1. Mr. FG fixed a lamp
Sonia had this white Tomons lamp for a couple of years, and sadly, the switch broke.
We bought a replacement lamp for her, but then Mr. FG took apart the broken switch on the old lamp to see if it was repairable.
A plastic piece inside the switch had indeed broken, but he found a replacement switch on Amazon, rewired the new switch in place, and now Sonia has a desk lamp and a chair-side lamp.
Which means this has all worked out very nicely for Sonia. Ha.
And I’m happy we didn’t have to throw out a lamp over something as small as a switch.
(By the way, that’s a secondhand side table I bought and painted for Sonia. Here are before and afters of that project.)
2. I bought clearance wrapping paper
I am not one to buy a bunch of Christmas wrapping paper at after-Christmas sales. For one thing, I don’t like to store it for a year.
For another, I tend to use gift bags instead of wrapping paper when possible.
But when I took Sonia out to buy some yarn, I found a few rolls of clearance wrapping paper that did not scream Christmas.
So, I picked them up for those times when a gift bag will not suffice.
3. I sold a school book that all three girls used
This was a required textbook for an English class at the tutorial my girls have gone to.
In 2016, I bought a pretty heavily used $5 copy for Lisey. Sonia used it a few years later, and finally it was Zoe’s turn last year.
I listed it on eBay as soon as she finished with it, and it has sat there for months. But this week, someone bought it for…$4.99!
This is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I do get a sense of satisfaction over the way you can sometimes buy a secondhand item, use it, and then sell it for what you paid for it.
4. I rescued some flatbread
The once-a-month food pantry where Mr. FG and I volunteer usually has bread leftover at the end of the distribution window.
The pantry can’t store it, so it gets thrown away if it’s left over.
(Leftover shelf-stable food can just stay until the next distribution day, of course.)
So, I took a bunch of the flatbreads home and threw them into my freezer. We’ll probably mostly use them for quick pizzas.
Obviously, this is not why we volunteer! But I am happy to have a chance to save some food from the trash.
5. I saved the last of the conditioner
The girls* have been using this huge Costco pump-top container of conditioner, and the problem with these bottles is always that it’s hard to get the last bits out.
*Ok, not Sonia because she uses special products for her curls!
So, I turned it upside down to drain the last bit into a travel toiletry container. That way it’ll be easy to use up.
Your turn! Share your frugal five in the comments.
Tracey says
My husband is an electrical wonder too. He rewired three lamps that we inherited. One was made from a old fashioned telephone where you lift the receiver off the hook to turn on the light.
Here’s our five frugal things for the week:
1. We were gifted a whole chicken. I made four meals and froze three portions of stock from it.
2. When I was repacking the Christmas stuff I came across a box of mending that got shoved up in the attic when we redid our living room (also home to my sewing area). In addition to the items needing repair, there were a few pairs of slacks and jeans I had bought on sale and needed hemming (I’m short and have to hem everything). Excited to have new clothes to wear….once I get them hemmed!
3. My husband received a Lowes gift card for Christmas. We used part of it to purchase energy saving LED light bulbs
4. A local bakery makes fresh baguettes and sells them for $1 each. We bought three and used them for a variety of yummy sandwiches.
5. I used a Duncan gift card to buy us lunch on the road to return our daughter to college.
Isa says
What products does Sonia use? I have curly hairs and they are always so frizzy
Kristen says
Off the top of my head, I know she uses Maui Moisture shampoo and conditioner, but she also uses some curl cremes. Let me ask her! And if I don’t get back to you, remind me!
Tricia says
1) Our school installed a fancy coffee machine in the staff lounge that all of us can use for FREE. Exciting day. Flat White? Americano? Espresso? Anything you like!
2) The weather, which had been very cold for here, has evened out and we haven’t had to use our heater the last few evenings.
3) I picked up a summer blouse on the free table…and some baby clothes for who whoever has the next female grandchild:).
4) I have been getting my 10K steps in almost every day, and being outside does so much for my well-being.
5) We haven’t had any unexpected big costs in awhile. Always a blessing.
Mar says
We ate out at Jersey Mikes and used the 25% off code that paid for the tip.
Meijer is now letting you use coupons and mine was only for .25 but it was free bananas.
Hoping we will have a better week of weather as I pulled out all the items the consignment store did not sell and re-list them on FB marketplace. I was surprised all my antique dolls sold.
Our furnace is on a programmed schedule so now I am turning it down when we go to bed rather than keep the house heated with no one up. Might negate the cost a little as our dog gets up at 5 am almost every day.
Jenni says
Priskill, I totally agree that eating less is frugal. I once watched a TED Talk about “Enough”. It prompted me to think about that word every time I packed a lunch, served myself dinner, got groceries, etc. When I make eggs in the morning, I ask myself, how much is enough? Sometimes I WANT 3 eggs but I know 2 are enough for me. That way, there’s an extra egg to use the next day
priskill says
Love that your total expenditure for the text book was a net 1 penny. Excellent!
1. After receiving doctor’s bill in the mail, we called in, thinking we had already paid it and they quickly agreed that all was settled.
2. A very fruitful CVS trip to get necessities, using up various coupons and percentages off. The 4 items (Aveeno 50 spf, eyeglass cleanser, a big dental floss and and a $22.00 6 month filter for the Brita pitcher) would have cost $40+ dollars but after the lovely girl rang in all the deductions, it came to $16.00 — even less than I had figured, since they included extra coupons and deals. Woot! Sometimes CVS overcharges quite a bit but using coupons, ECBs, and sales can be very frugal.
3. The usual stuff: cooking in /taking lunches, using up the old clothes, getting the last bit out of my old spf face cream before I open the new one, ditto for shampoo, etc.
4. Husband’s birthday Wednesday but celebrating on Friday and daughter has sent a gift card for dinner at a favorite steak house so we will take it home to enjoy with buy 1 get 1 Bundlets from Nothing Bundt cakes (using a coupon). A very cheap and cheerful b’day is planned.
5. This will sound weird, but eating less is saving us money, I think. We are both working on weight, etc., and I swear our groceries last a little longer. May be my imagination
Although eating healthy will be frugal in the long run hopefully!
Rachel R. says
Love al the posts recently–can’t wait to stumble upon some free/cheap furniture:)
1. I logged into my old swagbucks account and realized I was 2/3 the way to a gift card, so I took a bunch of surveys, uploaded recent receipts, and reached my gift card goal! Used my earnings to purchase new p.j.s for my daughter.
2. I was really tempted to buy some pre-made baked goods when hosting a playdate, but I didn’t. Used what I had on hand, and made some yummy pumpkin muffins to enjoy with friends. Made the house smell really good as an added bonus:)
3. Using free winter slide deck activities from the OT Toolbox for inside gross motor activities. The city gym used to be open in the winter/we went to actual OT/homeschool swim & gym, so this winter trying to figure out new ways to stay active.
4. Adding free kid’s zoom events to our schedule for entertainment/education.
5. Sewed holes in socks, a jacket, and a stuffed animal bear too:)
LDA says
1. Used some broccoli nearing its usefulness for broccoli cheddar soup on a particularly cold & dreary day.
2. Inspired by Frugal Girl, I have been making sandwich bread & French bread. However, I do have a kitchen hack – I use my bread maker, which has a dough setting, for the initial mixing, kneading, & 1st rise. I can set & forget until it’s time for the 2nd rise.
3. I signed up for a produce box service, hoping to save time, money & trips to the store.
4. I used my $.90 off per gallon on my last gas fill-up.
5. I wash/dry clothes as much as possible during off peak hours per the electric company. I have seen a difference on our billing statements for a while now.
kris says
Not sure what happened to the rest of my list…
#1 Getting every bit out of my Dawn dish soap (see my previous post, lol)
#2 Made my own body wash instead of buying a new Cetaphil. I held off making it until the Cetaphil bottle was empty so I could reuse that. I did have to buy some vegetable glycerin but it didn’t cost much and the bottle is quite large. Everything else I had at home and boy does it work better than the Cetaphil.
#3 Went to our local flea market and got 6 bags of vegetables and 1 bunch of bananas for $10.
#4 Also picked up some fresh shrimp with heads on. My husband pulled the heads off and put in the freezer and he’ll use those as bait to fish with. Once I cleaned the shrimp, I made a stock out of the shells and tails. After I made the stock I threw the shells in the lake behind our house for the fishes in there.
#5 I was able to stretch what was in our freezer over the course of this week, so I only had to go grocery shopping for a couple of things and our family dinner night. I spent $42, so I thought that was a win.
This is what I hope is a frugal thing…waiting to find out if we can do it. My husband cut his finger pretty badly yesterday with a saw and is being stubborn about going to the emergency room. They aren’t going to be able to do anything about the cut but he for sure needs antibiotics. I’m hoping Teledoc will be able to prescribe him some and we can avoid the cost of going to Emergent Care.
Jenni says
(# 1 & 2 are inspired by you, Frugal Girl!)
1.) I mended my comforter! It took me 10-15 minutes. Saved me time and money. And I don’t have to get rid of a blanket that I quite like! I was so satisfied that I went back and peeked at it 3-4 times throughout the day.
2.) I used the inner and outer bag of a big empty rice package to line some small garbage containers in the bathroom and a bedroom.
3.) I woke up at the same time all week and didn’t push snooze. This is frugal for me because I can calmly get ready for the day and prepare my own coffee and lunch and stay on top of dishes and laundry before I head out the door to work. (Frugal: Take care of what you own!
4.) We are “due” for some new office chairs. They work fine but they are synthetic leather so there are little black pieces coming off now as they wear. Stretchy chair covers from Wal-Mart for the win! They extend the life of my chairs while I save up for new ones and I can tolerate looking at them without feeling irritated. Bonus: I already owned them because I previously tried to extend the life of my kitchen chairs with same strategy!
5.) I bought RRSPs this week!
Kristen says
Oh, I am so proud of your mending. Yay, you! And good job reusing the big rice bag as well.
kris says
My Dawn dish soap is upside down in a small measuring cup…trying to use up the last of it so I don’t have to stop at the store before shopping day. Dawn is my favorite and one of the few name brand things that I must have. Once I get as much out as I can, I’ll put a little water in there to get me thru another couple of uses, lol.
Chris says
I am always happy to hear about your repairs. It is a great thing to fix instead of replace.
1) I finally found a truly bulk source of the brand of gf oats my son likes. This saves me over 60% every time I buy a bag. I am curious to see how quickly he will eat it up. One of our other sons loves oatmeal too, but 25 pounds is a lot. If it is gone in 3 months I am buying a 50 lb bag next time!
2) Concurrent with the bulk gf oats find was the discovery that our business license qualifies us to shop at restaurant supply stores. With 3 teen boys in the house it is impossible to overstate my excitement.
3) I finally got over my fear and trimmed our pup’s nails. Why does this make me so nervous?
4) Frugality via sharing: I have been decluttering. I tend to collect home decor via thrift stores, garage sales and my mom’s auction obsession. Periodically I go through the cabinets and basement shelves and offer things to friends and then donate the rest. 8ish bags of clothes and bedding to the homeless shelter, blackout curtains for a friend’s nursery, art supplies for a crafty friend (we are not crafty…why do I still have these things?
5) Frugal Fail:I bought homeschool curricula for my youngest son, only to find out he is miserable and wants to go back to school. I’m fine with that, but I am silently so bummed about buying all of this stuff! Lol. These thongs happen… Someone on FB is about to score!
Susan says
You had some good ones this week!
Mine:
#1: When we took my daughter back to school, I bought a bag of cuties for road snacks for the return trip at the grocery store.
#2: We had to replace most of my daughter’s kitchen gear due to her celiac diagnosis. We were able to find a set of pots and pans on sale at BB&B and I found one of their 20% off coupons in my email.
#3: We have avoided purchasing a replacement car while working from home. Ultimately we will buy one, but there is no sense insuring another vehicle to sit in the driveway. This meant we rented a minivan to take my daughter back to school, but that costs way less than a new car would have!
#4: My son drove himself back to college and did his own grocery shopping. We consult by text when he wants to try something new. Definitely cheaper to be developing cooking skills than ordering in frequently.
#5: My youngest stayed home with my SIL so she could study for finals. They had some stay at home fun watching movies on streaming services we already pay for.
Corrine says
1. My son decided to take my husband’s childhood GI Joes out of the basement to play with. I decided to take pictures and posted them on a Facebook group to determine their value. A few short hours later, some of the toys sold on Marketplace and some on ebay for a total of $200!
2. I sold a vintage latch hook rug and some doors off a vintage Barbie house for $55
3. I participated in an online study from NIH. It took me about 45 minutes to complete and I was paid $50 for it
4. I receive a 2% raise at work today. Not a ton, but we weren’t expecting raises at all this year.
5. My feet have been suffering from the dry air. I was thinking I would go get a pedicure, which I rarely do. The next day someone on my Buy Nothing group offered brand new liquid callous remover. I soaked my feet, took care of my toe nails, polished my toe nails with nail polish I already had, and used the callous remover. Just as good as a professional pedicure and saves $40!
Becca says
1. Pared my produce order way down after my mother gifted us 40(!) oranges and three bunches of celery. She got them in boxes with other food that she used, but knew our kids would have a better chance of burning through oranges than her.
2. Repurposed a cat food bag as a trash bag.
3. Read books I already own or watched free content as entertainment.
4. Planted the ends of the celery bunches and the bottoms of some living lettuce heads. They might not regrow, but then again, they might.
5. Continued fighting the clogged pipe with a determination to not hire a plumber. Had to order another snake that I hope will work better. Fingers crossed! The cost of the two snakes is still less than a plumber’s service call, and we are saving a lot of water by not using the washing machine, but I will be glad when it’s finally fixed!
Kristen says
Good luck with your plumbing issue. Plumbing problems make me unreasonably anxious; I don’t know what it is, but I hate them!
Becca says
Well, it helps to know that I will have to replace this pipe as soon as it is safe/warm enough to do so no matter what because I know that it is cracked and too small. It gives me the courage to go ahead and try to clear it on my own to try and limp along with it because I figure I can’t really make it worse. But…let me go knock on some wood!!!
Carol says
1) trimmed my own bangs instead of going in to the stylist
2) been eating from the pantry and freezer.
3) used my free lunch rewards to get a free taco salad
4) repaired a pillowcase that was coming apart at the corner.
5) no online shopping for the first 18 days of the month. I did just order a book on my Kindle. It was $1.99 instead of the $91 they wanted for the hardback.
Jennifer Y. says
My Five:
1. On Sunday, I batched cooked lunch and dinner meals for the whole work week. No unplanned take-out for us. This is the fourth week in a row I have done this, and it is working out so well for our budget.
2. This might sound extreme for those who like meal variety, but I only made two types of batch meals for the week. That means my family and I are eating the same meal for lunch all week and the same meal for dinner all week. No complaints overall. I initially did this to save myself time and to stay out of the kitchen to help me lose a few pounds. But the real frugal benefit is that my grocery expenses have dropped about 30%. Streamlining the meal plan really streamlined grocery spending.
3. I regularly swap clothes with a good friend. We started this a few months ago. Yesterday she gave me a purple sweater that fits perfectly.
4. I am so impressed with the yoga classes available for free on youtube. I am practicing instructor led yoga 2 nights per week in the privacy of my own home for no money. Group yoga classes average about $25 per class in my area.
5. I renewed my borrowed library book to avoid late fees. This is a small one, but I am very happy that I remembered to do it before it was due.
Sandra says
Which yoga videos do you prefer? Thanks!
LB says
I have been doing Yoga with Adriene and I love it!
C. says
Have you heard about The Repair Association?
https://www.repair.org/
Lindsey says
1. Sold three items on FB marketplace for $55 total. Not sure why that platform works so much better for me than Craigslist…
2. Had a large salmon that was frozen without being cut into manageable pieces, so I kept putting off using it until this week. Made salmon chowder for two nights of dinner and two lunches, a salmon dip for husband to eat while yelling instructions to the coach of some football team, and had baked salmon another night. The dog got the skins, although I normally like to fry and eat those myself. No waste except for the bones.
3. Had a large container of egg shells that I finally ground up and added to the chickens’ food, instead of buying ground calcium. Without it, the shells of the eggs they lay are too thin and fragile.
4. Cooked bacon and saved the grease for future cooking or animal food. When it gets to 30 below or so, I sometimes give the chickens a bowl of homemade croutons with some bacon grease poured over. This tip was given to me when I first got chickens, by an old-timer who had raised chickens here for 50 plus years, at a time when there were no coop heaters. He said it helped them cope with the low temperatures. Our coop is heated when it gets that cold but I still give them a bacon/bread treat. I think it makes the dog jealous.
5. Sewed some more cloth napkins with material I got for free at a craft supplies exchange I attended years ago. (Card makers, knitters, sewing folks, all met on a Saturday at a local church. Some folks sold their excess supplies but others just wanted to get rid of stuff so gave it away.)
kristin @ going country says
Re: your #4–We give our dogs extra fat when we know bitter weather is coming, because they never come inside. It works for people, too.
A. Marie says
Re: your #4, I’m having a hard time thinking of anything that bacon grease does *not* improve–for chickens or humans. I often think of one item in a list of “Instructions for Northerners Moving to the South” I read somewhere: “Always save your bacon grease. We’ll tell you what to do with it later.”
Katy in Africa says
Love the practical, everyday ideas in these posts!
– Wearing my lovely dark purple socks from an international airline flight.
– Cooked double at lunch so we could eat the leftovers for supper.
– My kids used some scrap wood to make a play sword for a friend’s birthday.
– Taught the kids how to stitch up a hole in a seam. I fixed a sweater, my daughter fixed a pair of her capris and my son stitches up a pair of his shorts.
Hawaii Planner says
Let’s see, what have we been up to in the frugal world?
-A neighbor was giving away hundreds of Meyer lemons, so we picked some up. When we got there, her husband asked us multiple times to take more. We ended up with quite a few. I made a big batch of lemon curd, & shared with (other) neighbors, and have a batch of limoncello going. We still have extra lemons, so I’ll figure out what to do with them this week.
-I used oranges from our tree to make cranberry orange muffins. I had 1/4 cup left of extra orange juice, so added it to the apple juice that’s open in the fridge (the kids use it for smoothies).
-I’ve continued to list & sell things on eBay & have gotten a bit here & there. My goal for January is $200, and if someone arrives tonight to pick up an item, I’ll be just over my goal.
-Lined dried the majority of our laundry (this is a regular thing for us)
-Used a Target gift card to pick up some household items, groceries & snacks for the kids
-Made all meals at home!
Corrine says
The fact that you have orange and lemon trees in your backyard makes me jealous. The only thing on my backyard is snow
Bee says
You can squeeze the lemons and save the juice in ice cube trays. Also, zest the lemon and freeze it. These both can be added into future recipes.
Sarah G says
1. I was shopping Amazon for our favorite body wash and I realized I could save about $5 per bottle if I bought a bundle of 2 rather than a single bottle. So I bought the bundle. It will last us a long time and it saved $10!
2. I have a big handbag that I’ve been using about two years now. I’ve loved it but I was starting to get the hankering for something new. Then I remembered that it’s actually reversible! So I turned it inside out, cleaned it up a little, and I feel like I have a new purse!
3. I needed a couple new tops, so I used an Old Navy merchandise return credit to buy two. They were both on sale so I only paid $7 for the shipping.
4. This one is still in the works but I’ll list it anyway. We would like to put a floating mantel above our “fireplace” (it’s just an electric unit inserted into the family room wall but better than nothing I guess!). The fireplace unit looks a little weird just hanging out in the middle of a blank wall and we think a mantel would cozy it up and make it look better for hanging some family photos above it. Anyway, my husband checked out some YouTube videos and he thinks he would like to just make it himself. We’ll save a lot compared to buying one already made, plus it will be a fun project for him to do with our girls.
5. Took my kids to a local park for hand feeding the chickadees. It was such a fun winter activity and totally free!
sonya EDWARDS says
Not sure i have 5 but here goes
1. Our heat pump was not blowing out the heat from the register. so my unit was running constantly through the night so my husband crawled up in the attic and fixed the problem
2. A few days later my washer stopped with a full load of laundry and water. we sucked the water out with shopvac and got the clothes out and he took it apart and fixed it
3. Our hottub stopped working and thought we would have to get another one. really didnt want to since they have doubled in price since we have gotten ours but checked everywhere and ended up calling the company and we can get another pump instead of paying for the whole thing
4. Fixed meals at home
5.Made homemade dishwasher detergent that works great
I did find 5 yay me lol
ALLISON R STELLY says
1. There are a few movies we’ve been wanting to see that aren’t available streaming through a service we already pay for, so instead of paying rental fees, I put in hold requests at the library.
2. Using grocery pickup, even with the $5 service fee, was surprisingly frugal… Because I wasn’t tempted by store sales or shiny things!
3. But then when I realized I’d forgotten one thing – chipotle in adobo sauce – I turned to my neighborhood Buy Nothing with an ask and someone came through right away! She then realized the can was expired… But I knew that expiration dates on canned goods are a myth – as long as the can hasn’t been compromised, the food inside will be edible forever. It may lose some taste, but that takes a long time. This can was 18 months past the date and it was perfect. Saved me a trip to the store, saved a can from the trash!
4. I hate taking the time to sell things,
Allison says
Oops, accidentally submitted before I was done!
4. I hate taking time to sell things, so I gave a ton of stuff away on Buy Nothing. Not saving ME money but adding to the frugal / gift economy of my neighborhood.
5. Played a board game from the library!
Ruby says
That is awfully satisfying about the textbook. It served you very well!
1. I made a little organizer for the laundry detergent shelf out of a cardboard box dog meds were shipped in and some vinyl adhesive shelf liner.
2. Used up the last of a container of oatmeal and some leftover coconut in the freezer making blueberry-coconut baked oatmeal for my work breakfasts.
3. Saved $4 on groceries with store coupons.
4. Bought a handbag on deep discount clearance at the end of the year and sewed snaps from my stash of notions inside the deep outside pockets to make it work better for me.
5. Drained the boiling water from cooked pasta into a couple of empty food cans that needed to be cleaned out to be recycled. It worked great,
A. Marie says
FFT, Five Hat Tips to DH (in Remembrance of Things Past) Edition:
Kristen’s #1 has moved me to do a sort of FFT/Thankful Thursday combo to remember some of the many, many FTs my DH has done over the years. This is therapy for me; it’ll keep me from the temptation to commit elder abuse (no joke) when he’s really bouncing off the walls with agitation and delusions. (We’re about to start our third medication adjustment in as many months, and I’m not super-hopeful about this one either.)
(1) Mr. FG’s lamp rescue reminds me of several lamps DH rescued similarly. At least three of these are still in use.
(2) A similar point: We’re still using numerous pieces of furniture that DH and I either rescued off curbs, found abandoned in DH’s rental properties, purchased at garage sales, or bought at thrift shops, and that DH repaired.
(3) DH’s career as a landlord was itself a tribute to handiness. When we’d get phone calls like “Merry Christmas, Mr. DH! Our kitchen ceiling just fell in!” or “Sorry, Mr. DH, but the rugby team just threw a keg of beer through the porch wall,” he could fix things.
(4) I have just lit a fire in our wood-burner with a small fraction of our remaining firewood in storage–a testimony to DH’s long and distinguished career as Urban Logger (i.e., rescuing burnable trees off curbs, vacant lots, etc.).
(5) I’ve saved the best for last: The evening of the day the crazy cat lady living next door tried to burn her house down and almost succeeded (loooooong story here), DH and I were sitting in our recliners contemplating the smoking, cat-pee-soaked ruins when DH turned to me and said, “We’re going to buy the [deleted], tear it down, and have the yard of our dreams.” And we did. It took three years of effort on all fronts and wasn’t an FT in the short run by any means (it cost about what it would now cost to put a kid through a moderately expensive private college for a year), but it improved the quality of our and the neighbors’ lives immensely. For anyone wondering why our neighbors have our backs so solidly, this is a major reason.
Karen. says
You are amazing. Keep it up. Best wishes for successful meds.
Diane C says
You have my vote for Best FFT Ever, A. Marie. Fingers crossed that this one works.
Lindsey says
I agree, best FFT ever.
kristin @ going country says
Wow. This may have been the most touching frugal things list ever. Keep up the good fight, A. Marie; fingers crossed for successful medication.
Kristen says
Oh, A.Marie. I love this. What great memories of your DH. I hope that they help keep you afloat in these hard times. So much love to you.
Corrine says
Hoping you and your husband can find peace.
karen says
Regarding #5 talk about making lemonade out of lemons.
I know you have a garden. Is this where it is?
I too hope the new medication works how you hope it will.
Jody S. says
A great attitude is a very frugal thing in itself; totally free with so many benefits. Great post.
MB in MN says
A. Marie: Such a sweet tribute to your husband. Thank you for your example.
Kristina says
1. I gifted a secondhand but good-as-new bag for my sister; she’s as frugal as I am and absolutely loved it.
2. Felt tempted to buy coffee on the go, but instead warmed up milk and leftover morning coffee for a delicious cafe au lait.
3. Made chili from scratch (soaked the beans etc), and from leftovers made burritos incorporating the chili.
4. A new Mexican grocery store opened in our town. Went to support the small business owner and purchased all the spices, dried beans and tortillas there, plus several inexpensive herbal teas to try out.
5. On payday, promptly moved some money into savings. Trying not to touch it although we had some unexpected house repairs.
P.S. For gift wrap, I’ve found that one of the best options year round is kraft paper from the dollar store. Sometimes they have designs stamped on them, but in plain format they work for any occasion with a nice ribbon. Bonus, they are completely recyclable and heavy duty for odd shapes.
Kelsey says
I have an excellent “recipe” for those flatbreads!
We make taco meat, with grilled peppers, and a salsa cream cheese (just mix whatever you have in the fridge haha) sauce. Then just sprinkle some cheddar on top, and bake or broil to melt it all together.
It’s so fast, and tasty–we probably eat them once a week, and even the baby likes them!!
Ruth T says
1. Just like your conditioner save, I took a lotion pump at the end of its life and turned it upside down into a container. I was so surprised at how much came out! I’ve been using it for about 5 days and think I’ll get at least another week out of it.
2. I cleaned out my pantry yesterday… Apparently for the first time in way too long. I found 3 partial bags of coconut and since my daughter wanted to make cookies yesterday, we used a recipe that included coconut. Those cookies turned out amazing, so we’ll probably make them again to use up more coconut! Maybe I’ll attempt a coconut cream pie, too.
3. I made my own taco seasoning and fajita seasoning. The cost was less than half of what it would have been if I had bought a container of it.
4. I thought about buying some wax tarts at Aldi since they had some scents that sounded good, but decided I should use up what I have before I buy more. I haven’t spent any of my fun money yet this month, but that doesn’t mean that I need to look for something to buy.
5. I went through the bags of next-size-up clothes I’ve saved for child #3 and charted what I have so I know what to look for as we head into the next season. I only need to look for a swimsuit! Yay!
JD says
I love seeing how much I actually have left when I turn a bottle up on a funnel. Your gift wrap purchase reminded me that long ago, I bought a huge (500′ by 30″) roll of white glossy gift wrap. It works for any occasion – I just vary the color of the bows. I don’t remember where I got it, unfortunately. Somewhere online.
1. I signed up for another in-home trial of a robot vacuum. This will be an upgraded version from the one I originally trialed. If I am accepted for this in-home trial, at the end, I should get to keep the vacuum or get paid.
2. I mailed a letter with random 5 and 10 cent stamps I got out of my catchall drawer. The drawer is actually organized, so that’s how I knew I had stamps already – I can see them! Organization is frugal.
3. I had a lot to get done after work yesterday, but I didn’t pick up a meal; I pulled out leftovers and we had that. Since last February, I have bought two meals for my husband and one for me, period. I would hereby like to add that I am heartily sick of cooking every day. I am cooking only for frugality’s sake, as our restaurants are pretty much open, but I admit to getting awfully tired of it at times.
4. I batch cooked for real this weekend. All at one time, I had two pans in the oven, a saucepan going on the stovetop, and the pressure cooker cooking on the stovetop. All of it was stuff for later that day or later in the week.
5. My husband, while on his scooter, knocked the grill off the door to our a/c air handler in the hall. The grill tore out the screws that held the grill, leaving holes too large to fit the screws anymore. I got some plastic anchors and hammered them in the enlarged holes, them screwed the grill back on, using slightly larger screws than the originals. I guess if he keeps knocking off the grill, I can just keep getting bigger anchors… It beats replacing the door.
kristin @ going country says
JD: Your #4? ME, TOO. I haven’t bought any restaurant food for an entire year– although we did have one meal (hot dogs–whee) provided for a school thing–so it’s been just me and the kitchen, 365. I mean, I’m used to it, but I’m just . . . tired. Like you said.
Jennifer Y. says
It is seriously impressive that you haven’t bought any restaurant food in an entire year. I celebrate when I skip take-out for a week.
Jina says
Oh, I’m so happy to have found your blog again! Followed it many years ago when your children were small–they’ve grown up beautifully!
For our Frugal Five:
Picked up four books I’ve been looking for at our used bookstore. Paid for them with part of a $63.00 credit from a box of books I had traded in previously.
Sold my daughters’ instruments–a cello and a viola–from when they were very young. One is in college and the other in grad school, and I have been dragging my feet on getting rid of the instruments for years. We received a fraction ($130) of what we paid for, but it’s so nice to have them out of the closet. Hopefully they’ll get played now.
Finished off the leftovers last night: chili and enchilada rice. My husband never minds the leftovers, but I get tired of the same meals. Added some shredded cabbage, GF ranch, cilantro, and tortilla chips, and it was actually satisfying.
It rained pretty steady last night. Jumped out of bed this morning and ran outside to turn off the sprinklers before they were set to run. What a waste of water that would have been!
Sold a windbreaker I had never worn on Poshmark for $15.00. Paid $9.99 for it on clearance at Dick’s Sporting Goods many years ago. Still had the tags on it. After Poshmark’s cut, I’ll get $12.00, and it will be out of my closet.
Happy Tuesday!
Kristen says
Welcome back! So glad to have you here again.
Good job selling those instruments; I know it’s so, so easy to put off selling stuff.
Bethel says
1. We are no-spending and it’s going great!
2. I ate leftovers this week to avoid food waste
3. Brought food with me to an outing on Saturday so I wouldn’t be tempted to buy food out.
4. I’ve been utilizing my local Buy Nothing group.
5. We’ve added a couple meatless meals per week to cut grocery expenses.
Julie says
I had a big frugal win this morning. I don’t normally attend conferences for my field of work because well, I work for myself, by myself, and they are usually very expensive! Today I saw a notice about one hosted by Seth Godin, who I really admire, and they were having MAJORLY discounted ticket offering price for 2 days only. Considering the conference (online, obviously) is usually over $500 and I got a ticket for less than $100, I’m excited. Plus it’s a great thing for me to share with my clients: that I’m doing this and learning things that will benefit me AND them.
I also used a bunch of coupons yesterday at the grocery store including one that got me 200 bonus fuel points (.20 cents off a gallon).
I made a “mash” the other night that included both potatoes and the last of some celery root that was in my produce box last week. In the same meal I used up the last of some arugula and mushrooms too.
I should give a shout-out to the hubs too. He’s been wanting new golf irons. He found a set for a discounted price (they said they were used but they were STILL in the wrappers) on Rock Bottom Golf. BUT they didn’t work for him. So he packed them back up and send them back and got quite a bit of store credit to put towards a different set he found. AND he still has his original ones that he will sell too, which means this new set will have cost him very little!
Kara says
Yay for reselling the textbook. I have done that exact same thing!
Our youngest child is beginning her LAST semester of college!!! It feels like a milestone for her and for us!
I have priced out new tires and will call this week to see if I can get any further discounts on the best price I found.
I signed up for the American Airlines credit card which gives enough sign up points to get a free round trip to where I need to go this spring. Usually I fly Southwest, but they don’t fly to this destination.
Picked Meyer lemons from my parents tree and will be making some marmalade this week. Only cost is the sugar. I’ve seen canning jars in the stores again
My husband fixed our water heater after following my suggestion of googling the problem. His parents never fixed anything themselves, or did any home improvements themselves, so his natural instinct is to call a repair man. But now he sees how much we can save by doing things ourselves. We both get a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction from our diy.
Working away at my sewing business. That gives me joy as well
KS says
I love Sonia’s chair–where did you get it? Can you share a photo of the whole chair? Thanks.
ValY says
I like the wrapping paper you got, Kristen. It doesn’t scream of Christmas, as you said, and the colors also don’t scream of a present only for a certain gender–the tones are good for gifts for either males or females. That will come in very useful!
Kristen says
Yep! I think these will be very useful papers for birthdays and other occasions.
And they will work for Christmas next year too!
WilliamB says
I hear you about the deep contentment of using something then selling it for what you paid for it. Feels so efficient!
For the conditioner, you might want to cut it open and scrape it out as well. Conditioner is so thick that I find a lot of it caught in the corners and the neck of the bottle.
The one big frugal: I don’t need to go into debt to replace my roof, thanks to savings. My house didn’t need big-ticket maintenance for about 12 years but I kept on saving anyway, knowing that would eventually come to an end. Well, it did! But since I saved aggressively for all the years I didn’t need to spend on the house, plus my usual frugal efforts, I have managed all this without additional debt.
Kristen says
So sorry you need a roof, but it’s so great you saved up the money. Good for you!
And yes, conditioner is so prone to getting stuck. I normally add some water to my bottle at the very end, shake it up and pour it on my hair. It makes sort of a foamy, watery conditioner rinse.
And it leaves a very empty bottle!
WilliamB says
I thought of a few more that aren’t the usual “avoid food waste, eat what I have, use the library, yadda, yadda, yadda.”
I realized that I’m missing my November Consumer Reports, my Nov/Dec Cook’s Illustrated, and a credit card bill from November. Despite the fact that this was likely a result of USPS being overwhelmed by the election and under-resourced for political reasons, each organization sent me a copy or extended my subscription.
My city was caught issuing photo-based speeding tickets improperly, so I received a couple of checks. I don’t consider this frugal on my part but I’m happy to have the money back.
I tried to get my 30+ year old vacuum fixed. Even the repair shop says its probably better to replace. But guess which issue of Consumer Reports has the vacuum repairs? Yup – November.
Trying to use gift certificates from my public library’s summer reading program to buy a couple of books from local bookstores The certs won’t work in either store’s online system; one is making it easy, the other not so much. Why must they make it so hard to support local???
Found another space heater to replace the broken one I need in my basement office, so I didn’t need to buy one.
Since another local business – a restaurant – won’t even talk to me about a seriously messed-up order, I will have to deal with my credit card company directly. Unfortunately for the restaurant, cc companies don’t do partial refunds. Seriously, business? I gave you 5-6 chances to get it right but since you aren’t talking – one manager hung up on me once he understood the problem – you will end up with no money instead of some of it.
Kristen says
Ooh, what vacuum are you going to get? Or do you need to still wait for the November issue?
My county’s library offers free online access to Consumer Reports; maybe yours does too, if you are itching to start the researching.
WilliamB says
I’m thinking of another Miele but would like to see CR first. My library is pretty much closed so I may not be able to check out that issue. My fall-back is to ask CR to send me that specific review, a strategy that has worked well with CI.
Janet says
Our library has an app called RBdigital that you can access magazines. Maybe your library has something similar?
Jean says
Saved money on an online knit-a-long that I did not sign up for because I could not find the extra yarn that I was afraid not to have. I was about a skein short on yardage. Maybe I would have made it but to put that kind of work in a sweater and be short would have been sad.
But, my neighbor, who I have become closer with in the past few years (since retirement), made a copy of an old pattern with similar difficulty and I have the right amount of yarn and the neighbor to go to, have a cup of tea, if I run into difficulty. We both have a small “bubble” (our families) so we are not afraid to sit and chat socially distanced.
Of course another frugal thing is my weekly use of the library. (saves a lot of money from added cable TV expense).
Focus on home cooking.
WilliamB says
My favorite work-around for not quite enough yarn is use a different yarn for the edges (such as cuffs), or stripes, or a large inserted section. As long as they have the same gauge, it’ll work like a charm.
I hope you have fun with the knitting. I rather regret that I’ve fallen out of the habit, although the speed-bumps to starting again loom large right now.
Kris says
Jean, your knitting dilemma worked out well! I’ve just gotten back into knitting. I finally finished a hat that I started, what, 2 years ago?? And it took me a day to complete, so I don’t know what my hangup was about getting it done. I am not being as frugal as you are–I just bought yarn for a blanket throw. I needed to purchase new needles as well and I used my Amazon gift card balance to buy them, so I guess that counts as a frugal win? Anyway, enjoy your knitting project. William, I’m sure when the time is right, you will return to knitting. Sometimes life gets in the way.
BarbG says
1. I redeemed a coupon for free peanut butter from Kroger.
2. I used a $5 Kohl’s reward stacked with a 20% off coupon and got 8 Valentine’s cards for $1.75. These will last several years.
3. I bought 5 really nice clearance toys at Marshall’s and paid only $9.88. I donate to the Angel Tree program and a local toy drive every Christmas so I’m always on the lookout for good, timeless toys.
4. Some of the surveys I do ask if I would be willing to use and rate a product. I don’t get products often, but I got one last week, and it is something I use all the time. The company sends 2 with instructions to use the first for x number of days, then switch to the second. Yay for free stuff!
That’s it for this week.
Melinda & 3 boys says
I redeemed the same free peanut butter coupon! And I have a $5 of Kohl’s rewards to use and had a 20% off coupon. Just hadn’t made it there. Fun to hear what you used it on!
BarbG says
The cards are a pack of 8 – 2 each of 4 designs. They will be great to send to my daughters!
Angie says
1. I watched several episodes of Downton Abbey through my Amazon Prime subscription. There are other movies included there as part of your subscription so I will watch as they become available and I have time to do so.
2. Enjoyed listening to free music on Spotify while working.
3. My husband finished building a new workbench for himself so that he can better store his tools and we gifted the old workbench to a neighbor who needed it.
4. We tore out the remainder of the fall garden veggies that were done. We will let the soil rest for a month before adding manure and tilling it to prepare for spring planting.
5. Eating down the freezer and home canned food over the next months. We did lose some squash that we had frozen but otherwise my grocery stops are for milk, cheese and eggs for the most part.
Battra92 says
Per #3: My first employer once told me to never buy anything new that depreciates significantly in value. He said to always buy used because “when you’re done with it you can at least get some of your money back.” Obviously that doesn’t work for everything but he died a literal multimillionaire so he must’ve known something, I guess.
Anyway, onto mine:
1.) Did a quick and dirty mend on a pair of knit gloves (ya know, the cheap kind sold at like gas stations and the dollar store.) My wife says they look like I stole them from a hobo as this is the third repair on them (they really are junk) but considering I use these when I coat my hands in Bag Balm to counteract all the dry skin I get in the winter, I don’t need anything nice.
2.) Traveled for work using my personal car and took the time to put in for the expense report. So that’s $15 worth of mileage, which is good because gas has gone up significantly since the election.
3.) We found a ham in the freezer and cooked it on Saturday and since then we’ve been coming up with different ways to eat it. It’s a nice time saver and the ham was purchased on sale a while back. My chest freezer is also pretty full so we need some more space.
4.) Not so much me but my wife. She discovered a place to buy sewing supplies that’s much cheaper than buying from Joann and found a way to use much larger spools of thread (which are cheaper than the small ones sold at Joann) using this little plastic stand she paid a couple bucks for on eBay. I also contributed by cleaning out the linen closet and finding some sheets we no longer use (random top sheets!) and she plans on making some clothes out of them.
5.) Honestly, just doing the normal stuff. Shopping sales, not going out for dinner, enjoying what we have already rather than buying new etc.
Mary Anne says
Just a thought on your #1 (dry hands and using Bag Balm with gloves)….try getting yourself a pair of rubber gloves then slather your hands with a goodly amount of Balm and then wash the dishes in the hottest water you can stand. The heat from the water drives the moisture into your hands and works way better than using regular gloves. Hope it helps!
Melinda & 3 boys says
Interesting…. I’ll have to try that next time I use my bag balm!
Mary Anne says
It works well with pretty much any hand cream – doesn’t have to be Bag Balm. I generally use the cheap stuff because then I don’t mind using a lot of it.
Jill says
I bought big bottles of shampoo and conditioner. I always use the shampoo faster than the conditioner. Do you have any idea how to use up the conditioner? I like to change the shampoo after I finish a bottle.
Yvonne says
Conditioner is great to use in place of shaving cream for shaving legs.
Lindsay B says
I’ve had good luck using conditioner as a replacement soap/shaving cream when shaving my legs. It works really well, IMO!
Jenelle says
I only use Shampoo on my hair twice a week. But then again I have curly dry hair. I always use up multiple bottles of conditioner before using up one bottle of shampoo.
Beth B. says
I use conditioner instead of shaving cream to shave my legs. The conditioner softens the hair and also is moisturizing to my skin. It works great!
WilliamB says
Huh. I always use conditioner much faster than shampoo. Which is a pity because while I find cheap shampoo does a good job, cheap conditioner does not.
Maureen says
1. We’ve been eating at home 99% of the time. The food in the freezer is dwindling!
2. My husband made pizza over the weekend and it was delicious and curbed my take out night.
3. Getting back into bike riding for my exercise. I have the bike so I might as well use it. I’m in Florida, so riding is easy. Just have to do it.
4. Been keeping track of my spending which is a good thing. Makes me not take money out of savings for things that are not budgeted for.
5. It’s been on the cool side for South Florida, so the A/C is off and the windows are open!
Kristen says
This is funny…if it’s on the cool side where you live, you turn the A/C off. No mention of turning on the heat!
I’ve been to Naples several times in February, so this makes sense to me. We got pretty hot and sweaty, and I wondered, if this is what winter is like, does anyone ever need heat down there?
SandyH says
Same story where I live (Houston). It’s always a frugal win when we can turn off the a/c. And at this time of year, the heat is on overnight generally, but no a/c or heat needed at all during the day. It’s a RARE thing for us!
Susan FL says
We live in S Florida and don’t turn on our heat. There are maybe 4 or 5 nights a year when the inside temp will dip into the mid-60s. We just add a blanket to the bed. Our electric bills are brutal in the summer because of the heat and the a/c running constantly, so I think it even out.
MB in MN says
Thanks for the photo showing the funnel holding the bottle up – er, down. I’ve never used my funnel for that purpose and now I will. Brilliant!
Kristen says
Oh yes, funnels are great for helping to drain the last bits out of toiletry/food containers. Very handy!
Barb F. says
I use a funnel to refill my under-sink handsoap dispenser in the kitchen. I measured what it held one time (1-1/2 cups. I can’t get under the sink and up into the back of the cabinet easily to unscrew the bottle. And I buy the jug of liquid soap from Sam’s, way cheaper than grocery stores, and saves trips. I also save remnants of shampoo or conditioner by turning the bottles upside , down (closed) and placing them in a slightly larger cup in the shower. Gets every drop out eventually.
J. says
We
Repurposed a thin and frayed towel as cleaning cloth
Hung a piece of embroidery by way of decoration, using a rail we have had in the shed for a dozen of years!
Create an extra couch pillow by making a cover that will store a thin couch blanket
Gifted old books to someone else – free for them, space for us!
Kate says
1. Daughter’s boyfriend mailed textbooks he already had to her that she needs for her classes this semester. Paying for shipping is a lot cheaper than new books.
2. I’ve started wearing an extra layer – or two – each day around the house to reduce the temptation to raise the temperature on the thermostat. A tank top, long sleeve tee, flannel shirt, and fleece jacket juuuust about do it.
3. Used up some potatoes that were about to go bad by parcooking them in the microwave and frying them up. I believe this is a method I learned here!
4. Have been sending out several cards each week to friends and just using whatever cards I have on hand rather than buying new ones.
5. Asked on FB if anyone had an electric keyboard that my son needed for his college classes and someone not only had one, but had gotten it second hand himself for $40 and didn’t want any money for it. That’s hundreds of dollars saved.
Kate says
Oh! And made Kristen’s sandwich bread recipe to eat with sloppy joes!
Irena says
If there was no one else around who could use (meaning people to whom the food is distributed), then the volunteers should indeed take what they can to ensure any food will not be thrown out.
FYI: You know that the brand (seen in pix) is a very good one. So you scored some seriously delish flatbreads (we use the brand a lot and love the flatbreads)
Speaking of not wasting food. We keep a pantry at home, which I go through monthly. Turns out we have quite a few cans of branded items (that would keep a long time with long expiration dates) that I would like to give to a food bank. In our area, the banks have strict rules with limits on amounts of sodium, etc. None of my foods are such that using (and especially if you split the portions and/or eat parceled out over several meals) would impact high blood pressure as I myself have high BP. However, they are still above what I call a very low threshold (I asked a few friends about the sodium content on some of their stuff and they agreed.)
It is beyond frustrating that food pantries here set such limits and exclusions. Especially as they are still distributing foods that are less than healthy to begin with.
Any suggestions on how to get the periodic bits/pieces of cans, etc. (soups, beans, some veggies) and even some frozen foods into the hands of people who can use? We used to have a public “fridge” that we could leave but, sadly, some folks stole the fridge and it was not replaced.
We cannot eat all of this and aside from sharing some with my home health aide, we have no other way at the moment.
Why don’t supermarkets set up monitored “stations” in stores where folks could pick up? Or places where folks go regularly for various things?
No one should ever be made to feel bad for looking for food, especially now and I know there are all kinds of “obstacles” but isn’t there a way when there is a will?
Any ideas on how to get this food into the hands of those who could use (and it’s good food. It’s not junk. All branded. And not unhealthy, if not eaten in one fell swoop.)
Appreciate any ideas. Thank you.
kristin @ going country says
Probably the best ways to distribute these sorts of things is churches and schools. They reach a lot of people and have a pretty good idea who needs it. Not sure about in urban areas, though, where there may be stricter policies than here in our rural county, but teachers and ministers, if you know any or have friends who do, might be a place to start.
Irena says
Thank you. I live in one of the largest cities in the US. We will call around however but from experience in our neighborhood, churches are aligned with local SS food banks, etc.
But I think I will do a posting online in Next Door. FYI: I am far from rich but happen to live in what has become a very upscale neighborhood. I’m hoping that folks with the more modest incomes may know actual individuals who can use help.
I would even be happy to write up and print out some suggested uses and recipes to accompany the food if that would encourage someone to eat them.
Before the pandemic, in the mid-summer to early fall, we had a local senior center that worked with farmers’ markets and had bags of veggies and fruit for $10 every two weeks. These were fantastic bargains. They included printouts that explained 1/ How to keep the foods. 2/Suggested recipes (a bit upscale given the ingredients in some cases, though! But still appreciated).
Cindi says
This is the first I’ve heard of a food pantry with rules like that. Maybe check in another nearby town to see if their food pantry has different rules?
betta from daVille says
Our town has a couple “free little pantry” just like the free little libraries, dotted around. Folx are encouraged to donate what they can, and those in need can pick out/up what they want/need. Perhaps your town have these (or you could start one!)?
Hawaii Planner says
Similarly – our town has “free little pantries” & you can drop by & drop them off.I heard about them on NextDoor, so perhaps you could search around & see if that’s an option near you?
Jean says
Check homeless shelters/food kitchens in your area. I have a friend who weekly cooks for one of the kitchens. A few times we have given her items that she might need or with her creativity can create. Also, we have cooked some desserts (that can be put into a single serving plastic bag, like cookies, brownies). I think they pack up brown bags for the people who eat at the kitchens to take for another bit of food during the day.
WilliamB says
I leave food like that next to the Little Free Library next to the public school. (In my area, public school families are generally the less-well-off ones.) I don’t know who takes it but it’s always taken.
I also leave school supplies at the school, in a bag marked “For whomever needs.”
Anne says
I have worked at a food bank for many years. We take anything people give us and then sort it out. I have never heard of a food bank rejecting food for sodium content. That is usually not high on the worry list of hungry people. However, simply find another food bank. There is usually one is almost every city. As Kristen said, many churches would also accept the food. And possibly you could ask friends if the product is something they would use.
My food bank struggled for years to get a place in the community, but now they are going so strong that they get far too much bread and pastries from surrounding stores. We are encouraged to help ourselves to the above and I do.
Also, we are given tons of candy. Our director might use a very small amount of it, and she used to put a bit out during pre-Covid times for clients, but no more. So we are encouraged to help ourselves to that, also. I had so much candy in our candy drawer that I had to put a stop to it.
Kristen says
Yeah, that is so weird that they are that picky about the food they will accept. Especially over something like sodium.
Becca says
If you have a front porch area, could you freecycle pantry items? I’ve never tried, but I bet someone would come and take them away gratefully.
kristin @ going country says
I had a bag of apples that somehow were all soft, almost like they had been partially frozen, and were not good for fresh eating. (Major bummer given that once the apples are gone, it’s a few weeks before we get more.) I used them to make an apple crumble for the Sunday dessert. That also used some of the quick oats a neighbor gave us and that we don’t typically eat.
My middle son got a tiger poster for Christmas that he wanted to hang. I didn’t have a frame or anything for it, but I managed with a large piece of cardboard to both secure it well enough and make it look good enough to hang on his wall. Luckily, he’s 8, so he’s not quite as particular about interior design as, say, Sonia.
Totally forgot about my younger son needing snacks for school when we started back in person yesterday. I found some small boxes of raisins a neighbor gave us and filled a jar with some of the homemade spiced nuts I always have on hand. I actually detest buying individually packaged snacks, anyway, so I’m thinking I may just make him something every week that he can take with him in his backpack for his snack, rather than leaving in his box at school. More work, but certainly cheaper, healthier, and better tasting.
We went through milk WAY faster the last couple of weeks than we usually do. My husband started having some at night, which depletes the supply very quickly. I didn’t want to make the 120-mile roundtrip to the store just for that, so it was time for Mom’s Magic Milk, wherein I make the milk jug continuously refill in the night.
I used the combination of various sources of dairy I had on hand–frozen milk, dry milk, shelf-stable milk, cream, sour cream–and I managed to always have what we needed for baking and drinking (my children don’t know that I doctor the milk just like this, and they don’t appear to notice until it gets too heavily dry-milk based) until the planned trip to the town for animal feed. Although my husband had to forgo his nightly milk for awhile there.
a curious reader says
a 120 mile round trip to the store just boggles my mind. within a 10min walking radius of my house, there are at least 10 grocery stores. you must be an amazing planner!
N says
–One of my husband’s co-workers passed on to him a $25 restaurant gift card that they didn’t want. We made a date night out of it, picking up our dinner-to-go, changing into pajamas, and then watching old monster movies on Prime.
–While at Barnes & Noble, I had a major clearance score. They had large water bottles with removable knit covers marked down for $2 each instead of $20. I have several friends and family members for whom those would be amazing gifts! I bought the four that were still complete in their packages–the fifth had been a little roughed up.
–StitchFix had a promotional $20 credit to prompt purchases in the new year. I usually ignore such promos–even their “The Cheaper the Better” options are too pricey by me–but I was able to find a pair of leisure pants that I really liked for $10.73 after the $20 credit and free shipping. They are destined to be new pajama pants. I’m weirdly hard on pajama pants despite wearing them only at night and on the weekends, even during the pandemic. (I just don’t feel mentally “on” if I’m not dressed for the day.)
–Combined my CVS coupon mojo with sales and Extra Bucks to get $24 worth of necessary bathroom items for $6.
–In an effort to keep our car’s floor clean during this sloppy winter, I picked up several small rugs at the dollar store. They fit the space around/under the existing floor-mats perfectly and are a shockingly good color match (blue interior). My husband is 8 inches taller than I am, so the extra floor coverage is very much needed even with the seat moved back!
jessica says
Last week I flipped my lotion bottle upside down into a small dish and left it overnight! Got about another 1/3 of a cup of lotion out to use!
I Channeled my inner Kristen this weekend and searched Ebay for a college Lab book my son needed.. The bookstore and Amazon were SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive and we were still over $20 less with paying extra for expediated shipping!
I cleaned out and organized mine and my husbands dresser drawers.. I probably did this at the start of the Pandemic Q last March.. and he has been complaining lately about missing items so now he can see what he has, I created a toss pile and a donate pile (after the teens came through to gather their items and anything they wanted).. Now maybe he will stop talking about buying socks…lol
Grabbed some KILLER clearance cart deals at my local grocery store…Shampoo/conditioner normally priced 5.99 marked down to 1.12 or 1.50. grabbed 3 of each. Grabbed 2 bottles of Dove mens shampoo/ body wash for 1.12 each.. used a $3.00 off 2 bottles coupon and made money back. super expensive hairspray marked down to 1.99( cause I know we will need it soon!)
Jody S. says
We have that literature book, I think, and it is either from my high school days or my teaching days. Also, my father used to volunteer at the food pantry, and he often brought home large quantities of choice items because nobody where he lived would take them; I especially remember him bringing home lots of blackberries once. Blackberries!
Anyway, it’s been a week, and I’m not entirely certain whether some of the things I’m about to list scream “frugal” or “hoarder.”
1. We moved my father to our house along with a lot of stuff. I decided to bring home vintage items I thought I might be able to sell in my Etsy shop instead of leaving it in his garage for a yard sale or donation. So, after I can most of these boxes we’re wading through put away somewhere, I will list on my Etsy shop jelly jars, Popples drinking glasses, and WWII era sewing notions (plus many other things).
2. I’ve baked my own bread.
3. I’ve cooked almost all the meals from scratch. (Dad took us out on Sunday for a thank you dinner.)
4. We watched a borrowed movie instead of paying for it.
5. We ordered books from the library.
a curious reader says
I’m so impressed when people know how to fix electrical stuff. I wouldn’t know where to start! I would love to learn how to do it, though.
1. Following Tricia’s lead, I chopped up some Christmas chocolate and used it in chocolate chip cookies.
2. I usually buy books for my Kindle. It is one area where I allow myself to spend pretty freely. However, some books I wanted to read were not available for kindle, so I got those, plus a bunch that were available for kindle, in my university library.
3. We went on a hiking date, which was almost free, except for the dried mango we got for snacks and the pizza we had after. We always make sure to plan hikes that end in a specific town, because we love their pizza.
4. I bought a used puzzle on a second-hand app for the equivalent of around US$ 3. It has 1000 pieces and we both haven’t puzzled in ages, so it should keep us busy for quite some time.
5. went to the office for a very early call this morning instead of taking it from home, so I could use the office phone instead of my own.
Battra92 says
Rewiring a lamp is actually not all that difficult. It’s actually one of the first things I ever learned to repair.