Three Frugal Things -- Focaccia & Oatmeal
1. My husband and I ran a couple of errands around town and treated ourselves to a late lunch at a Focacceria restaurant, which set us back just $10 plus tip as it was their "happy hour." We got their mushrooms slices, which are topped with pesto, arugula and their house made ricotta cheese.
Here's a better photo from their website, as my phone is still on the fritz:
2. My friend Lise and I are meeting up this afternoon to grocery shop at Winco Foods and maybe hit Goodwill and our favorite "dented vegetable store."
To say that we both enjoy a bargain would be an understatement.
3. This big bowl of oatmeal, which falls under the frugal umbrella, even when you add a handful of frozen blueberries.
Even Goldie Fawn approves!
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."
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Still recovering from bronchitis/asthma, which has made outings a challenge but more doable as the days go by.
1. Attended a roundtable at my job yesterday which I was SO happy to be healthy enough to attend since it was very informative. They served lunch as well as a coffee break, where I availed myself of as much orange herbal tea and honey as I could.
2. The friend in town for his mom's surgery needed a break, so we all went to the local bar for a bit. It was $2 hot dog night, so I availed myself of one of their vegan ones for dinner. Not quite costco level, but I'll take it!
3. Breakfast was the usual and lunch was cereal since now that i'm on the mend, the pile of work is waiting for me. I jazzed it up with dried strawberries that have been patiently waiting in the pantry for their time to shine and it was delightful, with some additional vitamins and minerals.
4. Using a lemon that was limping along in the fridge in my tea from the pantry with the honey from my friend's beehive. Getting better truly takes a village.
5. With the warmer weather, the heat is off! What a relief from our utility bill. I am under no illusions that winter is over, but I'll take the reprieve 🙂
Nothing especially frugal but I've been too tired from long days at work (and a bout with a 24-hour bug) to spend any money. Inadvertently frugal I guess. Also too blasted cold (we're expecting snow soon) to want to do anything!!
Your oatmeal looks so good! Those blueberries for sure take it up a notch. I would definitely order that at a restaurant. Yum!
I just finished lunch (piece of cheese, carrot sticks, a few chips and the last of my birthday lemon cake) sitting in my garden at my free-to-me table. I have kale and chard growing amount the calendulas that re-seed prolifically. We haven't had heat on in over 2 weeks, and it is absolutely beautiful outside.
I volunteered at the community garden where we planted a very long row of broccoli and lettuce, all destined for the food bank. Brought home a handful of chocolate macadamia nuts from the snack there. I can't eat any of it (cross contamination from peanuts) but I bring home this and that for my husband. He'll be particularly pleased with these.
I successfully altered the waistband on a pair of pants that made me want to cry every time I wore them. They are absolutely perfect now, finished with large snaps taken off a sweater from a free pile.
Breakfast for dinner tonight, I already baked the bacon yesterday when I was baking potatoes, which are becoming hash browns tonight.
Dh has been taken to work 2 times this week by friends who want another person in their car so they can use the carpool lane. And yesterday a friend offered to drive to the next town to play pickleball, our town court is closed for renovations. So we've saved a lot of gas, and he helped his work friends at the same time! He doesn't have a car to reciprocate rides, but they know that and are really glad to have him so they can use the carpool lane. It cuts their commute and gas consumption about in half.
I spent the morning decluttering and deep cleaning my laundry room while playing "find the smell". I had assumed it was the cat box, but after dumping, scrubbing, and refilling it a few days ago the smell was worse.
I had checked the washing machine, the drain, had husband disconnect and pull out the dryer to make sure a critter hadn't somehow got in and died back there, but no luck.
He pulled out the deep freezer to check behind it and found a small bag of diced pork that must have gotten knocked out of the freezer when I spelunked all the way to the bottom looking for something last week. So glad we found it before we leave for a vacation next week!
Oh yeah, that would smell! My condo neighbors and I were desperately playing "find the smell" a while back, eventually learning that the freezer in one of our neighbor's condo had lost power while they were on a long trip. What a smell! We had a laugh at how everyone got their own place super cleaned up looking for the source, in vain as it turned out.
Glad it was the freezer and not the neighbor!
1. I gave my son-in-law my husband's pair of snow pants. He needed some and they fit perfectly. I'm just sorry I didn't find out he needed some until recently.
2. My son-in-law fixed my dogs favorite toy. My fingers weren't strong enough. Hard to explain but I accidently pulled the tail out of her sling shot duck while playing with her.
3. I had my brother-in-law over for coffee and he helped me figure out a problem I was having. We were able to catch up and only cost me a few coffee beans.
1. We have had a few days that have been warm enough to have no heat on and windows open, fresh air is wonderful.
2. today back to storms and rain, so staying inside and getting things done. Made yogurt, egg salad and a kick ass burnt sugar butterscotch pudding. Also baking some acorn squash grown in the garden last year...they keep well.
3. got a load of chicken thighs from Flash foods last week, I much prefer thighs over chicken breasts, more flavor. I have 2 in the toaster oven roasting and will be coated with BBQ sauce...cheap eats.
4. broke down a 25# bag of flour into quart jars topped with a bay leaf. Some went into freezer. So much cheaper to buy in quantity and I do a lot of baking.
5. cooking and eating at home.... can get boring but oh well it is so much cheaper.
started peach pits haven't popped yet but still hoping even if I only get a few out of the 72 I planted, I will call it a win.
JC
1. I made the Marry Me Chickpeas recipe the Frugal Girl posted a few says ago. It was delicious. I will make it again.
2. I repaired a torn dress.
3. My husband brought out some framed pictures he wanted to hang. Two frames were brown and one was red. I painted the red frame wood tones so it goes with the others.
4. I picked up a towel and a blanket from a free pile. They will go to the animal shelter.
5. One of my cats is fascinated when I sew and always wants to grab the thread. He was sitting next to me as I was doing some hand sewing . He lunged for the thread and all my supplies, including 8 buttons flew in all directions. One button remained missing so I did a thorough cleaning of the room, and moved and rearranged the furniture . I never found the button but I found a lot of dust. The new arrangement is better. The most frugal part is that I realized how worn the couch cover was looking and thought of buying a new one. But it is reversible so I just flipped it over.
As a PSA, be careful of your needles if you have a cat that likes threads. Our cat ate a piece of thread attached to a needle and swallowed the entire thing. She needed emergency surgery to remove the needle before it perforated her guts. She recovered perfectly, but it was scary.
Our “free” cat is now an upwards of $4000 cat, and she is worth it.
Danger, you are so right. A cat I had in the past was also fascinated with thread. Once he was able to swallow a threaded needle, needle first. Fortunately I was able to grab the thread before it all disappeared down his throat and pull it out, needle and all.
My husband was not fond of the lemon orzo with sautéed veggies side dish I made, so I added some canned chicken and claimed it for my lunches. Delish!
I set up my sewing machine and sewed scrap material into five nice cleaning cloths. Also turned a long-sleeved shirt into a short sleeved one and replaced the drawstring in a blouse with elastic, so I don't have to keep adjusting it.
Accidentally bought some protein shakes that are extremely artifical vanilla flavored, but are working out as the base for smoothies. Will be glad when they are used up, though.
1. Our car died - which isn't too frugal.Luckily our son lives nearby and we were able to borrow his car when needed. But we were able to buy a "new to us" vehicle (my husband and I share a car) by dipping into our savings so we do not have a car payment. I'm considering that a win.
2. My husband did a sleep study, ordered by his doctor, and found out he has "severe" sleep apnea. He picked up his cpap machine yesterday at a $300 something payout up front through our insurance and then a $10 monthly fee for a year in which he will own it. I was a bit taken aback by the cost until I spoke with many friends who all have cpap machines and paid over $1000 for them. Alrighty then, I guess I'll take it.
3. Spent a week out of town helping my sister take care of my 98 year old mom which wasn't so frugal - I flew there and took my mom out to eat a few times -but since I've been back it's been a lot of staying home watching Brit Box, reading my library books (The Correspondent by Virginia Evans), cleaning out baskets, closets and drawers along with some playground visits with the grandson and eating at home.
4. One of the cleanouts yielded some vintage 45 records and music festival passes which I listed on ebay today. I've sold 4 of the 10 I've listed. Woohoo! Why didn't I do this sooner?
5. I listed some clothes that my grandson had outgrown on my Buy Nothing group and have a taker picking them up today.
1. I made homemade pizza sometime back with a crust that didn't turn out at all. I threw it in the freezer, not sure what to with it. Today I scraped off the cheese and toppings and made a pizza omelet. It was delicious. (I threw the crust away).
2. I printed off an application for a "senior freeze" on my property taxes. It doesn't freeze the whole amount, just a portion, but, hey, anything helps.
3. The toaster oven I want to donate lost one of its little feet while I was cleaning it. I looked around for super glue, but found only a dried-up unusable tube. I tried Elmer's, but of course that didn't work. So I ordered some, knowing I will have other uses for it. At the same time I ordered a new dust mop with several different mop heads. I had a $7 credit, and I also opted for later delivery to get a small percentage off. Yes, I used Amazon! But now that my son is no longer working for them, this will be the last year I have an Amazon Prime account.
4. I was gifted a jar of chopped olives and a bag of sugar packets.
5. I located a rubber ball that will fit tightly in my sink's drain hole. Best part -- I had found it previously on one of my walks, and I was just hanging onto it in case my grandcat might want to play with it. So free!
I'm so glad you already had a ball that fits! And free too. When I saw it at my son's house I thought it such a clever solution.
Not too frugal but it could be worse: I got the neighborhood character/yard man/ handyman to saw up the giant downed tree and haul off the brush that was not big enough for firewood for $400. (This is the latest development since the moving van driver clipped the branches and pulled down the live oak, as earlier detailed here in past days. )The city won't do it and if course the rotten SOBs at that fly by night moving company didn't make good on his promise to fix it. I didn't have insurance so I am stuck with doing it myself. I've called everyone I can think of offering them free firewood if they come get it ... and hope to avoid the dumping fee for the heavy logs this way....the logs would cost me a fortune to pay to dump. Yes, I tried to talk to the moving van co. owner but the latest is that he said he won't do anything because I am not a "graceful" enough lady. I think I need to get a lawyer but that might cost me even more.
I am only happy I got off for under 500 bucks, as all the tree cos. referred to me from the city wanted over a grand.
May I ask for prayers, please, concerning this mess?
Fru-gal Lisa - you are amazing! You are an inspiration in handling life's complexities. I hope this all works out easily and in your favor.
Can you leave it neatly stacked in your yard while you look to re-home it?
Are there any campgrounds near you - likely a good outlet for firewood for campfires even if not seasoned yet. High school have bon fires for homecoming? Boy Scouts for camping?
This is one reason I live in a state where assistance in a situation such as this exists. The fly by night moving van posterior is a chauvinist - all I can say. If you have Better Business Bureau you can file a report on the incident. I'd beware of posting reviews as I'm worried (again due to your resident state) of said sleazy company going after you.
I'd have played the senior citizen card and just left it. And called local media if the city got on your case.
I am pulling for you in every way! My son has a circle of seats in his back yard surrounding a fire pit. The seats are just slices off of big logs. Could you use the logs in a similar way? It's very rustic and cute.
Fru-gal Lisa - I am so sorry to read about what happened to you. I am in a similar position - where a contractor working on a neighboring project broke my fence on the alley in December. When I tried to talk to them - with photo proof from a neighbor that they clearly did it- the contractor started yelling at me and told me I was not a nice lady!!! Since the damage is not worth paying a deductible for home insurance, we decided to wait until they’re done with the construction and then fix it ourselves. Sending good thoughts your way and I hope we can all have kinder, nicer people in the world.
I downloaded the McDonald's app. Why, I have no clue other than the rare occasion I get a mocha between schools (if I have the extra time). I can order on the app...they bring it to me curbside, and I don't have to get out of the van. Monday, I treated myself to lunch...a filet-o-fish (no cheese - who puts cheese on fish?! Yuk!) and a sweet tea. When I got the fish and went to eat it, the tartar sauce was missing, too. Sent a complaint via the app. Was asked to provide some info and a coupon is headed my way. Today, I got to the Catholic school I take 1 kid to as the Catholic school in town only goes to 8th grade and the high school is 3 towns over, only to get a text from his dad that he was staying after school today. At least dad got me before I got stuck in the middle of a bus line and would have had to wait until dismissal. Anyway, on the way back through, I needed the restroom, so I stopped at McD's and thought "I'm going to try this again." I had enough points to get the sandwich for free, so I placed the exact same order, but changed the size of the tea from XS to L. Went to the restroom and stopped to pick up my order at the counter, checking it before I left. Sandwich was right, drink size was wrong. Showed them my order and they gave me the right size cup. I went out to my van and sent a reply to the email I replied to on Monday...it happened AGAIN! I would be more understanding if they were busy, but there were 4 patrons sitting in the dining room with their food, no one at the drive-thru, and me. The regional office was going to have another word with the manager of that location, and I'm getting 2 more coupons! I guess that's a win?
Yesterday's discussion was with regard to "frugal hacks." I use the following cash back/gift card apps:
*Coin Out
*Fetch
*Frisbee
*Ibotta
*Pogo
*Receipt Hog
*Receipt Jar
*Receipt Pal
*Upside (only a few places in my area, but every penny counts)
They all accumulate at different rates, some faster than others, but that's ok.
I also have an Acorns account. It's supposed to be an investment account; however, I use it more as a "safety net." I have $7.50 taken out of my bank account every week. I just let it accumulate (Acorns invests your money in stocks), and, when money is tight and we have orks for me.an emergency where we need some extra money, I withdraw the money from the Acorns account for that. $7.50 per week I don't miss, so it works for me.
Can I join in with my list of very UNFRUGAL (and some very sad) things.
1. Some readers may remember that we had to put our old man cat down last month due to stomach cancer. Well, on Monday, my husband’s beloved cat had to be put down. He caught a virus (the feline form of Parvo). We did not know what was wrong so we ran every test they offered, but unfortunately we did not find any good news, only bad. We had adopted another, fully vaccinated cat from the pound which is probably where the virus came from. He would not have the virus but it could have been brought in on his fur, is how the vet explained it. Our cats are fully indoor cats so we did not have them vaccinated. (Yes, we feel awful, please don’t make me feel worse.) $750 and we still lost our sweet baby.
2. This necessitates a quickly scheduled visit for our other cat. She is showing no signs or symptoms, and the vet said some cats can have built an immunity to it (she was an outdoor cat when we got her 7 years ago), but we definitely want her checked out and vaccinated. That will be close to $85 (but well worth it).
3. My husband got his very first speeding ticket. We do not know yet what it will cost but are estimating $200 (mostly court costs as the ticket was only for going 4 miles over).
4. My husband is running for a city council position, which I fully support because I think he’ll be great at it, but we are ordering yard signs, probably to the tune of $500.
Alice, sending you my condolences on the loss of both of your cats. That's a lot to go through. May your other cat be in good health.
Sad and expensive. I'm so sorry for your loss.
Alice, I am saddened by the loss of your sweet cats. So hard to lose fur babies.
1. I made Amy's lentil casserole from The Tightwad Gazette. I used Jasmine rice rather than brown rice because it is what I had on hand. This should last me two to three days.
2. I am still eating from the large $1.00 vegetable bag I got from the grocery store last Saturday. I sliced the turnips and lightly fried them on top of the stove in my cast iron skillet.
3. I packed my lunch and used mushrooms from the $1.00 grocery bag on my sandwich.
4. I walked an hour after work, which was difficult because a storm was blowing up but I managed to complete it before lightning appeared. I will not walk if I see lightning. I consider getting struck by lightning not to be frugal.
5. I opened my windows to air the house out before the storm.
I love when Goldie Fawn makes her presence known on your blog!
1. The temps have been in the high 60s here in Massachusetts although they dipped down into the 50s yesterday. Still warm enough to leave the heat off.
2. I'm buying my corned beef, on sale at Market Basket, and all the fixings today. I'll cook it on the 16th and then have leftovers (no cooking!) on St. Patrick's Day.
3. Found a cute outfit by putting together a shirt, sweater, jeans and a necklace I never thought of looking good together. Closet shopping.
1) drove my electric car to/from work, which while not free, is much cheaper than gas
2) Had a free banana at the office as "breakfast", along with free hot tea
3) Supplemented my side salad/soup lunch (had to pay, & couldn't bring my own lunch due to the structure of my off-site I was attending), & supplemented with free almonds
4) Didn't have time to spend any other money - very full day