Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on January 16, 2025 · 30 comments
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I found a penny on the ground outside Pho Hung restaurant. It didn’t do much to offset the cost of lunch with my husband, but it did made for a nice photo opportunity. We don’t eat in restaurants that often, but when we do we make sure it’s cuisine that we don’t prepare at home. I’ll never understand people who pay good money for meals that are easily made at home.
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Someone left a used soda can in our little free library, which I held upside down until it stopped dripping and promptly added to our bag of returnable cans. I’m not too proud to take the 10¢.
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I brought four dozen donuts to the striking nurses and doctors at my old hospital* and held a sign for a couple hours while catching up with my old friends. It was freezing cold, so I was especially drawn to one nurse’s gloves, as I hadn’t thought to bring my own. (My plan was to bring the donuts by and head out afterwards, but I was encouraged to stick around and hold a sign in solidarity.) At first I thought the extra layer was part of the design, but the nurse showed me how they were actually cut down from a pair of Christmas socks! You can see in the photo how her thumbs go through where the heels were, which is genius!
Nurses are so smart! Except for me, repeatedly forgetting weather appropriate gear. At least I brought a hat this time!
Here I am with my friends Andrea and Heather:
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I stopped at Trader Joe’s for eggs and saw that they sell their organic rosemary at $1.79 per package, which is actually a decent price. However . . . I have the most enormous rosemary shrub in my front yard, which I propagated from a neighbor’s plant. I very well may be worth over a thousand dollars at this rate.
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I’m keeping my money in my high yield savings account instead of using it to buy Greenland.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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*Providence sucks!
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1. Between fb sales, class action settlements, other incentives I’ve made $
148.71t thru 1/15
2. DIL gifted me their old queen comforter as they replaced it
3. Took a bag of new holiday items to the Assistance League for their pop up boutique
4. Reordered meds (free) for home delivery
5. Cooking from freezer and pantry
I feel pretty smart every time I walk onto my balcony and clip a bit of rosemary for soup! In the summer, I have pots of basil, and now I have a big bag of basil in the freezer, which is working well for recipes.
I’ve been working hard to clear out my freezer. I’ve moved a piece of elk into the fridge to start thawing. It was a gift from a neighbor who hunts. I hope I figure out how to cook it! I’m thinking it might become a hearty stew. The rosemary will come in handy! Tonight, we will have a stir fry with baked tofu as the protein.
I need to get some Trader Joe’s for the cheap eggs. I’ve heard a rumor that the price has gone up to $3.99.
Yes, Providence sucks.
Rosemary always dies on me. I have no idea why. Every other herb grows very well for me; I think the thyme may be like a triffid. For whatever reason, there are just a few plants that everyone else finds easy but I can’t seem to manage.
Let us not speak of the time I tried to grow wasabi, however. Everyone else finds that a giant pain, and mine looked around, decided this wasn’t Japan, and expired.
I think it must be a west coast thing. In California, there were rosemary shrubs! I’m in Oregon now, and it does well, but not shrub level.
I’ll try it again this year. Hope springs eternal! Son really loves it on roasted potatoes.
Instead of wasabi, I now grow horseradish which I adore. It’s not the same as wasabi, buuuuut–it grows here very easily so there we are.
1. Found 4 cans for recycling ($0.40) when doing woods walk after walking son to school this morning.
2. Won $500 in quarterly sweepstakes for healthy education activities through spouses’s employer/insurance plan.
3. From local grocer discount dairy bin (an “udderly” amazing place!) bought 1 dozen cage free organic eggs for $2.99 & 1 gal of 1% and 1 gal of 2% milk for $1.99/ea. All from local dairy cooperative & farm.
4. Weekly library run for our family of four @ 40 checked out items = “amount saved by using your library $754.69” which is printed at the bottom of checkout slip. Library uses ultra cool tool from Syracuse University’s library calculator to learn the true value of your public library visit.
5. Stopped at local independent thrift store to look for discounted holiday plates for gifting baked goods to neighbors & family next winter. 6 lovely winter themed plates/trays were in the FREE bin at the shop’s entryway!
Those gloves are so clever! Much better than seasonal socks that clutter up drawer space.
Except for one trip to purchase groceries, I have not spent any money or driven my car for a week.
Am diligently shopping online for a replacement part for our decade-old stick blender, which sees a lot of use in our house making soups and kibble topper for the dogs.
Sewed up another chewed- on stuffed toy for the pup and sewed up a rip she put in the canvas privacy panel on our back fence. She keeps me busy!
Used up the last of a gallon bag of carrot chunks from the freezer cooking lunch yesterday. For some reason, one can no longer buy a 1 pound bag of carrots (perfect for my small family) so I had to start peeling and freezing the excess from the 2 pound bags.
Been using a trick from the British and heating water in the electric kettle (trash picked from my old job) to cut down on the amount of time to bring a pot of water for rice or pasta to the boil on the stove burner.
Ruby– If it matters for your stick blender: My old one had a flat top, so I could stand it upside down on the counter. The replacement has a rounded top, so if I need to pause when blending, I have to lay it down on a plate. A tiny detail, but annoying!
I stop peeling carrots a couple of years ago after realizing it’s the most nutritious part. No one has noticed. I just give em a scrub and then we’re good.
On your #5, what would you do with Greenland once you bought it? What would Trump do with Greenland, build a golf resort there? OMG! We have 4 more days until the crazy man takes office — possibly the end of civilization as we know it!
My 5FT:
1. Picked up a penny on the parking lot. Every little bit helps.
2. Used a 20% off coupon at Goodwill and got 2 somewhat dressy blouses and a T-shirt. Visited with the cashier and she told me on Tuesdays they have a 20% discount for senior citizens, no coupon needed. Will arrange my shopping trips accordingly.
3. Paid a little more on my car payment. Trying to knock down a lot of the interest they charge. Plan to pay it off early.
4. While at the credit union for #3, I got a free calendar.
5. Had two gasoline cards that give you 10-cents-a-gallon discounts. Since I’m the only driver in my household, I “tipped” the second one to the cleaning lady, which will help her driving costs to all her assignments. I didn’t have any use for the second card anyway, and I’ve found by gifting items (coupons, soda pop, snacks, bottles of water, fast food coupons, etc.) to the people I hire, they’ll often do extra work and not charge me for it.
I seem to recall that DJT wants Greenland (a) for part of the new Northwest Passage as the Arctic ice keeps melting, and (b) for the oil that’s supposed to be under it. Either way, however, I’m hoping we can count on Denmark not to let him have it.
I’m Danish on my father’s side. We don’t suffer fools gladly. The Danes will tough Elon Trump out as they did in WWII.
Hitler…forgot to insert that horrid name. The Danes stood up to Hitler when he invaded their country. The king, a Christian, wore the Star of David on his sleeve every day until the war was over. Read about Copenhagen and what was done to save the Jews scheduled to be deported…we know where to…and the concerted efforts of the Danes and Swedes.
Speaking of rosemary..we’re growing rosemary, green onions, mint and cilantro in our kitchen window.
1. I found a penny.
2. We bought a new-to-us car. Bought it outright, my husband will do some repairs on it. It’s a Honda Fit, so gets much better gas mileage than our van. It’s also great to have 2 vehicles now. And it came with a penny and quarter inside!
3. Bought lots of clothes for the whole family.We took an overnight trip to get the car. And on the trip visited 6? Goodwills in 24 hours!
4. Most of our meals on this trip were burritos and sandwich makings we brought. Then we had one meal at a buffet….not cheap, but it was yummy.
5. My husband and son got hair cuts at a barber school. It took longer as the student wasn’t very fast, but the cuts look good. And it was $10 a cut.
When my husband shopped Trader Joe’s yesterday afternoon they were out of eggs. Just in case I went when they opened this morning and got them for $3.49 per carton/limit 2. If he went elsewhere they would be a lot more & we were down to 2 eggs!
We took our granddaughter to swim lesson early yesterday evening to help out. Before we went we prepped a stir fry and had dinner on the table in about 15 minutes after we got home. Better than takeout and cheaper.
Agreed with new health insurer to try a different medication to save money for them and me.
Bought tax software on sale. They put it on sale early in every year and it can sit there until I am ready to use it.
As usual did our laundry in cold water, ran the dishwasher when very full, etc.
My Trader Joe’s had a limit of 1 carton of eggs per customer.
I can’t actually think of any meal that I can’t make at home. Pho is honestly pretty easy and fast, Katy. Try it sometime.
And since my daughter discovered the secret of splashing Shaoxing wine on basically everything, our homemade Chinese-American is just as good as you can buy, though of course we do buy takeout because sometimes, you just can’t.
I don’t know that I have five tiny frugal things. I’ve made all dinners at home recently; I guess that’s one! I am planning to make a huge pot of chili for a neighborhood potluck this weekend. I was stressing about what to bring because I’ve never been to a potluck. It’s not a New York thing. I fixed my dishwasher with a new pump. I got two more freelance gigs, which is nice. I continue to sell old stuff I don’t need any more: this week, an Art Deco slip shade chandelier I bought in 1995.
Ooh . . . I wish you could share a photo of that chandelier!
I don’t mind paying for restaurant pho, as it supports local businesses and includes ingredients I don’t have at home.
This isn’t it but it’s identical. https://www.ebay.com/itm/134996330117
I will be out of the country for the first week of this crazy new administration. I promise I’ll come back, lol, but I won’t be watching the news.
1. Hanging my laundry to dry indoors today
2. Taking my son out to dinner which will be free as it’s a secret shop. Free meal and I’ll get paid a bit to be there.
3. I wear an apron when I cook and clean in the kitchen. Saves my clothes from stains!
4. I’ve used 2 of the 4 coupons I got for the grand opening of a new convenience store in our area. Git a free bowl of Mac n cheese for my son and a free vanilla latte for my DH. The other two have to be used early in the morning or after 5pm which dosent work for me so I’ll offer them to a friend.
5. Made a very hearty lentil stew for dinner last night with items already purchased. Cheap, yummy and healthy!
I love reading about your secret shops, please keep sharing them!
First, solidarity with you and your striking former coworkers, Katy!
Now, FTFT, Herbs Are Wealth Edition:
(1) I’ve always regarded the monetary value of the herbs I grow and use fresh, or dry for myself and my friends, as my main way of at least breaking even on gardening. I’ve cut back a bit on the ones I dry for friends; I’m the only one who seems to appreciate savory and marjoram, for example. But everybody likes and wants basil, oregano, sage, thyme, dill, rosemary, and mints (both spear- and pepper-).
(2) I made a chili yesterday with the last pound from a 3-pound Reduced for Quick Sale package of ground turkey I bought some time ago (I divided it into 1-pound packets and froze those separately); plus cans of tomatoes, black beans, and corn that were either pushing or beyond their best-by dates; plus two-thirds of a jar of Newman’s Own black bean and corn salsa (found on the clearance rack at Price Chopper). In fact, I may start buying jars of discounted salsa just to put them into chili! The Bestest Neighbors have given this chili four thumbs up.
(3) I continue decluttering. So far, I’ve got five boxes of books, one basket (culled from my basket collection) of odds and ends, and one box of royal commemoratives and other knick-knacks I’ve decided are expendable–all to be donated to appropriate sources whenever the Ice Age ends here.
(4) I’m running a full dishwasher. I always wait till I have a full load (though this can take me, as a single woman, a week or so)–and, in the winter, wait for a cold day so that it can add heat and humidity to the house. When a load is done, I just open the door and say “Ahhhh.”
(5) And I have no plans to buy, occupy, or otherwise meddle with Greenland, Panama, or any other territories or nations I can’t afford and have no rights to fool with anyway.
P.S. on the rosemary: It doesn’t survive Central NY winters (although given a few more years of climate change, it may), so I grow several pots of it indoors. Fortunately, unlike most perennial herbs, it also takes well to being grown in pots.
I have some in a pot in the backyard as well as it’s seeming to winter over, although I might bring it inside if we got a colder than normal cold snap.
I call that “my frugal spa treatment” when I open up a just run dishwasher and lean over and take a deep breath!
I think I might make some chili, as I have some salsa that needs to get used up, thanks for the idea!
So nice of you to bring the striking nurses and doctors some donuts and to join their efforts.
1. I have mastered a little bit of Mexican cooking thanks to Old El Paso kits. I made enchiladas for DH and grandson16 last night along with seasoned rice. No complaints.
2. I took out two books from the library: The Paranormal Ranger ( for some fun) and First in the Family, a memoir dealing with substance abuse and recovery (for some empowerment).
3. I bought this month’s book my book club is reading for a discount at my friend’s indy book store. As I’ve said before, her store is so invaluable to our community in so many ways, I don’t mind keeping her in business.
4. I found another penny.
5. I will not be participating in the pipe dream of the US buying Greenland, in my thoughts or in discussion.
Yes, although afterwards I thought about how I should have taken the money I spent on donuts and just donated it to the strike fund. Donuts ain’t cheap!
I fully support you spending your money at a locally owned bookstore. 100%!
1. I saw yarn listed for a good price in the Ollie’s ad but didn’t want to travel there so I checked JoAnn’s online and it was the same price. I thought about it and I don’t need yarn at this time. I didn’t spend any money on yarn or driving.
2. I finished the lentil potato soup I made. It was warm and nourishing. Now I’m thinking about what kind of soup to make next.
3. I made salmon for dinner, with potatoes that needed to be used. Since it was a large fillet we split it.
4. DD passed along a grocery store coupon she was not planning to use.
5. Our savings are in a high yield savings account.
1. Our Internet has been poor and we are due 2 months for free but they can only apply one month discount at a time. I have it on my calendar to call Feb 1 to get next month’s discount. Definitely worth 5 minutes of my time.
2. Brought home a whole Costco muffin, 4 cookies and some trail mix from my sub job.
3. Received a free strawberry growing tower and some strawberry plants.
4. Mailed in my at-home blood test for a $25 reward from insurance.
5. Sold 2 items yesterday, all while I was working a sub job. I love double earning.
Adding, I listened to the Vanguard webinar last night. It was very informative. I wish I’d learned about low-cost index fund investing a long time ago. But better late than never and I’ve been able to educate my young adult kids and anyone else who asks!