Apples, that is.
1. I got 48 pounds of apples for $14
I’ve struck out a few times when stopping for apples lately, but yesterday my stop paid off!
The produce stand had two boxes of bruised apples, and rather than weighing them and going by the pound, the owner just said, “How about $14?”
Well, yes, that would be just fine by me.
I weighed them when I got home and figured that I’d paid $0.29/pound, which is seriously fantastic.
2. I used Honey to save $10 on a Novica purchase
Novica sent me a $50 voucher for me and also one for you guys (giveaway coming up).
Of course, I have Honey installed on my browser, and as a result, I got a $10 coupon on top of my $50 voucher.
So, Sonia got a necklace and earrings, and I got a pair of earrings, and our out of pocket was less than $5. Yay!
(Honey is a coupon-code finding extention for your browser. I find it way easier than using coupon code sites, and way more effective. Lisey first discovered it and shared it with me.)
3. I bought another pair of Converse on eBay
I did not technically need another pair, so the frugality of this is questionable.
I had just bought a white pair from eBay last week to replace my seriously old Converse (see above photo), but then there was this pair of red ones from eBay that were calling my name.
So, now those are on their way to me as well. 
My net cost for these two pairs of shoes is still less than what one new pair of Converse would cost me, so I guess you can look at it as me getting two pairs for the price of one.
Definitely not frugal: There’s a pair of mint green Converse on my eBay watch list. I do not need three pairs of Converse.
4. I said yes to a book offer on eBay
This makes the third book to sell in a week’s time. And all of the books I sold recently are ones I listed quite some time ago.
eBay is often a slow game; patience wins!
(Feeling patient? Here’s how to sell books on eBay.)
5. Mr. FG patched the drywall holes around the new windows
Did I mention I have new windows?
I did? Well, who cares. Here’s a photo anyway.
The electrician had a heck of a time rerouting the wire, and that resulted in three wall holes. Sigh.
Wouldn’t it be nice if drywall repair was included in plumbing and electrical work??
Mr. FG patched the holes using some leftover drywall we’ve been storing in the shed, and once they’re ready for paint, I’ll use the paint I’ve been saving since we painted that room in 2011.
(I’m 99% sure the paint is still usable because I have stored it properly; it just might need a little thinning. Stay tune for an update!)
Your turn! What frugal things have you been up to?
P.S. It’s ok if it’s not five. Share however many you’d like.
Randi Macdonald says
What kind of apples?
Kristen says
They were a mix of things; quite a few honeycrisp, some Golden Delicious, and some I have no idea at all!
Luckily, for applesauce purposes, it doesn’t much matter, as long as we’re not talking Granny Smith apples.
Bethe Sailer says
This is the first time I have posted, but I read FFT often – it’s really a mood-lifter to read about others being frugal too.
1. Hard freeze and snow this week. Starting two days before and in between work time, I worked my way through the garden harvesting vegetables and cutting all the flowers.
2. Using some of those flowers, made a lovely arrangement as a birthday gift for a friend. Used a gifted vintage McCoy vase and a homemade card, so no $ spent at all.
3. Processed some vegetables from the garden: dried chives from the garden, blanched and froze tomato greens (great sub for spinach).
4. Made salsa verde with harvested tomatillos and jalapenos. Froze some, and used the rest to make two 9″ x 13″ pans of “Pasta con Salsa Verde (!)” We had no corn tortillas for enchiladas, no ground corn to make any, so I rooted around in the pantry and thought, “Manicotti and Lasagna, why not?” Filling for both with ground beef, riced cauliflower, chives, garlic, cumin, bread crumbs and a couple of eggs. Husband is L/F, so no cheese used. It was pretty good and fed us for four nights.
5. Dug up and potted ten small and medium sized vegetables from the garden, using home composted potting soil, recycled plant pots and growing them in sunny windows. Bell peppers, jalapeno, tomatoes, basil and tomatillo – I figured, “What’s the worst that could happen – they’ll die in the freeze, it’s worth a shot.” They are doing just fine, maybe there will be a bit of fresh homegrown veg in the winter months.
Deidre says
1. Only bought lunch once this week -yay!
2. Made healthier mayo with yogurt, honey & lemon that I already had
3. Been actually eating the apples in my fridge…:) I don’t know why I often don’t as everytime I eat one I think how much I like it & should do this more often..
4. Made cheese & vegemite toasties instead of buying the scrolls
5. Sent my nephew a free virtual birthday card & ended the free trial on time & he loved it (I had arranged delivery of his present direct to his mom) plus mail is taking a long time here so he got it on the day which was great
Joni says
With apples on (we have a small 12 tree orchard) I have been making applesauce and using the peels and cores to make apple cider vinegar.
Shandry Bullock says
Used paint from 2010 to paint shutters. $0 update to faded shutters.
Used different can of paint from 2010 to touch up walls in house. Cannot see the touch ups. Win win. Maybe we can go 10 more years without repainting walls.
Sara says
It was a good week for us!
1 – Finally returned something I’d had sitting on my desk for ages, thankful for Amazon’s long date of returns.
2 – My work sent out huge boxes of goodies to all co-workers (halloween is a huge deal normally at the office!). We got some fancy candy and a $20 starbucks GC.
3 – My husbands work had a virtual halloween party and he won a $100 Amazon GC on trivia questions!
4 – Making dinners out of what we have – roasted up some chicken I’d thawed and didn’t know what to do with. Has provided for two lunches and an easy dinner last night.
5 – We went to Aldi’s on Monday night (smaller crowds of people) and stocked up on a lot of baking supplies and various canned goods. The covid numbers are flying high again in Texas and it makes us both feel better about having multiples of cooking supplies available so we don’t have to go out.
Deborah says
Great find on apples- will be so good this winter.
I purchased a pair of Sperry Topsiders off Ebay, they had make an offer, I got them postage and all less than $15. They were practically new, fit great and wonderful to wear in early morning dew.
Kristen says
Great deal! As long as you know what size you need in a particular brand, eBay can be a super place to buy shoes.
lisa says
What a sweet deal on them apples! The Converse look sharp. I give them a thumbs up and it’s ok to buy new kicks from ebay. The price paid was still lower than the store price, I’m sure.
Nothing exciting this week in the frugsl five but saving anything is still a win….
1) Earned $10 to Target from Swagbucks and got necessary items (like pie crust).
2) I received a $50 GC to Spa Finder but notice that prices have gone up considerably at my fave spa. So, I asked if I could buy body lotion and other items they sell, since I’m completely out and they said yes…Cool.
3) Being out of lotion this time of year has my skin looking like an alligator. I dug through a bag of samples that I keep miscellaneous things in and found a rollerball tube of “tansy oil.” I put it on my legs and it was perfect.
4) I’m waiting for the after-Halloween-candy-sale. The stores have lots and I’ll grab some for 50% off.
5) The clearance aisle had boxed teas for $1.29- lemon/tumeric/cardamon and cinnamon/tumeric…..Remember the chocochip muffin mix for the bake sale that I got for $1.39? Well, the bake sale was cancelled and it made a wonderful snack.
Linda says
Whooo-Hoo what a deal on apples. I was already fully stocked on Applesauce when a Neighbor offered me a box of apples. I went to YouTube, looking for inspiration and a new recipe. I found Caramel Apple Pie Jam, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8GeyLz3PG8&t=12s. besides eating on toast, It is so good in my home made yogurt. Store bought Apple Spice Yogurt pales in comparison.
Cathy in NJ says
1. Sold shoes on Thredup. I keep an eye on when the number of selling days is getting low and slowly lower the price. I have sold 95% of what gets listed.
2. The local art council has art displayed all over town, at parks, soccer fields, baseball fields etc. We make an outing to look at the art and enjoy the creativity. Free.
3. We have been walking and taking selfies at homes where families have put up wonderful Halloween displays. Free.
4. Mending clothes that have small rips or tears.
5. I save used dryer sheets and reuse them for dusting.
Christina@BargainBlog says
Nice deal on those apples, Kristen!
My frugal things:
1. Keeping items in my Amazon shopping cart until they reduce in price. You were speaking about patience, and this takes patience too! It amazes me how much Amazon prices can change.
2. Keeping all our milk containers and bottles to give to a frugal friend to take to the depot. This helps her AND she always looks out for things we might need. (She goes out more than we do!) Teamwork!
3. Am still amazed that I’ve been to Starbucks 2 imes since March. Wow! I have truly beaten that habit. I now enjoy homemade lattes, herbal tea and hot cocos for a fraction of the cost.
4. Used up some old apples to make a simple crisp. Leftovers were very yummy for breakfast.
5. Happily wearing my old clothes, not needing to replace much of anything. Although I did buy hub a new pair of PJ pants and sweatpants. Both for great prices! (See my frugal #1, above.
)
Susan says
My 5 frugal things:
1. I bought another big bottle of Torani syrup for my lattes at home. It was about $8, so for the price of <2 Sbux lattes, I am in business for months.
2. I encouraged my daughter to return some jeans that she was so-so on. My experience is that if you don't love them at first, you probably won't wear them.
3. I almost had a big frugal fail with our freezer in the garage. The breaker had tripped without us noticing, and even though I was in a hurry when I grabbed something, I paused long enough to realize it and kick it back on. No one had opened it and nothing had thawed, so we were all good, but it could have been very costly. I'm counting this as a frugal win since disaster was averted!
4. Bought ground beef on sale and made a double batch of my grandma's meatballs part of which I shared with my 85 yo mom who is finding it more difficult to keep up with cooking since she had Covid and gets tired more quickly now.
5. Got my mammogram which is completely covered by my insurance. Results required further testing (also covered), and I thankfully got the all clear on Monday. If you have insurance, take advantage of those recommended early detection tests that are covered!
Isabelle says
* Spending 2000$ to fix couple minor problems on my house roof. 2000$ is NOT cheap, but cheaper than not fixing it and then having to pay much more later to fix nasty water infiltrations
* Spent 275$ to have a shower drain inspected because it was not draining anymore. Again, 275$ is not cheap, but cheaper than redoing the whole shower (which we are doing now), having to break throught the ceramic and concrete later on because of a drain problem. The drain is fine btw!
* reading books from public library
* Occuping ourselves and the kids with free activities offered throught the city pass (60$\year\family) : public pool, indoor ice skating, badminton
Becca says
Used lots of discounts & points to get a pair of LL bean flannel jammies for my son for $13 which I thought was a good deal.
Made homemade pita bread & hummus for the kiddos’ lunches instead of making another trip to the store to get stuff.
Made rice pudding to use up leftover rice.
Last year bought my son’s winter coat & snowpants a little big and now they easily fit him again this year. Woo hoo!
Trimmed my own bangs.
Kristen says
$13 L.L. Bean pjs are definitely are good deal. Yay you!
Christina@BargainBlog says
I’ve been cutting my own hair since March! If you ever need to trim more than your bangs, you can Google ‘ponytail hair cutting method.’ So far so good! The best tip is not to ever take off too much at one time…you can always go back and trim off more.
Gina says
My list of frugal things always seem to be negated by how much money I spend on a Target run! On well.
I made some glorious chicken stock with the bones of two rotisserie chickens this week. Then I promptly stored it in jars in the freezer. My lentil soup next week is gonna be so good! Found a can of tuna in the pantry, so Hubby and I did not have to eat takeout lunch yesterday. Pulled all of my fall and winter stuff out of storage and decided I did not need to buy anything – just care for and wear what I already have. {and it seems new since its been in a box} Stopped my Imperfect Produce boxes because I determined that they were costing more than just buying veggies judiciously at the store. Sold some unused time off at work that will go directly into my Christmas pot. And now I am brainstorming homemade gifts for my peeps that will keep gift costs lower and make Christmas merry.
Kelly says
1). I used a coupon to get two pizzas for $11. I froze what my kids didn’t eat and will heat it up for the next pizza night.
2). We are back to making weekly library visits to stock up on reading for fun and homeschooling. You make an appointment online, get your temperature checked at the door, and are asked to use hand sanitizer. We feel very safe and it’s a nice way to get my girls out of the house.
3). We aren’t trick or treating this year and are trying to come up with some fun activities. So far we are making a piñata with materials we already had and planning to play Halloween bingo (which we already own). We did spent $4 on paint for the piñata and I will buy candy but it is still less than we typically spend between handing out candy, class parties, etc. We’ve also been watching Halloween movies on Disney plus.
4). We are taking advantage of a free Apple TV membership.
5). My husband winterized our camper himself for a fraction of what we use to pay to have it done.
Not Beehive says
I hope the 2011 paint matches! I had a paint disaster a few years ago. I decided to touch up some dirty spots on a wall I’d painted a few years earlier with the leftover paint I’d saved. The old paint on the walls had faded so the touch-ups were a different color and it looked like my wall had GREASE SPOTS all over it.
Kristen says
The lucky thing is that this is a wall that doesn’t get much sunshine. So, I’m hoping that it will match.
If not, well, I guess I’ll have to repaint the whole thing!
Christine says
So, a trick I have learned from a similar situation- depending on how much paint you have left- first paint over drywall patches to cover, then cut around new window and paint whole wall (floor to ceiling) with older thinned paint, extend to natural break ie hallway or doorway- the shade may not match exactly, may be slightly lighter or darker, but will be less noticeable to the eye than splotches of off shade paint- at worst it will look like an accent wall!
Kristen says
I could definitely do that over to the corner wall! And maybe I can feather it out towards the living room. That wall extends the width of the house with no break, so if feathering doesn’t work, I’m gonna have to go buy paint and do the whole wall.
Here’s hoping it’ll be easier than that!
Stephanie says
Still loving that window!
1. Hard freeze last night. Cut and preserved SO MANY HERBS to not waste them from my garden.
2. Made herbed veggie stock from saved veggie scraps and HERBS in slow cooker. Will freeze in jars just like Kristen And use it when I make rice couscous or quinoa.
3. Grocery shopped at ALDI this week. Stocked up on ALDI Butter limit 6 for the holidays.
4. Actively tried not to do any small loads of laundry this week.
5. Continued saving toward a bathroom update. Slow but steady.
suzan says
I have continued to make one large pot of food to feed us most of the week.
This one is strange. My son is currently working outside of the metropolitan area and fuel is up to 40 cents a litre (quart) than at home. So he has been filling jerry cans with fuel and putting it into family fuel tanks!
Tricia says
1) The school where I work recently gifted us chocolate and a Starbucks gift card. So appreciated!
2) I was able to have free breakfast and lunch as part of a ProD day yesterday.
3) Friday is parent-teacher conferences at our school, and they are ordering free drinks for all staff from a couple of different coffee/tea shops.
4) A friend gifted us with some homemade granola, which was delicious.
5) I have been diligent about using up a box of sample size toiletries. Honestly, I am ready for them to be DONE, but I will persevere. Haha. They are lasting forever.
karen says
Regarding #5 I am doing yhe same thing. And thinking the same thing.
betta from daVille says
1. Made it another few days before grocery shopping. The meals are slightly pathetic, but it is a good exercise in us making do (or the obsolete making due) with what we have.
2. Did not buy any Halloween candy. We have only gotten a few kids in the last couple of years and this year, I doubt we will get any (we’ll sit in the dark, with the house lights off!)
3. Using sheets on the bed that I got from a Buy Nothing group (I washed them first).
4. Letting friends use my work apartment this weekend. Frugal for them, and he is in the wine industry so I’ll probably get some nice bottles in exchange.
5. Went another week without order any take out, or eating out.
Frugal fail: speeding ticket. I just wasn’t paying attention going down a big hill. I am really kicking myself.
Dawn says
Regarding your speeding ticket, you might be able to take a driver’s education course online to qualify to have the ticket removed/reduced and even get a discount on your auto insurance. Not sure what state and county you’re in or the qualifications/requirements there, but I thought I would mention it ~ maybe it’s worth some research about it. Good luck!
Lora says
Also check if your town/county/state has a deferral program. The county I live in will defer reporting your ticket if you go to court and the judge feels you’re a good risk. I still had to pay the fine but it wasn’t reported to my insurance (saving me money) and as long as I didn’t get another moving violation in a certain period of time the ticket was expunged. If I’d had another ticket both would have been reported. And funny, my ticket was also coming down a big hill!
Elizabeth Labbe-Webb says
Where I live if you can prove the officers are using the hill as a speed trap it all goes away. The hill has to have a certain grade and you need to have only been going a certain amount over the limit but I have friends who have contested and won.
Kristen says
I always think it’s sort of odd that they do this. Like, people speed ALL THE TIME all over the place. Is it really necessary to set up at the bottom of a hill?
Isa says
Or how about (for all those of you suggesting trying to get out of paying the ticket) just owning up to the fact that someone was indeed speeding, by mistake or not, and that a ticket has been righfully issued and needs to be paid? What is happening in this world that people are just more and more unable to accept consequences for their choices\actions? We are not teenagers.
A. Marie says
My speeding ticket story may be good for a laugh for everyone: I too got busted at the foot of a hill–doing 47 mph in a 30 mph zone on my way to one of our local Salvation Army stores. Guilty as charged, so I paid up without complaint. And my friends have been giggling about this ever since.
Corrine says
1. I used the green tomatoes from my garden to make salsa verde and froze it, used the rest of the red tomatoes from my garden to make tomato puree and froze it, sun-dried more cherry tomatoes from our garden, roasted a pumpkin and used the puree to make a pumpkin crisp for unexpected dinner guests
2. Picked up a pair of sneakers and a Spring coat for my son off Buy Nothing. They won’t fit him for 1-2 years, so they will go in storage. I also picked up 15 yogurt cups from Buy Nothing. They are an expensive Greek kind and so yummy!
3. Picked up a bone-in ham off Buy Nothing a couple of weeks ago. The ham fed us for 3 dinners with vegetables as sides. We then used the leftover meat to make Hawaiian pizzas. And with the bone we made a soup with regrown celery, beans, potatoes, and carrots. The soup will feed my husband and I all week for lunch.
4. We went to a pumpkin farm this weekend. I fill out a yearly survey for the farm which gives me a free ticket ($16 value). We brought snacks and water, so had no need to buy drinks or food for the kids.
5. My husband built us a shelf to store our sneakers and yoga mats next to our indoor cycling bike. It cost $10 in wood and looks great.
Kate says
1. Re-darned one of my husband’s favorite socks with yarn I got for free from a friend just for asking if she had any leftover wool yarn she wouldn’t be using.
2. Submitted a refund request from Vitacost for $28 of oatmeal. My husband eats the same brand every day and these bags were not good. The refund was approved within the hour.
3. Using up the last of a bag of bashed up tortilla chips by sprinkling them on taco bowls. They’re really good, but eating crushed chips by the spoonful isn’t my idea of a good time.
4. Managed to make it until today without turning on the heat, which is pretty good for where we live and how leaky our windows are.
Holly G says
Just cleaned out my veggie drawer because our produce box was coming. I had some older veggies, and today’s produce box revealed a lovely bunch of local carrots with tops. So I took a few minutes to clean and chop up some celery, carrots, and kale. I made 4 quart freezer bags with veggies and a good handful of carrot tops that I’ll throw in the freezer for making stock this winter. The extra kale will get tossed by the handful into soups and stews, pasta sauce, etc.
In other frugal news, I’m in the process of making a November meal plan that uses pretty much entirely freezer/pantry items though I’m sure I’ll have to buy a few things during the month, especially a turkey for the holiday, but our pantry is overstocked.
Sue W says
1. Had .30 off per gallon of gas from grocery fuel points so I waited until I was near empty to fill up.
2. Finally used part of a merchandise credit that I got back in February. I had not been back to that store since then.
3. My husband made a pork roast, potatoes, and sauerkraut in the crock pot and we got meals out of it for 3 days, plus it was soooo good!
4. Like others have mentioned, I am mostly wearing old clothes these days, trying to wear them out rather than buying new. I get satisfaction when my clothes actually get worn out and I feel like I got my money out of them.
5. I cut a tube of lotion and continued to get several extra days use out of it.
Katy in Africa says
1. I turned an old ripped skirt into multiple rags.
2. I defrosted and organized the freezer, discovering multiple bags of chicken bones. So I dumped them all in a pot and made a bunch of chicken broth.
3. I had some rice not turn out well, soo I turned it into a rice pudding type of thing for breakfasts.
4. I accepted some peanuts and corn from a friend.
Jody S. says
1. I made broth from our roosters and canned some. Then, instead of canning some more, I made a pot of soup and put some jars in the fridge for a recipe later this week. I saved money on canning lids– and time.
2. I mended my daughter’s homemade nightgown (a t-shirt sewn to a skirt).
3. I shopped in my basement for the next size for a daughter. (Mostly hand-me-downs and thrift store items.)
4. I bought a present for my husband that was on sale–and it was something he wants! (I’m really bad about picking good presents.)
5. I placed and picked up our bulk food order of flours and farina. It’s so much cheaper that way.
Linda says
I love that new window, your room will be so much more enjoyable during the low light of winter.
1. I’m knitting socks as Christmas gifts and made a pair from my yarn stash this week. 2. Pressure washed my front patio and courtyard: owning equipment means no hiring out jobs and is cheaper in the long run. 3. Bought a large organic cooked chicken that was on offer, it will make at least 7 meals for one and save me turning on the oven. 4. Canceled an online membership due to renew in October 2021, it was a bargain but not worth renewing at the regular price. 5. Took advantage of a week’s free membership to an Apple TV app and watched shows while knitting the afore mentioned socks!
Linda Sand says
I’ve been losing weight enough to need to keep buying new clothes. I just bought the next size down of my favorite ones because they are on sale now and I will need them at a time they are not likely to be on sale. ( I need a new size about every 30 pounds and I’ve lost 75 pounds so far. Yay me!)
Jody S. says
Good job! (And the corollary exclamation– I am jealous!)
Kara says
1. I just bought ice cream on sale at Lucky. Cheapest around here. My husband does not need to watch his waistline, so I buy it for him. I’m allergic, so it doesn’t tempt me!
2. I’ve been trying to do some clothes shopping online, using the many sales that there seem to be right now. It does mean a fair amount of ordering and returning, but right now, most returns seem to be free. And the ones that aren’t, I ask for free returns and they send me a label. Doesn’t hurt to ask nicely!
3. Returned unneeded pavers from our backyard project. Keeping on top of returns is not my favorite thing, but I like getting money back and stuff gone!
4. I tried making a little fabric twine bowl and it turned out very sweet! http://www.pinterest.com/pin/814096070137925429/ Another way to use the scraps!
5. Kind of a funny one, but I’m keeping up with washing the shower curtain liner. This seems to be greatly prolonging it’s life (I can’t bear them when they get too soap scummy and there seems to be a point at which I can’t get enough of it off to suit me). I’m really making an effort in the maintenance department. My husband insulated the hot water pipes under our house this last weekend. Hopefully saves a few pennies on heating water!
Lindsey says
1. The furnace people had to reschedule an appointment due to a family emergency. When they finally came, the bill showed a 20% discount because “you were so nice when we had to cancel at the last minute.” I thanked the guy and he said that I would not believe how many people scream and swear at the secretary when she has to call and change appointment times.
2. Sold a huge glass pumpkin (we are talking large enough that I could not put my arms all the way around it!) I bought about 15 years ago and enjoyed for all those years, but now I am clearing things out so I sold it for $25. The purchaser actually squealed with glee when she saw it.
3. Neighbor traded some moose for some of our well aged logs. I made jerky from the moose.
4. I, too, sold a book that had been lingering on my Amazon account for sometime. Only made $13 but I’m happy.
5. I did several mystery shops for a mailing company. I got paid for the shops, as well as the postage for my packages, so sent off all our Christmas gifts to siblings for free! (All of them were salmon we canned this summer, so they were ready to go when the shops came up.)
A. Marie says
That moose! What a jerk! (Seriously, I’ve had some venison from our local Eastern white-tailed deer jerks, and enjoyed it very much. If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em. I’d love to try moose someday, but I can imagine that it wouldn’t be financially feasible to ship it from Alaska to Upstate NY.)
Lindsey says
I wouldn’t mind sending you a few pieces of jerky, since it travels well. But I don’t want to post my email or snail mail to get in contact with you for your mailing address. If you figure out a creative way, let me know.
A. Marie says
I’ll see what I can do.
Kristen says
You have email from me, connecting you two!
Rachel R. says
Celebrating your new view! Nice neighborhood too.
Here’s my 5:
1. I was browsing on a curriculum site, and they offered me a $15 free credit in my email. Used it to purchase a $12 Atlas workbook that fits perfectly with our studies this year. There are also free downloads of music study on their website to round out a great experience.
2. This was the week of winning! I won a free item at an online pampered chef party, as well as a free t-shirt from a local pumpkin patch. My sister-in-law won a free book from the Usborne party I hosted also.
3. I hosted an Usborne party for Christmas presents, and wow did God bless us!! I got $155 in free books; 2 Aunts who ordered from our party also bought our kids books for Christmas. So we have tons new great picture books and non-fiction books coming soon! I was able to pick something for all my nieces and a nephew, which also saves the Christmas budget. Yay!
4. So this is kind of silly maybe, but I’ve gotten better at taking care of our clothes over the years so that they wear well. Like being diligent with stain spray on kid’s clothing/jackets, hang drying my work tops, insisting on play clothes/play shoes for outside play, and accepting hand me downs that aren’t exactly my style. All of this goes into play for better looking, longer lasting, more affordable wardrobe care.
5. Speaking of shoes…I waited years to come across a good sale + have room in the budget to get new sparkly light blue Toms shoes for $20. Now I’m trying to make sure the weather is friendly to them when I wear them. I just love, love, love how I feel in them. A great happiness purchase:)
WilliamB says
Your #4 is not silly at all. It’s good stewardship.
Jody S. says
My in-laws visited this weekend, and I noticed my father-in-law’s shirt looked brand new and I complimented him on it. Turns out, it’s a few years old. My mil hangs all of his clothes up instead of throwing them in the dryer.
Christine says
I don’t even have a dryer. Pretty normal here in Europe, but must sound extreme in the U.S. ;-).
kristin @ going country says
Christine: I don’t have one either. I’m in the U.S., and yes, it is considered pretty extreme here.
Ruth T says
Yay for cheap apples! Enjoy your applesauce!!
1. I’ve started shopping my freezer. This is helpful for my grocery budget (win) but also in that I’m trying to free up space to load it up with a bunch of super-on-sale turkeys in a few weeks.
2. I got snow boots for my daughter from Aldi. Not as cheap as secondhand, but the best price around and we’ve had very good success with their boots holding up well.
3. My husband drove by a greenhouse that had closed for the season and was offering the remainder of their pumpkins for free! He grabbed one for each kid since we hadn’t gotten pumpkins to carve yet.
4. I stopped by my favorite low-price produce place on our way to the zoo last Friday. I planned my side dishes for the week based on what they had on sale. (Cauliflower for $1!)
5. Our entrance to the zoo is free thanks to our membership that we get for Christmas every year, so the two littlest kids and I went to the zoo and only spent $2.25 on popcorn to reenergize them partway through. Other than that, we got free water cups while there and we packed a lunch that we ate in the van before we went in.
K D says
We’re still mostly staying home so not much exciting to report.
1. I have been making bean soups with the Instant Pot. It took me a while to get around to that. Today I am “house sitting” for my daughter while she has work done (she is at work) on her home. Before I left home I put frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot with spices, onion, green pepper, etc. and my husband shredded the meat and put it away at lunch time.
2. I met up with a couple friends on Friday. We had a physically distanced outdoor lunch. The food they tend to like is not stuff I eat. They brought their takeout and I brought my own GF lunch. I went home with three small green peppers from my friend’s garden.
3. Tomorrow I will walk with a friend I see about very week. Another outdoor activity for those of us minimizing our contact with lots of people.
4. I’m wearing clothes from previous years as there is no need to impress anyone these days (that is something I have not cared about for a long time). I did order walking shoes for old people that don’t look like they are for old people. I walk quite a bit and taking care of my feet, and knees, are a priority. The shoes happened to be on sale last week when I ordered them. If they don’t work out there is free return shipping.
5. I continue to enjoy library books in whatever format they are available: print, Over Drive, Cloud Library, audio, whatever.
Maureen says
Nothing really frugal, except making a meal plan for the week.
We ended up buying a new-to-us used car after the insurance totaled our van. It is being delivered on Thursday. We bought it on line, but they have a higher than average interest rate. I will be refinancing 2% less once all the paperwork is completed and I’m happy with the car (I can return it within 7 days if I don’t like it).
We went to a car dealer on Saturday and they refused to negotiate on a price. So we walked out. First time we ever said “we’re too far apart and will never meet.” The thing is, they had it on line at one price and wouldn’t meet that price in person. However, they did call us on Monday morning, but we had already bought the other car on line, so their loss. I think everyone can agree that no one likes car dealers!!! I realize they are doing their job and wants to get top dollar, but they are a pain to work with.
Finally got to weeding my gardens and doing more work on them. Unfortunately, I had to hire someone to help me, but I did cross 3 things off my “to do” list, so that felt good.
WilliamB says
“they had it on line at one price and wouldn’t meet that price in person”
That is illegal and is, in fact, literally a textbook case of fraud.. If they make an offer, and you’re discussing the offer in a reasonable period of time (a few days definitely counts), then they have to stand by their offer. You’d be doing the world a favor if you reported that dealership.
Anne says
I just have to say that on my list of really favorite things is red shoes. Any kind of shoes. It definitely sparks joy for me. And speaking of having lots of not really needed shoes, you should see my sandal collection, every color that I wear, and, as you know, I wear a lot of colors.
Red shoes, for the win!
WilliamB says
I can’t think of anything outstanding this week, although I’ll probably remember something right after hitting “post”.
– Continued to vary my grocery shopping between the cheap store and the store that has good produce. The cheap store now stocks organic chicken, yay.
– Getting out of the house to cheap or free museums. My norm is to pay the minimum online then donate once I get there.
– Tried using the Birds Eye lightly seasoned frozen mixed veggies that I bought just in case in March. Turns out they’re pretty good! I recommend air frying frozen veggies in place of roasting them before using. They have too many carrots relative to the other veggies but they’re definitely an option for when I’m low on produce.
– Still brown bagging to work.
Frugal Fails:
– We’ve had some produce go bad on us, time to refocus!
– Decided to buy a new mini-fridge rather than a used one from Craigslist. I’m leery of buying used electronics without a warranty.
Alison R says
We bought a piece of fully finished, rounded front edge countertop from a salvage place 8 feet long for $48 last Friday! If you’ve priced any kind of counter then you know this is a seriously good deal!! It is to become the top of my husbands new workbench. We are both thrilled!!
A. Marie says
FFT, Minor Domestic Crises Edition:
(1) I ordered my usual 80-roll case of TP from Amazon last week, and it arrived (a) a day before it was supposed to and (b) in the evening, after DH’s and my insanely early bedtime. So when I found it at 7:30 the next morning, it was soaking wet from the rain we had all night. (But, hey, at least I found it. I guess the box was too big and wet to steal.)
Fortunately, the box itself took the brunt of the moisture. I unpacked it and spread all 80 rolls all over the first floor of our house to dry, and DH’s home care aide for the day helped me put them into storage in batches as they dried. Didn’t lose a single roll. Persistence wins out.
(2) And I spread the flattened wet box out over one of my smaller garden beds, to be covered with compost in due course. This works very well as a weed control method.
(3) The tree crew that came to work on the next-door neighbor’s extensive tree damage from the Oct. 7 storm did an OK job of moving my big planters on the median between our driveways out of harm’s way–except for my ancient oak whisky half-barrel, which didn’t survive the procedure. So first I shoveled up all the dirt out of the barrel and put that onto my garden beds, and then I disassembled the barrel for kindling. The three iron hoops will go onto the curb with this week’s trash, in the hope that one of our few remaining metal pickers will stop by.
(4) The [expletive deleted] woodchucks have eaten my three curly kale plants in the back yard to ribbons. But (a) I still have two curly kales and a Tuscan kale in front where the chucks don’t (yet) venture; (b) the [also expletive deleted] deer don’t like kale; and (c) the denuded kales are making “kale sprouts” along the stalks (like Brussels sprouts, only kale). I am grabbing these the minute they’re big enough.
(5) Kudos to Kristen on the apple deal. Can’t report a price nearly that good, although I wish I could, as DH is going through apples like a motorcyclist through a flaming hoop (he is constantly hungry, and apples are one of the safest options). But I did get an 8# bag at Wegmans yesterday for $5.49 with a digital coupon.
Angie says
This week I…
1. Used $7 worth of chicken to make a huge pot of chicken and noodles. I added homegrown frozen green beans, a side of sautéed veggies and some pantry ingredients to Round out the meal. This will feed my family several lunches and dinners over the next few days making the cost super frugal.
2. Combined trips yesterday to drop my son off at school, participate in early voting, and make a weekly grocery trip to save on gas.
3. Bought milk for $2.39/gallon, 18 eggs for $1.59 and bone in chicken thighs for $0.99/pound. Grocery expense was small due to a well stocked pantry at home.
4. Cleaned out my son’s toy bins and donated those items that he no longer plays with. Why is this a frugal item? I enjoy being in my home more if it is organized and tidy.
5. My hubby finished building our end tables for the living room and we listed our old tables for sale on FB Marketplace. We used part of the funds from the sale to enjoy lunch out for our 6th anniversary. We bought freshly ground coffee and cane home to brew a pot of coffee instead of getting coffee at a coffee house. $6.34 spent will give us at least a dozen pots of coffee instead of $10 for two single drinks.
6. Ran full laundry loads, full dishwasher loads, turned off lights, kept the AC off when we could, ate leftovers.
Hope everyone has a great week!!
Julia says
“Vacation” FFT
1. We took our camper from
PA to Ohio for my nephews outdoor wedding which was on Sunday. We skipped the indoor reception. We are staying at a state park which is WAY cheaper then a hotel. We are staying three extra days to take advantage of some fun fishing and hiking (free except for the visitor fishing licenses.)
2. Prepped and packed lots of food so no need to eat out.
3. Learning about the great state of Ohio for homeschool social studies.
4. A friend is taking care of our zoo crew at home. We trade animal care with her.
5. Playing family games in the evening, using the campsite electric which is included in our stay instead of turning on our propane to heat the camper, not buying tourist trinkets, enjoying all the great stuff we were able to get for our camper either free, or cheap from FB market or thrifted.
Ruby says
1. My work office mate and I have been mournfully wishing aloud for a coffee pot, so this weekend I made a lightning fast trip through Goodwill and got one for $3.99. Sanitized it inside and out and we are good to go. This will save her the cost of a daily trip to Starbucks and keep me from falling asleep during boring Zoom meetings.
2. Had enough various leftovers to assemble freezer meal work lunches for myself this week without cooking.
3. Cut my own hair this weekend — still rocking the Pandemic Pixie cut — using an inexpensive razor comb. The replaceable blades are just double-sized razor blades.
4. Scored a $5 gift card using Fetch Rewards. Everyone in the household is now trained to bring me their receipts. We don’t buy a lot of name brands, but the few do add up over time.
5. Cleaned the inside of the oven window, which using the self-cleaning function doesn’t help on my oven, with some Dollar Tree LA Awesome degreaser spray and a razor blade scraper. It took about ten minutes to make it spotless.
Battra92 says
1.) My parents have a UPS attached to their PC and the battery died. Replacing the battery was $18. A new UPS is around $50.
2.) I like making Japanese style curry (my favorite is actually called Vermont!) but the roux is not easy to come by. I can get some from the Asian grocery store about an hour’s drive away but that’s not always convenient (especially these days.) and it’s not exactly cheap. A little flour, butter and some spices are a lot cheaper than the boxed stuff.
3.) Went to a local pumpkin festival and all it cost was the price of the pumpkins. It’s pretty boring if you’re an adult but my daughter had a lot of fun for like $10. Now we just need to carve or paint the pumpkins.
4.) Speaking of pumpkins I used homemade puree to make some pumpkin muffins for an event my wife was going to. They were apparently a hit.
5.) Working on restocking my pantry seems to be complete. It’s very nice to know that I have dozens of options available to me and all I really need to do as far as grocery shopping is to just to get produce and the like.
Kris says
Your happiness with your window makes me happy ☺️. And yay on your apple score.
Wanted to buy a new sewing machine for my daughter’s birthday. Got one on sale AND got an extra$10 off as they didn’t have any in stock and we got the floor model.
Free coffee at work–census has been crazy high at the hospital where I work, which is bad news, but I appreciate that administration tries to support us with free good quality coffee.
15% discount for being a health care worker at LL Bean. Helpful for a Christmas gift purchase.
Used discount code at Society 6 site when ordering Christmas gifts. Can you tell I’m trying to get a jump on purchasing gifts?
That’s all I can think of right now.
JD says
Mint green Converse would be calling my name, too!
1. I noticed last year that several of my cold-weather tops were worn out, stained, picked, or were gifts that just didn’t suit me. I have started the process of replacing those items, through thrift stores and ThredUp. I don’t do a capsule wardrobe, but I try to keep it to things I really like and will wear, and I have a limited color palette to make coordination easy.
2. Although our weather is unseasonably warm, after a short, unseasonably cool spell, I still haven’t turned the A/C back on. I cooked an entire meal in the oven last night (it only took 25 minutes) using open windows and a fan to keep the heat down, but I managed to keep the A/C turned off. Our night time low tomorrow is supposed to be 75 or 76, depending on the weather service you check, and muggy. Ugh.
3. I used a code to get 20% off a gift for Christmas and another code to get 20% off of office supplies for my work. I’ve seen something about Honey and have thought about using it. I think I’ll try that, since you are doing well with it.
4. I refilled my cleaner bottles with homemade solutions.
5. I have been using the line outside or my drying rack and the shower rod inside to hang up my wet laundry, instead of using the dryer.
bekahcubed says
Hooray on your apple find! I’ve just been buying up ALDI Galas whenever they go on sale for $1.49 per 3 lb bag – but I just filled the last of my quart jars (90ish total) so I’m done with applesauce for the season.
1) I’ve managed to get two more uses out of the toothpaste tube after my husband gave up. (Small wins!)
2) I haven’t bought disposable diapers all month because I’ve actually been consistently using our cloth ones.
3) The cheapie reusable coffee filter I bought at the beginning of the month is working great so we’re avoiding having to pay for disposable filters.
4) I made my own handwriting worksheets for my homeschooled kindergartener. I can put them in a page protector for extra practice with a dry erase market, so I’m saving on a curriculum and on practice paper (not that we don’t still go through PLENTY of paper)
5) The little metal mixing bowls I bought online are working great as cereal/soup bowls, so I’m anticipating great savings from not constantly replacing our bowls when the kids drop them
J. says
Hm. Most frugal this week will be expenditure still to come: many grocery items on sale that I intended to stock for winter anyway, now availalble for buy 1 get 1 free. Plus home delivered.
Also I’ve been making decorations with leaves and berries found around house and garden.
Last on my list: I borrowed a set of DVD’s from the library of a series I could’t find on our streaming subscription.
N says
–I’ve been rockin’ the coupons, sales, and Extra Bucks at CVS lately. This past week, I stocked up on cough syrup (planning ahead–I average one truly awful cold per winter), coffee, and razors for me. All of the above was $10 in place of $40.
–Further clearance scores for the Santa Stash as well as everyday life. I prefer corded headphones and will nab a pair (or three @ $1.50 each) whenever I see them on clearance. The clearance power banks ($5 instead of $30? Yes, please!) will make useful, if not thrilling, gifts for my outdoorsy younger siblings. They’re getting “fun and practical” gifts, too, but a power bank definitely falls on the practical side!
–While I was out running errands, the latch on the driver’s side door jammed so that I couldn’t close it at all. I was thankfully close to our mechanic, so I called, explained the problem, and asked if I could stop by. He came out with a can of lubricant and a screwdriver and had the latch working perfectly again within 5 seconds! No charge, just a joke about how it would be the easiest fix he’d have all day! He showed me what to do and assured me that I’d have to work to actually break the latching mechanism on my old beast, which was my main concern. I’ve already added a can of WD40 to the trunk stash just in case it happens again.
—-Summer shirts we’re swapped for their winter counterparts this weekend. It was good to see my favorite cozy things again, and anything too worn to save went to the kitchen rag bin. On a related note, I had to buy paper towels for the first time since February! We don’t hoard, we just only use them for cat hair balls and meat juices/grease.
–If there’s been a positive side of COVID, it’s the increase in online offerings from museums and other centers of learning. History nerds that we are, my husband and I have loved zooming monthly lectures from the UK for the humble sum of $6.52 U.S. dollars per lecture. It’s cheaper than a date out; we get to watch in our pajamas (six hour time difference); we’re supporting institutions we hope to visit someday; and it’s just plain neat to enjoy talks and participate in Q & A’s hosted by people whose books I own!
N says
Were, not we’re, darn it!
N says
Gah, I just realized I forgot the lecture link (spacy day)! If anyone else wishes to nerd out from afar, we’ve been patronizing the Egypt Centre’s zoom lecture series, available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-egypt-centre-26128686399
Previous lectures have also been uploaded to YouTube for free, so we’ve been spending date nights catching up on the ones we missed.
https://www.youtube.com/user/EgyptCentreSwansea
The Egypt Centre in Swansea, Wales
https://www.egypt.swan.ac.uk/
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York also has a SUPERB online collection–including FREE pdfs of many of their publications!
Barb says
1. I forgot to include this one last week. I picked up all the Neutrogena toiletries at the hotels I stayed in on the way to and from my daughter’s wedding. I got 3 shampoos, 3 conditioners, 2 body gels, 2 lotions and 3 small bars of soap. They’ve been added to my stash.
2. I found a bag of five large tomatoes on clearance for 99 cents.
3. I returned a defective item to Amazon and received a full refund of $27.95.
4. I redeemed credit card points for a $17.31 statement credit.
5. I cut open a pump container of moisturizer when it stopped working. There was a ton of lotion still in there!
Julia says
I also love the good smelling toiletries from hotels. I’m know to hound the front desk for extras each day we r there. They never say no! I particularly love the body lotions!
Jenelle says
1. My daughter’s girl scout troop hosted a trunk or treat. I needed something to easily decorate my van. I found our rebound chair (that looks like a spider web) and created a spider out of a cute headband from the dollar tree and a pair of ear muffs! Duck taped them together and added two eyes made of stickers! Easy peasy and only costed me $2. The kids don’t care, they only want candy.
2. Able to find two brand new Christmas presents for my kids on Ebay. These are things they specifically asked for. I was able to save over 50% on each of them by buying through Ebay.
3. Walked in and then right back out of a thrift store over the weekend. That never happens.
4. My daughter’s baton lessons offered a candy bar fundraiser to cover the cost of registration fees. Thankfully everyone in our area loves these candy bars and I was able to sell the entire box with no problem. Zero dollars spent for her registration fees!
5. All of the normal things that I do weekly: fill up my van with gas at Costco on the weekend, make coffee at home for work, pack lunch for work, sell on Ebay, accept free clothing donations for my family AND to sell on Ebay.
Lynda says
I woke up one morning to a seriously wet rug and a lot of water around my dishwasher. I had the phone in my hand to call the repairman but I just needed to get the model number from the side of the door. While I had my head stuck in there, I noticed that the rubber seal had come away from its track in one corner. I merely stuffed it back in carefully and presto, no more leaking. I’m calling it at least a $100 saved, maybe more. Note to self: remember to do an inspection before calling the guy!
Shelia says
Okay, Kristen, you’re pulling me away from online shopping so that’s good!!!
1. I can’t believe it but we’re on the last of the garden tomatoes this late. And I ate the last cucumber in my lunch salad yesterday.
2. My husband had prescriptions to pick up yesteday so I had him pick up a pack of chicken breasts for .99#. It was a six pound pack but we had a chicken/barley/carrot/mushroom dish last night, chicken fajitas tonight and I’ll also cook the rest for a large pot of chicken and noodles. It’s a good thing we don’t mind eating the same protein all week.
3. We also did a Krogers trip this week. I found lots of naan bread on the markdown rack. It freezes really well and we use them for small pizzas year round. I’m set for awhile.
4. We helped our daughter paint her new house last week and she fed us gourmet food from her work all week. Never have we eaten so well!!!
5. It’s been such fun watching her use every frugal skill to furnish this house. I painted a left behind desk for her to use as a vanity with a facebook marketplace ten dollar mirror and twenty dollar chair. She purchased her husband’s office desk and office seating from facebook marketplace and she’s using her great grandmother’s retro dishes as ‘good dishes’.
Frugal living does become part of their DNA. It’s so important in this consumer driven age and job insecurity.
Thanks for getting me moving, Kristen!
Julia says
I also buy the Naan bread on saje and freeze it. My son and I Also love it for lunch made into pizza.
shelia says
Julia, I even got two large naan pizza crusts on the clearance rack! I’ve never seen those before but will enjoy using them.
Hawaii Planner says
Love the window! It looks amazing in the room. Here’s my list:
1) Bought 10 avocados for $2 at a roadside stand. Of course, we were on our way to a decidedly non frugal anniversary lunch, that required a drive through farm country, but … what a deal for those avocados!
2) Had such a fantastic lunch that we skipped our planned (socially distanced, outside) anniversary dinner. Had steak, bakery dessert & nice wine at home with the kids (well, they didn’t have wine) & still skipped more. Didn’t feel like we missed out at all, as the lunch was so great.
3) Meal planned, made things at home, avoided leftovers, line dried clothes, the usual.
4) Sold & listed more stuff on eBay. Finally had a few sales pick up.
5) Sold a Halloween costume on Facebook marketplace
6) Earned a Fetch reward, and applied it to my Amazon account, plus filled out a $5 class action lawsuit form
Nancy says
Pretty frugal week. 1. No dryer in our house for 25 years.
2. Food shopping was $100, no meat but sausage. 3. Heat pump cleaned, he tilted the vent differently. What a difference in the den. 3. No oil burned. 4. Took out our winter clothing, no need to buy anything but socks. 5. Purchased some art supplies for the grandkids, babysitting today.