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I sold the Supreme brand knit beanie on eBay* for $65 that I scavenged from a “Free Stuff” box a few weeks back. I actually turned down a $40 offer on the cap a couple days ago and was second guessing if I’d been stupid to turn down what is essentially free money. No, I wasn’t. $65 is better than $40.
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I tidied up and rearranged our downstairs spare bedroom, which serves as a catchall space and inevitably dissolves into chaos. I identified a couple of items to donate to Goodwill, as well as a few things to give away through my Buy Nothing group.
• I donated four curb picked baseball bats and a backpack.
• I gave away a box of broken vintage Fiestaware that I’d been holding onto for some imaginary mosaic project. (Since nursing school!) Decades have passed without action, so the broken dishes can now go to someone who actually does mosaic work and I couldn’t be happier!
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I pulled a partially eaten Costco rotisserie chicken from the freezer and plopped it in the Instant Pot along with a couple of frozen onion ends, bay leaves, garlic salt, pepper and water. I’ll freeze some of the chicken for future recipes and make a big pot of chicken soup with the rest.
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• I gave away the once filthy, now clean knit cap that I found under the bleachers last week. It turned out to be child-sized and will be put back into circulation instead of added to a landfill. The gloves I found that day have been added to our winter stash, as I actually needed a pair of cozy gloves.
• My husband and I were out and about and debating where to grab a nice bite to eat. We settled on a Mexican restaurant, where we ordered a $10 takeout burrito and had them cut it in half. Plenty of food and kind of freeing to just munch our lunch in the car. -
I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky!
Five Tiny Frugal Things
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1. I got a 50 cent cheeseburger at McDonalds after Katy’s post alerted me. It was actually pretty good. Haven’t had a burger in ages.
2. An educational company interviewed me online for one hour. We use many of their products. I earned a 75$ GC. When looking at the merchants available I saw 2 that sell gasoline. That will be what I redeem the GC for.
3. Had a house call visit from my insurance. This one hour visit earned me a 50$ GC.
4. I turn the heat off during the day when both of us are gone.
5. Found 1 comforter & one light quilt with moose, deer, and other hunting motifs. These I washed & will take to the shelter.
your #3 – danger Will Robinson comes to mind. What insurance? My take is things they see can and will be used against you. Better half’s (and another family member who has the same Medicare policy) get regular calls for them to “pay a visit”. Um no – bars in the shower, hardly any throw rugs – what else? Horrors from any insurer, heavy equipment, chainsaw, firearms, rural, fireplace, wood stove!
As a person in nursing school: I think it’s funny you thought you would have time for a project. Ha.
Although maybe you were thinking you’d have time AFTER nursing school.
I didn’t have kids or work when I was in nursing school, so I actually had a fair amount of time. Still didn’t do mosaic with that time though.
1. I walked to my PT appointment. It is 1-1/2 miles each way and since I didn’t think I’d get a walk in otherwise I saved a bit of time and vehicle wear.
2. I cooked a package of turkey sausage links and froze them for future meals.
3. I finished reading The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, which I borrowed from the library.
4. I threw more leaves in our compost bin. Variety is said to be good for compost so leaves that land on our patio go in there.
5. I’m continuing to snack on oatmeal with old dried dates. I mix in a bit of leftover pumpkin and it tastes great.
1. I combined errands and stopped at Aldi for a few items on my list as well as Meijer.
2. I bought gift cards for Christmas at Meijer where they were offering reward points with purchase.
3. I sold another item on Ebay. I re-used a box and packing materials to ship it.
4. I Christmas shopped with my daughter at World Market and used three coupons. I shared two with her.
5. I finished another library book on my kindle. The Berry Pickers. It was very good.
1. Update on yesterday’s post: the Stanley Steamer guys said we’ll send you an estimate and then you can decide. The estimate they e-mailed was northwards of $3,o00. Yes, thousand, not hundred. After I scraped myself off the ceiling, I decided to comparison shop. Another service quoted me a MUCH lower price, and their techs will be out here tomorrow.
2. I have central heat and a huge LR-DR that is seldom used. It has a big doorway opening (but no door) between it and the entryway. My friend M. and I put up a curtain rod over the door frame and floor-to-ceiling (actually just the top of the opening) curtains (drapes? whatever…) to block the heat in, having shut off the vents in there. I think this will also be more secure because people coming to the front door won’t be able to look into the LR-DR and see what I have. (Valuable antiques). Oh, and the curtain rod was something I already had around the house, didn’t have to buy a new one; I’d bought the curtains/drapes just for this project….from Walmart….over a year ago.
3. Went to a street party Sunday night. Full details are on Monday’s Frugal Girl blog. Didn’t buy anything from the food trucks or anywhere else. Still had lots of fun!
4. Advertised my downed tree as firewood and may have some takers. They get the wood; I get rid of it without paying landfill fees.
5. Filled up a washed-out olive jar from Aldi’s with candy. It was one of those fancy holiday gift items, and the olives were eaten long ago. Added some of those hard candies wrapped up in a wrapper that looks like strawberries. Saved the red bow that came with the olives and voila! I have a Yuletide gift for someone in the office. Red bow, clear jar, red and green candy wrappers = very festive looking candy dish with lots of treats inside. The rest of the candies went into another nice-looking jar I had around, one that looked like an old-fashioned canning jar with a glass lid and metal latch; also has a checkered ribbon and bow to dress it up. So two good gifts from things I had around the house. Former roommate had ordered a pound or more of candy from Amazon but they didn’t let her have it in the nursing home because of her diabetes. Since it’s still here and has not expired, it’s being used for Halloween, Christmas, birthdays, etc.
A very good rule of frugal living is to seek more quotes when you get a crazy one like that.
Your prior post – Lopez v. Lopez had an episode about posada FYI. As to Stanley (another fine mess you’ve gotten me into lol) – how many ten thousands of sq. ft. of tile do you have (and what general geographic US area). I plan on calling the local flooring company that installed our tile to get name(s) of those who deep clean tile. Three rooms on main floor, one small room on 2nd story – not talking a ton of square footage for me.
I recently bought a Bissell steam cleaner which works on carpet and tile. It might be an economical option for deep cleaning a smaller area. It vacuums up the dirty water and keeps it in a separate compartment.
1. We just had very frugal lentil pie and coleslaw (vinegar dressing, no mayo) for dinner.
2. After no heat in the house for 3 days, the furnace was fixed within warranty and now 65 feels positively balmy.
3. I sold a Dyson stick vacuum for my son. Happy to get it out of my garage. I have supposed buyer for Pegge Hopper posters. I hope they show.
4. If anyone needs an inexpensive gift, Target does a collaboration with an English store called Marks and Spencer (M&S), Right now the M&S salted caramel chocolate pinecones at Target are on sale. I’ve ordered for 2 different people on my list. The chocolate pinecones are so cute, and at only $12, they’re a good deal. I grew up in England, so several of my family enjoy the nostalgia of M&S things. Also, as I ordered a needed home repair item at Home Depot, I noticed they had free shipping with SAME day delivery. This was a $17 item so I was astounded that this was offered. And sure enough, it appeared on my doormat last night.
5. I’m so enjoying my newly purged house and garage. It feels like the best thing I did for myself this year. I’m enjoying newly found things, repurposing many things to fit needs that I had, and overall just feeling some space.
That kids’ Under Armour cap is such a pretty shade of gray. You did a good job sprucing it up! Whoever you got it is probably thrilled.
Congrats on getting $65 on that other cap! Wow, I had never even heard of that brand.
I’m wearing a turtleneck thing (not a scarf, just a fleece piece that covers my neck) that I found on the ground at a park. For some reason I’m having trouble keeping my neck warm even in my house! The fleecepiece does the trick.
I am happy for your hat sale. But what would possess anyone to pay $65 for a knit hat? Why??? My mind is boggled.
The prominently displayed brand name.
It’s a desirable brand and pattern.
My take – a fool and his money are soon parted. Then you get sites like Posh where said fools (sorry), look to recoup part of their money.
1. Perused the free table at the library and saw that someone had put out a free bottle of lotion. Can never have enough lotion for my dry skin.
2. Brought books to Half-Price books. Earned $3.50 which I applied toward new books for my great niece’s birthday.
3. Filled up my own jars with bulk nuts, oats, rice, spices and shampoo at the natural foods co-op.
4. Saved 30% ($20) on a dog medication order with a Chewy promo code that was mailed to us.
5. Received $10 off on a dog food order, again with a Chewy promo code that was mailed to us.
Yesterday day was a calculated luxury: a deep clean. This lady cleans for multiple members of our family . I cut down from twice a month pre-retirement to once a month. On Christmas, I give a bonus of a month’s cleaning because I know many people cancel around the holidays. I like to be gone for the three hours she is here.
My frugal 3 hour journey adventure:
1. I did the TRX gym class making sure I am getting my money’s worth from my membership.
2. I donated a 2 by 2 square foot of “stuff” to goodwill. I like to think of decluttering as cubic feet of space gained.
3. I then lazily scoured the shelves of the Goodwill to find containers for the last remaining Xmas Gifts of picked, shelled, roasted pecans. I had to find objects with lids to continue my no-buy ziplock streak. I found two red 8 ounce mason jars. Excellent. I usually give 16 ounces worth of nuts. This will save supply on labor intensive gift.
4. I planned a quick lunch but instead went to the frozen yogurt place. I bought five $5.00 gift certificates for the price of four and then replace a yogurt for a meal. ( Drives me crazy that the scale drops when I do this.)
5. I have been searching for a thin silver ring to use with my gorgeous pawn shop buy : Or Paz cigar ring with peridot. It is a little too big and I needed a small band to keep it on. An antique mall had the perfect one for $15.00 bucks. Stamped 925. I like to support these tiny business created by pickers.
Hello FFT friends! I’m just getting back from a business trip to Miami during one of the most extravagant, consumer-driven weeks in that city and am just so grateful for this community.
1. Had a business lunch yesterday and my leftovers were a tiny bit of salad, one stuffed grape leaf, and a lot of tzatziki. The person I was meeting with wasn’t going to take his half salad home, but when he saw me take my bits, he got his wrapped up as well. Yay for helping to decrease food waste!
2. I used the tiny bit of salad and added my own greens and chicken to it for lunch today. I added some vinegar to the tzatziki to thin it out and used it as dressing for my salad. And I snacked on the grape leaf when I got hungry before lunch.
3 . Used LLBean credit card points and my 15% birthday discount (perks of having a December bday!) to buy my dad’s Christmas present.
4. When on my trip, instead of using our company credit card, I used my own in order to accumulate points. I’ll get reimbursed for all expenses.
5. Canceling a social outing tonight that would have involved buying drinks. I’m tired and am trying to say no when I don’t have the bandwidth.
1. I got a bit bowl of tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons for free for lunch today.
2. I picked up another mystery shop at a grocery store for Friday and I’ve plotted out a combination of what is on sale and what I will need for holiday meals to get the most bang-for-the-buck.
3. dinner tonight is Soom snack bites that I got free from a conference and an apple free from work CSA, so total price: $0.00.
4. I just placed an order with Chewy as they are having (as many of you have noted) $30 back and my credit card is offering 9% back.
5. I wore my 20-year old leather coat and the shoes that I got free from Buy Nothing group today. And, of course, I drank the free crappy coffee at work….
1. Went to Aldi today and shopped very carefully. Was thrilled that the special on chicken thighs was still available.
2. My husband thought he’d ruined his shoes when he mired up to his ankles in mud, but I spent a long time scrubbing them clean and they look fine.
3. Added some inexpensive produce to a salad kit and stretched it from two servings to three.
4. Bought some Muir Glen organic tomatoes with roasted garlic for 89 cents a can at the clearance store.
5. Although it’s a chore and a half, I pulled all the covers off our many dog and cat beds and washed them today. Everything is now clean and fluffy for the next spell of really cold weather.
1. I sold some Christmas cups, step stools and a dresser on fb. Clutter out $55 of cash in! Wahoo!
2. I read that you can eat cilantro stems, so today I chopped up the cilantro stems and put them in my salad.
3. I snapped pictures of my recipts for fetch rewards.
4. Your last post reminded me of the 50 cent burgers, so I mentioned it to my husband, who used it while out with our son.
5. Enjoying some library books and a book my husband bought used.
1. Finally taught myself that when I make beans, I need to divide them into smaller quantities. I have 3 pint jars of lentils and 4 pint jars of black beans. Keeping one in the fridge of each reminds me to add tablespoons here and there to comparable recipes. I was thrilled to finally experience adding lentils to both spaghetti sauce and taco meat. I didn’t add too much as I was concerned it would impact the flavor, but it didn’t at all, and it stretched the meat and also added fiber to our diets.
2. For several years now, my fasting glucose level has been 98. When you get to 100 you are considered prediabetic. I finally pulled up my big girl panties and stop putting sugar in my tea. Particularly this time of year with a very cold old drafty house, I can drink a hell of a lot of tea. A steady diet of tea with a teaspoon of sugar in it all day long is not good for your blood sugar. I now limit myself to one cup of tea with sugar after lunch. Taking care of my health is very frugal. I’ll be mad as hell at myself if I wind up having to take insulin.
3. My friend told me about the “glucose goddess” on Instagram and I got her book from the library. I appreciate her explaining glucose spikes in laymen’s terms. She has some hacks she recommends to help you keep from spiking your blood sugar, and none of them are invasive and I’m trying them out and actually feel pretty good as a result. I think we’ve all heard by now that a 10 minute walk after a meal really helps, which is one of her suggestions
4. We are traveling this weekend for an early Christmas so eating down the fridge and freezer. I’m always so proud of us when we skip going to the grocery store and buckle down and eat all the perfectly good food we already have in the house.
5. Lastly, I’ve spent a lot of time reading up on the United health CEO murder. (This is not a frugal thing, just reflecting for a moment)
Clearly we have reached a tipping point or breaking point here in the USA regarding health insurance and healthcare. The ability of businesses to continuously work for more profit at any cost is showing it is a very high cost. It is not just in the health industry, but in education, food production, veterinarian care, long-term healthcare businesses, etc.
when I worked in the grocery industry, we would open a new grocery store and it would be fully staffed and new employees would be really happy and excited. We were doing really amazing things. About two weeks later they cut staffing to the bone and you could see the betrayal in their eyes. Being expected to do all production (like in the bakery) and then being written up if you aren’t friendly and cheerful to customers, who in your eyes are just interrupting your expectation to fulfill production numbers at a break neck speed.
These bean counters and upper management who just move numbers around on spreadsheets continually forget that they are talking about human beings who get tired and overwhelmed. The employees are always the one who’s in the wrong. Then customers are told they act like a “Karen” when they are trying to get what they thought they paid for. It’s always the customer or the employee who is in the wrong, never looking at who set up this system in the first place. This system that everyone fails in except for those at the top who are making a great deal of money. I’m looking up now how different schools of thought address this in business school. Surely there is another way to have a successful business without this cutthroat approach.
@Alexandra, thank you for your thoughtful post.
I was just going to comment and commend you on your efforts to reduce your sugar intake and increase your bean intake (and suggest you read either or both “How not to Diet”, or “How not to Die” – excellent and highly researched books [one is a cookbook / reference, the other more detailed on the background of what food does to your body when you partake]. The books have given me the impetus to make the simple goal of eating a cup of beans a day, which have been proven to reduce cholesterol as well as improve insulin levels)
The very thoughtful second half of your post – about how corporations are treating both their employees and their customers – is exactly what I have been contemplating, too. There has become a strange power imbalance where humans are not valued as much as I believe they ought to be – and the pursuit of money continues to be considered a noble cause. Ah, well, the times they are a changing … just not fast enough for me.
Ecoteri,
Thanks for your reply.
I will check out both book at library. Thanks for suggestions.
Thanks also for your thoughts on this “strange power imbalance”. I’m glad to hear this bothers others.
There is an excellent podcast episode from “The Money with Katie” about capitalism running amok. I highly recommend it:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-money-with-katie-show/id1589146097?i=1000674111530
Ecoteri,
Have you read Luigi’s manifesto?
https://breloomlegacy.substack.com/p/the-allopathic-complex-and-its-consequences