Five More Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on July 11, 2025 · 75 comments
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I stopped at Fred Meyer (Kroger) to grab salmon for an extended family dinner and naturally looped past the random produce clearance shelf. (What am I, a Rockefeller?!) Sadly the price has increased from $1 to $1.50 per bag, although that’s still a decent price. Today the shelf provided a yuuuge bag of string beans, as well as four heirloom tomatoes. Oddly, the string beans provided two single brussel sprouts, which I found pretty funny.
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I also picked up two boxes of Fred Meyer brand powdered dishwasher detergent, as I worry they’ll discontinue this bargain item. The big box is just $5.99, yet holds enough for at least six months of daily dishwasher use. Unlike dishwasher pods, the powder allows me to decide how much product to use. I decant it into a cute canister and keep a tablespoon in it, which helps to not use too much. It’s hard to get ahead financially when all your money is tied up in dishwasher detergent.
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My step mother gave me an extra basil plant, plus some apples and lemons. Thanks, Lindy!
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Although I spent $46.45 on salmon, it fed seven people for dinner (including seconds) and provided enough leftovers to send home with my daughter; as well as a couple bonus servings for the fridge. The sticker shock was painful in the moment, but that’s actually not too shabby when you consider how much it would cost to treat seven people to a restaurant meal. Luckily it was somewhat balanced out by the bargain green beans.
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I continue to buy almost everything my family needs through thrift stores, eBay or marketplace, thus bypassing idiotic vindictive tarriffs.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
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The amount you spent on salmon was entirely reasonable. Salmon in a restaurant is at least half that price, for one portion, and that doesn’t include tax and tip. I know it was painful but also a good deal.
1. Yesterday was trash pickup day, and since we are walking early there are salvageable items. I brought home a Micro Mini Scooter that just needs a little cleaning up. The company sells them for $110. I will give it away to keep it out of the landfill. We also drove over to pick up a plastic chair and a kitchen size waste basket. The chair just needed a little cleaning. We don’t need/want it so it will be given away. The waste basket is a similar story.
2. I listed ten matching jars on Freecycle and someone is interested. I am not sure that our recycling is truly recycled and even if it is it is better for items to be reused rather than recycled.
3. I walked over to a friend’s house and we sat outside and had a nice visit.
4. I gave a neighbor a ride to the airport. It is only ten miles away so it is cheaper than parking these days.
5. We continue to discover that there just isn’t much we need these days.
Love your Nr. 5!
❤️
1. I ordered a blood pressure monitor. It was Prime deal, alas, but it truly was cheaper than the others, and it was the recommended brand. It will arrive today, and here’s hoping I can figure out how to work it.
2. When walking home from the train station, I encountered a pair of shoes that I had seen sitting out the day before. They were by the street, not on personal property. They looked to be in good condition. I picked them up because rain was predicted. I’ll wash them and donate to Goodwill. I did notice once I got them home that there is a place where some stitches have become unraveled. Once they’re washed, I’ll see if I can fix that.
3. I had a cup of refried beans left over after several meals of quesadillas, and I didn’t want to eat them anymore, so I mixed them with half a cup of water and put them in the freezer with an attached note to add 1/4 cup salsa. Easy bean soup. I would have added the salsa but I’m out.
4. Another day, another book from the little free library! I have to say, we have a wealth of LFL’s in my area, and readers who contribute some very nice books!
5. Also from a LFL, I picked up a CD of Beatles songs — a compilation of 27 songs — still in the wrapper. I suppose people don’t play CD’s much anymore, but I do.
Some blood pressure monitors come with video instructions which can be really helpful! If you have trouble, call your doctor’s office and see if a medical assistant is able to help you learn how to use it. It’s often a free appointment and if you go into the office rather than do a video call they can test the machine against the one they have in their office. I used to work in a doctor’s office and we did those all the time
1. Took the two ceiling fans we couldn’t install back to Walmart. They were very helpful in accepting the returns. (Even though one box was opened, the parts had been taken out, and I was unable to repack it like it was before. That’s like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube!) Got my $ refunded on my debit card. (P.S. The clerk said they don’t put opened boxes back on the floor, so they may give this stuff to charity…..a thrift store, perhaps??? If you can find where Walmart gives its stuff away to, if it’s a thrift store, I imagine you’ll get some amazing bargains….)
2. Gathered up the remaining LVP flooring and stored it away. I’m sure we’ll have enough to do a small project with the leftovers, just as we did before.
3. Former roommate had left an almost-full canister of Slim Fast (powdered drink mix) here when she moved away. I found a shaker I’d gotten as a freebie at a health fair. Using it, I mixed the Slim Fast powder and milk and had a nice shake for supper, and also for today’s breakfast.
4. Visited the local arts and crafts “mall”, which, sadly, is having its going out of business sale. Was able to get some needed items for half off. I’d broken some Xmas tree ornaments last December, so I got 3 beautiful hand-painted ones for 50 cents each. Also, I have pretty much worn out the dishtowels that have crocheted tops, the ones where you can button them around a towel rack, cabinet hardware or fridge handle or something. So I got a couple of those. (Too bad for me, they are now $5, not $1.50 anymore…) This place is strictly a Mom and Pop operation. Everything is made by local arts and crafts people, and the mall owners are local folks, so it’s not benefiting big corporations.
5. Was able to write a review for a small Mom and Pop hardware store for Yelp. They’ve helped me with many projects and I said so in my 5* writeup.
If you have any sewing skills, you can re-use the crocheted tops of your dishtowels by cutting a new or newish towel in half, pleating it a bit, and either machine sewing or hand sewing to the unpicked top. if the original top was crocheted in place you can still do this by carefully cutting the towel off either leaving a strip to sew to, or pulling the towel out and then doing your sewing repair.
So often the tops are still in decent shape and reuse is all the rage, these days!
My husband’s aunt used to make those dish towels and give them to us as gifts. She passed away a few years ago. His cousin gave us a bunch after she passed. I gave some to each of my kids. It will be a very said day when they are all gone.
My Sister is an avid Crocheter and gifts us these towels, as well as crocheted potholders and dishcloths!
1) I got my first paycheck in over a year! That was definitely the win. That said, it was for only one week of work due to timing, and I am trying to max my 401k before the year ends, and I have a lot of extra tax withheld (to try & balance DH’s severance, which didn’t get taxed at the appropriate level). That was a tiny little check, but I also received my sign on bonus, which was much healthier. I’m giving $5k to my nephew for college and this gives me enough time to get it to him well in advance of his fall tuition payment.
2) We ate meals from the house, ate leftovers, ate things from the garden, and generally tried to make the most of what was available.
3) DS18 left for his senior trip to Hawaii, on an unpleasantly early flight. DH took him + a friend to the airport at zero darkly early, saving them the cost of other trasnportation. We also reviewed the least expensive dining options, & I helped DS18 look for “happy hours” in the area that are open to people under 21/don’t require the bar area. They are planning to cook the majority of their food, but I wanted them to know how to search for the least expensive options dining out, should they decide to go that route.
4) I drove to the office for the first time (it’s under construction, so I will only be going once/week starting next week) & picked up my badge. I timed it with a volunteer event (we packaged food for a really cool non-profit that I will have to look into supporting.) We also had a picnic (free lunch), so that was fun & I got to meet some local coworkers. All of my team is remote (mostly outside of the US), but it was nice to meet folks within my larger organization.
5) I drove my electric car to the office (about a 30 minute drive each way), saving on gas. I didn’t charge it (not enough time at the office), but will look into free charging on future days.
Congrats on the new job and the new paycheck! That always feels like a win!
Thanks, Edie. It definitely feels nice to start earning money again!
YAY on a PAYCHEQUE! happy dance for sure. And then I see how very very generous your family is being to your College bound nephew and I can imagine the happy dance in his house, too. How kind and supportive that gift is – the messages you are giving includes love and also approval of furthering his education as well as demonstrating the art of generosity to him as well as your own kids. Frugal means you have room in your budget for these expenses, I admire your priorities.
Ah, thank you. The primary reason for me to go back to work was for health insurance, but this also gives us a lot of flexibility to travel, help family & donate to charity, which feels really fantastic.
Congrats to you and to your college-bound nephew! I have a college-bound grandson. I hope to help him out in some way. I have contributed to his college fund over the years, but the college he has chosen is out-of-state, and more expensive than any of us imagined.
Thank you! My nephew is awesome, and works really hard. He’s going into his junior year of college. This will make a big difference to him, which is awesome. He’s going to an in state college, so I think this will actually (when combined with my sister’s tuition support + room & board) mean he gets through junior year without any loans, which is incredible. It’s hard enough to start out as a young person without student loans. My mom worked a second job while I was in college to help me out, and it made such a difference, despite my scholarships & other work.
Both of my boys are at out of state schools, and it’s really crazy pricey! Do what you can to help, but don’t go beyond your own means for sure.
Hawaii Planner,
Hooray for the new job, and your first paycheck! And what a nice gift to your nephew!
1. On morning walk today, I found seven cans & one glass bottle ($0.80 deposits), plus a partial bag of potatoes (guessing from a cook out, will make instant pot mashed potatoes) and two restaurant receipts for free frozen custard at local restaurant. Perfect for hot weather & company!
2. I too am still hosting family guests & making many meals at home, using grocery bargains including watermelons that were $2.39/each (I found two that weighed in at over 15.5lbs individually); corn on the cob 10 for $2; steak marked down 50%; one gallon chocolate milk $1.99; free berries from bushes in woods; free artisan bakery bread ($8 value for outstanding pumpernickel) from donating blood last month; and used $1 off/gal of gas coupon for guests’ van fill up, getting gas for $1.89/gal and saving them $18 (coupon is approx $10 redemption value).
3. As a family of four, we have always chosen to live & manage with one car. Our twelve year old car with over 189K miles is in for some major repairs, but asked for a discount from the start of diagnosis and are receiving 10% off, plus taking in our reusable mugs for free coffee/tea, plus popcorn & water for kids each trip (will be at least 3x if not 4 by the time it is all done) and using the shop’s free shuttle service & courtesy vehicle.
4. Took guests to free local entertainment including outdoor symphony concert, scenic look out points, an evening walk on the beach with the full moon rising over the horizon, plus local fireworks & parade where one kid got a free donut (other kid got one last year, either me or hubby’s turn next year!) & my dad was recognized as a veteran, entitling him to a free meal at local food vendor.
5. Our library offers numerous non—book items for check out from the “library of things” including baking pans, an ice cream maker, ukuleles, etc. Limit is two, so I checked out the yard dice set and a telescope for outdoor fun & star gazing.
Picked gallons of pie cherries and gave neighbors 4 gallons.
I curb picked an IKEA nightstand w/3 drawers to use in the shop.
Shoved inside the bottom drawer was a large laptop backpack with a huge powerbank. Nephew who is working on the farm for the summer looked longingly at it, gave it to him.
Hooked up the drip water system to my 500 gal collected winter water. Using my trash picked solar panel to run the pump. Picked up used straw from a mushroom farmer to mulch around all of the plants.
Made a cute solar powered light fixture out of an antique brass 8 candle candlabra, took a set of “free box” staked garden solar lights, popped the lights in and now have a little light in the outside sitting area.
Picked and pitted 2 gallons of sour cherries to dehydrate in the solar oven.
pitting cherries = so much work!
I’ve been writing an article about bonkers home spa features and the woo is beginning to depress me. Sound healing, yeah sure. Crystals vibrate. Wellness butlers hey why not. Home IV station. People just will blow any amount of money on this complete nonsense.
So thanks for bringing me back to the real world!
sigh
The Infrared Sauna: Like a Regular Sauna, Plus Pretentiousness
Cold Plunge Tubs: Because Suffering Builds Character
Smart Air Purifiers That Are Smarter Than Most People
Water Filtration Systems That Basically Turn Your Tap into Lourdes
Biophilic Design: A Fancy Word for “Put a Plant in It”
These are my real subheads. Or at least they are now, until my editor gets them.
LOL! Not Lourdes!
I have used some of these woo items in LA when visiting friends:
Infrared saunas make you feel like you are being microwaved. Gimme an old fashioned Finnish sauna or a hamman!
Smart air purifiers- carbon filters with a minicomputer. The minicomputer does nothing and CAN’T really do anything.
Water filtration systems are a great way to avoid collective responsibility for drinking water. I will say that bathing in filtered water made my skin and hair impossibly soft.
Biophilic design- this is something I remember from my parents hippie friends’ books: having our (Western) buildings connect with nature. It’s nothing new or extraordinary.
@Edie, I love the idea of impossibly soft skin and hair! SMOOTH. LOL
Infrared is evidence-based and those dealing with chronic pain should feel free to pursue what works for them.
I agree, Mati. In fact I have a red light therapy device myself. And I used to have a standard sauna at my old house.
Dehydrating free peaches. More left for jam.
Just finished time on 7 Qt jars of potatoes in canner
2 head of cabbage prepped & in jars for next canner fill.
Peaches prepped for making peach jam later today.
No time to make cheese today. That will be tomorrow’s job — fresh goat milk from my girls. Busy time of year.
Dinner in is always a bargain over dinner out!
1. I took my refillable water bottle with me to two meetings this week inside of coffee shops. I much prefer my coffee at home in the morning and managed to escape both meetings without spending any money. Interestingly- I was the only person in attendance who didn’t make a purchase.
2. My teen and I went on a forest walk and took lots of close up photos of mushrooms and other flora just for fun and observation purposes. We then came home and used all the produce in the house to make a delicious salad for dinner.
3. I am watching a daily practice video compilation on Creativebug (for free through public library) and using paper scraps from around the house to complete the challenges. It’s a fun way to be creative without spending.
4. I checked out the local bookclub’s latest book choice from Hoopla. The local book clubs are a great way to engage in some social activity without spending.
5. I’m partnering with a new local meeting space to host a board game night. It will be a great way to use the board games we own + build some community without any cost.
Yes, I’m of the “We have dinner at home” camp.
What meetings have purchases? I’mgenuinely curious.
I think the coffee shop location of the meeting led to others purchasing coffee or other treats…
Yea, I just meant that everyone who was there for the meeting purchased goodies from the coffee shops. I was the only one in attendance who left without spending $. I’m all for supporting small business in the area but these were at big corporate businesses and I didn’t feel pulled to spend.
Have read you for decades now; huh, guessing over 25 years!!! Starting with buy nothing new posts on different site. I remember ‘ the Ms Jasmine wants you to go to school experience’ and ‘the Alameda newspaper’ and ‘LA Bee Keeping’ and many more writers.
THANK YOU for continuing to post and starting this site. You bring sanity and peace to changing times and always have good ideas on being careful with spending. You, and others from that time, anonymously held me together through difficult periods and are continuing to do that.
You make a huge difference in the world that you cannot see or know. THANK YOU so helping so many and keeping on writing and sharing.
Rose (different one) 🙂 What a kind comment – gracious comments on public posts always make my day bc it restores my hope in people! And I’m fairly new here~!
That’s a nice bundle of beans, Katy. I have noticed thinly slivered Brussels sprouts being used in salad mix lately.
Cleaned my house with a pile of old rags. Shampooed, conditioned, and brushed out both dogs. Will do their nails this evening. Vacuumed and washed my car out on the driveway.
Found a great summer blouse and a pair of shorts at the thrift shop and used the info on the tags to buy more of the same on eBay.
That ‘use the info on the tags’ trick is one I was all excited about, #1 Daughter sent me to buy (new) bras for herself as I was going to Costco. She was thorough, sent me a photo and the tag number. I picked up the bras, and although they are the same number they are not the same bra! ARGH! She will still use them but I am suddenly less confident about this technique
Well, I am sorry that approach did not work too well. I have never tried it on new clothing, just pre-owned stuff. I have learned doing it that the exact same item made, for example, in Oman instead of Egypt, will fit slightly differently.
My Dad ALWAYS said, “Who do you think we are, Rockefellers?” while I was growing up. I found myself saying it to my stepdaughters years ago and they had no idea who the Rockefellers were. Nor did they care. They just wanted me to fork out for a pedicure or a segway ride or whathaveyou.
1) Went to an estate sale this morning and got there after about 100 other folks did, so just skipped out despite the very early start and hit a few garage sales instead. We’ve done estate sales for a year but I just started popping over to garage sales. DH maintains he isn’t interested, but then points out the signs. 🙂 Turns out we lucked out with quite a few things! $2 booster seat for oldest grandchild so there is one in both cars. $5 total for about 20 kids books for reading to the kids and stocking a Little Free Library and 154 (I counted) new Ticonderoga pencils in various packages for $5. I volunteer weekly at an elementary school in a very low socioeconomic area and will bring these to the teacher. I alerted her so she doesn’t buy a whole bunch of pencils before the school starts. Usually check in to see what is especially needed but this was a deal. I’m a pencil/pen and paper gal, so I appreciate a good dark pencil haha
2) Made plant-based pancakes last night and added hash browns since I have a whole bunch of small yellow potatoes. Not nutritious but certainly inexpensive dinner with leftovers for DH’s breakfast.
3) Nightlight (of the Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story) went out in the kitchen last night and so I went to replace the bulb and the new one didn’t work either. I jumped to the conclusion that the cute light finally died after 15 years of service. Darn! Well, put another light in there and that didn’t work, either; something had popped the breaker for those – not sure what as nothing was plugged in. Dug my nightlight bulb out of the trash, wiped it off and it’s all functioning.
4) Sold an item on ebay for $10 – nothing grand but income is income 🙂
5) At an estate sale yesterday, picked up canned goods still within the expy date for 25 cents/can. Perfect for the little food pantry box that’s nearby as well as a few things for us. I try to match things I put there as a meal if desired. Even peach pie filling can be a treat of a dessert I think.
Great save and sleuthing in your #3. I, too, would have dug the original bulb out of the trash, and returned the replacement bulb into my spare bulb storage. But 15 min to change a lightbulb that didn’t need changing, ARGH! Hope you had a good laugh
Bonnie,
If you mean potatoes are not nutritious, I would suggest they actually are – they contain potassium and other vitamins and minerals.
My family has picked up the side hustle of cleaning the church four months out of the year. It’s $60 and it takes the 5 of us an hour, so not the most profitable, but it does our family good in lots of ways besides monetary gain.
We are having new windows and screens installed, so today I cut and rolled up one of the old screens for a science lab. I previously just had one tiny piece of screen so I demonstrated, but it’s far more fun for kids to do it themselves!
I bought extra pots when Aldi had their $4.99 pots for sale this year, because I love to propagate. My dad passed away this May and houseplants were the gift on everyone’s mind so I was prepared to repot as needed. I also received a sympathy card that just said, “Sending Hugs.” It matched my decor so much that I wanted to keep it, and it is also from someone that means a great deal to me. I thrifted the perfect frame. It had original artwork in it and a special note on the back of the frame. I was able to lay my card over the artwork for now and preserve that other special gift.
My insurance sent me an offer for a free blood pressure machine. I sent in for it. Will be fun to add to my circulatory system chapter next year.
1. Posted a free 15” TV and DVD on our Buy Nothing group, they were claimed and picked up within 2 hours. Actually, error on that. They were claimed but only the DVD was picked up. I reposted the TV and have had a lovely back and forth with the picker-upper, who is less than ¼ KM from my place. The TV was also finally picked up. YAY
2. Winter flannel bedding washed and hung on the line – a VERY breezy morning and sunshine, although we were expecting rain it wasn’t around then. Everything beautifully dry and folded and stored until Fall. With help from a friend, all my bedding was gathered and sorted (Twin, Queen) and put into sets (fitted, flat sheets, at least two pillow cases).
I have some old unmatched pillow cases and decided to use them as the ‘holding’ case for the ‘sets’. I have almost empty dressers in each of the kid’s old bedrooms, so I am using the drawers as my linen closet, along with one empty drawer in my room for my winter bedding.
Some random bits got a wash with some oxyclean to see if they would come whiter, although it had not-perfect results. They were hung up outside to take advantage of sunshine’s bleaching effect.
3. Started to pick cherries off my rather loaded tree. Trying to stay ahead of the birds, who likely will descend. They aren’t as ripe as they could get, but I cherry picked (see what I did there?) and brought in 6 cups worth. #2 son and I inhaled those, I told him not to save any for his girlfriend who apparently loves them – there will be more every day. This tree has given me some problems since I planted it; this year it is clearly apologizing, as there are large clumps of cherries ripening.
My sour cherry is also covered – they are a pain to pick as they leave the stem on the tree if you try to pull them. Also, they aren’t in clumps, so it is tedious to the extreme. However, they do make a fine pie once picked, washed, pitted, prepared and cooked. The things we do in order to be eating local!
4. I picked the meat off the chicken from Costco, and pulled some bones from the freezer. #1 son has been buying rotisserie chicken, and when I was last there I pulled the meat off the bones of one he had in the fridge (half eaten), then brought home the carcass. All of these were plunked into the instant pot. I didn’t add any seasoning/onion etc at first, although I remembered, I had some packets of carrot/onion/celery in the freezer which I added after the first pressure cooking was done, as well as a bit of vinegar that seems to pull the gelatin from the bones. Last time I made broth I cooked the bones for long enough that I was able to crush them and used as kibble topper for my aging dog, which she thought was stupendous. I have done the same this time, have a jar for topping.
Half of the broth was put back in the IP along with some barley and newly chopped carrots, celery and onion, as well as some precious chanterelles that my #2 daughter picked and prepped and froze for me. Soup is strange in July but I am not feeling well and the weather isn’t overwhelming here, as it appears to be everywhere else on this continent.
5. My thrift store best buddy dropped in with a gorgeous pottery bowl that they were going to reject due to a tiny chip. She suspected that I wouldn’t mind the chip, and she was so right. It has inspired me to research some kind of grain salad – I know, strange to use a bowl to set the menu, but I gotta search for inspiration whereever I can! I have a number of jars with random grains or grainlike things – couscous, buckwheat, farro, rice, millet, lentils – and summer salads full of veggies and grains are appealing these days!
6. The enormous pottery sauerkraut crock that I posted on Marketplace has brought a tonne of interest, however nobody has brought me a tonne of money. Yet.
My thrift store buddy has dropped off the sauerkraut crock’s twin, which gives me some options as I do have two folk seriously interested. Nobody seems to want to send an e-transfer, but cash is king. If I sell the one today (and fingers crossed, I have a time for pickup now!) then I might hold the second pot for someone who lives a long way away but is keenly interested.
However, if someone offers to bring me more cash for the second one I am going to take it, birds in hand and all that.
7. Inspired by someone on this blog, I had originally read “How not to Diet” from the library. The information was so useful and, tbh, scary, I invested in used copies of three books – How not to Die, How not to Diet, and the How not to Diet cookbook. The books arrived a couple of days ago (in almost perfect condition, don’t think the previous owner cracked the cookbook) and I have spent some time re-reading about heart health.
The recipes are accessible and doable and I can see myself actually introducing some of them into rotation. Beans and whole grains are two of the keystones of a healthy diet, and I love both. I have recently, however, not been taking the time to plan and stock my fridge with ready-to-eat healthy ingredients.
Today is a day for some cooking of grains and beans, and assembly of some from-the-pantry meals.
8. My sweet cherry tree continues to provide me with just-barely-ripe cherries, and I continue to cherry pick half an icecream buckets worth every day. Gave some to #1 son as he was going on a road trip, and #2’s girlfriend loves them so there will be a feast when she is by tomorrow. The sour cherries are glowing on the tree so I am going to prep a milk carton (cut the plastic ones a la Katie) and get out there before it gets hotter. A day for harvest and processing – like bluegate Farmgirl, the cherries will be pitted and either dried or frozen. No energy to both prep and cook them!
That may have been me who mentioned the How Not to Die book. I also read all three books and own two and the two cookbooks (also purchased used but arrived in pristine condition). I went slowly with making changes and now several months in, it’s a lot easier! It’s changed the way I think and plan and prep. Another cookbook I found very helpful is “Be A Plant Based Woman Warrior” (also purchased used)
Thanks Reader Lisa! and now I want to know the name of the second cookbook – I have the How not to Diet cookbook…
It’s the How Not to Die cookbook
I was wrong about the Project Linus blankets, apparently they only take new handmade blankets, buuut the very kind woman answering my questions redirected me to a local safe house alliance that will gladly take my clean but used blankets and a few other household items that are in fine order but no longer suit our lifestyle. Small win though, it’s actually much closer to us than the Project Linus drop off would have been, saving us a lot of gas since there is too much to carry on foot.
1. Our power pole was FINALLY replaced yesterday after it was knocked down in a windstorm on June 30th. We were out of power from 8am-2:25pm so I better see a dent in my power bill. My children complained less than I had expected but by the time we got the power back on it was definitely getting warm outside. We have an extreme heat warning in my county that was supposed to start yesterday, but the breeze was so nice that it was bearable!
2. The electrician and crew asked for a breakfast recommendation and I let them in on a local gem that serves nice size portions for a very very reasonable price. They came back in an excellent mood to start working. I took advantage of the few minutes of prep time I had before they cut power to heat up some homemade banana muffins and make toast for the kids.
3. Made homemade oat and soy milk creamer today after forgetting that I was out yesterday. My coffee tastes VERY watery today but I’m not sure if that’s because of something I did wrong with the creamer or because the pot has been sitting for 4 hours and has cooled. Oh well. It’ll spare me the caffeine headache and be s question for tomorrow.
4. I called Kid to Kid consignment shop and found out they take a few more things than I was expecting! I am continuing to sneak some items past my children that I know are forgotten and have been unplayed with in months or even over a year. They’re very young so that’s a really long time compared to their lifespan thus far haha I haven’t touched any of special or sentimental things as I know those are loved even if they aren’t played with as often.
5. Dinner is a 20 minute stovetop dish and I have all the ingredients ready to go in the fridge and freezer.
1. I put a metal patio umbrella stand on the street. I had almost given up on anyone taking it when it disappeared.
2. I picked up some free squash at the senior center where I go for painting. When I got ready to cook them, I discovered that one zucchini was actually a cucumber . So I made a cucumber salad .
3. One dog had 4 teeth extracted yesterday. I cooked soft vegetables for her dinner and added some cheap very strong smelling shrimp that we didn’t want to eat. Ms dog thought they were very acceptable.
4. The garden is producing abundant green beans. It is amazing what a few seeds can turn into. I have even had enough to give away.
5. We have been almost carried away by gnats or fruit flies. I was able to get rid of most with the homemade trap of a jar, vinegar, sugar, fruit, dish detergent and a paper cone.
We have salmon usually on a weekly basis. I remember when it was$6.98/lb. Today it was $12.98/lb. We usually buy 4-3 oz filet which is 2 meals
Got paid for 2 items I sold on Poshmark via Venmo
In turn I sent a charitable contribution via Venmo
A Few More Tiny Frugal Things and One Somber Thought Edition:
(1) I picked up a big box of cucumbers for $15 at the Regional Market yesterday, and spent yesterday afternoon making 3 quarts and 5 pints of refrigerator dill pickles. Gotta strike while the dill is in full bloom!
(2) Naturally, I reused the jars I’ve been reusing for years now. Most of my pickle “customers” know that I appreciate the return of the empties.
(3) Not finding any great grocery deals at Price Chopper this morning, I went down the boulevard to Aldi, where I got two family packs of chicken drumsticks for 99 cents/lb. (didn’t think I’d see that price again) and a package of wild-caught sockeye salmon for 50% off.
(4) I also found a loose cart in the Aldi parking lot (and reclaimed its quarter), plus a penny.
(5) Now, the somber thought: A JASNA friend in the next city over has died, after 4.5 years of hell with metastatic bone cancer. She and her husband put up an unbelievably gallant fight, but the big C won in the end. I’m an agnostic tending toward atheism. If I did believe in a personal God, I’d be wondering yet again why he/she takes people like this dear lady, my DH, JASNA BFF’s DH, and at least five other folks I know who have died too soon in the past few years–and leaves scum of the earth like You Know Who. But then, who said life and death were fair?
Condolences on the loss of your JASNA friend, it sounds like a pretty horrible number of years for her and her husband. You have had a lot of grief over the last while, A. Marie. Some huge, some small, it all adds up. I am glad you have both local and long distance friends, as from what you share I gather there is a lot of support going both ways. Know that you are a beloved member of this community, and I, for one, really appreciate all that you share: the good, the bad, the ugly. You help keep things real, although I suspect you would prefer a little less reality sometimes…
I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend. With devastating diagnoses it seems the grieving begins at that point and we hang on with hope. But the losses can be just gutting. Take care of yourself at this time, too.
@Bonnie and @A. Marie, in hospice training we call this pre-emptive grief. I equate it to anxiety or worrying about something that is in the future – totally unproductive because when the “anticipated event” eventually arrives, one STILL gets to experience all the feels. So the “pre-emptive feels” don’t soften the blow in any way, shape or form.
UGH.
It is such a slog leading up to the ‘event’; the folk that we see in our hospice support programs are some of the bravest people I have ever met.
Thank you, Ecoteri and Bonnie, for the kind words. I’ve had a dark last couple of days, but I’m starting to come around.
I don’t comment much, but I echo their sentiments of condolences to you! I also enjoy your comments both here and at Frugal Girl’s blog — I wish you peace!
I am so sorry for your loss, and completely understand the struggle and the grief.
I wanted to share my experience of grief and loss as it relates to God. As I understand what the Bible says, God doesn’t take people or cause terrible tragedies to happen. But He is next to us, grieving with us when they do. It just gave me such comfort to imagine He was next to me, as sad as I was.
Closest grocery store to where I live is a Food Outlet and it is 20 miles away. The prices are, can of salmon$3.93, 5 lb bag of russet potatoes $2.50, chicken leg quarters 99 cents a lb, Dole Spinach $2.45, Sunbeam king thin bread $2.35, iceberg lettuce 99 cents a head, large watermelon $5.99,one kb Daisy sour cream $2.58. Aldi is 60 miles from my house so my choices were limited to the brands this store has and their prices. I am trying to avoid Wally World aka Walmart , which is 20 miles in another direction. Food desert here. I am just glad this small town 20 miles north of me has a grocery store.
That is a lb of Daisy sour cream… sigh… also there is a Piggly Wiggly in the small town where I work ( and no grocery store anymore where I live) but the Pig’s prices trend higher than Food Outlet. I also went to Dollar General and bought a 12 lb bag of 9 Lives cat food for $11.97( there are very feral cats that wander around this town and a $1.00 bag of cashews.
1. For this week’s Adventure Club with my sister, we went to a free exhibit at a local center for the arts and marvelled at the creativity and talent.
2. On the way home, we came across a veggie stand and I bought a pint of raspberries, 5 zucchini, a bag of sugar snap peas and a large bunch of green onions for $10.
3. Made a Mediterranean pasta salad with pantry items, cheese (sliced string cheese), and garden basil.
4. Requested and received my annual required minimum distribution from my beneficiary IRA that I inherited from my dad.
5. Read a delightful library book: Conversations with Birds by Priyanka Kumar. Maybe I heard about it here?
1.I brought my friend figs and raspberries from my yard. She had gotten me a chicken pot pie from her butcher. I offered her money but she wouldn’t take it. She said I am always giving them fruits and vegetables from my garden.
2. I got asked if I could work at all this weekend. Hubby is going golfing with his buddies so I said I could do it Sunday while he golfs.
3. I picked more figs and raspberries. I have to pick daily or the birds will get them all.
4. I have a free library craft class tonight. I will do returns and get more stuff while I am there.
5. I was offered some leftovers at work today so I had them and will eat my salad for dinner.
6. My friend and her family are going on a well deserved trip. I am keeping an eye on her father in law while they are away. 3 years ago I had to take him to the hospital and he had to have surgery. Lets pray that this time goes smoothly.
In honor of Amazon Prime Day Week:
1) I ate out of my garden, freezer and fridge. The raspberries have been pumping out and every morning I have been have berries and yogurt or topping off smoothies with berries. Got my first tomatoes- so yummy! And cucumbers, too! You may be the richest person ever- but there is nothing like eating your own garden produce in the early morning sun.
2) I bought a Cuisinart food processor- a larger one than my little chopper one- for $10. I have wanted this for a long time but finally bought one! I went ahead and shredded veggies for a chopped salad and somen cold noodles!
3) I made homemade dressing using ingredients that I had in the pantry, fridge and garden! I had yummy salads all week with these dressings.
4) I looked up my bra size and purchased my bras on Bare Necessities. Not cheaper, but way better.
5) I did not bid on the original Birkin bag.
Agree about the pods. Was gifted a bag, but ran a small load of cleaning rags, and was soapy. So had to run a extra rinse.
Not economical,
I’m trying to avoid Amazon, as most of us are, so I bought a recent purchase from Ebay instead. Guess what showed up? An Amazon package with a gift receipt, I guess to conceal the price. The Ebay seller was just a drop shipper. He took my purchase request and just bought it directly from Amazon for delivery. I called Ebay customer service and they do not care, although it seems to be against their written rules. Guess I’ll be buying even less now. I’m super bummed about the whole gross experience.
Ckaty,
I’m also avoiding Amazon and had a similar experience. I ordered from ThredUp (had a credit from selling) and was surprised to see an Amazon delivery van pull up with my package. It’s getting harder to avoid them!
Amazon is really focused on building their logistics and shipping business and Thredup recently partnered with them. So they’re not warehousing for Thredup, but operating like UPS.
Bought my anti-current administration yard signs from ebay … and they arrived via Amazon. The seller got an earful, which I’m sure made them laugh even harder.
Ugh, I can see why that would bother you!
1. My insurance company called this week. I had a car wreck in May. My car is now fixed. The insurance company said if I filled out a police report then I could file on a hit and run claim. (I did not fill out a report initially as it was a hit & run.)
Anyway, I got a $750 refund. Thank you USAA!
2. I curb picked more mangos. I peeled & froze them.
3. Drip dried my laundry.
4. Found 45 cents in the McDonald’s drive thru.
5. I have not gotten a paycheck since December of 2024. I will get paid at the end of July for my work in June. I am grateful for the income.
Happy to hear a good USAA story! A decades-long client myself from when I first left home. Congrats on it working out. And extra congrats for the paycheck coming! Nice to anticipate that!
1. Garden is finally producing . picked 4 produce bags of broccoli. Gave one bag to a neighbor, froze one bag, and made some of the best broccoli beef ever.
Used a tough petite sirloin, I’d froze.
2.made homemade ranch dressing for dipping raw broccoli.
3. Feeding older garden produce to my hens, and sheep.
Free food for them, and no waste.
4. Bought a used tower fan on market place. $10. My older dog loves it and husband has finally agreed it helps. He tends to turn the air on too quick. So saving electricity.
5. Made a raspberry crumb bar to take to a potluck tonight. Raspberries are as abundant as broccoli right now
1) We took my bonus grandson to a splashpark to see what he thought – he just turned 1, so his opinions are highly unpredictable, and I didn’t want to invest too much in something that might crash and burn. There are plenty of free splash pads around, but we also wanted to stay close to mom just in case, and the nearest one is $6.75/person. I read the terms carefully and found that only kids over 2 need a wristband, and since we were just caring for an infant, we didn’t need them either. Free! And I brought snacks and drinks.
2) I’m always looking for affordable GF alternatives to the expensive specialty breads, etc. They create a sense of normalcy for what can be an isolating condition, but are rarely as tasty or nutritious as the real thing, and GF bread seems to go bad quickly. I’m on a rice paper kick – it’s much cheaper, each serving has fewer carbs and calories, and it can be eaten spring roll style or flat packages crisped with a few drops of oil. Lunches have mostly been leftovers wrapped in one or two sheets, pan-fried until brown, and eaten with veggies. The flavor is neutral so it works with everything.
3) Still on the jello project, and almost out of packets so I bought a small bulk bag that cuts the price per ounce by almost 2/3. The sorbets are turning out great as well and cost a lot less for the quality than anything we can buy.
4) We set an appointment nect week to appeal DH’s unemployment determination. The new job fired him one week short of the required number of weeks, and we don’t think the last job’s weeks were counted right. He had the bad luck to need a heart procedure soon after taking the job and was penalized for it. It’s a lot of money to just let go.
5) My raspberries are over for now, but I had a few handfuls of blackberries off the neighbor’s bush – they just moved, and it’s me or the birds; I changed the elastic in a summer skirt; was judicious at the grocery store; continue to use up herbal teas in the pantry for iced tea; and didn’t cut food assistance to vulnerable neighbors out of an ignorant and wildly misguided belief that the system is being abused or a faulty understanding of what “able-bodied” means when so many are excluded from ongoing employment.
My youngest is GF. I keep a loaf of sandwich bread in the freezer. I put a piece a cereal bag in between each slice so I can grab 2 at a time. I also keep a pack of hamburger buns for her in the freezer. I never know when she will be stopping over so this way I always have some on hand for her.
Trader Joe’s has the best gf bread.
Corn tortillas are our gf best friend. My husband and grandsons are GF.
1. I remembered to cancel my
Panera Sip membership before the introductory price went up to regular price!
2. A friend offered me three sun dresses she didn’t want any more. I said yes! Two are Converse brand! I love all three of them.
3. Sold 3 dozen eggs for $12
4. Sold a $20 free pile item
5. A friend dropped off a large leftover salad with dressing for my chickens. They love salad with dressing!
I was devastated to find out about the price increase on the $1 produce bags and have already found myself not even tempted to stop in when I’m out. When I checked out last Wednesday and found out I was getting three white onions for $1.50 I didn’t feel like it was a good deal at all.
Today has been a busy day.
I had a team meeting call at 4 AM I am in Florida and the rest of the group is in Tokyo. It was very productive but I stayed up after that to get things done in the house.
To take advantage of the lowest power usage and rates are ran dishwasher and the washing machine at 2 AM.
To maximize my daily steps, I put couple of pieces away in the dishwasher and then I take a walk around the house and then come back and put another couple of pieces away until I empty the unit so, I got in about 1500 steps doing that.
The towels in the washing machine I hung up around the house and let the ceiling fans do their work. It is too hot and humid outside, they would never dry if I hung them there.
I had the termite guy come out to give me an estimate of spot treating the outside walls and it came in several $1000 cheaper than I thought it would be so, that was a win-win.
I fed my inside cats twice today and the outside cats twice today. Which is why my financial people tell me I will never be able to really retire because I have too many cats that I voluntarily feed.
I made a nice batch of fruity tea using apple juice to sweeten it. Has a leftover mini croissant that I put in the air fryer to warm up and loaded it with cheese, ham, Mayo and, mustard. The croissants were BOGO at Fresh Market.
We will be getting lots of rain for the next several days so I’m going to go out and harvest basil and a variety of spicy peppers out of the garden so they don’t get beat to death by the rain.