Five Frugal Things -- PDX Repair Cafe & a Broken Mug
1) This thrifted Fiestaware mug handle broke cleanly off as I was lifting it the other day, so I grabbed my super glue and got into repair mode.
I rolled up a napkin to hold it in place and taped the handle to stabilize it while it dried. Kind of a weird way for it to break, maybe it had already been repaired?
2) Repair PDX held one of their free repair cafes yesterday, so I grabbed a couple items and drove across town. (The "cafe" is a potluck for the volunteers, or at least I assume so. I'd never in a million years help myself to a potluck item when I hadn't brought something to share. I'm not a monster!) First up was the reproduction vintage toaster that I bought at a garage sale for $5 because the seller told me that the concrete fawn I wanted would be free if I "bought something."
Although the toaster heats up, the mechanism that holds the bread in the down position always pops right back up. I watched some YouTube videos to figure it out on my own with no success.
Enter "Tim," a Repair PDX volunteer who's an actual engineer. He took the toaster apart, but sadly was unable to fix the issue, although it wasn't for a lack of trying. (I felt bad about how long he spent on the issue.) Modern day small appliances are simply not manufactured to be repaired.
I'll list the toaster on eBay "for parts" at this point.
3) My second item I brought for repair was my Robert Abbey Puppy lamp that I thrifted back in April. This 13-pound bronze behemoth was missing the knob and the socket was loose. Luckily this was a more straightforward repair and Tim was able to repair it using the supplies they keep on hand.
This valuable lamp is now back in action and I'll enjoy its whimsy while I wait for a buyer on eBay.
4) My last item I brought was my primary kitchen knife to be professionally sharpened. I didn't get a photo as this happened during the lengthy "Sorry ma'am, but your toaster is toast" situation, but suffice it to say that chopping is about to be a very satisfying experience!
The above photo is from the other time that I took the knife into the Repair Cafe.
5) The toddler bike that I thrifted the other day was flagged incorrectly as being recalled on Facebook Marketplace, so I listed it on Craigslist. You can see it HERE on the Retrospec website, so I feel confident that I'm selling a safe item. I did an additional web search to double check.
It's good to have a plan and a backup plan in life.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
The parley plant in my patio herb box wintered over beautifully and came roaring back with great abundance in early March. It was just glorious with large bushy branches that seemed to promise another season of abundance, only to bolt during a heat wave in May. after that it would only put on flowering heads. I finally went out to buy a replacement as I regularly use fresh parsley for cooking and for garnish.
I was shocked to find that they were $4.99 this year at the closed garden center. I shopped around and finally found one for $3.99 at a nearby grocery store that features bedding plants and herbs on covered sidewalk in front of the store. It was a flat leaf parsley which is what I prefer for cooking and there was even a bonus second plant in the pot. I seperated them into my planter box and they both survived. I was even able to cut a couple of branches to garnish plates at the luncheon I hosted a few days ago. Small but meaningful savings.
I went to the community center yesterday and a repair cafe was in progress. I never know when it's going to happen, I just stumble upon it, and then I have nothing with me to repair of course. I'm going to make it a project to figure out when it's going to happen from now on.
1. After yesterday's recommendations from the group, I went to Dollar Tree for cookies. Sadly, they were out of ginger snaps. Neither were there lemon creme sandwich cookies, but there WERE key lime sandwich cookies, and they are good.
I also picked up the chocolate mint cookies, but I haven't tasted those yet. I got oatmeal cookies, because they are my go-to cookie, but my taste test determined they weren't as good as Aldi's, which cost a little more.
2. While there, I got a package of Philadelphia cream cheese for $3.00. I'm not sure, but I think that's more than Aldi. I paid for it and my cookies with the last of a Visa gift card I got from a class action settlement and $1.79 from my pocket.
3. At the community center I returned a book and walked the indoor track for 20 minutes. It was wonderfully cool, so worth it when it's muggy outside.
4. I intended to do laundry after my errands, but forgot, so I took care of that this morning. I washed quite a bit of active wear that I will sell for my sister. Today it will hang dry in my bathroom.
5. It was my plan to make fajitas for lunch yesterday, but I was tired and hungry when I got home, so I just sliced an apple and dipped the slices in peanut butter and honey. For dinner I finished the chicken noodle soup along with whole wheat toast. Fajitas today!
Love that lamp and how great you were able to get it repaired. We have repair cafe once or twice a year at our city rec center but I haven't gone yet.
- I just came in from washing the front porch and mat after giving the whole area a good sweep and dust. In a couple of weeks when it is warmer Hubby will repaint the doorstep as it is most in need of care. Thrifty home maintenance and exercise.
- I shortened the sleeves of a PJ top after a hole developed in one elbow. It is working out well and gets more use out of that item.
1. I found a dime in the Dollar Store parking lot.
2. While in the store, I bought a 2/$1 Fathers Day card for DH. On the way to the register, I passed the cookie aisle and grabbed a package of Lemon Shortbread cookies for $1.25 for afternoon Fika.
3. Frugal and free fun: we watched the fledgling Purple Finches take off with their new wings yesterday. There were originally five eggs but only three made it to independence. We think one fell out of the nest as DH found it deceased directly under it and we don't know what happened to the other one. Something adorable: one flew straight to my Christmas Cactus on the back steps and just sat in the plant blinking until he took off. Kind of like "Where am I?"
4. Wearing clothes from last summer and the summer before that and the summer before that...
5. Due to the cost of beef and my choice to buy only the 93% kind for health reasons( high cholesterol), we're having a delicacy for dinner tonight: cheeseburgers! Who would've believed it?! Hamburg used to be a cheap dinner.
1. I cleaned the car interior with my own vacuum, cleaning rags and a bottle of spray cleaner I got from a free pile. It took every bit of two hours but cost nothing. The job is not perfect but so much better.
2. I need to start repotting some of my plants & finding new homes for the babies. I was able to thrift several containers very cheaply. I even got a couple of pots for 5 cents each at a yard sale.
3. I improvised a Thinking of You card and a birthday card from blank notecards because I didn't want to go in another store.
That's all I have for now.