1. I bought some name-brand gluten-free pretzels on sale
There are a number of specialty gluten-free brands out there, but some mainstream manufacturers sell gluten-free items too and those seem to be cheaper than the specialty brands.
So, I bought three bags of name brand gluten-free pretzels for Sonia.
They’re still more expensive than regular pretzels, but happily, only Sonia needs to eat the gluten-free ones.
(She’s on a temporary low FODMAP diet.)
The gluten-free name brand Oreos are pretty good too, and fairly affordable if they are on sale.
Of course, the cheapest thing to do is to eat normal foods that are naturally gluten free. But sometimes you DO want a pretzel or a cookie, you know?
2. I bought some marked-down organic chicken
I had to go to Harris Teeter to buy a few things, and I found some air-chilled, organic chicken leg quarters that were marked down.
I didn’t happen to need them for this week’s menu, but I just put the two packages in the freezer and I’ll get them out another week to make smoked chicken on the grill.
3. I used a $15 discount + a sale
I hadn’t shopped at Victoria’s Secret in eons, but they sent me an updated credit card and a $15 off any purchase coupon.
So, I used it in combo with a sale on some simple basics, which ended up being a pretty good deal.
4. I shipped out two eBay packages
One of them was the last ink cartridge from our old printer; I’m happy it’s going to be used by someone who needs it! And I got a few dollars in my pocket to boot.
(We upgraded to a printer that has huge refillable ink tanks. Way, way cheaper per printed page!)
The other sale was a book; slowly but surely that huge stack of books I listed are selling, and my bookshelf is getting emptier and emptier.
Here’s how I sell books on eBay.
5. Mr. FG got the generator running again, for $0
During an ice storm this winter, we discovered that our generator didn’t want to turn on. Ours is a fairly small one, but still, it’s worth $1100, which means it is for sure worth fixing.
(This is the generator we own.)
Mr. FG did a bunch of trouble-shooting, ordered a few new parts, and then discovered that the problem was just a clog that needed to be cleaned out. Yay!
We are probably past any winter power outages now, but it’s good to have the generator working in case we lose power in the summer. That way, we can keep the freezer and fridge cold and also get connected to the internet.
lisa says
Berh- nice job on the scholarship! We fill out scholarships as son is a college junior now. Sometimes we win….
Nola- I wish I had your skills! Canning and drying are very valuable, imo.
Nothing major to report as far as frugality…Small stuff this week..
1) Earned a $5 GC to Target and got saline solution.
2) Found 93/7 ground beef on clearance for under $5/lb.
3) I had stockpiled canned goods/boxed items/TP months ago and am using it now as I have quite a bit….
4)Purchased new sneakers online for $25 + shipping. I slipped in a pair of gel inserts from the ratty ones and they feel so good…..
5) I’ve been baking french bread, muffins, pancakes from my stocked supplies….When I get home, I’ll make more muffins. .I crave those things.
Frugal fails-
1) the dishwasher blew up and water was pouring through the ceiling and into the basement while the kitchen flooded. Finding a new one under $500 was impossible. But we were able to get a new one the next day with their delivery schedule. Otherwise, other stores needed 2 weeks to deliver. yikes
2) I know I can’t do anything about this (except write a appeal letter. We tried. They didn’t go for it) Our property taxes have doubled. Yes. As in 100% increase.
3) Another thing we can’t change is that our long term care insurance went up 40%. Now, I’m glad to own LTC insurance but it has gone up every year and in some cases, twice a year!!
Tracey says
Here’s our five frugal things for the week:
1. I am using fabric scraps from leftover quilting projects to make a friend a quilt for Christmas. It costs me nothing but my time because the main parts I already have on hand. I am also planning to “Frankenquilt” leftover strips of batting together for the inside. I used a gift card to my local quilt shop I received at Christmas time to pick up some neutral ivory fabric to use for the sashing, border and backing.
2. Using some lovely brown tweed yarn I picked up for 60% off to knit a warm henley-style sweater for my hubby. Our anniversary is at the end of the month so I am hoping to have it done by then. It will be a challenge as I can only work on it after he goes to bed. It may be a birthday present instead!
3. Pantry, fridge and freezer eating down pandemic overstock?
4. Popcorn is my snaking go-to. Like we eat it almost every night. I purchased a glass and silicone microwave popcorn popping bowl that usilizes regular popcorn. No prepackaged corn, no oil, no preservatives. Love it.
5. Dug into the mending basket and repaired a couple of clothing items. It’s amazing what I found in that basket!
Midwest Beth says
1. Excited the school my daughter is leaning towards is offering her $35 K a year in scholarships; still waiting to hear from one other university if she was selected for a full ride scholarship she is competing for.
2. Deadlines are starting to loom for scholarship applications for my daughter; I’m helping her fill in forms online, request required transcripts etc., as she is struggling with school paper deadlines etc. Love the IB Diploma Programme but it is really stressing the HS kids out who are participating in it – so hard to do online. Her class went from 16 to 10 as six dropped the program.
3. Received $15 from Meijer for charging over $500 through a promotion. All charges were within my planned budget and I always pay my credit cards off each month. Additionally I received another $10 Meijer check at the bottom of my statement as part of the rewards program.
4. Stopped at Bath and Body to redeem my free item coupon. Gave the woman next to me my 20 percent off coupon. I love to do that, fun to see other people’s reactions and make them smile.
5. This is my daughter and my birthday month, looking forward to our birthday rewards. Really helps make it fun and extends throughout the entire month.
6. Gulp- had a $400 plus bill for the dog at the vets. Turned in my $11 credit for the dogs allergy pills, every little bit helps! Did request a two month prescription for the dogs meds to cut down on trips to get the medication.
Julia says
How do you sign up for the Bath and Body coupons?
Laura says
Have them add your email address next time you make a purchase.
Meghan says
I try to do frugal wins when I can but it barely happens. HOWEVER, last week, my son pulled the lid off of our washer to put wash in. I was behind the washer & something hit me on the foot. Here it was the plastic handle that is in the lid. Without this piece, the basin is exposed & water will not run…if it did, my kitchen would be sprayed with water.
I thought, great, I have to buy a washer. Mine is 14 years old & I got it at Sears Scratch & Dent.
Well my stepfather to the rescue, he went out & got 2 different kinds of glue, glued it & then tied rope around it to keep it down. The next morning, he took the rope off & viola…fixed! Saving me oodles of money & he wouldn’t take the money for the glue.
Gotta love a good step daddy!
Brandon says
My washer quit spinning or something. My went to the local Maytag dealer and the man showed him how to fix it. Problem solved
NolaSara says
I have never done the five frugal, but was inspired today! We have had a very busy week in our house. It’s spring time where I live and makes you want to get busy.
1. We also had our generator serviced for $0. It is still within warranty and a yearly service is included. I live in the New Orleans area and hurricane season will be here sooner than I would like and a generator is basically a necessity.
2. My husband is a hunter and did well this season. This year we opted to spend $50 on a meat grinder attachment for my kitchenaid and processed the meat ourselves. So much cheaper than bringing it to a butcher to process and we know exactly what is going in our meat. And now my freezer is very well stocked with a variety of deer meat prepared and packaged and ready to be used. This will be our main meat source for the majority of the year.
3. This may be part 2 to the previous one, but we also used herbs I had grown and dried to season the deer meat we processed ourselves.
4. I mended 2 pairs of pants. One pair of mine and one for my daughter. I would not consider myself a seamstress, but they turned out just fine.
5. I trimmed my 7 year old daughters hair. I have always been petrified to do this, but decided to try. She has long hair and just needed the split ends to be trimmed off. Shockingly simple and turned out great.
6. Am I allowed to have 6? We have used all of the tomato sauce we jarred from last years tomatoes we grew in a small raised bed. Just in time to plant new ones!!
I am amazed at how much joy we have found in being simple at home during this pandemic. While the pandemic has been tragic and has devastated our small business that we own, we have to look at the good. And thankfully, business is lookinf up. God is good if we just look to see it.
Colleen says
I have found using the apps from kroger &walmart great for checking nutrition &prices on items. We r on salt restricted diets so I have to know if we can eat it before I buy it
T. I was amazed at how many items kroger was cheaper on
Emily says
I love the note about the gluten free things. It is just me but I am totally gluten free and sometimes you do just want a treat but I struggle to pay the $$ exorbant prices for things that are GF. If anyone has any gluten free budget advice I’m all ears.
Andrea says
Do you bake? There are lots of gluten free flour blends that taste just as good when made into delicious treats. You could try making batches of things that freeze well – cookies, muffins, brownies – to have on hand. While GF flour is definitely more than regular it might be cheaper to make your own treats. And could help prevent those impulse buys if you already have something at home.
Sabrina says
Kristen, you could probably make gluten free Chex mix with Chex cereal, the GF pretzels and gluten free soy sauce etc.
Also the sweet Chex mix I make for my sons school…vanilla Chex, cinnamon Chex and m & m’s…
priskill says
Spending the last week or so visiting with daughter and helping her tie up loose ends = not our finest hour. But — we did better than usual :
1. Even though we ate out more than our usual once a week (since COVID), we did bring soups and salads to share a couple nights and I ate my salads early a couple nights so we only had to order for 2.
2. Dashed into Ralphs for some cream for my at-school coffee and saw my favorite “Woohoo
stickers” (now reduced to “Reduced” — boring but still = savings). Grabbed Taco seasoned ground turkey for $1.99/lb. and some low carb WW tortillas for — Taco Wednesday! Should give us 2 nights of 2 servings plus the discounted salads I have to use up. The tortillas were not cheap — 8/$3.99 but I figure the final per serving cost, including avocadoes and bell peppers bought on sale to be $2.25/serving IF we get it lasts 2 nights for 2 people.. Of course,hungry, it might only stretch to tonight
3. My lovely daughter gave us a bunch of food and stuff she was ditching, although I tried not to hoard!. A lot of stuff went to goodwill and the curb — no time to sell or even put on a freecycle site. But since her area is full of the young and the mobile much scavenging went on and most things were happily recycled. She also gave so much stuff to friends. I just heart her.
4. My favorite — she knows I love finding small change so she gave me a baggie full of pennies, nickels and dimes that she didn’t want to deal with. Much delight
Katy in Africa says
1. I ordered school books and did multiple things to save $.
– One set of math books I bought used saving roughly $10.
– One set of math books is a hand me down from my older child to my younger.$75 savings
– My kids will share a test book in History this year (simply write answers in a separate notebook) $12 savings
– Science and English I found cheaper using a different site. $20 savings
– I searched for a coupon code and finally got one that worked. $8 savings
2. I cooked and froze beans and put some other beans on to soak.
3. I bought a pair of used leggings for my daughter. Here people buy big bundles of used clothes from other countries. The leggings had a Value Village tag for $3.99. I bought them for about $3. Also… She got a hole in them the very first wear. Any legging stitch tips?
4. I swished some water in my hair conditioner bottle to get more out.
5. We ate mostly leftovers for supper.
Tracey says
Hi Katy. There are a few ways to fix the leggings. Here’s a link to the method I prefer to use on stretch fabrics. Good luck!
https://www.zerowastelife.co.uk/our-blog-home/2019/4/12/how-to-darn-a-hole
Kara says
Just a note, the marshmallows in rice crispie treats are gluten free but they are not low FODMAP. It is super tricky when there are multiple diets overlapping! Ask me how I know!
Kristen says
Oh, that’s weird! When I googled, I found info saying marshmallows are ok to eat: https://www.fodmapeveryday.com/recipes/cappuccino-rice-crispy-treats/
But man, I have found that there is a lot of conflicting information out there about what is and is not allowed on a low FODMAP diet. Like, I have three books from the library about it, and there is differing information in those three books. Sigh.
Kara says
It is really hard. You have all my sympathy. I’ve done that diet for myself and for my daughter at different times. Corn syrup is on the ‘no’ list, that’s what makes the marshmallows a no. I have found it easier to look at individual ingredients instead of for the allowability of an item (like marshmallows) that is made up of many things.
I believe doctors at Stanford developed the FODMAP diet, and that is where we took our daughter. Here is a link to the list from them. I really like it.
http://www.shayahealth.com/resources/Stanford-University-Low-FODMAP-Diet-Handout.pdf.pdf
Becca says
Nothing too terribly exciting this week:
1. Ate all meals at home.
2. Sourced proteins from freezer or pantry.
3. Had several meatless or meatlight meals.
4. Opened curtains for natural light instead of using light fixtures during the day.
5. Enjoyed the slightly warmer weather lately.
The usual stuff that we always do is not very exciting when I list it out, but I think it’s the little things that add up over time.
Katy in Africa says
Yes! The daily things add up!
Cathy in NJ says
1. Health Insurance raised the cost of my script. I called and found I could save money by using mail order so the rep signed me up. It was much easier than I thought.
2. I patched my DH Levis so the jeans live on.
3. Made a matcha lemon mint tea at home for DD and she loved it.
4. Lunches at home, dinners at home, minimal outings.
5. Donated items to friends and Goodwill which keeps my small home square footage under control. A comfortable small home keeps the thoughts of needing more space away.
Andrea says
I had an accidentally frugal thing. My eye doctor’s office called me to suggest I push back my appointment a few weeks because it was scheduled a little to early for my insurance to cover a routine exam. Not sure how much it saved but I’m sure it was a decent amount!
My mom and sister both have celiac disease so I’ve been cooking/baking/eating gluten free things for a while now. The options available have gotten so much better since they were diagnosed, especially the flour blends. We tried some pretty rough tasting food at the beginning! I also have a nephew with a dairy allergy, and navigating both restrictions can be difficult. When we all get together, we try to make as much food as possible that everyone can eat, even if it does end up being more expensive. It has gotten much easier with time though!
Faith says
My Aldi has gluten free Oreos this week on the special aisle.
Tricia says
1) I was able to get a restaurant mystery shop in now that they are *finally* open in the evenings again. Yum.
2) A coworker gave us a can of sloppy joe sauce, which I haven’t had in ages. I made them and they lasted 2 meals. It was a nostalgic treat for me…ha.
3) I was able to book 2 free tickets from Hong Kong to the US this summer using points. Hopefully, the flight will actually go!
4) I signed up for a Southwest credit card which is offering a free companion pass until Feb 2022. This is such a HUGE benefit….BOGO flights for almost a whole year. Looking forward to doing some cheap travel when (if??) we open up again.
5) A student gave my husband some homemade cookies, and it made me think back and appreciate all the teacher gifts over the years.
Becca says
Completed a frugal February where the only purchases we made were non alcohol grocery purchases.
Made homemade granola to go with two big containers of yogurt I got on clearance.
Got a bunch of sausages and snacks on 50% discount at the cheap grocery store that is further away from my house. Normally I don’t find any useful dry goods on clearance because we mostly cook from scratch but today they had pita chips, cinnamon Chex cereal, and canned pineapple for way cheap. These are things we actually use so I bought a whole cart full. Also got some discounted fancy imported cookies to put in my kiddos’ Easter baskets.
Went to Target to pick up my husband’s scripts and didn’t buy ANYTHING extra. Didn’t even get a cart or a basket just walked in and out. At Target!
Trimmed my own bangs instead of going to the salon.
Hawaii Planner says
My husband avoids gluten due to a food allergy, and I’ll just second the recommendation for the Trader Joe’s sesame rice crackers. They are fantastic & more popular with the kids than regular crackers.
1) I used grocery store rewards ($14) for a fill in stop. Remembered to upload my receipt to iBotta for $.10 off, and Fetch for the points.
2) We got a big credit card rebate ($1600), and applied it as an extra payment to our mortgage
3) Sold a few things on eBay & FB marketplace. Of particular note is the green kids Ikea desk chair. It was used for years by my son, but online schooling meant he needed something more comfortable. It’s been sitting in our living room, taking up space & looking very green & ugly. It’s now gone & another child is enjoying it. Hurrah.
4) Rescued bok choy (I’ve never made it before) & used it in a tilapia curry rice dish. It was wonderful.
5) Used leftover takeout rice to make a breakfast rice with eggs & bacon. Yum.
Katy in Africa says
Ooo, that breakfast rice sounds good. And a great way to use up rice!
Lindsey says
1. Made a pasta dish that used up a bunch of frozen tomatoes from last summer’s garden, as well as heading-into-old-age garlic, onions, leeks, shredded carrots from the freezer, three anchovies from the freezer, and the end of a jar of sauerkraut (rinsed first and by the end you could not tell it was in there). Fed us for three days.
2. Husband wanted something sweet (I gave up all sweets for Lent so he had to make them himself) so made a version of his mother’s pie crust cookies. Used up a final frozen pie crust that was getting pretty old, and the rest of a cinnamon and sugar mix he’d made months ago for toast. A few minutes in the oven and he had cookies as good as mom used to make.
3. Someone left a bag of apples in the bottom of a grocery cart that was sitting outside so long the apples were frozen. I am not proud, I took them home and made tasty applesauce from them.
4. Sold a walnut pen holder for $35. It was a beautiful piece but I no longer collect fountain pens so it was languishing on a bookshelf.
5. Babysat a friend’s hedgehog for a month, which is nothing since they are low maintenance and we already have a hedgehog, Esmarelda. We would not accept money but she dropped off two bags of hedgehog food to thank us.
6. A friend who is moving gave us some food leftovers, including a box of premade pancakes. I don’t know what planet I have been inhabiting, but I did not know such a thing existed. I just make excess of my homemade ones, freeze, and then pop in the toaster or microwave when I want a fast breakfast. Anyway, they were TERRIBLE, like cardboard. Tore them into pieces and have been giving them to the chickens as treats. The dog is jealous.
Julie P. says
Your comment “the dog is jealous” struck me funny and I’m still smiling over it. You have an enjoyable way of writing/commenting, I quite enjoy it.
Julie says
I…donated to a few different causes in 2020 and that got me a tax deduction.
2. Took my own snacks and beverages for apres skiing time and avoided the bar again!
3. Spoke up about some wrong/not great items in my produce box this week. I’m glad I did because they’re going to come by tomorrow with what I was missing and replace the 2 things that I didn’t want (that are on our NO WAY list). So I’m not wasting produce that others might want and I’m getting what i asked for, which is a good frugal tip, I think.
4. Scored a new pair of winter-ish pants for hiking/golfing from Outdoor Research for $24. I picked the navy blue because that’s what was on clearance and I have plenty of shirts that will go with that.
5. Used up some wilting spinach in scrambled eggs this morning.
Stephanie says
( ALDI has great gluten free pretzels and bagels!)
1. Packed my lunch for work.
2. Meal planned and cooked when I DID NOT FEEL LIKE COOKING.
3. Wore a mask and got online reservations to attend an art instillation for free ! My first public outing since March 2020. I am fully vaccinated and there was strict social distancing.
4. Did my own taxes saved a few dollars.
5. Frugal fail: I had not used Amazon In Jan and feb and I used it twice on March 1. I just didn’t want to go pick up things. It was not that much money, but…
Suzan says
Smart move with the generator. Just the other day I said I sometimes wish our solar didn’t feed into the grid for times when our power is out.
I hope Sonia is doing well on the FODMAP diet.
Shelia says
It’s March! It’s almost spring and spring is always cheaper than winter!
1. I had a half gallon of milk that expired. I made ricotta and manicotti is now in the oven.
2. I tried Flash Foods last week as our local Meijers participates. You actually see the boxes online generally priced $5. I purchased one with 4 or 5 packages of broccoli crowns, a head of iceberg lettuce, romaine and a large bag of brussels sprouts. It’s given us green vegetables all week and we haven’t yet used half of it. This box, a bag of apples, bananas and 1/2 price paczkis were our only grocery purchases last week.
3. At Krogers, I did well for produce this week. Asparagus for .77#, huge red peppers for $1 and from the reduced .99 mesh bags-3 large honeycrisps, a bag of lemons and a bag of large onions, 2 red and 1 white. Can you tell we eat a lot of produce?
4. Entertainment this week was a puzzle one daughter gave me for Christmas and a couple PBS shows. Free is as cheap as it gets.
5. Our living room is really large and needs to be painted. We may need to hire someone as the roof is vaulted but Sunday I saw 4 new unopened, untinted gallons of Sherwin Williams Duration paint for 50.00 and sent my spouse straight over. I’m a paint snob and that paint even with a 40% discount would have been 200.00. Yes, please, to a lighter, happier color!
Jennifer says
I’ve spent most of my life in SC, NC and GA and we rarely had power outages in the winter – it was usually spring and summer, so you may need that generator sooner than you think. Smart move to keep it working.
BarbG says
1. I redeemed a Kroger coupon for free Keebler cookies.
2. I bought 6 boxes of blueberries on clearance for 50 cents a box. I froze half and ate the rest on cereal, in oatmeal and on French toast.
3. I found 26 cents.
4. I sold $86 of stuff on Marketplace.
5. I ended up with 25 no spend days in February.
Battra92 says
My local Aldi is currently being renovated so it’s sadly closed. What that means for me is that I now have to do more Walmart shopping and shopping at the regular grocery stores. It’s made me a little less frugal but I’ll get by.
1.) Reupholstering some chairs in our dining area. They were hand me downs from my wife’s grandmother and are about 60 years old. The seat cushions are nearly gone and the fabric has seen better days. It’s not free but it’s much cheaper to do it ourselves than replace the chairs or to buy new ones.
2.) For said project I bought an electric staple gun using a 10% off coupon at Harbor Freight. I normally don’t buy a lot of tools there (at least not ones that plug in) but I don’t anticipate using it a lot and if it breaks that’s reason to buy a better quality one.
3.) My brother got me a small screen that was bound for the trash. I got a small used/open box monitor arm from Amazon and now have it mounted at the workbench. Great to be able to use something and not have it go to waste.
4.) Working overtime. It’s sadly the norm.
That’s about it. I can’t even make 5 so I’ll just say “staying the course.”
Amanda says
So fascinating to see the difference in food prices elsewhere. Here in PA Walmart is MUCH cheaper than Aldi except for a very few items. Aldi feels like a specialty store for me. Interesting how it is the cheaper option where you are!
Sarah G says
1. Working on eating down the freezer and pantry. I do enjoy this challenge but my absentmindedness/forgetfulness makes it interesting. Sometimes I literally forget my goal and make a grocery trip in the middle of the month. Hopefully I can stay focused this month.
2. I cancelled a kids’ educational magazine subscription that had started to seem extraneous.
3. On a recent long drive in the van I was sorely tempted to treat myself to a sandwich and coffee from the drive-through but I resisted and brought a sandwich and coffee from home instead. I do treat myself on occasion, but if I don’t do it all the time I don’t have to feel guilty about the times when I do.
4. Made a pot of delicious cream of broccoli soup which used up the last onion and a bunch of broccoli that were sitting in the veg drawers.
5. wearing a super cute cozy sweatshirt I found on the clearance rack/drinking day old coffee/drinking up the wrong kind of creamer my husband accidentally bought (it’s gross) rather than spending more money on the right one/using our old treadmill/free YouTube yoga videos to work out rather than paying for a fitness class or a gym. Also walking outside lately!
kristin @ going country says
If Sonia needs a fun treat that everyone else will like too, don’t forget about Rice Krispie Treats. I coincidentally posted about those–and linked to the recipe I use that is better than the original–just today.
As far as frugal things . . . I had to order new jeans for two sons today, which never seems frugal even though I buy them used. But I know $5 for jeans is a good price. It’s just I have to buy so MANY.
Also, we’ve started our garden. HOORAY! Cabbage and ground cherry plants inside (tomatoes and bell peppers to be planted soon), and carrots, potatoes, beets, arugula, radishes, and kohlrabi outside. I just love the joyous anticipation that comes with the start of a new gardening season. I also love arugula, which is a fleeting spring season indeed.
I saved the seeds from plants last year for some of those, and many of the rest are leftovers from last year. I think I only spent about $30 for new seeds this year. All the other supplies are things we already had. I’m big into gardening on the cheap . . .
Oh, and my husband transplanted 18 apricot and 4 peach saplings that he started from pits a couple of years ago in one of our garden beds. He also took some cuttings from a young Jonathon apple tree that needed pruning, so he could graft those onto the big old apple tree at our house next door. That tree is very healthy, but the apples are really only good for drying, so we’re working on grafting different varieties on to it so we can have better eating apples, too, without trying to establish new trees.
Kristen says
Yes, yes! I’ve been making Rice Krispy treats and also we’ve tried making them with cocoa krispies and fruity pebbles. My opinion is that the originals are the best; the others hit me as too sweet, but the girls really liked the fruity pebbles variety.
Lisa says
Lucky charms treats are awesome too!
Val says
Sometimes I have made Krispie bars with a half and half mix of plain Krispies mixed with either cocoa flavor or fruity ones. I agree that the full fruity ones or cocoa ones seem too sweet.
Becca says
What’s your favorite way to eat arugula? I have two bags from my farm share and my people grumble about “spicy” salads.
kristin @ going country says
I like the peppery flavor, and most of my kids do, too, so I don’t have a lot of wisdom on that, other than the standards of mixing it with other things so the flavor is toned down and probably cooking it. Most strongly flavored greens get much milder with cooking, like in a soup or something.
LDA says
My frugal things all have to do with spending money(!) but hear me out .
1) in anticipation of having to do some major home maintenance/repair projects, we have discussed several times over the last few months what needs to be done/purchased and assigned an order of priority
2) having done #1 we could then estimate cost & timing, then save & move money for accessing when needed for each purchase.
3) I went out to shop for 2 specific items. This is what I call my “first pass”. I look at what’s available, get pricing, & ask lots of questions. Then I wait a minimum of 24 hours, preferably longer.
4) I first purchased 2 sets of mattresses this past week. I asked the salesman if there were any additional promotional discounts, and received 10% off, a savings of $210. Not bad for just asking a question.
5) I then checked a big box store for an upright freezer. I have decided that we don’t need a 2nd refrigerator like we had before; all I ever used was the freezer portion. That’s approximately a $600+ savings from the get-go. By the time I actually make the purchase, I will have waited a week or more to mull things over.
Anne says
Totally relate to No. 5. I was thinking of a new refrigerator when we realized that all we really needed was some more freezer space. We bought a small chest freezer and saved hundreds of dollars. Honestly, we are two old people who make a meal that feeds us for at least two days. Our refrigerator portion is never full.
Corrine says
1. My husband made french onion soup using some homemade beef broth and a ton of onions we had. I cooked some frozen fruit odds-and-ends into a fruit compote. My lunches this week are yogurt with this fruit compote and almonds.
2. I listed a game on eBay I bought for $15. It sold for $45
3. I sold some other games on Facebook Marketplace for $25 that I spent $30 on.
4. I downloaded the Peloton app for a 30-day free trial. We have a knock-off Peloton bike, so I have been using the free app to workout on the bike. It’s great!
5. My son needed a 100th day of school shirt and a costume to dress like his favorite book character for this week (I am Sam). We used a shirt he already had, some green felt we had that he cut into a Christmas tree, and bought pom poms for $1 to make 100 ornaments for the tree. For the costume, I bought a yellow shirt off Amazon for $5, sewed a red top hat using some felt we already had, and my son made a sign out of white cardboard that says “I am Sam”. Total cost was $6.
Bee says
1. The library had a 100+ person waiting list for my book club’s February selection, so I purchased it instead. I listed it on eBay on Sunday and sold it immediately recouping most of the cost.
2. I requested and received the $200 rebate that I qualified for by purchasing a year’s supply of contact lens.
3. I listed some custom made window treatments that came from my sister’s home on my local buy-nothing site.
4. I used the Target app to save a little over $4 on some personal al care items.
5. I did all the usual things – brewed my own coffee, drank primarily water, cooked my meals from scratch, and so on.
Diane says
These gluten free brownies are delicious!
http://www.shutterbean.com/2015/gluten-free-fudgy-brownies/
Rachel R. says
Oh I feel you on gluten-free alternatives–we shop for those too from time to time. Brings a sense of fun and normalcy for the one family member left out of regular snacking:)
Here’s my 5:
1) Used a Christmas gift card for a coffee splurge yesterday…Mondays really are rough sometimes! It’s so nice saving gift cards for days like those.
2) Sold more books on a FB homeschool site. Just went through my stash today again to see what else I have to post that we no longer use, and found quite a bit of odds & ends materials!
3) I have been working to making more filling breakfasts to cut down on morning snack interruptions–fruity baked oatmeal has been a hit:)
4) Cooking from the pantry, using the library, going outside/to free events, all the normal things…
5) reading here! Love how the last featured reader mentioned to keep reading on!
CrunchyCake says
1. Husband has mostly sold off his LEGO collection but had a couple rare sets that have been sitting on eBay for months. They’re priced high and he said that he’d let them sit for a little while longer before dropping the price. Someone bought it! And then the buyer asked if he could get a discount if he bought the second high priced set. Definitely! Yay for putting things in the hands of people who want/need them (and making some money doesn’t hurt either)!
2. The seams on the cushion-y part of my headphones are ripping open and the surface of that same part is cracked and worn. I mentioned to my husband that I think I’m going to need a new pair soon and he said that he thought we could get replacement parts. Didn’t even occur to me that this was an option but when I looked, he was right! Having to just replace a part vs. the whole thing will save us a bunch.
3. I don’t usually buy granola (it’s expensive) but I saw a delicious flavor that was on sale for BOGO so I snagged a couple bags. We blew through those quickly and it inspired me to make more, which helped me on my pantry clear out quest before we move next month and was still cheaper than the good deal we had bought.
4. Even though I’ve been feeling the itch, I haven’t bought any new clothes. I have all kinds of carts saved all over the internet but am resisting the urge to actually buy.
5. Washed our filthy car at home. It was quick and painless and I feel so much better. We used to wash the cars almost every other week but this is only the second carwash since the pandemic started. Husband also had the tires changed out – not an inexpensive activity but I do think that maintaining the car saves money in the long run and there’s the safety factor. Honestly, both the carwash and the tire replacement were long overdue.
Karen. says
Just yesterday I asked a friend to look on ATK for the Brazilian cheese bread recipe (this counts as frugal if she has the subscription and I don’t, right?) and maybe you could look at it as a possibility for Sonia. I don’t think there’s any reason you couldn’t swap out the milk for water, though some fluffiness will be lost without that protein.
Kaitlin says
I have not been able to find GF Oreos yet. So excited to try them (one of my favorite cookies in the world!), and hoping they’re cheaper than some of the other GF brands.
FFT:
1. Packed all of our food for a weekened at a remote cabin, using the frozen chili as an ice block for the other refrigerated food.
2. Brought a puzzle that I borrowed from a friend late last year and never had a chance to complete. I worked on the puzzle while my children fished.
3. Packed extra pants for my sons from the bin of clothes I have for the next size up. Buying extra pants wasn’t worth it for a trip to a cabin where no one cares how put together one looks.
4. Shopped around for a sewing machine repairman, and found one that fully serviced my machine, fixing many problems for a reasonable cost. Really excited to have a beautifully functioning machine again.
5. I baked my own bread, bought milk to make yogurt, made all of our meals at home, etc. I feel like my frugality is more about what I don’t do (buy napkins, paper towels, plastic baggies, stuff I don’t need, etc.) than what I do.
Ruth T says
A weekend at a remote cabin sounds amaaaaazing!
Kaitlin says
It was so nice: The smell of a well maintained cabin (and the trees that surrounded it + 130 acres + several fishing ponds + thunderstorms + being completely out of any electronic device reception was a delightful break.
Ruth T says
1. On Saturday I did my annual wellness assessment at my husband’s work. While having my body fat percentage and other health items measured by one of my husband’s co-workers is one of my least favorite things to do all year, it does get me cheaper health insurance, a free gym membership, free spinning classes (though I haven’t been able to spin since COVID started), and discounts on things like swim lessons and childcare.
2. Our Meijer is still undergoing a huge renovation, but this morning I found where they moved the clearance food section to temporarily! Purchased a number of things for half off or 75% off.
3. Combined sales, coupons, and Ibotta rebates to get the rest of my Meijer purchases for good prices.
4. I found someone selling shoes for $5/pair that fit my first grader and look like they’ve hardly been worn. I got a pair of boots, a pair of Converse, and a pair of strappy sandals.
5. We started our tomato and pepper plants over the weekend in trays that I’ve kept from previous years. Sadly, the cats got through my pine cone barriers and dug through almost every section of soil, but my husband came up with an inexpensive plan to prevent that from happening again.
Kris says
Ruby, my Meijer did a major renovation a year ago smack dab in the middle of the beginning of the covid restrictions. Not only were we adjusting to masks and limited supplies, but also trying to locate things in the darn store AND trying to figure out the traffic pattern we were supposed to follow when shopping. I hated shopping during that period. Glad that’s over.
Ruth T says
Oh my goodness!! I can’t imagine the mess that would have been. And how stressful!!
Angie says
Let’s see…..
1. Took our family vehicle in for a recall repair which solved the issue we have been having with starting our vehicle. I had an appointment booked for service to pay for a check out of pocket so having this covered under recall saved us at least $100 out of pocket.
2. We are eating all meals from home and continue working to eat down our pantry and freezers. This is helpful as we save to purchase a home in the next few months. Homemade bean burritos using pantry staples, peach cobbler, and homemade chili have been part of our recent menu and made delicious with home canned fruits and tomatoes.
3. Wonderful spring-like weather meant a week with our HVAC turned completely off – a blessed electric bill reducing event!
4. Because we know we will be buying a house in May or June we are not planting a Spring garden or doing any of the normal landscaping tasks that we typically take on this time of year. I will dearly miss my garden and flowers but this will allow us to save the $300-$500 we normally spend in soil, mulch, fertilizer and the like. I will look to purchase home grown veggies directly from farmers this season at deep discounts in order to put away for the winter once we have moved.
5. This is something small but worth mentioning. I finished a large bottle of laundry detergent earlier this week. It seemed to still have a bit in the container that would not come out of the spout so we cut the jug open and drained it into a mason jar. Six more loads of laundry were washed with the remaining detergent.
If anyone has ideas on where I can source boxes to pack and move I would appreciate it. When I was a kid we used to find them at the grocery store, liquor stores, big box stores but now it seems that they crush them all and wont give them out to the public. I’d rather not buy them if we don’t have to.
Crunchycake says
We’re moving too and I’m always on the hunt for boxes…If your area has them, I’ve had some luck with finding boxes on nextdoor.com (it’s a neighborhood website) and craigslist. Otherwise, if you’re in a pinch and have to pay for them, u-haul’s boxes are more reasonably priced than some of their competitors. Good luck!
Heidi Louise says
Would realtors know who has just moved in and be able to connect you to some sources?
In previous times, I would mention that college bookstores get tons of merchandise in the month before school starts, and books in the month before semesters start, from texts that aren’t online. However, I don’t know how Covid has changed that.
A church that has new hymnals? A print shop? A school that gets lot of food deliveries now? Talking to managers in person is probably your best bet, and being quick to run over and pick them up.
Jennifer says
Honestly, I would just get them from WM. We have moved 4 times in the last 9 years (9 in the 17 before that) and I have used the WM ones for the last 3 moves. The medium boxes are $1.28 and the large are $1.48 and this is in NC.
For my kitchen, I bought, years ago, several plastic storage bins. They are far more sturdy and can hold much more. Skip packing paper – use towels or washcloths or small articles of clothing to cushion breakables. Skip wardrobe boxes. Food clothes into moving box into aforementioned bins or even suitcases. Put all your hangers into a 55 gallon contractor bag – $15 or so for a 40 ct. box at Lowes. Those bags are great for things that aren’t solid, like clothes or lamp shades or heavy coats, etc…into
Good luck with your move. We are making our 14th move in May ourselves.
Cyndi R. says
Oooh we are moving too! Sounds like alot of people are moving this spring. Nextdoor app is a great place for boxes. Walmarts are pretty reasonably priced. Lowes used to have the moving boxes with handles which was very handy!
Emily S. says
Hi! Been reading the blog forever but rarely comment
I’m in need of a new printer (and had a similar Canon ink guzzler) – with kids being home on e-learning more often than not I’m printing so much more!
Would you mind sharing what printer you got?
Thanks!
Kristen says
Sure! Here’s the one we bought: https://amzn.to/30iDFDl
Shop around-prices varied a lot when we were looking.
JD says
https://autoimmunewellness.com/recipes/
Click on the desserts category.
All kinds of desserts there with no nuts, no dairy, no gluten – some with no flour of any kind. There are also no eggs, but feel free to substitute an egg when it calls for gelatin and water (what’s known as “gelatin eggs” in egg-free recipes) I can eat eggs, so I just use eggs. You can also use brown sugar or natural sugar in place of coconut or date sugar, to keep costs down.
You can order cassava and tigernut flour online, but I find it at Whole Foods and food co-ops/health food stores as well, in one or two pound bags. I buy Otto’s cassava flour. Look for arrowroot in bags, such as Bob’s Red Mill.
Now, for my frugal five:
1. I wanted to purchase some requested dressy shoes for a grandchild’s birthday, but they were not on sale – I asked. The clerk rang them up for the internet price, saving me over $6.
2. I re-used a plain white gift bag and some glittery tissue paper out of my stash to wrap the gift, and added a cute little kids’ card I’d received in a mail solicitation.
3. My employers are offering to let us order two work shirts again, and providing us with a logo mask as well, this time. I am absolutely accepting the offer!
4. I juiced some more lemons off of my Meyer lemon tree to make more lemonade.
5. Gas prices have really jumped here. I checked around on Gasbuddy and saved 10 cents a gallon, using a station on my route.
Profesora H-B says
THANK YOU for sharing this. I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and know that I need to try some autoimmune-friendly diets. It has seemed too daunting to really get in there and work on it. This site helps a LOT.
JD says
I have two autoimmune diseases. This site got me going when I didn’t know where to start! I’m glad I helped you with that link!
N says
–Used a 20% off coupon at Michael’s to restock our taper candles. We make a point of candlelit dinners since our table and chairs were a gift from my Dad (he’s a talented woodworker) when my husband and I first moved in together. <3
–While at Michael's, I also found some exterior off-white paint made specifically for metal marked down to $4. I plan on tending to the rust spots starting on the car once it's warm enough, and I'll need something to paint over the brush-on rust converter, which dries black. I'd rather not trade rust for a Dalmatian look! All the official car paints I looked at were MUCH more expensive, so I'm quite happy with my find.
–I cashed in Starbucks stars/points for a free pound of coffee. Since the stars were accrued thanks to a bevy of gift cards from the holidays, the drinks that earned the freebie coffee were likewise free!
–Two bowls broke while doing the dishes, so I picked up some new-to-us bowls from Goodwill. Like their predecessors, they were 99 cents apiece. All of our plates and bowls are from Goodwill and match surprisingly well since we always buy pieces with the same glossy black finish.
–Our neighbor’s bathroom sink wasn’t draining. This is her first place of her own—she’s ~10 years younger than us—so she’ll sometimes ask for household advice. She’s a sweetheart and conscientious neighbor, so we’re always glad to help. I loaned her our $5 plastic Zip-It drain snake (a must for anyone with long hair!), our jug of white vinegar (she was out) so she could follow up with vinegar and baking soda, and texted her a good YouTube tutorial for cleaning the sink’s “P” joint if neither of the above worked. Her sink is once more happily draining, and she returned the snake and vinegar jug that same afternoon. <3
Reese says
I do have a question for you! I have a pile of things that I know would sell far better on eBay than they would on our local Facebook Marketplace. Have you detailed your process for selling on eBay? Do you pull out your nice camera, take photos, attach it to your computer, download the images, then upload to eBay listings? Or, if you have a cell… do you email them all to yourself? Connect your phone to your computer? I can’t get past the logistics of taking the photos. All this technology and I can’t just zap it to my phone easily due to the file size. Ha!
Also, I think this post could benefit from having a cat picture….
Jenelle says
1. I really needed some new work shoes, my old ones were falling apart. I found a pair on Ebay similar to what I’ve been wearing and my offer was accepted. I purchased a style that would work all summer. So much better than buying them new.
2. I very much cut the amount of screen time my kids use each day. I “monetized” it by giving them tickets for the amount of time each day they have “to spend”. It’s a nice beginning to saving and bartering. My daughter even bartered one of her screen time tickets for a slushie at the trampoline park! It’s also nice to see how creative they’ve become with their play time. (they challenged each other to sit in laundry baskets for 2 hours!!)
3. My son’s cub scout dues were due over the weekend. Thankfully, I have a small amount put aside from each paycheck for them. It was easy to write the check this time around.
4. Yesterday my kids were talking about “needing supplies to catch a leprechaun” for St. Patrick’s day. My daughter has it in her head that Target will have what she wants…however my son told her it was too expensive at Target!! I’m really rubbing off on him. I then suggested that she look through what we have at home and then maybe we can visit the dollar tree. (I always hide a few gold dollar coins in their trap)
5. I’m trying out a few dollar tree brands for cleaning products. 64 oz. of disinfecting toilet cleaner for $1? Yep, I’ll try that out.
N says
I love your leprechaun game! Just what does one need for a trap?
Kristina says
I like the Snyders GF pretzels better than regular pretzels, so you might end up adding these to your shopping list always! Trader Joe’s also sells sesame rice crackers that are great with hummus, for a GF option.
Frugal items:
-Donated our old car (tax benefit next year, also, will save on having one car less in registration fees, insurance).
-Made french toast out of some leftover bread I had baked a few days prior before it went bad. Also baked banana bread with the kids.
-Picked up a lamp I needed from a buy nothing group.
Kristen says
I remember that one time I tried the Aldi gluten free pretzels and I thought they were really good! Aldi was out of stock of a lot of gluten free stuff last time I tried to go there, but I will try again.
Karen says
I am intolerant of gluten (I can only eat a very small amount occasionally or I develop a severe chronic cough and respiratory issues) so I rarely eat it. Very small amounts don’t seem to cause issues as long it’s not too often. On the plus side, not eating wheat products is very good for my waistline! I’m in my 50s so getting to that age where it can be a struggle to stay fit if I’m not mindful! The Simple Mills Almond crackers from Costco are really delicious and gluten free and dairy free. They do have organic onion in them. Not sure if she can have that in cooked form or not since I remember you had posted something about onions. Also, I’ve found yellow squash and zucchini sliced thin and eaten raw make great cracker alternatives for goat cheese, hummus, guac, dips, etc. Makes for an easy snack. I also eat a lot of nuts. I make homemade granola bars with almond flour, oats, maple syrup/honey and allergen free chocolate chips for my grandson who is allergic to dairy. I don’t really understand her diet restrictions so not sure if any of that is helpful, but almonds and nuts (whole and in flour and almond milk) are really a huge help with gluten free restrictions if they can be eaten! And roasted spaghetti squash is really, too for a noodle substitute. I gave up on purchased gluten free noodles and bread as I found I really just don’t like them for the most part. Might have to try those pretzels, though! Sometimes you just want a “grain” type food!
Diane says
We have a portable generator also..my husband always struggles to get it started. This past summer he cleaned and rebuilt the carburetor. Reading the instructions, he learned we should start it and let it run once a month. Since then it starts right up..
Torrie @ To Love and To Learn says
I was going to suggest that she try the new GF Oreos, but you’re already on it! My husband and I both have to eat GF, and we were sooooo excited when Nabisco announced that they’d perfected a GF Oreo recipe. And they’re delicious! We had someone in my husband’s family do a taste test (who doesn’t have celiac), and he couldn’t tell a difference at all between the regular and the GF. We have had a bit of a tricky time finding them, though (at least for a reasonable price).
We also are glad that many of the chips we occasionally splurge on (Doritos, Cheetohs, Fritos) are all gluten-free, as are my favorite treats (M&M’s and Hershey kisses). Of course, those aren’t healthy, but it’s nice to have the option
Kaitlin says
I have yet to try to the GF Oreos, as they’ve been out of stock at every store I’ve been shopping at since they were released. Looking forward to trying them out!
I didn’t realize doritos are GF–is that all flavors or just some? I love Sunchips but realized they are not GF, which saddened me. But I’m probably healthier for it
Jennifer Y. says
This is always fun!
1. My Discover account closed due to inactivity. I guess unused credit could be considered frugal, but I also received a check in the mail with unclaimed cash back. Wonderful surprise!
2. I made a big batch of black bean soup. Dried beans are so cheap and this soup is one of the least expensive meals I cook for my family. Best of all, slow simmered black beans are soooo yummy.
3. Weather is so much warmer by me these days. I went through my son’s spring/summer wardrobe last night. He does not need any clothes or shoes for the next two seasons. Best of all, all new clothes items were gifts from family and friends from past Christmases and birthdays.
4. I have been saving egg cartons in preparation for indoor seed garden. We also compost so this year’s garden should be very frugal.
5. Last year I started donating regularly to my alma mater as part of a contentious effort to support institutions and organizations that are important to me. This automatically enrolled me in the alumni association. The alumni association has become such a wonderful and frugal source of entertainment and access to interesting events. This past week I attended a virtual lecture and participated in an online book club forum for no out of pocket expense.
4.
Patti says
GF Easy-peasy Peanut Butter cookies
1 cup peanut butter, smooth works best
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Mix, form into walnut sized balls on baking sheets and flatten with criss-cross fork marks. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes.
Kristen says
I would love to make something like this for Sonia; the sad thing is, she has a tree nut and peanut allergy! Sigh. It makes it so much harder when you have multiple types of restrictions that you’re working around.
Now I’m hungry for peanut butter cookies!
Ruby says
Is she allergic to sunflower seeds? It’s easy to make homemade sunbutter in the blender with shelled, roasted sunflower seeds, veg oil and honey. I had to do it for my son for the years that his school banned peanut products so that he could have sunbutter and jelly sandwiches.
Kristen says
Yep, unfortunately she is. Pretty much every nut and seed you can imagine. Big sigh.
She can have nut and seed oils, but not anything that contains the whole nut.
Ruby says
Poor little one! That must make life very complicated.
Kris says
Oh, Sonia needs some fun treats right now. It will help her through this season of life.
Not sure I have 5 frugal things. We were gifted a wheel of cheese which was left over from the Food Truck which distributes food to those in need. Most of our entertainment remains close to our home so cost there is minimal. We’ve faithfully been eating the leftovers–hubby is manfully working his way through the infamous chicken taco bowl that I accidentally added cayenne to instead of chili powder–I’m not sure I’d be able to get through it, so kudos to him. That’s all I can come up with right now!
Kara says
Sold on eBay a handlebar cup holder for a Bob revolution jogging stroller. I’d picked up the stroller for free and sold the stroller on Fb marketplace. The handlebar cup holder was light and detachable, so I sold it separately.
Traded some extra veggie starts for a huge bag of Meyer lemons.
Watched DVD’s from the library. No due date is pretty sweet!
We started on a time of use plan with our power company. They offer a guarantee that it won’t cost more than your old plan, and if it does, they’ll reimburse the difference. If we don’t like it we can switch back. Worth a try.
My 2 daughters and I ordered s deodorant crystal that was very highly recommended. That mean we could split the cost of the shipping, which was rather expensive. I sure have enjoyed adult daughters being home the last 3 months. A good thing to come from the pandemic. Older one kept her same job, younger one is in LAST semester of college!!!!! Last kid in her last semester. That feels like a milestone as a parent. And no debt for us or any of them. Truly thankful.
Bobi says
I love deodorant crystals. They last almost forever!
Ruby says
1. Being able to sew is still one of my best money savers. I put a button on the neckline of a blouse that I’d bought at Swap.com but turned out to be a little too low cut for work. Now it’s perfect. Also replaced the elastic on a cloth mask that was given to me. It was really cute, but the person who made is used frilly lingerie elastic and I just could not wear it public. Now it has plain black elastic and does not look like I’m wearing paisley underpants on my face.
2. Sunday is the best day for yellow-sticker markdowns in the meat department of our fave grocery store. Scored two packs of meaty pork ribs at less than half price Sunday afternoon and slow roasted them for supper, with lots of leftovers for this week. Also made homemade applesauce with some apples bought with a $2 off coupon, so it was nearly free applesauce.
3. Somehow we have a bounty of sandwich fixings in the fridge this week, so I’m bringing sandwiches for my work lunches this week to use that up before it goes bad.
4. Read two e-books checked out online from the library.
5. The money-saving biggie this week goes to my husband, who accidentally laundered and ruined the key fob for his car. The dealership quoted him over $400 for a new one, then over $200 for a replacement programmed to match our spare undamaged fob. So he went with the less expensive option. He was stunned when the key tech handed him the keys and said, “No charge.” Now that’s how you keep customers.
Darlene H says
#1 about the mask is really funny!
Kristen says
Paisley underpants….oh no! But that description made me laugh.
Ruby says
It really did look like that! I wore it around the house when I had Covid because nobody cared at home, but it did not go out in public until it had the elastic changed out.
Jessica says
FFT-Covid Edition!
1- Thankful that the 6 Covid tests that have been taken by my family over the past 2.5 weeks were covered by insurance and not an out of pocket cost!
2.-Thankful that Amazon was able to ship a high quality pule oximeter in 1 day for $20! There are none under $50 at any of the local drug stores in my large area!
3.-Walmart Grocery Pick Up- You are NOT my #1 store of choice on a normal week but you are my temporary BFF! I was able to order everything I needed to fill my pantry/snacks/meds and there was no increase courtesy fee. You met my mom in the parking lot and loaded her trunk so no stress on her injured back or arthritic shoulders.
4.-Walgreen-Thanks for having some great online deals on personal care items and having curb side pick up. Being able to send the squirrely, angsty teen on a mission to have you plop a bag in the trunk gives him something to do…
thats all i knw for now! lol
Ingrid says
BTW the GF Aldi brownie mix is delicious!
Kristen says
Oh, good to know! Thank you.