Five Frugal Things | A bit of trash-picking
1. I trash-picked a pitcher/vase for Sonia
When Mr. FG and I were out for our walk on trash/recycling day, I spied an interesting piece of glassware that someone had set out to be recycled.
I knew Sonia would love it, so I picked it up and brought it home.
And she does indeed love it!
I am always confused about why people put these things out for trash/recycling instead of donating them. Goodwill would definitely have been able to sell this.
2. I did my van's emissions tests myself
Our emissions center now has a self-serve lane, which gives you a 30% discount on the test.
I figured that if they were letting random citizens test their own emissions, it couldn't be very complicated, so I went ahead and got in that lane.
I turned out to be right; it was super simple. There's a touchscreen and a cable that's very easy to plug into my van, and the whole thing took about five minutes.
Not only is the self-serve lane cheaper, but it's also open 24/7, and I will keep that in mind next time one of our cars needs a test.
I mean, I won't be going at 3:00 am (!!), but I could see myself popping by on a Saturday. Or after dinner one evening.
3. I returned my bag of disgusting gingerbread coffee
I saw a bag of Target-branded gingerbread coffee on clearance, and I thought it might be fun to try.
But it was seriously gross. I barely tasted any gingerbread spices, and the coffee itself had a terrible flavor.
I considered composting the coffee, but then I saw that Target has a moneyback guarantee on their private label items. So, I brought it with me when I went to Target to pick up something else, and I got my money refunded onto a gift card.
Yay!
4. I packed a lunch for my parent-of-the-day turn
At Zoe's tutorial, the parents have to take 1-2 parent-of-the-day shifts every year.
I had to leave in the middle of my shift to go take my muscle exam, so Mr. FG tag-teamed with me.*
For lunch, apples (still some leftover from the two boxes of bruised apples I got), smoked Gouda from Aldi, a homemade pumpkin muffin from my freezer, and a nut bar worked just fine, and saved me from stopping somewhere on my way back from class.
*A silver lining to this last year and a half: Mr. FG's work had always said that working remotely was Most Definitely Impossible (with capital letters, no less.). But miraculously, they found a way to make it work when push came to shove and that means that now he can do things like helping out with the parent-of-the-day job because he can just bring his work laptop with him.
5. I...
- got my book for our November book club (The Henna Artist) at the library
- got two pumpkins at Aldi ($3.50 apiece!)
- printed my muscle anatomy worksheets on the backside of the worksheets from the previous module
- filled up my gas tank at Costco since I was nearby for my emissions test
- used a $10/$30 coupon on Target groceries
I am amazed at US return policies. I have heard of people returning opened food items and make up. That would never be possible here! I wish we could return more items here - after all, most things you won't be able to try before you purchase. On the other hand, I guess it may encourage more purchases because "you can always return it later" (but most people forget).
my frugal things:
- made a plan to get through November with minimal spending. With the holiday season coming up in December, I prefer to give myself some breathing room in November.
- got our Christmas shipping done: easier on the mailman than having them delivery everything the week before Christmas, and I don't have to pay extra for expedited shipping.
- I used an Amazon gift card I got for my birthday a couple of weeks ago to buy Christmas gifts
- had a very unusual schedule on Saturday, so we didnt get hungry until late. Came up with a delicious meal (chicken soup) and made it at home, rather than giving in and ordering take out.
@a curious reader, at grocery stores they don't even ask questions! You can walk up to the customer service counter and say, "I bought this cheese and got home and realized it was moldy." They just take the cheese and sometimes will say, "Just go grab another one!" Crazy. Not that all returns are that easy, but returning food can be!
@Julie Norman, I've seen people bring back packaging for meat and get the refund. I'm sure most just threw the bad stuff away, but I wonder how many were just scamming the store.
@Jennifer, Speaking as a former grocery store cashier, I much preferred people just bringing back their receipt or package vs. hauling back spoiled meat or produce! Funky chicken smell does NOT go into the night quietly, no matter how quickly one runs it out to the dumpster.
I cleaned out and organized my pantry so I know what I have and what I need. Of course it would have been better to do this BEFORE going on a monthly BJ's trip, but there's nothing I can do about that now.
I loaded coupons onto my BJ's account before shopping. I saved nearly $40 as a result.
After taking stock of what's in the pantry, I planned a couple creative meals to use up certain items.
I found a deal on my kiddo's top Christmas wishlist item - a bass guitar - on Amazon. By shopping early, I won't need to worry about shipping delays.
I set my dogs' medications to auto shipping for a small discount. I need to get it anyway, and every dollar counts.
I buy my pet food at a local store and they always include some samples, this time they included a full bag of a really expensive brand. I use a handful as a topper for my picky eater.
At same pet store I also realized you get a discounted pick up price if you order online for store pickup.
You also get a free bag for every 11 you buy. I ended up with a $70 bag for free.
I am changing offices at work, rather than take all my (personal) stuff to Goodwill I am taking it to a local consignment shop. Heck if I get $20 bucks out of it I would be happy.
Hubs found an antique children's piano some one threw out, pretty sure I can fetch more than $70 out of it, it is in good shape.
At work they were kitchen cleaning and had free table cloths, cups and plastic serving ware so I picked some up for future parties. In turn all the office supplies that I bought and no longer use I left in the free pile for others.
Thanks for reminding me that I need to get my car inspected this week. Here in the these parts we aren't allowed to do it ourselves and we have to pay cash. We also can't make appointments. The whole system is crazy!
1.) Made four loaves of bread yesterday to stock up the freezer. I love my large size Kitchen Aid because it can handle a batch like that without breaking a sweat.
2.) Cooked a roast chicken for dinner last night. Before I roasted it I:
* Removed the wings and froze them separately for when I want to make Buffalo Wings
* Used some of the homemade bread for stuffing.
* Used homemade chicken stock made from leftovers
* Saved the bones for making stock later on.
A whole chicken can be a truly frugal thing.
3.) I did a full inventory on my pantry and a semi-inventory (didn't write anything down) on my chest freezer. Basically we're good for a while, especially when you consider how small my family is.
4.) Bought a couple things marked down which means that I am more or less done with Christmas shopping for the year. We are scaling way back and I'm happy about that.
5.) Daughter went Trick or Treating so we got candy in the house. We didn't give any out (we never get anyone here which is nice.) I don't celebrate Halloween but the other people in my house do. I try not to be too miserable around them but I truly dislike everything associated with Halloween (costumes, decorations etc.) Thanksgiving is much more my speed.
@Battra92, Can you share your recipe for bread? I wanted to start making it at home (have been purchasing from Farmers Market one loaf 2x a month instead of the store). I have a kitchen aid but haven’t ventured into making bread from scratch before.
@Colleen, https://www.bhg.com/recipe/yeast-breads/white-bread/
The vase is lovely!
Our freezer will be replaced soon so we started eating from it, rather than storing in it,
I did solar-paneled laundry on the sunny days we had,
I made a casserole out of odds and ends in the fridge drawer,
I did an early check on holiday cards and found that I still had plenty very nice ones,
I went to the office for the first time in over 18 months and managed all day plus the commute on the lunch and fruits I had brought with me.
I'd nearly forgotten about the last frugal thing! And that one involved not only planning but also some Resisting Of Temptation. So I am glad I can list that after all.
I also ordered new spectacles by the way and this will badly exceed any savings I did last week. Such a good thing to have savings!
What do you do on the parent of the day shift? First, I was thinking you had to help teach online that day, but then it sounded an in person thing where you were just there in the background not participating. I’m confused.
You are just there to mainly be a monitor of the kids who are in-between classes or on lunch break. Basically an extra pair of eyes! So on a normal day, it's a pretty easy job.
Last year we had to do more covid-related things, like temperature checks, so the job is definitely easier this year.
@Kristen, Thank you for clearing that up for me!
1. I harvested mustard greens, collard greens, basil, half a dozen or so green bell peppers, kale and bok choy from our garden. I am loving the additional green veggies from the fall garden and loving even more that we can grow them ourselves. The flavor is so amazing plus extremely frugal.
2. I am sowing seeds this week for more greens of all varieties - mustard, collards, & bok choy. Plus green onions and some more kale as that is doing surprisingly well in the garden this year.
3. Lovely weather has resulted in our HVAC being turned completely off and I am looking forward to a much smaller electric bill this time around.
4. Coordinating with the lovely lady we buy wood from each year to have a cord of firewood delivered to our home. We have a wood burning fireplace and we use this to help heat our home and keep electricity costs down during the winter. Bonus is the ambience of a lovely crackling fire.
5. Put pork chops in the crockpot for dinner after our church trunk or treat on Sunday instead of getting take out. Ate leftovers 3 days in a row to avoid food waste. A lovely friend brought us 25 lbs of carrots, 15 lbs of sweet potatoes, 10 lbs of apples and 4 sugar pie pumpkins - all of this is going to be stashed away in our freezer for yummy meals all winter long. Used the last of last years pumpkin puree to make 7 pints of pumpkin butter which will top toast, waffles, and be stirred into oatmeal for the next several weeks - YUM!
Happy Tuesday!
That is a lovely pitcher! Pre-covid there was an organization that would drive around and pickup donations on a set day which I always appreciated for times when I was too busy to drive somewhere and drop off donations.
1. I’m at a point where I do not want to buy new plastic toys for my kids(more for environmental reasons than frugal). My son has a wishlist though (that he keeps going all year, whenever he asks for something I tell him I will put it on the list) and many of the items on the list are of course plastic toys. I’ve started searching Facebook marketplace in case anything pops up and this week found one of the items from his list for sale. So I bought it and set it aside for Christmas.
2. My neighbor shares my dislike of new plastic toys, her youngest turned 1 over the weekend and she invited us to his birthday party. As his gift, I gave him a toy my kids had outgrown, I would normally not give a used toy as a gift but I knew she’d be fine with it and even prefer it and she did!
3. I went back to the office for the first time since March 2020. Just two days a week for now but I packed my lunch and had planned a very easy to prepare dinner for when I got home and I’m doing the same today. Always more tempting to get takeout when I feel busier so planning really helped.
4. Making chicken stock this week with the bones and veggies in the freezer.
5. Used candles we already had for our Jack o lanterns instead of buying the little ones for that purpose. Some were a bit larger than needed and scented but still worked fine.
That is a lovely vase. Thank you for saving it. My husband's employer had the same "you will never work from home" stance until Covid hit, and now 90 percent of the company works from home. Productivity went way up and the company's costs went way down. Everyone is pretty happy with the arrangement.
My frugal 5 this week:
1. Made a big container of brown sugar by mixing granulated white sugar with molasses we had on hand, so no extra purchase needed.
2. My husband's shoes had worn out at the back where his heel slips over the black padded cuff. They were otherwise in good shape. I repaired both with a little foam from an unused piece of mattress pad, some black scuba-type fabric from my fabric stash, some buttonhole thread gifted to me, a curved needle and some patient hand sewing.
3. Used up the last of October's big purchase of apples to make apple-flaxseed muffins. So yummy! The apples (6 pounds) were bought with a store coupon.
4. To keep our grocery spending on budget, I have set a hard limit of $15 a week for fresh meat. This means shopping the manager's markdowns. This week I was lucky and spent only $10 on three trays of pork chops and pork steaks, which stretched to make 10 plates of food.
5. Bought our son a stack of much-needed winter clothes from the online thrift shop Swap.com. Shipping was slow but free, and he received three pairs of jeans, two hoodies, a pair of pajama pants, four shirts and a sweater for $96 and some change. Everything except the sweater fit, and that fit his dad, who was retiring two worn-out sweaters, so that worked out fine. Most of the items were new, with and without tags.
@Ruby, that's one of the first things I heard several months into the work-from-home period: "You know that job your boss has said you couldn't do from home? You've just proved you can."
I have never worked in a large office, but there must be lots of wasted time if productivity has gone up with people working from home, especially when many were also having to supervise their children's virtual school. It seems like there would be distractions aplenty if I tried to work from home.
@Bonnie, even in the small offices I've worked in, there are plenty of people who spend half the day visiting around. It doesn't mean they aren't doing their jobs. Often they're really good and fast at what they do and just don't need the whole day to do them, but they can be annoying to other people who need to concentrate. So I don't doubt that productivity went way up when everyone could work at home.
I probably would not work well at home because home is my "second job," as the mother in the family. Things left undone would drive me up the wall.
That vase is beautiful! I have trash picked very nice items on occasion on my walks that I don't even want for myself and washed them and donated them just to save them from the garbage. Example, excellent condition children's toys, etc. We have several donation centers within a mile from our house and I don't understand why people put these items in the trash. Maybe they are unable to transport them for some reason.
I know! I just scratch my head...do people not know you can donate? In our area, there are multiple charities who will even come pick up your donations right at your curb.
@Kristen, I think that many people don't want to go to the effort of packaging things up and driving to the donation center. I'm sure there are some folks with health issues for whom that would be difficult to do, but for others, it's most likely the hassle factor. In our area, I have noticed that we are one of the few who use recycling pickup. Most others seem to use garbage service. Once I got into the habit of separating recyclables, I didn't think it took much more effort,if any, to do that. Maybe it seems mentally overwhelming if you aren't in the habit?.
@Linda H.,
My husband has brought home several vacuums that have been placed out with trash. Usually they are just clogged. After "repair" we give them away as keeping non-junk out of the landfill is a value for us.
I used to get very annoyed at our neighbors when we had the Salvation Army thrift store at the foot of our street, literally just a couple of blocks away, and yet they'd pile furniture on the curb and let it get rained on and ruined. And these were not people too infirm to take it to the SA.
@Ruby, yes, my daughter in law was getting rid of an entire living room of perfectly good furniture and was setting it out for pick up. There was some problem about the pick up and it was delayed a day or two. She knew it was going to rain and just let the entire set be ruined. I was very upset about this waste.
@Kristen,
Over the last several weeks, my neighbors put out some amazing pieces for the trash. I pick up what I can and donate it. However, some things are too big or too heavy for me to manage by myself. Yesterday my neighbor had two Outdoor wicker lounges out. They sell for around $1000 each. I had to leave them behind. They were still there when the garbage men came through. It made me sick.
@K D, That is a wonderful effort on your part.
I don't feel like I've had too many frugal wins lately, but let's see:
1) Had to go to the office (I'm working from home until January, but can optionally go in whenever), as the wifi was out at our house. I was able to charge our electric car for free at my office, and get free lunch.
2) Made a bunch of meals over the weekend, filling the freezer & fridge with easy options.
3) Used the last of the pumpkin puree (from last Halloween) in a batch of muffins. I do still need to roast & puree the Halloween pumpkins from this year, however!
4) Dropped my parents off at the airport using the electric car, saving on gas
5) Avoided eating out over the weekend. Normally when my husband is traveling, the kids convince me to get at least one meal out. We did well sticking to our menu plan.
@Hawaii Planner, agreed on electric car savings!
I have never trash-picked, but one time I left a vanity table with mirror and seat outside. The vanity and seat were in excellent condition, but I had replaced them with a new-to-me set. I knew that placing my old set outside would quickly give it a new home. I glanced outside just five minutes after I left the set out, and sure enough, someone had taken them.
I like the glassware - it reminds me a lot of the small glass pitcher with flowers cut into its side that was my grandmother's.
1. Although I got home late after going to church and visiting my husband, I waited and ate lunch when I got home (at 2:30 p.m.).
2. I spotted a gift for some young nephews, but I checked in with family before buying. I'm glad I did, as they already have it.
3. I washed all my laundry on cool and hung it outside or on the rack inside this weekend.
4. The house has been cool in the mornings for several days now, cool for Florida that is, but I've not used a space heater or the heat pump. The ceiling fans are off, too. This is that rare, brief time in Florida in which I don't need to run anything to be comfortable.
5. Loaded $25 more dollars from Swagbucks onto Amazon, and have a gift for $20 picked out to purchase for Christmas from there.
@JD, Hi, another Swagbucks user here! I always admire people who can save their Amazon GC's for gifts, I use Amazon for nearly every household necessity (and non-necessity) as I don't own a vehicle & it's so much simpler than hauling things home on public transportation. I pretty much use them as soon as I earn them.... I like that initial discounted one each month.
@akbj,
Yep, I waited for November 1 to get that $25 card for $22! I have six grandkids and some other family members to buy for, so I always aim to get as many gifts using Swagbucks as I can.
We picked up a brand new looking lawnmower on our street that had been set out for trash. It needed one tiny thing, I think something had stuck? and bingo, new lawnmower. It came at a time when we had two houses, buying one, selling the other - in different cities. What a blessing that lawnmower was!! No hauling our heavy self-propelled back and forth for a few months. I see God's hand in our decision to move in so many aspects. Thanks for getting me to remember that today with your vase story!
1. We had a remarkably mild October this year so I just got around to having the kids try on winter gear. Didn't get to boots, but happy to say that for everything else for six kids we need one pair of snow pants plus one pair of mittens.
2. Remembered to check the app before heading to a rarely visited grocery store. Happy to find a coupon for one dozen free eggs.
3. The lovely weather means that we've had the A/C off and heat barely on for quite a while now.
4. Properly guesstimated the Halloween candy so we ended up with enough, but not much extra.
5. Reused or created Halloween costumes from components already in house.
1. Harvested the last of the veggies and herbs before the first frost. Flash froze green pepper strips.
2. To counter rising prices, we are striving to consume less in new ways, like using less toothpaste each time, applying deodorant only when necessary, reducing serving sizes, and avoiding empty calories.
3. Took my husband's shoes to the shoe repair rather than trashing them and buying new ones.
4. Donated blood and brought my own water bottle and snack to avoid single-use disposables and packaging waste.
5. Created a get-well card for a child using a Looney Tunes Band-Aid, fun lettering and colorful card stock.
@MB in MN, On lists of professionals we need more of, shoe repair people should be near the top!
Glad you have one and could repair the shoes.
@MB in MN, kudos for blood donation!
Frugal Week:
1. I wear my clothes longer than I used to.I am still home quite a lot, Covid has changed our routines,still.Saves wear and tear and laundry energy,soap,etc.
2. Am inventory-ing my freezers..they are way full and we need to eat them down some.
3. Am stocking up on for sale items from grocery,especially baking items as I expect shortages during holidays ( like,NOW..) I have enough butter flour and sugar to make the cookies and things we enjoy for holiday treats.
4. Still cooking almost every single meal at home. We used to go out to lunch more often pre-Covid, now, we don’t even think about restaurant meals anymore.I looked at the online menu for a local diner we used to enjoy and the prices have gone through the ceiling!!!!
5. Keeping a gratitude journal is part of my mental and spiritual health routine but it’s also frugal.When you’re thankful for what you already have you have much less need for “more.”
@Madeline, I love #5. That is lovely - and so true.
I borrowed a work of art from the library to hang above my workspace. It's called Orange Hibiscus and it's very cheerful.
I stopped buying mascera. It irritates my eyes and I might be allergic.
I got "Who is Maud Dixon?" from the library. (If you like twisty tales that aren't too creepy, give this one a try.)
We bought $5 "first matinee of the day" movie tickets to see Dune. (Dune was fantastic.)
I made chicken stock from two chicken carcasses I've been saving.
Let's see...what frugal things happened around here this week?
1. I did grocery orders for Sam's and the grocery store. I find I really do spend much less when I don't go IN the store!
2. I planned a menu as well, which cut down on me buying random things I might use for a meal.
3. Walked the golf course yesterday - no cart fees for us!
4. I have a meeting downtown today and there's a coffee shop below my client's office. BUT instead of buying a coffee there I'm already planning to make myself a delicious coffee drink at home to take with me.
5. Frugally socializing with a friend this afternoon at home with wine instead of going out.
Bonus: I have a box of items I'm donating to Goodwill, but before I do, I texted our pet sitter to see if she needed any of the items. Turns out she could use a single-serve blender. So I feel better about it going to her, for free! Win win. It's out of my pantry and on to hers.
1. I finally got to my grocery store WITH THE LIST that I had created mostly using their sales flyer. They used to have a LOT of excellent loss leaders, there are fewer these days but if I am patient and careful I can save a lot. Coffee goes on sale every 3 months or so, so I stocked up, for example. But I did splurge on Earl Grey tea - more friends visiting these days and some love that kind of tea, so it is a gift for them. I stayed on point with my list, only purchasing what I had listed (and a couple of awesome deals like 500 gm of Mozzerella for $2.50 - close to stale date, but that has me thinking of lasagna which I rarely make!
2. I later ended up back at the store to get a loaf of bread to make into garlic bread - and decided to buy their pre-made garlic bread as it is was only 50 cents more - I figured that the buttter alone was worth 50 cents! time saver for me. I also picked up some cottage cheese for the aforementioned planned lasagna
3. The garlic bread was for rarely made spaghetti. We are still blessed with ripening tomatoes. so I took a lot of cherries as well as larger tomatoes (some of which were needing skilled paring to remove soft spots) and grated some carrots, chopped up some onions and celery, sent the man-boy out to get oregano, added some roasted tomatoes from a couple of days ago and made a huge pot of sauce. Ate that with my vegan daughter-outlaw and eldest son, with the first batch of garlic toast. sent them home a big quart of sauce for their very busy work week, and still have some left even after my second night of spaghetti. YUM - hence the plan for lasagna that is coming together
4. While shopping I knew I was low on spaghetti (due to the meals above). You all will be so proud of me because I managed to NOT BUY ANY. I will wait for the great sales that I know will show up soon, and meanwhile use other noodles. Oh, and I have lasagna noodles to use up already! LOL
5. Frugal for me - Daugher outlaw and son will take over the insurance of the little blue car, paying me just under $100 a month. Number 2 son is now insuring his own vehicle, and having me on the drivers list saves him a hefty sum - probably $40 or more a month.
6. Not frugal AT ALL but I ended up buying myself an awesome red three wheeled electric assist bicycle - on fall discount. I have been thinking I really want an electric bike, but I am also aware that my stability and balance isn't what it was, and I am getting older. This sweet ride has a basket on the back, and I can totally see myself using it to do quick grocery runs or go to my meetings in town. looking forward to it, even on rainy fall and winter days here.
@ecoteri, agreed on electric bikes!
—My husband’s holiday $25 gift card from his employer came early this year, so I’ve been planning how best to use it. A detailed inventory of the deep freezer, fridge, and pantry revealed that we actually have an embarrassing amount of food at our disposal! Our COVID numbers were high July-September, with the threat of lockdown always looming but never *quite* happening, so I made sure to stock up on staples and sales when doing our regular shopping (i.e. one extra package of sugar one trip, an extra package of toilet paper on another). Since I don’t want to cross the line from “prudent” to “hoarder,” I plan on the gift card being the sum total of our grocery spending for November. Challenge time! 😛
—When going through the food inventory together, we assigned what we already had to upcoming holidays and birthdays. It’s just the two of us (geographically distant family + traditional blizzards = phone calls instead), which simplifies things immensely. It also helps that, aside from pumpkin pie, we use holidays as an excuse for something different. Quail, duck, pheasant, tempura, venison, and various roasts have all had a turn!
—My husband ordered new work jeans from Amazon only to find the fabric was shockingly thin. After dropping the jeans off at Whole Foods to process the return (and not buying anything!), we went to Goodwill and found a MUCH better pair for $6 (Wrangler 20x brand, which retail for $60!). Talk about dumb luck! I’d checked for second-hand jeans before he ordered the duds and had come up empty.
—Other Goodwill finds: A beautiful antique hurricane lamp for $4 (half price color), a stainless steel water bottle, a new scraper/snow brush combo for $2, and a pumpkin carving kit new-in-box for $2. We’ve a modest hurricane lamp collection (four now) for power outages and because they’re just lovely; I needed a new bottle water bottle; we needed a second scraper/brush for our new-to-us second car; and we’re done fighting Halloween pumpkins with regular kitchen knives. ;P
—Our new-to-us second car needed outfitted with the basics: Antifreeze, windshield fluid, etc. (We don't have a garage, and chances are that if something *needs* refilled, it's not going to be at the house!) Knowing I had doubles of several things from previous sales, I went through my own trunk and was able to outfit my husband with all but oil (his car takes 10w-30, not 5w-30 like mine) and jumper cables.* I was also able to free up one trunk crate by rearranging my stuff, so his items now have a container of their own.
*Basic car essentials in my world: Any and all fluids, funnels for said fluids, at least one can of Fix-A-Flat, a tire iron and jack (happily both our cars came with these), a tire gauge, two scrapers (one short, one long/with a brush), rags for checking fluids, duct tape, a wrench, needle-nose pliers, and paper maps. Come to think of it, this might be a fun article/prompt, Kristen! The trunk version of "What's in your daily carry?" and how to do it frugally!
@N, when I bought my first car at 18, with some help from my parents, my grandfather gave me what he called the holy crap box. And it essentially came with everything you just described along with kitty litter and a few other things. And then he asked me to spend a day with him and he would show me how to use everything, check fluids, and change a tire. Now that I’m 35 and he has long since passed, I will give the same gift to any niece, nephew, and godchild that buys a car. I can’t even count how many times that box has come in handy.
@N, oil is generally interchangeable and agreed on bad Amazon products/local thrift being better!
That is a beautiful vase. What a find!
In my 20's I was definitely a trash picker. I was taught by my grandmother (who lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s) to use, reuse and reuse again. Recycling wasn't as prominent as it is now, but I've always done it. Furniture for my first two apartments was roadside treasure. I'd even acquired a few antique pieces that way. Nowadays, however, I'm collecting less and streamlining more. My older children have houses that we've helped them fill with pre-loved, memory-laden treasures from our house.
Here's our Five Frugal things for the week:
1. Picked up two name-brand turkeys for the freezer at $.89/lb. No turkey shortage here! I'll use one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. I also picked up a turkey breast $2 a pound cheaper than normal that I'll serve up in January or February. Turkeys make several meals for us, including making tons of stock from the bones.
2. Used a $5 coupon on special a protein supplement my daughter drinks as part of her swimming training regimen. She is a member of Team USA and competed at Nationals a couple of weeks ago. The toll it takes on her body is immense.
3. Saved $28 in shipping cost on car floor liners by ordering from Amazon rather than directly from the company. The liners still come directly from the company, but I save.
4. Found a motocross bike stand on sale. Saved $47. It will be a Christmas
gift for my son-in-law who rides enduro races.
5. Set up a Christmas wrapping station in the spare bedroom. I had crocheted several baskets from scrap yarn earlier this year and am using them as containers for presents instead of boxes or wrapping paper.
My frugal acts this week included:
Bought sheepskin liners to go inside my LL Bean slippers where the sheepskin lining had worn bare. For around $12, I got liners for two pairs, which beat buying new slippers for about $60+/pair. As a bonus, I got both pair of the slippers second hand many years ago for around $20/pair. Having two pair means I can switch them out when needed, and keep a pair by the backdoor for when I come in and take off my shoes, and keep another handy in my bedroom for when I get up in the mornings.
Kept the heat turned off until November 1, although there were a few days when I nearly caved. Having a couple of months without AC or heat helps with the electric bill.
I invested in some extra long men's tee-shirts to layer under sweaters and sweatshirts this winter. The extra layer will help keep me from the temptation to turn up the heat in the house, saving me money and energy in the long run.
My neighbor gave me all his green tomatoes as he cleared out his garden for the season. Combined with mine, I canned 19 half pints of green tomato salsa verde. This is great as a salsa with chips, or to make enchiladas. I also planted a head of garlic, so fingers crossed, next spring/summer I'll have homegrown garlic. The bulb was $1.50 and bought from a local grower at the farmer's market. (Supporting local business for the win!)
My neighbor gave me a fern from the end of the season that needed to be repotted. Luckily, I had a pot in my garden shed in a size that would work. Now, if I can keep alive the fern, all will be well.
I have two windows in my sewing room that need to be replaced (and the budget doesn't allow for that yet), and every year, I cover them with plastic during the winter. This year, I had enough leftover plastic from last year to cover them, so no out of pocket expense with them this year!
@Mary, I never thought of getting new liners! I go through so many pairs of slippers because I throw them out when they get worn down, that’s a great idea!
@Mary, Where did you buy the sheepskin liners from? My slippers need some 🙂
@Mary,
Can you tell me where you purchased the liners and which ones you bought? I LOVE my old ll bean moc slippers but the lining has finally given out completely. Thanks!!
I mended a sweater of my husband's using my new to me (used on amazon) mending book (Mending Life-- a Handbook for Repairing Clothes and Hearts)-- tons of snags from the cat's claws. While it doesn't look like new, it looks so much better and he is very happy.
We received free, last minute box seat tickets to a professional basketball game that included dinner and parking. Zero dollars spent for a very enjoyable evening out. Basketball isn't necessarily my thing, but the athletes are phenomenal and it's a chance to be out with people again!
I was out of town for work last week, and still tool my lunch to work every day instead of going out. It didn't help me financially, but it did help the clinic I was working for and I eat healthier when I'm not eating out.
Ooh, that sounds like a very interesting book!
1. I need to wear cotton turtleneck shirts in winter to keep my neck and self warm. Searched thrift stores and found 3.
2. I have a balance at my consignment store and found much needed nearly new tall and short black leather boots for winter for $45.
3. Inventoried freezer and pantry and making food plans based on using it up.
And this: the most important!
4. Had conversation with spouse about spending decisions and “slowing the roll” on spending. (I’m the more frugal one)
Went eye Dr last night for daughter. Found out my eye insurance covers 1 full year of contacts for both kids for free. About $1600 saved. Best frugal win for the year.
Oh, yay! That's wonderful news.
FFT, Things I've Saved Out of Recycling Bins Edition:
Kristen's lovely vase (which, BTW, shouldn't have been in a bin not only because it's perfectly reusable, but because that kind of glass can't be recycled at all) has inspired me to a list of things I have, ahem, rescued out of bins over the years:
(1) Several flower pots, both plastic and terra cotta.
(2) Four stoneware Dutch geneva gin bottles, from a neighbor up the street who was into the finer things in life. I kept two and gave two to another neighbor who had been eyeing them likewise but lacked my nerve.
(3) A really heavy, really expensive-looking French ceramic bowl with only one small chip out of the rim, from the same neighbor as the gin bottles. (Clearly, some folks just don't get it about no ceramics in the bin.)
(4) Numerous herb/spice bottles with lids. I soak the labels off these, run them through the dishwasher, and use them for the dried herbs I give as gifts.
(5) And several rolls of Xmas wrapping paper, some still in the original shrink wrap. (Obviously, the week after Xmas is the best time to snag these.) I don't think I've bought Xmas wrap in years.
Ok, I love this list! Good for you for rescuing all those things!
@A. Marie, I wondered if that was non-recyclable glass. Glad you commented.
I knew ceramic doesn't go in glass recycling.
1. I mended a hem on my child's pajamas.
2. I played all of Meijer's games on Saturday to get some good deals - $10 off $30 if you do a shop and scan order, $8 off $25 in Meijer brand items (and they had TP in stock!), etc. One benefit from this is that I thought that shop and scan would be too difficult with my 2 littlest kiddos in tow, but after doing it on my own once I think it's actually something they could help with and would think is fun.
3. I am working a catering-type job this weekend to help with a staff shortage at my husband's company (and also looking forward to making the cost of Christmas gifts sting a little less) and I will need black pants and a white shirt - I had neither. So I got black pants and one white shirt from Goodwill and a second white shirt from the clearance rack at Maurice's. I think it was a total of $13 for all 3 items.
4. I made yogurt and granola! It's been a long time since I've done either of those things. Maybe I'll keep up the yogurt-making for the winter.
5. I got a pair of pants for one of my kids that I thought they might need with their Halloween costume but we ended up finding something else that we had at home that worked ok so I took the pants back.
Oh! And #6 - Ibotta is offering a bunch of free Thanksgiving food right now! I went to WalMart this morning, got as many of the items as we could find, and scanned my receipt as soon as we got home. I got about $10 in free food.
1) I foraged wild apples and oyster mushrooms and consequently made pork & mushrooms with gravy and apple crisp for supper.
2) I am working the polls for election day--a last minute request--and am getting paid $120 for a 10 hour day. Not gonna break bank, but it all helps and I am helping people with their civic duty in my little town of 104.
3) I finally got rid of my Hong Kong cell phone plan 4 months after moving. It's only $9 a month in USA dollars, but there was no need to keep it, other than nostalgia.
4) I have been really impressed with how well our heat pump is working and how little fuel oil we have had to use as a supplement.
5) I have been walking everyday for exercise. Cheap and beautiful views.
1. Decided not to use a “free” $25 gift card, when it would have resulted in me spending an additional $27 on skincare I didn’t need. Reminding myself I have more than enough skincare products at home that I know work for me.
2. Washed windows with DH’s help, and even did the upstairs despite having no ladder! Makes about a million-dollar difference in the light and the view.
3. Rearranged furniture in our living room and made it much more homey and comfortable. Using and appreciating what we already own= frugal.
4. Continue to earn points on a survey website that I can turn into gift cards.
5. All the usuals: wearing thrifted clothes, etc.
Things are pretty boring at our house:
1. I won an electronic gift card from my favorite financial blogger.
2. I went out to lunch with some friends. I really just wanted a slice of pizza so that's what I ordered. Of course I tipped the counter help.
3. Another day I took leftovers to a friend's house at lunchtime and she ate leftovers she had. It was a good time to catch up as her life has been crazy busy lately.
4. We spent time over the weekend helping neighbors with a home improvement project.
5. I booked a hotel room for an upcoming trip using points we earned pre-pandemic. If they don't get used they will expire in a couple months.
So interesting you have to pay for emissions testing. In IL it is free
I would say that in general, our department of motor vehicles never does anything for free. Ha.
@Jaclyn, I was going to make that same comment, but, of course we pay in our “notorious” Illinois taxes! I haven’t seen the DIY version yet, have you?
1. I found a bag of 9 bananas on the $1 clearance produce shelf. I have been enjoying them in cereal, oatmeal and peanut butter sandwiches.
2. Yesterday was the day to "clip" the Sprouts digital coupons for freebies. I'm glad they always send me an email because I don't think I would remember without it. The five November items look good.
3. I keep a monthly record of freebies, found change, items sold, gift cards redeemed using points and number of no spend days. October's numbers are $39.75 in freebies, $1.50 found, $15 sold, $125 in gift cards and 20 no spend days.
4. I used another coupon and more of a Subway gift card to treat myself to a sub for lunch. I brought it home and added chips and fruit I had here.
5. I answered a long survey about hair care and received full size bottles of shampoo and conditioner to test. After using them for a week, I will do a follow-up survey to earn more points.
A self serve lane for emissions sounds good. I'd do that!
Gingerbread coffee sounds yummy but it kinda looks like mud in your cup. Sorry it didn't work out but at least you were able to get a refund!
KD- Congrats on the win!
Tricia- Foraging is a useful skill! Esp. for mushrooms!
I didn't have any big wins this week but some is better than none, right?
1) Got 2 packets of downy unstoppables for free from Sam's club machine that spit out an extra by accident.
2) We were given a $50 Sam's club GC.
3) Lands End sent me a code for up to 60% off and free shipping (no limit) so I got hubby a thermal top and lounge shorts for Christmas.
4) I ordered a toy from ebay and was sent the wrong thing. I was able to get a full refund but taking time out to box it and drive it to the post office was a pain. I ordered it from Amazon for a cheaper price.
5) My youngest (6'3")keeps giving me his jackets (I'm 5'2") and they are pretty big on me, but I wear them in cold weather and to my job (I work in a cooler). They are too nice to donate and I'm always cold.....
5 Frugal things this week...
1. I stopped in at Barnes & Nobles to possibly buy books but checked my library app before my purchase and found 3 out of 5 books. So purchased zero books!
2. Stayed at a hotel for my birthday with hubby and had warm breakfast, wi-fi and free parking all inclusive.
3.I learned how to make healthy flat bread pizza at home using a pizza stone I had for years.... less expensive and more delicious!
4.I learned how to juice extra produce before it spoils.
5. I've been tracking our monthly water bills, electricity bills and cable/internet bills since January and our expenditures are all below budget from last year.
The library is SUCH a money saver for readers!
My 5 Frugals
1) Finally got our PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) off our house so now our house payments are $100 less each month. Woo hoo! Only wished we’d done this sooner. Better late than never.
2) Kids used dress up clothes that we got for free years past through Facebook marketplace as their Halloween costumes.
3) Did free Halloween activities. Went to a few free trick or treating events around town, replayed some games we had last year, reread Halloween books we’ve had in our kids’ book collection and watch a few Halloween movies we’ve already had on DVDs.
4) Used a return credit and gift card for about $100 of groceries. Still have $0.75 left. Such a score!
5) Using up food we already had for meals. Made sandwiches, chicken and rice, etc.
Oh, that is a wonderful thing to get rid of PMI! It's such an annoying thing to pay for, because it feels as though you are paying for nothing.
1. I picked up travel shampoos and conditioners off Buy Nothing. They will be great for our camper. I picked up a brand new Lego set from Buy Nothing. It will be a birthday present for my son. I gave away lots if stuff we were not using, on Buy Nothing, over the past couple of weeks also. I hate clutter!
2. I made banana muffins, for my son's school snack, using over-ripe bananas. I made baked french toast, for my kid's breakfasts this week, using free wheat bread my daughter's daycare was not using. My husband made ham soup using the ham bone from last week's dinner. This will feed him and I lunch all week.
3. I roasted 2 pumpkins left over from Halloween (they had not been carved). It made about 5 cups of puree and a jar of roasted pumpkin seeds.
4. I picked my benefits through work, now that it is open enrollment. My employer did not increase our health insurance costs for next year, which is awesome. Some of the co-pays have actually decreased!
5. I got all of the kid's winter gear out. It's getting cold here! I had winter coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, and boots for both kids stored away in the basement. It was all free from Buy Nothing or from friends. Winter gear is expensive, so this is a nice savings.
I am a little bit obsessed with several that will give gift cards for points earned. I use 5 of them and with some great results. I redeemed several different gift cards and bought a computer on Amazon. My computer was free!
Did you explain “parent-of-the-day for-tutorial already? Just curious.
Beautiful carafe you found- yes, I’m a “junker” as we call it here! It’s amazing what people discard, for sure! Right now I’m being tempted by an old, solid-wood dresser that would be SO cool painted! But I don’t need it and don’t have the time or space right now. Sure hope someone grabs it!
@Kristen, I did see where you mentioned the parents at the tutorial. Thanks!
I didn't know that about Target, will keep in mind!
I...
1. remade some not-great leftovers into something I could tolerate eating.
2. Packed my lunch
3. Asked for a discount on a plumbing expense when they company completely goofed up the scheduling (they scheduled a guy who had the day off that day, and didn't bother to confirm or talk with him, so he, understandably, never showed up)
4. Ordered some Christmas gifts on a considerable sale (we buy Christmas pjs and an outfit from a particular online retailer than regularly has sales before Thanksgiving, so I keep an eye out for them).
5. Figured out how to have easy meals during a week when I'm really busy at work and feeling overwhelmed in general, so we're not eating out.
1. Our cub scout pack was having a Halloween party and the pack leader needed a cup of sugar for his dutch oven monkey bread. I reminded him that we were surrounded by candy and the kids had a great time adding miniature candy bars to it. Tasted great and used what we had on hand.
2. Finally resolved an issue with a Disney gift card that I purchased at Target. There was no way I was loosing $100. Only took about 4 weeks and three trips to Target. Geez.
3. This Halloween was very frugal despite buying my daughter two used costumes. The first costume for her was $5 and which she decided she didn't want to be (pirate which she will still fit into next year). We then found a Sponge Bob costume for $6 that she had been dying to find. These were the only items we had to buy for both kids costumes. $11 and done!
4. I'm still selling plasma 2x per week to make money to go to Disney. I've been coming up with anyway possible to raise the funds for the trip.
5. All the normal things, packing lunches and making my own iced coffee in the morning, selling items on Ebay, buying flex fuel for my van and reminding myself of the bigger picture items when I want something silly and small.
My electric car has paid for itself in $1000.00 a year gas, oil, maintenance savings!
Around here people always put gently used items at the curb so someone can grab them. I have gotten many things and am happy to pay it forward with my gently used items.