Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on January 16, 2025 · 88 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
What class action site do you follow?
I’ve listed several items on eBay that I no longer use.
Learning to use freetaxusa for my taxes.
Used coupons at CVS and then submitted receipts to FSA for reimbursement.
Left overs are the menu this week.
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.
Rosemary grows well for me here in the mid-west but does not over winter at all – nor does basil. I leave both in the herb box over winter, birds like the basil seed.
Live and learn but it is fun growing edibles.
Rosemary usually makes it through the winter here, but every once in a while, we get an extra cold winter and it dies. (“Extra cold” is in the 20s or teens — nothing like your “extra cold”!!)
Rosemary is a prolific landscaping plant here in the East Bay of California. We have two creeping rosemary plants that are supposed to be edible but I haven’t tried it yet.
I’ve killed so much rosemary. Most of the nursery plants are ginned up on fertilizer and can’t adjust.
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!
Congrats on the $500 win! And your No. 5 is amazing, isn’t it funny how things often work out that way <3
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!
That is a very good point. I may have to replace the whole thing, even though the power part held in the hand is good, because it’s so old that no place is stocking the blender attachment.
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.
To me they taste bitter with the peel on, if the carrot has gotten to be a pretty good size. I do think there’s a trend toward not peeling them, though, as the university food services, back when I worked for the university, served up unpeeled chunks of cooked carrots. The kitchen was run by an executive chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America and he knew his stuff.
Many chefs consider the slightly bitter flavor a plus – more complex and “carroty” than peeled carrots.
I have the same problem with 2lb bags and either roast them whole/in larger chunks, or make a big pot of French butter-braised coins, which are very easy, freeze and reheat well and give that worked over a hot stove impression as a side or added to soups, curries, quiche etc.
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.
Funny you should mention Denmark and her king: Right here on my desk, I have a booklet called “Panorama Demark: From Occupied to Ally: Danish Resistance Movement, 1940-43.” I found it in the “free” basket in front of a used bookstore. It was actually published in Denmark and someone wrote on it that they’d bought it while on vacation there at the WWII Resistance Museum. The book told how the Danish people published underground newspapers to inform people of the truth, thus countering Nazi propaganda, even at the risk of being executed if discovered. It also told how the king would ride his horse down the main street of the city, unguarded, to show the people not to be afraid and to carry on as usual (as much as possible). The Nazis were flabbergasted at this, but were told the king is protected by all his citizens who love him. If the Danes could stand up to Hitler, they certainly can stand up to Trump.
Thanks for that extra information Lisa.What a coincidence you have that at the same time I mentioned it. Someday I hope to visit Denmark and visit its museums and places of interest from WWII. Also my family’s birthplace, Thisted, a leader in natural thermal heating in Denmark.
I’m biding my time waiting for the prez to open his mouth just a little too wide and stick his foot (feet?) in it.
I am a direct descendant of a Revolutionary War patriot. I’ll be damned to put up with his shit or suffer from it.
Plenty of resistance during WWII also. Good will triumph over evil.
Why does evil have to be so banal, anyway?
Exactly!
I see your spirit in words you have written on this blog and I love it! I know you would fight for what’s right!
This reply is meant for Selena.
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.
My Fit will be 15 in May and has needed only repair outside of routine maintenance. They are small but mighty cars.
We’ve had a Honda Fit since 2018 and it’s been great! I love how easily the seats fold down/and up and how much I can haul when I need to! Enjoy!
Our son sold the handmedown diesel Beetle, added a little of his own and bought a Fit. What a great little car – modest but not bare bones, and he was able to move into his first apartment by packing it carefully.
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
Restaurant pho is a bargain for the ingredients and work it takes to do it right at home – even in the Instant Pot. It’s one of the few foods that is firmly in our highly value-engineered eat out category – food we can’t make better than the experts.
We don’t deep fry at home – read French Fries, fish fry, and a few Mexican dishes. Do remember the cook needs a night off if budget allows it (mine does). But I agree, far too many restaurant meals (note steak) can be cooked at home with much better results.
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!
I still wear an apron while cooking, something I’ve done forever. It’s especially useful when frying to keep grease spots off my clothes.
You just made me realize that I have an apron I never wear. I’ll have to change that!
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.
It grows well in the ground here, but snow and ice will kill it. My current one is in a pot and gets placed under the corner eave of the house, where it’s sheltered on the sides and overhead, when freezing precipitation is expected.
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!
My daughter garnished our most recent chili with some pickled red onion (along with the usual sour cream et al) and I loved it. Buuuuut I’m an onion lover in general.
You might add cat-mint/cat nip. Plenty of cat families appreciate organic catnip.
I neglected to mention my catnip, in part because I was thinking only of culinary herbs, and in part because it grows wild on my place! But my Betty is a regular “recreational user,” believe me.
My Dora loves the cat mint we have growing in the yard. I bring in a handful for her and she has a kitty rave-up flinging herself into it and rolling around.
Ruby, back when DH and I had more than one cat at a time, sprinkling catnip on the kitchen floor was hilarious. First they’d eat it, then they’d roll in it, then they’d fight (gently) with each other: “I can take on any cat in the house!”
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%!
Although donuts ain’t cheap, the value to the nurses of you showing up with them is just priceless !!!
A show of solidarity – including both donuts and shoulder-to-shoulder physical demonstration of your belief in their protest – would bring a kind of empowering encouragement that an equal number of dollars in a kitty would not.
Well done, Katy!
@Katy – nothing wrong with spending local most of the time. However we have a local business who donates/hosts puke events. That business does not get my money.
Bravo to Katy for joining the nurses & docs’ picket line. We don’t have unions in health care (as far as I know) here in Texas. The same conditions that the nurses face in Oregon are here in Texas too. The nursing shortage is also alive & well. Working 12 hour shifts is exhausting & it is difficult to “age” in the career. Thankfully, I am semi-retired & teach as a part-time gig. I sometimes wonder if my students fully realize the stress & hard work that will be entailed when they graduate. On the frugal side, nurses are usually well paid although you work like a dog.
My mom used Old El Paso stuff in the 70s when tacos were weird and strange to many people. Sometimes I get a hankering for a 1970s Mom taco with a crunchy Old El Paso shell and hamburger seasoned with taco spices. Mmmm.
I miss you, Mom.
My mom offered those up as a regular rotation and beloved dinner option in the 70s, too. And we felt oh-so-worldly, as the majority of our friends were not having anything at ALL like that for dinner.
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!
Made a banana bread with overripe bananas rescued from work trash.
Eating lunch/snacks while at work that are provided by my work.
Friend brought me lunch yesterday, plus a half gallon Almond Milk and a Trader Joe’s burrito!
Went bowling at Splitsville with a group of friends over the weekend, a friend won a group outing that included 2 hours bowling and 3 free appetizers! And we all carpooled so saved gas.
Reading a book i found in Little Free Library.
1. My amazing mom is turning 95 at the end of this month, and has decided to not renew her drivers license (!!). As a result, she had a 2007 (driven by a little old lady) Toyota Corolla to dispose of. She offered it to #1 DD, who is the ‘good’ grandchild (joking) as she visits her Gran once a week, gets fed a meal, plays some games, does some technology fixing, and generally provides a family connection and check in. Bless her, that kid saves me from a sometimes fraught responsibility, although I don’t know if she truly understands why it is harder for my heart when I have to frequently visit my mom than it is for her to visit weekly.
In any case, yesterday I had a trip into that town for another purpose, and DD had called me in a bit of a tizzy about the whole car-transfer-buying-insurance thing. I took down the POA I have for my Mom, and after my appointment I spent a time-consuming but generally delightful afternoon with my kid – we filled out paperwork, then visited Mom, sorted out her concerns and confused calendaring about how she will manage without the car, got her to sign the appropriate paperwork, took off the license plates (I remembered to bring tools), went to the insurance and spent ages getting the car in DD’s name, then insuring it.
THEN I used the POA (“Why is your mother not cancelling her own insurance?” “Because she is OLD”) to cancel mom’s car insurance – they send the money back to her credit card so there is little chance of me meddling with the cash, anyway. HOWEVER in the process we determined that Mom hadn’t renewed her condo insurance (!!!). The fellow helping us explained that we could apply some of her refund to her overdue insurance payment. This raised my concerns about what else Mom is neglecting (for another day)… When we went back to Mom’s place to put the new license plates on, we got to sort out her condo insurance situation. I really see how Mom is slipping, as she was very quick to acquiesce when I suggested that I could arrange to get it paid with her credit card. In the past, she would have wanted to be independent and do it herself.
2. Once we were finished, DD took me out for Chinese – this is one food I don’t easily cook for myself, particularly what we ordered. We had a delicious dinner and DD will continue to eat from the leftovers for at least 2 more hearty meals – I usually am the one paying and it was a real treat when DD insisted on ponying up. She had a big day of adulting.
3. DD has been driving a car that is actually mine. My sneaky plan to get the car back up to me is this: #2 Son has to travel to the big city (an hour south) this term for his Master’s degree, which will be credited to the University down there, although he is doing his lab research at a different University in a town an hour north. He has arranged to be picked up by another student in his cohort who also is working in the northern University lab. They carpool on the couple of days a week of their courses. He will be able to pick up my old car one day next week, and will be ‘forced’ to see his grandmother to get the keys. He finds it hard to slow down and visit her, yet they both have a grand time when they do get together.
4. I have 4 huge rosemary bushes that have survived a couple of unseasonably cold winters, as well as a smaller patch of sage that keeps on giving. I don’t bother drying either of them (although extra stems might dry in a jar in the kitchen, if I pick too many) but I do dehydrate oregano from the intentional and accidental plants that grow in various areas of the yard, and make an effort to do the same with mint. I keep forgetting to dehydrate basil (next year) and find thyme so finicky that we only really use it at Christmas (keeps mom busy and engaged, dealing with the herbs).
5. DD helped me with some book organizing when she visited,a couple of weeks ago, to get her hair cut, . I delivered two boxes to the local used book store, where my long-time credit was finally almost used up. Voila, more space in the house and more credit at the bookstore (we get half off our purchases and the other half is paid with our credit, this helps keeps the bookstore in business)
The bookstore owner returned some of the books to me right away. I managed to tuck half of them into our rather empty local little library. I’m carrying the rest in the car with an eye out for another stashing opportunity.
Ecoteri, blessings on you and your #1DD for all the heavy lifting with your mom. This sounds so much like what my next-door neighbor’s other close friend have gone through and will be going through with NDN, it’s scary. As I’ve said repeatedly both here and at The Frugal Girl, let’s all be considerate of those who will have to clean up after us.
@Ecoteri @A. Marie – dealing with an aging parent/relative is not easy. Nor is it for those who have the aging relatives best interest at heart. Not going into detail about one of my relatives but I do hope charges will be filed. I have a boat load of evidence if necessary. However I worry about our office boy state’s attorney. It isn’t reelection time.
A. Marie, between you and me, I hope that we will get the message across to this community!
If you don’t have a will, write one. Even if you write your wishes on a piece of paper and (very important) have your signature witnessed by someone other than a relative (good neighbours, I’m looking at you!) – your family will have a better chance of getting what you wish for them. Leaving it for the state to decide is tantamount to neglect of all that you have worked for.
As for anyone over the age of 30, if you possibly can please set up a POA for yourself – you can always keep it in your own hands/filing cabinet, or with a lawyer, but when you need someone to make financial decisions at a time that you are unable to make them yourself, a Power of Attorney is priceless.
And finally, get for yourself some kind of living will or health care representation agreement. The name will vary, depending on where you live. The idea is ‘who will speak for me when I can’t speak for myself?’ – a medical power of attorney, as it were.
Of course, as Selena shares with us, not all families have reliable trustworthy members, so pick your representatives wisely.
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I am so pleased that my mom set up a new will, POA and Representation agreement in 2022 – at that time she had 98% of her marbles and was totally able to make the right decisions. Now, we all benefit as I can gently take some of the load from her with relative ease, as long as I have the right paperwork with me.
And, practicing what I preach, I too updated those documents recently and had good conversations with my adult children about my wishes. As surprising as we may sometimes consider the thought, we are all mortal.
Trader Joe’s does have good organic herbs for a fraction of the cost at other stores. Their eggs also seem to be the least expensive around.
1. Bought a Talbots top at a consignment store, exactly what I was looking for.
2. Admired – but didn’t buy – numerous beautiful home decor items at the same store.
3. Found a zip tie on the ground.
4. Found a penny on the ground – twice.
5. Purged bookmarks and files from our laptop. Just as satisfying as decluttering physical stuff.
My five tiny frugal things:
1. I cooked all meals from scratch this week. I’m working on a January pantry cleanout, and I’m now down to mainly rice and beans.
2. Because I needed eggs, fruit, and a few other things, I compared prices online between the three stores I usually shop at. I chose Kroger because they had the best prices this week for most of the things I needed.
3. I did not buy everything on my list – some things are cheaper at Walmart, and I will get them there next week.
4. I sold two boxes of books and DVDs to Half Price Books. I made $11.50 and now have enough room on my bookshelves to actually fit all my books.
5. After selling a set of magazine clippings on Ebay, I have listed some more for sale. I have a treasure trove of old magazines I collected years ago, which I don’t want anymore, but others hopefully will.
1) Purchased laundry detergent on a January discount using my ex-husband’s paid membership account. 400 loads -will easily last me 3 years at 10 cents per load and $14 per year!
2) Read Sustainable Badass with my Kindle Unlimited trial.
3) Found $1.88 in change when sorting through baskets and rearranging some.
4) Used leftover crackers from my son’s Chicken Salad Chick order in my meatloaf. He loves to order chicken salad but doesn’t eat the crackers.
5) My son is hard on headphones and has two pairs he wears regularly for noise cancellation. They were looking rough! I replaced the part that rests against the ears and both pair look good as new. This was MUCH cheaper than replacing.
1. I received over $14 from the Verizon settlement.
2. I deposited $50 worth of refunds for Dr copays I overpaid. I am adding it to tip money I received and making a principal only car payment.
3. My dog has a sensitive stomach and skin. The dog food he eats has been steadily increasing in price. So I have taken to shopping several different places every time I need it in order to get the best price. We just saved 20% off at Petsmart.
4. I have been successfully making homemade mochas before work rather than stopping at the coffee shop. $6 saved every time I do this is very motivating.
5. We had a meatless dinner tonight
1. At the end of my food bank volunteer shift, I was offered 2 dozen eggs. They had recently received over 100 cartons and could not give them away fast enough before they would get too old. Yes, please.
2. Also given 2 pounds of butter that had been offered for weeks but no one wanted, possibly because it was unsalted. (Although I tend to think that a lot of these folks just don’t have the facilities to do a lot of cooking unless it is microwavable goods. But I do know a lot of people don’t like salt free butter for eating on toast, for example. It also does not keep as long, due to no salt, so they wanted to get rid of it.) As I thanked the volunteer coordinator, he said, “Better you than the pigs,” which is where stuff getting old goes so it is not wasted. I snorted loudly. He did not laugh.
3. Snagged a gas mystery shop, so money, gas and two small bags of chips (required purchase).
4. When hair falls in my face while I am reading, I have a bad habit of reaching for my scissors and chopping off the offending strands without looking in the mirror, so I can get back to reading. Yesterday I took off rather an unfortunate amount so the husband tried to fix the damage. Now I look like a geriatric waif, only without the thin build.
5. I don’t care for hot drinks, except the occasional hot chocolate but even then I rarely finish it. I drink homemade lemonade or iced tea all year long. I found a box of bags that were not that good as iced tea, so I have been exchanging one bag of the four I like and use for a gallon of tea. Today I finished the last of the tasteless tea bags. Not sure it was worth suffering for about $2.29 but I did it.
Nice scores on the eggs and butter! I just purchased two dozen eggs for $8 today so that was quite the savings!
Love your sense of humour!
1, I bought some powered dishwasher soap that’s safe for septic systems, and have been running it with only 1/2 TBSP of soap. I hate the pods that contain dyes, and who knows what else, in that weird plasticy casing. I’m hoping this box will last a long time.
2. Went to the thrift store and got 10 pieces of clothing to take to the grandchildren when we visit next month. Included in these was a beautiful winter coat from Osh Kosh for only $6.
3. Picked up some Rieker boots and some Madewell slides to resale. Both look brand new.
4. Making a wacky cake for my son in law for his birthday. Cheap ingredients, but mainly because he loves it.
5. Same SIL is getting a $1 card from the dollar store, and a gift card to his favourite bike shop. DH doesn’t like to give cards, says they are wasteful, but for $1, I still like to do it.
1. Turns out I have RSV. But I am feeling better. But then I saw my EOB for my doctor visit, x-ray, etc. Half of my deductible for the year. (I am fortunate that I have very good insurance and my deductible is low, but still, 2nd week of the month and I’ve already hit half of my deductible.)
2. My son came to the house late last night to hang out, do laundry and do some other stuff in the area. Except right before he got to the house, he drove over rebar and punctured a hole in his tire. It could not be fixed and I ended up buying him two new tires today. He is driving home as I type this (two hours away) but at least he’s safe.
3. Prior to getting sick, I pulled out my old L.L. Bean sheet set in which the flat sheet was a king (because my husband used to short-sheetme) but it was really too wide. So I cut it down and hemmed it. There was one small part that was torn so I patched it with the extra piece I hemmed off. Does it look pretty? No. Do I care? No. Will anyone else ever see it? No.
4. I have not driven my car in a week. No gas used. A friend has dropped off some chicken soup from a Jewish deli and cut fruit to keep me healthy. Friends are the best.
5. I started reading 1966: the year the decade exploded for the Massachusetts reading challenge. I have found out so many things already. Including, the reason women receive only a portion of their husband’s Social Security check is because women are perceived to not be of the same value as men. Isn’t that lovely. Hopefully, we can all keep Social Security.
Stay safe and healthy everyone
Men only get half of their spouse’s SS or ex spouse’s.
Teeny Tiny
1. I saved a dog food bag to use for garbage.
2. I’m using my endlessly reusable handkerchiefs for my drippy winter nose.
3. I saved my shower warm up water for toilet flushing.
4. I found a tiny measuring tape for free at an estate sale to replace the one I broke.
5. I’m using a leftover hotel soap bar to wash my hands.
Just want to say that I never, ever tire of everyone’s FFTs (and FTFTs).
Wholeheartedly agree! 🙂
One thing that I can add to all the wills and POA’s is this:
Create a family medical health history for you and your kids/family members. This is incredibly important as we age we may lose some of the details of what family members (think parents, siblings,grandparents) had heathwise and what they died from. We use our health history for our doctor and it is part of our own history. It’s important to know. Then if comfortable share with siblings and they can share theirs.
Melinda 1. I made a holiday garland from origami birds made from the squares peeled from stickers we put on ballot envelopes during early voting in our town. They were strung on string frim the bottom of a chicken feed bag.
2. I darn socks with the cotton string from the top of chicken feed bags.
3. I just finished the laundry with home made laundry soap, recipe one of many online, hung it to dry.
4. I made a wallet from a foil coffee bag.
5. We put out the trash in a paper grcery bag, as we don’t have much to throw out. Recycling gets mosr of it.
Melinda, wow, I love how you repurpose things!
It’s been a while since I have posted.
I have been frugal but the political climate has had me in a real funk. I am climbing out of it, I will not give in to “him”.
1.Made laundry detergent, shared with family.
2. Made dishwasher tabs
3. Cooking at home, soups and comfort foods.
4.Used the carcass and bones from holiday meals for broth and broth used in soups.
5.Making sourdough buns and breads, buns have gone from .95 to 1.45 which is ridiculous in my opinion. I made a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread using the raisins I made in dehydrator. Family buys grapes and the ones that get wrinkly are then made into raisins.
Bonus: I used 4 slices of sourdough to make croutons because they were a bit stale, used croutons in soups and salads, Then I whizzed the remaining croutons in the blender to make crumbs to bread chicken cutlets.
Well done for supporting your former work colleagues in freezing weather!
That is a great idea with the socks! I recently saw an idea on FB about using socks with imagines on them to patch up holes in jeans, the example was a tRex peeping out of the hole.
1. My son brought home some expiring food items from his workplace again: a few packets of herbal tea, elderflower cordial and Manuka honey
2. Got another Too Good to Go Box from Aldi yesterday (4 Euro), it contained: 1 large chicken (not free range unfortunately – I only buy free range chicken for animal welfare reasons but in this case it is about avoiding food waste as well as saving money so we will be roasting that chicken for dinner tonight), 1 packet of Italian herb bagels, 1 lemon drizzle cake, 1 pate, 1 packet of meatballs (I froze those for later use), 1 packet of sliced beef
3. Filed my taxes for 2024 and am expecting a refund of (hopefully) around 1000 Euro! Fingers crossed.
4. This is a tiny frugal thing but one of the herbal teas my son brought is liquorice and mint. It is very sweet so I only leave the teabag in for half a minute and then re-use the teabag for another mug of tea later in the day.
5. I bought a different ketchup to our normal one on offer last week and the teens refuse to eat it, apparently it is “too vinegary”. I am therefore adding 2 spoonfuls of it to tomato based sauces (e.g. for spaghetti bolognaise) – and nobody has noticed 🙂