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.
I would be so tempted to keep that lamp, being such a lover of dogs. But it'll sell for that same reason.
I found a penny in the drugstore parking lot and a dime in the washer. Remembered to click on the customer rewards in the drugstore's app before shopping and got two packages of adhesive moleskin for free. I cut strips of it to cushion a new pair of sandals.
Went to Ollie's Outlet to buy nuts as DH's snack and also found a giant bag of raisins for $3.99.
Bought two skirts and two 100% cotton v-necked tees from JCPenney on clearance. The shirts will go with either skirt, so it's like four outfits instead of two. I needed skirts long enough to conceal a knee brace and these do the trick.
I always lose my comments…. Sigh.
1. I walked an hour from 5:30 to 6:30 am to avoid the heat.
2. I plucked my eyebrows outside to avoid paying electricity to accomplish this feat.
3. I cooked dried red beans, made potato salad, squash casserole, and my cooking is done for the week.
I also have fresh tomatoes and watermelon from the farmer’s market.
4. I am reading free books from the library which is such a treat!
5. I have the windows open, the fan on, the air off. Here is to hoping I don’t cave and turn on the air in 93 degree heat bc I loathe our power company.
The repair cafe is my favorite. I love that people help keep items in circulation. And, at least you tried, with the toaster.
1) Hosted dinner with DS19 & friends, which is always a treat. Learned about everyone's summer jobs, gave one advice for an internship and mentioned another job opening for someone who was still looking. Spending time with teens is energizing. They are always polite & fun to be around.
2) Packed for my trip to Greece on Tuesday, and as always, planned to not need a checked bag. This is mostly for logistics, as the flight has two connections (getting to Greece is not for the faint of heart from the west coast of the US). It also saves money. We will plan to do laundry in the middle of our stay.
3) Coordinated with my sister & BFF on toiletries & other items that we can reasonably share & to save space. I'm in charge of the hair straightener, for example, which means we only need one between the three of us. We are seasoned pros together, as we've done a lot of weekend type trips together.
4) Met a friend for a coffee after a workout this morning, and treated her to a fancy iced coffee using a Starbucks gift card I had on hand.
5) We will be eating leftovers & freezer items for dinner tonight, as per our usual. That said, tomorrow is a dinner for 6 for DH's birthday, where we will treat, so we save so that we can also splurge at other times.
I liked in Greece for a couple of years. I would love to see it again. I hope you will report on your adventures there. It's so beautiful and the food is amazing
Will do, Ava! Very much looking forward to the food & the time together, as well as all of the beautiful scenery & people
Lived, not liked
My husband and I went away for a few nights, so while it wasn't all that frugal, there were some things that helped.
1. We took our cooler and food with us for two meals of the day and ate out once a day. We refilled our reusable water bottles in the hotel gym with good filtered water.
2. We visited 2 museums and at one my husband got in free because he is a veteran. Only souvenirs from our trip were 2 lapel pins that I will add to my displayed collection. We went to a movie and were charged the senior price. The clerk didn't ask our ages. We are only mid-50's but I'll take the discount happily. All other entertainment was free: husband rode his bicycle most days on the downtown trails, I looked around several thrift stores but didn't buy anything, and we spent our 32nd anniversary together in the low-key way we both enjoy: touring a small museum, getting takeout for dinner, and walking across the river on the pedestrian bridge and through a little wetland nearby.
3. We used a free ChargePoint charger twice to charge our plug-in hybrid.
4. Non-vacation related: Husband had to go out of town for some training one day a few weeks ago, 130 miles round trip. We get about 58 mph so we actually made a decent amount with the reimbursement they paid him.
5. Our long driveway needs seal coating, as does our neighbors driveway. We got estimates at the same time and the guy we are hiring will do the drives at the same time, so he's giving us a $100 discount each.
Katy, I wish repair cafe ran occasionally in SWFL, but this is an area of “it doesn’t work? Toss it” or people don’t have skills or don’t share. If a local church or two sponsored a repair cafe, I would participate. I have good knives that need sharpening; I have a whetstone and basic idea of how to use it from watching my Dad, but he didn’t teach me. Lost skills are lost knowledge.
Our big grocery stores (Stop & Shop and Big Y in Massachusetts) will sharpen your knives for you for free. I've had it done once (and am long overdue for another round), and they did a good job, You might check to see if your grocery stores offer the same perk.
In the Twin Cities, the Lunds & Byerly's grocery store sharpens knives for free (at their meat counters).
I will check our local grocery stores about knife sharpening. Thanks!
I love repair cafe events!
1. I've scanned a large pile of my kids childhood art work. The kids are adults now and didn't want the pile of art I had kept. I've scanned the ones I love and will make a photo book. It feels really satisfying to do this job and move the pictures to a form that I will look at, and takes much less physical space.
2. Did not travel to a different continent for my MIL's memorial service. We watched on Livestream. This wasn't a financial choice, but it did save us several thousand dollars.
3. Making the most of the water we catch in the house (rinse water at kitchen sink and warm up water from shower. We carry this water out and pour it into a bucket with one hole drilled in the bottom. This provides "drip" irrigation to various food plants and trees. This is the most efficient delivery system we have come up with
4. Did our mid month check through credit/debit card accounts. I've sent emails to chase a couple of refunds we are owed. Tracking our money like this has been powerful.
5. Dh is driving a car load of stuff we've acquired for free for ds's family including 40 used fence boards, base for IKEA kallax unit, 2 paintings, a peg rail, and wire shelving. I love being able to share such abundance!
The repair potluck sounds like a great idea!
1. I got a $3 giftcard from Fetch Rewards
2. Sold a Disney cats picture frame on ebay
3. Made a squash casserole with garden squash
4. Had a salad made all from veggies from my and my mother-in-law's gardens.
5. Saved a bunch of marigold seeds.
Longer version here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/06/14/frugal-five-squash-recipes-please/
Love the repair café. I would enjoy having the dog in my house.
1. Didn’t drive my car for two days.
2. Kids walked
to the park to watch Mary Poppins play for $10 each.
3. $304 worth of groceries for $3.99. Insurance card perks that my adult kids with special needs receive. Basically all real food is covered.
4. Made a big pot of chicken soup using a rotisserie chicken. Everyone can serve themselves lunch when they’re hungry. Try to keep Sunday very low-key.
5. My one son was in a table tennis tournament at the recreation center. No cost, and he is able to walk there from our house. He was literally there from 1130 till 3 o’clock. Gave him a smoothie before he left and he had snacks during the tournament depending on what his blood sugar was. He’s a type one diabetic.
6. Spent five dollars on a bouquet of flowers at the farmers market grown by a young girl and her three-year-old sister. It was actually big enough to make two bouquets at home.
7. Bought Father’s Day card at Trader Joe’s for one dollar each. Cheaper than Dollar General.
1. I had a garage sale Friday and Saturday. I made a few dollars as did everyone who participated. I got rid of a lot of things that were cluttering my house.
2. I packed up the garage sale leftovers and will be donating them. I saved out a few things to give to people who might use them and my daughter made a pile of clothing to take to Plato's closet.
3. We celebrated my youngest daughter's birthday. Her sister made a delicious mocha cake for dessert.
4. My daughter and I ate leftover cake for breakfast.
5. I gifted my girl cash and an estate sale purchased card.
At my work we have a toaster that does not keep the bread in the down position. I fold up a piece of paper towel to keep the lever down. Of course, I have to watch my toast to make sure it does not burn! Maybe this is a common thing to break in a toaster. I've also had mugs break like Katy's did. The handle came off. I have reglued the handles w/ varying success.
1. Husband replaced garbage disposal. It took 3 days w/ him lying on his back underneath the sink. Home Depot wanted $250 to install the disposal. However, it took a lot of time to get this job done on the husband's part. I suppose you have to look at the time & effort involved to see if the job is worth it.
2. Found 26 cents on my evening walk.
3. I put the a/c at 80 degrees as I noticed my electric bill went up a bit.
4. There is a beauty school near my condo. However, the prices are high. I got my haircut at a cheaper place before I left town. I get a simple cut every 3 months so low maintenance.
5. Made bone broth in a small crock pot using a few discarded chicken bones & skins. I need to defat it before I freeze it.
- went for a short car drive to a state park we love for a picnic - chicken salad sandwiches on my husband’s sourdough plus salad, grapes and corn chips. Lovely with the river flowing by and birds singing.
-had $30 credit at a charity thrift store. I was able to get a necklace, earrings and summer dress for free.
-Made a big pot of chicken and rice soup for the next two or three days.
-am working on a free jigsaw puzzle I was given by my sister.
-I wish we had Repair Cafes in my area but, alas, have not heard of them.
1. Saved my basement dehumidifier water to water my outdoor plants with.
2. Said no to ordering takeout or going out for breakfast or lunch last week. Every day, my coworkers order from Starbucks and get takeout for lunch, I am jealous - the force is strong with me (will power) and I do not get anything and bring my own food and snacks A- I simply can’t afford it. However, I do partake of the free soda my employer provides as I am not a Rockefeller lol.
3. My monthly treat is to meet up with friends for brunch and today was the day. I had to call upon the force willpower to say no to ordering a second drink/side order/dessert as I was very tempted. Came home and made a cup of tea and I had cookies instead.
4. The place we were all meeting at for brunch was 15 minutes away and I had to take the freeway - I consciously drove the speed limit to save on gas.
5. I planted a packet of green bean seeds yesterday in my garden. I got the packet free from my libraries free seed library which is very cool. I signed up for my libraries adult reading program last week and I’m very excited. They have some super cool prizes! This is also motivating me to read more and be on my phone less.
I don’t know if it’s true, but someone, somewhere, once told me that microwaving mugs weakens the handle attachment points over time, even if the mug is microwave safe. Ever since, I’ve used a dedicated Pyrex measuring cup for microwaving/reheating coffee, and haven’t lost a handle since. If you don’t microwave the mug, I wonder if a previous owner did?
1) I sorted out and transferred all of my WinCo bulk spices to labeled jars we already have. This is for the excess spices/herbs, as I have smaller containers for the “in-use” herb shelf. Now, maybe, I’ll quit buying excess spices because I think we are out.
2)We bottled some rhubarb wine that was ready for aging, and yeasted a cherry wine must that is now ready for fermenting. The cherries are from our neighbor’s orchard, which we take care of in exchange for the fruit (he’s elderly and no longer preserves the fruit, so he only takes a few bowlful’s for fresh eating each year, and I share back some of the preserves we make).
3) I took home a few ARCs (advanced reader copies of books). They are due to be released for the public the day before my son’s girlfriend’s birthday, and they are by “Romantasy” author’s I know she reads, so I plan to add them to a basket of birthday treats I have been assembling for her.
4) It’s ridiculously hot for NW Washington (85 F!), so I am hiding inside and working on the embroidered rooster clock I am making for my mom’s birthday. Everyone is in town for graduation and the World Cup (I live at the halfway point between Vancouver and Seattle), so it’s easy to stay home and save money right now. I do not like crowds!
5) I made a handmade card for my nephew’s birthday, using supplies on hand. I’ll also include a gift card, of course, because no 13 year old is excited to only receive a card!
Yes. Mug handles often break after microwaving because the various components (ceramics, glazes, etc) expand at different rates and cause stress where the handle meets the body. Also any flaws in the ceramic will eventually give up from the rapid heating and cooling.
Thanks for telling me that I'm not microwave my mugs but I might have done so otherwise.
I wish I had a spot for that lamp!
1. Friend visited and brought pastries, enough to feed a guest the next day.
2. Neighbor came over and brought ... herself! She asked me in advance if I needed anything and I didn't. I had beverages and sweets on hand (see above).
3. Lined the kitchen trash can with a foil-lined Amazon bag that some Buy Nothing items came in. It's the perfect size for our can.
4. Husband borrowed a tree trimmer from work (Christmas tree farm) to cut dead straggly branches.
5. After donating blood, I received two different emails from the Red Cross, one for a $10 gift card and one for a $15 gift card. I didn't want to double dip, so I redeemed the $15 one. If I were a better person, I would have redeemed the $10 one or donated both of them back to the Red Cross.
MB, I disagree with your #5. The gift cards were your reward for donating blood including the time it took you to do it. Just the fact that you donated blood makes you a better person for doing it. Smiley face inserted here.
We live on a wooded lot so tree trimming is a must do. Saved at least $3000 by having the tree service just do the trimming, we'll do the clean-up. Phase one of clean-up was getting the branches off the yard (bonus of exercise). One of the "branches" is large enough to be a tree (yet more exercise). It and other branches will become firewood (even more exercise!).
We've started to clean out/re-organize. While not initially frugal to restock paper goods, in the long run it will.
While 65 if really no longer "retirement age" - corp 'merica needs to get the memo (re: company contribution to cash benefit retirement plan), I hit that age. I will continue to work FT - plan is to drop down to 3-4 days a week. Finding people with my dinosaur skills is not easy. I have a co-workers age 73-77. I'm finding it quite bogus that the company where my pension of 40+ years ago is held can't get me numbers until this fall - thankfully we don't need the $.
Inquiring mind wants to know - besides the potluck, is there any other we-appreciate-you appreciation for the volunteers?
It’s probably just me (dog lover), but I’d be tempted to keep that lamp!
1. Had two books in my Thriftbooks shopping cart. I checked different libraries I have access to and was able to reserve them for free instead of hitting purchase.
2. Hosted friends for dinner last night and served them home made chicken shawarma and broccoli slaw. They provided appetizers and wine. Had a great night. I needed mustard seeds and was able to get some from my neighbor.
3. Used my bike for 4 separate trips last week (I count a trip as home to wherever I'm going and back again). My goal this summer is to get in the habit of using my bike or public transit whenever possible. In a very car-dependent city, this is not my first thought normally.
4. Meal planned for the week and only needed to grocery shop for some fresh produce and dairy.
5. Frugal for others - a parent was looking for a wagon in our Buy Nothing group to borrow to bring her kids to a parade this past weekend. We have one that we don't use often and lent it to her. I'll pick it up today after work.