Five Tiny Frugal Things
by Katy on May 6, 2025 · 42 comments
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I stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up bananas and cabbage and picked up . . . bananas and cabbage. Trader Joe’s is rarely the most frugal option for groceries, but there are a few exceptions, specifically heavy produce. (Think butternut squash, cantaloupe, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) Why? Because they price per item rather than by-the-pound, which means that those of us who are willing to embarrass ourselves and browse for weight are rewarded with bargain prices.
Behold the mighty four-pound cabbage! I checked and Fred Meyer is currently selling their cabbage for 99¢/lb, which means I paid half that price. Time to make some okonomiyaki!
2. I mended the abandoned soccer mom chair, which took me all of maybe fifteen minutes. I could’ve used black thread to hide the repair, but I’m a fan of the visible mending movement.
3. I’m going through a basket of random desk-y items and there are a number of things to get rid of, including this electric pencil sharpener. I went ahead and listed it on my Buy Nothing group and although no one has yet to jump at this amazing opportunity, I know someone will.
4. I found an article I wanted to read on the New Yorker website, but couldn’t get access on my phone without a subscription. I was however able to read it on my laptop, plus I learned that my library provides free online magazines through Press Reader. Good to know for future magazaniness.
5. I was able to pull together a Met Gala ensemble from what I already owned.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
1) Back from a great adventure vacation in the Southwest and managed relatively little food waste while traveling. Not perfect, but pretty good. (DS is nondairy and has numerous food allergies so eating in is safer/easier/often more fun/definitely less expensive.)
2) One way I offset food waste to donate the 6 or so shelf stable items remaining to a little free food pantry in the city where we stayed. This gave me great joy and hopefully made someone else’s life a little easier.
3) Bought the National Parks pass. It more than paid for itself in usage. And now we have 11 more months to use it as well. Anyone with a 4th grader, you can get one for free! (Military members/families, permanently disabled people and volunteers are eligible for free ones also.)
4) Lots of laundry since returning, even having done laundry while away. Two loads dried on the line yesterday before it sprinkled.
5) I downloaded the app for our bank (local, not national) and am delighted with how easy it is to use and keep track of outgoing/incoming transactions. It was very helpful to have this window into our finances while we were traveling!
How fun, I love that you found a little free pantry while on vacation!
When I used to have to visit my home office, I always stayed at an extended stay motel AND brought my own food. Employer more than happy to reimburse, it was but a fraction of what eating out could cost. Invariably, I had leftover, unopened items which I left. No little free pantry near by, could have asked a co-worker and gave the items to him/her to donate. But it was obvious the items were still factory sealed and not out of date. I hope housekeeping put them to good use (and I always left a nice tip).
I’m sure that housekeeping was delighted to keep your sealed food items!
Re: #3. If you’re 62 or older you can buy a lifetime National Park Pass for $80.
I almost paid over $30 for a cabbage! The cashier had labeled it elephant has garlic!! When I brought it to he attention he fixed it.
He said he didn’t even know what that was.
I said, “I think it’s really big garlic… But it ain’t THAT big!”
*elephant garlic, not elephant has garlic
Good reminder to pay attention to the register while your groceries are being rung up!
And to always check your receipt before you leave the store!
Two things: 12ft.io often bypasses paywalls. archive.ph also often works.
Anyone else thinking, “I’ve got a cabbage for a head!”
Rose, Thanks for the tip!
I looked at the Met Gala fashions. The only one I could duplicate is the woman who glued various colored buttons to her fingernails. The rest were out of my price range.
1. Husband wanted to go to Taco Bell after chemo. I cannot remember the last time we went there. He has not been eating much, so whatever he thinks will be appealing works for me. Managed to find an app that gave us a little off.
2. As I was driving down our street, I saw a yard sale that looked like it had puzzles. It was the end of the day and the owner told me I could have all the puzzles for $5. I know have 11 new puzzles for a very good price. Cheap entertainment.
3. Went to the local nursery for a six pack of red cabbage and one of cauliflower. Picked out the ones that had two seedlings in one cell, so I paid for six but got seven of each plant. I have found that popping out the cell and setting it in some warm water for about 15 minutes makes it easier to separate the roots without doing damage to the transplants.
4. Mended an old sweater.
5. Did a gasoline shop so i could fill up the tank for a quarter less a gallon.
Nice work on mending the found chair. I love visible mending as well…no running out to buy matching thread and the results don’t have to be perfect.
1. DH and I each worked a 13 hour day at our local election. A long day for sure but most of it is sitting down and I know we’ll be happy when the paychecks arrive. This and being on call at the deli are our side gigs plus my yearly yard sale and occasional sales on FB Marketplace and the consignment store.
2. The town provides us with free coffee, muffins and Donuts for breakfast and provides us with a stipend for lunch and dinner. We pocketed the lunch stipend and went home to eat but caved in to the nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner. We were hungry and tired.
3. There were leftover Donuts and muffins at the end of the day so DH and I each took a corn muffin home for the morning.
4. I found a garden flag in with my stash of door wreaths and decorations. It’s faded but cute and says welcome on it so I hung it up.
5. I did not fire any high ranking generals.
Thank you for your election service. So important. So appreciated.
You’re very welcome JD.
1. To celebrate Cinco de Mayo yesterday, my husband made potato street tacos. (Disclosure: I will accept any excuse for my husband to make street tacos.) He used up some of the celery root that was in the fridge, and that was so good, I’m going to freeze the rest in small packages so we can add it in the future. We used bok choy from our farm box, as we did not have green cabbage. An acceptable substitute!
2. Split a burrito with my husband Sunday, as we did not have the means to take home leftovers, or keep them refrigerated. Went to the free art museums in the park, then celebrated St. George’s Day with an evensong service at church, and a free tea afterward with my niece, nephew, and the grandnibblings. We contributed a donation, but had an exceptional day for very little.
3. Saturday I gave my husband a haircut, and we went for a walk on the beach, for exercise and stress relief. Afterwards, enjoyed the overcast weather and took a nap.
4. I am looking for shoes for this summer. I had cute shoes last year that rubbed a hole in my feet, and that’s sub-optimal. I checked two thrift stores this weekend, didn’t find what I was looking for, and didn’t buy anything else.
5. I finally gave up on finding a dress for this summer, and spent $50 for a new linen dress, made with fair labor practice certification. I am fed up with the poor quality fabric I keep finding in thrift shops. I received the dress, it’s soft and perfect, and I will wear it for years, so it’s going to be worth it on a cost-per-wear basis.
But, dang, I am so fed up with the state of the clothing available.
Unless you are willing to pay a lot, the state of mass produced clothing is really not good. Even IF you spend a lot, it’s not a guarantee that it will be good. Right now I one of my many home projects is upcycling clothing with my sewing machine and trying to make new from old.
Upcycling is on my list as well… but I’m super-intimidated, and I have a deadline. Hopefully, I’ll develop skills this summer, and I won’t have to buy new again.
Not only am I disappointed and disgusted with clothing the styles either the Happy Hooker or Dame Edna
My husband LOVES dresses that look like they survived an explosion in a sequins factory. I am much more Dame Edna in personality and, frankly, in looks. I have two floor length gowns that he talked me into buying in our heyday of ballroom dancing (which he also loved much more than I did). I still wear them on occasion but I spend the night feeling like a 30 gallon garbage can that was attacked by a glitter gun. I remind myself that he is looking at me more than I am looking at me, and if it pleases him I can live with that.
You paint a vivid picture!
1. In office today – brought coffee, seltzer, and snacks from home. Didn’t have the energy to make lunch this morning so that’s the only thing I had to buy out and I found one of my cheapo spots to order.
2. Keeping the air conditioners off most of the time and avoiding installing mine in my home office. Fans are keeping us comfortable for now and reducing our utility bill for another month.
3. Taking advantage of my good health insurance with low copays to get annual screenings and check ups this week.
4. Walking/transit everywhere this week – no cabs or driving
5. I did not try to convince the leader of a sovereign nation that his country could be for sale – but then again, I’m trying to keep my spending within my means 😉
A few things:
1) Was tempted to do 5th de Mayo stuff downtown on the waterfront- dancing, food drink! But was actually appier to sit with a Mexican American friend in my backyard and have homemade agua de jamaica, tacos and have agood long gossipy night, complete with music. Tacos were takeout from a local truck with my fave non Anglo approved cuts: lengua, cabeza, tripas!
2) Planted tomato starts from a local greenhouse (Parkrose Greenhouse) – rare varieties that I look forward to seeing it grow! I don’t have the space for tomato starts, so I like getting heirloom tomatoes from her! Have also planted cuke seeds and will try to grow Minnesota Midget melons!
3) Instead of window shopping, I washed my slipcovers, which was looking grotty. Often I find that window shopping is a response to my environment being messy, and it’s a delaying tactic to clean and tidy up. I am more on top of the weekly clean than ever now making this insight about myself!
4) Related: We have perfume and grooming products at home! Right now, there are specials for Mother’s Day for beauty products… but I have plenty, stashed away in drawers and I am using them- yes, even when I am working at home. I feel great and weirdly more focused freshly groomed and dressed in comfy spring clothes when working from home!
5) We have food at home- am still making my meals with garden and farmer’s market produce . BUT! Today will be in the 80s (F- or about 28c) and I think dinner will be ice cream!
Ice cream for dinner is the best!
1. Received a May Day basket from a neighbor filled with plant seeds, gloves, towel, note pad and lemon drops.
2. Created a larger landscape bed and used the clumps and extra dirt to fill in low spots in our yard. It’s basically filler since grass doesn’t grow well in our shady yard.
3. Being extra careful with using and saving water inside the house (as an offset to the extra watering we’re doing outside on our new plants).
4. Met my sister at a park for a picnic lunch and a walk.
5. Found a penny in a parking lot in really rough shape. We’ll see if the bank’s coin counter accepts it.
@MB in MN, at my bank, no matter how mangled, as long as they see somethin to tell what coinage it is…they will exchange it at the teller window. I always take the “rejected” coins to the teller and just deposit them.
Cheryl, thanks for the tip!
The mending looks great and reminds me I have an old Jansport backpack from when I was in high school that I want to mend that is waiting for me…
1. This weekend I hosted an event with free breakfast, lunch, and cake. It was a great time and I was well fed.
2. I made a grocery list and sent my bf to the grocery store to avoid myself from impulse shopping, but not him….lol, frugal fail?
3. My son was accepted into a camp at a local college this Summer. He is one of 40 students to get accepted and it is free through a grant. I am excited and need to start gathering things like twin XL bed sheets for his stay and microwavable food, snacks, and drinks.
4. I borrowed a pressure washer and am working on pressure washing culvert walls and then repainting them. This is something I could hire out, but can also do myself for a much lower cost.
5. A dear friend helped me find a good price on plane tickets for a future visit. She saved me about $100 dollars.
Surely I can’t be the only one who wants to see your Met Gala ensemble! Am I the only one who has no idea what a Met Gala is?
Mending is a super power in my book! Nice fix.
One big one as we are attending a niece’s wedding soon. I noticed that the dress I had recently bought to wear to this “summer formal” wedding in Palm Springs had gone on sale. I asked for a price adjustment and got over 50% off. I’m thrilled. Also for the wedding, a DIL arranged a home exchange so we could all stay for free except for the cleaning fee. I offered to pay that fee and it was $25 less than I remembered, way less than a hotel room, and way more space. Plus Hubby and I get to stay with both sons and DILS which will be fun.
Mending truly is a super power!!!
I agree mending is a SuperPower! when on my holiday I picked up a mending kits at one of our hotels – it was a handy little hard plastic case (tiny) with 5 needles pre-threaded with different colours. Just enough thread for one ‘quick mend’, so I popped it into my backpack. On one of the long bus drive days, I pulled it out and proceeded to do a repair (seam pulling away) that I have needed to do for years. SO satisfying to get it done, and our tour guide was very impressed to see me stitching away.
I love that you fixed that chair so handily!
1. I found a pen while walking today. Lots of ink left in it.
2. Got my annual lab tests done this morning, combining that errand with going to the gym and returning books to the library.
3. Two e-books arrived from Hoopla.
4. Had another serving of the casserole I’ve been eating all week. I put the very last serving in the freezer, because I’ve truly had enough for the time being.
5. Decided to let my Sam’s Club membership lapse until I figure out whether I’m getting my money’s worth.
We dumped our Sam’s Club membership a couple of years after we purchased it. The lack of consistent availability of items as well as the “we got this size, take it or leave it”. IMHO, you can do better knowing prices at various stores and watching sales.
There is a Costco in our area – took a long time to get one. BUT:
1 – it is too far of a drive
2 – I am brand loyal to certain products
3 – we can get better quality meat for not much more at a local butcher shop
4 – we patronize a number of local businesses – eye glasses for one
5 – we have few Rx and Costco is never on the list at a cheaper price
6 – I am *not* driving 30 minutes to save a few pennies on gas
7 – only the two of us and we can grill hotdogs at home lol.
For some, Costco is a great deal. But it is not for us.
Selena, your list of reasons for not joining Costco is almost exactly the same list I would have written. The only difference is that a membership makes even less sense for one person than it does for two.
You may notice that what we buy fro Costco is almost exclusively staples. No pre-made frozen food and never the hard goods.
Katy, I love the phrase “visible mending movement”! Along time ago my husband was playing golf with his very wealthy law partner. Partner asked what was on his golf sweater and husband said my wife mended it. (Obviously not very well!!) I remember being mortified! Old/current me would be so proud!! One less sweater in the landfill.
No frugal wins here. Just back from out trip down south to visit our kids. Expensive but for this trip we don’t care. The constant laughter and really feeling all the love is indescribable. Also, we have well water where we live and it appears we need a new well. Painful! Good news – I got my first gift card from Fetch and couldn’t be happier. All thanks to the blog!
Money deliberately spent with loved ones is never a waste.
And where IS the picture of your pulled together Met Gala outfit? I can’t be the only person asking (says she who has not read through the comments yet).
My Met Gala outfit? On Vogue.com
1. Mr. Husband started senior softball so I get to see one or two games a week and some great together time with him, for $140 for the season. I don’t know, maybe not that frugal but I enjoy it.
2. I bought the giant bag of tortilla chips at Costco so we have been eating a lot of nachos. I enjoy them. We change up the toppings every time and they are easy and fast to make.
3. A check I was waiting for did not come, so I have phone calls to make tomorrow. In the meantime, I have five NSF fees from my bank to cover. Not frugal! But on the other hand, I have not been shopping and we are eating out of the cabinets. 🙁
4. I’ve got some volunteer tomatoes coming up in one garden bed and I’m very excited because those tomatoes were great producers last year. Free!
5. The usual: yoga in my living room, free walks around the neighborhood, drinking water from the tap, reading books I already own, feeding scraps to the chickens, and wearing clothes I already have in the closet.
I’m so sorry that you’re waiting on a check and have NSF fees. Boo!