Five Frugal Things
Hoo boy. Usually I think about Five Frugal Things ahead of time so I can take some pictures to illustrate the post, but yesterday, I completely forgot.
Will I be able to think of five things? Will there be any relevant photos?
We shall see.
#bloggingbytheseatofmypants
1. I sold a book on half.com
I usually have a couple of books listed on half.com (it's easy, there's no listing expiration, shipping is a breeze!) and one of them sold.
I'm shipping it today with a home-printed Media Mail label purchased through half.com. And of course, I packaged it in a reused padded envelope from a shipment we received.
I always keep a little stash of those for just such a purpose.
The packing tape was bought with an in-store instant rebate. 😉
2. I squeezed grapefruit juice.
I often pack grapefruit in Mr. FG's lunch, and to do so, I halve, section, and scoop the grapefruit insides into a container (there's no room in his lunchbox for grapefruit still in the peel!)
There's still a lot of juicy goodness left inside the halves when I'm done, so I press them over my manual juicer and drink the juice.
Super tasty, and a side benefit is that the halves are more dry, which leads to compost that's not as wet (mine always has more too-wet probs than too-dry probs.)
Our grapefruits are always from Aldi, of course. They're $0.40-$0.50 apiece, depending on the week, and they are always so juicy and sweet.
3. I read a review and then put the book on hold at the library.
When I see someone recommend a book that looks interesting, I always head on over to my library's site to see if I can get the book there. I love to borrow books not only because of the whole FREE thing, but also because I get to give the book back when I'm done.
No muss, no fuss, no clutter.
(The book is Jon Acuff's Do Over)
4. I ordered some birthday presents for two of my girls, using soon-to-expire discount codes.
And that's all I'm going to say about that, because some of those girls are subscribed to my blog.
(Actually, all of my kids are. I have four faithful in-house readers. 😉 )
5. Miscellany
I....made all three meals at home for the family, packed Mr. FG's lunch, didn't drive anywhere, drank tap water, exercised using the 7 Minute Workout app, wore a mixture of Goodwill/clearance-purchased clothes, and made a batch of yogurt.
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Alrighty! It's your turn, frugal peoples. List your own five frugal things in the comments so we can cheer you on.
#3 - reqesting at the library. This month I've looked at Amazon deal of the day books and found the ones that look interesting on overdrive at my library. The savings are small, but add up nicely. And I can read them on my kindle, giving them back when done.
My 5 frugal things:
1) I go dumpster diving for food with friends. (Doing it for 6 years). My grocery bill is less than $80.00 a month.
2) This week I used a Groupon to get my hair color done and saved $100.00
3) Sold my son's bunk bed and mattresses which helped pay for his new bed.
4) I'm using all the mini shampoos, conditioners and soaps that have been taking up space in my linen closet.
5) Found grad school courses that I can take online for 50% of the projected cost all because I doggedly researched it Once
I complete the courses and take my state certification test, my income can double.
Used library as ususal. Cleaned floors with washable mop head vs. disposables. Started using junk mail with white space and envelopes received for notepad. Made husband's and my dr.'s appointments and haircuts to be back-to-back. Reused aluminum foil. Exercised at Silver Sneakers gym at courtesy of medical insurance provider.
Oh yes, I reuse aluminum foil
and baggies as well!
1. I made pudding to use up milk that was almost past its peak.
2. I had an expired Groupon from a hair salon that was still worth the $49 I paid 4 years ago when I wasn't as frugal. I tried to use it and the business was closed. I contacted Groupon after a week of me and them trying to contact the proprietor, I got a $49 Groupon credit. Yes!
3. I made two deep dish pizzas as gifts to a friend who helped me out and a friend who had surgery. I delivered them when I was in their area for an appointment and the gifts were relatively inexpensive to make and much appreciated.
4. I'm participating in the Unruly Woman's "Is home your happy place?" class which is helping me purge, purge, purge each day. I had shampoo on my list for Costco then through her daily challenge, I found that I already had shampoo. My space is now much more organized so I will not make that mistake again.
5. I bought a spiral ham at Aldi for a $5 discount, as they were trying to move them out. Last night, I cut the meat we hadn't eaten off the bone into bite sized pieces for later use. I spent so much time doing this I dreamed about cutting meat last night. lol
Only have a couple:
1. downloaded free songs from my library instead of purchasing from apple. (part of my library perks! YAY perks!!)
2. repurposed leftovers for supper last night and packed my lunch for today at the same time.
3. frogged (ripped back) a sweater that i made 4 years ago that is now too big on me since I lost weight. in the process of re-knitting the same pattern (a beautiful irish cable knit). the back is almost complete and I started it saturday.
one thing about the grapefruit: my boss grew up on a grapefruit plantation and said to put salt on grapefruit instead of sugar...I've been doing that for about 3 years now and he is right! it sweetens the grapefruit and does something else to help digest it. mmmmmmm
#3 -- Wow -- this may win the award 🙂 That is amazing! Go you!
I was well into adulthood before I learned that salt on grapefruit isn't universally practiced.
I find myself craving grapefruit since I started doing that!
What a game changer! We just bought a house with a mature grapefruit tree, so we have an abundance right now. I wouldn't normally use sugar, but I tried a little salt today and promptly devoured both halves. Thank you!
It really brings out the flavor, doesn't it?!?
Awesome job!
I was not frugal yesterday. In fact, I went out of my way to spend money. My kids and I were all home yesterday and instead of eating the wonderfully nutritious food I had in my fridge we all piled into the car (in pjs, some of us with no pants or shoes) and headed for the drive-thru. Some days you just need some french fries (can I get an Amen?).
I did, however make dinner at home...so it kind of cancels out, right?
I think that sounds like a fun and memorable outing for your kids. Totally worth it.
Fries I can easily live without. My downfall is double fish sandwiches from McDonalds. I really have to give myself a talking to or else I'd be scarfing one down three times a week. I blame being raised Catholic and Tina Fey. When I was a kid we ate no meat on Fridays and frequently my father piled all six kids into the car (he was a single parent before men did much of that) and we went to McDonalds for a fish supper. That was bad enough but then a few years ago I read an interview with Tina Fey where she said she loved to distress after something like the Emmys by going out for a double McDonalds fish sandwich---until then I didn't even know there was such a thing as a double version!!
oops. de-stress, not distress!
I figured that's what you meant!
Now I want grapefruit! Yum!
We attended a fruit tree giveaway in our city, then came home to start our backyard orchard.
I volunteered at a political rally for a candidate we support, and they had people there silk screening original designs for free, if you brought your own tee shirt. Now we have one-of-a-kind shirts that are good conversation starters!
Husband started working out in the gym at the college, where he is a new student. It's far from state-of-the-art, but he gets to go for free!
I made a batch of lentil soup, using ingredients we already had on hand. Super delicious in this chilly-to-us weather (we're in Texas).
I started a few-hours-week extra job from now until early May, that will help us save for a bathroom remodel.
1.) I found 4 large bottles of Suave conditioner on clearance at Target for $0.75. I two coupons for $1 of 2, so I only paid $0.25 each. I'm definitely not a snob when it comes to hair products, my hair is pretty low maintenance which is great!
2.) I sold about $30 worth of items on Facebook and eBay through some early Spring cleaning I'm doing and used it to buy my husband's sister and mom their birthday presents. Our February is jam packed full of birthdays!
3.) I signed up to be a seller at our local, REALLY popular Kids & Maternity consignment auction. I'll get 75% of my sales and get let in early to shop for myself 🙂
4.) Used a Panera gift card a few times this week for my lunches, as well as a Starbucks gift card for some coffee.
5.) And finally, we paid off one of my student loans this week!!! Yayyyy!!!!!!
That is a GREAT price on Suave.
And yay for the student loan payoff!
Oh...paying off student loans! I'm a tad jealous but mostly REALLY happy for you!
Wish me luck in someday paying mine off!
It's been kind of an expensive week but I think I've had some victories.
1.) My wife and daughter were in a car accident this week. They are both OK but the car is not so hot. So I am going to have to start shopping for a car again soon. What I'm counting as a frugal victory is that because we bought the highest rated car seat by Consumer Reports (KeyFit30 for those interested) my daughter didn't even wake up during the accident and is completely unhurt. Just a reminder that there are times it's worth spending the extra couple of bucks where it counts!
2.) Working on playing some of my older video games I never got around to playing instead of seeking out new ones. I know games are frowned upon by some people but dollar for dollar I think they are one of the best entertainment deals around.
3.) I've switched to using a handkerchief instead of tissues. I know some find it gross but personally I think my nose is happier and I won't save a ton of money on this tip (though I only paid the equivalent of five boxes of tissues for a dozen hankies) it is better than using all those tissues and my house should have a lot less dust.
4.) Brought my lunch every day this week and made my lunch for my wife on the days she worked. We've also eaten dinner at home every night this week as well.
5.) We have a turkey thawing in our fridge now. We bought it when turkeys were cheap around the holidays. Our plans are to have my family over for the day and cook up a turkey dinner because, why not? It's January and life is pretty bleak in January so why not liven things up? It's a good way to use up some pantry items as well.
So yeah, that's my week. Not inexpensive but I'd say we're doing okay.
So sorry to hear this but how wonderful that the good car seat really worked out! Really great reminder not to cheap out on safety issues -- how everything settles down for you soon. and glad you are all okay.
oops -- "HOPE" everything settles down soon!
Glad to hear everyone is OK
#3 I began using hankies when I found my grandmother’s collection. My counter to your video game cheap fun is hunting for hankies (and other things) at thrift stores. I never have a raw red nose no matter how severe my cold. They get washed with the rest of the laundry so they are no extra work. They are very pretty. “Save a tree” I say.
Batra92 - I am thoroughly glad to hear that your family is OK. What a scary experience! Good luck with your new car.
Oh my, Battra! So sorry about the accident, but I'm really glad your two ladies are ok.
My friend Sarah (who wrote the guest post here) is in EMS and she says a good car seat, properly used, is worth a million bucks.
1. Paid bills yesterday-- early-- so as to avoid late fees!
2. Made chicken with 40 cloves of garlic in my crockpot for dinner yesterday. I'm trying to be more plant strong in my eating but the chicken thighs were in the freezer and had been bought for .99 lb back in August. (It was good!)
3. Put off leaving the house yesterday so I could bundle all my errands and do them today at once.
4. Am taking a trip to Memphis (about an hour away) tonight so I can spend the time with my spouse who is taking an evening class at the University there. The tuition is paid for by her workplace so it is free to take the class. I'm going to go to the grocery stores-- they have a better Aldi and a Whole Foods--that I don't don't have access to in my town. Am also making sandwiches to take with and eat on the way home so we don't stop for fast food!
5. Am watching The Good Wife through my Amazon Prime.
Oh oh -- good wife through Amazon Prime -- the best cheap entertainment!
1. I exercised in my home gym last night and this morning. Decided I needed to get in a little more time in. I have a bummed ankle so I can't walk/jog as long as I really need to so this breaks it up some. Exercise at home=free
2.Ran out of time to fix my daughter's lunch for school so she has to eat in the lunchroom-FAIL! But, I did send her snack so it is a partial win I guess.
3.Ate a delicious meal of roast with potatoes, veggies, and popovers last night. This roast was a great cut of beef and was marked down to $9. I cut it and froze the other half so we actually will get 2 meals out of it.
4.Ate boiled eggs that I overcooked because I was getting the kids ready and a slightly bruised apple for breakfast. Learning to embrace flaws and cooking mistakes is frugal. I used to just throw this kinda stuff out.
5.I did purchase a spiralizer for $7+. I have really wanted one of these for a long time and the price was finally decent. I get lots of produce in the reduced bin at the grocery stores so this should be a fun way to utilize those. I have been trying to eat healthier this year and I really needed a boost. I also got one for my mom for her birthday.
I forgot to thaw a meat for dinner on Tuesday, so I rooted around int he freezer and found leftover spagetti with sauce that I had previously frozen - yay! It reheated beautifully, and I added some squash I forgot we had, and four leftover bread sticks from Trader Joe's. I cross stitched a fun thing for a friend at work, using supplies I already had - thread, fabric, and a frame even. It's cute and basically cost me nothing but a little time. Today I am cutting up a couple of old ratty towels to make washrags with. I am also transferring money from the old HSA to the new one so I can combine them and pay no maintenance fees on the old one. And I will eat leftovers for lunch, altho I dream about fries with a burger like the one reader above.
So inspired! And the pix were beautiful!
1. Eating in breakfasts, dinners, taking lunch -- except Friday, treat day.
2. Lots more veggie meals this week -- Lentil soup (eating leftovers tonight after late drs. appt).
3. Seriously checking the Ralphs markdowns at store next to my school where they are closing out tons of products in preparation for redo of the place. Awesome deals -- the trick is not to overbuy stuff I do not need. Found Husband's All Bran Buds, pasta, more chocolate 🙂 cleaning stuff so I can scrub out the mildew encroaching on shower ceiling (no maids here!) Found heavy duty scrubbers and refills half price and cleanser.
4. Ran into coworker at Ralphs and showed here the produce markdowns -- she didn't know they were there!! Spreading the frugal goodness --she is the loveliest and most stylish person and all her clothes come from thrift stores, so knew she would appreciate this.
5. Used gift cards from Staples to get a Mini Keurig for the classroom -- staff is thrilled, will also get the reusable k-cups since there cannot BE a more wasteful and expensive way to make hot drinks. I will heating water and bringing my teabags ;). Also bought stuff for classroom and birthday gifts for a couple students -- cost, zero. Cheers!
1. Helped a family member move yesterday and received a delicious homemade dinner in return.
2. Rather than buying a book for book club, I requested it early from the library to make sure I could read it in time for our meeting.
3. Am returning a few DVDs to our library today and will be looking for a few more for this weekend.
4. Discussed carpooling with a friend at work. It won't work given our current situations, but we're keeping an open mind for the future.
5. It's been a stressful week at work, so I made cake for two of my colleagues. This kept all 3 of us away from the vending machine snacks.
New to your blog & LOVE reading the five frugals!
My five frugals
1. Even though I didn't want to leave the house last night, our town has a "Hope for our City" which is a grocery distribution through a local church where we get close dated or grocery overstock food. There are no income limits & everyone is welcome. So I ventured out & am always glad I go because we get tons of food! For only $2! This week we got 4 limes, a pack of 4 jello snacks, a large baguette, half a dozen eggs, 3 cans organic kidney beans, a large can of tomato basil soup, a bag of pop chips, and a large bottle of Aveda hairspray! Each week varies but it is always worth it (plus I get 2 shares so double all for $4!) & I pick up for my mom & grandma to save them a trip (it's only 5 blocks from my house!)
2. I need to learn to sew someday but in the time being I bring it all to my mom...my son has shot up in a growth spurt so made a pile of too short PJ pants for grandma to make into PJ shorts.
3. My husband brought home a large box of paper from his printer at work that the kids & I will use as scratch paper.
4. I went through the cupboards & fridge this morning to make next weeks menu & grocery list so when I go to the store it's only for what I NEED & we're using what we have!
5. We have a great swap & sell site for our surrounding towns (where you know who will pick up & who wont when its listed). I listed an album on Monday & have sold $85 worth of stuff so far!
Welcome, welcome! The more the merrier.
And how lovely that your mom sews for you. I say don't ruin a good thing. Ha.
1. I found broccoli and cauliflower on sale for 48 cents so I’ll make some gratins and cheddar cheesy casseroles for dinner this week.
2. I walked to the store a mile away to buy these sale items cuz it’s 70 degrees and no excuse not to walk.
3. I had lunch yesterday at an Italian restaurant and it was so huge I took half of it home to reheat for lunch today. My little trick is to ask for a to-go container at the beginning of the meal and put half away immediately. It’s just not appealing to me to eat again unless I do it this way, and it also helps with portion control.
4. I made salad vinaigrette to bring to work the next few days.
5. I researched how to grow salad bowls so I can grow my own fresh lettuce.
I also ask for a container at the beginning of the meal, for portion control. I'm on Weight Watchers and boy, does this trick help.
I never thought of that! What a great idea!
1. Tonight we are having a vegetarian meal, except for the leftover holiday hambone that is seasoning the slow cooker green beans right now. I always freeze the hambones for seasoning something later.
2. We are emphasizing local in-season produce in our meals -- it's cheaper now and better tasting.
3. We are starting veggie plants from seed and already have some seedlings growing well. We had to invest in plant lights, etc., but they are used year to year so the cost is spread out. Many of the seeds we started are heirloom seeds we saved from our own plants last year. We plant as few hybrids as possible, and save seeds.
4. I had been searching for replacement bearings for our 2 glider chairs, and on every website, they were quite expensive; at one place they would have cost us $120.00 per chair. I finally thought to just contact the company -- I'm embarrassed it took me so long to think of that -- and they are asking a grand total of $25.00 for all the bearings for both chairs. We'll take them, thank you!
5. I had a great offer for a 2-year subscription to one of my favorite magazines, which I had subscribed to for years, but had recently dropped for budget reasons. They only wanted $20 for 24 issues. I almost went for it, then realized: the magazine's home sections make me unsatisfied with my modest home, it has a lot of recipes I say I want to try and end up never trying, it urges me to travel to places where the hotels are $180-$250.00 a night for two, and then I have to deal with disposal of the magazines. I threw the offer away and dodged that bullet. $20.00 is $20.00.
All the magazines in my house come from the library.
But did you buy a Lear Jet? 😉
Nevah!
Lol, NCA is around every corner!
My dear sweet sister passed away this week. It was not unexpected but still the shock of my life, that I will never get over. As you can imagine, it's been a weird week around here, I'm a walking zombie but find it best to do "normal" things. The service is tomorrow and a lot of time has gone toward planning, with little thought to meals. We had leftovers last night, and I honestly don't remember what we had Tuesday and Monday ( she died very early Monday morning ). I have two pounds of ground turkey thawed since Monday that I'm about to make turkey taco soup out of; that is, if it's still good. Oh, yes, we had chicken with Mexican green rice Tuesday, a very frugal meal using stuff I had on hand. Chicken thighs, rice, green chiles, etc it was a hit.
I am sorry you have lost your sister. My sister passed away 18 months ago and i still miss her terribly. (she had cancer and fought for 3 years).
My condolences. May her memory be a blessing.
Oh, Sandy! I'm so very sorry. I'm amazed you are even cooking meals right now.
Much love to you.
Bless you
Thank you all, I just have to get through tomorrow and I've been staying busy. Haven't worked all week, which leaves lots of time for thinking that I don't want to do. Food has been brought to my parents, around the corner from me, a huge ham, lasagna, breads, desserts. We are all eating there tonight, so my taco soup stays in the crock till we get home. Fine with me, it will be just as good later.
Lets see I have not purchased gas all month because I only drive about 10 miles/day.
I keep my thermostat at 70 degrees to save energy. That is great because I get hot at night.
I cook most days to curb eating cost.
I sleep with a heavy comforter.
I do not watch movies because they are not interesting anymore.
Kristen, you make me want grapefruits now. They look great.
The grapefruits look delicious, going to put them on my shopping list for next wk!
1. Donated a bag of clothes to a local charity store so someone else can get use out of them- they were from a cubists I cleared out at the wkend in my Mums house..
2. Got a pair of winter boots re healed & soled. They are as good as new now, the guy did a great job:-)
3. Made all our meals at home this week & drank water from my reusable stainless steel water bottle.
4. Used up brown rice I had in the fridge this evening with a stir fry.
5. Used up the heels of the bread by making them into crumbs and freezing them so nxt time I need bread crumbs for making stuffing they ll be there.. Also used up apples going abit yellow in smoothies and starting to buy the big tubs of natural yogurt instead of the individual containers, thank you Kristen for that tip
I love the part about your kids being faithful blog subscribers. Mine are too, to make sure I don't say anything embarrassing about them. (Which I wouldn't do, lol.)
* Picked up my girl at noon for a surprise lunch and took her to a pizza place that offers a medium for 5$. Cheap outing and happy kid!
* Picked up 16 hours of extra work in the past 2 weeks.
* Came right on budget for groceries this month
* Eating leftovers tonight
* Using Netflix a lot lately as a source of entertainment (as opposed to going out)
1. Walked/Ran Butter(female dog) for 45 minutes around the neighborhood instead of joining the local YMCA...still trying to rationalize the cost.
2. Packed lunch for self to carry to work-Rarely eat out for lunch...maybe 1-3 times a year.
3. Toted homemade coffee to drink on commute(15 minutes) in reused Styrofoam cup...I hate the smell of the reusable cups so I wash out Styrofoam ones and reuse those.
4. Wearing pants purchased at JC Penney clearance for $10-Liz Claiborne and 3 year old pair of Coach leather loafers purchased out of season for $30...still look good.
Right off the top of my head I can only think of a few things frugal this week?
1. Started working on casserole mitts for Christmas gifts.
2. Started working on microwave bowls for Christmas gifts.
(all from fabric on hand)
3. Read a book that I had on hand.
4. Made all our meals at home, from scratch.
Made homemade granola, sliced and froze bananas that we're getting too ripe, prepared and froze my own chicken stock from leftover rotisserie chicken,
1. 3 organic avocados and a couple of pounds of carrots for $1 on the Wal-Mart reduced shelf.
2. Giant Tiger (Canadian discount store) had Stone-Ground Whole Wheat loaves for a $1 each.
3. Our Foodland has some 50% deals when you use a Air Miles card, so got two loaves of bread, a half-dozen whole wheat kaiser buns, and a half dozen whole wheat English muffins for under $5.
4. Redid the closure on a short sleeve cardigan I knitted years ago (and rarely used because I didn't like the closure) and have been wearing it all week.
5. Knit myself some sport socks with yarn I got on sale at Michael's (and paid for it with last year's gift card).
1. I bought a container of plain yogurt marked down by 50% because it was close to its due date, and I made two large banana chocolate chip loaves using most of it yesterday. We live in Canada where anything dairy is much more expensive than in most places in the U.S., so getting deals on milk-related foods really helps the budget.
2. I resisted the temptation to go to a donut shop with my kids after school and instead came home and ate slices of the aforementioned banana loaves instead.
3. Stocked up on some loss leaders at my local grocery store yesterday. Cans of tuna were 99 cents each (the lowest they get), so I bought 10.
4. Used a forgotten-about Amazon gift card to buy a new reusable lunch kit for my husband, a tote bag for me for work, and some much-needed underwear!
5. Used a 2 for 1 coupon to get lunch with my mother-in-law when I picked her up from the airport. Total cost was $13 for both of us to have a tuscan chicken panini, soup and a drink. Great deal!
Hi Kristen and everyone,
I am a first-time commenter; Kristen I recently discovered your blog and I find that reading your entries plus the comments is helping me become more aware of how I am spending my money. I do pretty well in general, but a big downfall is food. So this week, I:
1) Got the refrigerator organized and used up some food for meals before it went bad.
2) Made my own yogurt.
3) Planned some low-cost meals ahead of time; I am especially interested in trying a meatless dish with protein-rich quinoa.
4) Researched how to make green smoothies in advance and freeze (made in the blender then frozen as cubes), and will do so tomorrow.
5) Reviewed my grocery receipt before I left the store. They overcharged me on two separate visits, and because of that I received one item free (x2). Total savings: $6.28!
I am looking forward to reading more of your blog and joining in 🙂
And you didn't buy a Lear Jet.
(Love the 5 Frugal Things lists from my 2 favourite bloggers!)
1.Used my new glass water bottle and brough bottled water from home today.
2. Took my kids to the local airport to kill an hour between appointments. Free fun and I didn't drive around wasting gas to kill time.
3. Brought my kids to the hairdress with me instead of paying a babysitter. Ok, I know getting my hair done isn't frugal at all but, she gives me a discount because we are friends. So, I get to chat with my friend, get my hair cut, and my kids get iPad time for free using her WiFi...win win win!
4. Bought my kids Thermos bottles so we can start reusing bottles instead of washing a zillion cups or using plastic cups.
5. Stopped buying paper plates and have made a real effort to use dish rags and towels instead of paper towels.
Burned wood in the woodstove during the day to heat the house and save on heating fuel
Inventoried my backlog of items to be listed on EBay
Ground up meat scraps into hamburger ( we process our own wild game, and that's 90% of the meat we consume every year, huge money savings)
Used up some spaghetti sauce that was just past the "best by" date
At the grocery store got ONLY what was on my list (for once!)
The mundane: washed non-meat used ziplock bags to reuse, repurposed plastic grocery bags as garbage bags, tried to be conscious of turning off lights.
Ok, here's my frugal things this week:
1) DH and I have Chik-fil-A cards that were given to us for Christmas and each month, the restaurant gives a free item if you show your card. This month, we walked in and each got a free 8 piece grilled nuggets and sauce. We saved $8.30.
2) Stopped into the market to buy a few things and one was on BOGO. We were charged for both of them! Store policy is that if we are overcharged, we get it free. Since it was a BOGO item, we got both free! Savings: $10
3) Our bathroom is in need of repairs...Being a DIY'er, I decided to re-grout/seal the tiles, redo the caulk and spray enamel the areas that have rusted on the tub. To re-glaze the tub is about $1000....My way costed a measly $46.
4) We finally shopped around for cheaper car and home insurance. We did call the old company for a decrease but it wasn't substantial. So, we went with a totally new company and saved a total of $1100 !!
5) We rent solar panels and have a herd of pigeons living under the panels....The noise/bird nasties/feathers/eggs that they have produced caused us to call the solar panel people for help. They sent a cleaning crew to clean the roof AND a contractor to place wires around the panels. The birds have been evicted! Cost: FREE.
That is SO great about your insurance. $1100 is nothing to sneeze at!
Ha! I just returned Do Over to my library. It didn't really grab me but I think I just wasn't in the proper mood for it.
A few frugal things from my work:
1. I made 2 loaves of homemade pumpkin bread with stuff from the fridge and pantry. I have been eating one loaf this week for my packed lunches and froze the other loaf to give to my brother and his wife when I see them tomorrow.
2. I read library books.
3. I paid for my museum membership which is $45 a year but saves me a bundle over what I would pay if I paid full price for admission every time I visited. Plus, having the membership makes me want to use it.
4. I mended some clothes to extend their usefulness.
5. Not sure if this counts as frugalness but I made an extra payment on my student loan. Only 17 months until I am debt free . . . woo hoo!
That's FABULOUS!!!
I meant frugal things from my "week" not my "work." 🙂
It is always so inspiring to read others ways of being frugal. It helps me dig deep to challenge myself to do more.
1. Re-used the same zip top baggie for my morning toast at work. I bring two pieces each day and it is just bread so no need to throw a bag out if I am just going to use another one the next day.
2. Attended a free yoga class Sunday morning. My husband has been wanting to start yoga for some time. It can be very pricey at $15 a class. For the two of us it would be $30 for one class! That is more than we spend on our entire months gym membership! So I did some research and was able to find a great studio that does a free Sunday morning class every week. It was a great class and I look forward to going back each week.
3. Made a batch of lasagna earlier in the week and we have eaten it along with a green salad every night for dinner. It was not a large pan either so the fact that it fed us for the entire week is incredible. I used up several items that I already had such as half a box of lasagna noodles, sauce, spinach and half a container of mushrooms. Really only needed to purchase the cheeses! It was delicious too.
4. I have been using bath products such as body wash, lotion and spray that my sister gave me over the holiday. It wasn't a gift, she had purchased a lot of a certain scent a long time ago and just decided that she didn't like it anymore. Lucky for me it is one of my favorite scents and it has been discontinued.
5. Another week of not going to the thrift shops. This is a big deal for me. I can always find something that "I just have to have" because it is such a good deal. I am in need of nothing at this time and am actually going to be purging from my closets and dressers soon. It has been almost a year since the last time I did this and my closet and drawers are a night mare. The goal is to create 3 or 4 mini wardrobes based on the season and rotate my closet. That way I don't get tired of the same clothing, I prolong the life of my stuff, and I won't feel as though I need to buy new things because I can just rotate new items into my closet.
Wish me luck and I hope this works.
I love reading about everyone's accomplishments (and "borrowing" their ideas)!
1. I iron-chef'ed dinner every night this week.
2. A friend wanted to meet up for drinks and I talked her into coffee instead. Savings of at least $10.
3. Opened a mutual fund account and set up a monthly transfer from checking.
4. The hubs broke the ceramic liner to the slow cooker. He went on Craigslist and found the same model and bought it for $5 for the crock.
5. Had my boots re-heeled, which is a tiny fraction of what new boots would cost.
1. Taught myself to do "threading" and did own my eyebrows & upper lip. Results are amazing. I am now officially baddest grandma in town.
2. Got a canteen on clearance & take my own coffee to work.
3. Got a Brita pitcher on sale & convinced adult son that home-brewed coffee made with filtered water is waay better than going out to buy it at DD.
4. Got my regular shampoo and all-purpose moisturizer on sale at Costco.
5. Switched to R******c wireless. Phone bill this month? $.28. That's right, twenty-eight cents.
1) stopped buying soda and making iced tea or drinking water at home. This is a hard one for my children.
2) printed needed assignments at school instead of using my ink at home.
3) took lunches and snacks to school with me instead of using vending machines and or fast food.
4) made a detailed budget for the month. I have envelopes to put each allotted amount of money in for various cash expenditures. Savings has been transferred over and all bills set up for online payment. I piddle away more money than necessary.
5)Detailed menu made for the month with a detailed shopping list.
All many of these are common sense, due to my hectic school schedule, I have become slack and my bank account shows. I swear, we have been spending several hundred at McDonalds alone each month. That is a BAD habit.
1. I packed my lunch 4 out of 5 days this week (usually I hit all 5, I just had a lazy morning on Thursday!)
2. We are watching Parks and Rec together on Netflix. (Though we did recently get cable...)
3. Not sure if this counts as frugal, but I got a few quotes to replace our roof and one of the companies told us we don't actually need to replace it! He gave us the name of a roof cleaner and said that should buy us a few more years. Bonus, it's only a couple hundred verses the $10,000-12,0000 we were looking at spending!
4. Rather than spending my own money or my budget, I asked parents to volunteer to donate supplies to our preschool Valentine's Day party at work. As always, I'm using as many recyclable items (empty yogurt containers, boxes, stuff like that) for our crafts as I can.
5. Rather than buying a toy or book for a friend's baby shower, I bought some pre-cut squares of flannel and made a quilt. The whole project cost less than $20 and I think it's a little more personal than just buying something off her registry (and definitely cheaper, I always seem to spend more than I mean to on those things!)
Ahhh Kristen, you are such an inspiration. I admire your perseverance. In my home, frugal living is the goal, but I too soon forget and slip and fall 🙁
But I'm happy that I can depend on you to keep the frugal torch going!
1. Found a bag of squash and green and yellow peppers in bargain bin at grocery.Roasted them up for use all week!
2. Found a couple of "free dates" in our local newspaper: A free concert at a local church, and a free meet the artist craft and art exhibit at local center for the arts--free snacks and evening out!
3. Ate vegetarian for 5 out of 7 nights.
4. Exercised at home, yoga videos, treadmill,bike rides.
5. Did not buy a new car! Seriously!! We sort of thought my car needed replacing, and a friend is selling her pretty nice SUV (just because! She is not in the frugal camp!).. after careful consideration,decided to keep my car till it totally wears out!