5 Frugal Things | How am I always mending??
Mending shows up so often on my lists of Five Frugal Things; I guess it's one of my core competencies. And it is a necessary skill if you tend to keep clothes for a long time.
Speaking of...
1. I fixed an old Old Navy sweater
I bought this classic black cardigan from Old Navy on clearance for $10 somewhere around 2010, so it is decidedly an old Old Navy sweater.
I have taken really good care of the sweater (wash in cold water, line dry only), and it has served me well, particularly as a back-up in my bag for cold restaurants/grocery stores in the summer.
But the other day, 15 years into my relationship with the sweater, I noticed it had sprouted a hole.
Luckily, the hole was right on the armpit seam, which makes for an easy repair. I started trying it with my sewing machine, but quickly figured out that hand-sewing was the ticket.
And now we're back in business.
2. I ordered a free transcript AGAIN
You know how I already requested a free transcript to be mailed to my BSN program?
Welllll, apparently I was too hot to trot after graduation, and I sent my transcript over to my desired BSN school before it was officially ready. Whoops.
I didn't know I needed to wait for the transcript to update from classes-completed to degree-completed (first-time-college-degree things here!)
I almost caved and paid for the Parchment e-transfer service, but then I thought, hmm, no, it's only mid-July. That's still plenty of time to have one mailed for free.
So, I emailed over the PDF request, and a fresh paper transcript is on the way.
The BSN college already has my "passed the NCLEX" status on file, so I think the transcript is the very last thing that needs to happen before I can enroll in the BSN program. Yay!
3. I canceled my self-purchased health insurance
I thought my hospital health insurance wasn't going to kick in until August 11th, when my new grad nurse position starts. But apparently my status got switched over to a different patient care tech category, which now makes me eligible for hospital insurance.
It also means I suddenly found out I have a minimum number of hours I have to meet, so I scrambled to pick up enough shifts for the next three weeks.
We seem to have had a lapse in communication about this because no one told me; I only happened to see it when I logged in. Ha.
Happily, my hospital health insurance is way less expensive than my self-purchased insurance ($150/month instead of $350/month), annnnnd the coverage is better.
And I suppose this is a double financial win because I will have a bigger paycheck from picking up these shifts for the next three weeks. 😉
I get paid so little for being a tech, this is not going to be a terribly impressive paycheck despite the extra hours. 😉
But soon, I will get a 75% hourly raise. The bump from tech pay to nurse pay is crazy!
4. I froze some Parmesan and some bread cubes
I had bought a big piece of Parmesan from Sam's Club, and the last of it got some moldy spots.
Parmesan is a hard cheese, so it's safe to cut off the moldy spots and carry on (this does not hold true for, say, cream cheese).
So, that's what I did, and I shredded and froze the rest of the cheese for future use. Shredded Parmesan is very easy to use straight from the freezer.
I also cut up some random bread odds and ends and froze them.
I will either use them to make croutons in the future, or I will add them to other bread to make an overnight French toast casserole.
As we know, though, freezing is only half the battle. Sometimes the freezer is just a pit stop on the way to the trash can, so I need to be mindful to actually use the bread cubes and Parmesan. 😉
5. I sewed a new hook onto a bra
This one didn't get put in one of those handy bra-holder laundry bags so of course it got snagged and pulled in the washing machine.
Bras are awfully expensive, so I figured this was worth a fix. I took the stitches out, using my seam ripper.
And then I hand-sewed a new hook into place.
It is not the same color as the original, but who cares? It's not like anyone sees this hook.
Wow, that is much cheaper on the health insurance! Do you need to incrase your tech work hours by a great deal for that?
This week's frugals:
- crafts: I hemmed a curtain that was too long and was a tripping hazard.
- cooking: I made granola, yoghurt, chicken stock, pickled vegetables (in reused jars) and cooked at home. To be fair: one dinner was just brie on a bun, with a green salad. But who cares? I had homemade fig chutney over the brie and the salad and called it good.
- entertainment: we visited friends, and visited family, and I swam outdoors every single morning. Bliss!
- (window sill) gardening: we have our own basil and I regularly lunch on sourdough bread with humus and sprouts from the window sill. Also I make tiny flower arrangements with garden flowers every week. Do not put them in full sunlight and they will last a while.
- laundry: double wins by solar powered washing and line drying. The line wore out and broke and we replaced it the very same afternoon. Having no line would upset my laundry routine a lot.
- purchases: I will pick up a too good to go baker's bag this afternoon. And I bought jogging pants on clearance. A wide pair, for outdoor swimming. I always struggle to put on fitted clothes after swimming (I wonder if Sophie in Denmark has the same experience)
- finds: one can.
I feel I am on a roll again, now I have increased my asthma medication for the summer. More energy to do chores and more energy for visits etc.
@JNL, what is a top good to go bakers bag?
@Regina,
Too good to go is a reduced price bag of one day old baker's good/ soon to expire produce etc. Contents: a surprise. This one is from my own baker so I know I will get good products for a reduced price. There is usually bread and buns in (they keep very well) and occasionally also cakes or sweet buns.
I wish it was available near me! I think I’m too far in the suburbs for it to be useful because when I’ve checked I haven’t seen anything.
@JNL, Download the app Too Good To Go and check out if your area has any food places that are participating. The fee in my area is $5.99/bag. I've gotten leftovers from a gourmet deli. There is tons of pizza in my area as well as Whole Food bakery and deli leftovers.
@auntiali,
There usually isn't anything on the TG2G app close to my home, but there is usually quite a few options close to my work. They go quick!
@Liz B.,
*are*, not is (eye roll at self)
Go you on catching the difference between insurance price vs. work hours! The difference in coverage quality will also save so much should you need it.
FFT: Everything Garden Edition!
--The vegetable garden is in full swing and has been contributing 50-100% to dinner. If only I could talk my husband into eating fresh green beans for breakfast. ;P
--I snagged free bricks and cinder blocks off Facebook Marketplace for adding a layer to the water barrel platform late this fall. The four barrel system works great, but my Roman aqueduct brain wasn't in action when I first built it--that is, gravity = water pressure. Having everything just 6" higher would make it so much more efficient!
--A friend shared flower starts that she had received for free. She hit a small greenhouse's end of season sale, and they just handed her one of the unsold/leftover flats with her purchase!
--The same friend had planted potatoes in our yard because hers was out of space. They were ready to harvest, so we dug them up together. Since I didn't take any (she's shared so much with us, I was just happy to help), she insisted on helping me weed for an hour.
--All our irises are owed to the same friend as above. She brought 25-ish our first spring in the house, and they went BERSERK in the ensuring four years. I split over 100 out of ONE bed this year; the rest get to wait until next year, as I'm beat! Surplus irises have been shared with friends and neighbors, and I gave full bunches to my sister (while teaching her how to split them) when she visited recently. She's after anything the deer won't eat, so here's hoping!
I spent last Thursday morning replanting the newly spacious (10' x 6') garden bed from above. Everything in it--one giant aster, three 7ft tall yellow day lilies, 20+ irises (half are dwarf irises), and the new penstemon flowers from my friend--was free from friends who were thinning their own gardens.
@N, Sounds wonderful. I do like me some irises.
@N, I wished you lived by me. I have a very mature yard and am constantly deleting my plants so it doesn't look like a jungle. I have asked everyone I know if they want various plants but most of my friends have mature yards also. So into the yard waste they go.
@karen, List them on a neighborhood Buy Nothing group on on Next Door, or just place them marked FREE (iris, or whatever) and I’m sure they will disappear!
1. Biked to the library for my library books and checked our PO box at the same time. Exercise + getting errands done without using gas or putting miles on the car makes me happy.
2. The textbook I'm using for A&P I (and which will be used for A&P II in the fall) once had an online access card that DS#2, in his infinite wisdom, threw out when he bought it the first time he took this class. UGH. I hunted around online and found an access card, never used, and used my Amazon points for it and got it for $5. Considering these go for at least $100 a pop, I figure it was a safe gamble to see if I can get access to review quizzes and extra material. Maybe it is a scam, maybe not, but I didn't spend $100 on it! To be fair, our professor doesn't lean heavily on the textbook for her exams and assignments, but I would like to understand the material as thoroughly as possible.
3. The black “Narnia” lantern in our front yard, for whatever reason, attracted bird poop like nothing else. Though I washed it off frequently, the bird poop had bleached the black finish and it was unsightly. DH found a can of spray paint in the garage and touched it up, and his next objective is to set up a solar-powered light inside, as the circuit for the original light fixture inside is broken. (We rent, so just pulling it out/replacing it is not an option, but we can fix it!) And it seems, strangely, that now birds are not pooping on it. Maybe they don't like the green color? Or it smells funny. Birds are weird.
4. Really enjoying library books these days, especially “Vitamania” by Catherine Price. A very good explanation of how we’ve conflated ‘vitamins’ with ‘health” and how unregulated supplements are…and how we probably don’t need many of the things being hawked at us. I stopped taking the turmeric and Vitamin C supplements I thought were doing me good and actually feel better. Saves money, too. I can also highly recommend "Unthinkable: An Extraordinary Journey Through the World's Strangest Brains."
5. Our AC suddenly stopped working yesterday, and my handy DH figured out that it was the condenser pump--all the humidity must have overtaxed it and the pan was completely full. He emptied the pan and got it working for the night. He's popping out this morning to get a new condenser pump to install, and that should do the job. Having a handy DH has saved us all kinds of money. I know We Don't Need Whiskers to do these things, but I do appreciate his skills!
@Karen A., I love your reference to a Narnia lantern. Still one of my favorite series. A friend of mind has a long hair orange kitty named Aslan.
@Bee, What a perfect name for a fluffy orange kitty! We love the books and the movies here.
I don’t mend, but I’m finally inspired to watch a YouTube video to learn. If you ever want to create another ecourse, I’d be happy to buy one from you on mending.
I’d love to learn how to fix holes, tighten waists (I like longer shirts, but then they’re too big in waist), and shorten jeans.
I’ve painted two kitchens because of your tutorials! TY!
@April, FYI, fixing holes and shortening jeans are fairly straightforward; tightening waists usually isn’t.
@WilliamB, it seems ruching might be easy enough once you’ve sewed, and that’s what I meant. It was early enough in the Morning that I didn’t search the term.
@April, I like longer shirts too - to counter that boxy shape I often turn the shirt inside out and lay it flat, then sew along the seams to create an hourglass shape instead of the rectangle (if that makes sense...)
@April, I used those pinchy-clip thingies to tighten waists. I’ve also taken in the sides of shirts and sewn darts in the backs.
FFT, It Is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive Edition:
(1) In appreciation for recent good finds in my local Little Free Libraries, I’ve been doing yet another cleanout of books and donating these to the LFLs. So far, the outgo exceeds the intake, and I’m trying to keep it that way.
(2) I've taken the Bestest Neighbors my annual donations (which I valued for tax purposes at just over $1K) for the antiques/collectibles auction run by the library in the town near their lake house. They’re going to the lake house today for a week, will drop off the donations at the library, and will get me a receipt.
(3) I also dropped off two boxes of donations at my local Salvation Army superstore Monday morning. While there, I of course couldn’t resist the temptation to look into the store, and got an extra-large Pyrex pie plate for $1. This will probably go to Ms. Bestest Neighbor, pie maker extraordinaire.
(4) I aired up the Element’s tires for free at the Byrne Dairy store/gas station near the Monday morning pop-up thrift store in the old bowling alley–so of course I stopped in there too, and came out with a good haul: the first four Harry Potter books in a 20th anniversary edition from their British publisher, a Vera Bradley “shopping organizer” for JASNA BFF, a set of 80 nautical-themed greeting cards for JASNA Panera (who is a die-hard British Royal Navy fan), a new pair of Skechers slip-ins (extra wide and in a men’s size I can wear), and a NWT sundress from Kohl’s, for a total of $11. I also grabbed a free half loaf of day-old Wegmans “Seven Grain” bread on the way out. OK, maybe it is better to receive than to give. 😀
(5) And in keeping with Kristen's theme for today of mending and repair, I've got some repairs planned: putting a new waistband button on a previously thrifted pair of slacks (which I got for $1 because of the missing button), putting red electrical tape on the tips of the laces in my also recently thrifted Keen hiking shoes (two of the four tips are fraying), and so on.
@A. Marie,
The thrifting- giving cycle benefits all. In an effort to make my wardrobe manageable, I gave a large bag of clothing to charity this week. While there, I purchased a nice pair of casual linen pants and a Czechoslovakian glass vase from the 1920s. The vase was for resale, but it looks so lovely in my office. It may remain there.
1) Found a basic black jumpsuit at the thrift store for my friend’s Soul Train themed birthday party rather than buying a costume on Amazon. I was able to Soul Train it up with accessories, but it’s basic enough and nice enough that I can put a blazer over it and wear it to court.
2) Made all meals at home, even though I definitely didn’t feel like it.
3) Did not buy any alcohol this week- we drink at most a beer or glass of wine in the evening, but this still adds up and is obviously not optimal health-wise either.
4) 13 year old asked to go to Barnes and Noble. I said, how about the library instead? Even though we go to the library nearly every week and almost never go to the bookstore, he acted like I was a genius for thinking of this. I’ll take it.
5) Took the 13 year old to the chiropractor planning to take him for his sports physical afterwards. I mentioned this to the chiropractor, and he said, oh, we do sports physicals. Then he proceeded to include one with his intake examination.
@Tarynkay, The Soul Train party sounds AMAZING!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
We just found out that my dad's treatments worked----NO CANCER! He had his scans & tests last week & the VA called yesterday morning to tell him the results.
So happy & grateful 🙂 <3
@Regina, YAAAAAY!!!
@Regina, this is wonderful news!!
@Regina,
That is wonderful news. So happy for you and your family!
@Regina, three hearty huzzahs for your dad and the rest of your family!
@Regina,
That is wonderful news! I am so happy or you all!
Yay!!!
@Regina, Wonderful news!
@Regina, I'm so happy for you!
@Regina, So, so good to hear! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
@Regina, How wonderful!
@Regina, congratulations to your dad ! Has he rung the bell?
@Regina,
So happy for your and your dad and your family. Prayers are answered.
@Book Club Elaine, YES he did! And sent me the picture & video.
@Regina, That's fantastic! Congratulations to your dad and family!!
@Regina,
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR WONDERFUL WORDS. I was just SO HAPPY about the good news.
My Dad will be leaving Florida later this week to drive to Michigan for vacation for a month to visit. Knowing this stage is over will ease my mind more & his.
@Regina,
Wahoooooo!! Best news ever!!
@Regina, What a weight to be lifted from your heart. Joining all of the others in saying this is great news.
@Regina,
So glad to hear to your good news and a positive plug for the VA which often gets beat up pretty bad. Hoping everything continuesx to go well.
This week:
1. I went for a walk in the countryside with my mother and aside from the cost of petrol, we didn't spend any money and brought food and coffee with us. We also picked blackberries and brought them home to have with desserts.
2. I walked to yoga class and back rather than take the bus (and I see yoga as an investment in health!)
3. I made a payment on a loan.
I can't think of anything else besides generally saving money by staying with my parents!
This was a great frugal week for us!
1. We also had a frugal win this week with insurance! After comparing 4 different company rates (all for exact same coverage) for auto/home insurance, we switched providers and saved over $1800/ year. Our previous provider couldn't even come close to any of the other companies who provided us quotes. So after 20+ years, we are trying a new company.
2. I discovered that we had been overbilled by our security company by $500.00 for some new equipment we purchased. After 10+ calls (no, exaggeration) and HOURs (8+) of time on the phone and multiple emails detailing proof we were billed $500 more than our negotiated rate (thank goodness we had it in writing), we finally were given credit for $773! $500 for the overcharge and another $273 for the hassle. We paid $27.00 for our equipment (+ a lot of time, energy + stress if I'm honest).
3. I negotiated a medical bill down to $0.00. We are blessed to have really excellent healthcare. So, I was surprise when I received a bill from a lab from service performed 18 months ago indicating that my insurance refused to pay. Further, I thought the invoice was a little odd because I recalled that the original charge was $2000.00, but the invoice was for $499 with a 50% discount if I paid immediately (long story short, the invoice was for $250). Since this company was in network, I called the insurance company to determine why this was denied. Turns out that it was denied bc the company failed to get a pre-authorization (which they later admitted to me that they did know they were supposed to do). So, I called the company and explained the reason I didn't think I should pay (if they performed the correct steps, my insurance would have paid for 100% of the bill). After very little discussion, the lab agreed to cancel the invoice.
4. And for some smaller frugal wins-we are eating the fresh produce from out garden (lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs), packing lunches and enjoying relatively inexpensive hobbies (tennis, hiking and biking)
@Sarah,
Those are some impressive money wins this week!
@Sarah, WOW! Great save on insurances (home/auto & medical bill). That's impressive.
My daughter is fascinated with my seam ripper and anytime I have a T-shirt or whatever that's going to rags--frequently, in our house--she gets to rip the seams.
--School approaches, and the supply lists have been posted online. I spent about an hour pulling out all the things I had squirreled away--in a few different places, so this took some hunting--and taking stock so I could tell what I really need to buy. I found almost everything I needed, and now my trip to Walmart will be considerably less involved. And less expensive. (We won't discuss how EVERY. SINGLE. CHILD. outgrew or destroyed all their jeans and shoes over the summer. Back-to-school clothes shopping is decidedly NOT frugal this year.)
--My older kids are required by school to participate in the county fair, which they always do, anyway. This year, my very handy eldest son made a chair. Like, he just went out to our wood stash, started cutting and screwing wood together, and made a chair up out of his own head. It was pretty impressive. It is also a very sturdy, nice chair that he said he will paint in waterproof paint so we can use it outside. I am now scheming to get him to make five more and a table to match so we can have a patio set. 🙂 Two-by-fours are not cheap, but we figured this chair cost maybe $30 to make, and it's very solid wood that won't blow away in our crazy wind. Worth it.
--I've been treating collard greens like kale to make them edible for salads. That is, with the famous massage method, which is way more work than I want to be doing to make an edible vegetable, but is the only option in this year when the grasshoppers are eating everything including the lettuce. They eat the collards, too, but only the outer leaves, so I can use the inner ones.
--The grasshoppers mostly leave the big tomatoes alone, although they did destroy the very small plants. They also only ate the cucumber vines that were climbing, for some reason leaving the vines running on the ground alone. I've been getting a few tomatoes already, and I see the first cucumbers starting, so I should be able to get some of those crops. It's been a discouraging year in the garden, but those are two of my favorites and I'm glad they've been mostly spared.
--My two younger sons sleep in a wooden bunk bed that my grandpa made for my cousim about thirty years ago. The older boy is in the top bed, and is now getting big enough that we've been discussing doing away with the stacked beds. His brother under him is getting a little nervous with all the creaking, and last night came in to tell me there was an ominous crack above him. So we pulled the upper mattress onto the floor for last night and will spend today rearranging the room so we can cut the bed on the uprights to make two twin beds. Thankfully, their room is big enough to hold two beds on the floor, although it will be more crowded. But we certainly aren't going to go out and buy another bunk bed--middle son is already getting almost too tall for that because of the bars on the foot of the bed that we will cut off when it's on the floor--so this solution will save us time and money. My grandpa certainly wouldn't care.
Good for her for enjoying seam ripping. I hate it! It always reminds me of how Laura Ingalls Wilder said doing buttonholes made her feel like she was going to fly to pieces. Ha.
@Kristen, I just read that passage about sewing buttonholes at the store last night to my kids during our before-bed reading. 🙂
It is such a perfect way of describing how I feel during tedious tasks!!!
@Kristen, I don't do a lot of sewing but always think of Laura's hatred for buttonholes when I do. And sewing lace (I think?) during The Long Winter.
@kristin @ going country, A bonus frugal thing just now: I was making oatmeal-raisin cookies with the free raisins and oats from excess commodities, and when I took the oats container out of the pantry, I lost my grip on it and all the oats spilled out on the floor. Like four cups of oats. They were free, so it didn't really matter from a monetary perspective, but I hate to waste food. They landed in a thick layer, so I carefully scooped off the top layer that wasn't touching the floor to use in the cookies. My kitchen floor is pretty clean, so most of the rest I gathered up and rinsed off to make oatmeal. The stuff on the edge or in the pantry itself where it was more likely to be dirty on the floor, I swept up and gave to the chickens. Zero-waste oat spill. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, We regularly order oats in canisters to donate to our little food pantries, and sometimes they get squished in transit and pop open. I just take the intact canisters out, and bring the cardboard box into the kitchen to scoop any stray oats into our own oat canister.
I'm impressed that you could sew in new hook in your bra. I have thrown away many bras because both hooks become unusable and the next set makes the bra too tight.
Frugal things---
● FREE 8x10 photo (TMOBILE REWARD)
● turned off AC & tower fans for a few days as high was 70s until yesterday when 80 became humid & I was sweating. (I usually don't sweat just standing around)
● sold some puzzles to thrift shop that already done
● cancelled FREE Amazon Prime (fail---I only used once) before started charging monthly fee.
● Ate all meals & snacks at home from freezer & pantry & did not buy any food/groceries last week.
● Did not affect my but helped my neighbor save money.
Neighbor getting new roof on house ($11,000) & Install crew showed up unexpectedly to start yesterday. Neighbor outside talking to me after install crew started tearing off roof when roofing company called to let neighbor know needs more new wood for base on roof so additional $5,000 (Ouch!).
Install crew worked most of day & left for the day. Neighbor comes outside & I ask if is going to take all the partial sheets of wood out of dumpster that was thrown away? Teen & I go out to dumpster & install crew had thrown away probably 5 partial sheets of wooden board (some pieces 1/3 of sheet & other smaller long pieces but all very much usable). We started hauling out the wood & putting inside neighbor garage to use to insulate garage at future date.
I told neighbor to Google prices of wood sheets (Menards) because still had 5 whole unused sheets (& roof base complete) & price of Shingle bundles because has 2 whole pallets left (& part of roof already shingled). That I would check contract to see how many (amount) supplies listed for use & ask for money off extra unopened shingle bundles because did not use.
I would keep any opened unused shingle bundles for future missing one here & there. I would keep extra uused wooden sheets only for future (price of wood expensive).
Frugal fail---
● had to go back to cemetery because realized that the crushed rocks we put around flowers are considered like wook chips/mulch which is against cemetery rules (even though done between headstones). So had to go & pick out all crushed rocks before next scheduled mowing at cemetery.
**I recently heard that the price of food is going to increase due to packaging---metal cans & plastic costs.
My Aunt said that recently (in Florida) local news reported that many local farms started offering pickling classes at (their) farm(s) to tech people how to pickle food & canning methods with glass jars.
I wish my Medicare and supplemental plan were that cheap! It's great that you were able to switch over sooner.
1. I have a temporary abundance of sweet onions, so I pickled some this weekend. I always loved the pickled onions in my mother's recipe for cucumber and onion bread and butter pickles, so why not just pickle the onions? Bonus, this is a refrigerator pickle recipe. I plan to chop and freeze some of the remaining onions.
2. I created a sort of rain barrel with an old 33 gallon trash can and screening out of an old window screen , which I fastened on with bungee cords. It sits out in my garden enclosure with a watering can floating inside it, ready for use.
3. I hung all my laundry, either outside or inside, to dry.
4. I got a renewal notice for a magazine and sent back my cancellation notice. One more gone.
5. I found a penny. That is literally the second coin I've found this year. People don't carry change much around here anymore.
@JD, I pretty much always have pickled onions in the refrigerator. I don't use a recipe, just eyeballing the water, vinegar, salt, and a bit of sugar to make a refrigerator pickle. They're so useful for when I don't want to cut up a whole onion (coleslaw, sauces, sandwich or taco toppings, etc.), and I love them in my salads.
@JD, pickled onions, eh? Given your and @kristin @ going country's recommendations, I'll have to try making a jar or two.
And I like your rain barrel idea. Ever since the city required us to use the awkward, inconvenient, #$%@!! 96-gallon trash and recycling carts they issued us, I have more trash cans than I know what to do with. I'd add only that if you're not already doing so, it'd be a good idea to put some "mosquito dunk" discs (readily available from most big-box retailers) into the barrels.
@kristin @ going country,
I don't know why I never thought of doing this before! And thanks for the suggestions for salad. That sounds yummy.
@A. Marie,
So far, the screening is keeping the mosquitoes out, but I've used dunks successfully before, and I will use them here if I start to see wigglers. I really hate mosquitoes.
I suppose I'll start with this morning's frugal thing. I was gathering trash for pickup today and remembered I had two "very close to empty" hazelnut spread jars that needed cleaned out. I find it a little frustrating that i have nothing suitably efficient to scrape them. 1st world problem.
I spent some time repotting a couple of houseplants to bring them back to their former glory. I reuse some of the potting soil from my outdoor pots with half new potting mix. I also cut back some scraggly Cuban oregano (very pungent and prolific). Didn't use the cuttings for starts of more (I have three) but I could have.
I picked another gallon of blackberries at the neighbor's for myself. Well, sort of. Making a cobbler for some friends and either a cobbler or clafouti for me. Locally, the berries are selling for $18 a quart.
I have not had to water the garden or wash the car. It has rained a lot.
I threw on a pair of capris the other day, and unlike Kristen's sweater, I realized the material felt very worn. I started to think back to when I got them and realized it was probably twenty plus years. And that's how old many of mine are and look it. I perused ebay and so far have gotten one almost new replacement pair.
@Chrissy,
Hi Chrissy, in Netherlands, we do have scrapers ("bottle lickers")! Because we are a thrifty nation 😉 My cousins down under bought them when they were over, they thought them hilarious. I hope the link works.. The picure on the wiki page is exactly like the one my mom had: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottle_scraper
@Chrissy, For jars like that, I either rinse out the jar with hot water or cut it open so I can use a spatula.
@JNL, That is a genius scraper! I wish they were available in my country.
@Chrissy, I brew a cup of keurig coffee right into the nutella jar and shake it (gently)! Makes delicious coffee, or with hot milk, hot chocolate! It works great for using up every last drop!
@Lisa K, not sure what your country is, but here is a link on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Bottle-Scraper-Reusable-Flexible/dp/B07R8L5N7W/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3CBL2MQF86TBN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.c5cwJ1ypwk7dYvO5BM49wfNDiF05V-XBZwA2lsrggSgC0brDM1AAEUOaBo4fMBbPMq-SDNcPPuBDLOxfd4bf_PIGRdk2_HHJHww5-EHm1506xUZW56KztMAslRrrBi0wAZz6ZMDjhuA9yrL_h4QEGc1VToprgxHodzOKiDfq1wXZ0kunGX133m2Ng9_VonKXE7w1ZEovIqhMb-Q-uz2G26jWsoLJIh6r-ISg3VEMd-DP5MlbeyoV03BHlyMumu8vEYaoKZdoZxNBi-QP1OqJh4ASlKgW9lMvDqZaBsEj-oc.vWQfWG1lI-P3YQXxVKDG6IHzCJhNeutmIaMYp1fEz_k&dib_tag=se&keywords=bottle+scraper&qid=1753209289&sprefix=bottle+scraper%2Caps%2C232&sr=8-
If that paragraph of gobbledygook doesn’t work, just put “bottle scraper” into Amazon.
@Jen, Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
@Lisa K,
I don't know where you are, but I bet you could find one on Amazon or at "The Container Store."
This week is tackling put-off tasks. Contacting an insurance company to get my oldest added to our vehicle ins, and also emailed another company that will look around for better insurance rates for house/vehicles/etc.
Contacted the internet provider b/c our bill had gone from 104 to 150 a month, and got it down to 91.26/month! WIN!
Next on the agenda is our tv provider. I dread these tasks, but am never mad to see the savings!
Impressive fix on the bra!
1. Delighted to overpay for mediocre lemonade at a lemonade stand.
2. Wanted to serve a special cheese to guests. Manchego is delicious but pricey so I saved $5 buying a less expensive cheese.
3. Ran out of pomade to spike up my pixie cut. Noticed that men’s pomade was $5 less and an ounce more than the women’s brand. Guess which one I bought.
4. Received the 5% senior discount at the natural foods co-op because I happened to be there on a Tuesday. Saved $2 without even trying. However, I inadvertently spent $13 on chocolate for guests, so overall not great in the $$ department. The chocolates were from the bulk bin and I didn’t realize that they were going to wind up costing that much. Lesson learned.
5. Donated blood and enjoyed the complimentary snacks. I didn’t take the gift of cool sunglasses as I wear prescription sunglasses. I brought my own small water bottle, drank it all, and then filled it with coffee to bring home to enjoy over several days. I diluted the coffee by half with water and added it to the mason jar I use for this purpose. I am clearly not a coffee snob.
@MB in MN, I can't believe that there is still the PINK TAX, especially same company same product. Degree antiperspirant same thing>>men's more product & less money.
@Regina, the pink tax, war on women, etc. just continues.
Food:
-We had vegan guests over for a light dinner, and we did not buy new ingredients that we wouldn't use again, or costly substitutes for animal products. I made ratatouille on quinoa and carrot salad.
-I picked out my meal vouchers for call shifts. The hospital food isn't amazing but it's free and there are some healthier options.
Goods:
-I tried to buy a work-related book from a small local bookstore, but their ordering system was down and I ordered from a large online retailer. Not my preference but it did save me some money.
Education: I was accepted into an advanced skills-training program for my medical subspecialty, which means that I won't have to pay (as much) for extra training after I finish residency. Plus, having the skill-set will (hopefully) make me a more appealing candidate for hiring. I have mixed feelings about it because I'm not swimming in extra time, but I think it'll be worth it.
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com),
does that mean that each skills class/segment you take is another area of expertise/training?
My (second) cousin is RN (Florida) for about a year now & she takes class/segment offered through hospital (low/no cost) that she chooses & has gotten raise after certain classes because of completing that particular skill. She works mostly nights (by choice) & is one of only a handful that has (class) expertise/training in rape & trauma. I think these classes/segment also count towards next level nursing (school/program/BSN?).
@Regina, kind of! I'm a physician so it's not quite as direct. It's more like, if I was in a surgical residency, my program agreed to let me take time away from my regular training to get extra practice on a niche surgical technique. But if I wanted to train after graduating, I'd have to take time off work (missed income) and pay for the training myself (pay money!) So it's definitely frugal to take the extra training while I can. Sorry to be a bit vague--I'm in a pretty small subspecialty and would be identifiable if I talked in more detail 🙂
Mending feels so satisfying.
*This week I replaced the elastic in a pair of my husband's shorts. Because of the design of the shorts, it was actually four separate pieces of elastic, and I had to unpick a lot of the waistband to place them properly, but now the shorts are good as new.
*While walking, we found a metal clip thingy (sorry, don't know what it's really called -- looks like a large cotter pin) on the ground. My husband brought it home and immediately put it to use hanging up something in our camper's storage compartment.
*We're enjoying peas, carrots, chard, cucumbers, onions, herbs and our first tomato from the garden. These were all from seeds left over from previous years' gardens.
*I made a clean-out-the-refrigerator stir-fry that used up some truly random bits of produce: the last two spears of asparagus from the garden, along with the last handful of sugar snap peas, a quarter of a bell pepper, some limp celery, an onion a deer had yanked out of the onion bed, and the last quarter-pound of frozen shrimp. It was delicious.
*I wanted to go camping for my birthday, so we made reservations last month to visit a state park about 4 hours from home. The week before we were to leave, I ended up with a doctor's appointment 2 hours from home, halfway to this park. So we changed our reservation to go up a day early. My husband walked the dogs around the office park while I saw the doctor, then we headed out for our trip. We saved a lot of gas this way. The trip itself was pretty frugal -- $20 a night to camp, and my husband caught two big fish which are in our freezer for future meals.
@Cindi, mending feels satisfying AFTER it's done. Sadly, right now it's a pile on my ironing board that I am ignoring.
@Book Club Elaine, Yes, that is so true.
@Cindi,
Carabiner?
@mbmom11, Not a carabiner, though those are always useful finds, too.
@Book Club Elaine, you need a very absorbing audio book to get through that pile!
1. I searched around online for better prices for dog meds. So much cheaper than at the vet's.
2. Froze some fruit for future smoothies.
3. Did a superb job of tetrising Lego. See, at Lego stores you can buy loose Lego by volume -small box or big box. I got almost twice as much as reasonably expected, by packing the box carefully and filling the gaps with smaller pieces. (For Legoheads, almost all the pieces were snots, which is why I bought some at all.)
4. I did not buy the $330 Lego steamboat, the $210 City Tower or even the $80 Evolution of STEM.
5. I always checked the weather report before deciding whether to water the new plantings.
Haha, I had to google Lego snot to find out what you meant!
Lego snots are really cool and really useful. They allow you to build out in all directions and not just up.
I forgot a couple:
6. Continued to save paper that’s blank on the back to use as printer paper.
7. The big one this week: spent a marginal $300 to fix my 20 year old Bosch dishwasher instead of buying a new one. (The first repair visit was $140, deducted from the fix if I went with the same company. Which is why I’m careful about what company I pick to look at my appliances - companies usually apply the assessment fee to the repair fee.)
@WilliamB,
I miss the clear Lego pick a brick Lego containers for the bulk buying (in stores). We use them for pieces storage--so much easier to find after initial sorting. I loved getting the specialty bricks (like snots) so much cheaper.
Ordering online (Lego.com) the pick a bricks come in one clear plastic bag that's not even resealable. 🙁
@WilliamB, “snots”?? Fall down laughing!!
1) We had a largely frugal girls trip, where my sister & BFF joined me for a long weekend. They flew in on Thursday, and we all WFH on Friday. We went for two hikes, lounged on the back patio, got in the pool, they met DS19's GF & DS18's friends. We made all meals at home. We did go to a winery (a treat from my sister, as I used credits for her flight), but that was our only outing. It was fabulous.
2) Our car insurance is switching, and we are saving just under $400, which, given we have two young drivers, is incredible.
3) DS18 is going to Lake Tahoe with friends, and staying in their family's vacation rental. All of the boys are contributing to food & utilities, but it's much cheaper than finding their own place to stay.
4) Eating lots of leftovers
5) Signed up for an American Airlines frequent flier account. While not m preferred airline, this was what was under budget for my upcoming work trip. It's a long & pretty expensive flight, so I'll want to make the most of the miles.
1. I went over our budget last night and made some plans to cut back on some things, pay off some high interest items for lower interest options and buckle down on paying down some small debts. Hopefully we will have all squared away by December.
2. Back to school is coming soon and I have acquired all of the necessary supplies except 4-5 items that I have to order from Amazon because they are sold out in stores here. The only clothing that is needed is jeans & pants but given that it is still 90+ degrees outside we have some time to get those. Smallest out of pocket for back to school since we started - hooray for buying quality that lasts over time.
3. With school just around the corner I will be prepping some items for the freezer to make for easy dinners and breakfasts. Muffins, breakfast burritos, basic meatballs - these things are life savers when schedules are hectic.
4. Homemade meals and treats - less expensive, taste better, and better for us.
5. My husband fixed our lawn mower by replacing the sparkplug. This will allow us to cancel our yard service and save us $200/month. We picked this service up when he had cancer surgery, radiation and chemo last year so I will be glad to see the expense go. More for the fact that he is healthy enough to manage the yard himself than for the money.
@Angie, Glad he's well enough to mow the lawn again. To me it's one of those expenses I gladly pay!
@Angie, We recently picked up a yard service for the reason you did, the husband's cancer treatment took everything out of him. The final factor was finding him half way under the mower, trying to fix it but now unable to get up to go get a tool. He keeps insisting he will go back to yard care himself, so I read him your number 5 to give him hope. Some days I run out of hope and on those days have little to offer him. So, thanks for posting it.
I think that is an extremely sensible expenditure, and I too hold out hope he will get back to it eventually as well.
Sending you guys love!
1. My mom dropped off some more food she got from her neighbor who oversees a food pantry (the food pantry gives the left over food to the employees who can give it away as desired). We got bagels, naan bread, frozen meals, rolls, cheese, vegetables, marinated chicken etc.
2. We used the rolls, cheese, and vegetables from my mom, along with ground beef we got for 50% at Aldi to make hamburgers for dinners this week.
3. Aldi had a lot of their frozen section on clearance. We got bags of chicken nuggets for $2 and a large box of hamburger patties for $7.
4. We used our YMCA membership 3 times this week and our play museum membership once this week. My daughter had a play date at a playground. My son is also signed up for a free event at our library this week.
5. Took one of our cats to the vet for her annual physical and vaccinations. Prevention is always frugal!
One tiny frugal thing: My $35.43 purchase at CVS cost me $15.31 after my $10 ExtraCare Plus Bonus and a 30% off coupon applied to my most expensive item and a Buy One Get One 50% off coupon for the other items. So according to my receipt I saved $20.12 or 59%. And I resisted all temptations to buy anything not on my list or that I didn’t need. No browsing allowed!
One big unfrugal thing: A vendor failed to bill me timely and has now presented me with an invoice representing five (5!) months of service charges that should have been billed (1/5th) every month. “We were so busy …”
So CVS giveth $20.12 and the vendor taketh away $825.
@JDinNM, I hope you told the vendor you’ll be paying monthly and not in one lump. Their mistake should not become your financial problem.
@WilliamB, Absolutely. This whole problem arose because this vendor had bought the previous vendor and the transitioning of customer accounts has been ... shall I say ... less than seamless.
Kristen, I think you mentioned previously that your tech job paid close to your state's minimum wage, so I hope you meant to say you were getting a 300%, not a 75% raise for your upcoming new RN position!
Re: Mending - in addition to sewing up small repair jobs on my clothes, I often use clear nail polish to stop fraying threads in their tracks. It works great and of course does not come off in the wash.
Hmm, am I thinking about this wrong?
If you were making $10/hour (hypothetically! My pay is not THAT low), and you were going to be bumped up to $20/hour, wouldn't you say that was a 100% pay raise? It would be a pay increase of 100% of your former wage.
What I'm trying to say is that if you multiplied my current pay rate times 1.75, then that's how much I'll be earning. So my pay will have increased by 75% of my current earnings.
Someone tell me if I'm saying this wrong! Ha.
@Kristen, You are correct in your thinking!
Not frugal. Frugal.
Bought new siding but siding the house ourselves. With all the siding prep work it might be the. Slowest. Project. Ever!
Saying YES to any free garden produce offered from friends.
Enjoying a few too many 49 cent ice cream cones from McD this summer. We buy nothing else. Two cones. 1.04 dollars.
Making iced coffee drinks at home every day. Have not purchased one fancy drink since June 25. Woooooo
Using Libby and Kanopy for entertainment.
@Stephanie, with the price of groceries I think $1.04 is pretty good choice to cool off with ice cream.
Hmm. Let's see . . .
I did some mending too. The hem had fallen out of some work slacks so I tacked that back up.
I planned to buy Panko for homemade chicken strips but just made breadcrumbs from some sourdough I had in the freezer instead.
Accepted the offer of a small used chest freezer from a friend to keep in my garage. Her dad used it to store fish he caught so I am hoping its not to stinky. 🙂 I went back and forth on this. Do I really need it? Is it worth the extra energy to run it? But I thought about how much Kristen uses hers and decided to try it. My refrigerator freezer is always stuffed to the gills. If I find I don't use the chest freezer much, I know someone I can pass it on to.
Used a $5 Cost Plus World Market coupon to buy some tea cakes as a treat.
Made a list of the birthday offers from businesses that are still active so I don't forget to use them before they expire.
@Lorraine, An open container of coffee grounds might absorb some smells if the freezer has fish smells.
Krisen, may I ask which insurance you bought for yourself? Thank you.
I framed menus I had brought from a memorable trip to Walt Disney World. I loved it so I brought home multiple copies because it was so beautiful; front, back, and inside! I used frames I had bought at a target clearance sale years ago. They look great in the kitchen!
I started buying whole watermelons and cantaloupes and cutting them up myself. Much cheaper and it felt like the fruit stayed fresh longer. Is that just me?
I made my own pickled red cabbage. The cabbage was on sale, buy 1 get 1 free. It was so easy. I love this stuff!
Thanks for the inspiration!
> It’s not like anyone sees this hook.
Not with that attitude, they aren't! Just kidding of course but I remember someone saying that to me when I was fixing a pair of underwear and mentioned that no one would ever see the mend.
My FFT:
1.) Avoiding takeout by making easy meals at home and using the Air fryer to cut down on the heat and smell in the house.
2.) Friendly's (yes, they still exist in some areas!) had $0.90 cones last weekend for their 90th birthday so we went out for a cheap treat!
3.) My daughter needed a new bathing suit because she has swimming and water play at camp almost every day. We got a couple at Target and returned the one that didn't fit her best.
4.) Helped my wife make a return by bringing it to the post office for her.
5.) Line dried clothes, packed lunches for everyone etc. The usual everyday savings.
@Battra92,
LOL!
Yay for mending! You can buy bra hooks already stitched onto sturdy tape, and attach them to your bra in multiples, using a zigzag sewing machine stitch. I do this because if one hook fails, another is likely to, and my bras have four or five hooks.
I have also been mending, keeping my own and DH clothes going. His favorite shirts are the ones I have made him over the years, and they show my learning curve for menswear. I have finally learned to make the sleeves long enough!
Thrift #2: Refreshed my kitchen by rigorous cleaning and sorting, donated a boatload of water bottles etc. to Goodwill. Saves the time and cost of looking for hidden items or buying another one out of frustration.
#3: Enjoyed only seasonal fruits and vegetables, ripe and delicious, often on sale.
#4: Enjoyed birthday dinner at a steak house restaurant, declined cocktails. They wanted $15 per drink and we had a long drive home.
#5: Sewing from long treasured collection of fabrics, making space in my sewing room and building my sort of shabby summer wardrobe. I always make at least one new item at the end of the season, so I begin next summer with something new to wear. That is also a good time to examine the old things and make sure they are wearable. Sometimes old and well worn means too old and too well worn, and beyond mending!
1. My food aversions are abating! I was able to do the weekly grocery shop AND meal plan this week. Way more frugal than deciding in the moment what sounds good to baby, and it being something expensive usually LOL.
2. Accepting hand-me-downs galore from sister-in-law, who just had a baby. Pacifiers and a pregnancy pillow were this week's haul.
3. Outsourced the most dreaded dog grooming for the Golden Retriever-- trimming nails (we always hit the quick) for only $12.50, and insourced the more bearable parts (getting rid of the Grinch toe hairs this week).
4. Husband had a work potluck and he signed up for drinks. I encouraged getting Sprecher's bottles at Menard's (the most Midwestern sentence beyond "I got corn from the corn guy in the parking lot") for the rebate. Saving our rebates for a storm door!
5. I made lemon curd for my supper club dessert (mini cheesecakes) instead of buying it in a jar!
Congrats on your lower health insurance!
This week's frugal items:
1. Hubs and I ate at home all week.
2. I went to my library's Board of Trustees meeting and I got out of the house and talked to other people. I am on the Board.
3. Got some rockin' deals at Walgreens. I donated 6 boxes of cereal that cost me $1.88 each to the local food closet. I think I had a coupon for buy 3 get $1 off. Also got some Dove body wash for b0gof. Donated those too.
4. Actually cooked a meal for once instead of hubs. I made shrimp cocktail from grocery store frozen shrimp. Not great but ok to eat. Not my fav.
5. Started a Walmart list. I have $50 in gift cards to use. I stock up on the very basics there: eyeglasses cleaning pads, glucose tablets for my diabetes, etc.
I remember your trip to Aldi! I can’t believe that sweater has held up for that long. Good job!
We are back from vacation, so here are my frugal things:
1) I expected to have to stop for food on the nine hour drive home from vacation, but we were able to use up our last few odds and ends of grocery store food to cobble together enough food to get us home. I put in a home grocery store order on the way, and we were able to swing by and pick up a bag of food as soon as we got into town. It included frozen chicken tenders and fries, which I tossed in the oven as soon as we walked in the door. We avoided take out (our family of 6 is a minimum of $50 for a meal at even the cheapest of places) and a late-night grocery run for milk and other essentials.
2) I did forget to swap the vacation Aldi location for our home location when I made our full regularly weekly order. I only realized it when I went to pick up the order and the Aldi person called me because they didn't see me in the parking lot. I was in an Aldi parking lot, just one 500 miles away! I learned too that if you don't pick up an order, they still charge you for it, and you have to call Instacart who then calls Aldi to process a refund. I did all that today to make sure we didn't pay for a whole load of groceries we didn't receive. I've also made a note to check my credit card statement later this week just to make sure that all the holds are gone (I then had to do another, exactly the same, Aldi order at the right store, so I had all kinds of holds).
3) I followed up with our dentist's office because I hadn't seen any claims processed by our dental insurance for our visits last month. The receptionist told me they were submitted the day we visited, and that they got denials. I suspect there is some miscommunication because our insurance doesn't even show the claims, much less any denials. Now I know I have to stay on them to get the claims processed correctly. I already had to go back and forth with the office staff when they initially said they were not in network for our plan, even when the insurance rep told me specifically that they were. Sometimes I feel like making sure insurance claims are processed correctly is my part-time job. But if I didn't do it, we would end up with $3,000 worth of dental bills, which should all be $0 out of pocket.
4) I batched errands yesterday to go to two grocery stores and two libraries. I strategized the rest of my errands this week so that I run them efficiently when I am already out picking up and dropping off our daughter at camp. These errands involve dropping the tennis shoes I just sold on ebay at USPS (they were listed for almost a year!), dropping clothing off at the consignment shop, and a Goodwill visit to look for a new bread machine and air fryer.
5) I said no to some fun amenities at the beach house we are home exchanging in two weeks. Fancy pool passes and a souped up golf cart would be fun, but we are going to spend time on the beach, and the whole point of home exchange is to be able to travel for little more than we would spend at home. We'll lay on the beach and eat cheap grocery store food and be as happy as clams.
• I helped my son sell some items on Marketplace. I kept a portion of the profits to help pay for his new ebike, but he ended up with a little pocket money too.
• Staying on top of the CSA produce as we get a new box each Thursday. I meal prep based on the veggies in the box and in the fridge and quickly process and freeze anything that we can’t get to.
• I cancelled our AppleTV subscription – we watched what we wanted to and will wait for new seasons of our favorite shows to sign up again.
• I hemmed a pair of pants for my husband.
• I gave a bunch of empty boxes to my dad to use for my parent’s upcoming move. Our garbage company will charge for anything that doesn’t fit in the curbside containers so it is a win all around.
FIVE FRUGALS
I tossed catalogs without looking.
Free canned salmon (from the local food bank which needs the entire town to participate or the deliveries will cease) for lunch
Cabin neighbor didn’t want to schlep groceries back down the hill so left some tri-tip with us.
Sold my car for $900 (KBB said it was worth $442 last time I checked!)
Cancelled insurance on old car.
1. Laundry: I was able to get sriracha out of my husband's work shirt and ballpoint pen ink out of my white slacks.
2. I sold some baby supplies that I no longer need.
3. found a pair of linen slacks for $6 at the second hand store. These should get me through the worst of the summer heat.
4. Borrowed special toys to entertain my toddler on a road trip.
5. repaired furniture rather than replacing.
@Rebekah in Socal, what did you use on the ballpoint ink. I have never had any luck getting this type of ink out.
@Bee, I've always used hairspray on ballpoint ink. I use the pump spray hairspray (versus the aerosol) and soak the ink mark in it. I let it sit for a bit, then wash as normal. I may need to do a second spray, but it has always worked for me.
HEY KRISTEN!! TWO BRAND NEW THINGS FROM YOU!
1. Your Aldi headquarters trip before—what a fun thing to do! Are the other bloggers you were with still around? You asked in that post what we were waiting for if we’d never been to Aldi before—I was waiting for it to arrive in my county, which it did a little over a year ago.
They have something written on their paper bags about not using plastic, and EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF PRODUCE COMES IN PLASTIC! Hmmm, I’m confused.
The store is about 35 miles away, so I only go occasionally but it is a great store (never mind that the last time the only eggs were broken and in busted cartons.)
2. You have an ebook about mending?! Is it still available? Here is the link to the page so you don’t have to dig around.
https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/reuse-refresh-repurpose/
Oh, interesting! My Aldi does not have all their produce in plastic. I mean, obviously grape tomatoes and strawberries and such are in plastic, but we have loose tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, bananas, melons, and more.
And oh my goodness, I'd completely forgotten about that old ebook I made. I haven't looked at it in ages, and I don't even remember how I had it set up for sale. Hmm. Perhaps something to go on my to do list.
I'm new here, and just have to say that there is such a wonderful, healthy tone to all that is written and shared. I'm beyond impressed with Kristen and everyone. My frugality centers around a family reunion this past weekend. I provided the centerpieces and instead of buying anything, I used canning jars for vases and cut fresh flowers from my garden and yard: Queen Anne's lace, clover, zinnias, salvia, cone flowers, ferns and daisies. I used blank tags that I had on hand and added the names of our grandparents and their six daughters. Tied with twine, the tags and mixed bouquets were a hit as well as sweet reminders of our family. Also, the reunion was "bring your own beverage" so I made my own ice and iced tea ahead of time, poured the tea in a closed-top pitcher, packed it in ice and brought cups along. No need to buy ice or anything to drink!
Awww, I think that is a lovely piece of feedback and I'm so glad you feel that way.
I love the bring your own beverage idea; it makes things so simple for everyone.
@Julie, those centerpieces sound so lovely!
I'm always inspired by your mending Kristen. I still have my seam ripper from public school, circa grade 7, I'm guessing, I love that I still have it. I don't love mending, on my pile are two pairs of sports socks that have a hole in the toes that needs to be fixed: my apron strap in fraying, so I think I need to do like a blanket stitch to sew up the fraying side; and a crocheted kitchen rag that my SIL always makes for me for Xmas, that has started unraveling, so I need to do something with that.
** A fantastic thrift store find was a 2025/2026 Kate Spade daytimer (diary for my UK and SA friends) in brand new condition priced at $2.99. When I got home I noticed that the $2.99 sticker was stuck on top of a $6.99 sticker, So I'm like wondering ..... mmmm was someone planning to come back for it? hiding it? or something? The daytimer is still in the book store for $34.99 (Indigo for the Canadians), I did good!
** I also found a bunch of bookmark cards, these are special, as they are all prints of art by mouth painting artists, they are gorgeous. I love pretty bookmarks.
** I also found 2 mugs, colour of coral with a light blue handle. Part bone china, part porcelain (dishwasher safe to boot). You just know when the handle fits your hand in just the right way, perfect. And to boot it was Tuesday seniors day so discount on all these items was -30%.
** Dropped off some used clothing at H&M, they recycle used fabrics (or so they say).
** My credit card stopped working, so I called to order a new one, but the wait time was insane. I found that I could order a new card on-line, went to "damaged card" section and followed the prompts to get a new card. It has arrived and is working.
Cooked and ate all meals at home, per usual!
All laundry dried on the line, sunshine is free, and it has been plentiful!
Split up some Hosta plants to fill in some spaces. Here’s hoping the deer don’t find out…
My very clever husband figured out how to jack up and straighten our side entry porch. It would seem a little family of chipmunks has been digging tunnels under the porch, which caused one corner to sink into the ground. Well, now it is level again, and I will give the porch a new coat of paint to celebrate. (Leftover paint, of course)
Bought new kitchen appliances (not frugal) but got them on sale with a bonus $$ for buying more than one. I’m certain the refrigerator will be way more energy efficient than the 2002 model we currently have. But we have gotten our moneys worth out of that thing. Never needed a repair, and actually still works, but I’m trying to get ahead of the tariff situation, and I know it’s only a matter of time, so good bye white side by side fridge. I never really like it anyway! Which is why it lasted forever.
Kristen, congratulations on the health insurance and your gigantic pay raise! You will earn every penny of that, but your patients will reap the benefits of having you as their nurse!
I also did some sewing related frugal activities….
I fixed the waistband on a pair of work pants. The pants are perfect except for the scratchy waistband that was driving me crazy! So I sewed a soft strip of an old t shirt inside and now they are super comfy. Since the pants were free (garage sale leftovers) this is doubly frugal.
The t shirt strip came from an old shirt from the thrift store that had a stain that would not budge, so I cut the very cute print (a chickadee!) off in a square and sewed it into a throw cushion, using a very exhausted old bed pillow for the stuffing. I made two graphic tee cushions this weekend, and they look great!
I redeemed a 50% odd coupon along with a rain cheque for some delicious ice cream bars. They are a fancy brand that I would not normally buy, so this made them reasonable.
I borrowed a sander from my neighbour for finishing my deck, all I needed to buy were the sanding pads. The deck should be finished next week, just a few more patches and then a coating of protector and I’ll be done. I also snagged clearance 50% off paint at the hardware store for painting my living room next month, so it was just as well I popped in to buy more sand paper.
And everything green we are eating is from the garden…salad, kale, chard, beans, peas, cucumbers and zucchini. The fridge sometimes looks bare but the garden is full.
I belive I have the same black Old Navy Sweater and like you I take it to restaurants, grocery shopping where they have the A/C set on zero! Lol
Yes! It's the perfect sweater for this purpose.
1. Repaired the pull chain on the new ceiling fan, so now I can turn the fan on and off. Had to use some key chains from around the house to get it to the right length; they don't match, but I figure no one will notice.
2. Used my Medicare Advantage card (renews every quarter) to buy $50 in OTC meds and stuff. The card doesn't work at the drug store where I work (I know. I tried.), so I was sneaking around Walmart's pharmacy section, hoping none of our customers saw me.
3. While in Walmart, I got some marked-down bread. Not the $1 French loaf that was originally $1.40, but the 42-cent French loaf that was priced at a dollar yesterday. It went into my freezer for later. Also got some marked-down butter croissants (saved over $2) and muffins.
4. Used Gas Buddy to find the cheapest gas price and filled up my car.
5. Took advantage of a free carwash deal at another business. (Not the gas station where I filled up.)
This is not exactly frugal, but I picked up my new glasses this week. One pair are bifocals , yes with the line and the other pair is just for seeing distance. No more ocular migraines! I put them on and walked out of the store, not an issue. My bifocals, are great too. I've adjusted quickly to them. It's frugal for me, because I have 2 pairs of glasses that I can't wear because the lenses weren't measured correctly and the office that I used to go to, wouldn't listen to my issues. I left their practice and have taken my business elsewhere. I'm super excited to actually see clearly once again!
I bought 1 take out coffee on Saturday, and I've stuck with my no eating out/takeout unless Im with someone else.
We've been working on cleaning out the freezer, and there's been meals made with freezer burnt chicken, but if you cut it off, it's perfect...
I won't have to buy meat until September.
I like your seam ripper with its barrel handle!
I get the large piece of pecorino cheese from Costco. When I open it, I cut into about 5 pieces, wrap each piece separately and then put them in a plastic bag in the freezer. As needed, I get out a piece. Since I’m either going to crumble or grate it, freezing it first isn’t a problem.
We’ve just completed 3 weeks of family visits, so not the most frugal, but definitely priceless!
Kristen, you will figure out that there are many things that hospital HR/ benefits don’t do a great job of communicating to employees. You literally need to be on top of everything with them!
Also, I really liked your haircut in that picture! I like your current style, as well, but just thought I’d mention it
Thank you! I think I had some highlights then, and no grays. And also fewer birthdays under my belt. Ha.
It's been a few weeks, but here's a belated list of some of my FFT.
1. I rescued four extravagantly decorated cupcakes from work. My coworkers assured me they were over a week old, and the BB date was in fact 4 days ago… but when I had one, it was perfectly delicious and moist! I’ve since eaten the other three, since DH decided they didn’t tempt him.
2. I also rescued some pre-sliced onions and tomatoes from work that had likely been from a taco bar earlier. The tomatoes were *this* close to going off, but they were immediately eaten.
3. We unfortunately had to find a hotel instead of driving home 75 minutes from the airport due to massive rain and tornado warnings. However, when we drove home the following morning we stopped at our local gas station for breakfast and my app showed I had a free breakfast sandwich so that was a nice surprise.
4. I found two pennies in the gas station parking lot.
5. I compared prices online for some prescriptions and was able to request some via mail order for a much cheaper price than picking them up in town.
6. A friend grows flowers and sells them at the farmer’s market. She had an unsold bouquet that she dropped off for me–it’s stunning and would have cost about $30-40.
7. I received a T Mobile class action settlement for $56. I had saved a screenshot of my submission from 2022, and it looked like it was supposed to be for $25, so this was better than expected.
This week:
-Used a free $2 offer from Sheetz to pay just 60 cents for a snack mix that will work great for a long morning of doctor's appointments tomorrow.
-My dad came to visit and treated us to a couple meals out and ice cream. We ate at home a little bit, but my frugal grocery habits made it all a win for everyone 🙂 Yummy, nutritious, affordable.
-I did NOT stop for more ice cream when I drove by my favorite place today even though I reaaaaally wanted to.
-Topped off tank while I was going by the area where gas is significantly cheaper.
-Didn't purchase any new clothes (as usual)!
Yes, mending things saves a lot of money. I've saved countless dollars repairing clothing and other thi is over the years. It's usually worth the time.
The topic of used foil came up here recently. I keep a few pieces of “used” foil to clean off the BBQ grill. It's safer to use than those barbecue grill brushes that leave bits of metal on the grill. I've seen stories where people are in the ER with unexplained pain and it turned out to be bits of metal from those brushes in their stomachs and intestines. I don't know why those brushes are still on the market.
I froze some colored bell peppers (which always cost more) that I bought at the store before they went bad.
We saved some $$ when hubby asked a vendor at a flea market if they charge more to use a credit card. They had a 3.5% fee for using credit or a debit card, so we opted for cash. Many places are now charging more to use a credit card so it's smart to ask before you use it. I have my husband use his credit card for nearly everything. We pay the credit card off each month and never pay interest. We recently received about $1,000 in earned cash rewards from our credit card that we applied to next month’s balance.
I bought a marked down loaf of Italian bread for 80 cents, and froze it. One loaf will make three meals of garlic bread for hubby and I. I cut it off the loaf as needed.
My hubby had a bunch of magazines perched on the bottom rung of a table in our den. I didn't like the messy look of it so I repurposed a flatter Amazon box by cutting off the closing flaps and tucked the magazines in it for a much neater look. My intention is to actually make a rope and fabric box for neater storage down the road when a better-sized box shows up.
I haven't purchased paper napkins in over 30 years. I have a serger and can make commercial hems in fun all cotton fabrics. As a person who worked part time in fabric stores I have always had access to great fabrics. Also friends of mine who also fabricholics have shared their overload with me. It takes 30" of 45" fabric to make 6 napkins. It's fun to make them in holiday themed or special occasion fabric. With messy food, you don't have to have many paper ones. They are totally washable and if folded as they come out of the dryer don't need to be ironed. If you use darker all overprints, spaghetti and pizza stains are less apt to show.