Five Frugal Things -- Relaxed Conversation & a Bit of a Gossip
1) I quickly flipped my curb picked Ikea chair through Facebook Marketplace for twenty bucks. It's great to make da' big money, but these $20-$30 sales are a quick thrill. I'll never turn that down!
Keep in mind that the garage sale vendor had it priced at just $2 before they slapped a "FREE" sticker on it!
There was zero research involved, as the model information was on the bottom of the chair. Couldn't have been easier.
As always, I simply set the chair out on my covered front porch for the buyer to pick up at her convenience. She paid through Venmo and the transaction took almost no time from my day.
2) My husband and I spent another couple hours working on his late parents' storage unit. Today we removed and delivered a number of slightly busted pieces of antique furniture to a high school woodworking student that we connected with through Buy Nothing.
He and his friends have a side hustle of restoring furniture.
We're both so very happy to have found someone who'll rescue these neglected pieces.
We think tomorrow will our last day to work on the storage unit. Our plan is to disassemble the shelving units, take a few more furniture items to the Habitat ReStore and do one last dump run. My brother-in-law will come by over the weekend for the desk/shelf/thingy on the right and this task will finally be completed.
Goodbye, $137 monthly storage unit fee!
This was our beginning point.
3) My husband decided that he'd rather barbecue at home instead of hitting a restaurant on Father's Day. I felt bad that he'd be doing the work, but he was insistent that his ideal Father's Day was spent at home with family.
Someone gave him a Blackstone outdoor griddle a couple years ago and this gave him the opportunity to put it to good use.
4) I texted some of my neighbors inviting them to join me in the backyard for an after-dinner get together. Only two households were available, but that made for a cozy and enjoyable gathering. Perfect for relaxed conversation and a bit of a gossip session.
Everyone brought their own beverage, so it cost $0.00 to play hostess. Small efforts like this strengthen communities and are straight up enjoyable.
We've put a lot of work into making the backyard an enjoyable space through the years, so it's good to make sure we take full advantage of it.
This was our starting point.
5) Neighbors walking through my side yard to access the backyard prompted me to prune back the plants that were encroaching the path. Specifically my monstrous rosemary bush. I hate for it to go to waste, so I tied up a bundle and put it on the curb for passersby. Next time I looked it was gone, off on its merry way for some lucky Portlander.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
I hope you kept what looks like an Earth Machine compost bin. I paid $35 almost 35 years ago. A new one costs $195 (plus shipping which I suspect is not cheap).
We did not, as having having a compost bin was attracting rats. We did pass it along to someone else though.
Ironically that is what our (now former) neighbor said when we moved here - re: rats. We found evidence the people (meaning the husband!) from whom we purchased our house was burying garbage versus paying for pick-up. We've never had a rodent or raccoon issue with ours. YMMV I guess.
Our son and daughter in law hosted Father’s Day barbecue. I contributed 6 ears of corn fresh from the farm stand. Nice break from cooking
I have Amazon gift cards I am hoarding for real needs this summer
I’ve returned more packages to
Amazon in the last month
Moving at a snails pace are my online sales
Wowser to the backyard transformation! And what a cool thing to connect with a woodworking student for the neglected furniture. Kudos on the storage unit clear-out! Actually, all five of your things deserve extra applause.
My life continues to be limited during my recuperation but is slowing opening up.
1. Had more visitors last week. Enjoyed the company and all of the food and flowers that they brought. I will miss all this special treatment after I'm healed!
2. Added a bit of water to the leftover ketchup in the bottle, shook it up and squirted it into a small mason jar of navy beans. Added just enough subtle flavor.
3. Sister gave us the leftover sesame lime dressing from her restaurant salad. We used this up in rice-tofu-veggie bowls.
4. Using the recumbent bike at the community center for one of my P.T. exercises. I have a free membership through my Medicare Advantage Plan. Can't drive yet so my husband or sister drives me there. It's close to our house.
5. Husband and I went out to eat for the first time in two+ months. Enjoyed an early dinner at a local restaurant and then stopped for ice cream at a local stand. A $50 date. This was on Father's Day, and my husband received a gift from the restaurant: a retractable measuring tape that is nicer than the one we own. He's a dog dad. Paid for the meal in cash after learning there was a fee for using the credit card.
What a fun idea! Even better at a zero dollar price tag!
1. Our oldest was itching for a walk today so my wonderful husband took the kids for a walk to see a castle about 20 minutes away from us. They had a great time looking at the outside for free! There is a tour that can be taken inside but they wanted to wait until next time so I wouldn't miss out.
2. Lunch was a mish-mash of leftovers followed by an "upcycled" dinner reusing rice from two different nights to make fried rice.
3. Despite my hint about possible adventure coffee while my husband and girls were out for their walk we both made coffee at the Airbnb. Zero dollars spent today means more for later.
4. The kids were getting squirrelly after dinner but before bath time, aka when the grownups finally get to eat, so we brought out some crayons and $0.10 wide rule spiral notebooks from 10-12 years ago that I bought in a stack of about 8-10 because I *obviously needed them*. I gave away several a year or two ago and kept the rest that were unused. Now they make excellent freeform coloring books for the kids.
5. My husband has an interview later this week *fingers crossed* and it would move our family to a different state. I've done some investigating into the rental market in and around the potential new job location to see if there are any good deals to be had. Being prepared is frugal! We're still on vacation for a while but if an offer comes we want to be able to schedule some virtual tours.
1. My partner and I did 2 mystery shops at 2 grocery stores, where we netted $20 in free food and enough payout to cover $30 worth of Vietnamese food that we got for lunch & dinner.
2. Doing another mystery shop (this time delivered groceries) that pays for $50 in free food (but a bit expensive since is it.... Whole Foods!).
3. I was able to attend a work meeting online, which saved $$ in gas as I didn't have to go on campus today.
4. It finally rained in greater Boston, which means that mother nature has watered the gardens and it is cool enough not to use the AC.
5. Last night we were feeling lazy, and neither of us could rally to cook dinner. We did have a frozen pizza in the freezer, but our oven isn't working, so I cooked it on the stovetop with a hack (which was fine, but not great). This both fed us and kept us from ordering take-out.
Plus all of the regular stuff that most/all of us do, including drinking coffee at home, wearing old-ish, hand-me-over clothes, etc. etc.
Minivan tetris! Bravo on finding the furniture flippers.
I bought an Ethan Allen China hutch for $25. I am stripping it and it will live in my sewing room. I changed out the light for a led strip light and it is so cheerful. I find hutches to be so practical. Drawers for stuff and glassed in display for books and stuff that doesn't need weekly dusting...ahem, dirt road farmer.
I planted my rooted dappled willow cuttings in a decorative pot on the back porch in my girly pink flower zone. So happy!
New neighbor asked if I would sew curtains for her kitchen...so I lent her a sewing machine. I took her to a local thrift store for fabric, didn't find what she wanted, so I called a friend's father who used to have an upholstery shop, he had what she wanted at $5/yd.
It is breezy today, so taking advantage of hotter weather to line dry this week's laundry.
Picked a quart of blueberries for the freezer.
I agree about a hutch being good for storage. There's a lot of space in those things. I have my grandmother's old hutch from circa 1970. A couple of the base footings were unstable and my stepson kindly repaired them for me. I keep a lot of items I use for entertaining in it plus some treasures that belonged to my parents and grandparents. Will my kids and grandkids want them? Probably not but I use them so here they stay.
Interesting you are picking blueberries already. The MI berries we order will arrive in about a month. So interesting reading about different growing zones.
What a beautiful yard! I'm so glad that you are nearing the end of managing your in-laws things. It's wonderful that you managed to donate and recycle so many things.
I walked over to my grandson's this morning and picked up my car, then stacked errands in the next few hours -- Aldi, library, gas station, bank -- then returned the car so GS can go to work. I did about an hour and a half of walking all told.
It was a small shopping trip at Aldi -- bread, granola, oatmeal cookies, chocolate syrup, crackers -- the essentials, you know. I wanted to get yogurt, too, but they didn't have the kind I wanted. $14 -- I think that's what I spent the last time I went!
I found two receipts, but they were both too old to scan.
I ordered a birthday gift for my DIL -- I do get gifts from her Amazon list, because she is very hard to please and it's just better that way. Anyway, I thought I'd better check that I had the right date, and found out that I've lost my birthday list! This is upsetting, though I do know most of the family birthdays by heart. I've had that little booklet since I was young and I hate to think it's gone. Old age -- it's a challenge, to say the least. So my next project is to recreate that list.
I did have $16 worth of credit toward the gift, so that was good.
I cancelled a dentist appointment because of confusion in the office about whether my new insurance will be accepted there. I may end up going to a different dentist, not because of him, but because the staff is so disorganized. Not worth it.
Don't give up on finding your birthday list. It is highly likely it is somewhere in your "abode". I knew my mom-is-dead folder was in my office. And it was but not contained in the "holder" I thought.
Frugal fail: forgot to salt a gallon of milk. This retards the spoiling. Sure enough, it went sour. Mr. Snuggly Wuggly Dog got himself a bowl full of ice cold sour milk that he lapped up like it was ice cream. His tail was wagging, at least.
Went to Aldi and got a gallon of milk. Its price went up to $3.09 but that is still 2 bucks cheaper than our store. Took it home right away and put it in the fridge but not before I added some grains of salt!
Went in to our store and bought supplies for upcoming block party. Got two 24-bottle cases of "Roxane" brand bottled water for $1.99-- yes, full size bottles, our loss leader. I have a third case at home already, which I'll also contribute.
Also bought 2 jars of our "Best Yet" store brand hamburger pickles. They were already sliced up for the hamburgers and were each 24 oz. for $3.04.
Also grabbed two 10 ounce bags of " Late July" brand organic tortilla chips for $2.99 each. IMHO they taste better than Doritos.
In preparation for my upcoming dental surgery, I got myself some packages of popsicles for 88 cents each; the oral surgeon said to have cold things to eat the first day post op.
Air dried big load of towels. Have many drying racks all bought at garage sales and Goodwill for under $5. Mother Nature supplied us with free hot air!
I am trying salting my half gallon of milk. It has a longer best by date, but milk in SWFL doesn’t last long.
1. I've listed a few things on fb marketplace and ebay. I sold an item on fb marketplace yesterday.
2. We finally received the check that we were owed from insurance. One call off of my list is very nice.
3. I'm thankful that I have friends who support us in our single car lifestyle. I'm without a car for the second week and my walking friend picked me up this morning. Usually I meet her at the lake. We save thousands by having one car.
4. I bought a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream for dh for father's day. It was on sale at Safeway. I rode my bike to get it.
We are a one car family too. It saves us so much money. We started doing this when we both worked the same hours at the Post Office and noticed one of our two cars was always sitting in the driveway, unused. So we went to one vehicle and have never looked back.
I love your backyard!! We keep working on ours, as I view it as our second living room.
I also love that the furniture will be restored! And hopefully enjoyed for years to come. I might sound like an old geezer, but I'm gonna say it: "They don't build things like they used to!"
First, Katy, hearty congrats on your #2, and especially on finding the young furniture restorers. I wish we were anywhere near saying "Mission accomplished" on NDN1's house--but whenever anyone asks, I say, "Check back this time next year." 🙁
Now, FFT, Low Energy Edition:
(1) To be honest, the whole NDN1 project has turned into a giant energy suck (something I'm sure Katy can understand, the main difference being that I signed up for this voluntarily and have only myself to blame). But in Biblical terms, I've put my hand to the plow, and I won't look back. And thank goodness I have CF to help, especially with the things that baffle me. We have an appointment with her financial guy tomorrow afternoon, to see what help he can give us with consolidating NDN1's gazillion little savings and investment accounts.
(2) Although the Central NY weather has had its ups and downs, we've gotten a good enough mix of sun and rain that my gardens are full, lush, and green. I've already been harvesting thyme and oregano for drying, and will start doing the same with dill tomorrow. (I never bother planting dill; it re-seeds itself exuberantly every year.)
(3) And because the dill is coming in, and because I'm hoping to find pickling cukes at the Regional Market this coming Saturday, refrigerator dill pickle season is about to begin. The line is already forming on the right. 🙂
(4) To use up a family pack of boneless/skinless chicken thighs from the freezer, plus some aging tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms and a jar of red pasta sauce, I made a large batch of chicken cacciatore yesterday. This should feed me for most of the rest of the week.
(5) And I haven't been claiming progress in the Iran talks where there evidently is none, undercutting my own head negotiator with my late-night social media posts at every turn, blaming the reflecting pool debacle on everyone except myself, or throwing an obscenely violent 80th birthday party for myself on the White House lawn.
Your #5...the reflection pool...a few weeks ago, you know who claimed the lining of the pool was cut proof. Now suddenly the vandals have made a deep slice down the center of it. His stories change by the hour. How can anyone believe a word he says? I now skip over stories related to Iran or the economy because me thinks he speaketh with a forked tongue.
Not forked but mentally ill and/or dementia. Neither is good but I do hope a lot of reporters start saying "isn't that the Obama plus allies deal"? The mid-terms can't come fast enough.
Cool backyard and the food your husband cooked looks fantastic!
1. Gas was $3.09 in the University town.
2. I walked an hour to the river and back in the cooler morning air, which was plenty humid, but much better than later in the day.
3. Instead of Lox, cream cheese, and a bagel, I did canned salmon, cream cheese, and a bagel at home. Works for me and I am sure it was significantly cheaper.
4. Reading my free little library book I picked up on my walk.
5. I plan to get to bed at a decent hour tonight because I am exhausted!
I have canned salmon, cream cheese, & bagels on hand. I think I'll try your recipe. It would boost the protein content of the bagel too.
1. My husband also chose to grill on Father’s Day. We spent Friday-Sunday at our camper which is at a tiny private campground. It’s was fun! We babysat our great nephew, who is 2 1/2, Friday night at the camper and he had fun running around outside. Fun and inexpensive weekend
2. Today I sold a new pair of Birkenstock sandals I got at the Goodwill Bins. I paid less than $3 for them and sold them today for $60. That one item covered the whole shopping trip. I’ve still got lots left to sell.
3. Dinner was cheap and simple. Pasta tossed with olive oil, a bit of pesto, and topped with really good parmigiana. Raw snap peas from the garden were the side dish.
4. Washed the kitchen throw rugs and hung them on the porch to dry as it’s been raining off and on today.
5. This is a wash. DH spent waaaaay too much at the grocery store but now I have 80 cents off a gallon of gas. lol
Your backyard looks so cozy and welcoming.
1. I was craving chocolate so I made brownies from a recipe in my old Good Housekeeping Cookbook. I received the cookbook for a shower gift back in 1981.
2. I went for a dental cleaning, paid by insurance except for the $36 fluoride treatment. I had no cavities or other issues so no money to be paid out for fillings.
3. We had a lot of rain in the last 24 hours so no watering the outdoor pots of plants. I don't water the lawn or perennials anyway but they got a good dousing. We get a quarterly water/sewer bill from the town so we're pretty careful with water usage. We also take advantage of the senior discount the water department offers.
4. I have plans with DH and our friends to go to a charity spaghetti supper supporting the local no-kill cat shelter in town. I am happy to contribute to this worthy cause and the good work they do there. After the dinner, we're all going to a free concert at the library: Songs of the Sea.
5. I used a coupon and saved 10% on a 24 pack of cans of catfood which are cheap to begin with at the pet store next to the Market Basket grocery store I go to. Still batching errands.
I have that Betty Crocker cookbook from the 80's. My mother got it for me. I use the simple recipes from time to time. I haven't tried the brownie recipe but now I will! My cookbook is kinda beat up but it reminds me of my mother.
Mine is beat up too. I have some favorite old recipes I use from it, including the brownies. The Boston Baked Beans recipe from the cookbook, if you put them in a crockpot, is easy and delicious. Nice it reminds you of your mother.
I saved a 1960s Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book from NDN1's (the covers are falling off, but I can fix that with duct tape) because the illustrations slay me. Everything looks like "Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise." 😀
One really does not wish to be surprised by something on their plate. 😀
I still like Jello w/ canned fruit & Cool Whip mixed in. I have also used it to make a Poke Cake (you bake a cake & when warm you poke holes in it & pour liquid Jello on top.) I have humble menu choices I suppose. However. the thought of Jello w/ meat in it is revolting. We serve plain Jello a lot in the hospital. Patients on a liquid diet can have it.
Brings back a memory of my grandmother's green -jello-something-or-other mold we had on the table every Christmas Eve. I remember liking it and I probably mentioned it once as a kid because every Christmas Eve it was part of our meal. Of course compared to the lutfisk and raw pickled herring, jellied veal and oyster casserole, it probably saved the day for me.
They did a lot with Jello in the 60's and 70's! It all looks so unappetizing to me!
My Betty Crocker cookbook is from the sixties. It was a twenty-first birthday present from my then boyfriend, now husband of fifty-six years. As one of my sons once remarked, "Kind of a self-serving gift."
I thought it was a huge score finding the kids who will rehab the furniture! When we cleaned out our parents basement they had some old pieces that even a donation center would not take due to the "basement" smell. Then a lady showed up with her teenage kids who took all that was left. It was a stroke of luck.
DH will be retiring this fall, and I'll be going back to school, so it's time to buckle down and get more frugal. Luckily he is the more frugal one and I learn from him.
1. DH had ordered a piece of equipment but ultimately decided it was not going to be useful and was taking up space. He was able to return it and will get $400 back. We printed out the return label, he packed it up with tape I had on hand, and biked it up to the UPS store.
Related to biking: DH wanted a bike trailer so he could haul larger grocery loads home without using the car, and he used the back wheels and basket of an old Worksman tricycle that had been languishing in the garage. It works like a dream, and he's so happy.
2. After crunching the numbers we determined that it will be feasible for me to continue with nursing school even after he retires, so I contacted the nursing department and was able to not only get added back into the waitlist, but invited to start in Spring 2027! Which means all my test scores and grades will still be good, and I just need to take one online course this fall to finish off my non-clinical classes. Woo!
3. I saved $1000 on the textbooks I'll be needing for the next two years after another student generously gifted me theirs.
4. We combed through and scrupulously culled and consolidated any online items we were subscribed to (mostly household items), and used DH's business account to set up our orders. This will save us a LOT each month.
5. A very small one: we've been juicing oranges for DS#3's iron supplements, and I've been saving the pulp for adding to yogurt or to DS#4's smoothies.
I'm so glad to hear you're going back to the nursing program, Karen. Someone as clearly caring as you will be a wonderful nurse.
Best wishes for your continuing education!
If you file the FAFSA, or anything like it, be sure to update it for your family's new income. Do a google search on the lines of "Health Care Scholarships in --your town, county, state--", and you might find some things to apply for.
1. I sold an item on FP Marketplace that I had listed for months. Had just thought about donating it when I got a message. Made about $26.
2. I hurt my knee about 10 days ago and my doctor suspects a torn meniscus. I have an appointment for an MRI next week! At no cost to me, thanks to universal healthcare.
3. Sold our 21 year old Camper van for way more than we thought we'd get. Apparently they are sought after, and retain their value well. We will save the funds for our trip to Europe next May, and others in the future.
4. Our raspberries are producing, which is exciting. First year for some of them, second for others. Just enough every day for one serving. Hopefully soon it will be enough to freeze, as DH eats them everyday with his porridge and yogurt.
5. Growing and picking dahlias to decorate my short term rental cottage. To buy them would be too expensive.