Five Frugal Things
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1. I bought a winter coat at half price.
The last time I got a new winter coat was before I got pregnant with Lisey.
That was a good long time ago.
See?
Lisey's been around for a while.
In fact, she turns 17 today. Happy Birthday, Lisey!
Anyway. The coat was a basic black L.L. Bean variety, and it was roomy enough for me to wear it through my pregnancy with her.
(She was a rather small baby, but still. It wasn't exactly a fitted coat.)
The L.L. Bean coat has worn like iron, so it still looks fairly new. But, I was starting to feel like it was getting rather dated, as things do after 18 years.
I halfheartedly looked for one over the winter and nothing popped out at me.
But then Mr. FG forwarded me a clearance ad from Dick's Sporting Goods, and I saw a very expensive black Spyder brand coat in my size at a serious discount.
So, I popped into TopCashBack and then placed my order.
Happily, the coat fits me, and I'm feeling much more stylish in the cold weather now.
And I'm all prepped to be stylishly warm next fall!
2. I used my TopCashBack redemption money for birthday shopping.
I redeemed my earnings for an Amazon gift card because that gives me an extra 3% back.
And heaven knows I can always use Amazon money, especially at this time of year, which is birthday season at our house.
(Get a $15 cashback bonus when you earn your first $10 with TopCashback.)
3. I used $31 of Kohl's discounts to birthday shop.
I can't tell you what I bought because my children read my blog (hi, offspring!).
But I had $15 of Kohl's Yes2You rewards and they also sent me a $16 anniversary coupon since I've apparently been shopping there for 16 years.
I used those two things plus a 20% off Kohl's coupon, so this was a pretty fantastically frugal purchase.
4. I used my broken pizza stone under the broiler.
I was trying a Cook's Illustrated recipe that called for using the broiler setting with the stone.
This can make some stones crack, but luckily, I had an already-cracked one that I set aside for just such a use.
It cracked into two neat pieces a little while back, and it's very easy to put them together and use them like you would an uncracked stone.
The nice thing about baking with a cracked stone is...you don't have to worry about it cracking!
Because the thing you were worried about? It already happened.
5. I sold a book & some Calico Critter stuff.
Sonia and Zoe have outgrown their critters, so I've been helping them sell their things on eBay. Two of Zoe's items sold, and so did a book I've had listed on Amazon for a while.
We packaged our stuff up with reused boxes/envelopes, and used the free community newspaper for cushioning.
Every little bit helps!
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Aaaaand it's your turn. Share your five frugal things in the comments!
P.S. Right now, through March 31st, you can get a free $15 cashback bonus when you open a TopCashback account and earn $10 in cashback. This is an amazing deal that they set up just for Frugal Girl readers.
I have questions about your little ones outgrowing toys, since your perspecitve always seems so reasonable and thoughtful to me.
First, do you keep anything for little cousins or distant-future hypothetical grandkids? (Odd to think about, I know). And of you do, how do you decide what to keep?
Second, what do you keep as your kids grow older-- are any childhood toys kept in their rooms out of nostalgia? I soon need to go through my 9-year-old's room with her, and I know if I get sentimental it'll make her sentimental and we'll keep too much useless clutter.
And lastly, what do your growing girls play with now? My daughter has a huge room, it is actually the master bedroom. But I feel like if I keep only the stuff she actively plays with I'd be down to a couple electronics, two board games, one teddy bear, and an empty room.
That reminds me that I need to write a post about this! Thank you. I'll put it on my to-write list.
My kids are grown- I kept my son's Leggos (the girls were not interested in playing with them) and a few doll/books. I now have 3 1/2 grandkids and the older 2 boys did like the Leggos and I'm still keeping them, but everything else was found at thrift stores, yard sales, etc. No sense in holding on to them- let someone else enjoy. I also don't sell but donate.
we kept all our lego & are so glad we did, it never dates, is expensive, & we ended out giving it all to the nieces & nephews who have continued to play with it over many years. I like to keep a small amount of different aged toys for when people with kids come over, I think if you are sentimental keep a small number of key pieces that will store/keep well & donate/sell the rest. I don't know if this helps but when de-cluttering I look at an item, imagine it sitting in a op-shop & think 'would I pay money to buy this?', I am amazed at the number of times I've thought 'no' - this process also helps me avoid donating items to op-shops they probably won't be able to sell & have to pay someone to dispose of - especially clothes, in the past I think I thought much more highly of my worn clothing than someone else would.
Wow you've been wearing the same coat for 17 years? That takes a lot of patience and self-discipline.
Hubby and I went to an outlet in Dec. I got a Guess jacket for $50. The original price was $235. It's a Large while I'm a Medium. But I'm happy with the price and the style 😀
Or, it takes a certain special kind of shopping laziness on my part! Heh.
Hating to shop is great for frugality, it would seem.
I still wear a winter coat bought new (by my parent) 30 years ago. Coat is in great shape and classic style is always classic. My less-formal pea coat is probably 15 years old.
#1 Frugal thing...I found rib eye steak...thick gorgeous pieces..
For $5.69 a lb... They usually cost $9+ and I bought almost the entire shelf... which wasn't frugal but I've got steak for weeks. Crazy steal even my cheapskate friend got 2!
#2 Going to Safeway late at night and seeing they left out deli food for 30% off sale since it's the end of the day.
#3 Remembering to bring reuseable bags when I went shopping...for once! Ahh I always forget.
#4 Sewing up a jacket with holes.
Lisey is so grown looking! I am so used to seeing the cute younger pictures you post about the kids that seeing her all grown up is, well,...exactly the way it happens. She is beautiful, and I hope she has a great birthday.
1. I keep posting things that keep me accountable on my blog so it's fulfilling its purpose.
2. I made a meal last night of things I hand on hand instead of making a grocery store run or takeout.
3. I cleaned up a pair of my daughter's favorite flip flops. She is soon going to out grow them, but I think she may more summer of wear.
4. I took my kids on a "nature walk" which is just a walk down the road from my house. Free fun!
5. I cleaned out the fridge and realized I have been letting things go bad more than I thought. I'm a work in progress.
3. Get one more summer of wear....ugh, this is what I get for trying to hurry.
I am right with you on the coat. I have a felted wool pea coat from Lands End that is at least 15 years old. I wear it probably 20 times or less each winter, clean it and put it up for next year. This one is rather fitted and classic pea coat, so I don't have a reason to get rid of it, but that's okay, because I actually still like it.
Okay, here are my five frugals:
1. I babysat the youngest grandkids this weekend, and they were just as amused by the 10 cent yard sale wooden clacker toy as they would have been by an expensive new one. They also greatly enjoyed the crayons bought for 25 cents a box when the back to school sale was on.
2. I ordered a four and a half pound tub of gold fish flakes for our many gold fish outside. It keeps well, and costs about 1/4 to 1/3 the price of buying it in those 5 to 8 ounce containers at the store. I also saved about $10 over store price by ordering cat litter, and my shipping for both will be free since that put me over the free shipping price.
3. I cut up and roasted five different vegetables at once, to save energy.
4. I weeded out some really worn out knit pajamas to make more rags. I also use worn out tee-shirts or knit shirts, rolled up in my boots, to keep the boots from flopping over in my closet.
5. I hung out four loads of laundry over the weekend. We had sunny, breezy days, perfect for drying outdoors.
1. I received two 20.00 off coupons from Christopher & Banks. I used it on the last day and got three really nice t-shirts for six dollars. I also had a 15% off birthday coupon so used it on a jacket so got it for nine dollars. That should be everything I need for summer. Well, I didn't really need the jacket...
2. I stopped at Krogers on the way home from church yesterday. Between their great marked down produce prices and the sales, my grocery bill continues to be insanely low. A few weeks ago, they had ground ham for 1.99 a lb. Yesterday I picked up a small package of ground pork to add to it so we could have ham loaf for Easter.
3. I stopped at Goodwill with my sister last week and found nothing. Until she was checking out. A young woman was stuffing paper into purses for display. I sent pics to my purse loving daughter. I bought three leather Coach purses and another designer purse for 4.99 each. I was so excited, I forgot to tell them I was a senior so missed my 10% discount. Two for her and two for me!
4. My husband's movie list at the library keeps giving us newly released movies for free entertainment. We have a popcorn popper and recliners. Going to a theater has very little appeal these days.
5. One of our pastors has four daughters and they just rearranged the two bedrooms they share. The mother asked if I would help the girls create some artwork for their rooms. It has been great fun digging through pinterest to come up with projects. They're coming over the Saturday after Easter so I picked up what we need this week. With things I already own that she'll pay me for, we'll do the two rooms for about 10.00. And they will look SO COOL!!!!!
So nice of you to help with the bedrooms!
Thank you, Kristen! But it is fun for me also. I hope they're pleased with the results.
Sheila, reading about your Goodwill Coach purses story brings a smile to my face. I've donated a few high end purses, rather than selling them or keeping them "just in case". I have always hoped that they made it into some excited hands, just like you described! I don't buy high end purses anymore, so you might have just given me the nudge I needed to donate the last couple 🙂
Kate, our women's group at church is doing a purse auction to help support an orphanage one of the women's daughter runs in the Philippines. My lack of hesitation was knowing they would bring a nice price at the auction. I already have a couple older but still in great shape ones in the donate pile. And, thanks, for making people happy!
I shopped World Market on Saturday for some frou-frou candy for Easter sussies - get it at 30% off and an additional 10% for signing up for text alerts.
Hubby and I had a bottle of wine at a new to us winery yesterday (not frugal) but we enjoyed a picnic lunch we brought from home (frugal). It all evens out...
My mechanic son fixed my windshield wipers for me - free to his momma.
My Hubby fixed my sink which had an accumulation of God knows how many years of hair in it - so gross. But free.
I bought $4 worth of inexpensive wreath fixin's to make a pretty Easter centerpiece for the dining table and have a reasonable menu planned which will not break my grocery budget. And now its time for me to go get that grocery shopping done!
My week was a feast or famine kind of week. We bought a "new to us car" during my no spend week! But it will save us gas money in the long run:)
You can comfort yourself by thinking things like, "Well, at least I didn't stop at Starbucks!" 🙂
Congrats on the new car, and may it save you much gas money.
Let's see...
1. At a craft store over the weekend, used a 60% off coupon on a cookie cutter to make my brother cookies for his birthday. It ended up costing 43 cents including tax.
2. Found some knitting needles at Goodwill, so bought a few for $2 each to contribute to my stash
3. Instead of going out for dinner on Saturday, we went grocery shopping together and cooked dinner at home for a relaxing evening.
4. Decided to go out for lunch on Sunday, but walked to the restaurant and were able to use 2 $1 off coupons on our order.
5. Stocked up on a few grocery items over the weekend and was able to get a few good deals from the store's promotions
Tough week in terms of frugality. Traveling makes being frugal hard, but we did manage a few things:
1. Packed snacks for car trip (bought bulk snacks, and divided into snack size portions) instead of buying snacks on the road.
2. Bought lunch from the grocery store instead of a restaurant on the trip. Not the cheapest grocery store, but the supplies also worked for breakfast, too, so all in all cheaper than going out to eat.
3. Made extra meals and froze leftovers for my husband's lunches for the next month
4. Stuffed Spring Day (egg hunt on first Saturday after vernal equinox to celebrate arrival of spring rather than on Easter so as not to blur the meaning of Easter) eggs with trinkets I had on hand instead of buying candies and miscellaneous stuff
4. Didn't buy new clothes for annual family picture, as we all had stuff to wear that fits and looks good.
5. Let's see...started recycling water remnants from glasses to dog bowl and seedlings we're growing. (Thanks venisonfordinner for the tip!!),
well, I made it to 5. Just barely.
Not so sure that my week was frugal. But here goes nothing!
1. Slowly, a few more items are selling on Ebay. I've been reading as much as I can about opening an Ebay store. Right now there is no "starter" Ebay store option (with low monthly fees). Come May, there will be!!! Which allows me one more month to continue learning more about selling on Ebay. I can decide then if I want to go the "store" route or not.
2. My son's cub scout pack hosted a spaghetti dinner Saturday evening as a fundraiser. I do not eat pasta, so my son and I volunteered to set up and then left before dinner was served.
3. After a dentist appt this morning, I stopped at Target to pick up two grocery items that my hubby failed to purchase while grocery shopping. I was quite surprised to find $15 on a gift card that I had forgotten about. Free items for me!
4. Donated a bag of books to our local library this morning as well as a box of food to the food pantry. Helping others feels frugal!!
5. Not really a frugal win, but I allowed myself to buy some candy for a friend and her son who is going through some challenges right now. I know that she appreciated the thought and I"m not quite sure they will be able to afford any extra candy for Easter, so I was happy to give him something!
Aww, that's so kind of you to bless your friend. Yay!
1 - I sold a baby swing we no longer need.
2 - I took off the shower drain and cleaned out all the hair and accumulated soap scum. Shower drains much better now.
3 - I picked up a Free Friday item from the grocery store. Since it happened to also be on sale this week they actually gave me $0.19 (put towards my other groceries) to take away a Godiva chocolate bar.
4 - I used my grocery gas points to get $0.70/gal off.
5 - We made & ate all our dinners at home.
1. Borrowed a co-workers carpet shampooer to shampoo the carpet that the dog got dirty. I guess I should be happy that he has a favorite spot so I know where to look when he looks sheepish?
2. Dealt with houseplants: composted gifted orchids - but first I saved the containers and rocks.[1] Reused old clay pots and soil-from-old-plants to pot the jade plant stems that fell off the jade plant. (I think the dog is responsible for that, too.) Trimmed the impossible-to-kill pothos and spider plants, put the stems in water in case any coworkers wants plants. Maybe my Bissel-owning coworker would like a plant as a thank you...
3. Eating down my fridge in anticipation of going away for a few days. Coming up: salsa shrimp salad, and something with cauliflower, eggs, and cheese.
4. Used CVS sales, coupons, and ECBs to buy 15 oz of CeraVie ointment (expensive!!! recommended for my skin condition by dermatologist!) and 36 cans of soda for $16 and no ECBs leftover. I have been known to let ECBs expire so using them up is a plus.
5. For the few days away, I will be carpooling up with one friend, back with another.
[1] I don't actually have any need for these; might try to trade them for a few flowers from the local flower shop. Or simply give them to the store - better that *someone* gets use of them, than they go into the recycling.
Happy birthday Lisey!!!
#1. Spent a morning at the beach, brought a packed lunch and kids played in the nearby park- free entertainment & great family time
#2. Ate at home all weekend using up food we have
#3. Made chicken stock from a chicken we ate during the weekend. Will make delicious soup during the week
#4. Havnt bought any new clothes in ages, kids have plenty of hand me downs.
#5.Dried 2 loads of washing outside today saving our electricity bill.
1) We purchased advanced tickets to the zoo for a discount. Saved us $1 per ticket AND waiting in line so double win!
2) I haven't been able to do any shopping even though I need to pick up a few things because we have contractors working on our kitchen. No shopping = no spending.
3) We made dinner last night after getting back from the zoo even though we were exhausted and used chicken and veggies we had on hand.
4) Even though we were near Costco and Winco (our 2 favorite stores that are NOT in our town) we didn't stop in to look or buy things we didn't need.
5) I've been eating lots of eggs recently since discovering a video of Julia Child making omelettes for her TV show. Eggs, even though they have gone up in price at our local Aldi, are relatively inexpensive. I pair the omelettes with a simple salad or cherry tomatoes sliced and tossed with salt and pepper for an even more frugal and delicious meal any time of the day! We've eaten them for every meal now and I still absolutely love them!
I totally laughed at the cracked stone! We've been broiling ours with success for a few years, but I did break our previous one with too much broiling. Oops!
This week:
1. I was oh-so frugal today! I had a doc appointment and nearly paid for a car wash on the way home (the trees are putting off ugly green pollen and our car looked so bad). Instead of shelling out the $7, I spent 15 minutes this morning hosing down the car. It doesn't look perfect, but it's NOT covered in pollen, which is an improvement. 🙂
2. I found out deer have been hoofing around and eating our garden/yard. I'm looking into some frugal alternatives to keep them from eating all of our food. I'm thinking of getting Deer B Gone spray, but we may have to cover our garden in nets.
3. I didn't have to pay a copay at the doctor's office. Woohoo!
4. My dad was over last weekend. I admit we ate out a lot because of food preferences/allergies, but I did manage to save some money by cooking waffles for everyone on Sunday morning. It's about small wins sometimes, hahaha.
5. We had to get our A/C repaired last Thursday and it cost nearly $700. We did cut the price down from $1,000 by refusing a dubious "upgrade" option, so I'll call that a "savings."
Mrs PP, i follow your blog & this one. I have a comment about the deer eating your garden.....i'm currently reading an article about epsom salt mixed with water in a spray bottle & spraying the leaves of plants in your garden to deter raccoons, deer and other pests. Here's the link....
https://thethriftycouple.com/17-incredible-reasons-to-use-epsom-salt-in-the-garden-for-results-that-will-amaze-plus-the-methods-of-proper-application/
I hope this helps!
1. I bought a club pack of pork tenderloin for $24.99 at the Real Canadian Superstore which works out to $6.25 each and they were $14.99 each at Walmart. And we ate leftovers for lunch all this week (Spring Break).
2. I made Skor cookies (Skor chipits were less expensive than chocolate chips) instead of buying a bag/box of cookies. And I made cinnamon buns instead of buying them at the store.
3. Took my kids swimming in the pool in my complex (I already pay maintenance fees for it every month so it's kind of free!).
4. Made homemade playdough for my toddler to work on his fine motor skill building.
5. Repaired a wooden train track for my toddler with a bit of school glue I keep on hand for crafts.
1. My husband and I entered a Pickleball tournament last week for $3/each. For this low price we had cheap exercise which included snacks, Gatorade and water while there. We were also encouraged to take food home afterwards, so free food. I won a $10 Starbucks card, so we made money while having fun.
2. Cooking at home and limiting eating out. Also cooking meals to use up pantry/freezer supplies. No need to buy something different when I can use what I already have.
3. Avoiding food waste. Making a smoothie almost every night helps use up random, less than fresh fruits and veggies.
4. My dress coat is a long black worsted wool coat that I bought at a Speigel Outlet for $20 31 years ago. It still fits, keeps me warm, and looks nice. I too dislike shopping, unless it is a thrift store.
5. I asked my husband to check "inventory" before buying items for a home remodel project he is starting, and also to use the store gift cards he might have. Not sure what he might have found on hand, but I do know he used the gift card.
Happy birthday Lisey 🙂
I have a kathmandu jumper I bought to take on a trip in 2001 & still wear it to work in winter, it has worn really well. If I like a piece of clothing I will wear it til it starts falling apart. I buy very cheap if I can/op shops/sales but will also buy more expensive items that I know I will wear for years.
1. My handbag of 7 years or so is falling apart so I went handbag shopping at the op-shop & got a new looking nine west handbag, a new small camel coloured handbag (it still had the dessicant sachet inside), & a lined navy trench coat that fits me perfectly all for $26.
2. Made all meals/snacks from home
3. I also wasted some food this week darn it but reminding myself how far I've come & it motiviates me to do better.
4. Carpool once/twice a wk - & the company is great makes the drive so enjoyable & pass quickly
5. The weather has turned colder now & I don't have any winter shoes apart from some boots that won't fit under or over some pants, so I have narrowed down my choices to a classic black pair that will go with most things in my wardrobe & be nondescipt enough to wear all often & for years, I go shopping this week.
I have a reader question! Can you talk about food waste and food safety? For example, if you get mold on bread or cheese, what do you cut or toss? Just generally if you have food that starts going off (avocado with mold, etc), what are your rules for what you will and won't salvage. Thank you!
That varies a lot, depending on the food! This website is helpful: http://www.stilltasty.com/ and so is this one: https://www.eatortoss.com/
If something isn't safe, I definitely throw it out. If something is safe but would be a completely disgusting eating experience (an avocado that's brown inside), I get rid of it. So, those are my two basic rules!
Thanks so much!!! <3
Hi Rachel, I think it's best to go with a government/food safety regulator site if you are not sure. If food is mouldy you should definitely throw it out. Mould sends microscopic threads through the food you can't see and is a serious health risk and is not worth the risk.
I'm losing my frugal touch this month. UGH. But some good things did come about. They are:
1) I entered DS2 in a contest from Jersey Mike's subs and got $20 in gift cards from entering him. Savings- $20
2) Needed ink cartridges for the printer. So, Costco refills them for $7 each . We filled 4 of them. Savings- $80
3) My car needs brakes and the dealership wanted an arm and a leg! But, I happen to know a guy...So, I bought the supplies and he will install it all. Savings- $760 !!
4) I sold some stuff on ebay. I hope to keep decluttering and selling items.
5) DS2 is growing his hair out for his senior project at school. He's sewing a Dr. Strange costume and since his hair hasn't been cut in a while, I've saved money. Savings- $60
5)
1). Used our membership to the nature center for a weekend outing
2). Ate leftovers for dinner
3). We were considering moving as many thing in our house are not working for us. We decided to take on some home projects to make our home work for our situation. Much more frugal than moving.
4). My daughter and I stopped at the library to restock our TBR stacks
5). We have $12 left in our grocery budget for the month so we are doing our best to eat out of the pantry/freezer/fridge. I am planning on stopping at ALDI today to pick up some essential produce - bell peppers, bananas, and apples.
Still travelling... No ALDI here in Hot Springs Village, but there is a Food Wise. Some things were expensive, so I simply by-passed those.
1. Sunday morning shortly after 7am is a good time to check the marked-down produce: a bag of two peppers for $1, and two meals of potatoes for $1
2. We have a botanical garden membership that is on a Reciprocal Admission Program -- so hub and I did not pay $15 each to enter Garvan Woodland Gardens -- their tulip gardens were at their peak on Sunday.
3. Got a boneless pork loin roast at just over a $1 a pound - big enough for three meal for us.
4. Did the greeting breakfast yesterday at the resort and we were urged to take some leftover food with us: yogurt, donuts, and an orange.
5. Used up sausage, sauce, some cheese and bread rounds for pizza our last night at the previous resort we stayed at and had pizza for the road to!
1) My husband replaced the three-prong plug on our space heater with a $3 replacement from Lowes. (The ground prong broke off.)
2) Handy husband also fixed a leaky bathroom faucet with a washer we already had. He also replaced a broken fence board with one of the extras we somehow still had from when we put up the fence.
3) I bagged up a trash bag full of clothes after culling our stash of kids' clothes to take to Goodwill. I need just one more stamp to get a 20% off coupon, and I plan to go later this week.
4) Our tax refund checks went directly in savings.
5) Really wasn't feeling making supper last night, but pulled it together anyway and made some quesadillas before my husband and the little ones walked in the door.
I'm a day late, but I'm still commenting!
1.) I took on an extra course this summer, which will add a nice little pad to our emergency fund.
2.) I did a quick grocery run this morning and STUCK TO MY LIST! (Well, I added a loaf of bread for $0.88, so pretty close.)
3.) I made applesauce with a bunch of apples that were getting wrinkly.
4.) I brought my lunch to work today.
5.) I decided to drive instead of fly for a work trip because I get reimbursed mileage and we're trying desperately to make sure ends meet until my summer pay bump kicks in. I'll sacrifice the time in the car and come out ahead by a not insignificant chunk of money (even factoring in car maintenance).