We’re finally home again after four days spent individually dropping our sons at their colleges. Although it only took four days in total, it felt like a full week. From the packing up of belongings, to the commutes to their universities, (two-and-a-half hours for one, 5-1/2 hours for the other) it felt like we spent endless days and nights settling our sons at school.
Both guys are in great dorm rooms and exactly where they should be. I keep waiting for the sadness to creep in, but in actuality, I feel 98% proud and happy and only 2% wistful. I’m guessing that this ratio will adjust as the days go on, but for now all I feel is content with who my sons are, and where they are at this point in their young adult lives.
Here are five six seven frugal things from our trip:
- We spent the night in Eugene after dropping our younger son off for his freshman year of college. However, we accepted an offer to stay with my old friend Karen, who I know from high school, as well as a gap year that we spent in Israel together. (I bought her a Starbucks gift card as a thank you.) We had a great time reminiscing over youthful hijinks and getting to know each other’s spouses.
- We then swung back home to pick up our older son for his college drop off. My husband and I stayed at a motel in Ashland, which has become our home away from home. In a town geared towards the wealthy tourist, this motel was a budget friendly $107 for a room with a kitchenette. The three of us ate dinner at Jasper’s cafe in nearby Medford, although I chose a $4.29 1/4-pound “Buckaroo” burger from the menu rather than one of their unbearably delicious $10 burgers. It was plenty of food, especially when paired with the fries that we ordered for the table.
- We stopped at Costco on our way back from Eugene to gas up the car, (Costco gasoline is consistently 30¢/gallon less than area gas stations.) We treated ourselves to $1.49 Polish dogs from the food court for an inexpensive, and frankly easy meal and then picked up a few items that our older son needed to bring back to school.
- I stopped into the Ashland, Oregon Goodwill and bought a $19.99 glass vase that was crammed full of watches, most of them vintage. I’ve been inspired by the blog Things I Find in The Garbage, and thought I’d try my hand at eBay watch sales. In all, there were 42 watches, ten of which were modern cheap ones. I think I should be able to make at least a couple hundred dollars from this $19.99 investment, not to mention the fun I’ve had researching them so far.
- I sold my $6.99 Goodwill midcentury Lane table for a satisfying $200 through Craigslist. I spent an enjoyable hour or two giving it a light sand and then wiping it down with Restore-A-Finish and Feed-N-Wax; as well as filling the holes made by locking hardware that the previous owner had installed. I spent around twenty bucks on the supplies, but there’s enough leftover to rejuvenate at least five more pieces.
- I garbage picked a nine-foot tall artificial Christmas tree that was boxed and next to a very clean dumpster outside of a realty office in Medford. Trees this tall sell for $250-$350 on Amazon, so I figured it was worth my time and effort to assemble it for a Craigslist sale. I once curb picked an artificial tree that was outside a “sale pending” house in December, and quickly sold it for $50, so I already knew that realtors use these trees to stage homes during the holiday season. I’ll try and sell it for $100.
- We didn’t buy any T-shirts, sweatshirts, bumper stickers or anything else else branded with the names of our son’s schools.
Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
Mostly today, trying to avoid catching whatever it is that has had my younger son calling off work and puking his guts out. Excuse me while I go wash my hands again….
Ugh, I hate a stomach virus! Sorry he is going through that.
This weekend, my husband and I hosted a barbecue for some friends who were visiting from out of town. Said friends bought *way* too much food (flatbreads, portobello mushrooms, cream cheese, etc.), so I’ll be planning ways to use up these fortuitous leftovers.
Leftover portobello mushrooms? Score!
Mmmmm….portebella burgers w/ provolone! My FAVE!
Sounds like you have a mini vacation and drop off rolled into one!
1. We had a grand opening of a Dollar General in a nearby town on Saturday and the first 50 people got a free roll of ground beef. If you were one of the first 100, like we were, you got a goody bag and a $10 gift card. Surprisingly, they gave my husband and I each a gift card and a reusable goody bag. These goody bags had some great contents that I plan to use for stocking stuffers and bingo gifts at Christmas. They also gave free samples of Oreos, shampoo/conditioner, and bubble gum. Not to mention they had free juice and pop tarts for snacks.There was also plenty of time to hit up a nearby yard sale on the way to work where I got my daughter a cute shirt for 50 cents.
2. Yesterday, I spent most of the day cleaning out the bathroom upstairs. I am ashamed to say that my daughter moved out a few years ago and instead of cleaning all her stuff out of there I simply closed the door and didn’t go in there at all for about 3 years. I found half empty bottles of shampoo and conditioner, toilet paper, bar soaps that were never opened, several hair ties, a nice Alabama Crimson Tide sweatshirt, a necklace with a sterling silver Hershey kiss pendant on it, various blankets and towels, a purse, and a box of garbage bags. I have 2 more girls living at home so this stuff should come in handy. I may give a few a few things back to my older daughter as she has probably forgot about most of this stuff.
3.My mom’s friend gifted me 2 dozen eggs from his chickens so I will be making deviled eggs tonight to go with whatever we have.
4. My kids and I are going to go swimming in our pool tonight before we put it up for the winter. Hopefully, we can get a few more fun times in before it gets cold. We live in Mississippi so it’s highly likely to be warm for a little while longer. Not exactly frugal but so relaxing.
5. I stayed home most of the weekend which always saves me money. I have been letting my kids do craft projects with old half-used paints that I have lurking around to keep them from being bored.
We try to have everything be a mini-vacation! We love trying local restaurants, and have our favorites in Ashland for sure!
I helped run a booth at the state fair over the weekend, I was able to buy discount tickets for my whole family to enjoy the fair, even though we did splurge on wristbands for unlimited rides. We’re going back through the week, but they only get 1 day for the rides. The rest of the time will have to be spent watching the concerts, visiting the animals, and talking to people.
While at the booth, the vendor next door selling windows asked who took the pic on my flyer. I admitted that I cheaped out and had my hubby do it with our shower curtain for a backdrop. When he finished laughing, he explained that his other job is professional photography, and he would be happy to help me spruce up the flyer. Then the gal on the other side of him announced that she’s a beautician! So between the 2 of them and another vendor who let us use their booth as a backdrop, I got some very decent pics taken for free! I’m definitely going to gift them gift cards, since they saved me hundreds of dollars.
Before going to the fair, we had huge breakfasts so we weren’t enticed by all the yummy fair food until dinner. We did succumb to the ice cream treats, but we shared instead of getting everyone their own.
The photographer gave my daughter a $1 Canadian coin. I laughed because he lives at the border, so he could have used it, but she was enchanted by it.
We have to fill up the rig every trip to the fair, since it’s so far away, but we are able to stop at a Nation gas station where fuel is on average $0.60/gallon cheaper.
That $1 coin has been nick-named the “loonie” since it has a loon depicted on one side and our $2 coin is the “twoonie”. Thought your daughter might like that little bit of Canadian trivia.
Are you going to sell the watches as is or put batteries in them all?
As-is, otherwise I’d go broke.
Heh…”a frankly cheap meal” of hot dogs.
I like the pun there. 😉
Katy, congrats on getting your boys settled and your great attitude about it. I have found the same to be true here (mine are frosh/soph).
1—There is a hole in the seat of my favorite pants. I cannot stand to get rid of them and since 99% of my clothes are thrifted, the odds of finding an exact replicate aren’t good. So I’m wearing them with long cardigans … and no one is the wiser.
2—As an RA, my daughter’s room and board are free at our local big 10 university. She gets 75 extra meal swipes, which she shares with me twice a week. This is so fantastic on so many levels: free food (the opposite of how having a college kid usually feels), time with my girl over my lunch hour, and getting a taste of campus energy, which I love.
3—I propagated sedum and boxwood a couple weeks ago, and it appears they are rooting! I will use these to fill in some gaps in the gardens and add color for curb appeal.
4—The weather has been so hot and humid these past months, but I’m only using my window A/C’s as needed when I’m in those rooms. Thankfully the weather turned for the better today … maybe fall is here!
5—Had girlfriends over for a bonfire this past weekend … it was BYOB and I used fallen branches from our nearby woods to burn on the fire. If the company is good, the rest doesn’t matter!
Katy: Loud cheers on dropping off both sons with tuitions paid in cash, and let us know how you do on the watches. I’m a fan of the garbagefinds guy myself, and I’d probably be out there trying with trashpicks on eBay and craigslist if I were 20 years younger and had a younger person’s energy.
Now, FFT, “Soup Nazi” Edition. Making beef barley soup tonight with:
(1) Two containers of beef stock from the freezer.
(2) Leeks, parsley, carrots, and thyme from the garden.
(3) A celery heart from the depths of the vegetable drawer in the fridge.
(4) Reconstituted dried mushrooms, purchased from a local source.
(5) And barley purchased from the local food coop.
I am glad everything went well. I think the college years are an exciting time in a young person’s life. For many kids and parents, the best is yet to come. BTW, thank you for the link to the above mentioned blog, it is an interesting and fun read. I often wonder what people have found. Five Garbage Things could make interesting reading.
Here are my frugal things:
1) I found myself with an abundance of bell peppers. Last night, I spent time roasting some of them. I think roasted peppers are tasty on sandwiches, in salads, and mixed with black beans. I also cut some into strips for pepper steak later in the week, and then minced a froze the rest for later.
2) I purchased a $50 gas card for only $40 at the grocery store this weekend.
3) I went to an estate sale this week and found many practical items. I have a KitchenAid mixer that I purchased secondhand many years ago. It did not have the splash shield around the bowl. I found one for only 50 cents. I am thrilled! This was my favorite purchase.
4) I went to the library book sale and purchased several books. Money for the library and reading material for me. I also picked up a gift. Win-Win.
5) I worked a side job this past week and put the money in my savings account.
6) I started selling again on eBay this month. I have sold six items so far. Cleaning out my house and making money. That’s definitely a good deal.
7) My son gave my husband and me tickets to see Elton John for our wedding anniversary. Since the concert was 3 hours a way, we decided to spend the night in the host city rather than drive home late at night. I found a hotel that not only served breakfast, but one that had a free happy hour. I was surprised to find that they served wine, beer, soup, salad and heavy appetizers. We enjoyed happy hour and skipped dinner before the show. We save a least $50 by doing so.
1. Had a bunch of stuff in my cart at TJ Maxx and put it all back and walked out.
2. Went to a cooking club lunch and was tasked with bringing wine. I brought bottles we already had so no money out of pocket and a really yummy lunch!
3. My friend gave me a nice pullover with my son’s soccer club logo on it that she didn’t need anymore. It’s really nice and was perfect for the soccer tournament this weekend as it was slightly chillier.
4. Made stuffed peppers for dinner because I had all the ingredients. I also finely chopped up an onion and some zucchini that was going bad and sautéed that and mixed it in with the filling. So didn’t waste any food and added some extra veggies to dinner.
5. Am making a point of using the two memberships I pay money for…my gym which I use on average 4-5 times a week and the botanical gardens and sculpture park which I go to quite frequently also. No memberships that aren’t being taken advantage of!
6. Had a two day soccer tournament. Didn’t stay in a hotel, instead drove the hour and 15 minutes each day. Brought enough drinks and snacks and stuff for lunch that we didn’t need to buy anything at the tournament. We were there for so long each day though that we did get drive Thru on the way home for dinner because my son was starving after all those soccer games!
I’ll bet #1 felt so good!
1. My daughter and I had a yard sale this weekend. I didn’t have that much stuff ready to sell, but still made over $40. I sat in the shade with my daughter and granddaughter and ate a homemade sandwich, drank water and homemade kombucha, and enjoyed the company of the daughter and delightful granddaughter. I am slowly but surly making more room in my house, too.
2. Made dessert for a family dinner with stuff I had on hand, using an old recipe from my 1976 BH&G cookbook. I got the cookbook new in ’76 for less than half price, because some of the pages were put in backward when it was printed.
3. Found a penny on the ground in a parking lot.
4. Found a garlic press for 99 cents at GW. I make a few dishes that call for a lot of crushed garlic, so this is something I’d wanted for a good while. It’s a uni-tasker, but I’ll use it.
5. I finally have my finances in order enough to pay six months of auto insurance at once instead of on the payment plan. I’ll save $40 every six months.
6. I realized I had a decent nightgown set aside to toss for the simple reason that the tags would scratch my neck terribly. I looked at it more carefully and saw the tags were sewn in under a ribbon trim inside the neckline. I opened the trim, removed the tags and sewed the ribbon back down. So easy — I can’t believe I was going to get rid of it!
I am cancelling a donation pickup and will try to be more patient in listing/selling items I no longer need. I did sell a Calvin Klein gown on EBay last week, and that felt good. It was worn once seven years ago, and hasn’t been touched since. I rented a band instrument for my daughter through school, and it’s only $20 for an instrument for the year…and she can wear her sister’s hand-me-down uniform shirt.
Please keep us up to date on the watches! I adore Martin’s blog, and I am amazed at how much money some of the stuff brings, like old bottles of perfume!, and of course watches.
Katy, many good wishes and blessings to both of your sons, as well as you and your husband, this school year!
1. It seems like my family has been having a lot of medical appointments lately, both for problems we’ve been having, and regular checkups. I consider this frugal, since we’re keeping up with what we need to be doing health-wise, rather than putting it off.
2. A hiring manager at a company I’m interested in asked for my resume. I don’t know that anything will come of it, but I moved it to the top of my to-do list anyway, and got it and a cover letter emailed to her. It took less than an hour to update it, and at a minimum now I have a ready-to-go resume.
3. Found five pennies on the ground, at five different times. Love that!
4. My friend had a death in her family and I took her another meal. I doubled it so that my family ate the same thing that evening. A single amount of time in the oven, but two meals.
5. I bought a 10-pound bag of red-skinned potatoes, because the price per pound was cheapest that way. I used a lot of them in the two casseroles I mentioned in #4, but still have a bunch left over. I looked up ways to use them, and now have garlic red roasted potatoes on my “upcoming meals” list. I’m not sure yet what I’ll serve them with but I’ll figure something out!
LOve the things I find in the garbage website!
My husband is volunteering for the Ryder cup this week so even though he paid $200 to volunteer – he will go to the course 5 days in a row at no cost with meals each day (he is volunteering pe and post event) and has a jacket, tee shirt and hat.
HE has tee shirts from other golf events that he no longer wants that i will attempt to sell on eBay.
September included our daughters marriage with the wedding in our backyard – final bills are coming in. In about a week it will all be settled and I am buttoning down the hatches for October and November. On the other hand we have planned for this so it will be good!! And it was a lovely ceremony and party!!!
If the vintage women’s watches aren’t working, you could always put them together to make one of these: https://www.etsy.com/listing/185032142/repurposed-vintage-watch-bracelet?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=watch%20bracelet&ref=sr_gallery_15
I’ve been wanting one like this for ages.
My fft’s:
1. Bathed dog myself, cleaned his ears, clipped his nails. No grooming fees.
2. Roasted turkey breast and drumsticks a few days ago. Using the last drumstick to make turkey and wild rice soup tonight.
3. Turned in article and photos for holiday magazine.
4. Getting ready for garage sale this weekend.
5. Hemmed uniform slacks for son, saving him alteration fee.
1. Farmers market over the weekend and bought healthy veggies for soups and freezer still at low rate prices.
2. Made homemade cream of cauliflower cheddar soup that turned out “Souper ” delish and the girl totally approved.
3. Drove to see my folks and they treated us to dinner at Famous Daves, totally yummy!
4. E Coupons didn’t come through at the grocery store so had cashier get manager who took the $2.50 savings off.
5. Swag bucking a lot and the usual everyday saving techniques around the house.
1. This one will sound funny but DH and I didn’t eat anything for 2 days on a road trip. Neither one of us were feeling well so it wasn’t hard to skip meals…and save money.
2. Daughter was able to purchase wedding dress at a significant discount at her place of employment…it will make up a little for her destination wedding.
3. Found 48 cents, but I had to wait for people to move to get it!
4. Buying drawer handles for our flip home and found some via a blog for 50% less.
5. Finally going to get my hair done, but will get a discount for giving her a referral.
1. Got a $10 off of $10 purchase at JCPenny. I will get some socks 🙂
2. Did a great shopping at CVS. 70% savings
3. Another week of brown bagging lunches. No exceptions!
4. Keeping food waste as low as possible
5. Zero coffees out this past week. Not even in the weekend. Yep.
1) I had a work conference last week Mon – Wed and needed a haircut beforehand. Dear wife has been cutting DS’s hair since the beginning and he always looks great so I asked her to cut mine too. She did a great job with a shape up/trim. Saved $40, a tank of gas, and 2.5 hours, as my stylist is 30 miles away.
2) Returned an item and got just a couple of things at Costco near conference – a trip I would not otherwise have been able to do. Also visited CVS while there and saved $5 with coupon on a $12 purchase.
3) Cleaned our short term rental today following departure of honeymooners who had been married at the historic farm across the road. They kindly left about 40 cans of soda, 60 paper dinner napkins, pickles (DS’s fave), two unopened packages of smoked salmon, and the makings for bloody marys (including booze) from pre and post wedding events. We are grateful for their generosity!
4) Returned bottles from rental and from my roadside finds and made $7.15 for family movie fund. Best return total this year.
5) Will head to our credit union tomorrow to readjust our automatic loan payments for car and furnace. At current, we are paying more than minimum on both, but additional is being applied to interest first. After talking to customer service, I was advised to pay minimum and call to make a payment directly to principal by phone monthly.
I’ve never felt sad when my kids have hit major milestones, like going to school. I know some parents do. I am always proud. They have yet to leave the nest, though. Congratulations!
1. We are still struggling through September and I think we can cashflow the last of our big expenses. More and more keep coming and I’m looking to the first week in October like a lifeline!
2. We had quesadillas last night made from leftovers and tonight’s dinner will be a pasta bake that was made from leftovers and frozen ahead.
3. I’ve negotiated to work from home two days this week. Huge storm coming and I’m sure my autistic daughter will panic. I need to be home in case. It will also save petrol and time.
4. I’ve started our spring planting for summer vegetables.
5. We are planning a garage sale for October and I’m collecting stuff for it.
Right there with you about milestones. I am not a nostalgic person. I have 2 kids, a 4yo and a 6yo, and I LOVE it when they reach a new milestone! I love seeing them grow, develop, get more independent. Maybe I’ll change my tune when they leave home, but for now it’s all good. Let them grow up I say.
I love that blog Things I find in the garbage. I feel like he is a rescuer and proud to call him a fellow Canadian. People throw out perfectly good things all the time. My last garbage picked item was a while ago but I brought home 3 patio chairs I found on the side of the road with a free sign. We kept one which we use when we throw the ball for the dog in the back yard and gave two to a neighbor who uses them on their front porch. Previous to that I found a wicker chair and footrest that was spider infested and had seen better days. Hubby bought $30 worth of white paint and whipped it back into shape and we gave it to my Mom who has it as her patio furniture after buying a cushion for it.
Wowza, what a frugal week, indeed!
This week:
1. Mr. Picky Pincher’s dad installed the cabinets he made for us (he’s a master carpenter). We were very fortunate because we got to use a lot of his discounts to get a really, really good deal on our cabinets!
2. I made sure to use the coupons the USPS sent us when we changed our address. We got a few 10% off coupons to Lowe’s that have already saved us about $20 so far.
3. I prepped a lot of meals over the weekend for easy weeknight meals. I cooked pho, cut veggies and measured out ingredients for French dip sandwiches, and cut and roasted a pumpkin.
4. Since we’re doing a lot of renovating, it means we’re kind of slacking on our household chores. So on Sunday I did a few loads of laundry using our homemade laundry soap. I also cleaned our house with a vinegar cleaning solution.
5. I painted a few rooms at the house instead of outsourcing the work. After a coat of paint and a little spackle, the house is slowly being brought into the 21st century. 🙂
1. We were on vacation in Montana, and my friends offered us their National Parks pass, so we went on a day trip to Glacier for free (+ gas), and packed our lunch. They were on their way home after we met up for the weekend, so they were happy to leave the pass with us.
2. We purchased some whiskey in Montana to avoid the super high taxes in Washington. Bought 2 bottles, saved easily $15.
3. My friend has been training to become a barre3 Instructor, so I have been taking her free classes–2 last week and 2 more this weekend. Parked a few blocks away to avoid paying for parking.
4. Relisted a few things on Craiglist to sell–in no hurry and reposting is free.
5. Needed to pay a few bills via check–used old “Business Reply” envelopes–just blacked out the type, added the proper address and added a stamp. No need to buy envelopes.
6. Covered 2 extra front desk shifts at yoga for my work-study for a total of an hour and a half, received 4 free classes in return. Good trade!
7. Came up with a birthday idea for my little brother who loves hotels–I’ll have enough Hyatt points by his next visit to see us I can take him to stay at a Hyatt property nearby. He will be thrilled and I’ll use points I probably wouldn’t have otherwise–all accumulated from work travel so I didn’t have to spend anything to earn them.
What a great thing to do for your little brother. I can’t think of a better way to use loyalty points.
1. Harvesting tomatoes! Just freezing this year since canning is a pain on my smooth-top stove. Diced the San Marzanos and weighed out 28oz per freezer bag–the same amount as in a large can of tomatoes. It’ll make it easier for me to know how much I need when I’m making chili or stew this winter. Also slow-roasting a smaller variety, low temp in the oven for several hours, drizzled w/ olive oil and garden-grown garlic & herbs. They turn out a lot like sun-dried tomatoes. I figure I’ve harvested over 400 of them so far.
2. We had two days of HUGE rain and cooler temperatures so I was able to turn off the sprinkler system.
3. Used up some seen-better-days apples to make a rustic apple tart. Delicious for breakfast with a cup of coffee.
4. Not motivated to run errands today so I stayed home. Worked in the yard, continued decluttering, and finally finished re-hanging the art on a gallery wall that’s been bugging me for months (’cause I mis-measured part of it the first time). While I had the tools out, I hung another piece of art. We’ve accumulated a fair amount over the years and I’ve made it a priority to get it framed and hung. Super satisfying to see so much of it displayed.
5. My husband’s sister had a big birthday (one with a zero) over the weekend in California–two states and 750+ miles away. Husband, his brother, and a friend decided to go. My BIL needed to drive because he’s meeting his wife in Portland, so my husband also drove (so he and our friend could get home). He has a Prius and we have a hybrid Camry. They had a great time, spent little on gas and stayed with friends and family.
Welcome back Katy!
1.We planned on watching the presidential debates at a special showing this evening at a local theater. This would have required a donation plus the cost of popcorn. We were late and the theater was full, so we went home, watched on our own TV and saved $$.
2. Spent the weekend at an out of town family wedding – not frugal. On the plus side were some free meals – reception dinner and free hotel breakfast one morning. We added a couple of oranges and apples supplied by the hotel to eat on the trip home.
3. In addition to a couple of modest gifts purchased for the bride, I realized that in my attic resides some family silver inherited from my mother-in-law. I will polish it up and send along as an heirloom memento.
4. Cleaning out old raggedy clothes for recycle. Just bagged up my second garbage ball full – this results in a somewhat roomier closet.
5. Continuing to research inexpensive meal plans. It is a challenge to vary our diets for a modest price. I had never heard of marked-down milk prices around here, but actually found a gallon marked down to 75 cents at Walgreens! Because it was fat free and my husband prefers 2%, I passed it up. However, now I know where to look for these occasional mark downs.
I preferred to watch the debate at home as it’s a lot less embarrassing when I’m yelling at the TV.
🙂
This debate was sponsored by our local political party so almost everyone was on board with us although it was open to the public. Presumably everyone would cheer and jeer for similar reasons? Comfort in numbers. I was heartened that so many folks showed up! Started hearing on the internet a concern about getting a crowd. They had reserved a good-sized movie theater. How would they cover costs if no one there to donate? It looked very successful to me – no parking spots within blocks of the place. Nice to watch at home though – and make inappropriate comments heard by no one except husband and pets.
ROFL!!!
As I’ve mentioned in comments on earlier posts, DH and I gave up cable several years ago and got rid of TV altogether last year (donated the set to a charity). We haven’t regretted this an iota this election year. Just reading about the debate was bad enough. Isabelle, if there’s any room in your part of Canada, let us know!
We watched a part of it online. We are Canadians, but this election is…. hmm…. quite entertaining to say the least!
1. Yesterday was my birthday. I’m not one for big celebrations, but my friends wanted to do something. We chose a local spot that has 1/2 price glass of wine on Mondays, so frugal for all, and a nice time with good friends.
2. They gave me a gift card to the same restaurant as a gift.
3. Another friend picked up my tab. Yes I am blessed with nice friends!
4. One of my husband’s gifts to me was to record the debate so he could watch it on his own. I’m tired of the both of them, honestly, and wanted nothing but joy on my birthday, not debating!
5. We celebrated a coworker’s bday today by bringing sandwich fixins and made hoagies together.
6. Brought brownies made from a box mix I’d picked up on sale and stored for this kind of occasion.
7. Found another hair tie to give to my cats.
8. Filled my fridge with LOTS of eggs that were 1/2 price at the store. Boiled 2 dozen. Plan to make and freeze some quiches this weekend.
1. Found 2 pennies while cleaning under the bed. Added them to my change jar.
2. Made tacos for dinner with marked down ground beef, free sour cream and the rest of the fixings my DD brought home from her job after an event.
3. Earned $10 Amazon gc from a survey
4. Sold something on eBay.
5. Contacted my bank to see if they had checkbook registers and the rep said he’d mail them to me for free.
1. Have mended a few things lately-including a Onesie and my purse (the strap came undone).
2. Didn’t go to the Goodwill Outlet this weekend-stayed home and cleaned/decluttered/saved money.
3. Decorated my living room for fall using a wreath that I got from the Goodwill Outlet a while back (~$1), dried wheat-type grass from alongside our complex’s driveway (free), some weeds with pretty yellow flowers from alongside said driveway (also free), and two small decorative gourds that I got from the dollar store a few years ago ($2.15). No money out of pocket this weekend, and the things that I purchased previously will be useful for years to come.
4. Drinking free coffee at work today
5. Did not bring lunch, but will scrounge around to find something at the office instead of going out (I think I still have some bread and frozen carrots in the shared freezer, some peanut butter in the fridge…?)
Great score on the watches!
Although I no longer wear one, I love looking at watches, especially vintage ones.
1) I boiled and deboned a bag of leg quarters I picked up for $5 a the grocers and froze the meat for later meals.
2) I fixed hamburgers for dinner last Saturday evening and we’ve had 3 nights of leftovers so far.
3) I picked up another audiobook from the Library last week. I now have 4, so I need to stop putting holds on them for now.
4) I get paid once a month, on the last day of each, so I’m making do with what we have at home. The few staples we end up needing I’ve been able to pick up at the Dollar Tree, so I’m not spending much at all right now.
5) I filled up the car the other night, before gas went up 10 cents a gallon.
Frugal fail: I tried to repair my washer by watching a YouTube video, but it didn’t work. So, I finally called the repair shop and it will be 2 weeks before they can get anyone out. Maybe I can get it to work before they are due out. I’m going to try something else and see if it works. I hate having to call in for repairs, it makes me feel like a frugal failure.
* Got called in at 7h05 this morning to cover a shift 8h-4h. It was pretty stressful (last minute) but I got the kids going, dropped them off and was able to make it to work for 8h30. Also took the time to make myself a lunch “just in case” when I woke up at 5h45, so I didn’t end up at the cafeteria.
* Got 2 bottles of hair conditioner on sale for 1$ each
* Wanted to rent movies yesterday. It’s 2 for 1 on Monday. But I forgot. And it’s all good since I have Netflix at home anyways! So I saved 6$
* I had a coupon for a free movie ticket expiring this week. I was not really interested in any movies presented but I went anyways just for the principle of using the coupon. The movie I choose (Mechanic) was baaaaad!!
* Got 2 rooster at the farm, for 5$. Farmer told me how to cook it, and warned me that it would not be very tender (like chicken). Indeed, it was pretty rubbery. I got 1,75 pound of meat out of them. In the food processor, with mayo, it’s fine and it makes great sandwichs stuffing. 2.85$/pound for organic meat is really cheap around here!
Have a geat frugal day!
I’m glad your boys are doing well and are where they should be, that is a good feeling. Today’s frugals are eating foods from home, dropping the library books off on time to avoid late fees, and getting myself back on track. 🙂
1. Eating out of fridge
2. Went to cvs and used coupons to buy soap and batteries.
3. took on a few more clients as I am concerned about having to pay for my own health insurance as I am back to adjunct status for the next 2 semesters.
4. Enjoying the fall weather with no need for air conditioner or heat
5. Made some chicken thighs in a teriyaki recipe from the food network. it made 4 meals. It was good.
{ 3 trackbacks }