Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on June 29, 2025 · 12 comments
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My neighbor set some garden items out on her parking strip, so I carried home the two colorful tables and the two black plant stands for my back garden. I left the tallest plant stand for someone else. I texted her a photo and let her know it was an “open adoption” if she wants to come visit with them.
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I took a small container of leftover marinara sauce from the freezer and warmed it up in a saucepan, adding textured vegetable protein (TVP) from the Winco bulk bins. I then boiled half a bag of Trader Joe’s penne pasta, (99¢/lb) and served a fancier than normal lunch for my husband and I to enjoy in the backyard. The TVP gave the sauce a ground meat texture, while adding inexpensive protein.
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I made a batch of sun tea using a two bags of mediocre Red Rose tea and a chai teabag from last month’s Seattle hotel room. (I absconded with all the tea bags from our pricey hotel room!) We don’t own a proper “sun tea” jug, so I used the glass pitcher we already own and rubber banded a plastic bag over the top to protect it from bugs. I could buy an official sun tea jar, but it makes more sense to use what we have. Not only is it cheaper, but it’s also environmentally advantageous to figure out multiple uses for the things we already own.
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I took an evening walk and brought home this free-box can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup with a “best by” date of April, 2025. Pshh . . . that’s nothing in the world of expiration dates! I have no idea what I’d do with a jumbo can of condensed soup, but it can sit in my pantry until I figure something out. Ideas?
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I didn’t spend a penny on Amazon, so I had no part of supporting a certain revolting billionaire’s wedding.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not certain, but I’m assuming you might be vegetarian. If so, you could probably use tofu in the place of meat. I can’t see how many ounces are in the the can. If it’s the equalivent of 2 typical cans, you could use half for beef stroganoff and the rest for tuna noodle casserole. I can give you recipes for both. If you’re vegetarian, you’ll just have to substitute with yout “protein equivslent” of choice.
Save it for the fall and make cream of mushroom soup in homemade bread bowls. I’d add more stuff to the soup itself, including mushrooms. No salt added soups in my experience mean no flavor, so it’ll need doctoring up.
WOW to the plant stands! My micro-savings this morn: used the very last two sheets of Barilla Gluten Free Oven Ready Lasagne noodles to make a teeny lasagna, using cottage cheese instead of ricotta and a couple of small zucchinis from our garden, sauteed, along with an already opened jar of pizza sauce. So cute & saved energy ’cause it was cooked in the toaster/convection oven. Keeping the house cooler by only partially opening curtains & cellular blinds…also put screens on the windows to help block heat & keep AC from running much. Sitting under a ceiling fan and feeling a bit cool right now. Almost forgot–reading through ALL of Katy’s past Five Frugal Things posts daily has reset my frugal motivation. Thank you, NCA Katy!! (I’ll re-read all the Five Tiny ones next)
Those plant stands were an awesome score!
-I’m eating two vegetarian based meals a day which is encouraging me to be creative and to use leftovers and produce in new ways.
-I had two out to eat meetings yesterday and managed to purchase only sides for each meal … a side salad, a baked potato, a cup of soup, and water with lemon to round out both meetings. I ended up spending less in total than others spent in one sitting. It’s unusual for me to have restaurant meetings in person- especially 2 in one day-so i figured I made the best of it.
– I just used the last of the sugar packets from a hotel stay last year in my morning coffee. I don’t usually use sugar but was craving something a little decadent this morning and made it work.
– I just combined the last of two different brands of BBQ sauce my son doesn’t like in the crock-pot. Added some apple cider vinegar, olive oil, seasonings, and a touch of brown sugar. He’ll never know it was the sauce he didn’t like now! BBQ Chicken baked potatoes are on the docket for dinner tonight.
-I attended a monthly herb social group yesterday with my homemade notebook and an open mind. The women who run it are so full of wisdom and knowledge and I’m grateful to be able to learn from them…. all for free!
BBQ chicken baked potatoes! Thanks for the idea! Sounds delicious!
It’s a favorite! We had them at a little independent BBQ place in TN on a family trip years ago and have been making them at home ever since! Enjoy!
1) We went to a bbq at my uncles house yesterday. One of his neighbors was giving away frozen gallon ziploc bags of sliced peaches. She had picked them last year but was about to go pick this seasons so was trying to make room. I took a bag home and used some in my oatmeal this morning, they are really good!
2) Some college friends came over yesterday. We had wanted to go out to brunch but instead I took everyone’s order the day before for a very popular coffee shop that also serves some brunch foods. I placed the order, and picked it up before everyone arrived (there were 30 people in line so glad I ordered ahead of time!). I packed a small cooler with drinks I already had and we walked to the beach by my house to enjoy our brunch there. It was cheaper and it gave us more time rather than being rushed at a restaurant. Luckily the weather cooperated too and it was sunny at the beach rather than foggy.
3) I made a black bean dip and chocolate chip cookies on Friday. I served the dip and cookies at my book club on Friday evening, and then brought leftover dip and cookies to the beach brunch and then brought the rest of the cookies to my uncles bbq. There was still a lot of bean dip left so I froze it to use when I host 4th of July. I got a lot of mileage out of those two dishes and didn’t waste anything.
4) My SIL and her family are coming to visit next week so I borrowed a car seat from a neighbor for my 3 year old niece to use while they are here. They are using ny late FIL car while they are here so no car rental cost to them either.
5) My son found a new series he likes so I put 3 books from that series on hold at the library, they already came in and are ready for pickup!
1) We picked up a Makita reciprocating saw for $2 and a pair of shoes for my partner for $1 at a garage sale yesterday.
2) We cashed in a fully punched coffee card for a large iced dirty chai, which we shared as an accompaniment to our picnic lunch from home.
3) Stopped by a thrift store and didn’t purchase anything.
4) We did spend $15 on cedar fencing boards, but these will be turned into two large planters that would normally cost $50 a piece. The planters will allow me to manage the soil needs and deer protection for the berry bushes I trash picked a week or so ago.
5) I spent the morning making our weekly bread before it got too warm today. While the bread was rising, I made and baked some cheese and onion pasties for dinner tonight. I’ll re-warm them in the air fryer this evening so it doesn’t heat up the house.
1. DH loves snack bars and Grocery Outlet did not disappoint yesterday. He stocked up on some good deals. We like snacks to be healthy-ish and GF but aren’t overly particular otherwise.
2. I made a pot of pulled chicken using a pulled pork recipe I’ve had for many years. The chicken was on sale. I shared some with neighbors that had a very busy week. I baked a pan of GF cornbread.
3. I bought a large watermelon for $3.99. That’s a lot of fruit and the compost bin loves the rinds.
4. I brought home some round coated metal pieces from the Bagster we walk by. I will try to fashion fencing for squash plants from them. If I fail the pieces will go in the scrap metal bucket. It will keep them out of the landfill and save weight/money for the person that filled the Bagster.
5. I don’t even know who Lauren Sanchez is and I don’t care despite seeing her picture all over the place.
She’s auditioning for the part of the Joker in the new movie.
1. Another hot day in the Midwest, but I’m making do with open windows, a fan. The birdsong is a bonus.
2. Decided to thaw some chicken vegetable soup, and as I took it out of the freezer I noticed something popping out of its container. Finally figured out it was pizza dough. I let it thaw, too; then I thickened the soup with roux and topped it with the dough to make a pot pie. It’s not pot pie weather, but I’m trusting it will be good. It’s in the oven now. There’s still enough dough for a personal size pizza, so it went back in the freezer.
3. I did an old trick I’d forgotten about with my coffee. Today’s pot was made with the last grounds processed plus a couple of scoops of fresh. It tasted just fine. I don’t make a pot every day, so kept the used grounds in the fridge.
4. Today I’m wearing a top my cousin gave me. It had sat a long time in her dresser and developed a stain on the edge of the fold. I treated it with clear shampoo and let it sit before washing. I had to do this twice, but now it’s a perfectly nice top, like new.
5. Between the little free libraries and the public library, I now have so many books to read I am thinking of new ways to stack them. Thanks for the Gwendolyn Brooks recommendations — I’m reading People of the Book now, and loving it!
Good find on the plant stands! I feel like I’m always juggling plants here to make sure they get enough light and having them spaced out around the house.
1. There is a hot air balloon festival in my town this weekend. Last night, my neighbor and I walked down a mile to the launch site. We could see perfectly well sitting in the shade across the street and didn’t have to pay admission or battle for parking.
2. One of my rain barrels has been leaking, so I took it apart, cleaned it up, and think I fixed the issue. I needed a new plastic downspout and found one at a yard sale down the street for a quarter. Now we’re ready for rain.
3. Walked through the Farmer’s Market this morning. I like one stand and they were there, so I bought two basil plants for $3 and texted two of my neighbors an alert on good prices.
4. Sold a set of books on Marketplace for $25 that I had gotten at a yard sale for $5. Also sold two yard sale items on Ebay.
5. I have been using the water from our dehumidifier to water my houseplants.