Tiny Errands Add Up!
by Katy on March 11, 2025 · 25 comments
I was feeling super unmotivated today, so I decided to run a cluster of tiny errands that normally wouldn’t rise to the top of my to-do list. Think along the lines of “the sum is greater than the parts.”
So today I:
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Cashed in all our winning scratch-it lottery tickets from our Christmas stockings. $5, baby! I chose to take it as an annual annuity.
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Took a paint sample to the paint store to match the color from my daughter’s childhood bedroom, which features multiple white spackle marks. It bugs me, although let’s face it . . . it’s an unused room that I go into once a week to water the plants, so not exactly a huge priority. However, I really do hate an unfinished project.
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Dropped off a box of Cream of Wheat that someone from my Buy Nothing group keeps forgetting to pick up.
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Returned a handful of craft beer can carriers topper thingies to a store for reuse.
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Dropped off and picked up library books.
I also took my daughter to run an errand, brought her to the house to raid the fridge, (No Spend March = no restaurants!) and then took her out to practice her driving.
No one of these individual errands would’ve granted me a sense of accomplishment, but together they added up. Plus, it got me out of the house . . . .
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m planning much the same kind of day. Vet to pick up supply of heartworm and flea-tick meds, Town Hall to renew my dog’s registration, gas at the station that sells Irving, which is a Canadian company. Call my senators and representative. (Vermont’s lone Representative is so good I call her once a week just to say thanks, and I’ve loved Bernie for decades.) I keep my eye on our other Senator who as of yesterday hadn’t announced his vote on the upcoming CR.
You’ve got me wondering how many other tiny things I might knock off on an unmotivated (actually, more like directionless) day.
If this is too political and you delete it I won’t take offense. Thanks for this blog, Katy.
Also, on these mega-unmotivated days, I’ve started to make a list of what I do, rather than what I need or plan to do (that second list is always in progress). But I write down every tiny thing I accomplish as I do it, which makes me a tiny bit more willing to do the next thing. Broke down roasted chicken, froze bones in a bag with vegetable trimmings. Froze drippings for later sauce and gravy. Froze half the dark meat in one freezer bag and half the white meat in another (because I am only one person). Gave bits to the cats (dog is allergic to chicken, of all things. So you see I get 4 or 5 “dones” out of just that one job. Run a load of laundry? Check. Clean cat boxes, check.
I haven’t gotten so desperate I write down tooth brushing, but on the hardest days I wouldn’t rule it out!
A friend of mine had once remarked that pioneer women diaries are made up of lists like this. Putting the accomplishments in words gives them weight!
I break down a load of laundry into four task — load, switch, fold, put away. Because it really is a four part process!
Katy–WOW–hard core!
Why not move the plants to another room? That said, it’s pretty easy, of course, to paint over spackle.
1. I need to ship two more things I sold.
2. I need to clean up the yard.
3. I need to get stuff notarized. Why is this always such a pain?
4. I should reseed my clover lawn (in my backyard, so I don’t have to mow it).
5. I need to plant a dwarf crabapple tree I bought to pollinate my Rhode Island Greening apple tree, which is sterile. Rhode Island Greenings are the best pie apples ever, no competition. And yet super hard to find since they’re an heirloom from 1650. That’s why I planted one.
6. I need to push myself to write an article that for no reason I can’t seem to write. IDK why.
I always forget that color matching for paint exists! What a great service.
I’m working on similar things for this whole week. Those aging piles of no deadlines family admin paperwork on both my desk and the dining table – hopefully done by the weekend. Doing some deep cleaning that I dislike. Updating our GO BAGS. And then there is that pile of library books calling to me.
Junk drawer to the rescue edition!
1. Putting things back into the front room, after the flooring installed and some furniture moved back in. Antique lamp had a CFL, but LEDs are more efficient. Found an LED in the junk drawer that still worked, had taken it out of a multi-blub fixture because of being too bright. But it had a chandelier base, too narrow for the regular-sized lamp socket. Rummaged around the junk drawer some more and found the converter that allows you to use the chandelier bulbs in regular sockets. Didn’t have to buy the LED or converter, it all fits the lamp but doesn’t show, and is the exact right amount of brightness.
2. Found the missing bed-knob for my bed, and got a bolt that fits better so it won’t fall off again.
3. Reusing some multiple outlets for the plugs that don’t show behind the big furniture. Again, they were in the junk drawer.
4. Also reusing the ext. cords where needed, also from junk drawer.
5. Ditto, some fancy outlet covers. Yes, it is a very large drawer.
And by “shopping” the junk drawer, I’m not spending during No Spend Month!
Fru-gal Lisa, Sounds like a Magic Junk Drawer to me!
Cynthia,
OK, I’m busted: it’s a very big and deep drawer setup in the laundry room. I think it was meant for detergent and bleach containers, etc.
But I keep all the laundry products on a shelf we installed over the washing machine. Especially good for those kinds of big bottles that have a spigot on them….which weren’t invented when this old house was built.
1. Had a few friends in for coffee. It was the perfect excuse to bake a coffee cake. I got to use up some sour cream that was languishing at the back of my refrigerator. I also used a half cup of applesauce in place of one of the “precious” eggs. It turned out perfect and everyone was delighted. Much cheaper than a meet-up at Starbucks.
2. Bunched errands together. Made my first grocery trip in several days. I have been purposely holding off to make it worth my time and gas to go out. First stop, as I often do, was at the “scratch and dent” store. I like to do a quick shop with my grocery list in hand to see if there are any specials. I was not disappointed. I found a 5 lb. bag of small red potatoes for $1.49, that right there was half the price I would have paid at the grocery store. I also found a 3 lb. bag of onions for a $1.48.and a 3 lb. for 1. 49 bag of apples. This store is right on the way and almost always has some good produce specials.
3. While I was out, I also stopped at the library. I returned two books, one was next month’s selection for my book club. Whenever possible I try to use the library for my book club reading. Most of the choices are not books I would ordinarily read and I appreciate that, but I don’t necessarily want to invest in them.
4. I tried a hack I had come across for removing stains from fabric or carpet. I had a stubborn stain on a small 5 x 7 rug and decided to try it. The hack is to spray the stain with foaming shaving cream, let it set for 30 minutes then clean with a damp cloth. While I was out, I stopped at the dollar store and picked up a can. It worked like a charm. Stain gone, shaving cream for the win!
5. I didn’t tank the stock market!!!
Sandra, I’ve never heard of this shaving-cream hack! Thanks for sharing.
Sandra, shaving cream is great for cleaning upholstery also. Try it first in a place that won’t show to be sure color doesn’t bleed. Even works for cat hairball cleanups.
I have a small errands trip planned for this week also. I also need to get some small paint sample bottles for several of my rooms. I just need to dig around for the paper samples with names/paint lids which I save from the old cans. All of my rooms could use some touch up.
Three months ago the local yoga studio moved. When it was 1/2 mile from our house I almost always walked to/from classes. Now it is 2 miles away and after accepting that it was a good move on their part I have found myself doing errands after classes. The new location is in our little downtown so I sometimes walk errands there and I also sometimes stop at a grocery store on my way home since I am already out and about with my vehicle.
Running tiny errands is a great motivator. For me it’s like doing a little bit of exercise that turns into my wanting to do more – exercise and everything else. I map out my errands like a FedEx driver so there are no left turns if at all possible.
It’s a “get stuff done” day here as I’m in full prep mode for our family’s 10 hour overnight flight to the UK tomorrow. Our first trip across the Atlantic! 5FT, Travel Edition:
1. Laundry, so much laundry.
2. Pack snacks from home for the trip/plane. The airline serves 2 meals during our flight, which will be a delight in itself seeing that I have had a free meal on a flight since 2017!
3. All 5 of us are taking just 1 carry on bag each. We’ll have laundry in our 2 rental apartments so we can carry less.
4. My mom is making dinner for us tonight (we live on the same property) so we don’t have to worry about it the night before our trip. Very grateful for her!
5. Planning to wear new, in package Bombas compression socks gifted to me via our local BN group on the plane. Never done that before, but I dislike the feeling of heaviness in my legs after long flights. We’ll see how it goes!
Lindsey G– a big YES on compression socks for long distance travel! Ever since a flight to Romania in 2005 when my legs swelled up and stayed swollen for ten days, I’ve worn the socks. No problem since with swelling, even after a 16 hour flight NYC to Taipei.
I wish you and your family a very happy trip to the UK. DH and I made several trips to England (usually frugally crashing with friends who were doing semesters at our local university’s London center), and some of the happiest moments of our life together were spent there.
MB in MN ,
I do the same thing! My town is notorious for one way streets and If I plan it out correctly I can go from one end of town to the other and while getting errands done no back tracking or left hand turns!
We are having nice weather this week so trying to get stuff done outside and readying for true Spring.
Garden is supposed to be plowed soon, I need to check my seed supply and make a list. It is my goal to not have to buy much in stores this spring summer. I hope to grow enough to hopefully share with the homeless shelter.
I saw this morning a blurb that tesla stock is tanking and em is losing billions….he is throwing a hissy-pissy fit over it and I find that hilarious.
JC
I am new to this page. I love how folks acknowledge the small bits and bobs of frugality! I am with Cynthia, now I write down what I do accomplish for my list
A tired day for me following an iron transfusion yesterday. It always throws me a bit.
I went to PT though, and then a telehealth appointment. Short chat with a friend. Read to my grandson. Bought fruit and veg at local farm shop. Planted my tomato seeds (only 2 weeks late-I hope they’ll do ok). No seeds purchased, I already had free seeds left over from last year. I planted a few extras in case germination rates were a little lower.
I have a couple of cloth napkins that have mostly white background that had some stains. I rubbed lemon juice (free lemons) on them and put them in the sun. They are much improved.
Made cheese and potato pie with kale for me, dh ate leftover chickpea curry from yesterday.
That’s my day.
I had a carless day and ran errands on foot. I mailed a letter. I looked around for free piles, and found one with a piece of sandpaper that I can use on my $5 garage sale end table that needs work. I walked to Trader Joe’s, where they were giving out free chocolate peppermint cake mix. My husband came home and asked what possessed me to buy it (I always make cakes from scratch) and when I said it was free, he said, “Oh, of course!”
I didn’t support any “naughty” businesses!
Five frugal things…
1. I’m not doing well at No spend March. I just went to Dollar Tree because I needed some garden items, and of course I bought other stuff while I was there. Mostly junk food and candy. I wanted more flower seeds and I thought they were $1.25 each, but they were four for $1.25. My total was about $80 so you know I bought a ton of gardening stuff, but to my credit, this was at most 25% of what I would’ve paid elsewhere.
2. Still have not gone to the grocery store. Making do without milk, nuts, and a few other items, but I did buy English muffins at the dollar store and I will have to go shopping when we run out of cat food this weekend. I will not be going to Safeway.
3. Today I managed a complicated bartering/trade where I bought a pressure cooker, found out it was the wrong kind, sold it on eBay for $30 more than I paid, found a pressure canner from someone who wanted a water bath, canner, didn’t want to trade my canner, so I went out and found a water bath canner for her, traded her And I still ended up $25 in the black.
4. I was just thinking I need more used brick for my backyard pathways and a guy down the street just knocked down his chimney and said I can have the brick. I’m delighted. Picking up tomorrow.
5. I worked all day in the garden and I’m pooped and don’t feel like cooking. But we still have some odds and ends of leftovers so we’re calling it “tapas night.” And of course that delicious junk food for dessert ha ha.