Five Frugal Things | a small boo to Crate and Barrel
1. I mended our bench cover (again)
I've mended this at least 2-3 times before (see this post) but after I washed it this latest time, I noticed several new mending needs.
This fabric is sort of a loose weave, which makes it prone to coming apart at the seams. I fixed a few of those spots, reinforced a couple of the ties, and zig-zagged some fraying fabric around the zipper.
I like our chairs and table:
but I gotta say, Crate and Barrel did a pretty mediocre job with these cushion covers, especially the bench cover.
Color me unimpressed.
2. I used up the WHOLE bag of cranberries
My cranberry bread recipe doesn't call for quite a whole bag, so in the past, I've put the extra berries back in the fridge and then forgotten about them until they are dried up or moldy.
So this time, I cooked up the last cup or so of berries with water and sugar to make a cranberry sauce to go on my oat meal.
That worked out just fine, but I think next time I just might try putting the whole bag of cranberries into the bread and see what happens.
3. I've been eating leftover ham with scrambled eggs
I divided and froze a lot of the ham from Thanksgiving, but I did leave some in the fridge.
The last two mornings, I've been chopping that up and eating it in scrambled eggs for breakfast. And since I have some extra jalapeños around, I've been adding those in too.
Chopped jalapeños make so many dishes more interesting!
4. I rescued one more bag of sticky marshmallows
Zoe found another bag of marshmallows that had gotten terribly sticky since I bought them.
A reader suggested storing them in the freezer to prevent this, so I'll give that a try in the future. But with this bag, which was already too far gone, I made another pan of Rice Krispy treats.
My girls had no complaints about this. 😉
5. I...
- made chicken broth with bones from the freezer
- edited my Hungry Harvest delivery to avoid getting items I won't use
- chopped, sautéed, and froze my extra celery
- cooked meatballs in oil I'd frozen from frying chicken
Not frugal, but better than the original. Use Fruity Pebbles in place of Rice Krispies. I did it on a lark when my boys were little and haven't looked back.
The girls and I were just discussing this the last time I made these. We wondered if the Fruity Pebbles might make them too sweet, since Rice Krispies are pretty unsweetened. This is not an issue?
Use browned butter for Rice Krispies. AMAZING!
We sometimes throw in 1/4 c of brown sugar in with melted butter and marshmallows. Yummy
I made a batch of treats using Cinnamon Toast Cereal and it was amazing! The cinnamon marshmellow coating made it taste like Churros.
One eighteen-pound turkey, cooked and entirely eaten in five days, including the carcass made into broth and everything. I WIN. (I dislike leftover turkey, so I consider it a major achievement to make so much of it appetizing.)
Also, we have a purple balloon in our toilet tank in place of the float that broke, which is both frugal AND amusing. And I did a whole post about it, because, well, because it's funny. 🙂
You DO win! Woohoo for you!
Kristen, I was wondering if I could freeze celery like this. Do you spread it out on a pant to freeze first?
1. We're still eating our .31 a lb. turkey. Tonight turkey pot pie and tomorrow I'll make two large turkey and stuffing casseroles. One will be for us and one for my sister that just had surgery.
2. We put our incredibly beautiful tree up. And, yes, she is frugal indeed. I was in a thrift store in spring two years ago and went past this very expensive tree and thought "That cannot be the price". I found a clerk to verify and, yep, the price was right-9 cents! And it was 25% off day so it was still 9 cents when you added in tax.
3. As empty nesters, we do a bit more modified tree than we did when the girls were small but not this year of covid and not seeing family. The huge ornament box came out and every ornament found a branch. And no money was spent.
4. I did want to brighten up the house a bit so I did purchase two pretty white lanterns with led candles and greenery at Krogers of all places. They were on sale for 4.99 each.
5. And, lastly, this could be a frugal fail but it's not. There's a reason we all are frugal. We want to save money on less important things to spend it on things that really matter. Our youngest daughter is in Korea and was in quarantine and without work for four months. She needed Christmas this year so we mailed a box as usual but crammed it with home in every corner. It cost quite a bit to ship but that's why we do this frugal thing-to be a blessing to those we love and those we don't even know.
Happy advent, everyone!
I just spread the ziplock bag out flat so that the celery pieces weren't touching each other. Once they're frozen, then you can just pick up the bag and shake it and the pieces will not stick to each other.
I sautéed the celery first, because I've heard that helps it freeze better (since less water is in the celery after sautéing)
I think the shipping cost for your daughter's box was such a wise expenditure. Good job!
Thank you, Kristen! Celery was .49 at Aldis last week so I bought two. I'll follow your advice and freeze it. That will be an easy solution for winter soups.
And I got a text in the middle of the night! Box arrived! We had a delightful morning of watching her open the box and put her gifts under her tiny tree. It is so worth every penny we spent to get that box to her early. She'll have homemade Christmas cookies and popcorn to snack on all month.
Totally love the nine cent Christmas tree. I would be telling that story for the rest of my life.
Anne, I love a good story! That alone was worth the nine cents. Thank you!!
Your Christmas tree sounds like one of the best thrift store deals ever!!!
Thank you, Ruth, but there's also the .10 couch in the basement. 🙂
1.) Diagnosed a problem with our washing machine (the cold water inlet valve) and purchased a replacement online. It should be in on Friday so I'll be installing it then.
2.) Ironically I also got a good deal on laundry detergent that I can't use until after I repair the washer.
3.) Snagged a deal on a metal 13x9 pan, made in USA and high quality and replaces a ceramic pan that took a tumble earlier this year. I do have an enameled cast iron that survived the fall but this is more for sheet cake or perhaps Detroit style pizza (I've been wanting to try that.)
4.) Instead of buying a new tree this year (which we had talked about) we put out the same old tree we bought in 2011(?) on sale at K-mart.
5.) Trying my best to not compare myself to others lately and admittedly, it's not easy. A friend of my wife and her husband just bought a house three times the size of mine. Meanwhile here I am struggling to find space for things, living under a restricted budget and I honestly don't even treat myself all that much.
But on the flip side of things, I have two paid off cars (which were purchased in cash) and a house that will be paid off 100% in the next two years. So I guess I'm doing alright.
You are rocking it! Your future self is going to thank you!
You are doing AMAZING, Battra. Paid-off cars and a soon to be paid off house are huge accomplishments.
Thanks. I just keep telling myself that once the mortgage is done that's effectively a six figure raise I'll be getting (not counting the amount I'll get when daycare spending ends.)
I blame the year and its circumstances for being a bit too stuck in the moment.
Remember, a larger house means that much more maintenance and cleaning! Your future self will be **SO** thankful for you choosing a tidy, paid off home instead of a well-meaning-but-oversized dust bunny maze.
Tidy? LOL not with my preschooler! 🙂
We had the same issue with Crate & Barrel cushions. Granted an outdoor set, but the cushions barely made it five years while the table and chairs are still going strong 20 years later. We just sit without cushions.
I buy pounds of cranberries every year and put them in my freezer. I use them mostly in smoothies throughout the year. You should give it a try. It's super good for you and you don't have to add nearly so much sweetener when you mix in other fruit.
What goes into your smoothies (in general) besides the cranberries? I am intrigued.
Good idea!!!
Two things:
1. I never thought to "preserve" celery that way. GREAT idea. A couple years ago, I could have used this tip.
2. How does your family like the bench seat you have at your dining room table?
The bench seat is super handy when you're trying to seat extra guests, particularly if they are small kids. You can fit a lot of kids on a bench!
I personally prefer the chairs, so I sit on the chair side most of the time.
Cranberries freeze really well. I usually buy them already frozen since I always cook them. They do bleed a bit in baked goods - like frozen blueberries.
I do the same. I have a recipe for turkey meatballs over noodles with cranberry sauce on top and it's nice to use the recipe throughout the year.
You can freeze celery?
I buy bags of frozen celery/onions/peppers to make soup quicker and easier!
Have you considered recovering the cushion or making a new one with more sturdy fabric?
My 5:
1. Making charitable donations today (GivingTuesday) when many organizations are getting matches. Also submitting them to my husbands employer who does matches up to $1k per year. Both will maximize the impact to our recipients.
2. Solicited dinner wishes from the family, made the meal plan and am now cooking it.
3. Sent back stitch fix items that I was so so on.
4. Carefully considered insurance stuff with our open enrollments to get the best bang for our buck without over insuring/paying. We pay a surcharge to have me covered by my husband’s plan but it is cheaper and better coverage than my options with my own employer.
5. Reaping the benefits of some holiday decor purging last year and hopefully someone else is enjoying my donations. I didn’t replace anything really, so I just simplified the decorating and storing.
I have saved so much money I don’t know what to do with it all. For example I saved over $200 by Not buying a new suit! I also saved a whole bunch by not buying shoes that I did not need.
I am thinking about going out Big Time and saving a HUGE amount of money by not buying a new car. (If I Don’t buy a Lamborghini I could be set for life!!!) This is great, except I don’t know what to do with all this money I have saved just this week alone.
Our savings rate since Covid has been astronomical.
I was having a discussion about this with someone recently. Sure there are a lot of people struggling but I'd argue there's just as many sitting on a growing pile of money because they can't spend it.
I'm in the latter category.
1. I was able to score some great new items at our Goodwill on Black Friday that are all going to be used as Christmas presents. Our Goodwill stockpiles new items and brings them out on that day.
2. My kids received gift cards for Barnes & Nobles for Halloween. We used them on Black Friday for them to each get 3 books. I was then able to treat them to a cookie at the Starbucks with a coupon printed at the Barnes & Nobles register. We RARELY go into a bookstore because we buy our books at the Goodwill so this was a complete treat for them.
3. Our local Cabela's had free pictures with Santa (who was social distanced of course) and the lady taking the pictures gave us 3 copies! I tend to talk to everyone and I felt like this lady just needed a conversation with someone.
4. We treated ourselves to a meal out at a favorite place with a $25 off coupon. Our eating out is very limited right now so this was a treat for all of us!
5. A friend of mine created little vinyl decals for me to use on some extra Christmas ornaments. They will make cut package toppers OR just be added to our pile of ornaments for our tree!
6. Prayers for some frugal fails: our garage door (that broke in Aug. and hit me in the head causing a concussion) broke again this morning. No one was hurt this time, but I don't think we can fix it again. Somehow we need to find funds for that to be fixed. Also the engine light went on in my van. We just bought it in Feb!! Your prayers are needed. Thanks.
1. Ate or froze every last bit of turkey leftovers.
2. Either my hubby or I ate all of our sides leftovers except cranberry sauce. I discovered that creating "hash browns" with stuffing and topping it with soft-boiled eggs is a mighty tasty lunch!
3. Made turkey broth with turkey carcass.
4. All coffee and tea made at home for the past several weeks
5. avoided impulse buys at Target and Kroger this week.
We add an egg to the stuffing and make waffles out of them. Our favorite way to use up sausage/mushroom/onion stuffing.
I didn't know you could freeze celery like that. Good to know as that and cilantro are the two things I struggle with worst.
I cut a little off the arms of my cilantro and store in a cup of water in my fridge (like fresh flowers). It lasts for a at least a couple of weeks!
Oops. The *stems* of my cilantro
I freeze celery, onion, green or other peppers raw. Usually I chop them first but if in a huge hurry, can do whole and chop after from frozen. I was confused about why you would cook them first before freezing, but maybe for certain recipes.
I can relate to frustration in mending items "too soon." Just because I CAN fix something, doesn't mean I WANT to do it after 1-2 washings. Ahem, towels I bought on clearance, and several of my boys t shirts or pajama tops. Sigh.
This is the first year that the turkey was just the right size. We had no leftovers, but my husband and I are using up the smoked Boston Butt my boss gave all of the employees.
1. We finally are getting our first cold weather. It was 32F this morning and may be 27F tonight. Thanks to our programmable thermostat, we don't spend as much on heating as we used to, though.
2. After the post yesterday about cyber Monday, and a cursory glance at the sales, I suddenly remembered one gift idea that might be on sale, and it was. I saved 36% over the price I had seen it at earlier in the month.
3. With the turn of the new month, I made sure to redeem $22 of Swagbucks for a $25 gift card.
4. I put together another weird collection of leftovers for my work lunch today. Weird, yes, but I'll be filled, and the leftovers will get used up.
5. This doesn't sound frugal but it is. I managed to dislodge the stubborn snake hiding in the bird feeder under the seed hopper by filling a trash can with water and dunking the entire feeder in it. After a minute underwater, the snake decided to vacate the feeder once I sat the feeder on the ground and backed off. My other option was to smash the $50 feeder because he was not leaving, I wasn't leaving him in it to catch birds and I had to get to work.
Good job you.....with the snake !!
I love frugal posts! They're my favorite because I get to see what others are doing and remember a few things I did too.
- I used coupons at the grocery store yesterday AND avoided browsing, which always cuts down on how much I spend.
- We've eaten all our turkey and like you, Kristen, I've used cranberry sauce in my oatmeal this week.
- I too amended my CSA produce box this week...I've got a plethora of quinoa (they send a grain with some boxes) and so asked for something different that I'm more likely to use. I've been using the quinoa in a really great whole wheat quinoa bread recipe though and I'll keep doing that!
- For a few nights I've really wanted takeout, but settled for making "takeout like" dishes at home since we have a ton of food here.
- Trying to use up stuff from the freezer AND put stuff in that I don't want to waste. Froze the celery for sure! Used up some chicken meatballs last night and am planning to finish off some spaghetti sauce tonight.
- Estimated on the high side for an upcoming (hopefully) website project. It's better to do that and have the price come out at something that shows my value than under pricing and NOT valuing what I do enough.
How do you freeze the celery? I always thought it got watery.
We chop celery, spread out on parchment paper, and freeze. It works great for cooking, as part of mirepoix. It does release water as it thaws/cooks, but you can easily cook it off. (Note: must use for cooking!)
If I were you, I'd be keeping my eye open for a fabric sale & just redo all the chair covers. It will be some cost up front but avoid future frustration over the poor quality originals. I'd also write a review of the Crate & Barrel table, warning future shoppers of cushion problems in their future.
MY 5 FRUGAL THINGS
1. eating Thanksgiving leftovers.
2. selling extra canning jars.
3. crafting gifts, mostly from materials I already have on hand
4.making broth from our turkey bones.
5.making mitten garland from thrifted sweaters
1. We ate every bit of a tub sized pile of Thanksgiving leftovers. It was absolutely marvelous as we had some of the Thanksgiving meal every day through Sunday. Now, I have to start cooking again. DANG!
2. We were going grocery shopping today to "stock up" but realized our refrigerator/freezer was already full and there was no place to jam anything more in. Decided not to shop.
3. We are feeding an indoor cat and two ferals, so our pet food bill is high. I compared prices on what we use and found some things were cheaper at Amazon and some things at Chewy.com, so I ordered their food respectively.
4. I'm particularly proud of this one as my weakness is new clothes. I got a $10 gift certificate from Penney's for my birthday. The catch is I have to spend $25 to use it. I realized I didn't want to spend $15 just to tell myself I saved $10. I threw the certificate away.
FFT, Massive Frugal Fail (with Five Wins) Edition:
First, the MFF: On Friday 11/20, I totaled our 2013 Prius, the newer of our two vehicles. Long story extremely short, I may or may not have had the green light going west through a downtown intersection (I honestly thought I did, but one of the half-dozen or so witnesses insisted otherwise) when I smacked into a pickup truck going south at 60 in a 30 zone (as generally agreed). Argh!!! But, in short order, here are the Five Wins:
(1) Above all else, I was uninjured. (Imagine the least useful thing for both DH and me at this point: me too disabled to take care of him!)
(2) The police officer who was first on the scene of the accident kindly drove me home after the Prius was towed away.
(3) Dr. Bestest Neighbor was kind enough to drive me to the tow yard to get the plates off the wreckage and my belongings out of it. (I was still shaking like a leaf at that point.)
(4) Liberty Mutual has made it as easy to deal with all this as possible. The Prius was ruled a total loss in record time, and I will be getting just under $13K as payment. (It was paid off and in reasonably good shape for its age, with low mileage.)
(5) And this has forced me into a decision I should have made some time ago: We no longer need to own two vehicles, now that DH can no longer drive. And a friend of the Bestest Neighbors has expressed interest in buying our other vehicle, a 2010 Honda Element. So I'll be going car-shopping in the near future. I'm leaning toward a lightly used Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV if I can find either one for love or money, but suggestions are welcome.
Oh my A. Marie! Rejoicing that you are safe and that insurance is not being a bear. Hooray for bestest neighbors and friends! Praying for grace as you look for new wheels; hope you find just the perfect ones for you and DH. Blessings!
Glad you are ok. I have only driven Honda CRVs. I would look on your next door app or Craigslist’s to see if a 1 time owner is selling. You will not regret your decision.
OH! What a frugal fail!! I was thinking you didn't use up Thanksgiving, not that you totaled your car. Glad you are physically okay.
Thanksgiving leftovers, I meant to say.
I am so glad you are okay! The mental lapse about the green light is absolutely understandable. Taking care of my mom when she had dementia and was still living at home was so stressful that I'm still surprised we didn't wind up in a ditch. It seemed like half my mind was always somewhere else in those days. (((HUGS)))
Ohhh, A. Marie, I am so sorry to hear about your car accident. But I am thankful that you are ok, and that there were mercies in the midst of the troubles.
My parents have a Toyota Rav, and LOVE it. My dad has back issues which make it more difficult to get in and out of lower cars. The Rav is just the right height that he doesn't have to climb up or get down low to get in. Has great visibility too.
Glad you are okay, and hope you find the right vehicle for you!
1. We’ve eaten all of our leftovers this week.
2. We’ve eaten every meal at home this week
3. No extra spending this week
4. Decorating for Christmas using my stash of crafting supplies, along with things we already own.
5. We buy a real tree every year, and this year we got a slightly smaller one to save money.
I made cranberry sauce using a 12oz. bag of cranberries this year, and we’ve eaten it all-mostly on our pancakes. I love the tart, slightly bitter flavor of cranberry.
1. Borrowed Outlander Season 5 from the library. And I have a couple of other series waiting for me at the library. The day Outlander premiered on TV, our cable company and Starz network split up. And I have found that PBS and Amazon Prime are charging for many of there series of interest. I refuse to pay extra for TV programming, so I'll watch the library.
2. I started the Hallmark 12 days of Christmas series--this year is 10. I had a $4 coupon and being a Hallmark "friend" I also get free shipping. I don't have to travel around to the few Hallmark stores in the area to see if they still have the ornament in stock.
3. I used my credit card points and gift cards for several gifts I bought online over the weekend.
4. I used up cheese, milk & macaroni for our family " thanksgiving" gathering on Sunday.
5. I gave up my Y membership. I have missed the regulars in the classes I used to attend but we are in the higher risk age bracket and my husband has COPD--I cannot see me exercising in a closed space with others right now. I will focus on my walks and use the treadmill in the garage.. I can make it a 2fer--watch classes/interviews online.
1. Frugal win for my parents. They are old and when I pulled out their old tree from the garage, it was obvious that bugs had gotten into it (FLORIDA!), so we went to Hobby Lobby to get a new one. HL was cleaned out, so I offered them my tree that I was not planning on putting up this year. They accepted the offer, so I crammed it in my Camry and set it up for them. Then, my brother and family came down and decorated it! And a good time was had by all!
2. Ate out and my mother in law paid! 😉
3. Going to Gainesville tomorrow for doctors for my mom and that Sam's is the only one nearby that carries 25 lbs. of bread flour, so I have a time scheduled to pick it up curbside! $7.48 for 25 lbs is a good deal!
4. Got all my youngest daughter's Christmas presents for at least 25% off, but most more than that. She lives in a TINY, studio apartment, so her requests are very specific and practical.
5. Almost bought a new devotional for Advent, but found TWO in with my Christmas books that I will use.
I made this cranberry sauce this year and it was SOOO good and I don't normally like it. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cranberry-sauce/
That recipe sounds good! I like cranberry sauce in any form but I can see how it's too bitter for some people. I added almond extract to mine this year and ohhh was that tasty! I love almond extract with sour cherries so I thought that it was worth a shot. Glad I did it.
1. Redeemed more survey points for a $20 Amazon gift card. Added it to what I already had and purchased the last 2 gifts for my daughter and son-in-law. $0 out of pocket.
2. Used a washed out plastic bagel bag to shake Chex muddy buddies in powdered sugar so I didn't waste a ziploc bag.
3. My birthday is this month, and I have started receiving the freebies I signed up for. So far, I have $5 at DSW, $5 at Kohl's, $10 and a free frozen yogurt at IKEA, and a free burger at Red Robin.
4. I remembered to use my 5% AARP discount at UPS to ship a gift.
5. I got a 99 cent bag of mandarins (this has to be at least 4 pounds) and a large loaf of Tuscan bread for $1.49 from the Kroger clearance racks.
I had to look it up to confirm my suspicions, but your Chex muddy buddies are the same as our regional “puppy chow.” I didn’t know they had another name—how cool! 🙂
My daughter requests these every year! I had to ship them and other goodies since she won't be traveling for Christmas.
It's my birthday month, too! I got the same deals you mentioned in my inbox today, too, plus a couple others. Looking forward to seeing how I can best use them.
I've never made cranberry bread before, but I think I'll give it a try sometime this month! It looks delicious!
1. Kohl's had some shirts I really like marked down to $4.99 for Black Friday, so I got some. They're the t-shirts I wear the most and I was happy to find them on sale again this year.
2. I got Kohl's cash and used it the very first day it was eligible for use.
3. Made stock from my turkey bones.
4. I got an unexpected $15 reward from Meijer and consulted my husband on which budget category needs help to figure out how it should be spent.
5. I like foam hand soap but it's more expensive, so I water down regular hand soap and it works great in my foam soap dispenser (that I reuse from a previous Bath & Body Works gift). I just refilled it this morning. Kudos to my mom for the idea.
I have been away for a medical appointment, but sold 3 things from my shop! Yay!!
Free Meyer lemons are in my car ready to take home and be made into the most delicious marmalade.
I used up the last of a travel size face wash that was from a trip 5 years ago! I think it was time!
I washed sheets and towels and froze leftovers before I left for my appointment, so it should all be fresh for returning home. A fresh house gives me great joy.
I stayed with my parents for my medical appointment. I brought a quilt with me that did not feel soft. My mother has some fancy laundry soap that does wonders and also a dryer (which I do not have). The quilt has been washed and dried and feels lovely now.
I’m going home today to start sewing the many special orders I have-and for which I’m very thankful.
A blessed December to all!
Our frugal five for this week....
1. Have eaten almost all of the leftovers from Thanksgiving. I do have cranberry sauce remaining but will use it to make a dipping sauce for eggrolls that I will make from the remaining turkey and casserole bits AND I will be using some in my banana bread recipe in place of bananas - thanks for the inspiration Kristen!
2. The bone from our ham is currently bubbling away with some pinto beans on my stove. This will make a lovely side dish for some chicken tacos I plan to make Thursday.
3. We decorated our home for Christmas using decorations we had on hand. We do purchase a real tree each year but bought from Lowe's this year instead of our usual spot saving over $100. We also brought home free greenery that is decorating our mailbox and outdoor lights along with last year's ribbon.
4. Saved 40% on a gift that my son has been requesting for some time now by ordering online from Target.
5. Used some free plywood to expand the flooring in our attic giving us more storage space. This was a double win as it gave us less clutter in the garage and more room in the attic for no money out of pocket - YAY!
1. We got a free 22 pound turkey and have managed to use it all, some by eating and some by making dishes that are now frozen for future lazy days when I don't want to cook. Made a rich turkey stock, also using up the freezer bag I keep for odds and ends of vegetables that can't be eaten, like leek and carrot tops.
2. Sold three small items, netting $60.
3. Did three mystery shops that required no contact with people, making $90.
4. My husband has lost weight and gave a box of clothing to a young large guy who works for minimum wage. This did not save us money but it cleared out space in the house, which is almost as great and a lot less trouble than trying to sell the items.
5. Traded three dozen eggs for moose meat.
Thanks for the idea of cranberry bread. We have a bag leftover and I was wondering how to use it.
What is a mystery shop?
Mystery shop companies contract with places that want to have their services evaluated. Then the mystery companies take on contract people who get an email when a job is posted and if you want the job you apply for it (meaning you say you are interested and can do it by the date requested). It is not a full time job, especially not in Alaska where there are not many franchises. The job board tells you the task, the amount they will pay you, the due date, and, if you required to buy a product or service, how much they will reimburse you. So, this week I could have had my oil changed for free plus made $20, had my eyebrows threaded for free plus made $10, evaluated gas stations and been paid plus got a certain amount of gas for free...you get the idea. Some weeks I do no shops, other weeks a shop a day. They can take 15 minutes to an hour, like when you do an audit of a cell phone shop where you have to check inventory and whether employees are following privacy guidelines on their computer. Lately there have been a lot of shops where you evaluate if the employees are following Covid safety protocols or how their curbside delivery is being handled. The pay and reimbursement for things like gas are not huge but they add up. Last year I think it was over $1000 I made doing them and right now I am at about $900 for this year. It is pin money, not enough to live on. There are shops that require certain qualifications, like you have to have a checking account to evaluate the service at a certain bank, or you have to be a certain sex (like to have eyebrows threaded) or age (like you can't evaluate motorcycle places if you are really are too old to be a serious rider or are not fit enough to lift you leg over and sit on the seat, or if they are evaluating if a place is selling cigs to a minor, you have to be just over the legal age so that you could pass for a teen).
I did these for a while, but ended up feeling like I wasn't making enough to make it worthwhile after I figured out my time, mileage, etc. But it was interesting and might make sense for someone else. I did it for MarketForce and another that I've forgotten.
It does depend on the shop. This week, for example, I had to order something on line and then go to the store and see how long it took them to bring the item out. I was paid $25 plus got to keep the item. I was driving by the store anyway, so no extra gas used. My total time was bout 15 minutes. So, worth it for me. And when I got a Paypal deposit of $260 yesterday for 11 shops last month, it was worth it. And a free oil change... But there are certainly shops I would never bid on.
1. Last week I finally had time to repost some items I wanted to sell on FB and had buyers for several bigger items! So glad to get them out of the house AND make a little money.
2. Volunteered to work on Thanksgiving and the day after (we got holiday pay on Thanksgiving, plus a free lunch at the hospital). I did this as my husband took the whole week off from work and we did family things together earlier in the week. Plus we made the decision not to see family in person as all of us are either at school in-person or working outside the home right now. So it was a pretty low-key Thanksgiving.
3. Went on a hike through a local park with the family, and saw only one other group of people there. Had a lovely time with beautiful weather, saw some deer (!) and packed a picnic lunch to eat afterwards. The non-frugal part came after as we then took the kids go-carting, but they enjoyed it and it was something my husband had promised them for several months now.
4. Ordered some gift cards using credit card rewards as upcoming Christmas gifts for my kids' teachers and bus driver. Will pair with some chocolates I bought in bulk/sale from Costco as a thank you for all their hard work in making in-person school as safe and normal as possible for the kids this fall.
5. Took advantage of black Friday sales to buy my MIL's Christmas gifts and her gifts to the kids. Since we will not see her in person for Christmas, I found the best deals on items the kids wanted and saved her money/shipping costs and having to go out to buy them, since she is immuno-compromised. She'll send me the money later.
I always use half a bag of cranberries in each loaf of your cranberry bread recipe. I've never really measured them, but did think a whole bag was more than it called for. It's perfectly satisfactory that way, though I'm sure it would be delicious with a whole bag, too!
Kristen, you may have to get crafty and completely remake that cushion in some sturdier fabric.
1. Found yet more loose change in the washer. It's all MINE, since whoever left their clothes in there didn't move them over to the dryer in a timely manner. 😀
2. Plated up the Thanksgiving leftovers and made five lunch entrees to take to work this week. Delicious and it cleaned out the fridge.
3. Discarded work snacks this week were individually packaged chocolate chip cookies. I tried one and they were not very good, but my son loves them. I took them home to him.
4. The special occasion coconut layer cake I make does not use quite an entire bag of shredded coconut. I consolidated three partial bags and popped it in the freezer for a future cake.
5. Saved another of my son's pairs of sweatpants from the rag bag with elastic replacement. It's a bit tedious deconstructing the old waistband to accept new elastic, but the garment is otherwise still good and he's happy.
1. My husband bought a switch for a burner on our stove, and my 16-year-old fixed it for me.
2. Turkey leftovers nearly finished.
3. We had been given a bunch of produce which included some random things. I roasted a bunch of it on a cookie sheet last evening for supper instead of letting sit in the fridge and rot while I waited to come up with the perfect recipe.
4. I helped my sons and husband put away the venison from the hunt; chili with the heart is currently cooking for supper.
5. I picked a book off of our bookshelf for our next read-aloud instead of ordering a new one from Amazon. This really isn't a big win because I don't ever do that, but I feel compelled to come up with 5 frugal things, and that's what popped into my head. (I also did all the other normal things. . . .coffee and tea at home, mended something, cooked all meals from scratch--all credit to my husband who didn't bring home fast-food burgers when I begged him to.)
#5 made me laugh -- I, too, feel like I need to have 5 things, so I start scrounging around to find 5 things.
Hmm...your cranberries got me wondering. Has anyone ever tried adding them to a smoothie? With a spoon of honey to offset the tartness?
My five:
1. Getting inspiration from frugal blogs. This really does help me save!
2. Scouring online to find new calendars for 2021. I think I might have found the best deals on an outlet site.
3. Still making do with all my old and well loved clothes.
4. Enjoyed a lovely homemade hot chocolate today. Am thinking of splurging and buying coconut whipped cream to top them. It'll feel coffee shop special, at a still much lower cost.
5. Watching shows on YouTube for free. I am a sucker for British shows. I love Escape to the Country and just started watching Hunted.
They have cranberry smoothies at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, I haven't tried one, but they list the ingredients on the website.
Me!! I keep a bag of frozen cranberries in the freezer and throw a handful in my smoothie every day. Great boost of vitamin C and the berries are always on sale after the holiday. Win win 🙂
1. Ate Thanksgiving leftovers.
2. Accepted 3 boxes of free books and paper.
3. We will reuse our same Christmas tree we bought 3 years ago.
4. Husband has done his own work on our truck, keeping it going until we can buy another one soon.
5. I reused some laundry water to mop the bathroom.
1. Picked up a pair of snow pants for my son off Buy Nothing, so he can have a pair for school. I paid nothing for snow gear for my kids this year by joining Buy Nothing. I also gave away some items on Buy Nothing this week.
2. Our neighbor gave us 2 huge mums that I planted in my garden. We will see if they come back next year.
3. Found a perfectly good pie pumpkin in someone's leaf pile at their curb. Roasted and pureed the pumpkin for pumpkin pancakes. Then roasted the seeds for snacks.
3. Made a huge pot of turkey soup using our turkey carcass. We made cheese paninis to go with it, which fed our family of 4 for 3 dinners.
4. I nade another batch of deodorant, which will last me about 3-4 months. I figure I spend a couple of dollars on ingredients to make deodorant each year and it is much better for my body. I also made another batch of laundry detergent.
Turkey from Thanksgiving became:
Turkey soup
Turkey shepherds pie
Turkey pastry puffs
Mashed potato from Thanksgiving became:
Topping for shepherds pie
Part of fish cakes
Cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving became:
Cranberry vinaigrette dressing
Cranberry bread and muffins
Oatmeal topping
I loathe wasting food!!
You are doing an amazing job. Woohoo!
1. Add dried cranberries to your Waldorf salad. Add pecans. 2. Go for 2 short walks a day if you are not feeling well. 3. Visit elderly masked...distanced...bring your own coffee in a mug. 4. Clean one closet at a time...haul stuff to thrift store. Enlist a friend to help do each one. 5. Have a tiny tree if you are stressed this year and bake cookies
I have nothing frugal to share 🙂 But, I came here to say thank you for reminding me of your cranberry bread recipe!
I've made it a number of times in the past and I love it. PLUS I have a bag of cranberries that I nearly tossed. So cranberry bread it is tomorrow!
You can just freeze your cranberries. I buy extra bags and just toss them in the freezer so I can make my husband’s favorite jello salad in the middle of the summer.
If you opt to recover the bench cushion check out painter's drop cloths from your local big box or hardware store. They're terrific! Linen/cotton blend, machine washable and hard wearing. They come in wide widths and sew easily. Just be sure to prewash them in hot water to get any shrinkage out of the way.
My son's fiance wants a baby yoda for Christmas, and my son suggested my other son would like one as well. I am using yarn I already have to make both of them. Hopefully it is not critical that the clothes are a certain color.
They are so fun to make. I made a few as well!
1. I stored veggie scraps in a freezer bag since October and used them with my turkey carcass to make and freeze A LOT of stock!
2. Only bought toilet paper ( BOGO Free shipping) on cyber Monday.
3. Walked my dog for exercise.
4. Shopped and cooked from home.
5. Drove literally nowhere in last eight days. Saved on gas.
1. DS has gotten taller and needed new pants. Since we aren’t going anywhere for the next few months (he is home schooled) I looked on line for some cheap sweat pants. I found really nice ones in the Fruit of the Loom site. Free shipping with $45 purchase. For $45 I got DS four pair of fleece sweat pants and a top and also 2 pair fleece pants for DH. They love the pants and I’m also pretty impressed with them for about $6.30 each. They have nice deep pockets, the outside is like a normal sweat pant the inside is soft fleece. Perfect for hanging out at home! They are true to size.
2. Thanksgiving was just the three of us so I made a roasted chicken instead of turkey. I made tons of sides and didn’t have to cook for days!
3. My microwave died Thanksgiving night (arg) but a dear friend gave me her extra one.
4. Chickens are still laying eggs and we hatched a few chicks to add to the chicken house.
5. Roasting, pureeing and freezing fall pumpkins and squash. Made a killer butternut squash soup the other day. So yummy.
1. I froze my turkey carcass to make more homemade bone broth.
2. I saved my vegetable scraps to go with the carcass when I make the broth.
3. I mended a pillow.
4. I cleaned under one of our bathroom sinks and found various samples my allergist gave me for my eczema. So I have been using items up that have been hanging around for a long time.
5. Bought my twin grandsons a Little Tikes toy box for Christmas from Facebook Marketplace for $30.00. I did a Google search and they sell for $94.21.
My five frugal things this week:
1. Black Friday deals at Hobby Lobby, Bath & Body Works and Joann Fabrics.
2. Cyber Monday Deals on the last of the Christmas list items. Feels great to be DONE.
3. Wrapped presents in paper I purchased for .33 cents a roll last year and recycled decorative bags finished off with pre-used tissue paper I flattened and ironed.
4. Made 4 containers of stock from our leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones.
5. Saved and froze all the Thanksgiving vegetable ends and peelings to make vegetable stock.
1. Went to Value Village on Tuesday (senior discount of 30%) and got a couple of very nearly new jacket/shirts for my husband for Christmas -- he want ones he could wear over knit tops that had pockets, which these did, and one was $11, the other was $9.49. I've hanke3.2 ring for a long sleeve white light linen overshirt for myself and found one -- I don't think it's ever been worn -- for under $10. I've also wanted winter pajama pants with pockets and found a pair for $3 that had never been worn. Even paying tax, I left only $26.45 in the store!
2. Made a nice black bean soup with a ham end, celery growing in my window, my own canned stock and dried green, and some reduced produce.
3. Got a 128 GB USB stick for supplemental storage for my Chromebook at less than half price (Black Friday deal with Staples).
4. Ordered a discounted USB hub for my husband for Christmas at Amazon.
5. Made all sorts of toiletry stuff for my son and daughter-in-law for Christmas (a tradition now).
I have the same problem with cranberries -- will have to try the oatmeal topping
1. Dragged self home tiredly last night and resisted Husband's offer of Pollo Loco for dinner and pulled out 2 cans of salmon, nuked a potato, nuked the broccoli and called it good. It was close, not gonna lie.
2. Although we went up the coast for 2 days during Thanksgiving week, we brought our breakfast, lunch, and snack foods and only bought 2 dinners and one lunch. We chose a reasonable motel and got right back on track when we got home with a frozen pizza for dinner. Eating in every day since.
3. Dove into drawers of old clothes only to finds jeans I have no memory of buying that FIT! It totally solved my wardrobe issues. I don't think I need to buy anything except another pair of the wonderful sneakers that have made life worth living. Checking DSW for deals, etc.
4. Found a quarter in the moonlight while walking.
5. Using a $10 ECB reward to buy some dishwasher detergent pods. I almost didn't know I had these so I need to check CVS more frequently
1. Mended my husband's favorite hooded sweatshirt so he can snuggle up in it again.
2. Finally made stock from the big bag of chicken bones and veggie scraps in the freezer.
3. Froze portions of stuffing and peas and carrots with sliced turkey on top to save the Thanksgiving leftovers for future meals.
4. Got a good deal on fragrance free Aveeno body wash. This stuff is pricey but it's the only wash that doesn't break me out in hives or cause severe flaky dry skin in the winter. Buy one get one half off and 30% off the whole order on top of that! Glad I waited for a sale.
5. Also traded Thanksgiving leftovers with my brother since we chose to not risk celebrating in person together. He will help us use up the rest of our leftovers and we got lots of homemade cranberry sauce, half an apple pie, corn muffins, chocolates, and some beef stew for a future dinner in return (The apple pie never made it to our freezer...it was too tasty!)
1. When hiding Christmas presents on the top of my temporary closet (that is now going on year ten...partially out of frugality and partially out of laziness) the whole shebang started to collapse from the weight of a zillion maternity jeans that I have saved "just in case." Rather than buy a new closet, I took all the jeans down off the top and rearranged them in a column in the middle of the closet instead. That column of pants might actually be load bearing at this point! I do need a new closet, but at least I can put it off just a bit longer.
2. Froze leftover turkey gravy in 1/3 sized portions on a cookie sheet to add to future meals for a flavor boost. It totally looks like I froze six little piles of dog poop, but they will taste good in soup, plus you have to get your laughs somewhere these days.
3. Made granola from scratch using your recipe! Thanks!!!
4. Decorated the house using only decorations we had squirreled away and even used our yucky fake tree instead of buying a live one. The farm we usually go to didn't have trees this year, so I sucked it up and added extra lights and ornaments to the falsie and managed to make it look passably like a tree instead of a glorified scrub brush.
5. Convinced my husband that leftover roasted radishes would taste good mixed with cheese tortellini for dinner. Turns out the combo actually was delicious and we ate less tortellini, so the bag will stretch longer.
Happy frugal holidays everyone!
Darn...frugal fail: burnt the bottom of the granola while I typed up my FFT list...will I feed it to my children anyway? Yeah, so instead of my closet holding up my pants, my pants are currently holding up my closet...so of course I will feed my children slightly burnt granola! I shall call it "pan-seared granola" and they will think it's gourmet. Ha! Creative frugality for the win!
My Aunt taught me that anytime you mess up a dish just call it gourmet!
Haha! Yes! This!
totally making me laugh -- the load-bearing pants and the six little piles and the pan-seared granola -- it's all about the rebranding 😉
Made berry muffins with frozen wild black raspberries we picked in the backyard this summer.
Made a homemade birthday card instead of buying one.
Hubby won a free fish fry from a local radio station.
Made turkey stock with the thanksgiving turkey bones & onion scraps.
Made and froze a bunch of parsley pesto with the rest of the parsley in my garden.
We have almost the exact same table from Pottery Barn, but chairs all around. The cushions are also not great. Sidenote for me, cream cushions in a dining room with young kids was a terrible decision. 😉
Frugal wins for the week:
1) Decorated our house with the same tree, ornaments, and mantle lights/candles as we have for years. We like the memories & traditions, but also don't want to spend a lot
2) Found useful gifts for the kids, plus a few fun things. Stayed within budget.
3) All meals made at home
4) Earned grocery store rewards by buying gift cards we needed at the store.
5) Continue to list & sell things on eBay. It's not making me rich, but it gets things out of the house
So true about the cream cushions! We bought this set when our kids were all past the young kid stage, mercifully. When the kids were small, we had a cheap set with nothing fabric on it at all. Little kids are just so messy with the food!
1) I contacted my bank about a $7 maintenance fee, and got it reversed. Perks of small town banking.
2) I found some really good grocery deals at a small hole-in-the-wall place.
3) I was able to sign up for dental cleanings for my husband and I over Christmas break. The dentist was closed for a long time due to Covid and I missed our last appt, so we are long overdue and I was thankful to to get in.
4) It has been cooler, which means I am taking longer walks, which = more exercise, which = (hopefully) better health.
5) I am filling up our Christmas break calendar with (mostly) free activities. It is the first year that we will not be with our kids, and that is going to be harder than I thought it would be. I am trying to fill the days without breaking the bank.
Mine is non frugal in a frugal long term kind of way. Kitchen light died and rather than search for parts & the plastic on it was cracked I opted to buy an expensive Kichler it met my requirements that you could simply change the bulbs once one was out! All of the newer, brighter & larger kitchen lights are now the built in led, once it dies you replace that whole fixture. I do not understand why that is all you can find. The kitchen has 1 small window, is on the west side so the kitchen light is on almost 100% of the time we are home. So few 4 bulb fixtures that are not chandelier style. Score that I found it for $60 off at Lowes.
Another non frugal but will be frugal in the long run, power company said they would not cut the large limb hanging on our power line. They will fix if it breaks the line down. Makes perfect sense. We are getting prices on having a company just drop the limb. Nothing else. We can clean it up. Will be less of a hassle in the long run.
Living the covid lifestyle we ordered spare bulbs for some of our Christmas string lights, we will go thru one by one and fix them. Our older non led lights are workhorses, old and keep working with a couple lights out. The new Xmas led we got from Home Depot absolute garbage, we have had them up 2 weeks and already have sections out.
The comment on Becca having her pants hold her closet up is too funny ha ha ha ha ha.
I love long-term frugal wins! I will happily pay more in the moment if it will save me money in the long run.