¼ of the team she is on were suddenly let go (laid off) – and she is feeling some survivor's guilt. Particularly because she is planning to leave herself.
One hard part that she's dealing with is that she WASN'T laid off, she's the only one who would have been happy about it, and the severance package sounded rather good.
I've spent some time on the phone with her helping her process all the big feelings that happen when big things are going on. I'm glad we have that kind of relationship.
4. More jam is made.
5. The kitchen has NO free counter tops. Or table tops. There are boxes of plums and tomatoes everywhere, in various stages of ripe. Overwhelming yet I keep making progress, as I am able. Much is given away, which is wonderful.
I admire the artistic way you arranged the tomatoes. On Sunday I picked up some Fiestaware plates from a Buy Nothing person, picked out the colors I didn't have in my cabinet, then replaced the plates I was discarding and reposted them to the group. I now have a riot of color in my cabinet for no cost.
Oh, I LOVE Fiestaware! It is so American! Sadly, I never got to have any except for 4 cups and saucers I once thrifted. Make sure you've got the kind that is lead free, because the earliest Fiestaware was not.
1. Many of the gardeners at our retirement community are out of town. In return for watering, we are harvesting lots of tomatoes, basil, zucchini, and beans.
2. Someone leaving town for a week asked us to compost some corn she hadn’t gotten to. Instead I made it into enough Southwestern corn chowder for three meals for the two of us.
3. We harvested the last of our beets and replanted beets, turnips, and collards.
4. At a guild show and tell I showed two quilts that I intended to sell at the fall festival. Someone asked how much I’d be asking. $100 each. She asked if she could buy one now. Yes!
5. Yesterday was Senior Day at the county agricultural fair. Free admission (usually $17) and free ice cream for the first thousand seniors. The Mister is on the tour committee and arranged for a bus at $5 a head. We got the ice cream and spent a fun day—I particularly enjoy the Home Arts building. We split a quesadilla for lunch and carried an empty water bottle that we refilled and drained several times.
6. Frugal fail—the house has been too quiet since we lost our 14-year-old dog in June. So we offered to foster a five-year-old stray. She’s a hoot. We’ve never had a dog who played with toys. I’m sure she’ll cost us over the long run, but for now I’m rationalizing that she’ll use up the dog food and heartworms preventatives we have stockpiled. Adoption happens.
Those brownies look delish. Ditto the tomatoes...or at least they will when they turn red. Unless you like fried green tomatoes, that is.
Your Tiffany case reminds me of the time my fancy neighbor across the street put out a box full of shopping bags at the curb. Of course, I ran out and got them before the garbage collectors arrived. Some of her bags were from Neimann-Marcus*. (Should I confess to giving one to a friend who had a snobby SIL, so that my friend could put her thrifted/inexpensive Xmas gift(s) into the bag when she took presents to the brother's and SIL's house for the holiday? Naah...my friend would be furious if I did. Besides the gifts were so nice not even the SIL would've guessed they didn't come from a ritzy Dept. store.) (Well, they probably did, but not when my friend bought them cheap. LOL.) (*For those of you in other countries, N-M was a very fancy high dollar store in Dallas, designed for millionaires and their families because most regular folks couldn't afford their stuff.)
Anyway, my FFTs:
1. I didn't get my work schedule until yesterday, but I called the 800 number to attend a seminar at a fancy restaurant. (I'd gotten their invitation a couple of weeks ago.) If I listen to the sponsor's sales spiel about investing with them for my retirement, they will treat me to a free steak dinner. I called late in the game, not knowing if I'd be off, but they put me on the waiting list. So I may or may not get the fancy dinner. There is no way I'd really invest with such an outfit, but if they want to feed me a steak, I'll bite....no pun intended.
2. When I watered the lawn yesterday, I tried on a pair of shorts. The elastic was shot so I pinned the waist in order to not have a "wardrobe malfunction". Then I remembered these were the Bermuda shorts I'd worn to help my folks move into their retirement home......in 1989. Guess I've gotten my money's worth from these shorts, after all.
3. Grocery shopped at Aldi and saw that their loaves of bread were smaller and more expensive than what we sell at the drug store. So I bought bread when I went to work. A regular sized loaf of wheat bread for $1.35 at our store. The Aldi breads were 3 and 4 dollars and about half the size. But Aldi milk is cheaper, so I bought a gallon there.
4. Continuing to line dry clothes in the hot weather and to fill up the ice bin with lots of ice made in our old ice trays.
5. While I wish I could donate a zillion$$$$$ to efforts to kick the MAGAts out of office and fight the Orange Ogre, I did the next best thing. Addressed 30 postcards to be sent to Democratic voters, urging them to go to the polls to vote in the all-important midterm elections. Will be writing personal notes on these cards, which the country Democrats will mail just prior to early voting. Also allowed the local Democrats to nail up large signs [supporting Dem candidates James Talirico for U.S. Senate and Gina Hinosa for Texas governor] on my back fence. Which looks out on a very busy thoroughfare located down the street from where the carpetbagging Republican Congressman has a condo unit. (Glad to be able to annoy that jerk. His real hometown is Dallas but he bought the condo just to run for office here.) Anyway, it's like giving the good guys a free billboard! I've been promised the Dems will add signs for their other candidates as they become available. Take that, Trump!
Your #5...thank you for taking the time to urge Democrats to get out there and vote. We desperately need to change things up this November.
We always called Neiman Marcus “Needless Mark-up”.
1. I was talking to a friend about the delicious chow chow she used to make to sell. I realized I had all the ingredients. I got the recipe, made and canned 10 pints. I used up several too large cucumbers that hid until they were too big to eat.
2. I mended a hat and rolled some pennies while watching TV.
3. I repaired a torn shirt for my daughter.
4. I bought vitamins with my OTC insurance debit card. I also got a free pneumonia shot while I was at the pharmacy.
5. We spent a small fortune on a sick cat. He made a trip to the emergency vet. Then he had two inpatient stays totaling 10 days with his regular vet. I comfort myself with the memory that he has never before been sick since we got him from animal control 8 years ago. And he was on sale at that time.
Would you be willing to share the chow chow recipe?
Kim, here is the chow chow recipe.
It makes 9 or 10 pints.
16 cups chopped vegetables consisting of green tomatoes, cabbage, onion, red and green bell peppers, cucumbers. You can add a little hot pepper if desired.
Mix in 1 cup of kosher salt and refrigerate over night. The next day, drain the liquid and rinse the chopped vegetables twice. Drain well.
For the pickling solution, mix 2 cups water, 6 cups cider vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 4 tbls mustard seeds, 2 tbls dry mustard, 1 tbls celery seed, 4 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp crushed fresh garlic, 1 tbls turmeric
Add the vegetables to the solution and simmer for 30 min.
The chow chow is now ready to can by water bath for 10 minutes
Krusteaz is far better than King Arthur's GF stuff, in my family's opinion. I know you don't have Aldi there, but their GF stuff is awesome.
I spent a good portion of the day organizing drawers and added a shelf to the closet that holds my sewing stuff, which already had the track installed so it was just a case of pulling a shelf and two brackets out of the bin in the garage. Did buy a basket at Dollar Tree to hold uncut fabric so that nothing gets snagged on the wire.
For my lunch today, I looked in the fridge and found odds and ends that needed to be used up.
Good to know about the Krusteaz mixes. My friend's partner has Celiac and I'm always looking for gluten free (and tasty)desserts to bring to her get-togethers. I love to bake so dessert is usually what I volunteer for when she has a potluck.
Your sister was very kind (but then, isn't she always, Katy?) to bring those green tomatoes. And here's my pro tip for ripening green tomatoes: Put them in a bowl with some of your Trader Joe's bananas. The bananas give off ethylene gas, which will hasten the ripening process.
I find walnuts all over the place in my neighborhood. Quite a few large old walnut trees grow here, and I'm sure the squirrels are busy moving the nuts around and putting them in interesting places. I always wonder if I should pick them up, (the walnuts, not the squirrels) but I hear they are not worth the effort.
1. We got new washers and dryers in our basement laundry room! It is a mixed blessing, because while they are a HUGE improvement, the cost per machine has gone up by 50%. The new machines accept credit card payment through an app, but also coins. I will stick with the coins, since I have a lot, and because I couldn't make the app work. (Surprise, surprise. Give me manual operations any day.)
The capacity of the washers is greater, so that will help offset the cost. Another perk -- they've added a nice table for folding, which has been needed for a long time.
2. My refrigerator is all clean and organized after yesterday's marathon defrost. It will take some time before I can determine if I've solved the ice buildup problem. I hope it's a long time.
3. It's pay day, and I paid off my two credit cards and paid my annual wheel tax (fee for street parking).
4. I made the appointment for my healthy house call, which will net me a $75 Walmart gift card, to be used for healthy items. I think that will include fresh produce.
5. I turned off all my electric items for two hours this afternoon to earn some credit on my electric bill.
@Beth W - interesting you are seeing black walnuts. Where we live (same state) and my father lives there are hardly any walnuts on the trees. To "dry out" (and they stain something nasty), crack and pick the nutmeats is a lot of work. But they are sooo good.
Those tomatoes are beautiful.
1. I bought my sister lunch for her birthday. She loves Olive Garden. We ordered off the inexpensive lunch menu. They delivered the wrong soup to my mom. Since she didn't want it and it was going to be thrown out, I requested a take out bowl. I have that and two leftover bread sticks for a future meal.
2. I gave my sister cash in an
estate sale purchased card.
3. I walked with my friend for free exercise and amateur therapy.
4. I purchased a couple pair of clearanced cotton underwear for my youngest's xmas stocking. I noticed she's still wearing underwear I bought her in middle school.
5. I sold a few more items on Ebay.
Jill, that was smart thinking on saving the soup. And I'm a fan of amateur therapy, too, for when my free - but sometimes unreliable - inner therapist needs help.
Just here to be pedantic and say tomatoes don't have to have sun exposure to ripen off the vine. Also - many tomatoes, especially the heirloom types, won't be a solid red when ripe, they will have some green around the vine attachment part.
I never knew this, thank you!
Enjoy your time with your sister!
1) Sticking with the garden produce theme, I was unenthusiastic about driving to the office today, but I got there & one of my coworkers had a huge pile of garden produce! Not many people were in the office, so she asked those of us who were there to take a lot. Yes, please! I'm so excited & will likely buy sourdough bread tomorrow, so I can have a tomato sandwich with mayo, salt & pepper with sourdough. I'd add bacon, but.. $$$!
2) Drove my electric car to the office, which means at least I didn't spend money on gas. Now, truly frugal would have been charging my car for free at the office, but I have been working on getting my charging app unblocked for several weeks with no luck.
3) Sold a running shirt that never fit me on eBay.
4) Finally got my HR team to confirm that I will receive my full stock vest, despite going part time the last quarter of the year.
5) DS19 is working a part time job in college. He is still trying to navigate how to get there without a car, while not spending hours on the bus. He did get an Uber yesterday, so he could scope out the full route, and then took the bus back until he could scooter. So, a small Uber investment as he tries to figure out the cheapest/quick way to get there.
If you haven't tried the Blue Moon bakery in Hillsboro you should definitely try it out for gluten free treats! My childhood best friend owns it and it is amazing-as in, you can't tell they are gluten free, taste just like normal delicious treats! She is amazing!
I second the Blue Moon bakery. You can order online and there is a delivery schedule throughout the Portland metro area. Not particularly frugal, but on par with other bakeries. And, you can walk in and know the food is safe. It just feels so normal, when you haven’t been able to do that for a very long time!
I usually like brownies more than cake anyways!
1. Got our free meals at my daughter's college welcome day.
2. Also at the welcome day my husband won $20!
3. I'm using a popsicle mold as a letter holder....at least temporarily...or if I keep liking it, maybe forever!
4. I got a shirt from my daughter she no longer wanted and a pair of capris from my mother in law.
more details and photos here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/08/19/frugal-four-free-food-clothes/
I found a small Tiffany's paper gift bag at the Goodwill Bin store last month (10 cents maybe?). I sold it for $5 to someone selling her Tiffany jewelry that was a gift from an ex. The bag will help her sell for more$.
Brownie mix, whether gluten free or not, is uniformly made better by the substitution of brewed coffee in place of the water.
What a pretty vignette in your kitchen window!