Five Frugal Things -- Philippe Starck & Diet Shasta Cola
1) I did a big Winco grocery shop, which I do about every other week. Everything on my island here was $80.62, which isn't too bad. Especially since the $6.20 yogurts and $6.55 bulk gluten-free flour are on the higher end of things.
I got one dollar cash back so I could grab a 50¢ Shasta brand diet cola from the machine by the exit. Yes, it's disgusting, but in the very best way.
2) My Winco is just a few blocks away from a Goodwill, so I often pair the two outings. I scanned through all the non-clothing aisles, but brought home just one item. This $1.99 Philippe Starck "citrus squeezer." It stood out as decidedly different, so I ran it through Google Lens to discover what it was.
Sadly, it's not the 12-inch one that sells on eBay for $90, but I put a quick listing together -- asking $50.
The Philippe Starck website describes it as:
"The most controversial lemon-squeezer of the twentieth century, is a topic of conversation as much as a revealer of ourselves and of our imagination."
Click HERE to see my listing.
This is an eBay listing for the larger version from a few days ago.
The purchase used up the very last 95¢ on my $100 gift card, which meant I had to dig though my wallet for the remaining $1.04.
I still have the unsold framed David Hockney print that I thrifted for $9.99 back in December. I've bonded with it at this point and am thinking that I should keep it and add an additional $9.99 back into the challenge. Because I make the rules and am not ready to stop this fun experiment.
The print looks good in our spare bedroom, so I guess she's a keeper.
3) Our daughter did her taxes at the house last night and I'll drop her state return at the post office instead of paying to e-file with the state. She was able to use TurboTax for free as she met the income requirements.
Poorly paying jobs are not a frugal win.
4) I continue to enjoy fancy oatmeal buffet breakfasts, even though my houseguests have returned to the east coast. Everything here is from the Winco bulk bins, which makes it extra satisfying!
5) I found a penny and two receipts at Winco. The coin went into the Found Change Challenge jar and the receipts got scanned into my Fetch app.
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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Keep the Hockney, it's lovely! And just from the little glimpses you share inside your house, I can tell it fits in beautifully.
I accepted an offer for a Beatles CD on eBay, so I'll be wrapping it up and mailing it this morning. I'm relieved that I sold something so easy to ship.
I'm having lunch with my ex today to discuss our son's upcoming visit. He is the one out in Oregon, who was let go by Amazon, and is looking for work. He is going to explore what opportunities there are here in Chicagoland, but mostly he just needs a break from the pressure. (Ex has funded this trip; son is not using his family's resources.) I expect we will discuss how to share his time, and how to help. I also expect that my ex will pay for my lunch.
I found some hair product in my supplies that someone gave me, and I neglected to use. It is a smoother, an anti-frizz product to apply and leave in after shampooing. I tried it yesterday, and I like it, so that's a win.
I checked out three more books from the library.
I went to the bank and "bought" quarters for laundry. I got an aggressive pitch from the teller to get a bonus by moving new money into my account. I don't really have other buckets of money, other than my retirement fund, which I won't be touching. Kind of annoying. The other day I called my medical insurer and had to listen to a pitch for a medical alert service before someone would answer my question. What happened to just plain service, without sales? Rhetorical question.
Today is payday. I might go to Goodwill to scout out potential eBay items.
You getting through the storms of yesterday/today? Hopefully just some rain Thursday through Saturday - minus the hail, straight line winds, and rotations/tornadoes.
And yes, so annoying to call ComEd and listen to their spiel about using their website DESPITE the power being off.
I have reached a point of outrage with the ads and sales EVERYWHERE you go. Especially when I'm ALREADY SPENDING MONEY AT YOUR ESTABLISHMENT AT THIS VERY MOMENT!!!!! (That is specifically for the circle k gas station that took away the mute button on the ad TV at the pump)
Shasta was my go-to in college and my first job afterward because I put myself through school and had to pinch pennies until Lincoln screamed.
Have not had a frugal couple of weeks as the cat joined the Gold Plated Pet club here, which is how we refer to their status when vet bills hit a certain level. However, she is almost back in tip-top shape and our wonderful vet did give us a $120 senior citizen discount. We also had to change her food and Chewy had a good discount on that.
The grocery store green onions I resuscitated after being forgotten in the produce drawer and then planted in a big pot outside are thriving and putting up new shoots. Not bad for a 99 cent investment.
Katy, out of curiosity what is the count of your Tetley tea package? I googled the UPC from the receipt and it is showing me it is an 80-count. If so - yikes that's expensive! Just last week I bought a 216-count Tetley for roughly the same price ($8.97 CAD which is $6.51 USD).
replying to myself...oops I see that price is for two boxes!
I've been sick up until today which was not pleasant but it certainly was frugal. Work, eat, sleep, play with the cat, rinse and repeat. No trips to Safeway, no fast food, no Michael's runs!!
I loved Shasta when I was growing up, it was one of the few sodas my grandmother would buy (she was one of those people who would squeeze a nickel til the buffalo danced LOL!!
That citrus squeezer is crazy looking. It kind of gives me the creeps. I'll definitely keep an eye out for selling. I agree with Beth W that the Hockney will look great in your house.
1. I was without power during the night and my poor dog kept me up with the intense thunderstorms we had. Poor girl. Power came back on right after I made my coffee with the water still in my pipes and lighting my gas stove to heat it. No take out coffee for me but I was very happy for the caffeine because I am very tired.
2. I have an appointment this afternoon for a free oil change and service that came with my car when I bought it.
3. I plan to do a little thrifting in the town where my appointment is and afterwards I will stop at the large market that they have and pick up some produce and a few bulk items.
4. I also plan to indulge in the free sodas and snacks at the stealership.
5. I'm reading a library book on my Kindle.
Also, I know you don't have an Aldi, Katy where you are but their Diet Cola is really good. It's $4.50 for a twelve pack so unless their is a good sale on the really thing, that is what I have been buying.
Our family agrees! Their Coke Zero equivalent is the same taste!
That juice squeezer looks like a long-legged chrome insect from outer space!
1. Went to Spectrum and had them fix the little bitty SIM card I could not install. Clerk says lots of manufacturers are no long using SIM cards bc they are so fragile. Now I know why the phone was so cheap! The fix was free so now I can use the phone to make calls, not just to post FG and NCA comments. And play Wordle. (Solved it in 3 tries this morning!)
2. Used my senior discount at Goodwill yesterday and bought a hardback book.
3. My Woman's World subscription has expired. Will not renew it as I no longer substitute teach. I miss their crossword puzzles the most .
4. But I discovered that Boatload crosswords can be played on cell phones! And they're free! Worthy replacement for no. 3.
5. Did not trigger a worldwide recession via wars and tariffs.
I also went to Winco yesterday. On the way, I’d planned to drop by 7-11 with my Big Gulp cup to get a $1.29 refill of Diet Coke, but instead, I filled the cup with ice and bought (YOU GUESSED IT) a diet Shasta Cola on the way out of Winco. I poured it in my cup to drink on the ride home. 79 cents saved!
Tonight’s dinner will be a Winco bulk bins concoction. Very frugal.
I’m eating mostly vegetarian food because I don’t like the meat in this town. Vegetarian food is frugal!
I’ve had good luck at the nearest Goodwill in the past, and I attributed that to the fact that it’s not in Portland, where everyone has a reselling side hustle, but I’ve found nothing tempting lately. I suppose this is a frugal win.
The Hockney poster must look nice with your new bedspreads. It’s meant to be!
$231 dollar grocery cost 0 dollars using healthy food benefit on insurance card.
Pulled together left over meal from bits in the fridge that fed four of us.
Daughter had cooking class and ate what she cooked. It was for people with Down syndrome and she liked it so much she is going to make it for her boyfriend.
Great weather to work in yard cutting back very tall ornamental grasses. Didn’t pay someone to do it.
Happily driving my 18 year old Toyota and exercising for free.
Forgot to add this one. Went to favorite thrift store and all tops were $1. Yes to Ralph Lauren, Loft, and other brand names. 9 tops for me and 3 for my daughter. All proceeds go to 2 animal rescue places.
I just noticed the Hockney print goes with the colors in your room. IMHO it's a keeper.
1. Attended my final weekly Zoom session on thriving and happiness offered by my Medicare Advantage Plan. Program ran for eight weeks. Enjoyed the class but I'm still peeved about many things!
2. Made fried rice with leftover rice, leftover sauteed mushrooms, frozen peas, eggs, tamari and sesame oil. Frugal, fast and yummy.
3. Accountant finished our taxes (personal and business). We broke close to even between what we owe (to federal and state) and what we will receive later this year for our state property tax refund.
4. Started my free fitness classes at the community center that is 5 miles from our house. If my math is correct, gas would be about $2 per week, so still thrifty.
5. Ordered a salad at a restaurant and brought half of it home in my trusty stainless container.
I would keep the print also!!!
1. I walked 25 minutes before work so that means I only have to walk 35 minutes before tonight in my neighborhood. I call that a win bc it is HOT for April… 88 degrees!
2. I still have my air off because it cools down significantly at night and the house does not heat up enough during the day for me to turn on the air. I generally don’t do air anyway until the outside temp is over 90 degrees.
3. I just came home early from work and ate a large leftover lunch of potatoes, turnip greens, greens onions from my little front yard garden, a bite or two of leftover chicken, and mac and cheese. I seriously doubt I will be hungry for supper. If so, I have plenty of bits and bobs to eat.
4. I don’t usually keep fresh milk so I prepared the mac and cheese with runny plain yogurt with a bit of water and it was great! I keep plain yogurt to use in place of milk, use in place of sour cream, etc.
5. I have some spring cleaning I want to do today while I have time. A clean house is a calm house….well as calm as it can be when you have two large dogs… lol.
I hope to sit outside and watch the sunset because I pay taxes on this joint called home and wish to enjoy it!!
We keep dollar tree milk on hand. It’s shelf stable, a quart size and my son really likes the taste. Helpful for baking, etc. Not the cheapest if you drink a lot of milk but cheaper than running to get a small fresh container of milk.
I do this too. I used to keep a box of powdered milk for recipes that won't work with almond milk, but lately the powdered milk does not mix up well. Dollar Tree shelf stable milk works great for cooking.
Could you do a post sometime about how you utilize the Fetch app? Specifically, how are you using your Fetch points that accrue from the scanned receipts? I signed up for it and am still on the learning curve of how best to use it!
When I first saw the juicer, I expected it to start walking.
I had to cancel my dishwasher install as a friendly neighbor found himself stranded 30 miles from home. I have a flatbed trailer, so we brought his SUV to our community center to put it on the scanner to figure out the problem. There's always retired tinkers drinking coffee and sitting around the wood stove, at the ready with helpful opinions and ideas.
Sold some wooden crates left from the hoarder rental house.
The green color in the leaves and stems of the David Hockney print match the wall color in that spare room so well. I love that color green...so soothing and restful.
1. I hung out two loads of laundry on my umbrella clothesline today, one being our sheets and pillowcases so sleeping tonight should be sweet. Nothing like sheets hung in the fresh air.
2. I made my first pitcher of homemade iced tea of the season. It's time since it hit 80 degrees here in Massachusetts yesterday and today.
3. DH found a dime while out walking. Straight into the found change jar it went. We haven't found any paper money yet this year to bulk up the jar's contents but we still have over eight months left.
4. Took out some of my summer clothes to wear during our little heat spell and found a shirt I like I had forgotten about. Somehow it feels like buying a new item of clothing.
5. I didn't say Pope Leo has to brush up on theology.
Katy, I don’t know if you’ve tried it or not, but I get the Kroger box of British Blend tea. It’s 2.79 and I get it on Senior day with another 10% off. It’s my go-to black tea. However, sometimes, the brand name is just better and worth the extra cost!
Does your WinCo have pretzels in the bulk section? Ours does and I'm sure they're the same as the WinCo brand bagged pretzels, BUT I SWEAR, they taste better from the bulk bins! And they're cheaper in our bins per ounce than the pre-bagged version. Crazy lady rant over haha
1. I finally got to the top of the line for The Book Club for Troublesome Women and have been listening the last couple of days. I got the recommendation here from someone probably a few months ago and am loving it!
2. I scared the shit out of a worker who arrived 25 minutes early to my house and expected the door to be open and the house to be empty. I'd say it scared the shit out of me too, but I'm a lady, so naturally it scared the piss out of me and I took a walk to the library.
3. I made it to day 285 on Duolingo while sitting at the library! I hate the owl and live to spite him so this makes me feel somewhat accomplished.
4. A couple is arguing about a horrifically tangled mass of social issues at a rather high volume in the library, with a lot of very incorrect points, and I'm holding my tongue because bail money isn't cheap and going to jail is not frugal.
5. My husband is taking advantage of our discounted ScienceWorks passes and took the kids to give me a chance to clean the house.
Also, if anyone is in the Grants Pass area on Saturday, there's a $2 clothing sale at the Evergreen Bear Hotel from 9-2 benefiting the Women's Crisis Support Team. It's a great cause and can have some very good finds if you make it!
I wondered what the strange chrome object was. I'd never have guessed it was a pricey lemon squeezer. I recently bought a plastic lemon squeezer at the thrift store. The painted ones don't last as the citrus juice causes the paint to come off. Maybe the stainless steel lasts longer too. I noticed the Welches grape jelly drinking glasses in an earlier post. I remembered them from my childhood.
1. I found a nickel and a penny while walking. I'll add these to my change challenge.
2. I found 6 new golf shirts and 3 navy hooded pullovers in a box on the curb. These were new w/ tags attached. I took one for myself & removed the logo using a seam ripper. The price tag on it was $160.00. It was a Greyson brand of which I have not heard of. It is a blue nylon or poly knit 1/2 zip pullover. It will go w/many things. I will take the rest to the thrift store so that they can sell them.
3. Husband & I are going to a movie on 1/2 price Wednesday. AMC used to have 1/2 price in Tuesday but have extended it to Tuesday & Wednesday.
4. The facility where I go w/ my students has a coffee machine that dispenses coffee drinks like cappuccino, vanilla lattes, and the like. I don't like hot coffee but I make a hot coffee to take home. In the AM I use the chilled drink to make an iced coffee. The machine is free to use so that is nice. There is also a soft drink machine that we can use to get a free Coca-Cola product.
5. Used GasBuddy to find gasoline at a good price. I paid $3.49 per gallon. A tank lasts me around 10 days.
DH's niece (his DS's DD) had surgery today to remove a growth from her neck. Since her GF has to care for our niece, our BIL (niece's 90-y.o. dad), and 4 dogs, she will have her work cut out for her. I summoned the refrigerator gods and, between bus runs, made a huge pot of PA Dutch style chicken pot pie for their dinner tonight (and tomorrow).
Hit 90° in our area of PA today. HAZY, HOT, AND HHUUMMIIDD!!! Too hot to eat IMHO. DH wanted supper, so he got beef stroganoff left over from last night.
DN (nephew) and family (DW & 2 DD's) coming for dinner Saturday night. We ordered a Little Caesar's Pizza Kit from the girls (4H fundraiser). They're bringing our kit to us, so saving us gas money. Grilling burgers. Have to make broccoli salad and macaroni salad on Friday night; and DN's DW is bringing dessert.
My friend, DBD #55's (Dear Bus Driver - bus #55) grandkids sold hoagies for their 4H fundraiser. Bought one for each of us. That's Friday night's dinner. We support our nieces' and our friend's grandkids once a year. (I'd rather support the 4H, and not buy the nasty, stale Boy Scout popcorn from DBD #55's grandkids.) DBD #55 will be delivering them during her AM bus run (she picks up the neighbor kid), and DH will meet DBD #55 at the bus stop to get them.
FOUND: My Staples Rewards card. Now, I can take a stack of ink cartridges to be recycled (and get something out of it)!
Would you consider taking $100 from the sale proceeds to fund another Food Bank resale challenge? I'm not ready for it to be over!
1. I helped my cousin who is a veteran get access to the Department of Defense library to use Libby. You can find directions via http://www.Everydayreading.com at the bottom.of the long list under Active Duty, Families & Veterans.
I had a free dental appointment (dentist is family) and rode with 2 family members to save gas and did not stop at any drive thrus.
The post on http://www.Everydayreading.com is in how to get a non resident library card in my previous post.
We had frugal date night last night!
1. DH had a perk through a local company that was going to expire that we spent on very good noodles.
2. Went to a movie through DH's movie pass, which he uses frequently. My ticket was free through it as well.
3. Took the train there and back.
4. Felt peckish after the movie but waited until we got home to snack instead of getting something along the way.
5. Started a "free pile" box and have been adding to it over the past month. It's a weird mix of kitchen utensils and odds and ends. But I finally put it outside and am happy to see clear space where the clutter was. Hoping all my little items find good homes!
That juicer is cool, reminds me of the villain's ship at the beginning of Men in Black 2.
1. Made a pan of croutons to use up some bread heels
2. Since the oven was preheated I mixed up a boxed cake mix and put it in when the croutons were done
3. Have 2 loads of laundry drying on the line
4. Sold our old TV on Marketplace. It's been listed for months, so I was happy to get it out of here.
5. Listed some smaller things on ebay that haven't been moving on Marketplace.
1. I went to a funeral this morning, my best friends sister. I picked up her son in law on the way to the church because he had a zoom meeting he couldn't get out of. He would have had to uber otherwise. I wore a dress and shoes that I already owned. I gave a card that I had gotten at the thrift store for 12 for $1. I made a donation instead of getting flowers. They have a ton of medical bills.
2. A friend came in my car with me to the cemetery. It was nice to get to talk. It saved her gas.
3. I went to the mall on the way home. I had a coupon for a free item at Bath and Body works. I then went to Aldi for bananas, soy milk, bread and juice. Aldi is right near the mall. I grabbed body wash for my son and dropped it at his apartment on the way home. It will save him a trip to the store.
4. I got a prescription delivered for free. It wasn't something I needed immediately.
5. I had free lunch 2 days so far this week.