Five Frugal Things
1. We used our free Chick-Fil-A offers.
We have the cow calendar cards (the cow calendar is going away next year!) and I also had a free in-app offer for a chicken sandwich. So that made for a very cheap fast food meal.
2. I got Hello Fresh meals from my brother.
He forgot to cancel his Hello Fresh box this week (he's out of town for work), so he gave the box to me. Sweet!
It'll be interesting to see how Hello Fresh compares to Dinnerly.
3. I bought a FinCon ticket at the lowest price.
A bunch of my blogging friends went this year, but by the time I looked at going, prices had gotten super high for tickets.
The good news is that if you buy a ticket for next year while the current year's FinCon is happening, you can get a really good deal.
So, I bought my ticket for next year. And the really good news is that while this year's conference was in Orlando, next year, it's in Washington DC.
Which is way closer for me than Florida!
4. I wore a ThredUp shirt yesterday.
Remember my Thredup Goody Box?
This shirt from my box was a little bit on the big side, but I kept it anyway.
And I discovered yesterday that I can tie it at the waist, which makes it perfect for wearing with high-waisted jeans.
(The jeans are from TJ Maxx and my sandals are from Nordstrom Rack.)
And yes, I am still wearing white jeans in October because I think rules about wearing white after Labor Day are stupid.
(If you'd like to try ThredUp, my referral link will get you a $10 discount on your first order!)
5. I bought four bottles of saline solution.
The drugstore only had double packs, and they were buy one, get one half off.
Sonia and I both use this for our contact lenses, so I went ahead and bought two packages, which is four bottles.
We're gonna be good on saline solution for a while!
1.) I created a new YNAB category called 'Banana Stand' after seeing a comment about it on the Facebook group. Now I can quote Arrested Development all the time and say, 'There's always money in the banana stand'. Saving money can be fun!
2.) I checked out a book from the library instead of buying it. I try to do this as much as possible, but this time I was willing to buy the book because I need it for my university's diversity reading series. The book was only $1.99 on Kindle, but it was free from the library. Win!
3.) I found Batiste Dry Shampoo on Amazon for less than $4 a can ($22.95 for a 6-pack). I have tried every other dry shampoo out there and have been more than willing to pay around $6 a can for it because it is SO much better than the other ones I've tried. I realize that dry shampoo is a luxury, but I have super oily hair and I really try not to wash it more than 2x a week. Batiste makes it possible. (The price has already gone up to $26.45, but that's still a deal: https://www.amazon.com/Batiste-Shampoo-Clean-Classic-Original/dp/B007JYNGWY/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1539006811&sr=1-4&keywords=batiste+6-pack )
4.) In the same 'yes, it's a luxury, but I can still have it if I'm frugal', I have been drinking store brand diet soda (please don't tell me it's poison. I know it is...). We live in Texas, so I get to shop at the MARVELOUS H-E-B. Their store-brand zero calorie cola is just as good as, if not better than, the new Coke Zero Sugar. It's a fraction of the cost, too, even with super coupons.
5.) In the long run, it's frugal to have my oil changed at Valvoline Instant Oil Change. We are not permitted to do oil changes in our neighborhood, so I have to go somewhere. It costs a bit more than doing the oil change at Walmart, but they have a much better guarantee on their work and I'm about one billion times more likely to get my oil changed if I don't even have to get out of the car to have it done. (And therefore, one billion times less likely to have a nasty incident because I failed to change my oil on time...) Plus, my husband is brand loyal to Valvoline, so he also has peace of mind. (Now let's not talk about the three minor incidents with my car that need to be repaired: two armadillos, a light pole, and a brick retaining wall....face palm.)
Ooh, I'll have to check that out. I have really oily hair too, and I've had some bad dry shampoo experiences.
I got a haircut last week, and my stylist recommended Batiste dry shampoo. I haven't tried it yet, but I did pick it up at Walmart for less than $6.00.
Have you ever tried cornstarch for dry shampoo? I have used it for years, and it’s as cheap as . . .well, as cheap as cornstarch!
If your hair is too dark for cornstarch, you can mix cocoa powder in too. I keep a stash of it pre-mixed in my bathroom. I only use it once every few weeks though, so if you use dry shampoo often you'll probably be more particular. But it works great in a pinch!
So I've always wondered...if you do this, and then you sweat or the weather is hot, does the cocoa smell start to emerge?
Instead of buying dry shampoo, I went to the bulk store and bought a small jars worth of corn starch. I take a pinch (at a time) in between my fingers, rub it in and it works like a charm. No whiteness or smell and it washes out easily when I wash my hair. No issues in the summer either. It only costs a few cents to give it a try.
1. I hung out most of my laundry this weekend, weekends being pretty much when I do all my laundry, since I work outside the home.
2. We have a possible hurricane headed our way, so we are making frugal preparations (not buying a bunch of junk food and disposables) and getting our generator ready. Having a generator vs. losing that enormous amount of meat we bought this spring is a no-brainer. Plus, we're on a well with an electric pump, and call us fussy, but we like having water.
3. Since we have a puppy now, I am training her to let me brush her teeth. The cost of tooth and tartar removal is pretty high, because anesthesia is involved, so this will be a frugal, if interesting, venture. PSA: never use human toothpaste on a dog. Many have erythritol in them, which is very poisonous to a dog.
4. I was offered a free lunch by a restaurant owner on Friday, so I left my lunch from home in the refrigerator at work and I'll eat it today. It is a leftover curry from the freezer, so leftover leftovers.
5. I had a death in my family (my 100 year old aunt!) and it was too far for me to travel to the funeral, so I wrote my cousins sympathy letters on stationary I already own, rather than go out and buy cards. I've had several people thank me for the letters I send after a death-- mine is usually the only actual letter they get.
I hope the hurricane misses you guys!
Kristen, I wore white pants this weekend because if it's 87 degrees after Labor Day, you should be able to wear whatever you want!
1. My sister is doing a craft show in early November. I don't have time to make much but last year, she sold blue canning jars for a nice price. I just picked up a box at a neighbor's garage sale so I'll clean those today and price them. Much easier than crafting!
2. We stopped at a church garage sale this Saturday. For 2.00, I got 2 quart canning jars, a buffalo plaid blanket, a small bag of crochet thread for crafts and a pair of Betula clogs for my daughter. We left and I scanned a still in the box Paw Patrol set they had. I had passed because of the price but when I looked it up. OUCH! Texted my niece and sent my husband back for it. My littlest nephew is going to be thrilled with his Christmas present!
3. Our hard water is tough on coffee makers. This one has lasted two years but is going downhill fast. At our grocery stop after church yesterday, they had the same Mr. Coffee for 17.99. We purchased it and I checked the receipt. Apparently, I clipped a coupon for 15% off housewares.
4. Our church's senior citizens are going to an aquarium with brunch out. They asked my husband to drive one of the vans and just called to see if I wanted to go also. Lovely and free since he's driving!
5. Our performing arts organization has a limited number of 10.00 seats for most performances. We saw School of Rock Saturday night. The organization also offers 2 free tickets to some fall musical events. We're seeing a Philharmonic performance next week. Cheap/free entertainment is the best!
EXACTLY. If it feels like summer, then the white pants are comin' out!
I'm super excited about FinCon next year since we live in DC. It will save me lots of money on traveling and accommodation hehe. I will try to get a scholarship for the ticket to make it a uber frugal conference experience 😀
That ThredUp shirt is really cute!
1. I found a fantastic deal on frozen green beans at Costco, and now I have green beans for quite a while, which makes me ridiculously happy.
2. I've been in a cooking slump, but I still managed to throw together some really good meals last week, like taco lentil soup with corn muffins and an awesome vegetable curry over rice, all made with stuff from my pantry. And I made a delicious apple crisp, which is always a win.
3. Five dollar pizza from Aldi. While not the cheapest meal possible, I was in some pain on grocery shopping day and knew I wasn't going to want to make dinner, so I grabbed one of those, which saved us from having to go out, so it was definitely a cheaper option.
4. Another patient at physical therapy brought in samosas (the delicious Indian pocket pastry; this one had peas and potatoes and all sorts of spices), and my physical therapist gave me one, and it was AMAZING. I'm all about the free food.
5. Yoga on youtube. My spine doctor suggested I do yoga, because I'm, uh, the least flexible person ever, and so I've been getting a decent stretch in with some yoga videos on youtube. I'm super jealous of how bendy the instructor is...
1. We ditched our Costco membership since we moved to Michigan a few years ago because the closest one is 45 minutes away. BUT! I have a friend who has offered to pick stuff up for me if I want. Contact solution and baby wipes are on their way!
2. Have you seen the awesome fall-scented 3-wick candles Aldi has for $3.99 right now?! This one was hard to have self-control on. Some will stay in my house, some will be gifts.
3. It's in the upper 80's today, so I'm going to fill up the kiddie pool after naptime for some free fun for the kids at home!
4. We were going to buy pumpkins at Aldi because they were on sale for $2.39, but went past an Amish farm and got 3 for $5 instead.
5. We haven't used our A/C in a while and haven't turned our heat on yet. Some days our house is a little chilly, some days it's a little warm. I sure did have a happy husband when our last electric bill came, though!
I wore white pants last week to work b/c it was in the 80's and I declared it still August like!
*Lots of leftovers eaten for fast suppers lately.
*I was in Walgreens and noticed that they had clearanced out their brand of dishwasher pellets that are similar to Finish Brand... I bought all of them! They are working great! That saved me a TON of money!
*I returned a bunch of stuff to Old Navy and Target that did not work/fit on my day off... in the rain... ugh
*I got called in to sub at my kids high school( on my day off from my regular day job!) so I got paid for 7 hours to sit and read my kindle, internet, emails etc.... Yes.. I did 7 study halls.. and a half an hour answer phones in the office... SO MUCH Boredom! lolol
*checked out the stores clearance shelf when I was picking up a prescription. Scored some Nature Valley bars marked down to 1.75 a box since the boxes are damaged.... when they rung up they rand up .99 less than the tag! I also have a Saving Star kickback for a dollar coming!!! YEAH for frugal snacks!
Oh, that's so exciting about FinCon! I was unable to go this year, which was a bummer. Hopefully I can go next year; maybe I'll see ya there!
This week:
1. I started a batch of homemade peach wine. It's made with peaches I bought when they were .68/pound--the lowest they go in our area. It takes about two months to make the wine, but it's well worth the wait. I haven't had to buy wine in ages.
2. I made more homemade laundry soap this weekend. I used Castile soap that my sister made, so my only cost was for the washing soda and Borax.
3. I reorganized my office. I've been wanting a change but didn't want to spend a huge gob of money on new furniture. Sometimes all you need is to rearrange a space to make it feel new again.
4. I ate my homemade yogurt for breakfast today, topped with my homemade granola. Yum!
5. Hubs has a coupon for a free treat at McDonald's. I might persuade him to go tonight for a fun, free date. 🙂
1. After a bread making slump, I made sandwich bread for this week. Or the next 3 days, depending on how much it's liked.
2. Didn't buy all the cute fall clothes for my boys when I was out shopping; instead I chose to take note of what I like and go home and inventory what we have in our bins before asking for or purchasing anything, and tomorrow I will check the thrift store for some essentials we need sooner rather than later.
3. Traded date nights with some friends: all it cost was a few hours of babysitting that is usually pretty relaxing since I'm not at my house seeing all the things I need to do at some point.
4. Bunched errands together and got all the kids their flu shots at the same time. Saved us all time, and now my kids (including my medically fragile son) are pretty well protected for winter. #getyourflushottoday
5. Frugal FAIL: Bought nonrefundable tickets for Christmas (refundable were almost 2x as expensive) after researching for a few days. A few hours after purchasing them found out that the airline I'm using has a sale running during the period I'm flying, but not on the exact day I'm flying. Had I left a day earlier, I could've saved $100-$200 dollars. Oops.
We are expecting another child, so we wanted to get in one more vacation with our son before she arrives. So, we left Saturday and came back today.
1. We took the trolley or walked everywhere we needed to go while on vacation
2. Went to a fossil park that was offering free admission
3. Brought breakfast, coffee, and lunch with us so we didn't eat out for those meals or get coffee out
4. Pool at the hotel was closed, which we were not notified of in advance. Made mention of it at check out, which resulted in a $50 credit and a stuffed animal for our son from the gift shop
5. Went hiking at a free park to see The Eternal Flame
Free food tastes best! Free food you don't have to cook and clean up after tastes bestest!
1. Attacking all the food in the pantry and freezer this week. So far, have eaten frozen pizza, 2 person Bertolli skillet pasta that was meh but was very cheap a couple years ago, some older eggs (one had to be tossed) in omelette, free ice cream sandwiches, and keeping up with the fresh produce to avoid waste -- tho I fear for the cilantro 🙁
2. Daughter treated us to dinner at Italian restaurant Friday night -- a nice surprise!
3. Reading library books, watching Netflix or Amazon Prime, and using Movie pass (a gift) for free or already purchased entertainment.
4. Using our clip do-hickeys, husband reattached the wire pantry shelf that fell off the wall. Sadly, a few cans were scarily dented near the seal so we tossed. Miraculously, no glass jars broke! Most of the food was saved. Cost nothing to fix and forced me to rearrange the pantry for better use of staples.
5. Co workers talking about meatloaf. Really want meat loaf! But, no fixin's in the frig so tonight will be: frozen boneless chicken breast (discounted) cooked in discounted tikka masala sauce, using some cream I bought for the classroom coffee, and served over vintage shelf-stable packet of wild rice from TJ's -- really not sure if it is still stable?? So plan B will be served over discounted quinoa. Only picking up more fresh veggies and fruit this week.
6. Oh, can use lots of cilantro on the tikka masala 🙂
On the cilantro, I chop and freeze. Then I use in taco meat or casserole during the winter
Oh thanks -- that is a great idea!
1. I went to a bridal shower yesterday. The gift was originally $49.99. I used a $10 off $30 purchase. I used a $25 GC from Swagbucks. I paid $18 with tax. They had a free gift wrapping station so I did it. I used a card I got last year at a garage sale in a box of 50 for $1. I paid a great price and the bride to be got something she wanted.
2. I made a huge pot of chili. I used 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound of ground pork that I got on sale. I used tomatoes and hot peppers from my garden. I added twice as many beans as the recipe calls for. Served it on rice. I froze 3 large containers for future meals. It made 16 servings. Each one came to about 40¢ each.
3. Sold an item I got for free on eBay for $20. Sent it in a box that I had received another item in.
4. Went to work and wore my free work shirt and black jeans that I got on clearance for $4.
5. Cooked chicken cutlets that I got on sale, made a chickpea salad and had leftover zucchini pie for dinner. There is enough leftovers for us to all take lunch tomorrow.
Love your blog! And the white pants and shirt combo looks lovely!
1. I purchased a Jodi Picoult novel, a lovely thick cotton picnic rug and a beautiful ceramic squirrel night light from my local op-shop for the sum of $11.
2. I slow cooked a lamb roast in the crock pot with French onion soup, mint sauce and we had it with roast vegetables last night and the leftovers will make sloppy joes. The meat was on special and cooked this way makes it stretch further!
3. I cleaned the vents of our air-conditioning unit myself instead of getting it serviced. I washed the filters in the dishwasher and they came out like NEW!
4. I purchased fractioned coconut oil on Ebay for a fraction of the shop price here.
5. I found an cheaper alternative for the insect repellant we use in summer, here in Australia we have indoor sprays that keep the multitude of bugs and flies at bay.
1. I cleaned out my closet and found a bunch of long sleeve shirts I must have bought at the end of last year. I washed them off and saved myself a shopping trip.
2. I slow cooked a batch of Turkey Chili that lasted me most of the week. I added some more veggies to this batch to make it a bit healthier and stretch out the recipe a bit more.
3. I wanted to go to the movies but looked on the theater's website first and found out the tickets are cheaper on Tuesdays. I don't go out often so I'm glad I was able to save a bit when I did.
4. I bought a head of lettuce the week before, cleaned it and chopped it up before sealing it in a pyrex bowl. During my meals for both weekends I added a bunch of lettuce to some premixed bags of salad. This filled us up a lot more so that we didn't have to cook a bunch of different side dishes.
5. I renewed some books from the library and picked up some holds I had made.
Corinne- That was great about the credit and stuffed animal just from informing the desk about the pool issue. Score!
My fabulously frugal things for the week-
1) My job gives me 10% off my purchases of store products. Even sale prices. Love that.
2) I still have $150 to spend at the eye doctor by the end of the year. That will get me the exam and some contacts. I only wear one contact, however. So, the boxes last a really long time...… I have a appt this week.
3) The electric blanket is on and I won't have to invest in heavy nightwear. And my nightwear consists of fleece, wool and sweats. Worn all at once, of course...I'm super cold and it just doesn't get any better! ugh
4) Sold stuff on ebay. I love decluttering.....
5) I'm still using my winter tires that have been on my car for 3 years. I don't drive much anymore. I used to get new tires every 18 mths and had a set of winter and summer ones. Not anymore.
1). My husband wanted to smoke a. pork shoulder last weekend to make pulled pork. We decided to smoke 4 at once to freeze for easy dinners over the winter. This will help on busy nights and also used less wood pellets overall than if he had smoked 4 individually.
2). Used a coupon at Joann Fabrics to get 40% off a birthday present for my daughter’s friend.
3). Enjoyed a frugal day off with my kids on Columbus Day, we watched A Wrinke in Time on Netflix and then took our dog hiking.
4). Usually I go grocery shopping on Sundays, we had already purchased extra food the previous week since we had houseguests over the weekend, so I have not gone yet.
5). Ordered my son a new winter coat from Lands End during their last sale. I also use ebates.
Five frugal things:
1. Asked bank to waive over-draft fee on checking account. They did so! Big thanks Frugal Girl for today's post about asking politely for services.
2. I went to a baby shower over the weekend. And while I did buy a new dress for the event, I shopped my closet for shoes, hand-bag, wrap, and undergarments. I also plan to wear the dress again for an upcoming event (next event is friend-related, so hopefully no will notice the repeat outfit 🙂
3. I did my own hair, make-up, and nails for above mentioned baby-shower, with no purchase of products.
4. Redeemed cash-back rewards for a credit card.
5. Frugal fail: Incurred interest on above mentioned credit card for month of September. The cash back rewards balance out the additional finance charges. I usually pay my credit card in full each month, but September was a quirky month where we paid mortgage twice in one month. Already back on track for October.
Yay! An overdraft fee is nothing to sneeze at.
Silly style rules! Those never made sense to me!
1. Going for a walk this afternoon with a friend, a free way to spend some time together.
2. Earned a few swagbucks today.
3. Dropped off stuff at the consignment store.
4. Bought rolls and croissants from the day-old clearance shelf.
5. Bought mostly off brand items.
Right? Why in the world are white pants only ok on certain dates??
I could certainly come up with 5 very non frugal things that include house fixes and dental bills but on the savings front...
Our back door lock broke & after several trips to hardware stores no part could be found. It is the guts that need replaced the handle is fine. I called the company who installed the slider looking for parts and they will fix the handle for free dollars. Yes bring it on.
We needed to replace the water softener and found one online with good reviews and had a friend install it, saved us $1300.
We also had a company test our water for free with a coupon. Last time we had to pay $50 for arsenic testing. None found so we are good.
Went to a wedding and they were throwing away the pig, yep just not right. They offered for anyone wanting to take the meat so several of us picked that fella apart. I do not like an animal having to give its life and not be completely used up. Several of us had the same sentiments. I had enough to freeze for 3 meals.