Five Frugal Things -- It Turns Out The Hockney was a Temporary Acquisition
1) I got an eager buyer for my David Hockney poster after having decided that it was a keeper. A lot of the things in my house end up as temporary, which is just how it goes as a reseller. Either due to upgrading or simply being willing to hold onto something until I get the right price. That price? $100.
I was never going to sell my framed vintage Hockney poster for less than a hundred dollars. It was initially part of the $100 Goodwill Gift Card Challenge, but I added the $9.99 initial cost back into the challenge when I thought I was keeping it.
Luckily my husband and I have a lot of artwork and as a thrifter I know that new acquisitions are just around the corner. I shuffled a few pieces around, which means that my grandfather-in-law's 1928 Olympics wool jersey can enjoy a new spot in the house.
Please enjoy that our regular dining room chairs are crowded higgledy piggledy into this space as we enjoy their thrifted Broyhill Brasilia counterparts.
2) I listed my "free box" Rejuvenation light fixture on eBay for just fifty bucks and already have two watchers, which is a good sign. I'm not sure I have a box that'll work to mail it out, but I can always create a Frankenbox when it sells.
Keep in mind that it costs $269 to buy a new version of this fixture.
3) My husband pulled a bag of his homemade meatballs from the freezer and put together a delicious pasta dinner for us using what we had on hand. We then topped our plates with fresh basil from my transplanted Trader Joe's greenery.
It's not doing as well as it should, which is probably due to the shady nature of my backyard, but I moved it to a sunnier spot for a better chance at success.
It's just like parenting -- you do everything you can to set your kids up for success, but at a certain point it's up to them.
4) I'm 54 pages into my library book and looking forward to dedicating some uninterrupted focus to the story.
5) I hemmed a pair of pants that I bought off eBay a couple months ago. They were supposedly the exact same size as a perfectly fitting pair that I already own, but we all know that's never the case.
The waistband being a touch too tight is an issue for another day.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
I was greeted by a $17 and change refund check from Allstate. I’m sure it’s part of our safe drivers program
I told two items on Poshmark and got one it the mail today. I’ll have to Frankenbox the other to mail tomorrow.
I listed some other items on another site.
I’m working a gig Friday and Sunday which pays $100/day plus lunch
$100 plus lunch?! Free food makes everything better!
I think a number of readers read Louise Penny's books? She and journalist Melissa Fung have a new release, "The Last Mandarin", a contemporary thriller.
I didn’t know this - thank you!
Yep, I had a similar issue with 3 pairs of jeans I ordered with the exact style number I copied off my current excellent fitting ones.
They are a full size too large!
Luckily I’m an excellent seamstress and will rework them. Still frustrating.
Sadly I am not a "skilled seamstress."
Katy,
I consider myself a skilled seamstress, but I do not have your ability to remove unwanted logo stitches!!! I’ve had to resort to covering my unholy mess with cute patches.
It's the opposite of being a seamstress as I'm literally removing stitches!
I had the same thing happen last month! I tried on an old pair of shorts that fit perfectly and ordered two of the exact same style and size from eBay.
They were a size too small! I was able to pass them on to a friend but still really irritating.
1. I packed a burnt bologna and cheese sandwich for lunch and a peanut butter and honey sandwich for supper along with an apple bc ny new job of being self employed called for me to go talk to witnesses, etc. and to make home visits. I am not giving up toting my lunch to work!!! Save lots of $$$$$.
2. I was able to walk an hour at the crack of dawn which is so much better than walking late in the evening!
3. I filled up at the cheaper place around here which was still no bargain but I needed gas… $4.06 a gallon… ugh.
4. I rearranged my home office once again.
5. I have my windows up enjoying the evening breeze after monsoon like rains in the middle of the day! I will be reading a library book until I fall asleep and just enjoying myself! No unhinged boss calls at 2 am!! Yay!!
Congrats on your new status as self employed, Cindy!
Hooray for a home packed lunch!
Kind of too bad that the Hockney sold, since it suited that wall so well. But $100 is hard to ignore!
I have arrived at my first stop of my road trip. I filled up the tank this morning for $4.68, which I thought was a great price, but as soon as I crossed the state border it was a dollar cheaper. Oh well, I didn't have enough gas to get that far.
I stopped for lunch at a rather inconvenient plaza. There wasn't much to choose from, for a frugal meal. I settled on Panera, and it was about $9. I had a packed cooler in the trunk, but I didn't want to crack it open just yet -- and there was no place to eat outside.
My traveling companion and I have heard reports of flooding in the Asheville area. We are watching the forecast, but cautiously optimistic that in two days' time this will not be a problem.
That's about it so far.
Oh wait -- I found a set of ear plugs, sealed in a bag -- and two pennies.
Two pennies?! You recently came into some money!
Aww, I loved your David Hockney artwork. It was perfect in there IMO. But it went to a good cause!
1. Let my yard man use one of my city-issued yard waste trash cans to put in some brush. He was working for my next door neighbor and ran out of cans and bags. This might not seem frugal, but I'm counting on them reciprocating, ie, returning the favor sometime in the future. When I have lots of oak leaves falling, I can use all the cans (and help) I can get!
2. After removing some shelving that wasn't working in there, I re-arranged my closet hall/dressing room so that I could store all my shoes a lot more efficiently. The shelving, meanwhile, is doing duty in the garage.
3. Culled some clothes from my closet. Things I haven't worn in ages but are still good. They are getting donated to the thrift store that had the bag sale (where I got all those good slacks for $10). Turn about is fair play!
4. Got out the sewing kit to hem some dressy slacks that are frayed at the bottom; they were a tad too long anyway, since I only wear flats these days. I may also cut off some torn khaki slacks and hem them to wear as shorts.
5. Gave away some large faded flower pots to a gardening friend. They've probably been in my garage since Methuselah was a baby, LOL. My friend plans to get some of that Krylon spray paint designed for plastic to pretty them up and put them on the balcony of her new apartment.
I loved the Hockney as well, but I have to make room for whatever's next. Otherwise all the thrifting I do would fall under the category of hoarding.
We're looking at last minute flights for MIL's service and they are not cheap. But money is a tool and I'm thankful to have that tool right now.
The good news is that the garden produce is rolling in and I don't need to buy any greens for a while. The blackberries cover our fruit needs. We don't mind eating the same thing on repeat while it's in season.
I'm nearly finished sewing the trousers I've been working on. Fabric cost me $2.
A friend gave me 2 items to sell and keep the money. I got a free outdoor side table and 2 chairs yesterday and promptly listed the 2 outdoor chairs that I didn't like. They sold this morning. It's a beautiful way to furnish one's house. My sister was here and she kept commenting how lovely my house was. My house is a third of the size of her house and my husband earns a quarter of what her husband did (he just retired), but I still manage to make a nice place on a shoestring budget.
Creating a "Nice place on a shoestring budget" is my favorite hobby!
Although I suppose it's really "Creating a nice life on a shoestring life!"
A $6 whole chicken from Aldi -- it was a 50% off deal -- had been in the deep freezer since September. I thawed it in the fridge and then quartered it so it would roast faster. A messy job, but it gave me the ribcage and backbone of the chicken to use for soup: a Mexican-inspired chicken, black beans and rice soup. DH had roasted chicken and our last baked potato for lunch. I had a full bowl of soup. It was delicious. We'll get nine big servings of food from that chicken.
Found a tiny hole, probably from a cat claw puncture, in the front of the shirt I wore today and sewed it up with some matching thread from a dollar store sewing kit that was in my mom's nursing home room prior to 2011. Nursing home laundries are hard on clothes and I would do her mending while visiting her.
We've had rain every day, which makes for some gloomy days, but no need to water the garden.
1. I brought lunch to work with me.
2. I stopped at Carvel for my free birthday cone.
3. I received a Panera gift card in the mail from my sister for my birthday. She knows food is the way to my heart.
4. I am reading a library book and working on a free puzzle from the library.
5. I had trivia at the library tonight. My team did not win but it was fun. We were each given 2 snacks and 2 small bottles of water. I brought a reusable water bottle with me so I brought everything home. I took out a bunch of magazines too.
6. I am done 40 pounds. I went for a walk before work.
I'm going to take inspiration from you and schedule an after dinnner walk!
I try to go every morning and every night.
It's like your home is a rotating art museum!
1. We had a graduation party with 3 other homeschool seniors. This made it more fun and we shared the load of providing snacks.
2. My daughter saved her giftbags for me to reuse.
3. I harvested a yellow squash, lettuce, onions and herbs (including basil, like you!)
4. My husband reused a "disposable" cake pan from his mom for a dessert competition
Pictures and more details here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/05/27/frugal-five-grad-party/
1) Leftovers for dinner, in the easiest meal prep ever (Costco rotisserie chicken + celery/grain salad. So far, for $18, we've gotten two dinners (x2 diners) + 2 lunches, with maybe a couple of additional lunches as well + another bag of chicken from the rotisserie chicken for the freezer.
2) Sold two items on eBay. Junk out, money in.
3) Made lunch for the two college students lingering around my house this summer (they are my kids ;)), because when I cook, I can use up things I need to get rid of. Today was lots of cheese quesadillas, leftover grilled chicken, fruit & cucumbers.
4) DS19 ordered a few parts for a road bike we are going to sell. Our agreement is that he gets half of the money, for the effort of fixing up the bike, listing it & dealing with the buyers, etc.
5) In an effort to extend a Southwest flight credit before it expires, I followed a hack I read about, which involves buying a small gift card. I bought a $25 Southwest gift card through Door Dash, which gives a 10% offer. I'll report back if the hack works.
You get to change your furniture & artwork in your home as you find new items & sell others. Most of us are stuck with rearranging what we have if we don't want to spend $ on new decor. I did find a nice original painting of birch trees here in the condo trash room. Now I have to figure a way to get it to Texas on a plane. Maybe I'll have to mail it. Not sure.
1. AA allowed me to change my flight free since my initial flight was canceled. After my bitten hand & cat demise I finally was able to get on the plane. I paid 84$ for the one-way flight & did not to lose my cheap airfare.
2.My dear friends had unpacked some of my boxed items & straightened up my condo. I very much appreciated that. (Last May I had a water leak from upstairs & had to have my newly remodeled kitchen redone due to water damage.) Now I need to clean.
3. I found a Publix GC in my condo that is loaded w/ 50$. That was a nice surprise. I need to buy some food. I think the med I am taking for hand infection is making food tasting off. I'll find something appealing, I'm sure. I have no idea where the GC came from.
4. I am joining the gym across the street. It is free w/ my Medicare insurance. I need to get back into my weight training.
5. Walked 4.5 miles today to get the kinks out after sitting too much yesterday. Sitting on a plane, train was an hour late & sat at the train station, then sitting & waiting for Uber.
Last fall I had to take an antibiotic after slicing my thumb wide open with a very sharp new knife. The medication made food taste so off that I lost four pounds in ten days. Made me feel sorry for folks on long-term antibiotic therapy.
Aww, I loved that print, too! but $100 is SWEEEEET!
1. My day surgery was minor, however not really successful (boo), so we are back at square one, waiting for results (if the biopsy is testable), and then will come up with a game plan going forward.
Ladies, keep getting your regular PAPs done! Because I have, they've caught pre-C cells, which are worrisome. But there are multiple things they have been trying to address the issue.
Unfortunately, what they tried last week wasn't as productive as the Doctor had hoped. Good thing he is hilarious and has a great bedside manner, as the difficult conversation was much lighter than it certainly could have been if we weren't joking around with each other.
I feel very comfortable putting the decisions into his hands and while I practise 'not-worrying'.
2. My very successful investment in cheapo “quick release hose connectors” continues to astonish me. Who KNEW it could be so easy to move one sprinkler around the yard, with hoses conveniently laid out and only the sprinkler itself unclipped and schlepped to each location? My hands thank me each time I connect and dis-connect.
This is a BIG frugal win, as I am saving so much time not hand watering, and saving so many plants that otherwise might be left out to dry. Literally.
I just set the timer on my phone and consider it an opportunity to increase my step count every time I go out to turn off or on another section of hose.
3. I got my (twice!) repaired rototiller out to the field, and managed to do the second pass on the part that we had started before the breakdown(s). Unfortunately, the repair shop had NOT addressed the belt issue, where it was slipping off the pulleys. This meant that I was doing some creative tool work in the field, several times, to remove the guard (nuts and bolts), realign the belt, replace the guards (bolts only), till, rinse and repeat. ARGH.
However, I got done the urgent stuff, and fixed the tiller enough to get it back to the shed. It was actually good that the shop where I will get the pulley was closed on the weekend, as my body was certainly wanting to quit.
Frugal for me is that I know how to replace the pulley, so all I need to do is go get one and do it myself. And the machine is at least 10 years old so no surprise about the pulley wearing out!
4. Planting has now begun in the field (passive voice. As if there isn't a whole lot of active movement going on!):
I tried the 'seed rolls' for starting squash this year and (fingers crossed) it seems to have been a rip roaring success. I have enough squash to plant my field several times over! It's a series of actions to plant them this way (my aching body!) as I am using aged chicken manure to amend each hole, as well as a bit of organic fertiliser, and then some old straw on top – THEN many pointy sticks from the Spring willow trimming jammed in to make a dissuader hedge, that hopefully will keep the foolish dog from running through the new beds. She has a hate on for large birds. We have resident eagles, turkey vultures, ravens and blue herons that all fly LOW over the property – it causes much barking and running with no notice of tender plants.
I've been carefully transplanting the volunteer sunflowers that are cropping up (see what I did there?) all over the place. I love to see them in the field so am taking the time to get these gifts planted, solely for my viewing pleasure.
5. I had a whole chicken, and no spoons to cook it, so plunked it into the Instant pot with some onions and celery and taco seasoning. Then, while I assisted my daughter with her psychology homework (essentially being an ear and having her 'teach' me), I removed the meat from the bones, returned the bones and skin to the pot, added a bit more water, and put it back on to pressure cook for broth. This trick works really well for using every spare bit of the bird.
#2 son came in while I was showering to get some food, and ran off with the last of the rice I was imagining would make a nice chicken fried rice for MY supper (rotten kid! LOL). Instead, I made myself a chicken and bean quesadilla (blending up some red beans I'd Instant Potted earlier in the week to change up the texture and make it spreadable). Very satisfying.
There's lots of chicken left, so I'll cook up some more rice for tomorrow.
6. I had a library fine for a book that I couldn't recall seeing in the house; a bit of sleuthing turned it up. YAY! I then thoroughly and quickly enjoyed reading it it. “Save me the Plums” – Ruth Reichl. I returned it, and the fine is forgiven. I love that my library has stopped fining us, although I try to be diligent about returning books as soon as I have read them.
Talking to the librarian I mentioned that I have two books that I thought I had returned but they were still 'on my account'. She said it is rare that the scanning misses them, but gathered the special number and went looking. She tracked me down as I was browsing and apologised profusely (holding the two books) – although, tbh, I had returned a stack of 10 or so at the same time (of the same author, all the same size), so no surprise to me that some got missed. Glad they aren't lost, though, and I won't be fined.
I'm glad you got your $100 out of your Hockney. It's nice just to enjoy something for a while and then sell it, so someone else can do the same. That's one of the many nice things about thrifting your artwork and decor. If I get bored with something, I don't feel bad passing it on to the next person. Right now I'm enjoying a Pilgrim glass vase until it sells on Ebay.
Nice sale on the Hockney! Sometimes even though we like something, we also like cash in hand. My husband had a cool rusted metal sign hanging by the front porch that he had gotten free with some other stuff at a farm auction, and a guy came to buy something else off marketplace and offered $100 for the sign. The sign promptly left with the new owner!
1. Took 2 vehicles and a gas can to Kroger to use up my 85 cents per gallon discount that expires soon. Got all 35 gallons! The gas can will either get poured into the lawnmower or one of our other vehicles.
2. We are leaving soon for a month long camping/road trip, and have more fuel points to use up before the end of June. I got online and found a list of Kroger branded gas stations in 2 other states we will be in, and mapped them along our route. I made notes of addresses and distance from interstate, along with mileage from our starting point that morning so we know how far we can go to get there.
I have enough points to save $1.05 off 2 fill ups, and I don't want to waste them.
If it was just a car I couldn't worry so much about 12-16 gallons, but our tow vehicle holds 39, so it's worth it to try to use them.
3. Planned quick and easy dinners for the first 2 days that are mostly driving, that way I'm not tempted to get fast food.
4. We keep a "chuck box" in the Suburban that has everything for pbj lunches on the road, and snacks so we don't buy food while we're out and about. Usually we're all sick of pbj's by the end of summer, but it's a cheap option to feed 3 always starving teens.
5. Using up food at home that won't travel with us/isn't practice to cook in a camper, and will freeze anything possible we can't bring with us. I have too many eggs so we're doing breakfast for dinner and then I will boil the rest and bring it with us.