Five Frugal (mostly tiny) Things
Mostly tiny things this week!
1. I got an annual symphony pass
So, after my little $10 symphony evening the other week, it occurred to me that other nearby city symphonies might also have a student program.
And as it turns out, they do!
Another city offers a student deal where you pay $35 and then you can go to basically as many concerts as you want over the next year for $0.
You do have to pay $15 for parking in the garage, since it's in a bigger city, but still, that's a super good deal.
So, I bought that membership and went to a concert there last Friday night, largely because a Tchaikovsky symphony was on the program.
I love Tchaikovsky!
I wore the exact same outfit I wore to the last symphony because
a) it was a different venue in a different city and
b) I don't think anyone would notice a repeated black dress even if it was in the same city!
2. I made granola
Routine and boring? Yes. 😉
But every time I make this granola, I am reminded of how quick and easy it is. Not having to stir the granola while it bakes: FABULOUS.
3. I did a good job of eating my fridge down
Remember how I didn't really go grocery shopping last week, and only spent $18 on food? Well, that's because we were busy eating up everything we had.
By Sunday of this week, it was pretty darn near empty in my fridge. Yay me!!
As a person who tends to inadvertently keep a fridge pretty full, I felt quite accomplished. 😉 A full fridge tends to encourage food waste because things get lost.
4. I prepped food before clinical yesterday
This semester, most of my clinicals end at 8:30 pm, so I'm gonna get lots of practice at packing dinners!
Yesterday, I cut up some chicken thighs and used this chipotle chicken marinade on them and sauteed the chicken in a cast iron skillet.
I packed the chicken as a salad, using the sauce as a dressing, plus I brought some carrots, Triscuits (well, the Aldi kind!), and hummus, and that was my dinner.
And I left the rest at home for Zoe to eat after she got off from work last night.
5. I sold a book on eBay
A tried and true little frugal staple for me! Whenever I have a book I don't need, I throw it up on eBay and then put the book on my shelf and forget about it.
So then when a little, "You've made a sale!" email comes through, it's a happy little surprise.
Often, the books I am selling are titles I've originally bought through eBay, when the library doesn't come through for me.
And here's how I sell books on eBay.
--We ground twelve pounds of the bull meat yesterday with our manual grinder. Well, my husband did the grinding; I did the facilitating. 🙂 This bull meat has been really hard to use, but ground is easiest for me to get through it. And it was entirely free.
--The super-frugal gardening season has begun. I have basil, tomatoes, kohlrabi, and cabbages under the old shop lights in the kids' bathroom. They were started in the plastic containers from lettuce, plus one long container from a giant sub sandwich my husband bought for the children at a grocery store when they were on a trip.
--My husband spent some time with the wheelbarrow yesterday fertilizing the garden by cleaning out the chicken coop and some sheep areas.
--My daughter and I worked on cleaning up our always-cluttered enclosed porch. I found a brand-new replacement bike tire inner tube that had been missing for some time, and my daughter from a tiny piece for our air pump that is necessary for it to actually work.
--We're taking a road trip today to Chimayo, which is about three hours away. I'll pack all the car food, water, and lunch food. However, if it ends up being late when we're coming back and it looks like we won't make it in time for dinner at home, I reserve the right to stop to buy food for dinner somewhere. Assuming we can find somewhere to stop. Our route is through the mountains and mostly small towns, so it might end up being gas station food. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, I tried something new for starting seeds and am so excited to see how this goes! (How did I not think of this when I listed my FFT?) I took a salad clamshell, filled it with empty TP tubes, and cut slits in the bottom of the tubes to fold them in. Then I filled the tubes with soil and started my seeds. Now when I go to plant them, I will just open the bottom and plant the whole tube. I won't have to disturb the roots. Since my seed starting trays don't always last from year to year, I'm hoping this can be my new go-to for starting seeds.
@kristin @ going country, I loved Chimayo when I visited there with my sister. Isn't the walk coming up soon? Good Friday?
@kristin @ going country, isn't it funny how decluttering always seems to save money? It keeps you from buying another unit of something you couldn't find and it makes you realize how much stuff you have so you're less likely to buy more! 🙂
That's exactly how I view eating down the fridge! In the process of decluttering the fridge, I find food that needs to be eaten, and then I buy less.
@kristin @ going country, Twelve pounds?! No offense but that's a load of bull!
(I do hope people get that I'm making a joke 😛 )
@Ruth T, that sounds brilliant. My success rate at both starting seeds and then planting the seedlings is almost zero. Maybe it has to do with disturbing roots. Thank you for this idea!
@Battra92, not only is it a load of bull (meat), but I can't help thinking (with gardening season coming on) about the bull's, er, other productions. Even if the bull wasn't actually resident, Kristin and her family's other animals must contribute their share in this respect. ;-D
@Battra92, ha ha - thanks for the humor.
@Battra92, that was an awesome joke!! I literally laughed out loud!
@Battra92,
That's hilarious!
@Ruth T, I hope that works for you. I tried the toilet paper tubes years ago, and they all just got moldy and fell apart on me before I could plant them. But that was in New York, which was significantly wetter than here, and also they weren't contained in a plastic shell like that.
@Maureen, There are pilgrimages there all during Holy Week--thousands of people--but yes, Good Friday is the biggest day for them. I didn't want to deal with those kinds of crowds, though.
@kristin @ going country, that sounds Great, don’t have room for a Bull, lol, I live in a rented 25X30 ft room
Most of my things have been small, as well.
1. Returned a pair of sandals to Amazon via Kohls and managed to avoid buying (nearly) anything while I was out running that and other errands. I had time to kill before the library opened and wandered around Fresh Thyme, and kept my impulse buy down to a sample bottle of conditioner and a Zevia cola. Health food stores/bulk stores are always dangerous for my wallet!
2. Library books, and aside from one purchase on Thriftbooks for my son, I've managed to avoid buying books for myself this Lent.
3. Ruthlessly culling my Subscribe and Save on Amazon. Still figuring out Clark's kibble consumption rate, but I don't think we need 7 pounds delivered every two months! I always feel I'm saving when I press the "skip delivery" button on a subscription, and canceling a subscription feels pretty good too!
4. Two home haircuts.
5. Eating all meals and snacks at home. (Snacks=homemade popcorn and fruit)
@Karen A., HA! We get 60 pounds of dog food delivered every month now and today I am waiting for the mailman to arrive because I am down to two more meals for Clobber Paws and Houndini. Seven pounds sounds wonderful!
@Lindsey, He is a dainty little guy! But it is the special allergen reducing food, so about $37 a bag. I ordered two bags when we first got him because I didn't really know his appetite. He gets 3/4 cup a day, portioned out 3x a day.
1. I used $15 in Kohl's cash plus my $5 birthday reward (which you have to actually show the email for) to get two shirts for less than $5.
2. I ordered flea drops through Sam's Club for my dog. They're definitely the best deal we've found and we still have free shipping through Sam's for a few more months. I also shopped around for the particular cat food we have to buy and found a new place to get it. It's cheaper than the 3 other places we've gotten it before, I signed up for their rewards program, and they occasionally send out coupons. Bonus that it's right on the way to Aldi and there are cute animals inside that my shopping buddy (my 5yo) likes to see.
3. I took my kids to the Henry Ford Museum on Friday when we had a day off school. We got a membership for Christmas, so every time I take them it is going to feel like a win. We packed lunch and the Starbucks I got on the way used a 40% off coupon and was paid for with a gift card.
4. Much of the produce we've been eating has been purchased through Flashfood. $5 for a bag full of a variety of fruits and veggies. I have another one waiting for me to pick up today.
5. This past Sunday was Pajama and Pop Tarts day for the kids at church (time change Sunday) and my youngest had a hole in her favorite jammies, so I sewed it up real quick and saved the day. 😉
@Ruth T, I’m hoping to try FlashFoods this weekend!
@Ruth T,
My granddaughter's birthday party was Saturday morning at her house, and it was Pajamas and Pancakes! The pancakes and most toppings were homemade, so it was frugal, too.
@Colleen, I love it! Hope you find good deals with it!
@JD, That is SUCH a fun birthday party idea! I have a kiddo that would absolutely love it. I'll have to keep that in mind!
@Ruth T, I loved the Henry Ford Museum when I was there years ago. Still one of my favorite museums. So much to see!
@Ruth T,
I love FlashFoods! I just bought a box that had two Sumo mandarins (my absolute favorite citrus fruit), a number of navel oranges, a few regular "cutie" size mandarins, and about 8-9 limes! The Sumos are long gone, and am now working my way through the rest.
Also, is the cat food you need one that requires a vet's prescription? Asking because we have a cat who requires a certain vet-prescribed food, and the cheapest (ha ha, it's not cheap) we've found is through Chewy. Just wondering where you buy your cat food?
@Liz B., That's awesome!! Our Flashfood boxes almost always have red, yellow, or orange peppers as part of the mix, which makes me happy.
I got my cat food from Pet Supplies Plus. We don't need a prescription - we just have to buy the Purina Pro Plan Urinary Tract Health food. We learned that the hard way after two emergency vet visits! I may have looked at Chewy once, but we used to get it from Walmart, Meijer, or Amazon.
@Ruth T,
Will take a look at Pet Supplies Plus. Thanks so much!
@Ruth T, again,
My local FlashFoods grocery (Meijer) frequently has produced boxes with the red, yellow and orange peppers in it, too! Such a great deal, and I love those peppers sliced up with a little Ranch dressing for dipping
We too have been eating down the freezer and refrig. I need to defrost the freezer, so I want it to have as little as possible from there because I will have to put it in my refrig/freezer for the defrosting period. So we have also been eating home a lot!
Sold something on Mercari, so I have to ship that out. Watching the dollars go up so I have money available when I need to buy something.
Bought a huge cooler for $20. from FB marketplace. The lady didn't even use it.
Been scrapbooking with the papers and supplies I already have on hand. That is working really well and hopefully I will be able to use up a lot of stash as I just started a new scrapbook. I have a friend that makes a ton of cards for organizations, so I will be gifting her some of my stash so I can get rid of it. I haven't used it in years, so might as well donate it!
Been drinking my coffee from home. People have gifted us coffee and it's been sitting in the freezer, so we are using it up!
Frugal:
Tried cat treats from ALDI( are they bad for my cat???). Much cheaper than Kroger.
Made a very frugal brown rice salad for lunch prep this week. Used up odds n ends of veggies and added a can of chick peas for good measure.
Walked dog for exercise while listening to free podcasts. SMARTLESS IS SO FUNNY. I am a life long fan of Jason Bateman!
My outfit for school today. 3 dollar shirt thrifted. 6 year old long cardigan bought on clearance with my one pair of very loved jeans. I wash with care my clothes and use minimal dryer. I keep a capsule wardrobe since 2020. Very freeing.
My food costs continue to rise even with maximal effort, lunch prepping and eating at home. I am a little discouraged. WAH!
Hooray for the symphony!!!
@Stephanie, I feel you on the food costs rising. Staying within budget is tough!
@Stephanie, I don't know about Aldi's, but I found Wellness' Kittle Treats on Amazon on sale, $2 for a bag of 150 treats. Cheaper and better than the Friskies he was used to at the shelter. Clark goes absolutely nuts for them. He will do nearly anything for a Kittle. And they have really good ingredients, IMO.
And I hear you on the food prices. I've started just eating less meat personally, and we have ruthlessly cut out snack foods and reduced our seltzer purchases. But I can't not buy fresh produce!
@Stephanie, I got excited because I first read "frugal brownie" then (no offense), totally unexcited when on the second reading, brown rice salad.
@Selena, lol
I've had more time than usual, which has resulted in different frugal wins for me (although, missing those free lunches at work!)
1) Used up some very lingering freezer items (cauliflower rice + corn) to make a taco bake. I bought sour cream, cilantro & avocado to go with it. Planned a second dinner (chicken fajitas) to make sure I was using up the net new stuff I purchased. Chicken fajitas are my favorite, and having them with sour cream is a rare splurge, as we usually don't have it on hand.
2) Used $40 of grocery store rewards, and took advantage of grocery store sales: grapes, cheese & sourdough bread. Made sure to use the bread quickly, but with two teen boys, that's really a given. I think it was gone the same day.
3) I had a $25 CVS gift card earned via Fetch, so I used that to buy Easter treats. I had $2 and change left on the gift card, so I got that back in cash.
4) I've had a bunch of creative leftovers as lunches, keeping food waste in check & eating well.
5) The big one. . . we are flying to Portland in June for my son's graduation party + a 70th family birthday event. We timed the graduation party with the other event, so we'd only have to fly once. Used frequent flier miles for two of the flights, and used travel credits to offset most of the cost of the other two. All told, spent $307 out of original price of $1744, so it was a big win!
@Hawaii Planner,
Great planning on combining the Portland trip to include your son's grad party (congratulations to him, BTW), and the family birthday party....plus great use of travel rewards/points/frequent flyer miles! My family and I are taking a vacation in Boston later this year, flights and lodging paid for with credit card rewards.:-)
While not a particularly frugal week, I did have a few frugal wins:
1. I got a free desk for my daughter off of FB Marketplace. It's a large wood desk that I plan paint. But it looks fine until I get to painting it and my daughter was happy with her new desk.
2. I cooked 6/7 of our dinners this week. The one dinner out was planned.
3. We ate two lunches out on the weekend. But both lunches were free or discounted since we got a free Qdoba bowl + chips/queso and used a gift card for the other lunch.
4. Started prepping my strawberry garden. This garden was a huge disaster and desperately needed a lot of help. While this isn't a frugal win now, it will be when we start harvesting the strawberries in June.
5. Both my daughters needed lamps for their rooms. I shopped the house and found the perfect lamps for each of their rooms.
-I kept track of all my expenses on a recent business trip and actually sent them in for reimbursement right away
-hosted two friends over the weekend and made all of our meals
-did some boring tax stuff
My mom used to sing in the Philharmonic Chorus and we could get half price tickets to any of their concerts. It was great!
My five smallish frugal things:
Two are related to going out to eat with my friend (a Monday tradition). I always take home napkins if there are extras. The pizza place in particular always brings out a big stack of napkins. And last night I remembered to take two containers for leftovers. I usually wash them out, but I'm not so good at remembering to grab them when we go out.
I used my $5 birthday gift card last month at Ace Hardware to buy myself a new hammer because I had broken the old one. A related frugal fail is that I got mixed up about what day it was and didn't use the one that they sent me in January.
I used the library's services again for e-books, Hoopla, and Kanopy.
I finally made it to Wince last night! After we left the restaurant, my friend asked me if I wanted to go anywhere. I said well I was thinking about Winco, but we're going to wrong direction now. He said, no, we're not, it's right behind these stores. It's a good thing he took me or I never would have found it. I've been lost in that neck of the woods before. I had forgotten my list, but I bought a few things that were on the list (milk and cumin) and three things that weren't (arborio rice, bananas, and canned pear slices). I've been looking for a good source for arborio rice and they had it in their bulk section for $2.48/lb! Risotto, here I come!
@Dee in AZ, we have Winco, and I love it. I am hoping we get an Aldi someday. Would be interesting to compare products and pricing.
@Cheryl 90,
I wish we had a Winco! But I admit, I do love my local Aldi.
@Dee in AZ,
Ummmm.....hammers break? (Bows down to your superior arm strength) lol. 🙂
FFT, Another Miscellany Edition (updated from yesterday's FFT at the NCA):
(1) I appealed a $14.95 service charge on one of our checking accounts (the one that was primarily DH’s back in the day) at our local bank branch. Not only had the charge been applied in error, but the branch manager–a personal acquaintance–happened to be standing right there and expedited things.
(2) I paid a visit Sunday noon to the Rescue Mission’s fancy-schmancy boutique store next to the campus of our local party-school university. (It was the first day of spring break, so I had no trouble finding a parking place, and it was Sunday, so I didn’t have to feed a parking meter.) No major finds, except for eight new-in-package votive candles and holders that were actually priced less than votives usually are at the regular Rescue Mission stores.
(3) I decided to have a go Monday morning at cleaning out my dishwasher’s filter, since I don’t think I’ve done that since we bought the dishwasher. I got a gratifying amount of gunk out, but then I couldn’t get the filter and the spray arm back in place. (On an aptitude test in junior high, I scored lowest in “spatial relations.” Also, in my defense, the illustration in the manual wasn’t terribly clear.) Fortunately, DH’s friend who usually bails me out of jams like this was available for a house call, and solved the problem in 45 seconds. He has the magic touch.
(4) DH’s friend also replaced the strobing LED overhead light fixture in the breakfast nook, since he had a similar fixture on hand. (He’s a landlord and keeps things like this in stock. And I suppose I should stop referring to him as "DH's friend," since he has certainly been a loyal and helpful friend to me too.)
(5) Finally, I finished Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s book The Urban Bestiary, and was pleased to find that I’m already doing most of the things Haupt recommends in the final chapter for becoming a good human member of the bestiary. And a lot of these things also contribute to frugality.
@A. Marie, I've thought of you a number of times in the last couple of weeks. My kids have started going on walks and bike rides around the neighborhood to look for bottles and cans to return and make some money. We've got the Michigan 10cent refund and they've got enough for a couple of dollars so far.
@A. Marie,
I have to read that book now even though I'm far from urban. You have me intrigued.
@Ruth T, I'm glad to hear that a younger generation of bottlepickers is rising. And, as I've often said before, I eagerly await the day when NY State raises the deposit to 10 cents!
@A. Marie, I want you to know that Clobber Paws is now a member of the exclusive bottlepickers club. We took the two boys for a run in a field near the high school. He disappeared behind a berm and returned with a Coke bottle crushed between his jaws. His mouth and teeth are like something out of Jaws, so can crushing is nothing to him. (The less said the better about him finding our stash of bottled water, purchased in case one of our earthquakes kills the water system. Every single one was drained, via four large tooth holes. Good thing he is so cute.)
@A. Marie,
My local libraries don't have that book, darn it.
@Lindsey,
You are infinitely patient with ClobberPaws and Houndini! They have found the perfect home. 🙂
@Liz B., I agree re: Clobber Paws and Houndini's perfect home. And @Lindsey, I think that Clobber Paws will make a fine bottlepicker once he gets out of the puppy phase. Is he still teething?
@Lindsey, Lindsey - bless you for adopting Clobber Paws. I think i read it here.. but could you try a beef bone from the Butcher to curb his chewing. I believe they are about $5 to $10.
1. Since no one else was interested, we took home a lot of leftover salad greens and soup from an event. We froze the soup and have been eating the greens every day for almost a week.
2. Succeeding in our concerted efforts to reduce the number of times we go out to eat. We even stayed in on our wedding anniversary a while back. February’s expenses in this budget category were half what they normally are.
3. Made two loaves of delicious, easily sliceable bread using this recipe from Ina Garten. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/honey-white-bread-recipe-1925035
4. Used a coupon from the mail for $20 off my husband’s truck repair.
5. Started using a large Tupperware container to hold vegetable scraps in the freezer for future broth. I had been using several individual 2-cup containers and they were not up to the task.
-used $15 rewards from Food Discount Box store and was able to try some new items to try
-have been eating more plant based this month which is fairly frugal (my husband still eats all the meats, but we have a good bit in freezer).
-found a DF milk at Target that isn’t crazy expensive, froths well & tastes good in coffee
-went thrifting & found some household linens for under $6, getting ready for spring!
-a friend loaned me a book to read!
Ooo, more symphonies! Always good!
I'm fighting my way through the insanity that is our pointless time change, and I haven't killed anyone yet, so that's frugal. Lawyers are expensive, and making license plates doesn't pay well.
1. I used my thrifted Cuisinart salad spinner to wash a bunch of fresh picked greens. I had wanted one of those for so long; I'm so glad to have one now.
2. I roasted a chicken which I spatchcocked because they roast faster that way. I didn't brown it first, but it's still good. I put a pan of cut up potatoes in the oven with it.
Later I oven-cooked my homemade breakfast patties (beef & lamb this time) and cooked a pan of Greek-style meatballs alongside those.
3. A gift for my granddaughter was too big for my cloth gift bags, so I wrapped it in white glossy paper that I bought years ago on a 500-foot roll and which I have used for so many occasions. I reused some tulle ribbon as the bow. The tulle turned out to be a "present" to a younger granddaughter, who ribbon danced with it after it came off the package.
4. I loaned my battery powered blower to my son-in-law so he could dig their yard out from the live oak leaves, which drop in spring, rather than the fall. It's frugal for him, and I'll get something in return at some point, like free labor.
5. Frugal/frugal fail? I made a loaf of homemade bread from special King Arthur bread flour from which the gluten has been removed; how they do that, I don't know. It made a nice, tasty loaf of bread, but it's still not exactly the same as regular homemade bread, although the taste is much closer than other GF breads. The not-frugal part is that the best price I found for the flour was $14 a bag, and a bag holds 7 cups of flour. It takes 3 cups to make one loaf and that doesn't count my eggs (3), the yeast, the butter (4 tbsp) and the lesser ingredients like salt and sugar. Plus, my time and the clean up. So, the frugal part is that I've learned that this bread will be a special treat only, unless I can find a much better price for the flour. The rest of the time, I'll stick to the gluten-free bread I can get at Trader Joe's for $4.99 a loaf.
@JD, I got an Oxo salad spinner at my thrift. It seems like a waste until you have one. It's a great multitasker.
@JD, about that "pointless time change": I read that it is like cutting 2" off the bottom of a blanket, adding it to the top of the blanket, and thinking your blanket is longer. Sigh.
@Battra92, I actually have two thrifted Oxo salad spinners. With salad greens and fresh herbs in the summer, I often use both at once.
@JD, I hear you on the time change insanity. And I like your "Lawyers are expensive..." reminder to yourself. I was telling myself that just now when, on the last stop in a three-store shopping run, I pulled out my wallet to pay cash and discovered that there were no bills in it. I drove home as fast as city speed limits allowed, reminding myself that getting a speeding ticket wasn't going to help matters--and I found all the cash in my fanny pack, which I'd left at home. Phew!
@Battra92,
Isn't it though? No regrets about buying it!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
That is an excellent description.
@A. Marie,
That happened to me once, only my husband had borrowed my cash from my purse and forgot to tell me. And I didn't have a check on me, I didn't even have a credit card and this was before debit cards. I had to put all my stuff back. You can bet there was a conversation when I got home.
@JD, I am so with you on the insipid daylight savings rut we have fallen into. Who on earth is it helping? I have read that the outdoor grill industry lobby keeps congress making the same dumb decision every year (instead of passing a decent budget, but I digress.)
@A. Marie,
I always remind myself no one looks good in those orange jumpsuits:)
@Battra92, was trying to remember what I used my salad spinner for that surprised me. Last summer we had a bumper crop of eggplant so I made baba ganoush. After I roasted the eggplant, one recipe advised putting it in a salad spinner to eliminate excess moisture. I thought that was genius - and it worked!
I love my salad spinner and have 2 sizes. Both from the thrift store I volunteer at.
Great deal on the symphony tickets!
I took my dryer apart and lubricated the wheels that the drum sits on...it was making a horrible squeaking noise the first few minutes of each drying time (like it needed to warm up). My husband wanted to buy a new dryer, but it seems each new dryer last even less time than the one before. I was pretty sure we could fix it...a few youtube videos and we were golden.
We pulled the bushes out that are near the tree that comes out this week. We planted them in the back of the yard where we needed some bushes (and away from water/sewer/gas lines like they were before).
I bought bags of twix and snickers fun size bars for $1.50/bag (usually $4+). I will donate half to the church for their easter egg hunt and put half in my stash for Halloween.
I bought a like new pair of Taos (indoor/outdoor hard soled) house shoes for $3 at a thrift store. They are fleece lined and look as though they have never been touched. I was really happy to find those.
I got lucky and found a couple of unopened puzzles at the thrift store also. I love puzzles so when I can find them unopened for $3 or less, I'm happy. These were both 1000 piece puzzles and one of them was a picture of a town we stayed the night at in Ireland.
We also used the library, the Libby app from the library, ate at home for most meals, and packed lunches for work.
@Marlena,
Just wondering how you keep the candy "fresh" that long? do you freeze it? Asking because I found a bag of Halloween candy after this past Christmas, and it was kind of "hard"/stale? and didn't taste right.
@Liz B., this is individual pieces and in a bag. The "best by" date on the bag is November so I'm guessing it will still be good....I hope so! I think most candy when it first hits the shelves is probably good for 6-12 months (should have a date on it). Usually Easter/Valentines/Halloween candy expires right after the holiday is what I have noticed...like the companies intentionally make it in advance to expire then.
These bags of candy weren't any theme. They were just the kind you would normally find in the candy aisle year round...they were just discontinuing them at this store and selling them off.
@Liz B., also, I wouldn't freeze chocolate. It tends to mess up the color (I know this because I love frozen candy bars, but the chocolate becomes a chalky color).
@Marlena, thanks for the tip on the squeaking dryer. Mine (which I use only every 2 weeks or so for sheets and other linens I can't dry on racks) is doing the same thing. Maybe with my handyman friend's help, we can do something similar.
@Marlena,
Oh, yes, you're right about freezing chocolate. I never thought to look at the expiration date on candy bags, because it's not usually an issue in my house. I know Reeces PB cups get weird if held onto too long - like the PB filling gets dried out and kind of tasteless. (I know this from the Valentines Reeces we gave our son years ago, that he ignored for months until I ate one).
@Marlena, YOU FIXED YOUR OWN DRYER!! Excuse me for shouting—it is just so very impressive.
I envy you the puzzle score—I've been looking for the right one for my sister's b'day and have to shop on eBay because she shares my Amazon account and sees what I order.
Having a handy-ish husband. On the way to school my vehicle started making a terrible screening/squealing/grinding noise. I told him just to schedule an appointment at a garage asap because it's our only real means of transportation, but he said he would look at it first. Turns out it was a rock stuck in the brakes and it came out when he started taking the tire off. First time in over 20 years of driving I've ever had something like that happen.
Books and DVDs borrowed from the library.
Used up more items from my pantry clean out. Tomato juice and a can of beans as well as some older beef and celery from the freezer went into a chili.
Was given 3 boxes of cereal my aunt received but wouldn't eat.
Hung laundry outside on a nice day.
Decided to buy some grow lights this year for my seeds since I can't really put them in front of the window I used to. I found one that had a clearance sticker on it for $2 down from $4.97. I went thru the rest of the stack and found 3 more. They didn't have the clearance sticker but I'm assuming it was just older packaged ones as the only difference between them and the full price was one graph had points and one was round.
Found a bunch of bell peppers on clearance 3 for .99. Froze a bunch I couldn't use before they went bad.
Ooh Tchaikovsky! I got to hear one of Tchaikovsky's symphonies last year I believe. I know it was a real treat to hear his Piano Concerto #1. I always get War of the Worlds vibes from that.
Mostly small stuff for me as well.
1.) I sold a few things on eBay. One was a toy that someone sent me as a bonus item of something I ordered (I'm not really sure why) and it sat around the house for a couple weeks before I just decided to sell it.
2.) Paused a subscription that I just didn't use enough. Not saving a ton but saving enough.
3.) Used a coupon for a free pizza at Pizza Hut and my daughter had Book-It so she got a free one as well. We just had to buy some breadsticks.
4.) My wife was sick and got to work from home much of last week so that was money saved in gas and wear and tear on the car.
5.) Really using the library a lot with my daughter. She's been taking out movies and video games from the library which has been great.
@Battra92,
I just saw a Mahler concert advertised on a billboard here. It's on a bad day for me to attend, though, sadly.
1. Sewing stuff: I hemmed Mr. B's hockey jerseys, and I sewed a pair of pyjama bottoms for myself without buying anything new.
2. I went through the various boxes of hand-me-downs stored in my parents' basement and decluttered/reorganized my daughter's clothes. As it turns out, all we need for the spring and summer for her are a few pairs of shorts, a hat, and maybe a light sweater.
3. I went through and decluttered MY closet. Phew, it was a lot of work. And it helped me see that I need, well, considerably more than my daughter because my clothes are in shreds.
4. I gave away a lot of stuff. I decided that since we live in a small space, I have to limit how much "just in case" stuff I keep; there's a point where having stuff take up space is less frugal, because it makes you think that your home isn't big enough! I gave a suit and a blazer to my cousin who is job-searching, listed some things for sale, and gave the rest to Value Village.
5. I had planned to buy myself some nice clothes to treat myself when I was studying. Well, I bought one shirt and one sweater, and both were duds. Man, shopping online-only is so hard! I've listed both items for sale on FB marketplace; hopefully I can get back most of what I spent.
Not very frugal here either:
1. I bought a shark jaw from one caught in the 60s by an old neighbor's husband. (I disapprove of sport fishing now, but the 60s were the 60s.) It's very large at 16" long, so I also bought a lucite case for it. I'll hang it in the cottage. (without a case I figure it will get stolen or broken.)
2. Bought the rescue pup some squeaky toys that the coonhound jealously stole.
3. Managed to buy the wrong size window hardware to replace from Andersen. The handyman then took one of the old ones to our local building supply company. He happily told me they would order the right size and I could reimburse him for the $333 they cost. Um...but they're half that price on Andersen.com. I'm just gonna eat it, heavy sigh. Plus I'll send the nonfitting ones back and get a refund.
4. Rescue pup's favorite place to sleep is on my old holey cashmere sweater, the one I was going to darn. Maybe it's time to bid that sweater adieu.
Maybe I shouldn't hang the shark jaw in the cottage. Apparently a bull shark jaw this size goes for close to $400. Eh. I'll attach the case to the wall.
also the handyman canceled the hardware order.
Aaaaaand there's a dying rat in the backyard. Sure was fun trying to get three dogs away frm it.
@Rose,
I know having a dying rat in your backyard is not funny, but I have this mental picture of a Bugs Bunny-like, overly dramatic and theatrical rat dying scene going on, complete with back of paw to forehead. 🙂
@Liz B., "BONE! BONE! Who wants a bone!" They all came in and then there was the growling and fighting over the bones. The rat no doubt died of the poison bait stations the exterminators put out, but if Rescue Pup had eaten it (he's only 25 pounds now) it probably would have killed him. This has been a day, all right.
also I'm 98% sure the building supply guy was wrong about what I need, after I spent just three hours investing window hardware, so the new total is about $680. LORD.
@Liz B., very funny visual!,
@Rose,
Holy cow about the window hardware. Yikes!
And so glad Rescue Pup didn't eat the dead rat....I wondered if it (the rat) had eaten poison. You've had a day, all right.
@Rose, lost a cat during my youth who ate a mouse that had consumed poison. To this day, I refuse to have any rodent poison on my property.
@Selena, I completely agree with you, but I don't know what else to do! Poison kills raptors all the time and I feel horrible about it but I can't have traps with three active dogs around.
@Rose, put the rat trap in a sturdy box or plastic tote with a hole cut in it, just big enough for the rat and not a dog. If it needs to be anchored add a brick or rock to the box.
@Candy, great idea. You could set multiple traps in said "container".
This week I am emptying my freezer, too. Also, I
*returned some furniture legs I bought for the couch, because the old ones are not removeable, so I am going to Plan B and refinishing them using stuff I already have (saving myself $69)
*waiting until Thursday to shop as that's when my HEB marks down produce and meat
*got FREE cleaning products (carpet cleaner, rust remover, masonry cleaner, essential oil) at the Austin Recycle Center. Had I been better prepared, I would have picked up free mulch and paint, but I can do that in future.
*pulled all the vintage camera equipment down and will take it in to a local camera shop for sale. Not frugal, just money-making and closet-clearing.
I would have re-worn my LBD again, too. You can always switch up your accessories if you feel so inclined!
Small savings is the theme this week.
*I bought t-shirts for my son at Target (I had no luck at thrift stores) which were 30% cheaper online. Target happily matched the online price. I really like Target's customer service - they make things like price matching and adjustments so easy.
*I'm on spring break this week so no driving to work.
*I took fluffy cat to vet today - not exactly cheap but in the long run it should keep her healthier.
*I requested 3 books online through the library. I'll have to pick them up next week at work, as my town's library is currently closed while they move to their new location.
*I am trying to eat down the fridge and freezer and doing a pretty good job of remembering to use what I have.
Sort of frugal fail - I did pay for the vet to trim my cat's nails. I have no success at home, and she has tiny little dagger claws. The vet did it quickly and cleanly - so I have no regrets.
Kristen, I dare you to wear that LBD every single time you go to the symphony this year!! It would be such a strong statement for frugality, and a goofy challenge. Really, who ever notices what anyone else is wearing in a dark theater??
About selling books on eBay: each time I think I will list a book, there are many unsold copies of the same one, all for less than the postage would be to mail it.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, isn't that the point of a LBD? That you can wear it anywhere? No one's going to notice, FG, but if you really feel like they do, wear a different scarf or jacket.
@WilliamB, I look dang near comatose in black so I don't have a LBD, but you are exactly right about accessorizing. It will be fun to see if Kristen accepts the challenge!
Kristen, a little black dress like that is so perfect that no one will ever notice it's the same dress. Hooray for your inexpensive symphony pass too!
1. Harvested a small baggie of chopped green onions from the pot of transplanted onion roots. A first success at regrowing groceries! I am not sure how many times the onions will put out new greenery, but I keep the pot watered, fed and bring it indoors when the outside temp drops to freezing. It looks very healthy.
2. Cleaned out my closet again and took all the shoes and jeans that are too big now to Goodwill, along with any shirts that weren't worn this winter. Did not go shopping while there.
3. Used the carefully opened wrapper from a pack of toilet paper as a bag for cleaning out the litter boxes.
4. Used some sale frozen berries and a couple of bananas to make an awesomely delicious pan of baked oatmeal for breakfasts. Strawberry-raspberry-banana is a great flavor combo.
5. Read a couple of library e-books. Bought some cotton summer pajamas new with tags off Poshmark for a good price. Used a handful of register coupons at the grocery store to save $8 on cat food and protein shakes. Used another more than half off coupon to get my hair trimmed.
1. Got a very comfy office chair via Freecycle
2. Got some high-quality magazine holders for my roommate.
3. Started saving water (from running the shower to hot) for my emergency supply. Which is kept in old juice bottles, natch.
4. Turned down the temp on my hot water heater. Now that we've been in the new house for a few months, we know we aren't going to run out.
5. Make more Oat Squares for healthy, cheap grab-n-go snacks. They're even easier than FG's granola. Recipe available upon request.
I always forget a couple, don't I?
6. Got an extra 5% discount from my electricians for beta-testing their new online scheduling service.
7. Got $25 gift card from my electricians for being one of the first to answer a survey. I just happened to be in my email when they sent the request.
@WilliamB, you've piqued my interest! Please share your recipe for the Oat Squares!
@WilliamB, I, too, would love the oat squares recipe. Thanks!
@WilliamB, Consider the recipe triple-requested!
Since you mentioned $15 parking for the symphony, I wanted to suggest the SpotHero app. It has the most options in really big cities (I paid $15 to park all day in downtown Chicago when the drive-up rate was $36), but it could be worth checking.
Thank you! I'll check it out.
Good for you for checking out student discounts. And great deal on going to symphony (now regularly). 🙂
Five frugal things---
● Sunday weather was unpleasant & decided to stay home instead of grocery shop, which same ad again this week so I didn't miss anything & will be going grocery shopping after dentist appointment this week instead.
● rescue dog really needed haircut (& have bern working every day & unable to get to groomer) so since we stayed home Sunday I decided to try to cut dogs hair. Turns out rescue dogs really good about hair cut & did great job. I used scissors (instead or clippers) because one rescue dog had very thick hair (well overdue) that I was worried would be too much for clippers. Once I got started I just kept going. I think there was about gallon of dog hair from dogs. Did other rescue dog, to keep them same schedule & look better. Savings $70 (& as about same amount of time as groomer).
● usual bringing leftovers for lunch
● Eating what have at home (we are not going to starve)
● got 3 new summer dresses ($5 each) online
●using up stock of supplies already have (plus nothing really on sale right now 😉 )
@Regina,
Wow! Could you share where you found dresses for $5? That's amazing!
@Gretchen, Found on Poshmark on particular seller who had 4/$15 plus $8 shipping. I got 3 dresses & 1 pampered chef spatula for $23 (total), and the pampered chef spatula is usually $8 so I figure I did ok.
It always makes me happy when people enjoy going to the symphony! (Professional musician here)
Let’s see…
- I took the city bus home from the mechanic after dropping off our car yesterday morning, 65 cents with my senior pass. Much cheaper than an Uber and much less annoying than hanging around the shop until someone is free to drive me home.
- Ate lunch at home despite temptation every day this past week except for Sunday. Going out for lunch with friends after church is a tradition of many years and I consider that money to be an investment in friendships and mental health rather than part of a food budget.
- cleaned out a closet’s worth of clutter and am sending my father‘s 1974 state of the art scientific calculator (still works) to a great-nephew who is thrilled to get it. Win-win.
- pulling together tax info today in hopes of avoiding the necessity of filing an extension and possibly sending the IRS an overpayment along with the request. We pay many thousands of dollars every year in self-employment taxes and I know I would get any overpayment back eventually, but it’s better not to give the IRS the use of the money during the interim.
- opening the windows to get the cooler evening/night/early AM air in and then closing up the house and pulling shades down as soon as the outside temperature approaches the inside temperature. In this way, I can often avoid using the air-conditioning even when it gets up to 80° outside. Unfortunately, the strategy only works for a short time in the spring and the fall but we are in that time right now and I am enjoying the feeling of free cooling in the house.
@Meg in SoTX, that's so great that your great nephew wants your dad's calculator. I get so excited when my kids and grandkids want something that belonged to my parents. What a sense of connection!
@Elaine N, that’s it exactly!!
1. I pureed some over-ripe pears and juiced some over-ripe clementines. Both became popsicles for my kids.
2. I used up some almost-stale cheerios and graham crackers, home made yogurt, and over-ripe bananas to make yogurt parfaits.
3. My aunt gave me a beautiful diamond ring and a new pair of socks. I am now wearing the ring as my wedding ring. I use a ring from my grandmother as my engagement ring. So both of the rings I wear daily now remind me of 2 very special people.
4. I fixed a pair of my daughter's sneakers; the Velcro on the closure had come off.
5. My son got a desk for his room for Christmas. I sanded and am painting a stool, we already had, as the chair for the desk.
Feel like I have not been very frugal this week, but the usuals apply:
1) Chai latte at home $1.20 vs whatever the SB price is.
2) Been sick since last Monday after getting back from weekend trip. Pneumonia. So... that meant the car stayed parked, not much appetite, less food consumed.
3) Cancelled Miss Molly's Wholly De-Shed appointment since I was sick, but that's really just putting it off for a week or two.
4) This one is weird. I overcooked a "soup bone" which was 8" to 10" cross cut of a beef leg that was about 2" thick. The cut makes a nice sized roast for a single person. But because I kept forgetting it was in the slow cooker, and my sense of smell is shot, it cooked (on low) for 12-14 hours. It is far too cooked (though not burnt) for me to be able to eat but I can feed it to Miss Molly as a nice treat and it won't be wasted. I have at least three or more such cuts of beef from the quarter beef I bought this fall. I just need to be more alert the next time I fix one.
5) Did not need to grocery shop before weekend trip and still did not need to once I returned except for milk (for chai latte). Yes, upper respiratory issues and milk don't mix, but the chai latte is one/one and very comforting even with not being able to taste it.
6) Ignored the reminder that Amazon Prime membership was ending. I failed to press the necessary button last month when trying to end it and was not going to fail this time.
Kristen, I’m thrilled with your concert coup! There are a wide variety of cultural places open to you with your student ID.
I don’t have a full frugal five unless you count the usual: coffee at home, books from the library (for me and my DH, we go through several books per month each so a significant savings), focus on leftovers.
Received a discount and a freebie from Nuts Plus for our next order.
Money to spend on anything medical, medical-adjacent (eyeglasses, etc.) and OTCs from our insurance company for participating in health quizzes. This is a very generous dollar amount that I usually don’t use up in a year but it rolls over so you never lose any of it. We each may participate so it’s times two dollar amount.
I did purchase a book I wanted to keep (Philosophy) but opted for the paperback, which, when it arrived, is quite handsomely bound. And, used a credit card that gives back rewards.
I am just loving hearing about your symphony experiences! It sounds so fancy and exciting.
1) I have a very empty fridge too. We keep a pretty low inventory. Having four growing children who seem to eat more every week doesn't hurt either. Then yesterday I put our Aldi order in, and they were out of pick up times! I was able to scrounge around and put together a pretty good supper. And we had enough for breakfast, so I saved the order for today.
2) I am currently planning two summer trips, and I was very tempted to purchase guidebooks. (Buying books in general is my frugal weakness.) Instead I put them on hold at the library.
3) I had a few errands to run so I batched them this morning. I went to the library to pick up the books I had on hold where I also got books for the kids and discovered in the free pile a Harry Potter book we don't already have. I am reading through the series with the boys for the first time and have been slowly buying them at Goodwill. Free is even better. I also dropped off an Amazon return, did a Target pickup that I set up last night, and got gas. My husband will pick up the Aldi order on his way home as I am recovering from a mastectomy and still shouldn't be picking up gallons of milk and other heavy things. I shouldn't have picked up that many books at the library, but see above for my weakness when it comes to books.
4) March means wardrobe refresh time. I went through my next set of hand-me-downs for our youngest, and it looks like I don't need to buy anything for him. He was thrilled with the number of t-shirts with dinosaurs and monster trucks printed on them. Next I need to go through my stash of clothes in the next size for the middle son. I suspect I already have most of what he needs too. The oldest will need shorts, which I will try to find on sale. Our daughter will need a bunch. As she is the only girl, I have no stash of hand-me-downs. I will probably Thredup a bunch of things soon.
5) I am working on applications for two more jobs today. Academia is sort of a constant flow of applying for things. I have two more years on my current contract, but either of these jobs might be a better deal. We'll see if they even consider me.
@Amanda in VA, praying for full recovery after your mastectomy. You are wise to follow the lifting guidelines. It really helps healing. (((hugs)))
Someone else was fussing about the idiot Daylight Savings Time change....or should we call it the Daylight Losing Time?....and I heartily agree! I hate DST. Yesterday I was supposed to go substitute teach at a school clear across town, and I had to be there by 7:20. In order to get there on time, I had to drive in the dark. It was pitch black and I almost had a wreck! So when I went home, I canceled all my 7:20 assignments and now will just take jobs that start at 8:15 or later. It might not be frugal, but it's more frugal than wrecking a vehicle.
1. I have been comparison shopping to see if I can refinance my car. I got approved at 2 different places, and was told I have great credit, but hopefully can get an even lower interest rate.
2. Talk about a rude awakening! The bank called this morning to ask if I had charged something that cost more than $100, and made the transaction in Wyoming. I live in the South, and the phone call woke me up. So no. (Call Sherriff Longmire!!! I need help!!) Turns out this Sun Sciences Co., where I had ordered some serum to get rid of the ugly puffy bags under my eyes, automatically refilled my order without my permission. So the bank fraud dept. thought it sounded a bit fishy and called. (Thank you, PNC Bank). I was given an 800 number to call and resolve it....but all I got was voice mail. So it sounds like a big scam where you can't cancel your order or subscription. I fired off emails galore and if they don't get back to me ASAP, I'm going into full battle mode. Unluckily for them, I used to be a consumer affairs reporter and know several folks in the state attorney general's consumer protection office, among other places. (Oh, and the stuff doesn't work either, so ladies, don't get tricked into ordering this stuff.) I'm about to go make a call back to the bank and dispute the charge. (Meanwhile, I'll keep using the Plexaderm, which DOES work.)
3. One of my prescriptions ran out so I called Humana Medicare Advantage's Centerwell mail-order pharmacy. The lady on the phone helped me a lot. I mentioned I have trouble reading the small type on Rx bottles and she ordered me a free gizmo that'll read the bottle for me; I didn't know such things even existed. She helped me with not only the depleted Rx but also another one, and it all will be zero co-pay -- in other words, free to me! She also made sure the unused over-the-counter medicine credits rolled over to the next month.
4. During Spring Break, two young teenagers asked if I had any work and I was able to pay them to sweep up and bag the live oak leaves that are now falling. I love my giant live oaks 11 months of the year, but not during leaf-falling time; the job of raking that many leaves is just too much for me to handle! The youngsters were very thorough -- and charged me less than what the pros charge. I got their phone numbers and hope to hire them again.
5. Running errands last week, I went to the employee break room in a certain building and used their soft drink machine. The company sells drinks at cost so I got several cans of soda pop for 35 cents each; a friend let me in on this little secret. Now I have a variety of drinks to give to not only the teen boys but other hired people who work around the house and in my yard. They appreciate me giving them refreshments and in return, often do extra tasks for me at no charge. I also give them any unneeded fast food coupons/gift cards.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I need to be completely awake before I read things---I initially read that you had ordered sperm to get rid of puffy eye bags!
@Lindsey, dang it, stop that. You're sending my dirty old mind places it shouldn't be going. 😀
@Lindsey,
ROTFL!
No, it was serum, as in a liquid product someone manufactures. Not sperm.
Of course, with my terrible typing, I may have made a typo saying just that! LMAO!
--------
BTW, in the interest of fairness, I should report that I got an email from the Sun Sciences company late in the day; they claim to have canceled the order and they claim to be taking action on my refund. We shall see.
@Lindsey, you made me laugh so hard!
Kristen, your frugal things may seem small, but they add up to lots of savings through the years. And the symphony - what joy!
My most frugal thing this week is doing my own tax preparation. It's the second year I used Ramsey's Taxslayer online program, and I have to say it seems easier than the TurboTax of years past. And way cheaper than paying a local company to do it. $94 covered both federal and state electronic submissions. I'm so relieved to have it done.
I got free eggs in exchange for chicken sitting.
I stocked up on 99 cent for 8 oz. cheddar cheese
I made English muffins from scratch.
I turned the above list into Breakfast sandwiches.
I individually wrapped the breakfast sandwiches and froze them
I enjoyed a filling breakfast on the go by simply reheating the Egg Sandwiches in the toaster oven while I prepared for my day.
@Linda Phillips,
Micky D's and their Egg McMuffins has nothing on you!
Good going!
This is probably very obvious, but I discovered buying frozen vegetables is saving me a lot of money! I buy some fresh but often struggled to finish a bag of spinach before it went bad, and/or went through it very quickly. The frozen spinach is lasting much longer!
I baked lemon cookies which turned out a LOT better than my cake last week!
I got a very cheap flight home for a weekend.
Otherwise, I used the library, line dried clothes and took lunch to work every day.
Kristen, I love your blog and frugal tips! I know you are very busy with classes in your nursing program!! When you have a moment, could you send a printable version of your "How to Sell Books on E-Bay Summary"? I think others would find it to be helpful, too!! All best wishes from the Windy City! Thank you!!
Elizabeth
@Elizabeth, There is a printable version in the body of that particular blog.
Hubby and I are wrapping our heads around a California exodus so frugality is going to be key for us in the coming months. This is my first time responding to this kind of post, here goes:
1. Went thru the bottom half of our kitchen freezer and wrote it all down: we have already been able to cross 3 things off as they have been eaten and are working to incorporate the rest in our menus.
2. Began selling things on ebay, I've cleared out some vintage clothes from my childhood and my youngest is selling her calico critters. Also listed a bunch of books from college, but not too much demand for old German literature. So far 3 things have left my house and a little money came in, more will sell this week, too.
3. Not really frugal, but will be. We took our small car to the shop for maintenance work and tomorrow it will be listed for sale.
4. Baked bread and started a sour dough starter for later in the week. I have a lot of bread flour and found a recipe in a William's Sonoma Bread cookbook that I've had for years but never looked at before. The starter also used up some plain yogurt that has been hanging out in the frig.
5. Hubby packed lunch for work today, sandwiches on homemade bread and chicken that I canned last year.
That chipotle marinade looks delicious. I'm going to have to try it!
Frugal things...
- organized my kids spring/summer clothes to have an accurate idea of what we need- there's a consignment sale at the end of this week
-accepted some hand me downs for my oldest daughter, and passed along a bag of clothing and shoes that no longer fits my youngest
- gave away a bag of baby board books that we no longer read regularly
- meal planning and sticking to my grocery list
- playground hopping today to enjoy the beautiful weather!
- utilized our local library
- used up the end of a Panera gift card and paid $6 out of pocket for what ended up being two lunches
I would have no qualms about wearing that dress every time. I'm glad you 're having fun amidst all the work.
*I planned meals and cooked at home EXCEPT for the day of my son's eye appointment. He chose McDonald's for lunch. (Not a surprise with this child.) But...
*I used up a McDonald's gift card that somebody had given us quite a while ago, so that was money that didn't come out of our bank account.
*I redeemed a free massage that was gifted by my sister; a bonus was that my niece is the massage therapist.
*We checked gas buddy while we were out for eye appointment/massage to buy cheaper gas.
*I baked a lot. Bread. Things for potluck.
*We brought home more from potluck than we took; that happens a lot when people leave things for the pastor's family.
*Today at the library I picked up 2 free books. Our library system routinely (and viciously!) culls books that haven't been checked out for a certain amount of time. I don't agree with this policy completely because there's still plenty of extra room on the shelves, but I will gladly take some of my favorite ones that they're rejecting. One of the ones today was a favorite read-aloud picture book for my 3 oldest boys.
*Oh! And thanks to Kristen I pulled a couple of green onions from my front flower bed to use for supper. I cut the roots off, and send a child outside to replant them. These things have made it through the winter on the south side of our brick house.
I love Tchaikovsky! The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra does free concerts in the park each year. You can take a blanket, picnic and chill with friends while listening to the magic. A great frugal evening out.
@Hanna,
Sounds wonderful!
My little town in Florida had a park and they'd have free weekend concerts there, but it was mostly along the lines of third-rate Elvis impersonators who got the lyrics from one song mixed up with the music from another.
But I'd take the puppy-dogs and we'd have fun anyway.
1. We used a BOGO coupon at Jersey Mikes.
2. (After I broke our pour over coffee maker) we bought a Bodum for $20 instead of the $50 for the cooler Chemix. The Bodum also uses standard coffee filters which are cheaper than the filters for a Chemix.
3. I saved the bones from a rotisserie chicken to make stock.
4. I made mashed potatoes to go with a deconstructed chicken pot pie (no pie crust) instead of buying gluten free rolls. (Naturally GF is always cheaper than a specific GF product.)
5. I started chicken stock in the crockpot.
@Rebekah in SoCal, is here a difference between deconstructed CPP and chix stew?
1. Groomed our dog using borrowed clippers from a friend. The dog was giving our groomer all sorts of trouble so she decided to bow out and just do his nails and face (which he strangely allows her to do without trouble). I truly understand why she charges what she does because he was not easy to do, and he's a small dog! But it saved us at least $45.
2. Needed a coffee for a long church meeting so I used my Starbucks stars to get one for free, and I brought my own cup to save on waste.
3. Sat down and entered all the material donations we made over the past year for our taxes (I do this because my husband can't stand to do it) and got our taxes down to owing $27. This is huge because we normally get a refund, so I'm glad we really don't owe much at all this year. We will file using Turbo Tax through the Southwest Airlines portal to get air miles and use the credit card to pay that will give us $10 back.
4. Getting our roof replaced due to hail damage from last year that we were unaware of. It was due be replaced anyways, as our house insurance was going to raise our premium next year due to the age of the roof and we are able to claim the roof replacement under last year's policy, which means the deductible is a smaller amount than this year's.
5. Bought some grapes from Kroger but the digital coupon did not take when I paid for them. Only caught the mistake after I got home, but I swung by Kroger again later in the day to get my coupon applied and got $4 back.
First time commenter here. Hi everyone!
1. I used a 20% off coupon from Chewy to buy my cat a new cat tree to replace the one he's had since kittenhood. He has grown into quite a big cat, so I researched to find one that's big and sturdy, with good reviews from owners of larger cats.
2. I am cooking all my own meals and using up what I have. I haven't been very frugal with food lately because I'm newly gluten free and have been experimenting to find out which gluten free products work for me, but this month I am reining in the food budget.
3. I got a refund on a candy bar after I realized it had expired a year (!) before I bought it.
4. I divided a bottle of juice in half, putting some of it in the freezer for later. I always have trouble finishing a whole bottle before it goes bad, and this way I'm less likely to waste any of it.
5. I read two new books via the Libby app for free instead of buying them. I only had to wait a few weeks before they were available.
Welcome! So glad to have you join us. 🙂
We had salmon and succotash one night last week but salads the rest of the week.
Over the weekend I fixed tuna/pasta salad and ziti. We ate our lunches and dinners from those two dishes. My son and daughter were home so they helped in using up leftovers.
Monday, March 11, I fixed bacon quiche which we had with salad. That was last night’s meal as well. I’ll cook some chicken tonight and we’ll do chicken on top of salad for tonight, tomorrow and Friday.
1. Batched several returns to Walmart, including getting a refund for a bag of produce that was super slimy before its best-by date.
2. We booked some flights for a much-anticipated vacation and were able to use airline miles and credits for all of the legs. I read somewhere that you should use your airline miles whenever possible (versus saving them up for something bigger), because their value consistently goes down over time and airlines are making it harder to redeem them by having more restrictions on their use.
3. DH’s dad cut his hair while he was visiting, saving me time. I usually cut his hair but with a newborn and a toddler I knew it wouldn’t get done.
4. The local convenience store app had a coupon for a free fried chicken sandwich. When I went to redeem it while out running errands, I noticed there was also a coupon for free Oreos that day, as it was National Oreo Day. So I had two free "fun" treats (fun because I wouldn't normally buy them).
5. I also had a BOGO coupon in my Sbux app and was feeling the need for a little “dessert coffee” (as compared to my regular home coffee, which is decidedly not dessert coffee). I used all but two cents of a gift card and had two giant lovely coffees for free.
6. I’m passing along some newborn clothes, diapers, nursing supplies, and a baby carrier to an expecting mom I know through church. All of these items were hand-me-downs to me, and I love being able to help someone else out. Plus it makes me feel better to have less stuff floating around in the house.
Your granola recipe has become my favorite!
Black dresses are classic. Add a broche, necklace, maybe a scarf or belt to add variety. Different hosiery or shoe colors could totally work too. Depending on necklace.... Dickies are a thing my mom did back in the day for her work.
I love Tchaikovsky too. I actually have Tchaikovsky on reel to reel tapes from my dad. He listened to everything, and do the same thing.
This is my Jam, I love Taco Bell bean burritos, $2.10 per burrito, I buy wheat tortillas, $1.50, cook raw bean $2.00 (2lb Bag). Make 10 burritos and freeze them. Beans left over make a enchilada casserole. Rice maker, add 2 eggs, veggies, 3 days of food, 1 pot cleaning.