Five Frugal Things -- Water Mark, Begone!
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Someone left a cold seltzer can on my $25 thrifted coffee table, which left the above water mark. Luckily I noticed it the next morning and knew of a reversal method, which was mostly likely successful because the damage was fresh.
That method? Running an iron on the lowest setting over a towel until the moisture steamed out of the wood. I was nervous that I'd further damage the table, but it worked like a charm!
Better! Even 17-year-old Zelda approves.
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It's been weeks since I've done a proper grocery shop, so I added Winco Foods to today's to-do list and will bring an impressively long and random shopping list. I always put off shopping at this bare bones store, as it's a bit of a schlep and somehow emotionally draining. However, I'm always happy when I've gone as it's so much cheaper than any of the traditional stores.
Wish me emotional strength.
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I cut my lotion bottle in half, which makes the entire product available for use. Easily a couple extra weeks! The manufacturers have zero motivation to make sure that consumers get their money's worth, but I don't let that stop me from hacking their packaging to bits!
Come to think of it, I just added water to the bottom of my "empty" hair conditioner this morning.
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I had a library book for so long that it prompted an email telling me that I was being charged the full retail price! Luckily the email also mentioned that the charge would be reversed if I brought the book back. My library system stopped charging late fees, (I think during the pandemic?) which is been fantastic. Perhaps I actually need a bit of a deadline every now and then.
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I found a dime outside the credit union and then a penny later that day. So yes, I recently came into some money!
My husband and I also cut up tubes, bottles whatever has more product in it that needs to be used up. I even Cut up a toothpaste tube for two more brushes. Why the hell not.
My husband has spent tbe entire day replacing our broken fireplace hearth. It's backbreaking, tiring work for his senior body, but saving us big bucks. I walked to the local farm market for a single green pepper and also bought a $1 bundle of 'bruised' potatoes, which to me look fine. Making flatbread pizza tonight; way cheaper than buying takeout pizza, and using mozzarella that was gifted to me. The accompanying salad kit was purchased half price, best buy date being today. I will be dressing it up with cherry tomatoes from our garden.
We do the same thing with tubes of skin care products. There is so much left in the tube when you do so.
1. DH had the day off so we checked out an arboretum in the city. It was free and worth the trip. We got some ideas for future plantings like Profusion Bicolor Zinnia seeds.
2. We ate lunch at home, finishing pulled chicken I cooked in the Crock Pot a few days ago, the last of a package of shredded cheese, and bread that was lingering in the freezer.
3. We made a quick trip to Grocery outlet. I bought Impossible Burgers on sale and also some herbal Chai tea from England to try.
4. I listed some items on Freecycle. I noticed some things we don't use in a kitchen cupboard the other day and decided to pass them along.
5. A friend and I I were scheduled to get together. There were complications so we just finished a long phone conversation. It was satisfying and there was no driving involved.
My husband has always been resistant to small frugal things like cutting lotion tubes in half, but has joined the club after I fished a 1/3 full tube out of the trash and cut it for him. His preferred foot cream is $11 per tube, so the savings are real.
I handsewed a buttonhole at the bottom of the placket on a blouse today and added a button salvaged from roll-up sleeve straps that I removed because they annoyed me. The blouse looks much tidier with the front lying flat all the way down now.
Also used a pinch of real cotton fluff saved from a long ago vitamin bottle to pad a thin spot in some quilted oven mitts before mending the spot.
The strip on a gift card I have refilled for years to buy gas wore out and the pump refused to read it. I took it into the store and customer service was able to read the total left on it ($8.41) and use that toward a purchase.
Gave DH a pair of grass clippers to sharpen after his victory in getting our old push mower repaired this week for only $40.
How clever to use the cotton fluff for a repair! I have given up on quilted oven mitts due to frequent hot spots, and have resigned myself to the less beautiful silicone ones.
1. I finished my bathroom painting project -- pretty much. It's not perfect but I'm very tired of it, and I'm done for a while. I swear on a stack of Bibles I will never attempt this again! I do have a few easy things to do -- painting a shelf, a medicine cabinet, and two step stools.
2. I made an apple pie from some free apples.
3. I'm reading books from the little free libraries.
4. I am not going to grocery shop until I have made some space in my food storage areas.
5. A pulled muscle is keeping me away from the gym. That will save a little on gas.
Beth W,
Painting bathrooms is high on my list of "most hated painting jobs". So many things to be taped off or otherwise protected from paint. You have my sympathies and admiration for sticking it out!
I feel the same way about WinCo. The prices are great and worth the schlep, but it is emotionally draining. We don't live near one any more, so that particular emotional drain is gone from my life. I do have a short list of things I'll buy there when I visit that area next month.
1. I've been stuck on how to beat use my furniture in my small space. I've had a good rearrange which has helped me get unstuck. Hopefully this weekend my husband will do the carpentry items I need done.
2. I've been selling on FB marketplace pretty steadily and have 3 buyers line up for this afternoon. Hopefully they all show up
3. I went to a clothing giveaway last weekend and have been altering various pieces to fit me.
4. I took a bag of clothes to Plato's Closet when I was nearby for another errand. These were all cast offs of my daughter's which were destined for the thrift store. I got $35 cash for the items they accepted and the rest I took promptly to the nearest thrift store.
5. File a missing money claim with the state for around $33.
Just curious - why is a trip to WinCo emotionally draining? (We don't have them in my area). Not being snarky, I'm truly curious.
I'm not sure I can put it into words. For me, there's nothing beautiful at WinCo, it's in a poor part of town and though clean, it just feels slightly depressing. There are no frills, from signs to displays to lighting, it's all very utilitarian. I used to do an enormous shop, enough for a month, and then there's no baggers.
I like that I like near stores now so I can ship every 10 days or so, and I'm only shopping for 2 instead of 5.
I felt the same way about Winco when I lived near one and shopped there.
The parking lot is always a bit sketchy, even though there's constant security present and I'm never able to get out of the store in under 45 minutes. You have to bag your own groceries, in a timely manner otherwise it'll stack up for the person behind you. Then there's six or seven heavy bags to carry into the house and put away.
Normally not an issue, but I have a lot of stress in my life right now and anything extra feels overwhelming.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. Crossing fingers that your Marketplace buyer show up on time with cash!
Two of the three showed up and the third rescheduled for tomorrow morning but seems really keen. I'm particularly pleased that one of the sales today was a bulkier item that I'm super glad to move on. Tomorrow's item is also bulky and one I'm selling for our son, so fingers crossed he'll show up.
Katy, et al,
Thank you for that explanation. It does sound kind of dreary, in spite of the excellent prices. Katy, I 100% understand that anything extra can seem like too much when life hands you a lot of things to manage. I hope things lighten up for you soon.
1. Picked up a mystery shop for lunch that both fed me and put an extra $9 in my pocket.
2. Next door to the mystery shop is an Ocean State Job Lot, which is currently having its customer appreciation days, where you get a gift certificate back on everything as long as you spend $30. Among other things, I bought 6 bags of coffee (good until 2027) that, after the gift certificate, cost $5.60 per pound.
3. A couple of people didn't pick up their CSAs at my partner's job, so we were able to get some extra items (fresh ginger, now in the freezer, etc) before passing on the boxes to other folks to enjoy.
4. Made chicken stock from scraps.
5. Despite it being 60 with a low of 37 overnight, the heat is still not on. As a New Englander, "no heat 'til trick or treat" is in play.
Whoa, that's a great deal on coffee!
I have late fees at my library (also will be reversed when I find and return the book(s) ) and the lovely librarian told me not to worry = as the fees don't cut off my ability to borrow until they rise to $40. Earlier, when I also had late fees (for a book they discovered on their shelves!!) they asked that I not pay the fee unless I really couldn't find the book as it was a lot of work to re-enter the books once removed from the system.
Our librarians are so lovely: I was feeling badly as, due to my aching back, I used the counter to check out (usually I use the kiosk so the librarians can help others). When I mentioned this, FOUR of the librarians behind the counter rushed to anxiously assure me that I was NEVER to feel that way! That I could and should always feel free to ask for help. oh, my heart!
I went away feeling valued, such a gift.
@Ecoteri - IMHO, librarians have been under paid for years. I'd rank them at the top of any customer service list.
It makes me irate when the "antis'" hound them about books. My take - if you don't like a book, don't read it. If you don't want your child to check out a book either a) be there every time they go to a library or b) pay for software (and maintenance) so you - yes YOU - can put books on the "do not let my child check out" list. Even these "steps" might not prevent your child from reading a book of which you don't "approve".
Selena, what you say is wise, but I think what the antis want is to keep books they don't approve of personally out of the hands of everyone. They excuse themselves saying it's for the safety of their children, but many of them don't even have children, and they know nothing about the books they are banning except that they were on list created by some right-wing wacko. As a former librarian, I find these neanderthal attitudes dangerous and depressing.
You may want to check out the website www
EveryLibrary.org if you are in the US that has online petitions to sign and share about issues that affect US libraries.
Thank you for mentioning your lovely and helpful librarians. Ours are the same and I admit I would like to have t(em as personal friends!
Brisbane Australia here, and I don’t understand why we don’t have statues to librarians! My lovely West End library is no distance away, but life has been difficult lately, so they have been dropping my books in for me! Blessings on PETA, and all my other lovely librarians!
Lol, years ago, we got a notice that my son had an overdue book, and that we would be charged for a replacement if it was not returned. I felt certain it had already been returned, but we checked around the house....nope. Son and I went to the library, and found the book on the shelf - there was/is only one copy at our library, as it was an older book about ice hockey (we have plenty of hocky fans in our area, but it's not a hugely popular sport here). We removed the book and officially "returned" it. The librarian and I had a good laugh about it.
DH wanted to buy a Christmas gift for someone from an artist friend in Canada. Courtesy of the Orange Ogre and his tarriffs, DH would have to buy $800 worth of art in order to have it shipped to the US. Hence, I am crocheting a winter scarf for the gift recipient which cost $8.00 in yarn (after 20% savings) and my labor. The item he wanted to purchase from Canada was something like $30 USD.
Advertised an aluminum roaster (like you would use to roast a turkey in the oven) that we don't need and is taking up real estate in our storage room on both Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Hopefully it sells soon. Stuff out...money in.
I have more canning jars than I need. DH went on a buying spree when I started canning again and bought way too many. I told him that when he bought them and that he should take them back, but that fell on deaf ears. Now, I have to sort out what I actually need and what I can list for sale. Men....
On one hand, it's unfortunate we had to cave in and turn the furnace on last night (overnight temp of 32, supposed to be same tonight and rain on Sunday). On the other hand, we generally have to start using the furnace about 3/4 of the way through September, so great to have gotten an extra 3 weeks without having to run the furnace.
1. Finished a book from the library, will be walking to return it or dropping it off in combination with other errands so I don't waste gas.
2. Made a "sensory bin" for my daughters on a sheet tray with rice, beans, oats, and a little pasta. All of it came from bulk bins at WinCo and probably cost $2-$3 max, but hard to know for sure since it was all stuff I had on hand already. They loved it! I saved it so they can play with it again and again.
3. Had the windows open to let in the beautiful rain sounds and fresh air most of the day.
4. Went through MORE of my kids' clothes, my youngest recently sized up, and called to confirm that a women's crisis center will be open on Monday and available for taking donations. It sounded like they rarely get children's items and would be looking forward to my decluttering efforts.
5. Packing snacks and a sack lunch for our trek around town tomorrow. We have an insulated picnic basket that my husband received for a birthday gift and it has been amazing!
@Melissa N - remember frozen pipes can cause a lot of damage.
I find Aldi emotionally draining. There's one right around the corner and I almost never go. I miss grocery shopping at Target because stuff was cheap yet the mood was upbeat and they played good music.
1. I packed lunch for all three of my in-office days this week!
2. I made apple cinnamon overnight oats with oats and apples I needed to use up.
3. I made hot cinnamon apples with more of the apples.
4. I realized that my dog's microchip service doesn't require a renewal, and that all their emails telling me to "renew" were just trying to upsell me services. I literally was entering my debit card number and then thought, wait a minute...
5. The garden is still giving me tomatoes and green beans, and hopefully some broccoli and Brussel sprouts soon...
@Gina - there was a big kerfuffle re: renewal fees for Home Again. Yes I technically don't have to pay but I am doing so. Their website is well done and their customer service is good. I turned off auto-renewal and notified them of the too soon death of our pet. I got a nice response from them. Appears they have people to whom you can talk about the loss of your pet.
Yup, that's what I have, Home Again. That's interesting. Sorry about your pet and glad they were helpful for you!
1. Good job on the coins! Yesterday I picked up a penny, dime and quarter! And today a friend of mine found a dollar bill!
2. We were driving t
By a big town after a field trip today, so we made the small detour to a big Goodwill. I picked up 3 things to resell, and used a coupon on one item.
3. My husband had a job close to the discount store, so he got some meat while there.
4. He brought home more free plants.
5. We didn't have to pay for the above mentioned field trip. It was a living history day, very cool! We did of course have to use gas to get there, and then ate out with the other homeschooling afterwards
The guy who delivers milk products to our store came through my cash register line the other day. He commented that he wanted his receipt because he uploads it to Fetch. I asked him if our receipts would work because they don't specify a product. They'll just say whether it's Merch or Food or OTC (over the counter medicine) items. (Other stores will have a receipt that says, for instance, Head & Shoulders Shampoo, or Lesser Evil Popcorn or Tylenol instead of only the general category.) He said yes, the Fetch app WILL accept our receipts just as long as they have the store's name on them. He also said he does dozens of receipts from the same store on the same day and uploads them, and he still gets points. So I'm saving receipts right and left, including the ones my customers say to throw away for them. But other than this guy's explanation, I don't know how Fetch pays or much about it. He said it was somehow connected to Temu. Can anyone give me a run down how you get/redeem your Fetch points?
Put the Fetch app on your phone. You just scan the receipts to earn points. You redeem the points on the app for an electronic gift card. Fetch has a lot of places to choose from for a GC. If you can get a referral number from a friend to sign up, then the friend gets a referral bonus. Maybe Katy can give you the referral so she could get the bonus.
Great haul at Winco and so true about being a functioning adult. The most emotionally draining task for me is cleaning house as the never ending part of it gets to me. Fortunately I do like living in a clean house!
1. Speaking of which, as part of frugal efforts, Hubby and I both did some house cleaning using very few purchased products.
2. Free entertainment yesterday was going to 8 year old granddaughter’s first official swim meet. She did very well and I learned that her times get entered in her lifetime record. Enjoyed the teammates cheering each other on .
3. Not frugal for our son but was for us and fun. He invited us out to dinner afterwards the meet.
4. Found just the type and color of cardigan I was looking for to wear this time of year at a small local thrift store. My favorite brand and actually my petite size for $6. I was dropping off some of Hubby’s too large clothes as a donation.
5. Took the time to plan dinners before grocery shopping this week after some food waste from previous purchases.
1. On a bike ride yesterday I noted that somebody had left what looked like a insulated lunch bag in their recycling bin. I made a mental note to check on the way back for it, and it was still there. Perfectly good condition, great size, and the only reason they probably ditched it was it has advertising for a prescription drug on it. Not an issue for me. I'll use it when I go in for all-day classes in November. That's three nice things I've found while biking! I wouldn't have noticed those from the car.
2. I wore two road-kill-find sweatshirts on my slightly chilly ride to school on Thursday. They worked like a charm.
3. A fail--on a bike ride with DH I spotted what I suspected was a nice cleaning cloth on the side of the road (probably from the nearby car wash) but I didn't have time to stop for it, as the light was changing.
4. We made all our food for homemade pizzas this weekend here at home.
Or put a sticker or even just a strip of colored tape over the drug logo.
Great find!
Put the Fetch app on your phone. You just scan the receipts to earn points. You redeem the points on the app for an electronic gift card. Fetch has a lot of places to choose from for a GC. If you can get a referral number from a friend to sign up, then the friend gets a referral bonus. Maybe Katy can give you the referral so she could get the bonus.
Here's my Fetch referral link:
I don't allow the app to follow me across all platforms, as that's creepy. I make the most points by scanning in foraged receipts off the ground, as other shoppers buy more national corporate brands than I do. They have a deal where you get 2000 "free" points by using my link. FULL DISCLOSURE -- I get 3000 points if you join using my link.
https://fetch.com/?code=RR6121&shortlink=referralqr&pid=Referral%20-%20QR%20Code&source_caller=ui
Hi Katy-I loooove your website and have been following your blog and FB for at least a decade. Questions because I'm a nosy-parker-is that a photo of an iris on your coffee table? Thanks-