Five Frugal(ish) Things
by Katy on September 16, 2024 · 110 comments
I’m still in the midst of swirling chaos, so I’m going to scrape the bottom of the barrel for this Monday’s Five Frugal Things blog post. Okay, let’s see what I can come up with.
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Last Tuesday found me stashing my perishable groceries in my mother’s refrigerator across town, as well as abandoning a pot of chicken soup that I’d started in the Instant Pot. I finally got my groceries back and finished the soup on Sunday. I even made a loaf of artisan bread to accompany the soup!
It’s easy to lose track of frugality goals when life goes off the rails, but this soup will be an easy heat-and-eat option to have in the fridge. I try to keep a couple of zero effort meals on hand, which are usually homemade, but can also be from Trader Joe’s. Think frozen gyoza or such. It’s a favor to my future self.
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I sold a “just for parts” Wii Rock Band guitar through eBay that I probably listed in 2021 or so. (I didn’t notice that it was broken until I got it home.) I have a whole shelf of stale eBay inventory and often wonder if I should admit defeat and donate it all back to Goodwill, but then I make a random sale like this and change my mind. I’ve gotten much much pickier about what I buy for reselling, which means that the stuff I currently pick up ends up selling pretty quickly. The old stuff? Not so much!
The money to buy these items is already spent and it costs nothing to keep everything listed on eBay, so I might as well just keep it up for sale. Right?*
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My husband finally (FINALLY!) got his late parents’ house on the market, which was an enormous endeavor and we thought would never happen. He and his brothers did almost all the work themselves, (Home Depot did install the new carpet) and hopefully we’ll find a buyer in the near future. He and I sunk thousands of dollars into this project, which’ll come back after this supposed sale.
We still need to go through their belongings, which are split between their storage space and our basement. (Even though most of their stuff went go the landfill or Goodwill.) It’s a soul crushing burden, please don’t do this to your loved ones. Also — have a lawyer put together a will!
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• The Wii guitar sold to someone local, which means I didn’t have to fuss with packaging it up. Woo hoo!
• My husband bought a Costco take-and-bake pizza to eat while he was at his parents’ house at the coast. Unfortunately their oven didn’t work, so my husband brought it back home to Portland and we had it with a salad for dinner last night. No food waste!
• I went to a neighborhood real estate open house on Saturday, which was inspirational, relaxing and downright enjoyable. What does it say about me when my favorite houses are devoid of personal belongings?
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I’m pretty sure that I didn’t buy a Lear Jet. Last week was a kind of blur though, so you never know.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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* I kind of think it would be cathartic to have a blank slate with my eBay inventory.
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Having emptied 3 family homes in a two year period I feel your pain. So glad it’s almost over. The free piles have been booming around here. Took dog 1 for a walk last night as today is trash day. I had to make several trips. Found a: small towel spa/warmer which I already sold to my reflexology friend, a wooden rocker/glider (seat cushions currently in the wash), a wonderful big back pack which I stuffed full of fall clothes (think fleece and leggings) for me as well a new in box lipgloss set, sealed drink mix, books, 2 new in box earbuds w chargers, Vera Bradley crossbody purse, a wash cloth that matches my towels, winter hats (starting a stash to donate to the homeless shelter) some home decor, a cat s rat hung post, small set of dog steps and several sleeves of plastic drink lids. And this was after attending a monthly Free Store where I got more cool stuff. I’ve been busy taking pics and listing stuff. So far September Side Hustles are doing very well!
Also did not buy a jet.
Whoa, that was a productive walk!!!
Ooooh! Tell me about the Free Store!
Katy, you could use the catharsis right now. Highly recommend taking your eBay inventory to Goodwill and starting fresh. And take a look around the house with a fresh eye based on what appealed to you at the open house. We all change as we age! Less is more. Thinking of you during this stressful time.
Maybe I should at least sort through and donate the worst stuff back to Goodwill. It doesn’t need to be an all or nothing predicament.
I did give my first floor a thorough cleaning and tidy up yesterday, which is always a mental refresh!
Well done, you!
Thank you. <3
1. We’re currently saving all extra income towards a trip to England. Daughter gave me a big bag of discards to go to thrift shop which I broke down into marketplace sales. So far have made almost $50!
2. I make jewelry and am currently selling it on consignment at a friend’s store and have already made $13.50!
3. During our garage sale trips, ran a road an u opened package of really cute sporty pencils, which the host gave me for free when I told her they were for operation Xmas child!
4. Hit a church rummage sale that was selling a brown paper bag for $5, including anything you could get in it! Got a great cookbook, a pair of jeans for my DIL, a pair of shorts for me, a breast cancer scarf for my GF, a cute basket, a science experiment book for a nephew, and a few other odds and ends. Will be selling the cookbook after I read it!
5. Helped my son whose currently out of a job to get food from the food pantry and hooked him up with some friends who needed small jobs done that they’d pay him for.
The job market is awful right now, good for you for helping him find resources.
Just curious, how would a will have helped in this situation?
Dying without a will meant that we had to spend thousands extra on legal fees and the work and pain-in-the-tuchus-ness of placing an announcement in the newspaper in case there are random people who might have a financial interest in my affairs of my late in-laws.
Also, there was no direction of what to do with their belongings and my husband has put in countless hours tracking down their bills, vehicle issues, accounts and proving to everyone that he is the legal administrator of their estate . So much needless extra work. So many trips to the DMV.
Even with a will for my late brother’s estate, I had to do all that as part of probating the will. Still paid about $500 in court fees and legal advertising. Late brother was a hoarder and canceled his trash service a few years ago to save money. He was deeply in debt. I had to sell the property as a tear-down as it was very unsafe to enter. He paid everything online and left no passwords to any accounts, so I had to close his bank account and wait for the angry letters to start showing up. It was simply awful. A. Marie is sharing a lot of wisdom about acting early to get one’s affairs in order.
That’s just awful, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.
A trust is the way to avoid probate. It’s not an expensive process and it makes it all so much easier for those who are settling the estate.
Kara, I second the notion of putting one’s worldly possessions in a trust. My aunt and uncle did this, and upon their death, everything they owned went to their only child. The trust repaired their home to make it up-to-date and problem free, and my cousin did not have to pay a penny for rent, mortgage, insurance or property taxes — everything was handled by the trust. If he had a maintenance problem, he just called XYZ Bank and Trust, and they took care of it. When he decided the neighborhood was no longer for him, the trust bought him another house, fixed it up, and traded even-Steven. This cousin got married and divorced numerous times, but because his house was in a trust, none of his exes could ever be awarded the home. He lived a carefree life due to no housing costs! The trust also provided him some sort of good income. Yet, his income from the trust was figured to be a very low amount, so he paid hardly any federal income taxes; I’m not exactly sure how that worked, but that’s what he told me. When he died, the trust was passed on to his children — something my aunt and uncle wanted but he probably didn’t bc he’d left their mother years ago and rarely saw them. (His fault.) But he couldn’t invalidate the trust in favor of his stepchildren, so my aunt and uncle’s beloved grandchildren got the largess of whatever was left.
A bank (full disclosure, I work for one) is the LAST choice I’d make to oversee a trust. Your cousin and his heirs were extremely lucky but I suspect all were of age when they benefited from the trust. Don’t get me started on the profit I mean fees the bank likely charged.
My dad did not have a will so we forked out close to 3k in lawyer fees & we still had to go to probate court. He could have had a trust or will done for less than that. The house was packed to the gills too, 9 months, 5 sometimes 6 of us working to clean it out. We spent close to 10k for assistance in emptying & cleaning the house out.
Never ever will I do that to my kids…
Thankfully their house had multiple offers when it went on the market.
We’re knee deep in that here too. FIL died, and even with my MIL still living it’s been a nightmare. His will was handwritten by my MIL and he signed, so not valid. Thousands in legal fees, had to go through probate, and his business assets frozen until it was sorted out (he was self-employed). We’re knee deep into what will likely take years of liquidating his business enough to pay off debts to get my MIL’s expenses down to her monthly income. Although ee’re so glad to care for my MIL and are committed no matter what, it’s completely changed our lives.
Amanda! Ouch. That’s a tough one hang in there.
What a terrible burden to pass down.
How awful, I’m so sorry.
It’s been a time of minimal frugality around here, and tomorrow we are taking DS18 to Corvallis for college drop off. I did offer car space for other bay area parents, and have two folks excited to take me up on the offer, saving them checked bag fees &/or postage costs.
I’m also thinking of reviewing my eBay sales & just dumping some stuff on Buy Nothing or donating. I don’t keep much inventory (typically under 40 items) & usually have it priced to sell.
I have maybe 90-some items up on eBay, although it’s mostly small things.
Hooray for college drop off, OSU is a great school!
Katy, the late in-laws’ home looks amazing! I hope it sells very quickly.
We are still in the midst of having our back porch rebuilt, which at least is planned chaos but still quite expensive. Yesterday I made a quick trip to Aldi for fruit and some gluten-free items. Been eating through my stash of homemade frozen meals — the casserole with black beans and butternut squash has been amazing. Mended a stuffed toy for the puppy using some thread gifted to me long ago. Used a skinny rubber spatula to scrape every bit of the applesauce out of the annoyingly shaped jar. Used the trusty Tinkle razor comb to cut my own hair. I must admit that the name of this handy little device makes me smile every time I use it.
Ruby, my mother’s best friend (who lived for a while in your neighborhood in my former and your present hometown) had a chihuahua named “Tinkle”–for the reason you’d expect. 😉
Hehee! That’s a cute name.
I always feel the need to explain the usefulness of the Tinkle comb. It cost maybe $3 and uses double-edge razor blades, so super cheap to maintain. Makes it so easy to layer my hair.
She/he could at least have named the dog “Tinklebell” to save it some embarrassment.
And yes, I know the Disney character was “Tinkerbell”. Which had to have been at least as embarrassing for the poor thing. No wonder she was so testy…
A tinker was someone who went from town to town selling metal items, riveting and fixing same, and rang a bell to let the townsfolk he was there. remember the rhyme, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor”? Which Le Carre changed to “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
From what I remember of Tinkle, he was beyond embarrassment. 😀
There are two couples who are scheduled to look at the house today, so fingers crossed!
P.S. tee hee . . . tinkle.
Got fingers crossed along with you that someone falls in love with cash in hand!
All fingers, all crossed!
Ooo, that is excited that you’ve already got people lined up to look at your father in law’s old house. Good luck and hope the selling process will go smoothly!!
We have a pending offer, so fingers crossed!
Katy, I so feel you on your #3. I’ve said this so often to so many people that I must sound like the classic broken record–but you have said it well: “It’s a soul-crushing burden, please don’t do this to your loved ones.” Specifically, folks: Have your end-of-life paperwork done (will, durable power of attorney for financial matters, and health care proxy/living will for medical matters). If you die without a will, things get tied up in probate for months–and if you don’t have the other paperwork prepared, it’ll be “Katy bar the door” (no pun intended) if you become incapable of making financial or medical decisions for yourself.
Finally, try to do as much decluttering/”Swedish death cleaning”/whatever you want to call it on your own, so that your heirs (in Katy’s in-laws’ case, Mr. NCA and his brothers) won’t have to. [OK, I’m climbing off the soapbox now.]
On to my FFT, Online Ordering Edition. As I have said in the past, I’ve parted ways with Amazon (having a beef with Chase Visa after they canceled DH’s Amazon Prime card without even offering me the chance to get a new one, and having a general beef with buying Jeff Bezos another big-ass yacht anyway). But I’ve managed to score a few online bargains without Jeff’s help:
(1) On a site called Shoe Deals Outlet, I found a pair of my beloved Muck Boots Arctic Weekend boots for $70. I last bought a pair on Amazon for $85, and they’re currently $120 on the Muck Boots website. I like to keep a pair or two of these in stock, since they are the ONLY wellies I can wear in any comfort these days, and I’m terrified that Muck may discontinue the style altogether.
(2) The charging cable for my ancient MacBook Air laptop is almost at the point of no return (I’ve patched it with so much red and black electrical tape that it looks like a coral snake). I just ordered myself a gently used one off eBay for $6 and change.
(3) For this year’s Martha Stewart parody calendar (a traditional Xmas gift for the Bestest Neighbors), I picked a “This Day in History” calendar off the Barnes & Noble website that wasn’t in stock at my local store. So I ordered it online, along with Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead (which I’ve been meaning to get around to for a while; I’m a BK fan). I got 10% off with my B&N membership, free shipping, and a $5 discount for accumulated points.
(4) And on now to non-online economies. I got out a small stepladder this morning and washed the outsides of my living room windows, in the spirit of “belts will be worn tighter this winter.” I don’t feel I can do without fall visits from my chimney sweep or my HVAC folks for safety reasons, but I’m going to try to postpone a visit from my window washers if I can get a few key windows clean (or at least cleaner than they were).
(5) And although Katy has made us aware of the various non-union issues with Aldi and Trader Joe’s, I did go down to my local Aldi this morning in search of some screaming specials–and also copped a package of herb-seasoned salmon at 50% off.
I washed some windows yesterday by wrapping old cotton rags around a s a squeegee head stuck on the end of a painter’s pole. The rags were secured with clothes pins and it worked well with no ladders involved. My worst knee is not able to climb ladders now, although I can still do the step up onto the kitchen’s library stool.
Demon Copperhead is a much more insightful look at Appalachia than Hillbilly Elegy.
Fiction may be more real than non-fiction in this case, I would think. The author of Hillbilly Elegy did confirm yesterday he makes up stories as truth.
Esp. when he’s campaigning. He’s as bad as Fox (Faux) News!
Barely anyone referenced lived in Appalachia for any length of time. My mother hated the book. I read it and whole concur with her. She grew up there as did most of her family. Trotting off to Cincinnati/its burbs doesn’t count.
Thanks for the tip about the Shoe Deals outlet. My walking shoes have just about come to their end of useful lives and I’m looking for a new pair without breaking the bank. The ones I have now are five years old and have insoles I’ve added for cushioning, but they have definitely seen (much) better days. Glad you found your Muck Boots for a decent price.
You and I share the same soapbox on this issue!
I too love Barabara Kingsolver and guess I need to look into Demon Copperhead!
A. Marie and Katy,
I loved loved loved Demon Copperhead. Such a good book. I read it via my Libby app, and that tells you how much I enjoyed it….I rarely male it all the way through a book before it’s due (and this one had a loooong waiting list).
*make it* (sigh)
Congrats on getting the house listed. Praying it sells quickly and at full price.
1. My son adopted a kitten which is not cheap. He bought a very nice cat tower of Facebook Marketplace for $20. I got a free small dog carrier with food bowl attachment for free off FM. I power washed it. I had an old pretzel container. He used that to store the dry food in. He is using our dogs large crate for the kitten while he is at work . I gave him a bunch of old towels to put in it. I gave him a basket for toys. My husband made a scratch pad out of things we already had.
2. I made 3 containers of apple, carrot, grape juice. The cores got turned into apple syrup. Some of the pulp got turned into apple cakes. The rest got frozen. The kids each took a container.
3.Myfriend invited my youngest daughter and I over to go threw her late mother in laws pocketbooks. I took 3 and my daughter took 3. She has a few more people to ask and then if any are left she said I can have them for my yard sale that is in a few weeks.
4. We bought a new to me car. We paid cash for it. We sold my old car to CarMax for 4x what the dealership offered us. It took less then 2 hours.
5. My daughter and I signed up for a bunch of library classes for the fall. I will drive my 75 year old neighbor to some. She doesn’t like driving in the dark.
Whoa, four times what the dealership offered?! I think we all need to remember this lesson.
Aww, kittens are the best. Make sure you get all the pictures while it’s still tiny!
Our mechanic told us to put the car info in. You would get an offer. Let the offer expire and they will give you a higher offer the 2nd time. That is what happened and we were happy to take it.
That is amazing information, thank you!
1) Non frugal : I found out that my contract ends at the end of this week- about 2 weeks earlier than I anticipated and 5 weeks earlier than what my agency anticipated. With interviews taking a long time and work on my roof beginning in a couple of weeks, I will be very skint! Cest la vie!
2) Anyways! Am decluttering and refurbishing my bedroom. I got premium Benjamin Moore paint for 50% off- on clearance at Parkrose Hardware. Also a new duvet cover set from Homegoods for a very good price and will be using lamps I picked up on the side of the road about 3 years ago. I have been meaning to do this years, and I will NOW have the time and focus to do it. Total cost: $100.
3) Still savoring veggies and fruit from the garden and my neighborhood! Juicy figs, sweet plums, crisp apples! And pears ripening the garage! Tomatoes! Greens! Lots of gourmet meals at HOME.
4) Restarted my strength and Pilates routine after months of half assed neglect. Am wobbly but it feeling good to deeply stretch, rediscover my core strength and work on my balance.
5) Quit Xfinity after a puzzling billing encounter. Just….enough. Will either reup as a new customer OR switch to Quantum fiber.
Sorry about the contract ending sooner than you thought, but it sounds like you’re very skilled on finding bargains!
I had moved my parents into a 2 bedroom apartment in assisted living. After my mother died, I moved my father into a ground floor 1 bedroom, and had to deal with all the excess furniture and personal effects. After my father died, I insisted my 2 older sisters who were in town for the funeral help me in sorting through what was left and decide what they wanted. Each of them kept going through things and saying “Someone should keep this” and staring at me. I finally said “Whoever says ‘someone could keep this’ will the person who has to keep ‘this’.” That shut them up.
Great strategy on your solution to repeatedly hearing “Someone should keep this” issue. I’ll have to remember that one!
I agree– not a helpful comment.
When sorting things for a yard sale with my Dad, who kept saying, “Someone could use that” or “Someone would pay good money for that”, I finally said, “That someone is not here.”
He was a bit startled but got the point: If the purpose is to move things along, talking doesn’t help.
That’s a good line!
DH’s only sister (my parents-in-law’s executrix, and boy, was she ever not sharing any decision-making) took the opposite approach: Some irreplaceable family treasures, including my MIL’s high school yearbook, went to the dump before DH and I realized what was going on and started checking the dump loads between the parental home and the dump. (The only thing SIL let DH do was make the dump runs.)
And, yes, I realize that this comment goes a bit against my earlier recommendation of serious decluttering. DH’s being deprived of any choice in the matter was what grated our cheese.
A. Marie, that hits the nail right on the head: the lack of choice. My mom did that to me when she was downsizing the first time: called in a “you point, we take it away” junk hauling company, and told them to take everything out of her basement (which was huge). All of the Christmas tree ornaments from my childhood, as well as other mementos, GONE before I could even look. I’m still bitter about it.
A. Marie. I am so sorry that Hubby’s sister behaved that way. As the administrator of my Mother’s estate I made sure to ask my sister, her 3 children, Mom’s best friend and Mom’s favorite niece what they would like to have of her “worldly goods”. I made sure to ask multiple times.
My nephew surprised me by accepting some of Oma’s stein collection and 100 yr old oversized Longfellow poetry books. I was pleased to see these used as decor, when I visited his home. His wife has such an eye for design. She has them displayed on their dining room buffet with a lamp on top. They also took Mom’s drop top Danish M .C. modern desk.
We were disappointed that my niece didn’t want 2 M. C. Mod bureaus for her craft room. She would rather purchase “Mc-furniture” that is exactly the same style and size. Oh well, the Habitat for Humanity store enjoyed selling them to the local antique dealer. Mom would love that the funds from the sale of her treasures helped someone have a home.
Sister was in a manic phase and was dumping Mom’s trinket boxes and “junky” jewelry in the donate bag without letting me go thru it. She also didn’t ask Mom’s friend or favorite “niece” what they would like. I took bags out of the trash, cleaned silver jewelry and asked them what pieces they wanted. They kept quite a few.
I asked family and friends what they would like, then Habitat Restore, took loads to the hospital auxiliary thrift store, and last Goodwill. I dumped the well loved things, after taking some pictures of my grandma’s battered aluminum soup pot, that fed 11. Took a picture of the, shedding, horse hair kitchen broom from the fuller brush company too. My Mom kept these because they were her Mother’s ( I never met her as she died in1962.)
Clearing a 1 bedroom with stuffed closets is bad enough. Hugs to everyone that has had to do a house.
_ Ellie in AR
Choosing fake midcentury furniture instead of the real deal?! At least Habitat for Humanity was able to support their mission through the donation.
I see that you’re the decision maker in your family. I respect that!
I like open houses because they are typically clutter-free. It always inspires me to edit more.
1. We got a bolt in our tire yesterday. We made it home and my husband put on the spare (a real tire). I took the punctured tire to Les Schwab this morning and got free coffee which I brought home and put in the fridge for my husband-I’m not a coffee drinker.
2. Sold a few things over the weekend. Stuff out the door is wonderful. Money in my cash envelope (well actually the plastic zip pouch from the dentist) is also wonderful.
3. I did go through my sell pile and gave some lingering things away. Felt amazing.
4. I read most every day to my grandson on Facetime. Getting endless books from the library. Our library just came out with a newly designed library card (Snoopy!) and so I got a new one for free.
5. Received fresh figs from Buy Nothing. As many as I wanted. I’m eating them every day.
Kara!
I love the idea of read-aloud time on FaceTime! I, too, have a far-away grandchild.
Would you be willing to share more details? Do you schedule the time each week? Have a standing appointment?
Any tips on sharing illustrations? Or are you doing more story-type read-alouds?
Such a precious way to connect. Also, I love children’s books, so any excuse to dive in is welcome.
Thanks!
For a few treasured books, mail a copy to the grandchild and have a copy for yourself so they can “read along” with you!
Jane,
We don’t schedule. If I’m very busy I will text and say I can’t read that day. Usually my son or daughter-in-law will text and ask when might be a good time. I read to him probably 5 days a week. He’s 3 and my granddaughter is 2 months so life isn’t really predictable enough for scheduled times, but I could see a set time working with older children.
I just flip the camera on my phone so he sees the book that’s on my lap. I try to hold the phone steady and far enough from the page that he sees most of the page in one view. If I move the phone around I make sure that I stop for long enough in each spot so that what he sees has stabilized. Mostly I show him the pictures, but because he is reading a bit, I also try and follow along the words with my finger so he can see that if there’s not too much text. I also will bring the phone closer to words that I know he can sound out, and he likes doing that.
I go to the library and get a lot of books. I saved many books from my own children, but since we read together most days, we really go through books!
Sometimes my son will sit next to my grandson so that my grandson can hold one of his own books in his lap and my son can hold his phone over the book and then I can read that book to my grandson. This works best if it’s a book I already know, because it’s tricky to move the phone and see the text smoothly enough to read it.
As soon as I answer the video call and the video comes up, my grandson says, “Let’s read a book.” My daughter-in-law has overheard my grandson rehearsing to himself how to say, “Hi Grammie” first, but he’s so excited by the time the video comes up that he blurts out, “Let’s read a book.” Last week on one day he did say “Hi Grammie” and I was so surprised!
Such a wonderful time for you all!
This is so sweet!!!!!
I love open houses as well, (obviously) so inspirational!
But did you get the free popcorn fromLes Schwab?
I looked at the popcorn, but it was 8am and even I couldn’t stomach it then. I will get some when I go to pick up the tire though!
On a different note, your sweet mother messaged me through my Etsy shop (fabricspeaks.etsy.com if anyone is interested!) and I replied there, but I’m not sure she saw it. Might you be able to tell her the reply is there?
I’ll try to remember, although she’s having surgery today and I’ll probably forget.
I love that you read to your grandson via FaceTime! Our library also got a new Peanuts-themed card….are you also in Sonoma County, CA?
Katy, I hope this is a better week for you and your family. I also hope your FIL’s home sells quickly and for a good price. It looks like your DH and his brothers did a great job of preparing it for sale.
Thank you!!!!!!
I peeked at the house too and it was clear that a lot of work had been accomplished. It looks great and I’m trusting it will sell quickly.
Thank you, we already have an offer and others coming to see the house this afternoon.
I am sorry your life continues to be difficult! And yet you keep frugal, which is more than I would be capable of.
I have a few things:
1. I listed a total of five pieces of antique jewelry on eBay and two of them sold before I finished listing all of them!
2. Weeks ago I somehow went bonkers and made 3 pounds worth of mac and cheese. I froze much of it and this week we ate it every night and powered through it all, freeing up room in the freezer and also wasting no food. If I don’t see mac and cheese for a year, it will be too soon.
3. Received a settlement check for $158 for a medical equipment lawsuit. I thanked former me for doing the paperwork proving eligibility.
4. Brought and took home two puzzles from the library’s puzzle trading area.
5. Sent of one of the eBay sales using a post office mystery shop, so none of the sale money was spent on postage.
Former you sounds amazing!
That’s a lot of mac n’ cheese, now I kind of want some.
Congratulations on the house clearout. My grandparent’s house has essentially been emptied into their garage so a family member could live in it and it is an albatross around all our necks.
My FFT:
1. Trains or walking only this past week – no ubers or citibikes.
2. Eating almost entirely at home as we are still relatively homebound with various illnesses. DH is still coughing from a bout of mystery virus (maybe RSV??) that will not give up. Not being comfortable coughing around friends and others even though he was ruled not contagious anymore, he is pretty much locked up. It’s been great for the budget, though.
3. Rewearing a bridesmaids dress to another party this weekend, saving an outfit purchase or borrow.
4. Found a few home items at a local discount store for 1/4 the price at a normal shop. Think rubbermaid totes 50% off. Time to reorganize our closets, which are currently poorly utilized!
5. Caught up with some friends Saturday by going to an exhibit at NYPL for free, with a coffee and pastry after. Lovely conversation at a reasonable cost! It was great to get out of the house and avoid spending a lot of dough.
Thanks, my husband did almost all the work, so it’s really his accomplishment.
Sorry that your household is under the weather, such bad timing as it’s the best weather right now.
I wish you and Mr. NCA and his brothers good luck in selling his parents’ home. I just heard it is a sellers’ market again with housing being in such high demand so hopefully it will be to your advantage.
1. My doctor told me I need to do more weight bearing exercise for these bones. I told her I walk two miles most days but asked what other weight bearing exercise I could do. She looked me in the eye and said “Walk.” She explained it’s the best thing I could do for myself. Of course, I was happy because it’s free.
2. I cut DH’s hair. I use a buzzer…very easy.
3. We both got our checks for working the state elections a couple of weeks ago. I was happy to be able to save some of it.
4. Market Basket (New England chain grocery store) had whole turkey breast on sale for .99 lb. I picked up a large one but am kicking myself for not getting another one or two. It’s hard to find any type of meat for under a dollar these days.
5. I attended a Leonard Cohen tribute band concert at the library, free. Excellent.
Walking is truly the best exercise! Can be done with a friend, is interesting as you’re not staring at the same four walls and can even be profitable if you resell things!
And yes, that was an amazing turkey price.
Around Thanksgiving, turkeys tend to go on sale…that’s also a good time to stock up!
I’ve done that in the past and even served year old turkeys on Thanksgiving and they were fine as they’d been in my deep freeze the whole time.
After a costly renovation, we are tightening the belts.
1. 100% cooking at home. Easy enough now we are back in our kitchen and have all the amenities again.
2. Using our garden produce in as many meals as possible. We have heaps of greens at the moment.
3. To inspire the belt tightening, I’m re-reading my old copy of The Tightwad Gazette. It’s not really to do any of the things she suggests; I already do the useable tips. It’s more to share in her general attitude.
4. Spending my spare time in the garden.
5. I got tomatoes and strawberries on super sale, so made a batch of strawberry jam and canned a dozen jars of passata.
Oh I forgot the best things from this past week: free fruit picked off a friend’s tree and a raft of fresh flowers given to us after a party we attended!
Hooray for home grown produce!
Geez, $220k for a house almost right on the coast??
I need to rethink where I live.
Yes, but it’s a manufactured home from 1978.
Katy, I know first-hand how utterly exhausting it is to clear out someone else’s stuff and prepare their house for sale. I’m sorry you also had to deal with the mess of their financial and legal affairs. Your in-laws’ house looks great, and I hope this burden is over sooner than later.
1. Reading, reading, reading library books. Three books came in at once and they all have long waiting lists, so I’m reading as quickly as I can so the next person in the queue can start reading them. (Books are The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, West with Giraffes, and How to Know a Person.)
2. A former colleague treated me to lunch. We learned that we live within a few blocks of each other, and we reunited after 20+ years!
3. Brother-in-law treated me to lunch. So nice of him during a family estrangement.
4. Best deals at the discount food store were 3 large crowns of broccoli for $1.00, 2 lbs. of asparagus for $3.00, 3 large bunches of cilantro for $2.00, 2 lbs. of strawberries for $3.00, and a half-gallon of almond milk for $1.00.
5. Husband wanted to take me out to dinner for my birthday, but I suggested eating at home because we had so much food on hand.
How wonderful to find a friend is also a neighbor!
I’ve fallen off the reading wagon as my attention span is gnat-like, but maybe I’ll get myself to the library today.
1. Sold 2 items=$30
2. Hello Fresh delivery over next 4 weeks for 16 meals at 50% off. May not sound frugal however hubby had hand surgery last week and I’m having heart valve replacement surgery next week. It’ll help fill in gaps
3. Friend send a referral to get the Farmers Dog for free. So I got 32 packages 8 days for 4 dogs). I’m using it to stretch out their kibble
4. DIL treated me to brunch on Sunday
5. Using my free admission to art museum today to see Edith Head costume exhibit
Best of luck to you as you go through surgery and recovery. Same to your hubby. Hope the recovery time goes fast for both of you. Hello Fresh sounds like a very good alternative to take out and delivery charges.
I think the meal kit delivery sounds like the absolute best plan with everything going on in your life. And hooray for $30!
I have nothing to add except I too understand what you’ve been going through with your in-laws’ house. My dad spent the last six years of his life in the VA and passed away in 2012, and my mom, who’s always been a shopper, went into overdrive when he entered the VA. They were both children of the depression, plus my mom was an only child of parents who took frugality to the next level. None of them threw anything away because it might have a use later, even though no one would remember that thing had been saved, or where it was. Mom took a nighttime tumble in 2021, which resulted in her never returning home. After she realized she couldn’t live alone any longer, we started cleaning out their house a few months after her fall, and it took thousands of hours and almost nine months. It was awful.
I’m so sorry to read that your parents gave you this task. “Thousands of hours” is awful to read and my heart goes out to you.
There is nothing as comforting as soup with homemade bread in a crisis!
Best of luck with the sale of the house, I have my fingers crossed for you here.
Some frugal things:
+ The company I work for has recently upgraded their tech equipment and was raffling off some of the old devices. I won a PC which I am hoping to sell. No takers so far but hopefully someone will be interested.
+ One of the teens brought home a free box of granola packets from work. The expiry date has passed but the granola is perfect. The box is so big that even the teens could not make a dent in it fast! DH and myself are still off processed sugar so I also gave 3 packets to one of my friends. She promptly gifted me with some of their fresh eggs a few days later.
+ I am collecting produce nets to make a dish scrub – something I saw on Pinterest, hopefully it will actually work!
+ A friend of mine is currently attending an aromatherapy course. She needs to make several oil blends for different people as part of the course and I was lucky enough to be chosen by her as one of them! Received a very nice relaxation roll on from her today.
+ Lovely weather at the moment and drying clothes on the line is literally a breeze!
And I’m thinking I’ll make another load today.
CONGRATS to all on getting your FIL’s old house ready to list, what a huge milestone!
It really felt like this day would never come.
There were over 9 official inches of rain in my hometown from tropical storm and that happened in just a few hours. They went from drought to flood in a hurry! Frugal thing is that only top branches of large tree that toppled over on my oldest son’s RV scrapped it. He lives near my hometown. Yes he was in the RV and he is fine! Whew! The only thing he had to deal with was a slightly hysterical mom when she heard about it… lol.
Yikes, glad to read that he’s okay!
Your in law’s house is really cute and looks like it is very close to ocean! Awesome!
It is close, although not really walkable as you have to cross a busy highway to get to it.
1. I had 2/3 of a gal of 1% milk that was iffy. I had 3 large baked potatoes left over. I made potato soup. I added a large chunk of Velveeta cheese also. It was tasty. I may have to freeze some of it as it made a huge quantity.
2. I found a few blankets which I washed & will deliver to the local shelter.
3. Found an unopened bag of cat food which will go to the animal shelter. I also rescued many packets of iodine & H2O2 scavenged from the nursing lab at school. These will go to the animal shelter also for use in their clinic to treat the animals.
4. Filled up the gas tank w/ 25$ reward from the insurance company for completing a recommended health activity. (I have a small car.)
5. My motherlode was a find in a Dollar Tree dumpster. I saw a huge quantity of frozen food items. Some were defrosted but still cool. I took around 30 bags of frozen veggies, breakfast burritos, frozen fruit, 12 lbs of sausage, 7 loaves of garlic bread, 3 bags of French fry potatoes, & 5 breakfast pot pies. I also got 5 bags of cheese ravioli. The items were even in boxes & not dirty. There was still plenty of food left behind. All of the food was in date until 2025. I thought of all the people it could have fed at the homeless shelter. I had no more room to store anything else. The items went into our big freezer. (The husband had cleaned it out the previous week which was fortuitous.) We ate some of the cheese ravioli & frozen veggies that night. They were tasty. If we can’t make a dent in the amount I will haul some of it to the homeless shelter.
Wow, I’m so glad that the food will not go to waste! I love reading all the things you’re doing!
I don’t have anything terribly exciting, but here goes!
1. I received another $100 reimbursement from my health insurance company for my son’s basketball registration fees. I thought the limit was $200 per year, but I’ve now gotten $300.
2. I sold 2 items on ebay for a profit of $51 and one item on FB marketplace for $20.
3. I redeemed some survey points for a $5 Amazon gift card
4. Last week I purchased a grocery store gift card to bring my total up so I could use a $7/$120 coupon. This week I used the gift card to pay for my groceries and my total after that was about $18.
5. I didn’t buy any take out or coffee. I’m expecting some free meal/treat coupons over the next few weeks for my birthday and will use those when I have a hankering for take out.
Good for you for submitting for that reimbursement. I’m sure most people wouldn’t bother. And so smart to buy that gift card to maximize savings!
Katy – I am so glad for you on the house!! I hope a weight lifts soon as a result of a profitable sale.
And I second, third or eighth the comments on preparing for our own deaths and leaving the people we love with only the burden of grief and not a house full of stuff. I was executor for my aunt and uncle who did a mostly fantastic job of setting things up, but I still had to go through lengthy, stressful and not cheap probate for the following things they had not put in anyone else’s name – deed to the house, car and two long forgotten savings accounts.
Probate is finished. The car has been sold and the accounts consolidated. The house is done enough for now to rent. But there will need to be an estate sale at some point. It was a lot. As a result, I have committed to collecting “empty space” in my house. I have a long way to go, but am motivated.
1) Have spent four hours with insurance and pharmacy trying to wrangle the needed approval for a medicine for DS. Not frugal in time spent, but hopefully in a year long pre-approval. Healthcare is so very, very broken.
2) I make most of our juice and lemonade from concentrate and wanted a glass half gallon carafe with a top. Expensive online! Plus shipping glass – eek! I remembered our favorite bakery collects empty glass milk bottles from a local dairy. I bought one from her for the price of the $2.50 deposit. Hot water, a little dish soap and rice for cleaning and voila.
3) Meals from what is already here in the freezer. Inventoried the upright freezer earlier in the week and did the weekly fridge once over. I was horrified to see an article in the WaPost that said Americans throw away 1/3 of our food annually. I knew it was a lot, but 1/3?!?!
4) Hanging out clothes every day in a great stretch of sunny days.
5) Ordered a series of books from interlibrary loan after I read the first one on Libby. Twice I went online to buy and twice I thought better of it. Libraries for the win – always.
Collecting “empty space?” That is an intriguing notion — I love it!
I haven’t read that article, but I believe that the “Americans waste 1/3 of their food” includes food not harvested, food that goes bad in transport, food not even sold and then food that people buy and then not eat. Again, I haven’t read that article, but that’s what I recall from reading “Wasted Food,” by Jonathan Bloom. http://www.wastedfood.com/
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