Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on November 20, 2024 · 38 comments
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I sold my son’s old microwave through Facebook Marketplace for $30, as his new apartment has a built-in version. He bought it for $50 on Marketplace earlier in the year, but kind of overpaid. Happy to get it out of the house and a $20 loss on a microwave is actually not too shabby. He’s currently in a “crap out of the house, money in” state of mind.
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I got my free Supercuts training center haircut yesterday, which is simply one of my favorite frugal hacks! (I did tip $5, even though I’ve never seen anyone else do so in my years of receiving these services.) I then stopped into the nearby Costco and bought the exact items from my list and nothing else. (Cat litter, a rotisserie chicken, chicken bullion, cheese, coffee beans and olive oil.) I try not to browse when I shop, as it leads to impulse purchases.
The samples were peaking sampling, so I enjoyed some orange chicken, taquitos, vegetable soup, toast with jam and butter chicken over rice. No $1.50 hotdogs or $2 pizzas slices were harmed in the making of this errand.
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I left a bit early for my haircut, as their new location is just a couple blocks from the Goodwill on 82nd Avenue. I wasn’t able to look through the whole store, but I did grab a 50%-off Dunder Mifflin “Party Planning Committee” Christmas sweater for $4.99. (Seems like this should be the regular price, not the half-off price, but I digress . . . ) I listed it on eBay* last night and hope to make someone’s “The Office” Christmas party dreams come true.
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I made the most delicious white bean soup, which served as both my lunch and dinner last night. My son then stopped by after work and enjoyed a couple bowls as well. I believe the key to this soup’s next level tastiness was the addition of some of the 99¢ sausage from my online grocery shopping experiment.
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I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
What a find the party planning committee sweater was!
I, too, felt mostly satisfied with my list restraint at Costco yesterday. Our lists were similar – I picked up block cheddar, a rotisserie, hummus, and cans of diced tomatoes. However I did splurge on a boxed set of 2 thin, cotton, long-sleeved tees. I had been eyeing base layer shirts at REI but had yet to pull the trigger as they are $35 new (on sale!). The 2 shirts I bought at CC were $14, so a bargain was had. Though I prefer to buy used and do so 90% of the time, I have been getting cold with winter coming in like a lion and our heater going out (within a day of me turning it on for the first time since Spring) and needed some warmer layers.
Some other frugal endeavors:
I am 95% done with a dining room “revamp” in preparation for hosting Thanksgiving. I’ve acquired almost everything used except for a rug that is arriving today from Ikea ($50). Here’s what I did:
I bought a dated buffet/sideboard and refinished it in a lovely dark green color. I spent $75 on the heavy, solid wood piece and approximately $50 on primer, paint, and new hardware.
-Acquired a round pedestal Crate & Barrel table for free (with an extension leaf!). It was a steal due to water damage on the top, so my husband and I have spent many hours repairing and repainting the top. The result is not perfect but it is 100% better than it was and fits the room better than our previous table. This is also a solid wood piece and I spent $26 on some sale-priced Magnolia brand paint at Lowe’s.
-Found a like new lamp on FB marketplace for $30. It was a bit higher priced than I wanted to spend but was $60 in-store at Target and still on the shelves, so I feel mostly good about it.
-Spent another $26 on wall paint to deck out an accent wall.
– $50 on a beautifully recovered vintage shell-type chair with queen anne legs. The pattern gives a fun splash of color to the room.
-Made a table runner from some linen fabric that I purchased for $2 at a local thrift fabric/craft store that benefits a senior center. The volunteer staff at the thrift store is worth the visit alone.
– I still need 2 more chairs so I’m searching FB daily.
Wow, sounds like you have been putting a lot of frugal effort into pulling that room together – I imagine the searching for wooden pieces has been entertaining too (free entertainment! see what folk are offering and look at the wide range of expected prices!!). I love that you are mixing new and old, and saving some pieces of furniture for another good run in your home.
congratulations to you and @katy for the costco list control. I have a trip to my mom tomorrow and will finally be going near a costco – so I have short but vital list, as well. TP near the top!
@Ecoteri – you are right that it’s been entertaining to scroll FB marketplace and occasionally craigslist for used pieces…. and a good focus off the news of (any given) day!
1. My daughter stopped at Costco for gas and one of their pumpkin pies to take to an potluck. While there she bought two rotisserie chickens, one for me and one for her. So thoughtful.
2. I found marked down pork cube steak at Winco and made Swiss steak with it. There was leftover gravy from a pot roast and that was the perfect flavoring. With buttered carrots and mashed potatoes, plus a side of salad it was a rich and filling meal.
3. A local college was having their fall choir concert last night. I attended with friends. What a rich treat. The concert was free and there was a good crowd. It is good to get out and partake of community events and it helps when they are free or low cost.
4. I am changing my Christmas decorations this year. This is not something I do often, but a change in living room decor meant necessitated a color adjustment for Christmas. Instead of black and white and bright red, I am going with more muted tones of nature. I found some fall picks at the craft store for 75% off and they will be perfect tucked into the branch of my Christmas tree. I will also use foraged pinecones and other natural elements to create a woodland look.
5. No gold plated anything for me.
1. Our fridge is packed with leftovers and I’m eating my way through! Comedy today was pulling out curry that had purple carrots in it – it dyed everything – so today was thai curry with purple chicken.
2. Checked the value of a patagonia fleece that never fit right through their gear trade-in program. Looks like I can get $21 for it after shipping and handling. Worth it to get a high quality item for resale with little effort on my end.
3. Invested in a mattress cover (like a heavy duty one) for our mattress topper we put on the futon for guests. The last mattress topper got discarded because our cats wouldn’t stop tearing at it when it was stored behind the futon. This will hopefully extend the life and keep the new one in better condition (and easier to store-it comes with handles!)
4. Broke out a candle that i’ve been saving for when it gets dark out so early. Feeling very cozy!
5. Sticking to coffee/tea/water at home.
Cats are jerks, good thing they’re so cute! Coffee/tea//water at home is a powerful frugality tool.
Sausage totally elevates white bean soup. It’s even better on the second day. And you are so pretty with your breezy hair in the photo.
I let the well-scrubbed lid of a pasta sauce jar soak overnight in cheap vanilla extract to remove the tomato-garlic smell from the seal and then reused the jar and lid to store brown sugar.
Cleaned up a jaunty red storage basket that had been in the garage and relocated it to the top of the fridge to hold bags of snacks. There’s a lot of red in our kitchen and it looks really cute. We can’t keep snacks on the kitchen counter because my son’s cat counter surfs if there’s food left out. This is the same reason why I was so happy to find a candy dish with a heavy lid at Goodwill.
I greatly dislike shopping at the Walmart Neighborhood Market because the store is disorganized and most registers, even the self-checkout ones, are often closed. However, I zero in on the items that are significantly less expensive and just do it about once or twice a month. Today was that day: cereal was $1 less and canned cat food 31 cents a can less, which adds up when buying 16 cans.
Regarding shopping, I spent some time yesterday typing up a list of “buy this item here” in case my menfolks ever have to take over shopping, as they can easily make the grocery total be 100 percent higher by not paying attention.
Altered two pairs of my husband’s jeans today.
@Ruby, I love your “buy this item here” list idea. For me, and for my adult kids who are still learning the shopping game.
Never heard the tip of soaking a jar lid in vanilla extract to remove the smell of garlic! I will have to try that, as I have several lids that are clean but tainted by odor. Thanks!!
I think it actually soaked a day and a half because I kept forgetting to pour the extract out of the lid and run it through the dishwasher again. It smelled faintly of vanilla once it was washed again. I know nothing is cheap in Alaska, but I used some vanilla bought at my favorite clearance store.
I thought I had made too much soup and had planned on freezing the leftovers, but my husband, daughter and I ended up polishing off the last of it for lunch yesterday. I think the entire pot cost around $2.75 as I’d made it with bulk purchased Winco beans and that 99¢ sausage. And that “breezy hair” is courtesy of the bomb cyclone we Pacific Northwesterners experienced this week.
Love that you used a storage basket that you already owned, you know I’m a fan of that!
1. I signed up for a free year of the New York Times Cooking subscription, courtesy of Instacart+ (which I also got on deep discount).
2. I signed up for Paw Points Rewards to get points every time I buy pet supplies for my cat.
3. I’m doing alot of cooking this afternoon, making baked beans and cornbread and half a batch of cookies. I don’t have all the ingredients for a full batch, but since I’ll be the only one eating them, half should be plenty.
4. I’m wearing warm clothes and heating up the kitchen by baking on this chilly day instead of turning up the heater.
Yum, your house must smell amazing!
1. I test drove a used vehicle today. Although I loved the car, it was the first one I’ve looked at and I have to do a little more shopping before making such an expensive decision.
2. My mom needed a new charging block for her phone. We have extras so I gave her one of ours.
3. I found a new recipe to try from A. Marie’s post from yesterday’s FFT’s. I have all the ingredients on hand and it sounds like it will be delicious.
4. I uploaded my Fetch receipts. I finally have enough points for a gift card.
5. I received a text from a friend today thanking me for an umbrella I gave her for her birthday several years ago. Every once and in while she thanks me again for it. LOL. I love a practical gift and apparently so does she.
I love your #5. I would be so grateful for that gift too! I’ve made a list of items with a life-time warranty and I have an umbrella on that list.
Ooh . . . a good quality umbrella would be a really good gift. Noted.
I have a full size thrifted umbrella that THE BEST! It’s an Elizabeth Taylor perfume theme and the quality is amazing.
1. Signed up for a discounted 10-day daycare package at the kennel for our dog. We will use this on the days when she needs to be away from the house during remodeling work.
2. Attended another free class at the library with my sister. We had an inexpensive lunch beforehand, so a cheap date.
3. Purchased some miscellaneous door hardware at Habitat for Humanity Restore. So inexpensive.
4. Had a marathon cooking session and reused pans, measuring cups, and utensils to avoid having to wash more than necessary. Sometimes cleanup can take the joy out of cooking.
5. Made masala with all manner of vegetables – onions, yellow peppers, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, canned tomatoes (didn’t have diced so I did a few spurts of the immersion blender on the whole ones I did have), coconut milk, and a bunch of spices.
Cleanup can definitely take the joy out of cooking!
How fun to go to a library class with your sister!
I tried to find a Supercuts training center near me but came up empty. BOO.
I had to call around to find the person who runs the program.
1) I’ve been Zentangling for some quiet reflection time recently. I’ve been interested in learning some new tangles and saw that there was a class on a platform I had a credit for. I cashed that credit in on the course as no cost to me.
2) My son gifted me a sketchbook he was no longer using for the course. He emptied out his previous art work and I have a new-to-me book.
3) I used some cardboard inserts from some board games I had saved. When we punched out the board game pieces the sturdy leftovers make for some great stencils to use.
4) I offered to go through all of my childhood Barbie stuff and create a Christmas present bundle for my niece. She’s just now starting to play with Barbie and will love it.
5) I helped my Mom come up with a plan for my niece to cut an old pair of her leggings to create long gloves for dress-up time. She’s been asking for a pair and she will love the project.
I researched Zentangling. Interesting. As an arts teacher for several years, I highly recommend the book Drawing with Children by Mona Brooks. Her methods and exercises are brilliant for beginning adults as well as children.
How nice to give your old Barbie stuff to your niece. My aunt gave her old Ken dolls to my sister and I and they were old and no fun. Their elbows and knees didn’t bend and they had these severe crew cuts. Was not the Malibu vibe!
1. The bomb cyclone that hit the west coast poured over the island I live on with a roar – tonnes of wind, oh so very, very much wind. And rain.
I had pre-charged all my re-chargable headlamps and flashlights, found the matches and candles, turned up the heat pump to pre heat the house in case I would be dependent on the wood stove – and got the wood stove burning a couple of days ago to get a good base of warmth happening inside this old house. The map of power outages was (and still is) alarming, however although there were (and are) outages all around me, we were spared, for once. YAY
However… My big 2 X 50 foot green house had the plastic torn off !!! I am calling this: Not frugal – future frugal?
The plastic has given me 11 years of service, and I had expected to lose it last winter, so had purchased new plastic last fall (past frugal). Taking off the old before putting on the new is a daunting job, so the wind has done about 1/4 of that work (the frugal part). Putting a new one on is going to cost me a lot of labour dollars…. I can help, but it is at least a 3 person job and would be much easier with 4 or 5. I can probably cajole my sons into helping, and can of course have Wonder James – but we are all so freaking busy, this is just debilitating and NO FUN. And, I was storing some tender plants in there, so will need to cobble up something different for the coming winter. …
2. Cooking two batches of beans in the instant pot. Black beans have just come out, garbanzos going in. The garbanzos are old, from a pre-covid store, so they might take a while to soften, but the IP will get the job done. I had soaked both kinds last night, which should help.
3. Prepped some sad cauliflower purchased on discount that I had inadvertently hidden in the back of the fridge. Oops. But a sharp knife, a good soundtrack and patience has saved most of it, the chickens will enjoy the rest. (I will be making my take on budgetbyte’s Taco Cauliflower bowl, hence the black beans today )
4. Going to get my mom (an hour drive away) and bring her up to see her great-grandson for a visit. My secret budget plan is that I will do a Costco run on the way there, and with a tight list and no time to shop I won’t be tempted to browse.
We will bring dinner (above) for my son and daughter-outlaw, and tonight I am going to make my son a belated birthday cake with a mix that has been hanging around, and make a special family icing that he adores (easy penuche icing – we don’t know how to pronounce penuche, but mom has made this icing for years).
After an early dinner I am taking mom to a local theatre group’s opening night of a play. I had already purchased the discount tickets for me and a friend (opening night savings are significant) but I paid full fare (well, senior’s fare) for mom. She is worth it. She will stay the night and I will drive her back on Friday. I have been avoiding her because I got really disappointed when she chose to stay in her home rather than move up here into slightly more supportive housing (tbh, I have also been very very busy) but it is time to be a good daughter and spend some time with her.
5. Harvested what likely will be almost the last of the chard, it is washed and waiting to be steamed, flavoured with balsamic, and devoured by moi. I am also working through the cabbage in the fridge (need to harvest two more in the field, soon.. but no room as yet to store).
My #2 son just came over to graze in the fridge and went away happy with half of the remaining kale salad, some chopped chicken from earlier in the week, and a jar of a not-excellent but satisfactory soup. For my own supper I heated up some soup with a handful of the chard, added some chopped chicken and arugula from my last harvest to my share of the kale salad, and just enjoyed having a healthy and handmade meal.
Cooked ingredients and ready-to-go soups and salads in the fridge are becoming a lifesaver for me, during a time of emotional depression. Any small step I can take to support myself is helpful, even if I have to spread those steps across a day. ONWARD!
Congrats on 5 years of sobriety. We are miracles. I have always dreamed about living on an island.
@Mary Ann, I agree, sobriety makes us miracles. Knowing so many people who are struggling with sobriety, and losing some of those who were in treatment with me has been helpful to my own sobriety, however it is so hard to witness the pain my friends are still experiencing. My role is to encourage folk to come, to come again…
The year I had to spend in the Seattle area for medical treatment, we lived on Orcas Island and loved it.
It’s the season where I don’t know which I have less of-time, energy or money. We are in the path of the atmospheric river over California. It has been dark and rained heavily all day. So I:
1. Made cookie dough and froze it for next week. My grandson loves cutting out the cookies.
2. Made a batch of green tomato chutney with the last of the green tomatoes. We are still eating homegrown tomatoes, the last are ripening on the counter.
3. Sewed 8 napkins and 8 fabric coasters to match. DIL bought the fabric and asked me to make them.
4. Sewed a stocking for my new granddaughter. Thankfully I kept the fabric scraps from my grandson’s stocking and was only short one fabric. So the 2 grandkids will have coordinating but not matching stockings. I had batting and flannel for the inside from when my mother went through her stash. A $0 project!
5. The laundry is all hanging indoors on racks. Which I hate in our very small house. But I’m too busy to care right now.
Bonus: I walked to the post office in the heavy rain. It pains me to drive somewhere that is so close (0.5 mile).
1. Had a Ladies’ Night Out with my church buddies. Nothing very frugal in that restaurant, but I took home a doggy bag since I couldn’t eat their huge portion of salad.
2. Picked up my new eyeglasses at Walmart Vision Center. Big spender that I am, I chose some non-designer frames that set me back $17. But they were in the men’s section. The ladies from church all said my glasses looked good on me and were in fashion and they couldn’t tell the frames weren’t meant for a woman.
3. Not so frugal: I chose the top-of-the-line lenses, manufactured by Nikon (yes, the camera maker). But I can see very, very clearly with these lenses, both up close and distant vision. So I guess that’s an investment.
4. Plus, the frame and lenses disguise the baggy half-circles under my eyes, so I won’t be forced to wear that expensive Plexaderm every time I leave the house.
5. Contributed to the Thanksgiving food drive: one bottle of apple juice, $1.79; two boxes of Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix, 88 cents each. Figured the juice is a non-perishable fruit and that food bank families probably don’t get dessert too often.
5.
My tortoise shell cat frames save me from all make up – save for sunscreen and lipstick. Priceless.
My frames were not as frugal as yours, but the best priced ones The Highly Qualified eye doc was offering. They are made by Bulova, the watch company, and the tech said they are awesome, very high quality frames.
1. A triumph is that I have used the six pack of romaine from Sam’s club. I usually have waste. This time I separated leaves, washed, and put towels in between layers then placed directly into my empty frig drawer with humidity set to high.
2. The former owner of the River House Renovation gifted us walnuts and fresh eggs for allowing his family to take the ripened Hayachi persimmons. I don’t mess with Hiyachis. I prefer our other tree with the Fuyu persimmons. Our fabulous tangerines are ready. I can’t wait.
3. I cooked white rice and left it in the frig for 24 hours. To reduce my A1C, I have to manage my white rice. I am unwilling to do brown – one might say rebellious. So I will use leftover rice which has a lower GI, add chickpeas and use it in bowls with protein.
4. I worked the steps with a new sponsee yesterday at Starbucks. I had half a tea from the night before from another Starbucks. I microwaved the cup, refilled it and took it to the new meeting so I did not have to purchase anything. I know Starbucks has to stay in business but this is charirty work after all. They will get good Karma for allowing their space to be used for the good of the community.
5. The free rain is watering our winter wheat – very frugal for our farming families.
I never liked brown rice and was relieved when my doc said to eat only white rice because the brown is harder on the kidneys. I was born with only one kidney so have to moderate protein, among other things.
I despise brown rice. My mother seemed to find the coarsest most horrible brown rice and served it with everything. I will only eat white rice now.
Yes, perfectly fine to bring your leftover Starbucks to a new Starbucks! I once met up with an old friend while visiting my son in college. I brought a cup of the crappy motel coffee into the Starbucks and drank that while we caught up with each other.
And hooray for food swaps that involve eggs and walnuts!
1. I also went to Costco and got a chicken. I do a lot of food gifts so I did buy a lot. I am not going near that store next month. It gets crazy and my anxiety can’t handle the crowds and rudeness.
2. I am eating leftover chicken noodle soup as I type this. I pulled out chili from the freezer for Hubby’s dinner.
3. I got 2 turkeys for 49¢ a pound. They went into the chest freezer.
4. My daughter’s future in laws gave me 2 of their Halloween pumpkins that were uncut. I will cook them up. Next time I make muffins I will send some over.
5. I got a beer glass and wood cutting board ingraved at the library. They cost a total of $2.25. 2 more Christmass gifts done.
Planned an impromptu trip with a friend, so this will mostly about that incredible & fabulous trip:
1) Flew into Las Vegas. Used free comps from a family member for the room, parking & dining for me + friend. I paid for the tips, as that’s not included in comps.
2) Friend had a rental car that was covered by her work, so no cost there.
3) We then drove to St. George where friend has a condo, and stayed there for the rest of the trip.
4) I bought groceries for breakfasts & packed hiking lunches.
5) Friend used her park passes to get us into Zion & Snow Canyon.
There were a few meals out, but overall we did a really good job of keeping the cost minimal. I had a small gambling budget in Las Vegas & came home a winner, which is always an unexpected surprise!
Bonus: got my mammogram, which is covered under insurance. I’ve hit my out of pocket deductible this year (twice, actually, since I switched plans), so I’m squeezing in a bunch of appts at the end of the year.
1. Used a 50% off coupon at CVS for a rather expensive supplement that I take. The supplement was coincidentally on sale BOGO so I ended up paying 25% of the normal price. I now have a 160 day supply so I don’t have to go back until spring (and be tempted by their cute holidays things!).
2. Won a $10 gift card to Chic-fil-a at an event. This coupled with rewards that I already have will get me 2 meals.
3. I got 3 cute Christmas shirts on sale at Kohl’s for $6 each. I’ve gained weight and my old clothes don’t fit well.
4. I met someone for a lemonade and appetizer and he wanted to pay so free entertainment and free snacks.
5. Borrowed a neighbor’s leaf blower; took her some cheesy garlic biscuits that I made in exchange.