Five Frugal Things | a bench cushion repair
1. I modified my piano bench cushion
After I moved last year, my piano bench was having a hinge issue.
It's not the first time...this poor bench has been through the wringer. I bought it with my piano in 1997, and since then it has endured countless piano students, plus the abuse of my own four children.
So I took it for a ride over to my dad's garage.
My dad replaced the small individual hinges with a single long hinge that runs the length of the bench. And he did some serious reinforcing.
Because the new hinge had no gaps, the cushion ties could no longer run underneath the lid from front to back.
The cushion was sort of useless this way, so I decided to attempt a modification.
I cut all the ties off, leaving me with six.
I wanted them to run under the bench longways, so I sewed the first four together, two at a time.
But then I realized, oh, I'd better not sew the last two together, because I needed two more ties, not just one!
I poked through the jar (a repurposed candle jar) where I keep ribbons that I've saved, and I pulled out some black ones that I think came with a blanket I'd bought.
(You know how blankets are often packaged with a wide ribbon holding the labels on? Click here to see what I mean. I usually save those ribbons!)
I cut the velcro parts off and then sewed two ribbons to the remaining two original bench straps.
Then I hand-sewed them all onto the cushion (it was too thick to use the machine.)
And I'm happy to say my fix works! My bench cushion is back in business.
I love low-stakes projects like this; the cushion was no good as-is, so I had nothing to lose by trying to fix it.
Click here to see another way I reused some ribbon I saved from a bedding package. It's a serious throwback! Scroll toward the end of the post to see the ribbon part.
2. I got a bottle of Fray Check for my shorts
I have this pair of Old Navy shorts that was inexplicably fraying a LOT by one of the seams.
You've seen these shorts before when I showed you my Converse.
I thought I had some Fray Check, but it must be at my other house.
So, I popped into Jo-Ann's, loaded up a 40% off coupon on my phone, and got a fresh bottle of Fray Check for a couple of dollars.
(You can see Fray Check on Amazon here, but you will get it cheaper by going to a craft store and using a 40% off coupon.)
I used it on the shorts, and now I should be good to go.
3. I fixed my Vans again
Remember how I sewed up the side split last year?
Well, the fabric frayed and so my stitching had now come undone.
Sooo, I stitched it up again.
And then I brushed on some Fray Check to keep my new repair job from getting destroyed again.
I also brushed some Fray Check on a spot on the other shoe, to help prevent it from splitting in the future.
I know these Vans are nearing the end of their useful life, but...I like to squeeze every bit of life possible out of my stuff. 😉
4. I got a pair of kitchen scissors for $5
Kohl's sent me a $5/any purchase coupon for my birthday, so I popped in and picked up a pair of kitchen scissors.
They were originally $10, so my coupon brought them down to $5.
I already had one pair for kitchen use, but it's really nice to have two pairs; that way when one is dirty, you still have one available!
5. I...
- made a batch of this chicken broth
- boiled some washcloths to unstink them (click here for more details on how to do that)
- used up some green onions in my breakfast potatoes
- planted the green onion ends so that they will regrow more onions
Lots of good saves this week Kristen.
1. A few months ago I bought a box of Ener-G Egg Replacer on clearance. The first time I used it I was not impressed and it sat unused in the pantry. I finally looked it up online and it seemed to have good reviews so I used it in three different batches of muffins and it worked fine. It is both cheaper than using eggs and good for people that must avoid eggs.
2. CVS really wants me to get free and cheap stuff. Last week I had an offer to receive up to $10 off on one item. I stopped on my way by and found a box of RxBars for $9.99. I also had an offer of $2.00 in Extra Bucks that I used to buy two bags of popcorn for less than $2.00 out of pocket. They have since sent me two additional offers for $2.00 in Extra Bucks so I'll stop by today and spend the $4.00. I have only shopped there post pandemic when they have given me Extra Bucks for no action on my part.
3. We didn't need much in the way of groceries this week, and the sales were meh, so I just made a produce and chicken stop.
4. A friend and I got together yesterday for a walk on the local wooded trail that leads to the next suburb. We did stop for a treat but it was a local small restaurant and a large GF cookie was only $2.50.
5. A neighbor shared his Breck's catalog with us. There are some good prices on daffodils if we order this time of year. He gets all the discounts so we will order with him.
—Our mechanic gave us $200 in service credit when we signed our dead Jeep over to him for parts. This took care of two oil changes and recharging the AC coolant in our new-to-us car.
—My favorite brand of canned tomatoes—Muir Glenn—were on clearance for half price at the organic food store I frequent *precisely* because of their clearance deals. ($2.50 cage free eggs and/or 32 oz of oat milk? Yes, please!) The cans were of whole stewed tomatoes, but that doesn’t matter to my immersion blender! We go through ridiculous amounts of tomato sauce, so I consider the five discounted cans I bought (1-2 weeks worth for us, depending on the menu) quite the score.
—Penzey’s had several seasoning mixes for $1 apiece and 20% off this past weekend. Their Turkish seasoning is amazing, so I ordered the bulk bag this time thanks to the 20% off, as well as several of the $1 sale items for gifts. I used a gift card bought previously at a steep discount, so this purchase was “free.”
—I always keep an eye out for wheel-thrown pottery when thrifting and recently came across a gorgeous mug for $1.99. Thanks to the name on the bottom, I was able to track down the Etsy/pottery shop it originated from several states away (Ayers Pottery in Hannibal, MO, for the curious). Mugs start at $24 each, which is more than fair—they’re *very* well done. Ceramics will forever remain my favorite class that I was **terrible** at but so appreciated the knowledge gained. I can’t throw a piece to save my life, but I can spot a good one—form, weight, glaze, etc.—in the wilds of Goodwill from aisles away. 😛
—My husband loves tulips, so I bought 30 bulbs for $8ish on clearance last winter. I then splurged on Black Hero tulips (VERY deep garnet/purple/black), which were $20 for 10 bulbs including shipping. Thus far, the cheapies are the only ones sprouting! 28/30 have peeked out, while I’ve not noticed any of the black tulips coming up. They did get planted a few weeks later, so I’m hopeful they’ll come through—our inner Goths are excited for the unusual flower hue. I just find it amusing that my hardware store clearance tulips are doing so much better!
@N, I love thrown mugs, but have no way to tell if they’re worth their value. Pointers?
@N, I've bought mugs at Ayers Pottery in Hannibal before! How fun! Our team hosts a conference there each year and sometimes we buy their mugs as a thank you gift for the keynote speaker. Maybe you found one of those. ;-)
@Kaitlin, Quick and dirty pointers are as follows:
1) Weight. Hold the piece in your hand. Does the weight feel evenly distributed throughout and right for the piece's size, or was it thrown thickly and qualify as a blunt instrument?
2) Form/symmetry. Is the ceramic thrown evenly throughout, or is one side noticeably thicker than the other when looking at the edges from above?
3) Glaze. This should be evenly distributed, especially on the inside of a piece for food safety. Wax resist is used on the bottom of pieces to keep the glaze from running/adhering to the bottom of the kiln. Sloppy glaze = permanent glaze "puddles" at the bottom of your mug.
4) A signature and a date. While this doesn't always lead back to the original shop like mine did, it's a sign of quality vs. quantity. Larger retailers like Pier 1 can have wheel-thrown ceramics, but they are rarely signed on the bottom. Even when thrifting, I like to know my piece came from an individual.
5) Instinct. Once you know what you're looking for, handmade pieces really do stick out! There's just something unique and alive about them that mass produced pottery doesn't have. Think about spotting a handsewn garment on a rack vs. a factory produced one--you just *know*, even from afar.
@Dorinda, Oh how cool! This mug looked like it had never been used--an unwanted present, perhaps? My kitchen's glad to have it, in any case. 😛
I feel like my frugal things are just regular ole things. This last week I
*used up some not quite as fresh fresh pico de gallo to make taco meat for our tacos salads (I also didn't have any taco seasoning so I made do with cumin, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic, S&P)
*made your Not-from-a-mix brownies as a sweet treat on Sunday
*Grocery shopped in person and stuck to my list and my budget
*middle son fixed my screen door which I had thought was broken - so relieved that it was not because those are not cheap!
*New hospital has been feeding us, so I haven't been packing much in the way of weekday lunches
*bought 3 books for $6 at Goodwill (library would be cheaper, but I was also looking for a small pot to re-pot a fern with)
@gina, regular ole things is what keep our pocketbooks full. Penny saved is a penny earned.
I had promised one of my sons that when he got to his teacher's goal of 1,000 sight words (those words that have to learned by sight because they don't follow standard spelling rules) memorized this year, I would provide an ice cream sundae bar for him, like his brother got in class for learning his times tables. The 1,000 sight words have been learned, and so we had a sight-word sundae party on, um, Sunday. 🙂
Here's how I did it without buying a bunch of stuff. Shall we call it FFT: Ice Cream Party Edition? Sure.
1) My husband bought the ice cream. He got the Wal-Mart brand vanilla and chocolate, in gallon tubs. I would have thought their store brand of ice cream would be that gross "dairy dessert" stuff that doesn't even have real milkfat as the first ingredient, but the Great Value ice cream is surprisingly good. And certainly affordable.
2) I made caramel sauce. I used the salted caramel recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction, which is dangerously good. (And then I cleaned out the pot of all the sticky caramel residue by heating milk in there, so my kids got to have caramel milk. They did not mind this.)
3) I made chocolate shell, which, if you didn't know, is literally just chocolate chips microwaved with a bit of coconut oil until all melted. That stuff in a bottle at the store is such a scam. Chocolate sauce would have been better, but I didn't feel like making anything else that involved cooking in a pot. The shell is way easier.
4) I made whipped cream. I've never actually purchased whipped cream in a can, but I'm pretty sure homemade is cheaper.
5) I had made chocolate chip-almond cookies a couple of days before, so I crumbled some of those to have cookie pieces for a topping.
And a bonus #6 . . .
6) We had two bags of peanuts in the shell in the pantry, so I shelled some of those and set them out, along with the neverending container of sprinkles my sister had brought for my daughter's birthday cake in October.
And then we let everyone loose to stuff themselves with ice cream sundaes. Which they did. They even got to have seconds. It was so fun. And frugal. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, Chocolate shell >>>>> Chocolate sauce, always. My mom would never buy Magic Shell, so when I was a parent and learned about homemade chocolate shell you bet I was on board!
@kristin @ going country, totally didn't know this about chocolate shell. My kids will thank you for years.
@kristin @ going country, Homemade whipped cream is indeed cheaper but they are almost two different products in a way. Cool Whip is a whole 'nother animal entirely.
Sundae bars are fun. My godfather used to do them at some family events. He's sadly gone to a better place but I like to think of him when we do this.
@kristin @ going country, I belong to a women’s charitable organization. We meet in each other's home once a month. If you host the meeting, it is your responsibility to provide dessert and other refreshments. I was really rushed one time when it was my turn and so I made a sundae bar. This group of over-40 women were thrilled to make their own sundaes. Ice cream seems to awaken the child in all of us. Now that I know the trick behind the chocolate shell, I may do it again sometime. What a fun Sundae Sunday!!!
@kristin @ going country, I have no idea what Chocolate shell is.... and a sundae bar is also quite foreign in my world experience. Sigh, West Coast Canadian -we seem to be bypassed by some interesting things (which is a mixed blessing, I suspect)
It’s sad when shoes are no longer wearable. Hopefully you get more time out of those vans.
FFT:
-changed dinner plans last minute due to being out of a key ingredient. Still was able to do a simple meal at home that tasted lovely.
-used up fruit/veggies/perishables before they went bad. And remembered to get the chicken out of the car this week.
-invited Dad over to help with getting the house put together after months of projects that abruptly stopped. He played with electricity, finished floors, helped organize tools and make a list of priorities as other people ask how they can help. He also did a Costco run for me when he couldn’t find food to eat and bought me some chocolate.
-found a great gift for my son’s birthday in the middle of the mess of the house. I had planned to use it for something else, but his birthday is an even better reason.
-have been frugal with my time: not dallying or wasting time but structuring it well so I can rest at the end of the day. There’s still more to do each day than I have time for, but hopefully I get caught up enough it will resume normal busy instead of extra overwhelmingly busy.
It's a normal frugal week.
*I cooked all our meals.
*I used up leftovers--sometimes creatively, sometimes not.
*Instead of buying something for my new great nephew, my husband found a few things in our stash in the closet.
*I used some green onion we'd planted using the roots, and my 7yo replanted the roots again. (The green onion thing has become her thing.)
*I planned meals. I probably strayed from the menu, but it sure made life easier.
FFT, More Spring Things Edition:
(1) I got all my garden beds raked off, perennial herbs cut back, and areas I'm letting go fallow this year covered with cardboard or tarp. Now comes the fun and creative part: deciding what goes where!
(2) I got two perennial herbs moved, and natural acidifier put down around some plants and bushes that need it, just before rains came. My particular patch of Central NY is almost unique in the U.S. Northeast in having very alkaline soil, so I need to put the acidifier on some things. I bought it at the last 20% off sale at Country Max.
(3) I'm starting to use up my supply of assorted deer/other-critter repellents in the basement. I hadn't been using some of these very much, because (a) they're not supposed to be used on food crops and (b) they're repulsively smelly. But since I'm not doing vegetables this year (except for the tomatoes behind the fence over at my next-door neighbor's), I figured I might as well recoup my sunk costs.
(4) I've had two extremely good bottlepicking hauls the mornings after Little League games at a nearby park. I'm only sorry that, due to a conflicting engagement, I had to miss the cleanup after the officially sanctioned beer bust at my local Jesuit college last Friday!
(5) DH's last and best employee came over on Saturday with his oldest son, for the long-planned project of putting together starter sets of hand tools (from DH's enormous stash in the garage) for this son and his next-in-line brother. The oldest son aspires to be a forester, so I insisted on his taking some of DH's logging tools as well. I'm sure DH would be pleased that these tools are being passed on in this way; I know I am.
@A. Marie, I love that you’re so thoughtfully re-homing (if one can use that word) your DH tools!
@A. Marie, I love your number five. Also, I was curious about the beer bust clean up. Is there a deposit on beer bottles in NY? There has never been a deposit on beer bottles in CA, even back when I was a kid and collecting them for sweets money.
@Anne (and @Gunn), thanks for the kind words about #5. And, yes, NY State has a 5-cent deposit on beer and soda containers and water bottles. As I've said in the past, if/when NY gets around to passing an expanded bottle bill (raising the deposit to 10 cents and including sports drinks, tea, and fruit juices), I will have myself a real side hustle--and it's not bad now!
@A. Marie, When we were young, my husband and several times we visited a friend whose father was dying. The friend and I would talk and my husband would visit with the dad, listening to his WWII stories. The last time we saw him, he gave my husband a set of already ancient planers. My husband still treasures them and thinks of the man every time he uses them. It reminds me of that saying, "As long as they speak your name, you shall never die."
@A. Marie, I struggle with the “what goes where” in my flower beds. My front yard is shady now that our trees are big, but I live in S Texas and not everything will make it in spite of my obsessive watering! But layout is my biggest challenge.
@SandyH, I can't make specific suggestions for South Texas, since I've never been there. But here are my general principles for Garden Tetris:
(1) Know your site(s) in terms of sun/shade (which you already do), wet/dry spots, particular microclimates, etc. I've been gardening at my present home since 1985, so my garden beds and I know each other pretty well by now.
(2) Know your plants and their requirements in terms of (1).
(3) Plant tall stuff to the north of short stuff. (Our friends Down Under would need to do the opposite, I suppose.)
(4) Within the limits of (1)-(3), try for as much variety as possible in terms of flower color and plant shape.
(5) And know your local wildlife. My recent comments on gardening have made it clear what a PITA it is to have to work around deer, woodchucks, etc.
@A. Marie, California has a "California Redemption Fee", but I don't know what it is, and it isn't redeemable. Just another puzzle from Sacramento...
Those are some great saves. I will have to trying to plant my onions too. I usually just put them in water to regrow but now that summer is almost here...
1. I used some of my homegrown blackberries from my freezer to make a low sugar jam that I'm adding to the homemade yogurt I made last week. It makes a cheap and delicious breakfast.
2. I used up several items that were going to spoil to make a breakfast casserole for my daughter to eat in the morning before she goes to work. She's starting a new job today.
3. I invited my Mom and sister for dinner. I used up some chicken that's been languishing in the freezer to make some delicious burrito bowls. The only items I needed to purchase were pico de gallo and an avocado. Afterwards we took a lovely drive to a local ice cream shop for dessert. It was a wonderful, relaxing and frugal night.
4. I purchased an inexpensive partial bottle of carpet cleaner from an estate sale and my favorite slippers at Goodwill. I washed the slippers and they are like new and I will use the carpet cleaner to shampoo more carpets this week.
5. I had dinner out with friends for a birthday. We shared the cost of the birthday girl's dinner. I prefer this to buying a gift which none of us needs. I ordered water and an inexpensive entree.
My husband has been taking leftovers for lunch. Today he had to be at work early and made himself a cup of coffee and left it on the counter. Score 1 for me when I woke up!
Answered a survey for Michael's on line about a new store and they sent me a $5.00 coupon. So I went and bought a few items for a counter display that I have been wanting. Plus with the 40% off, I spent less than $10.
Had a 60,000 mile check up on my car and the mechanics found the rear wheel bearings had gone bad. So we paid the $950.!!! Yikes. Then we remembered we have a warranty. Good thing because it expires in 4,000 miles and the service is covered. So all I have to do is send in the bill, which I will be doing today. The car is a lot quieter now, not to mention safer when I drive alone.
Made a baby gift for a friend with paper and a frame that I already had. I purchased a pattern on Etsy for a 3D display sign that has the birth information. I used my cutting machine to cut out the pieces, put it together and put it in a shadow box frame I already had on hand (that I bought from Michael's during a BOGO). Came out really nice. Now to just get to the post office and ship it.
Will be eating leftover chicken soup tonight while my husband makes himself some hot pepper sandwiches using some leftover tomato sauce in the fridge (me - not a fan). And then he will have more leftovers for lunch for the rest of the week.
Frugal/Not so Frugal
F: Bought hairdresser peroxide to bleach out an old, stained piece of pottery.
F: Cooked most meals at home except for one cheaper-than-bail pizza
NSF: Dropped Son's steak on the kitchen floor while cooking it, and he saw and refused to touch it. (If he hadn't been there I'd've picked it up, rinsed it off, and put it back on the grillpan.) Whoops.
F: Planted tomatoes and basil
NSF: Had to pay $480 cash for Son's shrink. That's for half an hour, yeesh.
F: Continued my endless decluttering.
F: Have not turned the heat up but that's because the area around the thermostat is part of the clutter problem, which stresses me, but the constant cold in the house is getting me down too. I do have real problems too. Heh.
@Rose, Fun side fact: Hairdresser peroxide is actually found a bit of a niche in retro gaming and computing circles because it can help restore plastic that has yellowed thanks to UV light.
@Battra92, I've heard that!
I collect kitchenalia and I just bought a kitchen thing that has horrendous fat stains under the glaze. A couple weeks in peroxide and it should be pristine. I have also heard that people put in a low oven, so the ancient fat warms up and drips away, but it's also supposed to be smelly. Er....I'll try peroxide first.
@Rose, $480!! For half an hour!!! (Picture my eyes bugging out.)
@Rose,
Does he need the shrink because he's worried you will feed him floor steak on the reg? 😉
@Lindsey, He's one of the most eminent child psychiatrists in the United States. My kids are 26 and 28 now, but they still talk to him 2x a year. He's known us for at least 15 years now and all our quirks and he is so freaking smart.
The problem is that his office is in no network whatsoever, so I have to pay cash with no reimbursement every time. I often say to him, "Are you sure my kids' mental health is worth $2K a year?" He laughs. He's used to me. When he was selected as one of the 100 best doctors in the US by US News and World Report, and he framed the article in his office, I said, "Wouldn't it be more fun to be one of the 100 worst doctors in the US?" He laughed and said, "It's all fun and games until I lose my medical license."
And yes, my kids should be paying for it themselves but uh, don't wanna, sigh, etc. fine, whatever.
@Rose,
Yes, but did the floor steak come up? I assume that for that price you get eavesdropping privileges...
@Becca, good one.
I scurried over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to use some seriously old store credit (pre-pandemic) before the company could announce they wouldn't honor them any more. With store credit + coupons from kindly other customers I bought a half dozen little citronella candles in attractive, reusable pillars for ... wait for it ... one penny.
I got the bill for hiring movers to pack up stuff when staging the house. It was 40% below estimate and more than paid off in the great price I got for my house by selling it in the spring, rather than late summer after I move out.
I learned that the bakery around the corner from my new house has a discount that applies to me.
My friend suggested trimming and binding a rug I have instead of buying another one. It's a challenging space to cover (leaving it uncovered is not an option) and I have a rug that's just a bit too wide.
I feel I have more Not Frugals than Frugals this week. The biggest set has to do with the new house. I decided that I want it great instead of pretty good, which means several projects that will make me happy for a long time but are definitely not frugal. For example, the paint is in good enough shape but in a creamy white that I find dingy. New paint job it is and I am definitely hiring that out.
@WilliamB, I’m so in agreement on the new house should be great and not just pretty good. We just moved to what should be our last house as we are in our early 79’s and I am spending money like crazy to make it great. Everyday frugality continues but the not frugal upgrades and necessary repairs are much larger.
I too am trying to make my beloved house completely and inexorably me. I am going to paint over the 1920s knotty pine paneling in at least the living room. Yay! I have to finish decluttering it first.
The kitchen is almost ready for its closeup, though. The neon sign I treated myself to for my birthday makes me happy every time I walk into the room, which is why I say Things > Experiences.
@WilliamB, I feel a little bad about the loss of BB&B (particularly the people who worked there anyway) but I'll be honest when I say that I cannot for the life of me remember the last time I bought anything there (maybe some tablecloths a few years ago.) Sadly, they just didn't give me a reason to shop there.
@WilliamB, I love "great instead of pretty good"! My husband, dog and I are living in temporary digs until we can find a new house. Given our age, it will be our final house purchase so I'm going to keep your phrase in mind for future home improvement projects.
@WilliamB, totally love "great instead of good". Going to keep that in mind.
@Battra92, My assessment is that they were outcompeted by Target and the like. Similar products, higher prices.
@Battra92, I also wasn't a shopper at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, though did check out my store's closing sale a few months ago. The store has announced a timeline of when they will stop accepting coupons, (day after tomorrow!), gift cards, store credit, and so forth. Anyone who is hanging on to those things should look for news stories about the expiration dates, which are in the next few weeks.
Party City and Hardees are also closing stores.
@WilliamB, I look at it I'm frugal on most things so I have the money to hire out things I hate to do.
@MB in MN,
I'm in more of a "better not perfect" stage of life these days, but I'll put a pin in "great instead of pretty good" for later...
@Heidi Louise, I remember when everyone (including us) had wedding registries at BB&B in the early 2000's. That was probably when I shopped there the most, but glad we used up all our gift cards long ago!
I had a registry there in 1997!
@Colleen, Me, too! Cleaning teams and accountants are tops of my list.
Had no idea you had FOUR children!?!?
You only talk about and spend time with three??
Where is your fourth are you estranged???
Confused in MD
C.
1. You already know this, because you have been reading my blog for a long time.
2. You don't live in Maryland; you live in Ontario, and I know this because of your IP address.
3. Your name isn't Caroline; you choose different names almost every time you comment, which means you know that what you're doing isn't kind. Otherwise, you wouldn't hide behind fake names.
@Kristen, you are so smart and brave here! As “they” say, “there’s one in every crowd”, right? Wonder why, but I also wasn’t born yesterday.
@Caroline, you sounds like my Mom. She always looks for one's vulnerability and sneaks it in conversation to make one feels bad, horrible, terrible. It is pretty pointless malice. She has left my house to live with my sis AND my blood pressure rate has dived from 150/95 to a more reasonable 128/80 and hopefully will continue to lower. She had a severely damaging childhood and youth. Probably you did too. Seek help if you care about yourself.
@alicia, edit "sneaks it in conversation to make SURE one feels bad, horrible, terrible."
1. An Amazon order came in destroyed (thanks dude at the warehouse who shoved it in a plastic bag instead of a box) and the item itself was only a couple dollars but the replacement process was pretty easy.
2.) I got some coloring books on final clearance at Walmart for all of 9 cents! They will be going into my church's nursery and/or in the back for kids to color with during the service.
Side note: there's actually a little bit of a controversy where one of the elders seems to think that the elementary school aged children should be sitting attentively to the sermon but he obviously never parented a child with ADHD before ...
3.) Threw a whole bunch of stuff away and did a bit of a purge. Less to clean up and maintain is frugal for me because it causes me less stress.
4.) Getting ready to sell some things on Facebook Marketplace and/or eBay.
5.) Eating out of the freezer, line drying clothes and sheets, using what I already own etc.
@Battra92, Does the elder believe that children (w or w/o ADHD) who hated going to church, are going to want to stay in the faith?
@Battra92, Your clearance find for church reminds me of a frugal thing I forgot to list! (9 cents is pretty amazing for coloring books, BTW!) I was shopping at Meijer the morning they put all of their Easter stuff 90% off. Our church does an Easter egg scavenger hunt each year that takes you to different spots around town, so the kids take the eggs home and we need new eggs each year. My 4yo and I filled a shopping cart full of 90% off Easter eggs for less than twenty bucks! And my little one had such fun doing it. 🙂
@WilliamB, He's a bit out of touch. I don't think he understands children ... or people. The pastor has let us know that children are welcome to either be in the nursery or in the service.
@Battra92, I have recently started attending a new church after moving states last year. I have an 11 month old who sounds like a lawn mower mixed with a rabid fox. The pastor stopped us a few weeks ago and let us know multiple members of the congregation had commented on how great it was to hear children in church again. This particular church has an older congregation and is trying to build up its membership after covid. Surprised me a bit but I’m definitely not dropping him into the nursery without knowing a single person in the church. Feels pretty welcoming so far. 🙂
@Jenn W, love your description of your little one. Ha!
How nice to be so welcomed at your new cburch.
@Jenn W, "a lawn mower mixed with a rabid fox" —priceless description! And my church also welcomes children and their noises because we are an aging congregation.
@Jenn W, The pastor in the church I grew up in expected children to be in the service with everyone else. He said he didn't notice their noises, except once in a while when some small voice would hit a high note and hold it. A very welcoming attitude!
When the clunky wooden church pews were eventually replaced, the new ones had slightly padded seats. That might have been for comfort, but also for noise control.
I so admire how you are able to get a long life out of those Vans shoes! It made me think about the sneakers I have gone through over the years. I realized that most of the time, I buy new shoes because my old ones have worn away on the inside of the heel, near the Achilles area. And then the blisters are awful! Does anyone have a fix for replacing the padding on the inside of the shoe, on the back of the heel? I hope I'm explaining this clearly 🙂
@Elinor, My husband used some heel cups, probably Dr. Scholls, though not quite in the place you described. So many inserts are available for shoes now that you can probably find something to try. Try drug stores, discount stores. The pads can be cut to size.
@Elinor, You need something like these:https://www.target.com/p/fab-feet-women-39-s-by-foot-petals-back-of-heel-insoles-shoe-cushion-khaki-1-pair/-/A-13370231?ref=tgt_adv_xsf&AFID=google&CPNG=Shoes&adgroup=98-9
If you search for "heel cushions" you'll find an assortment of possibilities.
@Elinor, You might look into orthotics for over-pronators.
@Heidi Louise, thank you!
@WilliamB, YES! Thank you!
You put a piano hinge on your piano bench, ha. That was a good job on the cushion. I'll bet that was satisfying.
What do I have for frugal things?
1. I found some Stasher bags on clearance when grocery shopping. I assume they were retiring the colors, since the exact same bags in other colors were not on sale. I noticed the bag top has a bigger tab now to grab for opening, which I think it needed. I bought three because I often run out of them. I store them neatly stacked with my other Stashers and the silicone bowl covers in a plastic cannister that no longer has a usable lid but was too good to throw out.
2. I finally finished painting my back porch myself. A million balusters (might be a slight exaggeration), 6 uprights, stair riser and a close grid of 2 x 4 supports under the 10' high metal roof all had to be painted, but I finally got it done without hiring anyone. It's taken awhile to finish because we can only seem to get rain on weekends this year, and weekends are my only time to paint.
3. I canceled the monthly shipment of 8 Covid tests to my husband from his Medicare plan. I was surprised with a first shipment this weekend and the paper with it said they would come monthly unless I canceled. He is tested at no charge to us at the nursing home already and I don't need 8 per month for me! They are "free" which means our taxes pay for them.
4. A teen granddaughter went to her first prom with a group of friends and a grandparent offered a lovely yard with a scenic pond surrounded by moss-draped trees to take photos. A lot of people around here hire someone for taking prom photos (I swear, some folks here treat proms like they are weddings), but we just took our phones/cameras and got some great photos for free, then shared them around to each other.
5. I went through my rag bucket and selected some of the ones in worst shape to put in the kitchen for grease cleanup. Once they get used for icky grease cleanup, I toss them, which is the safest disposal for them. I haven't bought paper towels in a long, long time.
@JD,
Prom, birthday parties and weddings have become ridiculously expensive events. It seems that everything must be Instagram worthy. I do not like it at all when I attend an event that is about the photographs and not the experience, The best photos are not necessarily the ones taken by the professional photographer.
@Bee, I couldn't believe it when my friend's daughter had a "prom-posal" at Disney World! And we live in suburban New York!
That said, 8 years later they're getting married soon, so *shrug*. Neither of my kids went to prom.
@Bee (and @JD), I think you're onto something here with the "everything must be Instagram worthy" observation. I blame social media for a lot of things, but making people feel that life must be "about the photographs and not the experience" is high on my list. I like my experiences hands-on and unmediated.
@Rose, I got engaged at Disney World. My now hubby knew it was my favorite place on Earth. I worked there the summer of my Junior year at college. We have been married 22 year. We have taken our kids there twice. Would have loved to get married there but none of our relatives would have made the trip from New York.
@A. Marie, amen sister!
1. Visited used bookstore. Used my credits for 4 new-to-me paperbacks.
2. Rummaged around in above-named bookstore's "free" bin outside. Scored a large hardback biography of Colin Powell -- it would've cost about $30 if purchased new. Got some other books, including one from my favorite romance author. Did I mention all these were free?
3. Worked OT for my second (weekend) job when another employee called in sick.
4. Was given a coupon for a free sandwich and a refillable drink cup from the BBQ place next to the store. It wasn't anything I did, but frugal none the less.
5. Comparison shopped to ascertain the deals I got on (1) laundry detergent and (2) veggie chip snacks were the best prices available. Yes (1) and no (2). So I stocked up on the detergent and forgot about the chips.
Oof, we had an international trip where we paid for 10 people last week, so it was the opposite of frugal in every way. Here are a few very small things we did to offset the cost:
1) We used Priority Pass (came free with my credit card) to get a $56 dining credit at SFO. We bought breakfast for everyone before we got on our first flight. Similarly, we used the pass at the Dubai airport, to get into a lounge ahead of our flight. The pass admitted two, so I paid for the kids, which was about the same price as buying food & drinks at the airport, but much quieter & nicer - a benefit, given our flight left at 2 am. Everyone ate at the lounge, & had drinks. My husband & I had wine with our meal (included).
2) All four of us were upgraded to business class, on our flight from Newark to Dubai (it's ~13 hours), using my status, points & points from a friend. Similarly, my husband & I were upgraded to premium plus on the flight from Dubai to Newark, and I was upgraded to first class on the flight from Newark to SFO. In other news, it was a LOT of traveling. (Two 25+ hour travel days, on either side.)
3) I was planning to send out our laundry one day. We really didn't want to check bags, due to the connecting flights, & the hotel website didn't mention a laundry facility. I checked when we got there, and they did have a tiny laundry room. I was able to buy laundry soap at the shop across the street, and did all of the laundry for under $2.
4) I packed snacks for myself & the kids, which we ate on the flights. I also took advantage of my free snack & drink (benefit of having 1k status on United), getting a cheese plate & a glass of wine on one leg of the trip.
5) The hotel came with a really lovely & pretty extensive breakfast buffet each day, which we took advantage of. We were pretty limited to two meals a day, given Ramadan, which was celebrated in Dubai. That kept the food costs down as well.
@Hawaii Planner, My mind boggles at paying for that many, for a trip of that magnitufe. How wonderful that you could do it.
You used so many of my favorite traveling tips. Including that keeping the kids means a happier trip for everyone involved. The flight from the US East Coast to South Africa is usually 18 hours but the last time I did it, we on the ground for 4 hours. The head flight attendant bent the rules to feed the children hot dinners before we took off. The adults were hungry but the kids slept. Quietly.
Hotel laundry is hit-or-miss. Even fancy hotels don't always have laundry services over the weekend and you can't get it done if you're staying only one night. And then there's the price. Even if someone else is paying for it I can't bring myself to send out socks that cost more to clean than to buy. So I travel with laundry soap sheets and if I forget, use hand soap.
Breakfasts buffets are da bomb. There is a chain that offers not only breakfast but also a weekday happy hour snack bar. The two are so substantial that I don't have to buy any meals.
@Hawaii Planner, FUN! I hope you had an awesome time!
@Ruth T, @WilliamB - don't know if it's okay to link (Kristen, feel free to delete), but I did a full financial write up, for anyone who is interested. Brace yourself, it was really expensive. (There's a lot of background as to why we needed to pay, how hard it is for my husband's family to travel, and the overall income level in Iran.) This is a once in a lifetime type of thing, although contradicting that entirely, if my MIL is still healthy enough to travel, we will save up again & try for two years in Turkey. (We are super limited on where we can meet up, due to the lack of embassies in Iran).
https://thehawaiiplan.blogspot.com/2023/04/dubai-financial-recap.html
@Hawaii Planner, Honestly, that trip for ten people, I think what you paid is very reasonable.
My son wants us to visit Dubai, but I can't be bothered. I'd rather avoid that part of the world entirely and go to other places which are cheaper and closer, like the Caribbean. Maybe the Maldives someday. A friend of mine lives in Qatar, but again, not sure I want to spend my money there.
@Hawaii Planner, Iran is such a beautiful country, and the people (not the mullahs!) are so gracious and welcoming. I'm glad I got in (and out!) just before the Revolution.
@Rose, it wasn't on my list of travel destinations, but there are just a handful of countries we can all mutually visit. Dubai was the top choice due to cost for the folks flying from Iran, and our ability to get there within a day (we traveled over our teens spring break.)
Maldives is also on my travel list!
@JDinNM, my inlaws are such wonderful people, and I would love, love, love to visit the country, if that was ever an option. I've heard what an amazing place it is to visit.
@Hawaii Planner, That was fun to read about. 🙂 And I agree with Rose - the cost for that many people doesn't seem extreme. Almost 5 years ago we traveled to Hong Kong to visit my in-laws and yes, it was so much more expensive than what it costs us to visit them now that they live in Pennsylvania. But we saved, we found ways to make it less expensive, and it was wonderful time together that we will always treasure. Your trip very much sounds like you found ways to make it less expensive and that it was wonderful time together that you will always treasure. That's fantastic!
@Hawaii Planner, My parents lived there for several years. My father was working on an avionics contract with the Iranian Air Force (when the Shah was still in power). They lived in Shiraz in southern Iran near the Persian Gulf. I still remember eating the most amazing shrimp fresh from the Gulf. I went to see them and spent several weeks there, mostly in Shiraz and Isfahan, both gorgeous cities. And of course went to Persepolis and other places. But it was clear trouble was afoot when the revolutionaries bombed the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Shiraz. Death to America. And Colonel Sanders, too.
I save those ribbons, too. I've used them for tying up plants, gifts, and large rugs (to make them easier to move).
1. Drove my husband to the airport - and will pick him up, too! This saves hefty parking fees that we used to pay due to our distance from the airport.
2. Got 15% off bulk bins at the natural foods co-op in honor of Earth Day.
3. Got $5 off socks from DSW after I purchased shoes several weeks earlier and signed up for emails in order to get discounts. (That sentence is so grammatically wild that I'm just going to leave it as is!)
4. Had to order a medical item from dreaded Amazon and signed up for the free 30-day trial to receive free shipping. Will cancel before the trial ends.
5. Got two cups of tea from one bag after steeping the first one for a shorter time.
@MB in MN, I feel paranoid and suspicious of those "free trial" snares. . . pay close attention to the calendar so the 30 day deadline doesn't slip past, and then figure they will hide the way to cancel or keep you running around in circles until you give up. (See? paranoid!) Keep us posted!
@Central Calif. Artist, @MB in MN, I, too, have become cautious. now, before taking them up on the offer, I insist on looking up the cancellation process. there are some knitting subscriptions that are $5 a year but to cancel you have to phone and wait. which I recently (a year or so ago) did. Having been caught in the offer and never use, I now think about a million times before signing up. for things like streaming services, If I sign up for just one paid month, I IMMEDIATELY cancel. Still get the month, and don't have to scramble two days prior to cancellation/renewal date to figure out how to do so....
Besides doing the usual, everyday things I -
* bought gas for both cars using points earned at the grocery for $.50 off/gallon.
* used my “snag-it” sewing tool to pull some snags to the inside of a light knit shirt, then used my sweater shaver to de-fuzz. I plan to do the same with other sweaters before I put them away for the summer.
* used the Rakuten app to purchase some items on sale, plus get cash back.
* employed the “wait X number of hours/days before buying” tactic on other items I was interested in, but didn’t purchase. $0 out of pocket.
* went to our local health food market on Earth Day when they were having a big sale & celebration. All of my purchases were needed & 25% off!
This is why I love frugal round-ups like this so much...I always learn something new, it seems! I had never heard of the Fray Check thing and didn't even know that was a possibility. Since we've started cutting off a lot of our pants with holes in the knees to make into shorts, this is a really valuable tip to know.
Here are my own frugal wins for this last week:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/04/25/weekly-frugal-wins-pregnancy-brain-errors-homemade-remedies/
@Torrie @ To Love and To Learn, and Kristen,
None of the teenagers today would want to use Fray Check. The big fad is to wear ripped, torn and frayed jeans to school. Even crazier, the kids BUY brand new jeans in that condition, paying premium prices for same, and usually at expensive mall stores. Instead of getting some old jeans out of their attic storage or from a 2nd hand source and doing some DIY ripping and cutting themselves. I just can't wrap my frugal head around this "in" thing.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I'm 58 and we did the same thing in the 80s. Buy a new leather or denim jacket or Ramones T shirt? Drag it behind your car for a while till it looks old. (Heavily into the punk scene, I was then. Still and always my favorite music.)
@Rose, YAAAAAAS. Back in the day, my husband was wearing ripped jeans (that came naturally with wear) and a kid relative volunteered, "you can buy jeans without holes in them at Kmart" lol. That has been a phrase we use between us ever since
I've never heard of Fray Check before, but it sounds like something useful that's worth looking into!
Also, I followed the rabbit trail to Zoe's dress and then to your post about your new (in 2009) haggling skills and smiled as I read the end to think of how long ago you wrote that (and about something entirely unrelated) but thinking of where you are now in 2023. Yes, you absolutely are brave!
My FFT:
1. I've been using yogurt cups that can't be recycled (they're the wrong plastic number for our recycling company) and planting flowers and vegetables in them.
2. My husband and I went away last weekend and I saved the half of my Friday night dinner that I didn't eat and brought it home. It made a delicious Monday lunch!
3. I tried a new recipe yesterday that used chocolate chips, applesauce, and oats to make a granola bar and my kids ended up not liking it. It was particularly a bummer because I made a double-batch, thinking that my daughter could take it to school for Snack Day. But I made a save this morning and cooked one pan of it on the stovetop with some water and some additional oats, added some peanut butter, and told them we were having No-Bake Cookie oatmeal for breakfast.
4. My daughter needed a flannel shirt for a performance at school on Friday and I found one at Goodwill for $2.
5. Last night's dinner was a turkey that I got super cheap at Thanksgiving. The carcass is currently being cooked down for broth in my 18qt roasting pan. The rest of the meat will be used in other meals our dinners the next 3-4 nights.
@Ruth T, I wonder if SuperGlue would work on some fraying things, like shoes. As we never seem to use a whole bottle before it freezes up, it would be worth a try.
@Heidi Louise,
Consider this as just a random observation from the peanut gallery, but I've found that super glue often gets a white, powdery cast to it when it dries. Depending on what your fabric is, you may not want that look. I use Fray Check a lot too. It's especially good for reinforcing new buttons in ready-made garments, places where it looks like the threads are loose on a seam end before a forst wash, dotting the tiny hole that's sometimes happens where they insert the plastic tag in clothing, and also to put a touch where my serger seam ends when I make baby blankets. Fray Check may darken the fabric just a bit, but I don't get the white dry glue look of super glue. Just a thought before you try it.
@Amanda P,
I mean first wash, oh dear! It's late in my time zone.
@Amanda P, Thanks for the detailed observations!
I'm going to respond this week as I have a few to share:
1. I've been cognizant of all the coupons and rewards every time I shop, so a few have added up to a bigger amount...I used $10 Kohls cash and a $5 coupon towards an oil change, and a $10 reward at Tractor supply, and redeemed $12.42 sams cash. Total savings $37.42!!
2. I used a dog food bag as a garbage bag (always do), saving one bag.
3. We had a little birthday party for our puppies and also my sister-in-law whose birthdays are only a day apart. I made cupcakes for us humans and made dog treats for the puppies. Minimal cost for treats! When whipping topping for the dog treats, my daughter and her boyfriend tried the whipped topping and determined they liked it better than cool-whip. We will whip our own for the future.
4. I made a phone call to our cable/internet provider. Saved $10/month on my bill with no change to our services. Not a lot, but every little bit helps 😉
5. We had invisible fence (with our prior dog that we installed ourselves and the kit came froom my father-in-law who used it prior for his pup) and last night we extended the area for our new puppies with leftover wire. The only cost to us was collars for our dogs. Saved a bundle by doing the work ourselves.
@Gina, We put in an invisible fence when we got our first Irish wolfhound. It had no impact. In fact, I swear that dog was taunting me as he ran out the fence and then back in and then back out. For him and the rest of the IWs we raised over the years, we put up a fence. I am glad it works for you. (It also had no impact on the moose that tear up our yard every fall/winter.)
1) Publix had a BOGO on orchids, so I bought two. These phalaenopsis blooms last for weeks and will usually bloom again the next year.
2) We went out for dinner with a group of my old college friends and I didn't order one of the really over-priced drinks with dinner. It was a bit of a drive, so safer not to drink anything (alcoholic) anyway.
3) I'm still harvesting lettuce and herbs from the garden. I should have some everglades tomatoes soon.
4) We did some more credit card deals to pay for big work expenses and other stuff. It funds our vacations and we always pay off the balance each month. DoctorofCredit.com has a list of the best sign-up deals each month.
5) I purchased a $50 Gap/Old Navy gift card for $40 on Amazon yesterday. They have some T-shirts I want to buy, so I was looking for this deal.
That is some great work to prolong the lifespan and keeping things usable!
1. Was at a clothing swap Saturday and found an everyday summerdress in light denim.
2. As our renovation comes to an end I’ve moved our clothes from the bedroom to the new room. Had two IKEA KALLAX shelves bought secondhand for keeping our clothes during this period. Sold them now and actually made some money too.
3. “Aurland” leather loafers have been on my wishlist for years and now I finally managed to find them secondhand within my budget. Now I just need to find some 10-øre (old Norwegian coin) since the originals were missing from the leather strap 🙂
4. Are traveling to the Faroese Islands with the local branch of the The Norwegian Folk Art and Craft Association (puh!). The stop-over in Oslo had some grueling arrival and departure times, so used points to arrive a day earlier to get some rest. Had points to use at the same hotel we’re staying at too. I count this as frugal as now I won’t be sleeping away our first weekend there and I can enjoy the program I’ve paid for 😉
5. Won’t be doing any grocery shopping this week since my partner is going away at the same time for work. Made a meal plan yesterday and it will be some less than interesting dinners but little to non food waste.
@Gunn from Northern Norway, I smiled at your #3 with the 10-ore coins. In the U.S., pennies were put into the shoes, referred to as penny loafers.
I have some international coins from traveling that I really wish I knew what to do with. Perhaps I will some day have some ore loafers, or euro-cent-shoes.
@Heidi Louise, Aha! I’ve heard of penny loafers but I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I haven’t made the connection. Thanks! 😀
I suspect my collection of foreign currency is destined for some failed Pinterest craft one day 😉
@Heidi Louise, yes, we all come back from Europe with piles of coins from each trip. More so, of course, before the Euro. I always tried to buy candy bars at the airport to dump the change, with limited success. Once, on a flight home, one of the flight attendants went down the aisle and collected unwanted coins and donated them to a charity, can't remember which one.
I thought it was a fantastic idea, but never saw it done again on subsequent trips.
@Anne, I remember flight attendants collecting like that! I have seen a few collection boxes in airports, though none recently.
When I was very little and we went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, we ended our long weekend at the Assiniboia Downs Racetrack, so my parents, (who never, ever gambled on horses; this was quite out of character), could lose our last few Canadian dollars. Rather like you buying candy bars in the airports.
Nice work on the clothing repairs!
1. I picked up a pair of baseball pants off Buy Nothing that will fit my son next year. I also picked up a dress for work and a Lego set for my son off Buy Nothing this week.
2. The trim around the collar of my husband's shirt became unstitched. It was a double hem. I do not have a sewing machine and did not want to hand sew it all, so I used Stitch Witchery and it worked great.
3. My kale and oregano plants are already starting to produce. I used the kale and oregano, sundried tomatoes from last summer's garden, artichokes, olives, and quinoa that was in my cupboard to make my lunches for this week. I used some frozen pureed pumpkin, from last year's Halloween pumpkins, to make my breakfasts for the week. I also used over-ripe bananas to make banana bread for my kid's breakfast this week.
4. Someone hit my car in my employer's parking lot and left. Luckily someone witnessed it and wrote down the license plate number. I have remained persistent over the past 5 weeks, with the person that hit my car's insurance, and finally got approved for the amount to fix my car and a rental vehicle. This prevented me from having to file with my car insurance company, which can increase my rate.
5. A company put fiber optic wires in our neighborhood recently making us eligible for higher speed internet. Ironically this internet company is $5 cheaper per month than the company we currently use, so we are switching this week.
"If you can't be a good example, at least you can be a cautionary warning." --my grandma, at some point.
I am hard-pressed to think of anything really frugal I did this week, aside from give a couple of haircuts to my family, eat everything at home, and not spend too much.
However, I offer this Frugal Fail as a warning to others: the family members who did the shopping did a great job bagging, and brought everything into the kitchen for me to unpack. There was a bag that had a few bags of potato chips in it, and this I just put on the pantry floor because we store those there. I didn't unpack the bag so the chips would stay put.
Fast-forward a week later, when I'm tidying the pantry prior to the next grocery shop, and to my horror, under the chips, I find an 18-count carton of eggs. I did wonder about my husband not getting eggs, they were on the list, but I just shrugged that he might have missed them. Nope, they were sitting pretty in my very unrefrigerated pantry for at least five days. OY. $3.39 down the tubes. (At least eggs have gone down in price recently!) Off to the trash they went. These were, after all, washed, factory farmed, American eggs, not the European kind you can keep in a pretty bowl on your counter and trust you won't get ill.
Anyway, CHECK YOUR BAGS! It made perfect sense to bag the chips (a light item) on top of the eggs, I just wasn't looking, so it was completely my fault.
@Karen A., They were probably OK though.
@Rose,
Agreed. They might have been fine. I would have cracked those bad boys into a bowl and if they didn't smell off, I would have hard scrambled 'em. But I do like to play fast and loose with food poisoning, so...you gotta get your kicks somewhere...
@Becca, I did think about it, but when I looked it up the USDA does not recommend that previously refrigerated eggs stay at room temperature longer than 2 hours. And we have had food poisoning in the past and I'd much rather play it safe than save $3! 🙂
@Karen A., Sorry I'm late to the game with this response.This is what I read about eggs. American eggs go into the fridge as they are washed after collection from the chickens, and the key word is washed. British eggs are not washed after being collected from the chickens, so they still have the "bloom" on them from the chickens, and so they can sit out on the counter as they have protection around them, as I understand it.
1. Went nowhere and therefore
2. Spent nothing.
And
3. I managed to reverse last week’s “Frugal Fail: No good deed goes unpunished” problem of the parking tickets issued for a car I don’t own. Gathered all my paperwork evidencing my donation of my old station wagon to charity, notification to the Motor Vehicle Division of the sale, cancellation of the car’s registration and my physical surrender of the license plate to MVD. Sent all the paperwork and an explanatory letter to the City Parking Division via certified mail, return receipt requested and, lo and behold, 2 days later got a call from Lieutenant Roybal saying the tickets had been voided. Yay.
But
4. It cost me $9 in postage.
But
5. Still better than $120 in fines that would have doubled every 30 days and necessitated a trip to Metro Court.
@JDinNM, And I meant to add to Kristen's green onion suggestion that you can also regrow in water lettuce and cabbage, celery and leeks, garlic, some herbs (cilantro, thyme, basil), tubers, ginger, etc. Google something like "regrow vegetables in water" and get instructions for how to do it; some need to be suspended with toothpicks to grow both roots in water and leaves in the air. Nothing to lose by trying!
5 Frugal Things Gardening Edition...
1. I sowed over 4K zinnia seeds along with 1k marigolds and several hundred Chinese Asters. These will give me cut flowers in my home well into the Fall season plus the marigolds are fantastic in the garden to drive pollinators and keep out unwanted pests.
2. I added Coneflowers to the border of my garden which will return year after year, are a great cut flower and I just love them. I waited for the local plant sale to buy these and was able to get 4-1 gallon pots for $4 each. This saved me over $80 over buying them at our garden center.
3. I recently ordered a large amount of mulch and it was delivered on pallets. My husband will clean the wood from those pallets and use it to trim the front of our kitchen island - a project we have wanted to do for some time. This will only cost his time and will give a lovely warmth to my white kitchen I hope!
4. I have a crape myrtle tree in my front yard that has a rather large 'baby' at it's base. I will be digging up that 'baby' and moving it the top corner of my lot. Hooray for a free tree!
5. Crockpot meals and sandwiches made at home to avoid takeout after lots and lots of work in the garden during this season. Batch cooking is my theme song!
@Angie, Oh my goodness, that's a lot of flowers!! You'll have so much beauty in the coming months!
Kriste, some ribbon from a stack of towels made ties for some porch furniture and a bow tie for a toy elephant I sewed as a baby gift. Those ribbons are so useful.
1. Had a big sewing day and altered a pile of clothing to fit. It took a while, but I figure my hourly wage in money saved was well north of $50.
2. Bought a really cute summer top at Goodwill for $2.49.
3. Cleaned out the fridge. Plated up and froze some leftovers for quick meals.
4. Used a marker to color in the crack in a repaired planting pot on our porch.
5. Repaired some grout in the shower stall. Someday we need to hire a professional to completely redo both bathrooms, but right now my efforts are keeping things going.
1) A couple weeks ago I got one of those "$20 off a purchase of $125" coupons from Home Depot. Our yard is in pretty bad shape, so I thought this might be a good opportunity to buy some plants, an edger, etc. My problem with these coupons is either I don't spend enough and don't get the benefit OR I spend way too much on stuff I don't really need. (I imagine these coupons are calculated to make it easy to do either of these options.) This time I took a week or so to carefully compile a list of Home Depot items that we really could use. Then I put them in order of need so that I could just leave off the bottom of the list if I got to $125 quickly. My other problem in Home Depot is I don't really know how much things cost and by the time I get to that far off aisle with my big, stupid cart full of mulch, I am overwhelmed and just grab the thing. So this time I walked around and made note of where each item was and how much it cost. Only then did I get a cart and pick up the things I needed to qualify for the coupon. It wasn't really as much work as it sounds, and it maximized what was really a good coupon.
2) I am in academia and currently make a living (and get health insurance) with full time, but short term, appointments. I will find myself between appointments this summer unless I can convince my current employer to keep me on just a couple more months to fill the gap. I got advice from those who know more than me and then made an argument to my center director based not on how our family needs income and health insurance (an argument that I shouldn't have to make!) but on how it would benefit the center to keep me on as a scholar. We'll see if it works!
3) I menu-planned and grocery-shopped at Aldi yesterday.
4) Our entertainment this weekend was long walks and books. Heaven.
5) I left my jacket at our other house over the weekend, and it is cool enough that I really would like to wear a jacket. I walked down to a local thrift shop to find one, but they had put away the outwear. I did manage to fill a couple of other holes in our wardrobe--I found a pair of shorts for me, pajama shorts and shorts for one son, and a t-shirt for another. And I paid $10 total!
@Amanda, I am so sorry to hear you having to jump through hoops for health insurance. I remember doing that...and then we lived in Scotland for a time and I watched people change jobs even with a sick child, or do art for a minimal living without worrying about health insurance. It was only then that I realized how not having universal health insurance, even with its drawbacks, forced people to stay in jobs they hated just for the health coverage. Until Scotland, the insanity we live with in this country had never seemed peculiar. Nor had it ever occurred to me that big businesses benefit from having a captive workforce...I hope your efforts are successful.
@Amanda, regarding number two. I worked in Personnel for a few years. Never try to get work or raises with the argument that you "need" it. You were right on the money when you kept your argument in the territory of how much THEY will benefit having you as an employee. It doesn't matter how kind or sympathetic the human resources department is, their job is to take care of the company's needs first. You handled it well.
I love the idea to regrow the green onions! I'm going to try that.
Five frugal things this week...
1. We were at an event at church and they sent us home with an extra pizza. Lunch the next day!
2. Sold a pair of shorts on eBay. This spring I have about 10-20 items listed on eBay and something sells about once a week. It's always a pleasant surprise.
3. Walmart asked me to review an item to get a $3 credit. I don't think that has ever happened before but I don't mind! I also took the time to contact Walmart about part of an order I didn't receive. They refunded the amount of $21
4. I bought on FB Marketplace a friend's Rae Dunn cute mug collection for $2/each. I was able to gift these out one by one as thank you gifts to my kids' teachers this spring! We added in some tea bought on clearance & chocolate.
5. Random freebies this week - Free fries, free coffee and free cheeseburger at McD
$5 off Kroger pickup & 500 gas points, plus free bananas
Off to more random frugality
- When we had the concrete deck shored up, the company removed all the plants in the adjacent flowerbed. Bought dirt and mulch during Home Depot's spring sale for $2/bag
- Took home a free tomato plant someone brought into the office to share
- For our son's birthday celebration, we shared Chinese takeout, I baked his birthday cake and served it with ice cream purchased on sale
- Bypassed the closest gas station to save $0.10/gallon at nearby Kroger. Would have been even cheaper to make the trek to Sam's Club but didn't want to drive 30 minutes round trip just to get gas
- The usual things: cooked dinners at home, brought lunch every day to work, used online streaming service to workout at home, incorporated produce that was starting to look sad into meal planning, and menu planning based around what's in the freezer and what's on sale.
I learned so much from today's post! I had no idea that planting the green onion ends would generate onions! I never knew there was such a thing as a product for fraying clothing!
Here are my Fab Five:
1) I love ebay and was able to get a kit for a small greenhouse for $35. It retails for over $100.
2) Hubby enjoys smoking meats and has a following who offers donations for his meals!
3) Our son is graduating college and that means no more driving to bus stops/train station to get him to/from school. I'll get more sleep and save on gas.
4) Last Summer, I came across lots of clearance shampoos/conditioners for $3 or less and picked up $40 worth. I've only used a few bottles so far.
5) I learned cheap ways to tell if items are pure silver or gold and tested it on some jewelry. I already knew if they were real before attempting the tests and the methods actually worked.
1. Biked to work or worked from home, saving on gas and parking.
2. Took a bag of decluttered clothes to a consignment shop where I shop regularly before donating them. Any profit from those clothes will offset any clothes I shop second hand there. Donated what they didn't take and left without buying anything.
3. Made a salad yesterday from my garden lettuce.
4. At the grocery store, double checked my receipt before leaving to make sure the items that were supposed to have a sale rang through as such. Sure enough, had to ask the cashier to fix a couple of items and saved $13.
5. Buying clothes for twins, I'm always looking for those buy one, get second pair 50% off offers. Happy to find some shorts and t shirts for them in this category at Kohl's.
Used up 7/8 of a package of cream cheese by making mini cheesecakes for my birthday. I let my last partly open container of cream cheese get moldy so this feels like a win.
A meeting at my husband’s work was catered and no one else wanted the leftover food so he brought home a bunch and I didn’t have to cook.
Made homemade sourdough.
Made muffins with the juice from a can of mandarin oranges
Made lemon marmalade with the last few month’s lemon rinds.
My dried foraged maitake mushrooms didn’t rehydrate AT ALL despite soaking them for several days and boiling for hours and hours. I thought it was a waste but I was able save them by grinding them into a powder and make a delicious seasoning which I have used on all sorts of things.
@Becca C, I have been meaning to put a question before the Frugal Commentariat about how to use the juice from (a) canned fruit and (b) pickles, because it seems like such a shame to just dump it. Particularly the mandarin oranges, which I love. Do you just use it as a substitute for any of the liquid in a recipe? Does it matter if it's heavy syrup versus juice versus sugar free?
@JDinNM, I love "The Frugal Commentariat." I can't help but picture a stern group of people sitting at a table wearing 1950s Soviet style clothing.
@JDinNM, You can reuse pickle juice to make more pickles. Add sliced or speared cucumber to the jar to let it absorb the flavors. I have heard of marinating chicken in pickle juice, like Chick Fil A, but haven't tried it myself.
@Jodi, When I first started gardening in New Mexico I was foolish enough to stay out in the sun too long, and drinking pickle juice was a great antidote to heat exposure. Don't really know why. But I long ago learned that lesson (not the drinking pickle juice part but the not staying out in 100-degree plus heat of the day part) so now I have the pickle juice left over ... ;-} So I'll add pickle making to my repertoire. Thanks!
1) I resisted the urge to buy a new sweatshirt while we were on vacation last week. One of my goals is to buy no new clothing for myself this year. I was having an inner battle trying to convince myself that I could call it a *souvenir,* and not put it in the clothing category, but my goal oriented self won. I don't really need anything; it's just a year--and the year is a third over. I can do this.
2) I got a rebate check from Amex for $3.08. Have no idea why, but I'll take it.
3) I am on track for a no spend week. I was going to pick up some groceries for some new recipes and fresh food, but I looked at my freezer and pantry and knew I could finish out this month without shopping. Made a big pot of soup, a meatloaf and 2 loaves of zucchini bread and I'm good to go.
4) I cut my DH's hair.
5) I paid for our fishing licenses. Entertainment and food supply=so worth it.
1. Went to a seed/plant swap on Saturday. I brought some extra hosta and black eyed susans that are overrunning my garden and came away with several new flowers and veggie seeds I wanted to try out
2. Had a major leftover night. We had a lot of different items, none of which were enough on their own, so had some unusual pairings but it worked and everyone was fed. My fridge was so empty afterwards!
3. My blender recently broke (was given to me when my MIL no longer wanted it, and she told me it was from 1980!) so we've been making do with the food processor for smoothies til I do some research on a blender and find a good deal. We don't have smoothies all that often so it's not a big deal.
4. Another appliance one- I've been dealing with a vacuum that is not optimal for quite some time. Was talking with a friend about it, and a few days later she alerted me to a major sale on a Dyson ball. It arrived today and I'm excited to try it out.
5. I'm not sure yet if this is frugal, but I am heading to the dentist to get a concern looked at. My inclination was to wait several more weeks til my regular appointment, but I know it's better to get it taken care of sooner... Maybe cheaper in the long run?? One can hope.
Did not know about Fray Check! I will have to get some for a hole I jabbed into my favorite bright yellow Allbirds. Amazing what I have learned from this group.
1. I used to can like I could personally save the planet from starvation if a new ice age came over us. It made more sense when we were younger so ate more, the supply lines to Alaska were slower and less dependable, and we were feeding more people. But now I just had an entire cupboard of glass canning jars and rings taking up space. I cleared them all out, keeping only six jars that I still sometimes use for making chokecherry syrup. I sold the lot for $40 on FB Marketplace.
2. We are overwhelmed with eggs from the chickens. I offered extras to neighbors, but all said they had a surplus from Easter. I put out the word to the wider world and soon sold 5 dozen for $2.50 a dozen. That covers the feed so I am happy.
3. I had two asparagus pots, only one of which I use. Sold it for $15, which is about half price new.
4. Husband has lost weight over the years so finally agreed to give away pants and sweaters that are too much trouble to make smaller; a few items still had tags on them. The rescue mission was happy to receive them.
5. No food waste this week and we have almost eaten up everything in the plastic totes that act as our outdoor freezer in the winter. It is still well below freezing at night and right at freezing during the day, but they are set in a huge snow hill so everything is still frozen solid. However, it is supposed to be in the high 30 by the end of the week, so we plan to clean them out by then, no matter how odd the meals end up being.
Let's see...
-I used rewards points to pay for two iced teas and a chocolate croissant
-Instead of going with the egregious price that was quoted by my optometrist for replacement glasses, I ordered from Warby Parker. I've submitted my claim and am awaiting reimbursement.
-Used some coupons that were sent from the grocery store based on my actual spending to stock up on some items that we use regularly for a decent price
-Shopped the cupboard and pieced together a meal with what was there instead of going out and buying more
-Took some pictures of prices of things like heavy cream, the flavored vodka, and cheese so that I could compare and buy at the best location. I can't seem to remember what I paid for some of these items and by reminding myself that I didn't need the item RIGHT NOW, was able to save over $10 on just these three items.
I have two maybes:
1. I bought a head of organic garlic for 90 cents, separated the cloves and planted them in pots to make more heads of garlic, maybe . . .
2. I bought a tiny basil plant. I love fresh basil and it's ridiculously expensive to buy.
The problem is I have a black thumb. My family jokes that I commit planticide. So will these things survive to make my investment (about $3.50 total) frugal, or will I end up with dead things. Only time will tell . . .
(I already had the potting soil and pots).
@Jan, I haven't really used fresh basil much, but I was shocked at the price when I bought some fresh basil for a recipe earlier this month! I, too, am now growing basil.
FFT, diabetic cat edition:
1. Happily accepted low carb canned food from my parents in exchange for a mostly full bag of dry food that he can no longer eat.
2. Mixed canned pumpkin (from Aldi, of course) and regular old water into his food to help with digestion.
3. Started testing his blood sugar myself here at home because having it done at the vet costs a fortune.
4. Bought a human glucometer instead of the fancy pet one because it's the trends that matter anyway and all of the online cat diabetes "experts" (basically pet owners who had to figure it out fast like me) use human ones anyway.
5. Because I am carefully monitoring at home, I was able to note his lowering blood sugar numbers immediately before he had a potentially expensive hypoglycemic event and I was able to drastically reduce his insulin dose right away and might even be able to get him off completely, which would be such a relief! Hoping to have good news to post on Thursday...
@Becca, wow, you're regularly drawing blood from a cat. You are one brave broad. It takes two of us to clip our guy's nails and that doesn't even hurt. Although he acts like the Grand Inquisitor has gotten ahold of him.
This is a decidedly unfrugal week. I am sitting on the veranda off of our B&B bedroom overlooking a river in a very posh town about 20 miles from home, watching local rowing teams practice as the sun is setting. My husband never wants a fuss made over him but he was quick to say yes to two nights away without a long drive. Not frugal but very worthwhile.
However I have to comment on the nice red kitchen scissors. I look longingly at the Cutco red scissors because they would be much more difficult to loose outside in the garden than my brown handled very serviceable scissors. But the price tag makes my stomach hurt, $160!!
It’s nice to see reasonably priced red kitchen scissors are available.
@Elaine N, Isn't it amazing how tools can disappear in a garden or lawn, even though you know they are within arm's reach? I put bright yellow tape on the handles of mine.
Almost nothing I did in the last week was frugal, but my daughter had an amazing frugal thing happen, so I'll share hers. The students at the seminary she attends do a phenomenal amount of passing things along for free or little cost to each other, and last week they had a clothing swap. My daughter would rarely find anything suitable at such a thing, as she's a size extra small and 5 feet nothing. This time, however, she found a beautiful blouse and not one, not two, but THREE pairs of petite XS pants from Loft! These are the only brand we've found that actually fit and flatter her and she was planning to go to the store anyway to buy a few more pants for her summer clinical pastoral education work at a hospital.
Congratulations Lisey. We are all so proud of you.
1. Got rid of another trunkload of e-waste at the neighboring community's Earth Day collection day. Since my parents are downsizing their home, I was able to get rid of their old fax (!) machine and 3 boxes of old VHS tapes amongst other things.
2. Used a 3 year old gift certificate we had won at bar trivia 3 years ago (the week before COVID shut everything down) and they still accepted it!
3. Picked up more hours at work now that their patient census is going up again. (I work as a PRN occupational therapist, for those of those who know, it is like a sub position for covering those who are off/sick or when they have more patients than they are usually staffed for).
4. Sending financial support for some friends who are going on missions trips this summer. When donating through the online portals, choosing the bank withdrawal instead of credit card option to save the large "convenience/processing" fee.
5. Used $0.30 off/gallon Kroger discount for gas, returned library books on time, brought lunch to work, eating up leftovers from the fridge, hanging up laundry to dry.
1. Transplanted some thriving things around the yard: society garlic, volunteer lavender, a volunteer vitex tree.
2. Took clippings from a friend's yard to try as a ground cover somewhere else.
3. Took my car for an oil change and asked the mechanic to remove the car alarm too; HE DIDN'T CHARGE ME!! (I've been going to him since 1983 and hand out his business cards continually).
4. Connected a friend with stray kittens to a neighbor who wanted them (and now I get to visit them without actually owning them.)
5. Visited a new coffee shop in town and was served a tasty latte that wasn't very hot. I used the contact button on their website to say "Nice to meet you, hope you succeed, and you might want to check the temperature on your lattes". The owner emailed back to say she was sorry, she hadn't heard that before, and to come in for a free latte. I have heard from others that they don't serve their coffee hot enough, so maybe I'll take a thermometer when I go back. We have so few restaurants in town that I want to help in any way I can. It surprises me that people only say criticisms to each other instead of the people who could actually benefit. But I have heard that a dissatisfied customer will tell ten people. . . yikes.
Kudos on the piano bench cushion remodel!
My frugal this week:
1) Saved the "glaze" packet from a ham baked for a charity dinner, to use as brown sugar. The warming pans had enough liquid that the glaze wasn't needed. I plan to use up the brown sugar to make lunch cookies for my DH.
2) Worked on mending everything in my mending pile.
3) Started sewing a new shirt for DH, whose students are graduating from college next month. Commencement is s formal event and deserves a new shirt.
4) Made pizza from scratch to use up chicken, artichoke hearts, salsa, and cheese, baked on a pizza stone from Goodwill. Delicious.
5) Prepared two dinners from foods in freezer. Different dinners than usual, but I'm trying to use more of my pantry/freezer contents.
PS Congratulations to Lisey!
1. I made all of our meals at home.
2. We bought a board game for one of the kids. But it was missing the spinner and after contacting the company multiple times and receiving the wrong piece (and the company refusing to talk to us after that), my husband and I just made a spinner.
3. We enjoyed free entertainment. Gotta love our local library.
4. I bought flannel fabric to complete a quilt for my child. I ordered online and looked up a 20% off coupon for the clearance fabric. I ordered for pick up to avoid both extra fees and ordering too much.
5. I meal plan, make a list, and (mostly) stick to my list.
Congratulations to Lisey!!! Graduating is a big deal and I hope you get to celebrate!
I planted my green onion ends too! I will try that stinky washcloth boiling method.
Did I miss a post about you painting your $5 cabinet. Did you make a final decision on the paint color?
I did not. I'm still waffling! lol
1. Attended a conference that provided breakfast and lunch. There were a lot of pastries and cookies left after both, and I snagged a few as treats for DH.
2. Added a discount-finding plug-in to my web browser from a credit card provider to earn a $10 gift card. I’m not sure the plug-in will be better than Rakuten, but I’ll give it a try and will likely uninstall it.
3. I was able to have a custom wrist brace adjusted for free. It was made almost a year ago and I needed to wear it again, but realized I’d be more likely to wear it if it fit better. I’m grateful I remembered that I could have it adjusted within the year.
4. I’ve had to buy some really expensive medications that aren’t covered by insurance. DH did some research into various pharmacies and we had the doctor send individual prescriptions to whichever pharmacy was cheapest. And he found a special discount via GoodRx for one of them… and when I picked it up, it was $10 cheaper than the amount we’d been quoted online.
5. We offered to bring snacks for church fellowship time, and I made homemade brownies and banana cake (banana bread, but in a cake pan) so we didn’t end up having to buy as much. We did buy some cheese curds and grapes as the “healthy” options.
I did not know Fray Check existed, not that it had so many uses. Will be checking that out soon. My frugal(ish) and fun things for this past week were carpooling with friends to an event, having a walk-to-dinner date with a friend, and using free street parking instead of paid parking (it was five minutes of extra exercise walking a bit farther).