Four Frugal Things — Thonet Chairs & Buggy Apples
1) I cut a hydrangea bouquet for neighbors who’d gifted me produce from their garden. They weren’t home, so they’ll arrive home to mystery flowers on their porch. Will I tell them?
2) I picked up two of the least bruised and buggy apples from a different neighbor’s tree.
Sure, they’re not visually appealing, but there was still plenty of good apple for my husband and I to enjoy.
I sliced up some Tillamook cheddar to eat with my slices.
3) I drove to the library to pick up my holds. I’d normally walk, but I knew one of the books (“Architectural Digest at Home”) was going to be heavier than your average bear.
I then spent an hour or so leafing through the pretty pictures while drinking tea and listening to a Libby audiobook. (Living my best life!) As always, I enjoy when the million dollar interiors overlap with my curb finds.
Here’s my chair that sits in a corner of the dining room:
And here’s what it looked like when I curb picked it in 2012:
I’m 100% sure that it’s a Thonet knockoff, but it’s still fun to own.
Click HERE to read the 2012 blog post from when I painted and reupholstered my chair.
4) I used up a bag of spinach without a single leaf going to waste. Of course, this cooked down spinach started as an entire haystack!
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.”
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
It never ceases to amaze me when I saute a bag of spinach that is starting to become less than stellar to eat fresh and it cooks down to about 1/4 of a cup. It’s like a magic trick! Now you see it, now you don’t!
I haven’t heard that expression “the average bear” in many years. My father used to say it to my sister and I “You’re smarter than the average bear.” Don’t know how true that was…lol…but you sure brought back a sweet memory.
My folks to refer to jellystone often! I had a Yogi and Boo-boo record as a kid! Lol 🙂
I heard the rest of her post in a Yogi Bear voice. “Hey, Boo-boo! Look at my chair!â€
I am the caretaker of my brother’s Boo boo bear stuffed toy that he got for Christmas when he was five years old. It was his childhood favorite and is pretty ragged looking at this point. But the last thing my brother asked me before he passed away was if I would take care of Boo boo.
Beth K, hugs to you. You’re a good sister.
That is the sweetest thing.
Very sweet. My youngest daughter still takes care of her sister’s special blanket since her passing 10 years ago. You’re a special sister.
Your hydrangeas are gorgeous!
I did a lot of use-it-up cooking today. Some complete pancake mix that had been open a while was turned into muffins that also used up some very small apples. Most of a long-open bag of frozen soup veggies was used in a pot of tomato-veggie-red beans soup. The rest of the bag will be used in the next batch of soup and then I probably will not buy that mix again, as it has a whole lot of corn in it. A quart of shelf stable milk was made into nine servings of chocolate pudding.
Made a quick trip to the grocery store for coffee that had gone on sale for $1 less than usual. Rack-dried a load of laundry on the back porch.
1. I was able to stock up on coffee for $6.36 per pound. Is it the best coffee? no. Is it perfectly acceptable for my partner and me? Yes. I bought 6.6 pounds, and I’ll be set until next summer.
2. For 4.4 pounds, I used credit card points. Based on this math, I only had to pay for 2.2 pounds, bringing the price down to $2.12 per pound, or $0.08 per cup. When I’m at the work apartment, I just wait and drink the free coffee at work.
3. The night-time temperature is 34 degrees, but the heat will stay off until Nov. 1st, except potentially when an aunt comes to visit.
4. I’m eating an eggplant lasagna that I made and put in the freezer, knowing that I would need it for this week, having not gone home this past weekend to make food for this week.
5. I was hoping to pick up a side-gig, which would include a paid trip to Stockholm. I was dreaming of going a couple of days earlier. I was not chosen, so I’ll save money on a hotel and food, although it would have been a great opportunity.
Beautiful hydrangeas! I wish there were free piles in my neighborhood – it doesn’t seem to be a thing people do here.
1. My children are gone for a few days, so I am reveling in finishing up leftovers and eating on the cheap….trying out new recipes (lentils! barley!) that I can repeat later and foist upon my kids.
2. I needed to deliver a package to the UPS store after taking my child to soccer practice. It was only 2 miles, so I decided to walk there and run back to (a) get some exercise and (b) save gas.
3. I dug two rotisserie chicken carcasses out of my freezer and am making stock and soup today – my house smells like Christmas!
4. My son switched soccer clubs and I had a stack of club-branded jerseys and booster shirts. I called another mom with multiple kids still in the club and asked her if she wanted them. Yes!
5. I went through a bin of kid clothes and selected a large pile to offer to my neighbor, and will donate the rest.
6. Utilized street parking for a doctor’s appointment. The parking garage $4 fee is too rich for my blood.
Enjoyed a haircut at a locally-owned, woman-owned salon and paid in cash. She keeps more of the money when she doesn’t have to pay credit card fees.
Attended my last online Spanish class in the block that I signed up for. I will receive $30 refund for attending every class. I’ve signed up for the next level so I won’t lose what I have learned. I really like the program and the teacher and it’s so convenient to get live speaking practice at home.
Pruned the climbing rose that is prolific and does not require any water (we have a summer dry climate and temperatures ranging from 80-100F from May through October). This was a cutting from my neighbor’s rose, so not only was it free to acquire, it is free to maintain! My kind of plant!
Sold some vintage doors for a friend, I get to keep the money. She tried selling them, and then tried giving them away for free, with no success.
Mailed my one Vinted sale of the day.
Picked 2 cucumbers and some kale, so that’s tonight’s veggies taken care of. Yesterday we ate home-grown green beans with dinner. I still get a thrill from going out and picking veggies for dinner and then eating them withing an hour of picking. Even after 20+ years of gardening. Our city offers free compost. The local seed bank offers free seeds. We catch rainwater. So what I grow is entirely free!
I pay my hairdresser in cash for the same reason. Glad you do too.
Same. She’s on her feet all day, works hard, doesn’t charge much and deserves to keep as much of her money as she can.
I remember you talking about attending all of you Spanish classes, and setting a goal to earn the $30 back so well done, you!
Thank you!
Darn! I thought you were going to show us how you replaced the caning on the back! I have a chair that needs it. Oh well.
I had another serving of beef stew today, but first, before I reheated it, I picked out a lot of the hardened fat. Much better.
For supper I had some corned beef and a slice of Swiss on sourdough, with sauerkraut on the side. Sort of a deconstructed Reuben on the wrong bread. (But fine!)
For two days I’ve had carrot cake pancakes for breakfast. I just added minced carrots, raisins and chopped walnuts to a regular recipe. Oh yes, I did use brown sugar instead of white sugar. I have a lot of carrots and I’m trying to use them up.
My bathroom scale went kaput, and I ordered one after doing some soul searching about whether I really wanted to do without one. I think the odds of finding a good one used are low. I chose one that was only $10 after using my Amazon points. I am sorry to report that it thinks I’m heavier than I thought I was. So probably accurate.
I emptied a bottle of baby wash into the pump bottle I keep on the bathroom sink for hand washing and lingerie. Then I placed the almost-empty bottle in the tub. I’ll add some warm water tomorrow and pour the last bit on my net puff when I shower.
I’m reading an interesting book from a LFL — A Woman in Berlin. It’s the anonymous diary of a woman who lived through the fall of Berlin after WWII and the invasion of the Russian army. It’s pretty grim, but fascinating how she managed to survive.
Alas, I wasn’t that ambitious.
Sour dough is so much better than rye. IMHO, either you like rye bread or you don’t – I don’t. Russian is the “usual” dressing but I see Thousand Island as an option. I’d skip both and go for mayo and mustard, with or without the kraut.
I picked the rest of the spinach that was bolting. I made mom a spinach salad with sweet onion and hot bacon dressing.
I picked up leftover plants, rocks and topsoil from my friend’s custom build job. In honor of our blog hostess with the mostess, Katy, i planted an apple tree on the edge of the yard closest to the sidewalk. In a few years it will offer up a few tasty treats.
While at the build site, we organized metal, wood and plastics for re use, recycle and resell. My friend saves thousands by not using a big garbage dumpster. The metal goes to the local guy who sells the metal to give to various kid groups and programs. The wood goes to the community shop for various projects.
I love that lime green color. I spray painted a wicker chair that our next door neighbor gave me. The color I used looks very similar to your chair. It transformed the drab brown wicker into a bright beauty just like yours!
I’ve yet to tire of the color, even though it’s now rubbed onto the wall!
Was gifted 2 handknit sweaters from Iceland. Gave the pullover to one our amazing admin staff who has a connection to Iceland. Fit him perfectly.
I never wear heavy pullovers. Kept the cardigan which was in A- condition and mended the bottom buttonhole and area around the button. The sweaters were a bequest from a colleague which a local university had mistakenly received and left in a closet for over ten years. Won’t embarrass the institution by naming them! My name and address were
actually in the package!
Don’t post often and only have three things but I feel that you guys will truly understand my first one:
Not quite a frugal win yet but I called my hairdresser to book for highlights (T-Zone only). They wanted £183 for this!! I am always shocked by how expensive haircare / hairdresser are (I’m in London) but this time I had done my homework and knew that the highlights themselves would cost £100. (This is still v v v expensive in my view, but I used to adore and rate my colourist and felt that she did an amazing job, so since I only go twice a year I was ok to pay this. However, she has now left this salon and moved quite far away). Anyway, on top was £33 for a ‘toner’ (not optional) and £50 for a blowdry (mandatory). Since I never ever blowdry my hair and put it up in a ponytail straightaway anyway, this counts as a complete waste of money in my book (also because I am beyond bored at having to spend 3 hours at the hairdresser waiting for various things to take effect). So, I finally took a leaf out of yall’s book and called Toni and Guy’s hairdressing school and enquired about having hightlights there. I am going in on Monday, and while I don’t know quite how much it will be, it will not be £183!
I have been very careful to eat up leftovers of meals made by my husband over the weekend (when I was away). Yesterday’s wraps with mexican chicken (off the carcass of a roast chicken) was the surprise winner with my children calling for more meals like that.
I have been spending the last 18 months on a journey of financial learning. I’m still learning and improving but I feel really proud of how far I have come. I read a book about retirement planning and felt both in control and empowered to make more plans and decisions. This would not have been the case 2 years ago.
Best of luck with your hair. I’m sure it will look great. Nice you read the book about retirement and are on track to reach your goals, too.
My local woman-owned hairdresser charges $160 for cut and color. I never dry my own hair, but I love having my hair brushed by someone else so I let her do it. Then with tip we’re at $220. Yeesh.
I really want to let my hair go gray and cut it shorter but my son told me “My mommy has long red hair” so…..sigh. He’s 31 by the way. I get it. After my mother had a stroke, I hated her stroke voice. My mommy didn’t have a stroke voice.
Holy crap! Cut and color in my area is like 1/3 that price with tip!
Mette, these are awesome frugals! Way to go!
Love the y’all comment from a Brit! We Texans use that expression a lot in contrast to the Northeastern expression “you guys”. What is the British equivalent?
We’d say ‘you guys’, too or just an understated ‘you’, I guess?
Nice that you found Toni and Guys. I had a hairdressing school here that I loved to go to. Both schools in my area have now gone under:(. Last time I cut my own hair although my husband helped with the back. Not great but I just read that shaggy raggy bobs have just become stylish. So I guess I’m in! I should probably find a hairdresser to support with my patronage instead of being cheap.
Post move frugal attempts:
1. I finally watered my incredibly pathetic looking garden and everyone pepped back up! Looks like my growing season isn’t over quite yet.
2. It’s chilly and I’m loving it, but being stuck at my desk at home means cold feet. I couldn’t locate my slippers so I pulled a bathroom mat and a blanket in to get my feet off the floor instead of turning the heat on. No heat til trick or treat continues!
3. Now that I have a beautiful big kitchen, I am adamantly against takeout. Last night was a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and some chips on the side, similar to what I’d order from a deli. Will I order from a deli again? Of course. But not last night!
4. Drinking my coffee at home!
5. Drinking my water at home!
Happy fall, everyone <3
1. Grocery shopping at Walmart: bought their gallon of milk, which is always $2.62; the same thing at the store where I work costs $5 and change. So I never buy ours! Also got 2 four-packs of blueberry muffins (my favorite breakfast treats!) on clearance for $2.03 each, instead of the 4 bucks or so they usually charge for one.
2. Used Medicare Advantage card to get free-to-me OTC meds.
3.Was able to turn off the AC because of cooler weather the last
several mornings. Ahh!
4. Collected rainwater from our recent downpour so that I can water the house plants
with it.
5. Did not suggest to Iran that they could bomb LA and San Diego, and then later try to claim I was joking. (If that’s not scary, I don’t know what is!)
Your hydrangeas are absolutely stunning!
1) Remembered to email & ask that one of my Hyatt “Guest of Honor” awards be applied to a second room I was booking. That way, my mom will get all of the same perks (free breakfast, club access) when we are in Athens.
2) Shared a Guest of Honor award with a friend, when she is staying at a Hyatt. Pass on the perks!
3) Noticed that I had two DoorDash offers (one through my credit card & one through the app). I ordered from Safeway & got: two salads, a protein bowl, a loaf of nice sourdough bread & turkey for $11, including tip. I ended up increasing the tip because the delivery person was so fast, so then $13. The majority of the cost was tip, which is fine by me. According to Safeway, I saved $26, which is outrageous, but fine.
4) Ate leftovers for lunch & dinner, two days in a row.
5) Added chopped grapes to a yogurt bowl vs preferred berries, as the grapes needed to be used up first.
I got 2 Thonet (with metal tags) chairs at GW Outlet for $1 each. Need repair which I haven’t done.
1. I have almost used up all the frozen items that got partially thawed when the freezer door was left open. Dogs had veggies with their dinners every night and also fish and some badly freezer burned shrimp.
2. I am baking a cobbler right now with the last of the raspberries that got thawed plus an ancient can of cherries.
3. I found a quarter.
4. I washed my shower curtain and liner. I bought an extra heavy liner and it is still in good shape 14 years later.
5. I dropped off 2 boxes of donations at the art supply thrift store and only brought home 1 small bag of stuff. Anything that results in more out than in is progress.
1. I made a loaf of sandwich bread since we ran out.
2. I started a sour dough starter. We will see how that goes. Wish me luck.
3. I dried a bunch of parsley and thyme. I only run the dehydrator during the cheap energy hours.
4. I washed my sheets on a short cold cycle, hung them out to dry and put on our flannel sheets. Also during the cheap energy hours.
5. I scrubbed both bathrooms. I am the cleaning lady. We don’t pay to have it done.
6. I haven’t driven anywhere in 2 days. I did go for a walk because I needed to get out. I’m trying to be very mindful of gas.
7. I paid 2 bills online. It saved us the cost of stamps. I mailed my sister a cute card. I put it in my mailbox and my mailman took it. I didn’t need to drive to the post office.
8. I have been on Jury Duty all week. I’ve had to check in online everyday and my number was never called. I didn’t have to waste gas going to the court house. I am done for 6 years.