Five (er, 7) Frugal Things
Usually I take advantage of a birthday freebie or two, but this year, I really went for it.
So, I'm gonna just share a birthday-freebie Five Frugal Things. Except I have seven, so this will be slightly longer than usual.
1. Free Potbelly cookies
Potbelly gave me a free dessert in my app (no purchase necessary), so I chose the most expensive option: a bag of 12 cookies.
After this order, Potbelly sent me a survey, which I filled out, and then I got two more free cookie offers!
2. A free face mask
CVS gave me an in-app choice of three offers (no purchase required) and the face mask seemed like the best option.
3. $2 socks from DSW
DSW mailed me a $5 off any purchase coupon, so I bought a three-pair pack of socks for $6.99.
And after my coupon they only cost me $1.99.
4. $3 flowers from Ace Hardware
Ace mailed me a $5 off any purchase birthday coupon, so I bought two four-packs of flowers for $8.
That made them $3 out the door, which felt like a pretty good price.
I planted them in my front border and I'm excited to watch them grow this summer.
5. A free Panera pastry
I got a free pastry offer in my app and I chose a bear claw because that is something I wouldn't make on my own at home.
(Whereas I will definitely make cinnamon rolls myself.)
6. An almost-free pizza
A local restaurant sent me a $10 offer, which we used to buy a $11.99 pizza, which was then a $1.99 pizza!
7. A free Firehouse sub
I got a free medium-size sub offer in my app, with no other purchase necessary.
And I didn't take a picture of this one. Please imagine a sub.
________
Plus, I'd already redeemed a $15 offer from a local restaurant two date nights ago. And I told you I got my free Starbucks drink on my birthday last week.
Annnnd I have a free Rita's ice coupon that I might offer to one of the girls since I'm not that big on ices.
Redeeming this many birthday freebies would not make sense if I lived in a rural area and had to drive a long way to make these stops.
But I live in a neighborhood that is extremely conveniently located to the companies that gave me birthday offers; all of these places are about five minutes from my house.
Basically, I live in a perfect spot for reveling in a wealth of birthday freebies.
So fun with all the birthday freebies!
1. Have been to tired to cook most days but have eaten leftovers and from the freezer so no take-out.
2. Had a good week selling stuff online. To cover my back taxes (not the same system in Norway, but that is the nearest translation I can find) I need to save $400 each month until August. So thanks to the sales I have made my goal for May already.
3. Finally bicycle season here, so instead of taking the bus to visit a friend I took the bike. We went on a 90 minutes hike, so double the free exercise.
4. BF is renovating the stairs. Have convinced him that we can use leftover linoleum from when we did the downstairs instead of more expencive solutions. Will need to buy paint to paint the linoleum in a matching color, but still much cheaper.
5. Started knitting Christmas presents with yarn from my stash. Very much a beginner knitter, but will make neckvarmers and mittens.
All those apps were making my tech-phobic brain short-circuit. 🙂
My middle son had his First Communion on Sunday, for which my parents came. They asked if they could treat us to food from the local restaurant (the ONLY local restaurant), but I said no for a few reasons. One is that middle son doesn't much like restaurant food and had already put in his request for a celebratory dinner at home. Another is my food is way better than that restaurant's food. And last, the food there is pretty expensive for what you get. I can't blame them, given the challenges of operating a food establishment in the middle of nowhere, but I really can't handle $10 for a sub-standard burger. So, long story not at all short, I made his requested dinner.
My mother always brings excessive quantities of produce when she comes, so I'm methodically working my way through it in order of perishability (strawberries before grapes; cucumbers before radishes, etc.) to make sure none of it goes bad.
Youngest son's pants all sprouted holes at the knees in the same week (it's amazing how the pants all coordinate the timing like that), so I dug around in the bags of stored clothes under the bunk bed and found him a few new pairs.
We got a TON of clothes from a friend that her daughter outgrew, including several Very Fancy Dresses that are making my daughter very happy every Sunday.
We had some issues with our meat rabbits escaping. In case you don't know, it's impossible to herd rabbits. So we had to, um, "harvest" some of them, and I made rabbit tacos on Saturday. Unfortunately, I really don't enjoy dealing with the rabbit meat. Too lean. It requires a lot more effort to make tasty than something like chicken with skin. I think we might phase out the meat rabbits, but in the meantime, we have about 14 (they really do multiply like rabbits :-), so I'll keep getting creative with the meat to make it palatable until they're gone.
Maybe it's because I work in tech but there's no way I'm having that many apps on my phone!
Also, I get you on it being tough when the only local restaurant isn't that great. I never lived quite as remote as you but I did used to live a good 45 minutes to an hour away from anything decent. You want to support local but sometimes it's just not worth it.
You had fun, Kristen! My birthday is tomorrow but I don't really have a lot of interest in getting multiple apps on my phone--I keep trying to simplify my life instead of adding things to it, even good stuff! 🙂
Frugal things .... I made naan yesterday instead of buying it at Aldi--I can make it for a fraction of the price and I become a hero for my family. Sunday we attended an honors banquet for my son--a local restaurant catered it (due to capacity limitations at banquet halls, it was held in the high school cafeteria). We enjoyed a tasty meal with an incredibly decadent dessert. My tall, slim teenage son ate all of his dessert and half of mine, and annoyingly for me, he will never put on weight but I gained 5# just from looking at it. I keep taking advantage of the free (good!) coffee at work--the health care system I work for has been offering it whenever staff are dealing with a covid surge--so, not a happy reason for the freebies but I appreciate the tangible way that they are supporting us. Aaand that's all I can think of right now.
For me, the food apps are not the problem when it comes to excess time on my phone; it's the social media apps. I am not about to waste an hour using the Potbelly app. But Instagram? Totally guilty there if I have it installed!
What recipe do you use for naan?
I was wondering which recipe you use as well. Thanks
https://www.budgetbytes.com/naan/
Thanks for asking! I love to share recipes. I don't think I've ever been unhappy with any of the ones I have used from budgetbytes.com. It might be worth your time to double the recipe and freeze the extras (now if only I would follow my own advice). I made it to use with her Greek chicken wrap recipe. https://www.budgetbytes.com/greek-chicken-wraps/
1. Hubby had a groupon for a local restaurant was going to expire. We actually love the food but the service is very slow. We used it instead of letting it go to waist.
2. I found some wooden rocking chairs along side the road. They were in need of some love. but with some glue and wood stain that I already had they are good as new! I love them.
I can't really think of anything else right now, because we've had so many frugal fails:
1. Son hit our front street light straight on with his four wheeler. He is fine but the light needs to be replaced.
2. Shower door is breaking. I'm trying to keep it working for a bit longer.
3. Hubby wants to build a fence around our garden, but we learned that the cost just doesn't seem worth it.
Ooh, what a great find with the rocking chairs!
You can use pallets to make a lower fence it is a lot of work but you can find them cheap or free also you can find other people used fencing for free and re plain them and they are good as new ..just food for thought. You may be able to borrow or rent a plainer at a home improvement store.
Re: #1, Perhaps son can pay for his own damages? If I'd done that as a kid, my parents would have found lots of ways for me to earn that money. Probably would have lost my 4WD privileges until the debt was paid, if we had a 4WD, lol.
1. We recently had our front yard dug up to remove an underground oil tank. It left our yard a mess. We added/replaced the hardscaping dirt, plants, grass seed and mulch ourselves. I've had to repair our front about 10 years ago (similar situation) and it costs over $1,000.00. Doing the work ourselves easily saved us over $500.00.
2. Instead of buying new perrennial plants for our new garden, I split and replanted the hostas. Being a plant hoarder has benefited us.
3. We planted fruit/veggies. This should save us a few hundred $$ over the summer (and longer more for the berry plants).
4. Shopped the freezer and panty and only spent $24.00 for groceries this week.
1. I picked up a free poetry activity kit at the library. It contained a cute refrigerator magnet, a pencil and a coupon for a free book from the library used bookstore. It also had some poetry worksheets that I wasn't interested in so I recycled them. I redeemed the coupon for a book to take on a trip with my daughter in late June (I hope we get to go!)
2. I signed up through Hallmark awhile ago to get 3 free cards. They came yesterday and are very nice!
3. I received a $5 settlement check for a class action suit for ginger ale.
4. I sold another Snoopy figurine for $5.
5. I posted more items on Marketplace and Nextdoor. Fingers crossed for some sales!
Not entirely frugal but the upfront expense work into it. I took classes this past winter through the local university, one of which was origami. The instructor said she does workshops and pop ups. Well, a modular origami workshop came up and I signed up (there was a cost) and one of my Monday Morning walking buddies signed up.
I bought some new paper using credits so it was very inexpensive.
The designs from the class can be used for many things
1) The state organization asked me to get flowers for our club president for the award she was receiving. Instead of buying a card, I made it to attach to the flowers..
2) I also made her 2 mini frames because she makes scrapbooks for her grandchildren.
3) At our annual club banquet, I gave her an origami quilt wall hanging, and put it in a free frame that my daughter had picked up for me from a Buy Nothing page. She said the colors I chose match her bathroom and she would like to hang it there.
4) I am really enjoying the simple paperfolding skills, which have led me to searching for ideas to create for more wall hangings, ornaments, cards.
5) I was able to sign up for a free "fascinator" class at the Sr. Center.
6) I found a free walk to take the 2.5 yr old grandson to this week at a local audubon location. They are finally having some outside group programs for the children. The zoom programs just don't keep his attention.
Happy birthday and happy birthday deals!
1. I accepted quite a few free things a lady was getting rid of.
2. I bought used bottom fitted sheets for the equivalent of 50 US cents each. They got a good washing before we use them.
3. We are fixing the plumbing in our house. My husband is doing the work himself and reusing whatever fixtures he can.
4. My mind is drawing a blank, so I'll stop here.
1) I met up with my sister & friend, combining a mini girls trip with a work trip to prep our vacation house for sale. (We are all vaccinated.) We brought our own groceries, and avoided any meals out. I did treat them to a beer out at a local place (on the patio, bundled in ski jackets, because the Oregon coast is not super balmy this time of year) as a thank you for all of the work. Otherwise, it was a very inexpensive trip.
2) While cleaning out our stuff to donate/pack, I found a few unopened Costco items that I was able to return.
3) Used a gift card I've had for at least two years, and picked up graduation cards. It was so nice to get the gift card out of my purse, and as a double bonus, the cards were inexpensive & cute.
4) Sold a few things on eBay, converted receipts in Fetch to an Amazon gift card.
5) Brought a few things home (just what I could squeeze in my suit case) to sell. Donated a lot of stuff, and got a receipt.
*I planted tomatoes that I started indoors from seed leftover from previous years, so it felt like free seed.
*I planted beans from seed that I gathered from my sister’s garden last year.
*We recycled an outdoor dog kennel that we were not using any more, and moved it to our garden to use as a trellis for the tomatoes and beans.
*I read my daughter in law’s history blog. This week she wrote about a Medal of Honor recipient that I had never heard of before. If anyone is interested, her blog post can be found here: https://www.telling-their-stories.org/post/men-of-honor-part-2-wings-of-fire
*I used a free $5.00 coupon from Michaels to purchase a 2 quart mason jar that I will use for food storage.
*The biggest savings we will probably EVER have—our daughter received her ACT test scores back, and she scored high enough to qualify for a full tuition discount at the private Christian college she is wanting to attend. Over the four years of the scholarship, this will save us around $89,000!
Pictures and more on my blog at: https://chickadeecove.blogspot.com/2021/05/frugal-friday-week-of-april-25-may-1.html
That is awesome news about the scholarship!
Yes! We were so thrilled when we saw her score online, that we were speechless! My daughter and I just looked at each other!
Congratulations to your daughter on the scholarship! That is impressive!
Thank you! We are so very, very proud of her! Especially since she has struggled with a medical injury for the past two years, so the physical writing of the test was difficult for her. We are thankful not only for the scholarship itself, but also that she scored well enough that she does not need to retake the exam to try and score higher!
You know, I think the only birthday offer I routinely take advantage of is the Red Robin burger.
I had a repair filled week (seems to be the norm around here) but some other stuff has been going on as well.
1.) Replaced the starter in my grill. Of course the only replacement starter I could find had a *slightly* larger hole so I had to get a new drill bit (always an excuse to get another tool!)
2.) The string in one of my hoodies fell apart. As the old saying goes: If it's supposed to stick and doesn't, use duct tape. If it's not supposed to stick and it is: WD-40. For everything else, there's paracord!
So yeah, a quick re-threading with some paracord, tied some finishing knots and burning the ends to seal them and I had a hoodie that functions again. The bonus is that it's a navy blue hoodie and the safety orange of the 550 paracord is a nice contrast.
3.) Did a mend to my wife's jeans on the inner thigh. Since she's not into the whole visible mending thing, I used indigo colored thread and it's not very noticeable.
4.) Put the down payment for our door replacement project on a credit card to get those sweet, sweet Rewards points.
5.) After a lot of talking, deciding and praying and consulting and all sorts of stuff, we made the decision to pull our daughter out of daycare. She'll be going to Kindergarten in the autumn and she's just not happy being there any more. All of her friends have moved on and she's basically the oldest of a bunch of little kids. So it's just not the same as it once was and as sad as it will be to see that era of our lives end, everything ends at some point. 🙁
On the brighter side, this will result in a savings of $250 a week! So we'll no longer be burdened with paying out around $1,000 a month just so that the both of us can work.
BONUS: This is more of a Life Pro Tip than true frugality but w/e.
I was working on my laptop and needed to do some internal work on it. This required removing a whole bunch of screws of different types. To keep them separated and organized I used an old ice cube tray which I had recently retired.
Wait, kindergarten! ? I remember you describing her as a baby just yesterday. I know you will enjoy the "raise" you just got from no daycare fees, though.
I've been told kids increase in cost yearly and honestly I think they are right (although mine honestly doesn't cost me all that much outside of daycare.)
But yeah, kids sure do grow up fast.
They get expensive again if they need braces on their teeth. And activities in school can be expensive. We held it to just two, either Cub Scouts and piano or school chorus and piano, although one year he did get interested in golf lessons along with chorus and piano, and that was spendy. But he was finally coming out of his shell, so we sucked it up and made it work. He had a pretty good set of church rummage sale clubs and cleats bought on sale with a coupon, so the gear wasn't expensive. Fortunately, the golf phase lasted only about nine months.
I admit that I'm completely in the dark about a lot of these kid expenses. After a certain age it was more or less just expect that if I asked for something, the answer was no. My sisters (and my mom) were heavily involved in dance and gymnastics so if there was something I wanted to be involved in it had to be 1.) Free and 2.) Not interfere with said dance or gymnastics lessons/meets/recitals/practice/hanging out etc.
So what this means is, I have no idea what is "normal" or appropriate for kids. I also never did things like "having friends over to the house" or "going over to a friend's house." So I guess for my parents, I was particularly cheap.
I appreciate your ability to keep up with the birthday offers! You rock! Any emails I get from companies automatically go to the promotions folder and there are just way too many to look at... and I don't have many apps on my phone other than chipotle and Instacart. 🙁
1. I made a naan pizza using up some frozen pizza sauce and some leftover naan lurking in the freezer... even though I really wanted to just order some chick-fil-a instead. It made a nice little meal for my kids.
2. Keeping the air/heat off still
3. On a birthday outing with my mom, we hit the Starbucks drive-thru for some coffee/hot chocolate/latte. Four drinks in the order and they were literally ALL WRONG. Not one drink was correct. I sent an email to the company and they sent me a gift card to reimburse me for the amount of the transaction.
4. I tried a new brand of foundation, which didn't work for me. I made sure to return it before the return window closed.
5. Dining Room Set- years ago my in-laws gave us an unused dining set (they had ordered it and it arrived with slight damage so they gave it to us and kept the replacement sent by the company). Anyway we've had it for ten years now and we just don't like it at all. We appreciate that it was given to us and we've gotten great use from it, but we just can't look at it anymore. It's a style we don't like at all and it just definitely sparks "something other than joy." SO... long story very long, we found a "new" set on Facebook marketplace for $200. It's beautiful and the style we like. It does need refinishing but my husband can handle that easily. We are really happy with our find and how little it cost. Plus we'll be able to sell the old dining set for more than we paid for the new one.
1. I needed to spray paint our porch rocker. I was about to go buy a can of spray paint when I decided to double check in the garage. I found a can that was mostly full and it worked just fine. That only saved a few dollars, but still good.
2. I planted some tomato and basil plants that my BIL gave me in a planter that my neighbor was discarding. I already had potting soil. I wanted to try planting some tomatoes in a different area of my yard to see if I want to dig a garden there eventually. So that was free!
3. We are continuing to eat from the freezer, there is lots of good stuff in there!
4. My neighbor and I continue to trade magazines. She subscribes to a couple and I subscribe to a couple. We both enjoy reading them and it's fun to share and save money.
5. My whole street will pool money to buy a truck load of mulch. This ends up being much cheaper than each person buying bags of mulch and also reduces the waste of all of those plastic bags.
A huge thanks to all of you who responded to my request for pumpkin recipes last week. I have several in my notebook and look forward to testing them out.
1. When we last changed the oil in our car the dealership told us we would need brakes. I got several quotes in the area and booked an appointment for inspection at the most reasonably priced shop with the best reviews. When the car was inspected it was discovered that the brakes did not need to be replaced and have several thousand miles left of wear. They flushed the brake fluid since it was dirty and the cost was $117 instead of the $450 we were prepared to spend.
2. I paid bills online to avoid postage fees and late charges.
3. I defrosted chicken from the freezer and roasted it to make chicken salad. I used celery, red pepper and green onions that we had on hand to keep them form going to waste.
4. I began packing for our trip and pulled pantry goods from our home to take with us rather than purchasing these items in stores at the beach. We have peanut butter & jam, pasta, oil, spices, soap, laundry soap, softener, paper goods, ketchup, mustard, pickle relish and tuna. This will help in our efforts to eat down the pantry as well as provide several inexpensive meals and snacks while we are away.
5. I purchased sunscreen on sale. I purchased a flat of impatiens and divided the plants when we planted them - I paid for 24 impatiens but got over 40 plants once divided which made the total cost about $0.30/plant. We turned the HVAC off when we could, lights off, combined laundry loads, and planted a wheel barrow full of hostas that we were gifted from our neighbor.
My biggest frugal win this week was opening my mail. 😀 In it was a check for $98.66 from a class action suit. Now, whenever I see these suits advertised I always check to see if we qualify and over the years I have gotten a check or two. Not many. But I have no idea what this particular check covers. We even googled the info on the check but couldn't figure it out. However, that will not stop us for cashing it.
Ooh! What a nice surprise!
That is a birthday bonanza of freebies. Wow!
1. It's sure not on purpose, but since I am eating by myself for now, I am at least saving on food.
2. I'm taking little low-carb treats to my husband at the physical therapy rehab. Instead of stopping to buy them, I'm bringing things I already had at home an hour away. It means I have to remember to pack them, but so far, I've managed to remember them every time.
3. My husband had run into a screen door with his mobility scooter, and broke a hinge. This weekend I replaced all the hinges, using sturdier hinges this time. I had considered calling someone to do it, but it wasn't that hard. I just had to re-drill the holes and level up the door. I think I paid maybe $10 for the new hinges.
4. I made a double batch of kombucha, as it's time to clean out my two brewers and it will be a little while before a new batch brews completely after cleaning. My "brewers" are simply those glazed pottery bottom portions of water dispensers with a plastic spout. I got one at Goodwill for $8 and one, priced at $30, as a present - actual brewers are as much as $300 online. I cover the top opening of each with muslin bought at a Goodwill and a freebie rubber band. My bottles are old store-bought kombucha bottles and thrifted and gifted flip-top bottles. Kombucha renews itself, so all I buy is loose tea and organic sugar. Kombucha is $3.50 and up per pint, almost everywhere you find it, whereas a pint of mine is maybe 15 cents if that much. Since I love kombucha and it's recommended for me to drink it, I am glad it is cheap and easy to make at home, much like homemade yogurt is.
5. I paid all of my bills online with my bank's bill pay feature. It's easy and free, two of my favorite words.
And you did not even need whiskers to replace that screen door. 🙂
Not a single whisker!
Would love to know your kombucha recipe if you willing to share. And are you being asked to drink it for a gut ailment?
Hi, HJ,
The recipe is pretty simple. Yes, I started drinking it for gut issues.
I started by purchasing a "mother" from Kombucha Kamp online. After that, the "mothers" reproduce themselves. I make a gallon of black tea, add one cup of organic sugar, stir to dissolve, and when the tea has cooled to warm or lukewarm, pour it in the brewer where the "mother" (aka SCOBY) is, sitting in about a pint of kombucha left from my last brewing. Then wait a few days, tasting now and then with a straw if you don't have a spout to pull a test sip from. When it's nicely sweet-tart, I bottle it, and that's when I can add a couple of small pieces of fruit or a bit of ginger to the bottles, but I prefer mine just plain. Kombucha Kamp give full instructions. I spend maybe 10-15 minutes a week on this, ordinarily.
Ooh, are those Sweet Williams you chose as your flowers? I haven't seen those in years. And that bear claw looks amazing -- yum!
My frugal five:
1. Knocked $15 off the grocery total with $13 in store coupons (these are tailored by the store to stuff we usually buy) and $2 in sales.
2. Was craving roast beef, a craving that vanished instantly upon pricing roasts at the grocery store. However, the meat department had marked down some sliced eye of round to a much more affordable level, so I slivered up the thin slices and made skillet barbecue, which is always a big hit at our house.
3. Used up some leftover beef Rice-a-Roni -- my husband loves the stuff -- to make faux veggie fried rice for my supper last night. Basically I added a beaten egg, black pepper, a handful of frozen peas and carrots and cooked it like fried rice. It was surprisingly good.
4. Had need of a few pairs of new work slacks and bought three pairs of my favorite brand on the resale market as new without tags. I had to hem them (couldn't get the petite length that retailers offer), and take out the bootcut flare out of one pair's legs, but that's okay as the purchases were less expensive.
5. Also altered a cute blouse from Goodwill that had annoying 3/4 length sleeves and the tails were too long. I squared up the tails so it can be worn untucked and cut/hemmed the sleeves to short. It's now super cute and much more useful.
I know you can't hear it, but I'm clapping for you and all of your birthday deals. Well done! And since we're in "pandemic life" I assumed your free face mask was, you know, a COVID mask. Then I was looking at the picture and after I read " moisturizing purple metallic" I thought, "That's interesting... I wonder if she'll post a picture... OH! Peel off! Got it." Ha! For my FFT:
1. I combined a trip to the zoo and a trip to a discount produce place. Both are out of the way, but they're fairly near each other. I even got 2 bargain boxes. One had 5 red peppers, a couple handfuls of small colorful peppers, and a head of lettuce... all for $1!
2. Our zoo is still not allowing outside food (I fear that this "COVID safety change" will become a forever change) so we stopped at an Aldi to get some food to eat before we went in. Even with getting Lunchable-type things for the kids and a full salad for me, it was way cheaper than buying burgers or pizza at the zoo for lunch. Healthier, too.
3. We had a little bit of salsa left in a jar yesterday and I thought chips and salsa sounded like a yummy snack. Instead of opening a new bag of tortilla chips, I broke up some tostadas from and already-open pack.
4. My menu for this week wasn't necessarily things I really want to make and eat but it uses up some things that need used.
5. Cooked up a bag of lentils to help stretch some taco meat. The rest of the lentils are going in the freezer for future meat-stretching endeavors.
Re: The zoo - I don’t understand how bringing food from home spreads Covid. I would think that eating fast-food prepared by someone else would increase your chances of getting Covid and other illness too. Has it been explained?
Bee, I have the same thoughts. Standing in line with other people to get food that someone else prepared seems more risky than bringing my own food. I assume that it's a money thing because they've been hit super hard (closed for months, lower capacities, loss of school groups while still having to care for and feed all of the animals). From a business side I get it, so I haven't pushed or complained. I mentioned to one membership employee that I look forward to when they allow us to bring food in again. I do appreciate that they're offering free cups of water since we're not allowed to bring drinks in either.
I thought the same thing about the mask and it took me a couple minutes to figure it out -- hopefully this means that COVID must be fading away if it wasn't our first thought 😉
Wow! How do you get all these? Is there an app what sends your birthdate to companies?
Thanks
** please imagine a sub **
Kristen, you are the best!
Glad you enjoyed some great birthday freebies!
Is there a Red Robin near you because we always loved a free hamburger on our birthday there!! And Baskin Robbins ice cream!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Happy Belated Birthday Kristen. Way to redeem those birthday offers.
1. I baked some chicken breasts on Sunday and since one was thicker than the others they were pretty dried out by the time they all reached 165 degrees. I salvaged them by chopping them up and reheating them with watered down BBQ sauce. That used up two lingering bottles of sauce and greatly improved the edibility of the meat.
2. There was a grand reopening of the yoga studio I attend (some classes will return to being offered in studio with hybrid streaming) on Saturday. We walked over to check out the band that was playing. They were good and it was fun to catch up with people I hadn't seen in person for many months. Everyone was masked so it felt very safe.
3. I am officially fully vaccinated. I had my second vaccine dose two weeks ago today. What a wonderful, freeing feeling. Months of cutting back on shopping will have a lasting effect on us and our spending going forward.
4. Our neighborhood held their annual spring yard sale on Saturday. We put out many items along with a "Free" sign. Most items were taken and we were free to walk around the neighborhood and talk to neighbors old and new, without buying anything. On Sunday we cleaned out the garage and found more items we no longer need/want. I have a friend that may take some of them, everything else will be listed on Freecycle. My goal is to keep things out of the landfill and find new homes for them.
5. I continue to walk with friends and work in the yard, for frugal activity.
Panera has not treated me well for my birthday the last four years! A free hot coffee. Whoopie. That bear claw looks so yummy! Happy birthday!
Well, that's dumb. A bear claw is totally better than a coffee.
I hope they pony up for you next year.
Tammy, consider yourself lucky - Panera downgraded me from a free birthday pastry to a free beverage to a whopping $2 off a beverage for the last several years. They apparently have tiers of rewards & I must fall in their lowest category of business activity.
OMG - I loved your "Please imagine a sub."!
This is my edition of "Sometimes frugality is just not worth it, just go to the store and buy it." This winter I read an article about composting dog poop, the results to be used only for non-edibles (getting rid of dog waste is a big concern in a state where dog mushing is practically sanctified so some folks have dozens of dogs to clean up after). Seeing how the yard looked after the snow started melting, I thought it sounded like a good idea and one that could save me money on buying fertilizer or compost for my flower garden. However, the pound hound had not produced enough waste, so I asked the neighbor if I could collect their dog poop and by the end I had enough to follow the "recipe" in the article; my husband said he wished he could have gotten a picture of the neighbor's face when I asked if they would mind it if I took their dog poop. I mixed it with straw from the hens' house, and shoveled it into a circle made of chicken wire and, as the article recommended, turned it every week. (Well, I had my 15 year old Saturday garden helper do it.) Here is my advice to anyone else who reads this article and thinks it is a good idea: throw away the article and have a nap until the urge passes. The stench was unbearable, we had rain and ingredients began to escape through the holes in the chicken wire, and the dog was constantly peeing on it perhaps confused at the strong odor. I ended up having to shovel the contents into industrial duty plastic sacks (lest the contents leak into the back of the pickup, but which also cost me more money because we don't use those expensive bags) and take it to the dump.
I have now returned to the more normal ways to save money, like no food waste and mending things. My husband's only comment was, "It is a good thing I am married to you because if we were just starting to date, this little experiment might have scared me off."
You definitely get the Frugal Gold Star award for trying ! (And thanks for including your husband's reaction, that was priceless too : )
Thanks for making me laugh! It’s not at you but with you. I have 2 things to say related to that. 1. My dad used to go and pick up a trunk (trunk lined with heavy duty tarp and it was an old Chevy caprice so it had a massive trunk!) load of horse poop from a horse farm owned by an old classmate’s parents to fertilize our back yard garden. 2. Google dog pop and zoomba story and you may just find a story worse than yours and can laugh about it!
I always enjoy your comments. This is a great topic. I'll bet everyone has at least one hilarious frugal fail.
Lindsay, I agree! Good on you for being open-minded and trying new things! I’ve often thought about using cat litter in my compost. I applaud you for knowing when to quit!
I loved hearing about all of your birthday goodies, Kristen!
Oh, that is funny! There are some frugal tips that should come with a "not in Alaska" disclaimer because I bet whoever crafted that one never met sled dogs.
Thanks for the good chuckle. I think you win for funniest frugal fail! And what a nice hubby.
Soooo funny -- throw away the article and have a nap until the urge passes-- laughing out loud! But you sure get credit for trying and having such a great sense of humor -- loved reading this!
Wow, that is some birthday bonanza!
My frugal five,
1. Did a very light grocery shopping week and instead used up some things from the freezer and deep pantry.
2. I've been making ice coffee in the afternoons from my morning brew that's left in the pot (or even cup, ahem).
3. For my boys' birthday, had an inexpensive backyard party with homemade ice cream cake. We did spend on some other activities but without the big party packages.
4. Back to picking herbs from the garden instead of buying them from the store, love it! Also, picked a bouquet of lily of the valleys from my yard instead of buying a flower bouquet from the store. Usually I leave them outside, but this year they had been completely overgrown by some early irises.
5. As always, cleaning my own house and doing our own yardwork such as mowing the lawn.
1. We went to our first in-person cultural activity in more than a year - the local high school's theater production. Great fun for little cost. COVID protocols were followed and attendees behaved themselves.
2. Cancelled my gym membership (which I used primarily for Zumba classes) and replaced it with videos via Roku or the library. This saves money, gas and time as I used to drive 20 miles round trip to class. Downside is this doesn't help my goal of getting my social stamina back to pre-COVID levels.
3. Brought fabric scraps to a local sewing group that uses them to stuff dog beds for animal shelters and veterinarian clinics.
4. Surprised my husband with a homemade May basket after he shared memories of how much he loved them as a kid. I used craft supplies from my stash that originally came from the thrift store. Filled the basket with pistachios that were in the pantry.
5. Outfitted a multi-shelf rolling cart with plain cardboard boxes to store items to be donated, items to be taken to hazardous household waste, and stuff that needs to go back to other people. I even made nice labels for the boxes (yes, I have extra time on my hands).
ooh, what's a May basket?
Great question! A May basket is given on May Day (May 1). It involves leaving a basket (often a paper cone filled with goodies) on someone's front door knob. Here is an interesting article on the tradition: https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-history-dept/2015/04/30/402817821/a-forgotten-tradition-may-basket-day
1. I have been cutting my husband’s hair lately. We had purchased a new pair of clippers some time ago and it has paid for itself.
2. I went Monday through Friday without any extra stops except taking grandkids to school and picking them up. So during the week I did not spend any money at all.
3. Received a 7.00 coupon and a 6.75 coupon on allergy medicine from CVS. This saved me money on our allergy medicine which my husband and I take daily.
4. There was no eating out all week.
5. After receiving an estimate of $500+ for a car repair, we ordered the part elsewhere for a little over $100 and my brother-in-law installed the part free of charge.
6. I made a trip to Hobby Lobby to purchase additional supplies for items I’m making for some upcoming craft shows. The items were all 40 to 50% off.
Oh gosh! I would love these feebies.
1. I picked up a bag of 3T clothes for my youngest off Buy Nothing. She should be all set for the next year now.
2. I picked up a vintage latchhook rug off Craigslist for free. I promptly listed it for $50 on Marketplace.
3. I picked up free broccoli seedlings and onion plants off Buy Nothing.
4. Made some chicken broth using bones and vegetable scraps.
5. Our 10 year old pressure cooker broke in the middle of me making chickpeas. Found a brand new one on Marketplace for $35.
I need to remember all these birthday things come my day. I wont' have to pay for food by the looks of it!
For my five...
1. Used the library for the first time in 2 months! We got several readers for my Kindergartener whose reading has exploded in the last month, and THe Mouse and the Motorcycle for a fun read aloud. I've been using their Libby selection to keep my reading up, and I've been really impressed by the variety they have.
2. Batching errands. Our rhythms changed with our move, and I've now figured out how to do combine shopping and school drop off while hitting open hours properly. Thankfully we pass almost every store one would need to go to on our way to my son's school. (Unfortunately everyone else feels the same way, so the drive is slow.--First world "problem")
3. Spending time outside: it makes me less likely to want other stuff (usually costs money) when I get to be outside, and our new house makes it so much easier to be outside.
4. Making my daughter's cake from almost scratch rather than buying the one she saw in a patisserie window. I have no idea how much that cake cost, but I'm sure I can make it for less.
5. As I've set up house, I've been diligent to keep what I want to keep and set aside the things that need to be given away. In doing so, I'm preventing clutter, and I have a very good idea of what we have, meaning less over-purchasing later. I've also been able to use most of the organizational tools from the old house, even though this house is so different. We've bought a few new things to help us out, but nothing like what I imagined it would be.
FAIL: We ate out twice due to lack of planning and massive miscommunication. It's gonna happen. It's okay.
Great job on those bday freebies!
Lindsey- the dog poo story was funny.
My 5-
1) I earned $25 in PayPal cash and will use it to buy a birthday gift.
2) I earned a $25 google play GC and will give that as a gift.
3) My in-laws have a fire department that holds a daily raffle. As a gift, they purchase a ticket for all family members. So far, 2 of us have won.
4) I splurged by using the stimulus money to go on a family vacay.
5) I've been buying clothes from ebay. My offer was accepted!
Amazing frugal freebies!!
My frugal things:
1. My husband gave our son a haircut. (I am so impressed with his haircutting skills.) This is a huge money saver in our household budget.
2. I vacuumed my car interior with our household vacuum. Quick and cheap and a clean car makes me smile.
3. My friend gifted me a Turkish coffee pot (a cezva). I am the only person in my household who drinks coffee so I cannot justify buying a coffee maker. I had a French press, but somehow broke it a few months back. With my new cezva, I have no reason to head to Starbucks.
4. I have a new and free hobby: reading and memorizing short poems. There is lots of poetry available online. My son just finished a poetry unit at school and it really inspired me to revisit this subject.
5. Cooked meals for the week. Aka avoiding take-out.
Looks like you did very well with the birthday freebies! 🙂 I have an April birthday, too, and some of the freebies I redeemed were: free cupcake at Sprinkle's (yummy!), free veggie burger at Red Robin, free sub at Firehouse, free sub at Jersey Mikes', free chocolate cake at Portillo's, free breakfast at Black Bear Diner (a great deal because their breakfasts are huge!), free Italian ice at Rita's (great for those of us who can't eat regular ice cream), $5.00 off at El Pollo Loco, $5.00 off at Cafe Rio, free small sandwich at Schlotzky's, free pastry at Panera (I got a chocolate chip cookie...that bear claw looked incredible, though!), $10.00 off at Maggiano's, free hand lotion at the local Hallmark Gold Crown store, free entree (with purchase of an entree) at The Keg, and several local freebies. 🙂 Thank you, Kristen, for the head's up on Potbelly Subs. I just signed up for their app. I also had no idea about the benefits of the CVS app! 🙂
Wow -- congrats on the haul! And Sprinkles -- yum!
Thank you! 🙂 Yes, Sprinkles cupcakes are amazing! I try to not go there too often. Luckily, it's about 20 minutes away, so not super close.
1. My grocery bill this week for our family of 5 is $65. I'll still go to our local farm market and get a gallon of strawberries which will be another $17 but still a really low grocery bill for us!
2. Our slide out kitchen garbage can isn't staying closed. Rather than replace the cabinet or the drawer glides I ordered a pack of magnetic catches for $6 that should do the job.
3. I mended two dresses rather than get rid of them.
4. I usually grow a few kinds of veggies every summer and found a local HS that was selling plants through their FFA group. They were a lot cheaper than a home improvement store or nursery and it supported the students. I spent $8 on 12 plants which was a great deal!
5. Cleaning out the house on one of my quarterly purges. Keeps clutter down and ensures that items we aren't using can be beneficial to other people!
1. We have various mint varieties and catnip doing a hostile take over of my greens garden box, so I've been drying herbs like crazy.
2. I have a couple volunteer tomato plants growing up in my garden plot.
3. My other veggies were all started from seeds, some from last year's seeds.
4. Went to the Amish bulk food store and stocked up on Oats and cream of wheat. It was half to two thirds cheaper than the grocery store.
5. Using my paper stash, some I've had for 10+ years, to make cards for people at church.
Yay for free birthday swag -- great hauls!! It sounds like so much delicious fun!!
1. Picked up Treasure box items for school very cheap -- silly putty for 49 cents, modeling clay 1.49, shiny jeweled lanyards for 99 cents, etc. Positive reinforcements 🙂
2. Gleefully pulling out all kinds of old clothes (many forgotten) as my size changes. So happy not to be shopping and still having fresh "new" stuff to wear.
3. How cheap am I? Had an $8.00 pair of capris on clearance cuz they was mistin' a button so I sewed a big old button on and wore the heck out of them until they literally went into the rag bin, patches and all. Now, I have pulled out another pair of capris that fit again and they is also mistin' a button. So I removed that same button to use on the "newer" pair. Wondering how many generations of capris will be graced with this fine button.
4. All the usual -- eating in, using my Starbucks gift cards for occasional iced cold brews, pulling out all the old sandals to get through the summer, signing up at both the county and city libraries for the next book club read (not looking good -- there are hundreds in the queue. Why we should read OLD classics instead of the latest blockbuster 😉 and that is it.
Ordered a bra earlier this year. I received a coupon in the mail from same store for $20 for $20.01 for my April b-day. I got nice panties for next to nothing. I really tried to get out of paying anything except tax but it did'nt work out. Daughter used a VS coupon for free pair of panties.