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My husband and I stopped at a random Dollar Tree on our way to Seattle to pick up some $1.25 snacks. I was going for a “baseball” theme as we had tickets for the Yankees vs. Mariner’s game that night. I also grabbed a backup pair of reading glasses and a sleeve of crackers to bring back home.
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I mixed the “salt and vinegar” peanuts in a bag with the pretzels and Baby Ruth bars for our game day snacks. Really good as it created “salt and vinegar” pretzels!
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The people in front of us left halfway through the game, and I realized afterwards that their sealed fruit and cheese snack plate had fallen out of their bag. I contorted myself down and grabbed it for myself.
Home run for Katy!
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I didn’t realize that metal water bottles are banned in the baseball stadium, so I had to give up my nice Hydro Flask bottle, even though it was empty. We were a full mile from the car, so there was no way we could just walk it back. I hid it behind a planter across the street, but it was long gone by the time the game was over. I can likely thrift another one, but it’s still a bummer.
Cue sad music. Maybe Julio Iglesia’s “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
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Three Tiny Frugal Things & One Big Frugal Fail
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{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Waste not want not, my Nanna used to say..that fruit and cheese plate!YAY!!!!!
The flask.. well, I guess you “donated “ it to someone in need. You are such a diligent and lucky thrifter you will find another one!
I always sneak in a smaller flask of my home brewed iced tea in my huge purse, when the dollar movie theater locally.ANd my own snacks too of course.
Hope your vacay was a nice getaway for you and hubby!!
Thanks, I should be able to thrift a “new” one pretty easily as water bottle brand go in and out of trend pretty quickly.
Hurray for the cheese tray!
I am reading a yard sale copy of “First Principles of Agriculture”, 1904, junior high textbook. One of the author’s digressions into beneficial creatures includes this about toads: “These homely looking animals are very useful in ridding us of harmful insects…. Bring a pair of toads into the house and watch the good work that they do. A room may be cleared of cockroaches by leaving a toad in it overnight.”
Can anyone speak to this organic technique?
Ha! A lot of my friends are very very angry about people who use poison for rats and mice*. With good reason since that means they poison owls. However, when I had a bad rat problem last year, you know I had the exterminators put out poison bait stations. What was I supposed to do, ask an owl to come inside?
*Easy to say when you don’t have rats in YOUR KITCHEN.
Darn! I wish I’d known that when my Roommate From Hell lived here! She moved in here and within five minutes’ time, there were a zillion roaches everywhere! (Egads! I had never before lived in a place where there were ANY cockroaches, not a one. But she thought nothing of having a roach crawl on her hands, up her arms or on her food, even.) They crawled out of all her boxes, out of her clothes, out of her bed linens, and even out of her “beloved” piano (that she never touched, not once, but “had” to bring with her.) I could’ve released 1,000 toads, and they would all be fat and happy eating RFH’s roaches! (When she left, I bug-bombed the house once a week for several months, and the roaches are no more.) Felt sorry for the county welfare nursing home, where she moved to, I bet they were similarly inundated. Maybe they should buy some toads.
Fru-gal Lisa, you just told us you’re from Texas without saying you’re from Texas!
Li,
Yep. Shore am.
RIP to your water bottle! May it have gone to another person who treasures it just as much.
1. Refilling my toiletry bottles for the thousandth time, appreciating being able to use my own products when traveling without shelling out for tiny versions of theme very time.
2. Painted my nails at home to avoid a manicure on vacation while feeling fancy!
3. Flying standby thanks to some inherited perks from friends in the airline industry. This makes frequent travel within reach and budget.
4. All plane snacks came out of my pantry.
5. Taking the train to the airport and feeling lucky to live in a place where I can do so. $11.75 with airtrain beats $50 by cab every time.
I just read an article that Trump is heading up the buy nothing movement. So 11 year old girls should have two dolls instead of thirty and kids should have 5 pencils instead of 250. And everyone should just quit buying stuff that he has made prohibitively expensive. The article also said “ It’s also a concept Americans hate. Buying things is our national pastime.”
lol.
Ok. Is the goal to see how many businesses can be shut down? Curiouser and ??
I don’t think I even care anymore. Stores are so yesterday.
Girls should have two dolls and Donnie Darko should have two Air Force Ones. Sounds reasonable.
I almost can’t believe we’re at this point. God. I’m almost glad my parents are dead. My mother would be apoplectic.
If a little girl doesn’t need 32 dolls, then a billionaire doesn’t need 32 cars, 5 yachts, and 6 homes.
Or a Lear jet.
— Copied from internet (but I added the jet just for Katy!)
More wins than losses – that’s what matters!
1. My work was throwing out a faded patriotic banner as they ordered new ones. They offered it to me to decorate with or to craft with. I’m thinking outdoor pillows maybe?
2. Instead of buying expensive festival food every day this week as the food trucks are in our town for our annual Strawberry Festival, I grabbed some chicken tenders from Arby’s (just tenders, only $6, which soothed my craving for eating out). I’m saving my festival food budget for the 4H ribeye sandwiches – it’s for a good cause and my favorite treat from the festival. That will probably be my only purchase.
3. Spending time crafting and reading at home and just being really, really content with that. To the point where all I can think about at work is getting back to my cross stitch project at home! LOL
I think that is the best thing about being raised by frugal parents and continuing their ways – I’m happy being at home, doing my own little projects, living in the space I already pay a mortgage on.
1. The local private university adjourned for the term. I am sickened by the number of things thrown away. I think the university does recycle things left by the dorm students. I gleaned a few things. 6 pack of hard cider, 6 pack of vodka cocktails, a broom w/ dustpan, some sealed spices, a shower curtain, liner, & rings for it, a pair of Ugg’s slippers.
2. My niece graduated last weekend. I did not see overflowing trashcans at her residence. We traveled to AR for no cost other than gas. Room paid for w/ hotel points, cooler w/ sandwiches for the trip, and free breakfast at the hotel.
3. My graduation gift was a large, thick beach towel (was given to me at a casino). My work friend monogrammed my niece’s name on it at no charge.
I used a gift bag I already had to wrap it up.
4. I wore a dress & sweater I have had for 12 years. My husband wore his preowned clothes also.
5. The Hunter fan I curb picked is missing the light kit. The box says you can use w/o the light kit. My husband is reviewing how to do this.
6. I had a wreck last week. The body shop will fix the car for what the insurance will pay out. My husband haggled with the owner.
7. I went to pick up some free canned goods. While I was out, I spied a cardboard box with more food in it on a curb. I took that too. Most of it will go to the homeless shelter for their kitchen. There was also some dog food which I will take to the humane society.
8. I held back a few canned items for us. A can of salmon, a huge jar of pickles, 4 ripe tomatoes, and some onions.
9. I also came across a good amount of size small surgical gowns. I will take these to school for the Surgical Tech students to use in their lab.
1. I sold a painting, the first in many years. What a thrill!
2. I received free hot dogs and free frozen vegetables from the grocery store.
3. I have almost worked through my enormous mending pile. There is only one item left.
4. I gave a friend 4 boxes of mostly Christmas and craft items for her yard sale. Money for her, less clutter for me.
5. Another friend gave me pink sedum and yellow iris. I gave her crow’s foot cactus and striped peace lily.
The hydroflasks come and go from our house. There’s probably a song for that. I have too many.
1. I made stock with the chicken bones and veggie scraps from my freezer.
2. I used the stock, some carrots, a handful of dried pasta, and my can of estate sale beans to create a soup for dinner.
3. I found 8 ounce heart-shaped packages of raspberries at the grocery store. They were marked down to $1 each! We will have raspberries for dessert tonight.
4. I made yogurt this morning. The half gallon of milk I used was bought on clearance for 52 cents.
5. No one has offered me a jet.
Looks like good snacks to bring to a game. Sorry you lost your hydroflask, thankfully there is no shortage of them in the world. I’ve seen people posting boxes of them on Facebook for curbside free piles. They just seem like…they were a phase. It’s made me consider if I want to downgrade how many I have. In-fact maybe I’ll declutter that next.
This week hasn’t been very frugal, but not extraordinarily expensive either.
1. I was gifted two free drink cards to a deli I like. I cant wait to go soon and enjoy a drink.
2. We’re going to a church gathering that has dinner. The dinner is always amazing…I’m excited to see what it is this week.
3. I was able to get $34 out of ibotta this weekend.
4. I did very intentional spending at Publix with bogos, sales, coupons, and rebates, and managed to save quite a bit on our groceries.
5. I have been enjoying the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It’s wonderfully written, and one of those stories that is makes it into the reality is stranger than fiction category. The book is now 30 years old and a lot of the topics discussed are very modern imo. I’m enjoying it thanks to my library.
I’ve been awfully grateful to the passing fad. They are great for my kids for camping, but being kids I REFUSE to buy new ones. Thankfully there has been a steady stream of (lightly) used hydroflasks to fill their needs.
Let’s see. . .
1) My husband made a tasty taco bar for Mother’s Day for the extended clan. Everybody was able to customize to their heart’s content and we didn’t have to brave a restaurant.
2) I was able to fix up a pair of pants to meet my custom needs. Nobody is going to see the wonky button holes or drawstring inside my pants, but those suckers aren’t going to slide off.
3) I was able to tailor a men’s uniform shirt to fit me- no need to search for a women’s or go elsewhere. I probably should remove the bright basting stitches. . .
4) I’ve been taking full advantage of my public radio/ television membership to watch all sorts of shows. Support public radio/ watch my favorite shows- win/win.
5) Still making my coffee, packing my lunch, taking the bus and rocking the thrifted wardrobe.
I’ve eaten down the weeks worth of food I brought to my son’s house for my visit (so many allergies it’s easier to bring my own). So no food waste. This is something I feel I have a lot control over.
Still not purchased anything except the $12 local ice cream trip.
I did forget my swimsuit for this next part of my trip, so I’ll stop and get one at Costco. I’m not going to miss the joy of the pool at my uncle’s house (salt water, heated to perfection) for the sake of a $20 swimsuit
I’ve sold 2 things on FB marketplace and one on eBay while I’ve been gone. My husband happily deals with all of these.
My travel tote bag is one I made myself from an army ground sheet (meant to go under a tent) from 1969. The fabric still looks new and it’s so durable. It makes my repurposing heart happy every time I use it.
So sad for your hydroflask. I seem too find great water bottles in the Goodwill bins.
1. I saved $5 off the cost of a bottle of gardening vinegar by signing up for Lowe’s rewards.
2. I used discounted Lowe’s gift cards to buy mulch and the above vinegar. My son-in-law delivered it for me with his pickup truck.
3. I picked up some aluminum foil at an estate sale. I’m almost out. I also bought a few things to sell on Ebay.
4. I sold an item on Ebay. I shipped it using recycled materials.
5. Frugal for my daughter. I sold the candle holders and flameless candles from her wedding on FBMP. These have been used for at least 3 weddings so far, which makes me very happy. Her sister-in-law bought them off marketplace for her wedding. My daughter shared the cost and used them for her wedding. I wonder how many brides will use these in the end?