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I stopped into Fred Meyer, thinking they had Tillamook cheese on sale. I was wrong, but I did grab a couple of “reduced” price items. I probably should’ve picked up more of the coffee, but I’m not sure if my finicky husband (who’s the coffee drinker in the family) will like it. I also grabbed these cheddar brats, which’ll pair well with my $1 Franz hoagies rolls, not to mention my homemade sauerkraut that’s just about done fermenting.
I had a weird coupon for $1-0ff-$5 of “natural food.” This was a confusing coupon, (what the hell is “natural” food?!) but it worked for the two dozen eggs I bought, which were on sale for $3.50 apiece.
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I used up my clearance shelf eggplant and bell peppers along with this dented can of diced tomatoes to make a mixed veggie pasta. I think I paid 50¢ apiece for a couple dented cans of tomatoes, but had kind of forgotten about them. Worry not, this can was intact and safe.
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I donated platelets at the American Red Cross this afternoon, which was a first for me. I was curious what it would be like, plus they were offering $35 in gift card incentives to sweeten the deal. They also offered backpacks and T-shirts, but I’m a firm believer in not accepting things that clutter the home.
I’m not sure I’d do it again as the anticoagulant made me feel super woozy, complete with numb lips which progressed to my entire face. (Apparently you can avoid these known side effects by taking the maximum amount of Tums the day before your donation, so I might give it another go at some point.) The process takes a few hours and keeps both arms out of commision throughout the donation, which means you can’t read a book, scroll on your phone and even scratch your nose. They did set me up with a TV and streaming services to watch, (I chose Project Runway) but it’s hard to watch that much television in one sitting. However, platelet donation helps those in need, so maybe it’s not so bad to undergo a couple hours of discomfort.
I enjoyed the Nutter Butters, (my favorite cookie!) and even took a handful of packages home, with encouragement from the volunteer. I like to try out new experiences and this certainly falls under that category.
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My husband and I ran an errand way across town yesterday and decided to grab lunch afterwards. There were endless restaurants to choose from, but we chose American Dream Pizza for slices. A single mushroom slice was enough for me, which I think was around $5. We’d paid for a full hour of parking, so we walked around the area and then rushed through Trader Joe’s to grab toilet paper, pasta, bananas and yogurt. We made it back to the car with a few minutes to spare, which was fortuitous as the meter maid was already writing tickets up the block!
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My sister mailed back three spare keys to my house that always seems to bring back with her to New York.
{ 82 comments… read them below or add one }
What a weird coupon. I’m glad you got to use it.
1. I had lunch with a friend yesterday at locally owned restaurant. We shared an appetizer since we were both going to order the same thing and can only eat half. The portions at this restaurant are very generous.
2. I picked my daughter and son-in-law up from the train station. They stayed in a hostel in Chicago in a two person shared room. It sounds like it was pretty nice.
3. I stopped into Aldi since it was on my way home from lunch. I bought several things on my list. I passed on the big bag of lemons since I’ll never use them all. I’ll pick up a couple at Meijer when I get the rest of the things I need. I noticed the same bag of small avocados was $3 there vs. $5 at Trader Joe’s.
4. I gave my mom a $3 off coffee coupon for Meijer. I have a large stash of coffee and wouldn’t be using it.
5. I paid $1.25 for a dozen eggs from the discount grocery store. They were a few days past their sell by date.
I buy lemons when they are on sale, squeeze them, and freeze the juice in ice cube trays.
Those brats are my absolute favorite, especially on the grill.
1. I scolded my daughter for buying dried orange peel.
2. I scolded myself for letting a lip gloss thingy dry out.
3. I scolded my dog for getting into the trash.
4. Ummmm….
5. Now I want some brats, although I promised Daughter chicken satay.
1. Gave three people home haircuts–I offer these on Sundays, when I have the most time, and I had three takers (well, two takers and one who I gently strong-armed into it, but he’s still 14 and I can do that).
2. DS#3 passed his driver’s test, and just in time too, as they’re changing the laws in our state so that people over 18 will have to pay for and take in-person driving classes to get a license. So far we’ve avoided that with instructing our kids ourselves.
3. I passed my Anatomy class, which is always frugal, because you don’t have to take it again.
4. Signed up for a CLEP exam to test out of introductory psychology, which was going to be required for me even though I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psych. Yes, it was 30 years ago. Even so.
5. We ate up leftovers for dinner on Monday and DS#2 made a delicious veggie chili for dinner on Tuesday, that also made lots of leftovers that I’m looking forward to for lunch.
I use dented cans also if intact.
1. I walked in my neighborhood.
2. I, unfortunately, had to have my 15 year old dog euthanized and I was heartbroken. When I went to pick up his ashes, the vet’s office asked me if I would take in an 11 year old dog (who had lived at their vet office for one year.) Sweet dog so I agreed. I am not sure if this free dog is really frugal but it really butters my butt when folks surrender their older pets (the couple who surrendered her were having a baby but kept their younger dog) but I am happy to have this older laid back companion blue tick hound mix. Good company is priceless so I will put this in the frugal category. She will be loved by me until the end of her years.
3. I made all my food at home and packed my lunches.
4. Bought my ex husband his traditional birthday candles at DG with the $5 off $25 coupon last weekend. We get along so that is frugal also in the sense that we share birthday/holiday celebrations with the grown kids so they don’t have to run to two different parental households. We are actually real laid back about holidays. We both just don’t care.
5.I managed to keep my electric bill to $88 last month, which was no small feat considering the heat indexes were way above 100 degrees for many days in July. Whew!
Aww, you’re a good person for taking in that dog. I hate people sometimes. “Let’s just get rid of the older one!” Poor baby.
Rose,
Same here about hating people sometimes. While I don’t know the family’s specific situation, they knew they had this senior dog when they decided to have a child – I am horrified when people think pets are disposable.
I am sorry for your loss, but am grateful that you took in the abandoned dog. I simply cannot understand how people can do that to a dog. Just heartbreaking. May you both get years of love & comfort from each other
Thanks
I’m so sorry about the loss of your dog. I am impressed that you immediately gave a home to a dog who had lost his. I know he will pay for himself with love.
So kind of you to adopt that needy dog even in the midst of your sorrow. I wish you the best.
It’s sad to loose a pet. So sorry
Cindy in the South,
I also had to have my (cancer-ridden) elderly fur baby euthanized last Thanksgiving, and I am heartbroken that you, too, have had to experience this very hurtful loss. So sorry! But thank you, thank you, thank you a thousand times for taking in the other elderly doggie; it’s not fair that they get kicked out just bc they’re old. I hope you two mend one another’s broken hearts!
And I am incredibly impressed that your electric bill is only 88 bucks in the summertime in the South. Wow! How’d you manage THAT?
I have new screened windows .
I turn off air and use just the fan and raise the windows I also have awning over my front window and several large trees, although I had to cut the mulberry tree below the power line because it was about to take out my roof and my power line. I think the new windows and the new back door made the most difference.
Cindy, I’m sad for your heartbreak and I’m glad you and your new dog are building a new life together.
Cindy – Bless you for taking in the older doggie. You are the answer to his prayers. Thank you!
In my universe, Cindy, there’s a special place in Hell for people who dump animals for frivolous reasons. Bless you for taking in that poor dog.
Cindy, I’m sorry about your dog. It’s heartbreaking. Thank you for taking in the older dog. I hate hearing about senior dogs being abandoned. It’s so cruel. He’s lucky to have you.
Cindy in the South,
Adding to everyone’s condolences on the loss of your dog, and gratefulness that you adopted the new-to-you dog. You have a big heart, and Im sure he will return your love a hundred-fold.
Sometimes when I hear some latest news story I think maybe I have lost my mind. No way zoos are asking for unwanted pets to feed to their carnivores. I hope I have lost my mind and this is not true.
t – I googled it and it popped up that it is happening in Denmark. I didn’t read any of the articles, just the headlines. Also read that PETA is getting involved to hopefully that will end it. Sounds absolutely evil to me.
So sorry about your 15 year old dog, may he run free on the other side of the rainbow!
How very good of you to adopt that other dog indeed, I’m sure he will bring you lots of joy in return <B
Having just had to make the same hard choice with my sweet doggo, I can relate to your sore heart. I now wish that the ‘travelling’ vet who helped us out had a discarded dog for me to invite home
You have given me an idea to contact my own vet – first to inform them that my girl is over the rainbow bridge, and then to plant the seed that I could take an older dog.
As for discards – my girl actually had to leave her first home because they were moving (not by choice) and the new place would only take one dog. THEY chose to keep their older dog, feeling that she wouldn’t handle a new family as well as the one they gave up. My girl was only a year old. The poor family had had a series of health and employment challenges that piled up on them and their finances were such that they were in a really difficult place. There were a lot of tears when we came to pick up the dog, I ached for them and the rock/hard place they had ended up in.
I did, however, rejoice in the wonder of the dog who shared my life for almost 13 years.
Hugs to you, Cindy. keep us in the loop with your new-to-you blue…
1. Remembered to download the Panera app and take advantage of the three months free sip club. (I think the deadline was July 31). Yesterday I used it three times! The strawberry basil lemonade is amazing.
2. I’m redoing my “dining room” which is the only eating area in my house. Down sizing from a table for 10 to a table for 4. So far I replace my makeshift kitchen island with an IKEA one for $20, Im picking up a cool buffet with built in wine rack tomorrow fir $35, I already have chairs so I just need to find a small round table. If I can do this for under $100 I’ll be excited. I could have done it with all free furniture but I’m bring a bit picky this time with what I want. I’ll sell my big table and the benches that go with it so in the end if might actually not cost anything! All furniture purchased off marketplace
3. Sold a few free pile picks on marketplace.
4. Was gifted a free 5lbs of Guinea pug food from a buy nothing group, friends dropped off veggie scraps and cantaloupe rinds for the Guinea pigs and chickens. Always appreciated!
5. Getting daughter’s hair cut Friday at the local beauty school. $5 plus a nice top!
I, too, get numb lips when donating platelets. My Red Cross gives me Tums throughout the donation so I don’t need to buy any. My husband donates, too, and he came home with one of those unnecessary backpacks.
For those “unnecessary backpacks,” here’s an idea. Fill them with free/low cost school supplies – binders, sliral notebooks, pens, pencils, colored pencils and/or crayons, scotch tape, etc. (My DD is 29 – I don’t remember what kids for school these days.) Check with your local schools. There are kids that can’t afford these items that could really benefit from them. Even that unnecessary t-shirt, Katy. The school can redistribute the contents of the bags (if needed) so that each kid gets what he or she needs for their age.
You can always give backpacks and T-shirts and other freebies to what people in other countries call “charity shops” — thrift stores run by charitable organizations such as Salvation Army or Goodwill or St. Vincent DePaul. What is worthless to you can bring in a bit of cash for them, helping them to do their good works.
My son just bought three JanSport bags for the backpack/school supplies drive at his church. I told him he could use my card to buy more pens/crayons/highlighters etc. The school supply lists got so expensive by their high school years, and that doesn’t include stuff like graphing calculators which the school provided. Yeesh. Happy to help.
My husband plans to use the backpack although we don’t really need another one. It’s not the type for school kids. I have been in love with school supplies since elementary school and every year I look forward to buying supplies and backpacks for children at my alma mater.
1. Used $4 CVS reward to buy two bags of popcorn so I spent $1.02
2. Made burrito bowls. Even made black beans from dried beans
3. Sold a couple of items for a friend
4. Finally ordered new glasses… not exactly frugal however I did postpone for 6 months
5. Donated a few items to Assistance League pop up
sale
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood….
1) Did one load of wash yesterday and hung it out. Doing 3 more loads this morning. 3 because 1 is bed sheets, 1 is mattress pad and the 3rd is the comforter. Threw yesterday’s clothes in with the sheets. I don’t sort clothes, I just wash everything together in cold. Unless it’s “wash and wear,'” it doesn’t come into my house. “I-r–o-n” is a repulsive 4-letter word (as is “s-n-o-w” and another 4-letter word that rhymes with “duck”.) Dry clean only is another no-no.
2) Found a penny under the bed yesterday. Sometimes DH goes to bed in his shorts with change in his pockets. The penny went right into my penny jar. Finders keepers. (Same rule applies to any change found in the washer. I refuse to check pockets. I’m 61, DH is 60 – we’re both old enough to know to check our pockets before puting clothes in the washer.)
3) Speaking of DH – I should tell you how we met. (Sorry this is long.) There is a little free “newspaper” in the area that you typically find in convenience stores. It just contains classified ads; however, they do have a matchmaking column called “Look Before You Leap.” When we met in 1992, it was mostly heterosexual people with a few LBTGQ+ people and a few who were incarcerated. Over the years, that ratio has flipped and there are more of the latter 2 and very few heterosexuals. He placed the ad (free). I answered it ($3.00 + 2-29 cent stamps; the second stamp was for a SASE for “faster service.”). We got engaged in 1993, married in 1994 and will celebrate 31 years of marriage in October. I call him my $3.58 husband, lol!
4) Still eating the version of “overnight oats” I stumbled on that Primcess Diana loved. Blueberry with toasted walnuts is good as is cherry with toasted almonds. Red raspberry with toasted almonds was ok. I love red raspberries, but that combo just didn’t quite cut it fot me. I generally have some kind of.nuts around as DH is “part squirrel. I also keep yogurt on hand. The only expense is the fruit. I’ve learned that, although the recipe is 2 servings, I can get 4 – 1 cup servings from a batch, which is plenty for me. I’m about 90 lb over weight currently. In the last year, I’ve lost 60 lbs when I got my CGM. I’ve lost another 7 lb recently – since I started eating these oats. It’s very filling and I am not hungry. In fact, I’ve had to cut back on my metformin since I’m having trouble keeping my blood sugar above 70 (I’ve been eating healthier, maybe I will be able to get off this med.)
5) DH woke up yesterday with a horrible rash between his belly button and.his knees – there were a few spots elsewhere, too. Fortunatel, he already had an appointment with his PCP yesterday, so he got 2 issues resolved in one visit.
Love hearing the love story! Thanks for sharing, and I hope he gets over the rash.
I don’t have any frugal things to share today, but for reason, your list today just made my heart happy, so I wanted to tell you that.
Forgot to mention, PCP thinks DH’s rash is some kind of bug bites, but not sure what. He’s been trimming a lot of brush around our trailer and we know there is poison ivy and sumac, so he always wears long sleeves, jeans and gloves when doing that. Maybe rash from doing that.
Katie, thank you for donating platelets. When my husband was going through very brutal chemo, he needed both blood and platelets more times than I can count. Unfortunately, he didnt make it as it was a very aggressive cancer but thanks to people like you he had the blood and platelets when he needed them.
I am so sorry about your husband. Some cancers just can’t be stopped. My son used to donate platelets regularly when he was in college. I have shied away from the thought of it, but you are making me rethink it.
Christina, I’m so sorry for your loss. Beth, knowing that cancer patients need platelets in order to have a chance to live makes it easier for me to handle some of the minor and temporary issues during donation.
Christina, I’m so sorry for your loss. Beth, knowing that cancer patients need platelets in order to have a chance to live makes it easier for me to handle the minor and temporary issues during donation.
Christina, I’m sorry about your husband. And the peer pressure is starting to get to me here: I may have to get over my squeamishness about needles and donate some blood and/or platelets one of these days.
I’ve never donated platelets before and now I know I probably shouldn’t, because I can’t take tums due to my thyroid medication. I think a numb face would trigger a panic attack for me!
1) I dehydrated corn and zucchini for winter use. I grew the zucchini, but the corn came from a farm stand (2 ears for $1).
2) I used a rewards voucher from Ace hardware to pick up more jelly jars for only $7. Considering that they are now $16 for the good Ball jars, this is quite the savings!
3) I scavenged just enough jalapenos from some sad pepper plants in the work compost bin in order to make a canner load of my absolute favorite pepper jelly.
4) My wife and I decided to go have a coffee at our favorite cafe at the port. It was just before closing time, and the barista gave us two day-old almond croissants that would be thrown out — they were delicious! It was also double punch day for the loyalty program, so we have a free coffee on our next visit!
5) I stopped by Fred Meyers for the monthly tube of free toothpaste (the August coupons have arrived…). They had an unadvertised special, .99/lb) on the hot Hatch green chilis, but not on the medium. That’s perfect, since we prefer the hot (my wife is from New Mexico). The cheapest I could find them last year was $2/lb, so this is a deal! I picked up a couple of pounds, which I’ll roast over the firepit and then freeze for enjoyment all year.
Jenny, if you ever change your mind about donating platelets, it’s okay to take Tums while on thyroid medication as long as they’re taken at least four hours after taking the medication. I’ve done this for years with no issues.
My mouth is watering over your almond croissants!
1. Used my last bathroom wipe yesterday, so I opened a new pack of dried-out wipes (I knew they were; the package is old) and I put a bunch in the jar I designated for this and added water. Voila! Fresh wipes!
2. Walked for 33 minutes, thus earning another $1 credit for groceries via my UnitedHealth Advantage plan.
3. Found the book “Pachinko” at a little free library, and I am loving it.
4. On a previous walk, a dog jumped on me (I encountered it) and left muddy paw prints on my T-shirt. I have washed it but not much came out. I did not dry it, but put it in a bucket to soak with Dawn-laced water. After a week (because I forgot about it) I checked it and stains are still there, though fainter. Now I have squirted Dawn directly on the stains and rolled it up to vegetate until I do laundry again on Monday. If the stains don’t come out then, I’ll bleach it. It’s a nice shirt, worth all this rescue effort. It’s yellow, so bleaching will probably turn it pale yellow, which is okay.
5. Found a frozen pancake in the freezer this morning, so I toasted it for breakfast, which I ate along with some prunes for fiber. Planning on making chicken tortilla soup for lunch, using up chicken, cheese, cream of chicken soup, salsa, red peppers, onions and tortilla chips (or rather, the crumbly bits from the bottom of the bag).
Oh that spell check! I encouraged the dog. Though I guess I also encountered it.
do you ever make yogurt at home? Why or why not? REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WRITING SO FREQUENTLY. Sanity in this time.
I have a few times in the past, but I don’t really like yogurt that much. It’s a thing my husband eats daily and he only like the thick Greek yogurt. He’s welcome to make it if that’s what he wants to do with his time.
I’m glad to hear that. So often frugal blogs emphasize granola (too sweet, yuck), yogurt (OK, but), and applesauce (OK, but). Oh and things with chia seeds, which look like a swarm of bugs to me.
I’ve made yogurt in straight-sided canning jars in the Instant Pot, but there’s been so much quality yogurt on sale/markdown that there hasn’t been much point in a while – I almost never pay enough to offset the cost of the milk and the value of my labor. There’s a yogurt setting, and it’s very easy; you can strain it if you want it thicker, or add stabilizers like pectin or gelatin. Plenty of instructions online.
I make yogurt. I use it for sour cream. I drain it and use it for ricotta and cream cheese. It is so easy!
I use a quart of half and half. It is just heating it to the point where bubbles rise around the edges, about 185°, then cooling it to the point where you can stick your finger into it – baby formula temperature, adding a quarter to a half cup of leftover from last time, stirring, jarring, and leaving in my oven overnight with the pilot light on.
Of course, it’s possible to make it in all kinds of ways. I prefer to do things without electricity when possible, and my too high adjustment on my oven makes this work perfectly. I’d encourage you to try it!
1. Purged more spaces in our home and brought things to consignment, offered on Buy Nothing, and donated to the local thrift store.
2. Took advantage of a Target Circle offer for $15 off $100 in purchases. My husband’s OTC eye medication is pricey so those were the bulk of our purchases.
3. We eat a limited amount of processed plant-based products and buy MorningStar Farms products when Target has them on sale (2 packages for $8).
4. Received two free passes to the American Swedish Institute through our library. I have a note on my calendar to check the free offerings on the first of every month.
5. Did our monthly financial review to make sure we’re on track. Happy and lucky to say that we are.
I rarely read things wrong but at first glance I thought you’d written “American Swordfish Institute.”
At American Swordfish Institute, our motto is “We’re Pokey!”
“Stick’em with the pointy end!” 😉
I went to the American Swedish Institute while visiting family this spring. We loved it. Hope you do too.
I loved the American Swedish institute when I visited it last year.
1. Yesterday, at long last, I got 10 boxes of Ollie’s Outlet vinyl flooring planks, bringing my total to a dozen full boxes + a pile of leftovers. (I’d wanted to snag some before that color sold out. Better safe than sorry.) I used my 10% off Ollie’s coupon and charged them on my zero percent credit card. Hauled it all home in my car, and boy was it heavy! Got a neighbor to unload it for me, so the material is safely in the garage until I have enough $$ from subbing to have it installed.
2. Moved the heavy library table from the den into the computer room. All by myself! Used a fuzzy throw rug and slid it down the hall.
3. Locked in four substitute teacher dates.
4. Put leftover roofing material in the garage so it will not get ruined outside in the weather.
5. Did not decide to put a nuclear reactor on the moon, thus wasting taxpayer money and endangering outer space. (I swear, this sounds like a bad sci fi movie, but you can’t make this stuff up! Doesn’t he EVER think of the consequences of his actions???????)
The mind also boggles trying to think of what they expect to power with a nuclear reactor on the moon, who will staff and how they will live, and how they will transport the materials needed to produce nuclear power.
Did we learn NOTHING from Space: 1999?
Ok- seriously cracking up re: this name!!!!
H I L A R I O U S!!!!
Hi Katy, I happen to like a dark roast as I fill my own K-cup pods and that seems to work well. Interestingly, the darker the roast, the less caffeine! If he doesn’t like it “as is,” you might try mixing it with a preferred brand/roast and see if you can use it up that way. Too bitter … a micro dash of salt will help; or, a dash of cinnamon, if he’s up to a bit of spice. Thus, ends my list of tricks to deal with less than perfect coffee (for my tastes).
I have recently tried the dash of salt trick and can confirm that it works!
1. I baked a chicken a few days ago. It came out dry & not tender. I put it in a crockpot to stew for 5 hours. That seemed to help. I deboned it & put 1/2 of meat in a chx & rice casserole. Finally, it was edible. The chx saga, I did wind up w/ a quantity of chx stock though.
2. My gray hair can yellow at times. I bought a toner at Publix for 7.50$. My hair is smoky silver now (at a good price).
3. Found a very nice toaster oven in the trash room at condo. I need to clean up the inside. It is an upgrade from my current 10 yr old model.
4. I found a few items in a box by a dumpster outside some pricey apartments. I will donate the sleeping bag to Restore. There was an unopened pack of baby wipes, a few Pyrex bowls, and a paper towel holder.
5. I am planning to make a Key Lime pie. I ground up some unwanted cookies for the crust.
I am planning to make lime cheesecake over the weekend.
1. Picked rhubarb, green beans, cucumber, kale, raspberries from my garden. This is the time of year that we are self-sufficient for fruit and vegetables.
2. Submitted a ticket for returning a backpack to jansport for a repair.
3. Brought home the unlovely tomatoes from the community garden where I volunteer. About half of each had blossom end rot but the other halves were good and I made a sauce with them. These type of tomatoes are not good for fresh eating, but if the good bits are cooked, they are perfectly fine. It was just in time, because I had set out a can of tomato sauce to open and put in some soup I had made. I put that can back away when I got home with my reject tomatoes.
4. Paid attention to what my visiting niece liked in the yarn store. I will go and buy her a small gift for her 16th birthday next month. I have 11 nieces and nephews and I do not send them birthday presents consistently, but I do try to hit the big birthdays, and Christmas, on a budget.
5. Hoping to get some things listed from my sell pile today.
Thanks for donating platelets. I had leukemia and those donations are life saving!!!
Katy, I am have decent standards for coffee and like Seattle’s Best. It got too expensive to buy, though, so you did really well.
My frugal five:
Bought reduced price ripe bananas and made banana muffins for breakfast. Made the Tightwad Gazette Tuna Cheddar soup and it is awesome. Added some white beans and quinoa to a lackluster baked bean soup and it was delicious. Made up 24 reusable K-cups with some Aldi coffee. Sliced up a block of on-sale cheese and made homemade snack cheese sticks by wrapping each stick in a bit of parchment paper. Got 16 sticks out of a $2 block of muenster.
FMFT, Dodging Bullets Edition:
(1) I got out of a routine exam/cleaning at my dentist’s on Monday without being flagged for any further work (fillings, crowns, implants, etc.). At my age (three weeks shy of 70), this is something I no longer take for granted. And my long-suffering dentist, with whom I am on cheerful-ribbing terms, was spared my usual monologue about my subsidizing his antique-car collection.
(2) I also got my Honda Element out of her NY State inspection and oil change this morning without having her flagged for any further work. And at her age (she’s a 2010 model), this is also something I no longer take for granted. Long live Nellybelle!
(3) The folks at my Goodyear shop pointed me toward a $20 rebate from Valvoline on the oil change. Valvoline makes you jump through so many online(4) hoops that I’m guessing a lot of folks bail out mid-process, but I hung tough.
(4) We’re back into heat and drought here in Central NY, so I’m back to sticking buckets under the condenser drip from my AC to collect the water. Even so, I shudder to think what my water bill for this quarter is going to look like.
(5) And I’m not wandering around on the roof of the White House looking like a “reverse Santa Claus,” as I forget which late-night talk show host said. (I rely on the NY Times for these, since my actual and mental lights are usually out by 9 pm ET.)
1. Picking kale, beets, green beans and strawberries from my garden. The kale and beets are going into a salad for a potluck today, I’ll be adding roasted walnuts, and feta cheese. The potluck host is getting some flowers and green beans as a thank you.
2. Our Eufy robot vacuumed, acquired from Marketplace, started to sound terrible, even though it was sort of still working. DH spent many hours on YouTube, and finally figured it out, and got it going quietly again. Best $40 I ever spent (we have two shedding dogs and the hair is horrific).
3. My sister is putting together a tea set for her soon to be 4 year old granddaughter. She wanted to find small cups and saucers for it, not big as in adult size, and not too small like doll sized. She asked me to be on the look out. I went to my favourite thrift store, and found the perfect espresso cups with matching saucers, each piece was marked $.50. When I went to pay, the cashier said they usually price by the set, so only charged me $2.00 for 4 sets.
4. I put an older duvet cover and two pillow shams on the buy nothing group, and they are being picked up soon. Nothing wrong with them, other than a few buttoms are missing from the enclosure, I just have too many sets (the retired ones from the rental cottage come into my house).
5. Bought a baby gift for the daughter of a friend. When I got home from the store, I realized I hadn’t bought a card, or a gift bag. Searched my stash and found both.
More things out of the house, and no money spent.
Dear Katy,
Thank you for donating platelets. My father was diagnosed with leukemia (exposed to radiation during WWII), and he was the recipient of many platelet transfusions during his treatment. It meant so much for him in his treatment and overall wellbeing during that time.
You are a hero!
Beth Ann
Thank you for sharing, I’m so sorry your father went throught this.
I have some of those bratwursts in my freezer!
I’ve tried to donate platelets, but I spent a year in the UK during a critical mad cow period, and this disqualifies me. Ironically, my British friend can donate because she lived in the US during the critical mad cow period. I suppose I should be happy my brain hasn’t melted yet!
Your mention of Trader Joe’s reminds me that, on my recent cross country road trip, I had my first opportunity to visit an Aldi. I came away with the realization that TRADER JOE’S IS SO MUCH BETTER. Aldi felt like a rummage sale.
I recently made a bunch of extra spare keys. Mine keep disappearing, and I don’t have a houseguest to blame. I used a weird assortment of keychains from the bins. No, I’ve never visited Malta, but I have a Malta key chain!
Li, The FDA recently removed the restrictions on blood donation from people who lived in the UK during mad cow times. We can now safely donate, so might be worth having another try.
1. I posted multiple items on ebay today, including helping my son list a DS he no longer wants.
2. I picked 2 zucchini from the garden, we ate 1 with lunch.
3. We’re waiting for night rate electricity to turn the ac on.
4. I relisted 2 items for sale on fb. No bites yet
5. I made homemade bread
Read DS as Dear Sister… Thanks for the laugh!
I just had to throw away a can of cat food that I got at full price — because it was bulging. I should have taken it back to the store but it was a little scary. Canned goods — gotta watchout for them.
Yes, dented — okay. Bulging — not okay!
My daughter had a platelet disorder as a very young teen. Those donated platelets literally saved her life. Thank you for donating!!
Thank you for sharing this, I hope she’s doing well now.
The Red Cross told me not to come back again – I have impossible tiny veins. Side note: the opening of a paid plasma donation center reduced property and drug crime 14% in one study. It’s almost as though some really is just about money, and ensuring fair wages and investing in human capital keeps us all safer.
1) I am having terrible perimenopausal insomnia; it’s 3:15, and I’ll be up another hour or two, so I’m taking advantage of the cooler nighttime temps to roast a Kroger clearance produce bag of Hatch chiles for the freezer. I didn’t do as well emptying it before harvest as I hoped, so only prepping higher-value foods to store.
2) I’m still on the jello kick, using up all kinds of random juices from the pantry, and the cottage cheese ice cream kick, using up ends of jam, nutella, nut butters, etc. It really is delicious, if not that much cheaper than the sale ice cream that’s everywhere. I just ordered a pound bag of plain gelatin and was offered a $15 rebate for signing up for what I thought was a payment program, but appears to be a bank account requiring direct deposit. How dare! If I want to hassle with that, other banks offer hundreds.
3) I made the Two Sleevers butter chicken recipe, which is fast, easy, and indistinguishable from takeout, but used whipped cottage cheese instead of heavy cream. The recipe makes a double batch of sauce, so I can add quick proteins and have dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Every single ingredient was purchased at about half retail, so four meals for about $6 vs. $60 for takeout, which takes twice as long to get here. Making double – rather than huge batches – is really working for us as empty nesters, because it takes very little extra time and we don’t get tired of anything.
4) Spent some time with a friend I don’t see enough – a nice chat over wine, cheese, and a few tasty things from her garden. I look forward to my figs ripening to return her hospitality.
5) I didn’t sell out a 250-year political experiment to stay out of jail.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for donating platelets. It is a drag having to sit there without moving your arms, but it benefits so many people. When I donate it’s the only time I drink juice out of little boxes. It makes me feel like I’m back in grade school
I donated many, many platelets, plasma, and granulocytes over the years. I was a match for a patient two separate times, giving 2-3 times a week for both patients. I, too, experienced the numbness but Tums did alleviate it. I can no longer donate anything except whole blood or double red as I have the antibodies that cause TRALI. That was a sad day for me as it was a part of my life.
OMG, American Dream has literally the one of best pizza crusts on the planet, and I pine for it! I didn’t know they were in PDX now. I remember them from Corvallis in the 90s. Mushroom slices were always my favorite in my starving student days!
A friend is moving to Portland next year, I will be sure to tell them to look for it! (I’m near Seattle now)
The Portland “American Dream Pizza” has been around since at least the late 1980s and recently closed, but I think reopened. I agree about their crust.