Five Frugal Things -- Red Cross Gift Cards!
1. I printed my $35 in Fred Meyer (Kroger) gift cards from donating platelets at the American Red Cross. They offer a few hundred corporate gift cards, but aside from IKEA, eBay and Safeway, there really weren't any retail options that matched up with how I spend my money. Mind you, my idea of "spending money" at IKEA is to buy one of their $1.40 veggie hot dogs!
It would nice if they had Costco or Goodwill, but I'm good with Kroger as it's walking distance from the house.
2. I took my Fred Meyer gift cards to the store and picked up the groceries we need for the next week or so, including everything for a baked macaroni and cheese that we're taking to a party over the weekend. I also swiped my card from The Frugal Girl to cover the leftover amount. Thanks, Kristen!
I scored strawberries and avocados from the $1.50 clearance shelf, as well as a two-pound bag of cranberries for 50¢. I'll pop these into the freezer for later use. Cranberry sauce is really just jam and 50¢ for two pounds of fruit that can made into jam is a screaming deal!
3. I quickly sold my Phillies Christmas sweater on eBay for $30, which seems a paltry amount after my $200 sale, but still worth the ten minutes it took me to put the listing together.
4. I sent $126 to our next door neighbors, which is our share for six months of garbage service. We started this practice in 2008 and it's saved each of us thousands of dollars through the years. My household doesn't put out much garbage, so it's an especially good deal for them.
5. I called the Costco corporate offices to thank them for standing up for American consumers regarding their lawsuit against the current administration's tariff policy. I also threw in a extra "Thank you for standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion" since I had them on the line.
The operator suggested that I go to the Costco.com website and scroll all the way down to the bottom right hand corner where it says "Feedback" to share my thoughts. It took me all of maybe five minutes to complete this task and will hopefully help balance out the negative feedback they're undoubtably getting from others.
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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Thanks for the tip about feedback to Costco! I just sent them some kudos too! I'm so glad to be a member of a company that is fighting back against this unbelievable tyranny.
I didn't realize you sold your $200 sweater. That's great!!
Yeah, that was a fun sale!
I just joined Costco due to them standing up to the Trump administration!! And I also used your link to thank them!!
Yay, I'm so happy that people are supporting ethical companies!
I went grocery shopping after acing my final exam for the semester--and, like Q says in the Star Trek episode where he loses his powers and then gets them back, "I felt like celebrating!"
--Specifically I wanted to get some new teas. Happily, there was a sale at Kroger where if you bought 3 or more of an item (and it was mix and match), you'd get 2 dollars off each item. Included in the sale were the Santa Cruz grape juice we always have on weekends, and Tazo green teas. Sold. I got schmancy-pants green and mint teas for half the price. Plus the juice at half price.
--Mandarin oranges were buy 1 bag, get one free plus I had a coupon for some cents off a bag. Done.
--Laundry detergent, the brand we use even, was buy 1 get 1 free, so I scooped those up.
--The produce department had a nice cart full of discounted bananas, so I grabbed the biggest bunch I could find to freeze for smoothies. More than that, I cannot store in my freezer.
--I managed to get through an 8-hour-a-day, four-week course without buying any lunches or snacks. It helped that my son was also taking the course, and I had an accountability buddy for packing lunches and snacks. I think we may have influenced a few of our students, as two of them started to bring their own lunches rather than waste half their lunch hour running out to get food, and another student was curious about what we were eating. To make it simple, I packed the same thing every dang day--homemade salmon burgers, raw veggies, some cheese. On the last day, for a treat, I packed homemade hummus (made from dried chickpeas cooked in the slow cooker) and some yogurts. My son packed salmon burger sandwiches and shared my veggies.
--I lost my name tag before the last day of clinicals, and I was fretting because we have to be in full uniform, plus the name tag is vital when you're new at a facility and working in the memory care unit. I found an old plastic card sleeve that I had put my Covid vaccination card in, printed out a new paper name tag, slipped it in and taped the whole shebang to my scrub shirt name badge loop. Nobody was the wiser, and I didn't have to try to order a new name tag or find one in the stores on short notice.
--Finally using up the mulberries we picked this summer and froze to make a pie for the weekend.
Congratulations to you and your son on completing the semester so successfully (and educating some fellow students about brown-bagging lunches in the process). And your name tag improvisation was brilliant!
My husband and I can quote big chunks of that Star Trek episode. I think your groceries are as fun as Q's mariachi band!
Are my groceries as fun as a poker game that repeats itself over and over?
I guess if you become more efficient and knowledgeable over time, the repeated poker game is a good analogy to grocery shopping.
Only if you see the number 3 repeated in different iterations...
I read that that episode is John deLancie's personal favorite Q episode ever. I agree, it's the best one.
"I have never seen anyone eat TEN chocolate sundaes."
"I'm in a really bad mood. And since I've never eaten before, I should be very hungry."
So clever to make the name name tag that way! I've never made salmon burgers, but now think that I should as I have a piece of leftover salmon from last night's dinner.
Thank you for sharing that Costco link! I just sent them some positive feedback as well and appreciate the nudge.
This makes me so happy!
Thank you for the tip about contacting Costco. I just expressed my support for them as well!
I'm blown away by the deals at your Fred Meyer. My local Kroger affiliate marks down almost nothing.
It's hit or miss, but I'm always going to at least check out the clearance sections!
I also picked up two cans of slightly dented evaporated milk for 87¢ each, which we'll use for the baked macaroni and cheese.
1. Gave away extra boughs on Buy Nothing.
2. Completed a project using some paint left behind when we bought our house.
3. Took advantage of a holiday offer and bought a $100 gift card for ourselves at a local restaurant and received a $20 gift card.
4. Completed November financials. Spent $309 on groceries and $112 on meals out. Together, that's less than we spend on average for groceries each month over a 12-month period.
5. Husband received a $25 e-gift card for donating platelets. We used it on a pick-up order at Target. When he checked in for his appointment, he returned the Red Cross backpack that he had taken a couple months ago that he didn't use after all.
Yeah, I didn't accept that backpack as the quality was low and I knew that I had no need for it, even if it had been a high quality item.
1. I stopped at CVS and signed up for their Extra Care Plus plan. It is $24 for the year and I will receive $10 Extra Bucks every month. I made a note on my calendar to re-evaluate/cancel the plan after I receive/spend my November EBS. I used the December EBs to get 12 ounces of shelled pistachios for $1.98.
2. DH wants me to stop by his office holiday party late afternoon. I'll arrive after parking becomes free and likely eat enough for count as an early dinner.
3. A friend invited me to lunch. She'd thrown leftover turkey breast (from the freezer) into her slow cooker with carrots, potatoes, celery, and mushrooms. It was good and we ate tortilla chips with it. We've been friends for 25 years and keep it real.
4. I am having leftover Chicken Tortilla soup for lunch. It was made with the remnants of boiling a rotisserie chicken plus peppers, onion, rice, black beans, canned tomatoes, and spices. It is one of our favorite soups and inexpensive.
5. I am reading the digital Baltimore Sun through my library account. I use to seek out a cheap subscription but you had to mindful to cancel before the price greatly increased and then find another deal. This is an example of our tax dollars at work.
K D, if I may make a recommendation, you might consider switching to the Baltimore Banner (Balmer's relatively new, all-digital news source) from the Baltimore Sun. The Sun was bought out a couple of years ago by unfriendlies, at which point my old grad school friend who'd worked there for decades took retirement.
So smart to use the library resources that you already funded through your tax dollars!
Long time reader, but it’s (probably) my first time commenting. I bought the Phillies sweater! I saw your last blog post and snatched it up for my Phillies-loving spouse. We’ve really pared down our gift giving, but it fit in my holiday budget and I love that it’s from someone who’s blog I read.
You go, Nora! Happiness all around…buyer, seller, recipient!
Nora, I love this for you and Katy!
What fun to hear from one of Katy's purchasers who is also a blog reader--and welcome to the Commentariat, Nora!
Haha! I love that! Congrats to both of you!
Nice!
Nora, That is so cool! What a small world it is, and a friendly one too!
I love this and wish I'd known before I packed it up so I could add a note or something special. Please know that it's freshly laundered and I hung it to dry overnight.
I started rooting for them a few years ago after my college best friend's son started working for them doing their sports statistics.
Thank you!
Wish I lived closer to a Fred Meyer.
I cleaned out one bay of the shop, found some tools that I will never use, best farm helper took pics and listed, one sold immediately for $50, must do better research from now on.
Made a 1 gallon batch of sauerkraut for Sunday night family dinner.
Picked the rest of the Braeburn apples off the tree for fried apples.
Covered the 2 raised beds with heavy duty shower curtains found new in pkg at garage sales (1.50 for both). Too much rain for the cabbage, kale and broccoli bed is not a good thing.
I had enough to cover the romaine and spinach in the second raised bed.
Made a bucket of kindling out of old rotten cedar fence boards. My contractor friend brings them to me.
He also brings me end chunks from the chop saw.
Today I am quilting! I love this weather! An audio book and my sewing machine, cups of tea...heaven!
Yes, it's certainly cozy indoor weather at the moment!
I know that feeling when you list something on eBay that sells immediately and you realize that you priced it too low!
First, Katy, good for you and Costco in your #5. I don't have a Costco membership myself, since (a) our only local Costco is on the other side of the county, and (b) I don't really need a warehouse club membership as a single woman--but I'm glad to hear that at least one big corporation is standing up to You Know Who.
Now, FFT, It's All in the Timing Edition:
(1) I stopped at my Wegmans yesterday morning, en route to my dentist's office for a cleaning/checkup. I checked the seafood department as usual for packages of the $2.99/lb. salmon scraps, but there weren't any out. Then I saw someone behind the seafood counter prepping and packaging salmon, with at least a few packages of scraps beside her. I asked the seafood cashier for one, and got a nice BIG package. Nom nom nom! (I think I must have been a Kodiak bear in a previous life.)
(2) On my way out of the store, I saw a guy just finishing up putting a large keg of change through the coin machine. I walked very slowly till he was through and had walked away--and then I did a 180 and checked the machine's return slot. $1.13 in change, mixed up with a bunch of pocket lint. "Filthy lucre" rides again!
(3) A lake effect snow squall descended on me between Wegmans and the dentist's office, but they're not that far apart, so I just drove slowly and carefully. And it had stopped by the time I left the office. "Keep calm and carry on" = always frugal.
(4) My dentist found no major issues, and only one minor issue that can wait till my next appointment. Not having major dental work coming up, especially in December and January = definitely frugal.
(5) I bundled up, enjoyed some sauteed salmon scraps, and stayed home for the rest of the day. And I scrambled eggs in the salmon pan this morning. Bring on the omega-3!
Okay, now I need to ask at the seafood counter about "salmon scraps!"
Sometimes the return slots holds foreign coins, which is always interesting.
I'm glad you drove nice and carefully in the snowstorm. Can't have anything bad happen to you!
My local Wegmans (the biggest store in the chain by square footage) regularly puts out salmon scraps, usually Thursdays through Saturdays. I've never seen this anywhere else, but as always, it can't hurt to ask.
And, yes, I do enjoy getting foreign coins in the Coinstar slots. I can use Canadian coins at US face value around here, as I've noted before; I give Euros to friends who travel. But my all-time favorite find was a UK 1947 shilling with King George VI on it--the King who never expected to be King, and who carried on gallantly through WWII with the Queen Mum at his side.
Katy, I have gotten salmon scraps at Uwajimaya on occasion.
From now on when I give our dogs our salmon scraps, I shall think of you! We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to salmon so we share with the dogs. I love salmon but my favorite part is the skins fried crispy (assuming I am not eating dried salmon). I know, rather destroys the point in eating something as healthy as salmon but I don't care.
We got invited to DH's niece's house for Christmas. She is serving smoked salmon! Can't wait!
Skins fried till crispy are my favorite bits in the salmon scraps too, Lindsey. I call these "salmon bacon" and rationalize that they're a lot healthier than regular bacon. (As the Jeff Goldblum character in The Big Chill reminds us, we all need one or two good juicy rationalizations a day.)
And as always, love to you, the husband, Houndini, and Clobber Paws.
@A Marie - not sure about your location but we are only 6 inches of snow from last year's total. We'll get 2-4 inches this weekend. We shoveled twice last Saturday (excluding driveway) and again on Sunday. Then a bit more shoveling on Tuesday. Tis a great workout but tiring on us - especially better half who is 7 years old than I.
Can't speak for your area but the pattern in my neck-of-the-woods is get snow then then a cold snap.
I also got the 4 nickels in the mail from VFW that someone mentioned earlier this week. Into my change container they go. I do not respond to cold calls in the mail from charities.
Bought my mom an asked-for set of flannel sheets. Got 50% off at Lands' End, free shipping, and will get a small amount back from Rakuten.
Sold 3 things on eBay and sent them on their merry way in boxes I reused. I like to message the people with photos of what their boxes look like so they are not wondering why they received a solar hummingbird fountain or order from nuts.com. I also refunded someone when I had overestimated shipping by around $6. I'm not out here to make money off overinflated shipping. Not frugal for me but helps them out. (Side note--I am so happy USPS offers free porch pickup for packages. Our post office is in a place where it's not easy to find parking, not to mention who wants to wait in line this time of year.)
Went to the library for the first time in a very long while. We have a big backlog of books but my husband wanted to read the next in a series and surprisingly our little rural library had it. While there I got the next in a mystery series I've been reading.
I rarely order from Amazon but wanted to support someone I follow on social media who lives across the country and feeds feral cats. My Hilton account is still connected to Amazon so I used $2.27 of rewards credit off my purchase price to send him a couple cases of cat food.
I love that you're letting your eBay buyers to keep an eye out for random seeming packaging! Do you explain it as a eco-friendly practice?
I do! I let them know that I like to reuse boxes and packaging. I started doing this after I used an Amazon box to send something. The buyer contacted me several days after it should have arrived and said she had not received it. I was getting ready to issue a refund when she messaged me to apologize and say she found it. Because it was in an Amazon box and her daughter was ordering everything she wanted for her dorm room at college from Amazon, she thought it was hers and never even looked at the name on it.
DH picked up free 2026 calendars from the garage we take our car to for repairs.
Making more broccoli cheese soup as I still have plenty of ingredients to be used up.
Thawing a free wild turkey breast to throw in the crockpot on Sunday. Will scavenge the cupboards for sides to go with it.
Our hunter friend called last night. 2025-2026 venison on the way! Gave Christmas gifts of 2024-2025 venison burger (12 lbs each) to our 2 pastors' families. Having worked as a church secretary for about 13 years, pastors do a lot behind the scenes and people keep dumping more on them to do, and are not adequately compensated for what they REALLY do. They do a lot more than preach on Sunday and visit the hospitalized and infirmed (many people think those are the only 2 things pastors do). 12 pounds of venison burger each to 2 families of 3 - that will help feed their families for awhile.
I so agree with you about pastors' work, and the work of their spouses.
Those are the kinds of workers I strongly support Forced Vacations for.
And high salaries.
How very kind of you to share your bounty!
1. It's a balmy 19 degrees fahrenheit outside, which means that our apartment is chilly! DH is working from the office which means the only room that needs to be warm is my small office. It's just me, the space heater, and two pairs of socks against the world.
2. Made pulled chicken yesterday and then realized I had all the ingredients to make white chicken chili. Put that on to simmer once the chicken was cooked and made enough for dinner and a few sets of leftovers. My secret ingredient? A pinch of cinnamon and a dash of ginger to round out the cumin and spice 🙂
3. Finished going through all my winter clothes and now have the satisfaction that everything i'm keeping fits well. I hate this process as I get attached to my clothes! Relieved that it's done for the season.
4. Bought a new duvet insert secondhand off Poshmark after years of our old comforter being way too hot. Slept under it last night like a brick. Happy to not have to buy it new. The too-warm comforter has been relegated to the couch, where the cats have not seemed to overheat on it yet.
5. Same old same old - tea at home, water bottle on deck, regular breakfast.
Not only did you save money on your "new" duvet cover, but you also supported a small businessperson! Win-win!
I am on Day Two of my "don't leave home" pledge. It's warmer today, but not warm enough for me.
I wrote out a check for my semi-annual property tax, thus avoiding the fee to pay online with a credit card. I get a senior exemption and freeze on my property tax, as a low-income senior, so it's not too painful, as it is for others.
I am thawing tuna casserole from the freezer, which I will pair with a salad for lunch. I am beginning to see space in the freezer.
I am putting up my Christmas tree in stages. Yesterday I assembled the tree, and today I put on the lights and draped the tree skirt. The skirt is a lovely old quilt that is heavily damaged, but I can hide the bad spots. I almost ordered an extension cord for the lights, but I figured it out with what I had, so no money spent.
I talked with my sister, who is getting ready to move into an apartment in a retirement facility. She is giving away lots of stuff, some of it new. I am too far away to benefit. This is just a cautionary tale -- downsizing can happen unexpectedly. I wish she had been more of a non-consumer advocate. So much money wasted.
I ordered a box of assorted tea for a friend, which I will wrap up with some dainty handkerchiefs I thrifted. The tea was free with points from Amazon.
It's very rainy here today and wish I could not leave the house, but I need to pick up my daughter's boots from the cobbler, who is fixing something he did poorly the first time.
I love that you were able to figure out a solution that didn't require you to buy a new extension cord!
Amy Daczyczn at The Tightwad Gazette used to do a calculation about how much $ an hour you were making from your various tightwad tactics. So, if you spent 10 minutes and earned $30, I believe that'd equal $180 an hour. (My math teacher required that I show my work. So... I figure 10x6= 60 and therefore $30x6=$180. Am I right?) Not too shabby! Don't put yourself down, Katy.Ya done good!
1. Re-used gift bags and bows from Christmases Past to fix up some presents for this Yuletide season.
2. Put holiday cards in neighbors' mailboxes, thus avoiding postage stamps.
3. Threw more blankets on my bed instead of turning up the heat. I was toasty warm all night. Also gave Snuggles some extra bedding. I guess he was toasty warm, too, because he woke me up with his doggy snoring.
4. Instead of baking cookies or fudge, I just got some K-cups from Aldi and took those to the church office as an Advent present for the staff. Chocolate raspberry drink, no less. Not only did it not involve any work on my part (other than plopping it into a gift bag, see #1), but I figure it's cheaper than buying all the ingredients for baking goodies. And they'll get plenty of goodies to eat, this is raspberry flavored hot chocolate to drink!
5. Going through my kitchen cabinet and drawers, closets, and also the "junk drawers," and tossing unneeded/unused items in a box. Will donate them, if not to charities, then to the young people I know who are about to rent their first apartments.
Love an Amy Dacyczyn reference! She's the best!
Now I'm craving hot chocolate.
The store that I'm working at during the holiday rush sells a tin of hot cacao mix for $20!!! And a bag of fancy popcorn for $17!
Great score on the cranberries! I keep watching for them to get marked down at my store after Thanksgiving - I love this recipe with fresh cranberries. Substitute melted unsalted butter for the oil.
https://sarahscucinabella.com/2018/11/09/cranberry-bread-with-buttermilk/#mv-creation-981-jtr
1. Made another ebay sale! Printed posted at home and will drop at the post office when I run another errand nearby.
2. Have 5 more things out on the porch awaiting pickup from marketplace and Buy Nothing.
3. Since the kids are switching rooms my college kid wanted a different desk/workspace. Husband got on marketplace and found the exact ikea desk they were looking at online for 1/3 of the price, and it was closer to home, saving gas.
4. Menu planning from what we already have/what needs to get used up. Tonight is waffles, since I need to use up strawberry sauce leftover from a teacher breakfast I volunteered at my kids school today.
5. The strawberries I used in the sauce were actually leftover from a previous teacher breakfast in October. There was a miscommunication between the person planning the breakfast and the one doing the sign up, so we ended up with 8 pounds of fresh strawberries instead of the 4 pounds we wanted. We had about 5 pounds of whole strawberries leftover, so I brought them home and froze them to use later, ending up with two gallon size ziplocks full.
I defrosted one gallon last night, lightly smashed, added a little sugar, and they were perfect layered with yogurt in parfaits.
I'm always trying to prevent food waste, even when it's not at home!
Thanks for the recipe, I'm already thinking that I should grab a couple more bags!
IKEA products are massively overproduced, so there's really not a single item you can't find on the secondhand market.
1. I bought the 6 items on my list at Costco, and only those 6 items. I also picked up a sheet of the cardboard that is between the bales of toilet paper. I needed it for a project and it's free!
2. Rode my bike to the library, stopping in at our local clean power showroom to ask a question about one of their products, and helped myself to the chocolate offered!
3. Received my check from Wells Fargo that they had failed to send me 3 weeks ago. It gave me some satisfaction that they felt obliged to overnight it to me. I didn't ask for that and I didn't say I was in a rush, but I'm happy to have it in my possession and happy they paid a fair bit to send it to me (not on my dime).
4. We ate leftovers for dinner and went to test drive a car at CarMax, where we each picked up a free cup of coffee and brought it home for my husband to drink the next day (I'm not a coffee drinker).
5. I'm finding that staying out of the stores and off most social media has made me feel much more content with my holiday season. I've been intentional about going to a couple of concerts, making the food treats that I like, and slowing down a bit.
I was inspired by this groups eBay sales and finds and by the overall theme of bundling up rather than turning on the heater.
I keep the heater off if my kids aren’t home but it can get quite cold. I found a pair of sweatpants at the thrift store that are the thickest warmest sweatpants I’ve ever owned, they are wonderful! I wear them all the time at home now so I wanted a second pair. I looked up the brand and they are $50 new! So I went to eBay and found a used pair in my size (and in a different color as a bonus) for $20. Seems like a fine price for something I will get a lot of use out of!
I think I need to know the name of these sweatpants. I'm very cold.
They are Uniqlo HEATTECH Pile Lined Sweatpants
1. Made our grocery list for the rest of the month and confirmed our contribution to a potluck dinner in a few weeks. Continuing to scan store coupons online and Ibotta rebates. Our grocery budget is really feeling the end of the year squeeze so we've been taking stock of our freezer and trying to not buy things we already have.
2. I got an email from my library that a book I ordered arrived. It's cold and supposed to rain off and on today so I'll see if I'm braver tomorrow and will walk if it's warm enough.
3. My youngest has been having issues with nighttime diaper leaks so I've been doing a lot of extra laundry. I emailed Huggies today to see if there might be a reason for this since it's the same type of diaper we normally use. Maybe they'll do a partial refund. Diapers are too expensive for this nonsense.
4. Had leftovers for lunch and a forgotten 1/4 of my youngest's sandwich.
5. My husband submitted his insurance enrollment for 2026 and we'll be drastically changing our coverage. His job covers some expenses at 100% for employees only so we're taking advantage of that and forgoing coverage on almost everything else. After about 20 minutes of phone calls and specific questions about billing for the foreseeable year we were able to make choices that should save us a few thousand dollars over the year. Knock on wood 😉
I also left feedback for Costco. Thank you for the suggestion. I don't think I have five frugal things. Instead I feel like money is flying out the window right now. Tsk, tsk.
It's a cold, rainy day here, so I stayed home and was frugal. Made a one-pot meal that used up some bits of things in the freezer. It came out a bit bland, but the addition of a quarter cup of hickory barbecue sauce perked it right up.
Made some mug rugs -- these are basically double-size quilted coasters with space for a mug and a cookie -- that recycled some fabric. I need two for gifts but made three as the block motif on one came out slightly crooked.
When there was a break in the weather, I took my older dog outside to brush her and trim up her fluff. It's hard for her to stay clean when the ground is muddy.
For entertainment while sewing, I played music CDs on an inexpensive portable disc player plugged into a little Bluetooth speaker. Because the power cord for the disc player looks like so many other cords, I did myself a favor recently and wrote PCD on the plug with a silver Sharpie. This keeps me from accidentally getting rid of it, as happened to the original cord.
I don't know about any of you, but I refuse to spend $ on wrapping paper for ANY occasion. Mom always used newspaper. Good enough for me.
1. I call the earnings I make from blood donation my "Blood Money". Sounds like Katy came into some "Blood Money" too. I think I will get a gas GC w/ mine.
2. I retrieved the last of the pears from a tree in my neighborhood. The homeowner previously said I could have them. I peeled them & put them in the crockpot to stew. The peels went outside for the deer.
3. I had some frozen broccoli that was mushy when I thawed it out. I put it in the blender w/ milk & pureed it. Then I added a can of broccoli cheese soup. It tasted good on a cold night. The added broccoli improved the taste.
4. I curb picked a small vintage looking picture. I replaced the brown paper on the back using a paper grocery sack & glue. I cleaned & touched up the frame. I am going to give it to my sister for Xmas. I think it will look good in her kitchen.
5. I returned a few things to the Habitat store that did not work for me. I got a store credit which I am sure I will use. I also donate things to them from time to time.
1) Met with an advisor about setting up a DAF (Donor Advised Fund) today, so we can maximize our charitable giving before some changes that take place due to the new tax bill. It's on my bucket list to fund a scholarship at the high school my teens went to.
2) Dragged two hamburger patties (previously grilled by DH) out of the freezer and the plan was for cheeseburger salads, which is a slightly fancier way of saying burger patties on top of a salad. DS19's work shift was cancelled, so he's now joining. Went back to the freezer & found a solo grilled patty & buns, because DS19 eats carbs & we largely don't. I will cobble together a dinner for everyone, despite the zero energy I feel like bringing to this task.
3) I attended a work event at the office on Wednesday & Thursday & they were going to throw away individual Chobani yogurts (they had been kept on ice all day). I took six home with me, which is the max we could eat before they would expire. I encouraged my team mates to also take some & avoid food waste.
4) Reminded DS19 to pick up his check (and, switch to direct deposit) & he was thrilled to see that he'd earned almost $1k. He's working part time while in college, so this is big money & will help him with some upcoming expenses, as well as "Christmas gifts & dates" as he puts it.
5) Ate leftovers for lunch. Breakfast was the free Chobani yogurt. I had pomegranate seeds with both, which frankly, really dial up any meal.
1. I worked my part-time seasonal job at a gift store. In the late afternoon, I was dragging, and right at the register they sell chocolate and caramels. I was tempted to blow $0.80 (after employee discount!) on a sweet treat, but resisted (going to work to make money, not spend money).
2. To make up for that, I stopped by Stop & Shop (on the way home) and picked up the free 6-pack of "gourmet" cookies that they sent out to lure me into the store. I'll bring a cookie to work tomorrow. (The cookies are regularly $5.99).
3. I had planned to stop by Stop & Shop anyway, as they sell seltzer cheaper than my beloved Market Basket. Unfortunately, they only had one flavor in 2-liter bottles, and not my favorite flavor, but I got it anyway, as it was the only one available for $1.00.
4. Didn't want to cook dinner, but my current self thanked my past self, when I made 6 meals' worth of homemade gyoza and froze them (made with free ground pork, Chinese cabbage, and mushrooms from mystery shop and free CSA box). They have become our Friday night meal during the holiday rush season. I used a frozen lime cube as an ingredient for the dipping sauce, which I made when I was able to find a big bag of limes from the dented vegetable rack.
5. There were 2 leftover CSA boxes that folks didn't pick up by the time we closed the store yesterday. I went through those and ours, and took the 3 pints of shiitake mushrooms and jars of local honey, and gave away the produce that we wouldn't use to neighbors. Sauteed all of the mushrooms and froze them & I'll use them for Christmas Eve dinner, which will be beef stew for 25 people.
Great deal on cranberries! I've been making cranberry sauce smoothies! So good! Good in oatmeal too or to top waffles.
https://practicalwalk.com/2025/12/03/crazy-for-cranberries/
(Gloomily) nothing, for a whole month. My dear spouse loves to travel more than anything and since DS is getting older and needs companionship while traveling, I come with. I try to be a very good sport, as this is an act of love towards DS, but it's certainly a high-consumption activity.
Thanks for the suggestion, Katy, I left a positive comment on Costco’s website.
I am sorry about the loss of your father.
I appreciate your blog so much. You are an inspiration to me!