Five Little Frugal Things -- Every Shade of Happy?
Today's blog post leans heavily into "little," as I'm in a bit of a hurry.
1) I did a smaller than normal Winco grocery shop, as I still have a fair amount from last week. I picked up dry cat food for "Meatball," but grabbed an extra one for my daughter's cat as I hate to be unequal with my parenting.
This is $2.41 of bulk oatmeal!
2) I stopped at Goodwill beforehand and picked up a $2.99 blank journal, as my last thrifted planner is running out of weeks. It's hard to find blank journals without lines, which is my preference. I'll likely do something to create a new cover though, as "Every shade of happy" is giving off toxic positivity vibes. However, it's the perfect size and brand new.
I'm pretty sure that men don't get pressured to be "happy at all times." Ick.
3) I bought a $10 Goodwill gift card, as I decided to remove the David Hockney framed poster from the $100 Goodwill Gift Card Challenge. (I bought it in late December to resell, but have bonded with it!) I'll then use the ten bucks to thrift things to resell for the Oregon Food Bank.
4) I picked up my library holds, including the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. My husband and I then watched the Below Decks crossover episode last night. One of favorite episodes of television!
Without having to pay a penny to CBS/Paramount!
5) My spider plant babies grew enough roots to transplant them into my hanging basket. I know I've written too much about this, but it's so satisfying to figure out ways to do things for basically free.
I have three more baskets to figure out, but there's no hurry.
Now your turn, what little frugal things have you been up to?
OK, this is a day late and a dollar short but I just had an inspiration: While the Met does not need any fund raising, many worthier causes do. Your area food bank, for example. Or any charities that help people put out of their jobs thanks to these billionaire a-holes.
Here is my devious, anti-social, anti-high society idea: hold a NON-Met Gala party. If you want to raise money, charge admission, or otherwise you can do this just for fun. Have attendees come dressed as their least-favorite snobby member of royalty/celebrity/billionaire/oligarch/politician/Kardashian. (I'm sure Katy and her DH would like to go as the Schmezoffs). Participants should wear trash-picked items or worn-out clothing scrounged from their home or elsewhere. Perhaps a mop head could become a blonde wig, a cardboard egg carton a crown (as seen in the Tightwad Gazette), etc.
The idea is to be horribly CheapAF. Make sure everyone looks as tacky and tightwad-y as possible. You can hold this event on Friday the 13th, Halloween, New Year's, during the Kennedy Center Honors if Trump presides over same and/or names the Kennedy Center after himself) , at next year's Met Gala, or just any old time.
Have the event in a terrible place like your garage, basement, barn or alleyway and call it either the Met or the Trump White House Ballroom.
Collect pennies, thrift store donations or aluminum cans to take for recycling, and donate the funds to the charity of your choice.
I love this.
I was given several spider plants last fall. How do I get these babies you keep bragging about?
They start to have babies when they get root-bound, in other words, when they begin to outgrow their pots.
I think it has to do with them being older plants and somewhat root bound.
Love the poster! Glad you are keeping it because it goes well with your wall color!
1. Our best hospital in the state has opened up an outpatient residency training clinic nearby and I made an appointment for standard bloodwork to become a patient. Good medical care is frugal.
2. It is in the same town as the new Aldi so I stopped by and purchased a huge long cucumber, I have no idea what this foot long cucumber is called, but I got it for 95 cents, I bought a 14 oz bag of classic coleslaw for $1.89, an eight oz bag of flat leaf spinach for $1.89, 32 oz of plain Greek yogurt for $2.79, hot dogs for 99 cents, ground turkey for $4.69, honey for $3.35, cream cheese for $1.49, bag of plain bagels for $1.99, Deli sliced turkey and deli slice roast beef for sandwiches for $3.09 a piece ( this is why I take pbj sandwiches to work so much bc sandwich meat has become so $$$$$).
3. I just finished walking an hour in my neighborhood.
4. I made a concoction of spinach, little grape tomatoes, scrambled eggs with cheese for supper.
5. Windows are up and no heat or air so as to keep the power bill down from our high as h$&l electric company in one of the poorest states in the nation with one of the highest electric rates in the nation. I used bread bags for sandwiches, and I am enjoying the birds out my window for free.
Cindy, that's a great Aldi haul. You likely purchased an English cucumber. They're so tasty and crunchy. I bought one by mistake a few years ago and I've never looked back.
Came home from vacation to find a $175 class action settlement in our mail. Today I got a $111 settlement via Venmo and $41 coming soon
The only souvenirs I bought on our trip were postcards to send to friends. I used Aisle to submit purchases for rebates. I scanned receipts into Fetch
Maybe you can find some stickers to cover the words on the journal cover.
1. I went out for a walk and came home with 25 cans. I spied a rival canner making his rounds (on my turf), so I’m proud that I had such good luck.
2. I made stock from a rotisserie chicken carcass, and it will become soup for tonight’s dinner.
3. The soup will be accompanied by homemade bread.
4. I bought marked down milk at the grocery store. It won’t expire for another 9 days, so I’m not sure why it was half price. Maybe there isn’t room?
5. I found a receipt in the parking lot that was worth 2000 fetch points. I’m learning that I’ll get way more points when I use other people’s receipts.
I shopped at Aldi today. Some things on my list weren't on the shelf, some things in my cart weren't on the list. I didn't really get an amazing deal on anything, but Aldi is more about steady affordability, not splashy sales.
Today it felt like even at Aldi prices were uncomfortably high.
However, on the plus side, I made a sale on eBay this morning -- another Cubs jersey. It's already been packaged and mailed.
I found a pair of glasses in my car and asked my son and grandson if either of them were the owners. Nope. With some really deep thought I finally remembered that I had bought these reading glasses from Goodwill some time ago and purposely left them in the tray below the dash in case I wanted to look at a map or something. Then completely forgot about them. How embarrassing.
Your grand kitty is so gorgeous! I love Meatball's coloring. And such a cute little poser too!
1. DH and I worked at the town elections yesterday. The paychecks should arrive in a week or two.
2. The town springs for breakfast for us election workers. Coffee, donuts and muffins. We also get a stipend includted in our paychecks for lunch and dinner.
3. The two of us each worked for an hour or more in the yard, raking, weeding and mowing the lawn. It looks better and we got some exercise. We thought we might hire the teenager up the street to do the yardwork but decided to do it ourselves.
4. No heat or air-conditioning needed. I love this time of year in New England for so many reasons! Also hung two loads of laundry outside, another favorite part of Spring.
5. I took my library book and a cup of tea and sat on the deck and listened to the birdsong. My happy place.
No, they simply don't have positivity shoved at them and I think I have a theory (and a bit of a rant)!
I got to wear the first of the clothes from our deeply discounted Old Navy order and, having made the choice to be more conscious with what I put on my body, had bought myself some tanks from the men's section as they are 100% cotton. I am 100% outraged! They are INCREDIBLY COMFORTABLE and do not make my skin feel itchy or otherwise bothered! I came out of the bedroom this morning and demanded of my poor husband "ARE MEN JUST COMFORTABLE ALL OF THE TIME?" He confirmed it. Men get to be comfortable all the time. They have sturdier clothes and are often less synthetic without having to search high and low and fork out gobs of cash, only to have their jeans disintegrate or stretch out or their bras be poking through.
Rant paused as I have shit to do, but my goodness it's a comfortable tank top!
I'm also counting that as my #1. for today as comfy clothes are important.
2. Apparently the Libby gods have smiled on me as 4 of my long term holds have come ready within 36 hours! Slightly stressed that I won't get everything read in time but I'll take what I can get!
3. My husband took our youngest to town and ran some errands and made a day of it. They had a great time together.
4. I called an alterations shop about possibly taking in two pairs of jeans at the waist. SEVENTY DOLLARS! I paid $100 for the pair so in my mind this would not work. Thankfully, my dear sweet and very accommodating husband was able to get an exchange started on them, all for the low low price of $0.50 (to print the return label). I married a goodie.
5. I made a dairy free chicken pot pie for dinner and we still have half of it left for lunch leftovers later. 3/4 of the family eats it and love it, maybe one day we'll crack the fourth, but for now I'll take what I can get.
Shyla,
I have add to your rant. For years I have been angered about how men's pants are standard. My husband has no trouble finding jeans. Just look for 34/30. Why is their pants labeled with waist and inseam, but not women's? It should be standard on all pants. It would make pants shopping so much easier!! I too look for natural fibers when buying clothes, and that getting harder and harder to find!!! There's so much plastic in our clothes now that they are highly uncomfortable and just feel strange especially when they are wet.
Ooh rant continued!
The number of times I have tried on a "size x" across different brands and gotten completely different results in the women's department is enough to drive anyone mad! Even from the same brand it can be hard to find a "standard" size for your own body!
Hi Katy,
At first glance I thought your new (to you) notebook was done in the Pride Colors. I checked, though, and they’re not quite the same, although close. I like Li’s suggestion of stickers. That was my thought as well. Or, a find a length of ribbon and glue it on the front to cover the words and create a vertical stripe.
Love the bulk bins at Winco! The oatmeal can’t be beat.
I do remember that oatmeal was 33¢/pound when I started shopping there in 1998 or so.
I thought the same thing! Then( as an Aussie) thought perhaps the rainbow Pride flag may be a local rather than international thing! (A gay friend described me as” not GAY, but very cheerful!) I will have to pay closer attention!
1) I "hitched" a ride with a neighbor to the bus stop (1 mile away), since he was heading that way anyways and offered. Saved me gas and it combined trips, so I'll count it as a win!
2) Took my lunch to classes, and ate it even though the smell of baking bread from the bagel shop on campus was so very, very tempting.
3) Harvested more rhubarb and foraged some nettles.
4) Had homemade green chili casserole for dinner, which I had assembled in advance because I knew takeout would be way too tempting after a long day away from home.
5) Received an $88 settlement check in the mail from the state, from a data breach that affected my old business. I wasn't expecting it, but I deposited it right into savings!
Thanks for the reminder that we need to finish Ghosts on Paramount before I cancel my trial subscription next week. There is really nothing else on there worth watching!
1. Breakfast and lunch this week has been random leftovers that need eating/used up in the fridge
2. Remembered to claim my Upside deal at Kroger before checking out
3. Found 3 receipts in the parking lot that I scanned into Fetch
4. Told the husband and kids that I don't need any gifts or flowers for Mother's Day, I want to play pinball at the arcade (mom's get in free on Sunday!) and get takeout pizza for dinner (non frozen pizza is a treat at my house)
5. Got my new 2026 Mahjong cards this week, and mailed the 2025 ones to a middle school teacher back east that's starting a club at her school.
The only thing I purchase for Mahjong is a yearly card. I play with a group at the senior center, so I do not need my own set or any of the other junk that's Mahjong labeled and in all the stores right now. The theme sets drive me nuts because my brain can't compute the tiles if they're not the traditional ones!
Rant over.
To start with we got the book The Princess Bride from the library which I am reading aloud to my husband every night. We have been doing this for maybe 35 years and read all manner of books. I love to read aloud but he reads to me if I’m feeling off or sick.
I haven’t had a new bra in something like two years. I walked a mile to a Ross and found a cotton Hanes bra for $6.99. I also needed a basket for my entryway organization project. I decoupaged two shipping boxes for my various recycling. This third box is to hold our shopping bags. Again I found the perfect basket for $6.99. With my senior discount the two items came to around $13.
Two days ago we took a ferry to the island where my sister lives. We got the senior discount ferry rate. I brought my sister one of my two sewing machines. Too long a story of how I ended up with two good machines. This is something she can really use as she is living on the edge being the caregiver for an autistic son and having had cancer twice. Instead of going out to eat we packed a picnic lunch. When we got to my sister’s she had coffee and homemade pie all ready. I wish we could have stopped a few places on the way back because many people had put free piles at the end of their driveways.
I enjoy reading everyone’s posts.
I actually love the cover of your new notebook! Instead of toxic positivity vibes, my first reaction was to appreciate the idea that happy has many different shades. It reminded me of something I talk about with my staff - the idea that "giving 100%" at work will change from day to day, because every day, we have a different level of energy and capacity to offer.
Thanks also for the reminder that, next time I need a fresh notebook, my second-hand stores are a good place to look!