Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on December 5, 2024 · 40 comments
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My sister needed a last minute duffel bag for her trip back to New York, so I placed a request for one in my Buy Nothing group. We had a response almost immediately and the bag in hand in under an hour!
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The duffel bag gifter also gave me four 10%-off Safeway coupons that she wasn’t going to use. I use these $10-off-$50 coupons to stock up on canned cat food. Exciting, but true.
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My husband took advantage of a Cyber Monday deal to book two nights at a fancy resort, for just $90 out of pocket using airline miles. The suite overlooks the river and even has an in-room fireplace. This’ll be my birthday present and I gotta say that he nailed it!
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• I listed the thrifted Sferra towels and a thrifted, but brand new “lovey” on eBay.*
• I found four pennies outside Goodwill and a quarter inside a coffee shop. So yes, I recently came into some money.
• I ran an errand for my son to activate an iPhone 11 he got for free and the owner of the shop replaced my cracked screen protector for free.
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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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We are still on our extended break in Scotland, looking at houses.
We have frugal accommodation in a static caravan, which is fine. However, there is another huge storm coming over the weekend, so we are somewhat splurging on a hotel for 2 nights to ride it out. The deal includes huge breakfast, and we will take at least one of the dinners with us in the cool bag along with snacks.
We think we have found a potential house. It’s well under budget, fairly small, needs some updates, but pretty and functional. The biggest selling point is its rural feel whilst only being 10mins from services and the fantastic community feel, with friendly residents.
We wanted to do something over Christmas but of course it’s all super expensive, so we are doing a “twixmas” stay instead, for half the price. We don’t like very intense social stuff, so this will suit us better too. It will also earn enough hotel points for a further night later in the trip.
I find it very confronting to be spending so much money , so often, but I guess this is why we are frugal the rest of the year.
Good luck on getting the house!
1. I picked up a $7 package of swedish meatballs at Costco yesterday. I’ll be meeting my daughters at my MIL’s house for dinner. I’ve roasted brussel sprouts and made mashed potatoes. This will feed all of us for $10 ish.
2. I made extra mashed potatoes for a future batch of potato soup.
3. I opened my oven door after using it, to let the leftover heat enter the house and did not vent the steam from the mashed potatoes.
4. I cleaned out my own driveway after our first major snowstorm of the season.
5. I turned my lotion bottle upside down to get all of it out. I added water to my tube of conditioner to get the last of it out also. That is the end of the conditioners I had accumulated from when I used to dye my hair. They came inside the box of dye.
That is a perfect birthday gift in my opinion.
100%! I like that’s it’s two nights, so we don’t have to check out as soon as we get comfortable. Plus it’s only a hour or so from the house, so no travel drama.
Excellent gift!
YES to the two nights. That gives you so much more time overall, and you get a nice leisurely first morning bc there’s no checkout time looming.
I’m sure a number of us here remember the days when you could check-in BEFORE 3 pm. The days where hotels had enough cleaning staff (who were likely better paid inflation wise). I realize some guests are not tidy. Okay I really want to say pigs and OMG did their parents put up with that or are the parents the problem?
If checkout time is noon, I’m okay with 3 pm. What I’m not okay with is when the hotel is pretty much empty yet you cannot check in early. This happened to use a couple of years ago. And I’m not talking hours early either.
At my Airbnb, checkout is 11 and checkin is 3. I try to accommodate people who want to check in early or check out late, but there’s got to be a decent amount of time for the cleaning people to clean.
Also people behave way differently at home than they do a hotel. I’ve had people use my nice wool blankets on the beach and then dump the sandy blanket by the washing machine. They leave clothes they don’t want any more on the floor of the bedroom or just leave 15 empty beer bottles in the yard.
You can always ask for early checkin. Many will grant it if they can, but you might not have as much choice about the room.
Have fun! Sounds like a great birthday getaway.
Yes, we did Air BnB for a while but the mess people left was annoying. And yes, leaving clothes with a note to “just donate them” having copious amounts of Amazon orders set to the house then leaving all the boxes for me to breakdown and get rid of, also one time melted chocolate everywhere. Ugg.
My rental cottage often gets packages which should be sent to my neighbors’ next door. (The cottage is behind my house and doesn’t have an address.) One of them was a wedding gift which a tenant of mine stole. (The neighbor got the UPS photo of it sitting on the front steps.) No one told me about it for weeks; the people who were renting at the time said they put it in the laundry room. Could not be found, period, and my neighbors are pretty annoyed. Who takes a package addressed to someone else in a rental laundry room?
Just crossing my fingers that there won’t be an ice storm to keep us from getting there!
We made a last-minute decision to vacate our house for a month during the remodel. We’re heading to Arizona for January, baby! We’ll try to save money in the following ways:
1. Found an Airbnb with a steep discount for a month-long stay.
2. Will be driving our own car.
3. Plan to spend longer days driving to minimize hotel stays and the additional pet fees.
4. Will pack our own food for travel days and stay at hotels with complimentary breakfasts.
5. Will be staying in a small town without a lot of restaurants and activities, so we’ll cook most of our own food and spend our time walking, exercising, reading and relaxing.
I love your plan. How nice to get out the weather for a month too.
We spent a goodly sum this morning with a lawyer but now have updated wills, various powers of attorney, and set up a trust for our son, who is on the autism spectrum.
I wore head to toe cute thrifted clothing, except for my shoes, bought new from Sierra Trading Post many years ago.
Had an urge to redecorate and did just that by moving rugs, curtains and some bookcases between rooms the past few days while cleaning thoroughly. No money spent and the house looks loved.
Congratulations on completing your #1! So much thought goes into such things, and they need to get done!
We created a trust for our son when he was 15, and need to update it now that he is twice as old. The hardest part for us was/is finding trustees, as family members are several hundred miles away and has no siblings.
1. We had a guest for lunch today and I managed to make Italian hoagies with things we had in the freezer! She did ask if she could bring anything and I told her a giant tomato but we had the rest covered. (I have gotten over being shy about saying yes, bring…otherwise folks bring things like candy or cookies, which we don’t need.) Our freezer is so over-stocked that I am thrilled to be taking stuff out of it.
2. Tomorrow I have a mystery shop at an Asian restaurant. The portions are huge so I plan to ask for their “plain broccoli” entry for half of the four sections we can fill with different items. Husband and I will eat the other two sections and bring the two broccoli sections home to make broccoli cheese soup. Two free meals plus payment for doing the report. Can’t beat it.
3. A friend sent me a cheese basket as a Christmas gift. I love cheese more than any other food group, including chocolate (a close runner up!) and this will supply us for many, many meals and snacks. It is huge! I love edible gifts.
4. I turned one old holey towel into 4 washcloths. A few minutes cutting and then having the seamster sew edges around each one, and we saved a few bucks. (the husband loves it when I call upon his sewing skills. Bless my mother in law for insisting her three sons learned to sew.)
5. library for the books and puzzles.
Off topic: if you get Acorn and like the police series Vera, you might like Inspector Ellis. The leads are both very similar—no patience for fools, abrupt, and a long suffering sidekick.
Your #3…yes to edible gifts. I would love it if that’s all I ever received again. At our age, we have all we need but a prepared dish or basket such as the basket you received would be marvelous.
I sew and I taught each of my 3 children to sew, but my son is the only one that has kept on with it. He’s the envy of his Marine buddies because he can do the necessary sewing of name tapes and hemming on some trousers himself instead of paying for it. Neither of my girls sew.
I too had a good MIL, may she rest in peace. Passed away far too young IMHO. Like my MIL, yours raised not one but three independent men, men that is, not boys. Life skills are worth their weight in gold, males or females.
Better half also has two brothers but of the three, he is by far the best catch of the three. Far more life skills than his siblings, including his sisters. He doesn’t sew but I know with a bit of tutoring, he’d master it. In my mind, to sew, build, paint, draw etc., you are able to envision it in your head then make it happen.
My MIL raised one perfect man (my late DH) and three other spoiled and entitled children, due to DH’s basically being behind the door during his formative years. (Various family circumstances, which it would be tedious to explain, were responsible for this.) But since I was also basically behind the door during my formative years (third and last girl of four children, who was supposed to be the second boy), I think he and I were so glad to have found each other that a wonderful marriage was the result.
@A. Marie, what do you mean “behind the door”. I don’t know if I have ever heard that term…
1. I am fighting my tendency this time of year-gifts that I previously thought were good enough now don’t feel good enough and I tend to overspend. Keeping it simple this year and forcing myself to send/give the good enough (truly) gift.
2. I have only cooked one meal since thanksgiving and have done no food shopping in almost 2 weeks. It has been very nice. We’re mainly eating from the pantry/freezer this month, except for entertaining.
3. I’ve been doing extra cleaning. It helps me feel more content with my space. My husband built garage shelves and we are cleaning, purging and organizing the garage and shed. I really want a new shed, the old one leaks dreadfully and the door is far too short for me. Still thinking about it though…
4. Worked a day subbing and we left the thermostat at 58 while we were gone. The house felt very chilly when I got home.
5. I’ve bought my daughter’s next year (November) birthday present in the sales this week. It feels a huge relief. She is SO hard to buy for.
@Kara, I have an old tin shed that isn’t anywhere near being my favourite, but it has 4 walls and 95% leak-less roof.
A farmer told me he needs a new roof on his barn, but can’t afford one. Each year he buys a good tarp: installation is easier, and the cost is significantly less.
I got a super heavy duty tarp, which we wrapped over the shed and fastened down with board battens. Because I am cheapAF, we used whatever random boards I could find floating around the place, so it ain’t pretty, but it DOES get the job done.
My shed isn’t worth re-roofing, but covering it up will keep it dry for another 10+ years until I figure out what I really want (and I save the money to build it!).
you’ve given me some ideas there. Thank you!
I have been trying to motivate myself to stay on my food plan. I told myself I could buy a piece of jewelry is i was on plan for 3 days. yeah. I know. Using External motivation versus internal motivation is not what I had hoped. Still, It is super important for me to kickstart my healthy food plan.
Today is day 3. I spent a wonderful afternoon in pawnshops looking for a replacement to the 2 carat diamond ring I sold because Diamonds are plummeting in value. I am looking for a replacement that is no imposting sterling silver or white gold (14k) and stackable ( like a channel cut.) I will not invest in Earth diamonds again so I am onboard with Moissanite or white sapphire. I didn’t find the needle in the haystack of jewels. I have a small finger Size 5.
I did however get a screaming deal on an black onyx, peridot and blue Labradorite all of which work with my wedding band. So maybe that is the direction for now.
And that is me keeping it real.
Mary Ann,
That ring sounds amazing! I love Labradorite in particular. I have a silver cuff bracelet with a huge piece of black onyx that was my uncle’s.
Also, great job sticking with your meal plan. I need to follow your example (gulp).
1. I bought a box of Honey Bunches of Oats at CVS. On sale for $1.99, with my $1 off store coupon it came to .99.
2. I stopped by my friend’s indy book store today for a cup of tea. Though tempted by the delicious looking pastry, I stuck to my guns and only had the tea. I’ve had enough sweets over Thanksgiving.
3. I searched fruitlessly in the Salvation Army Store for two pairs of matching curtains for my living room. I finally gave in and bought a couple of pairs at Walmart. They are of good quality and are actually insulated. Hopefully the savings in my oil bill will make up for the $34 I had to spend.
4. I put a hold on two more books by a couple of my favorite authors at the library, Alexander McCall Smith and CJ Box.
5. I dropped four bags of clothing and shoes at the St. Vincent de Paul box in back of a local church.
That’s a great deal on cereal, well done!
1. Thanks to someone on this blog who mentioned a ‘greens pie’. After we all asked questions and got more details from said person, (sorry I cant remember who, was it Lindsey?) I had searched for and printed a recipe, which I discovered on my printer a couple of days ago.
HMMMM, I thought. Frost was coming, I had Arugula that wouldn’t survive as well as parsley, so I did a big harvest of those and a lot of kale and a few nasturtium leaves. Stripped and chopped and soaked them. I think I ended up with well over 24 cups of greens, the recipe calls for 8 cups.
I lucked out with my (neglected in the freezer) Phyllo pastry, there were exactly enough sheets to do 3 pies in 9X9 pans.
I used the on-sale-plus-coupon feta cheese that had been taking up space in the fridge, plus some of my huge bag of onions, and of course my own garlic.
I didn’t really feel like assembling it all at the end of a busy day, but the pastry had thawed so I got on with it. The recipe suggests cutting the top layer of the pie with a serrated knife – a brilliant hack. Baked all three pies and packed up one for #2 son’s lunches, took another one to #1 son (a ploy to hold my grandson) and am enjoying the third for random meals.
2. Not frugal days when it comes to my vehicles – an oil change for one, and winter tire changes for both. Turns out I was driving on the winters for my truck, all summer, however I actually KNEW I was doing that and I now remember why – they had advised me last Fall that there really was only one winter left in the tires, so I might as well use them all summer rather than ‘wear out’ my good summer tires, since the old winters were gonna have to go.
However, I had forgotten why and spent some unnecessary energy setting up a ramp to put the all-season (M&S but not really winter snowflake) tires into the back. Argh. Those tires got an unplanned road trip there and back in the bed of the truck, and lucky me, I got to buy a set of gently used winter tire$$$$ to put on the existing rims. (@Katy, see? You would be so proud of me choosing used.)
The challenge is that the guys noticed my front brakes are getting very low, and it is time for brake service. OUCH, hadn’t planned on that on top of new-to-me tires. Gonna be a tight December! I will book the brakes next week, I think, after I have quit hyperventilating.
I did take myself for a good brisk 20 min walk while waiting for the tires to be changed over, so am feeling as if my sloth days are behind me again for a while. I’ve been hitting my steps goal again now that I have also begun working out at the gym – funny how that works, movement begets more movement. Much better than sitting around on my phone, as I had forgotten my novel.
3. I was thinking I would need to find another duvet for one of the guest beds, as #2 son finally reclaimed his lovely heavy duvet that I had been using as the second winter duvet (the heat doesn’t rise very well in this old house). However, as I was poking in a closet looking for something completely different, I found a duvet that I had obviously frugally tucked away at some point.
All I need to to is air it out – or even wash it – and then locate one of the covers I picked up on Buy Nothing a few months ago. Presto, enough warmth for my mom when she is here over Christmas, no $ spent.
4. I picked up a 50 pound bag of carrots at a silly low price – and am researching carrot salads and soups. I love carrots, I just need to be disciplined to pull out a machine to grate up a quantity every week, and a knife to make carrot sticks or chop for roasting.
I picked the last two cabbages from the garden yesterday, too, and they are telling me that coleslaw should be on the menu. Lots of veggies are getting prepped (and therefor eaten) these days, good for my health and my waistline!
5. I picked up another bag of free books at my library – they are doing some culling and are offering bags of books for us to stock our neighbourhood Little Free Libraries.
I can’t pass on the books until I have read them, of course, so I am really in reading heaven! I consider this reading as a public service; not all the books are appropriate for our library in front of the local elementary – the ‘romances’ have become steamier, I notice! LOL.
Of course, I am also constantly borrowing books from the library; we can request books (some have been suggested here, months ago) which arrive when they become available, which keeps me knee-deep in possibilities. I eventually get to the top of the list and voila, another lovely read appears.
6. I continue to resist buying takeout meals, although something lovely and greasy is calling my name in dulcet tones. I firmly remind myself of what yummy things I have already prepared in the fridge, and manage to ignore the sirens as they call my name… I had picked up 5 steeply discounted cauliflower and spent some time chopping and cleaning up and roasting veggies – tried cooking the cauliflower whole (steamed for a bit then roasted in the oven, mayonnaise and turmeric on one, shwarma seasoning on another). I have containers full of tasty roasted veggies so when I feel like snacking I am choosing to have a big feed of good-for-me. As someone else noted here, it can be hard to get into the habit, so I’m a gonna use any trick that works.
Ecoteri, I hear you on your #6 in particular. Something lovely and greasy is always calling my name in dulcet tones, and I too find it hard to stay on the dietary straight-and-narrow.
Whoa . . . super impressive list today! Of course I’m proud of you for buying used. 🙂
I want an update on what you did with all the carrots!
Curried roasted cauliflower is one of my favorite veg preps of all time.
That resort stay sounds lovely! I love a 2-night stay so you can really sink into the comfort (and wiggle your toes in front of your personal fireplace!)
1. Holiday date night tonight using a gift card to a fancy restaurant! I haven’t had to get dressed up for something that isn’t either a wedding or a work event so I am enjoying digging out my closet for something fancy and festive.
2. DH has a huge discount on Backcountry.com that I am going to try to use to buy a new winter coat. My trusty down jacket bit the dust a few years ago and I’ve been managing very cold days with a mix of my ski jacket and a too-small puffy jacket that I hate my appearance in. I’d like to get something that I don’t have to think about if my sweater is too bulky underneath! I’ve been delaying this purchase because I want the next one to last another 10 years so I’m optimistic I can find something I like at a price that is more palatable with the discount.
3. The cold weather has settled in and we are still trying to keep the full apartment heat off. Used our mini space heater to take the chill off our guest room/office this morning and it worked great. Hoping this can be a solution to avoiding the full heat system for all but the coldest days 🙂
4. Walked to and from a holiday party last night to enjoy the chilly evening and cool off after being in a hot room. Avoided rideshare costs.
5. Also – ate before the party and then had a snack when we got home. No-cost lovely evening out and no takeout. What a perfect little Thursday!
That does sound like a perfect little Thursday, stay warm!
FTFT, I’m Dreaming of a Tight Christmas Edition. (Can’t take credit for this line; I think it was one of Amy D’s at The Tightwad Gazette.)
(1) I’ve been spending the last two snowy days writing hard-copy holiday cards. There are fewer of these than in previous years (the price of postage being what it is), and I’m also using cards that I’ve picked up over the past couple of years at thrifts and garage sales.
(2) I will be hand-delivering as many of these cards as I can (to folks within walking distance).
(3) Thanks to my trashpicking habits (holiday gift wrap paper, often in its original shrink wrap, is one of the first things to go on the curb when people in my larger neighborhood are moving out), I’m once again not buying wrapping paper.
(4) Between the stick-on gift tags that charities are always sending me and my habit of reusing the fronts of last year’s holiday cards for this purpose, I’m not buying any gift tags, either.
(5) And although my holiday shopping is almost done, I’ll be cruising the local peace-and-justice group’s holiday gift and craft fair on Sunday for a few last stocking stuffers.
What lucky neighbors your have!
That’s just awful.