Five Frugal Things | Ugly but delicious
1. I made an ugly grilled cheese sandwich
The two heels from our loaf of 100% whole wheat sandwich bread were left, and they were skinny!
I used both of them to make an unaesthetic grilled cheese sandwich, which was still delicious.
I shook the crumbs out of the empty bag, aired it out, and stuck it in a kitchen drawer to use when Hungry Harvest sends me things like unbagged celery.
2. I did not join the National Society of Leadership and Success
I have gotten a "nomination" to this society each semester at my BSN school; it looks all official-like, and it specifies that you have to pay a one-time fee of $95 to join.
They promise graduation honors, access to scholarships, an online job bank, and more.
But I did a little poking around, and the whole thing seems rather ridiculous. I read that they send it to anyone with a GPA of 2.8 or higher at some schools (which makes this a very non-exclusive club).
Also, the scholarships they give you access to are apparently very broad, and as I have written before, those are the most useless type to apply for.
The graduation honors are silly too, because my school literally says on its website that if you have a 3.5 or higher, your diploma and your announcement at commencement will say so (with cum laude, summa cum laude, magna cum laude). So the "graduation honors" are pretty useless.
Anyway, I did not pay the $95, and when a classmate asked me about it, I told her what I'd found out. So she is saving herself the $95 as well.
3. I changed my air conditioning filter
I know I will still use AC this month and next month (intermittently in October, I hope!), but after that, my AC will probably lie dormant until April.
(I have oil-powered boiler heat.)
So, this filter change should be the last one until next spring.
(In case you didn't know: regularly changing the filter helps your air conditioning system work more efficiently. A fresh filter offers less resistance, and that lessens the workload on your blower motor.)
4. I switched to debit for an auto-pay bill
The company was switching payment systems, so they needed an updated card, and apparently with the new system, there's a 3% charge for using a credit card.
The fee for a debit card is 0%, though, so I opted for that.
I use my credit cards for basically everything (for the rewards!). But when there's a surcharge, I go back to debit because the credit card rewards aren't usually high enough to balance out a surcharge.
5. I got a little pair of tongs for $1 from Goodwill
My main pair of tongs are very long, which makes them great for grilling. However, they are a little unwieldy for indoor cooking.
I do have another type in a shorter length, but I don't love this style; they always feel a little bit insecure, like I'm going to drop whatever I'm lifting (such as a chicken cutlet in hot oil).
My new pair should be way more convenient!
1. DH wanted to check out the Aldi that is in bikeable distance, so we did that. The Aldi, it turns out, has lactose free ultrafiltered milk, which I prefer, and much cheaper than Fairlife at Kroger or Meijer. I didn't need milk today, but DH can stop there another time when I do need it. Our youngest came with us, and per the agreement we have when he bikes to a grocery store with us, he got to pick out a snack. He was happy to find cheese puffs (without artificial colors) for 1.99. In his words "they're less zesty than the Simply Cheetos, but still good."
2. The Aldi is conveniently next to a Goodwill, and DS#3, who has lost a lot of weight, found some sweatpants in his new size. I also found him an Old Navy sweater and a Nautica sweatshirt, both in very good condition. I also found a delightful Lands End fleece full-zip sweatshirt--these go for about $45 dollars, and all the fleece and sweatshirts were under $6! DH found a pair of sweatpants for himself as well, and all told we got five items for $30. Not bad at all.
3. I have a little tip that I'm sure most frugalistas have figured out--the women's clothing sections in the thrift stores never thrill me. All the styles are very outdated, at least in our area. So I stayed in the men's section and that's where I found my fleece. A medium fit me just fine and it will be a great outer layer for biking in the fall and winter. IME men's clothing is sturdier as well and lasts longer.
4. When we got home I noticed that the sweatpants DS#3 had gotten had a rip along a seam at the knee--even for me that's an easy fix and it took me five minutes.
5. I saved the biggest frugal for last. We received a bill for the ambulance that transferred DS#3 from one hospital to another (per our request as the hospital the EMTs took him to when his hemoglobin was 5 and he couldn't move was not the hospital where he wanted to receive care), but rather than just pay it DH did a little digging and found that our insurance did indeed cover that ambulance ride, that the company had a contract with our insurance but then tried to charge us the amount they were contracted for. Twenty minutes of figuring things out online and we saved $800. Always question!
Good catch with the insurance coverage!! And still so thankful on your behalf that #3 is getting stronger!
You can “blow out” or vacuum the filters to prolong the life of them. You may get a few more months out of them.
We have done this with the ac/furnace ones and in a pinch the car air filter.
I do recommend replacing them when needed.