Four Frugal Things -- Library Books & Household Repairs
1) I was so drawn into my library copy of The Light Pirate, that I ended up reading past midnight and then creeping downstairs at 7:30 A.M. to finish the book.
It's not normal for me to finish a book in under 24 hours, but this novel drew me in without a chance for escape. In the very best way!
Luckily I had a full half dozen library holds ready to be picked up. A wealth of fiction!
I think I should start with Time Loops & Meet Cutes as a palate cleanser.
2) I found a missing broken piece off our entryway table when I organized the drawers last week. It was a clean break, so I wanted to glue it back into place sooner rather than later.
Taking care of bidness for the win! Nothing more frugal than taking proper care of the belongings you already own.
3) I grabbed this pair of sandals as long as I was in a gluing mood. They're truly in terrible condition, but it couldn't hurt to try. They won't complete any Met Ball ensemble, but they'll still work for less formal occasions.
Glue + clamps are a powerful combination in the fight against a throwaway society.
4) My husband and I went for an evening walk and came across this neighbor's Ikea castoffs. We left them in place, but later got the idea to check Google Lens for identification.
The piece on the left is a $49.99 Kallax Unit, and yes, it's one of the pieces included in Ikea's Buy Back program. The piece on the right is a Kallax as well, it just has some add ons.
I chose "minor scratches" as it seemed to be in great condition and got this quote. You know -- to satisfy my curiosity.
$15.69 -- Maybe I should go back and see if it's still there? Just to follow the plot. It would cover the cost of a dozen Ikea veggie dogs . . . .
Edit: The shelves were gone by the time I went back to check on them.
Great, now I'm craving an Ikea veggie dog!
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
1. Although I could eat at home ahead of time, decided to go ahead and take the offered beverages and meals with my daily hospital infusions. (I need to drink lots of fluids anyway). The "check what you want on the list" meals were surprisingly good.
2. Cringing at the amounts of plastic wrapping and un-re-usable tubing and gloves and so forth used in an American hospital. I understand; I don't want unsterile equipment. I humbly recognize my privilege.
3. City worker came by today to tell us our water usage was way up and tell us to check toilet flappers. That wasn't the problem, but appreciated the visit.
4. 5. So much is routine and focused on "enough": Generics when possible. Combine errands. Library books. Fans to boost AC. Not terribly new but still usable, colorful, fitting clothing. New Forever USPS stamps before the first class increase next week.
Heidi Louise, I work in a hospital, so I feel your pain about the (large) amounts of plastic items that can't be reused or recycled. Working as a dietitian, I also see alllll the plastic containers, metal cans, etc., that gets thrown away, as well as styrofoam cups, plastic foam plates, and plastic silverware used in the cafeteria. Heavy sigh. The one bright spot is that they donate excess food items to a non profit that feeds people who are in need.
Keeping things out of the landfill is a great objective for you, & Ikea!
1) Made lunch out of the last of some yogurt, granola & berries. This is normally a breakfast for me, but food waste doesn't care about "proper meal" timing.
2) Sent out a couple of eBay offers.
3) Caught up on laundry during the non-peak hours.
4) Worked out at lunch using our elliptical machine, which we bought during COVID using an employee discount & I've used hundreds of times.
5) Made lunch for DS19 to take to work today. It helps clean up leftovers from the fridge, and saves him money.
Picked up two 100 gallon metal water troughs to use as planters at the barn parking area. Used free box stainless steel mesh to block the drainage hole. Used milk jugs, to fill up the bulk of the trough so only 1/4 of it will be soil. Planted coreopsis black eyed susans in the back and zinnias in the front.
Used the tractor to unload a beautiful dresser that I bought for $10. It has a marble slab inset in the top. It will go in the heated shop for whoever needs it first.
Today is a very low energy day after big weekend. Reading "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult. Drinking sun tea. Laundry and line drying.
It is a day of kitchen prep/avoid food waste.
1. I hadn't been home for almost 2 weeks, and somehow, we accumulated 4 sets of bread heels. So I made croutons (in the air fryer). The bread, oil, and "buttery herb" spice blend were all free from various mystery shops, making the croutons free except for my labor & the electricity for the air fryer.
2. I made a small batch of chicken stock, all from scraps. Chicken bones were from chicken that was from free from mystery shops, and carrot peelings were free from CSA box. Parsely was from the garden.
3. I made a batch of chilled soup: zucchini, bibb lettuce, cucumber, and avocado & herbs. The zucchini, lettuce, and cucumber were all from free CSA box, the avocado free from mystery shop, and the herbs - parsley, basil, mint & tarragon, all free from our garden. A small amount of the free chicken stock thinned it out to the right consistency.
4. I chopped up an onion and froze it (It was on its way out), but I did have to throw out 2 onions, which were too far gone.
5. At the grocery store today (Market Basket!), I found breakfast sausage links for .99 for 10 ounces (or $1.58 a pound) so I grabbed 4 and threw them in the freezer.
BONUS 6: My partner only drank 1/2 pot of coffee yesterday, so we just heated it up and split the remainder today.
My AC wasn't keeping me cool, and I didn't want to set it way down, so I hopped over to the public library and used their computers earlier in the afternoon. I did a crossword puzzle and an online jigsaw puzzle and read Frugal Girl's blog; you hadn't posted yet. I also dumped a bag full of old hardbacks in their bin, donating them for the annual book sale. On the way out, I eyed the "Lucky Day" bookshelf; OMG! there was the book "Nobody's Child" by Virginia Roberts Guiffe, the lady who was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, wrote her memoirs and committed suicide. Of course, I checked it out! I have 7 days to read it before it's due back. Librarian, who has read it, said to have a big box of Kleenex beside me because I will cry a LOT.
I also read a news article about Bruce Springsteen; the "Boss" has a wonderful new term for what a lot of us are: "critical patriots." He said it is our patriotic duty to be critical of the things that are not working in our government and in our society, so that perhaps our outspokenness will cause a chance for the better. He also said what a lot of us are thinking/posting about the Orange Ogre.
My patriotic July 4 activity was to write out a big beautiful check to the Democratic party for them to use in turning my red state blue.
Otherwise, over the July 4 weekend, I read a large print Danielle Steele novel. I was excited to give it to a friend in assisted living, so I called her. She has read the same book already. So I traded the book into the used bookstore and am now up to almost $30 in credits. Yay!!!
My friend also told me about a mutual friend who has had to go into the memory care part of another nursing home. If anyone would please remember our friend Shirley in their prayers, I would appreciate it. She has dementia and no close family.
One of my coworkers worked with me on July 4. Neither one of us went anywhere special for the holiday. But her sister got a 3rd row seat at the outdoor concert and took video of the singing group......some ex-members of the Jackson 5ive and their new co-stars. I've been promised a peek at the cell phone footage. Although we got off work by 6, there is no way I could've stood the heat, even assuming I could've gotten in.
A customer came by, one of my regulars, and asked me what size I was. She then told me she had some blue jeans she thinks might fit me if I wanted them. Her friend lost a lot of weight and wanted her to take them in, but she said she went to the bag sale at the thrift store I'd told her about and bought her friend some in the newer, smaller size instead.
Our city has decided that instead of allowing us to have 96-gallon yard waste trash cans, that we can rent them for $11+ a month. Every month. Whether we use the cans that month or not. (Or we can simply use the large paper bags designed for leaves, up to 20 bags at the curb at a time, but we have to buy the bags - -and lotsa luck if it rains and the bags rip apart. Yes, that has happened -- many, many times.) Outrageous! I called the Solid Waste Office and told them what I thought. I have 15 months before they switch to their latest ripoff scheme. After they do, I will no doubt either sweep ALL of the live oak leaves into the street, or become the Queen of Illegal Dumping. (Wonder if I can rent a dump truck and pour out the leaves in the mayor's front yard? No, wait -- his swimming pool! Or would city hall be more appropriate?)
Illegal dumping puts the burden of YOUR mess on the landowner where you dump your garbage, not the city. You should be glad you live in a place where you can access services like that, even if you have to pay. I live in a rural area that closed down the local bulky trash/yard debris collection spot. We were told to find a trash hauling company and deal with it ourselves. The nearest landfill is 30 miles away and costs $20 minimum. Know what happens to the trash now? It gets dumped on the side of a country road in the middle of the night, left for the landowner to dispose of, at their expense, before it rots and attracts vermin. This was never an issue before the county shut down the collection spot.
But sure, dump your trash elsewhere. What do you care, right? As long as you don't have to pay for it!
Oh, and dumping the leaves in the street is a great way to cause a bicyclist or motorcyclist to wreck and get seriously injured. I'd rather pay $11 a month than have that on my conscience.
It's why I pay $15 a month for the street light on my property to stay on, (the city isn't required to provide street lights if you live outside of the city limits in my county). I'd rather be out $15 a month than have people wreck because of no visibility.
Ok, now ya got me! Did you go back and get the Ikea freebies?
FFT, Last Tango at NDN1's House Edition:
(1) The estate sale/cleanout guy to whom NDN1's CF and I talked last week wants to start his work at the house on or about 7/13. So tomorrow, CF and I are first treating ourselves to the lunch buffet at our favorite Indian restaurant, and then making one last giant pass through the house. Conveniently, tomorrow night is trash setout night, so we'll probably fill NDN1's trash and recycling carts one last time before letting the guy take over.
(2) We'll probably also be moving the 19 (at last count) boxes and bags of old financial records into my garage for temporary storage, since we're having some difficulty locating a shredding service that will still do a residential call. We're not about to (a) run this stuff through a home shredder or (b) wait for a public shredding event, since these events around here usually limit you to 3 bags or so. Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be hoarders. 🙁
(3) In somewhat better news, the fireworks enthusiasts in the apartment complex behind me took Sunday off and have limited the action to sporadic pops today. And rain is predicted for this evening. Both Betty cat and I appreciate all this.
(4) The temperature was down enough today from the heat-dome highs that I was able to get out for some serious weeding without drowning in sweat for the first time in a week. I can actually tell the plants from the weeds (the useless weeds, of course, not the edible ones) in a few garden beds now.
(5) And I didn't infuriate most of the rest of the world by getting a penalty decision reversed in the World Cup. Is there no rule whatever that Orange Julius won't bend? (I think I already know the answer to that, alas.)
You worked from home for years, so could you fudge the circumstances a bit and tell a shredding company that it's an office clean out?
Big ugh to all the papers. I hate this for you and want to help! I wonder if your or your neighbor's financial advisor's office would take the shredding for free like ours does, even just a couple bags at a time. Or enlist neighbors to each bring three bags to the public shredding event.
Does someone you know have a fire pit? An outdoor burn barrel? Something in which leaves were burned? Sounds like you could burn the financial records, a little at a time, as long as there are no burn bans in your county. Might be cheaper and quicker than shredding
If you have a UPS store nearby they do shredding for a fee. I do not believe that there would be a limit as to how much you could bring.
Office Depot stores also offer shredding, though it's best to call in advance to see if there's enough space in their shredding cart. The time I used them, the clerk kindly used a store coupon for 20% off that I did not know about.
Thanks to Ruby, Fru-gal Lisa, MB in MN, and NancyNJ for all the suggestions. The Indian restaurant I mentioned in my (1) is right next to a UPS Store, so I think CF and I will step in there after lunch today and inquire.
I just had another thought: when I substitute taught for Ag classes, they were always using shredded paper in the small animal cages...hamsters, rabbits, chickens and the like. Lots of it! if your high school agriculture teacher can get some FFA kids to shred the stuff? By the time it's been in cages and has you-know-what on it, no one would want to handle it any more!
Cheaters never prosper comes to mind. And as an athlete back in the day, nothing better than firing up your opponents with dirty shenanigans.
Last week it was at least 81 degrees at 6 am. Today it was a glorious 62, tomorrow will be 59. I too need to get a-weeding.
The disabilities services center in my parents' home town did shredding. Had to drop it off.
I actually said "yay!" out loud when I saw the title of your entry, A. Marie! Lots of good suggestions about the shredding/burning-hope you can find a good solution. I continue to be so proud of you for taking on this situation-what a good friend and neighbor you are!! Take good care-Amy
Husband and I were both in town at the same time and got to use the same Kroger gas discount of .50/gallon. We both let the gas get pretty low (he was around 80 miles and I was at 20) to take full advantage.
I redeemed my free birthday meal at Qdoba.
Sold 3 items on Ebay.
Bundled my errands all in one trip to town: picked up mil's meds, paid my dr's bill in person, paid mil's rent, stopped by her apartment to clear out her fridge and take out the trash, returned a library book and got another one that was on hold, helped my mom go through bunches of old medical EOBs and put them in order so we can be sure ChampVA is paying secondary like they are supposed to be.
Cooked the last of some very old chickpeas in the instant pot and made chickpea salad (like tuna salad) with it, and sharing with my mom and sister.
Found a nickel in the Kroger parking lot.
I found a very cute denim house dress at the homeless assistance thrift shop for $4. It fit perfectly except that the short sleeves were a bit tight, enough that it would be annoying to wear. Today I used some very close matching blue scrap fabric to insert a little gusset in the seam on each sleeve. Ahhh, much better!
It's still quite hot, so I rack dried a load of laundry on the back porch.
Used another piece of scrap fabric to mend a rip in an old fitted sheet that my son was discarding. It's the fourth time I mended that sheet and it is truly no longer fit for use as bedding. But we use old sheets as drop cloths or to haul piles of weeds to the street for pick up, so I made it whole again and put it in the garage.
Used a handful of store coupons to buy a few extra food items for my son, who has been stretching his dollars by eating a lot of ramen and could use some more nutritious options.
Made the family an unconventional July 4th meal of pancakes with all the fixings, as we don't cook out.
1. Neighbor brought over a delicious meal. I washed the two foil pans and will reuse them as I don't own an 8x8 baking pan.
2. Brought our boombox and an outdoor chair to our county's fix-it clinic. Both were able to be fixed and saved from the landfill.
3. Made a quick, colorful and frugal salad out of chopped red cabbage, shredded carrots, raisins and honey-mustard dressing.
4. A bunny was gnawing on our wood siding so we placed deer netting along the base of our home in the section that the bunny can reach. Unattractive but effective.
5. Signed up for a movie theater's rewards program that offers a $5 movie and free popcorn on Tuesdays. Took advantage of this promo and saw The Sheep Detectives with my sister. We loved it! I booked our tickets online and her ticket was $5, too, even though she's not in the rewards program.
Took 15 Trashie bags with QR codes to FedEx. Without even processing the contents I have over $80 in rewards to use for gift cards.
Received $45 in Walmart cards from
Humana for logging in my wellness visits and tests
Used BOGO for dinner at PFChangs last night plus a $50 Visa gift card
Had a couple of online sales
Scanned receipts into Fetch
I had to get an eBay package in the mail, and my grandson was using my car, so I walked to the post office -- about 7-8 blocks. When I got there, to my dismay, it was closed. I knew I wasn't too early! It turned out that the sole postal worker was late. (It is a small branch.) He appeared after I took a stroll up the street. I resisted getting a cup of coffee at the nearby coffee shop to kill time.
On the walk, I found two Amazon bags in good condition. My stash is diminishing and I need to be on the lookout.
I found two receipts.
I stopped at Walgreens and bought two packages of Poise pads, thus getting a discount.
I thawed muffin batter and added fresh blueberries to make breakfast, for today and tomorrow. And I thawed corn pone pie for lunch.
I watched two movies today, Project Hail Mary and Hamnet, on Netflix.
It’s summer lovin’ and the teen is home.
1. He discovered the air fryer and is making quesadillas among other things. He asked me to pick up some cooked chicken and it was $12 for four tiny portions!! For the same price I picked up an entire rotisserie chicken and broke it down into 12 portions. Two went in the fridge and the rest went into the freezer. I also hand shredded cheese and cooked up some ground beef.
2. We are getting our backyard going and found a bunch of Muskoka chairs on sale so it’s nice and cozy out there.
3. We have grown so much lettuce, kale and Swiss chard! The Swiss chard was from our library’s seed program and the librarians were excited to hear that we were eating from the seed library!
4. I’m making my first attempt at dyeing some faded black items. I asked the woman at the fabric store for instructions and she told me she had never dyed before. My response? “That’s good - I’m sure your family would miss you.” Har har!!!
5. I have perfected home made iced coffee and it is sooooo good. I have also been making a plethora of salads using fun stuff I’m finding at the farmers market. Life is good!
I just read Meet Cutes and Time Loops this weekend. Definitely a fun easy rom com read.
1. My neighbor brought me a huge bag of cucumbers and green tomatoes from his garden!!! Yay!
2. I worked this morning but then rewarded myself this afternoon and took a nap in the awful heat. I am moving like a slug in the afternoons.
3. I have turned off the air and turned on the fans and raised windows for tonight. My electric bill is still going to be gigantic though.
4. Gas was $3.15 a gallon in University town.
5. As usual, all the food I ate was prepared by me. Bbq chicken, last of the potato salad, watermelon.
1. I made homemade bread to go along with our meatless meal of beans and noodles.
2. I made chicken empanadas for an upcoming trip.
3. I listed 3 items on ebay.
4. I made a salad with a cucumber , onion and tomatoes from the garden.
Pleased to see Birks in that condition respond to simple repairs. I have a very similar pair that I thought wouldn't clean up well, but will now try it. They were originally from the bins, for maybe $2, and I doused them in high proof vodka, scrubbed, and wore at home for a couple of summers.
We take worn out Birkenstocks to our local independent merchant for reconditioning and repair. While it is an expense, not free like your repair, it sure beats the price of a new pair and they come back looking nearly like new. Just a suggestion.
A few frugal nieces-in-town items:
1. We brought them to our neighborhood's "open street" to use "the sprinkler" which was a fire hydrant cap. I spent a solid 90 minutes just dumping a bucket of water over their heads. No cost.
2. They were really antsy before breakfast one day so I took them to look at my container garden in my back alley. I mentioned that I was curious how quickly we could rip a dead vine off the back wall, which they took as a challenge. Half my yard work done in 5 minutes.
3. We took them to the American Museum of Natural History, which has been on my auntie bucket list since they were babies. It's pay what you wish for NYS residents so we got in for $5 a person, which was still less than the cost of one out of state ticket.
And some non-niece items:
4. I located some eye serum under my sink that will work on the dry, itchy skin around my eyes. I think it was from a promo/free item at Sephora last year. I love it already. Most of these products are the same (hyaluronic acid, caffeine, vitamins) and I find the results very satisfying and don't feel the need to be loyal to one brand.
5. I had gotten a gym membership near my office for the summer to have a workout option on hot days. I really have not used it - only once. I am frustrated that I feel like I've wasted money so I had a talk with myself if that realistically would change, then cancelled. Since it's prepaid, I have access until the end of the month. My goal is to go 3 times between now and 7/31, which feels doable, and then I'm done with the expense.
1.Yesterday my neighbor asked if I wanted any of the food that was leftover from the 4th. I said yes. I got a container of hot sausage and peppers, a container of sweet sausage and peppers, wings and 8 cans of soda. I texted my son to stop on the way home. He took the soda and hot S&P. He brought the soda and will drink it. I texted Hubby to grab a hero roll from the deli on the way home. We had leftovers for dinner.
2. Hubby's boss offered him a router tool. He bought it for a project used it once and hasn't used it since. He gave him the bits that go to it. We had bought a used one years ago at a yard sale. He said he will pass the old one on to our daughter and son in law.
3. Brought a bunch of stuff to my favorite thrift store. I did buy a few things while I was there. $10 for a walker with a seat for my friend's mom. The one she has doesn't have a seat. 2 new games still in plastic were $2 each.
4. I stopped at a little free library to drop off books. I got an adult coloring book and a book.
5.Next was Kohl's to do an Amazon return for Hubby. They had 70% off clearance and I kept saying you have enough clothes to myself. I got out of there without buying anything.
1. We did travel for the holiday weekend to visit my cousin and her family who were at their lake house 4 or so hours away. We tried to be as frugal as possible. My parents watched our dogs (free), we rented a glamping site on AirBnB bc there isn't room at the lake house (cheaper than an normal AirBnB and we had a gift card that covered a good chunk of the cost), enjoyed lots and lots of time outdoor fun on the lake using paddle craft (SUPs, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats) that were all either inherited with the lake house or borrowed from neighbors (so free), and mostly helping them eat down their fridge since they were heading back home after the weekend (free food). We did spend money on breakfast foods that we cooked at our glampsite (eggs, meat, coffee, yogurt) that our hosts had for sale bc they are an actual farm. So humanely raised animals (verified with our own eyes) and supporting a local business, it was also delicious food!
2. Yesterday's lunch was the most random assortment of all the leftovers that needed to get used, sauteed together in a pan with a quick butter lemon sauce and some grated parm.
3. Yesterday was also one of my bff's birthdays and I asked her what she wanted. She said a paddle board date. I have a board and she does not, so I offered to pay for her rental, which she appreciated instead of a physical gift. Her mom ended up wanting to do something for her, so she covered the rental fee. I ended up taking her out to dinner. Fun, semi frugal day of birthday adventures instead of things!
4. Wearing a mostly thrifted outfit. My shirt wasn't thrifted (a basic v-neck t which is a staple for me and I can never find them in thrift stores), but it was bought over 6 years ago at Gap during a big sale, and it is still going strong.
5. Despite dealing with some heat, I've only had to use my window unit a few days here and there when I couldn't get the apartment cooled down at night with windows open.