Four Frugal Things -- "Cheap, Healthy & Yummy!"
1) I finished reading August Lane and immediately started Cherry Baby, by Rainbow Rowell. I like to take advantage of reading momentum to delve into the next book before reading mode switches off. Think chain smoking, but fostering an addiction to reading instead of cigarettes!
Like most of my library holds, I forget how Cherry Baby came on my radar, but that's neither here nor there. This book looks to be a fun read, which is good as I need to take the occasional break from books with Serious Themes.
I also put two books on hold that were recommended from Young House Love's Instagram page. A favor for "future Katy."
I've seen authors talk about how the most powerful marketing tool for book sales is "word of mouth" and that's certainly rings true for me. These books will likely take awhile to come in at the library, but that's okay as "past Katy" looks out for "future Katy."
Future Katy is a very lucky woman!
2) I listed my late mother-in-law's art easel on Facebook Marketplace for $300. This model sells new for up to $1197, so hopefully some lucky Portlander will come by to snap it up.
I procrastinated this task as it was filthy and needed a thorough wipe down. It's a really cool piece and infinitely adjustable. We just have no need for it.
3) I threw together a pot of soup, which used up the last of some bulk black beans. It was a last minute decision, but using my Instant Pot meant it took less than an hour from idea to consumption.
No recipe, but it did include:
- Black beans -- duh
- A small amount of browned sausage. It used ⅓ of a $1.99 Jimmy Dean sausage tube.
- Soy sauce
- sautéed onion
- garlic powder
- chopped cabbage
- chicken broth
- Cumin, paprika, chili powder, seasoned salt, steak seasoning
Like chili, black beans soup is all about the toppings. The only thing missing was cilantro, but I'm hesitant about raw veggies in current dystopian America.
Cheap, yummy, healthy!
I just need to remember to add "black beans" to my Winco shopping list!
4) Speaking of Winco bulk bins, I continue to enjoy my daily oatmeal, complete with bulk bin raisins and almonds.
Have I mentioned "cheap, healthy and yummy" lately?
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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I’m out in the sticks again. It seems that with the death of a farming in-law, I am now an accidental farmer. We will see what happens once the estate is settled. I’m trying it on for size, but, since I’m not a fan of Trump, believe in gun control, and am a “non-believer”, I feel wary of the neighbors.
There are plenty of blackberries here, so I picked a few quarts this morning and made jelly. I strain out the seeds because Oregon blackberries are too seedy for my taste!
I dropped by the grocery store and noticed a big assortment of Taylor Farms bagged salad kits that were heavily discounted. Ha! Not today!
One can only hope that Taylor Farms supplied the salad ingredients for the guest of dishonor at the White House Correspondents Dinner. He set a new low with his misbehavior, even for him! I bet those reporters wanted to vomit.
Seriously Fru-gal Lisa - he doesn't eat salad. Closest he gets to a veggie is the pickle, "onion", and lettuce on a big mac.
He’d just blame Joe Biden. 😉
Actually Dump hates pickles. He also asks them to “hold my Gherkin.” Lol but it’s true.
1. Yesterday, since the weather was still reasonably cool, I walked to Walgreens to buy CoQ10, which was free, since my Medicare Advantage plan pays for OTC drugs, up to a certain limit.
2. While there, I picked up some Hudsonville ice cream. I had a dollar in Walgreens rewards, so it was $5. I used to live near Hudsonville, Michigan, so I have a soft spot for their ice cream.
3. On the way I went through an alley where I found a free woven tote bag. It would make a good beach bag. I brought it home, but haven't decided whether I'll keep it or donate it.
4. I also visited a garage sale, but there was nothing I wanted. It was run by an elderly woman who trying to get rid of all her collectibles. Nothing was priced. I passed.
5. I sold a pair of leggings on eBay. I will have to mail it on Monday, since the message didn't come until after the post office closed.
6. I decided not to list a couple of Corningware petite casseroles without lids. There were a million on eBay already and not going for much. Now, if I had the lids and not the dishes -- that would have been worth listing!
7. I did list a Montessori baby development activity toy, which I got it at Goodwill. It was brand new, still in its plastic wrapping. I paid $2 and I'm selling it for $15. I'm happy enough with such modest gains, as I never find the kinds of upscale things Katy finds!
I have been reselling for years , and while I do often hope to make 20+ off an item, I love flipping items for less as well! Especially high quality kids stuff. It usually sells quick and I pass on a good deal to another parent!
1. I attended 4 free yoga classes this week.
2. I got a digital coupon for a free small bouquet at Publix. I'll get it & take to an elderly neighbor. My allergies have been troublesome & I don't want to antagonize my nose w/ fresh flowers.
3. I also got a Publix coupon for a free 1/2 gallon of their store brand ice cream or a bar cake. I have to decide which I will get.
4. I signed up for a new digital pay app called Paze. A number of CC are eligible to add to it. Paze is running a promotion until the September 10. If you buy 10 dollars or more at their merchants you get a 10 dollar credit on your CC bill for the purchase. You can use it up to 10 times. There are not that many merchants but Dunkin, Dominos, & Little Caesars are listed. I figure I can get some food items. I got a protein coffee & a breakfast wrap at Dunkin for $10.42 yesterday. I'll see if the credit is applied before I go crazy ordering things. There is no charge to use Paze.
5. I have a nice top that my BFF gave me. I am going to see if I can find some fabric that coordinates to sew around the hem to make it long enough to wear as a summer dress. The top is rather long for my taste but will work as a dress if I can add some length.
I cleaned out a freezer and found several vacuum bags of walnuts. Made a big batch of savory oatmeal with Walnuts, Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds a dash of maple syrup, nutritional yeast spice blend that we use on popcorn. Baked it extra crispy. Will top a spinach and strawberry salad with it tonight.
Picked a bushel of windfall peaches for a batch of jewel jam. Holiday baskets are being planned in my head at the heart of harvest.
Made the sauce for my fresh peach pies on Sunday.
That easel is beautiful and your soup looks so good.
I had a bowl of yesterday's homemade beef-veggie-barley soup for lunch and it hit the spot. A small amount of barley added to a soup will thicken it up like a stew by the next day -- yum!
Made my family more chocolate pudding with Dollar Tree shelf-stable milk and made a batch of peanut butter cookies to go with it. There was rain again today, so no need to water the garden. DS dried his shirts on a rack on the porch, which helps a bit toward the awful electric bills of summer.
I'm a huge fan of barley soups - there is something so satisfying about how the 'thicken up'. #2 son is also a fan - I'll remind him about that, he is looking for new things to cook up with his sweetie! Barley Mushroom sooooop!!
I enjoy all the book recommendations I get from here too! I’ve read This is How it Always Is and really enjoyed it, I’m adding good joy bad joy to my list.
I did an unfrugal activity today of taking my daughter to her first broadway show (Beauty and the Beast). We ate lunch at home before the show though so didn’t need to eat out and we took public transit there rather than drive and pay for expensive parking so even though the tickets were expensive, we were frugal where we could be and we both really enjoyed it so money well spent!
I think it's good to get kids to as many cultural programs as a budget allows. Freebies are even better but you certainly saved in other areas (food, transportation) to offset the cost. I'll bet your daughter loved not only the play but spending time with you just as much.
I agree. When my kids were young, I always got season tickets to the cultural events that were offered at the university where I worked. Sometimes I had to drag them there and bribe them to stay past intermission, but now they have fond memories, and they try to give their kids the same kind of experiences.
Lisa, I'll never forget the time my mom took me and two of my three siblings first to NYC, and then out to Long Island to visit with her father and his excellent second wife, in 1968 (I was almost 13). The Broadway show we ended up going to was Plaza Suite with George C. Scott and Maureen Stapleton (we kids wanted Hair, but Mom said no way!). Anyway, (a) I ended up with a crush on GCS that lasted decades (especially after he played Mr. Rochester in a TV movie version of Jane Eyre); and (b) it was a great introduction to theatre and its traditions (applaud when the leads come onstage, etc.). I hope your daughter will remember her first Broadway show with equal fondness.
A. Marie, I saw Hair in NYC when I visited with a girlfriend about (?) 15 years ago. It was their 500th show and they were needing to close due to poor ticket sales, we were gifted the tickets when lined up at Times Square for another show. Free? sure! It was a fun show, if a bit sad for the cast and crew. My buddy is open to anything and our hearts weren't set on any show - theatre, in our minds, is theatre, and almost all of it is captivating.
I think your experience was more edifying, though! lucky you!
1. Tom Thumb had pork loins on sale for $1.27 a pound this week. I picked up the limit of 2, sliced them into chops, and froze them 4 to a bag for meals. I was getting low on meat in the deep freezer, so this was good timing.
2. Diced the bits from the loin ends that weren't enough for a chop, and made pork fried rice for dinner tonight to clean out the crisper. Have enough leftovers for lunch the next few days.
3. My 13 year old daughter and I took advantage of our membership at the town recreation center for a free outing today. Played pool in the game room, jogged the track, lifted weights, and then walked a mile on the indoor track playing Pokemon Go to cool down.
4. Yesterday's outing with the 17 year old was to estate sales and a free museum featuring restored houses. He's very much into antiques and architecture, and had a ball. The only thing I bought was 2 unopened boxes of aluminium foil at an estate sale for $1 each.
5. My 20 year old was getting together with some high school friends today, and knowing most of them are on a tight budget he suggested they get together in the food court at the outlet mall nearby. Anyone that wanted to order a drink or food could do so, and they could take up a table without being in a restaurant that needs to turn it over quickly. (he's hosted at our house lots of time, but my husband is remodeling one of our bathrooms this week and it's noisy and dusty here)
I guess I'll add number 6 that I'm so thankful for a handy husband who saves us a fortune on remodeling and repairs. Our bathtub/shower was a cheap insert we put in 15 years ago when we were trying to quickly get this house livable and sell the old one, and it was starting to have some issues. We are planning to age in this house, so we're going with a walk in shower that will have room for a future shower chair if/when needed.
If I lived closer, I might consider that easel for my daughter....but Texas is a tad too far...
1. I got 2 more uses out of my BB cream by cutting the tube open.
2. Eating okra and cucumbers from the garden.
3. Signed my son up for NARHS in time for the early bird special saving $50.
4. My husband got some free bird stickers
5. And he grabbed a free sweet potato from a stores freebie box.
More details and pics here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/07/25/frugal-five-freebies/
Store "freebie box?!" On my way!
Katy,
Would you even consider the easel as a TV rack? That’s what the young, hip and stylish are doing. 😉 or so I see in my design mags….It really is lovely.
OOOOO, wouldn't that be so cool and funky! Although she would lose the storage currently available...
I've seen people do that, (specifically LoneFox) but where would I put the DVD player, Roku box, etc? Also, our TV sits on the vintage Broyhill console that I refinished back in 2019.
https://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/refinishing-goodwill-furniture-my-before-after/
1. Ate breakfast (leftover pancakes) on the patio Saturday morning while it was still nice and cool. Made coffee at home.
2. Sliced a bunch of bananas that were getting mushy, used some over cereal for lunch, and froze the rest. Future me will make banana "ice cream" from them.
3. Composted the coffee grounds and banana peels.
4. Late Friday night, or should I say during the wee hours of Saturday morning, I watched one of those TV preachers and wanted to order his book. But instead of paying the sky high prices his "ministry" was charging, I ordered a used copy via Thriftbooks online, for about $5 or so.
5. Gave a 20% coupon for Goodwill to the coworker friend who had driven me to the oral surgeon. She mentioned she wanted to shop there for a blouse but she's too young to qualify for their senior discounts. If I shop there on senior Tuesdays, I don't need a coupon to get the discount, so I was happy to pass this along.
Katy, have you or anyone else had a problem with pantry moths with your bulk products? I just found them in a bulk purchase of split peas. Luckily they were in a plastic sealed container so they didn't spread to the rest of my pantry. It's making me rethink bulk purchases.
A couple of times though the years. but it's been at least a decade. I store everything in glass jars.
Jill, the problem might have been with your peas, since you say you did have them in a plastic sealed container. Anyway, (a) I'm with Katy on using glass first or sealed plastic second, and (b) I've read here or elsewhere that putting bulk products in the freezer for 24 hours should kill any moths. Can anyone back me up on (b)?
My favorite glass containers are actually just the half-gallon wide mouth jars as they take advantage of vertical space. I pick them up when Goodwill forgets to individually price them, which makes them 49¢ apiece.
I sometimes remember to put certain grains in the freezer, like rice -- but mostly I don't.
Yes, I buy most things in bulk. I leave nothing in plastic bags. Everything goes in glass or plastic containers. Flour in the freezer.
One time with pantry moths makes most take better care of their food.
It happens. A sprig of a strong herb on top of the jar helps deter the moths, and anything they get to can be passed on to someone with chickens.
1) Picked up a prescription at CVS, and as I typically do, checked my app to see what rewards I had. There were quite a few, so I opted to pick up sunblock, which we needed. I got two of the kind we prefer for $10.75 total. They retail for ~$15/each when not on sale. Sunblock is pretty pricey!
2) Uploaded receipts to Fetch &saw that iBotta had a $.05 receipt cash back offer. I very rarely buy any name brand items on iBotta, but the $.05 or $.10 cash back offers appear pretty frequently in my account. It's a slow accumulation to a $20 cash out for sure.
3) Ended up with both adult kids home for dinner. My wild child (DS19) was sick, so opted to stay home. DS20 got called off of work. Luckily, I was making a good sized meal. I made a chicken curry dish, using rotisserie chicken from the freezer.
4) Meeting a friend this morning for a hike, which is the best way to catch up & get in a great workout - for free!
5) Packed a few spices we will need for our trip to the Oregon coast, so we don't have to buy as many groceries while we are there.
Katy I think with your family's experiences you will really enjoy "This Is How It Always Is"! I read it a few years ago, cried, loved it.
I'll make sure to have of stack of hankies on hand!
I loved This is How It Always Is. You will enjoy it.
As a fellow bean enthusiast and Winco shopper, I want to encourage you to check out the mayocoba/Peruano beans if you haven’t already. They make the creamiest “refried” beans!
Thanks, I'll keep an eye out!
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1. Took some free “save my pet “ window clings at the vet . Ours is completely washed out from the sun and like to have one on our front window incase of a fire.
2. My toddler picked the first ripe cucumber and tomato in the garden this week and ate the whole thing at his hand me down picnic table. He was in heaven. It brought me so much joy.
3. Starting some lettuce seeds I got from a neighbor for free.
4. Went to living spaces today to walk around and get a free soda. We then walked next door to cabellas to look at the fish. Lots of toddler entertainment for free.
5. I bought a nice room and board couch off of marketplace. It’s a bit too big for our space but the quality is so much better than our ikea couch. If I decide it’s too large, I can sell for a profit.
Emily, your #2 brings me joy, too. Never too soon to get the young'uns started on the pleasures of gardening.