Five Frugal Things
Let's see...what frugal things did I do yesterday?
1. I made yogurt.
I don't always make everything from scratch, but homemade yogurt is a serious mainstay at my house. No matter what else is going on, I make a gallon of yogurt nearly every week.
So cheap, so tasty, and so simple once you do it a time or two.
(and since I'm on time 4549485738495 or so, it's really simple.)
2. I packed a lunch for Mr. FG.
While he showered, I packed him some leftover chicken noodle soup, plus a bottle of water, a container of pistachios (from Costco), a banana, celery with peanut butter, and blueberries (Aldi had them on sale this week).
I used reusable containers, of course. They are my fave.
Oh, and when I put the soup away the night we ate it, I portioned some out for his lunch. That way in the morning, I could just grab it and throw it into the lunchbox. Somehow, that seems way easier than portioning it out in the morning (even though logically it's the same amount of work!)
3. I went to Costco while I was close by.
Costco isn't suuuper close, so I try to hit it up when I'm already going to be in the area. While the girls were at a class, I dropped by Costco to fill up on gas and also to buy a few things (mainly frozen fruit for smoothies).
And I got gas while I was there, of course.
Costco's gas prices are almost always the lowest in the area, but making a drive to save on gas is usually not ultimately frugal. But if I have to be there anyway, then I always opt to fill up.
(Here are my favorite things to buy at Costco.)
4. I revived wilty lettuce.
A head of green leaf lettuce from my produce box arrived in slightly wilted condition.
So, I filled my salad spinner with cold water, tore the lettuce into pieces, immersed them in the water, and 10-15 minutes later, they were fresh and crisp.
I've done this quite a few times before and I can never quite get over just how well it works.
Or how fast.
5. This and that
I heated up leftovers for lunch, didn't buy anything except necessities at Costco, used a rewards credit card for my purchases there, and cooked dinner at home.
Your turn! Add your own Five Frugal Things in the comments.
Made a big pot of New York Times red lentil soup for a week's worth of lunches, yum
Using up whatever I have in my freezer and pantry for next two weeks-grocery shopping only for eggs and such
No online or window shopping for the entire month of January.
Thank you for this! Just googled the recipe and will be making a batch for lunch today. ☺
Yesterday at Bargain Hunt I bought 3 huge containers of freeze-dried food (meat, bananas, corn) from Auguson Farms for $8 each. I priced them on Augason's site at around $30 each! These are for our stuff hits the fan/bug out bags.
My 18 year old also bought a suit for $15 at Bargain Hunt. It fits him like a glove and is so sharp! Unbelievable.
I got books from the library yesterday. I cooked dinner. I hung all laundry (dryer is broke and we're not fixing it). The usual frugal suspects.
I have a question about making yogurt, Kristen. I made it yesterday and it's so mild it doesn't taste like yogurt at all. Does it still have good bacteria in it? I guess it does, but this doesn't seem like yogurt!
Yup! Without the cultures, the milk would not thicken into yogurt. We love the mild taste of homemade yogurt.
But if you prefer a more tart taste, just let the yogurt incubate longer. Try 6 hours, and if that's still not tart enough, keep adding time until you find the perfect incubation time for you. Some people let theirs incubate overnight, and that would definitely give you more of the tartness you love.
It incubated close to 8 hours and still is really mild. I will leave it much longer next time. Thanks.
Not only that, but if you are sensitive to lactose you can make the yogurt virtually free of it by incubating it for a full 24 hours. It is much more tart, of course, because the cultures consumed all of the milk sugar, but it is rich and very good. We use a little honey in ours anyway.
I AM lactose sensitive, Chris, and have a true milk allergy besides - something my allergist told me is rare. I can eat limited amounts of milk products like this and not every day. Yet I need the probiotics in yogurt. I will get it worked out. Thanks!
Thanks so much for your tip about reviving lettuce... I've done it a few times now (after I initially read how you did it - you've mentioned it in a previous blog post), and it's a miracle-worker!
It's amazing, isn't it?
I've used this tip you've told us about so many times, too. I used to throw wilted celery away thinking it was no good. Now I can't believe what a couple of hours in a glass of water will do for it! Yay for being able to save wilted produce!
Lets see....
1. Started meal planning for the coming weekend's grocery shopping, with flyer in hand of course. We have SO much on hand at the moment that I shopped my pantry and freezer first. I am hoping we can get away with just buying needed staples like fresh fruit, butter etc.
2. Crocheting a baby blanket for a friend. The yarn was on super sale and I just need four skeins so for $10.00 (and my time) I'll be able to give a gorgeous blanket, it's called a midwife blanket, here is a link to the free pattern (not mine) if anyone is interested. http://www.jonnamartinez.com/2016/03/afghan-inspired-by-bbcs-call-midwife.html
3. Dug through our toy box (these are for the grandkids, we are empty nesters) and through my stash of things to put together 7 outfits for a Sasha doll to give to my granddaughter. She is into playing with dolls at the moment.
4. Replaced the button on a pair of pants and reinforced a loose seam. I have not done so yet but I am going to try dying these, they are black and looking a little faded but otherwise in great condition.
5. Made ice tea so we'd have something besides water to drink. It is actually rare for me to drink anything besides water, coffee and tea!
Thanks for posting the beautiful afghan pattern! Printed it to save.
1. Paid school fees in full for the year, taking advantage of the early settlement discount.
2. Asked the school Secretary for a copy of the stationery requirement list for next year. Might as well take advantage of the current back-to-school deals, right?
3. Meal planned for a week in advance, to avoid the takeaway trap.
4. Managed to stick to my shopping lists in both the supermarket and the fresh produce market, except for some great specials (hello, butter!)
5. Eating leftovers from the fridge and freezer tonight.
I actually keep my lettuce in the salad spinner in the fridge. I find that it keeps almost forever that way.
We do the same.
1.) Went to Big Lots and bought a bunch of baby food as it was on sale quite cheap. My daughter should be moving out of the puree stage but she still needs high fiber stuff like prunes.
2.) My coworkers were doing some cleaning and gave me a roll of paper that they don't use any more (doesn't fit the plotter that they use now) and so I brought it home and gave it to my daughter along with a pack of fat crayons and she had a ball.
3.) Mended a few things. I fixed the hem on a towel (had to do that by hand and ended up breaking a needle - OOPS - but the towel is fixed. I'm not sure what to do with the hem on another towel that totally came unsewed as it's a bit much to do by hand (the other was only the last inch) and it's probably too thick for my wife to do on the sewing machine.
4.) The normal stuff of making bread and packing lunches seems to be going well without a hitch.
5.) Going to the company party tonight for the free food only. I don't generally like these events (I have no friends at work) but at least I can get some free food out of the deal.
1) Made a big batch of bulkie rolls for Buffalo Chicken Sliders last week. Homemade buns seem to go stale faster than store bought, so I put the extras in the freezer to pull out as needed. This way they stay nice and fresh (and don't end up in the trash because no one wants to eat stale buns...which happens far too often.)
2) Made sure to remember the coupons I had when I went grocery shopping. Two weeks in a row I forgot to use them. Grrr...
3) Found a great deal on white wash cloths that was mentioned in an email from Brad's List and stocked up. I had never heard of Brad's List before one of your readers mentioned it in the comments before Christmas. I signed up for their emails after that and have been really happy with some of the deals. Thank you to whoever that was that mentioned it!
4) Found a very good pair of Carhartt work jeans for my son at the local thrift store. They had a half-price colored tag on them, so instead of $15 they were $7.50--a great price for those.
5) Trying to incorporate the veggies we harvested from last year's garden into my menus. Last night I made the roasted carrots you had on here a while back. I didn't use butter because my daughter is trying to figure out whether she has a dairy allergy or not, but olive oil worked great. I threw in the last of the beets we had in storage. Yum...
1. I'm wearing an outfit of almost 10 year old clearance pants (and they are red!), a hand-me-up shirt from my daughter, and a gifted scarf. My husband said, "You look nice!"
2. Supper last night was spaghetti with a pint of pasta sauce I had pulled out of the freezer. Added a quick salad with ingredients I had on hand for a cheap, filling meal.
3. I cut my husband's hair this past weekend and trimmed my own bangs last night. As soon as I get a moment, I'll trim the rest of my hair, too. I wear it a little longer, so I can put it up if it gets too ragged while awaiting a trim. I save even more money by creating my own "highlights," also known as going gray.
4. I was happy to see that a new thrift store, this one benefitting the Humane Society here, will be opening up this week in town. I love thrift stores -- they are my first go-to place when I need something.
5. I'm collecting stuff for my taxes, that annual joy, to do them myself. We used to pay a professional $300 each year. Ouch.
Woohoo for more red pants club members! 🙂
Yea for us natural-highlight people! Had my hair colored for years and probably spent thousands or at least hundreds. Even when I tried it occasionally at home, it was still $10 plus an hour of time. I'm sure I did not look "younger", but just looked like a person with dyed hair! Now it's healthy and free and looks OK. Ladies, consider this...
I'm also taking the natural silver highlight approach! I hesitated for quite a while, and even did an intermediate henna application, but it's now been 7 months. I quite like the silver temples look.
Bravo for frugal living. 🙂 This week:
1. I've been under the weather with allergies. Instead of plowing through boxes of tissues, I've been using my homemade cloth hankies. These are easier on my nose and my wallet; I love them!
2. Last night we ate meals from our pantry and freezer. It's a great way to make sure we use up food. Mr. Picky Pincher made spaghetti bolognese with homemade marinara and I had beer-cauliflower soup with homemade three-seed bread. For the next day's lunch I used some old frozen rice and turned it into vegetarian fried rice. Not fancy, but easy and cheap. 🙂
3. Last night we went to the library. I checked out several cookbooks and Mr. Picky Pincher got a few books on home beer brewing. I also rented "Your Money Or Your Life" to get more into personal finance books.
4. I've been working out at home this week using the elliptical I bought on sale a few years ago. I had to adjust my schedule from working out every day at 5 am to working out after dinner 3 times a week. My previous schedule was too exhausting, especially with the new meds that I'm on. But I still feel good!
5. I mended a few holes in my favorite cardigan instead of throwing it away and buying a new one.
I had Your Money Or Your Life out from the library after my nose surgery and I tried to read it. But the pain meds made it so hard for my foggy brain to concentrate.
I binged on Downton Abbey instead. Heh.
Hubby recommends "The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing". They reference Your Money of Your Life in the book. I've read YMOYL, too.
That's next on my list! I saw it on the shelf but YMOYL was the first thing I grabbed. 🙂
Its beyond me why more people don't LOVE cloth hankies the way I do. My collection started with hand me downs from my grandmother and has grown from thrift store finds, never more than 50 cents each. Soft, Beautiful, Eco-friendly, Cheap, what's not to like?
My Five Frugal Things were:
Making marinade with something usually poured down the drain, finding a healthy and cheap alternative to antiperspirant, planning leftovers, making breakfast at home, and making ice tea from scratch.
http://coolersideofmypillow.blogspot.com/2017/01/five-frugal-things-and-gratuitous-dog.html
I took the apples I have been watching guiltily in the fridge and turned them into apple pie filling. Yum! And a food save.
Figured out dinner from food we need to use up in the pantry.
Finished up leftovers for lunch all week.
Went out to dinner with friends on half off night. Their son is old enough to watch my son, so everyone had fun on the cheap.
Made lunch for everyone all week.
1. Shopped at Aldi.
2. Menu planned for the entire week. And so far, sticking to it.
3. Made a big batch of white chicken chili, a pretty fugal recipe involving white beans, broth, green chiles and chicken. I used chicken thighs from my freezer instead of breasts, and homemade broth. It was so good and there's plenty left for another meal. All purchased ingredients came from Aldi.
4. Managed to only buy the one item I was stopping in for, at my " regular" grocery store, pot roast on sale.
5. Conceded to a trip to Hobby Lobby with my daughter, who had a gift card. This is dangerous territory for me, but I managed to only buy a clearance throw pillow and a set of plastic bathtub sailboats for my three year old grandson.
What kind of cooler do you use for the yogurt? I just read your post on making yogurt, and want to give it a try. Thanks for the clear directions and pics.
I have a Playmate cooler that's like this one: http://amzn.to/2iJxobE Just a basic, plain-Jane cooler. 🙂
1. We are reaping the rewards of insulating our attic two years ago. The $1800 felt completely worth it just to regulate the temperature in our 100 year old row house. Unless it was exactly 70 degrees outside it was too hot upstairs and too cool downstairs. We didn't anticipate getting the expense back in savings on heating and cooling so quickly. Our last gas bill was $250. It used to be $400 this time of year.
2. Fought the urge to get takeout last night. The kids prefer sandwiches anyway, so that's what we did.
3. I'm switching out the last couple incandescent bulbs in the house for LED now that LED are so cheap. Otherwise having a 60W bulb burning feels wasteful of electricity and like a fire hazard.
4. We had a budget check in last night and realized that we have to keep our spending tight the rest of January to meet our budget. We had an unexpected doctor's bill, and Christmas spending spilled over into January. I think we can do it.
5. Today I/I'm going to batch errands, walk over to pick our oldest up from school instead of driving, make supper from food purchased at Aldi, read books from the library, paid for daycare with a credit card which is cheaper than writing a check and earns us cash that I put in the kids' college savings, dress the children and myself in hand-me-downs and gifted clothing, went for a bike ride to get back down to a healthy (read: frugal) weight, drank water from the tap with lunch, and will use a coupon when I go to the store to buy tea.
I love how much better and cheaper LEDs are now!
I still kind of hate them. They look so cold and dim. Could you put your recommendation again for the good ones you found, or anyone else have a good one? Don't have Costco or Sam's Club.
I've been making a concerted effort to not eat out for lunches. Every now and then I will not have anything or any time to pack a lunch, but even on off days, I still eat leftovers. In a minute, I'm going to go heat some up...
Today I am also hemming several pr of jeans that I found while thrift shopping, I made some freezer bean and cheese burritos for the boys to heat for lunches, I served us some leftover Chinese last night instead of cooking a new meal (and it was plenty), and I'm making a big batch of brisket chili tonight with some jalapeno spoonbread, and homemade berry cobbler with ice cream instead of taking us out for Firstborn's birthday. (we have got to cut down on eating out!!) I guess that's the recurrent theme here - eat at HOME.
This keeps me in check. I love these posts. So here goes!
1. Yesterday I attended a presentation at work that included lunch! I didn't have to pack anything. And to be honest after packing day after day, I'm tired of it, so this was a nice break.
2. Not sure if this is frugal or not, but my hubby has started to drive for Lyft (much like Uber) as a side job. He can do it on his own time and set the hours that he can do it. The downside to that is more mileage on my van and the extra wear and tear.
3. Found a few packs of clearance napkins this morning at the grocery store. I tend to buy these and stock our camper with them.
4. Ran into the Goodwill on impulse on Sunday to find out it was a Friends and Family day. The manager recognized me (oh my that's scary) and gave me a 50% off coupon. I was not planning on buying anything but did find my son some PJ's (little bugger is growing like a weed) and I found a few work tops. I haven't purchased a work top in a long time.
5. We celebrated my husband's 40th by having dinner with two other couples. While the winery we went to was a bit pricier than normal, the other couples agreed that I should not pay the bill for all of us. I had told both couples ahead of time that I was foregoing the traditional party because of money, so I think they understood the need for "separate checks"
Any recommendations on a rewards credit card to use? Thanks!
The main one we're using now is a Southwest Rewards card, although we did just sign up for the Chase Sapphire. It has a really great introductory bonus, although I heard that's getting reduced very soon (or maybe it's already been reduced?)
We also like the IHG Rewards Card. The $49 annual fee after the first year includes one free night at any IHG property anywhere, including Holiday Inn Express (free breakfast) and Intercontinental Hotels (fancy). DH and I each have one. A $98.00 getaway weekend every year? Yes, please! Plus the card includes extra perks like free upgrades, guaranteed rooms and bonus points. They also have a fabulous thing called Points + Cash, which basically allows you to buy enough extra points to pay for the whole stay. Say, $50 + 10k points per night, for example. The beauty of this is that it circumvents those dreaded tourism taxes which can run 15-20%! All you pay OOP is $50 (or whatever the deal is), no taxes. Sweet. It's also easy to use P+C to book for other people. I helped two sibs out with deals on hotel rooms this year, which was nice to be able to do. Finally, their website and app are easy to navigate.
1. We ate leftovers last night.
2. I am doing my own yard work on a heavy (moving rocks and edgers) project.
3. Hubby prepped coffee at home for me before he left for men's group this morning (no coffee out).
4. Made my own aphid destroying water/soap solution and sprayed it on the milkweed (no nasty chemicals in the garden, either).
5. Does this count? A friend is sick so I wanted to send her a get well card (she loves snail mail) but I didn't have a card. Instead of going out to the store to buy one, I just used a personal note card and wrote that I hoped she felt better.
6. I am dehydrating masses of apples slices-- the fruit man at the farmers market gives me his 'can't sell because they're bruised' apples. Also, made a big batch of apple sauce. (yes, our farmers market is in operation 50 weeks of the year--it's SoCal)
Oh, I am so envious of your apple source!
1. no eating out this month 🙂
2. shopped at discount grocery store (pull dates are coming up fast!) saved $50+
3. used gas rewards points and saved 80 cents on the gallon! full tank for just $13
4. made cinnabon copycat recipe (a 9x13 pan full for the price of 1 bun at the mall lol)
(they tasted amazing!)
5. shopped at goodwill store that is closing and everything was 50% off
(googled retail prices online and saved $412!!) not that I would have bought them new!
Can you pls share your copycat recipe?
1. Like Willow, I used a notecard instead of going out to buy a special occasion card. This time for a birthday. I think a handwritten sentiment is just as thoughtful, if not more thoughtful, as one preprinted on a card.
2. I turned my frozen, leftover, over-baked ham and the bone from Christmas dinner into the best soup. I used Rancho Gordo beans in it which are not frugal, but are delicious. At least the ham did not go to waste. Plus it made room in my freezer!
3. I visited the bookstore, but instead of buying anything I jotted down the books I was interested in to put on hold at the library.
4. I stuck strictly to my budget for the first two weeks of January which is a minor miracle.
5. I went to the "early bird" movie matinee with a friend and saved $1 off the regular matinee price and brought bottled water to drink instead of splurging on a soda.
1. Stopped by a grocery store on the way home from work to get one thing, scored chicken lunchmeat marked down from $5 a pack to 3 for 10, with $2 off coupons for each. So, I got 6 packs for $8. Putting in the freezer. Nice for lunches and company.
2. Found out a very expensive fundraiser we usually attend is sold out. We had planned on making that our charity for the next couple of months, now won't have to dress up and worry about the cost.
3. Sold some items on ebay. I love ebay.
4. Had eggs for dinner. Surprisingly, it was enough.
5. Giving sentimental items to my grown kids, little by little. They love the surprises, let me know the memories attached to what I send them (mementos, photos, turning vhs home movies to dvds, old letters from deceased relatives), and it just cost me postage, usually.
I miss the frugal fail posts! 🙂
I think a nice post idea would be "how to". For example, I don't know how to cook dried beans or make home made yogurt?
Hi JoC,
If you google both those things, you'll probably find several posts, one of them being The Frugal Girl's "how to make homemade yogurt"... or you can search for that just below Kristen's picture at the top right of this or any other post of The Frugal Girl.
Don't know what we did before the Internet, but with it there is no end to our learning! I even learned how to make butter chicken via videojug.com (with a lovely British accent to boot).
I'm not good with dried beans (Mr. FG hates legumes, as do a few of my kids), but yogurt, I can help with! I linked to the homemade yogurt post when I mentioned the yogurt in this post, but I'll put the link here for you too: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/10/how-to-make-homemade-yogurt-2/
Thank you!
1) I went to the store yesterday and stuck to the list!
2) We had a car picnic on Sunday. We forgot my husband had a meeting right after service. While the kids and I waited on him, we stopped at a grocery store vs stopping for fast food. Bananas, granola bars, and a few slices of deli ham. (Church runs till noon and is a commute, so staying close saved gas too!)
3) Packing lunch for all this month.
4) Continue to run the washing machine only when I have a full load.
5) I had a season job at a chain store. I got to stay on so a little extra cash still coming in.
My sweet husband gifted me with a metal, three-compartment stacking "Tiffin Box" to take lunch in. The compartments get progressively shallower at the top, and it locks well (very important!) with handles that fold up. For me, it has solved the problem of forgetting lids at work and having mismatched containers that don't close.
1. I cooked supper at home every evening this week.
2. I made home made lattes instead of buying them
3. Made paper roses from some books found in the trash for a women's event I'm helping with.
4. Found some exercise videos on Amazon Prime rather than buying some.
5. Made husband's lunch for work every day this week.
Packing lunches and cooking at home aren't earth-shaking, but boy, they really are super helpful when you're trying to save money. Gold stars for you!
Did not put up heating, but put on two pairs of socks.
Have not been watching tv for many weeks, doing crafts instead (with supplies stash)
Planned meals, and ate leftovers for one of those
Did not go out to shop for some items that can wait (the cold brings out the hoarder in me - hard to resist)
Created shopping list for items that do need to be bought, so I can stick to the essentials and will not have any forgotten items next week.
I love the frugal posts!
Here's my list of 5 Frugal Things:
1) Renewed our auto policy..At $800/yr for 2 cars, it's a bargain. We paid way more when we had our old insurance company.
2) Got boxes of pie crust mix for 50 cents a box. YAY. I'm a huge baker and have never seen this price before!
3) In the last 18 months, I've spent $90 on clothing. I got a dress and shoes for an upcoming anniversary party. I have no intention of buying any clothing for many years. My current job provides uniforms. I'll be ditching my wardrobe by Springtime. Ebay, here I come!
4) I haven't purchased new tires in years.That's very unusual. I used to switch out spring and winter tires. I couldn't afford to do that anymore, so my winter tires stayed on after the spring ones wore out.
5) Heck, my job is only a mile away, so my driving is very little. No need to even do an oil change more than once a year.
Lisa, Re #5, if you love your car, please don't do that! Oil breaks down over time as well as with mileage. Check your owner's manual. There's a reason they say X months or Xk miles. The cost of blowing an far engine exceeds any savings from skipping regular oil changes.
I have a little concern about #4 as well, but I live in a climate that doesn't get snow, so I'm no expert. I do know that rubber breaks down over time, so please do a little google-fu to be sure your tires are safe.
It has been a busy week.
1. Monday morning I went to our K-Mart that is going out of business. I bought a set of 3 canvas prints for my bedroom and 3 tops. After using my reward points the total was just a little over $14.00.
2. While at K-Mart I found a set of bunk beds that had been marked down from $200 to $159. Then there was a 20% discount on top of that. I also had found a battery powered truck that had also been reduced. We had already planned on purchasing one for the youngest grandchild. So we spent a little over $300 for this items. A real win in my book.
3. I cooked all week at home and took my lunch everyday from left overs.
4. Besides the two trips to K-Mart on Monday, I only drove to work and home the rest of the week. Big savings on gas.
5. I began another grandson's blanket I'm making that I'm making for his upcoming birthday.
On another note, I have begun gathering my ideas for homemade birthday and Christmas presents throughout the year. With my large family we have birthdays almost every month.
It's been a good week.
Since I can't drive anymore my husband did a referral for me to rideshare service. I got $50 in credits for being a new customer and he got $10 in credits for making the referral.
I took a pair of work shoes in for new heels and a far lower cost than New shoes.
A coworker Wants to have "errand day" where she can drive me to target or wherever for things I need. It will be great to spend some time together out of the office and also save me some money on transportation.
What a great friend!
1. Ate someone else's leftovers, who is going on a trip.
2. Took mostly buses this week (as opposed to taxis which are more expensive here).
3. Resisted the temptation to buy a coke.
4. A friend gave me some clothes, mostly ones bought used (I live in Africa and they're actually used clothes that don't get sold in other countries then get shipped here and sold here at used clothing markets).
5. Got this really good book free for my kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Road-Emmaus-What-Message-ebook/dp/B00200KF62
Packing lunches has saved me sooo much money over the years. Making the taste good is an ongoing challenge though. Hopefully I can improve that with the tips I've gotten from this blog. One thing that really saved me some time, was discovering that I can make lunches and dinners in bullk on the weekend to save time during the week when I'm busier. My food saver is an awesome tool for freezing bulk meals that still preserve the flavor and taste fresh.