Frugal From Morning ‘Til Night!
by Katy on July 13, 2024 · 44 comments
Yesterday was weird, as it started with a blow out pity party, (please refer to exhibit A) but ended up being productive and enjoyable by day’s end. I’d already planned on taking my daughter to lunch as I won’t be seeing her until next month and I’m too much of a helicopter mom to let that happen.
I had a bit left on a restaurant gift card from Christmas, which guided where we ate. The total with tip was $17, which I consider to be a bargain. We then stopped by my mother’s house for a quick but satisfying visit and called it good.
My next stop was the Powell’s Books on Hawthorne Boulevard to see if they wanted to buy any of the books from my after garage sale adventures a couple weeks ago. They chose enough for $29.50 in store credit, which I held onto for a future purchases. I’ve used Powell’s credit to buy Stumptown coffee beans at the downtown location in the past. I like the idea of transforming people’s discarded books into groceries, as it feels naughty but clever.
I also found a quarter on the sidewalk outside Powell’s!
I then slotted unsold books into a Little Free Library.
I also stopped by the library to pick up my hold copy of Alisa and Ian Karmel’s T-Shirt Swim Club, which I’m now saving to read on the airplane. I’m friends with the authors’ proud mama and have heard terrific buzz surrounding this book.
My last stop was Fred Meyer to have keys made and pick up a couple pints of ice cream. My late in-laws have a sizable (and pricey) storage unit filled with stuff and there was just a single tiny key for the lock. I worried that this is a dangerous game to play, so I offered to get a pair of backup keys made to save the future cost and annoyance of hiring a locksmith.
You might be asking yourself, “Yes, but why is this errand ‘keys and ice cream?!’ “
I present exhibit B:
I can’t let these puppies expire!
I knew I’d be running these errands, but I did have one surprise, which is that Powell’s is hosting a “Summer Reading Challenge” for both kids and adults!
I don’t know if this is new to 2024, but I’m definitely going to play! After all, you get a $5 voucher for getting five-in-a-row on the bingo card. Plus you can enter to win a bigger prize if you achieve a “blackout.”
Free ice cream and a game to play? Turned out to not be too shabby of a day.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
I live far away from Oregon but am totally screenshotting your card just for a fun challenge! 100% will probably be read on Libby
Here’s a link to the PDF:
https://www.powells.com/portals/0/Images/bingo-card-summer-reading-2024.pdf
Very glad to hear you’re feeling better. A painful foot and trying to get ready for a trip = no fun. Those cortisone shots are painful but boy oh boy do they work like magic. Crummy knee here but the shots definitely provide relief.
Steroid buddies!
Lived for them for awhile between hip & knee!
Steroids for poison ivy here. My do those shots hurt!
I had a steroid shot one time in my ankle. It was more painful than the ankle was. Doubt I’ll ever get them again. Prednisone seems to work well when my arthritis acts up. Maybe once a year.
Yay for a day that turned out well! My day also started with difficulty, bad news from hospital. And the AC is out. It’s 106 outside and it has been 94 in the house. I have been feeling ill. But I bought a large portable AC unit today and things are looking up! And then my daughter-in-law’s sister brought over Indian food for dinner. Hurrah!
So sorry that you’re going through hard times. Sending a virtual hug your way.
Sending you and your family the best…so sorry the last month has been so challenging.
I feel your pain Kara. I hope you can get the AC fixed soon. We’re in Florida and went three weeks this Summer with out central air, we got a portable unit for each bedroom, but it was still hot. Thankfully a neighbor found a used compressor in our AC size and age and freeon type and we were able to repair instead of fully replace. The joys of home ownership!!
I am waiting for the AC repairman as I am writing this. Fortunately, I have always kept one small portable unit in the garage. So my office is cool as we wait and last night I was able to cool my bedroom and I have to sleep. When you live in Florida you have to be prepared. It’s actually more for the than me… I have loaned it to neighbors, friends, and family over the years. It does come in handy.
I totally feel you Bee. I have been lucky for 14 years in this house with only periodic ac issues. But this time it went. I bought a space ac for $100 off a neighbor and am keeping it in the laundry room for future use. A neighbor lent me another one for my son’s room so we could both sleep comfortably at night. We are extremely grateful for our neighbors.
What a wonderful neighbor to find you used a/c parts so that you could get your fixed!
The good, the bad and the ugly
A good years planning went into my friend from So Cal her daughter from Austin to meet me in Oklahoma City to see the Edith Head exhibition. 70 of her costumes from various movies and 3 academy awards are on display. My friend treated me to dinner. My admission was free as I have a museum membership
The bad I hosted a garage sale with my sister and a friend which was not very successful. I do have bagged up items to donate to the assistance league
The ugly I made an input error with bank account number so my social security check will be delayed at least 10 days
I would love to see the Edith Head exhibit. Her costumes were amazing. There is nothing like a bit of old Hollywood glamour.
I’m sorry about the garage sale. I used to have one from time to time, but finally gave up doing them. It was exhausting and no one seemed to want to pay a fair price for things.
My last garage sale truly was the last, as it took me two days of hard work to make $41. The thing that was truly galling was I put it on at the insistence of a friend who needed money and promised to help. She completely bailed on me.
Ruby, I trust that this is now an ex-friend? 🙁
But I do understand your, Bee’s, and Kathy’s exasperation with garage sales that don’t repay the effort. I think everyone who participated in our street-wide garage sale last year agreed that this would be the last one, for the same reason.
Yes. I stopped having yard sales years ago when I only made $7.50. I find selling on marketplace so much more profitable. For small items I’ll group them into similar categories (cleaning supplies, office supplies, kitchen items…) and post a box for a low price, take all. Works very well to get volume out if your house and a bit if $ in your pocket.
Oh, you bet she’s an ex-friend! That was not the final straw, but I finally realized she was putting nothing into the relationship or toward straightening out her life, and stopped associating with her.
Ugh, sorry about that friend.
I have been doing an ‘estate’ sale of sorts for a woman in my neighborhood to clear out her garage. I’ve been slowly selling things for two months through our neighborhood Facebook group and have sold over $1k without having a yard sale yet. I keep pulling out items and taking photos and posting them. Then for her large milk glass collection I posted several times and invited people over and let them shop for the items. It may not be the fastest way to do this, but it’s not the right time of the year for a yard sale with the amount of rain and heat we get here; and I too am worried about minimal returns for a lot of effort of loading and unloading.
I think that your day sounds perfectly perfect – enjoyable, productive and frugal. I find days with ice cream in them are generally good. BTW, thank you for the Powell’s link.
I enjoyed my day, but it was neither frugal nor productive. I did get as far as making a to-do list. DH and I whiled away the afternoon doing errands and visiting with our son. I went with DH to a men’s store to buy some summer “business” clothing and then ate sushi. I did pick up a library book and walk the dog.
It’s now Sunday morning. Maybe I’ll be more productive and frugal today, but not until after I’ve had my coffee.
Wishing everyone peace, good health and prosperity.
Ice cream for the win!
It sounds like your day ended well. Free ice cream and your free piles continue to produce. Very nice.
Little by little, I’ll take the free money!
So glad your day improved, Katy … and a lot of that is your excellent attitude and your ability to find joy in the everyday frugal wins that you accumulate. Love it! Have a fantastic trip to NYC.
Lesley, you’ve said what I was about to, so I’ll just second your motions. And I hope that Katy will give us a few blog posts while she’s in the Big Apple.
“Excellent attitude” or just an unwillingness to wallow for an extended period? Either way, yes, the day got better!
Your improved day was just lovely. Thanks so much for the Powell’s link: that looks like such fun.
A mix bag of frugality and extravagance:
Spendy: I have bought three new books in airports during my month of various travels. I follow all the authors. I made this choice for several reasons: these books are authors I follow; I want to support them; I don’t want to wait 6 months to read them; and I donate the hardbacks to my library so they will have more copies for others of a popular book.
Thrifty: I canceled audible but before I did I used up my last credits on two preorders.
Spendy: I rewarded myself for 3 OP weeks of food planning ( 5 pounds lost) by purchasing Olipops at the natural food store I rarely visit. They are healthy and a treat but pricey.
Thrifty: I made yogurt for breakfasts and bought a Sam’s club chicken for dinners this week. 5 breakfasts and five dinners for $10.00
Spendy: I bought the latest techie sleeping backpack sleeping mat for my 16 day back up on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Weight will mean everything and so will a good night’s sleep. I will use the mat for years and a used one is asking for a leak. This one comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Thrifty: Instead of buying training weight belt for my 9 weeks of training for the hike, I weighed beans and put them into my luggage compressor squares. They are five pounds each. I weighed a plaster “rock” engrave with the word “passion.” It is 15 pounds. I wrapped it in a grocery bag, taped it and surrounded it with an old blanket. Now I can level up five pounds until I reach my goal of a 25 pound pack.
I love your thrifty weight belt options. I have a 10 pound weight vest and am wanting to level up. Might add a light pack with some beans!!!
Can you imagine carrying that backpack through security? The security officers would be so confused!
Another great post. My Friday was relatively frugal.
Early in the morning I made pumpkin banana muffins since I had some geriatric bananas and plenty of canned pumpkin. I also made a pot of lentil vegetable soup in the Instant Pot, using geriatric carrots as well as frozen spinach and chopped up cauliflower leaves. I put the soup in jars for storage.
We had annual service on our A/C. It costs money but I like to know it is kept in good working condition.
I went with a friend to a local restaurant in the afternoon and used a gift card (received for donating to a local organization) to pay for most of my chicken salad.
DH and I went to the Grocery Outlet and blackberries were $.75/carton and tempeh was $.99/package. DH picked up a couple packages of Glutino cookies for $1.50/each.
I love a restaurant gift card!
It sounds like a really good day…
For me…
1. I am about to travel to see family for 10 days. I have found a great rate at a hotel a little further from family where I can use reward points for 5 nights six days, and only have to pay about $180. I am thrilled. It’s a tourist area and I couldn’t find anything for under $200 a night. We will be staying in a different area than I’m used to, but I will look at the bright side and find new things to do there =)
2. The neighbors estate sale is still going strong. I took a week off to focus on the book bag drive I was running. However, I reposted some things yesterday and managed to sell two small tables and am following up on one item I have no received full payment for. Persistence. I am at about $1,040.00 in sales so far. I’m ecstatic because my cut will pay off my neighbor who fixed my AC last month. =)
3.My son is embracing doing a ‘Summer of Service’ program through our library. One of his non profits he is doing service for is a local food pantry. One of his challenges is to get a box from a food bank and make a video for social media where he picks up the box, unboxes it, and then makes a meal. We’ve planned when we’re going. Supper happy to receive the food and for my son to embrace this interesting service project. Which he will be great at because he loves making videos.
4. I purchased a year worth of my vitamins in bulk from the manufacturer saving about half the cost of buying them at my doctors office. Long term savings, short term pain of paying the amount I did upfront.
5. I helped host a book bag drive through my neighborhood. I gave a lot of hours and put back packs with supplies in the hands of 226 children this past Friday and Saturday. There is no greater reward than feeling good and productive and giving back to others for me.
6. I am trying to get my bf to entertain car camping on our road trip where he will meet my family for the first time. He thinks I’m crazy. =)
Your #5 is so wonderful to read. Congratulations for such a resounding success, those kids will benefit and look at all the connections in your community – folk showing up to help. well done
I love that your son is doing a video to promote food bank usage. Please share the video link in the comments section when it’s live!
Ashley Bananas,
Oh, please share the link to your son’s video. I’d love to see it! I’m sure others would, too. It’s so nice to hear about a young person doing a summer of service, so please give my regards to your son. I’m sure the library and food bank also appreciate what he’s doing.
Also, thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus as you supplied 226 (!wow! that’s a LOT!) pupils with backpacks and school supplies. That was a very sweet and loving thing to have done for the children.
I’ll let you all know how the video goes in the near future! This is for a service project with three different non profits. It’s organized by our library system where the teens learn about how to be leaders and thinkers to help make and promote for the non profits, so instead of just giving manual labor hours it lets them think of how to grow, lead and shape. It’s really interesting. The kids watch three webinars over the Summer in real time or after they have been recorded for three different non profits. They then can pick at least one, but up to four service projects for each non profit and record their hours. They made the program so that kids who don’t drive, or don’t have parents readily available to drive them everywhere can still participate. I think it’s genius. Update forthcoming!
Quick note: They’ve been doing the Summer Reading thing for several years. Did you notice that you can read more books and get up to 3 coupons?
Why no, I didn’t. I think I’ll go scour through the small print!
We’re in Lawrence, Kansas at the moment, visiting my father-in-law. As a treat for ourselves, we visited the Raven bookstore (we do not have any independent bookstores like this in my big city) where I saw T-Shirt Swim Club prominently displayed. (No, I didn’t end up buying it, as I am trying to have some self control.) It’s a long way from Portland, and I’m sharing because it’s exciting that your friend’s kid’s book is getting publicity elsewhere.
Afterwards, we went to the Ladybird Diner, which is so much more than I diner. We had pie after lunch. It was not inexpensive, but the food was amazing and the owner is a great member of the community. If you find yourself here, it’s totally worth a visit!
YAY, that makes me so happy to hear that Ian and Alyssa’s book is prominently displayed in a non-Portland bookstore! I’ll pass this along to me friend.