Five Frugal Things -- Parallel Lives & Used Jock Straps
1) My husband and I are soon to venture up to Canada, so we took our Subaru to the mechanic for a trip check. We bought it used last summer and had yet to bring it to a professional. We felt it was prudent.
Yesterday was still "unhealthy" from the wildfires, so I wore a mask while walking to pick up the car.
I chose to walk by my favorite house in the neighborhood, which is a twin our our 1914 craftsman home! The owner happened to be gardening in front of his house, so we got to chatting and he offered me a tour.
We toured one another's homes in 2002 or so, but otherwise have been living our parallel but separate lives.
Our houses have undergone disparate changes through the past 112 years. The twin house owners have a kitchen design business and bought their house ten years before we did, which means "Brett and John" been able to indulge their remodeling hopes and dreams.
Think "We bought this Venetian glass chandelier in Paris and had it shipped home" instead of "I garbage picked this light fixture -- isn't it cool?" Both are wonderful and valid ways to decorate a home. Plus various additions and remodel jobs.
I was in a hurry to get to the mechanic before they closed, so I didn't have time to fully tour the house, but we exchanged numbers and are making plans to invite them over.
I feel like we're twins separated at birth.
2) The mechanic didn't find a single thing wrong with the car, so she didn't end up charging us a single penny! I'll probably chase this feeling the rest of my life.
Mind you, I brought the Prius in last week and spent more than $800, so I think she took that into account.
3) My daughter and her girlfriend came over for dinner last night, bringing along her cat "Tuna." (Short for "Petunia?" I'm unsure, as she's an unreliable narrator.) They're also off for a short vacation, which means we now have all three grand-kitties at the house for the week.
The two sibling kitties, (Mama's Little Meatball and Myr) are suspicious of Tuna, so my living room definitely has that classic Spiderman meme vibe. No one sits still long enough for a photo, but I'll keep trying.
I'm happy to serve as a cat sanctuary and am hoping they'll be fast friends by week's end. If anyone has any tips to acclimating two chill kitties, (one still a kitten) to a nervous suspicious cat -- I'm open to suggestions.
4) I served the exact same meal last night that we'd eaten the previous evening, when our youngest and their partner came to dinner. No reason to reinvent the wheel!
Black bean soup, red lentil soup and grilled cheese sandwiches made on homemade bread. Ice cream for dessert!
5) I sold the Goodwill bins vintage jock strap that I picked up in May. This is a Goodwill Gift Card Challenge sale, so it'll add another $19.55 donation to the Oregon Food Bank. (Oops, did I overcharge for shipping?) Either way, these are the list-it-and-forget-it sales that add up.
$18 might not seem like a worthy sale, but keep in mind that the Goodwill bins charges by the pound, and this jock strap weighs almost nothing. So . . . 20¢?
Would you have bought a used jock strap to resell? Click HERE to see the full listing.
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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I laughed out loud at your “garbage picked” light analogy. LOL! I have always found cats around other unknown cats to be tricky. Good luck! Stay safe with your air.
It's a specific actual example!
I think I might be too squeamish to even pick up a used jock strap. But I'm glad you can get past that because the food bank benefits.
My grandmother and her cousin were results of two brothers marrying two sisters who after marrying built twin houses side by side on identical size lots in 1914. I don't know if they were Craftsmen houses but I don't remember my grandmother ever saying they were. My grandmother and her cousin lived in those side by side twin houses as seniors after their parents died. If you visit the cemetery a few miles away, you can see the two couples' twin gravestones, side by side. The women's brother and his wife who lived a few houses down the street in life are buried a few graves down. Just thought I'd share our family's sweet story.
I'm happy your car was okay Katy, and you were not charged anything.
Christine, two of my aunts who were sisters married men who were cousins. Their children used to describe themselves as 'double first cousins."
So amazing Ruby! I guess back in the day people were introduced to each other by their relatives. Not so much like today through dating sites. In my day it was going to clubs and bars. You could find some real characters there! My mother had two girl cousins who were also cousins to each other who then married two brothers and lived across the street from each other. It reminded me of the story about your aunts.
You have the best blog titles.
You also are drenched in moxie for buying and then selling said vintage jock strap.
I have been calling and asking for discounted feed for all the extra animals. My local feed store sold me a pallet of my favorite dog food that will work for any size or age in a pinch.
A friend of a friend delivered a semi truck load of horsey hay. The FFA kids are distributing it. I love this team work!
I picked more gravensteins for apple sauce. The peels and cores go into vinegar jars to create the mother.
Tonight we are community feeding hamburgers, veg & dip, any salads that people drop off, slab blackberry pies and homemade whipped cream.
I made 4 gallons of sun tea and my friend just dropped off 2 gallons of lemonade.
For the kitties, the cheeks and head and behind the ears are scent/pheromone spots. Rub Mama's meatball first and then pet Tuna. Wash hands and do it in reverse. Give treats if they are in the same room, play with toys and praise them.
Re: jockstrap: OMG, no. Even I have my limits, and as my sainted mother would have said, "That just pulls my pucker strings."
And re: cats: What I used to do when introducing a new one to an old one was to open a can of tuna and pour the juice liberally over both. By the time they'd finished licking themselves and each other off, they'd at least be tolerating each other.
I've heard the tuna method as well, but I think I saw it on a TV show, so not certain about it! It makes sense, though.
Eeeewww, used jock strap, no! Oh well, someone bought it, so that's good.
I got an email that another book was ready for pickup at the library, so I got on the train and got it. It's so true that all holds come in at once. I didn't have to get it immediately, as the library holds them for a week, but a walk to the train station is a walk done, and I do like to have a real purpose when I walk.
It was noonish when I picked up the book, and there are a number of charming restaurants near the library. I was so tempted to treat myself to a nice lunch. I reminded myself that I had the ingredients for a Monte Cristo sandwich at home, and I went home and made one. A nice Pink Lady apple on the side. So I did have a nice lunch, and so much cheaper.
I keep forgetting to mail a bill -- it's so rare that I need to mail one. So I'll say it here to make myself remember. I will walk it to the mailbox tomorrow. I would do it now, but we have been advised to not to leave mail in the mailboxes overnight due to vandalism and theft. Sigh.
I found a packet of soy sauce, intact and clean, so apparently freshly dropped.
I picked up a LFL book on the way home.
I enjoyed the beauty on my walk -- bright yellow flowers, a Monarch butterfly, emerald green grass. A lovely summer day.
I had a Jonah day, as Anne of Green Gables would say. My mother was tearful going to her appointments, both providers were wonderful and took their time which is good, and also bad as I needed to get the sick cat to the vet before my haircut. Also Kaiser's computers were down and a 10 minute pickup turned into a 20 minute pick up. I got home and grabbed the cat, then dropped the cat and went to haircut. Way too crazy.
Only frugal thing was that I had no time to spend any money.
No I would not have bought it but I don't have a pay by the pound goodwill near me. I also don't judge people who would buy it. To each their own.
1. I made more zucchini brownies. They are a hit. I brought some with me to the lady I take care of. I didn't tell her there was zucchini in them.
2. The dog got shredded zucchini added to this weeks batch of food.
3. My neighbor and I went to our first CAD class. We made air plant holders. We both have a way to go before we can add it to our resumes but we had fun and both have a new plant.
4. My neighbor mentioned that she was watching 2 of her grand kids the next day so I ran over with zucchinis and cucumbers. Her grandson eats cucumbers like an apple.
5. I have parsley drying and I made a batch of pesto with walnuts(pine nuts are too expensive).
6. Hubby is away so I made lemon chicken for me with leftovers. He doesn't enjoy it so I make it when he isn't around. Work will pay for all of his meals while he is away.
It never ceases to amaze me what people will buy. If that jock strap was not new in a sealed package, how would they know it was clean and uncontaminated? Too much ick factor IMO. But I'm glad you made money for the food bank
I took a bunch of school spirit items given free to substitute teachers over the years, and donated it to the Goodwill nearest that school. Also gave a "Teacher Strong" T-shirt to someone who is starting her first year of teaching. Glad to get rid of more clutter!
There is a donation box for a place that supposedly recycles old clothes. It appears to be from outside our area code. I had a sack of torn pants I never got around to mending (and it's been years!), and also an old worn bedsheet that has a hole, and dropped them off there. None of the local charities want torn clothes or ragged king-sized bedsheets; I figure this place probably shreds the stuff and makes it into insulation or something. I usually don't support non-local organizations, nor those that aren't nonprofit. We have plenty of folks living in poverty right here; therefore, I only support local charities. But I'll make an exception -- if only to keep stuff out of the landfill.
I'm still line drying all the laundry. The afternoon temperature is hotter than the clothes dryer temperature --- and it doesn't cool down very much at night, either.
Electric bill was $164 for this big house, which is pretty good for summer, but I don't know if it was for June or July or some combination of days in both months. Had to get the amount off a credit union record, having mislaid the paper statement. I think the metal roof is helping a lot.
Tomorrow is tax free shopping day so I will head to Wallyworld for socks and undies.
1. Went to my favourite shoe store and got another pair of Clark flip flops, which I love. I already have 4 pairs, but it's time to let go of a couple of them, they are worn out now. They were on sale, so already at a discount, when they went to ring me in, I had $29 in reward points, so applied that, and paid only $12. And now I have them in a new colour.
2. My neighbour's black berry bushes that hang over our fence have been producing like crazy, so I have been picking and freezing. I don't make jam, so will have to find other things to do with them.
3. My rhubarb is still growing. I thought it was finished and cut it back, but now have lots of new growth. I have a rhubarb lemon loaf in the oven at the moment.
4. I hosted my cousin's cousin and her partner in my guest cottage for two nights and they thanked me with wine, shortbread cookies, lunch and bought me coffee and a pastry when we went out for the day. It was really lovely to meet them, and they were extremely grateful to have a nice play to stay.
5. I'm having a deer proof fence built around my veggie garden. We had to section off an area to keep my dogs safe while they built the fence, and have metal construction fencing panels that we bought when we were doing our house addition. We were 3 panels short, but my wonderful neighbour also had some, so has lent us 3 of hers. I thanked her with two cucumbers, and will offer other produce from my garden.
I love cats! And kittens are even better!
1. My daughter's saving big bucks by going to a local community college.
2. I'm harvesting okra, peppers, oregano, and cowpeas from the garden.
3. I'm cooking meals at home...lots of rice!
4. I borrowed books and dvds from the library.
More nitty-gritty details here and photos: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/08/07/frugal-four-plus-a-plant-quiz/
I love that someone saw the ebay listing for the jock strap and thought "YES! I have to have this!" Impressive sale!
1. We're wrapping up our time in our Airbnb (good riddance) and made an inventory of all of the food we have and need to use up before we leave. We still have a few days but we want to minimize our waste.
2. The weather is cool enough that I think I can get my husband to take the kids to the park so I can spend some quality time organizing and maybe even get some pre-packing done.
3. We took a last mini trip within our trip the other day and took the train to Rotterdam in the Netherlands for the afternoon. We packed snacks and sandwiches for the kids but treated ourselves to a small lunch. My husband was about to grab drinks at the cafe as well and remembered he packed some from home. We had enough left over for the train ride back as well.
4. I had too many books come in all at once on Libby so I've been trying to juggle them. I tried reading on the train but the kids were too wiggly to let me focus on a book. I'm about halfway through though and I should be able to knock it out before tomorrow when it's due.
5. My husband got an offer letter for a new job! It's everything he's been looking for for almost a year. It's in a different state but as we packed almost everything we own with us and brought it on our vacation it'll make moving less complicated. Now we've made plans to tour several apartments and hit the ground running when we fly in. We've done the math on what we can "technically afford" and where we'd feel more comfortable staying below and have found some good options that hopefully will fit the bill. Moving can be incredibly expensive if you let it and we're making a strong effort to keep our wallets intact. What are we, Rockefellers?
Kara, that sounds like such a whirlwind of a day! It's so easy to lose track when you're juggling vet visits and appointments. I use Taskai on my Android to dump all those random tasks as they pop up so I don't forget anything during the chaos.
Glad the jock strap sold!
Our garden is producing! Will.freeze tomatoes this weekend. Dropped off some teething biscuits at the local daycare. They came in the $5 mystery box I bought a while ago.
Converting a large feed bin into a self feeder with troughs. I'm less than $100 out and a new feeder would cost $4500. Used are half of new.... so I'm doing OK! All.of the lumber has been garbage picked and repurposed. Still have to patch a few places, install some braces, and put the ends on the trough. Feed comes today!
Going to a friend's to touch up.my roots before my brother's wedding. My regular beautician is having some health concerns. We are partaking in sealed, garbage picked sealed facial masks, lol! We always have a great time, so im looking forward to it. While in town, I'll attempt to get contacts, even though my script is way out of date. I will be responsible-ish and schedule an eye appointment.....meh.
Telling neighbors to help themselves to our garden while we are at the wedding. Lining up help to tend the stock.
Satisfying moments this week:
1. Finished all the deli ham I bought, meaning no food waste from lunch plans.
2. Wanted to make sausage and peppers and had 2 beautiful bell peppers growing in my little container garden. And the sausage was in the freezer!
3. Had a skin check and a biopsy of a little freckle on my arm. It's benign, thank goodness, but very happy to use the health insurance I pay for every month for preventative care.
4. It's hot hot hot! Drinking lots of water and trying to keep my energy usage (both me and the air conditioner) way down.
5. Spent my evening last night volunteering and they fed us dinner. After they sent me home with dinner for DH and homemade marinades to make space in their fridge. VERY excited to use these!
You got such a good blep picture of Tuna (is that Tuna??)
It's Mama's Little Meatball, and yes, it's the perfect blep!
*We have the bad air quality in Seattle area, too. It is funny but sweet - some cousins in Alabama texted me to see if we were okay due to the air here. So we’ve been indoors for the last few days with our air purifiers on. Today my husband has a dentist appointment and we decided to go to a nearby lake for a picnic afterwards. Getting house crazy. Also there is a Habitat store across from his dentist that I’ve never been to.
I don’t think your jockstrap has too much of ‘ew’ vibes as it does seem to be new.
For frugal I picked and froze 3 quarts of blackberries. I made blackberry jam but used 1/3 fruit Trader Joe’s wild huckleberries to thin out the seed factor.
I started a new painting in my ongoing quest to deplete some of my craft supplies.
Finished a dress which cost $3 total to make (thrift store material, old pattern).
I found a book at the library I’ve been waiting to read - Ken Follet’s ‘Circle of Days’, a book about Stonehenge. When I was a kid I visited Stonehenge - at a time when you could still walk around inside it. I recall laying down on an alter stone to pretend I was a sacrifice to the gods haha.
My favorite NW book was ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ - about the farmers of Japanese ancestry during WWII who were taken from their homes to be incarcerated in internment camps. Older book but so good.
I read Snow Falling on Cedars too and absolutely loved it. The movie was excellent too, as I remember.
Thank you for the book recommendation!
Those who are not nurses here cannot understand the level of ick we deal with. Dumpster diving,digging in boxes, handling items prudently. Weve got this!
1) Made a scrappy meal for dinner. Food is so outlandish that we are even more motivated to avoid food waste.
2) DH & had wine by the pool (very frugal wine, purchased on special offer at Costco), followed by a game of rummy in the kitchen while I prepped dinner. A very free date night.
3) I cancelled my Kindle Unlimited subscription a while back. My Kindle broke, and DH was able to repair it, but not before I'd ordered a replacement. I was going on a trip, and I am a voracious reader. I returned the Kindle I didn't need, but Amazon had already added a 90 day Kindle Unlimited subscription to my account. I am absolutely gorging on books & enjoying every day of my free access. My library has such limited Kindle formatted selections.
4) Meeting a friend for a workout (already paid membership pass). I priced out the cheapest membership options, and for me it works out to class packs (vs a monthly subscription) due to lots of traveling. My studio is offering bonus classes when buying a class pack, so I will likely top up my membership today.
5) Paid our car insurance using our credit card (no fees to do so), earning travel rewards. Also, our car insurance dropped $1k from last year!!! (We have two young adults, so it was outlandish there for a while, when both were under 18.) I also filled out some low mileage paperwork that helped quite a bit. I'm thrilled. I was expecting about a $500 drop when DS19 "graduated" from the 18 & under category, so the low mileage paperwork must have added the rest of the savings. Hurrah for paperwork that saves you money!