-
I treated my husband to a lunch date at IKEA. I chose a pair of $1.30 veggie dogs and he enjoyed a half-price $5 meatball and mashed potato plate. (Half price entrées on Thursdays!) Of course, we both partook of the free coffee. To say that I’m a “cheap date” is actually an understatement.
-
I stashed a deck of cards in my purse and we played a few hands of gin rummy while sipping our coffee. I suggested that we go find a faux living room setup to hang out in while playing cards, but I was outvoted.
-
We then headed over to the nearby Costco, where we gassed up the car and bought a round of staples for the kitchen. Needless to say, samples were enjoyed.
-
My husband grabbed his tools and we drove over to our daughter’s apartment as her roommate’s bed seemed to have broken. Luckily it turned that the slats had just fallen off the frame, so no repairs were necessary. The easiest and cheapest repair is no repair.
-
I enjoyed that the main character in my book balked at the idea that “You always have to throw out the first pancake.” Finally, a character that I can identify with! 😉
Five Tiny Frugal Things
Previous post: What’s Your Proudest Money Saving Moment?
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Just a question, as this will be my first time actually doing this…
When cutting a tube (toothpaste, lotion, etc) to get the last little bit out, where and how is the best place to cut the tube? Also, how do you preserve the cut tube pieces to keep the contents from drying out until it’s empty?
Melissa, I usually cut the tube in the middle. If it’s really long I cut it into thirds. But now that I’m typing this, I wonder why I never cut it vertically down the middle. I either fit the cut pieces together to keep the contents from drying out or I put them in a small baggie.
I cut off one small section at a time starting from the bottom and leaving the rest crimped together with a binder clip. Sorry not to be posting the last six months, but we are moving for the second time next week.
1. Another dentist visit. Took advantage of their free Keurig coffee brewer and took some with me on the way out. Later at home, I poured it in a mug, added milk and reheated it.
2. Went to an arts and crafts mall that, sadly, is quitting business. Was able to find a few Christmas gifts for 50, 60 and 75 percent off, depending on the vendor. (Different booths had different discounts.)
3. Rescheduled upcoming dental appt when I found out I already had a substitute teaching gig for that day. Need the pay!
4. Made a gallon of sun tea.
5. While at the arts and crafts mall, I shopped my politics: if there were any MAGA caps or other such Trump-y items for sale in a particular booth, I did not buy from that booth.
Katy- I must tell you that I made your Thai sweet chili sauce this week. However, I was distracted reading the recipe and read 5 cloves of garlic, minced as 5 CLOVES minced. I didn’t think I’d like the texture of minced cloves, so i added a liberal 1/2 tsp of dried cloves. Then i reread the recipe & laughed at my ridiculousness!! I added the required garlic, but i have to say- i really kinda dig the flavors!!!
Diane, I received a large jar of ground cloves from Buy Nothing that I have added to several recipes, especially baked goods, and they’re always more delicious.
I have a recipe for sloppy joes that calls for ground cloves & it makes them delicious! I made them once at a dinner party for some foodies & it was fun as they tried to guess the ingredient that jazzed them up!
Katy, your IKEA date sounds wonderful. My sister and I have it on our Adventure Club list. Do you have a membership of some kind to qualify for half-price meals and free coffee? If so, does IKEA inundate you with emails or mailings?
Is throwing out the first pancake a thing? I never.
The veggie dogs look nice!
1. Inspired by a recent comment by reader Karen A. who was in turn inspired by Kristin at the Frugal Girl I painted over a scratch mark on my home office desk. I don’t have any furniture repair markers but I do have watercolours and one of the brown colours matched exactly. Is it perfect? No, but the scratch is now invisible unless you bend down and stare at the exact spot 🙂 Is it permanent? Nope, it will come off when I next wipe the side of my office table. As I only do this about 2x per year though 🙂 all is good though (and freeeee!).
2. There was a Piel de sapo melon in the last Lidl Waste Not box which was very ripe and almost too sweet for my taste. So I cubed it and pureed it in the blender, then froze it in ice pop moulds for a refreshing snack. Somehow freezing anything takes away a lot of the sweetness!
3. Realised that the VPN I am paying for is included in Revolut Premium which costs less per month than the VPN subscription, so I will switch to Revolut Premium once my VPN subscription runs out (I have canceled the auto renewal option).
4. I sold a pair of trousers and a tshirt on Vinted. You can choose to keep any sales proceeds as credit on Vinted or have it transferred to your bank account. I opted to leave the credit on Vinted and bought a toilet paper holder with some of the proceeds as ours broke.
5. I’m enjoying the best free entertainment there is in my opinion: watching the bumble bees, butterflies and all sorts of other insects enjoying the offerings in our garden. The best antidote to the madness of this world!
Hummingbirds here flurrying around my one feeder and making shadows for the cat to chase. It costs a bit of sugar and time, but that kind of entertainment is priceless!
For some reason my mother always burned the first–pancake, piece of toast, etc. By learning to like a little char on my baked goods, I always got the first portion.
I read somewhere that in one country, the first IKEA attracted people who would spend the day, and even nap in the bedroom displays.
1. I made stock with some chicken bones. It isn’t soup weather right now (too hot) so the stock will go in the freezer for future me.
2. I made apple sauce from a friend’s apple tree. Some of this will go in the freezer.
3. I found a bag stuffed with organic sweet potatoes on the clearance rack at Fred Meyer. I bought it and made mashed sweet potatoes. Tasty and full of beta carotene! Also, it’s a nice departure from the usual carbs.
4. I walked 6 miles in Forest Park with friends. I had a lovely time and it cost nothing! Staying fit is a frugal move.
5. I found some cool wrought iron plant stands in a free pile.
What on earth is wrong with the first pancake? I’d say anyone who has to do that is not very good in the kitchen.
Reminds me of my SIL attempting to throw away a whole plate of cooked sausage that no one took from the buffet (because they made too much!) My brother stopped her and saved the sausage. She rolled her eyes like HE was the crazy one!
1. Took a beach walk yesterday and picked up a plastic bottle to put in recycling — but it was actually a full sealed bottle of lemonade, so I brought it home and drank it
2. Made a stop at the little free pantry, helped another person clean out some spilled grains and rearrange the pantry items. I took a can of green beans.
3. Took a huge bag of stuff to Goodwill.
4. Had a $5 birthday coupon from DSW, so I went there to find a pair of socks. I found that their clearance section was much smaller and the prices higher. However, I did buy a pack of two pairs of socks, for which I paid $6 out of pocket. In the past I could find free socks, but no longer. Anyway, I’m pleased. The socks are knee high, one black pair, one off-white. I will use them.
5. Made mini fajitas for lunch — enough for today as well — from ingredients found in my freezer.
The first pancake gets secretly nibbled while I hungrily finish making the rest of the pancakes.
1. Made our monthly grocery list after taking stock of what we already have in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. We mostly need to top off some staples like a little bit of sugar and baking soda, but also some fresher produce and meat which are entering the end of the month scarcity. No panic here, that’s what the meal plan is for.
2. We planned a route for tomorrow, a belated birthday gift to see The House of Mystery at The Oregon Vortex. My husband and I have never been and I wanted to go for my birthday. We’re planning on running errands that would otherwise be difficult (impossible) with our kids in tow. My wonderful mother is coming over to watch them while we’re out and then treating us to dinner.
3. Part of our adventure will be taking some more items to the kids consignment shop, which hopefully should get us enough of a return to cover all or most of the plans we have for the day!
4. The passports that we ordered, well in advance, are on their way much much earlier than expected! We unknowingly saved $240 by not trying to have them expedited unnecessarily.
5. Taking advantage of the hot oven this morning and catching my baking! I have 3 loaves of bread, 16 bagels, and a double batch of muffins I want to get done as close together as possible so the house isn’t getting any extra heat. Of course all of our baked goods ran out around the same time this month, and during a heat wave no less! Still saves hundreds by making my own and using up our foods creatively.