Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on February 5, 2025 · 73 comments
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We had my mother and stepfather over for dinner and served a simple but tasty meal of marinated Winco chicken thighs. (I got the recipe from a Struggle Meals YouTube video.) Rice and a big green salad rounded out the meal and my mother brought dessert. We all drank ice water and I’m guessing that the total for the five of us was around $20. There were even leftovers!
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My sister just finished a six day visit from New York and although this always costs a little extra for me, there are money savings for her. Here’s how which she saved money while visiting Portland:
• I picked her up and dropped her off at the airport, thus saving her the price of an Uber.
• I loaded a Safeway e-coupon for Tillamook cheese and sent her off loaded down with a pair of two-pound cheddar loaves for $6.99 apiece. My treat.
• We ate all but two meals at home, one of which she paid for, (a shared fish and chips entree) the other, (dim sum) was on us.
• Lodging was obviously free, complete with a hotel-style robe, suitcase stand and pillow mint.
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We kept the house at a higher temperature while my sister was visiting, but reset the programmable thermostat after she flew back to the East coast. We’re fine keeping the house a bit colder than most households, but always crank up the temperature when we have guests.
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We watched the Star Trek: Section 31 TV movie through our $1.99/month Paramount Plus subscription last night and still feel like we overpaid. My husband, sister and I all love Star Trek, but this movie was abominable. Worse even, the movie served to set up a future television series!
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I didn’t buy an election so I could dismantle the inner workings of my country.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
You are such a sweet hostess. It sounds like you all had a great time.
We are in the midst of the second very low spend month of the year. Aside from groceries, which I aim to cut by 50%, and pet food, I have bought a used book and a sewing pattern, both from eBay. My best friend from college asked for donations for her church yard sale, so I have a bag of decluttered items going for her.
I returned a roll of surgical tape bought from CVS. Unfortunately, my daughter was jostled by a dog while handing me some boiling soup, so I got a large burn. I had gauze for a loose bandage but not tape. I put the tape on and had an immediate, horrible reaction. I’ve decided it isn’t getting bandaged. Sigh.
Clipped the dogs’ nails myself, which made me sad since our crazy coonhound, who freaked out when anyone touched her nails, died in October.
Returned the new tank printer I ordered from Schmeff Schmezos, as the ink bottles exploded, making a huge mess all over the printer, and it didn’t come with a power cord. Ya mean this printer runs on electricity, rather than a pack of beagles to act as a turnspit? who knew? sigh.
Sewed and repaired the end of a feather cushion America’s Li’l Cutie (aka the puppy) chewed up.
I didn’t plan to turn Gaza into a vacation resort because my daughter’s inlaws want that beach.
Rose, for your burn I would recommend wrapping gauze (with whatever ointment would help with the pain) around your arm, and then securing it with an Ace bandage. I did this when my son got a bad burn on his leg from hot pizza falling on it–it was too large for any kind of tape and in any case, we also react badly to adhesive tape. I hope it heals quickly for you!
That’s a good idea, Karen, thanks. Although it is kinda fun to gross out my children with it. “Check it out, it looks like blue cheese now!”
Ha! But no, seriously, if it’s that bad it should be dressed. For my son’s burn eventually I switched from the Neosporin to Manuka honey, and he doesn’t even have a scar now. It’s pricey but works a treat for burns and other deep abrasions. Said DS also had a habit of falling on his knees hard and getting nasty road-rash gouges, and manuka honey was the only thing that really helped slough off the dead cells.
Or slide the cut-off top of a sock over the gauze to hold it?
Burns hurt SO much more than I expect when I bump something hot.
Hmm….maybe I should look into manuka honey. Former stepFIL raved about it, but then he raved about a lot of things. And heaven knows I am always tripping, stabbing. cutting myself, as well as braving the stupid deer fencing to feed the ferals and also the dogs pawing my arms. I did use Neosporin because that’s what my mom always put on our cuts, etc.
Heidi, I kept thinking about how painful self-immolation is. Uh, my mind is weird? Safe to say I will NOT being doing any self-immolation political protests.
LMFAO.. exactly the same thing I’d say to my kids.
Rose,
Yikes about that burn!! Make sure you eat plenty of protein to help it heal. A daily multivitamin (if you don’t already take one) would be a good idea, too.
Katy, the cheese was a great idea. Tillamook is one of a kind. <3
I try to stock up on Tillamook when our Safeway has a sale. I hosted a Christmas Eve brunch and friends raved about the casserole I served. He said “You must have used some really good cheese.”
“It’s Tillamook.”
He nodded. “That explains it.”
I would have been thrilled with the gift of two blocks of Tillamook.
1. My daughters wanted take out burgers for our weekly dinner. The restaurant has frequent mystery shops offered, so I signed up for one. This paid for 75% of our meal. They also gave us a couple free burgers and a fry because they had accidently filled an order twice.
2. I mentioned to my mom that I was on the lookout for a couple new to me photo frames for my daughter’s wedding photos. She let me choose from a box of frames she had stored in her basement. I found two that were perfect for what I needed.
3. I ran some errands with my mother and we both got hungry. We stopped at McDonald’s and ordered 2 McChicken sandwiches from the value menu which cost a total of $2.42. My mom treated me. What can I say? I’m a cheap date.
4. I made a huge seven layer salad which my daughter and I have been eating the last few days. This used up half a head of lettuce and a small head of romaine my mom gave me. The only things I needed to buy was a small cucumber, a red onion and a few radishes. The rest came from the fridge and freezer.
5. I’m making some nachos tonight for dinner which will use up some leftover taco meat from the freezer and a half a green pepper leftover from making lasagna. This along with a serving of the above salad will fill us up.
I was SOOOOOO excited about Section 31 when I first heard about it! Made popcorn and everything in anticipation…. Halfway thru I gave up in disgust and picked up a book. (There may have been some sulking involved..)
1. I made the save-it-up-vegetable soup from the bag in the freezer. The broth was rather red from beet stems, but (after straining) with some chopped ham, a can of beans, and a spoonful of bouillon, it was delicious. I felt very frugal. And then composted the mushy bits.
2. I had an extra binder from thrifting, and my recipe binder was out of control. I split it into two — food/meals, and foody crafts (candy, liqueurs, food gifts, preserving). I am out of those plastic sleeves, but I just went through my other binder — my former “look book” from when we were renovating, and I can purge those magazine photos and use the sleeves in my recipe binder. No spend!
3. Going to pick up some extra old egg cartons from a friend, for seed starting, on my way back from physical therapy.
4. I am on hiatus from thrift shopping because of budget, until March 1. But I get a lot of free/no spend entertainment from watching other thrifters on IG and YouTube.
5. My eBay and Etsy stores are doing pretty well. (My store is called AnotherWordforStory– get it — yarn is…) I was delighted to earn ~$350 via eBay in January. I started reselling in October. Side gig now that husband is officially retired (he has been out on disability for some time but the switch to Social Security makes it official.) Now if only those muskrats don’t mess up SS, now that we’re dependent on it.
Tell me about the save it up soup. Is it vegetable bits? I save up chicken bones, but haven’t tried anything with veggie bits. Are you simmering whatever you collected and then straining it? Are there any stems or peels to avoid? Do tell!
(I think you’ve insulted muskrats!)
@Li, I have a ziplock gallon bag in the freezer and I put in the stems of parsley and spinach, the wilted (clean) outer leaves of lettuce, cabbage, kale; beet greens or stems, onion tops, carrot and celery tops, bell pepper tops, etc. The cut-off bits that are dry or ugly (not spoiled). I simmer it together for a couple of hours and strain it. Good base for any vegetarian soup. Same idea as for chicken stock. I have also started one with beef scraps, and definitely save all chicken bones so I can squeeze out all the goodness, whatever is left after eating. I have a bag of cooked chicken bones as well as raw chicken bits. I expect I’ll use them eventually. Usually when it’s cold out. I made the broth when the bag got full.
Thanks! I think it’s time to add a veggie scraps bag to my fridge. I’m a huge fan of soup.
Li, I agree re: “muskrats.” Let’s not insult a family of self-respecting rodents by comparing them to this lot. And, like you, Julia, Selena, and a lot of the rest of us, I’m using a lot of other words for these folks that come straight out of my teenage stevedore-worthy vocabulary.
Maybe “Trump” will be the terrible swear word of the future.
Muskrats is a far too kind noun – kiddo has a much more appropriate noun but it is NSFKB (not safe for Katy’s blog). But do think a word for small and an anatomical term.
Same. I am a walking dictionary of swear words these days.
1. Meeting a friend and her husband for dinner tonight after an after-school activity. We’ll get done about 6, and we will all be ravenous. Instead of eating at a restaurant for $20 or more a plate, she’s picking up a pizza and we’re eating at our house. I’ll make a salad, and provide drinks.
2. I’ve been picking up extra days subbing, which makes doing laundry harder. My wonderful husband hung out the laundry last night. It might have gotten some dew on it, but it’ll be dry by the time we get home tonight. If I remember to bring it in as soon as we get home!
3. Dropping off used, washed, reusable dog diapers to a woman on Craigslist. She’s going to list them on Marketplace, but since I don’t use that I’m just going to be happy they’re out of my house, on the way to someone else, and able to help someone else make a little money.
4. Adding a pretty patch to my good jeans, and adding a serviceable patch to my husband’s work jeans. I need something to keep my occupied while I’m subbing, and we have enough socks for a long time.
5. Our chickens laid their first (two) eggs for this first time since November. Not really something I’m responsible for, but I’m happy anyway!
1. Found a penny in a restaurant parking lot.
2. Friends treated us to dinner. Brought leftovers home in my trusty thrifted stainless container.
3. Annual premium for umbrella insurance came in $140 less than last year. After verifying that the coverage amount remained the same, I’m not complaining.
4. Received $47 from the consignment shop where I dropped off some things a month ago.
5. Watched a free Zoom presentation about the political landscape hosted by our library. Depressing as hell but important.
1. Got our old internet canceled. With the new one we should save about $30 a month. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
2. Driving all day today. We had Jame and cheese rolls, grapes, veggie sticks and snacks in the car.
3. Got a free ebook.
4. Found a penny.
5. My mother-in-law let me snap a picture of her reciecpt for fetch rewards
Wow! I’ve been eating struggle chicken all along and never knew it!
1. I finally roasted my pie pumpkins from Halloween. They were the same price as regular pumpkins, so that’s what I used for Halloween decor (and Christmas – haha). They were still good. I’ll make curried pumpkin soup for dinner later this week!
2. I walked to Trader Joe’s yesterday and got excited to see cheap eggs in stock, so I bought a dozen. When I got home, I discovered that I already had plenty of eggs. A glut of cheap eggs! In order to save face, I ate an omelette for lunch and made a big batch of custard for desserts (in thrifted ramekins)!
3. I made a vegan cauliflower soup from The NY Times recipe site. I find that eating vegetarian meals is a good way to save money.
4. I’m listening to Hillary Clinton’s latest book on my Libby app, and it’s hard not to be angry about how the US was robbed.
5. I am not actively destroying the US government.
Yum, Tillamook cheese! What a nice gift.
1. I sold my old computer (after wiping the hard drive) and reused a box to ship it. It was a very old computer, so I didn’t make a lot, but after the fees, I was left with enough to pay for a week’s groceries. Not bad for something that would have been trash otherwise.
2. I found my portable charger/battery pack which I hadn’t used in years. The cord turned out to be damaged, and I was all set to buy a new one, but then I remembered I had an old phone cord that might work. It did, and my portable charger is back in business with no money spent.
3. I wasn’t feeling well last week and wanted Jello to eat. I made lime gelatin using ingredients I already had instead of buying the ready-made version.
4. When I last bought groceries, I did not buy any eggs because they just didn’t fit into my budget. Instead, I have found and tested several recipes for gluten-free baked goods that don’t call for eggs. Since that’s the main thing I use them for, I’m now better able to avoid buying eggs when the price is too high.
5. I used an iron-on fabric patch to repair a torn sleeve. I bought the patch a few years ago and only used part of it. I’m glad I saved the rest. I am truly terrible at sewing, which makes it challenging to repair clothes, but ironing is something I can handle. The patch isn’t pretty but at least it should be functional.
What did you use to make lime gelatin? I’d love to know. The Jello brand is very sweet.
I used Now brand beef gelatin (that was the cheapest option when I was looking for plain gelatin, I’m sure any brand would work). I just made two cups of hot limeade and stirred in two tablespoons of the gelatin until it dissolved. Then I let it chill in the fridge and it was set after a few hours. The result was very firm, so next time I might use one and a half tablespoons instead of two. The nice thing is you can adjust the sweetness and the amount of gelatin however you like.
I do the same thing with the heater for guests, and we leave it turned off during the day when it’s just my husband or I working from home and then turn it back on right before we pickup the kids from school.
Visited the library on my lunch break today to get more books for my kids. I work in a large city so the book selection is much better here than in the smaller city I live in, and since we read at least 3 books a night every night, we go through a lot of children’s books. So grateful for the libraries, would never be able to buy that many!
Doing the reverse of meatless Monday, and only having meat 1-2 days a week for dinner, and meatless the rest of the days. I put tofu cubes into our soup last night instead of the usual chicken and the kids loved it and ate more of it than usual so a success. I also had success with beans, twice baked potatoes and corn and bean burritos or quesadillas earlier this week
My kids each need to make a box for valentines at school. Luckily I have 2 shoe boxes and we already have construction paper, stickers and markers so shouldn’t need to buy anything.
My mom picks up my kids from school on Wednesdays and watches them at our house until we get home from work. Today is her birthday so we decorated our house last night with decorations we already had to surprise her. My sister is making a cake and bringing it over later so we can all celebrate together.
I’m starting to look into summer camps for my kids (we both work fulltime so it’s childcare in the summer), it’s tricky because some need to be booked now or they fill up but it’s so far out that sometimes plans change (or children’s interests change!) So far I’ve only signed up for one and it had a generous cancellation policy (you can cancel as late as a week ahead and only pay a $25 cancellation fee)
Lisa, do you saute the tofu cubes or put them into the soup “raw”. I love Hot & Sour Soup and I think the cubes aren’t sautéed, at least they don’t appear to be. So delicious.
I did not sauté it, just cooked it in the broth, so it was quite soft and didn’t really have any chew like meat would, but I think that’s why my kids liked it!
Thank you Lisa!
Lisa, nice list! Your kids’ valentine boxes brought back fond memories. (I’m 65 1/2.) My favorite one that my mom and I made: We cut out a mail slot in the top, wrapped the top and base of the shoe box in aluminum foil smoothed out all over, to which I glued on white doilies and pink and red hearts cut out of construction paper. I loved my box but really admired my classmate’s box that resembled a real mailbox with a door that opened and closed and a red flag that moved up and down.
Thank you for the tin foil idea! I was just going to cover them in construction paper but they’d probably love a shiny looking box!
1. Took some plastic shopping bags (a big wad of them!) to the used bookstore bc their quarterly sale is tomorrow. Reduce-reuse-recycle — I’m getting them reused. Good for the environment, and helps me declutter, even if it may or may not be frugal for me. But…. I noticed they loaded up their “free-take one” pile with books they can’t sell. Many were large-print books, so I took an armful. Also got some repair manuals which I can donate to Habitat ReStore and a similar charitable thrift store specializing in DIY stuff. Did I mention everything was free?
2. Finally bit the bullet and went to a local store and ordered replacements for the circa 1964 ceiling light fixtures that are hanging down from the ceiling like loose teeth. While not inexpensive, they are LED lights so it will be cheap to operate.
3. While there, I picked up some free calendars — a desk blotter calendar and a huge wall calendar. Will give the latter to a friend for her small business, as it is designed for writing down project deadlines and such.
4. Got paid for freelance writing!!!! It was a very short religious piece for a church denomination’s devotional booklet. Before you get overly excited, my pay was a mere $20 and the editors had received it a long time ago, during the pandemic quarantine. But, hey, it’s $20 more than I would otherwise have and hopefully my writing will brighten someone’s day.
5. I did not tear down, tear apart and ruin the beautiful democracy that, prior to this past Jan. 20, was the United States of America.
Fru-gal Lisa, I love the way you worded #5.
1. Made a couple creative lunches with remnants from supper
2. Brought my sister in law home made soup and a quick bread from the freezer after she’d had another long hospital day.
3. Filled up tank when gas was tiny bit lower and used a coupon.
4. Used flax seed eggs for baking, saving precious real eggs for meals
5. Can I borrow your #5?
I just ordered flax seeds to use instead of eggs! My hens aren’t laying yet and I hate the high cost of eggs. I also plan to use my eggs for eating and not for baking.
1. I found a couple of quarters and a couple of pennies while on walks.
2. I broke the extension wand in our Riccar canister vacuum. Something electrical broke. The shop where we bought it many years ago cannot get a replacement. I ordered a used part from eBay. Hopefully it will work.
3. I baked a bunch of chicken breasts I bought on sale. We will eat some and freeze the rest. I used the liquid that remained after baking to cook quinoa in.
4. ?
5. ??
1. When I had RSV, I turned my home thermostat down to 62 (because I was so hot) and I haven’t turned it up in a month except for the two days that my son was here visiting. And when he was here, I only brought it up to 65.
2. I finished the shawl/wrap that I was working on for the past year and now that it’s done, I’m not entirely sure I’m going to enjoy it. So I’m putting it aside for now, but I think I will end up frogging it and making something else. It’s beautiful, but I don’t think I’ll get the wear out of it that I would like.
3. I’m on my fourth book so far this year, and this one is about librarians being used as spies in the resistance during World War II. (Nonfiction) one line I read, stated that women were typically better as Spies because we tended to pay attention to what was going on around us, rememberin details, , and we were perfectly fine on our own. That fits.
4. I found fifty-one cents in the parking lot the other day. And I found a penny the next day. I’m pretty sure that’s more than I found all of last year.
5. My neighbor was gifted a banana bread and her family does not eat quick bread. (I don’t know how people could go without quick breads) she offered it up to me, which I happily accepted. I ate a few slices and I brought the remainder into work on Tuesday to share with the office.
6. I decided on my Friday facts email to my team i work on, to put in substitution tips this month. Since eggs are so expensive, I’m going to start out with all the substitutes for eggs that you can make in baking. I have a list so far of about 10 things, so I will choose a few each week to add. I work with a lot of young 20 some things.
7. I did not steal an election, break into computer systems, force people to resign, and threaten peoples lives. I also did not ask every person at the CIA to step down.
Anyone who works in a financial/insurance sector should be well aware of the need to now principle. There is absolutely NO need to know for a) non-security vetted non-citizen and b) the dumb ass “bros” sucking his anatomical part.
Was proud to see a local high school making a stand. The dumb asses don’t realize the younger generation embrace diversity. And there isn’t a damn thing they can do about it. Next gen of voters which I am proud to register, despite being a precinct of magats of which some have brainwashed their kids. We’ll see how well they do with inflation and shortages.
I’m very tired of shock and awe. I want boring and predictable.
As of today, he’s apparently giving away public lands.
Nancy – I believe i read that same book last year! I read a lot of historical fiction around woman and WWII.
I love books like that! Can you tell us the name?
The book is called book and dagger. By Elyse Graham.
So many similarities to what is happening today
Nancy, one of my kids used to have an anaphylactic allergy to eggs so I reconfigured allll my recipes to work without them. One of the best pieces of information I ever happened across was that in some recipes eggs are used to bind things, but in others, they help the baked good rise. That helped me to determine what kind of substitution would work best. For instance, if the egg is really there to improve the rise, you can use a combination of something acidic (like lemon juice or vinegar) and baking soda. If it’s to be a binder, you can try other things including applesauce. I only mention it because same kid was also allergic to flax. We discovered that plenty of things (like pancakes and waffles) don’t need eggs at all.
1. I worked another shift at the deli. The extra $$$ come in handy. Today I filled the gas tank with some of my earnings.
2. My boss sent me home with a large sandwich so no cooking tonight.
3. I made reservations for a date night at the library’s free Valentine program, Mighty Aphrodite. Trivia, poetry, chocolate Spritzers and chocolate candy. DH agreed to go.
4. I made an apple/pear crisp yesterday and brought a big piece to my friend in the nursing home. It’s a nice baked good and doesn’t require any eggs.
5. I did not make plans to run a people out of their country.
I have a sad, soft pear so I think I will make a crisp. Thanks for the idea!
All I got is one Frugal Fail:
DH booked us flights to see his daughter and the grandkids, leaving tomorrow and turning Feb 11. However, my DSIL, who will be staying at our house with my daughter to look after our dogs, told me today to check our flight details, as he noticed they say we are returning MARCH 11. So in a panic DH called the airline, and after a lengthy conversation with a very helpful person, changed our flights at an additional cost of $300 each.
Oh ouch! Yikes. I’m sorry, that sucks.
Years ago I had to have my car towed to the dealer. He asked if I had a Goober driver picking me up. He said when it’s a relative picking you up, it’s Goober, not Uber. Now that’s the term we use when dropping someone off at the airport
Okay, totally stealing this!
Me too!
@Amy P – perhaps you and the dealer should copyright this. I can foresee bumper stickers, t-shirts, and other meme opportunities. Heck, maybe you can sell Goober bitcoin and rake in fees.
No frugal things from me but a comment on the film….
We watched the Section 31 film a couple of weeks ago and thought it was appalling – a waste of acting talent, a nothing storyline, poor production and poor use of the central character. There is better production in the series Discovery & Strange New Worlds!
1. I cancelled my last subscriptions, including my gym. There are plenty of places to run outside with my local club.
2. I found some old CSA soybeans in the back of the cabinet and made my own tofu. It works! But was more about avoiding waste than being cheaper in the long run.
3. Transferred a race bib to an excited 20 year old and got a full refund.
4. Saw a mysterious up charge from my internet provider and called them to get it cancelled and my monthly bill reduced.
5. Signed up for CERT (Community Emergency Response) free training and met a great community and got a whole kit of free knowledge and supplies for protecting myself and my neighbors in a crisis.
1. Found a lovely and arty turquoise handmade pottery vessel (it’s not a vase and not really a pot, either :-)) in a local charity shop and snapped it up as a birthday present for a friend. It was only 2 Euro. My friend is an artist and I think she will really like it!
2. Took advantage of an offer of free shipping on a website selling preloved clothes and accessories. I ordered earrings (one of husband’s birthday presents for me for later in the year :-)), a woolly cardigan and a t-shirt for my husband (it will be a part of his birthday presents, also later in the year). One of the teens took advantage of the same offer and ordered some books and a hoodie (he is paying for this himself).
3. Needed new charging cables for my own and husband’s phone and bought two original cables new without tags on FB marketplace. The stuff cloud is the way to go! Saved about 10 Euro compared to buying new from the manufacturer’s website.
4. Paying it forward: I picked up a local history book for 1 Euro in our local independent charity shop months ago and finally read it last week. I have now passed it on to a friend (I don’t keep books except for a few non fiction ones as I figure I can always borrow a book from the library again which I very rarely do, I don’t normally re-read books) and have asked her to also pass it on to someone after she read it. It is really only of interest to local folks.
5. One of the teens needed a book for a school project which I was able to request through the library.
I’m very fussy about what meat I will eat so your recipe with chicken thighs won’t work for me. If it’s a choice between dark meat and no meat I will take the no meat every time. My husband and I went out to a chicken place a few days ago. It was the last day of two can eat for 19.99 and I got a gift card for Christmas. We both ordered the quarter chicken dinner with white meat ($2 extra) and fries with coleslaw. I ate the chicken wing, most of the fries and the coleslaw, which left most of the chicken. My husband had a lot of his left as well so we took the leftovers home. The next night we had hot chicken sandwiches for supper. Last night my husband made chicken fried rice with what was left and there is enough of the rice left for at least one more meal.
We’ve always kept our house on the cooler side. Since we have electric baseboard heaters in the guest room and bath, our guests can turn up the heat for themselves if they chose to.
1) Did more surveys
2) Applied to more jobs
3) Lined up DH as my “goober” driver (totally stealing this) to take me to the airport tomorrow. I’m visiting DS18 at college.
4) Ate leftovers multiple times this week, as per usual.
5) Convinced myself to get someone to deep clean our house before we have a ton of guests. Got the price and just couldn’t do it. I can do it myself, spread over the course of a few very intense days. I mean, I don’t want to, but I *can*. 😉
@Hawaii Planner – please capitalize Goober when a driver. Otherwise a goober is something you hawk up out of your throat. Interchangeable with hawking up a loogie.
1. While we have not been as judicious with our heat (working from home means prioritizing comfort on some of the really cold days) we did get on our utility’s level payment plan which helps smooth out rates. Since our utility bills are always much lower in the summer this is a huge relief for our budget.
2. Getting every last drop of fragrance out of my favorite candles using our candle warmer. The one I have on right now I think has finally reached its end point. Satisfying, but also a bummer since I really liked it!
3. It’s restaurant week again! I’m very excited to go out and enjoy a fun night at a discounted rate. Plus, I’m just happy to see my friends, as being home and trying to stay sane through the barrage of bad news has been difficult. Can’t put a price tag on community.
4. Frugal for a friend – we are taking a big trip to Mont Tremblant in a few weeks. My friend has to fly from a work trip but I’m driving. I am now taking his skis with me in my car. Saves him the hassle of traveling with all his gear and the expense, and I’m happy to do it.
5. I also have a work trip in advance of our vacation but it’s en-route to Canada. Work will cover a hotel at a midpoint since the meetings fall a certain way. It’s definitely lucky timing and breaks up the trip!
1. We had some ice/snow, so my classes were canceled. Saved gas money by not having to drive to work today. (Of course, this wasn’t anything I did, but I’ll still count it as a win!)
2. For dinners this week (at work apartment), I’m having grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. The bread, cheese, carrots & onions (later two for soup) were all free from mystery shop and free CSA and the canned tomatoes were purchased at the annual Can-Can sale. I estimate that each dinner cost less than $1.00
3. I leave home on Tuesdays mornings by 6:30 for my 3.5 hour commute. The last two weeks, I ended up stopping and buying a breakfast sandwich (having thought that I would just wait to each until lunch, and then getting really hungry). This week, I planned ahead and brought 2 dolmas and a hard boiled egg, saving $4.
4. I was pretty sick and so partner went to the grocery store by himself. He went rogue! And he ended up spending a good $30 more than he should have. Menu planning to make sure we do not go out to eat and instead eat all of the food that we have. So: part frugal fail/part frugal redemption?
5. Bought 6 bags of coffee online, and on sale, using a gc that someone had given me for using my work apartment for a weekend getaway.
Thank you to those who turn up the heat for guests. I am always colder than others, and visits have been ruined by environments that felt arctic to me!
A question about picking up coins. I find coins that have been ravaged by the elements. Do banks accept these coins? They’re still legal tender, right?
1. Made poor man’s stroganoff with chicken, mushrooms, sour cream and chicken noodle soup. Basically a meal from scraps.
2. Bought melatonin BOGO at the drugstore.
3. Amazon notified me that some underbed storage containers on my wish list were 20% off. I ordered them, knowing I will need to move my blankets there. I live in very small quarters.
4. Needed to add something to get free shipping, so I ordered plate holders to use in my hutch. I’ve given up trying to find them at Goodwill.
5. I am not attempting to pay for a tax cut for the rich by cutting services for the poor.
Beth – Yes, the bank will take all coins, as long as they can visually tell what coin it is….so as example, if all the picture/writing is worn off a penny, and its just a copper circle, they wont take it. I am always bringing the “rejected” coins from the change counting machine, up to the teller to get my full monies worth!
Only one thing, but a big one! I spent an hour at our Property Appraisal District office yesterday to apply for a Homestead Exemption. I was approved, and this will save me $160 a year on my property taxes. I told my mom that I was thinking of this as making $160 an hour, for the only time in my life. 🙂
I appreciate you, Katy, and all of the commenters, so much.
And if anyone could give me any tips about how to get started with mystery shops, I would really appreciate it. I am retired now, so more time. I live in South Texas, if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance!
Lindsey wrote up a great primer: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/a-mystery-shopping-primer-from-alaska-lindsey/
I’ve been doing them for several years. Quickly, you will learn which ones are worth your time.
Thanks so much!!
I started doing mystery shops last fall and I find it a great source of entertainment, some free stuff and some extra $.
1. Switched insurance carriers (homeowners and auto) and will save almost $600 on our homeowners policy and over $1,800 on our auto policy!
2. Found a first edition hardcover copy of one of my favorite books by my favorite author in someone else’s Little Free Library. I keep stocking my LFL with both kid and adult books. It gets a fair amount of traffic, and some book donations, but I like to keep rotating the books. Mostly they come from our collection as we continue to declutter.
3. Repaired an old pair of cotton leggings. Not perfect, and not permanent, but good enough to wear under skirts.
4. Entertainment: Two family birthdays celebrated on the same day. We baked a cake at home (as always), gave a gift of a one-year membership to the natural history museum (and saved $10 because it’s at the university where my husband is employed), and then played Clue (which is hilarious if you’re just a little bit tipsy). The family is doing 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles together.
5. Getting the most mileage out of a chicken: Roasted the chicken a few nights ago, then cut the leftover meat off which we put into various other things (like chicken salad), then cooked the carcass for several hours into lovely chicken broth I turned into a huge pot of chicken noodle soup. Of course I froze enough for future meals. Planning to roast another chicken this week. Same plan, but some of the chicken broth will become the base for chicken chili.
6. Have found some incredible, reliable news sources to stay informed about the ongoing coup and what we can do. So far, I’ve been able to subscribe for free on Substack and BlueSky, and there are also a couple on Facebook, which enables me to make a few financial contributions to worthy organizations.
Do you have the measurements to the Asian chicken marinade? Thank you!
There aren’t any, I just wing it. Sorry.
The liquid from canned chicken peas ( aquafaba) is an excellent egg white substitute , great for vegans, or just when eggs are pricy. Perfect for meringues etc. Google for other possibilities!