Five Frugal Things | Free oranges, for one thing!
Sorry I was MIA yesterday! I was out of town last week, and the previous two weeks, I was under the weather. So, it's been three weeks since I've been doing all my regular tasks around here, and I'm busy playing catch-up.
But at least ⅓ of the three weeks, I was out for a fun reason!
1. I got a bag of oranges for free.
I was at a grocery store and noticed that 4 pound bags of oranges were on sale.
But when I scanned the bag at self checkout, the price didn't ring correctly. So, I finished my transaction and brought the receipt over to the customer service desk.
At first, the employee was only going to give me the difference between the ringing price and the sale price, but I politely pointed out that the store's policy is to give you a free item if it rings incorrectly.
(She was a new employee, whereas I've been shopping at this store for 17 years.)
So...free bag of oranges for me!
2. I bought a shower curtain liner at Aldi.
The one in my kids' bathroom has had a rip for a while, and I kept meaning to stop by Home Depot or some other store to pick up a new one.
But fortuitously enough, Aldi had them on special purchase this week. Woohoo! I got a good price on a shower curtain liner and this saved me from having to make a separate stop.
Double yay.
3. I paid Sonia's allergy shot bill with my FSA card.
We're taking the plunge and getting Sonia started on allergy shots for her tree/grass allergies.
This won't help her during the spring allergy season this year, but hopefully by next year, she'll be starting to notice a difference (and maybe she won't need her inhaler and other meds!)
We haven't met our deductible yet, so the first serum was kind of expensive. But luckily we had plenty of money on our flexible spending card to cover it.
AND we have a much smaller deductible this year than last, so I think we will actually meet it and get some coverage.
(Last year we met our deductible in December. Kind of useless!)
4. I planned out a menu and made a grocery list.
This isn't exciting or unique, but hey, it bears mentioning. Deciding on meals ahead of time and basing a grocery list off of that plan can save you so much money!
You're less likely to get takeout if you have a plan, and you're also less likely to overbuy groceries (and overbuying usually leads to food waste.)
5. I batched errands.
I had to take Lisey in for a vaccination, and I stopped by a nearby post office on the way home to mail a package.
And after that I had to take Sonia in for her allergy shot, and I stopped by the library on the way home to drop a book off that's due soon and also to pick up a job application for Sonia.
She's 14 now, so she's eligible to work at the library if they get an opening. And she's hoping hard that they do! She'd love to have a part-time job, and there aren't a lot of places to work when you're 14.
I worked at the public library as a page (i.e., book sorter and shelver) in high school for two years. I LOVED that job and would do it now if I could. I hope she gets to do it!
I worked at the library in college and had to sort and shelve books too. It could get tedious sometimes, but it's great exercise and helps me notice some great books at the library.
1). Got gas at Costco
2). Found marked down organic chicken thighs at Costco and switched up our meal plan to get them rather than what I intended to buy.
3). Used a Redbox code to watch Coco
4), Finally starting used the Wegmans app, yay digital coupons
5). Utilized the library for books and movies
Publix and ChikfilA hire at 14 also! (We had one that couldn't wait for her own money either!)
Yesterday was my birthday and it was a fun, frugal one!
1. I 'treated' myself to a day out. As I left the driveway, I saw the neighbor's trash out which included a broken child's stepstool and an odd hinged wooden thing. I turned the van around and picked up both. The stepstool will be painted to hold plants on the porch.
2. I went to my favorite thrift shop first which has 25% off on Monday. Among my finds were a Vera Bradley purse for my sister, four plates a friend had requested to complete a set she purchased and a new pair of summer pants for my grown daughter. Yes, I did find a few things for me but the best stuff was for others.
3. Then went to the Goodwill near the thrift shop. I found my birthday gift there-a Pottery Barn table runner I've had my eye on for a few years. Regular price was 69.00. My price-1.99.
4. I ate my lunch in the van while chatting to a friend. A freebie hummus and pretzels with a can of soda and an apple that didn't get eaten.
5. Stopping at the last Goodwill, I found a 100% wool Burberry scarf for my son-in-law with tags still attached. I paid 1.49. Into the Christmas box it goes!
6. After my husband got off work, we went to eat at bd Mongolian Grill for my free birthday meal. We had enough left for lunch or dinner today. Then we watched a movie at home we got free from the library.
My kind of birthday!!
YOU are a thrift ninja!!
Wow, you had some great thrifting finds!
I love how you delight in your thriftiness!
1. Whole Foods had nice soaps at 10 for $10 a week or so ago, so I stocked up. When I got home, I found I had 11, not 10 soaps (I had them bagged in store-provided paper bags when I brought them to the check out, and the clerk didn't recount). I went to the customer service counter the next time I was there, and explained what I had done, and offered to pay for the 11th bar. She told me my honesty just earned me a free bar of soap. I asked again if I could pay, and she waved me off with a laugh, so free it is. I'm not suggesting everyone sneak an extra item -- my point is that honesty doesn't always have to cost you financially.
2. I went shopping for paint for my new-to-me yard sale small table, and found the Valspar paint sample jars hold enough for the table top, which I want to paint a different color from the legs and chairs. So instead of having to buy two quarts, I bought a quart and a sample.
3. I weighed my produce bags as usual when shopping this weekend and got a bag of lemons that was supposedly 2 pounds, but was a bit over 2 and a quarter pounds.
4. My office uses rolled printing paper that comes on very sturdy 3" dia. cardboard cores that are 34" long. I rescued one from the trash yesterday. I can saw it in half to make two tubes out of the one, and with the addition of a few more halved roll cores and my duct tape, I can make a gift wrap organizer.
5. I found a sturdy rectangular basket at the aforementioned yard sale, with deep sides. It is just the right size (after a good rinse) to hold the lids to my random collection of glass, steel and silicone storage containers. No more chasing them all over the cabinet, and it was a lot cheaper than the lid organizers I had been looking at -- it was less than a dollar. I also found a nice Jacobean print pillow and a like new clackety-clack wooden toy for the youngest grandkids. I went mid-morning on the second day, so they made a deal on all of it combined.
I think my frugal things are kind of lame, but Hubby and I have been talking this past weekend about how we can buckle down a little. Next week we will eat out of the freezer, as there are multiple leftovers in there waiting to be magically transformed. (: We both take our lunches to work. I've been perking coffee as opposed to automatically popping a K-cup in (we reserve those for hectic mornings). I bought a couple of rotiss chickens on Saturday whose leftovers made a tasty filling for enchiladas on Sunday and the bones became stock on Monday. Bought my mother some new to her books for a buck apiece at the thrift store for her birthday. That's four semi-thrifty things...these lists are so inspiring, keep it up!
Nothing lame at all about those! Every little bit helps right?
I agree--great job, Gina!
The dollar tree has shower curtain liners. and only $1!
1. My first item that I listed on Ebay sold! I'm going to give it a try with only a few small items. I hope that someday this might be supplement to our income. However, I know that not many people succeed that well with selling on Ebay. But I can always try. (I list items on my lunch break). I am trying to do my research before hand so that I know what is selling the best.
2. I cut the top off a toothpaste tube and have been using the extra for the last few days.
3. My parents were in town over the weekend and I used their senior citizen discount for an extra 10% off at the Goodwill. Picked up another item for selling on Ebay and returned two that I didn't think would sell for much of a profit.
4. My daughter's daycare has their annual book fair. Each day the kids walk by these beautiful books and beg...beg...beg for a book. Last night I promised them a book at the Goodwill. Worked like a charm and only spend 97 per book instead of $12.99 (or some other outrageous price )!
5. Resisted the temptation to buy coffee on the way to work this morning. Will drink the coffee I have in my office.
1. Made a Target run - did not buy anything that wasn't on my list, and used $7 in coupons. Plus the little 5 cents off for bringing my own bags. Which always makes me unreasonably happy.
2. Back in the habit of shopping mostly at Aldi. Huge savings.
3. Using the library regularly rather than buying books - my favorite splurge.
4. Made a birthday pie (instead of cake), using up the last pre-made Aldi crust in the fridge.
5. Meal planning and making an effort to use up all my produce - not letting anything go bad.
I don't know why Target is so horrible this way. I don't get impulses like that at other stores.
I do love their 5 cents off for using bags. It's not much but when all the stores around be did it, it was enough to get me to go all reusable bags all the time.
Great job on remembering the store's policy! Those oranges look really fresh and delicious. We usually buy a big box of oranges from Costco and eat them for weeks. They stay fresh for a long time, which is frugality in and of itself. 😀
Meal planning is such a good tool!
My five things:
1) A local thrift store sells gently used, high end gym shoes. We shop there 1x/year & found cheap Puma and Saucony shoes.
2) We've been super sick this past week & I think I made soup 6 times. So economical & healthy!
3) Also we have call-a-doc with our insurance, so I picked up a prescription yesterday for $2.
4) We re-use cardboard boxes around here a lot. Crafts, pretend play, storage, etc.
5) Most weeks we make our snacks from scratch and/or do lots of fruit & pb, etc. This week I'm still trying to get energy back & so I picked up more packaged snacks. Whew--a good reminder that snack costs add up quick! But a nice week off of snack prep:)
Aww, so sorry to hear Sonia has nasty allergies! Mr. Picky Pincher has them very bad, too. He was on allergy shots for two years and they helped him so much. Allergies used to make him horribly sick, which meant missing lots of work. We're lucky to have United for insurance, which covers nearly all of the costs of the shots. I know healthcare is weird, but if you're able to shop around, we've had a good experience with them.
Let's see, this week:
1. I'm having surgery on Friday (yuck!) and have been a little taken aback by the medical bills. We're going to really lean down our budget to make sure we're able to cover it all in cash. I'm so thankful we're getting out of debt, because if we were in the place we were in three years ago, this would have been devastating.
2. I'm pre-cooking smoothies and soups to eat while I'm in recovery. Storebought is more convenient but they're high in salt/sugar and pricier.
3. I got my first ThredUp box and I'm really liking it! I know it costs more than my local thrift store, but I love that they vet the pieces and ensure they're high quality. I go through yoga pants like crazy and I'm thrilled to get a few really nice ones at a big discount. As a bonus, I used my Honey browser extension to get 40% off my ThredUp order. This should be more than enough clothing to last me a year, if not more.
4. Mr. Picky Pincher used the whey from straining homemade yogurt in his breakfast smoothie.
5. I've been using the heck out of my Bellabeat health tracker, which I got for just $40. I cut the price by buying used and then applying a $50 Amazon gift card I earned.
Oh, man, even though I am well into my career (and love it), there is a not small part of me that wishes I could work at the library! I hope her dream comes true. 😀
1.) I returned a defective Amazon purchase and selected UPS pickup because it was free for me. Saved a trip to the UPS store!
2.) I have either brought lunch with me or eaten at a work event every day for the last two weeks. I have saved SO much money on eating out (or buying junk)!
3.) However, we still usually eat out one night a week because I'm just exhausted after teaching two night classes in a row. Last week, though, I used the McDonald's mobile app and saved $3 off our $10 purchase. I can live with that expense, which is in our budget.
These last two are a little longer and a lot more personal, but I love being able to share here! In both cases, spending a little money is helping us to save a lot more money elsewhere.
4.) This month marks one full year of using YNAB software. Yes, it costs $50/year for budgeting software that theoretically does things I could do myself with Excel. However, I was NOT doing those things and we were in crushing credit card debt because of my horrendous spending habits. YNAB has completely changed the way I think about money and we are digging ourselves out of the mess I made.
5.) This is the 3rd month that I have been using the new Weight Watchers online program. I have found that spending a little money ($20/month) is just the thing I need to motivate me to get some weight off and be healthier. I am down almost 25 pounds already! We will save money in the long run because the risk of obesity-related illnesses drops dramatically with sustained weight loss. I already notice that I don't need as much of certain as-needed medications because my symptoms are reduced.
I think I love YNAB more than anything! It makes budgeting so much easier!!
I also love YNAB! I have tried many many budgeting tools over the years and this is, by far, my favorite.
Well done you - that's awesome!
1.) Eating food that's in our freezer and not getting take out. We were quite tempted on Saturday but resisted and went home.
2.) Made some Petits pans au lait (little milk bread rolls) after seeing them in a recent trip to Trader Joe's. My version cost a lot less than theirs did and they were really easy to make.
3.)Set my parents up with my old Roku. That way they can eliminate one of their cable boxes and hopefully get them to cut their cable down.
4.) While waiting for my wife at the mall, I walked over to the Whole Foods to kill time. I rarely shop there and its reputation for being "Whole Paycheck" is well deserved. However, bananas were just 49 cents a lb (Aldi price by me) and unlike Aldi they didn't look all gross (I cannot get good bananas at Aldi to save my life!
I also shopped around and found steel cut oats from the bulk bin were just as cheap as buying them at Aldi as well so the next time we're out there I'll have to remember to bring a wide mouthed mason jar to refill so I don't have to deal with an extra container to recycle (and reduce my plastic usage a bit.)
So I'm not advocating doing all your shopping there but it doesn't hurt to shop around.
5. Got 5% off at WF for using my Amazon card.
1. Ate dinner at home last night. We don't have much in our fridge, but I managed to scrounge up grilled cheese sandwiches and peas with milk.
2. Made yogurt in the crockpot last night. Stuck it in the fridge this morning.
3. Found a few things to re-sell at the GW Outlet (three pairs of kids shoes and a brand-new-with-tags 4T button-up boys shirt). I'm dabbling a little with earning cash for my toddler's wardrobe by selling things. He doesn't need much, so we don't spend a lot on him, but it's still a nice challenge.
4. Purchased a pair of pants for the above-mentioned toddler from OUAC. Got them home and tried them on (I rarely try on in the store-though I might change that habit now)...they were really really skinny AND one of the side seams was starting to come undone. I thought I had 14 days to return them, but when I checked the receipt 10ish days later, I found out they have a 7-day return policy. I called and nicely explained the situation and asked if there was anything I could do, and I of course acknowledged that I had missed the 7-day window and it was completely my fault. They said to bring them in and they'd give me store credit! We shop there all the time when we need something specific, so I gratefully accepted. It's only $5.50, but every little bit counts!
5. Eating all food at work today...breakfast, lunch, and all snacks. Drinking free office coffee too.
My daughter worked at the town library when she was in high school. Didn’t pay much at all, but she loved the library. When she went to college, her undergrad was politcal science. After 3 years she decided she didn’t like politcal science and really wanted to be a school librarian. So she finished her undergrad degree and then went on to her master’s in Media Specialties (which is what it is called now). She loves her school library. Maybe Sonia will be a librarian too!
I will try to come up with five!!
1) I’m wearing jeans from ThredUp
2) I’m using beans for quesadillas tonight instead of chicken - cheap and yummy!
3) I also made a meal plan before grocery shopping
4) Aldi. Need I say more?!
5) Leftovers for lunch.
I may need to up my frugal game. Lol!
But you did make it to five!
I did!! Barely!! 😉
1. Found a penny while out and about and a dime in our driveway. I'm thinking the wind blew it there as it was bent (we have strong winds in Texas).
2. We used our Feb Chick-Fil-a calendar card for free soup and a free fry from the App. We did not receive our fries with our soup, so the employee put the order in again but handed us our fries at the same time. Minutes later another employee brought fries to our table. Since they will throw them away if not taken by the customer, we ate them ( diet fail but free food). The receipt for the fries had a free sandwich for completing survey.
3. Cut up some free bell peppers and froze on a cookie sheet (before bagging) to use as needed.
4. Using odds and ends of green veggies in my smoothies to up the nutritional value as well as avoid food waste. Who knew celery would be undetectable?
5. Cooking at home and we make coffee and tea daily. Starbucks doesn't even tempt us.
My frugal win is just one but it's a big one... talking our heater repair guy into a great price and saved thousands! Yes!!!!
1. Took Amtrak to family event, using the Amtrak rewards points program, (like the ones airlines have), from their credit card sign-up bonus, so the long trip in a sleeper cost me almost nothing and included on-train meals and station lounge in the big city.
2. While there, saw how my sister cooked spring rolls, which I might try, and how my niece used her instant pot, which I decided we don't need.
3. After the family all left, my (just turned 95 years old!) Dad was left with various food leftovers, and as a child of the depression and WWII, he has great trouble throwing away food, even if he doesn't like it. He described to me in great detail how he made German potato salad from the leftover potatoes from the baked-potato-bar, pudding and custard from the milk, and something about fried cabbage from coleslaw. My husband and I were both raised in frugal homes, and this reminded me how that has certainly affected our lives in the long run.
4. Reading lots of library books; recycling; making sure trash can is full or not taking it out every week as we pay by the week.
5. Husband has pulled out bread maker that we were given long ago by someone who didn't use it. He uses it to mix and knead, but bakes it in the oven to get different shapes. We laughed that the last attempt at "artisan" bread looks rather like an old fashioned brown leather catcher's mitt, but the taste is right.
Yes! The Amtrak Rewards thing is great! We love train travel and the bedroom option for long trips is wonderful. I think I sleep better there than anywhere! The food is good and the staff is remarkable. Everything is an adventure. The sights! The sounds! Even the smells! The people!
You can go near or far, for not much money, except that the sleepers are about the same as flying.
So by using the Amtrak Rewards Bank of America credit card, we get a long trip with the nice bedroom basically for free every year or two. Others in my family don't want to use that credit card, so they budget for the cost of the trip being worth it because you see scenery that you will see nowhere else. I think the website is http://www.USArail.com or just google Amtrak.
First, I just wanted to thank all the FL folks here (noticed a bunch chimed in when Kristen mentioned she went) for tolerating the above average 80 degree weather in February. It was wonderful for those of us from the Northeast who have returned to heavy rain, wind, and (tomorrow) snow.
1 - Despite making four stops, I stayed under $250 for my post-vacation grocery restocking.
2 - I used a rain check at the grocery store. After vacation I did forget about the coupon I could have paired with this, but still much better than this past week's sale price.
3 - I returned unused goodie bag items to the party store before the return period expired.
4 - I picked up my free package of jicama sticks from Wegman's.
5 - I planned our meals and we ate all of them at home.
Ooh, what part of Florida did you go to?
Disney. Probably the most un-frugal place possible, but very fun! And we bought zero swag so there's that.
From MN here...we enjoyed the 80+ degree weather in Orlando in February while home was getting an ice storm.... 🙂
Also went to Disney, somewhat unfrugal. But free hotel rooms, cheap flights, and shared meals to accompany packed snacks made it as frugal as possible.
As a child, I had 2 years of allergy shots -a shot in each arm every other week- for dust/dust mite allergies. I couldn't dust, vacuum, or sweep without having a major allergy attack that would leave me sick for days. After the allergy shots, I have had no trouble at all. Praying that Sonia has the same results!
1. Cooking dinner rather than going out even though I'm tired of cooking. The deep freezer is full so I have food, what I need is the will.
2. Made Burrito Soup for work lunches, using food I had on hand, mostly scraps:
- excess liquid from salsa and pico (stashed in the freezer for later use);
- chicken stock from scrap bones;
- bit of beer leftover from a recipe;
- the last bits of turkey from the turducken (stashed in the freezer for later use);
- the amazingly tasty beans from Rancho Gordo (pricy and supremely tasty);
- supermarket-made fresh salsa;
- brown rice;
- pico spice from a Penzey's give-away.
3. Inventoried the pantry to see what needs to be used up. It's mostly jams and spreads so I made another loaf of bread.
4. Took car in for routine maintenance, taking advantage of a nearby Garage's spring maintenance deal PLUS $15 rebate. I can do the rebate online, saving a stamp. I shoved my bicycle in my car so I didn't have to call a cab or walk 1.5 mi in work shoes.
5. Continued the never-ending slog that is making sure my health insurance covers what it should.
6. Used many freebies for snail-mail needs: envelopes from bills and charity solicitations, the occasional stamped envelope from charity solicitations, return address labels from charity solicitations.
7. Continue to reuse paper in the printer. The unused side of junk mail and office paper is sufficient for most purposes. I haven't bought copier paper in 15 years.
Oh my goodness, I've never thought of using the unused junk mail paper for printing! I'll start right away doing that...thanks ever so much.
Wow, that is a great idea I would never have thought of that, well done.
1. Made three or so weeks of baby food for my 7 month old
2. Bought high quality deli meat on sale, froze it in single serve baggies so when I don’t have a lunch of leftovers I can make a sandwich.
3. Found helpful coupons in the Sunday paper and used them to save about $10 at Walmart
4. My daughter is dancing around in a princess dress I bought on sale after Halloween at a thrift store, building up a dress up box this way. So cute!! Also, we just played in the snow in boots & snow pants from a thrift store. I bought black pants & boots so hopefully they can be hand me downs.
5. My husband offered to cook a birthday supper for me instead of going out. We can still have a very nice meal but much less than eating out.
I freeze lunch meat, too. I notice that the texture changes but I don't care! What also happens is that the water crystalizes during the freezing and then comes out during the thawing, which is gross on bread or in a salad, so I squeeze it out in a paper towel.
I did this with 500g of shaved ham my sister bought at Christmas, I put each 50g in a snaplock bag spreading out the ham flattish for quick thawing & easy storing. I also used paper towel to dry it but it was fine on homemade pizza & in a toasted sandwich.
Sonia, I have struggled with allergies for years but keep holding off on the shots. I started drinking this ACV concoction for detox purposes, but have found I have hardly displayed any allergy symptoms(have year round), and we are in the middle of early pollen season here in GA. It might be worth your daughter trying this as well? Learned after fact that other people drink something like this to stave off allergies and have had great success. Never hurts to try, right? 🙂 Enjoy reading your blog when time allows(5 kids, 3 schools, oldest Sr. in HS, youngest -5 yr old. Household motto: 'Never a dull moment, only dull senses'. Glad for posts encouraging being practical & DIY projects!! 🙂
Here is the recipe if interested- you can tweak it to your taste.
INGREDIENTS:
1 mug of warm or hot water
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar(I use 1.5 T)
2 tablespoon lemon juice (use 1 teas. and works fine)
½-1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash cayenne pepper(clears sinuses but don't have to use a lot.)
1 teaspoon raw, local honey (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Warm the water.
Mix all ingredients together.
Best served warm but drink at desired temperature.
1) My Dyson will hit its fifth birthday next month (and the end of its warranty). It has been a good vacuum but has been starting to fall apart over the last year. Currently the extender hose is ripped and the thing that pops it into upright position is wonky. So I made sure to place one last free service call before my warranty is up. Hopefully this fix will last me a while before I have to buy a new one.
2) In the next year we will be switching around the bedrooms in our house. Our third child is about to grow out of her crib. The boys are getting bigger and asking for a bunk bed. We miiiight try for a fourth later this year, which would definitely be our last. So I'm starting now to rework the whole upstairs to fit our growing family. My goal is to plan it out so that I can sell furniture we no longer need and acquire the furniture we do from Craigslist. It is a major project that I am hoping to achieve for very little outlay.
3) I planned a menu, wrote a grocery list, and shopped at Aldi yesterday.
4) I caught an error our accountant made on our taxes. It is a pretty simple thing, so it gives me pause. It was also so simple that it could have been a trigger for an audit. Avoiding an audit qualifies as saving money in my book!
5) I joined a cheap flight finding service that was advertised on IG. I think it would be great if we based where we were traveling on where the cheap flights were, which we used to do. But now we home exchange, so we have a specific place we need to fly. I put a note on my calendar to cancel it when the trial period is up before I am charged for the year membership.
1. I went to a produce store on Friday where I got crazy good deals (2 CASES of strawberries for $4!!!) I was proactive about washing, cutting, freezing, etc. to limit food waste. And produce that is washed and prepped is produce that gets eaten, so we've eaten really healthy for the last few days!
2. I'm making dinner for a friend who just had a baby and was going to buy meat from the store for meatloaf but found it all in my freezer. (If you ever get to try a combo of venison, beef, and ground pork for your meatloaf I *highly* recommend it! So good!!)
3. I had a coupon for $5 off an Amazon Prime movie and we used that to rent a Boz for the kids for the week.
4. I planted lots of tomato and pepper seeds (starting them indoors) in hopes of having a large garden crop this summer.
5. I'm resisting the urge to buy tons of cute baby girl clothes. I'm pregnant with #3 and while I want to buy lots of things because they're so darn cute, I'm being patient. Looking back at what clothes I had for #1, we got away with a fairly slim selection. And some people have given us clothes already (I'm 23 weeks) and we might get more later since some of my friends are starting to be done having babies. So I'm resisting the urge to run out there and buy all of the cute baby clothes I see. 🙂
Here goes:
1) Grand daughter #1 asked for a trip to thrift stores for her 14th birthday, which we did with grand daughter #2, daughter and daughter-in-law. Lordy, did we have fun thrifting on Saturday - three generations of us. Went to seven stores and then had lunch.
2) Bought a like-new pair of Sketchers that fit perfectly for $4.99 at Good Will.
3) Bought a like-new pair of jeans that fit perfectly for $2 at the church thrift shop.
4) Used my February Chick-fil-a for soup for our lunch out.
5) Used up refrigerator left-overs for a pot luck meal for hubby and me on Saturday night.
Good thrifting!
Yay for free oranges!
1. Last Friday was a rare snow day for me. I only got 1 mile into my 8 mile commute before getting a text from my employer to turn around and go home. Conveniently, I was right in front of a grocery store so I popped in for a few groceries so I wouldn't have leave the house for 3 days. So I saved on gas and any miscellaneous purchases I may have made. Weather enforced frugality. Haha.
2. When I checked my email Friday morning there was an invite from the Craftsy website to watch unlimited craft classes for 3 whole days, which I totally took advantage of. Good weekend for it.
3. I picked up a whole chicken for 77 cents a lb. I rarely see them go below 99 cents a lb in my area.
4. The usual things: I mended some clothes, read some library books, used what I had and packed my lunch for work.
Oh wow...awsome boss!
No choice but to slide into work for me but im used to it (we live right at 1700 hundred feet straight up into the clouds...I can tell you all about driving in the ice and snow...)
Anyway...hope you enjoyed your snow day!
Nice free oranges!
1. We've been taking cold showers as it's been hot, plus it saves on gas to heat water.
2. Our electricity went out for a while this evening, so we used our solar powered lights, saves on batteries.
3. I made a French toast casserole for supper the other night using up random bits of bread from the freezer.
4. I won some nail skinnies from a friend who sells Jamberry. While I don't like spending that much money on nails, I'll gladly accept them for free. 🙂
5. I'm sitting here using my phone with a cracked screen...no need to replace it yet, it still works just fine.
1. Used a reissued $10 extra buck from CVS that replaced one I lost.
2. Made a point to reinvent and use all leftovers, saved money and waste.
3. Earned extra hours pay working from home on a snow day.
4. Received free tickets to High school play.
5. Purchased a like new heavy fleece old navy jacket for $2.50 at the thrift store.
1) Found some spices on our "free table" at work...Paprika, Garlic Salt and a few others. I love finding things I can put to use!
2) Made enough soup on the weekend to provide work lunches for the hubs for a few days.
3) Used a rare 20% off coupon code with free shipping to order some tank tops from Duluth Clothing. I love their stuff, but they are normally out of my price range. I bought some sale items to boot.
4) Used a new credit card that offered $200 cash back with a $500 purchase. I paid a large bill I had to pay anyway, and was able to apply the $200 almost immediately, which is rare, so $200 free dollars! Woot! No annual fee either. (It was TD Bank)
5) Am doing a two day fast to boost weight loss and "cleanse." Can't get any cheaper than that!
My daughter volunteered at the library, then got hired as a "materials handler," aka shelver, did that for a couple of years, then got promoted to a job that wanted a degree although she doesn't have a degree, she still got it! Not a glamorous or high paying job, but highly coveted and the benefits are exceptional.
Couple extra from the past few weeks:
1. We are using the free version of the Every Dollar (Dave Ramsey) app. LOVE that it is free.
2. Made chipotle chicken bowls at home for the millionth time, soo good and soo much cheaper (and no salmonella!) 😉
3. Finally am figuring out the empty nester grocery shopping and what works best for us (only a week at a time of planning) and eating more leftovers in a timely manner. Also shopping at Aldi more than Sam's for more reasonable quantities.
4. Bought a router instead of renting at our new house, but that was a no brainer, $10/month forever vs. just buying one outright....
5. Got signed up for a bunch of birthday freebies, so they will come my way in a couple of weeks!
6. Used the USAA Real Estate Rewards program and got $1800 back on the sale and purchase of a home. You have to sign up, then use a realtor that they recommend, but it is all free and then you get the rewards. Also switched our checking account within USAA to get a dime back for every debit card purchase.
7. Still using our Samsung GS 4s and they will be 5 years old on Black Friday. They just came out with the 9. 😉 They still work and my screen isn't even cracked. LOVE the otter box case.
That is it.
I feel the same about my Otter Box! Yes, it's kind of big and bulky, but guess who has had zero screen cracking issues ever???
And I drop my phone often enough that I feel sure I'd have cracked multiple screens by now otherwise!
I know, I have watched mine roll off the treadmill, bounce off the tile, etc. They are bulky and a little pricey, but compared to a phone, pretty cheap!
1. Called insurance to start repeal process on prescription strength vitamin D that isn't covered by insurance. Hasn't saved us money yet, but hopefully it will.
2. Menu planned and got a good grocery run in. Then we ended up at the hospital for 4 days which totally messed up my eating plan, but we only ate out once in the 4 days at the hospital, which is a pretty good win in my book.
3. Started drinking tea (technically herbal infusions) instead of coffee this week. The tea I like is cheaper than the coffee I like. Plus my body feels so much better without the caffeine!
4. Passing clothes from one boy to the next because I kept them all.
5. Found a 4 week fitness plan by trainers for $10. Cheaper than a gym membership for the same time frame, and I have all the supplies I need. Plus, I can complete the workouts when the kids are napping or in bed, which allows me to be more consistent than I was when depending on weather for running.
We just got back from a vacation (not so frugal, but we did attempt to save money while on vacation, which I wrote about on my blog), so I'm hoping to do lots of frugal things in the upcoming weeks to offset the expense. Here's my frugal five:
1. I am making a huge batch of marinara sauce from scratch. Tomorrow I'm going to make meatballs and I'll portion out and freeze the extra meatballs and sauce for later.
2. I hand dried two loads of dishes from our dishwasher instead of using the heated dry function.
3. Amazon had a great deal on Indian butter chicken mix and I ordered a case of 6 packs. I'm planning to use this with the 40-lb case of Zaycon chicken I'm getting later this month (it was 99 cents a pound).
4. I skipped taking a shower this morning, since I'm not dirty or stinky.
5. I downloaded a free digital audio book from my library.
I think you might live near me...if you do NOVA water parks hire at 14
Terri- I haven't gotten chicken any cheaper than $1.49/lb from Zaycon, so your price was a fabulous one!
Tricia- Glad you got cash back from the new CC!
Profesora- Congrats on the weight loss! I've heard of YNAB but haven't used it. I'm glad it's working for you!
Here's my Fab Five for the week:
1) I got secretly shopped last night at my retail job. My manager told me about it and apparently, the shopper really liked me. Whew! I got 100% and the manager gave me a $5 gift card for the kudos. Savings- 100%
2) My hours at work have been crazy and I have a Subway GC that I used with any specials that they were running. A 6" sub of the day was $3.50. Score. Savings- 42%
3) The market had k-cups on sale for $2.99 a box. Savings- 57%
4) The market also had chocolate (Kit Kat/Hershey/Reese's mix) Valentine's candy on clearance. I got 10 oz boxes for $1.71. Savings- 66%
5) I used CC rewards pts to get 2 gas gift cards. Savings - 100%
Sorry to hear Sonia has allergies; hope the shots work really fast for her, I love multitasking with errands it saves so much time & energy & bargain with the oranges!
I don't know if I have 5 frugal things but here goes:
1. I have been trying to make myself go to bed early to get up early for quiet time & do stuff before work & sometimes succeeding & I realised this actually means using less lights/heating/cooling so extra motivating
2. Massively reduced my takeout expenditure in the last 2 months taking all food to work except yesterday when I forgot to put it in the fridge so bought steamed vegies at the cafe & pushing myself to use up pantry/fridge/freezer items
3. Redeemed 12 wholemeal bread rolls from my bakery rewards card for the freezer
4. Took a nut bar in my handbag to snack on when I met up with a friend for coffee
5. Drying clothes on the line or clotheshorse instead of the dryer
there, I did it:)
Reducing takeout costs is so smart! That's an area that can add up so quickly.
Let's see...
1. Skipped grocery shopping on Monday due to a winter storm. Weather-forced frugality made me eat down the food I had at home. Turns out spaghetti and peanut butter sandwiches work out fine.
2. I realized I'm much more likely to let salad go to waste if it's a boring iceberg/carrot combination. So when I did make it to the store, I picked up a slight more expensive combo of kale, sprouts, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. Though it cost a couple of dollars more, I know we'll eat the entire bag instead of letting it rot in the bottom of the fridge. I call that a frugal win.
3. Returned some windshield wiper blades that didn't fit correctly on my car. Did quite a bit of research to figure out what I needed to buy instead, and will order them this weekend.
4. My last two bananas were going bad, so I stuck them in the freezer for future banana bread.
5. In the freezer this week, I discovered a box of Girl Scout cookies that had been in there for far too long. Rather than buying more this year, I just opened that box and started enjoying them finally! Aldi also has some cookies that are very similar, so I try to remember that when I get the craving to buy $4 boxes of cookies.
Oh yes...Aldi's version of Thin Mints is SO GOOD. And so cheap. I try very hard to buy them only every now and then because I have no self control when they're around!
I loved my part-time job at the library! Sonia might consider volunteering at some library events. It would get her some exposure and a big step up if a position did become available.
1 - Used coupon for ½ off exterior car wash.
2 - Applied for Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card and was approved. Will earn 50,000 points to use for travel after putting $4,000.00 in charges on the card in the first three months from account opening. Out of pocket medical expenses from husband’s surgery and church tithes will go towards meeting the minimum spending requirements.
3 - ALWAYS pay credit card balances in full each month to avoid paying interest.
4 - Booked airline tickets to and from Canada and five hotel nights using previously accumulated credit card points.
5 - Will use Chase Sapphire card in Canada because it has no foreign transaction fees. Will also put car rental charges on this card because it provides primary coverage for rental cars.