Five Frugal (mending) Things
This week, I have a 100% mending-themed five frugal things post!
1. I fixed my joggers. Again.
This pair of very old American Giant joggers have appeared before in a Five Frugal Things post.
I know it would make more sense to just give up on these pants, but at this point, I am just kind of stubbornly fixing them.
The inner thigh fabric had worn thin, and it was about to give way.
So, I sewed a new seam, used some old legging fabric to reinforce the area, and I should be back in business now.
At least, until the next hole crops up.
(One day, I will cry uncle and I will stop wearing these. That day has not arrived yet, though!)
2. I mended a pair of Stitch Fix jeans
I got this pair of jeans in a very early Stitch Fix.
(When I look at the above-linked post, the photos are all really grainy. I have no idea why, but I will try to fix it later.)
Original photos:
Wow, they used to be such a dark black!
They're more of a dark gray now.
Anyway, the last time I washed them, I saw that the top waistband seam had started to come apart.
All better!
That repair took about 30 seconds once I had the sewing machine out. I love easy repairs!
3. I fixed a throw pillow
I got a two-pack of these throw pillows at Aldi some years back and one of them sprouted a hole on the seam.
So, I just whip-stitched that shut by hand.
4. I fixed a reusable bag.
I do not love those weird non-woven polypropylene bags, mainly because they wear out so fast. I never buy them, but somehow, we still have had some end up in our possession.
Knowing that it's important to keep using bags as long as possible, I do try to repair them when they break.
This one had come apart at the seam, so I zig-zagged that up, which just took a second.
Then I noticed that the bottom had some holes too, so I quickly zig-zagged some knit material from my scrap bag over the holes.
Given that this bag was free, this is really more about reducing trash output than saving money.
But it does speak to the benefits of keeping a couple of old pieces of clothing around to use as patches for holes. 🙂
(See that method in action when I fixed my joggers before.)
5. I fixed an armpit hole
The shirt I have on in this picture is a super old one that I just wear for walking.
It got some armpit holes, so I zig-zagged those closed.
And that concludes this session of mending for me.
I wish I could bring my mending to your house! 🙂 I have several small hand towels that have lost their loops, hence I never use them as I can't hang them up on hooks and they fall off the towel bar. I need to find some wide ribbon to mend these. I know it will take no more than a few seconds each, but it seems insurmountable.
My husband mended some buttons on his shirt and seams on his jeans, so that will be my frugal mending contribution!
As for other frugal things, I went to my first ever estate sale this weekend that was quite fun. I rehomed beautiful linen napkins that I hope to use more casually than just for special dinners.
I went back the next day when the sale was half off. The small rocking chair I had been eyeing was still there! I also gave a ride to my friend who found a large rug and several other treasures for half off.
Last, in our garden we have resume composting. It doesn't minimize food waste but feels much better to recycle it into dirt than throwing away. We repurposed a large container garden frame into the compost frame, win win to not throw anything away.
1. Our electric bill this month was almost half of what I had budgeted for. The money that I had saved from my previous paycheck was able to be used in another budget line! I love these spring days that we do not need to run the heat or AC.
2. I re-organized all of the "paper" that we have in our house with organization pieces I already owned. I created a plastic drawer organizer full of the kids drawing/coloring/paper airplane paper. I needed it separate from the recycled paper that I use for Ebay labels. I had another plastic drawer organizer that wasn't being used, so I filled that with my Ebay shipping supplies. The kids now know what paper they are allowed to use and what is off limits. I can't image that paper used to be such a "thing" in our house that drove me crazy. Silly, I know.
3. We asked our music tutor to take a break for the summer for lessons. Our evenings are now filled with baseball and soon the pool will be calling our name. The saves us $20 per week.
My brain is blanking out right now, so I guess three will do for this week.
Love the head-butting kitty cat pic at the end <3 "Hello, I'm here for cuddles."
Haha, yes!
You reminded me that I actually did some sewing--my husband's dress shirt was losing a button so I sewed it back on. I should note that while I am capable of mending, I truly hate doing it--so, yay me for overcoming my hatred of a task and doing it anyway. 🙂
Lots of repair jobs here:
1.) Took apart my baseboard heater cover in my bathroom, took it outside, scrubbed it with a degreaser* and then sanded it down as best I could by hand (no power sander in my arsenal of tools yet..) and finally primed and painted it.
So now I have a wonderful, rust-free baseboard heater cover in my bathroom. I spent around $12 or so on primer, paint and sandpaper (and I have some of each left) whereas a new cover is around $40 or so and would need to be cut to size.
2.) Replaced my parents' bathroom faucet. The faucet itself was around $50. I considered getting a different brand that cost last but the Moen one was made in America and Moen's lifetime warranty is really what they claim it to be in my experience.
3.) I bought some new faucet supply lines in anticipation of having to replace the ones under their sink. Luckily I did not have to deal with this so I'll be returning them to the store the next time I'm that way.
4.) Found out both Goldfish crackers (the large container) and one of those bath mats around the toilet were cheaper on Amazon than my local Walmart and Target so I bought them on there. I also used the slow shipping to get some free digital credit.
5.) Not 100% frugal I guess but lately I've been watching a bunch of stuff either on Tubi or IMDBtv. Both of these are free streaming services. The only downside is that they have commercials but I'm okay with that (mostly)
I haven't done this yet, but I need to replace a zipper stopper on my youngest son's nice L.L. bean winter coat. That coat has been through three boys now, and I intend to have it for my daughter when she's big enough for it. But only if I can make the zipper functional again.
Zippers are tricky and if you can find someone locally (I know you're a bit rural) who can do it for you, it's often worth paying the few dollars to have someone do it for you.
You might try contacting L.L. Bean about that zipper. They guarantee their products and will probably offer to fix it for you, regardless of how old it is.
L.L. Bean's guarantee is not what it used to be. Too many scammers ruined it for the rest of us.
Yep. Again, this is why we can't have nice things. So frustrating!
Kristen, my husband's favorite winter long-sleeved undershirt is so worn-out and had been re-stitched so many times that I had to do an armpit transplant on it, using a thrifted t-shirt as a donor. He's perfectly happy to wear a red undershirt with a gray armpit because it's not going to show under his buttoned-up flannel shirts.
My five frugal things:
1. Made a big casserole for my work lunches from stuff in the pantry: a seasoned rice mix, black beans, tomatoes, can of chicken, dried onion, some herbs and spices, and some mozzarella from the freezer. It is surprisingly delicious and filling.
2. Altered the neckline on a couple of thrifted blouses to raise them to a more modest level for work.
3. Rather than continuing to buy small bottles of cleaners, my husband and I decided to start buying the largest refill bottles we can find in order to save money and cut down on plastic waste. After some looking around, we found that Staples, of all places, had an amazing deal on gallon jugs of dish detergent.
4. Not a frugal thing for me, but I bring some of our excess of plastic grocery bags to work and use them as trash bags by hanging one from a desk drawer. next to me That way the janitorial staff doesn't toss a perfectly good can liner because it has a few pieces of paper and tangerine peels in it. It saves my employer a tiny bit of money.
5. Saved two plastic cat litter jugs, washed them out, filled them three-quarters full of water and put them in the bottom of our little chest freezer to help fill it up. These giant ice blocks also help maintain the temperature if the power goes out. We have returned to buying cat litter in cardboard boxes now that our youngest dog has outgrown her love of chewing up cardboard, so those jugs are now precious things. 😀
Thanks for the tip about Staples. I need to go there anyway so I'll check it out.
It's the blue Dawn manual dishwashing liquid for pots and pans. Staples has it for $12.79, which is $4 less than usual. Other online stores had it for $19 or $20 a jug. Staples here is way on the other side of the county from our house, so I ordered two gallons online for free next-day delivery.
We have winnowed down our cleaning products to "what works," and this product made the cut. I know everyone is all about cleaning with vinegar, which I do use in the stainless steel sink, but our house has granite, slate, and some mid-century marble, all of which can be damaged by vinegar, so diluted dish detergent is what we use.
1. Bought a box of chicken on sale for $20, divvied it up into 4 meal portions and stuck in freezer.
2. Used up broth and rice in chicken soup, made a big pot, have lunch for work all week.
3. Walking to work today.
4. Pay my kids allowance. (Frugal because they learn to manage their own money)
5. Taxes are almost done. To make it easy for next year, I already have a big yellow envelope marked 2021 and as the receipts come in mail/inbox they go directly into envelope so they are ready to roll come Tax time!
1. I purchased pork chops and boneless, skinless chicken thighs in bulk and portioned them into freezer bags. We will get at least 6 meals from them but more realistically about 12 meals as we will consume the leftovers as well.
2. We did ALOT of planting this past weekend. I scoured the clearance section at the local big box store and brought home two flats of flowers saving over $60 off regular prices. I shopped at several small nurseries to find small seedlings at discounted prices and used seeds that I already had on hand. In the garden we planted the items that we love to eat and that we know grow well in our space.
3. I used fuel points to save $0.10/gallon of gas when I filled up.
4. I received coupons for cheese, eggs, bell peppers and several other items that we use regularly from the grocery store. I will use these this week and plan meals around the purchases.
5. I cleaned out my son's closet and took the items to the consignment store. While I was there I found 3 new pair of shorts and 5 shirts in his new size. I bought the new items with some of the cash I made from consigning and still left with $12 in my wallet. Also the store did not accept all of the items so I gave the remainder to a mother shopping with her three young boys. She was delighted and it saved me a stop to the Goodwill. Win. Win.
1. I applied the recent stimulus to the principal on my mortgage.
2. I reserved and then picked up one of the two memoirs of Beverly Cleary from my library. Even though the book was classified as junior, it was fine for adults. It was so interesting to read about how she, and many others, of course, lived during the depression.
3. I used grocery fuel points to fill up my car and saved 20 cents per gallon.
4. I sold more children's books that were given to me and made $25. I also sold a Snoopy figurine for $8.
5. I found 4 cents at Kroger and a huge bag of sweet potatoes on clearance for 99 cents.
Kristen, I was getting ready to tease you that everything you mended was gray, but then the last top was a wine color so it ruined your perfect score.
I am picturing you in my home and flinging open my closet. It looks like a Hawaiian botanical garden in there. You would need sunglasses. My sister lived for many years in New York (where apparently women are only allowed to wear black :D) and she was always stunned at my suitcase contents when I came to visit.
To each her own, right?
Way to go on the mending!
My 5:
#1 - I meal planned with our schedule in mind. My daughter plays water polo for her HS team and has started having 3-4 games per week. They are just as liable to be cancelled as happen due to Covid, but when they are a go, they make dinner prep tricky.
#2 - I'm drinking my coffee made at home as I type.
#3 - I got a bigger than normal work bonus. My husband and I have discussed what to do with it, and it was nice to realize that due to the decisions that we've been making, there is no huge pressing need. We can invest it until there is one.
#4 - Not frugal for me but will benefit someone else - I had to de-gluten my pantry. I had a bunch of unopened, unexpired items that I've got ready to donate to the food bank. I did have to throw away a bunch of opened items too, but it will be frugal in the long run for my daughters with celiac to eat safely at home.
#5 - I have a bad habit of leaving wet clothes in the washer and having to rewash them 2 or 3x. This week, I'm doing better and have gotten through 4 loads with no rewashing.
Oh, Susan, that laundry thing! I have found my best method is to set the timer on my stove when I put the laundry in the washer. It is persistent and won't stop dinging every minute until I turn it off, and so I can't ignore it then forget.... has saved me a few times when I have a lot to do but several loads (bedding) to run through before bedtime.!
I have ruined clothes this way too. Particularly with stuff that has some polyester then if you leave it too long you can never get the mildew smell out. I find rinsing with plain white vinegar mixed into the soap dispenser helps a bit.
Laundry! Not my best handled chore. I am pretty good about moving laundry from the wash to the dryer and from the dryer to the guest bed. Clean clothes then pile up there until I get fed up "hunting" for matching socks.
1. Frugal vacationing: staycation! We're under lockdown (still) so vacation treats are extra takeout meals and iced drinks. Not breaking the bank.
2. Frugal gifts: I have two young cousins overseas to buy gifts for, so I'm buying them necklaces from the same shop, and will ship them in a single package.
3. Frugal hobbies: I haven't bought new fabric or yarn in ages, and am instead sewing through what I have.
4. Frugal apartment hunting: We've encountered some rather predatory landlords who want us to sign documents giving them more power and money than the law requires. Starting to look early means we can can walk away from "deals" like that.
5. I made my own Old Bay spice mix last night. I've never had it before, so I don't know if it came out right...very cardamom-y? Interesting experiment.
I was not particularly frugal this week. I have PANDEMIC FATIGUE and lost a student tragically this week.
Cooked and ate at home. Am really liking the air fryer my friend children got us for CMAS. I would never have taken that plunge. Pros: perfect amount of space when cooking for 2. Delicious crispy food. Cons : HUUUGE takes up space on counter. Would not work well if cooking for a large family. Would have to do batches!
Used google to treat my sweet dog for spring allergy licking and scratching. She is doing much better. Salmon oil and good earth shampoo baths.
Cooking and eating at home.
Shopping my closet for spring combinations.
Shopping around for some garden decor. Hope to buy used and spray paint to refreshen.
Stay safe!
I'm so sorry about your loss. How terribly heartbreaking.
I may sorry to hear of the loss that you and all who know and love this student are experiencing. This is hard. May you have comfort and peace.
Sending thoughts of peace and comfort.
Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, Stephanie. Much love to you.
I have often had the thoughts about an air fryer that you do; wondering where I would put it in my kitchen, and wondering how it works when you need to feed a family.
Perhaps in my empty nest days I will get one!
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Some frugality, some not, but all deliberate choices.
1. Frugal: My taxes are too complicated to do myself (don't try to persuade me otherwise, I'm not going to share the details) but I do save money when I organize the paper and use the accountant's tax planner. It was a hard slog this year, both because of pandemic fatigue and it being the first year of a new set of paperwork, but I did it.
2. Not Frugal: Paid my fantastic handyman to spread my compost, weed the yards, and lay mulch.
3. Frugality in the face of inevitability: I had to replace my cell phone. Happily, the one I preferred is relatively inexpensive (I spent some time considering whether I would use the better options on the more expensive phone). That, plus negotiating for free accessories because the store made several time-consuming mistakes, meant I spent only $410 for a new phone that I expect to keep for 3-5 years.
4. Not Frugal: sent my parents a fruit bouquet because they had a tough week.
5. Frugal: continuing to eat the food I stored up when I thought food supplies might be disrupted again.
6. Not Frugal: used food delivery after my second covid shot, to save energy and sanity.
7. Frugal & Not Frugal both: planted a veggie garden this year, using last year's seeds and tomatoes my friend started, homemade compost, and turned the bed myself. I also bought 9 seedlings ($22.50) and my handyman laid the compost for me.
8. Frugal: signed up for reminders from The Shows Must Go On, which streams recordings of live performances for a week or two per show.
9. Frugal or not? I get streaming services a month a time, watch the hell out of them, then cancel.
For years, I had a very complex tax situation and paid an accountant to file my taxes. . Since I never was audited or had any problems with the IRS, I think it was a wise and frugal choice. I could have spent a small fortune correcting problems of my own creation. Peace of mind is priceless!
Agreed! Some tax situations are just too darned complex.
I like this exercise. It makes me think about what frugal things we have done, and non-frugal things as well!
* No shopping for groceries last week. All meals were from freezer and pantry.
*We paid off our mortgage without dipping into savings! We are so excited!
*Gifted my sister a Coach handbag for her birthday that my best friend gave me when she was cleaning out her closet.
*Had my daughter who is a physical therapist check out the pain in my hand to determine if I needed to go see the doctor. She gave me instructions for icing it, exercises, and told me that I only needed to see the doctor if it got worse. Saved me a co-pay and time off from work.
*Saved shipping on a chair I painted for my great nephew for his 1st birthday by sending it home with my sister.
*Used leftover hamburger buns to make garlic toast to go with dinner
* Kind of frugal: We splurged and got a family size fried chicken meal after getting our 2nd Covid shots. I wasn't feeling great, didn't want to cook, so we spent ~ $20 and that was 3 meals for us.
*Helped best friend identify where her outside water leak was. After using our detective skills, we found the sprinkler system was leaking so we shut off the water to it while she waits for it to be repaired. Not frugal for me but was nice to be able to help her since she has gifted us untold amounts of things over the years.
Woah! Congratulations on your mortgage! As someone who just signed mortgage docs, this is inspiring!
Congratulations on the mortgage!
1. Sold our washer, dryer, and refrigerator on craigslist. Also sold a coatrack we weren't using and gave away a bunch of stuff too. All were pretty good deals for someone and it's that much less that we'll need to pay our movers to take when we move. And the cash in our pocket is always nice!
2. Applied some of the credits given as part of our new home closing costs to the HOA dues for the next year - will help with our monthly cash flow.
3. Am using up all the random paper napkins that have accumulated over the years from takeout to clean and wipe stuff down since we sold our washer/dryer and can't use rags like we normally do. Better than just tossing them out and better than using the paper towels we do pay for.
4. The arm on my glasses just fell off. It wasn't the screw, it was actually the part that attached to the front. I don't have the time to go to the optometrist and order new glasses so I just super glued it. Fast, free and it worked.
5. Hugged my kids and shared a laugh when we were feeling not great. Cheapest, most effective form of entertainment and therapy possible.
Let's try to come up with 5.....
1. My oldest daughter works at a sporting goods store. They were clearancing out some boots & shoes. After her shift, she walked back to the area and face-timed me and showed me what they had left in my size. I had her pick me up a pair of boots for next winter and a pair of rubber clogs that I could wear at camp. From the clearance price to full price, I saved $142.50 by buying them on clearance!
2. Same daughter has been looking for a lighted vanity for some time. My co-worker was getting rid of her daughter's vanity for free and said we could have it. It also came with a stool. Free is good!
3. My husband & I had bought some electrical supplies for our camp, but hubby watched some youTube videos and figured out a different way to do some of it. So when I returned a few items, I took a 10% off coupon we had just received in the mail & they returned everything we bought the previous day minus the returns, and re-rang the items up saving us $45. I was very patient while they did the whole transaction & thanked them.
4. Cleaned out the inside of my fridge, wiping shelves & walls & checking dates on items, thus making it easier to see what we truly have & what needs using up before it goes bad.
5. My in-laws bought some tarps & covered all the wood we split this past weekend at camp. They said it was a gift! Great in-laws, always!
1. Sold a bunch of seed starting supplies that I had not used in several years. I have collected so many supplies over the years that I will never use all of them up. Only $20 but a huge pile of stuff gone.
2. Husband and I cut each other's hair.
3. I have made cards over the years but I am not very good at it. My friend, on the other hand, is a master and offered to trade me cards for eggs. Gave her 4 dozen eggs for 20 cards for every occasion, including sympathy cards. She knows I have lost one close friend and three acquaintances to the virus, so she wanted to be sure I had a card if someone else died.
4. Honestly, I was not happy when I found yet one more box of elderly potatoes; I had such a good crop this year that I could not store all of them in the usual place but I thought I had kept better track of them than I did. This is the third box I have had to salvage or lose, so husband and I shredded and froze potatoes one evening.
5. We lived in Scotland twice and I found a boatload of UK stamps that I had collected while living there. I listed them on the local FB marketplace and they sold! $30 in my pocket. They were worth a lot more than that if we were living there and could use them, but as it is they were useless to me so I am thrilled to have made any money off them.
I have time this afternoon for another FFT:
(1) I just took DH for his second COVID shot (he's dozing now, poor thing; the whole experience of going to get it wore him out), and I'm getting mine tomorrow. Woo hoo!
(2) Kristen's epic mending saga reminds me to mention my current project: reinforcing/tightening the buttonholes in the Flax brand long, light jacket I like to wear for gardening (it makes me feel sort of like Mr. Bennet in the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice). The buttonholes were raveling and letting the buttons come undone. And I'm finding that the work has a calming effect on both me and DH. (Our cat, not so much. She loves to climb up in my lap and bat at the moving needle.)
(3) DH's 72nd birthday was yesterday, and he was bountifully remembered by both our neighborhood network and his home care aides: goodies galore, plus an Amazon gift card that I've used to buy him a new pair of slip-on shoes. (As you can imagine, he can't handle anything with laces any more.)
(4) An FT I wish I didn't have to note: I've got plenty of sympathy cards in stock--and I'm going to have only too much use for them. The mother of my former managing editor (who remains a dear friend) just died, and we have two other dear friends who have metastatic cancer and are on in-home hospice care. As DH once said re: the mortality rate in our age group, "We're not in the batter's box any more; we're up to the plate."
(5) But to end on a more cheerful note, I don't think I will have to buy many plants for the garden this year, between what I'm starting in the basement and what's coming up as "volunteers" in the garden beds. This year's plan: If deer and woodchucks avoid it, I'm planting it.
Ahhhhhh, the 1995 Pride and Prejudice 🙂 ... the only one worth watching, in my humble opinion. Such a gem. <3
Yes! I discovered Jane Austen a couple years ago, and I am quite obsessed. It's rubbed off on my children, and they beg every several weeks to watch P & P again. . .(I have to set limits, though, because that one is a LOT of screen time.) That is the best one, really.
Good to read something from you, A. Marie!
I hope you and DH are well. You are thought of often. I do love that version of Pride and Prejudice. I watch it - and Ang Lee’s version of Sense and Sensibility- every once in a while when I need to escape dystopian 21st century society. These stories remind how many more options women now have.
Oh yes -- the best Mr. Darcy ever!! Love that series! And how great to have that network of friends and support.
I need to do some mending, but I haven't sat down to do it in a long, long time. Maybe this will motivate me.
Lately I've been pulling a handful of loquats off of our tree by our walkway as I go to my car to drive to work, and put them in my lunch bag for snack. They are perfectly ripe and I don't have to buy fruit for a while.
I deleted a very fishy message on my phone without responding. It's frugal to avoid scams, for sure.
I pulled all of my lettuce up, as it was about to bolt, and made a batch of Green Goddess dressing, using my homegrown parsley and lemon juice, to put on the lettuce. Big salad tonight!
I made a new batch of kombucha.
I hung a load of laundry on my wooden drying rack instead of using the dryer during this rainy spell.
1. I went for my second Covid-19 vaccine this morning. It feels so good to be almost fully vaccinated. I am hydrating and continue to move in an attempt to minimize side effects. Not getting sick is a win financially.
2. I was able to get yarn for my charity knitting that had been purchased with a grant for that purpose. I will use it with yarn in my stash. Covid-19 has been a good stash busting time for me. I have not been in a store that sells yarn nor have I ordered any in the past year plus.
3. I watered the trees and shrubs we planted recently. No sense in having them die after paying for them.
4. We switched from physical magazine subscriptions to borrowing digital copies from the library. It should be an environmental win as well.
5. I'll skipped getting groceries this week since there is nothing we can't live without.
--The usual kitchen shenanigans: carcasses for stock, “garbage/fridge purge stew” in the crock pot, reusing empty bread bags to clean the litter box (which is decidedly NOT in the kitchen), etc.
--The plastic nut that held the filter, etc. in place on our French press broke. I replaced it with a metal nut from an older, broken French press that we kept to scavenge for parts--case in point!
--I remembered that we still had just over $10 left on an Outback Steakhouse gift card. It paid for 2/3 of a ribeye sandwich dinner to go, which was a relief on a night neither of us wanted to cook. Since my husband and I always split ginormous restaurant meals, that one sandwich (with included sides) was plenty!
--Relied on our pantry to make meals for a stressed-out/worn-out friend. (Related: Show the teachers in your lives some love--they've had a &#*@ of a year.) Said meals were dropped off, with the added bonus of a few freshly bought chocolate bars that I found on sale. Fancy chocolate for less = more chocolate!
--One of said meals was a stew gifted in recycled Talenti gelato containers. While not microwave safe, the screw tops make them great for fridge or freezer storage and saves people from needing to return dishes... like the nice container that the same friend had used to give us cinnamon rolls for the holidays. We returned said nice container full of enchiladas as part of the meal drop off.
Talenti containers ARE so handy for so many things!
Plus out of Talenti containers is a valid excuse for more ice cream.
Running out of! Darn fumble fingers.
Mixed bag here this week:
- I remembered to use a batch of frozen egg whites each time we've had scrambled eggs recently. We clearly use many more yolks than whites.
- I promptly returned a jacket that didn't fit quite right.
- I planted round 1 on our vegetable garden. Of course, it snowed the next day. 70-40-70-40.
Everything seems ok.
- We ate down most of the bread odds and ends from the freezer.
- I've restarted setting aside cans to return for their deposit. The return process was a huge pain when I had to bring small children so they just went in the recycling. I'd planned to return them once the small children were occupied for part of the day, but then COVID.
My frugal things were all sewing themed, too, although not all were completed this past week..
I sewed (by hand) reinforcements to buttonholes on the cuffs of one of my flannel nightgowns.
The holes were getting frayed and now are sturdy. Was good to remember the buttonhole stitch technique I learned in Home Ec !
Sewed some pockets on the front of a winter robe. Pockets are so useful.
Turned the collar on one of my husband's oxford shirts so the frayed part does not show.
My big project : We have a new grandchild, and when I got out the family bassinet, the liner had become too worn to use. So, instead of buying a new one, I searched through my fabrics, found some nice quilted fabric and designed the inner liner, and now I am working on attaching a pretty skirt with material from my mother's stash. The bassinet will look great !
And ready for more future grandchildren. No cash output at all !
I have a stack of items that need mending ASAP before my boys grow out of them! Plus a couple of my things. There's always more to add - boys are hard on pants! Haha.
Great lists everyone! My FFT:
1.We are downsizing our big house and moving back to my hubs hometown. Trading home size for more land. Home prices there are about half of what they are here so we will be able to pay off our mortgage and have some left.
2. Used our stimulus for a car rental and hotels and took a 3 week roadtrip to hubs hometown to check things out. 3. Bought a battery operated nail trimmer for my dogs nails. 4. Washed windows and pulled out a dead tree stump ourselves instead of hiring it out. 5. Selling decor items on FB Marketplace so we dont have to pack them!
Hi Kristen, long time reader here. 🙂 Is there a sewing machine you would recommend for beginners? I have *very little* experience on a Hello Kitty Janome (more of a compact machine) but I'm looking to get a full size easy-to-use machine for repairs just like these! Thanks!
Hi Ivy!
Sonia and Zoe have this machine: https://www.singer.com/Simple-3223G-Sewing-Machine It's not super complicated, but it can handle pretty much every repair you could think of. And it's a regular size, not a teeny machine, which makes it a little easier to work with.
Our freezer was almost out of prepared meals. I made 6 pans of lasagna on Sunday, today I took the day off work to make 11 pans of enchiladas, next on the list is Greek turkey meatballs. I also roasted a turkey on Sunday, if I still have energy after the meatballs I may do a couple of turkey pot pies.
*I bought mulch on sale for our garden pathways.
*I placed cardboard down in my flower bed, then put bark on top of the cardboard. This will help keep almost all the weeds down in this bed for the entire summer.
*My hubby used some scrap pieces of wood we had laying around to build me a free trellis for a rose in our garden.
*We read my daughter in law’s History blog article as part of our homeschool History class this week. Her topic was the “Why” we should study History! She made some excellent points!
*I used my Rubbermaid produce storage containers to store my Aldi’s produce in. I have run my own experiments, and these containers truly do help my produce last longer!
I have pictures on my blog as well as a link to my daughter in law’s blog if anyone would like to read it here: https://chickadeecove.blogspot.com/2021/04/frugal-friday-week-of-april-11-17-2021.html
1. Trimmed my bangs.
2. Made rice pudding for breakfast with leftover rice.
3. Defrosted and reorganized the freezer. Also quickly wiped down the coils. Tryibg to keep it running efficiently.
4. Made a menu plan and shopping list.
5. Reading a borrowed book to my son.
One of my friends dyes her black jeans black when they start to fade that way!! Just an idea!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
My 5: 1-I bought a dress to support my friends business but it was too long, so I removed the last ruffle so I'd wear it.
2-Borrowed a jigsaw puzzle from the library
3-I have some hair product that weighs down my hair too much, so I used it on my skin.
Ok...I'm blanking on the other two. LOL
My Five Frugal things:
Homemade Focaccia bread is rising
We are having chicken for dinner that I receive for volunteering with the Food Bank
I brought a bouquet of roses in from the garden
Trimmed my dog's toenails
Cut out a pattern to replace the fabric on some directors chairs, I've had the fabric for several years so no out of pocket expense
Whoa -- I just assumed my cotton/whatever blend totes are better than plastic. Thanks for that information!
Well, most of my frugality is about food, as usual:
1. I only spent $60 - 70 dollars in groceries last week - It was just me so that isn't as cheap as I would like but I did stock up on salad kits when they were brand spanking fresh and half price. And I am eating them up.
2. Have eaten in all meals since my return from vacation on April 7 -- a personal best 😉 -- after a week of meals out on vacation. I did stay at my brother's house so that saved on hotel and all meals except dinner. Ahem.
3. Only exception to #2 is -- I was taken out for my birthday on Sunday and later I treated myself to chocolate cream pie (shout out to Republic of Pie!) and coffee.
4. Ate up the remains of fruit and frittata leftover from a party at school for lunch on Saturday.
5. Using my gift cards to Starbucks for afternoon cold brews. Otherwise, making coffee at school in the Keurig. Often using my refillable Keurig cup and ground coffee in a bag.
6. Frugal? I dunno but the outside pool at my gym opened!! And I am using it again. Healthy is frugal, right?
1. Sold some planters on Facebook Marketplace, I found for at the curb, for $50. I listed a murder mystery game, I received as a gift, on Facebook Marketplace also.
2. My husband built us another vegetable garden this weekend. I am purchasing seedlings from a neighbor for about $1 per tomato plant. We also started some seedlings and will sow some seeds directly. It will feed us very well!
3. I picked up some shorts, off Buy Nothing, that will fit my son next summer
4. I made some chicken stock with chicken bones and vegetable peels. We are mostly eating out of the refrigerator and freezer. Our grocery bill was only $40 this week and that included diapers.
5. I sewed my son's backpack
Frugal fail: We got out of the house, as a family, for the first time since the pandemic started. We went to a pottery painting place and out for pizza and dessert. It was not cheap, but it felt so good to get out. The kids had so much fun!
That doesn't sound like a frugal fail to me. You helped boost your family's morale by getting out for some enjoyment. Sometimes it's worth the money.
Agreed! Thank you for the encouragement!
The kids were fighting off a cold last week/weekend, so I mostly stayed home, and that is frugal.
--A few in our household are dieting/eating less to lose some weight, so I think we've been eating less food. Frugal.
--I altered the dress I made my daughter last year because it cut into the armpits. (While this was my first dress, the pattern was horrible.) Anyway, it wasn't a professional fix, but it fits and nobody can see under her arms anyway.
--I ordered books/movies from the library for school.
--We planted potatoes that somebody gave us to plant.
--I thankfully accepted hand-me-down jeans for my son who needed a smaller size.
--I cooked all meals at home.
1. Bought a Rubbermaid mop pole at the thrift store. Contacted Rubbermaid to see what mophead it uses and they're sending me some complimentary refills. Woot-woot!
2. Received vaccine. Turned out to be frugal as 12 hours of nausea and puking meant zero food costs. (I had the same reaction to the shingles vaccine a couple years ago, so I wasn't surprised.)
3. Since we received a large Federal tax refund, we adjusted the withholding from my pension so that we get more of that money throughout the year.
4. Made a birdbath out of a large terra cotta planter saucer placed on an upside down planter.
5. Redeemed credit card points by applying cash back to card balance. I set a reminder to do this twice per year.
Love all these frugal comments, and am so sorry to read of COVID losses. It is a difficult year.
1. I have been using the library more, ordering books and also picking from the ones our librarians lay out to tempt us. We can't browse the stacks, yet they put bundles of 2 or 3 books out with teaser titles, and usually I find a bundle that appeals. They are also putting a number of single books out and again I find one or 3 that I bring home. The library hasn't been a regular thing for me, but I am enjoying learning this new habit.
2. Frugal win for me - my bestie's son called me looking for a day of work, so I had him repair the sheep fence and take apart a greenhouse that had been torn off its rockers and rolled across the field by a wild windstorm. (!! it is 10 X 20 feet, made of those metal car covers and greenhouse plastic, and was screwed into buried footings - we had a wild storm, and it rolled completely over, twice, ending upside down and busted.). The Frugal part was that he got BOTH of those jobs done in less than 2 hours, and I HAD been intending on paying my own son to do it. My son would have taken all day, and not done nearly the quality job. Bestie's son then went on to mow my lawns and weedwack, which is a big job here this time of year.
3. Frugal dump run with the broken greenhouse - the local dump is also the recycle centre, and so I was able to recycle all the metal from the greenhouse, as well as some styrofoam, plastic bags, and glass bottles - all for no cost. The real WIN was I picked 7 canning jars out of the glass bottle bin - which is at least $7 savings. The greenhouse plastic cost me $11 to dump so with the win of the canning jars it only really cost me $4! I did, however, have to interrupt my errands with a quick run home, as I discovered a FROG in one of the bins that had my recyclable glass - oops. Brought him home in a glass that still had a lid, and let him go...
4. Frugal win - I did a whole series of errands when I did the dump run, including taking a couple of bags of returnable cans and bottles to my church, they collect them for a fundraiser - usually I am not at that part of town on the days they are open. Finally got those square feet of storage back in my basement.
5. Found a gravy separator at the local thrift shop when I dropped off some donations. Cost $1.50 and I have been thinking I need one for some time. I also got a set of 4 stainless steel mixing bowls for $4, and I know my children all are in need of more bowls.
6. BIG FRUGAL win. I was driving to my Besties to go for a walk one early morning, and passed a FREE sign on the road beside some empty gallon pots. I pulled a U-Turn and ended up with close to 100 pots, plus a big garbage can full of 3 and 4 inch pots. I am always looking for these so this was a huge win instead of needing to purchase.
1) I chopped up a bunch of onions that were starting to get soft and put them in the freezer to use later, to avoid throwing them out.
2) I downloaded 8 (?) free kindle books from Amazon for World Book Day. Link here: https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17728818011
3) I unsubscribed from a digital magazine that I kept thinking I would read, but rarely did. It's not expensive, but still.....
4) I picked up 2 really cute, high quality Christmas cards from the free table at work.
5) A friend bought coffee from a speciality shop for my husband and I last week. Nice little treat.
Our Labradane can chew through anything quickly. We use a gentle leader on him and two times he has chewed an inch into it. I sew it each time to keep it going. (As well as blankets he has chewed holes in.) I have been darning the heels in socks since the tops are great. Any socks that are mostly gone, I save those to use the good parts when darning the others. I use a jar lid as a darning egg. I have also used jar lids under plant pots.
Lupine makes great collars and leashes. They will replace any chewed products for free! You just take a photo of the chewed product and email it to them and they mail you a new one. We use their H-style harnesses for our rabbits all the time and have had to have a few replace. Lol. They also wear well and last a long long time.
1) Used our Costco membership reward to get our groceries for no out of pocket spending this week, which was a nice treat.
2) Sold items on eBay & a new candle making set on FB. As always, applied the profits directly to our mortgage
3) We've been eating leftovers for dinner. My parents cooked for us when they were in town last week, and we froze the extras, so it's been like an additional gift from them to have a few bonus meals.
4) Returned a gift that didn't work out
5) The one that saved me the most money but was also frustrating... my son needed new soccer cleats, and wears the most common size. During COVID, they've been very hard to find. I ended up having to pay a lot for a pair at a local sporting good store. They didn't even last 30 days before they fell completely apart. And, these were very, very pricey. So, I contacted customer service, and they said I could take them back for a full refund. In the interim, I'd ordered a backup pair in case the pricey ones didn't fit, and hadn't yet returned them, so the backup pair is working fine (for half the cost) & I don't need to mail them back. Hurrah.
Have you ever tried Oxy Clean Dark Protect? It does a great job of keeping your darks dark, especially black and dark blue jeans.
I know there's also a way to re-dye them using RIT.
You make mending look so easy. I have such basic skills with a needle and thread that I cannot even repair holes in socks. I do not have or know how to use a sewing machine. Maybe a future skill to work on.....
And my five frugal things:
1. Our local bagel shop spreads way too much cream cheese on bagels. I started to save the spreads for later use. The excess from 4 bagels topped toast for a week.
2. Made a grocery list, shopped the list, prepared meals for the work week.
3. Really love the hoopla app offered by my local library. I can borrow 4 books per month and they have an up to date catalogue. I am new to the audiobook scene and love to listen to books while I take walks, clean up around the house and cook.
4. My son's soccer team has been on a losing streak for the past month. Sunday they won their game. We felt a small celebration was in order and suggested pizza and ice cream. My son surprised us with a request to celebrate at home. So instead of eating out, we grilled burgers and ate store bought ice cream. Much more affordable.
5. Paid off a credit card with a large balance just before the 0% introductory APR expired.
I would love to learn to sew and make a quilt someday. Do you make those types of things, Kristen?
My frugal five:
1) I earned a free backpack from my years of service at my job. It went with me on a trip for days. Savings- $20
2) I'm trying to sell books on ebay......
3) Took a trip and got a deal on the hotel, despite the resort fee and taxes comprising nearly 70% of the bill. savings- $240
4) I'm still working on a bag of clearance candy from Halloween. savings- $16
5) Got a free pamper session from a skincare store at the mall. savings- $50
I can't believe this actually worked, but I fixed a hole in my 13-year-old car's upholstery! Luckily, it was along the seam, and I was able to just whip-stitch it up! You can't even see it now, and I feel like I really kept what could have been a very bad thing from becoming worse -- for now.