Five Frugal Things -- Mostly Just Bigfoot!
1. I saw that the Leach Botanical Garden was offering free admission over the weekend, so I added it to my calendar. The price is normally $8/person, so this $16 savings was a nice frugal opportunity for my husband and I.
The best part is that it was dramatically rainy over the past week, but we got a respite from the cat and dogs on Sunday -- perfect for a stroll though their beautiful property. Plus we got to meet a local celebrity!
2. I went to drag the bins to the curb and saw that my neighbor added three uncut fancy pumpkins into our yard debris. I still have one that needs to be processed from a different neighbor, but still helped myself to the above pumpkin.
I haven't baked them for puree yet, as I'm out of freezer bags. So I went ahead and plugged my nose and ordered a big box from Schmeff Schmezos. I order maybe two or three items from him per year, although it's always practical items like a replacement robo-vacuum battery or freezer bags.
3. Remember that schwanky Restoration Hardware wastebasket that I pulled from a free pile last summer? It continues to look amazing, but the bottom corners were remarkably sharp and scratching our fir floors. It doesn't help that the bin weighs a full five pounds, (yes I weighed it) which gives it extra heft.
Luckily I have the above roll of stick-on protective padding that I've probably owned since nursing school. (Seriously, look at how the plastic packaging has yellowed!) I took five minutes from my day and added felt triangles to the corners and I'm happy to announce that it now slides smoothly across the ground. No more floor damage!
For comparison, Restoration Hardware is currently selling a similar wastebasket for a mere $565! An amazing bargain, as it's down from a reasonable $905!
4. I took one of the apples from my neighbor to create a delicious topping for my morning bowl of bulk-bins Winco oatmeal. So good, I think I'll repeat this breakfast tomorrow.
Extreme frugality doesn't have to be a life of deprivation!
5. I watched one of Rajiv Surendra's YouTube videos about the benefits of investing in quality items -- using his $350 umbrella to illustrate his point. Yes, this may seem like an outsized example, but he purchased it many years ago from a London store that's been using the same techniques and materials since the 1800s. His rosewood umbrella not only has a sterling silver handle, but is at the level of quality where it's likely to never break. I believe it also has a lifetime warranty.
So when I spied this broken umbrella, it hammered down the point that poor quality cheap items are often just temporary possessions, as they're destined for the bin. (Social media is referring to this as "landfill core.") My personal umbrella is far from a bespoke heirloom, but is still a high quality item. I bought it at the Goodwill "bins" maybe ten years ago. It was a giveaway with Elizabeth Taylor perfume back in the day, and at a level of quality where I'm more likely to lose it than dump it into a garbage can.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
1. I finished listening to Dick Van Dyke's 100 Rules for Living to 100. It was a digital borrow from the library. I promptly returned it so other patrons can enjoy it.
2. I loaned a neighbor our VHS-C converter for an old mini VHS tape she wanted to play. There was no reason for her to buy one.
3. I helped DH convert his cell phone plan to Visible from Verizon. It is a Verizon product but he purchased the high end service for $225/year (Black Friday sale). We may also be able to save $15/month on our home Fios.
4. I have been wearing a Cuddle Duds base layer on top. It makes me feel so much warmer both inside the house and outside. I purchased Cuddle Duds many, many years ago on clearance. I also have some that belonged to my mom.
5. I asked for a check for our credit card rewards. There were some gift cards 10% off but not for anywhere that we would spend money.
1) Cut up carrots that were getting a little long in the tooth (or, the carrot equivalent, I suppose) for a recipe. These carrots were purchased as a healthy snack and haven't been very popular, so it was time to get creative.
2) Met a friend for a free hike yesterday & enjoyed seeing the animals at the farm. It was nice & quiet and we were able to chat & catch up without any pressure of turning over a table or the like.
3) I'm a very generous substitute in recipes & have a core list of sauces & seasonings I will add, even when I'm out of other items. Last night's egg roll in a bowl was a good example. I was out of hoisin sauce, so I increased the soy sauce, added some sriracha & some sweet chili sauce for texture. Turned out very well. We also increase the veggies to stretch out the dinner.
4) DS19 wanted to bring flowers to his GF, who is deep into studying for finals. We had a box of chocolates DH received at work, decorated with festive ribbons, and sent that with him as well. She & her roommates can enjoy the chocolates while studying & they won't go to waste.
5) Similarly, a neighbor gifted us fancy cookies (Milk?) & DS18 & his friends ate a few, but we had plenty left. Posted on BN & had 10+ requests. Who knew they would be such a hit? Left them on our porch for a mom who wanted them for school lunches. Done & out of my pantry!
I, too, try to increase vegetables in recipes. I can offer double the vegetables and half the meat and never get complaints. I made a chicken lasagna yesterday and did this.
I just watched Rajiv's video yesterday! I enjoyed his examples of a high-quality faucet and showerhead, too. He has such love and appreciation for well-made items and how much they elevate his daily life.
1. I turned the collar on dh's flannel shirt. The shirt now looks brand new.
2. At yesterday's giftaway I picked up a dress that fit me but had some terribly ugly embroidery at the hem. I've unpicked about 2/3 of that.
3. Used a heated rice pillow to keep warm.
4. Watched a fun Christmas movie for free on Tubi (Bachelor Mother).
5. Sold an Item on FB marketplace and have buyers for 2 items lined up today.
We mostly stayed home all weekend -- not going out is pretty frugal.
I made Christmas cookies, using ingredients I already had on hand.
Our roof rake broke -- this is a very long handled rake used for raking snow off the roof and, specifically, raking snow off our solar panels on the roof. It's not really something we can wait around in hopes of finding used (I don't recall ever seeing one at a garage sale.) My husband was all set to order the same one from the big A, but I suggested he check the local hardware store. He was able to get the same rake for $8 cheaper, and support a local business, so big win.
I have an old denim shirt I wear for gardening and hauling firewood. It has a number of colorful patches. I added two more patches to repair holes in the sleeve and front.
Traded books to read with a friend.
Set a green onion root in a Solo cup with dirt and am growing new green onion tops.
Cindi, this won't be any help to you now that you've found a roof rake, but estate sales are a great place to find those kinds of things. They're clearing out the whole estate so it includes things you wouldn't normally find often at garage sales. I've seen many roof rakes because I live in Michigan and many people have them.
1. I took advantage of a Walgreens 25 prints for 25 cents deal. I needed a handful of pictures for frame ornaments on our tree , and want to send some physical photos to my parents next door neighbor, who has known me since I was 3 and loves getting pictures of my little one.
2. Worked out at our rec center yesterday. We have to pay our HOA, which covers 4 rec center memberships. They recently renovated the one closest to us, which is really nice. They no longer have the drop in child care there , but my husband is happy to hang with our toddler on Sunday mornings so I can get a good workout in.
3. Stopped in goodwill yesterday. Ours no longer have dressing rooms so I often buy and return , then just roll over the credit. I found a rails flannel shirt for myself as well as a prana organic cotton sweater I was quite happy about! I grabbed a few sports bras, as I only have one that fits my postpartum rib flare but they will have to be returned.
4. Thrifted a calia by Carrie underwood long sleeve shirt for my mom for Christmas. She loves this brand for her weight training.
5. Gifted some mismatched Hanna Andersson pajamas I got from my last bins trip in our BN group. I can’t stop myself from buying them. The quality is just so much better than other kids pajamas , and they always get scooped up by other parents in our group, so I’m happy to spend a few dollars to rescue something from a landfill and pass on for more use.
what's your recipe for the apple topping? looks delicious.
I simply sautéed the apples in butter and then added brown sugar and cinnamon.
1. I sold and shipped a couple Ebay items and listed a couple more.
2. I cleaned my driveway out again after another big snow.
3. I wore a pair of fleece leggings one of my girls left behind under my jeans while working outside. I have many of these types of hand me ups.
4. I wrote a check in order to avoid the 3.5% charge for using a credit card.
5. All the usual stuff, no Lear jet.
1. Received our annual rebate cheque from the local gas coop. It was for $150, based on our annual fuel purchase of $6600. Which seems like a lot to me, I had never kept track of how much gas we buy. DH and I live about an hour away from most family, and lately have been driving quite a bit to care for my elderly father, and support other family members needing our attention. I do try and "batch" my errands as much as possible.
2. Volunteered for the weekend at my friends' annual art show and sale. This is year 19, and I have always helped with the check out area, taking cash, and balancing at the end of the day. I did spend $102, on only a couple of hostess gifts and one framed peice for myself, done by my niece, who was in the show for the first time. I do like to support local artists and family members. DH had some of his woodworking in the show, and sold over $400 worth. He was exempt from paying the $35 entrance fee because I volunteer there. I was also fed lunch and treats both days.
3. Stayed overnight with a friend who was also volunteering at the show. She fed me dinner and morning coffee, and I had a wonderful, comfortable sleep in her guest room. We watched a cheesy movie, and had a great evening.
4. Gave away some excess Christmas ornaments on my local Buy Nothing group.
5. Purchase a wonderful piece of framed art by an indigenous artist at an online auction. I paid a very reasonable price for it, as well as some other items that I will try and sell on Marketplace. The money I hope to receive for these items should pay for the art.
1. I received an email from Kimberly -Clark, the owner of Huggies brand, apologizing for a recent poor experience with some nighttime diaper leaks, and let me know that a partial refund for the product that wasn't up to snuff will be mailed to me in the form of a prepaid visa card! I'll have to wait about 4 weeks according to the email, but that's better than nothing!
2. I finished my final handmade Christmas gift! I've crocheted as many as I can this year for the birthday and Christmas gifts for the kids in our family and the adults are getting a heartfelt 'Merry Christmas' and the present of good company.
3. I'm out of tissue paper for present wrapping and refuse to get more. I have three bagged presents and decided to close the tops with a 'to and from' label. The labels are cute and I've had the same package for AT LEAST 6-8 years. I'm finally down to the last 1-2 labels.
4. My husband clocked probably 5 hours of overtime this weekend, plus mileage, which is going to be a fantastic little boost for the end of the year!
5. I found some whole wheat English muffins in the freezer that I had almost completely forgotten about. They aren't my most favorite but I'm coming around to them and they were free so that helps them taste even better.
Hosted DS 7 birthday party at the locally owned pizza place. We had plenty of space in their side room and turnout was good. Paid with a check to avoid 3% fee. Reused cotton balls from last year's Christmas party for the snowball challenge game. Kids liked it and I had all the supplies on hand, easy peazy!
Returned Mom's pie plate and she gave me back the coat I had left behind Thanksgiving.
DH picked up our beef from the butcher. So convenient to have our beef on hand and we've been without for long enough to really appreciate having it again. Made a roast for Sunday dinner.
Attended a Christmas parade in the neighboring town. We were too late to see Santa, but we will catch up with him before the big day. Turnout was good for the parade, and the weather was crisp but dry. Seems like they were pretty skimpy throwing candy this year, but I guess folks are feeling the pinch and cutting back. It's a relief not to have hordes of candy to try to keep DS from binging on and I don't need the temptation either!
The tree is up, and the stockings are hung. Nothing new just the same old nostalgic items.
We are above freezing during the day, and everything is muddy. I took my heavy, mud caked, work clothes to the laundry mat. I also brought a cup of tea and a chocolate bar. I was the only person there! I got a little peaceful respite with my treats and now I can stand to wear my coveralls again. Our small home can be claustrophobic this time of year and we tend to get on each other's nerves. Hooray for the laundry mat! Also dropped off a book at the little free library while in town.
Couldn't find my wild rag so I pulled out this weird old do-rag hair thing. It's basically just a tube of fabric and I never liked wearing it on my head. It works well as a neck gator.
Moved cows to winter pasture. Still have a few more to relocate. I like to keep them out on pasture as far into the winter as possible. It cuts down on winter chores and feeding hay. When the pasture runs out, I will bring them home. Sold an extra bull that I had. Glad for the money, I won't have to pay a feed bill on him anymore, and that someone thinks he's nice enough to use on their cows. Repaired fence for the landlord.
Sasquatch! He rode the antique fire truck at a community Holiday parade I went to on Saturday. Love him!
I was gifted a golf umbrella 20 yrs ago that withstands high winds. cheap cr@!?p makes me boil. So destructive of our environment and pocketbook.
Our local senior center has repair clinics. A very nice gentleman taught me how to change a power plug on my vacuum.
They have a guy who comes once a month to sharpen tools, scissors and knives. I do sewing machine maintenance clinics every 3 months or so at the senior center. I also pickup, repair and re-home sewing machines for the next generation 4-H kids.
Last week I rescued 10 kitchen cabinet doors (white) as I was driving thru a college town,tomorrow my open shelves in my shop will have doors.
We have a neighbor who has one of those Sasquatch silhouettes in their yard. Gives me a jump scare whenever I go by! I'm glad your Sasquatch was friendly.
--Stayed home most of the weekend, aside from cycling to the grocery store (we didn't need much, and this is a cheap date for DH and I).
--Met with my favorite professor for the last time today--two other students and I formed a tight group, as we had this professor for A&P I and 2. My friends had ordered some cutesy swag for her as a thank-you present; I declined to go in on it, but offered to make a handmade card with materials I had on hand. The card went over swell. I will miss this professor, she was awesome, but we have promised to keep in touch.
--In cleaning the fridge up I somehow found a bag of grapefruit that had been stuffed in a bottom drawer and escaped notice. Happily they are in good condition and means I don't have to worry about buying any grapefruit for a while!
--The fancy Tazo teas are on a big sale at Kroger, so I stocked up. I'm not going to miss out on $2 off a box of normally $4 a box tea, especially when it's good tea. I had also wanted to start eating more fermented foods, and I found some refrigerated sauerkraut (Cleveland Kraut) that was also part of the $2 off sale, so I snagged some of that.
--Since I was driving today, I batched all my errands (post office, food pantries, grocery store, library, meetup) in the most logical route I could manage. Returned library books and got three more.
I love both Tazo and Cleveland Kraut (especially their kimchi) - thanks for the heads up!
1. Processing a return on an aforementioned piece of ski gear. Doing it right away means I will do it at all.
2. Wound up not going into the office today. Ate my packed lunch anyway.
3. Attending an event Wednesday DH gets for free along with free parking passes. Includes lounge access with free food. Work perks aren't bad!
4. Have been kicking myself for forgetting my go-to hand sanitizer spray bottlea t home. Found a big bag of small purell bottles under my sink leftover from some goody bag effort. Now I have hand sanitizer in each purse and backpack as we continue to weather this cold and flu season. I swear, some people just get on the subway to cough and touch things.
5. Going to see Wicked: For Good tonight with an old friend. Fun fact - in middle school we did Wizard of Oz and she was Dorothy and I was the scarecrow 🙂 so this is nostalgic! We found a local theatre playing it for half the price of the big chains, and we get to support local. Looking forward to crying and singing along in my head!
Katy you look about 18 yrs old in this picture!
Plus or minus 40 years!
That wastebasket price is insane! Regarding your #5, funnily enough, I worked as a B2B sales representative for an umbrella company for nearly 10 years, and I often said that I'd rather my customers buy a product from another company than a cheap umbrella, and the user would end up soaking wet if (when) they break!
I moved my car so they could plow -- and I wouldn't have to pay a fine! First I dusted at least six inches of the fluffy stuff off.
Laundry day -- no savings as I washed sheets and towels and all had to go in the dryers. But I got plenty of free exercise going up and down the stairs.
I wrapped presents and found that one of my large gift bags was split down the side. I saved the cardboard insert from the bottom and cut off the red satin handles. I always find uses for things like that. I thought of cutting up the bag to save the designs, but they weren't my favorite, so the split bag got tossed.
I made a bacon-egg-yellow pepper crepe for breakfast. It looked a mess, but tasted good. I guess you don't flip crepes?
I repaired several ornaments before putting them on the tree. One needed glue, several needed a new hanger. This year I put my tree up in my dining room, because I don't have to move furniture. I think it was a wise decision.
Aren't those 5 minuted jobs so satisfying when they are done, Katy? Glad you are using that garbage can, who knew something so mundane would be priced so over-the-top high?
1. My Gardening Friend had brought some used tarps over to help with the many garden chores. She drives a small car, so can only get one or two tarps at a time, however she shared with me that the local lumber/hardware store puts the tarps out for people to take for free.
When I was doing one of my garden waste runs, I stopped by the store and collected 5 nice big tarps. Wonder james was still here when I got back and he helped me refold them (they are really nice and big) and temporarily store in a shed up by the house. Tarps for the garden are so useful! Having the luxury of lots, for free, will make a big difference in how we protect and manage the soil.
2. My Roommate has gone on a trip to Montreal (Where she is working on writing an opera!!). She will be gone for a week, so I get to practice being alone in my house again. I have come to realize that having another warm body in my space is very good for my mental health, and anyway I get to 'mother' her a bit, too, which is always fulfilling.
I will need to do more dog care (she claims we are co-parenting the dog), including longer morning walks, however I am certain I will manage. It will give me a chance to eat down some of the bread she has been showering us with (the freezer is full!!)
3. My new-to-me freezer hasn't made it into the house yet, as the corner where it is going needs to be cleared out (it is stored outside on a pallet covered with a huge tarp). I have asked my very keen housecleaner to join me in the downstairs clearout project – then I know it will be done and done really really well.
There will be some Tetris to get the Freezer in, however I also know that the cleaner and I are a team to be reconned with. I am looking forward to having a freezer that actually gets really cold, downstairs, as the downstairs fridge freezer isn't really doing its job.
4. I had made broth from the chicken we roasted last week with my Daughter and her friend. I took that broth, added a smoked turkey thigh, and re-cooked it in the instant pot for a couple of hours. I took that smoky broth (8 cups) and added 1 ½ cups each of carrot, onion and celery, plus 2 ½ cups of split peas , and pressure cooked for 30 minutes. There was broth on top so I took out about 2 cups worth, then used a stick blender to blend the rest smooth.
#2 son has just taken two pint jars of the soup with a huge smile (and half a loaf of Roommate bread). Everyone in my family loves split pea soup,why don't I make it more often? Anyway, I still have to pull the meat off the turkey thigh bone, that is usually an add-in when I eat the soup.
5. In the spirit of taking care of Future Ecoteri, I also made up a huge batch of sliced cabbage, celery and grated carrot salad. I store this in 4 or 6 cup containers, and we add dressing and any other toppings when we eat it.
I had used up all the free dressing I won, so I pulled out my recipe book and found the Hollyhock dressing recipe and whipped up a batch. Then I decided to try to recreate the dill pickle dressing, riffing off the hollyhock, and although it isn't identical it is delicious
I have been saving all the perfect-sized glass dressing bottles, which means I can store the dressings in fancy jars in the fridge and they will be seen and used. The labels, unfortunately, aren't as fancy, but who doesn't like a pop of painter-tape green inside their fridge?
6. My daughter brought my sewing machine back to me, so I finally have “made smaller” the dog reflective raincoat a girlfriend gifted me when her pooch went over the rainbow bridge.
I didn't get fancy, just folded the flaps a bit and sewed them down, however my timing was perfect as we are now starting the 'real' winter rainstorms. Although my new rescue pup's head and legs get wet, the majority of her stays nice and dry – less to wipe down after each of the many forays outside.
The dog raincoat tailoring was one of my “26 things to do before 2026”, and I was so pleased to cross that off I took another half hour to shorten two curtains in my bedroom – they were floor length and I wanted them to fall just below the window. I had watched a video about how to shorten pants by putting essentially a pleat in just above the existing hem, so I did that with the curtains – saved me a lot of time and hassle by avoiding needing to re-finish the bottom, and it worked out perfectly. Shorten curtains – CHECK!
1. I put the thermal drapes I'm replacing into a large bag to take to the Salvation Army to donate. I also found some older valances I'd stored, and those will go into the bag as well. Goodbye, excess clutter. Hello, more storage space!
2. Went through some old papers and put most of them in the recycling bin. Other papers were either filed or shredded.
3. We have kids from our church who are away at boarding school, college and Basic Training. The latter one is coming home in a few days, so mail wouldn't get there in time. But I was able to mail some holiday surprises to the other two. Instead of paying to send them cookies, I got the teen girl something for her dorm room and just sent the college boy some money to order a pizza. Figured that'd come in handy while he studies for exams. I looked up pizza restaurants in his college town and saw their pie and delivery prices to help determine how much to send.
4. Batched some errands and turned in excess plastic shopping bags to the used bookstore. Tried to turn in a book to them for credit, but no luck; they said it wouldn't sell. Got some books from their outdoor free bin, one of which would work as a Xmas present if an out-of-town friend pays a last-minute visit. Will plop it in a gift bag, just in case. I took the freebie books and books I didn't want to a Little Free Library in the ghetto; gave the nonprofit plant nursery (which supports a local ministry) next door to it some discarded small flower pots.
5. Saw my next-door neighbor outside. He asked about my recently halfway-repaired fence and I told him about the problem I'm having with the handyman. (Who didn't finish the job and didn't do it correctly. And wants a LOT more money before he comes back. No, I'm not going to pay up!) Neighbor said he'd fix the problem for me, as he understands how hard it is to find good help anymore. He also said he likes the new roof and thought it looks nice. Which is a big relief: I still think it looks like the roof to a chicken coop or old shed or something.
I find a good number of items manufactured prior to the late 1990s have a long, useful life. I have a large umbrella, likely called a "golf umbrella" - not that I'd ever waste my time on a hobby that for the most part, sucks down water and is a poor use of good land. It is well over 30 years old and keeps on ticking. Unlike a small "tote" (think that was the brand) whose handle became so yucky gummy there was no option except the landfill (I supposed I could have stripped it and recycled the metal - didn't think about that at the time).
There is no limit to oatmeal toppings/add-ins. Great way to use up that last bit of apple crisp, pumpkin puree, even so-so pie.
Love Rajiv, but lose umbrellas. I try to split the difference by thrifting good umbrellas I won't mind losing.
A bit of a backlog:
1) We drove seven hours to my sister's for Thanksgiving - the first ever without our kiddo, who couldn't get time off work. We missed them, and the time they would have spent with the rest of the family, but took the opportunity for a grownup getaway. It's a college town, and lodging can be incredibly expensive, but this year there was no football game, and I snagged three nights at fancy retreat hotel for $292 total on Expedia. This included a $48 credit from our trip to my brother's wedding this spring, but was still cheaper than any of the chains, and the room was gorgeous, comfy and dead quiet. We used Fuel Points to fill up and took road snacks. I did absolutely nothing on Black Friday, but a few folks went to the farmers/artisan market for birthay gifts for our niece. I had put together a present over the course of the year, and brought my plant-happy sister an enormous night-blooming cereus rescued from Buy Nothing to rehabilitate. She was thrilled!
2) We stopped by my husband's hometown overnight, and I hung out with a friend while he saw family. We usually go out to eat, but it was cold and we were both tired, so we heated up some of her delicious homemade bean soup and chatted.
3) Returning home through the beginning of a winter storm was a comedy of errors - my glasses got broken, and I lost my keys somewhere in the house, and the special cube for DH's Apple magnetic phone charger. I rigged up my old magnetic car charger so that's not an emergency, I'm wearing an older pair so the glasses are not an emergency (it saves a lot of money to wait, and my prescription hasn't changed much), and we ordered groceries so the lost car key didn't become a $300 emergency, either. I know I'll find them. It's just astonishing how determined they are not to be found.
4) Still, I really want to find them, because Kroger has some good loss leaders this week, ending tomorrow. We're still eating from the pantry and freezer and using up dribs and drabs - some sad tomatoes and elderly gouda into chunky tomato soup with grilled cheese, lightly withered bell peppers roasted with olive oil to improve everything they touch, the ends of crusty GF bread as French toast, chocolate pots de creme from some scraps of dark chocolate bars from the pantry. After potting up a few servings in glass yogurt jars, added milk to the remainder to make luscious hot chocolate. Also, happily took delivery of a "year's worth of olive oil" prize from a giveaway - six large bottles of really delicious single producer evoo, just when we're down to the dregs. I will share some with foodie friends.
5) I didn't agree to pay a motley crew of racist criminals ungodly amounts of taxpayer money to violate the civil and human rights of my immigrant neighbors, but I guess it's happening anyway.
Great snag on the hotel stay. I use Expedia too. If you go to RetailMeNot they almost always have a cash back for Expedia usually 7 percent up to $50. I have used it three different times. I am currently waiting on $50 back from my last trip.
Today my frugals are all about shopping. I have been attempting to Christmas shop with relentless coupon and rebate usage. The results are a mix....
Men's shirts at Walmart $6-9
Men's shirts at Kohl's 2/$22 less $5 coupon, and 25%(?) at register - ~$7 each
Consensus: Shopping Walmart is the same price range as Kohl's with a coupon. End game, willing to shop both stores for more shirt selection for people I'm gifting, but could simplify and just shop Walmart instead.
Men's jeans at Costco $19.99
Men's jeans at JCPenney on Black Friday BOGO with $10 off coupon - ~$20 each
Consensus: Costco shopping is the same price range as JCP without a BOGO sale and coupon. End game, shop at Costco save mental labor and stress of sale and coupon match.
Men's socks and underwear - bottom line best price no coupons or sales Costco every time.
Candy....
Target chocolate oranges $5.19 each.
Walmart chocolate oranges $4.94 each.
CVS chocolate oranges $6.49 BOGO 1/2 off = 9.735 for two, or $4.86 each.
Consensus: I will get these at CVS along with some other candy and throw a $4 off 40 coupon on top of it. Chocolate prices are insane this year!!
Photos
Walgreens is giving out 5 free 4x6 inch photos with promo code 5FREEPRINTS and instore pick up. I just put an order in last night. I will put some photos in frames from this Summer for my SO's mother, her husband passed and I have some great photos of them from a wedding and hiking we did together. I got the picture frames from the free table at work, and will write a nice card and put them in the mail on Friday.
You can get more 4x6 photos for .12 cents each at CVS and Walgreens with coupon codes that are easy to look up.
To use my money twice, I was able to find multiple rebates on Aisle, Social Nature, and ibotta. I coupled them with a $10 off $40 coupon and got all my money back on a shopping trip this weekend. I was able to send the money back to my bank account and now wash, rinse, and recycle it into my budget again.
It's all a lot of work. But my money is really tight. I hope to give people things they need or will enjoy and continue to feed us. Happy Happy!
You are a shopper extraordinaire! Squeezing value out of every penny. Well done Ashley B.
Texasilver, I second that for Ashley B!
Found a dime in the coin return at self checkout!
Scanned a receipt to Fetch that was on ground outside store, it netted me 15,000 points!!!
A friend sent a pic of their chicken carcass after they had dinner with a text – "Do you want this for soup?" Ummm, yes, please! (my friends clearly know me, and that I am not embarrassed to take their chicken bones LOL!)
Sold something on eBay, shipped it in recycled padded envelope!
And, the usual on autopilot – bringing my own coffee/lunch to work, eating the free food/snacks/drinks they provide in the breakroom.
15,000 points? You win Fetch!
Love your blog! Try mixing some of your homemade pumpkin puree into your morning oatmeal sometime - yummy!
Ooh . . . great idea!
Haha that Bigfoot photo is EVERYTHING! Thanks for the smile today.
Well, we are on vacation, for a week, not in itself very “frugal” but we travel frugally when we do.
I rented an affordable airbnb with full kitchen.
We grocery shopped for fruit, oatmeal, pita and hummus,pretzels, cookies, coffee, and yogurt for breakfasts and snacks at home. We start the day with a hearty oatmeal/fruit combo and some Greek yogurt on the side. We walk walk walk everywhere! Few ubers! We’re in a city with great public transportation,too.
We had scoped out the best values in restaurants for our meals out and the Italian place we’re loving serves HUGE portions. We have eaten THREE TIMES from one serving of linguini and clams!
We never buy fancy drinks when out to eat.Water and lemon works for us.
We usually just eat 2 meals a day— breakfast and dinner.
We got senior discounts and purchased all museum and art gallery tickets ahead of time online.
We bought airline tickets on sale, and DID NOT PAY for better seats,we let them assign, and yes, we both had middle seats but so what.It was pretty comfy overall, with FREE MOVIES AND HEADPHONES on the plane! I had never seen “The Family Stone” can you believe it?? .Cried on the plane!!
So, overall, our trip is much less expensive than some vacations tend to be, and we’re enjoying a nice week together enjoying art ,music , and museums, and lots of walking!!