Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on August 29, 2024 · 54 comments
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My husband and I borrowed our next-door neighbor’s power washer and used it to clean both the rug from my daughter’s old bedroom, (I accidentally shut the cat in there a couple weeks ago!) and to scrub the seats and rugs from my late in-laws’ Ford Fusion. Portland is looking at a string of 90+ degree days, so it’s the perfect time to get things sopping wet.
Our across the street neighbor hired a car detailer for his vehicle earlier in the week and we were deeply impressed with what an amazing job the guy did! However the cost was $450. Instead my husband watched a couple of car detailing YouTube videos, (so satisfying!) and got to work. It was an unpleasant task, but the seats are now almost new looking and hopefully the car should smell much better and we can get it sold.
My daughter’s rug was curb picked to begin with, but that doesn’t mean I should to give up on it. It’s far from a natural fiber and will essentially never break down in a landfill, so preserving its functionality as long as possible is important to me.
The rug now looks better than ever and all it took was some elbow grease.
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I cooked up a batch of black bean smash tacos for dinner last night. I took pictures to put together for a later step-by-step blog post, but until then here’s a photo of the finished product:
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My sister left behind a pile of stuff to mail off to her daughter, so I texted her asking if there’s any books she’d like or needs for college. (I’m currently flush with Powell’s Bookstore credit from selling books that I got for free.) My niece just turned 20 and I can use this credit towards her birthday present. I’ll wait to mail off the box-o-random-stuff until she gets back to me.
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• I gave the deck a light power wash, mostly putting my energy into removing the schmutz that lives in between the boards. Again, so satisfying!
• I stopped by Dollar Tree to pick up rice, ginger snaps, ketchup, mustard and pickles.
• I swung by Safeway for my husband’s work lunch items. They had an e-coupon for $10-off-$50, so I added a case of on-sale canned cat food to hit that mark.
• I gave away something through my Buy Nothing group.
• My husband and I watched the The Holdovers through my sister’s Prime Video account.
• I made sure to gas up the minivan at the one gas station that’s consistently 60-80¢/gallon less than its competitors.
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I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
My kid has a weighted blanket and there’s no way to wash it other than how you’ve washed that area rug. Wish me luck. Weighted blankets are horrible because I think most people throw them out if they get dirty, and when they end up at the goodwill bins, no one will buy them because, who wants to pay $2.79 per pound for a 20 pound blanket? Straight to the landfill!
I bought some woohoo chicken at Fred Meyer that was 4 days out from its sell by date, which seemed like a safe bet. I got it home and opened it to process, and was hit with a funky spoiled chicken smell. Now, there’s a strike at Fred Meyer. I tried to slink in this morning, while assuring the picketers that I was just going to customer service, but customer service is closed. Ugh!
My yogurt from woohoo milk I purchased a few days ago is busy becoming yogurt as I write this, and I just made jam from neighborhood plums!
Oof . . . I’m sorry about the spoiled chicken, that must have been a revolting experience.
But hooray for free fruit, I love plum jam.
Thank you for sharing and encouraging cleaning up, repairing and reusing!
I’m trying to do the same with my kids and grandkids who often think I’m a bit crazy, but I persist with a smile in hopes of them learning what a better place the world can be.
Nothing wrong with being “a bit crazy!”
I have some good ones this week:
1. I helped Mom clean out her walk in closet which she could no longer walk in. I gave her 3 empty boxes : labeled Trash: Look through Later: Shred. In 3 hours, I had dumper four bags of trash, donated three boxes of items. and dropped 2 bags off to be shredded at the Ranch office. Mom and I teased each other a lot ( a headless buddha kept by my Catholic mom?) The reason this is a future huge frugal save is I am an executor of Mom’s (89yo) trust. Not all of the six of us siblings speak to mom and/or each other. I did a SEPARATE text to each promising complete confidentiality and offered items. All five responded by declining and thanking me for my service. This is a great beginning to this stage of life for both parents ( Dad is 93).
2. I offered to sell Mom’s silver if no one wanted it for sentimental reasons. Nope. I received a purchase offer from Replacements limited; I had an in person offer from the melting place; and I learned how to check the SOLD items on ebay. ( Not what they are listed for.) I learned no one had bought a complete setting of this pattern in 3 years. I sold to the melter except for one sugar tong that was triple the price. I sent that to Replacements, Ltd. Mom gets a check for 1350 which is a big deal in her world.
3. In attacking ” the teen smell” in my boy’s room to get ready for a guest, I cleared out his cabinet drawers. I found a kohl’s gift card with a balance of 11.69. I turned in the beer cans to a recycling center and earned $1.00 ( I have never done this before.) Now I have 12.69 to buy a new set of sheets.
4. I was gifted with two loaves of homemade bread. What a treat!
5. I was gifted a quilt from my friend who is an absolute artist. I LOVE it and it is featured prominently on my bed. The throw that was there went to the living room. The throw in the living room was irritating and cheap so i donated it.
Oh, I’ve been battling “funky teen smell” this week and it’s a struggle! That’s why I’m trying to wash a weighted blanket. I sure hope I find a Kohl’s card!
I’ve been very happy with the service and prices from replacements.com
Very interesting about selling the silver, thank you so much for sharing this information.
1. I’m gathering up the marigold heads that have gone by. I save them over the winter and will plant them in the Spring.
2. I was asked to come in for a day to my former job today for an employee who needed the day off. This was my retirement job which I am also retired from. Getting old has its perks.
3. I went to my book club at my friend’s indy book store and found the book for September is one I already own so no purchase necessary. The book is To Kill a Mockingbird. We do a classic now and then. This is one of my favorites. At the end of the month, we’re going to a book club member’s home instead of the book store to watch the movie and
share snacks and wine.
4. Raspberry bushes are producing like crazy.
5. Dramatic cool down and retreat of humidity makes it unnecessary to use air conditioning. Yay for a lower electric bill.
Portland is currently experiencing a bonus heat wave and I am so over it!
I love that your book club is watching “To Kill a Mockingbird” together.
1. After thinking that I needed more clothes, I found that what I actually needed was to get rid of the bad stuff that I kept wearing, and wear the nice stuff I had. Granted I must do laundry about every 4 days, but I’d prefer that to buying.
2. I printed free alphabet activities for my grandson before I came and he’s having a great time with them. I also brought a set of 4 free puzzles, received from buy nothing, and an alphabet game that I saved from my children.
3. Spending my money very intentionally (mostly to help my son’s family). It’s not exactly no-spemd, but it feels good to be spending with intention.
4. I give cash to my kids and their spouses for birthdays, but I wanted to give a small something extra for a milestone birthday. I put together a gift bag of 2 different types of flower seeds, both free to me, a jar of my homemade plum jam, and a lavender sachet that I had embroidered. I was quite satisfied with the cost and the result.
5. Made an out of town appointment for my way back home. It’s directly on my way home and otherwise would be 1.5 hrs round trip. Saving time and money!
Making that appointment for when you don’t have 3 hour round trip is a huge favor to your future self. Well done!
Returned home from a house sitting trip where we moved from 4 years ago
Not frugal however we were able to visit with friends
I did some thrifting and refreshed holiday decor and found a couple of gifts.
Sold one item and on its way it goes.
Is house sitting (free housing) not a frugal thing?
We learned the pressure washer trick, when my 25 year old carpet cleaner gave up. We wait for a 90 degree day, and bring our room sized rug out to the deck.
Very satisfying to clean that way
Curious to know how you (and Katy) got the rugs/seats dried. Any time it is 90/90+ degrees here, it is accompanied by high humidity. And all the cornfields don’t help.
Luckily Portland rarely has humid weather, so I’ve been counting on the higher temperatures plus the bit of ventilation from sitting on the deck to dry the rug.
So not quite the same playing field. I’ve hung throw rugs outside for a couple of days then finished in the dryer.
*Fingers crossed* the humid days are now over in my area. Leaves are already starting to turn. I need to “clean” the feral cat’s tote (aka a good spray of Mycodex) as I suspect he’ll be using it sooner than later. Don’t have a good feeling about the upcoming winter weather.
I let it dry for two days on the deck and I finally draped it across the plastic laundry line today so it can do the last bit of drying. I am worried though as the smell was *not good*
My concern too the one time I did a large area rug (been at least 25 years ago). I know Fabreze type products are an option but YMMV.
In Oregon our humidity drops during a heatwave so drying isn’t an issue.
Spent last week in San Diego where my son and his girlfriend got married.
1. My husband, my 2 sisters and I rented an Airbnb for the week. The price was far less than what a hotel would have cost.
2. We cooked most meals ourselves so we did not have big restaurant bills.
3. The Airbandb had a washer and dryer so we were able to do a couple of loads of laundry while were there. This meant we did not have to bring large suitcases full of clothes. We were able to limit ourselves to carry-on bags, saving on airline checked bag fees.
4. We enjoyed doing things in Balboa Park. One day, we went to the art museum and the Japanese Garden there. Another time, we went to a free concert featuring Santana Ways. Then we went to another free evening concert put on by the Navy Band. Finally, we went to the zoo and yes, we got lucky and did see the pandas. We took the bus for every trip to the park and got the very reasonable senior fare.
5. The wedding was a very happy family-only event with 20 guests. The ceremony took place outdoors followed by a dinner at a restaurant in LaJolla. No one went into debt for the wedding, but it was still completely enjoyable and memorable. The kids did hire a professional photographer because they love photos of every occasion.
6. The only downside to the week: the day after we got home, I woke up with a fever, headache, sore throat and other symptoms of covid. Sure enough, I tested positive. I have not had covid before and I was concerned about it, but I went to a clinic and got a prescription for Paxlovid which seems to be working since the fever and headache only lasted one day and I now have only some mild cold-like symptoms. On the plus side, there was no charge for the Paxlovid.
So sorry to read that you have Covid. My husband and I took Paxlovid last summer when we had it and we both ended up with rebound Covid, which was awful. I’m happy your trip and family wedding went well though!
1. I went to a free concert in the park. I ate dinner beforehand and brought my own water. It was a beautiful night and since it was free I didn’t feel like I had to stay for the whole thing.
2. My daughter helped me recaulk a bathtub. It doesn’t look great but it should do the trick. We learned a few things in the process.
3. I mixed up a paste of baking soda and peroxide to clean some white grout. It’s not exactly white again but it looks much better. At least it’s clean.
4. I borrowed my mom’s power washer to clean a north facing cement entry pad that was black with mildew and moss. It’s so satisfying.
5. I shopped through my credit card site for bonus points.
Not sure what soap you used in the power washer but they do make cement specific soap. As well as plenty of other soaps depending on what you are cleaning.
You can also buy a product that attaches to your house to clean moss off your roof. We plan on having a zinc strip installed on the ridge which is a “moss killer”. Trees are great but they do add some maintenance costs besides trimming/removal.
I just used water since it’s an area with a lot of plants around it. The zinc strip is an interesting concept. Thanks for sharing.
So satisfying!
It is nice to pay nothing for events or such as you don’t feel like you need to stay past your natural stopping point to “get your money’s worth.”
First, Katy, your and Mr. NCA’s perseverance in dealing with the whole “cleaning up after the in-laws” situation has been inspiring, and I salute you both.
The recent post on food hacks was also inspiring. I appreciated everyone’s comments, though I didn’t get around to making one myself. (I’m not sure I had anything to add beyond what all of you said, anyway.)
Now, FTFT, Late Summer Produce Edition:
(1) My cherry tomatoes from the three pots I’ve grown this year (two over at my next-door neighbor’s and one up on my deck, all well away from the deer) have been petering out lately, but I checked all three this morning and they’re getting ready for one last small burst of activity.
(2) The neighbor on the other side of my NDN brought over four ears of sweet corn yesterday, as he’s done for the last couple of weeks.
(3) This same neighbor also brought a small sack of what I think are ground cherries. Suggestions on what I might do with these are welcome, since I’ve never worked with them before.
(4) Dr. Bestest Neighbor just came over for some of my large-leaf basil, and he and I harvested a small armload. He and Ms. BN are making pesto today, and they’ve promised me a jar.
(5) And I’ve made blueberry pancakes twice this week, since local blueberry season will be over all too soon. (I’ve also found that 1/3 cup of my homemade whole wheat pancake mix makes exactly four smallish pancakes, which is all I can eat at a time. Adapt, adapt!)
Ground cherries are so much a food from my childhood. I haven’t had them since.
A friend mentioned growing them this season and he created some chocolate covered ones. I would not have thought of that.
I can’t take any credit for the work on my late in laws’ house, as it’s been exclusively done by my husband. Hopefully it’ll be on the market by mid-September.
It sounds like you’re eating well and surrounded by people who love and support you — this makes me very happy to read!
1. Sold an item that has been sitting on FB marketplace for months. It was in a free pile so $20 for me!
2. Went to the pay by the pound Goodwill. Found 12 things to sell one of which was an authentic Coach bag with a bit of dirt on the outside. Cleaned it and listed everything. Now just waiting. Other finds included a Thirty One lunch bag set, a Thirty One cross bag. (Which I love and will keep if it dosent sell) some sports items, a vintage metal picnic hamper, and an odd assortment of other things.
3. Shopped the grocery outlets with a friend. Fun socializing and looking for deals.
4. Finally did my first Secret shops! One was to mail a package at the post office. I had a marketplace purchase to mail, they had already paid me postage and price so I made out well as I got paid for the shop and reimbursed for the postage. My second shop was a delivery from a fancy bakery. Yum! After tasting everything and filling out the questionnaire I took the extra cupcakes and banana pudding to a small girls night. Thanks to all who suggested secret shopping!
5. Found a free table and chairs for our house next door (we own two row homes side by side) can’t wait to set them up,today!
That’s amazing that you found a Coach bag to sell at the bins! You seem like you’re on a roll!
Thought of you this weekend, Katy, as I was roughly in your area (Vancouver). I helped my sister out by listing all of her clutter (she requested this, btw) in her garage that she’s been wanting to sell on FB Marketplace, and a bunch on BN. Gave away & sold an absolute ton of stuff! Four lamps, a horrifying paisley setee, two giant pieces of scrap metal, a three piece bedroom set, a diffuser, two pair of shoes, two bookshelves.. I even made an eBay sale. She was so happy to get it all gone.
As for me:
1) Used up garden zucchini, making two dozen muffins + making baked zucchini “fries” last night, to round out a dinner, as we were having guests.
2) Used up overly ripe bananas & frozen fruit for smoothies. Largely ate out of the freezer, as I was out of town.
3) Packed snacks for the return flight.
4) Sold a bunch on eBay. I’ve gotten back into listing things more regularly, and it really does seem to boost all of your listings. Over the last week, sold: luggage tags, two pair of sunglasses, a pair of pants & a set of skin cream samples I received from a hotel in Japan.
5) Went through dS18’s room with him (he’s heading to college in a few weeks), & found a bunch of stuff to toss (papers, etc), give away on BN, and a few items to sell. It was really nice to get his room all cleaned up.
You are an A+ sister!
I need to list some things on eBay, my sales have been stagnant. Then again, all the good stuff already sold so I can’t really complain.
1. I brought a plate of cookies I made (from a mix that had been in my cabinets) to a family party instead of purchasing a dessert from the store.
2. I redeemed my gas points for .70 off a gallon at the Stop & Shop gas station for a total savings of $9.52.
3. I harvested the green beans that grew in the garden this year. I had planted them late in the season from left over seeds from last year, so I wasn’t really expecting much.
4. I received a mastercard gift card from a class action settlement for a whopping .11. I wasn’t sure how I’d ever be able to redeem it, but finally figured out a way. I was buying reusable ziploc bags on amazon. Once I knew what the final price was I re-upped my balance by the total minus .11 and then used that gift card to pay the remainder. Bonus: the reusable bags should save me money in the long run as long as my kiddos remember not to throw them out at school.
5. My husband gave the kids back to school haircuts, my MIL generously offered to purchase them new sneakers (they both happened to find pairs on the clearance rack and there was a BOGO sale), we walked to school for the first two days, I finally kicked my drive thru coffee habit this week (I used to take surveys and get dunkin gift cards, so I wasn’t spending money-but the survey site got rid of dunkin cards as a reward) and I spent the kids first day back at school going through their old toys and getting things listed on FB marketplace and ebay.
5.
11¢? So . . . you “recently came into some money!”
Your five frugal things are all so great, very inspirational.
1. Found a small roll of poop bags on this morning’s walk.
2. Washed all the elastic hair bands I’ve picked up on walks and donated them to the community thrift store.
3. Volunteered at political headquarters about 30 minutes from my house and combined the trip with a visit to the nearby discount food store.
4. Received numerous terrific items from Buy Nothing this week: Melatonin, cough drops, over-ripe bananas, paper grocery bags, a brand-new robot kit for my great nephew, and stationery.
5. Not a frugal story but an amusing one nevertheless: We had another thrashing storm yesterday. My dog and I went downstairs to the enclosed laundry room for safety, where we sat on the floor and read (well, I read while she panted with fear). After a few minutes, the lights went out (no surprise since it was the fifth time we’d lost power this year on our tree-filled street). Used my phone to report and track the status of the outage and used my flashlight to continue reading. Power came back on after a half hour… hmm, unusual since the storm wasn’t over. Went upstairs after the storm had passed and noticed the electric company truck was parked outside our house. The guys said we were the only house in the neighborhood to report an outage… hmm, that’s weird, so we discussed possibilities and then it dawned on me. The laundry room has a motion-activated light! I wasn’t moving enough to keep the light activated but must have moved a certain way for the light to come back on. Luckily, the guys from the electric company found the whole thing amusing. I thanked them for their work and wished them a safe evening. I imagine they are retelling this story as often as I am!
Who says personalized service is a thing of the past!
Great motion lights story!
Oops . . . pretty funny though!
And hooray for free dog poop bags!
1. I found a pair of gently used white leather Adidas athletic shoes. I washed them in the washer & used a magic eraser on the rubber soles. They are too big for me & too small for the husband. I think I will take them to school & put a free sign on them. Maybe a poor student can use them. I also have some donated uniforms that I will take also.
2. Sewed a small place of elastic on a pair of underwear I bought. They had come a small bit unsewn although worn only once.
3. Went thru my sock drawer to pair socks & look for ones that I don’t wear. I will take the short socks to a nearby psy. hospital. Patients can’t have long socks as they are a hazard for them, A small thing to give comfort to their cold feet.
4. I’m going to see my new great nephew soon. I have some donated fleece sleepers & toys that my best friend gave me, I have a package of diapers for him I got 1/2 price at the grocery store. He is a whopper! Almost 10lbs at birth.
5. I have coloring books for great niece (that I found) for my visit.
6. My colleague is a school nurse at a private school. When I find kid things I give them to her to occupy the children when they are in the nurses ‘office. I found a small treasure chest kind of thing. She said the kids love that chest. She put crayons, stickers, etc in it.
Things that others throw away often have a 2nd life with someone else after cleaning and/or a little repair. Good job with the rug. Those rugs made from plastic bottles & such can be hosed off & they last forever. I just washed a rug I found in the washer, air dried it, and put it under a recliner that hubby lounges in.
I loved reading about the incredibly thoughtful ways that you are donating.
Socks for the patients at the hospital and the treasure chest at school really warmed my heart.
TY Sarah. I now get to enjoy an uncluttered sock drawer & have all my socks paired up & ready for cooler weather! Now on to the messy closet.
I wish this rug would fit in a washer, but it’s a beast!
Katy, our husband (and you) have my sympathies in the awful task of cleaning out that house and car. Been there and done that with two family members.
This week I used coupons to buy cranberry juice and canned cat food. Laundered a thrifted handbag and it came out looking brand new. Altered a 1990s leather checkbook wallet that was too bulky by taking out most of accordion dividers and re-sewing it. Mended a throw chewed by the puppy. Used the blistering heatwave to dry laundry on the back porch.
Yeah, I shined a black light on the supposedly clean seats and it looks like they’ll need another final scrub.
Autocorrect has us committing bigamy! That’s “your husband,” not “our husband.” Geeze ….
Call it polygamy lol but it did give me a chuckle.
Maintenance/repair summer this year – heavy equipment, keeping water out of basement (aka gutter/gutter “accessory” tweaking, driveway seal, chimney sweep (won’t let better half on the roof any more – tis a frugal bargain to avoid injury), and tires for my vehicle. Have not needed to dip into emergency fund and shouldn’t have to for the remaining items.
Not dipping into your emergency fund is always a win!
Wow, that rug looks brand new!!!! This comment is a bit late bc I’m just now reading your post; your website hasn’t come up for a few days now. I thought perhaps you were out getting your Lear Jet. (Trash picked, of course!)
Glad you’re back!
Hmm . . . it’s been functioning perfectly from my end.
Unfortunately it still smells bad, possibly worse than before. (Did I simply spread the urine throughout the entire rug?!)
That’s weird that my website wasn’t coming up. I deleted the cache, which should help. Maybe? I’m no programmer.
I would spray it with white vinegar and let that sit for a bit to cancel out the urine. Then rinse it again. I used white vinegar when my daughter had accidents while potty training because it neutralizes the urine.
I love the rationale for repairing things that are low quality/non biodegradable. You inspired me to repair a cute but shoddily made beach bag I thrifted 4 or 5 years ago. I did an “ok” repair to secure the raffia covered handles and if you don’t look closely it’s passable. should withstand a few more years of use.