Can I even think of Five Frugal Things?
This past week hasn't exactly been a tip-top one as far as frugality goes. While I was only seriously sick for a day, the food poisoning left me in an un-hungry, weakened state for the rest of the week.
Boo.
I'm not one to sit around for days at a time, so this was not my favorite thing ever.
On the upside, my kids are old enough to be pretty independent, which means it IS actually possible to rest. And I did watch nearly three seasons of Call the Midwife on Netflix.
Even that gets old after a while, though.
(Incidentally, I thought the first two seasons were better than the third, and I wasn't surprised to read that those were the two seasons based on the actual books by the same name. The first season was hands-down my favorite though, both because of the storylines and the late 1950's fashions. Also, is Chummy not the best character ever?? So lovable.)
Let's see if I can think of five frugal things. Because I did get off the couch for at least a little while last week.
I got a free part from Moen.
The hot water flow from my faucet started to be problematic, so I called Moen and they sent me a new cartridge, free of charge, with free shipping.
Yay!
I put it in, and the hot water is back to its old self.
I'm noticing the spring mechanism in the soap dispenser is having issues too, so I think I'll call them to see if there's anything they can do.
I cleaned out the pipes underneath my kids' bathroom sink.
The bathroom sink wasn't draining properly, and the clog was more than I could reach through the sink itself.
Luckily(?), this has happened before, and I knew the pipes underneath the sink were very easy to take apart and reassemble.
So, I unscrewed them, gave them a good clean (so gross), and reassembled them.
The drain is working great again.
The End.
We replaced a toilet handle.
It broke while Mr. FG was at work, and I planned to let him deal with it post-work.
But Joshua got home earlier and volunteered to go buy the replacement part and put it in. He just needed a little help from me, and our toilet was back in business.
(Why yes. We DID have a lot of plumbing-related troubles last week. Oy.)
We managed mostly without takeout.
Mr. FG did eat a lot of lunches out, since he usually takes leftovers, and we were very short on those.
But as far as dinner goes, there wasn't a ton of takeout...just three subs on Tuesday, and a small pizza on Friday. Phew.
I feel like that's not too bad for what could have been a very expensive week with the main cook and grocery shopper out of commission.
Ummm....
What for number five? Hmm.
I used very little gas, because I went almost nowhere, aside from what was necessary.
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Your turn!
Please do share your own Five Frugal Things in the comments. Inspire us!
#5: you used Netflix to watch Call the Midwife instead of downloading it via iTunes! Huge savings right there.
1. We decided to go to a u-pick cherry place for $2.50-something a pound (instead of way more expensive at the grocery store).
2. When my husband was looking for directions online to the u-pick cherry place, he got an email about u-pick cherries for $1.60/pound. We changed our minds and decided to go there instead.
3. We used re-usable freezer containers to freeze them instead of ziploc bags.
4. We saved the cherry pits to make those little cloth bags filled with cherry pits that you can microwave for hot pads or freeze for cold packs. I like them on my feet in winter. (Side note: I don't think I'll ever do that again because it was a LOT of time cleaning and drying those cherry pits.)
5. I cloth-diapered, went to the library, worked in our garden, and made our own pizza.
I will remembered NOT to do the cherry pit thing, then!
Use rice in those bags. Cheaper, no washing, smaller grains = more comfort.
Yes. We've made them with rice in the past. I just wanted to be "frugal" and use up something that would be thrown away. . . but throwing away time isn't frugal either, I guess.
I thought of that advantage - using waste instead of food - after I posted. It's not a minor consideration. Each of my appromixately 3" x 2" x 25" bags take a surprisingly large amount of rice. They were last Christmas' gifts and I went through a 25 lb bag of rice.
I haven't been cherry picking since I was in Greece. Such an awesome experience! Unfortunately there isn't a place in dallas that I know of.
Love love Call of the Midwife. I just watched the last season- was it 4??- and it was a good one. I have a Roku and can stream PBS for free. Frugal five? I cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot on Monday and ate off it all week! I had soup, barbequed chicken and chicken salad! Now this afternoon I am roasting a turkey breast I had in the freezer and instead of joining a gym, I have been walking every morning for at least 20 minutes getting ready for the trip to NYC. It's been paid for and I am buying no new clothes. I just finished 3 books I got from the library - FREE! No meals out and very little money spent last week- just some chlorine for the pool and some OTC supplement that hopefully will keep me healthy.
This was our annual beach week at Nags Head with my lovely sister-in-law who invited a friend this year. Our youngest daughter who is moving to Europe this week was also able to join us so that made a group of five.
1. I shopped my pantry before leaving and then made a trip to Food Lion after we got there. My Food Lion purchases were under 45.00 and that included over three lbs. of really nice marked down stew meat and over a lb. of cubed steak. Combined with my sister-in-law's groceries we ate like kings for the week.
2. We did eat out three times but those were not expensive and we only paid for one and that was a lunch. With leftovers.
3. We walked the beach, watched the dolphins, read, used the pool, knitted, and played and sang in the gazebo also entertaining other guests.
4. Outings were a trip to Kitty Hawk using the lifetime senior ten dollar pass per car. The price is getting ready to go up. If you qualify, order or pick one up at a national park now. We also went to Cape Hatteras and the Graveyard of the Atlantic and the Elizabethan Gardens. The friend paid for our way into the Gardens since I drove.
5. Our 'must' while at the beach is half priced shakes at Sonic after eight at least a couple of times. I split a large shake twice with my sister-in-law twice since that was cheaper than two smalls. And, again, the friend treated as a thank you for the week. My husband did buy ice cream for all of us after our trip to the Gardens as it was a hot, muggy day.
A lovely frugal week. Memories of my daughter, her dad and aunt singing with the ocean waves behind them-priceless!
Call the Midwife is a favorite, I am in wait mode till spring 2018 for the next season.
My 5 frugal things:
1) It is baseball tournament season- I packed water (and more water) free from my tap. Plus lunches and snacks. No trips to the concession stand.
2) BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches for dinner the night of the tournament. Pork in the crock pot before we left for the game equals no stopping on the way home for dinner.
3) Utilized our membership to a local museum on a rainy afternoon. This was a free trip since we have gone enough times this year to cover the cost of the yearly membership. It also has a great reciprocity program (http://www.astc.org/passport/)
4) Lots of trips to the free playground -getting the kids outside as much as possible.
5) Confirmed with my folks that we can borrow their truck for a few days, while our car is in the shop. This is a bonus on logistics of car shuffling and/or renting a car. It is nice that they have the flexibility of being retirees and are willing to help us out.
Ok, so, you still think it's worth watching once Jenny Lee is out of the storyline? I'm feeling sad at that prospect...worried the show will seem kind of empty!
I thought it was still worth watching. I was sad for like 1 episode after Jenny left, but the other characters are memorable and very likable too!
Yes, keep watching even without Jenny! At first, I was thinking it wouldn't be worth it once she left, but I feel like the other characters really start to shine, especially Trixie.
1. I cooked nearly every meal.
2. One of the collar buttons on a shirt of my husband's was missing and there was no match in my button jar. I replaced all 9 buttons.
3. I sewed myself a skirt which coordinates with a top and sweater -- new outfit!
4. I am slowly knitting a baby blanket for a gift. There's no deadline, but it will be set aside for the next baby at church.
5. As always, I make my own iced tea from teabags, seeing no reason to buy it ready made. Besides, it tastes better.
Little things add up. Nothing big here, just small habits which help.
You replaced plumbing parts while you were sick!?!? I barely take out the trash when I am sick! hope you are feeling better!
Stocked up on ground beef and shrimp from Sprouts. Processed the ground beef into dinner-sized portions before it went bad.
That's really all I have. Last week wasn't a very purposefully-frugal week.
I may have to combine a few weeks together to get five frugal things, but here we go:
1. We've been camping a few times this summer and have used a few discounts along the way to make the "end cost" much more reasonable. When I booked our furthest trip to Rehobeth Beach DE, I used a Buy one get one night free deal (last black Friday) to allow us to stay at a fancier resort. Another freebie on that trip was that the resort comped us a golf cart. I was on crutches and they took pity on me and gave us one for 5 days. Normally a golf cart costs $40 per day!!!
2. Both our town and church offers free t-ball for kids! No sign up fees.
3. (this one is none of my own doings, but) this most recent paycheck reflects the first paycheck this year that my union dues do not need to be paid) Surprisingly, this is a huge chunk of money each pay and having that money back feels great!
4. (again, not of my own doing, but) I went to a yard sale where the woman's tent fell down and trapped me and my daughter inside. She was so embarrassed that she gave me the pants I was going to buy for free!
5. While stopping at the grocery store this morning to buy some of the things my hubby forgot yesterday, I found lots of items we can use on the reduced rack (muffins to freeze for next camping trip, band aids: which my kids think are a fashion statement and some new nail polish: so excited for 49 cent nail polish!)
With my over-achy joints lately (?) I did finally get to the doctor. Results pending.
1.) The washer broke down, repairman coming this Wednesday. So...I saved water, soap, and electricity by not being able to wash?
2.) A local store had a "buy 10 for $1, get 1 free" deal. Prego pasta sauce, Prego Alfredo sauce, Bush's baked beans (the large can), spaghetti pasta, 16 oz. flavored coffee creamer. I stocked up. They were also sampling Tim Horton coffee - when she saw my "go cup", she filled it! Score!
3.) I made beef & noodles last Sunday. I bought a roast on sale, and divided it in 3 (2 for the freezer). I made my own noodles - my DH gifted me a WONderful pasta attachment (he had a % off coupon, plus a $ off coupon, and it was on sale, to boot) for my Kitchenaid. There were three dinners and a lunch from that.
4.) We try not to eat out. Band practice starts at 5 and ends at 7:30. A half hour drive each way. My DH meets me there directly from work. Unfortunately, we usually stop for a sandwich or something on the way home, so we're not eating too late. Not sure what the solution would be, for that. DH takes a lunch to work that I've packed, so the last thing he really wants is yet another cold meal.
5.) We've been doing better after church - coming home for lunch, instead of eating out.
We'll see what this week holds!
An idea for your 4th point - feel free to ignore it! My daughter likes something hot for her school lunch in winter and I have found that, as long as you preheat it with hot water, a thermos will keep her hot entree warm from 7 until she eats lunch. If you have a thermos, you might try that some evenings. I am not much of a cold sandwich person so I sympathize with your husband; we eat dinner at really weird times when my daughter has activities because of my dislike of sandwiches on the run!
Knowing how much it would cost to have a plumber fix it is painful to think...and to our pocket. When our kitchen and bathroom sinks were clogged, I fixed it myself. It's gross to clean it but hey, I'm so happy that we saved money!
I LOVE 'Call the Midwife' and I'm watching through all six seasons now. I love Chummy too, but I think Sister Monica Joan is my favorite. I find that I don't like Jenny as much this go around, she is a somewhat standoffish character compared to some of the others. I think it's a credit to the show that even though they have taken out three of the main characters it is still super interesting. I'm glad that they have kept the love scenes PG because I really have no interest in watching that.
Let me see if I can think of 5 frugal things....
1) I haven't used much gas lately. I filled the tank 2+ weeks ago and have half a tank to go....
2) Supermarket had good sales- 6 ears of corn for $1, ribs for $1.99/lb, milk for $1.99/gal
3) Decided to declutter and tidy up. Got free boxes to use as storage from the supermarket.
4) DH got 2 tickets per person (second ticket was free) to go to an amusement park (used to be called Great Adventure) for a total of $17.50 per person at a discounted rate at his job..... A single ticket is $36!! We spent a total of $52.50 versus $216.....
5) Cost of electric has dropped and we pay $28/mth using solar panels. We have to pay the electric company for the pleasure of letting them charge us fees since we don't need their utility as much anymore.
Our bathtub faucet is leaking and I'm not sure if DH remembers how to replace it. Last time, a different tub faucet leaked and he borrowed the neighbor's dremmel and broke it. It took 3 hours to fix it. The whole unit where the handle is, had to be taken off the wall. The faucet itself wasn't the problem, but the major pipes in the wall had the issue.
DS2 has been feeding the hummingbirds. They fight with the finches for food and the noise is quite loud.
1. We also took apart our sink. This was to save two sippy cup straws. Turns out there was also a buildup in there that's been smelling funky for a few days.
2. Bought my wife two dresses (because I'm an awesome husband like that) and will be returning the one she wasn't thrilled with. Keeping something you aren't in love with is decidedly unfrugal.
3. We did site to store on the dresses to save on shipping. Outside of the toddler meltdown at the mall, I'd say it was still worth it because we got to go to Chick-Fil-A (hey, ya gotta treat yourself once in a while!)
4. We have a toddler but we also often have some less than graceful people in our house (either inhabitants or guests) and thus our drinking glasses have been reducing in numbers. So to replace them, we've been saving the jars of sauce from Aldi that look like Classico jars and using them until we need to buy a whole new set. These will work for now.
5. Went to Home Depot with my brother to buy some paint for some metal chairs he is going to repaint for our parents. While there they had some "Oops" paint marked down from ~$50 a can (it was Behr Marquee) to a mere $8 a can! The color was a nice pale blue but it wouldn't have been enough for the job we wanted to do (our parents' kitchen) but might've worked from my office. When we got back to my house I decided to check the paint I already had. Turns out I already had a can of a nice off white that will work for my small office. So yeah, $8 is better than $50 but free is better than both!
Home Depot will re-tint paint for you for free. We had two awful orange colors left behind at the new house. We asked them to re-tint it to browns so we could paint a set for Vacation Bible School. They were quite nice and did a good job!
1. no eating out in the last week
2. made all my own salads for lunch at work
3. cooked twice this week (for me, that's a lot)
4. made my own yogurt (very handy to take for breakfast at work, along with frozen berries)
5. made oatmeal & froze it in individual serving size containers to take to work
6. Did NOT buy a car for my 16 year old even though sharing a car has been getting really difficult. He is taking a 5.5 hour/day, 5 day a week Spanish immersion class at a college an hour's drive away. He drops me off at work & then continues on the the college. Picking me up at 5PM is difficult because he is a varsity runner & has to meet his team to run. So far we've been making it work because my husband has been able to help out a couple of days a week. We're trying to avoid buying a car since my son will be going away to college in two years.
Wow I'm really impressed with how well you fix things around the house. Since Mr. FAF and I don't live in the same city, I usually have to take care of repairs and maintenance myself. I tend to freak out a lot since I have no idea what's going on. But home ownership has taught me so much about how appliances and things work around the house!
1) My batched errands this morning included dropping off an Amazon return at the UPS store for a full refund, depositing a bunch of checks in our business account (money in is always wonderful), and, since I was going in that direction, stopping in at Kroger to use up a bunch of coupons they sent me for free stuff . I stopped regularly shopping at Kroger when Aldi came to town, but they still send me coupons. So I go when I need things I can't find at Aldi.
2) I cashed out our latest credit card bonus directly into our checking account. I've already transferred that money out into savings, so it should sit in the account maybe twenty four hours.
3) I applied for an adjunct teaching position at a local university. I am a good year away from having my dissertation complete enough to apply for real jobs, but I'm at least ready to start practicing the interview process and getting my foot in the door. What is more frugal than getting a job?! Plus I will get paid for the adjunct position, just not very much.
4) Today I'm working on my dissertation. Finishing it will be another good way to get a job. 🙂
5) Enjoying a jarred salad for lunch. It includes roasted chicken that we had in the freezer, lettuce my mom's neighbor gave her, cucumbers from my dad's garden, and tomatoes that needed eating up, among other delicious things to fill it out.
1. I had a housewarming party this weekend so I barely purchased any groceries because there's plenty of left overs!!! 🙂 *ps someone else supplied allll the food* hehe
2. My main water pipe broke so I had to find frugal ways to get things done....let's just say I learned to be resourceful.
3. I wanted to watch a great movie this weekend & I had Kodi so I didn't have to go out and purchase a movie ticket that cost my first born.
4. Barely went anywhere this weekend because of water pipe issues & being around while the people fixed it so I saved A LOT of money on gas than usual.
5. and....the contractor who did my plumbing gave me a great deal on the work he did because I was nice & fed them....#SCORE
I'm back from nine days on a mission trip so it was a frugal week all around. My meals were paid for except at the airport and I shopped super carefully there, getting three meals for $26. I made and brought my own snacks and bought nothing on the planes of course. I was given $100 by a good friend to spend on gifts and incidentals and I came home with about a dollar left. I discovered some things:
It is possible to hand wash 15 sets of sheets in a rain barrel and concrete sink then line dry them in the rainy season. The ladies at the hotel did it every day. The people throw out nothing wastefully and use things till they fall completely apart. Nice restaurants used broken candlesticks and snagged napkins with aplomb. I saw poverty but I saw people with enough money doing the same. I learned a lot from some smart people. I was humbled.
Wow. That's amazing they're able to get the sheets to dry while it's so wet! I always think that must take ages.
First we watch Call the Midwife religiously. One of our favorite shows.
Frugality?
We have chickens which means almost no waste.
I shop at Aldis - Yay!
I drive a Priis. Yay!
Make my own bread.
Make my own beer.
On the negative side Julia has cancer which wipes out all savings 10 times over. On the plus side Medicare covers almost half the costs - which are unbelievable! One injection every two weeks is $7,000, another every two weeks is $4,000 and that does not include the chemo therapy, hospital, nurses, doctors or prescription drugs, that is just the cost of two injections. It would literally be cheaper to move to Canada, the U.K., Japan or anywhere in Europe, get treated and move back!!! The most frugal thing anyone can do in the US is not get sick.
My goodness...I am so sorry that on top of having to deal with cancer, you also have to deal with dreadful medical bills.
Somebody recently told me about an expensive injection she gets that the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug picks/accepts just what M'care pays. Her eligibility is based on her income. If you have not checked this out already, you should. Certainly worth a try.
I have a question that has come up in my mind for years of reading your blog, and my intention is not for it to sound snarky, though it might anyway. Does your husband ever cook or make food? Does he see this as any part of his responsibility with being an adult member of a household and a parent? Does it model bad behavior for your children to see their dad do so little in the kitchen? I do understand the divisions of labor in a household according to what each person prefers, is better at, and what meets the family's needs.
But my questions comes up because in EVERY blog entry over the last few years when you are sick or out of town or otherwise unable to cook, your husband gets take-out for dinners and lunches. I would be very upset if my husband sent the message that he literally can't be bothered to do basic cooking and kitchen tasks. I also wouldn't want my kids to get the message that cooking is only mom's duty, to the point that the husband fakes incompetence at it. I mean, given your family's emphasis on frugality, would it really be that hard for your husband to throw some items from the pantry into a bag for his lunches? Sure, the lunches might not be as fancy as usual, but that's ok for just 1 week. And instead of grabbing a sub any night you aren't cooking, can't your husband sometimes throw together a sandwich at home or make some other basic food at home. It's quite depressing the degree to which he's chosen to opt out of contributing to the household in this way.
I have been reading this blog for a short time, so I appreciate your astute long-term observation skills. I did not find your comments snarky. Just the opposite, it appears that you are analyzing and recognizing a trend. You point out a critical issue that many of us deal with on a daily basis. I would be very interested in Kristen's thoughts on the subject.
At our house, I do 99.9% of cooking, shopping, cleaning, repairing, etc. because it works best for US! My husband does other stuff. All it means is it works for US at this point. You are right- I think your post does sound very judgmental and "snarky".
Our house is the exact opposite of Kristen's house...my husband does 99.9% of the cooking. So my children rarely see me cook. No one wants to eat what I can make because Daddy is a chef and can cook amazing meals. I think everyone needs to do what is best for their family and not make judgements of other family's choices. The flip side of our house is that when something is broke and needs 'fixed' they go to mommy (not daddy).
There are many articles out there about women who judge other women. It's not right. We have to support one another and not make judgements about other people's situation.
And you probably aren't all that interested in eating what you make either, right? Mr. FG finds his bachelor cooking meals to be rather blah now. 😉
You have an amazing way with words to address such questions/comments. And you are correct NO ONE is interested in eating what I make!
The one exception here is French toast. Everyone agrees Mr. FG's French toast is better than mine. Heh.
And he also makes a mean crepe.
Maybe I should just put him on breakfast duty! 😉
I'm sorry that this is depressing to you! I see from looking at your comment history that this is not the first time you've expressed your concerns about this. When you asked about it in October, I answered there, so I won't bother repeating what I said then.
I hate for you to worry about my kids, so I'll offer this up: my mom did almost nothing in the handy realm around the house; my dad did it all. My mom didn't even paint. But as an adult, I've learned how to do plumbing, sanding, painting, appliance repair, etc. So, I'm not worried about my kids and the kitchen. I'm making sure they have the basic skills to feed themselves, and if they're not interested in pursuing that craft further, that's fine.
Also: in our poorer and more penniless days, we'd have dealt with sick days differently due to necessity. But we have more wiggle room now than before and if Mr. FG would prefer to buy an odd sub here and there rather than making something at home, it's not the end of the world.
Please don't stress over us, though...we're fine and our kids are fine. I understand the feeling; sometimes I look at other people's marriages and think, "OMG. I would be so upset if my husband did XYZ." But just because I'd be upset in a situation doesn't mean someone else is, and same goes for you. 🙂
What a graceful reply!
MM, while you don't sound snarky I'm sorry to say that you do sound judgmental, at least to me. There are two reasons for my saying this. The first is that you've asked this question before and FG has given her response. The second is the wording and tone you chose for your questions - it's quite clear that your opinion is that Mr. FG should be doing these things. There's also the flat-out statement that the FGs have made allocated their workload wrongly. For example, you write "Sure, the lunches might not be as fancy as usual, but that’s ok for just 1 week." That's your opinion. We are all encouraged to have our opinions and to apply them to our households and our lives. There's no reason that it need apply to someone else's household and life.
As athe long-time reader you say you are, do you have the impression that the FG household members are not in agreement in how all the work is allocated? Or that FG is not an equal partner in these decisions? If the answer is yes, then it seems reasonable to be concerned about the work allocation in someone else's household. If the answer is no, then a different tack seems in order.
The more intriguing question from my perspective is not how individual households divide labor or but how the quest for frugality is played out. Specifically, how are disparities that exist between adult family members concerning frugality best resolved? I have observed a tendency for the primary breadwinner to feel less responsible for frugality and more entitled to spend $ on themselves, while the other adult goes to great lengths of self sacrifice. I find this to be a fascinating dynamic and perhaps one that Kristen might consider for a future blog topic.
I have been on a cross country trip for the past 9 weeks in an RV. Our frugality came in finding inexpensive places to stay for a night and having food to eat.
I estimate our average campsite was $30, with one high of $60 and a low of $7.50. We stayed at national and corps of engineer parks for 1/2 price using our National Parks Senior Pass. State parks were $25-$35.. The private parks cost more. And free with friends--took them out to lunch or dinner. (If you are 62 or older you should get the Sr Pass now for $10--lifetime. The price is going up around the end of the year).
We used our Sr. Pass to visit national park sites such as Grand Canyon ($30), Yellowstone ($30), Devil's Tower, Bandolier and more, saving on the cost of admission.
At each national park I picked up junior ranger books for free (Yellowstone was the only park charging a small fee). I'll spend the summer working on these with my grandchildren. They'll learn about the parks, mail in the completed form (learning to address an envelope, going to the post office) and get back a junior ranger certificate.
During the trip I made a journal for my grandchildren about our trip, picking up pamphlets with information about the parks and purchasing postcards for the journal.
My souvenir purchases were pins from the parks visited--$2 to $5 per pin.
Our biggest expense obviously was gasoline, our way to offset that was by eating in as much as possible.
At night I caught up on my reading, reading books I have collected at Friends of Library sales. (I gifted some of the books to hostesses when we stayed with friends.)
I'll go onto real frugality as soon as I get home.
Oh man... I could easily write 5 Things That Weren't Even Close To Frugal... but I'm game. Let's see how I do...
1) I used old towels and blankets to line the puppy pen with my foster's 6 pups (Long story. But I sometimes foster. And this gal was, unbeknownst to ANYONE, pregnant. So I had my first litter. On the carpet of a spare bedroom. With Facebook Live assistance from rescue volunteers... so blankets and towels it is!)
2) We opted NOT to keep a portion of the granite counter top that is coming in for our remodel (when my grandma passed in February, she left me just enough to make a full gut-job kitchen remodel affordable. And we're doing the renovation ourselves). They didn't account for the size of the sink. So we get $250 back.
3) I ate fruit at work that was leftover from a work program.
4) I skipped coffee this morning. (When that happens I typically go to Starbucks but I didn't)
5) I did not buy a lear jet.
It's difficult to think of things this week, that's for sure! Let's see how I do...
1. Even though I've been wanting take away food, I spent $20 on ingredients that will get me through the whole week instead.
2. I took public transport to all my appointments today instead of driving.
3. I have been turning down items that I think I need but can do without for now, from more practical life things like glass jars to tiny things like a new jar of coconut oil. It can all wait!
4. I've turned two lunch dates into coffee dates - not entirely frugal, but a $4 coffee is a lot better than a $20 lunch.
5. I didn't buy a QANTAS jet (sorry, Aussie here)!
Haha, was buying a Qantas jet an option for you this week? I live in PNG, so a Qantas jet (or even an Air Niugini jet) would be useful!
Glad you are feeling better. I also had a stomach bug for 3 days. Going on season 3 of Breaking Bad!
My 5 frugal things:
1. I was down to one wine glass which we also use for drinking water at dinner and thought I had to buy a set of 4 when I found a new boxed set of 4 in the garage.
2. I scored my favorite yarn on sale plus a $10 off coupon for the purchase.
3. We went to Happy Hour for dinner and drinks. Half off food and drinks.
4. My hubby scored a part-time job in retirement and got paid this week. We were able to put $1000 in our savings.
5. I earned a free $20 iTunes card from Ibotta .
There's nothing quite like a Netflix binge to take your mind off of your pain, right??
I remember a while ago you had mentioned that you bought TubShrooms. How have they been working for you? We have them too and I have mixed feelings... You just mentioned your sink clog so it reminded me to ask!
I really like the TubShroom one. That fits really well, and it keeps the hair from going down the drain.
The sinkshroom doesn't fit our sink drain quite as nicely, but it does seem to keep hair out. The buildup in the pipes was def. from before we ever got the SinkShroom, so I can't blame it on a malfunction there...it wasn't a hair clog!
Ooh, I didn't realize there are sinkshrooms! Thank you for your reply!
Having a difficult body shape for shorts, I realized I was without them when the temperature went up. I decided to sacrifice an old pair of pants by cutting/hemming the legs and it worked tremendously. So good in fact that I bought a second hand cheap pair of pants to convert into shorts as well. This involved not only cutting off the legs but also taking in the waist band to get rid of an enormous 8 inch gap (thanks to plenty of how-to's on internet). It's not perfect yet, but already fit to wear plus I gained a new skill, and I boosted my self confidence.
Oh my god no way! My husband replaced a toilet handle this week too!! I saw it was coming loose and I thought...my goodness does that mean we have buy a new toilet? Turn it's really an easy fix, you have to get the hands a little wet though haha!