Five More Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on June 19, 2025 · 46 comments
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My husband glued and clamped a pair of dress shoes as the soles had completely separated. Not sure if his repair will stand the test of time, but it can’t hurt to try.
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I had some time to kill, so I stopped into a nearby Goodwill and picked up this $1.99 Ikea storage bin. Maybe not the most outwardly exciting find, but I thrift this specific bin style whenever I find them. (I use them in the fridge to organize miscellaneous small food containers.) Ikea products are mass produced to the extent that I can consistently find them on the secondhand market.
Overmanufacture of consumer goods means that you can choose to buy used and still be particular about your belongings. Even Apartment Therapy agrees that these bins are the best!
Sadly, I forgot to ask for my 10% senior discount.
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My husband and I took a evening walk around the neighborhood, perfect weather with just a slight chill. Nothing more frugal than a walk with your honey.
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I started reading a library copy of Geraldine Brooks’ People of The Book.
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Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Great find on the IKEA storage bin. I didn’t know about them.
I read People of the Book and it is good.
I read (and listened to) her latest “Memorial Days” – I recommend it.
I agree. I’m only 77 pages in, but can tell this is a book that I’ll read to the very last page.
I love that you thrift the same ikea container whenever you see it! And especially that even though it’s a mass produced item you don’t add to the cycle by buying it new.
I like to thrift good baskets to corral any and everything around our house. They are so expensive retail, but usually pretty reasonable in thrift stores.
I have a number of things that I’ll consistently buy to have coherence to the stuff that gets to live in my house. Might be worth its own blog post!
Please!
Working Glasses! The good laundry baskets that last forever. Mesh magazine holders. Wine crates. Pillow protectors – I just keep layering them on so our good down pillows last longer.
USPS is increasing rates as of July 13. In the news stories I saw, it seemed to be letters, postcards, and international things, not package costs that went up in January. Increase from 73 to 78 cents.
So if you need lots of stamps for a wedding and thank you notes, etc., this is a time to get ahead.
I love sending and receiving mail. The currently available “Good Night Moon” stamps are charming.
And sympathies to Ecoteri if Canada Post goes on strike again.
Heidi Louise, thanks for the heads-up on the latest USPS rate increase. Sigh…
If the USPS needs to pre-fund 75% of retirement health care costs, then so does every other private and public entity. Reversing this travesty should have been done the first two years of Obama’s first term. And plenty of other things should have been done, shoved down the throat if necessary, as the senate had 60 Dems. There is no reasoning with insane people,.
Agreed, the treatment of the USPS has been galling. I’m grateful they got the ACA passed, even if it isn’t M4A.
Obama got so much done with so little power that they haven’t been able to reverse more than half.
“Good Night Moon” stamps?! I might need to grab some of those!
I actually prefer my “Good Night Keith Moon” board book.
Now, now @Rose, you’re dating yourself. Never was into Goodnight Moon.
It’s a real book! which I own.
https://www.amazon.com/Goodnight-Keith-Moon-Bruce-Worden/
I’ve seen those storage bins online and they are tempting. If I found one at a thrift store I would snap it up too!
1. Sold an item on FB marketplace.
2. Asked for, and received, bamboo poles on Buy Nothing. They are for supporting a new planting of cucumbers and green beans.
3. Picked kale, raspberries, blackberries and rhubarb from my garden.
4. Had a zoom craft time with my mother, meaning no gas needed to drive the 2 hours to her house.
5. Called our credit card company to find how best to use the points we have accrued. Used some points to book a hotel for next week’s stay at our son’s house.
How fun to visit your son and satay at a hotel without spending any money!
It feels great! And we only spend for necessities on the credit card, and pay it off every month. So the points convert into truly free money.
1. Sold an item on Marketplace.
2. Am harvesting lettuce, spinach, arugula, rhubarb, green onions and kale from my garden.
3. DH is baking a loaf of sourdough weekly. I try to eat low carb, so don’t eat it.
4. Gave away an old carpet runner that had seen better days, and it was picked up by a woman who wanted it for her old dog so he could walk on her floors without slipping.
5. Gave away a used hanging basket to someone hoping to match one she already had.
Selling things, giving away things, harvesting produce and homemade bread sounds like a perfect day!
Allie, I am low-carb as well. It is life-changing for reducing inflammation and keeping me off the meds that so many people are on.
1. Told DH I am NOT cooking until everything in the fridge is eaten. He had cold baked beans, potato chips, and pears. I’m having Ritz crackers with cream cheese spread and cinnapeño pepper jelly (cinnamon + jalapeño); a cherry yogurt, and a large carrot.
2. DH currently not allowed to drive due to an undiagnosed medical issue. Had a brain MRI on Tuesday and sees Neurology on 6/30. Took him took to his psychiatrist appointment this morning and did all our errands while we were out, so only 1 trip. No mail today (Juneteenth – Federal Holiday), so we are home for the rest of the day.
3. One of our stops this morning was at Good Samaritan Mission. Local mission that has mostly clothing and shoes, but a very few other things, too. DH found 2 pair of sneakers in his size, so no need to hollow out any cows for his feet (13 EEE). They don’t generally have clothes in my size, but I scored a bunch of clothes for my 81 year old sister. Being 20 years older than me, we have very different tastes in clothes, so I have to ask myself, “Would mom have worn this?” You can go to Good Samaritan twice a month, but you can stuff one tall kitchen trash bag – all FREE! Trust me, that bag was bulging, but still in tact when we walked out the door.
4. Letting the laundry pile up. We have been getting all the snow we didn’t get this winter in the form of rain. (I can count on one hand the number of days the snow plows were on the roads — very odd winter for us.) Saturday is supposed to be nice and I want to hang them outside as opposed to using the dryer. Hoping to get my curtains all washed and line dried next week.
5. Have a seated elliptical we don’t use that I need to get advertised on Craigslist (and get DH to post it on FB Marketplace since I got rid of my FB account a year ago. That’s on today’s “to do” list.
I also need to wash my curtains, thanks for the reminder! I’m so sorry your husband is going through hard time.
1. Used up some apple butter I didn’t care for in a loaf of apple butter quick bread. Big improvement.
2. Made pizza sauce out of marinara and cut up some peppers and mushrooms. Tomorrow I will make the crust and make pizza.
3. Today I’m having leftover stir fry for lunch.
4. Some people in my building are running their air conditioners, but I have the windows open and the fan running. And it’s lovely.
5. Yesterday I paid bills, since it was my SS payday, and I transferred some cash to my savings account. My EF now tops $10K. My goal is $15K.
Hooray for a healthy savings account and warm breezes!
That’s a healthy Emergency Fund, and saving that while on SS means you get a gold star from me! KUDOS
Forgot one thing. Didn’t have enough Raisin Nut Bran for a bowl of cereal this morning, so I did what my friend’s dad would do…poured Cocoa Puffs on top. Her dad would deliberately pour 3-4 different kinds of cereal in one bowl and eat it. I didn’t want that little bit of Raisin Nut Bran to be wasted, so I combined them. Worked ok for me.
We used to do that when the kids were little, but we no longer buy cereal.
I stopped buying cereal because we just dont seem to eat it. My son will sometimes eat cinnamon toast crunch dry. I will sometimes buy Chex for puppy chow once or twice a year. Other than that, we just ignore the cereal. It’s pretty pricey and not part of our diets with the carbs and sugars.
We eat a decentish amount of corn flakes here. We each eat it 2-3 times a month, but we’re big eaters so we need the very large box.
True about cereal being price, and mostof the time (lately), I have been buying the store brand at a significant savings. Normally, this family size box of Cocoa Puffs would cost about $7. This was on the shelf at a recently reopened Big Lots for $3.99.
Speaking of cereal: Does anyone see Total cereal where they live? I think it’s been taken off the market, bc I haven’t found any in the last few years. I liked it bc it had 100% of your recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals and stuff. Right now, I’m munching on some of that new flavored Cheerios that supposedly have vegetables in them; got 2 boxes cheap at Ollie’s Outlet with my 15% off coupon during my last shopping spree there. However, I don’t eat as much cereal as I used to, back when cereal was a cheap food.
But Lisa, it was/is just Wheaties with some vitamins sprayed on it. You can easily replicate it.
General Mills still makes it and while I am in the grocery store infrequently, better half bought some in the last couple of weeks.
That is a professional grade job of clamping those shoes, Katy. I hope it works and they stay together.
I laundered my canvas summer sneakers yesterday after scrubbing the white rubber bumpers around the soles with an old toothbrush and Barkeepers Friend. Dried them on the garden bench. The top stitching is worn out over the big toe area, so I carefully brushed the threads with clear nail polish to secure it. Should get another year out of them.
Today I had to buy powdered laundry detergent at Walmart Market and was pleased beyond measure that the price has not gone up in six months. It’s the only place near my neighborhood that stocks the big boxes of Arm & Hammer.
Can’t use Arm & Hammer (not even the sensitive one) as DH has scent allergies and sensitive skin. Most detergents are off limits. We switched to the unscented Earth Breeze laundry sheets. Started using those prior to their availability in Walmart. DON’T BUY THEM AT WALMART UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET A PACK TO TEST IT OUT ON YOUR FAMILY. IT’S $3 MORE EXPENSIVE AT WALMART THAN BUYING ONLINE AND HAVING IT DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR. $14.99 at my local Walmart. Same package comes on my online subscrption for $12 each. I get it monthly. If you order an entire 12 months worth online, it’s even cheaper. Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of money right now.
No heavy jugs or boxes to lift. Takes up very little space (think 5×9 manila envelope). Works just as well in our opinion. A lot less packaging
We’re fine with Arm&Hammer. It’s 155 loads for $14.99 and we recycle both the box and the scoop in our city recycling program.
I was intrigued by the washing sheets until I read that they contain microplastics. (Poly Vinyl Chloride in many cases). Hard no on that! I currently get an unscented highly concentrated eco detergent in liquid form and use about 1/3 of the recommended dosage. everything comes out smelling of… nothing! and clean, too.
The Magic Eraser also works well to clear up the white soles of shoes.
1. Packed lots of snacks for our car trip to visit oldest son and DIL in WY. We are from Central FL, so 30 hours driving.
2. Rented a small car to save wear and tear on our car- DIL works for a rental car company and got our family discount.
3. This car is packed full. Brought a suitcase for my parents who are flying in next week to join us. Husband brought all sorts of tools to help our son with three house projects they have planned.
4. Keeping track of all expenses on trip.
5. Will go garage saling (sp?) With my son this weekend. He said it is peak time for sales in WY!
This sounds like a terrific trip, and well planned out to benefit many loved ones.
1. My son has three weeks of camp this Summer. One week was of a day camp, and he is now in two weeks of sleepover camp. The camps were not only free (after applying and being accepted), but they also provide free meals for the kids. This was an unexpected blessing. My son is in the hollow legged phase of his life, and he puts a huge dent in the groceries. This has really given me a lot of breathing room in my budget this month.
2. Because my son is out of the house for three weeks where he would typically be at home full time, I believe my water and electric usage will both go down slightly as well.
3. I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought bogo and sale items with coupons spending $68 and saving about $90. This is the first big grocery shop I have done in a few weeks.
4. My SO and I have been intentional about eating in this week. Monday was oven pizza, Tuesday we ate out and brought home left overs. Wednesday was leftover medley, tonight we will see what we can conjure up to avoid eating out.
5. I am doing a major declutter this week and next week of my house. I anticipate donating a good amount of clothes and old toys and games. Hoping they find good homes with the next person.
Yesterday, my friend phoned and asked if she could wash her hair at my house after I got off work; their water is off due to a broken pipe, and water flooding the crawl space under their pier and beam house, so much so, the plumber can’t get in there until it goes down. I said yes, and this prompted a major cleanup of the master bath. It looks a lot better now! But then my friend called and said she was too tired, could she come today.
I stayed home (my day off) for her but she never showed. Took a really long nap, which I suppose I really needed. Anyway, she called and said she’s not going to wash her hair but could they fill some water bottles. She and her DH came over, met Snuggles the dog, admired the vinyl flooring, and filled up dozens of 2L Dr Pepper bottles and gallon water bottles. They are en route to the pizza place and will bring me a free Peperoni. We also traded some anti-MAGA miscellany: they gave me an “8647” pin and I gave her a “Deport Elon” magnet. (All the people in South Texas are really angry at him due to his rocket explosion that shook their houses. Personally, I am trying to wipe the smirk off my face.)
Water for pizza — I guess that’s a good frugal trade.
Meanwhile, happy Juneteenth everyone!
I live the product called ShoeGoo. It fixes everything and the glue job always lasts a long time. However, it does take a long time to dry.
Attention rose growers!
We dry rose petals to toss at weddings and anniversary celebrations. We will toss them for our daughter’s 20th anniversary.
I love those Ikea bins too! Sadly, I’ve never seen them second hand.
1. Used peppermint oil I had on hand to repel the bugs that are drawn to my mailbox this time of year instead of buying something chemical laden to do the job.
2. Attended the free book club at the new local bookstore in town. They provided snacks/drinks and I got this month’s book at the public library.
3. Got a CreativeBug Binge Pass on Hoopla (thanks to the public library) and watched several videos for creative inspiration. I love that so many use items that are already in most homes.
4. Used the Flipped app to read the latest editions of Atlantic Monthly and Consumer Reports (thanks to the public library).
5. Listening to the audio of the book The Woman They Could Not Be Silence by Kate Moore on the Hoopla app (thanks to the public library).