Five Frugal Things | a crappy mending job
It's me. I'm the crappy mender.
1. I hand-sewed a potholder
This terry cloth potholder came with some very wide stitches, and unsurprisingly, they started to come out not long after I bought it.
The potholder is really too thick to fit in my sewing machine, so I hand-sewed it, which was also a little bit of a challenge.
It is not my neatest work, but I don't really care that much because the point was for it to be functional. And functional, it is.
2. I bought some marked-down chicken at Aldi
I was going to buy a bag of frozen chicken thighs, but my store was out.
Boo.
However...the refrigerated section held packages of bone-in chicken thighs marked 50% off because it was the sell-by date that day.
So, I bought two of them, brought them home, deboned the chicken, and then froze it on baking sheets before transferring the thighs to (washed and reused) plastic bags.
This way I can grab just a few out of the freezer at a time.
I know myself well enough to know that if I stuck that big package of thighs in the freezer, I would not want to get them out and use them!
But deboned and individually frozen? Yep, I will use those.
And I am happy I saved the chicken from getting thrown out at Aldi.
3. I made a little batch of broth from the bones
I browned some of the skin with some onions and celery, then browned the thigh bones, added water and salt, and cooked it all for a few hours.
This felt like an especially satisfying broth batch since it came from the bones of discounted chicken; it's like a bonus on top of a bonus!
A friend loves using an Instant Pot for broth and suggested I do the same. I texted back and said, "I don't have one! I just have a non-instant pot."
4. I bought a Souper Cube knock-off at Aldi
I noticed that Aldi had some 1-cup silicone freezer molds that look sorta like the expensive Souper Cubes!
So, I bought one for $4.99, and I used it to freeze my broth in one-cup portions.
5. I put parchment paper between my tortillas
Bear with me here as I explain: a package of tortillas is too much for a two-person household to use quickly.
But also, sticking the whole package in the freezer is not great because it's hard to pull off just a few tortillas, so then you end up thawing a whole bunch of them at a time, and then refreezing them when you're done.
This is not great when you really just wanted to make a scrambled egg taco/burrito for yourself.
So this time, I cut up some small squares of parchment paper and put them between the tortillas before I froze them.
This should make it easy to grab only as many as I/we need at the moment, and hopefully this will help us avoid wasting any.
It doesn't take me long to go through a packet of tortillas but I think we get less in a bag!
Frugals:
1. I made payments on my student loan.
2. I got money back from the tax office.
3. I used my gym membership.
4. I read another ebook with my free ebook trial.
5. I'm not sure how frugal this is as it was all pretty expensive, but I found a store which sells British food and stocked up!
What qualifies as British food these days? Steak and kidney pie? Fish and chips? Bangers and Mash? I loved my year in London (many years ago, for many reasons), but food wasn't one of them.
Cadbury chocolate, penguin bars, Branston pickle, crumpets, rice pudding and sherbet lemons!
I know British food isn't that great but it tastes of home to me 🙂 The chocolate is better than American chocolate at least! I was not fond of the chocolate I ate in NYC.
@ Sophie, I agree that the chocolate is SUPERIOR to anything we sell in the states!!! Anytime I have travelled to Europe I always bring a lot home! We also have "World Market" stores here where you can get grocery items from other countries so I know I can get it there also.
Everybody's chocolate is better than American chocolate! We can buy Cadbury here, thank goodness. And in fairness to British food, I spent that year at the London School of Economics and stayed in University digs, so the food was not the best representative of what England had to offer!
I don't think our cuisine is the best thing Britain has to offer 😉 I do love roast dinners though!
I beg to differ with your opinion of American chocolate! (Of course, no one in this discussion is differentiating between milk or dark, so it’s all a little pointless to understand.) Try Stafford’s 70% dark chocolate bars, with almonds if you can. OUTSTANDING! Made right here in Central California. And I’ve always loved See’s dark chocolates, also a product of California. (Pasadena)
There is no chocolate besides dark, silly! 😉
Jana, I didn't try any dark chocolate, I had Hersheys and it was very underwhelming. Years ago I ate a tootsie roll and it was absolutely disgusting! Not chocolate, but it was an American candy store and basically everything failed to live up to expectation lol.
Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Ohhhhhhh See's candy is so deelish! I grew up in Southern Cali (back in the early 1970s), and the cube-shaped chocolate lollipops (and the boxes of Nuts & Chews) was always a treat.
When I vacationed in London, all the tube stations had vending machines that sold big Cadbury chocolate bars that had blueberries in them. So delicious! I've never found anything like that here in the States. But I'd rank those candy bars right up there with Blue Bell Ice Cream, they were so good.
Were they fruit and nut bars? I don't think I've had blueberry chocolate!
I'd like to try Blue Bell Ice Cream someday; I've heard lots of good things!
Sophie in Denmark,
I believe IIRC they were chocolate bars, can't recall any nuts in them.
And everything you hear about Blue Bell is correct; it is the best ice cream on the planet. The folks in Brenham, Texas, where it's manufactured say that Blue Bell uses milk so fresh that the milk was grass yesterday. (ie, the cows fed on grass in the pasture yesterday, and they milked them the same day they made the ice cream....)
I had some excellent British food last week when I was visiting; a bit biased as the restaurant was a on the higher end (Noble Rot in Lambs Conduit, if anyone is visiting London). Excellent morels from Yorkshire, just to die for.
We also visited friends who own a farm in Dorset, again a bit biased, but venison, lamb, veggies and eggs all from their own farm, couldn't have been better.
The authentic version of Cadbury chocolate found in the UK & Ireland, and maybe other places, is delicious!
Agreed! Our next door neighbors hail from Scotland and when they visit back ho e they bring Cadbury bars that are way better than any bought here.
Ok now I need to ask what brands are the best British chocolate? I love trying different chocolate! Definitely not frugal I'm pretty sure.
The darker the chocolate the better. Give me 90%/90%+ any day. One of the rare times I was at the home office, a co-worker graciously gave me a bar of non-USA dark chocolate. It didn't last long.
I recall great pub meals in Britain's SW, in sunny pub gardens and occasionally with a half pint of local bitter. I drink only very little alcohol but locally brewn ales and bitters deserve to be tasted. If in Yorkshire: Black Sheep. Definitely.
I love a pub lunch! I am also from the SW 😀
Look at not-overworked Kristen do all these frugal roots things 🙂 Love this and I bet Friday's report will bring less cereal this week haha. Enjoy your week with more space to breathe!
- Caught an error on my contract before signing it. They changed electronic systems and my proposed pay was a decrease! I like my job but sure am not trying to do it for less money. (It's fixed)
- Sharing Mexican bread with my students. The seniors got their own piece on their last day, but the rest will have to enjoy sample bites. Would cost ~$100 to get everyone their own piece. The employee yesterday was nice and full of ideas for how I could buy more lol but I kindly stuck to my plan.
- Continuing to make good use of the premium features on the meditation app I paid for this year.
I have noticed the same problem with tortillas. I have been using squares of waxed paper to do the same thing.
1. I went to Goodwill yesterday, specifically seeking doll clothes. I found a Monster High doll at the beach and cleaned her up. But she is naked, and I'd like to get something on her bod before I put her up for sale. I found a huge supply of Barbie-like dolls, some with clothes, but nothing that would suit my doll.
However, I did find a Mr. Dudley peppermill, a Yankee votive candle holder, a lemon squeezer, a Travismathew golf hat, a gift bag, a Belleek vase, and a stoneware mug. Some of these I will sell, some gift, and some keep.
2. I treated myself to Panera for lunch. I had a free bakery item coming to me, which I will have for breakfast today. I ordered the pick two with a baguette on the side, which I brought home and put in the freezer to have for a little sandwich some time. Lunch was $13, which, these days, passes for a deal.
3. I had a $10 coupon for DSW and learned that I could not use it on clearance shoes. I hardly ever buy anything else! I was truly shocked at the prices and bought nothing.
4. I got a free car wash when a storm rolled through. Honestly, it took off the bird poop and everything.
5. I found a T-shirt at the park, which I will probably donate, but if I find it fits me after I wash it, I'll keep it. I have learned that clothing left outside just lingers, at least in this area, where there are a lot of affluent and careless people.
I like going to charity shops in wealthy areas for the same reason!
Re: yesterday's post, I couldn't think of anything to say that hadn't already been said better by others. You are your own milestone, Kristen!
FFT
--Our house's previous owner hoarded A LOT of random building materials, most of which were too ruined to use or donate. Thankfully the pile of trim and molding was still good! I used a piece from it to repair a window frame.
--Related, I re-glazed one of our sash windows myself. This has needed done for a while and was way easier than I thought it would be. Now to do the rest over the course of the summer.
--Pancakes for dinner used up the last of a long-suffering bag of rye flour. The accompanying choke cherry syrup was a homemade by my sister. <3
--The garden gifted us our first harvest of radishes! I sauteed the greens and sliced the radishes up to serve on toast--French Breakfast Radishes are specifically for this. I've three types of radishes planted (soon to be four), and the FB were the fastest to mature.
--I added a fifth barrel to my rain barrel line-up. This involved a lidded trash can for $20, a free piece of PVC from the local plumber, an X-acto knife to cut holes, and caulk I already had to seal up the edges around the pipe. My total rain hoarding capacity is now 188 gallons (one 60 gallon barrel + four converted 32 gallon trash cans). We had a thunderstorm soon after that filled EVERYTHING, so I'm doubly glad of my new barrel!
I dislike raw radishes but was happy to learn that *cooked* radishes are a great red potato substitute, especially if air fried. 😎
Roasted radishes are AMAZING, which is why I've planted so many. Pickled radishes are likewise wonderful.
N,
I didm't think I liked raw radishes until I got a watermelon radish in a CSA box several years ago. Delicious, crunchy, and just a teensy bit sweet, without that harsh "spicy" taste I associate with "regular" radishes. Pricey at the grocery store, but worth a splurge every so often.
noah was invited to yankee stadium box seats. the baseball hat was $44. he didn't get it. the apt wide flea market was this past saturday and he got a baseball cap for $5. yay. frugal girl was not in my in box again. but i googled it. found some pretty dish towels brand new at the flea market. when the woman found out my son was buying them for me instead of being $3 apiece. she gave us 2 for $1. at the end of the alotted flea market time zozo got a skirt, shirt and matching purse for almost free,
I’ve been doing the parchment paper sliver between tortillas for a couple of years now & for all the reasons you listed! I cut mine far thinner than yours & lay them in the middle of each tortilla. Sure, it takes about 5-10 minutes to cut the slivers, re-stack, lay down the paper, & gently work them back into to the bag, but the payoff is worth it! Whole tortillas vs tortilla chips!
Yes, exactly! It is so annoying to try to thaw just a few otherwise.
FWIW, I save the wrappers from sticks of butter, unwashed & in the freezer. They work perfectly to separate tortillas, cooked pancakes/waffles and the like headed for storage in the freezer. No need to cut up parchment. Very little butter will transfer from the wrappers.
Oooh, this is a great idea!
I have also used the parchment paper trick to separate pastry items when I freeze them in a bag, works great!
A couple things on the giving end of frugal things:
-Lent our weedwhacker to our neighbor. We share a few tools that are not needed all the time, such as a pressure washer that we actually even bought together.
-Car pooled to a get together with friends. I gave my friend a ride this time, last time she gave me a ride.
-Another friend had moved and was giving away some books, and I picked up a couple.
-Combined coupons and sales at CVS for some heavy discounts for toiletries.
-Bought my husband's birthday gift on a Memorial Day week sale.
1. My mom gave us chicken, a pizza, fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, bread, and tortillas.
2. My husband fixed our washing machine by replacing the pump. It cost $25.
3. I made croutons from bread my mom gave us and bean burgers from beans she gave us.
4. We planted our 3 vegetable gardens. Total cost was about $20.
5. I went to an eye exam. I get a free eye exam yearly with my insurance. I ordered my new glasses on Zenni, using a health care provider discount, for $30.
Re: Freezing Tortillas
I have been very, very successful in separating my tortillas before freezing by simply removing them all from package, unpeeling them, and then gently placing them one by one back in the package in a different order and orientation than they were in when I first removed them.
Changing up the order before refreezing seems to prevent them from re-sticking to each other, because they no longer are 'perfectly' lined up.
No parchment or wax paper needed when I do this. I am easily able to remove one or more at a time as needed from freezer.
Ooooh! That is a great tip and I will try it next time.
1. Submitted a claim for a class action lawsuit settlement against Flagstar bank. Form said cash payments estimated at $60, but of up to $599.
2. Packed snacks and drinks for our drive to our Friday adventure. We drove about 2 hours to see the Cahaba lilies while they were in bloom. The Cahaba lily is an aquatic flowering plant native to the major river systems of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
3. Dug out the dinosaur quilt I purchased from Pottery Barn in the 90s when our son was little to use on grandson's bed at our house. It has a few yellow spots from being stored for so many years, but I'll keep working on them.
4. Continue to use Kindle Unlimited to read 3 to 4 books a week
5. Shipped great niece's birthday gift directly to my sister using free shipping. My sister will wrap the present for me.
Cahaba lilies-- I had to look that up. How lovely! And fragrant, the website said.
Beverly, that quilt sounds cute. If you haven't tried it already, put the quilt out in the sun for a couple days. I tried that last year on a stained shirt and it worked great! I believe Kristen inspired me to try that.
Fyi if you like Kindle Unlimited and want to save some $ on a subscription buy yourself a Kindle Unlimited gift subscription. If you do not receive an email confirmation within 5 minutes call Amazon customer service with your order and they will fix the technical glitch on their end. You can have multiple Kindle Unlimited gift subscriptions on your account and as one KU gift subscription ends another KU gift subscription begins seamlessly if you have multiple Kindle Unlimited gift subscriptions on your account.
Ill have to try that.
Try soaking in Oxyclean. Sometimes it takes a while.
1. I got two tomato cages from my BN group.
2. A coworker brought baked goods from a very fancy bakery that I have never tried. We had fun cutting things up and sampling everything.
3. Listed a few more things on Marketplace and eBay
4. After doing a lot of yard work I really wanted to go to the ice cream shop. I then remembered that I had a coupon for a free gallon of ice cream. I stopped and picked that up instead.
5. It’s been close to 90 degrees here but I have not caved and turned on the air yet.
I had a fun win recently! In February we bought a mini fridge for the nursery for $40 on FB. We decided to resell it on FB since she's been sleeping through the night since mid-March (I know, we are blessed!!). Sold it for $50, so made $10 on our rented mini fridge 🙂
I used a few birthday rewards, as my birthday was last Friday. Freebies included a Starbucks drink, a Chipotle soft drink, a 7Brew drink, and a Culver's mini scoop of custard. I still have a Panera baked good to redeem too!
Andrea, your birthday rewards sound great! In my area the only birthday rewards given out are a free tiny Frosty from Wendy's (and it cost more gas to go get it than it is worth! Lol ). Not complaining...I woke up that day, which is a great gift!
Those dorm sized square mini fridges are selling for $108 + tax at Walmart. So both you and your buyer made a frugal score!
(P.S.-- anyone who has a kid going off to college, now is the time to look for dorm fridges at the thrift stores, garage sales, college apt. complex trash areas and curbside around college campuses. New grads may not want to haul them home.)
Andrea, we also had a win by flipping a mini fridge this past week! One of our college age kids wanted one last year, so we found a used one for $30 (a great deal!). They came home from college and decided they didn't want it anymore (next year will bring an apartment with a kitchen / full refrigerator), so we listed the mini fridge for $60 thinking we had room for negotiations. Sold for asking price in less than 24 hrs! Glad you sold yours, too!
I have a package of tortillas we are not going to use fast enough & just had the debate yesterday with myself of freezing them. Great idea that I will try!
1) Rebooked flights for myself + DH for family weekend in Colorado. I noticed that booking with mileage was lower now that I have my United card. Canceled & immediately rebooked, & saved myself the equivalent of about $275 in United miles. Which was worth the time for sure!
2) We have done well flexing our meals to accommodate whomever is home. That means it may just be me + DH, or it might be us + 3 college students, when DS19 unexpectedly brings people home. I'm back to my scrappy ways, after last year. No one was supposed to join us last night for our dinner of leftover Piccadillo & rice. I pulled out two chicken patties (used the last of a bag that had been in the freezer forever + buns from the freezer) & made the boys chicken patty sandwiches with a big bowl of fruit + salad.
3) Realized that I will have maxed my 401k by next paycheck, so I was able to adjust the next few months of my financial spreadsheet (where I track income, expenses, etc) for the additional income I will now see from my paycheck. It represents a pretty healthy chunk of money, and decided I will put that aside for DH's 60th birthday. I think we're going to go to Iceland next year during his birthday, and solstice. Already excited.
4) Sold a few more items on eBay.
5) Remembered to use the last of a grocery store gift card (it had $.52 on it), to offset part of a cilantro purchase. And, then I could toss the gift card, which was nice as well.
I went rug shopping for the renovation.
There is nothing frugal about the runner for the stairway nor the one wall to wall in the "man cave" tv room. Holy tomatoes!! However there are a few wins:
1. 5 x 7 Morris and Co rug for the small bunk bed room for $39. I am trying to lean in on the William Morris style who was a great influence on the Craftman's Style. I am lucky his stuff is fashionable right now. The rug was unmarked at the bottom thrown in the clearance section. It took 30 minsute to price check but so worth it.
2. 6 by 9 wool rug for my bedroom beautiful large floral that made me happy just looking at it
We were are lucky to have found most of the furniture we will start with: bunk beds that hubby slept in as a child, 2 couches from his mother's house and a beautiful small swivel chair, as well. They are Ethan Allen. Would I have chosen them if I was buying new? Nope. Do they work well. Yes.
1. I used my $20 credit from my professional organization towards an eBay gift card, which I then used to purchase two NWT pumping bras. I’m nursing kiddo #3 and am just now realizing that they would be helpful when I am working and pumping. I still have about $5 left on the gift card.
2. I ran errands in a loop last week. I included stopping at the hospital for a free lunch for healthcare week and I used another $1 coupon off gas from my local coupon book.
3. Only vaguely frugal, but satisfying– I used up the ink in a ballpoint pen. I’m not sure I’ve done this more than about twice in my entire life as there are always a million pens around.
4. I made sure to pick up my free Starbucks birthday drink in the largest size. A million years ago when their loyalty program started you received a postcard in the mail and you had a month to redeem your birthday drink. Even several years ago you had a week, then a few days… now it’s just on the actual day.
5. I used a free car wash using loyalty points from a local convenience store.
For mending on things like pot holders, I figure no one from the sewing police is going to bust into the kitchen and write me up. 😀 All of my 14-year-old dish towels now have zigzag stitched edges because it was a fast and sturdy way to remedy fraying.
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours doing a too complicated alteration on a blouse that I probably won't wear except at Christmas. This is a reminder of why it's not a good idea to remove and reinstall a zipper on an old garment.
Am reading a free copy of Lord of the Flies for banned book club. The $5 & free shipping "read banned books" t-shirt I bought on eBay arrived yesterday and fits fine. I handwashed it and dried it on a rack on the porch because it's 100% cotton and I did not want to risk shrinkage.
Ollie's Outlet sent me another high value coupon - third one in as many weeks -- that I will use tomorrow to buy basics like canned tomatoes, pie filling and cereal.
As noted earlier, Ruby, I too have been making out like a bandit with Ollie's coupons (especially since I have the two accounts, DH's and my own). Are you up to Three-Star General rank yet? I am in my own account.
And in mending and a lot of other things, I too adhere to the "done is better than perfect" concept. There's a sign in my kitchen, a gift from Ms. BN's late mother (a dear friend and kindred spirit in her own right): "Martha Stewart doesn't live here." 😛
I didn't even know there were Three-Star Generals. Congrats! What kind of benefits do you get?
Also, each time you get awarded a star as an Ollie's Army general (according to how much you purchase), you get an X% off coupon on a single item. One-Star Generals get 10% off, Two-Stars get 20% off, etc. I'm trying to decide how to spend my 30% off coupon for being a Three-Star General.
Purchasing item(s) for donation is always an option - just saying.
I must be a three-star general by now, as they've sent me two 15% off and now a 10% off, all for the entire order, in quick succession. I browse most of the store while there because you never know what will turn up on some aisle, but really focus on shelf-stable food and cat litter.
Right? Who will see my potholder except me?
(ok, and thousands of people who read my blog. Ha.)
Oooh, you are reading Lord of the Flies on purpose? It was required reading in high school and I hated it. I had no idea it was a banned book. So many disparate reasons for banning books. . . if I get bored sometime, I might go spelunking on the interwebs to learn more about banned books.
Yes. I am in a book club that exclusively reads banned books. We have great discussions.
I read it about a hundred years ago in high school, so it's nice to revisit it even if it's a kind of unpleasant book.
I read Lord of the Flies a while ago. I don't know if enjoyed is the right word; it was very unpleasant, but it was very interesting. I don't understand people who ban books - fiction is how we encounter darker sides of humanity and reality and not everything has a happy ending. That's the point! Dark and/or dystopian fiction helps us work through our feelings and ask questions we might not have easy answers to. I'm rewatching The Handmaid's Tale and think it's an excellent adaptation of the book. Again, that definitely wasn't a fun read, but it's frighteningly realistic and very important. I took a break from it this evening to watch Clueless - a much lighter piece of fiction!
You may be amused to hear, Sophie, that Clueless is far and away the favorite film adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma among my fellow JASNA members. 🙂
A.Marie, when I read Emma for the first time I followed it by matching it to scenes from Clueless!
I hated it at high school but reread it recently and find there is lot of food for thought.
lol.. are you a Corner Gas fan?
1. DH found a used planter so I could use it for my Gollum jade gifted by my bff yesterday. Looked online and the hand painted pot sells for $48 online! Came from road pickup.
2. Used sausage that cost only $2 (since my lifelong Neese's sausage is no longer being made) 🥲 Actually wasn't bad at all and saved $5.
3. Shopped my non food pantry and found 2 unused packs of large zip lock bags. Saved $? by not buying more at grocery.
4. DH bought bogo eggs at local Compare Foods.
5. Watched free Roku reruns of Mike and Molly with bff.
Have a great frugal week all!
Your mending job looks great! I couldn’t even tell.
We just stick my tortillas in the fridge and not the freezer and they turn out fine when we use them within a month or so.
My Frugal 5s
• My 43 years old husband got accepted into our local college for electrical instrumentation. I encouraged him to fill out FASA and other scholarships even though he thought it was only for loans and that he wouldn’t qualify for free financial aid. I volunteered to help fill them out for him.
• Ate up food that’s been in our fridge. Our most exciting find was the frozen pizza and chicken bake given to us from the food pantry since they weren’t wrapped and in opened containers so we can’t give those out to the public. Also got a strawberry cream pie for free that my kids have been snacking on afterschool.
• Packed lunches of cooked mac n’ cheese from the box, crackers, and cuties for my 2 girls for their school field trip yesterday. Also gave my youngest an umbrella since we didn’t have a raincoat since her teacher said it may rain.
• Did my own housework like cleaning and laundry, mending clothes, and fixing minor things around the house. I want to be ready for when my kids finish school this week so I can spend the summer doing fun stuff with them and because I’m still in the mindset that we may eventually sell this house. Even if we don’t right away, our home needs some TLC after living in it for 10 years.
• Preplanned and signed up our girls for fun activities like our library’s summer reading program, Pizza Hut’s Book It, and Kids Bowl Free all summer event. The kids get prizes from the library and to join in their fun events & they get a free personal pan pizza each month from Pizza Hut for their reading. They also get to bowl 2 games for free minus shoe rentals.
• Forgot to mentioned that I redeemed a $30 gift card we received as a rebate for a Christmas gift purchased for groceries at Walmart. Also used up $3 credit on my credit card I rarely use, signed up for quarterly 5% & 2% cash back categories on another, and will redeem the 3% cash back deal for gas by 5/20 on that one.
AW I used to love the summer bowling special that my local alley ran. I forget how much I paid for it but the kids would either get a tshirt or beach towel and get one game free every day. I think I had to pay for shoes. Did all the freebies library summer program, reading books for Barnes and Noble and earning a free book and anything else I could find. The kids (now 32 and 34) loved it.
My kids look forward to all the freebies during the summer too!
It’s become a much loved tradition.
Congratulations to your husband on being accepted!!! And good on him for going for it, I wish him the very best.
Yes, the FASFA is a very wise decision. It's always the first step for any type of scholarship possibility, not just loans, and he may very well qualify for an unusual scholarship as a nontraditional student. That will get the ball rolling if an opportunity comes up, and he can jump on it. Also, some opportunities may continue to open up if he makes good grades in college; he's now a shown he can handle it well and would be a wise recipient of scholarship funds.
Thanks for the congrats for my husband! We’re excited for him.
Yes! I totally agree with you. You never know unless if you try and we’ll definitely remember to reapply next year too.
1. I got a small surprise commission check from folks using my discount code to Ren Faire I did in Feb & March. I forgot about it until I saw it in the mail box
2. Entered the commission check, paychecks from 2 back to back weekend faires, tips, mileage, and business experiences into Stride to make filing taxes easier
3. Saved $15 dollars on new spendy wet dog food for our senior pup combing a buy 2 get one free sale and signing up for the pet store 's loyalty club
4. Mended the collar of a costume shirt and a seam in my favorite pajamas
5. Repainted my busking sign with paint, wood glue, Mod Podge Outdoor and Glaze to clean it up and add a tips and info QR code and merch samples - wood pins of cartoon me in character. Hopefully that will make it rain for this weekend's show 🙂
That's a great idea for the tortillas. Personally, I usually split the package in half when I get it and put the extra tortillas in a separate bag in the freezer. But since it's just me, even half a package can be a bit much sometimes.
Frugal things:
My mother offered to split the cost of a Hulu/Disney+ subscription with me and I agreed. I had signed up with a discount for the first three months but planned to cancel when the price went up. This will keep the cost reasonable so we can enjoy our shows as long as we want.
I stocked up on groceries that were on sale at Kroger. I also bought some things in bulk from Costco. I now have a well stocked pantry and freezer again so I can save money by cooking.
I used Chewy's subscribe and save plan to stock up on my cat's Feliway refills to keep him calm. Having a less stressed kitty is worth the price, but saving a little helps too.
I asked for and got a refund when the wrong type of allergy medication was delivered instead of the one I ordered.
When you have a tiny household, food packages become VERY large! 😉
Hope everything is better today for you, Kristen.
My FFT:
1. Saturday, I happened by a thrift store and they were having a bag sale -- everything you could stuff into one of their Glad drawstring trash bags was $10. (Gee, I remember when such sales were $1, and later $5. Boo, inflation!) I didn't get a bag at first, but I wandered down to the racks that had slacks and jeans. I needed some "bottoms," because some of the elastic waistbands in my ancient slacks were not very elastic any more, and I also had a pair that had gotten "holey." Boy, did I hit a treasure trove! I kept finding nice slacks in my size and from my favorite brand! I had them draped across my arm until they got too heavy to carry. So I took them to the front, thinking it was two bags full. The clerk said oh, no, and stuffed them all into ONE bag. The final tally was a dozen pair of Alfred Dunner slacks (suitable for work, church or wherever else); one pair of Sag Harbor dressy pants (ditto); and one off-brand pair of capris (for casual wear). Several nice solid colors that will go with blouses and jackets I already have. The capris were the only pair with print fabric. I paid $10.82 (the 82 cents was the tax) for the whole bunch! That works out to about 77 cents per pair.
2. All but one or two pair of the slacks seemed to be brand new. They were a bit scratch because of the sizing chemical the factory puts on their clothes. I washed everything in cold water/gentle cycle. I used Woolite for the darker pairs. Most of the slacks came out unwrinkled, although I had to put a few in the dryer for 15 minutes on "de-wrinkle". Hung everything up on wooden dryer racks, those expandable kind.
3. One of the wooden dryer racks was brand new. I got it from Goodwill and the tag said $3.99. I bought it on Senior Day so it was 20% less. (Those things are at $19.99 at Walmart.) When I set it up, it was so tall that the top horizontal rod came up to my chin!
4. I had also bought a light timer at Goodwill. It was one of those kind that have a red and a black pin, and a little dial that has the hours on it. You put the pins on the hours where you want your light to turn on and off. When I got it home, the black pin was missing. Grabbed my cash register receipt and went back to Goodwill. They refunded my money. Whew!
5. Finished reading my two Stephanie Plum series murder mysteries by Janet Evanovich. I'm all caught up now until the next book comes out in November. I got those books from the library and I've returned them in plenty of time not to be hit with a late fee. But now it's going to be a long, long wait until November!
The pants were a bit scratchy, not scratch.
Also, Eureka! I found the old light timer in the garage. Thought the roommate had taken it with her when she moved.
1. I've been diligently eating foods from my freezer in order to eat it down so I can defrost it before summer harvest time. Saves $ on the grocery bill too.
2. I received 2 free bluetooth speakers from a friend. I was wanting one for camp.
3. I redeemed $15 thru receipt apps for Amazon credit which I applied to a recent order
4. I got a surprise check in the mail from a calendar raffle we participated in.
5. One of my shopping browsers notified me I had rewards to use. I ended up redeeming $74. I used $54 of it towards a tractor supply order for dog food and 2 toys for my pup.
I'm starting to think I must be the only member of the FG Commentariat who doesn't care for Mexican food. No frozen tortillas in my freezer, so no problem. (As a fan of Indian food, I do have frozen garlic naans, but those are easy enough to pop apart.)
Now, FFT, Some Frugal and Some Not Edition:
(1) Not frugal and not sorry: I made an expedition to the other side of the county Saturday, to pick up my and the Bestest Neighbors' tomato plants from a former Master Gardener friend of Dr. BN who sets up shop at a local nature center's annual native plant sale. I then enjoyed a grand drive home over the happy spring hills of Central NY, slightly exceeding the speed limit (except for the 10 minutes that about 16 other motorists and I spent following two manure spreaders at 5 mph) and stopping at a garden center and a big yard sale. After a winter like the past one in particular, sometimes I just gotta let'er rip, gas prices be hanged!
(2) I'm carefully nurturing the tomato plants and all my self-started seedlings in my mini greenhouse (opening and closing flaps as appropriate) till the weather stops being weird. Starting Saturday afternoon, we've been having a heat wave--and the night temps are supposed to drop back into the 40s Wednesday night. Sigh.
(3) Along with Pattilou, I am resisting turning on the AC, even though the temp here yesterday went up to 95. When we drop back into the cold snap, the house will be nice and warm. I'm using all the tricks DH (as a home energy performance expert) taught me about opening and closing windows on different sides of the house.
(4) We had enough cloud cover this morning that it was actually bearable to be outside. So I spent an hour or so using my "Hula-Hoe" to hoe out two buckets of weeds from areas where I'm going to be putting seedlings.
(5) Dr. BN will be our grillmeister tonight, making venison/pork burgers from a mix gifted to the BNs by Ms. BN's cousin-in-law, who's a world champion bowhunter. Looking forward to these!
I had a similar experience Saturday - jumped into the car with my husband at the last minute to consolidate errands - most boring but it was all redeemed by the glorious spring weather and greenery and a stop at a favorite thrift shop that I haven't gotten to during the gray winter months. Driving home with thrifted linen pants and shirts and tomato plants and bright blue skies.. I kept saying What a great day all the way home.
(Also: I had a very different picture in my mind when I looked up your Hula Hoe. The actual product looks very useful, but not as fun as my mental image.)
Nope, get that image of a stout 70-year-old woman doing the hula as she hoes the garden right out of your head. I ain't puttin' on a grass skirt at my age for nobody. 😀
Now I'm picturing her singing that Hula song from that scene in Dirty Dancing where the sister wears a grass skirt!
I will eat Mexican food but never crave it and don't have the skill to make it at home. My family leans heavily on classic American (meat loaf, baked chicken, fried fish) and Italian.
I could live on Mexican food - I grew up on meat and potatoes but I can live with meat and frijoles and arroz. Especially since few restaurants have no idea how to cook french fries. Sad to say I may have to make a Mickey D's trip to see if they can still do it.
1. I sold my son's non-working e-bike on marketplace. This cleared out some space in our garage and put a little extra money in my pocket (I consider this the pain and suffering from the back and forth I had with the e-bike company).
2. I spent a couple hours setting up my two raised gardens in the backyard. These are home to tomatoes, herbs, and flowers. Our CSA never sends enough tomatoes but a 4 pack of plants is inexpensive. I transplanted the basil that I have been tending over the winter and I'm saving space for herbs from TJs because their plants are larger and cheaper.
3. I had some leftover flowers that didn't fit in my raised beds. I found an extra pot in the garage and made an arrangement for another area of the yard.
4. Thankfully, last week's concert was held a few blocks away from my office. Instead of paying the astronomical fees for parking close to the venue, I was able to use my parking pass that I use for work.
5. I downloaded a new book on Libby and suspended a hold so that I could read a series in order.
1. Made hummus from dried garbanzo beans, bread, refried beans from dried pinto beans, and tortilla soup at home, for a fraction of what it would cost pre-prepared. And I feel weirdly proud when I take it out to eat. Also feel like I'm making use of the crockpot/food processor/immersion blender that I've already sunk money into.
2. Planned and took food to cook while in Yosemite. Saved money and time by avoiding the long lines for food.
3. Returned gas tanks for our camping stove and a cooler we ended up not needing. Less clutter, less money out the door.
4. Our tent had sprung a few holes last year so we decided it was time for a new one. We bought it and then REI had its 20% off sale so we requested a price adjustment.
5. I found the continuous glucose monitors I had bought a few months ago and put one on. Unfortunately it failed so I requested a replacement. It's on its way. I do not like the adhesive on the Stelo brand CGMs and this is now the second of maybe 6 or 8 sensors that has failed. I think I'll try a different brand.
Bought clearance pork spare ribs at the restaurant supply, will pack into small meals for the freezer. I use my rub, then Install it for 25 min, then finish with sauce on the smoker and they are fall off the bone yummy.
I bought mom a ship load of various cereals that were on deep discount. She was so happy. She has never eaten cereal, but now loves it.
Ordered tires for the truck, saved $600 from the highest bid.
I accepted 5 bee hives and my friend is going to use my hives to teach her beginner bee keeping class. So excited!
That's such a good idea with the tortillas! My solution to this was to make ten veggie quesadillas on Sunday and freeze them all, but this is way easier haha. And you can reuse the parchment paper squares too!
1. The alarm clock/radio stopped allowing the time to be set. Useless. So I found one just like it on eBay instead of relying on my phone (don’t want it in the bedroom) or buying a new one.
2. Made soup using the trimmings from celery and cooking water from beans saved in the freezer. (wasn’t great, but it was something to eat that didn’t waste food)
3. Added navy beans that came from the local food pantry (our town is so small that everyone is invited to participate in the food give-aways or else the truck won’t come this far)
4. Returning some items (bought on sale of course) to JC Penney in person today because I have to go to Big Town anyway. Returning in person is free.
5. Need timers on a couple areas of my yard; bought the cheapest ones that have to be manually turned on rather than battery-operated that can be set to run at certain times. The idea is so that the girl who will water while we are away doesn’t worry about how long to water or forgetting to turn the water off.
I did an in-person return today after hitting the gym! 🙂
I kept an old phone as an alarm clock. The melodies for the alarm were more pleasant than on the new phone.
Also, since it is not connected to the internet or the phone provider I get no messages whatsoever and cannot receive calls. I can only make emergency (911) calls, which is kind of reassuring.
Thanks for the great content. I buy meat on sale and batch cook for my keto diet. Saves a bunch both in groceries and cost to prepare. Clean the kitchen once !!
I was on a potholder sewing kick a while back. I made two sets of two potholders for two friends so eight total. They came out so good that I decided I needed to sew myself some because my own potholders looking pretty bad. It was the first time I used in Insulbrite (a heat resistant layer) in any project and it did make it kind of thick to get through my sewing machine, but it worked out okay. I may go back and sew myself another set.
Here are my 5 FFTs
– I used a repurposed mayonnaise jar to save my buttons that were kinda just tossed into my sewing box. I added a jar of vintage buttons I bought at a flea market. Now I have a classic jar of buttons. But I'm going to put them in a nice canning jar. I'll use them for decoration and projects.
– I froze some pineapple I had leftover from a recipe so I could use it later.
– I used plastic lids I'd saved from nut cans in the garden to put bait on to kill ants getting into veggie plants.
– I made another batch of homemade Poo-Pourri for our bathrooms. It's just some alcohol, essential oils and water. The woman who created it was a genius! I found a recipe online several years ago. I found it a “must have” in each bathroom ever since I was introduced to it. A bottle of the original sells for $10 each. I smile each time I make a batch and save $20. I usually use essential oils I'm not crazy about so they don't go to waste and I'll mix a few for new fragrances.
– I mixed up an ant bait from ingredients I had in the pantry to keep ants off the plants in the garden instead of buying a commercial product. We'll see how it works.
Have a good week!
My favorite essential mix is lemon, rosemary and a drop of vanilla. I use it in my truck, by the front door and "before you go..." spray. One year I gave it as gifts in a pretty blue glass sprayer and several ask for refills.
What is your recipe for the poopourri? There are so many different ones online. Thanks!
1. On a 90-degree day, we opened the windows in the morning while it was still in the 60s. Then closed everything up and didn't need the AC at all.
2. Watched a movie - Barbie - from the library with my sister and made old-fashioned popcorn. We thought the movie was terrible and the popcorn was delicious.
3. Mailed in a Menard's rebate of $4.40 for a light fixture. Printed the rebate form on scratch paper, reused an envelope from a greeting card, and used an address label from a charity and a Forever stamp purchased a while ago. I doubt I will live long enough to use the stamps I have on hand.
4. Gave away an outdoor dining table and tablecloth on Buy Nothing after receiving a better one from the group. Husband handled all the logistics.
5. Although we saved money by having mulch delivered on a weekday vs. the weekend, we ended up needing way more, so we incurred a second delivery fee. Then we were still short, so my husband made a special trip to have another yard of mulch placed in his truck bed. Glad that's over.
We found the Barbie movie quite entertaining - to each their own I guess.
- I planned a free date with a friend - park for disc golf, cold brew from scratch, picnic at beach (we are bringing snacks for that)
-work leftovers: purple cauliflower, margarita cheesecake, brookies & tomato soup mean no baking for me on off days & most of my snacks are taken care of.
-I cleaned out my closet for off season & wrong size clothing, did an inventory and will be more mindful when thrifting
-coffee or lemonade from home this week instead of eating out!
We were away for the weekend and lets say we supported local restaurants at our getaway destination. However since we saved for this I can forgive ourselves.
- The hotel we stayed at offered free coffees and teas during the day time, and we had some in the homely foyer/sitting room. There were newspapers, billiards tables, shuffle boards, and board games too.
-We took walks around beach, dune and wooded areas.
-At my request, we also visited a thrift shop with proceeds supporting charities on the island. I found a Samsoe top, an intriguing print, a Bill Bryson book on 1927 and several recent Spanish grammar and excercise books, as well as a Spanish novel. The books were 1 euro a piece. I bought those to bring some variety to my Spanish (Duolingo) study. At that price, who wouldn't?
- Before we left, I had meticulously frozen the vegetables we couldn't eat. On our return we made a simple store cupboard and freezer mac and cheese, instead of takeout or yet again restaurant.
-Eldest had been catsitting, at no cost to us, and also treated us to a load of pictures of a deliriously happy cat snuggling one of her favourite humans.
A lot of my repair jobs are ugly but functionable.
Do you have a proven technique for deboning thighs? Mine always get terribly mangled.
Just a few little habits here:
Local erratic CVS store had a few 70% off items scattered around their shelves. I now have one ginormous bottle of Calcium/Vitamin D tablets. Even though the best buy date is a few months before the two years it will take me to use them up, I am not too worried about them going bad. I am refilling my smaller bottle from it.
The drip pan for our gas grill came with an aluminum pan liner to catch the grease, replaceable for three dollars or so each for the company brand, twenty years ago. No thank you. Rectangular Chinese food take-out foil containers fit just fine.
Got out the old kettle I put on the back right burner of the stove when we use the oven in summer. Filling it with water absorbs a lot of the heat the oven gives off, and makes warm water for washing as well.
Because I mix the soil up between my various outdoor pots each spring, along with some fresh soil, any seeds that overwintered from last year might sprout in new spots. So I have morning glories coming up in unexpected places.
Using room fans mostly from yard sales to put off turning on the AC.
Finally realized how to make a tiny bit less mess when making cake from a mix. After dumping the mix powder in the bowl, leave the baggie on the counter for the egg shells, rather than leaping across the room to the trash.
The bakery tortillas I buy come with this cello paper between each tortilla, probably for the same reason? I just keep mine in the fridge always - sometimes for weeks. They really don't go bad unless you leave them on the counter all week. Frugal for me:
*I am always on the hunt for books to read, and I got three really good ones for cheap today at Goodwill. Also a couple of frames to start my corner gallery. Slow decorating for the win.
*Enjoyed free snack and coffee at the dealership when I got my free oil change. Pretty soon my car will graduate from these new car perks.
*Wanted a burger for lunch, and I was out and about. Told myself I had food at home. Ate a great lunch with stuff I already owned.
*Fabulous free-ish things: naps at home, hot showers to wind down followed by free Netflix from T-Mobile, walks in my neighborhood, short You Tube podcasts on a million different topics.
Hi Kristen,
Every Spring, I use your (from Hillbilly Housewife) "Grape Jelly from prepared Juice" recipe to make batches for Baltimore Orioles! I've been doing it for years, it's a very frugal way to feed them. Also, they aren't supposed to have corn syrup that is in a lot of the store bought jellies.
The Orioles arrive in my area to nest; and when the fledglings are ready, their parents bring them to my feeder. I love watching this cycle repeat year after year. Thanks to that recipe and instructions, it's a very affordable hobby!
With your schedule, an Instant Pot would be a great investment. You could have put all those broth ingredients in the pot, press the soup button, gone to work, and come home to broth that's still simmering at a food safe temperature even 12 hours later with little evaporation, cool it on the counter while doing your after shift stuff, then put the pot in the fridge to strain, portion, and freeze another day. You can even brown the thighs in the instant pot first.
You can easily throw together recipes and right before you go to sleep or leave for a shift turn on the pot and come home to a hot meal with enough portions to use those souper cube knockoffs to freeze and have ready for other days.
Plus, so many other things that work with the type of schedule you follow. It's GREAT for homemade yogurt. If you do the "cold start" method it only takes 3 or so minutes to pour in the milk straight from the fridge, add the culture, press a button and come back after a shift or a sleep to perfect yogurt. (BTW, it was your yogurt post that ultimately got me interested in homemade yogurt and led me to buy the instant pot in the first place--it's great for homemade yogurt, and I also make my own paneer cheese because its crazy expensive to buy).
My frugal things:
1. Power outage that last 21 hours. Guess I'll save a bit on the electric bill. Didn't lose the fridge/freezer as dh hooked it up to a Jackery solar genarator.
2. Dh found a screaming deal on eggs today. Two dozen for .99. BoGoF.
3. I got some Bath and Body Works deals. Foaming soap was 5 for $28 which I would never pay, but, I had a 20% off coupon and a $25 gift card that I got from my credit card company. Still have a $1.25 left on the gift ccard. Dh has reassured me that I don't need to buy anymore soap for a long while, lol!
4. Called our insturance company and found out that we were behind on our umbrella and homeowneres insurance. Grr. This email goes to dh. I paid them and the extra fee for our auto insurance. Had the auto insurance deductible raised to $2500 and save $111. Got the email switched to me so I will see it and pay it next year.
5. New light for the kitchen that uses the new type of light bulb. Can't think of the name. It will save us on electricity even though I have everyone trained to turn of the light when they leave.
6. Got measured at Victoria's Secret for free. Have to go back to try on some bras.
Do you ever make plain chicken broth for the kitties? I save all my bones (even from wings and other bone in chicken we eat and just throw it ithe pressure cooker with water and nothing else and use some for my own cooking and since it's unsalted and has no garlic/onion I give some cooled broth to our kitties. They love it and I think cats tend toward renal pro, this helps with hydration.
Hi ! Love your content and this is going back to your first video interview!!! Love all your frugal ideas but I suggest using wax paper instead of parchment because it is so much cheaper ! I also wash my baggies but washing ones that stored chicken makes me nervous .
Love your blog, Kristen!
My frugal fail this week (but not really) was a fridge full of food waster. But the not really a fail part comes from finally, months later, actually clearing out it of all the stuff that had accumulated during some optimistic moments I had in the last few months that didn't manage to survive my depression and actually make it to the cook and eat part of food management. That was a very large rubbish bag but it was so good to finally do it after weeks of procrastination (I enlisted my brother's help to message me several times checking if I'd done it. He's the only one that can do it in a way that doesn't annoy me into cutting-of-my-nose-to-spite-my-face stubborness.)
I'm always impressed by your repairs on things like that potholder or towels and such. I may look through mine sometime to see if any need attention.
I’d actually recommend you get an instant pot on Marketplace. It’s great for flavorful soups and tenderizes meats so fast. I also throw my Costco carcass in there and make broth in the blink of an eye.
I got a little behind in reading posts this week!! The tip about wax paper between the tortillas is a life saver for rme!! I never buy tortillas becasue I can’t use them all up and I do want to eat maybe 2-3 wraps per week.AWESOME! THANK YOU!!