Five Frugal Things | a bean salad
(see #5 for the bean salad!)
1. I listed five schoolbooks on eBay
Zoe finished her tutorial classes, so I immediately listed her books on eBay. Last kid, last time needing the books!
I also listed a college literature book that Sonia finished, plus a teacher's guide for a book Zoe finished.
Unfortunately, my biology book was an ebook, so I have nothing to sell there!
Since I've listed so many books for sale, it takes me only a minute or two per listing. Then I put the books on the shelf and just pay them no mind until the "You made a sale!" email comes my way.
(Want to clear your shelves? Here's how to sell books on eBay)
Listing stuff on eBay is not immediately rewarding, but I look at it like planting seeds; you do a little work on the front end and then you just have to patiently wait for your efforts to bear fruit.
2. I put some medical memoirs on hold at the library
We got The Beauty in Breaking assigned for book club and I loved it! And I realized that some other of my favorite books ever are also medical memoirs, like When Breath Becomes Air.
So, I did some googling to find some other medical memoirs, and I even found a few about nursing.
(Here's why I want to become a nurse.)
Not all of them were available at the library, but as usual, I let the library availability determine my reading list; if the library doesn't have it, I probably am not going to read it.
3. I made some yogurt with milk from my freezer
During this last semester, some stuff fell to the wayside around here.
Things like yogurt-making.
And freezer-maintaining.
So, there was a gallon of frozen milk in my chest freezer, probably from when I was trying to shop every two weeks last year.
I thawed it (which takes approximately 12 years) and made a batch of yogurt with it because this warm weather has been making me want smoothies.
(Here's how I make yogurt with no special equipment.)
I also thawed a collection of bread cubes and made Pioneer Woman's French toast casserole for the girls when their friend slept over.
4. I made a big batch of chicken broth to clear out the bones from my freezer
More freezer-clearing efforts!
Monday was twenty degrees cooler than Sunday, so I took advantage of the weather to make a big pot of chicken broth.
Of course, I put the broth right into the freezer, but broth is much more space-efficient than bones. And besides, it is immediately usable, whereas bones are not.
(Yes, you can freeze food in glass jars. Here's how I do that.)
5. I got a quick meal from Aldi
Yesterday I was helping my cousin, and I had to go almost straight from there to pick up Sonia from work.
I was super hungry at that point, and I almost considered getting some fast food, but instead I popped into Aldi and got a little container of garbanzo bean salad.
Luckily, I had a set of utensils in my glove compartment, so I used those to eat the salad in the parking lot while I was waiting for Sonia.
(You might wonder where the plastic utensils came from; I got them when we got takeout and the restaurant sent utensils even though I checked the "no utensils" box when I ordered. So, I put them in the car for an unknown future time. Which turned out to be yesterday!)
I've been eating a lot of salads this week made with lettuce planted with seeds I saved from last years lettuce. This makes me very happy.
We have a ton of volunteer garlic in the pasture that is sort of excess at this point (my husband's main garlic planting is about 500 plants, so we won't have a garlic shortage), so I've been digging it as green garlic (like green onions--no bulb has formed at the bottom yet) and pureeing the entire plants with olive oil before freezing them in ice cub trays. Those little cubes of garlic puree are incredibly convenient for adding flavor while I'm cooking.
We go through a lot of maple syrup, which I buy from Vermont by the gallon. I keep a little half-pint syrup jug on the counter that I refill from the big one as needed, but before I wash the little one to refull it, I always shake it with some hot water in it to get out the last of the syrup. Then I use the watered-down syrup in oatmeal or whatever. It's surprising how much syrup clings to the sides of the jugs.
I found a brand of zero drop running shoes that are about half the price of what I have been getting. My husband and I both wear the zero drop, which means they're not built up at the heel and don't have excessive padding. (They're much better for our feet. I used to have plantar fasciitis, and now I don't.) I wear zero drop running shoes as my slippers, basically, but they are pretty expensive. I haven't received the new shoes yet, but fingers crossed they're okay.
I was on ThredUp getting summer clothes for the kids when I decided to check on winter coats for my eldest son. He outgrew his this year. He goes winter hunting and camping with my husband, so he needs really, really good outdoor gear. I found the EXACT Land's End coat he already has, in the next size up. A $130 coat for $30 is probably my deal of the year.
I have kept plastic utensils in my glove compartment ever since I got that exact bean salad at Aldi and had to use the folded up plastic cover to attempt to eat it
Yes! There are times when a fork or a spoon is really indispensable!
I also like to keep extra fast-food wrapped straws in the glove compartment. Too many times I’ve driven off and then realized they didn’t give me a straw!
1. I participated in a vintage market on Saturday for the first time in 1 1/2 years. Sales were brisk, but I still had leftovers. I wanted a clean slate, so I donated some of the larger items to my favorite thrift store. They support the local food pantry, homeless shelter, community garden and subsidize child care. They have a large number of vintage shoppers and resellers, so I know they will sell.
2. I realized my book club selection, A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabelle Allende, was not going to be available from the library in time for our next meeting in June 10th. (There’s just 1 copy and I’m still #8 on the list.) I found a copy on eBay for a total of $5.20.
3. I cleaned out the refrigerator yesterday. Sadly, I had some food waste 🙁 . I have not been a diligent as I should. Happily, I was able to plan the remainder of the menu this week around things that needed to be used up. I need to figure out a better way to organize my refrigerator.
4. My husband needed a new suit case. He began traveling for business again last week. He purchased one on sale from Kohl’s and also received Kohl’s cash which he used this week to purchase some much needed t-shirts. After 15 months of WFH, many of the ones he owns are destined for the rag bin.
5. All the usual things - cooking from scratch, brewing my own coffee, drinking primarily water, batching errands, and working hard.
I've been having food waste problems as well, in the past couple of months. For me it's an aspect of an overall malaise which leads me not to cook as much.
This is so true; when life is stressful or I'm feeling down, I most definitely waste more food!
Also experiencing overall malaise. And I like to cook. Pandemic exhaustion me thinks??!!
Methinks too, plus some work stress.
Definitely some stress in my world too. It is hard to think creatively and stay on top of the things when other things want my attention. Wishing you peace.
Add me to the list of worn out! I have every intention of cooking a nutritious meal that uses up what's in the fridge/pantry but then I can't quite bring myself to do it when the clock strikes 5:00. My plan is to do some prepping over the long weekend. Hoping to get back on track. Hope you all feel recharged soon!
Funny you should mention freezers. I have been working hard to use all the odd things that accumulate in my deep freezer. This isn't the same as emptying the freezer - this time I'm using the things that have been in there a long time. I think I've taken it as far as it can reasonably go and it's time to stock up. There are some good sales this month.
The dumplings that I'm making for dinner are a good example of how to use it up: it calls for ground chicken and wonton wrappers. I'm using ground beef and egg roll wrappers. It also uses some of the head of cabbage that's been hanging around forever.
I found a tiny bit of wiggle room for negotiation with the roofer. Materials costs are up substantially just in the past couple of months and labor is tight. Nonetheless he agreed to cut me a break when it comes to the "additional work as needed" category. Even a little would help.
Returned some clothes that weren't comfortable. They were fine for a couple of minutes in the store but not after a half hour at home. This is why I always wear them for a bit a home before making a final decision.
I always forget a thing or two:
Not frugal per se but good for the earth: I paid someone to reline my peacoat rather than donate it and buy a new one. The relining wasn't that much cheaper than buying new but it keeps the coat in use.
Oooh, good job! I think that's very smart because if you donated a coat with a ripped lining, it might not even get used by someone else anyway.
Definitely a good choice to get yours relined.
WilliamB, if you don't mind sharing, how much it was to reline your coat? I have a wool coat that I might reline, but haven't been able to find cost estimates anywhere online.
My local cleaners did it for $100 including the fabric. I did not try to negotiate.
Yeah for being able to catch up after a busy stretch!
1. I spent part of my weekend cleaning out a closet shelf to make room for craft supplies that had been occupying a kitchen cabinet since my kids were little. No one is coloring around here anymore and I need the cabinet space to house some gluten free pots/pans/utensils. I found takers for some of the things on my shelf and got them delivered/picked up already.
2. Integrating 2 people back into our meal planning is a little rough. I've decided the 3 kids each will pick a meal every week and assist in the cooking. My husband and I both work full time and generally split the cooking, but they can help. It will take some stress out of my meal planning and help avoid extra take out.
3. The libby app from my library has way more books than it did before. I haven't been tempted to buy any kindle books lately!
4. I had some free therapy yesterday in the form of a walk with my good friend. A little exercise and conversation does a body good.
5. My daughters need a specific multi vitamin as they are healing from celiac (something about the folate in other multis make it hard for them to absorb the rest of the vitamins). It is about $26/bottle on Amazon but has been on sale @ Costco for $16. I bought enough to last through September! Score!!!
Cup for cup blue bag is the best flour replacement for baking. It is really great if you have never tried it. Blue bag.
Thanks! We haven’t tried baking beyond King Arthur mixes yet. My younger daughter really loves to bake though so I think we’ll be giving it a shot over her summer break.
Frugal:
After a pandemic pleasure of not watching grocery spending g closely I am back at it with coupons and sales.
I saved 54 percent at Walgreens yesterday on things we needed for out toiletry closet. ( college age children have been instructed to only shop there when at home because mom finds deals for these items and stocks up!)
Full redo of upstairs bath. All things purchased second hand or during menards 11 percent back rebate. Bathroom remodels ARE. THE. WORST.
Really enjoying Peacock streaming app while it is still free.
Listening to free podcasts when gardening.
I keep bags of all sizes in my van because you never know when someone might get sick, etc. This weekend I was able to use one of the trash bags at my girl scout graduation. We needed a trash bag and I had one (no one was sick, we needed it for trash)!!
1. Another hot baseball weekend for our family. I packed many jugs of water so we wouldn't need to buy any as well as snacks. It ended up being too hot to snack, but we had them!
2. Batched all of my errands for Sunday morning. I had multiple stops to make and waited until Sunday, when I had the time to map it all out and get them all done with one trip. Saved me gas and time to do it all together.
3. The weather here in Eastern PA is so crazy. One day it is 90+ degrees and the next its only 60+...I'm diligent about immediately turning the AC off as soon as I can. I WILL NOT attempt to sleep when its that hot out. I scrimp in other places, so I can run the AC.
Not sure I have anything else other than my normal, packing lunches, making coffee at home and resisting the siren song of Target!
Have a medical memoir book suggestion for you: The Mayo Brothers by Helen Clapesattle. As the title suggests- it’s a great history of the Mayo family. The book is out of print I believe, but it’s really good if you find a copy.
I retired from nursing last June. It’s a great career. Thank you for pursuing your dream to become a nurse!
I really enjoy reading your blog. Thanks for your positive and encouraging posts.
Pam
Oh, thank you! I will go search for it on google.
Sorry, had the right author but incorrect on the title- the correct title is The Doctors Mayo.
My lovely sister-in-law invited us to stay with her during her May week at the Outer Banks. We happily said 'yes' and I think it was our cheapest week at the beach.
1. Our fridge at home was pretty empty but we hardboiled the remaining eggs and took grapes, tomatoes, cheese sticks and crackers to eat on the way down. The Wendy's app had a free bacon/chicken/cheese biscuit free with purchase so we stopped and got a drink as our purchase. Almost free breakfast and leftovers from the fridge for Friday's food down.
2. We stayed at our niece's in Norfolk and she fed us an amazing breakfast before we left. That and the nice meal her mom fed us Friday night were free and we took Friday night's leftovers to the beach.
3. On our way down the next day, we stopped at a marina to eat outdoors for lunch. Watching the yachts pull in with good seafood is such a treat. My husband and I split an entree and we drank water. Even with tip, the total was 25.00. That was what we would have spent on a Mother's Day meal the next day.
4. Other meals were things we had taken down: lasagna, coleslaw and blueberry bread from the freezer and pantry items from both our houses. We made one trip to Food Lion for produce which cost me 10.00. Our other 'meals out' were 1.00 Sonic chicken nuggets for lunch and a cheap meal at the pier paid for by the other friend who flew in and couldn't bring food.
5. Our entertainment was the beach, listening to my husband and his sister play instruments and sing, cards, movies with our roku and putting together a puzzle we had been given years ago. We're all puzzle workers and probably for the first time, we all gave up and put it back in the box. If we had purchased it, it would have been a massive frugal FAIL!
What should I do with it? Any suggestions?
You could always offer the puzzle on a FreeCycle or BuyNothing type site.. We had that experience too (also first time ever!) where we just didn't want to mess with a particular puzzle - in our case it was too dark and shiny, with tiny pieces, and it was just too hard on our eyes to try to fight the glare and distinguish what was going on. I was amazed at how quickly it was snatched up on FreeCycle!
Oh man, we had an M.C. Escher puzzle once that we gave up on as well. The black and white combined with the lines that don't make sense...it was terrible!
We offered it on free cycle, I think.
1. Switched around kids' rooms without needing any furniture purchases. (Moved third-born into room with secondborn, moved baby from our room into third-born's old room.) With some finagling of space arrangement, our existing dressers worked fine.
2. Bought a gallon of ☺️maple syrup from a local Amish family that sells it for $38/gal. They make it themselves and it's literally $20-30 cheaper than elsewhere around here. (Our area produces a LOT of maple syrup.)
3. Made a target stop and bought only the six necessities on my list.
4. Forcing myself to use up a big container of scented laundry detergent I bought by mistake (and didn't notice until too late). We prefer fragrance-free so the strong smell gets to us but we can handle it for a little while.
5. Usual things- drinking leftover coffee over ice, tearing dryer sheets into thirds, using up leftovers, keeping the central air at 77 when I'd prefer to keep it at 74 (it's just too hot to not have it on), buying off brands, etc.
6. Oh I forgot one- we've been paying for a home security service for the last three years but we decided to let it lapse. We feel pretty secure without it and it will save $60/month.
I have no idea why there is a random smiley face in #2
Lol
Sarah G, could you dilute your smelly detergent with regular,
so the smell is not so strong?
Yes that would be helpful! I have thought about getting a container of fragrance free but haven't forked over the money yet.
Sarah G, I can't stand scented laundry stuff either. Especially fabric softener.
A frugal fail:
Between moving and both my husband and I working evenings and weekends at our respective workplaces, we've been eating a TON of takeout. Some of it is regular takeout, some is grocery-store takeout, but the result is lots of spending on food but feeling like garbage.
Yesterday after work I took a frugal healthy remedial action and used some frozen chicken broth and pantry staples to make hot and sour soup. It made us feel much better!
1. My daughter dropped off a large bag of clothes she is getting rid of. There are a few things I might keep and I will ask a friend that has teenagers if she'd like to have a go at the rest of the items. Keeping things out of the landfill and the chance for a bit of variety in my wardrobe are a good thing.
2. We have been eating at home due to the health-saving involved. We feel better when we cook the food we eat.
3. I returned some unused weed block that I no long had the receipt for. I was happy to take store credit and promptly used it for needed items.
4. I needed new shoes for walking. I found some Nikes that I liked. I selected the color based on the price. Not only was the pair I selected $10 less than the other two colors but they rang up for $10 less than the price on the shelf. I had an old gift card that I used towards much of the purchase price. Proper footwear is frugal, I want my feet to keep working well as I age (it's already bad enough that you lose fat from the bottoms of your feet after age 50).
5. I needed a new mat for Pilates as I need more cushioning in my tail bone region. I looked at reviews and ordered one from eBay. I had some gift cards that covered almost half the cost. This is something I have needed for months and none of my workarounds were successful.
You lose fat on the bottom of your feet after 50? I just turned 50, why can't the fat come off somewhere else?
Well done this week.
Here are some of my frugal things this week
- bought a plumbing snake and fixed the sink that wasn't draining properly, no whiskers required
-this Spring I started tons of pepper and tomato plants. So far I've been able to sell some which has covered the cost of starting the seeds, trade for compost for my garden, other plants and a haircut for me.
-I cut my daughters and husbands hair
- Date afternoon involved running some errands (we are building a greenhouse to increase our ability to grow more food and extend our 6 week frost free period), we used a BOGO coupon for Blizzards for a treat and a gift card for dinner that we brought home for our whole family. This was a major treat as we rarely eat out and a bonus was there was enough food to feed all 5 of us for 2 suppers and 2 lunches.
- I made a birthday cake for a neighbours child (I have a small in home bakery business) plus it was my moms birthday so I made extra cupcakes to give to her for her birthday. Kept the baking mess to a minimum.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
1.) Bought my 50 lbs of High Gluten flour. This time around I bought Trumps, which is basically Gold Medal's foodservice brand. My local distributor told me they are limiting the variety of certain kinds of flour (basically picking one brand from each category.) So this is what I got. So far, it seems fine. Much more frugal than buying flour from the grocery store.
2.) Had a piece of busted lawn equipment and no way to get it to the junkyard/scrapyard. My wife posted it to Facebook Marketplace and someone came and got it. They made money off of it but I didn't have to pay to haul it away. I'd say everyone wins (except for the old hunk of junk.)
3.) Thanks to Ikea customer service I got a replacement hinge for my medicine cabinet. So that's repaired now.
4.) Bought a small metal tool box (basically one like this: https://img1.etsystatic.com/019/0/6552758/il_570xN.478183333_6zwd.jpg ) at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore for all of $3. I gave it a quick paint job with some bright pink spraypaint and now my daughter has her first very own toolbox. So far her only "tool" is a pair of safety glasses but I'm sure she'll get more as she gets older (more responsible.) I'm hoping Home Depot or a similar place has their kid workshops again.
5.) Avoiding the temptation to make a big purchase when something on me fails. It's my natural instinct to either "fix it now" or just ignore it and not do anything. Neither are good. So I'm looking for a good middle ground.
How do you make broth from your chicken/beef/etc. bones?
For poultry, just to cook the bones (raw or cooked or both) in water at a low simmer till the bones fall apart, about 3 hrs, then strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. It's tastier if you add an onion, a stick of celery, a carrot, and a few peppercorns. Don't add salt; do the salting in whatever dish you use the stock in. To tell how much stock to make, measure your bones: for each pound or quart of bones (weighing is more accurate), you get one pint of weak stock or one cup of strong stock.
Stock from beef or pork bones is more complicated, so I'll leave that for another time.
Here you go! https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/how-to-make-chicken-broth-that-is-actually-tasty/
1. Hosting my niece's graduation party in my backyard this weekend per her request and using many things from my pantry and freezer for the Mexican them menu to keep costs down - rice, black beans, tomato salsa, peach salsa, jalapenos from our garden, cilantro from our garden, ingredients to make the cake for strawberry shortcakes.
2. Purchased chicken for $0.88/lb, 90 eggs for $3, 60 ice cream sandwiches(preparing for summer play dates!) for $6, tomatoes on the vine for $0.88/lb, pork shoulder for $0.99/lb.
3. Sowed seeds in my garden for Zipper Cream peas & sugar snap peas. Planted seedlings for yellow pear tomatoes, jalapenos, cubanelles, & dill. The garden is now completely full and since we are still enjoying the fruits of the harvest from last year this is very frugal and super healthy encouraging us to eat more healthy food not to mention the physical exercise we get weeding, watering, etc... to maintain the garden.
4. Pandemic cooking exhaustion is a real thing! I am trying my best to use leftovers and create more simple meals to give myself a break when I need it and to keep it in perspective. I continue to create meals around what we have in our freezer, pantry and what we have grown, canned and put away. We are making good progress and reduced the freezer from almost full to about 1/3 full.
5. Brewing coffee at home, buying fresh produce that we can't grow from farmers when I can, shopping sales & using coupons when I can (yay!), turning off lights, combining laundry loads, & many other regular frugal daily actions.
A couple of good Canadian medical books for you!: Anything by Tilda Shalof or Dr. Brian Goldman. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam: it is a novel....but so good!!
Enjoy!
Recommendation if you can listen to CBC .White Coat, Black Art on CBC Radio
52 episodes
CBC Radio's Dr. Brian Goldman takes listeners through the swinging doors of hospitals and doctors' offices, behind the curtain where the gurney lies.
Thank you for the recommendation. I have found it on podcast so it should be available to everyone.
1. I am utilizing the VA to provide us with some much needed equipment for my husband, who currently can't walk at all. Most such equipment is free of charge to the veteran.
2. Although I hired someone to dig the area in which to lay pavers and lay down the base layer of crushed rock, I laid all the pavers and shoveled and swept in the rest of the crushed rock between them by myself, saving some money. The pavers I am using outside in our yard are recycled street pavers, weighing about 8 pounds each, which we got for free - legally, I can promise you :). I laid around 200 pavers, so I got my exercise, for sure.
3. I talked to an employee at the independent pet food store and he directed me to a holistic, quality, chicken-free dog food for my chicken-sensitive dog (SO MUCH dog food has chicken in it, even when other meats are the first ingredient) that was about $15 cheaper per bag than the super-pricey brand I was buying. And - she loves it. Success!
4. I made (cassava) spaghetti and for my husband's "sauce" I used cut-up Black Krim and black cherry tomatoes from our plants, cooked in with ground beef, lots of onion and garlic, longevity "spinach" leaves and Italian blend seasoning. The sweet tomatoes were just the right balance, and my husband ate his right up.
5. I harvested more carrots from my container garden -- there are almost none left now - and some parsley and more longevity spinach. The squash and cucumber seeds I planted are coming on well. I usually plant cucumbers earlier than this, but maybe they will make. Things got in my way this year.
I am super impressed that you did all the paver laying yourself!
And good on you for working with the VA to get the help your husband needs.
I'm impressed by your paver laying too! We did that once and not only was it extremely hard work, turns out we're not good at it. 😉
That made me chuckle.
Reading "When Breath Becomes Air" was very painful for me. I felt so sorry for him and his family.
It was such a sad book, but his writing was just beautiful. I couldn't put it down.
1. Self Help has started some outdoor programs back up for the kids. I have taken my 2.5 yr old grandson to them. The programs are free. And usually there is a packet of activities related to the program or even a new book. Yesterday at the playground, there was a story, bubbles, singing, playing and they gave a science activity book. I know his mother and father will do activities with him. Last week at the wildlife sanctuary, the kids played in the "pine forest" where there is nothing but downed trees, branches, stick--but they started to build a fort. We went looking for frogs. Simple things.
2. A couple of weeks ago I took a free watercolor painting class through the library. The kits for the class contained brushes, enough paint for the class, eraser, tracing paper and 2 cards. I really enjoyed it and it will be a really inexpensive way to get a card ready--if you buy the materials right. I am a beginner. I did not want to spend a lot of money. I found supplies at local discount stores and saved at least 50%. This will be a fun summertime activity for me.
3. My daughter wanted to go to an outdoor "artisan" sale. (I like artisan because I think it covers all arts including kitchen arts). We passed a playground along the way and the 2.5 yr old saw it. So we walked over to the playground--Wow. It had equipment from children to adults and for people of all kinds of abilities. The boy it was in memory of was wheelchair bound--they took that into consideration.
4. The library
5. The walking group
That's a win on having the plasticware in the car! I got a quick meal from Aldi a couple of weeks ago and ended up buying a box of forks so I could eat my salad. I know that over time we will use the forks, but it felt a little silly that I was trying to be frugal by buying food from Aldi but also had to spend $4 for forks.
My FFT:
1. I got The Complete Tightwad Gazette through interlibrary loan and have been trying one trick so far - instead of using new coffee grounds each day, keep Day 1's for Day 2 and add half the amount of new grounds. It's been working fine so far!
2. It's hot here (so hot) but we've only been turning on the a/c in the evenings. We're using ceiling fans to help keep it cool, too.
3. Also with a/c... This is our first time ever having central air on the main floor and my husband wanted to keep it a little warmer to see if we are fine with it rather than starting out running it down to 70 and getting used to the cold. It's currently set at 77. So there you go, my husband is just as frugal as I am!
4. I'm planting more tomatoes. Sigh. Many of mine have not survived, so I'm making a last-ditch effort with the leftover seeds I have. A few late tomatoes are better than empty spaces in the garden.
5. The purple green bean seeds I saved from last year are growing!!! They started growing even faster than the store-bought ones we planted. Now that I know that it works, I will definitely save seeds from them again this year.
1. My husband found a lawn mower on the curb. It needed a $16 part, which he bought and put on. It is a much nicer mower than ours, so I will sell ours soon.
2. I picked up a a book off Buy Nothing that I will read on vacation this weekend.
3. I will pick up a state park pass from our local library today. Where we are vacationing this weekend is very close to a great NY state park. This pass will save us $10 per day on admission.
4. I am picking up two 1950's chairs off Marketplace tonight for $35. I hope to resell them for $200 or more.
5. We went to a museum this weekend. We had a BOGO coupon, someone in the parking lot gave us a free pass, and my daughter is free due to her age. We brought lunch and water. The whole day cost us $18 and was so much fun!
We have not been great about frugal things lately but here are a few little items:
1. Had some family over...realized that since we haven't been hosting for over a year now, it feels stressful! Was going to order food but instead stopped at the market for $15 of groceries and used what we had to make stuffed shells, salad, fingerling potatoes, shishito peppers, garlic bread, and fruit for dinner. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.
2. Started making iced tea at home again - I use two tea bags for 3.5 cups of tea and I bought the same brand of syrup that my favorite tea place uses and drop some chia seeds in to make it similar to what to what I get when I buy it.
3. Went shopping at TJ Maxx for the first time in over 15 months. I have a long list of things I *want* to buy for our house and for us, but held off. Walked out without having spent anything because I want to get organized on what I want.
4. A discount code that I entered on a website for an application fee didn't take. I took 2 minutes to email them and they refunded me $75.
5. I've been diligently turning off lights when not in use (if only my family would remember!), wearing a sweater when it's chilly, and avoiding charging the car or running the washer, dryer and dishwasher during peak times. Hopefully this will save us some - moving into a bigger house with no solar panels and a pool has been a pricy upgrade!
I'm so excited to have a few minutes to write today! We are on lockdown in Nova Scotia and I'm not working at my paying job so I have a little extra time for fun activities like leaving a comment here at my favourite blog!!
My saves this week:
1. Made bread yesterday and today. Four small porridge loaves, cheese bread, and a loaf of white for French toast. I also made a sheet pan of mini pizzas with some of the white bread dough. Oh and with some of yesterday's dough I made my own version of taco pockets. They were kind of like calzones with taco meat and cheese.
2. Made a batch of cookies and a small cake.
3. Made my own granola bars for my husband's lunches.
4.This will probably seem crazy but I rinsed my coffee filter to be able to reuse it. That is more of an environmental win because I know it isn't a big money savings.
5. Planted some nasturtium seeds and divided a hosta for a planter.
So smart to keep a set of disposable utensils in your car! We have piles of them at the house, but I would be far more likely to want one in the car!
1. Redeemed a Kroger coupon for free Cheerios. I got the largest size specified on the coupon (18 oz.). It saved me $4.69! I'll be eating Cheerios for quite some time!
2. I got a pound of strawberries on the clearance rack for 99 cents.
3. I found a dime in the Aldi parking lot.
4. Sold 2 small items on Marketplace for $11. Stuff out, money in.
5. Found a receipt in my Aldi cart and scanned it for points on all my reward apps.
5 FT
1. Decided not to go anywhere this last weekend so saved on gas
2. Been using up non-perishable food I bought in the last year-especially last fall with all the anxiety and shortage concerns. Luckily this concern has now been some what diminished.
3. Was hot (for my area) this last weekend in the 80s plus yucky humidity but keeping curtains closed in hottest part of the day helped keep it cool inside and I used a fan!
4. Still using up shampoo and soap from previous hotel stays-I have a feeling this is going to go on for awhile but I know it will feel so good using it up!
5. Booked a reasonably priced AirBnB with a small kitchen so I can save money by not eating out. It's for work (but I have to pay) and it's cheaper than a hotel- it has good reviews so I am hoping for a positive experience!
Does anyone else struggle between frugality versus diet mentality? What I mean is that I am pretty careful about what I eat. I don't "waste" calories by eating something I don't like and I won't force myself to eat something just to keep it from going bad/expiring.
This seems to keep me thin but it also thins my wallet haha. But I want to balance this with being better about food waste.. it is tricky.
YES. I tend to fall the opposite way... Eat it so it doesn't get wasted. I'd be better off if I took your path, though!
It's been tricky for me lately too. I'm on a mission to lose a total of 35 pounds... so for the past few months I have been "guilty" of wasting food I typically would have salvaged/eaten, so that I could avoid too many calories. It's working in terms of helping me lose weight, but I've definitely wasted a bit more food than usual lately. I don't feel too bad, since I know it's only for a limited time until I reach my goal. I still use up as much as possible, but if it ends up meaning that I would be over consuming, I get rid of it (unless my husband/kids will eat it of course).
Our dog and four chickens act as the first step waste-avoiders. And the chicken poop is used in compost, so even better. We also have a hedgehog that eats small amounts of cabbage, lettuce and so on. Just last night the dog and the hedgehog finished off a cuke that was getting too soft for my taste.
Love that the hedgehog is earning it's keep!
Lindsey, your collection of pets sounds so cute.
Yes!!! And we eat a lot of healthy stuff which can be more expensive. On the other hand, we are eating LESS food so I tell myself it evens out. 🙂
Pre Covid this wasn't an issue for me as I took the leftovers for my lunch at work. Since working from home I have no interest in eating leftovers. I usually have soup or salad for lunch.
It took a lot of time to only make enough food for 2 people for dinner. 90% of the time there are no leftovers. I also add to a list things that need to be used up. For my sour cream I used it instead of milk to make biscuits for dinner.
But I do not eat things I don't like just to use them up.
I have been here since Food Waste Fridays and that is around the time I realized how much I threw out. But once the kids moved out I struggled learning how to cook for 2 people.
Yep, definitely. For example, I have a bunch of garlic bread left over. In general, I love garlic bread (it's my weakness), but this time it just wasn't that great. I should toss it - no nutritional value, doesn't taste good. But I hesitate because it feels wasteful and that doesn't feel good to me. I have a lot of these kinds of struggles. Overall, though - I am luckily in a place (financially) where I can prioritize my health so I can make choices that align with that. Same for clearing my plate vs. eating until satiated. So I think really it boils down to doing your best to make the right choices - select the right foods, at the right amounts, for the right reasons whenever you can. It'll never be 100% perfect but in general, if you're intentional in your choices, some food waste is totally acceptable.
I guess part of the question is identifying the source of the guilt, and then trying to break that down even further. Is it wasting money? Not forgiving yourself for making a mistake?
Or wasting food? So somehow the food should have gone to some starving child, somehow? Or some habit you learned as a child?
If you can work out a new message to tell yourself, like I deserve to be thin and healthy, great! CrunchyCake summarized that well: Right choices when you can. Or you might even make a financial donation or action to repair the wrong if it truly bothers you.
My husband's family always said,, "He can clean it up" about him when there was a little left in a dish. With five children (two other boys) and two parents, that wasn't fair to him. It took him a long time to break the habit of eating more than he really wanted as an adult, just because it was served to him.
Another book suggestion for you: The Incredible Life of Henrietta Lacks
Loved this book. Amazing story.
I was just accepted into a medical study. There was lots of paperwork to sign, including what I called, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" clause, which they thought was pretty funny, (but true).
It was a great read, and it's been made into a movie. Henrietta is played by Renee Elise Goldsberry, aka the original Anjelica in "Hamilton". Cant wait to see it!
It's an amazing book!!
Visited my niece and her family in Sacramento and saved some cash in several ways:
1. Pre-purchased airport parking (we live a ways from the airport plus my flight times were inconvenient for drop-off and pick-up)
2. Used airline credit for flights
3. Stayed at a very reasonably priced Airbnb within a block of her home
4. Bought groceries to reduce number of restaurant meals
5. Enjoyed having my niece treat me to Temple Coffee, Selland's Market-Cafe and THAI (where my leftovers provided another THREE meals!) - all outstanding.
6. Brought finished books to a Little Free Library and swapped for some others
1. My dog ate all my cucumber seedlings. I went to the nursery and found five containers of transplants, picking out the ones that had two seedlings in them instead the usual one. Ten cukes for the price of five!
2. Did two mystery shops, so some gas and two pops and a small payment for each.
3. Sold a bunch of planting supplies that were hanging around in the shed, making $70.
4. Made a pie using up baggies of fruit that have been languishing in the freezer for varying lengths of time. Strawberries, honeyberries, blueberries, cranberries and rhubarb made a pretty tasty pie. The question is, why do I freeze, literally, two tablespoons of berries instead of just eating them up at the time?
5. Sold an expensive book on Amazon. I had listed it even though I thought no one would pay $50 for a book (although I obviously did in my profligate past). I was wrong, it sold within a day.
So that you can make a delicious sounding pie!
There's some legislation going on about college textbooks, because colleges are making them online and proprietary, which means that they can charge exorbitant amounts and the student has no other options to acquire the materials: https://sparcopen.org/our-work/affordable-college-textbook-act/#:~:text=The%20Affordable%20College%20Textbook%20Act%20(H.R.,share%20freely%20to%20benefit%20students.
My kids "rent" online textbooks or physical books when they can.
Health professional text books can be very expensive. I was in school in the 1970's and some of my textbooks cost $300 back then! When they were that expensive, I accessed the texts in the library but that meant I couldn't always have access to the book (couldn't be checked out) and certainly couldn't highlight text. It was frustrating.
Kristen, have you heard of the nursing memoirs by Echo Heron? I read them while I was in nursing school --20 years ago-- and they were total page turners. So realistic (unnerving!) they made me second guess my choice of career...Lol
My Own Country by Abraham Verghese is a great medical memoir.
My frugal things are all about using things up before our interstate move.
I was going to recommend that too! He’s such a readable writer and he handled tough topics with a lot of compassion. His novel Cutting for Stone is also really good.
Not a frugal week -- Foolishly left my pool shoes on my car hood while I put wet swimsuit and towel in the way back to dry. Then drove away. Grrr. Checked back the next day and even in the gym "lost and found" but no dice so had to replace them. It is $10.00. D'oh!
Also, succumbed to the siren song of takeout from Pollo Loco on Sunday or Monday. We did have a $5 off in the app so that helped. But, yeah, not frugal.
I'm scraping the barrel here -- the only clothes I have bought since COVID (except for the darned pool shoes -- twice!) are bras, a Down Syndrome tee shirt, with part of the proceeds going to charity, and sneakers. Using up all the clothes I have.
Eating almost all the meals in.
Food shopping (yikes, meat went UP!) and meal planning based on what's on sale. Luckily, husband is not too picky. I will add that to my Thursday thankful list 😉
WHY does milk take so long to defrost?? It's crazy.
Woah, so many helpful ideas in the comments, thank you team!
I made some comments on The Nonconsumer advocate, so won't repeat them here.
but more progress being made
1. I picked up 3 free tomato plants offered on facebook (frugal) then went around the corner to a farmstand to buy some more (less frugal, but I need a lot of plants since I neglected to start any this year.)
2. I delivered all the squished furnace ducts to the recycle place, and found out how to dispose of the bit of asbestos tape we peeled off it all. Paid $8 for 4 special plastic bags (they need to be double bagged) and if I only use 2 bags I can return the others for a credit toward the asbestos disposal fee. Because I am trying to GET THE JOBS DONE I likely will do that one tomorrow.
3. While in the neighbourhood, I stopped at the Tool and Tarp place to restock our supply of tyvec suits and ventilator pucks. We threw away everything that everyone wore during the duct removal job, and I learned how useful it was to have spares, so I made sure to replace everything we used and then a bit more. An expense now that I will be thrilled about when I need those things later. The suits were on 25% off, too, which was a surprise
4. I stopped at my girlfriend's workplace and she and I collected all the sheets of cardboard that she had saved for me. They are 4 X 8 and used to separate fancy plywood - and I need a lot of them for under the tarp that we are putting under the solar panels. I then drove to the hardware store where her son works as he had texted me to say there was cardboard there, too - and he climbed in the dumpster for me. Packed my little car! while there, I frugally picked up a couple of things on my list for the hardware store, which saved a trip at another time
5. I loved someone's idea about using the volunteer garlic as ice cube tray garlic and oil bombs. I was going to transplant mine, but may end up doing both...
6. My drug plan didn't cover a new prescription at the drug store, but I took the time to query the plan, and they told me some arcane rule - then suggested I simply apply from home, which I did. got about $68 back, that I didn't know I was eligible for. At the same time, I queried how much is left in my dental plan - I thought I had used up this year's dollars on a root canal and crown, but I have enough in the plan to pay for a cleaning, so I will book that now for some time in the Fall, to stretch it out.
7. My yearly property tax bill came in. Now that I don't own a rental house, where I had to pay the full tax without a homeowners grant (over $3500 for that one house), the bill this year is a dream. My property is rated 'farm', and my bill was a whopping $350. yes, $350! I paid that off immediately and did the other online 'paperwork' to ensure they do apply the homeowner grant to this place. not owning another house is turning out to be a significant savings in the shock factor
Hooray for #7! The property tax on our house is similarly low, so much so that when discussing it with my father, who lives in a larger city, he asked, "Do you even Have police and fire services?"
I'm sure other kinds of taxes make up for it, but it sure is nice not to have to write out big property tax checks.
1) Placed a meat order on behalf of a bunch of colleagues, and the company added 2 packs of Pork Pluma for free, which is Spanish Iberico Pork....normally quite delicious and pricey. So, a couple of free meals!
2) We have had numerous invitations for meals out since we are moving. It's nice to be appreciated AND not have to pay for a meal.
3) I think I have figured out a way to get my phone/internet for less (when we move back), and it will save us $30 a month.
4) I've given away a bunch of items. Not necessarily frugal, but it's keeping things from landfills and helping others. Win-win.
5) I found a couple of t-shirts on the free table. I really shouldn't be bringing anything home right now, but they were plain colored t-shirts in a longer style that I like, so I snagged them.
I recommend anything by Atul Gwandi, especially Being Mortal. Making The Rounds With Oscar, by David Dosa.
Yes! I thought Being Mortal was such a good and important read.
About that second book: Oscar is a cat. It will not disappoint.
I didn't think I had FFT, but then I remembered #5, which compelled me to put together a Vacation Version. DH and I took our RV from CA to Colorado to meet our new grandbaby. This gave us room to transport some bulky things that were stored in our attic when they moved five years ago (like a brand-new snowboard, a gift from her former employer, and a tote full of boots and other bulky ski gear).
1. I prepped meals to eat along the way, and brought more meals for the whole family to enjoy with minimal prep during our stay.
2. We used our phones to source cheap fuel along the way. In Salt Lake City, we found a safe, quiet place to overnight for free. Did the same on the return journey. Woot!
3. Did some fun DIY projects for the kid's new place, including installing a brand-new Moen faucet that we found for $35 at their town's thrift store.
4. We got sucked into an 8 part mystery series, so we huddled on the sofa together watching 2 episodes a night after the kids were in bed. We anticipated and discussed the program every day. The series is Broadchurch, and there are more seasons, which we'll probably wait to watch until we see them again.
5. We decided to visit a few National Parks on the way home, so I finally got to buy a Lifetime Senior Pass! Doing so at a NP saves the onerous $10 Service Fee. Now we can use it to get into any NP, so it will quickly pay for itself. This has been a much-anticipated perk of becoming a Senior. DH and I intend to get maximum value and enjoyment out of it.
1) Earned a $15 Amazon gift card on Swagbucks. Used the Amazon gift card to purchase a few running items for my husband for his birthday
2) Sold a few things on eBay. Slow but steady sales, similar to your textbook description. I just list things, and eventually, most things sell.
3) I needed new swim trunks & shorts for our teens, for an upcoming vacation. They won't wear nicer shorts often, so I didn't want to spend a lot. I bought them each a pair for ~$7, tax free. I will likely sell these, once we get back, as they are a very nice brand. I also found a two pack of swim trunks for $12 at Costco, which is a fantastic deal.
4) We've been picking a lot in the garden: basil, mint, spinach, kale, carrots, radishes, and our first tomato. I planted more radishes & carrots yesterday, to keep things going.
5) Made a menu for the weekend that includes lots of carbs, and my Keto eating husband will be out of town. I plan to use up freezer items that don't get eaten often, due to his allergy.
If you have specific books you want to read that your library doesn't have, check to see if you can borrow via Inter-library loans. Most libraries participate and you usually only have to pay a small fee for them to ship it to your library. (like $0.50-$1.00, not the true cost of shipping) I think they do that to make sure you seriously want it and it's not a waste of time/money.