Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on March 22, 2025 · 59 comments
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My niece and I took our laptops to Tabor Space, which describes itself as “A community gathering place.” Located in an historic church, (note the stained glass windows) this non-religious space is the perfect example of a “Third Space,” for when you need somewhere that’s neither home, work nor shopping. (Other examples would be a park or library that lets you exist without the weight of consumerism.) There is an adjoining coffee shop, but you’re not required to buy anything to use the space. I brought my own tea from home, but slipped a dollar into their tip jar.
This reminds me of when I wrote about New York City’s Privately Owned Public Spaces (aka “POPS”) that allow New Yorkers to legally hang out in hundreds of specific places without the stigma of loitering. It’s easy in balmy weather to find commercially neutral places to hang out, but such is not the case this time of year.
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I got a text from New Seasons Market with an offer for a free 16-ounce box of their pasta, so I picked up the box and nothing else. I guess rigatoni is in our future!
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I thrifted a $4 faux midcentury dining chair when dropping off Goodwill donations the other day. (Minus my 10%-off senior discount, so it was actually $3.59!) I promptly listed it on Facebook Marketplace for $40 and have a couple people who’ve already messaged me about wanting to buy it. It hasn’t sold yet, but I’ve done very well with midcentury style furniture and fully expect it to sell.
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My mother and stepfather took us to dinner, which was a treat as I’m otherwise sticking to No Spend March as much as possible. We’ve had them to dinner the past few nights, so I feel A-okay accepting their generosity.
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I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }
1. I made a batch of Persian-Style Lentil and Tomato soup. It used up part of an onion and the dregs of a jar of marinara sauce. We also had several lemons and I used one of them. I recently made two batches of Katy’s Lentil soup and will make it again in the near future.
2. I found another pen while walking. It was in the street and I brought it home rather than leaving it there to be run over.
3. DH has been having foot problems. He bought a pair of SAS dress shoes and they are working out well. He wanted a brown pair as well as a black pair and he found a new pair for less than half price on eBay. We ordered them immediately.
4. I am baking Peanut Butter Cup cookies. The peanut butter cups were 75% off after Halloween. One of the cooling racks was found in the street last year and another was purchased at a yard sale in our neighborhood at least 25 years ago.
5. I finished the library book A Place Called Home and started Good Dirt. I am also listening to Dare I Say It after finishing The Quiet Librarian. Both were digital borrows from the library. I return digital items as soon as I am finished with them since I know others are often waiting to borrow them.
I really love that you have a public gathering space to use! I wish we had something like that because one of my household members really struggles with visitors in our home.
No spend March (aside from groceries/needed personal care items) has been a success overall!
1. I had a digital coupon for a free bag of frozen french fries. It didn’t register as I watched my grocery items being scanned but a manager quickly came over and reduced my total by the full amount. I always check as things are scanned and/or check my receipt before leaving the store.
2. We’ve had some unusually cool evenings and mornings for our area so I have taken the full opportunity to air out the house and keep the AC off.
3. I recently went through my clothing and was able to put together 4 outfits that I can currently wear outside of the house (read: no stains, not overly worn, fits properly) in the current/upcoming season. I’d like to have at least one more and decided to check out a new-to-me consignment shop I passed on the way to the grocery store but didn’t buy anything. $0 spent. I’ll re-visit in April.
4. My dog needed treats and I found some on sale but they are too big for him. I split them all into three parts and he’s happy. They will last 3x’s as long for the sale price and that ended up being less than 1/2 the cost of what it would cost me to make them from scratch.
5. My teen and I have made it a point to pull out and play some of our tucked away board and card games which has been a great way to entertain ourselves without spending. I love that time with him so much.
How fun to play games that had been sitting unloved and unused. I love board games!
Oh, I love that picture! What a great way to use an old church building.
I must confess my nursing student brain always thinks of third spacing when I hear the “third space” term.
(Why yes, I AM in the middle of studying hepatic disorders right now. Although third spacing has come up with lots of disorders!)
Far more “place to exist without the expectation of spending money” and far less “edema.”
1. Repurposing old stained kitchen towels as cleaning rags.
2. Speaking of free hang out spaces… I took my kids to home school book club at the library, and I chatted with the moms. Our little library is very small, but they do lots of activities! Daughter also checked out some books for a school paper.
3. My mother-in-law made hummus, veggies and pita bread for supper. It was a delicious vegetarian meal from scratch!
4. Watched the first half of Fiddler on the Roof while eating home popped popcorn. The culture in the movie is fascinating!
5. Doing lots of DIY projects on our house, putting a fence up, re-caulking the tub and organizing
Sadly, my library is getting a full renovation and won’t be back in action for at least another year.
Extending DEEPEST sympathy to you, libraryless! I live in a vertical retirement village, here in sub tropical Brisbane Australia, and have a good small library just one floor down ( by lift), and my local library is less than 100 metres away, with a really big one just a short bus ride away in the CBD, plus our State Library at a similar distance! I’ve been housebound for a bit following a major car accident, and a lovely librarian drops my book orders off for me! I a,ways feel as if going to heaven when I die will be a definite down grade!
Coral Clarke,
Oh, I’m sure the good Lord will have wonderful libraries in Heaven for you and for all of us. After all, He thinks of everything!
Meanwhile, I hope you get to feeling better real soon!
I know the newly rebuilt library will be great, but I straight up loved my small footprint library!
I recall being especially bereft when my library was undergoing a year plus renovation. The resulting product is wonderful. The library is my happy place. A fresh stack of books makes my day. I love the Libby and Hoopla apps too. I has saved me countless dollars over the years and has been a refuge from caregiving.
For those who may wonder how I felt about my library:
https://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/a-love-letter-to-the-belmont-branch-library/
Coral Clarke,
There is a famous quote from Jorge Luis Borges that I’ve always liked:
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library”.
🙂
Biggest thing I miss about living in Portland. The libraries, and every section of the city has one.
We are so lucky here!
Ours is closed in Woodstock too, but just until summer (I hope!) I am going to have to venture over to Sellwood instead. I also use the Milwaukie Ledding Library because I live in Unincorporated Clack county, but Woodstock is five minutes from my house 🙂 We are truly #blessed to be living in an area with so many options! And the Libby app! I could go on and on. P.S. I have Washington county library card too because I am that big of a nerd.
1. I’m reading another library book on my Kindle.
2. I cut up some bell pepper that was going to end up as compost and put them in the freezer for a future meal.
3. I picked up a beautiful pie/cake server at Goodwill for my daughter’s stocking.
4. I went to lunch with my sister and mom. We all ordered water and shared appetizers. I took the leftovers home and my youngest ate them for dinner.
5.We found another discount grocery store on our way back from lunch. I bought some snack cakes for my daughter and some prosciutto for a future pizza and spent less than $3.
1. Made birthday cards on the computer using cardstock templates received via Buy Nothing.
2. Husband negotiated a reduced rate for an extended stay next winter at the same Airbnb in Arizona where we stayed this winter. Saved $2,500.
3. To help pay for a longer stay in AZ, we cancelled a couple other smaller trips that we take annually. Getting away in the winter has become a higher priority.
4. Used $10 off dog food promo from Chewy. I’m not a big online order kind of gal, but it is nice to get heavy bags of dog food delivered to our home.
5. Received a $50 credit from our electric company through a program that provides customers with credits based on the number of outages/interruptions over the past year. We live in a neighborhood with a lot of trees so downed power lines are fairly common.
Whoa, that’s an amazing price reduction!
It really is. The host valued the guaranteed two-month stay and our stellar track record.
What a great savings on your stay. Getting out of the winter for couple months sounds amazing.
POPS are pretty cool, but they’ve been around a long, long time. My dad explained to me when I was kid that the owners of a building would provide public space in exchange for concessions like a change in setback laws. NYC real estate rules are about as Byzantine as the US tax code.
Not so much frugal here. I did use part of a regular floor vacuum to pick up stuff with my shop vac. Where the heck the floor wand for that has gone is losts in the mists of time.
I started more seeds. Yay! I get a happiness boost from starting seeds.
I made a really delicious quiche out of odds and ends and leftovers.
I think that’s about it. Dinner tonight will be sloppy joes, which would seem to people awfully cheap, but I make them (from scratch, of course) about two times a year and love them.
I love sloppy Joe’s, but don’t think I’ve had them since I was a kid.
Sloppy Joe’s with lentils really works too
You just reminded me that someone asked for a canning recipe for Sloppy Joe Starter and I completely forgot. Doh! I can go back and look, but here it is. It’s a Ball Canning Jar recipe: https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=saucy-sloppy-joe-starter
I make mine with lentil or TVP (or Impossible burger), but you there are also recipes for canning recipes with meat.
Wow, that sounds delicious. Mine is simpler with just meat and onions, ketchup, a little brown sugar, Worcestershire, a little lemon juice, garlic and salt. Very fast and easy and I have no idea why I never make it. Place on buns, obviously, but my daughter will sometimes dump it over ramen.
That *DOES* sound delicious! I just recieved a stovetop canner for Christmas (I asked for one, so yippee!). It can function as a water bath canner, or a pressure canner. My hubby loves sloppy Joe- but the way he makes it is too sweet for me (basically cooked ground beef with onion and ketchup. Maybe there chopped green pepper in there, I forget).
Rose, yours sounds yummy, too. I would think the lemon juice and Worchestershire sauce cut the sweetness a bit.
I gave my pressure canner away to a neighbor last year. I got tired of it glaring angrily, unused, at me. Apparently I do not have the bandwidth to can anything but some jellies and some pickles/relishes, which are all OK in a water bath.
I have a sloppy Joe recipe that has the addition of dried clove & it makes it next level!!!
Oh, post it! I love a pinch of cloves in a meat dish but never occurred to me in sloppy joes.
As I’ve said before, I’m quite a good cook if someone says “Make this,” but when left on my own, my brain turns into Homer Simpson’s dancing cows.
Rose, my mom makes hers the same way minus the lemon juice and garlic. They are so good. I love sloppy joes.
It was me who asked, thanks so much for sharing. Now, do I have the energy to do this before I go on my trip? great way to empty the fridge of perishables!
1. Not frugal as part of my spring fling I threw out multiples of herbs and spices that were years past expiration date
2. Used Old English scratch remover on several pieces of furniture that got scratch while new floors being laid
3. Wrote a letter complimenting a product and received 2 coupons for their free products.
4. Listed another few more items online
5. Making pizza tonight however we bought the premade cauliflower crusts
Holding onto what is essentially garbage is far from frugal.
I made my mom a map picture of my town out of beach glass, green for land, blue for water etc. To mark my great grandmother’s house (two doors down from mine!), I bought a heart shaped piece of pink beach glass from Estonia for $10 off Etsy. BFF (also now gone) said, “So you’re paying money for literal garbarge now?”
Rose,
That’s funny, I never thought of beach glass as garbage, though I guess that really is what it is. That map sounds amazing. I have a friend who lives in Maine – she and her kids create pictures out of beach glass and shells that they find on the beach. I treasure the picture I bought from her.
Kathy, thanks for the reminder about Old English!
1. I owe Kathy a great big thank you. We’ve been moving furniture into the newly-floored front room and I noticed some nicks and gouges on the china cabinet legs. Horrors! I’d forgotten about Old English until I read her post. Sure enough, I had some under the sink! So I’m about to go in and fix the damage. Free. Thank you, Kathy!
2. My friend M. came over and she and I wrestled the torn comforter into the duvet cover I bought at Aldi for $19. It was a battle royale! But we got it fixed. Now I will still be nice and comfortable on chilly nights, despite the rip in the comforter’s fabric — and the simple, off-white cover is something Joanna Gaines would be proud to have in any of her fixer upper houses! It really looks Modern Farmhouse! Plus, I didn’t have to shell out money for another king-sized comforter on my bed; I believe the going rate for comforters is far above $19.
3. M. looked at the cloth package the above-mentioned duvet cover came in and said “that’d fit your throw pillow.” It had a flap with a Velcro closing on it. And, yes, the throw pillow was a perfect fit. So now I have a matching decorative pillow on my bed, free.
4. Reusing packaging plastic as trash bags. One came with my reconditioned vacuum cleaner.
5. I want to reach out to all like-minded non-consumers in Texas. Some whack job of a state legislator wants to name Interstate 35 after the Orange Ogre. If you object to calling I-35 the “Donald J. Trump Highway,” please contact your state representative and your state Senator and express your views. Pls. be polite and calm, we don’t want to stoop to you-know-who’s level. The irony IMHO is that tRump has no roots in Texas, nor does he have any real ties to the Lone Star State.
I watched a YouTube video a few years back about an easier way to put comforters into duvet covers that involved laying the blanket over the inside-out cover. You then roll from the top down to the open end and then flip it. it’s hard to explain, as it’s very visual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFOhjljieqs
Fru-gal Lisa
Glad I sparked an idea.
I have used Old English scratch cover to cover scuffs on my brown leather clogs.
LOVE the chair!! If it doesn’t sell, it would make a cool addition to your house if you have room!
I do have room, but I don’t have need.
My town replaced the turn of the century library with a new building, thanks to our state senator procuring the funds for 75% of the cost. Like you, I loved the old brick building with granite stairs and gorgeous original woodwork. I thought I would miss it but as soon as I walked through the doors of the new one, I knew the town had made the right decision. It’s become my favorite place to be besides my friend’s indy book store. I hope you have a similar experience Katy.
1. I washed a load of clothes (in cold water, of course) and hung them outside to dry on my wooden rotary clothesline.
2. I made a batch of turkey Italian meatballs and put them in leftover sauce in a crockpot earlier today. I could tell by how tired I feel I won’t want to cook at supper time so this made my day easier.
3. I’m wearing a Lands End hooded zip-up sweatshirt DH found on a hiking trail in the woods during Covid. It’s going strong and is great to throw on when feeling chilly around the house.
4. I cut DH’s hair.
5. Taking part in a protest tomorrow with fellow mail carriers, both retired and still working, to let our voices be heard about the new administration’s cuts to the USPS.
I hope the protest goes well! I think there is a shift, but still so much work to be done in standing up for a functioning gov and USPS!
1. My husband is an AARP Tax Aide, which means he and other nice geeks take a lot of training and then do free weekly tax prep for those who sign up for this. A friend signed up, got this year’s taxes done for free, but had one more question so she came here to ask about that. We ate leftover pizza while she was here. I also gave her two large unopened bags of spinach (given to me). She gives me rides often. Give and take.
2. I needed to buy “readers” at CVS while I wait for my eyes to finish healing from cataract procedures. We had one $5 off digital coupon but at the POP it took that off twice and we didn’t protest.
3. Quit a gym membership we weren’t using.
4. Still eating the (frozen) gluten-free sourdough waffles I made that are terrible waffles but, toasted, are excellent for wraps.
5. Sorted through most of my clothes. Donated 3 bags of stuff to St Vinnie’s, most items were thrifted in the first place except for socks that were too tight. But new socks will go straight to families who can use them.
1. I had two events to go to in one day and they were both “bring a snack or appetizer”. Searching my fridge and pantry I found stuff to make a Mediterranean hummus dip with pita crackers and a taco dip with tortilla chips. Able to bring two appetizers with only items I had on hand!
2. Followed up on a refund I was supposed to receive and didn’t two more times until it finally went through. Can’t let those things fall through the cracks.
3. My daughter received a $300 refund from her study abroad unexpectedly (probably a security deposit for her apartment). I think we used her 529 funds for that originally so I was able to surprise her by depositing it in her account.
4. Our local subway never takes paper coupons but I decided to try ordering online and seeing if they would take online coupons. It worked! They were running a special for $6.99 for a foot long. So my husband and I split a footling and it was only $3.50 per person for dinner.
5. Attended a free webinar today on starting a garden from seeds. Got a lot of good info. I’ve saved cupcake and egg containers to use as growing pots for the seeds and bought a small bag of seed starter today that was 15% off. And my seeds I got from my local library’s seed library. I’m going to use containers I already have to have a container garden on my deck. So I only need to buy potting soil when I plant outside and I’ll be set!
Elizabeth, re your #1: I always feel so accomplished when that happens!
I’ve had a terrible-no-good-horrible day. I’m writing here to remind myself that I volunteered for 3 hours at an event to offer people free resources and knowledge about growing food at home. That was a good thing. And I spent 45 minutes reading to my grandson on the phone. That was a joy
The rest of the day is unmentionable.
So sorry to hear about your day, Kara. I love that you looked for the good…and you found it. Blessings for a better day tomorrow.
I wish for better days for you in the upcoming week. <3
Kara, I’m sorry you had a horrible day. Glad you could find some joy and good in it.
Sorry about your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Maybe you should move to Australia.
1. Had a girls day at a friend’s house and brought along drinks we had and snacks we had in pantry. We have talked our heads off.
2. I’m planting a shade garden by borrowing from other parts of the garden. Lots of volunteer cinerraria around the edges of the yard, moved to the official shade garden. Free!
3. Wore clothes I had thrifted.
4. I made a casserole from sad vegetables, broken fettuccine and a can of turkey gravy. I wanted potato chips on top but we were out. But I found some stale cheese crackers and crushed them for topping. It was delicious.
5. Headed out to buy second hand tin roofing tomorrow from FB marketplace for our future chicken coop.
I love just moving plants around!
1. Made a big IP allotment of chickpeas. I will make pineapple chickpea salad (for work lunches) and a big pot of veggie curry. The curry will also use up a cauliflower that needs to be used soon and other bits and bob veggies from the refrigerator. I also love the IP for beans and rice (I eat plant based which is also frugal) and use it weekly to batch my meals.
2. I broke down from my no spend and went grocery and thrift shopping yesterday. I only shopped local and Aldi. I did stick to a small list and only bought what I needed (including at the thrift shop because I am also decluttering, especially for if I need to sell the house due to job loss. The exception was blackberries which were on sale at Aldi. I bought extra and put some in the freezer and some in the dehydrator. I will use them with oats for camping this summer.
3. Almost done with The Witch of Hebron (physical book) and also my vehicle audio book How to Love a Forest. I really recommend the latter. It is poetic and informational and just a wonderful read. I tend to keep an audio and a physical book going at the same time.
4. I have a huge pile of decluttered items to be listed on Buy Nothing. I also gave away a stack of puppy pads I had from my late senior dog. Someone asked for them and I was happy I could provide. I love Buy Nothing and have met so many of my wonderful neighbors through this group.
5. Spent yesterday cleaning up the yard and garden beds. I tend to keep my brush piles until May or so to allow caterpillars and other tiny earthlings have a chance. But I did clean up the trash the winds blew into the yard and broke down some of the sticks and such to get them ready to go to compost. This one was just good for the spirit. I am so ready for gardening season!
Gina in NY,
I’m curious – there’s a Hebron, Kentucky, which is in my general geographic area. Is that where the bookmark story is set, by chance?
I, too, tend to have either a physical book or an ebook (via Libby app) and an audiobook (in the car) going at the same time. Currently listening to On Tyranny, which is interesting, and I’m learning a lot – but a bit grim, given the US’s current political landscape.
I love the picture of the stained glass. So calming, so beautiful.
My frugals:
1) found 3 loaves of my favorite bread, sourdough rounds, marked down to $1.29 at Aldi (3 loaves with $2 off stickers). It is my favorite bread for toast. I got 1 loaf for now and 2 others to put in the freezer. It is great for French toast too. The texture is great.
2) Found a book for my son at a Little Free Library, that I will save and put in his Easter basket/gift bag this year.
3) Found a cheaper hair color, and unsubscribed from the more expensive brand I was getting from Subscribe and Save at Amazon.
4) doing most of my shopping at Aldi, Walgreens and thrift stores. Am looking forward to warmer weather so the garage sales (especially church garage sales, which I love) can get started.
5)Still cutting my son’s and my husband’s hair. I’m not as good as a professional, but they are satisfied with me. It saves at least $150 a year for both of them (6 haircuts @approx $25 each)
6) Bonus. Remembering to always be grateful for everything I have and thanking God for it, keeps me from being to greedy or seeking what other people may have.
The community room really is so lovely.