Four Frugal Things -- Secure Elections & Puppy Lamps -

1) I stopped by the library to pick up my holds. Not sure which book I'll start with, but it's good to have choices.

I know I criticized the new Belmont branch library in a previous blog post, but I did notice something on this trip that impressed me. A permanent "Official Ballot Drop Box," which is an improvement over simply dropping our ballots in the book return.

The entire state of Oregon holds 100% mail-in elections, so anything the county can do to ensure this process is as secure as possible is A-okay in my book!

2) I stopped by Fred Meyer (Kroger) on my way home to grab milk. I took a minute to load the digital coupon, which saved $1.20. It wasn't that long ago that their digital milk coupon was consistently 99¢. A 60% price increase is worth noting.

I made sure to pass by the produce clearance shelves and chose a four-pack of apples for $1.50. Mind you, this seems like a completely normal price, not some kind of amazing deal. But I guess I'm behind the times.

3) I sent out a $400 offer on my Robert Abbey "Puppy" lamp and received a message in return that they'd accept the offer if I included free shipping. This is a hefty bronze lamp and weighs a ton, but I accepted their request as I thrifted it for just $14.99 in April.

Happy to eat the cost of shipping, which'll likely run about $35. Still plenty of profit.

I did take the lamp to the PDX Repair Cafe a couple months ago to fix the socket, but it's otherwise in excellent condition. I've since enjoyed the lamp in our living room, but like many items in our house . . . it was temporary possession.

I grew fond of her, but know she'll be going to a happy home.

4) I made a plum torte, (using this recipe, as the original NY Times recipe is behind a paywall.) which hilarious looked like a deep dish pepperoni pizza due to the color of the golden plums. Unsurprisingly, the torte featured my foraged plums.