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I popped into Fred Meyer (Kroger) to grab milk, but made sure to pass by the clearance produce shelf. My expectations were low, as it was late afternoon, but I did grab this $1 bag of bruised apples. I know, I know . . . it’s hardly a brag worthy score, but the price of apples has been steadily increasing and I consider 25¢/apple make it worth the effort to cut off a bruise or two.
Perfect for an afternoon snack!
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I was inspired by the quote “Sometimes it’s easier to make last-minute plans than to plan in advance.” from Gretchen Rubin’s Secrets of Adulthood.
So I sent out a text to the neighbors saying “The weather is too nice to be indoors, so I’m going to be in my backyard at 8 PM tonight with a cool beverage. You are all invited to stop by with your own beverage for a bit of neighborly conversation.”
I ended up with a small backyard party that required no preparation beyond making sure we had no underwear on the laundry line. Socializing doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful.
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My neighbor is getting ready to move and set a few things out on her curb. I wasn’t tempted by the lawn chairs or coffee maker, but I did bring home a down throw pillow that turned out to be Pottery Barn. The pattern is perfectly fine and I can use it on my thrifted front porch loveseat. I even washed the cover and plucked the insert.
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I’m halfway through listening to Katie Naymon’s delightful You Between The Lines through the library’s free Libby app.
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I didn’t buy anything at Fred Meyer except for the milk and apples. I have an proper ongoing grocery list, but I’ll hold off until I can get myself to Winco. The price difference between the two stores is dramatic!
Five Tiny Frugal Things
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Love the pillow! I wish we had piles to look from in my very small town. I truly miss living in the university town with lots of free piles! Anyways…..
1. It was still dark outside and I made my egg salad breakfast sandwich with sourdough bread that turned out to have mold all over it. Note to self: put on glasses or turn on a brighter light. Anyways, I punted after I got to office and realized I had cheese and crackers in the office fridge! I also had my pbj sandwich for lunch and peanut butters crackers from the office stash that is free for employees. So, no money expended for breakfast and lunch despite my stupidity…whew!
2. I washed out my black work skirt in the bathtub and hung it out to dry.
3. I was upset late yesterday and went on a thirty minute walk in my neighborhood to try to clear my head. Bonus points for the free exercise.
4. I raised my windows for the fresh breeze last night before the storm. We do have to have screens to keep out the gazillion mosquitoes.
5. I didn’t have to water my rosebushes nor my onions and greens because of the monsoon like storm last night.
Last night I made homemade pizza! No eating out and used what we had in the fridge. I have two teens so they eat a lot!
1. I had a ton of local strawberries (I’d bought some at the market on Saturday, and then my mom gifted me some she had purchased), and they were started to get soft, so I sliced and froze them. I’ll thaw what I need each morning for my yogurt with homemade granola.
2. Drinking tea at work that I make myself instead of buying anything on the way to work.
3. Switched my new spouse to my health insurance – saves him a ton since his insurance is a lot pricier, and has a deductible.
4. Wearing a thrifted skirt I have had for years and still get compliments on it.
5. Wearing Birkenstocks that I’ve had for years and brought to the cobbler twice. They’re currently in amazing shape. Hoping to hang on to them for many more years.
Thank you for the book recommendations! And well done on saving those apples, I like to have them with peanut butter, too.
1. Frugal win that turned into a (partial) frugal fail: got a Lidl “Waste Not” box (3 Euro) and amongst other fruit and veg it contained 3 bananas that were going brown. Decided to make banana oat cookies to use them up. Put the cookies into the oven, set a timer – the timer went off but I was busy with something else so I thought I would go take them out of the oven in a minute, then promptly forgot. By the time I remembered to take them out they were quite burnt 🙁 I managed to cut off the burnt parts but was then only left with 1/4 of the original cookies. Oh well …
2. Recent favourite library read: Let the great world spin (Colum McCann)
3. My friend gave me an indoor plant start and I gave her an evening primrose plant and wild strawberry starts.
4. The hydrangeas in our garden are in full bloom now and I am bringing them in for our vases and am also giving some to friends and neighbours.
5. Continuing to use organza bags which I got years ago to keep the blackbirds off our raspberries. If I didn’t put organza bags on the clusters of raspberries we would be left with none!
1. Wore a nice blue T-shirt from Goodwill and dressy white slacks to my property tax hearing, under the theory that people subconsciously decide if they like you within 2 seconds of your walking in; the color psychology experts say blue makes people subconsciously think you are likeable, honest, and forthcoming. (I learned all this from job-hunting books.) Anyway, I got compliments on my shirt, which featured Texas bluebonnets (another local favorite) and I grinned and said “it’s from the GW Boutique.” A lady on the panel asked “Is that in Crawford?” and I told her “no, that’s what I call Goodwill. I also get things from Salvation Armani.” They all laughed, and I think that put them in a good disposition toward me, and this let them know I was short on funds. It may have worked, as I convinced them to lower my property value by more than a third.
2. Ate cereal (bought on sale from Ollie’s Outlet) for breakfast instead of going to a restaurant when I was out of my usual breakfast food (muffins).
3. Recent rains meant I didn’t have to water. And the crape myrtle bush by the back fence is in full bloom!
4. An old dress, a sleeveless shift, has a hole in the fabric and a stain on the front. It has now been demoted to a summer nightgown.
5. I did not impulsively make ill-advised comments to a Middle Eastern country that could plunge us into a war.
1. Met with personal trainer which is free with my $15/mo wellness center membership. Currently attending the active aging classes 3x week
2 Made a hearty beef vegetable soup with leftover steak from Father’s Day
3. Lots of thunderstorms in Central Oklahoma means no need to
water
4. Friend sent me indoor herb growing kit
5. Got a couple of things sold online