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I went to H Mart for sweet rice vinegar and soy sauce and chose the biggest jugs they sell. Yes, I spent more today, but the price per ounce was lower which equates to long term savings. This choice is always a bit painful in the moment, but I just take a deep breath and consider myself privileged to be able to invest in the larger, more expensive size.
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I browsed the deli section and considered splurging on one of their delicious, (and actually not that pricey) premade options. Their kimbap looked especially amazing, but I reminded myself that “You have food at home!” and drove back for a lovely bowl of bean and bacon soup.
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I returned a huge bag of books to the library, even though I’d only read a couple of them. I like to have choices of what to read based on mood and vibes, so I’ll deliberately check out more books than I can get to. Not only did this declutter my living room, but I got the thrill of new books without spending a penny.
I know it’s hardly an ah-hah moment to recommend the library over traditional retail therapy, but picking out and bringing home new books scratches the same dopamine itch as buying cute unnecessary doo-dads from Target. And we all know that Target is on our no-no-list!
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I walked past Winco’s small book section and saw they had something by the author Jenny Green. I’ve read her novels in the past, but she’d slipped off my radar, so I made a mental note to see if Libby had any of her audiobooks available. I found that they had Falling for immediate download, which proved to be the perfect distraction from an upsetting news cycle day.
Libby lost some of their funding, so I’m only able to reserve ten books at a time instead of twenty. I’m now being judicious about what I put on hold, as filling my hold list with audiobooks that take six months would be sad in the here and now. Immediately available books for the win!
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• I deliberately ordered a large portion entrée last night, so I’d have enough leftovers to bring to my daughter.
• I hung laundry on the clothesline on this hot and blustery day.
• My friend Lise gave me a pot of sedum she dug out of her garden.
• I went on the library website at the stroke of midnight on July 1st to see if they’d released any new discovery passes. Sadly they didn’t have anything for me, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
• I scanned an abandoned parking lot Winco receipt into the Fetch app and got 1250 points! For reference, I normally get the standard 25 points as I’m not buying national corporate brands.
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{ 79 comments… read them below or add one }
June 1? Don’t you mean July 1?
What a coincidence! I just posted how I don’t shop for specific things just to get fetch points either!
My frugal five are here: https://practicalwalk.com/2025/06/30/frugal-five-7/
BU
UT if you just want the jist:
1. Got a fetch referral
2. Accepted free packaging.
3. Rain on my garden.
4. Hand me down shoes for my son.
5. One of my kids making a bulk purchase to save a buck
didn’t even know rice vinegar came in big jugs–will look, thanks!
1. reading through past NCA 5 Frugal Things posts caused me to seriously take a look at the clearance bin in the produce section. I scored organic bell peppers! never thought they’d have organics there.
2. found .45 cents in change yesterday
3. rededicating myself to saving gas in hopes that my little micro-frugal acts will add up in the long run: made sure to have seat belt on & be completely ready to go before turning on car; rolled to a stop without using gas at stop signs & stoplights when this wouldn’t annoy a vehicle behind me.
4. listening to our library’s audiobooks on health/nutrition as I drive has helped me to cut back on my sugar consumption. buying less granulated sugar, less ice cream. a miracle! ha
5. trying harder to use more of the pantry these days. today will open a can of vegetables just past its best buy date. working to do better at not letting groceries, i.e. $$$, go to waste
Have you heard of hypermiling? It’s a collection of practices like the ones you mention that increase fuel efficiency. When I use all of them I can get 4-5 more miles per gallon.
Thanks Mati, I had never heard of it, but I am very excited to look it up!
ever since learning of “hypermiling” some years back, I’ve been practicing some of its techniques …but I lose focus, so I’m trying to get back on track. I was never a ninja at it, but I do play at it and have fun with it. I figure saving on gas also helps to save the planet. Well done, Mati!
1. I took my mom for a ride yesterday. Her favorite thing. I stopped into a farm market a friend mentioned. I bought 2 lbs of blueberries for $8. If I had the energy, their u-pick price was $1.80 a pound.
2. This farm also sold ice cream. My mom treated me. We both ordered a single and they handed us a bowl with three huge scoops. They were $3. Think I’ll take my girls for a u-pick day.
3. We stopped at the grocery outlet since we were close. I purchased 4 bags of prunes for $1.19 each and several other items including Noosa yogurt for .49 for my daughter who is visiting this weekend.
4. I finished the second in the series Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French and put a hold on number three.
5. I cooled off yesterday by floating in the pool. I’m paying for it so I might as well use it.
Is it ever not soup season in Portland?
I feel like right now is decidedly NOT soup season in the mid-Atlantic.
Kristen, I’m with you on this one. Even I, a die-hard soup maker, don’t make soup at this time of year–especially with the heat we’ve been having.
I reserve strawberry soup for the summer. Yum.
We make/eat soup here in the Midwest year round. We also grill year round.
It’s “hot soup summer!”
Mine are mostly food related, because I’m trying to keep a handle on our fridge & freezer supplies:
1) But first, got myself set up with health, vision & dental benefits for the entire family & tried to really be thoughtful about what we all wanted & needed. Also opted to max my HSA for the year, which requires a fairly large biweekly payroll deduction, given we are half way through the year.
2) Picked strawberries & tomatoes, before the squirrels or birds could get to them.
3) A friend dropped off a flat of strawberries over the weekend, so I’ve been eating my way through those.
4) Froze leftovers we weren’t going to get to, particularly as DH & DS18 are now in Boulder for college orientation.
5) Sold a workout tank top on eBay. I bought it, wore it once & really, really disliked the fabric against my skin. Too late for a return, but at least this will get a second life with someone else.
I’m just sorry it took me so long to figure out the advantages of HSAs: pretax contributions, interest/investment income grows tax free, tax-free reimbursements. It makes sense to put as much in as possible and leave it as long as possible as a savings vehicle, and just file receipts for as long as you can afford to before requesting reimbursement. Better than paying higher premiums that may or may not be used.
@Mati – I keep an eye out for the day they decide you have to reimburse within x amount of time.
Also, day one of your first HDHP rules. My day one is first day of 2006. So I can reimburse any expense since then out of my current HSA (different employer). Record keeping is the key. But all it takes is a “reimbursed YYMMDD or not reimbursed”. I don’t reimburse anything under $500. Over that maybe.
@Hawaii Planner – do a rethink (read check with a tax professional) on that max out of HSA. You need to have had an HSA for the full year in order to do so. Maxing out an HSA for over first x months of the year required a hasty withdrawal.
Thanks, Selena! This is super helpful, and I will research.
Your soup frugal has inspired me, Katy! I’m going to be gone all day working for a few clients on the other side of town, so was going to splurge on a deli sandwich from the grocery store for lunch. Nope! I have food at home and a packed lunch enjoyed at a park between clients will be just fine!
1) I planted my side border with discarded plants from a nursery I work at a few hours a week– a tea rose, and a few pots of forget-me-nots and sweet woodruff.
2) Our neighbor pulled up with his tractor with a scoop bucket attached to ask if we wanted wood chips for mulch, because he could bring us some. Apparently another neighbor had been on the free “chip drop” list and the arborist company dropped off much more than they needed. I got enough mulch for the side bed, the front bed and for around the cedar planter boxes I’m building. Even better, it was delivered right to the house!
3) More plant savings — I rescued (with permission) three potted braided willow trees the nursery was throwing out. Two will frame our doorway, and the third will be gifted to one of my clients who is on a fixed income.
4) I made piemontaise (French potato salad) in the morning yesterday, boiling the potatoes before it got too hot outside. I substituted a bit of cream and lemon juice for the creme fraiche, finely minced onion for the shallot, diced tomatoes for the cherry tomatoes, and I cubed a slice of leftover ham that was frozen from some past meal. I served it on a bed of lettuce to create a bowl meal. This gave us a simple, quick cold dinner to eat at the end of a hot and busy day.
5) We used my work truck to run errands, even though it doesn’t have AC and 80 degrees is too damn hot for this Pacific Northwesterner! It’s a little Japanese kei truck (mini truck), and shockingly gets better gas mileage than our 15 year old Prius. Plus, driving around in a hot truck means we ran our errands and came straight home, instead of being tempted to stay out and spend money we don’t have.
1. Made use of our free through husband’s job YMCA membership and he took our preschooler to play while I took our toddler grocery shopping Tuesday night. I was surprised how few people were in the stores considering it was around 5:30 and the first of the month but it made for a much easier to navigate quickly.
2. Had a “use it up” dinner last night after getting home very late from the stores and finished some odds and ends without heating up the house- double win.
3. Going to go to the library with the kids and return our pile of books and enjoy the free AC for a while. Brining enough snacks and diapers for a few hours but we’ll see how long they tolerate not being able to run and make loud noise.
4. Our water bill drop off is a street over from the library so we’ll combine the trip and save a stamp and drop it off while we’re out and about.
5. Our laundry detergent has finally run out. I have the ingredients to make some more, all items were bought over the last few months to spread out the cost and I mamaged to get some of it on sale and double up with Ibotta rebates.
My husband is an avid reader. He has worked his way through the free little library, and was sad. I said go get a library card, as our small town library has improved.
He did.asked him how long its been since he had a card!
Never had one.
Patting myself on the back
I’d’ve said, “Try the big free library!”
Our prior house was in a library district so up until we sold it, I still got a card at no charge (paid via property taxes). Since then, I pony up for a non-resident card – still cheaper than buying books (especially hard covers). Good inter-library loan system and since COVID, no need to pick up during library hours. If I had kids in school, I could get one card at the nearest library for nothing. But too many people in this area who to be blunt, can’t afford to be living in their house. But “I want to leave it to my kids” – yeah, a house that hasn’t been maintained for years and an iffy septic and well. Trust me, most end up as slum rentals as the kids/estate sells fast and cheap.
A new thrift store that’s part of a chain has opened up on my shopping route, so yesterday after physical therapy I dropped by. It is clean, well organized and the prices are good. I bought a pair of walking shorts and a paperback book.
Otherwise, we had to bite the bullet and hire a painting company for the exterior of our house. DH and I are no longer safe on ladders. We also had an electrician out to see what can be done about the lights/fan in our bathroom. Taking care of our house is frugal in the long run.
FTFT, Ant Invasions Edition:
(1) Early Tuesday morning, I was sitting in my darkened living room with a cup of coffee and my laptop (my usual wake-up routine) when I became aware of numerous winged insects crawling over both me and the laptop. I generally don’t do the stereotypical female freak-out over bugs, but this unnerved even me. On inspecting the living room, I discovered hundreds of winged ants around one section of the baseboard under a window. Recalling that boric acid/borax kills ants, I got out my 20 Mule Team Borax (which I’ve recently started using to whiten laundry) and made several small piles of it where the ants were congregating. About 90 minutes later, I had several satisfying piles of moribund ants.
(2) Unfortunately, the dead/dying winged ants attracted a second invasion of smaller, non-winged ants, which came out to feast on their cousins. More borax for the little cannibals.
(3) Once both ant populations seemed well under control, I got out my Eureka Mighty Mite vacuum and vacuumed up all the ants and the borax. I then put the vacuum bag into my outgoing trash.
(4) After this, I cut some sage from my garden and put bunches of it at the points where both sets of ants seemed to be coming into the house. This is something I’m trying on the advice of Lady Catherine de Bourgh (played by the wonderful Judy Parfitt; even Judi Dench in the 2005 film doesn’t come close) in the 1980 BBC Pride and Prejudice: She advises Charlotte Lucas Collins to put fresh sage into her laundry closets to discourage ants there. It’s been over 24 hours now, and no more ants. I’d really rather not call an exterminator, for both financial and environmental reasons.
(5) And I didn’t just vote for a bill that’s going to make the rich richer and the poor poorer in the US.
Reading about your invaders made me twitch!
Just wanted to mention that termites also can fly and swarm like this when there is an over abundance of them and some need to move elsewhere, since you mentioned they were coming out of a baseboard. Hopefully, not but maybe something to check.
Termites have no waistlines but ants do. You may also have wings with no bugs which indicate termites. They have to be professionally treated.
Thanks for the heads-up about termites. I did consider this, but I did a Google search on winged ants vs. termites, and these were definitely winged ants. In any case, we in Central NY have up until now been above the “termite line,” though I’m well aware that climate change may alter this.
The Lady Catherine reference made me laugh out loud.
Peppermint oil is great for ants, too, especially grease ants. Swipe a rag back over their trail to the entry point and leave pressed against it a few days.
1) Started a new library book that has hooked me right away, always nice when that happens! It’s James by Percival Everett.
2) We are hosting a 4th of July BBQ and I didn’t need to buy much (my husband will need to go buy the meat he’s bbqing) I’m making baked beans with dry beans I already had, corn bread which I already had the ingredients for, and pasta salad, which did require buying a jar of roasted red peppers but otherwise I had the rest. I did buy a lot of fruit but I do that every week anyways, we go through a lot of fruit here! I don’t drink alcohol anymore and my husband rarely does, usually I buy some for guests but this year I decided to not even do that. I did suggest people can bring alcohol if they want any though.
3) I made Buddha bowls for my lunches this week using some cooked brown rice from the freezer, cooked beans from the freezer, some tofu nearing its expiration date, a bunch of collard greens that needed to be used, and some romaine lettuce that was starting to wilt. I also added avocado, shredded carrots, green onion, pickled green beans and a peanut sauce. They were really good and filling.
4) I almost bought a 4th of July bouquet to decorate but I remembered we have some red carnations in a vase that are still holding up well, I even have a blue vase I can move them into.
5) My mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday and all my ideas were food related: coffee, spices, dark chocolate. Practical and no clutter once they are consumed!
I just borrowed James on Libby and excited to jump in!
I loved “James!” Before I checked it out I refreshed my memory by reading Huck Finn, but James was so much better. Of course Twain was writing to a different audience, and his outlook was radical in his day.
Peanut sauce or soy sauce make most meals tastier. Catsup is good, too. I’ve made leftovers more palatable using the above.
If you like James, you might also like The Known World by Edward P. Jones.
@Reader Lisa – unless you have the reputation of being cheap, most don’t mind BYOB.
I love Libby and all of the amazing offerings from my public library! It’s so sad they are losing funding. Supporting them in all the ways I can!
1. Directed my senior parents to a local program for free produce offered in July. They left with more than they felt they could put to use so I scored a couple of cucumbers and tomatoes I’ll put to good use.
2. Combined errands with my Mom yesterday. We got to spend some time together while saving gas and knocking some less than fun to-do items off our lists.
3. My brother offered to look at my malfunctioning garage door and was able to fix it for me. So grateful as the service call alone was more than I can handle at the moment.
4. My son and I found a perfect tree limb for his reptile enclosure. He boiled some water and cleaned it up nicely before installing it. They sell for quite a bit so we figure it was about a $30 savings.
5. My ex sister in law lives down the street and we combined our trash service and pest control service for discounted rates. I’m happy to share for the savings!
1. As berries are often on sale now, I washed, sliced, and froze a pound of strawberries, then mixed them with the hand blender (I don’t have a food processor) with quarter cup of lemon juice and same of honey. Made a nice sorbet sort of thing!
2. Of course I dripped strawberry juice on my fortunately tropical print shirt. I rinsed it out from the inside, as I have read that pushing stains out, rather than rubbing them in, is more effective. Looks good.
3. Stood the honey jar in hot water to break up crystalizing.
4. With the passing of the Heat Dome, we have been able to open the house up early in the morning and run ceiling fans to pull in fresh air for a few hours the last few days. We appreciate the energy savings, but I also like not having the occasional sound of the AC fan kicking in, and like the bird sounds in our yard.
5. Was spoiled by spring rains so I have to water things outside with the hose now. I have a number of big plastic juice jugs that I fill from the basement dehumidifier. They sit there all year as emergency (non-drinking) water. Each summer I cycle through and use them for outdoor plants, then refill from the dehumidifier again.
These are all on the tiny side, yet the habits add up. Thank you all for the upbeat comments!
Forgot to note that the strawberry recipe was from blog Simple Frugal Life. She has a quick one for frozen bananas that sounds good, except I don’t like coconut. Mix mashed bananas with dried coconut and freeze in ice cube trays. May be dipped in chocolate.
Gazpacho is on repeat as well as chilled tomato basil, cucumber soup, chlodnik, zucchini basil and watermelon jalepeno and my new favorite is fresh pea and mint with Greek yogurt.
We live way out of town and have to pay $80/ea for a library card and you can only check out 1 item per week. decided to ask again if my owning rentals in town with proof of tax payments would qualify and after 10 yrs of asking, the new director said yes!
I buy rice vinegar, if soy sauce and molasses by the gallon. It holds well in the root cellar.
The high school FFA group asked to borrow my huge flat bed trailer for a parade float, they are cleaning and painting it today…check one more thing off my to do list!
@Blue Gate Farmgirl – $125 for non-district for me, can check out more than one book. I know I’ve done at least 4 at a time, don’t think DVDs/blu-rays count. We did rent out our house for a while so that qualified me for a no charge card. When I renew, I usually pay cash. One time I had to use the debit card and gave them cash to cover the fee.
I am so amazed that people have to pay for a library card. That is not a thing here. I live in a tri-city area and we can get cards (free) at all of them. Just wow!
1) We rent a 1968 12′ x 60′ mobile home. It’s on top of a hill, out in full sun. (Our daughter calls it the “Easy-Bake Oven.”) Normally by June 1, we have both the AC in the kitchen and the AC in the bedroom running. Have made it to July 2 with only the kitchen AC (despite the fact that DH puts out body heat like a blast furnace.) Not needing the 2nd AC going will cut down on the electric bill.
2) Picked up a small cookie sheet at Goodwill for $1 yesterday. Tired of DH overfilling the coffee maker and leaving a mess for me to clean up. (Don’t ask…) Currently running white vinegar solution through the coffee maker to clean it.
3) Bought a large watermelon for $3.99 at the end of last week. Finally cut and ate it. Last night’s supper – too hot to cook!
4) Making strawberry shortcake (meal style, not dessert style) for tonight’s supper. Baking the biscuits in the toaster/convection oven so as not to heat the house.
5) Washed a small load of clothes and the curtains from our bedroom. Currently in the “solar-powered dryer” to dry. Cleaned the windows and frames. The other windows and curtains will wait until another day. Making it a point of exercising “self care” this summer. I’ve avoided it for over 30 years and I ended up in the inpatient psychiatric unit around this time last year. Time to take care of ME for a change. Reading my tattoo I just got daily to remind myself that whether the day goes good or bad is up to me. Working on much needed positive affirmation and dangerously low self-esteem.
Good for you to take care of yourself, Melissa! You are important and worth it.
God bless you, my dear. We ladies have trouble remembering to take care of ourselves.
Sweetie, it’s hard sometimes, but you MUST take care of your own well being or you’re no good to anyone. Online are so many free resources, like yoga instruction, meditation, and so on. And don’t dismiss things like a hot bath or a good book–they always help me.
Also–sometimes bad days are bad and out of your control.
Please extend to yourself the sort of kindness and grace you’d give your children and loved ones.
Melissa, keep up the good work on your self care! I’m glad you’re here and I enjoy reading your comments.
1. Found a very dirty quarter in my driveway. Cleaned it up and stuck it in my found change jar. Also spotted a penny rolling by as I was walking though Philly but I was in the middle of crossing the street and couldn’t stop.
2. Found chocolate cake in the downstairs freezer that I forgot was there — several slices individually wrapped, leftover from some celebration. I’ve eaten 1.5 over the past week and will try to only remember them if I really need chocolate.
3. We are going to foster puppies again so I am trying to borrow what we need. A friend says she has a small dog crate we can use and we still have collars, leashes and tags from the last time.
4. Debating whether to join the town pool – but the other night I just filled a pan with cold water, stuck my feet in it, and sat in a lawn chair out back with lemonade and reading the Nearings’ “The Good Life.” No car trip, no other people, no membership fee — felt refreshed.
5. No Amazon spending for me and no Target spending even though I took my daughter there at her request.
Gina, I love your #4!
Bless you for fostering the dear fuzzies
1. Amazing finds on my morning walk: nine aluminum cans; one restaurant survey receipt (complete for 1 free frozen custard cone); two outdoor planters; three blue butt cushions for patio bench; and a weight bench with bar with 15lb weights. Had to go home & walk back with wagon to transport items home. Will be hosting a fireworks viewing party in our back yard, so cushions for the 75y.o. & over guests (plus fixed free camp chair from earlier this week). Have summer project of “collecting” & creating home gym with free or thrifted gear for self & sons in our basement. Great free start!
2. Basement smoke alarm started chirping, entire unit needs to be replaced (can’t just replace battery, but I want to bust it open to recycle dead battery at the library). Contacted local fire department to receive a free alarm plus installation.
3. Meal preparation for hosting out of town family for a week & having meal plan in place. Maximizing using minimal to no-cook methods to keep kitchen cool and using items from fridge, freezer, garden & pantry: overnight oats with berries & pumpkin seeds (still from free pumpkins in fall); fresh Greek nacho with herbed tahini sauce; cucumber, lemon, mint quinoa salad; broccoli, red pepper & tofu peanut bowls; basil, lil’ tomatoes & cheese cube skewers; previously baked bacon in freezer ready for BLTs with lettuce from garden; and hard boiled eggs for easy snacking &/or egg salad making. Rice Krispie treats getting mixed up by kids at the moment.
4. Gas light came on when doing carpool for sports camp, so perfect time to use $1 off per gal of gas coupon. Filled the tank for $1.99/gal and saved additional 5% with cc bonus category this month being gas.
5. Submitted reading logs & book reviews to library for summer reading program (for self, spouse & kids). As others noted, funding cuts loom large for libraries & the plethora of amazing services provided in communities across the country. Took the time to contact my state & local reps to share my thoughts — encourage everyone else to take a moment to do the same.
My library system cut the usage per person down on Libby as well to throttle the cost of keeping the program, based on who the app charges the library system for use. This was a library system decision where I am and purely budget based. Not sure about your library or how your library system is funded.
Frugal Fail, I was on an outing for work and stopped on the way back and got Wendy’s. $8.30 for a chicken sandwich alone. I have to remember this for the future to remind myself I have food at home.
Many libraries have mixed funding sources and the increased interest and cost of e-books/audiobooks, etc. is a mounting cost to many libraries. The current administration’s proposed 2025-26 budget would eliminate the federal department that provides funds to state library agencies. The cuts would mean the loss of nearly $4.8 million for my state of MI Library system, as well as grants that support Native American libraries in the state. Not to mention, the early literacy programs, the access to technology and digital resources for many who do not have internet or computers at home, access to materials & information for all. Libraries are priceless & need our voices.
Tia, thank you for this.
1. Lunch is bbq wieners leftover from last week’s block party; sliced tomatoes given to me by a church friend; and canned baked beans from the stockpile my ex-roommate and I built up “just in case”.
2. Realized I had “Paralysis by analysis” and decided which roofing company would do the job. They’re the ones that will finance half of it at 2%. Yes, two percent, not 20! (This is the guy to whom I gave all the firewood, an entire downed red oak tree’s huge trunk and big limbs, enough wood for most of next winter. In return, he is letting me in on an employee perk/family deal.) And they are local: if I ever have a problem, I can drive to their office, as they are not going anywhere. Called ’em up and it’s a done deal. They start next week.
3. Decided not to try and get a kitchen stove at this time. Not with the flooring and the roof!
4. Recycled the dishwater to the garden by dumping the empty dishpan on the roses. (After the water had cooled, of course.)
5. Did not zip tie people who were in wheelchairs, peacefully protesting cuts to Medicaid, and bodily haul them out of the nation’s capitol building. For shame!
I do the same thing with library books. I order a variety so I have something for any different mood or interest. The great thing about reserving (audio)books is that you never know what will be available next. I love the surprise.
1. Transplanted some volunteer tomato plants from the garden bed the puppies ruined last year. Why is it I can try to coddle plants I want to grow, only for them to have the vapors like a Victorian heroine, and some just spring out of nowhere? I don’t understand but I will accept the tomatoes.
2. Speaking of stuff I don’t understand, I got a $1000+ check from a life insurance company I’ve never heard of today. Uh….for what? For whom? No idea, but you damn sure I deposited it.
3. Looking forward to a relaxing low key holiday weekend. I do have one or two freelance projects to work on, but they’re mostly fun so no biggie.
4. Scraping together delicious meals from leftovers.
5. No H Marts here, so no possibility of investing yuuuuge sums in soy sauce. In any case, my daughter will probably scorn it as the wrong kind of soy sauce. Yes there are different kinds and my girl might break into Mandarin explaining it.
1. I went to the hospital this morning to have blood drawn for an upcoming appointment. I rode the train, rather than paying for the hospital’s pricey parking.
2. In the station, I checked out the pop machine’s change return. I don’t know why, because I haven’t done that in a long time. But today there were 5 quarters in it! Wowee!
3. After my appointment, I went to LePeep for brunch. It has been a longstanding habit of mine to treat myself after a blood draw, I guess because I hate it so. And also because I’m usually very hungry because I’m fasting. Anyway, I ordered a breakfast sandwich that was on the low end of the menu. I also ordered fruit and home fries and coffee, which made the price shoot up. But I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and the ambience, so it was money well-spent.
3. I had half of the sandwich boxed up to take home, but I gave it to a homeless woman instead. So this is kind of a frugal fail, yet felt so right.
4. My experiment with using old washcloths as incontinence pads (temporarily) has had mixed results. Daytime — works great, just replace the cloth when I use the bathroom. Nighttime — cloth soaked through, it’s too long a time. Hope the new pads are delivered soon, because I am too stubborn to buy pads when I know free ones are on the way.
5. Cooler weather has once again permitted me to turn off the air conditioners.
Oops, two #3’s! Sorry about that!
Check your local buy nothing group for the pads. I get lots of pads and diapers that I give to my MIL and friend’s mom.
We are spending money like someone was paying us to do so, but since we are paying only for the materials for this renovation I still count it as frugal.
1. I am making two meals a day for the guys and every day one of the meals uses more of the 64 salmon fillets we had bulging out of our freezer. Both these guys were raised here so love salmon but I don’t want to bore them so I have made: salmon chowder (it was 48 degrees that morning), salmon Wellington, salmon pasties, salmon/cabbage/rice pie, tuna sandwiches only made with salmon, salmon tacos, and salmon in a simple butter sauce. I am running out of my familiar recipes so am actually opening a local church lady cookbook for more ideas. Frugal to be using up the supplies I do have, even if I’m buying a lot of other stuff they want to eat.
2. They worked late one night to be sure to return a one day rental by 8 am the next day, thus saving us $57.
3. The elderly dog uses gabapentin. A friend’s mother passed, and the friend was telling me about having to clean out her house. I asked her to keep an eye out for gabapentin and to give it to me rather than throw it away. It is expensive. Turned out she had more than what my dog will use for six months, so a big savings and she was happy to be able to pass on rather than throw away. (I feel like gaba is the new oxy, being prescribed to every other person for every and all ailments. Not really, but I am amazed by all the people I know who use it.)
4. Same woman gave my husband several bottles of Tums.
5. People seem to be dying left and right, mostly the parents of friends, so I spent last evening quilling simple sympathy cards. Just a robin on a birch branch (birch is the main tree around here), but quite lovely. Two down, four more to make plus I want a few spares so I don’t get behind again. Quilled cards cost $12 each or more around here, so big savings and I amusing supplies I already have.
Love the birch bark cards/notes. I’ve always done the same, enjoying the peacefulness they provide in creating and for the recipients.
It’s made with canned salmon here in the South, but salmon patties are easy are easy and filling: serve on biscuits with gravy made in the pan you fried ’em in.
Lindsey, I sort of wish I was one of your renovation guys, so that I could be enjoying all that salmon bounty in your #1. And your #5 sympathy cards sound beautiful. I too am finding that I need to keep sympathy cards in stock, although mine aren’t handmade. As DH used to say about our time of life, “We’re not just in the batter’s box, we’re up to the plate.”
Time for Spam instead of salmon!
Well, there’s egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;
…spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam…
…or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.
Rose,
Try the Spam, eggs, sausage and Spam – it ain’t got much Spam innit! 🙂
@Rose – grill Spam – it is most excellent. Sandwiches (mustard, ketchup, onion, haven’t tried pickles) or with eggs/toast/potatoes meal.
Salmon on pizza?
Received five things from Buy Nothing:
1. a pair of men’s khakis
2. unexpired yeast
3. driveway crack filler
4. driveway sealer
5. simple syrup
Gave away some items, too, to keep a good balance of giving and receiving in this wonderful group.
1. Made rhubarb syrup, then used the leftover pulp on yogurt. Delicious! The rhubarb syrup can be used in cocktails/mocktails/sparkling water. It’s definitely not a need, but I have so much rhubarb that it’s fun to try different recipes. And this one has zero waste.
2. Ground the dehydrated kale from yesterday. I have a jar of kale powder that I use in winter soups. Storing it as powder is the most space efficient in my small kitchen.
3. We came in $100 under budget on food last month ( and the budget is below the lowest USDA bracket), which was awesome. The extras I bring home, the zero waste of leftovers really pays off. It helps tremendously that my husband literally does not care what he eats, and my diet and appetite are restricted so I buy the same things each time.
4. Spray painted a couple of ugly baskets. They aren’t fabulous but they are an improvement, and my mantra is, “Good enough”. I have a family member who is experiencing severe health issues and they can’t accept them because in their life everything has to be perfect and if it’s less than perfect then it’s unacceptable. “Good enough” is a liberating and healthy way to look at things, it seems.
5. Got a new pile of library books to read to grandson on video call. Also sending him a letter in the mail every now and then, which makes him deliriously happy. Small pleasures!
I used to buy ugly baskets for nothing at thrift stores, then spray paint them white, gold, or silver, and fill them with stuff from the garden. I had a lot of holly and evergreens, and then quite a bit of dried flowers, grasses, and seedheads, which I also spray painted and so on. Made quite nice little centerpieces which my mom took to her church’s Christmas fair and sold (all money to the church).
Other times of the year I would buy cheap but cute teddy bears at the NYC version of Big Lots and sew them outfits, including a bride and my favorite, a medieval maiden with the conical headdress and veil, etc. Those were also sold on behalf of Mom’s church in various fairs.
I miss those days, I miss the freedom and creativity and most of all, I miss Mom.
When I browse books , i take a snap shot and
Look for it on my free apps. I know orherwise I would forget
1) Today was a long workday so I didn’t do much else. Working at home definitely helps with the temptation to eat out – I made kimbap with leftover sweet potato noodles from last night, random veggies and a bit of roast beef on sheets of nori from one of the 99 cent packages bought at Grocery Outlet. Iced peach tea from clearanced teabags that have been sitting around.
2) I’m going to the zombie movie with a friend, using a gift certificate. We both need to get out of the house, and this is our thing. Looking forward to it. Unfortunately, don’t have a treat planned and may have a frugal fail. We’ll see.
3) That’s it. Oh, also, didn’t build a concentration camp in eight days.
When I saw that big jug of rice vinegar, I thought of “Katy’s tea towel dressing”. It is a staple at my house, along with the Frugal Gal’s No-Stir Granola.
Saw a tea towel today that said:
I’m not NEEDY
I’m just WANTY
So glad we are all working our way off that train.
Have a happy and safe 4th everyone. This is such a strange time in U.S. history. Our little hometown paper prints a full page educational poster for kids every week. Yesterday’s was on the Constitution. I burst into tears.
I also enjoy picking up random receipts to scan into Fetch! It’s best when I find a long expensive one, as I think there’s a greater chance I’ll get extra points.
1. My friend just moved, so I went over after work and helped her unload boxes for a couple hours. A piece of advice I follow is to set up your bed FIRST. That way, it’s ready for you to drop into at the end of a long day, instead of “Oh, shit, we still have to make up the bed.” We sorted out her bedroom, and she was appreciative.
2. Our library will be closed for a couple days for the holiday weekend, so I walked up this morning and picked up a stack of books and magazines. I also bought one of their discarded card games to sell.
3. We are staying home for the long holiday weekend. There are a ton of people on the roads in my state and I don’t want to be caught in that mess.
4. I added a few more random items to the free table in front of my house. Glad to see odds and ends finding new homes.
5. I made a new cookie recipe that was a peanut butter filling between pretzels, dipped in chocolate. They were good and I would make them again.
Impressive willpower to leave the kimbap behind!
1) Charged my cellphone in the car while running errands.
2) I have been eating only 1 meal a day, usually dinner. I make protein drink with powdered protein mix when hungry. I am amazed how much I am saving in groceries and time. I have also lost 20 pounds so far. I even have dessert after dinner when I feel like it. Has really helped with craving snacks and sugar also. Wish I had done this before I was 71.
3) I use about half the amount of toothpaste on my brush. Does just as good as covering the toothbrush fully which usually ends up with a global down the drain.
4) had a smidgen of fried onions leftover from dinner and added it to my pizza topping container in freezer.
5) have taken up a hobby of painting rocks. Rocks are free, acrylic paint from dollar store. Bonus is they make nice garden decorations and provide me with stress therapy.
My LIBRARY DATES with my husband are a big frugal win at my house.We LOOOOVE our library.Like you, we feel like we are ‘RICH “ when we come home and unload all our books from the trunk of the car.FREE! FREE! FREE! We take out extra books, cause, you know, the mood thing..and I love having a bunch of non fiction to peruse:cookbooks,photography books,astrology books, books on all kinds of “real stuff..” in addition to the fiction I love!
I make us a big breakfast BEFORE we go to our Downtown library, as there are many tasty restaurants down there..and with full tummies, we can walk around downtown, go to the small local art gallery and not stop for a meal anywhere along the way!!
Have lately stopped baking too much:Cutting down on sugar- healthy.
Spending HOT Arizona summer days INDOORS,going from room to room cleaning cupboards,drawers, linens,clothes,toiletries..PURGING! A good summer project!