Five Frugal Things | peaches, textbooks, deck stain, and a free audiobook
1. I bought 36 pounds of peaches for $13.
While out running other errands yesterday, I popped by the produce stand and saw an overflowing box of bruised peaches. Whee!
I paid $13 and when I weighed them at home, I discovered I had 36 pounds.
That means I paid just $0.36/pound, which is pretty epic.
We'll eat a bunch of them, of course, and I also plan to slice and freeze a lot of them for use in smoothies.
Oh, and I was lucky enough to stop by shortly after they'd just culled the bruised ones. So as bruised peaches go, they're pretty darned fresh, which means I won't have to trim much off of each peach.
2. I peeled, quartered, and froze a bunch of peaches right away.
The one downside to buying a box of bruised peaches is that some of them really need to be dealt with pronto.
I sorted through the peaches I bought, setting aside the most bruised ones. I cut off any moldy spots, peeled them, and quartered them for freezing.
After the iffiest peaches are out of the picture, I can use the other ones in a more leisurely manner.
3. I returned two college textbooks and got $200 back.
By exploring alternate buying options elsewhere, Joshua and I ended up being able to get those two books for $50 total. So I returned the ones we'd bought from the college bookstore.
A funny/sad thing? One of the books from the bookstore was used and still was over $100!
Anyway, I am way happier to be spending $50 instead of $100.
(I know some of you have asked for a post about saving money on college textbooks. It's upcoming, promise!)
4. I tried three deck stain color samples.
The ultimate frugal thing would be to pick a color from a stain chip and buy enough for the project then and there.
But since I never can seem to get colors right the first time, samples are actually a frugal option for me.
That's because it's way cheaper to spend a few dollars on a sample and find out it's not going to work than it is to buy a deck's worth of stain and THEN find out the color is wrong. 😉
Luckily, I don't think this is going to take as many tries as Sonia and Zoe's room did. Remember that??
And while we're on a tangent about their room, here's the post showing the final color we chose for their room.
5. I got a free audiobook for Lisey.
Lisey seems to be an auditory learner (Unlike me. I'm visual alllll the way.) and as I was listening to the What Should I Read Next podcast, it dawned on me that audiobooks might be great for her.
So, I signed up through a link mentioned on Anne's podcast, got a free 30-day trial, and one free book.
Lisey needs to read To Kill A Mockingbird for her literature class, so that's what I chose. I've also ordered the physical copy (through half.com) because she'll need that for writing purposes, but she can at least give the story an initial listen via audiobook.
We'll see how this goes...if it seems to be a great reading method for her, I might keep the Audible membership past the trial period.
(If you want to give it a shot, I found an Amazon affiliate link that'll let you try Audible and get TWO free audiobooks with a 30-day free trial. That's an even better deal than I got! And you get to keep the audiobooks even after your trial expires.)
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My husband is also an auditory learner, and he loves Audible. You should also check with your library on their audiobook options. Many have e-book and audiobook websites.
My trick to saving money on college textbooks is to buy them from half.com and resell them when done. I saved so much money this way.
There's also Librivox, which is an app where volunteers read books that are in the public domain, and you can download them for free! It's particularly handy for things like plays and epic poetry.
I love audiobooks, so I can listen while I'm driving or doing stuff that otherwise requires my hands. I used to use audible, but got tired of paying $15 per month for just one book credit. I found an app called Overdrive, which links up with my library card and I get unlimited FREE audio and ebooks, though you can only have 10 "checked out" at any given time. I'd look to see if that's an option for your library!
I was going to comment the same about Overdrive. I LOVE the option of ebook or audio on some titles. I listen to a lot of books when I'm driving or cooking. I have the app on my iPad and my iPhone. iPad to read ebooks and I download the audio books onto my iPhone. It's definitely something to ask your library about to see if they support it or another version similar.
1. Shopped at Aldi.
2. Did not run back to the store even one time for "fill in" items. Getting better and better at this, as Aldi continues to add a wider variety of items.
3. Altered a top that is too big. Still needs more taking in, I've lost a few pounds. I normally might just stick it in the back of the closet, but it's pretty new and I really like it.
4. Stuck to my menu plan all week
5. Ordered several school outfits for my granddaughter online, thus keeping me out of a store where I'd surely buy more " stuff". ( I'm looking at you, Target!)
I just froze a bunch of peaches the other day. I was going to make peach cobbler, for my moms/dad, but someone had the same idea! so I will have peaches for to do it the next time! 🙂
I'm so jealous! The entire peach crop failed here in New England due to the extreme cold in February. There is not a single peach to be found at a farm here - just the ones in the grocery store from elsewhere in the states. They're just not the same.
I'd be doing cartwheels for a box of second peaches right now!
People already mentioned it, but I borrow all my audiobooks through the library! It is so fantastic, I am amazed that we have access to such a service (particularly considering the cost of audiobooks!). Plus I listen to them while doing a bunch of frugal things: walking/taking public transportation instead of driving, cooking at home instead of going out, etc. etc. Happy listening to Lisey!
I love librivox. It has the classics, it's free and if I'm in the car or doing chores I might as well listen to the Count of Monte Cristo or The Jungle Book. I try to find books that I may have watched the movies about as a child but never did get around to reading the book.
1. My family is eating out less than we used to. This is my weakest area when it comes to frugality. I don’t like “stuff” but I always enjoy a break from cooking. I’m not ready to give up my after-church meal out every Sunday (you’ve mentioned that you sometimes go out for that meal, too, Kristen), but beyond that I’m cooking at home an extra meal or two a week. This is absolutely, 100% because of reading this blog, another blog about frugality, and all the great comments that people leave.
2. My friend gave me a big bag of watermelon slices for watching her children one day last week when she had to work. I didn’t want anything, especially since her kids kept my kids occupied and I ended up getting a lot done that day! But she insisted, and the watermelon was delicious.
3. I checked my medical flexible spending account, and saw that I was down to $3.39 for the year. When my son had a doctor’s appointment last week, I asked the person taking my copay if she could split it up, putting the $3.39 on my flexible spending card and the remainder on my regular debit card. Since that money is use-it-or-lose it, I wanted to make sure it got spent.
4. Stopped in at Goodwill and looked around for quite a while, but didn’t buy anything.
5. Returned school supplies that I found cheaper at another store. One example was a certain kind of notebook dividers … at one store they cost $8.29 and at another they were $3.99!
Woohoo! Cooking at home consistently is hard, and you should totally give yourself a gold star for doing it.
1. I canned salsa yesterday using tomatoes and jalapeños from my garden that we planted from seed.
2. I'm breastfeeding my baby at the moment... Formula is expensive!
3. The book I'm reading right now is one I'm borrowing from the library.
4. My kids and I are wearing clothes that were all purchased at yard sales except for my shorts. I'm picky about my shorts. 😉
5. My daughter is watching a show on PBS, which we get with our antennae that was given to us one Christmas. No cable or satellite bill!
Ooh! And I just got a coupon code for $1 off a Redbox movie! I'm quite patient with movies I'd like to see and always wait for the codes.
Ruth - do you have WiFi? I ask because there is a PBS Kids App that has access to full episodes of all of the great PBS Kids shows! Usually we use an HDMI cord to project on the TV, but our daughter gets 30 min of tablet time each evening after dinner and chores.
I looooove audiobooks! I am a grad student studying history, so I read about 50 books a semester. I also have a long commute, so the books I can listen to save me a lot of time. I am an auditory learner too, so the books I listen too actually stay with me better than those I read in print. Couple of pro tips. Check out your library for audio books. Mine subscribes to Overdrive, which allows you to download audio and ebooks. I've had problems downloading the books, so I mostly stick to audible, but it is an option. Also, I can't just listen to an audiobook. I have to be doing something mindless with my hands or my brain will get distracted. If I am driving on interstate, that works. I also listen while I do dishes or sewing. If all else fails I play solitaire on my phone while I listen. It is just mindless enough to allow me to lose myself in the book.
Agree completely on the need to do something mindless with my hands while listening. Folding laundry, doing dishes, or even playing dots or another non-word game on my phone. My daughter likes to listen and read at the same time -- basically reading along with the audible book. Doesn't work for me at all, but she loves that.
Yep. I'm sort of a fail at listening to anything unless my hands are busy.
Been a rather crummy week for me, money wise but that's typical of the end of summer. I'm still also mentally adjusting to the new normal of budgeting for the baby and her eating habits.
1.) We had a large BBQ on Sunday and while sadly I had to buy some disposables, most everything we got was on sale.
2.) We've been eating the leftovers from that sale.
3.) Got some bleach and now my daughter's cloth diapers don't smell like a barnyard any more. I'm not quite sure what happened there.
4.) Working on cutting out soda (or at the very least reducing it.) I'm on day 4 and it's tough (like really tough) but I'm surviving. I have a glass swingtop bottle that I bring to work (wrapped in a dishtowel because I'm weird) and I fill it with filtered water from the tap.
5.) Working on cutting back my possessions. I have a large load to go to the Goodwill but hopefully it's just the start of a bigger purge.
Good job on giving up not-good-for-you soda! Hang in there because it will get easier, and the cravings will eventually go away in just a few more days - promise!
Ugh - I'm right there with you. I. just. can't. stop. And it's so embarrassing!
Same here, I am addicted and I know it.
I'm also a soda-holic, and find it's easier to substitute flavored water than plain. I dilute Propel or Crystal Lite but there are a ton of options available, both liquid and concentrated.
My budget for the family grocery shop for the week was $60 (Australian) and I came in at $60.10.
I found discounted fruit and vegetables so for my meagre budget we have a fair amount of fresh stuff. Most of the stuff I found was organic too.
I have reminded myself that I need to save money for my holiday next year and did not spend on my beloved crafts.
We have few plants in the garden but the everlasting spinach is living up to its name. We are eating it every second night.
I have stuck to homemade foods and even found time to make some treats this week. The overfull cupboards and freezers are coming under control.
1. I'm another HUGE audio book fan. My library has access to the Houston Digital Media Catalog and a fantastic interlibrary loan system. The selection is...INCREDIBLE. Between those two systems, I haven't purchased more than five books (print or audio) in the last 18 months since figuring out how to make it work. I have saved literally thousands of dollars and have also read far more (and watched less TV) because of it. In fact, I discovered that I prefer to listen to audio books on at least 1.4x speed, but all the way up to 2.0x speed. Now I can read all of my indulgent fiction for free. Yay, libraries!
2. I used a coupon for our eat out night last night. We plan to have one once a week on Wednesdays because it is a long, busy day for the two of us. Ideally I'd be prepared and have something ready when I get home, but between teaching classes alllllll day and church activities, it just isn't going to happen at this stage in my life.
3. I bought the store brand soda (H-E-B has really excellent store brands). Obviously soda isn't the most frugal option, but it's an indulgence I allow myself.
4. I use an app (FuelLog) to track my car's fuel consumption and maintenance/repairs. My dad taught us to track it in a notebook growing up. It lets me keep an eye on how my car is running. I caught a problem very early on because the miles per gallon dropped dramatically. It has also helped me be much more mindful of making lots of little trips to do things; so now I try to combine errands and other driving I need to do.
5. I have been selling some used and vintage goods on eBay and Etsy. My mom was here this summer and we Kondo-ed the house. We took 8 car loads of stuff to Goodwill, filled the trash and recycling bins at home twice, had a massive curb trash pickup (an old sofa, among other things), took a load to the dump (goodbye, broken tube TV), shipped 6 boxes to Amazon to sell (I didn't know I could also sell electronics!), and listed +/- 20 items on eBay and Etsy. I still feel like I have a lot of clutter, but it was nice to make a little money and get some stuff out of my house!
Thanks for the tip re Houston Digital Media Catalog! I've just moved back to Houston and getting set up for free audio books is on my "to do" list.
Wowww! Good catch on those peaches! I wish our grocery store offered nice discounts on less-than-pretty produce. I'd scoop that stuff up in a heartbeat!
This week:
1. We haven't eaten out yet at all! An easy feat for many, but considering the tough week we've been having, I definitely call this a win.
2. We purchased birthday gifts for our nephew on Tuesday. We returned some clothes that didn't fit and got our money back, and used the money instead to buy gifts. As a bonus, the bubble machine that we wanted to buy him was on firesale, and we got it for just $7! We also threw in a giant jug of bubble mix, so the bubble fun never stops. 😉
3. This weekend we're purchasing appliances for our home. While that's not necessarily saving money, we've timed it just right so we'll score some sweet sales and have the appliances right when we get the keys to the house. That'll save us a lot of money and time on our kitchen renovation.
4. We've been finishing up the movies we rented for free from the library. This weekend we'll go back and replenish our stash of movies and cookbooks!
5. After experiencing a frugal fail of buying low quality clothes at Walmart (I really should have learned my lesson by now), I returned the clothes and instead ordered one quality piece of clothing from a more trusted brand. It costs more upfront, but will actually cost less in the long run!
Have you asked them directly? Some stores have such boxes in the back that you can only find out about by asking, or don't have the box at the ready but would be willing to sell to someone who asked. If you're negotiating a price, start at something really low, like 25% of full price.
1. While cleaning the house on weekends, spending some time setting aside toys and equipment that my kids have grown out of or don't play with. During the week I sell or donate them on an online yard sale.
2. Our new car was in the shop unexpectedly. We have driven old cars for years and really expected this one to be reliable. After we complained to the dealer, we got free extended warranty and free oil changes for several years.
3. Eat out minimally, a couple of times a month, and use up leftovers.
4. Back-to-school clothes shopping was minimal, only socks and underwear. I'm waiting for a big consignment sale and later season sales to shop as I go.
5. My son's music teacher is raising rates this year. The lessons are already a strain on our budget and we have considered ending them. However, he plays in high-level orchestras and does not get one-on-one instruction otherwise. I told the teacher I had to shorten the lesson time, but he offered to keep the old rates for my son this year at the same lesson length.
1. Making lunch box food for the kids to take to school- english muffin pizzas, energy bites, refried beans, chicken soup. That way when Im at the store Im not tempted to just grab lunchables to fill in the gaps.
2. Returning a shirt to the store.
3. using up all of our free library coupons before they expire- pretzels, pizza,
4. Decluttering and finding a gift card worth 25!
5. Sharpening up colored pencils we already own instead of buying new for school.
1) Snagged a new-to-me chair from my neighbor's curb. She has all of her furniture made to order, and updates her home decor frequently, so this chair was in terrific condition. She was happy to have it go to a new home vs the county disposal site. (I can't believe she was going to trash it rather than donate it!)
2) Completed an online survey and scored three free bagels for doing so.
3) Nicely, I was too rushed yesterday to prepare a proper dinner, so I used two of the above bagels to make bagel turkey & avocado dinner sandwiches. These, along with some ripened nectarines and home-brewed suntea, made for a very satisfying, easy dinner that we ate alfresco.
4) Have been staying on top of the expiration dates of some BOGO dinner offers from several nearby fast casual restaurants we like. I find it immensely satisfying to enjoy dinner out with my husband for $10 or less. All the places we are frequenting have outside seating areas where we can linger and talk, which at this time of year has been lovely. And even though they are inexpensive, we still plan ahead and put them in our calendar so that we have the pleasure of anticipation.
5) Noticed during my weekly freezer review that I had some leftover canned coconut milk and a bag of shredded coconut, so I made a layered coconut cake. It turned out fantastic, and was much appreciated by my husband. And in addition to enjoying some after dinner, I set aside 1/4 to take to my daughter's tonight, plus froze a full half to serve to my book club in a few weeks.
How lucky are you to have such a trendy neighbor 😉
Another thing to try with college textbooks is to see if the university library has them or can interlibrary loan them for you. I did that a bunch when I was in school and it saved me hundreds.
Also, remember to check your public library for audiobooks. Most systems now have a digital catalogue of ebooks and audiobooks. 🙂
Hi Kristen
You dont make jam and preserve?
Peach butter is super easy to make in a slow cooker. Also great is peach chutney. Both are lovely and not much work.
Also a fast thing is a peach clafoutis.
If you decide to stick with Audible here's a tip on getting slightly cheaper membership. When the first month's trial is nearly up go through the steps to cancel membership, one of the options will be to tell Audible why you are canceling. Choose "its too expensive" (or similar) and you will get options for a reduced monthly subscription rate as well as some others I can't remember off the top of my head.
I love Audible, choose the longest books I can find, and listen while I'm going about my daily activities. I have used some free services but found that the volunteer readers could make or break a book.
I'd also like to recommend http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio for fantastic drama, entertainment, news and comedy programs. You can listen live or download to listen later, set up podcast options and for those of us who like listening to drama its a great service. I download plays and listen in the car via bluetooth from my phone.
Ooh, good to know!
While several people have mentioned borrowing audiobooks and using Overdrive, I want to suggest getting multiple library cards. In CA, all you have to show is a CA driver's license and you can "borrow" books online. Each library only buys so many books, so chances are that if you only have one library card, that library may not have the book you want.
Also, if you download your audiobook to a device that does not have internet access, you can listen to the book at your leisure without worrying about it disappearing. I have a couple of MP3 players that do not have internet access that I download audiobooks on. This way I can put books on hold that I want to listen to but not be frantic when more than one comes in at the same time. I also have an after-market stereo in my car, and it turns out that it has a USB port for iPods. So I am also able to download audiobooks to a jump drive and listen to it on that (which is good because my MP3 players don't last long and are no longer manufactured).
Also, frequently, though not always, Amazon will sell the Audible versions of books at a discount when you buy the Kindle version at the same time. So check out the Kindle version of a book you can't find at the library and see if the Audible version is available and at what price. When I'm looking at the free or $1.99 Kindle books, I always check to see what the Audible version costs. Sometimes you can get both for less than $5.
And sign up for Audible's Deal of the Day. You never know when a book you've been dying to read is available for less than $5.
Personally, I could not live without audiobooks. I listen to them during my long commutes and while I'm cooking and cleaning in the house. I always have two going at the same time.
Two things.
First, with college textbooks, so much of the cost is a complete scam. (I'm a college professor, so I see and hear a lot of what the reps say and believe me, it's just such a rip-off the cost of these books!) Depending on the subject, you can often use an older edition for much much less. For example, I am teaching an American history course this fall and the book is $120 because it's a new edition. I told my students, don't get the 8th edition, get the 6th or 7th for pennies on the dollar! So depending on the class, you can get older editions and pay a fraction of the cost of even renting. Clearly, this won't work for math or some science classes.
The best thing to do is ask the professor if an older edition would work as well. I would often go ahead and buy the older edition so I could ask the professor, "I have this, will it work?" And most times, they would say, "sure, it might have different page numbers, but that's not a problem." That would cost me $4 to $7 but ultimately, I don't think I ever had to go get a newer edition. Again, I didn't do that in a math, biology, or other hard science class. I don't think it would work there. But everything from English to history to political science, I paid pennies on the dollar to have the text book!
Second, with audiobooks, you can usually check them out for free with Overdrive through your local library. I listen to 3 or 4 a month and there are books and magazines available as well. Even if they don't have the app for phones, they likely have the physical audiobooks and those are taking some wonderful, portable forms that can just have headphones plugged into them! Worth it to look into!
1. Really taking advantage of my Costco membership. Hello 4.99 rotisserie chicken!
2. Used Target Cartwheel to save a couple of dollars (I am NOT a couponer, but I look into a few things here and there)
3. No eating out
4. Packed my daughters lunch everyday for school
5. Made more waffles for the freezer
1. Made homemade French bread for morning toast. Love recipe!
2. Replacing our own breaker in breaker box to the first time! Lights and fan out in bedroom... no calling electrician this time.
3. Not replacing broken rice cooker (28 years old) until I can find one at a thrift store. Darn!
4. Purchasing clothes for kids on websites for discounts so I don't have to pay full price or physically burn time finding clothes. They all fit and saved at least $200! Used coupons, discount codes, etc... Used on sale website for higher end clothing that ended up costing the same as a discount store. Boys look great.
5. Replaced broken button on car for gears. Thanks You Tube! Avoided $65 dollars on labor and saved $12 on original Honda part thanks to eBay! $77 put in pocket!
Great job on the car repair!
Out of curiosity - how do you peel peaches?
I just quarter them and use a paring knife to pull the peel off. The peaches are ripe and soft, so the skin is really easy to remove.
If they r hard to peel blanch them in boiling water for 20 seconds or so like tomatoes. Peels slip right off
This is such an easy method for peeling. Only a few seconds in the water, and they literally slip off in one piece.
I listened to that audiobook version of To Kill a Mockingbird! It was awesome - Sissy Spacek is the perfect reader, her light Southern accent is perfect for Scout as narrator.
So, since I'm here, five frugal:
1. Froze two pints of blueberries that were on the verge. Already used one in blueberry banana bread.
2. Found the brown shoe polish I knew we had so that my husband would not go out and buy another to polish his shoes.
3. Cut up a whole watermelon I bought at a good price ($2.89 at Aldi) so that we could eat it right away.
4. I have been decluttering our house the past few weeks and have discovered several categories of items we do not need, especially office/school supplies.
5. All summer I have been enjoying homemade sun tea. Yum!
I'm visual all the way, although I can listen to some stories on occasion. I prefer a good, real book in my hands.
I miss peaches. They just don't grow well in Florida where I now live. I have such happy childhood memories of climbing peach trees in the orchard and dropping ripe peaches carefully down to my dad waiting just underneath me with a basket. We ate them fresh, in pies and cobblers, and froze them, but the best thing was homemade peach ice cream!!!! YUM.
1. Last night turned into no time to cook at all, very unexpectedly, but I pulled out some spaghetti and jarred spaghetti sauce and had dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes. I usually make my own sauce, but a jar in the pantry can save the day!
2. I use a pasta cooking method that might make purists freak, but I read it in The Tightwad Gazette, and it works for us. Bring salted water to boil in a large pot, add pasta, return quickly to a boil with cover, and then turn off the burner and set the timer for 12 minutes. I get al dente pasta every time, and it saves energy and adds less heat to the house.
3. I am trying to overcome my hem-aphobia -- fear of hemming my own pants -- and have a pair of jeans laid out, turned up and ready to hem. I have one hip higher than the other so my hems have to be measured individually, and it's a pain to lean over, pin, straighten, compare, lean over again, etc., but I'm determined to start hemming for myself.
4. Another found dollar to go in my house maintenance fund! It was loose in my purse, lost and lonely. I'm praying that water heater hangs on until my fund is funded.
5. A grocery store I shop at had their BOGO free sale, and I stocked up on items I use while it was going on. One thing I do is keep a price list or at least jot down prices, so that I can tell if they have jacked up the original price of the item just for the sale, so that the free one is only saving you a little over what you normally pay, not the full price. This store, so far, has not been unethical, but I know another store that does that all the time! You know, such as the jar of peanut butter that always sells for $3.48 becomes $4.98 during the BOGO sale, then drops back to $3.48 after the sale. It's still a sale, but I just find it deceptive and I won't shop there.
I totally agree with that! Very irritating.
I am an avid audio book listener and wanted to agree with the post about accessing multiple libraries. I live in Oakland (Bay Area in California). Since San Francisco and San Jose are much larger cities, I have gotten library cards for their systems in addition to Oakland and Berkeley which is right next to me. Although Berkeley is a smaller city it has different resources and I often find the Berkeley library has things that I can't get in Oakland. They have different buyers who make different choices. Because I can download the books from the libraries without going to the physical location it gives me access to a much broader range of audiobooks. So, if you live near bigger cities or even by the border of other similar sized cities, you might decide to get a library card from those other cities if you are ever there for another reason. You do usually have to go to the library to get the card initially. But then you can do everything else online so you don't have to go back. I have listened to thousands of audio books and have probably purchased less than 1% through audible.
Audio books are wonderful if you like to multitask as I do. I can pull weeds, crochet or cook while enjoying all sorts of books. Great Amazon offer too!
I suppose I should have done my frugal five! LOL
1. Listening to an audio book myself from the library. Padma Lakmisha's _Love, Loss, and What We Ate_. I enjoyed listening to it this morning as I made breakfast!
2.Did groceries at Aldi yesterday. Aldi and only Aldi. I just find the Kroger's here are TOO big and have TOO many choices. I stocked up on .49 eggs and plan on making a few frittatas or quiches.
3.Am not leaving the house today so I won't spend any money!
4. Emailed yesterday to find out about some pay for work I did a month ago for the state. They said they will have it to me in "2 or 3 weeks." Am trying to keep calm about how long they are taking!
5. Had to turn the air down to 72 a couple days ago because it was so muggy out that even though it was only 80 outside, it was still gross in here. Left it there just long enough to feel okay in here before turning it back up. Keeping my air on 75 has meant a $30 decrease on the electric bill this month so that is good!
My husband just stained both of our decks with a product (new to us) called Deckover. It's supposed to give it a super thick sealant/coating that lasts a long time. I think he got it at Home Depot: http://www.behr.com/consumer/products/wood-stains-finishes-cleaners-and-strippers/behr-premium-deckover. So far it looks great, but it's only been a few weeks!
I've been reseaching those options, and I'm a little skeered because it sounds like they have trouble holding up over the long haul sometimes. Still debating...
I get it...this is our first time too, at the recommendation of a friend who had success with it. We'll see!
I just wanted to chime in here about Deckover. I haven't used it myself but there have been ALOT of complaints about it here in this region, Atlantic Canada, and elsewhere in Canada, about the stain just peeling off in large strips. I remember reading a news story about it back in May.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/behr-deckover-paint-consumer-complaints-canada-nova-scotia-1.3591563
We're working on moving here and trying to keep costs down. I need all the encouragement I can get as it seems money is flying out the window!
1. I'm still enjoying my free bagel at Panera. I'm not making an extra trip but whenever I'm out, I stop and pick one up.
2. We're still trying to eat down the freezer and pantry so our grocery bill is low but I still feel like I'm wasting food because we're so busy with the move.
3. We painted two large rooms at the new house and only had to buy one gallon of paint since we had purchased untinted paint when Sherwin Williams had it 40% off.
4. Picked up my daughter a lovely birthday card for free by using a rewards at Kohls. The card wasn't five dollars so I added a charming turquoise cow pitcher to reach the 5.00. He'll make a charming gift for a friend.
5. This month I also received a random $10 off purchase at Kohls and in the newspaper, three $10 off purchase at a local dept. store. I ordered a pair of pants for a Christmas present and only paid about $7.00 out of pocket. The department store ones are tough to use because they have tons of restrictions but I found charming dishtowels for the new house. Cost? $0!
Now I feel better! I haven't totally lost my frugal mojo!
5 Frugal things for us this week:
1. We are new canners and our tomato plants (bushes!) are growing crazily. We are up to our eyeballs in tomatoes. To use them up, we made a very large batch of pasta sauce, enough that we won't need to purchase pasta sauce at the store for at least 1 year! The initial investment in the jars and supplies was there, but it's fun quality time together.
2. We purchased one half a bushel of apples from a local orchard down the street and made/canned 15 pints of applesauce and 5 pints of apple butter.
3. We have stuck to the meal plan and eaten at home each night this week.
4. I found some adorable, high quality flannel sleeping pants for my daughter at Goodwill for $2 each.
5. During the same Goodwill trip, I spotted some very high end expensive women's jeans. Did a quick eBay search and these jeans are selling for $45 used on eBay. I snatched two pairs, listed them, and the bids are already up to $20 each on a $7 total investment 🙂
Frugal fail this week:
I'm having a super difficult time eating lunch at work. My place of employment does not have a traditional lunch room, so I'm forced to sit at my desk to eat which does not feel like a "break" to me. I end up leaving and buying lunch (not cheap nor healthy). I hope to find a local park where maybe I can bring my lacked lunch and sit at a picnic table rather than eat in my car.
We freeze tomatoes all the time as we find it so much faster and easier than canning them. Wash them, don't bother to peel them. Just cut them in half if they're cherry tomatoes or in eight pieces or so if they're big. Put them into a sandwich size ziploc bag in the freezer. When you want tomatoes in a meal drop the whole frozen tomato block into the sauce pan or the crock pot. I use one or two ziploc bags in a tomato based soup or just one sauteed with onions/peppers in a mexican style dish.
1. Talize, a thrift store chain here in Ontario, has a 50% off sale on Monday. A pair of brand-new (still had store tags) capris and 5 cami tops for me, and two pairs of jeans and one pair of pants with zip-off legs for hubby for under $32 CDN.
2. Sorted out tops I had not been wearing because I find them too short in the waist -- will go to a local thrift store that funds St. Vincent de Paul activities -- and storage for the new tops!
3. Made a hot pepper relish with some green peppers on sale plus hot peppers I've been growing.
4. Began harvesting my elderberries for juice and syrup for cold-busting this winter!
5. Took in a free folk festival on the weekend, bringing my picnic lunch/supper with me.
We use Hoopla and Overdrive free from our library for audiobooks in addition to Audible. Audible is nice because you don't have to wait and it has a bigger selection. My son LOVES audiobooks. Also, our library has Playaways. They are like mp3 players pre-loaded with audiobooks.
Maybe things have improved, but I wasn't happy with Audible subscriptions in the past because it was expensive if you didn't have time to use it (and often I don't). When I last subscribed there were no unlimited subscriptions--you could only download so many books within a period of time that cost a certain number of "points" and often you had to pay more than the monthly subscription to get what you wanted--perhaps it's different now? And when it came time to cancel, they made it extremely difficult to do so!
Amazon has a deal where if you buy the book (physical or kindle edition) you can often download the audible version for very little (and it will even sync with where you are reading on a Kindle). And I second checking with your library, ours has an ever-growing body of electronic resources, and if you can access a large city's offerings you'll be amazed at what's available.
I really cant afford Audible but am currently unable to read due to medical issues. I bought several books on CD at Goodwill for 80 cents and can be entertained really cheap.
Happy Friyay Kristen,
This weeks 5 frugal things on a Friday are
Used home made cleaners to clean the house, I have started my spring cleaning this week and it feels good.
Started making another little quilt as a baby gift
Made a batch of pumpkin and lentil savoury rolls to use up some pumpkin
Made a loaf of light rye and carraway soudough bread
Picked my first crop of home grown ginger, this made me very happy!!
Have a fab Friyay!
It would've been $350 for an electrician to wire our outlet for our new-to-us dryer. It was $125 to change the plug on the dryer instead.
Random leftover veggies became a quiche.
We moved some art around the house. It feels updated and fresh - for free!
I am no longer physically able to wash & dry my hair. Found the cheapest blowout in town so I can be presentable at work.
Found a great jacket at Goodwill for $7. It will be perfect for casual Friday at the office or a laidback night out.
I have a brand new freezer, and in researching how to freeze various things, I discovered you can freeze ripe peaches whole! Tomatoes too. When you thaw them, the skins slip right off, and when partially thawed, you can slice them still frozen, and just slice them off the pit. Can't report on how it works yet, since I've only frozen and not thawed yet, but I can attest that it does work for tomatoes. Potentially a way to freeze a ton of peaches real fast-just wash, bag in gallon bags, then pop in freezer.
1. I searched state wide for a replacement vehicle for my totaled out car. I drove two hours away to get the one I wanted. I saved several thousand dollars and only used my insurance check for the replacement. Careful shopping and negotiating netted me an upgrade of 2015 from my 2012 Nissan.
2. I spent 10.00 for eye exams for my two children. We brought our prescriptions home and ordered our glasses from Zenni optical . I spent less than one hundred dollars for two pairs of glasses. This is more than we usually spend ,but this time we bought all the extras including the really thin lenses for the far sighted child. No coke bottle lenses here.
3. I bought my daughter a new desk and chair, a TV cabinet for her flat screen and a new headboard for her bedroom. We bought black spray paint and touched everything up. The bedrooms here are really small and she really wanted to get rid of her bulky sleigh bed, dresser and chest. My out of pocket was 40 dollars and she is tickled pink. All we need now is some new curtains.
4. The bedroom suite was donated to a local homeless shelter to be provided to a needy family.
5. We spent 10.00 at the Dollar Tree on cleaning supplies. My children and I all helped clean my college daughters apartment where she was moving out. Baby girl had classes and a shift to work. I didn't want her to incur any charges on the move out so we jumped in to cover her. I firmly believe in teaching the children to love and support each other.
I forgot to mention I paid for the car with my credit card. The rewards will more than cover Christmas. I will use the insurance check and pay the card off this week. I am hoping to have some extras to buy a freezer.
1. Bought bruised peaches at local peach farm.
2. Cancelled cable tv (rarely watch it anyway so now saving $53 a month-yay!)
3. My son and I have eaten all meals at home this week.
4. Shopped at Aldi.
5. Made chocolate cream cheese brownie cookies as bday gift for my friend from existing ingredients. Treated her to bday lunch at my house instead of restaurant. She felt the love!
I am a day late on this, but I love the accountability of writing this up! So here is my weekly five things.
1. Three times this week we have had lunch at work and I have not had to pack. I work at a university and with the beginning of the semester next week (yikes) there are tons of trainings/meetings and the majority of them offer lunch or breakfast.
2. On my way to one of these said work meetings, I passed a home that someone was throwing out a tricycle. It was a bit rusty, but after pumping up the tires and putting one tire back on the rim, my little ones have a new bike. And if it's left outside and gets wet? I don't care...it's already rusty!
3. My husband also works for a university and is working mad hours with the beginning of the semester happening...and he is the cook in the family. So for me, I've had about two weeks without him at the helm of the kitchen...I was tempted a few times to just do take out, but I refrained and made something at home.
4. Our daycare provider approached me about purchasing the meal plan that they offer. I politely refused and will continue to pack the kids lunches every day.
5. My minivan needs new tires...like really bad...I called to schedule an appt for a few Saturdays from now. Because they have the time to order them, I was able to get a much better tire for cheaper than what they keep in stock.
*Audible Hack*
They have a 100% return policy. Even if the book has been completed, you can return it online and have an immediate credit back to use.
Also, there's a way to get 3 months for $7.49 (50% off normal price)
During your free trial, click the option to cancel your account. It will prompt you to answer why you're cancelling. If you choose the "membership too expensive option" and click next, it gives you the option to continue at that discounted rate.
I love Audible.