Five Frugal Things
by Katy on May 4, 2019 · 84 comments
-
I spent a couple hours pruning my backyard hydrangeas, as well as hacking away at some oppressively low maple tree branches. I then swept and raked the brick patio for an overall tidy/well kept aesthetic. (Note the lack of words such as “impressive” or spectacular.”) I don’t want to make you jealous, but I filled two rolling yard debris containers!
The patio furniture cushions were impressively grimy, so I treated them to a spa day soak in my beloved Dollar Tree Oxyclean. The end result? Perfectly fine. Not perfect, not magazine ready and certainly not like new. They’re now completely acceptable and I kept them out of the landfill for one more year.
The mindset to replace things when they’re dirty or broken is important to resist. Especially when consumer goods seem cheaper than ever. The environmental ramifications of buying-and-tossing is killing our planet, so I challenge you to give your stuff a second chance whenever possible.
Click HERE to see the before and after.
-
I didn’t end up buying Fred Meyer fuchsia starts for my three hanging baskets this year. Even though they’re priced at just 5-for-$3, I didn’t feel like spending the $9. I’d been rooting some free spider plant babies on the kitchen counter and realized that there were enough to fill one of the hanging baskets. (My dad has a huge spider plant in his kitchen that I occasionally snip from.) I now have a filled planter which cost me $0.00, and there’s an extra $9 in my credit union account. Click HERE to see the planted basket.
Bonus win — no plastic packaging!
-
I ran out of milk yesterday, so I walked to the grocery store where I was delighted to find half-price 2% gallons for just $1.49! (Yes, “delighted.” I stand by this word.) The expiration date isn’t even until May 13th!
-
I finished listening to a free audiobook through the library’s Libby app, I sold a vintage marmalade crock for $25 after having paid $1 for it, I crisped up three almost empty boxes of stale Chex cereals in the oven, I unscrewed and then cleaned up a gorgeous old doorknob from a dumpstered door, I chose to do some writing at Ikea to take advantage of their free coffee and battery recycling, I listed more stuff on eBay and I stopped by Trader Joe’s and bought nothing more than their 19¢ bananas. No hummus, no snacks, no booze, no cookies.
-
I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.
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.”
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Twitter.
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Pinterest.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
{ 84 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m taking some cuttings from a trailing sweet potato vine that I’d purchased a while back. It’s grown so much, that I’ve put starts in 4 other containers where the plantings were getting stale.
Katy, can you help my find your demon Goodwill post? I can’t seem to locate it. I want to share it in a private group I’m in. Would that be ok if I credit you with the article? Thank you!
Here you go!
https://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/how-to-remove-demonic-spirits-from-your-thrift-shop-clothing-a-tutorial-2/
1. We went to a fund-raising event knowing we would bid on the silent auction. We scored a week in a three bedroom cabin on a lake in August for $500. It’s only a three hour drive from home, and we’re splitting the cost with another couple. Silent auctions often offer really good deals for vacations.
2. I also bought a Cuisinart food processor to replace my huge forty-year-old one. The new one is smaller, lighter, and easier to store. I freecycled the old one after test-driving the new one.
3. My quilting guild had a yard sale. I spent a dollar and had a great time chatting with other shoppers.
4. I brought leftovers home from the guild meeting/sale. We had sandwiches with our soup for two meals, and I used the last of the guild salad to top sandwiches for lunch today.
5. I was asked to dispose of all the notions left at the end of the sale. I brought a few things up to my sewing room. But I sent a box of thread, needles, scissors, and fasteners to the refugee center. And I’ve had two quilting newbies by the house to stock up on basics. I’m about to list the remainders on freecycle.
1. Did not buy the centerpiece at the women’s bible study luncheon
2. Eating up the Keto friendly foods from pantry
3. Worked my on call admin gig and have livestock care duties this month
4. Friend share a new James Patterson book with me
5. Mended some bed sheets
A massive dumpster was parked on the street in front of a house 4 blocks away. Horrifying to see the entire usable contents of the home shoved in there. Made multiple trips to pull items out, including:
– Piles of books that I shuttled to Little Free Libraries in the neighborhood or set aside to read and/or sell
– Blankets and towels that were laundered and donated to the animal shelter
– A complete Army uniform (vehicle service) that fit my metalhead son, and was thrilling because it is super durable and nothing says “hardcore punk” like a military uniform pulled out of a dumpster!
It was gratifying to notice that the dumpster contents were declining as people recycled/rescued items, but hugely frustrating because there are MULTIPLE local social service agencies, organizations and groups that will gladly pick up used furniture, clothing, housewares, etc. and get them to people in need.
“[N]othing says ‘hardcore punk’ like a military uniform pulled out of a dumpster!'” — LOVE it!
Thank you for saving that stuff from the landfill. It makes me crazy when people toss things that could be used elsewhere. I know it is a lot of time to sort and launder and shuttle, hope you make a little money and know that your time was worth it and that you are helping others more than you will ever know.
1. Sold a large, solid wood, oak-stained plant/fern stand on FB Marketplace. It has been hanging around my house getting in my way for years.
2. Got ground beef for $1.75 a pound with a Kroger loyalty coupon. Not the greatest but fine for spaghetti, chili, etc.
3. Put two single beds together to make a king-size bed. Works fine. Will sew two single sheets together and two single spreads together instead of purchasing king-size ones. No waste and no money.
4. Received a $100 Visa card with points from my Visa credit card (paid in full each month) which will be used to cover expenses on our forthcoming bus trip to Branson, MO.
5. Said trip has been paid in full. All trips are paid in full prior to taking them.
Sounds like a wonderful way to spend your time 🙂 I had a friend who honestly used to throw out her throw rugs when they got a bit dingy ~ She thought that was what the “throw” part meant. She also refused to recycle because she thought it would smell and be “unsightly” Obviously, after one to many head to counter sessions on my part, we are no longer friends 😉 Have a great weekend Katy!!
I’ve heard of someone who would replace the toilet in any house she moved into because the ‘used’ toilet was ‘dirty’.
Mand, I wish Australia wasn’t so far away, or I’d introduce the person you mentioned to a friend of mine who decorates his garden with salvaged toilets. No kidding.
Does he plant in them?
Yes, he does. But he also just likes to collect toilets. (Hey, I’ve got some weird hobbies myself.)
I had a plumber tell me that. They do a lot of work installing new toilets in homes because new residents insist on new toilets. Apparently the existing fixture is not acceptable? He thought it was weird as well…
1. Used a 25% off coupon at Ollies to get a brand new bissell vacuum cleaner for $37. I usually buy used and pay $35.
2. There was a yard sale across the street from me and I saw some cute stuff. Decided I really don’t have the room or the need and did not buy a thing.
3. I came very close to ordering a new rug for my living room, but talked myself down from the ledge and decided to wait until this summer when I can take my current rug to the driveway and give it a good scrub and hose down. Then we will see.
4. Found out I can use my rolled-up yoga mat instead of buyng new yoga blocks for certain poses to fix my sore back.
5. Did not buy acres of virgin countryside to build a golf course or pay off old lovers to keep them quiet. lol.
#5 ❤️❤️
#5…
Ok…comment didn’t go thru….try again #5….too funny ha ha
Your #5…priceless! Gave me a free laugh!
Love #5. Ha, ha!!
5FF: Whirling May Dervishes’ Edition
There are so many things going on this month that my head is spinning like a Whirling Dervish! I keep trying to stay current with 5FT but tend to neglect posting on a regular basis, so end up with excessively long posts. My bad!
1. For my boss’ birthday, I spied very sweet yet inexpensive small Easter bouquets at the local grocer. I took a short, basic vase sitting abandoned on my countertop from an ex-boyfriend of DD who had gifted her a flowering bulb a couple of years ago whose bulb eventually became slimy & was discarded. My cabinet where I store vases is completely out of space, so it had been left without a home. I went to my bow storage, dressed it up with a raffia bow & the tiny bouquet looked like a million bucks. A nice-looking arrangement for very minimal outlay & my boss was thrilled.
2. DD’s birthday literally occurred to me just a few days prior. Tends to happen with birthdays on the 1st of the month but you would think the birthing experience would have left a stronger imprint of the date. To avoid a panicked trip to buy a cake mix, decided to bake a premium brownie mix in a mason jar that I had found on clearance recently for $3. Not being fans of frosting, this turned out great with 18 candles on top (12 of which were gold & left-over from my DM’s 85th b-day last summer, supplemented with 6 yellow candles from last year).
3. I used my quite limited sewing abilities to hand hem her prom dress, avoiding alteration fees. Good thing it didn’t require major alterations. Far from high quality but it did prevent tripping. Used dark green nearly black thread from her former Girl Scout badge sewing era which perfectly matched her dress. Post-Script: Sadly, her stiletto heel caught the back of her dress & the hem came out slightly. A ready-made mini train perhaps? I will repair now before the dress is needed again.
4. Took DD to festival where she performed with a folk-dance group. Took water & snacks & ate lunch at home afterwards. Tomorrow will be similar but instead will stop on the way home for dinner at a restaurant where she received a coupon for a free $15 b-day entrée.
5. Made a special trip to grocery store to buy loss leader but store completely out. Got a rain check & will make a double batch of item in the future d/t unlimited quantity on rain check.
Bonus 6. Psyching up for another busy 32-hour work week. Will keep myself sane by realizing that with busy season coming up at the auto glass shop, owner’s traveling scheduled typically reduced until late fall. Have a good week everyone!
1. Made sourdough using the TWG recipe. Still such a useful book.
2. My husband made pumpkin gnocchi using our homegrown pumpkins. Delicious. We have mashed pumpkin leftover. I’ll make pumpkin scones today.
3. Still reading from my bookshelf. I have a lot of books…
4. Chose not to go to see Endgame this weekend even though I really wanted to. I’ll wait until it’s a bit cheaper. Movies in Australia are quite expensive so it will be a big difference.
That’s all.
Re #4 – I would have done it your way too, but… my kids skipped multiple movies this past winter because they wanted me to take them to see End Game immediately upon release and in the theater of their choosing. I’ve never loved them more. Hehehehehe……
My kids couldn’t care less about it – it’s me that really wants to see it! I’m really having to avoid every spoiler. Not easy!!
There was no frugality at my house these past few days. I kept hanging in with my last gentle beast and I waited too long; he was still eating, eager to go places even though it took him great effort to stand up, and he never whined or indicated pain. Two days ago, he struggled to his feet after lying in the sun in the backyard, and his back collapsed; it appears that part of his spine just crumbled. He began screaming in agony. I am a crack shot and I would have put him out of his pain myself but a few years ago after over a dozen surgeries in a year I went through a phase of such deep depression that my husband hid the guns in the crawl space that requires a tall ladder to climb down into. I am okay now but we never did get them out of hiding and I could not get to them to help my poor dog. The husband was not reachable…I finally called our long-term vet and he was at our house within minutes, along with a sturdy tech to help with lifting. He quickly put him to sleep and after giving me some time with the body he and the tech lifted him into his vehicle and took them to the practice to be disposed of there. The final bill was $1038.00. I understand that the charge had to be higher than the original price they gave me because it was a house call and involved two staff, and I am so thankful that he was here within literally less than 10 minutes. We had the money in our emergency fund so could pay it but it stings that I had a plan for it to cost about $25 with my farmer friend administering the medication to stop his heart. It was my own fault for not acting sooner, he just seemed to be doing okay and I could not let him go. The worst part is knowing that his last minutes were so painful and terrifying and I could have spared him that.
Unfortunately, I spent even more money because I am the product of the “Eat and you’ll feel better” school of child rearing. That night I just wanted to sit in front of my computer streaming Les Miserable on PBS and eat pizza. The most expensive pizza in town. That was two days ago and yesterday was not much better in terms of no productivity and eating expensive food that was not good for us. I keep reminding myself that this is a first world problem, that millions cannot afford the luxury of a dog because they are living hand-to-mouth themselves, but that intellectual recognition is not making my heart feel any better.
So I am mad that I caused the dog pain, mad that my selfishness also cost us about a thousand more than it needed to, mad at the money I have wasted on junk food, mas at myself for eating the food…just mad at everything.
I am so very sorry about your dog. You did the best you could, he lived a good life with you.
I’m so sorry. That is heartbreaking.
I am so sorry for your loss and such a difficult time. Grief over our beloved pets is awful, coupled with our responsibility for them makes it larger.
I can only imagine your grief and the guilt you are going through.
Please be kind to yourself. Imagine one of us wrote about this situation. I bet you would be kind and empathetic.
Yes, if you could do it over, you’d choose differently. But we make decisions based on the information we have right now. And sometimes it turns out to be the wrong decision. It wasn’t with malice or even negligence. You thought he was doing OK.
Whenever I make a choice that I end up regretting deeply, I remind myself of all the choices people have made that have resulted in sadness or disappointment. Lots of people have these times in their lives. You aren’t alone in your humanness. You aren’t terrible. You loved your pet deeply and made a good life for him. Remember the good you have done.
Well said Alexandra. My thoughts exactly but you said it with such gentleness and kindness. We’re all thinking of you Lindsey. My late father used to say “You did the best you could do at the time.” I know you did.
Oh, Lindsey, this story is so sad. Please don’t beat up on yourself any more; you’ve suffered enough already. Hugs to you and your DH.
Hugs
I’ve been thinking of you Lindsey these last few weeks, knowing the path you were on. I to walked it less than 6 weeks ago. Ah..if our pets could stay longer. So much they give that sometimes a sudden end feels like we let them down. You did all that you could ,with all that you knew, with all that you had available. The brief moments at the end were covered by thousands of hours of care. It was short and you made sure it was always going to be compassionate however it occurred. You did well by your pups.
I am so sorry for your loss. I am sure your gentle giant felt very loved up to his very last moment. That is the most any of us could ask for.
Lindsey I am so very sorry. Be kind to yourself.
I’m so sorry to hear this. I am reminded of the time that I ran over our beloved family dog. My daughter was in the car. My car was on top off him. I didn’t know if I should move forward or backward so I prayed that he was dead but no..my young daughter and I could hear him bumping the bottom of my car. My daughter was crying. I got out and saw that I could move forward but then I discovered the reality of what I caused. His face was distorted and his back was broken. We had to shoot him which caused a second round of torture for my family. I cried for days. My daughter told anyone that would listen how her mother ran over Barkley. He was the best dog I had ever had. So sorry for your loss and I pray that soon you can focus more on the good times because there were so many of those. Go back and read all your previous FFT’s posts.
I feel badly for you and fear we are on the same path. I’ve noticed the past couple weeks that the younger dog’s shape is changing. No weight gain, but his abdomen is getting larger–and today harder. He has an acute vet apt tomorrow, but the Mister and I need to have a talk about end of life/ quality of life/ spending on diagnostics talk this evening. And our 13 year old had a malignant tumor removed from his leg a week ago. We love them and we’d like to live with them as long as we can, but we don’t want them to suffer.
Ah, Lindsey, so sorry to hear about your rough time. Of course you’re mad it went that way – you loved him and you did your best. I so hope you hear in these comments that it’s your best we all see.
Lindsey, I’m so sorry. Gentle hugs to you. As others have said here, you did the best you could with what you knew at the time. You acted out of love, including wanting to give your dear pet as many days of enjoying life as you could. Please forgive yourself, so that you’re spared the harmful effects enduring anger can have on your physical and emotional well-being.
This is so sad and no words of condolence suffice. Let it go. I made made my cat suffer for a month of IV fluids at home when I knew very well she was dying of kidney disease. I’ll never do it again but at the time I just couldn’t let her go. Still feel guilty to this day but she was loved until the painful end.
Jen
I did the same Jen except it was two months and then I went away on a long planned vacation. I paid a vet tech to come and give her the fluids and meds but she died when we were away and she was alone in the house. I cried for a week with guilt and missing her. I still cry occasionally over her and it’s been 3 years.
Lindsay – so terribly sorry to hear about your beloved dog. We have also had end of life issues with our dogs and have had many discussion on how to handle . Never a perfect solution. Thankfully your dog had a loving home .
My heart goes out to you because your pain is palpable & you are in the raw stages of mourning. Plus, I see myself in your shoes down the road with my aging little BFF fur baby. I don’t think there is a ever a clear path to knowing when it is time to euthanize – it breaks our heart to lose them but also breaks it if they suffer. My neighbor just shared that they are physically carrying their dog up & down the stairs but he doesn’t seem bad enough to let go yet. I would say you did the best for your dog that you possibly could – you enjoyed his companionship to the maximum & saw to it that his suffering was short-lived. There are times in life where there are much larger issues than money & in my humble opinion, this is one of them. I would urge you to go gentle on yourself, push away the guilt & allow yourself some missteps & time to heal.
Sorry, intended as comment for Lindsey.
1. My Mom came over for a visit. I made her a nice cup of tea and helped her load books on her kindle. She dyed my hair for me saving me $50.
2. I picked my oldest daughter up at the airport. Instead of paying for parking I parked in the cell phone lot for free and picked her up at the curb when she got there.
3. I packed my youngest up and brought her home for the summer from college. Her roommates left an impressive collection of paper towels and cleaning products behind which we brought home for next year.
4. I used a BOGO coupon for breakfast sandwiches at McDonald’s. We had our own drinks so $4 for breakfast.
5. I picked up a few odds and ends at Costco including some gift cards for a restaurant I knew we’d be eating at and also filled up on cheap gas while I was there saving myself about $34.
6. I went to some garage sales and an estate sale with my daughters. Girls got free books and I found an All Clad omelet pan for 50 cents that looks brand new. I’ll give it to one of my daughters.
1. There was a local neighborhood garage sale going on that is usually pretty good. Nothing decent today and I walked away with nothing.
2. Had my learning-to-drive son drive me on my errands this morning and we only almost got in 1 accident. This is better than most days. But he has to practice, even though I get more gray hairs every time. The frugal part is he is already 16.5 and still has his permit. He could have gotten his license 6 months ago but we made him wait.
3. Forced myself to think long and hard about meal plans for the week and hit up 1 and only 1 grocery store. $63 later we should be ok for the week. I am sick of grocery shopping, so I will force this to work with what I have on hand. My 18 year old dd even mentioned that she felt like we got a lot for $63.
4. 14 year old dd said she was in the mood for baking, so while dinner was in the oven she made up an apple/cinnamon breakfast bread from scratch and now we have breakfast.
5. We rented a carpet cleaner from Home Depot for $27 and did the whole house ourselves. I really didn’t want to! But after online quotes came back around $300 I bit the bullet and rented one. Sometimes frugality is NOT fun, but so worth it in the end.
I feel your pain on your son learning to drive! Mine has had his since Halloween (!) . When he gets his license, be sure to get a dash cam for him. A friend who works in insurance recommended it; apparently kids are likely to be at fault without them, in case of an accident. People don’t respect their version of what happened.
Good idea! (And in a somewhat parallel vein, a friend of mine with perpetually hungry teen athletes in the house was told she should get a trail cam for the fridge so she could tell where all the food was going. “Who’s drinking the maple syrup?”)
Thanks, Vickey! This made me laugh!
1. We housed a family of five for a long weekend. These are good friends of ours who moved across the country years ago and we were thrilled to have them. It took a full day of cleaning but both my teens gave up their rooms and moved into our bedroom for the weekend so that the family would be comfortable. This saved them money and gave us the joy of visiting them as they were in between responsibilities. Being in the same house also meant NO restaurant meals out just so we could visit. They left us a gift card to my favorite grocery store and all of the partial food and supplies they had purchased and couldn’t take home on the plane.
2. We told said friends that we would host a bbq on the last day of their visit and they could invite whomever they wanted. After friends volunteered to bring wine and most of the side dishes, I spent less than $75 and we had a great day. Not bad for 20 people and a lunch that turned into dinner too.
3. I had previously made a big pot of vegan chili for an event that ended up being cancelled at the last minute and had frozen this chili. It came out for the bbq and I was grateful to my past self for saving it and remembering that I had it.
4. We had some piles that needed to go to the dumps. There was discussion about getting a dumpster but that was expensive and I talked the guys into borrowing a trailer and going to the dumps themselves. It cost less than 30 percent of the smallest dumpster (even factoring in $4/gallon California gas), they were able to sort out metal for reuse. I salvaged three large items that I felt were still useful. These went in on Facebook marketplace for free and are all in new homes and not the landfill. Finally, on the way home, they picked up for me 3 cubic yards of garden soil, avoiding a $50 delivery fee or all of the plastic waste of buying that much soil in bags. Also, free exercise by shoveling it out of the trailer. 🙂
5. Avoided a lunch out by heating up lasagna and sending it out the door with the guys on their way to the dump. I hate using paper plates but this was a perfect opportunity.
1. Persistence is paying off. We were due a new roof from our insurance company due to last year’s hurricane. The roof company complained that the insurance company was not giving enough money to do the roof. Three weeks of back-and-forth resulted in an increase and a new roof! Then we heard that all the funds hadn’t been released. Weeks of again back-and-forth resulted in enough money coming back this week to pay for my new crown (and I don’t mean tiara). I’m convinced if I was not the squeaky wheel I would not have gotten either money. If you’re dealing with insurance companies it pays to be persistent!
2. Finished paying for trip to Spain coming up in November. Excited to just enjoy instead of worrying about the money owed.
3. Helping a friend with her event planning business. Brought in an extra $300 in the last 2 weeks. Good thing as we had an unexpected vet bill of $200.
4. Planned to go to Aldi’s after work and my shift ended at noon. I knew I’d be starving so packed a nice lunch so I wouldn’t grocery shop like a crazy person. Got held up at work for an hour. Famished! Sooo glad I had that lunch or I would have doubled our grocery bill!
5. Finishing “Digital Minimalism” by Cal Newport. From library. Excellent read. It came recommended to me and I thought it was gonna be more of the same but it actually has some great food for thought. Also recommend “Read. Write. Reflect.” By Monica Bhide and “Designing your own Life” by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Happy May 4th everyone and may the force be strong with you non-consuming! Lol.
1. As usual Swagbucks videos are running in the background while I type this, less than 200 away from a $25 Paypal – yeah!
2. By paying my cell phone bill for Verizon today earned a $3 Starbucks gift card which I will use towards an outing with my daughter on a buy 1 get one or half off day. If you don’t know about it check out the Verizon App and the Verizon Up tab, I average over $20 a year in gift cards this way for restaurants, AMC movie theater, etc. Using the AMC $5 Verizon rewards I received towards taking my daughter to see the Avengers movie next weekend as a reward for studying hard all weekend for her AP government test on Monday. Proud to say I was able to get financial aid for her to take the test ($200 savings) and hopefully she will do well and it will help later for college saving her 3-4 credits she will not have to take.
3. Volunteered at the library bookstore and used a $6 volunteer appreciation gift certificate to buy the Star Wars Trilogy dvd box set and a book. Also brought my own snacks, donated magazines and did some great Facebook posts with photo’s of the Star Wars items we had on sale promoting the book store and hopefully increased shoppers and sales today.
4. Went to the Farmers Market and purchased 8 Roma tomato plants for $5, apples and real maple candy as a treat for my daughter. Stayed practical and strong and did not succumb to the baked goods, cute succulents for sale, etc.
5. Dinner was home made scalloped potatoes and ham. Ham was in the freezer from New Years, delicious and pretty frugal. Went to Krogers yesterday only bought the good sale priced fruit, marked down milk, scored on the the sour cream deal, Mission tortilla chips for 99 a bag, and saved using coupons. Also went to Target and took advantage of the Target circular if you buy $25 of the select items listed you receive a $5 gift card. I purchased the vitamins and over the counter meds I needed and received the card, win win.
1. Mended a torn sheet.
2.Seamed up a pair of thrift store pants for a slimmer looking leg.
3. Dug up my grape and blackberry vines and moved them from the back yard to the front to save them from more gnawing by dogs. Also invested in a raspberry bush.
4. Had an unusually high water bill and called the water company about it. After finding a leak and sending them a copy of the plumber’s bill, we received a $31.00 credit .
5. Put out some tomato and pepper plants and planted free bean, radish and cucumber seeds from the library. Also planted some sprouted potatoes. All plants seem to be thriving so far.
5.
1-Used up some leftovers before it was too late
2-used a soon to expire 30.00 off gift card for some plants, now if only spring would show up.
3-the few groceries we needed were purchased with points, I do like free food.
4-I too love my Libby app. Saves carrying a book on my commute and I don’t waste my commute time on FB.
5-resisting the temptation of a new spring wardrobe because I know soon I will be reminded I have more than enough to get through the summer. I did use my birthday money to buy new dress sandals as mine had seen better days and I do enough client facing work that require more than Birkenstocks.
1. I harvested more mulberries. 2. I made vegetarian seven layer salad with food I had on hand. 3. I took a nap. 4. I walked at the local river, even though it was 90 degrees, the shade trees dripping with Spanish Moss made it seem much cooler. 5. I did not go to the hwy 28 yard sale in Mississippi, even though I wanted to…sniff, sniff…. maybe next year.
1. We saved THOUSANDS today, by having our homeowners insurance cut us a check to repair our roof after the hail storm. It will cover the cost to buy the materials for a metal roof (currently have shingles), and we plan to have my husband and possibly brother do it themselves to save on labor.
2. Went grocery shopping, spent $61 and saved $23 by purchasing multiple sale items. Also, I knew I was gonna be tempted to eat out for supper, but I bought ramen noodles instead. Hubby made ramen and eggs for us.
3. Used newspaper flyers to wash windows instead of paper towels. Then I had my daughter dust with an old holey shirt as a rag.
4. Keeping track of my calorie intake using free my fitness pal app. And probably helping our grocery bill a little too by eating less.
5. Still earning swagbucks and scanning receipts for ibotta.
1. Rooting geraniums from a survivor from last year, rather than buying new plant for my patio. You’re rubbing off on me, Katy! I think I will look over my seeds and see if I have some annuals I can add as well. Mentioned my re-landscaping project to a friend, who is going to drop off some ferns. Also, measured up and analyzed gate that I am moving, and assessed what parts I can use, and what needs to be replaced/repurposed….realized some parts can be rearranged and flipped. I am doing this project over three years so that I can figure out how to do each part mostly by myself, and also so that I can really think things through as I make changes.
2. Making soup stock from a chicken carcass that my husband had thrown into/onto the garbage. (but it was clean garbage!) Also, saved seeds from winter squash to toast them. I am cooking down the pantry to make sure all of the food gets “turned over.” I had odds and ends of different types of pasta, and added them to the water at different times: they all cooked perfectly, and we had a kind of cool spaghetti, with rotini, etc, mixed in! Brought lunch from home everyday, and also brought dinner one night when I knew I had to stay late.
3. Scavenged some parts off a sunfish that was by a dumpster and was getting tossed out (I confirmed before taking!) and will use to repair a fish that is otherwise sea-worthy.
4. Am continuing to tend vegetable and plant seedlings that are going to green up my yard someday, and they needed a fan to blow on them. The one we had was broken, and I you-tubed how to fix it: not worth the price of the parts required. Almost ran to big box store, but then borrowed fans from my mother and brother: this gives me time to locate one at a garage sale: for less money, less packaging , and probably will get a better fan!
5. Swept off patio, and will bring up some lawn furniture every day this week, piece by piece, so I don’t get too tired out. In the past, we would sometimes hire someone to do this, but it is actually good exercise if you don’t do too much at once. I am also a fan of the bleach the cushions, imperfect is okay, plan. I can’t believe how fussy I used to be. I would put even slightly worn looking outdoor cushions out by the curb, and they would be gone in minutes: at least not in the landfill, but so much money and resources out the window!
6. 6! I never have 6! A friend mentioned she needed a place to stay this summer, and I told her we were going camping for a week and she could stay at our house: frugal for her, and I am glad my house will not be going to waste. She promised to water our plants! Yay!
I did not yet try the shampoo bar, etc but it is on my radar!
1) I found a 50% off sale at a thrift store, down the parking lot from the Dollar Tree, on Thursday. My total was $6 and I got a huge Cappuccino Cup and Saucer decorated like a Sunflower, a fake leafy plant combo in a wooden box with moss, a small digital alarm clock (only needed a battery) and a pretty Summer top. The plant looks awesome in the window of my cubicle and the Cappuccino Cup & Saucer I’m now using as my new coffee cup at work and they brighten up my desk.
2) I, also, found a cute wooden crate with Welcome on the front – full of a bright flower arrangement with a pretty butterfly, a blue Butterfly tea lite candle holder that I will put an LED tea lite candle in and a bright glittery “Aloha” sign. It all goes well with the pictures of my granddaughters on my desk and makes my desk and cubicle look pretty, summery and inviting. I spent about $12 total on all the items I decorated my work area with. Other items I already and moved them from my old office area.
3) I found a coupon for a 24 pack of AAA batteries at Harbor Freight – $4.99 for the 24/pack. I got a free LED hanging light for free with that purchase. The cashier gave me back the coupon, after she scanned it, and said it’s good until the end of May.
4) I went by two GW stores and scored several items I’d been looking for – much cheaper than buying them new!
5) Spent $25 at Aldi getting the few groceries we needed for the next few weeks.
1. I scrubbed all the pollen off my screened porch. I soaked and washed all my 8 year old patio furniture with my Dollar Tree oxyclean – maybe at the same time as Katy – and it’s now presentable and ready for summer.
2. Hosted former neighbors who moved away and they have received best houseguests award. They arrived in their camper and brought all the food for a cookout lunch. Nice to be treated to someone cooking for me and I enjoyed it very much.
3. Read my library book – The Library Book recommended by Katy – and returned it just in time to pick up my newest selection. Also, watching all the Netflix and enjoying Youtube.
4. We have devised a plan to drive and stay in a hotel with my brother & sister-in-law to attend our niece’s graduation in Ohio. We will split the costs of gas and hotel which is a win-win.
5. It was time for a new washer and dryer. Our neighbors were selling their 20 year old set that is used only a few times per year (it’s their holiday house) so we purchased it. $300 for the set and it’s in incredible shape.
Just an FYI for anyone, who lives near a College town:
May is graduation month and that’s when College students move. They will donate, pawn and put items out on the curb; OR if they leave things in the rent houses they don’t want, those things will likely end up on the curb on in dumpsters, when landlords clean the rent houses out, so they can put them up for rent in June & July for the next round of renters.
This time of year is when I have scored the BEST electronics at pawn shops and the best furniture and other items at the thrift stores.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
Thanks Katy for the timely words on salvaging patio cushions. I was almost ready to order new.ones At Wal-Mart$100 for 4 new red cushions, same item at Amazon..$65..great deal? Rethink. Reduce waste. Contentment. Make Do. Sunday To Do List? Washing slightly dirty ,faded red cushions.
FFT, Dimes Are the New Pennies/Frugal Gardening Edition:
(1) I’ve really been on a tear with finding coins lately, in two places around the ‘hood where kids congregate. I’m finding as many dimes as pennies–so I’ve decided that dimes are the new pennies, since they’re small and the kids don’t bother or are “too cool” to pick them up. Me, I’m not too cool to pick up anything that’s a coin of the realm.
(2) Major frugal fail: I just learned the hard way why folks say not to freeze liquid in glass jars. I left plenty of air space and got away with this once, so I thought I could do it again–but yesterday I lost two half-gallon Ball jars of beautiful stock because the glass shattered. It was a nasty business cleaning it up and disposing of the shards, too; I’m lucky that the only injury I sustained was a small cut to one finger, no worse than a paper cut. I did take a big gouge out of the toe of the brown leather Merrell clogs I had on–but thank goodness it was the shoe and not me.
(3) A few frugal gardening notes: First, I’m going to try Katy’s idea of using excess spider plants in a couple of outdoor planters that need fillers. I’ve got a couple of mine acclimatizing to our still-chilly Upstate NY spring weather, in…
(4) …my free-to-me small plastic-covered greenhouse, a very kind gift from the curmudgeon with a heart of gold down the street who wasn’t using it and noticed a year or two ago that my old one was showing its age.
(5) I do have to buy a few perennial herb plants this year to replace winter casualties (our repeated freeze/thaw cycles weren’t kind to them). But I’m purchasing the minimum I can get away with, and choosing the best plants at the best price. I got three thymes and a sage at yesterday’s Regional Market for $10. These plants were much bigger and better than the ones available from other vendors for $2 apiece.
Katy, re your planters, last Spring I noticed my neighbor used spider plant babies in her hanging baskets which quickly grew into pretty, healthy plants, I decided to do the same this year with some gifted spider plant babies. I’ll be putting them outside when the NE weather warms sufficiently.
1. Stopped by a candy shop I was driving past after seeing their sign for 65% off Easter candy. I purchased a white chocolate bunny to use as a grated topping on brownies. Okay, I DID buy a fudge egg to eat on the ride home.
2. Today we are going to a spaghetti supper to support our local cat shelter. It’s my idea of dinner out – no cooking and supporting one of my favorite causes.
3. Our church had their annual yard sale but the crowd was not what we expected. The weather wasn’t great – cloudy and drizzly – but i’m wondering if people are yardsaling anymore with all the online sale sites. Any thought?
4.Happy to see all my perennials made it through the winter.
5. No large purchases necessary. Only groceries and gasoline. Whew!
Speaking of salvaged door knobs….We stopped at a friends remodeled house. They had taken all the beautiful matching old door knobs and lined them up as towel hooks in their new bathrooms. Clever and beautiful to see the old character of the home repurposed in a functional way.
1. It was early afternoon when we deplaned yesterday (we travelled to a family wedding using Southwest points) and hubby was thinking about a Mexican restaurant we discovered several weeks ago. We went home and scrounged up lunch (and dinner). Today I made burrito bowl fixings before heading out to a morning yoga class.
2. It rained all day so I grabbed an umbrella (we have a nice selection rescued from lost and found right before the semi-annual throw away) both to walk to yoga and to go on a walk.
3. We baked three different baked goods to assemble a basket of treats for several dozen. We used what we had on hand, surely all ingredients were acquired at good prices.
4. I continue to read ebooks borrowed from the library, listen to audio books borrowed from the library, and not pay for cable. I especially enjoyed reading Digital Minimalism and Atomic Habits recently.
5. I’m tired from being away from home for four days and can’t think of anything else.
1. Found replacement door shelves on Amazon for my freezer for just $15 a pair. Other sites were charging $50 for one!
2. Made my daughter a medieval type dress for her Princess and the Pea play for just $15
3. Used a tire warranty to have my tire plugged and then while I was there decided to have the tires rotated for free as well
4. My gym finally fixed a glitch on my account that was causing me to not be charged for the past two months. Then they kindly declined my offer to pay for the missed months as it was a problem on their end. That was nice.
5. Bought used textbooks online for next school year as they are cheaper and plentiful right now
1. I found 4 ‘my first Easter’ picture frames in the clearance buggy at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They were 90% off making the $20 frames only $2. I carefully unscrewed the metal Easter letters and I now have nice frames that used to be $80. I may put my kids and grand-kids pics in there or save for the gift closet stash.
2. I cut some Happy birthday cake toppers out of cardboard Fedx envelopes with my husband’s Cricut machine. I painted them with craft paint/glitter that I already have on hand. I am selling cakes as a side gig and keep costs low by making all the decor myself. I got marshmallows to make homemade fondant in a grocery clearance bin for 75 cents. I also use boxes from Aldi to transport cakes instead of buying fancy cake boxes then I tape business cards on the box. Cakes only cost me around $10 or less to make so there is a pretty good profit if I keep my costs low. I have three cakes to make for this weekend so I am doing all I can now.
3. I am still painting the outside of my home(cedar shakes) a little along, as I can. It’s a process because I am doing small repairs along the way, it has been raining a lot here, I have kids that need attention, I work long hours, and my husband has health problems….did I forget to mention sometimes I am just plain tired…even a bit lazy, lol? I am tearing shakes off a homemade doghouse that we are planning to tear down anyway to replace rotted ones so they have to be cut to fit then nailed on. My house looks a bit odd right now half painted but I don’t really care.
4. My oldest daughter demanded to know what I wanted for Mother’s Day. I have a new window boxes and planters that I am dying to put some flowers in but I can’t really do it until I finish painting that side of the house. I asked my daughter to pick me out a few starts for Mother’ s day. They don’t have a lot of money so just a few won’t cost much.
5. A friend of my is giving me some lantana to plant in a spot in my yard. His comes back beautifully each year and he wants to get thin them out. I have a great place for it where I don’t mind if it gets really big.
1) I was very persistent with the manufacturer of our grill and after many emails and calls basically forced them to honor their own warranty at no cost to me. They provided the parts and Dh installed them so the grill now works again.
2) Continuing to work on my SwagBucks.
3) Sold a patio table and chairs we no longer needed.
4) That money is being paid as a payment to principle today on our mortgage.
5) Overfunded a year-round account we save in and used that extra as a payment to principle also.
1) Had a homemade Mexican food and drink feast for Cinco de Mayo, rather that an expensive dinner out in a crowded, overpriced restaurant. Used the meat, beans and cheese we have on hand thanks to Costco!
2) Spent the rainy Sunday organizing two closets. Freed up two storage tubs, one of which I am now using to corral errant sneakers within one closet. Didn’t really find much to donate to GW except for a pair of shoes, a game, and two books. Must tackle daughter’s closet next.
3) Lucked out by getting some free ice cream treats after Saturday’s softball game from a nice group at the park who were holding an event there. They gave away the ice cream to all the players and fans, rather than try to transport it and risk it melting. Ice cream out would have cost us $20 for our family.
4) Brought my own lunch to the field
5) Baked a batch of cookies yesterday with ingredients on hand instead of buying any store bought desserts for the next few days.
1. Attended my kids’ speech competition Saturday, 2 hours away. Talked my husband out of getting a hotel, drove half way with my dad (he drove, saving us gas, as we wouldn’t all fit in my car with the dog), prepared breakfast and lunch for us. I made Eggs Florentine sandwiches — English muffins, eggs, cooked spinach with Hollandaise dip — to eat in the car, and we will definitely be doing that again!
2. Mostly eating out of the pantry this week. I lost my supply of cinnamon, so I cleaned the pantry looking for it. I made banana bread from freezer bananas, used up a bag of stuffing mix, put pasta on the menu (I have *so* much pasta!), rescued veggies from the foodbank, eggs from chickens fed on foodbank refuse.
3. Supplementing dog’s dinner with t-bone steak I received from the foodbank. The packaging was torn, but the meat was still cold. As we don’t eat meat, I cooked it up and am parceling it out to the dogs every night. They don’t mind!
4. Made two types of jam out of our neighbor’s loquats. I ran out of pectin after the first batch, and tried a batch of chia seed freezer jam. I’m waiting for my family to decide if it’s worth making more of the freezer jam while the fruit is in season.
5. Sharing a birthday party between my daughter and my niece. Will bring leftover alcohol from Easter, and only need to supply half as much food, and still get a chance to hang out with the family.
Question: How do you replace dishwashing washclothes? I gave up sponges years ago, and just bought a bunch at Big Lots, but I’m looking for a non-consumer option if anyone has a good idea…
I get the good parts from old towels and hem them. I also use washcloths after they get too stiff to use for bathing (cut in half and hemmed)
1. I sold two more things on ebay
2. I got free tickets to see two different plays.
3. I am enjoying lilacs I cut from a bush I planted some 20 years ago. The bush was a house warming gift and had been a source of pleasure every year.
4. I’ve been cooking and freezing meals to get me through the next two weeks. I have some crazy work hours coming up.
5. I baked lots of cookies for my staff for the coming two weeks. I uses sugar I got for free. All I had to buy were some chocolate chips and butterscotch, both at Aldi. A happily sugared-up staff makes the day go by faster.
1) Tried a recipe from a cookbook borrowed from the library for white chicken chili in the crockpot using leftover chicken and beans on sale. It got the thumbs up from the fam.
2) Repainted our “Christmas” door mat which is heavy duty coconut fiber and has red lettering. For the past several years, I have repainted the red lettering (which fades by Feb) with a circular sponge brush and washable paint. This year I splurged on a bottle of red acrylic from the thrift store. 20 minutes and .25 later, the mat will be ready to go in December. I get unreasonable joy from refreshing this mat each year…
3) Airing linens on the clothes rack on the porch as it is truly sunny today for the first time in a while. Changing over from flannel comforter cover back to cotton. Crossing my fingers it has snowed for the last time.
4) Sent my niece’s birthday present home to NY with my recently visiting in laws who live 5 minutes away from her. Gift will be there ahead of time and without shipping costs.
5) Made some tasty Kentucky Derby brownies from a mix and nuts and chocolate chips on hand. They become Derby brownies by making tiny holes with a toothpick when they come out of the oven and brushing the top with Kentucky bourbon so that the booze soaks in. 🙂
Re kitchen dish washing cloths, and kitchen towels, I cut up old towels and zigzaged the edges, washed them once to get rid of the fuzzies, and have been using them continuously. The quality of old, worn out towels (or goodwill towels) is superior to the new noncotton towels. They wash beautifully. And I don’t feel bad when I throw them away. Every new kitchen towel I’ve bought or been given in the past 10 years has looked nasty after the first wash when the sizing is washed out, usually full of threadbare holes.
1. Getting an Ebates “big fat check” today for $20. Great to have recaptured money on necessary purchases with minimal effort! Just try not to think about who they are selling your data to. 😉
2. Parents made my weekend by coming to my quartet’s final performance. They sprang for dinner after–and more generously, sent me and the BF on our ways to NYC with bagels and coffee in the morning. They get how stressful moving can be and have been saints about helping out where they can.
3. Still drinking instant coffee instead of making Dunkin runs. I know it’s the right thing and the coffee really isn’t that bad.
4. Facebook marketplace has been a goldmine for selling my home goods. Coordination is frustrating but they are making it worth while!
5. Moving in two weeks means a shutdown on grocery shopping. Out of the freezer or pantry only. Annoying to stick to but can’t stomach the wasted money of throwing away a load of good food because it doesn’t make sense to haul it to the new place.
1. i listed items on ebay/etsy and took photos of more items to list.
2. i ate at home and leftovers most of the week and brought my lunch to work every day.
3. decluttered a lot of stuff. some to sell locally and some to donate.
4. used my local buy nothing group to offload some food and booze.
5. thrifted some useful items for my home.
Rough week edition
My son broke his arm Friday. Thankful for our $100 copay on ER visits. Also had a water bottle and snacks already in my boat of a purse, so at the very least we didn’t end up at a Chick-fil-A drive thru on the way home.
Hubby has been sick, sick, SICK. Went to the dr on Thursday and he has pneumonia. Our regular GP was able to see him so only a $20 copay. These loved ones are worth every penny of the full bill, but we really count our benefits package a blessing. He felt well enough today to go to work.
So frugal fail. I live in SoCal. Water is expensive. I replenished the evaporating pool and then the sky erupts with a gully washer. LOL! Note to self check the weather report.
I did set my plumerias in the rain for a bit and turned off our sprinklers for the next few days, so there’s a silver lining.
Another frugal fail. My dishwasher quit working. Ordered a new one and the installer was unable because I had a broken valve. Called the plumber and I could have saved myself from buying a new machine if I had called him first. (Note to self, you have a good plumber. Call him first.) I do like this guy. I always pull out all my stuff from under the cabinet and wipe it out for him. He is so thankful and he usually lowers the price just a smidge from his phone call quote.
***Mama said they’ll be days like this, they’ll be days like this, my mama said.***
Love the song reference. You must be about my age. 😀
1) Actually from last week, but: used every smidge of the Easter ham. Not quite as impressive as those of you who used up bags of spinach, but still a thrill.
2) Neighbor at our beach place had some patio furniture he was getting rid of. We’ve already replaced all of the outdoor furniture this year because renters are extra hard on it all of a sudden, so it was worth it to drive 90 minutes each way for a free extra set. Eldest daughter came along and talked through a job crisis, which was good for her . . . and good for me, because frankly I wouldn’t have had the patience to “Mmhmmm” that long if I weren’t doing something else at the same time.
3) Combined Cinco de Mayo and Hubs’ birthday in one family dinner and game day. All kids but the one 7 hours away were able to come. The grocery trip ahead of dinner was not cheap, but on the other hand nobody had been to the store for anything but milk in 3 weeks, so it was time.
4) Enjoyed greens off my patio with dinner several days. Unseasonable hot weather has them bolting, but the heat is good for the tomatoes – at the old house I’d still be nursing tiny seedlings along in a windowsill, and here they’re 2 ft tall and setting blossoms. I’m feeling more acclimated to the new place every day.
5) No Lear jet, no tweetstorms.
I was so impressed with my spinach consumption, I bought 3 more bags. LOL! I used one already in 2 pizza crusts. Just add to the water you need for your dough, cook, puree, cool, then add your sugar and yeast, ect… Kid approved. 🙂
1. My son offered to work on my house in exchange for a spot in the garden. Great trade! (He could’ve had a spot anyway, but why turn down such a great offer?)
2.After Easter sales helped fill the freezer with proteins that will last a month, and for a mere $30! And I made black beans in the crock-pot today. Yum.
3. Monopoly Game winning pieces & ‘buy 5’ offers brought a $46 grocery bill down to $13
4. Had a free lunch today — veggies & dip leftover from an event.
5. At the moment I am laying on my 22-year-old-but-newly reupholstered couch…very comfy, and nothing went into the landfill except old fabric and foam. Now I’m ready for 20 more years! (I’ll be 82 then…)
Teresa, that is some good shopping!! Congrats!
1. The return of our CSA has got us really on top of meal planning and eating absolutely everything that comes into the house before it goes bad. With the CSA, our grocery expenses have maybe gone up by about $10 but our eating out has gone down to nothing so it’s worth it.
2. Used ripe bananas to make a loaf of banana bread for the spouse. He’ll eat out every breakfast and lunch if I don’t keep an eye on him.
3. Managed to squeeze a pair of trousers AND a shirt out of some fabric in my stash. I used patterns I already owned, ignoring the siren call of the latest sewing pattern releases.
4. Ordered my mom’s Mother’s Day gift to be delivered directly to her to avoid paying for shipping.
5. Tonight, the spouse is taking some students out for an end of semester thank you dinner. Take out would be tempting but instead, I’m going home to cook with the chickpeas I prepared from dried on Sunday.