Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on October 18, 2024 · 72 comments
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Our cell phone bill went up by $20, so I called Verizon and was able to get them to lower it by $50 per month. (All I had to do was to say that were considering switching to a different carrier, which is always true.) To clarify, this is for four cell phone plans, plus internet. Plus they lowered November’s bill by an extra $100. We also receive a “first responder discount” through my husband’s job, which helps.
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I swung by Domino’s for a free gluten-free pizza for my daughter, as I’d earned a free “emergency” pizza last week from my son ordering a pizza. I had to order it in person as the gf pizza comes in the small size, while the free pizza was for a medium. Kind of a pain, but also not the worst thing. I brought a library book to kill time in the car while I waited.
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I gave away four propagated spider plant starts and a folding table through my local Buy Nothing group. The plant starts left in glass Oui yogurt jars, which I’d pulled a neighbor’s recycling bin.
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• I sold a thrifted Frankenstein costume on eBay for $22. This was very stale inventory and I’m happy for it to have found a new home. Buh-bye!
• I wanted to buy a replacement heating pad for my husband, as the last one stopped working, so I looked up the brand on Amazon and then went to eBay to find a cheaper alternative. This way I support an independent seller instead of Schmeff Schmezos, plus the purchase doesn’t trigger the manufacture of a brand new item. There were multiple options of the “new in box” heating pads for $20-$25, instead of the $45 that Amazon charges. Buying used instead of new will always be my first choice.
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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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1. I made a pot of GF chicken noodle soup using broken up GF spaghetti for noodles. I also added a capful of red lentils to thicken the soup and add more protein and fiber. The lentils break down during cooking. It was dinner for two nights.
2. I made a pan of GF granola and a dozen GF banana muffins to use up ripe bananas. I store the granola in jars that once held sunflower seed butter.
3. I walked with a friend, and her dog, on a local trail yesterday. I sat outside with a different friend today.
4. I went to Costco to pick up the glasses I ordered last week. I was there when they opened so I didn’t have to wait. I also bought a few items that were on a shopping list and nothing else.
5. Tonight we will go outside to try and view the comet. A neighbor told me they saw it from their street as we had no luck seeing it last night in front of our house. Free entertainment.
I so admire your dedication to not buying new. I hope your mum is convalescing well and she is so lucky to be treated to fresh home-baked bread. Has your in-laws’ home sold?
Yes, my in-law’s house just sold this week!!!
OH, @Katy, that is wonderful news! YAY!
Congrats. That is huge.
Congratulations!! It must be a huge load of your husbands shoulders having that done.
Hot damn! Like getting the Titanic off your shoulders.
Exactly. Although my husband did not delegate any of the work to me, so it’s more like his shoulders.
Katy, that is awesome!
Katy, what do you think helped move it so quickly?
My husband was very responsive to what the real estate agent told him needed to be done. He trusted her and did not push back.
1. I brought two bags of clothing to St. Vincent de Paul after DH and I went through our winter and summer clothes. I’m so glad these stayed out of the landfill and went to an organization that helps people who are in need.
2. Started a new library book, On Call by Anthony Fauci. So far, it’s great. I’m interested in his view of what happened at the NIH and inside the Trump administration during this critical time in history.
3. I stopped in at the library to view their displays of book themes turned into floral designs. There were some by flower shops, some by library patrons, some by other local businesses and some by the library staff. All excellent and imaginative! My favorite was The Tale of Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter.
4. Walking for exercise in an attempt to improve my bone density. When the cold weather arrives, I’m going to be like the Scandinavians and march forth with the belief there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. I am a retired mail carrier (on foot) so I know how to dress for it.
5. Found a Yankee Candle Balsam scent way back in the china cabinet so I won’t need to purchase one for the holidays. The past few years we’ve had an artificial Christmas tree but I like the smell of the real ones and miss it when I don’t have it.
Christine,
I finished reading On Call about a week ago! What a remarkable life Dr. Fauci has had thus far. I did find his take on the NIH/Trump administration era very, um, interesting. No spoilers.
1. My elderly dog takes Gabapentin, which humans also use. A friend was cleaning after her step-father’s death and found a bottle of 300 of them. Her dog used to use them, but she is now dogless, so asked if my dog needed them. I was just about to turn in a prescription, so I said “yes, please!” There are few opportunities to recycle meds, so I was happy to keep them out of the landfill.
2. From my food bank volunteer shift, brought home 3 of those plasticized sacks that each used to hold 50 pounds of rice. They are the perfect size for our large kitchen and bathroom trash cans. Only a small savings but at least they are being reused once before dying in the landfill.
3. Did mystery grocery shop and stocked up on $30 worth of staples.
4. Sold a book on eBay (frugal) and paid for the postage with a USPS mystery shop (so more frugal in that I didn’t have to buy postage to mail it. And it went priority, which is a shop requirement.
5. Extended a pot of soup for one more meal by adding more stock to it. It was very loaded soup so the addition didn’t make it watery.
5.
My husband takes the same dosage of that drug as did our departed oldest dog, who died in February. It’s come in handy to have held onto Rosie’s final bottle because sometimes there’s a delay in the pharmacy being able to provide it for him.
Lest anyone ask, her medication was human-grade, filled at same pharmacy we use. I always got amused filling it because her name on the prescription was Rosie Dog Ourlastname.
Yes, it’s best to keep meds out of the landfill. I don’t know where you live, but here in SW WA, there is a Kaiser-Permanente facility which has a drop box for old unused prescription meds. Maybe they have the same in other communities?
Our police station has a drop off drugs slot.
Walgreens in my area has a drop off box.
Which mystery shop service(s) are you signed up for? So far the ones I’m on only have convince store shops, which I use to get milk, creamer and eggs but I’d love to find some grocery store ones in my area. My dog also takes gabapentin and we used some extra that belonged to my MIL. I also fill the dogs scripts at the drug store which is cheaper than filling them at the vet.
1. Worked 3 days and brought my lunch and snack. Sadly no free food this time
2. Sold a book on eBay and saw the buyer was local, so I dropped that off
3. Sold some more on FB marketplace. I also keep listing.
4. Our fridge is almost bare but we made it through the week. So far only $100 spent for 2 of us for the last 18 days. That always satisfies me.
5. I get an expensive hair cut, one of my few indulgences. I saw they were advertising for a receptionist and though I cannot work a full time job, I’m an excellent temp. My stylist is co-owner so when I go to get my hair cut tomorrow I’m going to mention that if they ever need an occasional fill in that I’d do it in exchange for haircuts. No harm in casually putting that out there! I’ll report what she says.
Kara, that is a genius idea about your offering to temp for the beauty salon. Hope the owner takes you up on it!
Wonderful idea about bartering with the salon!
Time to pull out my vast array of frugal skills for a trip to NYC. This is my first time in the city. I had a flight voucher and used IHG points to stay at the Barclay Intercontinental for five nights. However, this past week had unexpected expenses and money is now very tight through Spring. I was about to cancel my trip but the flight voucher would expire and that is nuts. So here is my plan for a low spend NYC:
1. I had already paid for a off/on bus which included Statue of Liberty, Empire State building, a slice of NY pizza and a bike rental. The only other attractions that is a must for me is 911 memorial. The rest of the time I will just soak up the city.
2. I want to go to a broadway show so I will take the advice I found online and go day of to the box office hoping for Hadestown at a big discount.
3. I have called ahead at the hotel to makes sure of the freebies awaiting me. I get one free breakfast and one $20 voucher for breakfast. I have requested an electric kettle and bringing a suitcase full of my leftover backpacker meals. I have five days worth. I should be fine for food.
4. I will bring a water bottle and a small lunch bag when I am on the go.
5. Anybody have a good idea of free things to do there?
Mary Ann – We were just in the Big City this past weekend! Mostly to visit family, but also to get our taste of city life.
Two of my favorite activites last weekend were free!
1) Walk the Highline – a park built on the West side in the footprint of a former freight line
2) Experience the “Treasures” exhibit at the Iconic public library in honor of it’s 125 birthday. It was a curated collection of some of the library’s greatest treasures including things like the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed characters and resistance propaganda from WWII.
Low cost things include subway fare – just riding the trains is an education. And we visited the Transit Museum in Brooklyn with cousins. Unexpectedly fascinating! $10 adult admission.
Thanks, Susie.
I was looking forward to the treasures exhibit but it is closed the week I will be there. I would love to take the subway for the experience but i will have to do a little research to be more confident.
I know nothing about NYC but I do follow Shauna Niequist, an author who moved there with her family 5 (?) years ago. If you google her name and New York City you will find some posts /columns she has written about her favorite places in NYC. She is a foodie but also loves to walk and explore so you may glean something of interest from her (delightful) writings.
Will do. Thanks.
The main NYC Public Library at 5th Ave and 42nd St is beautiful and you can download free audio tour and digital guide.
The museum of the City of New York is free and a lot of the museums have at least one free day a week. Also the museum at FIT is free. Have fun on your adventure
The Morgan (J. Pierpont Morgan) Library and Museum is free on Friday nights 5-7, but you need to make a reservation: https://www.themorgan.org/visit
Highly recommend the High Line, if you haven’t been (free)
AND, the FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) has a small, but wonderful free exhibit – it changes frequently – last time I was there it was an exhibit on sleeves!)
Oh My Gosh, Everyone, Thank you.
I am very near the NYC library. That is a must. I snagged a ticket to Morgan Library and the Whitney near Highline. I will hit the American Folk Art Museum near Central park on Sunday morning. AWESOME!!!!!!
The Met Museum is the greatest art museum in the world. It’s pay what you will. Pull out a dollar and you’re in. And don’t feel cheap; it has a zilliondy dollar endowment.
I think the Met is pay as you will for NY residents.
Huh. They must have changed it–they never asked me for a driver’s license or anything in person. Oh well. I still think it’s worth the admission.
TBH, I think the Statue of Liberty is a bore, tourwise. It’s nice to see but the Staten Island Ferry goes right past.
Top of the Rock isn’t free but it has the best view in Manhattan. Really, just a heart stopping view. I wish the Rainbow Room was still a restaurant/bar–you could stop by for a single drink and get the same view. Some important events in my life have been spent there. Oh well.
Someone suggested the Edge for a view. What do you think? I did decide to go to The Natural History Museum and save the Met for the next visit. I am going to the Guggenheim Saturday after 4:00 which is free.
My son at age four was terrified of the blue whale and of Neanderthal Man at the AMNH. When I was a kid, they used to have huuuuge trays of bugs on pins and I was terrified of the giant beetles.
The Edge is too glassy for me. No glass floors, nuh uh.
Reserve your tickets for the Statue of Libery. They go fast. You can also ride the Staten Island Ferry free and it goes past the SOL. Its a nice ride. If you use Bank of America they offer lots of free museum passes.
This is huge MaryBeth. I canceled a hop on/ bus inclusive with Statue and Empire State that was $130. I just reserved pedestal for 25.30 and got a refund for the other. Thanks.
If you go to the Statue of Liberty, make sure to hop back on the ferry to the Ellis Island Museum. It is an incredible museum all about immigration in America. Truly one of the best.
Museum of the City of New York is not free, but is totally worth is and is right along Central Park, so you nip over there for a picnic or to take in some air.
Way to go on the cell phone bill!
1. I needed a birthday gift for my ds’s soon-to-be fiance and all I could come up with was a lululemon belt bag but the price was more than I wanted to pay. Well, I saw online they were having a sale and sure enough what I wanted was on sale (some wild colors). They had her favorite though for half price and free shipping – yay!
2. We had a teacher work day and we all wanted to order in. I used Panera gift cards to make my lunch just a few dollars. It was a nice treat.
3. Starting the process of rebuilding our basement after the flood – we bought the wood tonight and will start doing it ourselves tomorrow. Way cheaper than paying someone.
4. Sold an item on ebay and made $20 – it had been a free item with purchase so free money
5. Went out to dinner with a friend this week and she had a gift card to the restaurant and paid for the whole thing. It was nice to get out and visit with a friend mid-week.
Mended a pair of jeans for my son. Went to Goodwill today and bought five winter shirts, a black skirt for somber/dressy occasions, and an adorable candy dish with a lid. The lid is important because my son’s cat is very nosy.
Stopped at Dollar Tree and bought full size jars of Lucky Leaf apple sauce for $1.25 each, which is nearly $2.50 per jar cheaper than buying it in the grocery store. Rack dried a load of clothes. Made a sandwich with the heels of a loaf of bread for my supper.
Some frugal wins, frugal fails and a near miss frugal fail!
1. I am trying to eat down the food stores, I am resolved to pull something from the back of the cupboard each week and find a way to use it up. It’s definitely improving as you can see what’s in there now.
2.Previous frugal fail of having to buy a new fridge/freezer is working well, as it’s harder for things to hide in there, further reducing food waste.
3.Failed again as the range now died enough that it’s not fair to leave it for elderly lady who comes and house sits when we are away, and to get out of her hard to heat home. New range is installed. The oven is still good on the old one, so have offered it for free. Maybe someone needs a second oven and can use it.
4.I’m leaving my job at the end of the month, so we have both used as much as we can of my health coverage in the run up to this.
5. Very near miss today. I used to buy stupid stuff on ebay. One of the few pieces I still have is a submarine escape suit. I was just writing the listing to put it on marketplace as a halloween costume, when my seller genes suggested I should look it up. The last one sold on ebay was over $500. I guess I’ll need to get it listed LOL.
6. Near miss 2. We were supposed to go write our wills today, poa etc. The forecast was wind warning and rain warning. We live on an island with a ferry. If the ferry is off you are looking at a hotel overnight and they all double their prices when the ferry is off! Managed to reschedule the appointment to Monday, and lo and behold, the ferry has been off since mid-afternoon. Bullet dodged! We just need to stay alive until after the Monday appointment and I will count this as a win!
Your #6 made me smile, as my work at our local Hospice has exposed me to the many ways people explain why they don’t yet have a Will, POA, or what we call a Rep 9 here in BC (Rep 9 is like a living will, giving someone the ability to make decisions for you when you can’t). I have never heard of the ‘bad weather ferry stopping” excuse before, but there you go!
Seriously, though, if you really were concerned over the weekend, you could write up a very quick will by hand, and march over to a neighbour’s house to get it witnessed when you sign it. The legalese is important for a will that might be contested, but if your situation is simple, then at least write something like “I, So-and-so, leave all my possessions to my XXX, except my electric can opener, which I leave to my best friend XXX”. Signed, dated and witnessed, that would stand if you were to experience a sudden departure.
And even more seriously, GOOD FOR YOU – every single one of Katy’s readers who sucks it up and goes to get their Wills, POA’s etc done deserve a pat on the back. It is so easy once you look back at it, and yet so hard to begin and persevere. We don’t love to think about our own mortality, nor that of anyone we love.
Thank you for this valuable information!
I want to second Ecoteri’s statement about the importance of wills and powers of attorney. My friend T. was very, very active in his life — he’d been in the military, he was a first responder, he loved camping and hiking, was physically fit, etc. He always said he’d never want to be one of those patients hooked up on artificial life support and when the time came, to please let him go to Jesus. He was healthy and active and didn’t think he needed a living will or POA. But then he suffered a closed head injury in an accident. They had to take out part of his skull due to brain swelling and said there was a 97% chance he wouldn’t live, or that he’d be a vegetable if he did. No way would he want that! But he hadn’t filled out the necessary paperwork. His wife signed the papers to have them “pull the plug,” but then another relative got in on the act. A lawyer took the wife to court and painted her as some kind of money-grubbing witch who just wanted T to die so she could get all T’s estate. Funny thing was, as a public servant, T. was anything but wealthy. Mrs. T. could not afford a big lawyer and lost the case. Despite all of T’s friends testifying they’d heard him say he didn’t want to be kept alive artificially. The relative, someone T. and the rest of the family couldn’t stand, was given custody of him. T. was whisked away to a nursing home halfway across the state, artificially kept alive for years, and Mrs. T. was not allowed to see him except for once a month, in a supervised visit — I guess they thought she’d finish him off or something, and it was very humiliating. Not to mention hard on her, financially and otherwise, to make the long trip. Which she did faithfully every month. She said T. smelled horrible and was not properly cared for. He had no earthly idea who she was, or where he was, or even what planet he was on, she told me. Within a matter of months, he lost so much weight he looked like a skeleton. Did the relative pay for all this expensive care? Not a penny! Mrs. T. lived in poverty and was forced out of the couple’s home due to foreclosure/medical bills. She had to rent a small room in someone else’s house. T. eventually passed away and his widow didn’t even have enough funds left for a proper burial for him. Again, the meddlesome relatives didn’t help with the cost. Mrs. T.’s health declined due to the stress; she died and also was cremated, no funeral service. (The T’s were very religious and would have wanted a proper church funeral and burial in the cemetery.) We all wanted to help, but couldn’t.
If this doesn’t make you run out and fill out the paperwork today, then you are risking having a similar fate happen to you and your loved ones.
Fru-gal Lisa, thank you for sharing this. Such a horrible tragedy and preventable with proper planning.
Fru-gal Lisa,
This is awful on so many levels. Hubs and I really need to do this, so thank you for the reminder.
I am curious, though – if the unlikely relative was given custody of T., how did that relative escape being billed or otherwise responsible for paying for his care?
*unliked* relative….sigh.
Medicaid, as written, does not leave a surviving spouse destitute. So I am livid the house was sold (unless T.’s wife was not on the deed?) out from under her feet. Joint accounts should have left her half. She could have filed for social security disability. Oh while I don’t wish it happened to your friend, I wish we at NCA were “in the loop” at the time, perhaps our collective knowledge could have helped.
Bad enough you have doctors who “don’t agree with the patient’s wishes” but when the legal system allows anyone to contest removal of life support from a person who HAS done his/her paperwork is what makes me livid.
You didn’t say what state T. lived in but I suspect I can guess.
My hope is the world wises up and allows those with dementia/Alzheimer who have their paperwork in place to leave this earth in dignity. Enough options if you are terminally ill with cancer et. al. but dementia/Alzheimer, you are flat out of luck.
We have all our POAs, wills and estate stuff all done. We have disabled adult child so ours was more complex as we had set up a Special Needs Trust for him and list the trust in the will as the beneficiary so he dosent loos his health insurance.
Another piece that we found very useful when my mom was dying was the Five Wishes document. It goes into more detail than the typical legal docs, and also covers the type of personal care you might want: what music you might want played, how you might like to be touched, and so on. It’s available through many hospice organizations and for purchase online, but you can also just think through this type of question on your own. Really a gift to those caring for you, whether friends/family or professionals.
1. I did another grocery store mystery shop, so I think I have successfully gotten 1 year of toilet paper and dishwasher liquid stored up.
2. Ate lunch at work for free twice this week (grilled salmon with vegetables) and dinner one night (my students make recipes from a 17th c. Spanish cookbook).
3. Made mac n’ cheese using milk, cheese, and breadcrumbs free from mystery shop and discounted pasta using FlashFood app
4. STILL NO HEAT! (Katy: “no heat til trick or treat” or “no heat to til the Pilgrims eat” are New England sayings/expectations!) and next week will be warm during the day, so I think I can make it until Nov. 1st.
5. Dinner on Sunday is at a swank restaurant/mystery shop and we’ll go on Sunday as it is free meters downtown. I’ll wear an outfit that includes shoes that were free from Buy Nothing group and clothes that are old enough that I have no idea when I got them (but I’m sure that they were on sale!)
I like your New England sayings. I’m going with No Heat Til Trick-or-Treat, but not sure if I can hold out Til the Pilgrims Eat.
We’re spending a godawful amount of money getting our old house in another city ready for sale, mostly unavoidably. All of the exterior work needs quality materials and spendy paint and there are few opportunities to economize without compromising the results. I did find new in package “gentrification font” house numbers at the ReStore for a dollar apiece and bought the missing one at a discount on the bad website. The finishes were mismatched, so I corrected the black ones with chrome spray paint and then sprayed them all scarlet for a total cost of $9. All of the spray paint was free or under $1 at yard sales and thrift, and I stash good colors for just such projects.
I’m staying with a friend nearby because it’s jolly and it doesn’t hurt to save approximately a kajillion on a hotel for this open-ended project. She’s a very frugal minimalist, so we’ve been eating simply and deliciously together, and while I miss my home and bed, couldn’t wish for better company.
I also somehow forgot my jacket and needed something warm, and found a heavy cashmere cardigan from Saks at a nearby thrift store for $6, along with a nearly new Moby wrap for my grandson for $8 and a new in package set of quality flannel sheets for $13. Not the absurd bargains I like the most, but perfectly reasonable, and I don’t have the time or spoons to thrift a lot these days.
1. My mom needed a dust mop for her new floors and I have one I never use so I gave it to her. I also gave my sister a table I no longer have room for. Crap out, savings for them.
2. I picked up discounted yogurt and snacks for my daughter’s lunch at the grocery outlet store.
3. I found a men’s Aran Irish wool sweater at the thrift store. It should fit DD#1 who has been wanting one but the shipping is outrageously expensive. I bought it on senior day so I got a discount on top of that.
4. I paid with cash to avoid a fee for using my credit card. I’m going to have to start carrying extra cash because this seems to be happening more and more.
5. I cut off a tiny piece of cork to place under a table leg that was a little rocky.
1. Another substitute teaching job Friday. The middle school had a “pajama day” so I wore some winter PJ pants, a long T-shirt and a seldom-used bathrobe that still looked new. Also wore house shoes. Didn’t have to buy anything to it right in with the fun event.
2. The students were doing I-pad (computer) work so I grabbed a classroom library book to read. It was “Girl with the Pearl Earring”, a fictional account of the mysterious lady in the famous painting. I’d started this book the last time I was in that class and made a note that I read up to page 109. (I was thinking that I’d seen a copy in our church’s little free library and could read that copy, but didn’t find it when I last looked there.) Anyway, I got to finish the book in between calling roll, making the assignment, and walking around the class (to ensure the kids were on task and not playing video games). It was a free — and very enjoyable — read! The book is back on the classroom shelf waiting for its next reader.
3. En route home from school, I used my coupon for Goodwill to get another string of clear Xmas lights for my patio. That made it 20% off $3.
4. Last summer, I’d bought some T-shirts from Goodwill using one of those coupons. One was a Halloween shirt suitable for a former English teacher like myself. Featuring witches cooking over a cauldron, it said “Let’s eat kids. Let’s eat, kids. Good grammar saves lives!”
This past week, I wore that shirt to another teaching gig, this one in a special ed room where I’ve worked many times. One little boy, who usually causes lots of mischief, always asks “Do you have kids?” and I tell him “No, I don’t.” On this day, he asked me the same question as always, I said no — and then I saw his eyes get really big as he read my shirt. Apparently, he thought I ate my kids because he was on his VERY BEST behavior that day! LOL!
5. I promise, I didn’t save money on groceries by eating kids. Nor did I buy a broomstick!
Oops — I meant to say “fit” right in, not “it” right in on #1.
Next time you’re wearing that shirt and a kid asks “Do you have kids?”, try saying “Not any more!” and smacking your lips, and see what reaction you get. ;-}
My son sent me one of these T-shirts, mine has a dinosaur instead of the witches cauldron.
1. We got a $100 visa gift card rebate from tires we bought earlier this year.
2. I used the gift card on food shopping this week. Trying to stock up for the winter. Working with the elderly, I try to avoid the store during flu season as much as possiable. At Shoprite I got grapes for 99¢ a pound, Dove IC bars for $1.99 a box, chips for $1.77 a bag, Skirt steak for $5.99. I got the biggest one and split it into 2. I spent $59.61 and saved $86.45. Check your receipts. I had a mistake and had to go to guest services again. I went to Stop and Shop too since they are right near eachother. Chicken thighs were 99¢ a pound. Pork chops were 1.99 a pound. Both were limit 2. Remember when we used to be able to get 4 of everything. Entenmanns were BOGO so I got 2. That was my big splurge this week. I found Raid ant spray on the clearance rack. It is the one safe for animals. I got 2 and gave one to my son. Hair gel my huaband likes was on clearance too so I got it. I still have money left on the gift card so I will use the rest next time I go.
3. I used Flash food for a deal at Stop n Shop. They sent me a $5 off $10 or more. I got 3 wraps: 1 chicken ceaser, 1 chicken chipotle and 1 Italian. Plus I got a 6 pack of knishes. It came to $8.03 after the coupon. Not bad for an easy dinner. While I was waiting for my order a lady asked me what Flash food was so I showed her my app and helped her download it. She was very excited. With prices they way they are now, I think we all need to help eachother keep our groceries as low as possiable.
4. I drove my neighbor to an art class at the library. My daughter met us there. We made a rope ghost. It is very cute. We dropped off some books and picked up a few more. I showed my neighbor where they keep the free puzzles and she took one.
5. My daugher and I went to Target. Towel sets were on sale and I wanted to get 2. I am making her Mr/Mrs and Bride/Groom towels for her shower next year. I also found mens socks and underwear on the clearance rack. They were put away for Christmas for Hubby. I added all of the items to my gift book. It helps me keep track of what I have.
Do you make your own embroidery patterns? I ask only because I saw a set of pillowcases marked “Mr. Right” and “Mrs. Always Right,” if that is their kind of humor.
I found a lovely high quality hand embroidered dish towel at a yard sale yesterday, put in a box of several items for a dollar. It says, “Your Opinion Is Not Part Of The Recipe.” I have to find someone good to give it to.
I have an appointment (45 minutes) in a few weeks at the library to learn to use the embroidery machine. I’m excited.Then I can just make appointments to use it. It is their newest addition to the teck center.
What a great service!
We love the library. Can’t say enough good stuff about it. I make sure to vote yes for the budget every year.
That‘s a very good price reduction that you negotiated with your cell phone provider!
* Favourite recent library read: Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver
* Cleared out the wardrobes and donated 2 bags full of clothes to a local school fundraiser – they were collecting clothes for recycling. I love that they also take clothes that have holes or stains as long as they’re washed.
* Currently sipping a mug of herbal tea made with fresh herbs from the garden.
* My son’s part time job keeps on giving – this week he brought home short dated herbal seasoning and chocolate.
* I had planted out the root parts of spring onions and harvested spring onion greens from them today. This was the first time I’ve tried this, a success!
1. Spent an astonishing amount of money on window cleaning services. First time ever and well worth it in that we have no safe way to clean our windows without the high likelihood of killing ourselves.
2. Currently on the North Shore of Lake Superior for our annual one-week stay in a simple cabin. Will make most of our meals and enjoy no-cost activities.
3. Received assorted tea, outdoor rugs, dog poop bags and a set of vintage Corelle dishes from Buy Nothing.
4. From Buy Nothing, I also received a colored marker that I requested in order to try coloring in a patch of bleach on a bath rug. Much to my delight, it worked!
5. Packed up and donated a bunch of stuff to the thrift store. Such a great feeling.
A quilt group member was complaining that her walnut trees were dropping nuts all over her driveway. So I grabbed my leaf blower, rakes, snow shovel and blew the leaves off the driveway, scooped up the nuts with the snow shovel and came home with 1 – 18 gallon tote of nuts and left her with 2 – 18 gallon totes. She was all smiles.
My cousin shared his haul of chanterelle mushrooms…yummy! I will give him a couple of pounds of walnuts and filberts.
I found a set of Williams Sonoma oblong measuring spoons for $.50 @ an estate sale.
We were able to see the comet with my vintage telescope. Clouds are building here for the next few days.
Harvested the red, gold and russet potatoes, brushed free of clingy dirt and layered them in straw wooden potato boxes in the barn.
I love those measuring spoons. We did buy them new, on sale – more than 20 years ago – when we were using our holiday and birthday gifts to equip the house and kitchen. They still look like new!
I wondered if Mr. Non-Consumer needed a heating pad because of all the work he did getting the house ready to sell. Good news that it sold & $ coming your way.
1. I have been deathly ill with some sort of GI thing. I have eaten very little so that saved some $. I managed to go to work this week as I felt I was not contagious.
2. My husband decided he did not want to be The Yellow Brick Road at a costume party in November. I am now putting together a Scarecrow costume for him. I did have to buy a grass hula skirt for 5$ to make the straw trimming on his pants & shirt. I think I have the rest of the needed items at home. I am still feeling creative at my atelier.
3. Fortunately I made some soup & a pot of chili before I got ill. I don’t want to eat the food but hubby can.
4. Haven’t gone anywhere but to work so that saves gas for my car.
5. We have had some cooler weather so the A/C is off. Next week we have some days at 90 degrees. We will see if the A/C can remain off. Most of those days I’ll be a work but I don’t want to bake the cats. The cats do have a ceiling fan & an open window for a breeze.
I bought a soft fabric XL heating pad at a yard sale a couple years ago for $3 and it is miles better than the firm plastic ones in the fabric cover kind that I’d had before. The dogs are obsessed with it, and it’s machine washable.
1. I walked up to the library sale yesterday and found five The Wheel of Time book club edition books that I think will do well on ebay.
2. My office bought cider and doughnuts this week. There was a full jug of cider from 2 weeks that nobody was drinking, so I took it home. It was from a cider mill, and my son said it’s the best cider he’s ever had.
3. I have been dutifully sorting my listings on FB Marketplace and relisting the oldest ones, as well as reducing prices on ebay.
4. Spied a free antique looking desk at the curb on our walk this morning. Drove back later and picked it up. I thought it might work for our living room, but I didn’t love it, and will list it.
5. I am at the point of use it or lose it on my PTO at work. I have been taking off every Monday, whi
1. I sent out a bunch of offers to likers on ebay and ended up making 5 sales over the weekend for a total of $48.53 after fees/shipping. I got them all packaged up using recycled boxes and envelopes.
2. My youngest son was invited to a birthday party for a boy in his class. I let him choose a gift from my “gift closet” that was $1 after a rebate. I reused a gift bag and tissue paper from my stash, and my son made a card.
3. Took my kids to a free trunk or treat event at the high school.
4. I used one of my last birthday coupons for $15 off a local Italian restaurant. I got the same deal I did last week when I used my rewards…a small pizza, 2 appetizers and a side salad. After the coupon it cost me $10 and so far has made 4 meals for us. There’s still a few pieces of pizza left that my boys can probably have as dinner tonight. So 6 meals for $10.
5. I redeemed 3 CVS extra bucks for some toothpaste. Total after coupon was $1.