Five Frugal Things | a $90 ticket for $10
1. I went to the local symphony
My schedule has been rather non-symphony-friendly of late (!!), so on Saturday, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go.
A $90 ticket for $10? SIGN ME UP.
I wore my red secondhand dress again, although I did not take a proper picture so this one from before will have to do.
2. I listed three things on eBay
I listed my garage door opener remote from my Goodwill bins trip with Katy! Plus, I listed two books that I'd recently read.
I know these things probably will not sell quickly, but that's no big deal. I list them, put them away on my shelf, and happily forget about them until a "You've made a sale!" email hits my inbox.
I don't mind being patient until the right person comes along; I mainly sell on eBay so that my extra stuff gets into the hands of someone who wants it.
Someone recently emailed to ask for eBay selling tips, and while I'm not an expert, I'm happy to share what I do.
Here's how to sell books on eBay.
And here are nine tips for selling on eBay.
3. I used my bread cubes to make croutons
Last week I told you I'd cubed and frozen my bread ends for future crouton use.
Well, I made some butternut squash soup this week, and I do love some croutons on top of that. So, I thawed my cubes and made my croutons.
I do have a crouton recipe here, but when I am feeling un-fussy, I just saute the bread cubes with some butter in a skillet, then put them on a pan in the toaster oven and bake them until they're nice and crispy.
With that method, I honestly just eyeball the amount of butter; just enough to coat the cubes sufficiently.
4. I'm searching for a secondhand toaster oven
(This is an in-progress frugality.)
My Buy Nothing group toaster oven bit the dust; it won't turn on, and a Google search seems to indicate that it could be an electrical panel problem.
That is outside my scope of interest (I'm not motivated to learn how to work on electrical panels!) so I decided to call it a day with that toaster oven, and so far I've poked around on Facebook Marketplace and also put a call out on my Buy Nothing group.
I also plan to hit up a local Goodwill because I'm fairly sure they tend to have toaster ovens on the regular.
Honestly, buying a new toaster oven feels like it would be almost as much headache as sourcing one for free because if I bought a new one, I'd want to do some good research to find out what makes and models are decent.
But when I'm getting one for free or I'm getting a used one, I'm less pressed about it; I'll take whatever comes my way. 😉
5. I...
- moved some extra money into my CIT savings account, where it will earn way more interest
- prepped overnight oats for my work breakfasts this week
- made a dinner plan so we will be fed after work
- didn't buy a car yet because I have been too busy (!!)
I've never owned a toaster oven!
1. I worked some hours in the evening so will get time and a half pay.
2. I went to a class included in my gym membership and went to the gym another day to use the machines.
3. I went running and swimming outside which cost nothing (the place I went was in walking distance).
4. I made lunch for work every day (this is probably negated by getting takeout but I'm focusing on the positive here!).
5. I borrowed books from the library.
@Sophie in Denmark, this is definitely the place to focus on the positive.
@Sophie in Denmark, I never owned a toaster oven until this past year. I moved into a house and bought a new stove that lets out a ton of heat. It's almost impossible to use in the summer. That led me to a toaster oven. It wouldn't have worked out when I had kiddos at home, but for DH and I...it's great.
@Marlena, I can see how it's useful! I also grew without a microwave. I don't currently own one, but there was one in the last place I lived and I barely used it! It was great for reheating things though.
@Sophie in Denmark,
Count taking your lunch to work every day as a win! At least you didn't buy lunch AND get take out. 🙂
@Liz B., That's the way I'm looking at it! 🙂
@Sophie in Denmark, enjoy the takeout. i suck at cooking believe me i have tried. luckily my 14 yr old son is a real pro. so is his dad. that gene skipped me for sure.
just on my block there is japanese food and 3 pizzarias. i don't know how they all survive.
@Marlena, In the deserts of Arizona many of us will take toaster ovens, slow cookers, air fryers, etc outside to use. It is not unusual for a family to have an outdoor kitchen, or just a second stove.
The sun is shining again today, so I we will not put on the heater until tonight. And I am running a load of laundry on free electricity. Let's see if I can also dry that load outside today!
Last weekend I used a glut of fallen apples to make applesauce. I canned some, and as the apples were organic I rinsed them them before peeling and kept the cores and peel to make apple juice. Like vegetable broth you can only do this when your produce has not been sprayed with anything. I keep the apple juice in clean jars in the fridge and dilute the juice with hot water and have a nice "apple tea". It feels good to use all parts of the produce before discarding the waste (I have no animals that I can feed - we live an urban life).
I've decided I want to declutter more bookshelves so I can put my craft supplies on the shelves, and listed and sold a series of children's books (with permission of our grown kids ). I am using our local library more intensively now than a few years back and only buy what I cannot borrow. I also bought a set of Spanish novels second hand, as our local library hardly stocks books in Spanish. I think that will be nice study/entertainment on top of my Duolingo. Actually one of the novels was one of the children's books I sold - in Spanish!
@JNL, I've never tried making apple juice from the cores and skins, but I do use them to make apple vinegar. It's not acidic enough for canning or anything, but it's good for cooking with.
@JNL, I made an apple crumble with some apples from a neighbour's tree the other day (they were in a basket for people to take). I should try making applesauce sometime!
@JNL, I’m beginning to think we may make it to November without turning on the heat. We usually turn it on in late October, in the morning only.
@JNL, How do you make your apple juice? Boil it like broth? I make apple vinegar with scraps but I am interested in the juice, especially the tea version. Thank you.
@Joyce,
Put the apple peel and core in a pan, covered with water, brought to the boil and cooked for 15 mins. Then tool from the heater and left to unfuse for a night. In the morning, put the contents of the pan through a sieve. A little patience yields more juice.
Afterwards, two options: use as is, within a few days, or heat up the apple juice with some water, pour in clean jars and cool upside down till vacuum.
I just do a splash of juice in hot water by way of apple tea, as the taste is pretty concentrated.
I should look into the apple vinegar mentioned here and there!
I wish you well on your toaster oven quest! Our Goodwills usually have at least one on the shelf, so hopefully you'll have a short search.
--I'm using leftover wood to make curing shelves for squash. The wood was free to start with, having been stored in the shed rafters by the previous homeowner, so I'll only be out the cost of brackets.
--While I had the house paint colors out for another project, I went around and touched up kitty scratches and dings on the walls and doorways.
--My pie pumpkins are finally ready to turn into puree! I just slice them up and roast them in the crockpot for four hours, then freeze the results. (I promise I can cook outside a crockpot, it's just so handy!)
--Thanks to several "last day" sales and clearance items, I came in $50 under budget on my last grocery stock up trip.
--I had the joy of meeting with two dear friends last Friday. Owing to a crazy year on everyone's part, we hadn't seen each other in person since March and April. I had budgeted csrefully for both outings, but one friend insisted on using his employee discount to cover my coffee, which evened out what I spent on lunch with my other friend later in the day. Their long hugs coming and going were priceless.
@N,
So, squash needs to be cured? I've never heard of this. Does it help make the squash last longer?
@Liz B., Winter squash (pumpkins, butternut, etc.) need to age to where a fingernail won't break the skin, or "leather hard"; this allows them to be shelf stable for weeks and months on end. For this, they need a cool area and good air circulation. Our enclosed back porch is perfect, save for lacking a spot to plop them!
@N,
Thank you! I didn't know this.
--While on a bike ride I noticed somebody had tossed out what seemed to be a nice looking insulated lunchbox on their recycling bin. On the way back home it was still there so I took a look--perfect condition, clean, and its only "fault" seems to be it was a promotional item for a prescription drug. I don't mind that, so home it came with me. I'll use it when I have all-day classes in November. It fits my food containers perfectly!
--DH was pondering having to order or buy a replacement part for a hot tub system; after some hunting he couldn't find one locally and then decided to tinker and see if he actually needed that part--the answer was no! It was an extra part and the system actually works better without it.
--I managed 40 miles on my bike last week, including commuting to school and shopping. On chilly days I wore both my "road-kill find" sweatshirts. The running shirt that no longer reeks of detergent blocks the cold like a dream.
--Kroger had a "grand re-opening" of our local store, after remodeling and reorganizing. We got a coupon in the mail for 10% off an order up to $180, and a free 24-pack of water. Using that, and finding the best in-store deals, and Kroger rewards points, we saved $90 at the store, a personal best.
--Scanned all our grocery receipts into Fetch.
@Karen A., maybe spray paint or some sort of decal will cover the ad on your new lunchbox.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, OR a (cute) sticker
@Karen A.,
My local Kroger has been sending me coupons for $12 off a grocery order for $120 or more. I generally do a "big shop" every few weeks, so these coupons are coming in very handy.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, That's a good idea! I might look into that. The logo doesn't particularly bother me (it's not on the top, just on one side), and DH pointed out that since I'm studying healthcare it's very "on brand" for me. Ha. The box itself is a nice dark blue.
-Our vacation plans have all been up-ended due to sickness and the contractor not coming when he was supposed to for our kitchen renovation. So we've decided on a stay-cation. We are tackling at least part of our basement mess in the mornings, and then doing something fun in the afternoon. That's the plan. We will be flexible.
-Cleaning out the basement is frugal. We're finding things. Getting rid of things (donating, giving to friends, etc.); that's frugal for others, I guess. Making our life easier.
-Earlier in the week, we went to Virginia Beach because my husband had a conference for work. We reserved something on AirBnB (It bothers me that I don't know how to capitalize that.). When we got there late, it had not been cleaned all the way. Trash still there. Cleaning stuff on the counter. Beds not made. Towels not out. Piles of laundry. As I walked around and inspected, I was worried that I would find the cleaning person dead in action. But that wasn't the case. My husband called the owner, the cleaner was there inside of 10 minutes. For an almost an hour of waiting in our van for the cleaner to finish, we were rewarded with a waived cleaning fee and one of our 3 nights free.
-We bought groceries on vacation--- except when my father treated us to dinner out.
-We gave our son a thrifted gift for his birthday.
@Jody S., “AirBnB” looks correctly capitalized to me. 🙂
I bet the owner was terrified of a bad review, so by being patient, you scored. And how scary to walk around wondering if you would encounter a body on the floor!
1. My local Container Store is closing, with 30% off everything, so I walked the aisles for useful things and resisted buying cool things I didn't need.
2. Almost finished eating down the freezer.
3. Last week I took an earlier train home, which happened to be less expensive than the original. For some reason it was cheaper to buy it in person at the station than to make the change online.
4. I took my father's torn shirt for the "give us fabric, get a discount" deal at a clothing store I like. Much better than throwing it out.
5. My father asked me to take a number of things home for my niece, who lives in my town. It didn't fit in my bag so he gave me a rolling carry-on bag, saying he doesn't use it. This saves me from having to replace the one that's gone AWOL. (That one -must- be in the house but damned if I can find it.)
6. A nice soup made of Frugal Fails: a poorly-judged veg soup made of leftovers that's been sitting in my freezer since May; chicken rescued from a stir-fry, rinsed off and minced, also from the freezer; and canned chix noodle soup on sale. Individually each would be a bit of a drag to eat, together they're good.
@WilliamB, We are currently looking for a coat that's AWOL. It's the size my youngest son needs, it's in a tote (in the basement or shed?) somewhere because I don't throw out good coats that kids will grow into, but we've looked everywhere I can't think to! It's so frustrating!
@WilliamB,
Surprise soup is one of my favorite ways to use leftovers. Every once and awhile, I'll make an especially good pot, but I can never recreate it.
@WilliamB, your #1 sums up much of frugal living—resisting things we don’t need.
I sure wish I had a “give us fabric, get a discount” situation somewhere around here. Do you know what they do with the fabric?
@WilliamB, Oh Good I'm not alone in the AWOL/MIA items.
I just found my lost debit card (already canceled) from 6 weeks ago.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I don't and I'm curious, because they take rags as well as clothing.
Everyone: I can see losing a small thing such as a debit card and misplacing a coat, but a rolling bag?!? Sheesh.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Like the Container Store where you can buy things for your ... things! Stuff for your ... stuff! Containers for your ... containers!
@WilliamB,
I once lost my drivers license. Had to pay to replace it, and had a temporary (paper) license until my laminated card arrived in the mail. My "lost" license turned up eventually.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, just a thought, but do you have clothes that you don't care for or are not in good shape to give away. take them apart and use the fabric for something you think you could do.
@WilliamB, good for you on resisting the sale at tcs. i gotta keep myself out of that place. it has such cool stuff.
@JDinNM, well according to George Carlin, when it belongs to you, it is "stuff". When it belongs to someone else, it is a "word-Kristen-won't-allow-on-her-blog". It is one of my favorites from him. I do so miss him.
A mix of things from me.
1. Repaired my duvet cover. It's getting really threadbare and had two splits that aren't on seams, but a quick hand-stitch and it survived the wash. If it lasts a few more months until sale season, I'll be pleased.
2. Realized I'm not being paid properly for my evening clinic--there's a stipend I should be getting. Still waiting on our professional org to confirm so I have it in writing before submitting my claim.
3. Have packed a lunch every day. I'm not perfect and still sometimes buy a snack, but that's way cheaper than a whole meal.
4. I'm taking transit to and from work, and in between work sites. Time consuming, but inexpensive.
5. Mr. B got a Tim Hortons card at work, and gave it to me because he doesn't like their coffee. I get a bagel there sometimes, so I'm happy to use it.
@Meira Bear, #2 reminds me that we have to pay attention to EVERYTHING money related: are we being overbilled? underpaid? Did people get those invoices? Did they even sign their checks? On and on and on. . .
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I would add to your list, above:
>>Review your invoices/bills/statements for food items((Instacart, Fresh Direct, Amazon Fresh, etc.) that are delivered
>>Review your receipt/statement for any restaurant deliveries and/or pickups
>>If you are not able to monitor items rung up instore when food (or other) shopping, try to check before you leave the store. Will save you time and money to identify an issue while you are still at the store.
>>Monitor your credit cards at least twice a week or more if it regularly used. (And check that total bill matches when charges are broken up. Looking at you Amazon Fresh, who instead of total including tip, breaks it out by when you ordered. If you added to an order, you end up with multiple charges. Tips are always charged separately. ANNOYING!)
>>I am not a fan of auto charging but unfortunately many products and services can only be paid this way.
I have created both a monthly and annual matrix that lists (by category and renewal/payment date) both my business and personal subscriptions, etc.
This is especially important if you have decided NOT to renew a subscription.
>>Additionally, ALWAYS review your credit card and bank statements the minute they are available.
>>If you keep a pantry, do a monthly check to see what is expiring the next month or two so you can plan to use those items up.
If you have the time and inclination: Create a digital or manual pantry list by category, and add expiration dates. (I've been doing by hand and, yes, it is tedious. But waste is too costly. IF ANYONE KNOWS OF SOFTWARE that does this, please share.) It allows me to either use it up, donate or share it so that it doesn't go bad.
I've been eating a lot less lately and I needed to seriously revise my weekly food shop. I've narrowed it down to two fresh veg a week (lasting 4 days each) and one to two lettuce plus arugula, one box of tomatoes and some hard boiled eggs and some avocadoes for salad. Proteins are either very simple and ready to go (Rotisserie chicken, TJ grilled chicken strips, some fresh salmon and tins of tuna, chicken.) Fruit options vary by price. So one meal is protein and veg and one meal is protein and salad. It's helped to cut down on waste for this one-person household.
Every now and then there is a "big" cook and portions will be frozen.
The other thing is getting real about what you want to eat and what you will eat. And what you will cook. I've stopped buying pasta sauce and end up using bits of tomatoes that are either left over or pretty tasteless on their own and mixing with some canned tomato sauce, tomato paste and sometimes with diced tomatoes in can. I found a brand that includes garlic, oregano and basil as seasonings in the sauce, paste and tomatoes. It's much tastier, and healthier (low or no sodium) and a better use of products. Plus, also good cost wise given that I can never get through a 15 ounce jar of pasta without having to freeze it. (I sometimes use frozen basil or garlic cubes from freezer.)
I am cooking from scratch a lot less for multiple reasons and getting real about how you eat versus how you think you eat (or should) is the key to avoiding waste upfront or at the other end.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, it is exhausting! I also have to remind myself to submit all the things my insurance wouldn't cover to my husband's insurance--hopefully I'll be proudly reporting that I did it next FFT, but who knows? It's hard to make time for these things, and yet it costs if we don't!
@Meira Bear, good for you in having your ducks in a row for number 2.
@Irena, do you find tuna/chicken in tins taste like the can? We have and buy in the pouch these days. We'll mix a pouch of flavored tuna (a lot of choices but not all are to our taste) and a pouch of plain. Enough for three sandwiches for us. It is a compromise - I'm not fond of the way better half does at home tuna salad and better half is not fond of the way I (read: my mom) made it.
Mayo is on the base of my food pyramid but not on better half's. So either we make small batches of potato salad at home when we have home grown potatoes OR buy 3/4 pound at the deli and add a couple of our potatoes, another hard boiled egg, and some onion.
Searched for a toaster oven forever and found a Breville brand at my local GW for 12.99! This model sells for over $300. Score! Good luck finding one.
@Joyce, That is such a great deal! I bought a Breville new and, yeah, it was expensive but I’ve had it forever and I hardly ever use my big oven. It’s a great toaster oven!
@Joyce, lucky you! Breville is the clear winner in the countertop oven category.
@WilliamB, we splurged on a Breville toaster oven a couple years ago and have no regrets, other than wishing we had purchased it much earlier.
1. I also listed a book that I read recently on eBay. It sold the next day (yesterday). I packed it in a previously used Amazon envelope. It will go out with today's mail.
2. I used my 5% birthday discount to buy a 2026 calendar at Target. I can't believe that I'm starting to plan into the next year. Where did 2025 go?
3. We went to the zoo with family on Sunday. We bought a membership instead of regular admission. The difference was only a few dollars, and we now have unlimited admission for a year. My grandchildren love the zoo, so this is a great investment. Sadly, I also received my first senior citizen's discount. 🙁 When did I get old?
4. I attended book club. Always a cost-free activity. Always wonderful conversation. Friends and books. Two wonderful frugal things.
5. The usual things - brewed my own coffee, drank primarily filtered water, ate at home, grouped errands, and utilized library resources.
Wishing all peace, good health, and prosperity.
@Bee, That reminds me of how my parents had a season ticket to the zoo when I was a kid. We went to the zoo a LOT!
@Bee, Take advantage of those Senior discounts, they are few & far between. I always ask what Senior discount age is because many are now 55. Any discount is better than none. 🙂
@Bee, After he turned 55 this year, DH was delighted to learn that Kroger was bringing back the senior citizen discounts at the beginning of each month, and you better believe he gets down to the store on that day! 😉
Kristen,
If you haven't found a toaster oven before then, wait until college gets out for Christmas break. Then hit Goodwill and/or other local thrift shops (aka "charity shops" in other countries).
Some students will be graduating and moving away, and chances are very good that they'll donate some small appliances and other items from their apartments/student housing. They don't want to lug this stuff back to their hometowns. (And often, they can't fit everything back into their compact cars.)
Living in a college town, I do a lot of my household shopping/thrifting at the end of every semester (only if I need some things) -- and I'm usually richly rewarded.
One of my former coworkers said she goes trash picking at this time, and she's never bought a bicycle or a Christmas tree. Ever! The college kids leave good stuff at the curb or around the Dumpster.
Im doing a thankful Tuesday… as we are in Chicago on a short vacation right now. Our parents are watching the dogs for us. They came over yesterday morning to our carbon monoxide alarm going off. They got the dogs outside. Turned off our furnace. Alerted me… and we were able to get someone out last minute (and on a holiday. I know…).
Turns out it was the heat exchanger and the inducer. Nothing frugal about $2k in parts and $1k in labor when you’re on vacation. But the whole thing doesn’t need replaced. And the dogs are alive.
I just stuck new batteries in there and tested it the week prior. Because for some reason it had leapt off the wall.
Feeling incredibly lucky and grateful rn.
@Reese, so glad everyone was ok!
@Reese, We had the same issue with our furnace; the heat exchanger was cracked in at least three places. The only reason we caught it was we were having the system serviced for the winter...and later we realized that one of our sons had been having headaches off and on, and our carbon monoxide tester was in the wrong place to detect the outcoming air from the furnace! So scary.
1. My kids, husband, and I got our COVID and flu shots for free at our local pharmacy.
2. I bought 3 packs of chicken breast and 4 packs of ribs for 50% off at Aldi. I also got 3 packs of pancakes at Aldi for $2 each and 5 boxes of waffles for $1 each.
3. I dehydrated some tomatoes from our garden and some cherry tomatoes we got from the public market.
4. I went through my kid's winter clothes since the weather is changing. I listed the clothes that were too small for them on Buy Nothing. I was able to fill their closets with new-to-them winter clothes I had previously picked up off Buy Nothing and had been storing.
5. Used basil and oregano from our garden to make pizza sauce for home made pizzas.
@Corrine,
My local Aldi NEVER has markdowns like that! Massive score!
1. Completed September financials. Spent $325 on groceries. That’s a record low.
2. Made five more pints of homemade applesauce.
3. Lost our power for a few hours so that motivated us to do outdoor projects. I was in the middle of a shower when the power went out so I had a shorter frugal shower as the water got colder and colder.
4. Attended the annual Friends of the Library meeting and enjoyed free refreshments, enough for dinner.
5. Hired a new window cleaner and was very happy with his services (cleaned inside and outside all windows, including screens). He charged us $100, which was too low, so we gave him a $50 tip. We spent considerably more last year for someone else.
@MB in MN, your #3 reminds me of a ridiculous conversation over the weekend with a cabin neighbor. His BIL insists that if you turn the water heater to the hottest setting that people will take shorter showers. We laughed ourselves silly over this!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, that is funny! We're all ignorant in some way.
@MB in MN, Since we live so close to each other I'd love to know who you hired to clean your windows! If you don't feel comfortable sharing, I totally understand!
@Geneva, I'm happy to share! His name is Mark at MDS (Magically Disappearing Streaks) at 651-492-8703. He told us he charges less in the fall as there's not as much demand as in the spring/summer.
@MB in MN, #5 - he is seriously under charging if more than 5 windows. I have 26 windows (4 on second floor), door that is 1/3 glass and a patio door. We also tip. Local company, around since 1924 which does give a senior discount which we so far have opted not to ask. The only company I found that could power wash (detached structure) as we don't have city water.
I hope you had fun at the symphony!
I’ve not been especially frugal lately because I’ve been home on sick leave. I’m waiting on official clearance paperwork to go back, but it means I feel better but now have too much time on my hands, so I end up shopping more. I definitely save money when I’m too busy working to go into the stores very often.
I find toaster ovens at Goodwill now and then, but I confess, I got mine from Amazon's Warehouse, for a pretty good price. It cooks well, but the controls are odd - the screen display shows function at top, then below that, time, then below that, temperature. The knobs are function on top, below that, temperature, below that, time. Sigh.
Anyway, here's my FFT:
1. First – I paid off my last debt! Finally, I’m debt-free again!
2. Less exciting activities included cooking the Seminole pumpkin given to me by a co-worker. It was cute, but I needed to cook it before it started going soft. Except for the energy required to cook it, it is free food and none is wasted.
3. I made pulled pork in the pressure cooker, taking less time and electricity and creating less heat in the house.
4. I have the a/c turned off and have had it off since this past Friday.
5. I made a small repair with a drill bit and screws I already had. I hung dry all of my laundry; I washed clothes using homemade laundry soap. I used a digital dollar from Amazon to get a discount on a movie rental at home. I stirred up another batch of flaming hot safflower seed for the birds, using vegetable oil and some hot pepper from an ethnic store, instead of paying for the pricey premixed so-so spicy oil that doesn’t deter any of the squirrels in my yard.
@JD, I never heard of a Seminole pumpkin, so I looked it up online. I don't know how I could be a Floridian and not know what this was. Thank you for teaching me something about my home state.I will look for these at the local farmers market.
@JD, DEBT FREE!!! Congratulations!!
Did your homemade laundry soap actually work? I’ve read and heard so often that it is a disaster.
@Bee,
DH and I actually grew some a couple of times but planted too late both times, and all of the still-green pumpkins got caught by a freeze. Then I planted in spring, and got nothing but male flowers, I still don't know why. But the vines are easy to grow, or were for us. I enjoy the pumpkins' flavor.
DH was a native, too, and he'd also not heard of them before a few years ago.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I've been making my own laundry soap for years, and it works for ME, but not for some others I know who have tried it. DH's home caregiver said her mother used it very successfully with her own laundry. It seems it either works well or doesn't work at all, and I have no idea what the difference could be. It surely can't be the machine - I've used it in top-loaders, front loaders, HE machines and non-HE.
The homemade powder version has worked for me in NC, VA and OH in all sorts of machines. But when we lived briefly in KY, it left a horrid white powder on all our darks....all I could figure was hard water from the likely contaminated Ohio River.
@JD, water is my guess. If on a well, well filter, softener or not, mineral content. The water at our previous house and this house is hard, hard, hard. And my hairdresser suspects high copper as my hair bleaches. I'm glad HM laundry soap works for you. I have found that washing in cold only builds up more residue in my HE machine. After I run a cycle of cleaner (and two rinse and spin cycles), I run a regular load on hot. Might start doing two loads on hot as I was surprised at the amount of suds from a hot wash not detergent cycle.
1. Our yard guy quoted us $1600 to clean out 3 flowerbeds and put out mulch. I decided I would do the work myself, with help from our son, to save money. It will take longer for it to get done but I'm okay with that.
2. Reused birthday gift bag from my birthday for our son-in-law's birthday gift.
3. We are having a Halloween door decorating contest at work. I am making my door look like the spell book from Hocus Pocus using brown craft paper and random supplies from my craft stash. The scars and stitches are made from hot glue that I painted using supplies on hand.
4. Got gas at Costco while we were in the neighborhood.
5. Our daughter gifted me a "blow your own glass ornament" class for my birthday. We had our two ornaments shipped to us for $15 instead of driving 2 hours each way to the glass studio.
@Beverly, it sounds as if your yard guy really did not want to do that job. Holy guacamole, how much does he charge an hour??
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, his quote for cleaning the flowerbeds really shocked me. He charged less than that for taking down and cutting up 10 trees after a tornado hit the backyard!
@Beverly, he didn't need the work. A common thing among trades - will do a job they really don't want for a higher price. I don't suspect you are what our lawyer called a a "grief" client - the firm would offer their services but at a much (and sometimes much) higher rate.
1. I am weight training so I need oodles of protein. I have a bunch of random pantry items that I want to use up. I put into CHATGPT 120 grams of protein, five servings of fruits and veggies and under 1400. It had me make lentil/split pea in the instapot. I have put them in pancakes and soup. Not bad. I am using up protein powder, ancient frozen fruit bits, and sparing amounts of cheese. I like that I am separating food from favorites. I eat it for fuel. Strengthen this separation stops the "I deserve. . . " feeling that sabotages my food plan.
2. I donated new books I bought for my trip at the library. So many people rely on the library I thinks it is a great service action.
3. I committed to 6 months of personal training rather than month by month and saved $40 a session.
@Mary Ann, you are an Animal, a Beast! I so admire the way you set huge goals, make a plan, and then git-‘er-dun. If we were closer than 4 hours apart, I’d be following you around, trying to keep up with your amazingness.
--I thought for sure I would need to use my dryer yesterday for at least some of the three loads of laundry I washed, but even the load I didn't get hung up outside until noon was dry by 4:30 p.m. I had to move some of the clothes from the more-protected backyard clothesline to the pasture clothesline so they would be in the wind to dry more thoroughly later in the afternoon when it got cloudy, but I got it all done without any use of the dryer.
--I had some bronze-colored spray paint I bought a long time ago and kind of forgot about that I used to paint all the cabinet knobs, towel racks, and light fixtures in the bathrooms. This was particularly satisfying with the light fixtures, which are in pretty bad shape--rust and all--but were hardwired in, so my husband didn't really want to try to replace them. They look much better now.
--I considered replacing the faucets in the bathrooms, but upon inspection of our current faucets, they actually are pretty sturdy metal, if old, and I think replacing them with something similarly sturdy would probably be pretty expensive. I have to remove them entirely when I paint the sinks, which will give me a chance to very thoroughly clean them and that will help a lot. They are silver, so they don't match the rest of the hardware, but I can live with that.
--Yesterday's dinner was fried rice made with the chicken picked off the carcasses I made stock with, plus eggs I've been getting from an acquaintance for $4/dozen.
--I'm still managing to keep flower arrangements on my dining table and the church altar/my bookcase with the last of the sunflowers and cosmos and calendula from my garden. Probably only a few more weeks until a freeze puts an end to that and I'm back to only dried flower arrangements for the winter.
Whoa, you are ready to buy that Honda Civic!?! Buy gently used rather than brand new, yes? Dave Ramsey says that a 2 year old car is the most bang for your bucks.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I have to say though true, I got a better deal when I bought from Enterprise Car Rental company. They sell their rental vehicles by the time they hit 10,000-15,000 miles or long term rental. I got technically New/used (same year) vehicle with dealer warranty for vehicle that was rented for 6 months & nothing wrong with it. They have online site (Enterprise Car Rentals/Sales) to see ALL available to purchase (across USA) & can deliver to nearest Enterprise dealership for transport fee. If you decide not to purchase, ok just out transport fee.
Not all vehicles are loaded, may are basic model but in good shape. My vehicle price was cheaper than older vehicle & in great shape. Just an option to consider.
@Regina, heard on the news the "average" price of a new car is $50K. So I expect used car prices to be moving up in conjunction with this. It does work both ways - a person I knew got rear-ended during Covid-19. Despite a 17 year old car with more than 250K miles, got $3K settlement from the at fault driver's insurance company.
FOUR Frugals:
1. Replaced frayed flannel sheet using LLBeanbucks and 15% discount so spent $15 instead of $50. (LLBean is my first go-to for things that I don’t buy used.)
2. Replaced ragged nightshirt (J Peterman, lasted at least 10 years) with one from JCPenney (LLBean didn’t have anything), spent another $18 on tights to save $9 in shipping (The more you spend, the more you save), used a 15% off coupon, didn’t do the math.
3. Retrieved 2 large boxes of books from the pastor’s office that he was planning on tossing when he resigned. (I’m still gasping with shock and horror.) I will find homes for as many as possible, by spreading out on tables at church, on Thrift Books, or following Kristen’s tips to sell books on eBay.
4. Word’s updates can’t be done until I update the Mac, and my model has maxed out on updates. So I am dividing my current book editing project into smaller files so that I can work without those long pauses watching the spinning beachball of doom. This beats buying another laptop! (COME ON, PEOPLE! STOP WITH THE UNNECESSARY UPDATES ALREADY!)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, try launching Word while holding the shift key. Should force a "fresh" copy of the software. Did that for my dad with Apple Mail (he has a brand new computer no less) and that did the trick. Some old cached files must have transferred from his old computer.
Months ago I bought a breville toaster oven that was like new at goodwill for $10. I see toaster ovens very often at all goodwills so you should find one easily.
We had an unfrugal week here as my jeep has some issues that cost about $500, but it is cheaper than a car payment. The vehicle is a 2014 and been paid off since 2017 so it can get some small issues and I won't be mad.
I stocked up on chicken breast at $1.99/lb. I also stocked up on beef smoked sausage for $2.50 and on bags of frozen meatballs that were 22 oz for $5.49. Being that ground beef is over $6/lb...I'll take 22 oz of premade meatballs and use them for meatball subs or spaghetti or swedish meatballs. They also make for a fast meal on nights we are busy and save us from eating out.
With the lovely weather our windows have been open and no air or heat running. That's probably the biggest savings for this week.
I also bought a new pair of Sorel shoes for $5 at a thrift store. They'll become my new outside shoes as mine get destroyed out there quickly. I hate to buy shoes for $$$ when they get ruined so quickly.
I will say that not having a toaster oven doesn't affect me much but I'd miss my air fryer.
Also I miss going to the symphony. Hope it was something good.
1.) Bought a giant package of paper towels. This will last us literally years as we use so few paper towels.
2.) Red Robin had 20% off gift cards so I got a $50 GC for $40. We just went there so this will be for next time.
3.) Got in another line drying of laundry before it gets to be too cold and damp. I really dislike how in winter everything is hung up all over the house but such is life.
We also are working on purging clothes we don't wear.
4.) Got an extra year of Windows 10 updates for my brother's computer so he can wait another year before having to upgrade his PC. I'm debating on seeing if my dad can handle an easier flavor of Linux as he does nothing on his computer besides YouTube (he's never sent an email in his life.)
5.) Hmm, I'm sure I have five somewhere but all I can think of is that I saved some cardboard to put over my garden to smother some weeds and also protect it for the winter.
@Battra92, I expect that what you don't spend would be a list in itself.
I have owned three toaster ovens in the past, but nowadays I prefer more counter space. So I just use my oven, mostly, and that's when its not full-on summer here.
*I'm going to go get a cheap haircut today - a trim does not require a pricey salon!
*made out my menus and grocery list and will stick to it, budgeting around $55, which is low for me.
*sold a pair of earrings on Ebay
*sewing today with supplies I picked up for cheap at the craft thrift store I go to
*ordered the next two book club books used so they were pretty cheap at around $6 each
I spent some $$ on home furnishings lately, so I am instituting a no frills rest of October, eating at home, staying off Amazon, batching errands.
Kristen, I don't remember how long this has been happening (couple of months), but I cannot access your current posts without going to the archive section. When we went from September to October, I now have to pull up September in order to access October.
It's not onerous, just frustrating. Is it my computer - or the site? Any help is appreciated!
@Kathleen, I had that happen in the past and I had to clear my cache and history on my computer. That fixed it for me.
@Marlena, did not work, drat.
Glad you hot to go to the Symphony. I hope you had fun & enjoyed it.
Frugal things---
● Free Hallmark card
● Free Bath & Body Works (coupon) mini/travel size lotion/cream
● continuing to eat down pantry/freezer, NO TAKEOUT (STILL)
● renewed my Sam's club membership, but at regular membership $50 instead of Plus membership ($110).
***FYI---Sam's club apparently has a Senior discount on membership. You have to be new member (or not member for 6 months) & prove your age to receive discount. Regular Senior membership $20 & Plus Senior members $50.
Frugal fail---
● sat down with insurance agent & went over homeowners policy. Was very respectful & answered every question. Even pretended I was new customer to figure out best option for my home. Apparently it would cost $499, 820 to rebuild my house (exactly same) today. My house value is not even half that amount. So since we know the replacement cost & it's close to my coverage amount I can not under insure/change coverage amount for my homeowners insurance policy (not that I would).
Frugal fail---
● half my Free (TMOBILE) photos (CVS) were cut off. 🙁 ]At least I didn't pay for them.
Frugal fail---
● The 28 sweet potato slips ($1 each) I planted that grew long beautiful glorious vines didn't grow hardly any sweet potatoes. The first 1/3 of the ones I pulled out I got 1 big & 2 baby sweet potatoes. It has frosted a few days in a row which means growing is officially done & hoping the last ones I pull have some sweet potatoes.
"didn't buy a car yet" fully rhymes with "didn't buy a Lear Jet" but I kinda suspect the car is going to happen well before the plane, lol
1. Had a performance that included lodging with a kitchenette. I brought all of my meals (mostly leftovers,) made coffee, and drank the water provided with my own electrolytes powder (important when performing outdoors!)
2. I took advantage of their Paramount+ subscription and streamed a few movies I was interested in watching but not enough to rent or buy a subscription.
3. 2 vendors gifted me their wares - how sweet! I featured them on a TikTok live I did in between shows. That wasn’t a requirement, it just nice to nice to someone.
4. I treated myself to a trip to the Louisville Zoo and a camel ride (something I’ve always wanted to do!) on the drive back home. They gave me a metal stadium cup with the drink I bought. I washed it and put it in my camp kitchenware box. If I ever go back I get a discount of refills if I remember to take the cup with me.
5. And the most exciting thing from a traveling performer, I bought a replacement part for my carpet cleaner instead of buying a new one.
I divided Rice side mixes. They make 2 cups, that's too much for a single person. I use little containers and a teaspoon to divide into 3 servings. Divide the water amount, too?
Saves money and waste.
1. I took everything out of my freezer, cleaned it, reorganized it, and updated my freezer inventory list. It’s easier to eat down the freezer if you know what is in it.
2. I started making a list of potential meals I could make based on what is in the freezer. This will hopefully make menu planning a little easier this week.
3. My husband was going to cook dinner on Friday night but a work project kept him at the office longer than expected. He offered to pick up something on the way home but I talked him into a frozen pizza.
4. I didn’t do any errands over the weekend (no shopping trips, no gas money). I just enjoyed my backyard, took the puppy on a few long walks, started a new book from my TBR pile, and watched a few shows with my husband in the evenings.
5. I asked my husband to hang up the curtain rod and curtains up in the office. It’s a project that has been on the back burner for months but was very much needed. In the summer the office was too hot to work in by 4pm and last winter it was so chilly I had to bring in space heaters. He hung up heavy blackout curtains that should help with the temp changes.
-Sold some stuff on my country's version of eBay, made equivalent of $150 usd
-on my day off signed up for a paid interview for research, for about $100 usd
-cooked some really basic dinners from my pantry and leftovers
-got an extra (small) job in addition to my main
-made treats from scratch instead of buying as much candy etc as I usually do
1. Returned an expensive item that wasn't working properly. Why pay for quality sound in a headset if the Bluetooth and playback won't work?
2. Went to search for flower pots in a rummage vintage shop, and found the perfect orchid pot I needed to repot my orchid.
3. Defrosted bread from the freezer for breakfast.
4. Saved leftover coffee in the pot into mason jars in the fridge, from which we make ice coffee in the afternoons.
5. Taught my son how to make homemade Nutella crepes.
I mostly buy my toaster/convection ovens at Costco, if they fail before 5 yrs, take it back. I love my convection oven as it will bake a 1/2 sheet of cookies, 8 x 8 casserole & can be plugged in at the outside kitchen on super hot days. Plus it is an air fryer (I scrounged a large air fry basket off my friend's broken air dryer that we donated to goodwill for proper disposal).
Heating the house with the woodstove.
Remade all of the guest beds with jersey sheets, wool quilts and winter down comforters.
Put the winter weight Terry cloth robes on the door hooks.
Installed the lined linen curtains.
Drained the water hoses wrapped and hung in the garden shed. Drained and blew out the water lines, wrapped the standing spigots.
Purchased 32 lbs of pork sirloin at 50% off at the restaurant supply, came home and cut into chops and bits for future meals, came out to $0.50/meal!
It is a gorgeous, breezy fall day. Farm helper is putting up the last of the gutter guards on the barns.
The squash soup looks amazing! I have som leftover squash that I've been meaning to use up so this'll be a good idea.
My Frugal 5s+
I picked up my mother and sister in law last weekend to take back home with us.
While they were with us ...
• I used the Corolla instead of the truck to save gas. They live an hour away and needed to visit the Social Security office in town.
• We celebrated my daughter's semi-birthday one week early. Her main birthday request was to spend time with the people she love.
• My mother in law gave the girls baking lessons and taught them how to make apple pie and homemade bread with ingredients she brought over and ones we already had.
• We took them shopping at the local Walmart and Dollar Tree, their favorite stores, since them don't have them where they live at.
• My mother in law also brought summer sausage, raisin bagels, cinnamon, a bag of flour, and 3 huge pumpkins for the girls.
• My sister in law generously treated us all out to Burger King for lupper afterwards.
• While they were here, we feed them sandwiches and cereal from home. We also ate the bread and apple pie that they baked together with the girls. My mother in law kindly made mac n' cheese and ramen for the girls after we returned them back home.
• We went to the science museum and used library passes we borrowed to get us all in for free.
• We watches Charlie Brown, The Great Pumpkin and the additional content for free since it was a digital movie we already had.
• We played Uno No Mercy, a game that my sister in law got, a handful of times and it was lots of fun.
• After we dropped off my mother and sister in law, the girls got to spend some time playing with their cousin for a couple hours.
Other Frugals
• Make banana bread with leftover bananas, nuts, and anything else we already had at home for my bible study group.
• While my husband is gone on his kayaking trip, my kind neighbor helped me start the lawnmower, screwed a overhead garage door cover in place with extra ones he already had, and gave me a sander and some tips on how to sand the patch on one of our walls.
• Girls used the same long sleeve tops from last year as this year for winter clothing.
• Used extra blankets we already had to keep the girls warm while asleep at night.
• Continue cooking for home, reading books and watching DVDs borrowed from the library, playing games and coloring/ crafting with things we already had, batch run errands.
IMHO, when you are cooking for one, a toaster oven is a lifesaver. (As is my instapot cum slow cooker). For the amount I need to broil, bake or roast, it would be a total waste of gas (Which is why, after a year without gas, I had it turned off when it was restored as I had already revised how I cooked (LOVE my little induction burner unit with adjustable wattage and temps!)
Today, the issue is the higher cost of these units plus the short lifespans of so many. (My toaster oven is a circa 1985 DeLonghi. And, no, I didn't use it every day or even every week for the past 40 years!)
A used one if you can verify that it works (Do they let you plug in appliances at the thrift stores or Facebook marketplace or elsewhere? If not...a hard pass.) could be just what you need if you regularly use your big oven.
Researching products today should be easier thanks to the Internet, but it is actually one of those things where there is too much information but not always what you want. And ratings can be confusing (Five star on one site and a two on others!)
I can't tell you how much time I wasted trying to find affordable white, all cotton, standard percale pillowcases. (Please tell me why google includes sateen pillowcases in a search for percale?)
TOO MANY CHOICES actually discourage purchases. That's why I also bought nothing during the recent Amazon Prime sale days (and target and walmart sales).
I don't have a toaster oven, but my air fryer gets a lot of use. I like being able to make a whole meal in it.
I finally tackled the $20 bushel of apples which were at least a third spoiled by the time I did. I cut them up and put into the 6 qt, slow cooker, peels, core and all to cook over night. It was heaping full and cooked down to just below the rim. I will continue with and immersion blend them into apple butter, and water bath can them. I have an ice cream bucket full of apples left to make a pie or crisp.
I got an extra gallon of milk from my provider and made a batch of tapioca pudding in the 2 qt. slow cooker. It turned out to be delicious! I will make butter from the cream TODAY, as I write this for accountability. I know my milk provider and I like that I'm getting the nutrients from fresh milk.
I purchased my "winter" drink supply in bulk (for me-3 boxes each) of white chocolate cocoa, and Good Earth Original Tea which are both decaffeinated to drink on the mornings I get home from work. I also got the Oregon Chai packets to take to work for a hot drink while there. Otherwise, I stick to Tazo iced chai latte almost every morning. Making them at home is still cheaper than driving through Celestialbucks. All from Amazon Prime time for "a month free" which I will put on hold when the month is up.
A local internet company has been laying line all over the community. I agreed for them to run a line to the house now while it is free rather than be charged in the future if I decide to choose them as a provider. I have three choices at the present time. I am very satisfied with the current one, and just got a letter ad from the first one that used to be the only one that I wasn't satisfied with.
Gas is $2.74 here while $2.89 10 miles down the road. Guess which I buy.
Your toaster oven adventure highlights my exact thoughts when it comes to decision-making and frugality: I prefer to go the frugal route (buying used) because then I'm way less likely to suffer from decision paralysis and buyer's remorse.
1. Since my parents have been visiting, we have made all but one meal at home. I would like for them to experience some of the restaurants here, but it's not a huge rush.
2. The hotel I booked for us during one of their weekends was bought on points.
3. I remembered to ask for a senior discount for my parents when the whole family went to a botanical garden.
4. We drove to the botanical garden and museum instead of taking the train; 4 train tickets adds up.
5. I found a parking lot a little further from the museum than usual, and the extra walk saved us an extra ~$5 on parking.
1. I made croutons with stale Italian bread. I also just eyeball stuff. I toss with olive oil, season with salt, onion powder, garlic powder and Dani-Os Original seasoning. Them bake at 350 degrees till crispy. I have to hide them as my family likes to eat them as snacks! lol
2. I made a beef “roast” with a can of beef. I wanted to see how it would work as I have a few cans from a cheap bang and dent store. It was wonderful! Used my crock pot and veggies on hand: potatoes, cabbage, onion, celery, carrots, seasoning, added the can of beef with juice and some water. Set in high. Cooked till carrots were tender. Made gravy with the liquid. Served over egg noodles. So yummy!
3. Two free pile picks. Small white end table with drawer (might sell it) and a big woven basket.
4. Fixed another big woven basket I got months ago from a free pile. I used sisal rope I had on hand to reweave a part that came apart. Basket looks great in living room to hold stuff that gets left on the couch: cords, remotes, books…
5. Really scored with Ibotta. Bought candy for trick or treat night, bought food we needed, got $27 back from Ibotta and saved over $20 on sale items that we needed.
BONUS! Number 6. Just opened my mail and got 5 coupons for free 5lb bags of rice! That’s 25lbs of FREE rice! Some posted that if you went to the Richland website and signed up for coupons and in the comments asked for rice coupons they would send you a coupon or two for a free bag. Buy HOLY COW they sent me five! I’m feeling so very blessed!
@Julia T, do you mean Riceland rice? That's the only similar rice company that I see. I was looking to sign up too but don't see anywhere to put in comments, at least on the Riceland website. Thanks!
Purchased an Oster, pull down door convection toaster oven about eight years ago. Traveled with me from one apartment to this current one. Need to be careful of some toaster ovens that state they can take a 9x13 inch pan; yes they can, but rarely with handles. Today, I broiled skinless, boneless chicken wings for my elderly cat. Yes, it not only has a convection function along with other choices, includes bake. But. A nice broil feature. Boiling the chicken, my cat prefers better, as crockpot and skillet cooking, issues my cat has with the water from the chicken making it rubbery. Boiling also releases the fat in the pan underneath that the gadget came with. Boxes mixes on sale include cornbread, coffee cake and brownies have done well, generally I use 8x8" pans. A recent check online, and my Oster model still selling steady at a $90. Also, this comes with high ratings. If you decide to purchase new, this is a money saver, especially on electricity. Many food items can take either a few minutes less, or the temp adjusted ten or twentyfive degrees lower; various results. Also, am elderly, and the countertop placement is easier on my back, and the convection-broil-toaster oven much easier to clean than aquarium standard stove-oven unit.
I don't know if I'll be able to come up with 5 but I'll give it a whirl.
1 - I'm dealing with a flood at the fault of a neighbour and since her insurance will cover rebuilding everything that has to be rebuilt, I'm taking this opportunity to remodel the bathroom. Yes, this is a significant expense that I wasn't intending to incur right now, but since her insurance will pay to put all the existing, outdated, undamaged "stuff" back in, I may as well buy new items to be installed at their expense instead. I will save on all the labour costs this way and would have wanted to remodel the outdated bathroom at some point anyway.
2 - I took part in a gas offer of getting $5 back with a 25L fill twice this week so that was $10 back in my pocket.
3 - I took part in a gift card promo where I got $45 back in Wal-Mart gift cards.
4 - I did a large grocery shop on Customer Appreciation Day when a 15% discount was offered.
5 - I can't think of anything else other than the usual of cooking and making coffee at home.
ooh i can't wait until you buy a car. we don't have one in nyc. but my 14yr olds can't wait to get his permit in 2 years so he can help his dad with driving on family road trip vacations. i have not driven in over 50 years due to a wreck i had while in college. was chauffeuring an acquaintance to piggly wiggly,( i went to college in macon, ga) it was raining, dog was in the road in front of me, i stepped on the break. car went out of control into oncoming traffic. another car his us. thank g-d i was the only one hurt. i needed surgery but i waited until ii hi got back to nyc after graduation. my face hit the steering wheel. i am positive you will get a great deal.
so i don't mean to be disrespectful but perhaps a new toaster oven would make it to your fun splurge money. something with all the bells and whistles to celebrate your new status as a working professional who need all the great appliances to get you through the next night shift era. here's hoping you get a free toaster oven.
1. I meal planned, used up food at home, brewed coffee at home, and packed lunches.
2. I got 2 free meals at work. And some snacks.
3. I got into a football game for free through work.
4. I fixed everything in the mending pile (except one shirt that my tween outgrew before I could fix it).
5. I didn't buy any new Halloween or fall decorations.
1. My parents are in town so it’s nice to have extra hands around the house. My mom spent several hours today helping me get on top of all the mending I had piled up, including replacing the velcro on our favorite bibs.
2. I finally got the income documentation needed to schedule a free home energy assessment and air duct sealing for this Thursday. Once that’s complete, we are also eligible for additional home energy rebates… the federal money expires at the end of the year. I’m hoping we can get our attic better insulated as we get ice dams in the winter and I’m afraid we’re going to have leaks. Not to mention the savings on our heating bill.
3. I wanted to watch season two of Rings of Power, and it’s on Amazon prime. I was set to pay the $14.99/month fee, but when I checked on the options there was a “movies only” option for $8.99, so that was what I chose. Of course I’ll be sure to cancel it before I’m billed again.
4. I saved the seeds from the pumpkin that we carved and roasted them.
5. I checked the discount fruit and veggie bin at the local coop today and came home with two large bags of apples for $2 each.
My frugal things:
1. I had a $25 gift card for Starbucks and took my daughter with me to buy me something to eat and treat her to her one Pumpkin Spice coffee that she gets every year. I got egg bites, slice of lemon cake and a small Cappucino. Failure: didn't get the receipt so I could Fetch it and see how much was left on my gift card.
2. Hubby did went to Aldi to buy the basics: milk, eggs, bread, his pickles, my protein waffles. He has realized that some things are cheaper at Aldi and just as good as the grocery store.
3. We ate dinner at home. Dh cooked up everything. He made us (me, him and our daughter) a fab pot roast in the crock pot. It is so good! Better than my mother's recipe. He cut the roast in half so we could have 2 pot roasts.
4. Hubby filled up the car (we share it now, it was mine now it's ours) and used his credit card where he will get back 2% plus it was a convenience store and he got points on his account.
5. Went to the library and took out 3 books. I got some screaming deals at Walgreens last week for the food pantry. Not really food except for 2 boxes of cereal, but feminine care and toothpaste.
6. Survived the Nor'easter without any damage or loss of power. I'm further inland in NJ. The people who live at the shore (the beach) got hammered.
I love your croutons for soup freezer hack-- thx for sharing!! I totally scored a high end toaster oven on Fb marketplace this summer for $30 in perfect shape when I moved into my house--they are for sure around!! Happy hunting and thanks for your thoughts ?
My boyfriend brought a bunch of clearance prices meat home from our neighborhood independent grocery store. We froze most of it. I kept out 2 packages of teriyaki pineapple meatballs. I thawed out some frozen yakisoba noodles. I chopped up a partial onion that needed to be used up and finished off a bottle of peppery stir fry sauce that I'd gotten for free. I had intended to add water chestnuts but forgot to buy them. Running to the store for "just one thing" is a fib I no longer tell myself, so we lived without them.
A few days earlier I way over seasoned a batch of Thai stir fry pineapple rice. Rather than chuck it, I stuck it in the fridge so I could make a plan to save it. The next day I made half as much plain rice and mixed in half of the over seasoned rice with some extra pineapple. That did the trick. The second half of the over seasoned rice is in the freezer with a note on what I did to fix it.
* Still looking at used car (for a second car), and still resisting. We've always been a one-car family (2 adults, 2 teens) and while this is getting more challenging as the kids needs us to taxi them more, we are still managing with the one car.
* Mother-in-law sent us home with home-made pumpkin cookies after Thanksgiving diner
* Taking 5 extra work shifts in the next 3 weeks
* Sticking to my groceries budget, doing all the usual (shopping at a "reduced prices" groceries place that sells expired but still good food, looking at sales, price matching, using Food Hero and Flash Food, using what I have at home, etc)
* Made gluten-free croutons instead of buying them. This saves so much, and is so easy to do.
Our bread gets tossed out!
I doubled a casserole & froze half. Cooked up dry beans for Vegan days & quit my unused gym. In respnse, I took the dog on an enormous walk we both benefitted from. Loaded the crockpot so I am carefree tomorrow! Feels so good to get things done!
I'm enjoying your blog! I would like to promote my blog, which is quite new! I have an old blog, but wanted to change the title. I hope you don't mind this shameless plug! ? https://frugalsimpleminimal.blogspot.com/?m=1
Blessings!
Karen
I'm so delighted to discover you as a source! Decades ago, a woman with your spirit published the Tightwad Gazette. I still have clipped articles from that. My tips are:
1. Swap garden material with neighbors.
2. Cook a pot of red beans with smoked sausage, serve it over rice, and you have a Louisiana staple: red beans and rice.
3. When your husband's feet shred your fitted sheet, turn that age-softened fabric into a nightgown. It really isn't difficult, and who's going to see your iffy sewing talents besides your snoring husband, kids and pets, anyway?
4. I NEVER pay for garbage bags. Those evil plastic shopping bags from every store in the country work just fine, and they are supposedly biodegradable.
5. Since I regularly can't sleep at 2 a.m., that is when I'm on my laptop browsing the Publix site for digital coupons and current BOGOs to create the week's menus and shopping list. I regularly save 25 to 40% that way...Really!
6. I splurge/save on shoes. Example: In our area field/hiking/rain footwear are the "go to." I just had to replace my LLBean mocs...after 17 years!
Did I miss the link? How did you get the $10 symphony tickets?
With my student ID! I'm in an RN to BSN program, so I still qualify for student discounts. 🙂